Cause of your addiction?

[cruisentn]

I read a lot about it and it's mentioned several times.

So, as we go on this first cruise, what do we need to be aware of that causes a cruise 'addiction'?

 

For me, I'm really looking forward to:

Quiet time on my balcony with a good book

Gym time all I want without a schedule

Time alone with my wife

And really excited about someone else driving. I'm always the driver. So, once we get on the ship, I'll just go wherever the captain takes me.lol.

 

So....

What causes YOUR addiction?

[calliopecruiser]

I wouldn't say I'm addicted, but if there's anything addicting about cruising for me it's days at sea without land in sight. I find it totally relaxing to feel cut off from the rest of the world - I get into a calm mental and emotional zone regardless of what I'm doing and I have been unable to reproduce that feeling on land, even when I'm relaxing on vacation.

[Suzieanna]

I LOVE when its the middle of the night and you can go and sit on your balcony and just look out into the blackness and watch the waves as your ship pounds through them.... It really gives me a sense of how time flies, but nothing really changes. I think about how amazing it was that I was once a twinkle in somebody's eye - and how lucky I was to have been born where (and when) I was!

 

I always get profound on the balcony and start thinking about and counting my many blessings.

[SuitCaseBears]

I think what sold me was related to "someone else doing the driving."

 

I do all of the driving, I also do trip planning. I love it, and it's a bit of a separate addiction for me. But like some addictions there's a down-side. If we travel on land I am constantly planning. What's the weather going to be like tomorrow? Should we take this drive or that drive? Can we get to both of those sights in one day? Oh look I found something new to add to the "must see" list.

 

On a cruise I do all of my planning in advance and then just relax. I go where the ship goes. I go to sleep and wake up the next day with a new location delivered to me and I didn't have to do a thing.

 

I can relax on a ship better than anyplace in the world - while also not being bored. Which is truly a drug-like mind altering state for me.

 

Another thing is the togetherness. My husband and I are on different sleep schedules. We're off by about 3 hours and it works well. We both work from home, so having the house to ourselves (myself in the morning, him in the evening) is good.

 

But on a cruise we naturally move to a middle ground and go to sleep at the same time, and wake up at the same time - living in that cabin together for a week on the same schedule is wonderful. I wouldn't want to live that way - but it's a very relaxing intimate time together.

[Scrapnana]

For me, Everything about cruising is addictive!:D

Edited December 31, 2013 by Scrapnana

[peety3]

For me, it's a combination of several factors:

 

1: Staying at a well-equipped hotel that magically transports you to another place while you're sleeping.

2: The magnificent view from our balcony: watch

for a sample

3: Great opportunities in port stops, and great views along the way.

4: The ability to be disconnected from the world for a week (or so).

[OCruisers]

I think what sold me was related to "someone else doing the driving."

 

That's also what sold my DH! :D

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Hlitner]

Not sure why we are addicted, but after more then 3 1/2 years on cruise ships (as passengers) I guess you could say that DW and I are hooked. As retirees with lots of time, we are free to choose nearly any form of travel. Although we still enjoy doing land and driving trips (especially in Europe) we must always have our "fix" of cruises. We currently try to limit our "habit" to about 75-80 days a year, but now find it increasingly difficult to go "cold turkey" for the remainder of the year. At this point we understand why a few cruise passengers choose to live on cruise ships most of the year.

 

Hank

[Gunner22aa]

I don't have anything at all to do unless I want to. Someone else does the driving, cooking, cleaning, drink pouring, pool cleaning and the dishes! Nothing to worry about at all other than making it to the ship and back to the ship from visits ashore. For me it is the most relaxing time ever. I spend a lot of time on the balcony reading and of course the odd nap. No schedule to keep, no next meeting to attend and no fixing someone else's mistakes.

[sherilyn70]

I enjoy the opportunity for dining with my husband and trying new things.

I love traveling while we're sleeping and getting to try a new city every single day. (not a fan of sea days for this reason)

[dorisis]

It's the only civilized way to travel.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I am not cleaning the house, I am not cooking, I am not washing clothes and ironing, I am not driving, and the list goes on.

The crew is pampering me.

[Keith1010]

From the moment we took our first cruise with the family we always loved it. For us it is the best way to travel. Not for everyone but it is for us.

 

Keith

[sparky-elpaso]

Sounds like we all have similar ideas. One thing I don't think I've seen mentioned is not having to live out of a suitcase - unpack once, put stuff away and you're good to go for the duration. Plus having your clothes come back from the laundry either pressed and on hangers or neatly folded in a basket wrapped in tissue paper. My clothes have a rude awakening when we get home and they're not pampered like that. :D

 

I'm another who loves the idea of waking up in a new place almost every day with new sights to see. Although I do like sea days too.

 

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets with nothing to get in the way.

Edited January 2, 2014 by sparky-elpaso

[cruisentn]

Wow...see, these are handy things to know going into an addiction! Most of that seemed like what I was thinking except for the gazing at night thing and the laundry thing. I had no idea they took care of your laundry like that. That's crazy. My laundry will be in for a shock too.

Now, I'm already sorta sad knowing it's coming up soon and all of this windup and excitement for the first time will be over. :)

Guess I'll have to start planning another soon. Actually, we're already sorta planning a family one when my daughter graduates nursing school this time next year.

We'll just have to see how this one goes. But, we're avid travelers. And this is a FAR cry from our camping lifestyle. lol.

[Steviewonder1]

Going to see all those places we read about in History class while growing up and now being able to set foot on them. Getting up close to some of the sights and places that made history. Doing it before we need a Walker, Cain or Scooter. My wife and I are doing it as fast as we can. We cruise for the destinations offered not the time of the year or any other factors. Coming up I get a chance to see where my ancestors came from and maybe find a distant relative in the process. While cruising I let my mind wander as far as I can imagine and it is relaxing to do so.

[smalltownmomwa]

We have only been on one cruise but are saving for another. As a mom with young kids any vacation where I don't have to cook & clean is a good vacation! We usually go camping or borrow a friends cabin.

Husband liked lounging in the room being a bum. The kids loved having activities.

We are looking at a Med. Cruise vs. Touring around ourselves for the cost-saving aspect as well as much less planning, packing/unpacking, moving around, etc.

 

Sent from my XT897 using Tapatalk

[SPacificbound]

I got on the ship. :D

[SMerritt]

I am not cleaning the house, I am not cooking, I am not washing clothes and ironing, I am not driving, and the list goes on.

The crew is pampering me.

 

Unpack once but still experience numerous destinations

 

Not wandering around resorts or other strange places, looking at menu's on restaurant doors for meals

 

Surrounded by other happy cruisers

 

A ton of activity options or, just relax and do nothing.........

 

Arghhhhhh! Three more weeks!:cool:

[RikkuCat]

I LOVE when its the middle of the night and you can go and sit on your balcony and just look out into the blackness and watch the waves as your ship pounds through them.... It really gives me a sense of how time flies, but nothing really changes. I think about how amazing it was that I was once a twinkle in somebody's eye - and how lucky I was to have been born where (and when) I was!

 

I always get profound on the balcony and start thinking about and counting my many blessings.

 

You sound like you'd be an enjoyable traveling companion. Now I want to pour us a drink and discuss the meaning of life! On a cruise ship balcony, of course. :D

 

I wouldn't say that I'm specifically addicted to cruising. I get the travel bug in general and have never been on a trip I didn't like for one reason or another. While I'm looking forward to our cruise in Feb for certain reasons, I'm also looking forward to a non-cruise vacation this summer for other reasons.

 

The thing that I like most about cruising is being on the ocean. Most of my favorite memories - both from childhood and as an adult - involve the ocean in one way or another. I was definitely a water baby - still am, actually. There's nothing like the beach that can turn me into an instant 5-year old! I also really enjoy the water-based activities in many Caribbean ports. Give me a snorkel in the morning and a glass of rum punch in the evening and I'm happy. I suspect that I would enjoy different types of itineraries less - cruising in Europe, for instance, is a scary concept to me because I need WAY more time in each destination than a cruise ship allows - but that's me and my interests/travel needs.

[meatball_nyc]

Yeah. It's all about the ocean for me as well. Give me the ocean and the sun and the stars and it's heaven. I remember a day at the Beach with my son where the waves were at about 6 ft. He was on his boogie board for 8 hours. I had to go in to get him at lunchtime to take a break.

 

Him and I are taking our third cruise this summer. Past cruises have included swimming with the dolphins in Tortola and snorkeling in St. Thomas and Grand Turk. Nothing beats it.

 

Beach Bums Unite!

 

P.S. We cruise out of NYC so watching the waters turn from brown to blue to turquoise day by day is all part of an amazing journey.

 

 

 

 

~robin and brian~

Norwegian Breakaway 2014

Carnival Miracle 2010

Carnival Legend 2006

Every Day at Sea is a Great Day

Edited January 5, 2014 by meatball_nyc

[nlsoftly]

Tell us what you think once you experience it!

 

I have always felt good near or on water. I start relaxing and getting energized the moment we board. Sea days, port days, doesn't matter, I feel good.

 

Add to that - DH and I keep the cabin straightened up. But returning from an excursion and finding our lovely home-away-from-home really clean is like someone waved a magic wand over me. I love changing or dressing up for dinner. I love eating in restaurants that truly cater to me. I love quiet time and people watching and making new friends...and watching the ocean or the river, always watching the water.

 

I was an addict before I took my first cruise....I just didn't know it.

[cruisentn]

It'll be interesting to see what I think about the cruise itself, now that I've gotten all of your inputs. I'm really looking forward to someone else driving, to sitting and reading as long as I'd like, to the gym as long as I'd like and to the new experience itself. I'm also looking forward to how this will change some dynamics in our family. We are the parents of wonderful children and a very close family. Our kids have NEVER, even at 17 and 20, been without us for more than two nights. Eight nights (one at port) could be changing for both them and for us.

I'm the middle aged, love my shorts and my one tattoo, hippie beach bum.

I don't look forward to the formal night, the shows, eating at buffets (I don't do that here because I feel like I'm eating everyone's leftovers that they've scavenged though and moved on) or a few other things that a lot of people anticipate, but I'll do it...just because I'm there.

I love every single thing about visits to the coast anywhere. The sounds, the the smell of sunscreen, the atmosphere, the palm trees, the cheap tshirt shops, the shorts and freshly grilled shrimp. I will walk for hours, just my camera and me...shooting obscure but beautiful moments around a beach. I usually carry my bike and ride the bike paths. I even like the city life close to the beach. Usually, everyone is cool and happy dressed in shorts and a tshirt and listening to happy music. How beautiful is that.

I live for early, early morning walks on the beach and picking up seashells (NOTHING beats Cape San Blas, Fla for that. HUGE bucketfulls every morning).

 

We live 8 hours from a beach so I don't get there as often as I'd like.

But I can say that when I go back to the beach, and I walk out there, shed my shirt, kick off my shoes, dig my toes into hot sand, smell the ocean, see the kids building sandcastles, feel the wind on my skin, hear the seagulls scream as they float over the sand and water; suspended on seabreeze, like magical marionettes....

I recalibrate myself.

And I know that they have lied;

 

you can go home again.

Edited January 5, 2014 by cruisentn

[mrsd912]

I was addicted long before I ever stepped foot on a ship, but that has to do with planning, and like someone else said, that's a separate addiction. :p

I immediately fell in love with cruising for a few reasons. Someone else driving was one of them (I thought I was the only one!), but not because I drive a lot. My husband does most of the driving but for some reason his driving terrifies me. Not because he's a bad driver, I apparently just have issues. Anyone, it's nice to travel with him and not fear for my life! I also really enjoyed not having to have a meal budget like we've had on other vacations. This meant we could order what ever we wanted, and it was nice to not have to worry about the cost. DH and I don't drink, so our on board spending is super minimal which makes cruising really affordable for us, which is a bit addictive, seeing how many times you can actually cruise. I also really love literally not being able to be reached for a week. The job I have often calls me nights, weekends, and if I'm in vacation. So does DH, getting away from the phone for a week is heavenly!

[dorisis]

I LOVE when its the middle of the night and you can go and sit on your balcony and just look out into the blackness and watch the waves as your ship pounds through them.... It really gives me a sense of how time flies, but nothing really changes. I think about how amazing it was that I was once a twinkle in somebody's eye - and how lucky I was to have been born where (and when) I was!

 

I always get profound on the balcony and start thinking about and counting my many blessings.

 

It doesn't take a cruise for me to realize how lucky I am, but it helps a lot.