How many RVers turned Cruisers ????

[lady cruise alot]

Love this thread. DH and I are RV campers too. Started the same way, tent, pop-up to a 38 ft. motorhome. Love it as we are able to take our four Boston Terriers with us. They love to go camping and are so good. We haven't done a lot of long distance travel in it yet but hope to when DH retires soon. Nothing like the great outdoors. We are taking a 14 night cruise on the Connie in March. Cannot wait.

[Nonna and Papa]

You know what....don't worry about not saving every dime, or squandering your kids inheritance....live life!:)

 

We started camping (in a tent) because we wanted to spend family time together, yet didn't have the budget for vacations each year. So we took the kids to state parks near us and camped in a primitive area for $2.00 a night. In fact one weekend, we got to a state park about an hour from home, and found that the only facilities were pit toilets. NO way was I going to let the kids use a pit, and I certainly wasn't about to use one of those things....suppose I had to get up at night...there are animals... and things!!!:D So I made my husband drive to find a Sears (which happened to be 5 miles from our house) so we could buy a port a potty. We had three sets of neighbors and their children join us for a picnic one day that weekend, and the kids were so tickled with the port a potty that they kept flushing it. My husband had to empty and refill it three times! True story!

 

Have a good time. Don't wait until something happens and then it's too late to do the things on the list we all tend to have. Other than camping and cruising, we don't go to movies, eat out often, or travel much locally any more. Decide what is important in your life and try your best to do it and have a great time! When our time is up, there will always be something left over for the kids...maybe not as much as they hope, but they can have the pictures from our trips!!!:p

 

Mary

[luv2camp04]

My parents are currently on a 3 month trip in their 5th Wheel in Arizona. They have been fortunate enough to have been able to do quite a bit of traveling over the years including several cruises, many trips to Hawaii, several to Europe and then mostly traveling in their RV which is what they love the most! Since retiring they live simply and enjoy getting out with their friends and camping. One of their favorite trips was their 3 month trip to Alaska in their RV. What I'm getting at, is that they worked very hard for their money and they deserve to use it as they see fit. If in their retirement they use it all up and their is none left for and inheritence for my brother or myself, that is perfectly fine. It is up to us to work for our money, not for my parents to hand us anything. We help our kids as they are growing and give them the tools to do the best they can in life and then it is up to them to make the most of their life. Maybe sounds harsh, but I believe it. Enjoy what you've earned! You've worked hard for it!!

 

I am hoping that some day we can go on an Alaska cruise and my parents have said they would love to join us. That would be great!!

[Bholling]

We were perfectly satisfied with ocean view cabins until we took our first Alaska cruise in 2006. We stepped up to a sky suite on the Mercury (farewell, lovely ship...) and snagged an extra large balcony. We spent more time out there than anywhere else (except maybe the MDR) on that trip and have had to have balconies ever since.

 

Luv2camp04 - You should definitely plan a cruise with your parents - we took my MIL on the Alaska trip and she calls it the highlight of her life.

 

An RV trip through Alaska sounds like a great idea too. We can add that to the list!

[Nonna and Papa]

We'll be cruising to Alaska in May!:)

 

Mary

[dolittle]

I have always loved to camp (boyscouts) but I do it alone most times .I pack light go tent only near ocean and fish and crab.Or to mountans (pocono) and fish and hike.Some times wife or grandson come most times not. Friends and D.W. think it is A little crazy but I do enjoy it .P.S. You meet nice people camping and cruising.

[petrakae]

We are Aussies who have had a 'trailer' or in our terms, a caravan for 30 years and used it both during our working life with young kids and since retiring we spend between 3 and 4 months of the year travelling our country. We are also cruisaholics who try to do one cruise per year to deal with that addiction.;) We love our caravan and travel all over the place meeting some great fellow Aussies along with back-packers from all over the world both young and old. We have also toured USA with our sons rig (he lives in NC). The cruise ships do not take us into the mountains and inland places. Could I choose between the two..........NO WAY. They both play an important part of our life and enjoyment. Hey! Already told the kids that they will not get much inheritance whereupon one kindly informed us that 'no problem, we all have more than you and Dad anyway" Gave the kids a big tip, if you work hard like us you can also retire and travel.:D Having said that, I am way past the Hotel/motel thing where packing/unpacking is now too much of a hassle.

[Texancruisers]

You know what....don't worry about not saving every dime, or squandering your kids inheritance....live life!:)

 

We started camping (in a tent) because we wanted to spend family time together, yet didn't have the budget for vacations each year. So we took the kids to state parks near us and camped in a primitive area for $2.00 a night. In fact one weekend, we got to a state park about an hour from home, and found that the only facilities were pit toilets. NO way was I going to let the kids use a pit, and I certainly wasn't about to use one of those things....suppose I had to get up at night...there are animals... and things!!!:D So I made my husband drive to find a Sears (which happened to be 5 miles from our house) so we could buy a port a potty. We had three sets of neighbors and their children join us for a picnic one day that weekend, and the kids were so tickled with the port a potty that they kept flushing it. My husband had to empty and refill it three times! True story!

 

Have a good time. Don't wait until something happens and then it's too late to do the things on the list we all tend to have. Other than camping and cruising, we don't go to movies, eat out often, or travel much locally any more. Decide what is important in your life and try your best to do it and have a great time! When our time is up, there will always be something left over for the kids...maybe not as much as they hope, but they can have the pictures from our trips!!!:p

 

Mary

 

Good Morning Mary!!

 

My DW and I laughed and laughed while reading your post!!! :D We've experienced the animals, and "things"!!! One time we were in a motor home and had left the door open with the screen door in place so we could have some fresh air. During the night we had three coons in the RV!!!! It was hilarious!!! I'm just glad they remembered where they came in and we were able to get them out without incident!!!

[Nonna and Papa]

If we have nothing else, we have good memories, experiences, and stories!!! We still laugh about the port a potty one. And of course, my husband just milks his "outrage" and "exasperation". That's OK....we still laugh, and laughing is always something good.:D

 

Mary

[HappyCampers3]

We have an RV at our family lake....I think it is our 5th one..Have camped with our daughters and then our grandkids....now just us.....We now take 2 cruises a year. Started cruising 20 years ago....

 

Long time no talk!! When I saw this thread I thought of you immediately and as I began to read through...there you were!!

 

Of course our RV is hibernating for the winter months. We just returned from an eleven day Southern Caribbean cruise. There again, we thought of you guys while on the cruise! We gave Celebrity a try this time and were somewhat disappointed with our fellow cruisers. We met a few others, but for the most part, most of them were rather snobbish. Oh well, we tried not to let that stand in our way of having a good cruise, especially since we had Caleb with us and enjoyed our time together as a family!

 

Hope you are both doing well!

 

Wouldn't it be great to meet up again some day on the same ship :)

[LittleYiaYia]

We too are avid RV'ers and cruise lovers. Living in MO, we have the beautiful MO Ozarks to explore. We have a pleasure boat as well as the RV. During the summer we keep the boat down at the lake in the Ozarks and tow the RV down when we go. Keeping the RV here at home also allows us to explore different areas and take some three and four day short trips. We have been married for 45 years next month and I think we started out camping the first year after we were married.

 

We alternate land vacations with cruising. Sometimes it's just the two of us, sometimes various family members (read grandchildren) and sometimes just good friends. We enjoy all types of experiences, the fun of s'mores over the campfire and the excitement of sail-away and seeing various ports. They are two totally different vacations but both are enjoyable.

 

We are cruising next month to the Caribbean and just made our reservations for our May trip to the lake. We are looking forward to both.

[Kellie Poodle]

I don't think RVing and cruising preclude each other. They are totally different.

 

While I do love the pampering factor of cruising, I also love (and missed) the freedom to st[p where I wanted and knowing who slept on my sheets the night before.

 

When people asked my late mother "where's Janet" she always answered "she's home. Of course I have no idea where home is at the moment, but she's home" As a full time RVer, wherever I was, I was home. That was the good part.

 

If it wasn't for my fears about my DH's health and being stuck someplace with him being sick (which did happen a couple of times), I would have kept on with the lifestyle. The only reason we didn't cruise while we full timed was that we had no one to watch our two little dogs.

 

We have visited 49 of the 50 states in our RVs as well as every Canadian province and the Yukon Territory. We have made many friends and have learned so much about the various cultures within cultures of our wonderful country. I would not give back a single second of that 9 years.

 

As I see it, there is very little spontaniety with cruising. You might decide on a last minute excursion or grab a cab in port and "wing it" but there is something special about being able to stop the camper and check out the place you've seen that interests you that you saw on the billboard you just passed. That's not to say that cruising doesn't have it's pluses. It sure does or I wouldn't be doing it so much. :) Once, we followed a sign to a winery and wound u harvesting grapes the next day for pay. It was a fantastic experience that we'd never have been able to have on a cruise ship.

 

I just think that the two methods of vacationing are very different and they are non-exclusive of each other. Both RVing and cruising have a part in our lives. JMTCW

[LittleYiaYia]

Janet, I do understand what you mean when you talk about getting sick on a trip. My husband has serious heart problems and fears of him having an attack while on a trip is always in the back of my mind. People who live at the lake we visit are always asking why we haven't retired there. The answer is health care. The closest hospital is 45 minutes by car or the area has recently added helicopter service to the largest city (still 30 minutes away by air.) Just too scary to contemplate. Somehow the idea that the cruise ship has a Doctor onboard makes me feel less apprehensive.

 

I do know that we will keep travelling with the RV until our health stops us. It is hard to give it up once it is in your blood.

[alicam]

We love to camp (camped all around Australia in 2001) and RV too.....but RVing is for the summer months here in Ontario, and cruises are for the wintertime...we love both, but this March will likely be our last cruise for the time being...we want to do land based tours for awhile

[S_cruiser]

We fulltimed RV for a couple of years and then built the house and sold the RV and then over the next few years we had a couple of more RV's and then sold them. We then discovered cruising so started that but then we missed the rving so bought another and then bought a permanent site in Virginia where we have spent the summer months. This past fall we bought another RV, still have the place in Virginia and still cruise so we do it all. Can't say that I enjoy one over the other as they are so different and I enjoy which ever we are doing. We will continue to cruise once or twice a year and will RV it some during the winter here in Florida and will be in Virginia in the summer and will be using that as a base to RV it in the northern part of the states.

[Kellie Poodle]

Janet, I do understand what you mean when you talk about getting sick on a trip. My husband has serious heart problems and fears of him having an attack while on a trip is always in the back of my mind. People who live at the lake we visit are always asking why we haven't retired there. The answer is health care. The closest hospital is 45 minutes by car or the area has recently added helicopter service to the largest city (still 30 minutes away by air.) Just too scary to contemplate. Somehow the idea that the cruise ship has a Doctor onboard makes me feel less apprehensive.

 

I do know that we will keep travelling with the RV until our health stops us. It is hard to give it up once it is in your blood.

 

You are aware of companies like Sky Med and Med Jet Assist?

[LittleYiaYia]

No, I have not heard of Sky Med or Med Jet Assist. Are these medical assistance by helicopter? I do not know the name of the helicopter service at the lake.

[islandgirlejfan]

Love camping! We started out in a tent and bought a pop up when our kids were at home. We have also used my in laws motorhome and fifth wheel unit. When our van died, we got rid of our pop up and we decided to buy a Miata and camped out of it in a tent...and yes, don't laugh because it is possible. The only difference is you have to be a little creative about your packing. We took just what we needed on our trip and we DID cook. My husband wrote a story about our trip from Baltimore to Key West and was selected as the Miata of the month on Miata.net. Our hope is to eventually combine the love of our two seater with a motorcycle trailer that we can pull with the Miata. There is nothing like making camping food, enjoying the quiet it provides and the relax factor. That's where I find cruising very similar to camping. I don't have an issue with the work part of camping yet, and I quite like being pampered on the ship!

 

We are thinking of buying a small trailer to park in Myrtle Beach or Florida during the winter months in time. We are both really hating the cold more and more and we've always loved the beach....thinking about that for our future! :)

[RNTOCRUISN]

very interesting--just told our friends who are booked for their first cruise in march that they could compare the cruise shower to their travel trailer shower! lol My husband and I are like a lot on this thread, started in a tent but now we have a permanent spot with a 39ft garden park model. It has Q size bed, full size bathtub &toilet, living area, regular size fridge and a covered deck running the full length--not what most people call camping. We still love to cruise but feel we have the best of both worlds!

[Kellie Poodle]

No, I have not heard of Sky Med or Med Jet Assist. Are these medical assistance by helicopter? I do not know the name of the helicopter service at the lake.

 

Sky Med is great for RVers. They will do the medical evacuations and return your RV an/or pets and grandkids home should something happen. MedJet assist is good for any traveler. As long as the treating doctor and your own doctor agree that the patient should be in a hospital at home, they will evacuate you.

 

You should really look into some kind of program. I do NOT recommend MASA, however. I had a very bad experience with them as have other RVers I've known.

[LittleYiaYia]

Sky Med is great for RVers. They will do the medical evacuations and return your RV an/or pets and grandkids home should something happen. MedJet assist is good for any traveler. As long as the treating doctor and your own doctor agree that the patient should be in a hospital at home, they will evacuate you.

 

You should really look into some kind of program. I do NOT recommend MASA, however. I had a very bad experience with them as have other RVers I've known.

 

 

Thank you, Janet. I will certainly look into these two options.

 

Andrea