Doable Cruise for a newbie with claustrophobia?

[highheel girl]

I agree 100%. I would suggest that you try at least a 3 day Bahamas cruise. They are on sale right now to try to get an idea of what you will think of cruising.

 

 

Not on Princess.

[Cruiserkenn]

We had similar concerns and booked a mini-suite for our first cruise to Alaska--it was perfect! I cannot imagine being in something smaller. The extra cost was well worth it.

 

You are right... The Diamond's mini suites are great.

 

OP: If you are considering the suggested short, practice cruises,

maybe consider spending that extra money on a Princess mini suite

instead. The minis are larger, have a sofa, and the bathrooms are bigger, too, with full tubs.

 

I remember that budget is an issue, so I am only suggesting this if you are instead considering a "practice cruise", first.

 

Bon voyage!

[promiseland5421]

Go to your itineary and look up the temp. for every place that you will visit.

 

Mid-ship is wonderful especially near the elevator. If you get sea sick, prior to sailing visit your Doctor and ask for a prescription for transderm Scop/preventative for sea sickness.

Book a large cabin close to the swimming pool so that you can walk out around the pool and not feel closed in.

 

Have a wonderful trip and don't worry all the places you are going to visit are great, been there did that.

 

August 31, 2013 we are going to be on the Pacific Princess, visiting Italy and other wonderful places. We have never been on a small ship but Oh, well. smile

[Crzn-Life]

I too am claustrophobic. We tried an inside cabin once & I thought I was going to lose it. Never booked another one. We usually book balconies, but on occasion have had an OV. I did all right with those except on the Pacific. As long as I have light and can see out, I can deal with it, but on the Pacific we got the last available cabin at the last minute & the OV turned out to be a tiny porthole which they closed for days on end because we got into really heavy weather. The balconies are a lot better. The mini-suites are wonderful, but the balcony cabins work just fine for me and don't cost quite as much.

 

I have a lot more of a problem with planes. I have to have an aisle seat and on long flights it has to be in 1st class. Even then it's an ordeal. That's why we try to synchronize our European cruises with the QM2 for the transatlantic portion. I work at making arrangements to minimize flights and flight time. On our return from Australia I wasn't able to find a ship that would get us home so I managed to book the return flight in segments. We flew from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur, stayed 2 days, then flew to Tokyo, stayed a day then to LAX. That was the hardest part and it felt like a lifetime in a tube even though I was in 1st class. It's been 9 years and I still get antsy just thinking about being cooped up in a flying tube for that long period of time. About the max I can handle is 4 hours. Flying to Fairbanks from MSP this spring was 5 hours and I wasn't sure I was going to make it!

 

All I can say, is thank goodness there is free liquor in first class!;)

 

Glad to read the OP is going to try a short cruise first. That's the wisest thing. However, I wonder how she's going to manage on a looooooong flight from Beijing:eek:

[PescadoAmarillo]

I am clausterphobic as well and have been cruising since before they had balconies. Oceanview works well BUT the main thing I look for is a cabin close to an exit.

You are the first person I've ever encountered on CC who has said this. I feel exactly the same way. I'm really claustrophobic, but that doesn't mean I'm not comfortable in an inside cabin (I am). But I have to have a way to make a quick exit to an outside deck and not just a small one like a cabin balcony, but a public deck. I can only stay on Lido Deck, the upper aft deck close to the door out the back or on the Promenade Deck. They could give me a minisuite and I wouldn't take it, simply because of where they are located. I get nervous even walking down those long corridors without an exit door at the end (tunnels are also torture until I see the exit). Still, I cruise and love it.

[dorisis]

Princess has a 4 day out of NY to Bermuda on Oct 27, 2012. If you can handle that you should be fine. NY to Bermuda in Oct has the potential to be a bit rough.

 

This is probably the best advise for you. And bermuda is a lovely introduction to cruisisng.

 

~Doris~

[gooch47]

I guess I'm claustrophobic, too. I need the balcony cabin. I can't even stand to have the drapes closed.

 

Also make sure that you don't get a cabin too far forward that requires that the drapes be pulled at night. They say the lights interfere with the bridge's ability to see clearly.

[Anniesails]

:oCongratulations on your decision to try a cruise. I do think that this may be too long a cruise for the 1st one. You need to see if you like to cruise 1st. At the very least you need an Oceanview room, baring in mind that the windows DO NOT OPEN. If you need to feel a breeze then balcony is the way to go. They sell Scolpalomine patches that stay behind your ears that prevent seasickness in most cases. I make these recommendations so that your 1st cruise is not your last because you had a bad experience.

[USVI-4-me]

This thread is full of good advice.

I'd love to read that the original poster has considered a cruise other than one to the FarEast.

 

Sammigar, Please let us know if this thread has helped.

 

-Marisa

[DonnasMom&Dad]

Hello everyone! Very new to cruising. Actually completely new. We are strongly considering doing the September Alaska to Far East cruise as it has some bucket list ports for both me and my husband and coincides nicely with our anniversary and my birthday, but I have some concerns:

 

1.) what kind of temperatures to expect on sea days

 

2.) what kind of seas to expect

 

I am claustrophobic, so I worry about the small enclosed cabins and think I need to book a balcony room, but it'll need to be the least expensive. So no mid ship, mid deck for me. If I don't get sea sick on ski boats or dinner cruises or on a hover craft, do you think an upper deck, non mid ship balcony room will work for a first time cruiser and when I do need to step out on that balcony in the middle of the night, what kind of temperatures am I going to be hit with?

 

I just checked on Expedia.ca, and there are numerous 3-5 day cruises, on the east coast, to check out your claustrophobic tendencies, prior to a long cruise. :rolleyes:

 

Cato :)

 

 

Completed Cruises !

Pre-cruise Days - The Big Red Boat, 1993 ??

 

1st cruise - Coral Princess, 19 November 2008, 10 day Panama Canal, FLL to ACA

2nd cruise - Coral Princess, 15 May 2009, 3 day Repositioning, Los Angeles to Vancouver.

3rd cruise - Sapphire Princess, 25 November 2009? 7 day Mexican Riviera.

4th cruise - Golden Princes, 12 June 2010, 7 day Alaska. (Golden Anniversary Cruise)

5th Cruise - Island Princess, 04 October 2010, Vancouver - Los Angeles, Repositioning

6th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 05 January 2011, 10 day Mexican Riviera. LA to LA.

7th cruise - Golden Princess, 11 May 2011, 3 day, LA to Vancouver, Repositioning

8th cruise - Sapphire Princess, 14 May 2011, 1 day, Vancouver to Seattle, Repositioning

9th cruise - Coral Princess 19 May 2011 2 day, San Francisco to Vancouver, Repositioning

10th & 11th cruises - Coral Princess 02 July to 16 July 2011, round trip Vancouver - Whittier Alaska, B2B

12th & 13th cruises - Sapphire Princess, x2, Cabins, 18 Sep. 2011, 1 day, Seattle to Vancouver, Repositioning

14th & 15th cruises - Golden Princess, x2, Cabins, 24 Sep. 2011, 1 day, Seattle to Vancouver, Repositioning.

We have now reached Elite status with Princess Cruise Lines

16th cruise - Oasis of the Seas, 26 Nov. 2011, 7 day, Western Caribbean, Ft. Lauderdale, Ret.

17th & 18th cruises - Crown Princess B2B, 03 - 10 Dec & 10 - 17 Dec 2011, 14 Days, South & western Caribbean

19th cruise - Grand Princess, 31 Mar. - 07Jun.0212 7 Days, Eastern Caribbean, FLL - FLL

20th cruise - Island Princess, 06-16 June 2012, 10 day cruisetour Vancouver - Wittier

Future & Hopeful Cruises !

( Already booked )

.

21th cruise - Emerald Princess, 16 day, 10 - 26 Sep. 2012, TA, Copenhagen - New York.

22 & 23rd cruises - Sapphire Princess B2B, 04 - 11 May & 11 - 18 May, 2013, California Coastal & Wine Country

24th cruise - Royal Princess 16 June - 05 July, 2013, 19 Day Inaugural cruise, Southampton - Venice.

25th cruise - Emerald Princess, 01 Oct. - 16 Oct. 2013, 16 Day Cruisetour, Toronto Via Quebec City to New York City

 

 

 

 

[houch]

I have very mild claustraphobia. My first 2 cruises were in inside rooms. On both the first nights I would walk all over the ship using the stairs a lot, trying to get tired. Then get in the bed as soon as I got to my room and close my eyes quickly. I did survive two 7 night cruises that way but really hated being in the room. I also found it hard to know what to wear without at least looking out a window.

I have since been in both the oceanview rooms and balcony rooms. Both were a whole lot better than an inside room. I won't do an inside room again, even it it was free. I actually said no to a cruise I really wanted to do as my friends were booking an inside room. Fortunately they changed to a balcony and I was able to do that cruise.

[jnc411]

Hi , I agree with the other posters that said to try a trial run and an 3 or 4 day cruise first.

Then you will have some idea of how you will do. I am also bothered by small spaces, but I do fine in the small cabins , a balcony would be lovely , however an ocean view is also ok. for me as long as I have some daylight I am ok. The reason I say do a quick trial cruise first is because I know people who went on a cruise and it just was not for them , they did not like it. Me I love it , but not everyone is alike , so I would suggest an inexpensive cruise before to check out how you like cruiseing first.

Cori

[Sammigar]

I did take the advice of several individuals that posted here and booked a Caribbean cruise to try this out. We locked in an inside cabin, close to the stairs that lead to the big open piazza, so if I need, I can run out the door, down the steps and be in a wide open space (hopefully no one will mind that I'm in my jammies). Our travel agent also suggested I bring a small fan to keep the air moving in the cabin - that also sounded like a really good idea to me.

 

I do appreciate the helpful suggestions and hope these work cos I really want to do the Alaska & Far East cruise.

[TracieABD]

I did take the advice of several individuals that posted here and booked a Caribbean cruise to try this out. We locked in an inside cabin, close to the stairs that lead to the big open piazza, so if I need, I can run out the door, down the steps and be in a wide open space (hopefully no one will mind that I'm in my jammies). Our travel agent also suggested I bring a small fan to keep the air moving in the cabin - that also sounded like a really good idea to me.

 

I do appreciate the helpful suggestions and hope these work cos I really want to do the Alaska & Far East cruise.

 

This is a great plan. When is your cruise?:)