How did you pick your first cruise?

[BoozinCroozin]

Best price and itinerary on the few weeks we can vacation as a family during the year. Put the dates in, see what cruise lines are going where under price $XXXX, and go from there.

[EMOSEA]

My parents picked my first cruise, The Big Red Boat (Premier Cruise Line SS Oceanic). I was 16-almost-17 at the time, in 1996. 

The first cruise I picked was in 2018, and because my mom had a free cruise voucher from her timeshare and offered it to me since my DH and I never went on a honeymoon. We booked a 4 night cruise on Carnival Inspiration, in part because it was out of CA and the grandparents could watch the kids for us within driving distance to the port, and in part because we thought a 4 day would be a good amount of time to see if DH liked cruises (he did 🙂 ). We've only been on one more cruise since then (Panorama 2020), but have three more booked. 

[DirtyDawg]

My first cruise was in the mid 90's. At that time Mrs. Dawg was staying at home caring for two young boys and she called me at work one day and told me that we were going on a long weekend vacation in three weeks time and to get the Friday and the Monday off work.  She did not ask if I could get the time off, she told me to get the time off! When I asked where she wanted to go (I was thinking Vegas or the Bahamas) she told me we were going on a three-day cruise out of Miami. She had already booked the flights, the cruise on the old Monarch of the Seas and arranged for her parents to look after the kids. The only things I had to do was get the time off work and decide where to park at the airport.  That one short cruise turn this landlubber into a cruiser.  The only things I did not like about that cruise was the cabin was a porthole cabin, (balconies ever since) and those tipping envelopes we gave to the staff at the end of the cruise were kind of weird.

[Blondilu]

I come from a poor family as far back as I know the history.  Not really poor, though IMHO.  Good people with rich histories.  Just no money.  As naive as it sounds I was in my 20s before it finally dawned on me that there were other kinds of trips besides 12 hours in a car to visit Grandma.  You mean regular people (not just rich people) can get on a plane and go somewhere?  Wow, I wanna go.  So I did.  But I avoided the idea of cruises because they sounded snooty.  Silly me.

 

My first cruise was through a promotion from a DJ I listened to at the time.  "Join me for a 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera.  For more info call....."  We departed the terminal at San Pedro on November 11, 2001.  Armed military at the airport.  Armed escort out of the port.  Mexican military at Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta.  A little freaky but I had a great time and have taken several cruises since then.  I still love a road trip, but there is, IMHO, no better way to go somewhere than on a ship.

 

This is me, ship in the background.  I was standing there taking photos when a very friendly woman offered to take a picture with me in it.  Crappy photo, great memory.

 

 

 

[satchimosmom]

Our first cruise was June 2005 - 14 day Eastern European on Celebrity Constellation.  We were offered to participate as this was a school group traveling with a local teacher coordinating the trip.  We had been on a previous land trip to Italy with her and thoroughly enjoyed the trip.  Our primary objective was not the experience of cruising but the amazing itinerary.  
 

It didn’t take me long to realize that the cruise was THE event/destination unto itself!  
 

Since then, I’ve traveled Carnival, Norwegian, Holland America, and soon will board Royal Caribbean.  

[14Terry]

We went with 2 other couples in 2007 (7 night western Caribbean). I knew nothing about cruising. We used a travel agent. We were immediately hooked after the first one! I been researching/booking all of ours ever since. 

[capriccio]

I just want to thank the OP (ontheweb) for posting this thread.  It's so nice to have an interesting, stress free, complaint free thread!  I've enjoyed every story.

[ontheweb]

1 hour ago, capriccio said:

I just want to thank the OP (ontheweb) for posting this thread.  It's so nice to have an interesting, stress free, complaint free thread!  I've enjoyed every story.

Your welcome. I too have enjoyed reading all the posts, especially the ones that like us first cruised for their 25th anniversary. I still wish we had discovered cruises earlier, but I do not feel as left behind.

[ilikeanswers]

My first cruise would have been a 3 night Whitsunday Island cruise on a sailboat. It was the best way to visit the islands that at the time had no ferry access and took us to some nice snorkelling spots. My first cruise on an actual ship was only a few years ago with Aranui. Again the choice came down to convenience, it was the easiest way to get around and tour the Marquesas. It ended up being such a great experience, I learnt so much about the history and culture, got to participate in activities I probably couldn't have accessed if I had gone independently.

[danaps]

We had heard so much about cruising from my sister in law and we were looking for a new vacation idea around our anniversary, so we went to her TA and booked on the  RCCL Jewel out of Boston.  We were hooked - where else can you unpack once and go to so many places?

It was a great cruise, met lots of wonderful people (still keep in touch ) and even ate dinner at the main table one night!

I do miss the dining room and meeting new people, but love the ships.