Why/When did you start cruising?

[cbMcruiser]

Yay! So glad you beat it :D It must also make you proud that you can learn things from your kids....

 

Although I probably wouldn't admit it to her, she was right about cruising!

[stepha06]

OK Let me start off by saying...

 

Hi I am Dan and I am a cruiseaholic (all say Hi Dan!)

 

I am a soon to be 50 year old who discovered cruising later in life.

 

My fiance and I were talking last night about this late in life revelation last night. She discovered cruising in her 30's aand is the reason I am addicted.

 

Which got me thinking: Why did others start cruising when they did and I am the only idiot who discovered this so late in life...

 

For my part I disbelieved what I was told watching the Love Boat..There really couldn't be non-geriatric people cruising...could there?

 

 

Another thought in my head was: Cruising is too expensive, I can't afford that. (Yet I now know that I would spend twice the cost of a cruise with a short 4 day trip to Vegas).

 

So I ask you all when did you start cruising and if later in life like me..what reasons did you have for not jumping on a ship?

 

 

I took my first cruise in 2006, at the age of 24. My husband was 26. We took our cruise because a lady I worked with had just came back from one and raved about it. So we decided to go on one and loved it. We became financially unable to cruise again until 2011, and we took our 2nd and 3rd cruise in 2011. Taking our son on one of them. We now have two booked and paid in full for 2012, taking both of our sons, one is 6 months. My 11 year old loves cruising and I am glad I introduced him when I did.

[elcuchio24]

Started as a young teen with my parents. Started maybe my own way with GF(now DW) at 21.....been at it 8 years now...

[Room Service!]

Hi Dan! We, DH and I, started in 2003. Was something we always wanted to do ... just never did.

When cruises started out of Baltimore was just too easy, and inexpensive to not go for it. Have not been disappointed.

[crusinpsychRN]

When I was 13 my grandmother said she'd chaperone me and my brother to Europe if we paid our own way. I had been working for my dad in his business since the age of 10 and had saved enough money to do it.

 

We took the Queen Elizabeth transatlantic to start our 6 week trip. It wasn't so much of a cruise as a mode of transportation.

 

I grew up on boats in Miami and cruised again with GM at 15. That was was really set me up to go as an adult, although it took a few years.

 

Now I try to get in 2 cruises a year.

 

(It's funny, the board says this thread had no responses. Glad to see so many!)

[LIV 2 CRUISE]

Okay, this is NOT a joke -- about 15 years ago our neighbors, who were cruisers, were talking about all the fun they had on their trips. I said, "You know, it sounds like fun, but I just don't think I'd be able to make it up that rope ladder onto the boat." No kidding -- I was that naive.

 

My first cruise was for our 25th anniversary. I had no desire to go on a cruise, but friends talked us into it and they got an adjoining cabin. Then they had a financial "situation" and were unable to go. I figured I'd be bored stiff on the ship. As everyone else said, now I'm hooked. And you know what? I still haven't found that rope ladder! :rolleyes:

[INTERLINER13]

My parents 1st cruise was on the Mardi Gras, it was there honeymoon. They took me on my 1st cruise in 1996, since then I love to cruise. I love travelling all together, even if its just camping.

[kag92]

We (dh, 4 DD & myself) went on our first cruise in 2001 for my 40th birthday. I told my dh if we were going to take our kids to disney we had better do it quick. As the oldest was 15 yrs old. I got him to agree. Not happily I might add.We did a Disney package. 3/day disney 4/day cruise. When it was time to get off the cruise my dh was like a kid in a toy store not wanting to leave the cruise ship. Needless to say we are hooked. This past summer we took a family vacation for my 50th Birthday. Plus 12 other family & friend members.

[mclinns04]

We started cruising 9 years ago for our 35th Anniversary. I had been on a few cruises as a teen but DH had never been. We waited so long because we were busy raising 3 kids, paying for college and weddings. Back "in the day" we never thought of taking all 5 of us on a cruise. We usually took the kids to the beach for a week and an occasional trip to Disney. I think things are different now, our 4yo grandson has been on 3 cruises already.:eek:

 

We started exactly as you did- 9 years ago, 35th anniversary. For a minute I thought I had already responded to this thread. DH didn't really want to go but I talked him into it. We also do land trips, so we cruise every few years. We'll be on Magic for Thanksgiving this year.

[4hunters]

Ditto for us LOL

 

It's just lucky for us how close we are to Vegas so we can drive. I'm near Tucson and I see you're in Phoenix. Airfare prices are out of control these days! :eek:

[mclinns04]

Cruises were so mysterious when I was a kid. I only knew one person who had ever been on one (except the every four years band trip), and it sounded SO cool. Plus, there was a babysitters club book about it- and also SO cool. I always wanted to go on one.

 

So when I was an adult, I convinced my husband we should go. (He didn't want to- I guess his childhood vision of a cruise didn't include ports, so he thought the idea sounded boring.)

 

We chose Carnival because my parents had just gone on a Carnival cruise, along with some friends of theirs. They are the country-club set, so we figured if it was good enough for them, it would be good enough for us.

We like the value for the price! We are expanding into some more upscale offerings, but since we cruise for ports- in the Carribean, we will likely stick to Carnival.

 

LOL!! There is a definite "He didn't want to but I talked him into it." theme that runs through many of the threads. I wonder what percentage of avid cruisers were reluctant at first.

[SMSACE6]

Sept 1999, I was walking through a shopping mall, passed a travel agency and saw an advert for 7 day cruise on NCL's Norway for a very good price. Forget the price, but it was really great. Convinced some family to go with me, and with three to the room, the price was even better.

 

I had been travelling a lot before, just never on a cruise. This is the one that got me hooked. Went to St Maarten and St Thomas ( we did the tour to St John, the most beautiful island in the Caribbean to me ). Just loved the whole experience. I knew the ship was old, and did a lot of internet research on the ship. It was a great ship for a first cruise, and in hindsight, Im so glad I did get to go, because it was one of the last great "ships". Was so sad when there was an explosion in the engine room a few years later and some crew were killed. Just so sad, but I knew that a ship like that was at the end of her time.

 

The year after, I did my first Carnival cruise, then two years later a Celebrity cruise, then several more Carnival cruises. Had one booked for this year, but had to cancel, due to family reasons. But cant wait for the next one.:):)

[mclinns04]

It's just lucky for us how close we are to Vegas so we can drive. I'm near Tucson and I see you're in Phoenix. Airfare prices are out of control these days! :eek:

 

AMEN!! There was an article in the paper that said one airline is now charging for carry-ons. That is just rdiculous. What's next- pay toilets? a boarding fee? tips for the crew? an electricity charge if you use the reading light? Oops, I hope they aren't reading this.

[DnD_Cruisin]

LOL!! There is a definite "He didn't want to but I talked him into it." theme that runs through many of the threads. I wonder what percentage of avid cruisers were reluctant at first.

 

Not with me...She mentioned it when we were talking about doing a vacation. It took her all of 3 minutes to convince me, we got online and looked at various options for a few hours and booked our first cruise 4 hours after she put the thought in my head! LOL

 

But up until that conversation I hadn't even considered cruising for the reasons (plus others) listed in my 1st post...so maybe I do fit in that "He didn't want to but I talked him into it." group :eek:

[nlktx49]

I had no interest in cruising, although every time I went to my hairdresser he went on and on about how wonderful cruises are. Finally, in 2008 when dh and I were both in our late 50's, his sister and her husband asked us to go with them on their 2nd cruise. Went along not expecting anything great. I had the best time, wore myself out trying to do everything there was to do! Since that time we've been on 5 cruises, once to Alaska. Short drive to Galveston, we have another cruise booked for November 5.

 

DH is retired, I'm still working, mainly because I think I might not be able to afford to cruise if I retired!

[WestTxCruiser]

I always thought that only "rich" people could afford to go on a cruise.......then one day I started researching vacations for our family of 5. At the time (July 2007) we had a 17 year old girl, 12 year old boy and a 5 year old girl.

We booked a cruise on the Conquest and have been hooked ever since. It was absolutely the perfect vacation for our family!!

We have our 9th cruise booked in Sept on the Conquest. :D

[ccruisequeen]

Parents were in a community college chorale, which was invited to perform on the ship. We all decided to go, but parents decided not to sing. We had so much fun that we decided to go on the same ship a few years later. Then we decided to get more adventurous & asked TA's to look for cheap but fun cruises.

 

9 years later, parents have slowed down & we prefer to do shorter trips closer to home! I'd love to do longer cruises if the solo fare wasn't so expensive!

[mclinns04]

carol & i are both over 60, our first cruise was in 2004 when we were both 53ish. We had always gone to the shore (ocean city md) for our vacations and saw no need to chage.

 

In 2004, my daughter who is a platinum carnival cruiser decided to get us a "family" present that would celebrate our 35th anniversary and also allow us to celebrate between the period of finding out i had cancer and the doing something about it.

 

Well, i have now cruised 6 times and carol 9 times and we loved every minute of every cruise. We are so sorry we didn't start earlier and we can't wait until our next one.

 

And by the way...i beat the cancer :d

 

congratulations!!!!!

[RWolver672]

When I was in the service (Marines) back in the late 60's, we were stationed on a Navy LPH with our aircraft. We went on liberty in San Juan. When we came back, we had to walk past a cruise ship. I said to myself then that someday I'd be on one of those white puppies and somebody would be calling me "Sir" instead of the other way around.

 

Fast forward to 1979. We were about to get married. We flipped a coin to either honeymoon in Hawaii or take a cruise. We decided to go to Hawaii for the honeymoon and do a cruise for our 25th wedding anniversary.

 

Fast forward again to 1999. One of DW's co-workers ask if we wanted to join a group cruise with them. We just looked at each other and said "Why not!" I got online and found every bit of info I could on the Destiny. She was the newest and largest afloat at the time. She left out of Miami. When we got to the turning basin and saw how she turned around on a dime, I knew I was hooked. We just booked our seventh cruise yesterday.

[adriennerm]

My first cruise was Feb 2010 on the Sensation. We took a cruise for our honeymoon. We needed something affordable that included pretty much everything. This was the only cruise leaving the Sunday after our wedding that fell within our price range. I loved it so much that I took my daughter the following year.

 

Now i'm rolling on my third cruise next month. I like that pretty much everything I need is included with the cruise price. We only pay for liquor and the occasional soda or coffee. This keeps everything nice and simple. We also enjoy being on the water. It's something so surreal about it.

 

When I was researching for my first cruise, I had no idea they looped the same movies. When we first arrived in the cabin I Am Legend was on. It was the part towards the end where Will Smith's dog is bitten and he has to kill it. We sat for a second watching the movie, then went out for the safety drill and sail away. I had way too much to drink and DH still had a hangover from our wedding reception. So we go back into the cabin for a nap. I wake up and the same movie is on. However it is the beginning where they show him pouring bleach on his steps and preparing for bed. I think i'm tripping and that I have had too much to drink.

 

The next morning I realized they were looping the same movie.

[nybumpkin]

Our first cruise was in 2004; DH and I were mid-40s and sons were 13, 8 and 4. We never thought about a cruise as a vacation before, especially with 3 kids in tow. However, I had received a promotion and we were looking for something "special" in the way of a vacation. We had considered a trip to Ireland, but the price tag scared us off.

 

One day in the spring, I was in the doctor's office with youngest son; TV Land was on the waiting room television, and Love Boat was showing. I hadn't really cared for the show before (except some of the scenes of the ship sailing - I'm a boat geek), but the thought of taking a cruise occurred. A few days later I saw a newspaper ad in the travel section for a 5-day cruise from NYC to Canada. Carnival Victory. I thought it would be a good way to try cruising to see if we liked it; this wasn't a long cruise and we could drive to the port. No airports, no hotels. We booked a balcony cabin and jammed all 5 of us in it. (We don't do that any more.:p)

 

DH wasn't sure about this. He loves boats as much as I do, and in fact his first cruise was a day-long trip from Cleveland to Detroit on the last voyage of the old South American in 1967. However, I think he had too many images of Love Boat, "half-dead and newly-wed," etc. However, he was willing to give it a try. Right up until we were driving down the West Side Highway, he was still saying, "I'm not sure I'm going to like this...."

 

Then he boarded the ship and entered the atrium. He did a complete about-face. After we returned, he booked our next cruise on his own, with very little input from me. The rest is history.

 

As for "special" vacations? Next year we celebrate our 30th anniversary and our oldest graduates from college. We'd love to do the Baltic cruise on Legend, with a few days in England on each end of the cruise. It's expensive. One way or the other though, we will probably celebrate with a cruise!

[my3boysmom]

My parents started cruising after they retired as a way to "see the world" without all the packing-unpacking-find a place to eat-find a tour guide-what about language barrier. They LOVED it!

Mom took me on a 5 day after my divorce. Two years later she took my sister's and I after my father died to Hawaii.

I convinced my new husband it was a great family vacation for us and my sons, so we went on a 7 day over spring break. We were all able to "do our thing" AND still spend plenty of time together. Sun. Sand. Water. No cooking. No laundry. Room cleaned TWICE a day. Room service. when can I go back?

[ChefSusan]

Growing up, my grandmother was a travel agent, and loved to share stories of the exotic ports of call that she and my grandfather went to. My great-grandparents also enjoyed cruising, and often went with my grandparents on their adventures.

 

My parents were not into cruising - my mother had gotten sea sick when they took a cruise back to the states from their honeymoon on Aruba, hence why we never did family cruises. We had a vacation house in the mountains, and went there every weekend.

 

The cruising bug bit my husband and I a couple of years into our marriage. He surprised me with a four day cruise on Monarch of the Seas, and got a cabin all the way in the front of the ship. We didn't get seasick, we had fun, and decided to do another cruise for his May vacation.

 

Fast forward 13 cruises on Carnival (plus one more on MOTS), and we are completely hooked. We do mix in land-based vacations, and have found that dollar for dollar, we get more value on the seas - that and we have had to fly to only two of the ports (Seattle and Barcelona).

 

Until such time that we cannot afford to cruise, we will continue to do so - and will definitely be checking out the other lines so that we can compare all of them.

[Sarapdot]

Like others I also thought cruising was for the rich and famous. When I got married in 2004 I started searching honeymoon destinations. I do not fly so cruising out of a local port sounded good. When I looked up the prices online I was amazed that for less than $800 (at the time) we could take a 5 night cruise. I have been hooked ever since!! Divorced now but I try to cruise once a year with my girlfriends and people I have met thru cruising. I have # 6 and 7 booked now. :D

[gusandgidgetsmom]

Started cruising in the 80's--I was in my 30's-Saw an ad in the paper about cruising so thought we'd try it. We had not known any one that had gone on one so booked a 3 or 4 day cruise to see if we liked it. Our travel agent called and asked if we were flexible-we both owned our own business so we were- said yes and got the update of a life time-- a 7 day cruise in one of the better cabins for that time (no balconies then) for no more money!! Don't think that will ever happen again.