End of the first day feeling like the last day

My thoughts on this.

I have been planning the cruise, researching excursions and looking forward to getting on the cruise ship. All of a sudden it is done, I'm on ship and the planning stage is over. Now what? Enjoy the cruise? I can't. I"m already planning the next cruise.

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This is more of a psychology question than a cruise-specific question, since I experienced a similar feeling on land vacations, but anyway...

 

Both times I cruised so far, I found myself having a very weird feeling at the end of the first day. Usually after the dinner and show, when I'm putzing around the deck or looking at the ocean, passing time before the club gets going. I basically feel like this is the last day, rather than the first day. Like, this is the final night of the cruise, and I'm getting in a few last hurrahs before tomorrow's debarkation. Conversing with new people on the deck seems to intensify the feeling. Even though I logically know I still have a whole cruise (minus one day) ahead of me.

 

It's a weird feeling that's almost impossible to shake. It doesn't fully go away until next morning, when I wake up and realize I don't have to debark just yet. :) (Well, if it's a port day, I do have to debark in a way, but only until I'm due to return.) Then it comes back with a vengeance on the actual last night of the cruise. :)

 

I think it happens because the first day is so packed and hectic. First off, I always wake up too early when sleeping in the pre-cruise hotel. (And I won't take sleep aids, so I don't oversleep.) Which leads to a longer, more tiring day. Second, I have to hustle my way to the ship, then get slammed with a plethora of new sights, sounds, and experiences. Third, I meet lots and lots of new people; some are momentary encounters, while others lead to hanging out the next few days. So by the time the day is done, I've gone through more new experiences than in the whole week on land. Hence, the feeling.

 

Anyone else get the same feeling at the end of the first day on your cruise?

Never have I had the feeling .Interesting that in all my years of being a Psychologist has anyone mentioned this to me.

I do not quite get your feeling (last night blues on the first night) but I do get a feeling of relief that the long build up for the cruise and travel to get onto it is over and I have arrived and now I can relax. :D

Getting onboard, my wife and I alway feel like we just got off yesterday. But the feeling of first last is not uncommon.

You have to realize, you are starting something that will end. As all talk about, where does the time go. So fast time passing bring days faster and end is near.

Just Enjoy the cruise...

Well, I just booked another cruise.  So bumping this topic, because in just two months, it could become reality for me.  Any ideas on dealing with that feeling, where the end of your first night onboard feels like the last night of your cruise?  (Besides "book two cruises at once". ☺️)

Never felt like the 1st day of a cruise is the last.  But I have felt that the last day of a vacation came around too fast.

I try to practice mindfulness, the idea of being present in the moment.  Doesn't help with jet lag, but it does help me from confusing today with another date.

"Jet lag" is a good point.  I live in the Central Time, but my cruise sails out of the Pacific Time (and stays there).  So I'm sure I'll have that "something feels off" feeling for much of the day.  Like, it's 7:00 PM, but it "should be" 9:00 PM.

Luckily, I'm flying in the day before.  So I'll have the jet lag mostly handled by the time I board my ship. And flying west is usually easier on the mind than flying east.

10 hours ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

"Jet lag" is a good point.  I live in the Central Time, but my cruise sails out of the Pacific Time (and stays there).  So I'm sure I'll have that "something feels off" feeling for much of the day.  Like, it's 7:00 PM, but it "should be" 9:00 PM.

 

Luckily, I'm flying in the day before.  So I'll have the jet lag mostly handled by the time I board my ship. And flying west is usually easier on the mind than flying east.

Not saying it doesn't happen but the first day/last day thing just doesn't compute.  I can't imagine what you are feeling.   Anyway, years ago I heard somewhere that it takes one day per time zone to get over jet lag.  At the time I thought that was kind of lengthy.  Now that I'm older (old I guess) it seems to be a pretty accurate rule of thumb.   

10 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Not saying it doesn't happen but the first day/last day thing just doesn't compute.  I can't imagine what you are feeling.   Anyway, years ago I heard somewhere that it takes one day per time zone to get over jet lag.  At the time I thought that was kind of lengthy.  Now that I'm older (old I guess) it seems to be a pretty accurate rule of thumb.   

We completed a 15 day TA, EB, Florida to Barcelona last month.  We lost an hour on 5 days of the ocean crossing  By the fifth day I was looking for breakfast my time and ship time was into lunch already.

If we do another TA, it will be West Bound, I handle that direction better.

10 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Not saying it doesn't happen but the first day/last day thing just doesn't compute.  I can't imagine what you are feeling.   Anyway, years ago I heard somewhere that it takes one day per time zone to get over jet lag.  At the time I thought that was kind of lengthy.  Now that I'm older (old I guess) it seems to be a pretty accurate rule of thumb.   

Yeah, as I age, it's getting harder.  When we returned from SE Asia to the West Coast a few years ago it took each of us about a week to recover.  Good thing we're retired.  Love going to Brazil as, depending on DST in each place, the time difference is only between two and four hours.  Easy peasy.

On 6/20/2018 at 10:33 AM, bob brown said:

I think this is your best answer, in a nutshell...

 

By the way, you know what the best way to overcome the "PCDS", (Post Cruise Depression Syndrome) is? Simple.

Have another cruise (or more), already booked. Knowing that, may take some of the edge of your feeling...;):)

This rings very true to what I have experienced.  Years ago my husband and I took a trip to Europe.  While we were raising our family, traveling abroad was not something we did at that time.  This trip to France was a dream trip for me.  Our youngest child was 19.  We were beginning a new chapter in our life, but I was unaware of how I was going to feel or how my life was about to change direction.  When the trip was over and we were flying home, I was so sad.  I didn’t realize that we were going to repeat traveling abroad in the years to come.  Now we have begun cruising, I know that there will be another cruise to look forward to after the one we are on currently.  I may feel a bit sad the trip is about to end, but it is only momentary.

I understand where the OP is coming from,  the long time from booking to get there... packing and rushing to get to the start of the cruise....  then suddenly you are there.... I think a short cruise would be worse...

I find the time from booking to the cruise the worst part... until cruising never book a holiday that far in advance..

Also we take longer cruises minimum 13 nights, a long with the face that we only drive 30 minutes to the port...

All these time added up and when you finally get on board you can relax ( in someways a slight let down ) Then the thrill of waking up on board a ship..

We have booked our first B2B November this year and am looking forward to watch all the other people getting off at the end of the first leg..

Cheers Don 

Once you get ON the ship, you KNOW what you've been anticipating will soon end....that's what you're experiencing....good times go too fast.  Bad times, and time drags.  Just the nature of life.  Recognize it...and then enjoy your time on vacation!

46 minutes ago, getting older slowly said:

I find the time from booking to the cruise the worst part.

But we'll have other road trips and others during that time.

On 6/28/2019 at 6:41 PM, clo said:

But we'll have other road trips and others during that time.

That's not a bad idea.  It probably keeps the cruise anticipation in check, by giving you other things to anticipate.  Fortunately, this is easy in the summer.  My area has tons of opportunities for festivals, outdoor concerts, day trips to state parks, etc.  I just have to watch my spending on those things a little better than usual, to stay within budget while paying for my cruise.  

4 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

That's not a bad idea.  It probably keeps the cruise anticipation in check, by giving you other things to anticipate.  Fortunately, this is easy in the summer.  My area has tons of opportunities for festivals, outdoor concerts, day trips to state parks, etc.  I just have to watch my spending on those things a little better than usual, to stay within budget while paying for my cruise.  

We did an Eastern Oregon (beautiful!) road trip a couple of years ago.  We brought along a couple of entree type leftovers.  MWd a couple of sides, open a bottle of wine and we had a great and fun dinner.  Lunch one day were PBJs 🙂  Some years ago Bob was the trustee for a little old lady who was spending like crazy after her cheap husband had died.  We told her "you can have anything you want but not everything you want."   That's kindahow we live.

16 minutes ago, clo said:

We told her "you can have anything you want but not everything you want."   That's kindahow we live.

Wow!  Brilliant!  👍  I'll have to use that one on someone someday. 

Nice poodle in the photo/avatar, by the way.  Poodles were my favorite dog breed when I was a kid.

4 minutes ago, LandlockedCruiser01 said:

Nice poodle in the photo/avatar, by the way.

Hairy Red Dog 🙂  One year old and he's probably topped 10# by now.