When does your "cruise" start?

[virginialucy]

When the welcome-aboard "champagne" touches my lips :D

 

For me, its when we arrive at the port and spot "our" ship for the first time.

 

On our first cruise we flew in the day of (I know, big no-no, but we had no choice.) Despite all the stress of wondering if we'd make the cruise, one cool thing was that as we turned to line up with the runway, we descended below the clouds and there was our ship! For me, nothing beats first seeing the ship from the air, even though I never want to fly in the day of again!

[dorisis]

For me my cruise starts the moment I book the cruise! Planning and anticipation plays a big part for me.

 

Same here.I visit CC and sign up for the roll call. Then I make notes and keep a file folder until cruise time. Once on the ship the vacation part starts after muster and after unpacking.

[BlueRiband]

When Queen Mary 2 leaves Southampton heading for New York - because she's coming for me.

[CowPrincess]

Is it when you get to port?

Is it when you board the ship?

Is it when the ship leaves the dock?

 

I love the excitement of getting to the port, the people all happy to be going on a cruise, but to me it's when I hear the ding when my Sail and Sign card is first swiped to get on the ship. When I take that step from "ground" to "sea" the weights of the world drop off my shoulders, and I am on cruise mode.:D

 

I''m with you on that :D Once I am actually onboard, the worry and stress is over, and even if we don't pull away from the dock, I'm on my cruise ;)

[MtnBikerFallDown]

I'm the planner/herder/care-taker for our little crew, so I don't really relax until I'm on the ship, in my cabin. As soon as I am there, the phone goes in the safe, and I'm free as a bird! After that, no matter what happens, I'm pretty much stress-free. Love that feeling! Only 9 more days...

[Lady Chew]

We fly to the port a day or two ahead of time ... land at the airport, collect our luggage, catch a cab to the pre-cruise hotel ... and when the cab pulls away from the curb and we're on our way, we relax - and the cruise begins!!

[maywell]

It starts the moment I get my sail card in my hand then board the ship. Something could go wrong with x-ray machine, the lines, answering the health questionaire and guy at the counter saying you look sick, etc....

 

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[geekybiker]

Not really until we set our bags down in our room. Up to then its all business. I relax a bit after we're checked in, but I'm still on a mission.

[pdmartyn65]

Not soon enough! :(

[luvscruising2007]

Vacation begins when the car pulls away from the curb.

Cruise begins when we arrive at port and get in line.

[Friend100]

If we fly in the day of, then it doesn't start until I see the ship. If we fly in at least a day prior, then it starts as soon as I sign off from work the day before I fly.

[jocap]

For me, its when we arrive at the port and spot "our" ship for the first time.

Yes, that's us....if we're in a hotel near the dock, we might even be looking out, watching her arrive in the early morning...

[Hflors]

I guess for me, I feel it starts a little later than the others. Even though I always board early, eat early, and enjoy a drink or 2, my "ahhhh" moment is when the muster drill is over and I turned off my phone. That's when I feel my cruise has officially begun.

 

Ditto!!!!! I am always serious until I hear the captain dismiss us from the muster. That's when my cruise begins!

[JustKeri86]

Our cruise starts right after we are "dinged" in as well. There's nothing left to do but enjoy your vacation!

 

 

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[Lizzie68]

Mine starts the minute we begin our journey from home. But there is nothing like that "ahhhh" feeling as you set foot on the deck when you board the ship.:)

[dfish]

On my first cruise it began when I stepped on board the ship. I was so anxious and excited that the waiting was terrible. Since then it starts when I leave home. Generally, we fly in a day early to site see around the departure city and that is part of the fun.

[h-sar]

Northerners will completely get this:

 

As all of our cruises, except for one, have been to escape winter weather, my cruise starts when I see the palm trees outside FLL and feel the warm breeze envelop me as we wait for our hotel shuttle to pick us up from the airport the night before our cruise. Immediate bliss.

[DonnaK]

Northerners will completely get this:

 

As all of our cruises, except for one, have been to escape winter weather, my cruise starts when I see the palm trees outside FLL and feel the warm breeze envelop me as we wait for our hotel shuttle to pick us up from the airport the night before our cruise. Immediate bliss.

 

I smiled when I read this, because we also LOVE the sight of that first palm tree

 

But, our homeport is NY/NJ, so we generally don't see palm trees until we reach our first port. So, our cruise starts when we step foot on the ship!

[geoherb]

For me, the vacation starts when we leave home, although the travel to the port is not the best part of the vacation. I think the cruise starts when we step on board the ship.

[cruising46]

As soon as our feet get onto the ship.

[rjdcruises4fun]

This is me. I stressed about making sure my gang all show up at Muster drills. They tried to skip one before and that didn't turn out so great! Now it is funny, but then I wanted to throw them overboard.

[CHEZMARYLOU]

Since my DH hates to fly, ours starts the minute we get off the plane.

 

Mary Lou

[CPT Trips]

For me my cruise starts the moment I book the cruise! Planning and anticipation plays a big part for me.

 

This!

[screwsmcernst]

Vacation starts the night before we leave. The cruise starts with the first step onto the gangplank. :D The first ding is always so happy, but a week later, it is the saddest sound because it is the last noise we hear getting off the ship. :(

[Mummble]

For me my cruise starts the moment I book the cruise! Planning and anticipation plays a big part for me.

 

I totally agree! I start reading Cruise Critic, reviews, travel books, etc. and my obsession lasts until we depart. Then, after the anxiety of flying is over, my excitement returns ten-fold upon landing in the departure city. Then there is the health form to fill out (silly, but it is a symbol of cruising!), and the pre-boarding photo, and the first "bing", and the first step onto the ship.... I could go on and on! I simply love it all.