Wife is anxious about going

[SteelersNationVa]

I want to go on the Alaska cruise. My DW is anxious. She is concerned about being confined to a ship. She has claustrophobia. She is concerned about over crowded places. We love hiking and exploring new places. Had a great vacation in the Tetons & Yellowstone. Alaska is my next bucket list. I want to go on RC Radiance or Serenade of the Seas. 
 

We have 23 yo triplets with disabilities and both of us are always on pins and needles how they will handle a new adventure. I think they will be fine. May need assistance with embarking & disembarking. 

[clo]

Have you considered going to Alaska by yourself - ship or land - and leaving the family at home?

[SteelersNationVa]

Lol 😆 No!!!  I want to go as a family. This will be a trip of a lifetime. The ship is important, but it will be the excursions that will make it special.
 

Seeing wildlife, glaciers, towering mountains, etc.  We want to hike, in the rainforest, kayak in the glacier lakes, etc.   I don’t want to drive from place to place and it doesn’t work for us to keep changing hotels every night. The kids need continuity. 
 

Does anyone have suggestions on how to make DW feel more comfortable with the idea of a cruise?  The kids are all excited. Just not Mom. 

[spookwife]

Define disabilities.  It’s possible that a cruise would not be a good fit.  

 

some ships are crowded, or feel that way, large and small. Elevators are nearly always crowded, especially at certain times of the day.  Muster by and of itself can be so overwhelming it will ruin the trip before it even begins.  
 

it’s a captive audience.  If anyone has issue, you are stuck.  You can’t just decide the trip is over and call it a day.  
 

 

[pacruise804]

16 hours ago, SteelersNationVa said:

I want to go on the Alaska cruise. My DW is anxious. She is concerned about being confined to a ship. She has claustrophobia. She is concerned about over crowded places. We love hiking and exploring new places. Had a great vacation in the Tetons & Yellowstone. Alaska is my next bucket list. I want to go on RC Radiance or Serenade of the Seas. 
 

We have 23 yo triplets with disabilities and both of us are always on pins and needles how they will handle a new adventure. I think they will be fine. May need assistance with embarking & disembarking. 

I would aim for an itinerary with multiple port stops and a balcony cabin (at a minimum a cabin close to open decks) to minimize the claustrophobia.  Some ships offer special needs muster, which might help with an overcrowding/overwhelming area.  Many other areas crowding can be minimized with careful scheduling (avoiding peak times).

 

If none of you have taken a cruise yet, maybe find a short cruise closer to home as a trial run.

[GTO-Girl]

17 hours ago, SteelersNationVa said:

I want to go on the Alaska cruise. My DW is anxious. She is concerned about being confined to a ship. She has claustrophobia. She is concerned about over crowded places. We love hiking and exploring new places. Had a great vacation in the Tetons & Yellowstone. Alaska is my next bucket list. I want to go on RC Radiance or Serenade of the Seas. 
 

We have 23 yo triplets with disabilities and both of us are always on pins and needles how they will handle a new adventure. I think they will be fine. May need assistance with embarking & disembarking. 

I have suffered with anxiety and panic attacks for years.  
 

We are about to take cruise number 42 and while I was very anxious before my first cruise all of that worry disappeared the moment I stepped onboard.  I cannot tell you why it doesn’t bother me but it just doesn’t!!  
 

I have been able to see some of the most beautiful places I could have never seen, if not for cruising, because I also struggle immensely with trying to fly.

 

I do hope every works out and that you have a wonderful cruise!!

Edited January 30, 2020 by GTO-Girl

[pacruise804]

OP - I did not consider the air travel component.  Your wife should probably discuss options/coping techniques with her doctor and make sure she is ok with both parts.

[spookwife]

I just thought of something:  cabins are MUCH smaller than a hotel room.  With 5 adults, you will need 2 cabins, possibly one of the big suites.  
 

 

[bbwex]

Well I have to try to help a member of Steelers Nation out there.

 

As for the shipboard time, as someone has suggested, if you find a cruise with a lot of stops, you will be getting off the ship almost every day.  There will be a sea day down to Vancouver or Seattle, but I would think that if you are in a veranda cabin, and DW can be out on the veranda, the whole world is out there.  The one problem I can see is that it was pretty chilly when we were in Alaska, and I was never out on the veranda as it was just a bit too cool.

 

As for feeling confined, I cannot hazard a guess as to whether your DW will find the ship large or confining.  The main dining room will likely be huge, so she ought not to feel confined in there.  The open decks, of course, are very large and  open from horizon to horizon.  The cabins are smaller than a hotel room, but again there is a whole glass wall if you have a veranda cabin.  The long passageways on the cabin decks could seem long and closed in, so perhaps a cabin near the elevator hallway so you are not walking down long, long passageways.  Unfortunately there are no cruise ships to tour and see what she thinks.  The closest thing I can think of is a visit to Norfolk and wandering around the U.S.S. WISCONSIN.  The problem with visiting a Navy ship is that the interior spaces are much more confining than some of the public spaces on a cruise ship and veranda cabins don't exist, but she will see what the open decks are like.  It might give her an idea of what it will be like if she is at least near the open decks.

 

I wish it was easier to come up with a test location.

[Canuker]

I can't speak to the air travel - another potential issue - but I see you are in Virginia, a coastal state.
Is there a ferry or similar in your area that you might take as a "test run"?

[Robinsoncruiseso]

First, I would recommend using a travel agent who specializes in accessible cruising.  For Alaska, I would recommend looking at Princess with a cruise starting in Vancouver. The ship will stay between Vancouver Island and the mainland up to Ketchikan. You will most always see land and the waters seem to be calmer. Since this may be your only time to Alaska, make sure the ship goes into Glacier Bay.  Plan on spending most off the time outside your cabin.  In general, ships are spacious.

 

Alaska is beautiful. Go and enjoy.

[thinfool]

On 1/30/2020 at 11:47 AM, SteelersNationVa said:

Does anyone have suggestions on how to make DW feel more comfortable with the idea of a cruise?  

Alaska is definitely better as a family, but to calm the DW....as someone already suggested....take her on a shorter, more relaxed itinerary.  Obviously the Caribbean (tho not in hurrican season) comes to mind.  

Personally I like the 4 day cruises out of Miami that take in Key West and Cozumel.  Late April is a good time...school is in session, spring break is over, the Brits have not yet come for the warmth.

[chipmaster]

On 1/29/2020 at 5:39 PM, SteelersNationVa said:

I want to go on the Alaska cruise. My DW is anxious. She is concerned about being confined to a ship. She has claustrophobia. She is concerned about over crowded places. We love hiking and exploring new places. Had a great vacation in the Tetons & Yellowstone. Alaska is my next bucket list. I want to go on RC Radiance or Serenade of the Seas. 
 

We have 23 yo triplets with disabilities and both of us are always on pins and needles how they will handle a new adventure. I think they will be fine. May need assistance with embarking & disembarking. 

 

If you've done and survivied airtravel there is little on the ship worse than that, LOL

 

Most ship have some tight areas, elevators the cabins, the long narrow hallways but no worse then an narrow aluminum tube full of people and little room.   Survive that and the ship will be like paradise as is Alaska.

 

Enjoy the cruise and can't wait to hear the good and not so good.

[LadyMac72]

We have an Alaska cruise planned this year.  BF's first cruise - and he's very anxious about many of the things your wife is.... right now his current worry is the airplane!  But I booked us a port intensive itinerary and got a room with a balcony (which I was actually able to upgrade to an extended balcony for little additional cost).  He can spend as  much time on that balcony as he needs to when he feels anxious.

 

I booked us small group excursions - small boat whale watching out of Juneau (6 people) and we're renting a car in Skagway so it can be just the two of us for a day.  Going to download the Murray's guide and drive out to Emerald Lake.  

 

My 25 year old son has high functioning autism and he has cruised before successfully - for us we need to watch for overstimulation. And I pack plenty of patience!  Have a great time!

[cb at sea]

If she's ok in a hotel, she'll be fine on a ship.  Alaska cruises, you're normally OFF the ship all day.  At night, you're sleeping....get the largest cabin you can afford...a JS is more "hotel-sized" than a standard balcony.     But, that won't fit 5 of you....and if your kids are going and disabled, you may need an HC suite.

 

 

[zauberflote]

I like the idea of trying a ferry ride. There's a section on the VDOT website about their ferries (who knew??), there's apparently one to Tangier Island, I think I've heard of one out of Yorktown or Jamestown. Just google ferries in Va.
the size of your stateroom could make a HUGE difference. We made a NCL family cruise to Alaska in 2009, and our 19-yr-old autistic son did well enough once on the ship. For us parents, son, and my mom we booked adjoining OV cabins. Being able to see out was a godsend for me and for Mom-- we hate no windows.
I tell you, my hat is off to you and DW for raising those triplets and still having enough energy to even make a bucket list, much less do anything about it.
If you live near a larger river here in Va, you will have seen some bald eagles. In Alaska, they sit around in the tall spruce and fir trees, reminding me of magnolias in bloom. It's pretty comical!


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[evandbob]

Perhaps a land tour then cruise followup may be a good way to go?  You can start in Fairbanks and work your way down through Denali into Anchorage and can see wide open vistas, waterfalls, glaciers, mountains and hopefully, wildlife before even getting on the ship.

 

Book a balcony for the OP and his wife, with an inside for the triplets if budgeting.  Otherwise, 2 adjacent balconies gives even more open spaces to avoid that claustrophobic feeling.

 

Choose shore excursions for the enjoyment of being outside in Nature to hike, go rafting, view wildlife, etc.

 

Enjoy!

[Hlitner]

The OP might want to consider booking private tours or simply Do It Yourself in most Alaska ports.  Consider that most cruise line excursions can involve being crammed in large buses and having delays as you must wait for the slowest member of the excursion.   We agree that booking two adjacent cabins might make the most sense....unless one is able to afford a large suite.

 

Hank

[SteelersNationVa]

Thank you all very much for the comments.  I am sure she will be fine, but her fears are real. 

[broadwaybaby123]

Hi @SteelersNationVa from Pats Nation!  

 

You may want to clue the cruise line into your daughter's disabilities and see what they can do.  May I ask what some of their disabilities are?  I'm a former teacher, maybe I could give you a few pointers.

[SteelersNationVa]

Thanks for the offer. We have 23 to triplets. All with ID. DS2 has ASD, DD2 is nonverbal & Used an iPad to communicate. We will travel with DD1 who is a special Ed teacher. We will do lots of hiking and other cool excursions. 

[ldubs]

OK, this has me scratching my head.  If my wife is claustrophobic and does not like crowded places, the last place I would want to take her is on a cruise.  Why force someone to do something they will not enjoy?  

[clo]

On 2/8/2020 at 8:06 PM, ldubs said:

OK, this has me scratching my head.  If my wife is claustrophobic and does not like crowded places, the last place I would want to take her is on a cruise.  Why force someone to do something they will not enjoy?  

I had the exact same thought and suggested that OP go on his own but that was rejected.

[Ava79]

I can't agree completely. After all, the hotel room differs from the one on board. First of all, according to subjective feelings. I used to be very afraid to travel by ships because you know you feel that many miles around you is nothing but water, and no one will help you in case of some emergency. This was some kind of irrational fear and only travelling with my family helped to overcome it. They were very supportive of me

[That sinking feeling]

On 2/4/2020 at 5:56 PM, SteelersNationVa said:

Thank you all very much for the comments.  I am sure she will be fine, but her fears are real. 

My wife hates being confined and crowded. Yet loves cruising. We learnt on our very first cruise to avoid the sailaway party. When it seemed to us every single passenger was on the top deck. That freaked my wife out and did me as well actually. Our meal on that first evening wasny pleasant, due to us both feeling claustrophobic.

 

We had nothing to worry about. Next day, we explored the ship and it was never crowded, anywhere, except a little at the buffet, until we picked our time to go more carefully.

 

Even on sea days it didnt feel crowded, to the extent that sea days are my wifes favourite days.