Anyone think they would hate cruising but ended up loving it?

[okgirl]

My 1st cruise was in 1983 on the Carnival Festivale, I really didn't think one way or the other before the cruise because I just happened to book it with a group from work and it was just a vacation.

 

We liked it but didn't get as much out of it as we could have because we really hadn't prepared for it and there weren't cruise forums like this to help you plan and stuff.

 

The next year we wanted to vacation again and what lead us back to a cruise was the all inclusiveness of it. Still, not in love but it was an okay vacation.

 

For the next 17 years our vacations were spent at the beach with the family, but in July 2001 we decided to cruise with our sister and bil for their 30th anny.........We were on the Holiday and really wowwed by the size and glitz......and we would probably have gone back to once a year cruising were it not for my sister winning a free cruise in a Cat 12 playing bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

So we booked the Inspiration for February 2002 and that's the one that really hooked us. So we had 2 under our belt, then by the time we close this decade between 2001 - 2011 we will have been on 23 more cruises!!!!!

 

I'd say we are hooked.

[cathy_kearns]

What I like about is that it is carefree traveling. No finding hotels to stay at, no finding places to eat, etc. It is get your party onboard and relax with everyone else..

 

That's the part about cruising that I least like. It is very rigid compared to other types of travel. If my travel plans make me late I miss the ship. If I try and be safe I need to find hotels at each end to stay at, and a 7 day cruise turns into a 8 or 9 day vacation. There are activities, but I need a watch or I'll never find them. I can't wander freely off the ship because you need to be back before it leaves. Cruises are pretty much the only time I should be wearing a watch. My regular life is much more lax that way.

[hankandteri]

DW was the one who was hesitant to go on the first one. Worried about seasickness and feeling penned in with no way to escape.

 

After a fair number of cruises, she's the one who will drag me onto anything with a smokestack. She even went on a family Alaska cruise without me when I couldn't break a business obligation.

[rickcop44]

I grudgingly admit that my missus had to drag me kicking and screaming like a two year old on our first cruise. It sounded absolutely boring to me. That was 18 years and 19 cruises ago. I can't get enough of them.

[crow99]

My missus wasn't too keen, she doesn't like boats too much, thought she would be sea sick, claustrophobic and generally wasn't too into the idea.

 

Once we walked onto the ship we were amazed! I remember our first night in the MDR and her being surprised that we didnt have a bill at the end of the meal (we have never done all inclusive). Coupled this with the amazing Liberty Eastern route and it was the best holiday we have ever had.

 

It also helped that the dollar was about $2 to £1 so it ended up costing about £1k for the cruise in a suite, which is amazing!

[mouche]

I didn't think that I would hate it, I had only done All Inclusive tropical vacs before, and I thought I would be bored on the ship. How wrong was I, I was hooked after my first cruise in 2008 and so far I have been on 4 cruises and I have two more booked for this year:D

[planeprincess]

My DH was also skeptical. I had tried for years to get him to cruise, but after a 10 day land trip to Hawaii he agreed. It was all day everyday in a rental car to go anywhere. He was skeptical about cruising because he thought he would be bored. well he will now not go on a land trip again. His comments about cruising...no rental car, he can eat sleep gamble drink and do nothing or be busy and its all just a walk away. :)

[Chrissi242]

ME!! Actually me and DH. We both hate crowds and I worried sooo much about the inside cabin.

 

Boy, were we wrong!! Doesnt feel crowded, AT ALL.

My husband is 6'6" and we had plenty of room in our interior cabin, we have booked another one on our upcoming cruise in March.

 

Have fun!!

[markstudy]

My wife dragged me on the ship kicking and screaming the entire way. Tuned out, I loved it.

 

Was worried about nothing to do, so she picked a bigger ship (more things to keep me busy) and she picked a trip with fewer sea days and more ports.

 

I got to see places I would have never seen. The ship part of the cruise is just a small part of what cruising is all about :D

[jakelangston]

1 year ago my wife suprised me for Christmas with a 7 day on the Conquest. I never in a million years thought I would like a cruise. Too tight of living space, old people and newlyweds, not enough of time in poort,etc. I loved it. One of the top things I ever done. Trust me he will like it. I did. So much in fact we are leaving Sunday on the same cruise and taking the kids.

[pontiac1977]

My wife forced me to go on our first cruise for our 25th anniversary.There couldnt possibly be anything better then going to Disney World I told her.My very words when we were sitting on the lido deck with her marble tables and and view of our first port were "this is heaven".That was 15 years ago and we were on the old Westerdamm.Eighteen cruises later and we will be on the dream this feb for our 40th.There is nothing like a cruise--We love them all.It seems like even on a big ship like the dream you can find a place that is not crowded.Cabins can be small,but most of your time is not spent there.Balconys make things a whole lot better.Its all good on a cruise ship.

[Christina M.]

Me!!!!! I have been on 7 now.:)

[buddylover]

My hubby would NOT agree to to on a cruise...he too thought, boring, clautrophobic, way too crowded......but after years of turning down some friends who cruise regularly, I decided to "surprise" him and book a cruise anyhow with our friends....guess what? He is the biggest cruise addict around now. On that 1st cruise, he was so unexcited that he didn't even care enough to know what ship or where we were going? BUT.....the very minute he got onto the ship and into the lobby he froze....in awe.....and has been hooked ever since. The minute we get off a cruise, he is the one ready and wanting to book the next one immediately.

[Ruggled]

I dragged my husband on a 4 night Disney cruise in 2000. He went kicking and screaming and loved it. Then I dragged in on a cruise with "oh my god there are 3 sea days!!!" and he went kicking and screaming and decided they were the best days of the cruise.

 

Yep...we're hooked! I try to do land vacations. I price them and I compare them...and I can't justify them. Yep, we go on other vacations but for the VALUE...give me a cruise any day.

[QTPieRye]

Last week was my DH's 1st cruise after 20 years of marriage!!! I have gone without him before with family and friends, and for whatever reason he always associated it with an "older and boring" hobby. HOWEVER~ he had so much fun on our spirit cruise, that we have already booked our next cruise for Jan '12. In the past week, he has stated numerous times that this was the best vacation of our live and that he regretted not giving it a try sooner!!! of course my response was "I told you so"!!!!!

[jordanaire]

We are booked on our first cruise next month. I have always wanted to try a cruise so my husband reluctantly agreed to go, however, he thinks there will be too many people and that he will feel claustrophobic in our inside cabin. I just wondered if anyone was surprised at how much they enjoyed a cruise when they thought otherwise :)

 

We did! Never, ever dreamed of taking a cruise! That is, until our friends talked us into it back in '95. We got together and booked a 3-day Fantasy cruise to the Bahamas with all of our kids. Had such a wonderful time that I booked our 2nd cruise after work that following Monday!

 

Now, 16 cruises later, we can't think of a better way to spend a vacation! And #17 is just 448 days away!

 

:cool:Bill & Leila:rolleyes:

[mikefast]

My first wife and I liked to travel, but thought a cruise was a waste of time. About six months after she passed away, I decided to go on a cruise with a group from our church. Even though I was alone, and still grieving, I enjoyed it enough to promise myself that if I ever found someone to share the rest of my life with, we would spend some of our spare time cruising. Well, I did, and we do. Both of us love it. We try to take at least one cruise a year.

[Cody80]

We are booked on our first cruise next month. I have always wanted to try a cruise so my husband reluctantly agreed to go, however, he thinks there will be too many people and that he will feel claustrophobic in our inside cabin. I just wondered if anyone was surprised at how much they enjoyed a cruise when they thought otherwise :)

Yes!!! We went on our first cruise in 2000 because we couldn't decide what to do for a 20th Anniv (I thought I'd feel "trapped"). But, now we now have a new hobby & have sailed 7 times so far--we love the "sea days" as much as the days in port!

[C&THollings]

I took my oldest daughter on a cruise for her high school graduation. I LOVED IT!! It took me over a year to talk my husband to go on his first cruise, now he would go at the drop of a hat. He absolutely love the feel of the ocean.

[travelntreats]

I never thought I would hate it, but can't say I love it either. There are many travel destinations I have been to that surpass a cruise experience.

 

I like to rotate cruise and land packages....nice mixture and keeps cruising from being monotonous.

[ncjeff]

We are booked on our first cruise next month. I have always wanted to try a cruise so my husband reluctantly agreed to go, however, he thinks there will be too many people and that he will feel claustrophobic in our inside cabin. I just wondered if anyone was surprised at how much they enjoyed a cruise when they thought otherwise :)

Wife bugged me to go for 18 years now look!

[balcony bound]

We were very hesitant to go on our first cruise. DH is retired Navy, and he wasn't all that sure he wanted to get on another ship...and we were both afraid we would be bored.

 

Hahaha! We LOVED our first cruise, and anxiously await each and every one we can sail on.

 

Our first will always be the most wonderful, even though we are so much more aware of what is available to us on a cruise now. I don't know how anyone can not like cruising, but hey, if everyone loved it then it would be harder for me to book!

[Katie John]

Thank you all very much! I will just let him see for himself. I will enjoy myself regardless. A break from our frigid weather and no work for a week can never be a bad thing :D

[patrice1]

Interesting question. I love to travel - did 4 months backpacking Europe by myself at 30, have traveled to Africa & Europe with DH and have Australia, Asia & South America on our "bucket list". Our first cruise was in '95 and we took a 4 day b/c we were afraid 7 days was too long on a ship. We loved it, but really only wanted to cruise every 5 or so years after that and took many land vacations in between. But...the older we get, the more important relaxation becomes to our available time-off. Cruises allow us to relax in a way we never can on a land-based vacation. We now try to book at least one 4 day and one 7 day cruise each year. After we retire...well, it'll probably be both land & cruise vacations, as we can afford.

[conchead]

We are booked on our first cruise next month. I have always wanted to try a cruise so my husband reluctantly agreed to go, however, he thinks there will be too many people and that he will feel claustrophobic in our inside cabin. I just wondered if anyone was surprised at how much they enjoyed a cruise when they thought otherwise :)

I ALWAYS thought I would hate it, but I was hooked before dinner time the first night of our cruise.

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