Question For All First timers & those that remember the first time?

[Denese96]

My first concerns were motion sickness and what if I forgot some piece of clothing.

 

I went to the doctor and got the patches for behind your ear. I then read that you should not have alcohol. That was a bummer, but I survived. Later I found out about SeaBands. Now with the huge ships, I rarely if ever need anything for motion sickness.

 

The second concern is because I am a plus size woman. People said don't worry you can buy whatever you forget. Not so true if you are over a size 14-16.

 

I love cruising. It is the best vacation for me. I am a ship kinda gal. I will do the same itinerary over and over if a new ship is introduced.

 

Now my newest concern is about a first Europe/Mediterranean cruise. Even if I study/research the ports before I go, will I be the only one ignorant about the history? And last will all the folks be rich and/or wealthy and I won't fit in the regular dinner chit chat?

[lady_cruiser]

Money and the fear of the unknown. My brother tried for over 10 years trying to get us to cruise and we always came up with an excuse. Finally in 2005 we took the leap. If I had only started when he first suggested it I would be at or very close to the Diamond Plus level with Royal Caribbean.

[jorapp]

The Carnival cruises listed in signature were Xmas gifts from DH. "Take a friend and have fun." I could not get him to go with me!

 

He was worried that he would:

* be bored while on ship

* feel like cattle, crowded into pens and herded around

* dislike the food

 

FINALLY he agreed to try it this year and is now hooked. None of those fears were realized and he had a wonderful time.

[kellbellscruise]

I had never personally known anyone who had taken a cruise... all I ever knew about them was the news reports of people getting sick on them.. since it became such headlines.. I thought no-way-jose would I ever go on one... I dont wanna be sick on vacation!! And I wondered if it was done on purpose too.... something put in the food. But, we went and loved it and cant wait to go again. And yes, I know, you can get sick anywhere, but the news had me scared... And thankfully, they are taking great measures to try and prevent the spread of any illness. Oh, also a rogue wave... lol

[Silvermist]

I am always interested in what keeps folks from cruising. Many friends of ours him and haw about taking the leap. I understand that some folks have extreme motion sickness and I understand that.

 

My question is...

 

What was the number one concern that you had to overcome before you were able to say - "Let's book it; I'm taking this Cruise"!!!!.

 

There have been tons of great posts while I was away!!! If anyone is new to the board please consider answering the question...

 

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE :D

 

I have lived all my life landlocked in the middle of the continent of N. America. My biggest concern has always been how huge the ocean is and how tiny a ship is (in comparison to the size of the ocean). I know people have been sailing for centuries, and many in much smaller ships than the one I will be on so it's really a silly fear. But that's the thing that's kept me from cruising until now. I still get a little freaked out when I think about it, so basically I don't think about it! I'm sure once I get on the ship I'll find so many other things to think about that it won't be an issue at all.

[sparky-elpaso]

I have lived all my life landlocked in the middle of the continent of N. America. My biggest concern has always been how huge the ocean is and how tiny a ship is (in comparison to the size of the ocean). I know people have been sailing for centuries, and many in much smaller ships than the one I will be on so it's really a silly fear. But that's the thing that's kept me from cruising until now. I still get a little freaked out when I think about it, so basically I don't think about it! I'm sure once I get on the ship I'll find so many other things to think about that it won't be an issue at all.

 

You didn't mention if you had actually seen a cruise ship before. I hadn't when we went on our first cruise - to Alaska. I thought I had an idea of how big the Radiance was - 3 football fields long / 1 football field wide, etc. But when we walked out on the dock and saw the ship I realized all those numbers didn't mean much - it's huge. And the Radiance is now considered a medium sized ship.

 

[Silvermist]

You didn't mention if you had actually seen a cruise ship before. I hadn't when we went on our first cruise - to Alaska. I thought I had an idea of how big the Radiance was - 3 football fields long / 1 football field wide, etc. But when we walked out on the dock and saw the ship I realized all those numbers didn't mean much - it's huge. And the Radiance is now considered a medium sized ship.

 

 

Thanks for that awesome photo! No, i have never seen a cruise ship up close. I've been told our ship is something like 3 football fields long and all that, but I've never seen an NFL football field in real life either so I don't even have that to judge how big it is. :o That photo is great to show me the perspective of people vs ship. Look how little the crane operator is! The biggest I've seen is a Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker when I visited Quebec City - big, but not as big as the Radiance! :eek: I think I understand that they're gigantic although I basically can only imagine until I get to port. I'm sure once I see the Star I'll be :eek::eek: about how big she really is, but still there's a part of me that worries about how gigantic-er the ocean is. But I'm not going to let my silly little fear stop me anymore. I'm ready to give it a shot. And I'm truly jumping in with both feet -- a 15 day Panama Canal cruise! I can't wait!

[Homala]

This is a great thread. I'm new to cruising (first one in Nov) and am new to CC. My concerns were pretty much the same as those posted here: thought cruises would be more expensive ('til I started to seriously look into it), and thought (actually THINK) I might get seasick, but I've already stocked up on what I hear should prevent it.

 

Another concern was that I thought my DH and I wouldn't fit in - we're mid 40s and 50s and I was worried that all cruising was about partying, belly flop contests, and drunk fests. Not that we're boring, but that is not our scene. However, we are booked on HAL, which I hear won't be like that, but should still be far from boring. Now we can't wait! (So long as I don't get seasick!)

 

Thanks for a great question OP!

[Bound4Bermuda]

I had concerns not only about seasickness but also anxiety about being in the middle of the ocean. I did get a little seasick, and I did have momentary "freak outs" just looking out and seeing nothing but water, but I got over both of those fairly easily.

[Silvermist]

I had concerns not only about seasickness but also anxiety about being in the middle of the ocean. I did get a little seasick, and I did have momentary "freak outs" just looking out and seeing nothing but water, but I got over both of those fairly easily.

 

Oh thank goodness I'm not the only one!!! :D:D I hope (I'm sure) I will get over it really easily too. I'm from the prairies (think Little House on the Prairie - that's my life, except with electricity and plumbing ;)) so I'm fine with being able to see forever on the horizon. But that forever on the horizon is solid land. The idea of 100s of feet of water under me and for hundreds of miles all around me is a little "freaky" to a landlubber like myself!:o

[polySeraph]

What was the number one concern that you had to overcome before you were able to say - "Let's book it; I'm taking this Cruise"!!!!

 

I am embarrassed to say that DH and I had never even considered cruising; We just liked travelling internationally. One day we mentioned to a friend that we would like to go to Norway some day and that person suggested that the best way to see Norway was via a cruise ship. So, we checked into it, found an itinerary we liked at a price we could afford, and booked it!

 

Once we got on the ship, we discovered that unpacking ONCE for 2 weeks of sightseeing was pretty cool. We didn't have to think about where to eat or where to sleep or how to get there and there was always something entertaining to do in the evenings. We'd go to sleep, wake up, and voila! New sights to see were just a short walk away. DH and I looked at each other and said, "could be something to this cruising stuff. . . ." After we got home and booked our second cruise, we discovered we were HOOKED!

 

Now my newest concern is about a first Europe/Mediterranean cruise. Even if I study/research the ports before I go, will I be the only one ignorant about the history? And last will all the folks be rich and/or wealthy and I won't fit in the regular dinner chit chat?

 

If my current roll call is any indication of the types of people who go on Med cruises, you have nothing to worry about. There are quite a variety of interests represented: food, shopping, beautiful scenery, night life, and yes, culture and history. One couple is even planning to check out an antique car museum in Monaco. On my last European cruise, the dinner conversation was mostly cordial smalltalk. (However, since it was an NCL cruise - with the freestyle dining - we only shared a table about 25% of the time, so my experience may be limited.) Don't worry about not fitting in with rich people; there are lots different people with different budget constraints. On my Norway cruise, I saw a lot of middle class European families and met several retired couples on a budget.

[zstell]

I definitely thought cruising was not in the budget for our family. We sailed a couple of times without the kids and really had to save to those trips. Then, we took them (2 girls, 3 boys) on their first cruise and our family is addicted. When comparing the cost of renting a condo in Florida, food, entertainment, etc.....a cruise is a great value. And, for a mom, it is PRICELESS - no cooking, no cleaning, no whining!

[sparky-elpaso]

Thanks for that awesome photo! No, i have never seen a cruise ship up close. I've been told our ship is something like 3 football fields long and all that, but I've never seen an NFL football field in real life either so I don't even have that to judge how big it is. :o That photo is great to show me the perspective of people vs ship. Look how little the crane operator is! The biggest I've seen is a Canadian Coast Guard Icebreaker when I visited Quebec City - big, but not as big as the Radiance! :eek: I think I understand that they're gigantic although I basically can only imagine until I get to port. I'm sure once I see the Star I'll be :eek::eek: about how big she really is, but still there's a part of me that worries about how gigantic-er the ocean is. But I'm not going to let my silly little fear stop me anymore. I'm ready to give it a shot. And I'm truly jumping in with both feet -- a 15 day Panama Canal cruise! I can't wait!

 

Panama Canal is on my "bucket list". Check out this website for views of the ships going through the locks. On the left side are the different cameras - Gatun and Miraflores locks.

 

http://www.kroooz-cams.com/ports/gatun.php

 

If you have someone at home who can watch it while you're there they could do a screen print of your ship going through.

[Silvermist]

Panama Canal is on my "bucket list". Check out this website for views of the ships going through the locks. On the left side are the different cameras - Gatun and Miraflores locks.

 

http://www.kroooz-cams.com/ports/gatun.php

 

If you have someone at home who can watch it while you're there they could do a screen print of your ship going through.

 

Cool website! I'll have to bookmark it - I can't believe how dark it is there at 7:30 already. I'll have to check it tomorrow in the daylight. Thanks for the link. :)

[sparky-elpaso]

Cool website! I'll have to bookmark it - I can't believe how dark it is there at 7:30 already. I'll have to check it tomorrow in the daylight. Thanks for the link. :)

 

You're welcome. Have a great time - and prepare to become addicted.

[Cuizer2]

I am always interested in what keeps folks from cruising. Many friends of ours him and haw about taking the leap. I understand that some folks have extreme motion sickness and I understand that.

 

My question is...

 

What was the number one concern that you had to overcome before you were able to say - "Let's book it; I'm taking this Cruise"!!!!.

 

None - my parents took care of EVERYTHING.

[suezyq50]

I wanted to do something different for our 30th anniversary. I was under the impression cruising was pricey. It is actually very affordable. I love it.

[swimmingotta]

The biggest worries we had were the cost, but you figure that out and pay off bits as you go along. The biggest worry we had was if we would be bored on the ship. Not a chance!

[KarenandBruceG]

Well, I have to agree with the majority of people who posted on this thread, cost was a big consideration. The way to overcome this is to think about the expenses involved in a driving vacation (Fuel, food, lodging and entertainment). When you break the costs down to a cost/day basis, cruising becomes very economical way to go!

 

Bon Voyage!

[MagnoliaFly]

My husband was the one that refused to try cruising for years. We'd heard terrible reports from our friends that took short weekend cruises so we didn't want to spend the money to do that and instead opted to do vacation destination type stuff.

 

He has never done well with boats nor does he care for the ocean much. He was worried about the size of the cabin too since he does get kind of claustrophobic.

 

What convinced him was talking to two friends that LOVE cruising and have done several so they were experienced at it. He asked them all sorts of questions at dinner. By the end of it he decided to try it.

 

We took our first cruise six months ago and we've already booked our second cruise. We are sold. The service you get for the price you pay is better than any other vacation we've ever spent money on.

 

...and I was the one having motion sickness on the cruise!! I never get motion sickness. One of the stabilizers was out the first day and a half on top of rough seas as we were getting out of Tampa Bay. I got SO sick. Won't stop me from cruising though. Now I know to come better prepared with meds and wristbands.

[thelioness1210]

DH is part of the "OMG I'll be trapped on a ship and bored" group. I told him that many many people seem to say the exact same thing and then love it. So we are booked on a 7 day in September. I really, really hope it goes well. Or it will probably be our last cruise (at least together :D)

 

My husband and I are a little worried there wont be enough things that we enjoy doing on the ship.

[mitsugirly]

I am always interested in what keeps folks from cruising. Many friends of ours him and haw about taking the leap. I understand that some folks have extreme motion sickness and I understand that.

 

My question is...

 

What was the number one concern that you had to overcome before you were able to say - "Let's book it; I'm taking this Cruise"!!!!.

 

I took my first cruise when I was 22 and had 2 small children (ages 2 and 5 months) and I was so afraid to leave them behind (even though they stayed with family, who happen to babysit them every day while I was working, it was still hard). The other reason was finances. Back when I took my first cruise in the 80's, it wasn't cheap AT ALL. I believe cruising has become more affordable now than back then...which is a good thing.

 

This cruise, was my husbands first. He came up with everything he could NOT to go. We were cruising on 9/11, he watched videos on youtube of cruise ships in storms, read about the 1) engine failure on our new ship being built & 2) the several fires on the new ship that took place before it was ever finished, he was afraid of looking out and seeing nothing but water, he's watched Titanic TOO MANY times :D, the gang shooting and killing of the teenager at St Thomas happened just weeks before our cruise....the list goes on. He DID NOT want to go. I kept reassuring him that once he got on the ship everything would be ok and he would never want to leave and would be dreaming of his next cruise before he ever got off this one....I WAS RIGHT!!! All he does is talks about booking our next one for next year. :D

[dshin00]

Mine was feeling like I was trapped on a ship with nothing to do.......I have never been close to doing everything on a ship.

[LarryL]

When my DW brought it up, I was in. Didn't have to think about it. I had always been passively curious but never thought we'd get around to one. Being bored never crossed my mind. This is one of the best ways to vacation.:p

[katiedidthat]

My biggest concern was having to fly to FL to go on a cruise, but then I recently found out I could leave from MD, so then I was sold!