Nervous about first cruise - How Safe?

[madelinerose]

I have no idea what this portion of your post means, but, just like all other situations in life, stuff happens - everywhere, every day.

 

You will be cruising with thousands of others on the ship and it will be as safe as anywhere else you may venture in your lifetime.

 

Welcome to CC and have a great cruise. ;)

 

 

We come from a very safe town in CT and expect the same level of safety while on vacation.Thank you all./quote]

[2PinaColadas]

I have never felt unsafe on the boat. I was addicted to cruises after my first one and I am scared of water. Strange, I know, but I am a terrible swimmer and I just don't consider it dangerous or unsafe.

[Pomperaugrr]

Hi Westportmom. We are from Connecticut too. My wife and I have cruised many times and will be taking our daughters on the Serenade of the Seas next January. This will be their first cruise and we are not hesitating to take them. The kids programs are great. Our friends kids have used Adventure Ocean and it is hard to get the kids to leave! I believe that keeping your kids with you when they are not in the program is the way to go. The ships are safe, but common sense is still needed. Establish guidelines for the kids to follow and you will all have a great time. I am sure the Freedom will have a lot to offer your whole family.

 

Eric

[xpcdoojk]

I tell you my biggest concern while cruising on Freedom was the thought of a fire on board. I feel those huge Centrums would act like chimneys and draw the smoke upward. I think the panic involved in a fire on board would kill hundreds if not thousands.

 

I think the Star Princess fire was a wakeup call, but is anyone listening? I have this horrible feeling that one day something terrible will happen on board a ship and that particular line's days will be over. The trend towards bigger and bigger ships with more and more passengers packed in together.

 

I just have visions of a repeat of an MGM Grand type fire but at sea.

 

Gee, Flag. While not impossible, it is not very likely either. It is in my opinion pretty nasty of you to inflict your fears on an already fearful first time cruiser. What kind of thought processes makes you do this kind of stuff?:confused: :rolleyes:

 

jc

[DCPIV]

We've cruised four times with our boys (currently 6 & 3), and have been very comfortable. The ships are safe for children, along with proper supervision. Adventure Ocean is a wonderful program, and we have no qualms about leaving our older son there (our younger one hasn't qualified yet, but we will also be comfortable leaving him there).

 

The only injury either child has suffered came when our younger son thought it would be a good idea to stick his arms in the decorative pillow and then leap from his bed to his brothers. Once his forehead met the bedframe, he realized that he should've listened to dear ol' Dad. I certainly don't blame the cruise line for the egg-sized bump on his head! :)

 

Fortunately, I do not know first hand what really would happen on a cruise ship in the event of an emergency. However, I see many safety measures in place and I am comfortable.

 

Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

D

[WestportMom483]

Wow, I wasn't expecting so many responses. Thanks for all the welcomes.

 

We are booked in a Grand Suite (I don't like the idea of not having windows). Is there a way to lock the balcony door from the inside? My youngest can be rambunctious.

 

Our itinerary is this Aug. (can't think of the exact day) and it goes to San Juan, St Martin, St Thomas out of Miami, FL.

 

I have no idea what this portion of your post means, but, just like all other situations in life, stuff happens - everywhere, every day.

 

We live in a very safe community outside of NYC that has virtually no crime rate. We moved here from LA where the crime rate is through the roof, and we try to take vacations to places that are noted as rather safe. I'm not a fan of being on the lookout for a pick pocket, or being afraid of a car jacking. I guess coming from LA has made me paranoid about this stuff.:o

 

We will NEVER visit Jamaica, at least with the kids LOL

[madelinerose]

wow.

 

 

We live in a very safe community outside of NYC that has virtually no crime rate. We moved here from LA where the crime rate is through the roof, and we try to take vacations to places that are noted as rather safe. I'm not a fan of being on the lookout for a pick pocket, or being afraid of a car jacking. I guess coming from LA has made me paranoid about this stuff.:o

 

We will NEVER visit Jamaica, at least with the kids LOL

[WestportMom483]

wow.

 

I'm not sure if this comment is meant to be an insult to my family and me, or just a "show-off" remark to your friends here on the boards. If you have nothing of substance to add to my thread, don't bother posting. :)

[madelinerose]

WestportMom...You quoted me, I quoted you with a reply of "wow".

 

I do not insult anyone on these boards and I have absolutely no reason to "show off" on an anonymous message board. I have always been a polite CC member and will continue to be.

 

If you choose to interpret my reply as an insult, I cannot change that. My wow was not an insult, it was simply my reply. There are thousands of posts on these boards that lack substance. My previous post on this thread is welcoming you to CC and wishing you a great cruise!

 

Believe me, if you continue to post here, you will definitely see insulting posts, and I can guarantee you they won't be from me.

 

So, let's take off the boxing gloves, shall we? I am happy to hear that you are enjoying the East Coast.

 

I'm not sure if this comment is meant to be an insult to my family and me, or just a "show-off" remark to your friends here on the boards. If you have nothing of substance to add to my thread, don't bother posting. :)

[xpcdoojk]

Westportmom, I am not sure that any of the places you listed are totally safe. Miami, nope, San Juan, nope, St. Maarten, nope, St Thomas, nope. None of them are probably as safe as your safe little gated community outside of NYC. Of course, do you ever take the kids to NYC, or any of the other not quite so safe cities in the North east? If you don't want to worry about pick pockets, I would put your wallet/purses in the safe on the ship, and never leave the ship. That is a place where you don't need money, so you don't need to worry about pick pockets. I live in a very safe midwestern city that I don't worry about crime happening to me, but I still keep an eye on my environment, and I am always on the watch for people doing bad things.

 

Life has risks, travel increases some risks, and the only safe bet is to stay at home locked in the house.

 

jc

[Reijo]

You are going to have a marvelous time. I would imagine that within a couple of hours TOPS that any fears that you had will be gone.

 

When you return, please post what your thoughts were once you got on board. I would be interested to know.

[fungirl76]

I was a bit nervous, but mostly excited for my first cruise. Needless to say 5 years later, I make it a point to cruise once a year. There is no other vacation like a cruise.. You'll have a blast!!!!

 

Melissa

[jad7984]

WestportMom...You quoted me, I quoted you with a reply of "wow".

 

I do not insult anyone on these boards and I have absolutely no reason to "show off" on an anonymous message board. I have always been a polite CC member and will continue to be.

 

If you choose to interpret my reply as an insult, I cannot change that. My wow was not an insult, it was simply my reply. There are thousands of posts on these boards that lack substance. My previous post on this thread is welcoming you to CC and wishing you a great cruise!

 

Believe me, if you continue to post here, you will definitely see insulting posts, and I can guarantee you they won't be from me.

 

So, let's take off the boxing gloves, shall we? I am happy to hear that you are enjoying the East Coast.

 

Very well said. I don't see how your "wow" was insulting, but oh well. And BTW, Westport isn't a gated community (in fact, it's located along the very busy I-95 between NY and New Haven) and isn't all that much safer than any regular suburb in America.

 

Your itinerary is a great one for first time cruisers. I'm not sure about locking the balcony doors. I'm sure someone else can help you out with that.

[time4agetaway]

Before we left on our last cruise I educated my children about the dangers of a cruise ship (do not lean over the balcony, etc etc). My 10 year old son is one of those kids who does first, and then thinks. Just minutes after we get on the ship, he puts a chair by the balcony railing, leans over and shouts "Mom, look......if I bend down a little more I can almost touch the next deck".

 

This sounds like my son!:D I had to chuckle when I read that! Thanks for that little story. I'll be sure to have a talk with Jacob before we go!

 

We've always felt safe cruising and don't have any worries about taking our 6 and 3 year old children with us this year.

[kellyski]

One thing I have learned in this lifetime is to NEVER get a false sense of security ANYWHERE!!! Small town, gated community, cruise ship, back yard, etc...etc.... Anything can happen anywhere. That fact is not going to keep us from going on and enjoying a vacation. We are even going on an excursion in Jamaica!! My grandmother always said to us kids "Don't be scared be aware" and I still use that advice to this day!

 

That being said...Enjoy your vacation and enjoy your family's time together because it is priceless! :)

[jad7984]

One thing I have learned in this lifetime is to NEVER get a false sense of security ANYWHERE!!! Small town, gated community, cruise ship, back yard, etc...etc.... Anything can happen anywhere. That fact is not going to keep us from going on and enjoying a vacation. We are even going on an excursion in Jamaica!! My grandmother always said to us kids "Don't be scared be aware" and I still use that advice to this day!

 

That being said...Enjoy your vacation and enjoy your family's time together because it is priceless! :)

 

You're going to love the Mariner. I just got off her last week and to this day, she's my favorite ship. Enjoy your first cruise....you might become addicted.;)

[Three G's]

On our first cruise I had the same concerns that you have expressed. We had three small boys and no Idea what we were in for on a cruise( no cruise critic). When I expressed my concerns to the Cruise Director he pointed out to us that no matter where you are in the world bad things could happen and that if we would just take the same precautions that we would take at home we would have a safe fun time. Fifteen cruises later( number fifteen two weeks ago) our boys are grown and traveling around the world on there own. There is Nothing like a cruise. We are all here to answer your questions, just like someone did for us.

 

The Three G's

[Willum UK]

Westport Mum

You will be able to lock our balcony door from the inside, as we were when we were on Mariner. I'm sure you will have a safe and enjoyable cruise, just as almost everyone on these boards has been saying.

As for coming from a safe part of the US well we are from a very safe part of the UK and we tend to have less crime here than you do, and we are more than happy to fly out to your country and get on one of your ships - that should tell you something. So please don't worry, cruising is safe and lots of fun. Ports of call are exciting and can be a bit bewildering, but just take your time, stay on the beaten track, or take arranged excursions. Enjoy!