Now that you Found Cruising.......

[sail7seas]

When you begin to plan your vacations with your husband/wife/significant other/friend etc, do you have to convince them you want to cruise again.....do they want to go to a land resort; go camping; land tour through Europe etc.......or are you both in agreement to cruise as much as possible?

[bombero]

We both love cruising and would rather cruise than do just about anything else, except maybe ride our motorcycle.. Cruising is an inexpensive vacation, or as we call it, a get away.. We live 10 minutes from the beach on the Gulf of Mexico, so beaching it is not a big deal to us. We just like getting away for a week every now and then.. We try to go a least 3 times a year and since we live in Florida, that is fairly easy.. All I have to do is book one, and all she says is "beautiful, when are we going"... Bombero

[dakrewser]

When you begin to plan your vacations with your husband/wife/significant other/friend etc, do you have to convince them you want to cruise again?

We're destination driven, not transportation. Not every destination is suitable for a cruise (even a river or barge trip). But we seldom look for an alternative to a cruise, when its available.

[Orcrone]

Last year was DW's first cruise. It took a lot of cajoling (sp?). She thought she'd be bored, seasick, etc. Luckily she had a great time, but she still got off the ship saying it was fun, but she'd want to do other vacations aside from cruises. This year I don't think I could have talked her into another if it weren't for the ship leaving from our homeport. Not having to fly or drive a long distance made it inexpensive and convenient enough for her to go along. Next year's cruise is a present from my mom to our whole family, so obviously she's going along with that one.

 

DW would really like to go to Europe. I'm thinking that she wouldn't go on any more Caribbean cruises, but perhaps a European one might be a possibility. But I don't anticipate that one within the next couple of years.

[ekerr19]

This is a tough one. Personally, I only want to cruise.

 

DH would like to take some golf vacations at various resorts... he likes cruising - but I think one of these days he may be able to convince me to do the Hawaii golf trip.

 

We'll see... ;)

 

The most persuasive thing so far is that we've found cruising to much more affordable for the entire family than any all inclusive or golf package...

[Krazy Kruizers]

:)

 

No problem convencing DH to book a cruise.

In fact I had to calm him down this weekend as he was ready to book another cruise for next year!

:D

[Bill S]

At the present time and for the foreseeable future, we are in cruise-only mode for true vacations. Since I am retired military, we have already done a lot of travel in the USA and bit overseas. Also, my DW does not enjoy flying, so cruising long distances appeals to her.

[cactuslady]

do you have to convince them you want to cruise again?

Are you kidding? My problem is trying to talk DH out of getting a suite every time, after we had one on our honeymoon. :rolleyes: I have to convince him we can still get an unlimited laundry/cleaning package for a small fraction of the price of a suite. And then I have to convince him that the upgrade fairy really exists, if you truly believe . . . . ;)

 

We have an agreement to go tour Germany so I can finally drive the Autobahn (which I was planning to do before we got engaged), but that seems to be moving farther down the list.

[Vicar]

Last November was the first time Gf and I cruised together (we had both been ion cruises before we met and loved them and this was no exception)

 

We will definately cruise again (definately for our honeymoon, whenever that will be)

 

But we will also take land vacations too. We have three of those planned for this year

[cruisinjudy]

Lately we have been in cruise only mode! DH doesn't really like to drive much anymore. He says all of the drivers are too crazy out there. We did drive to and from San Francisco in May for our Alaska cruise and went to Yosemite on the way back, but the rest has been cruising the last few years.

I would like to drive around the US, but we still have a dog and cat at home. We could take the dog, but it would never work with the cat!

[elmorejj]

We never have to convince ourselves that we need a cruise! Although we take a few land vacations every year, we`re always ready for the "next" cruise. We found a wonderful resort between Playa and Tulum on the Yucatan and we go there for two weeks twice a year (going next month) but we`re always ready when its "cruise time".....jean :cool: :cool:

[Tatka]

We decided that we will have 1 cruise + 1 land vacation (preferaly in Europe on our own)

 

(In 2 years it will be 7 years I am working for my company and I'll get 3 weeks of vacation. Maybe then we will do 2 cruises a year occasionaly)

[jhannah]

For now, cruising is our true vacation. We still work in stateside visits to places we've not been, but these are generally extended weekend sorts of trips. The fact that we can be gone a couple of weeks without packing and unpacking more than once is a real draw! Some day, we may decide to go back and spend some more time in some of the ports we've visited. Cruising is a great way to sample different places to see what you want to really spend time seeing in depth later on. We considered a bus-based tour a few months ago, but just couldn't convince ourselves that we'd enjoy two weeks of getting on and off busses and spending every other night in a new hotel.

[RevNeal]

I much prefer cruising. I've done land vacations and tour-trips and they're ok ... but they're not as relaxing or as enjoyable, for me, as Cruising.

 

Christopher, on the other hand, really wants to make other kinds of trips. He chomping at the bit to go to Disney World next year. He want's to take an "American Orient Express" Train trip through the west. And, he has an interest in making some land-tours of Europe (he's never done that before). I don't mind doing any of these, but I want to cruise too. So, we're having to balance our vacation trips. This year is devoted entirely to the Panama Canal cruise -- I've taken some other trips, but I have more vacation time than Christopher does. Next year we're doing 4 or 5 days at Disney World in the spring and 2 weeks on the Veendam in the Fall. In 2006 we'll probably do a week or two in Europe, followed by a 6 day crossing on the Queen Mary 2. In short ... a little bit of both.

 

But ... if it were all up to me I'd be on the ships. I've had my fill of bus trips, and only want to put up with them for shore excursions and to tour Israel. :)

[sail7seas]

I'm so grateful that long before we ever cruised, we did a huge amount of domestic and European travel. We were sure that cruising was not for us and we never seriously considered it but kept booking trips to London, Paris, Rome, Madrid etc Travel was so much easier then. :)

 

We had dear friends with whom we often traveled. They were older than us and she was becoming ill. Travel became more difficult for her. She 'pleaded' with us to try a cruise and convinced us when she said, it would be so much easier for her. That was the last trip we took with her and we are so happy now that we agreed to go.

 

Not only did we love cruising immediately upon boarding but she got to take that cruise she so wanted to try. We lost her shortly after that trip.

 

Now, because cruising is so easy; because we love it so much; because we have seen alot of what we truly wanted to see; we mostly cruise.

[Lois R]

Hi, I must be the only single cruiser on this forum:eek: .....so, its up to me...and what I can afford:) ......I got hooked on cruising in May 2003...and have never looked back!

 

Rev......I lived in Israel.....back in the late 70s for a year......oh when I was a youngster and I thought I could help change the world.....siggghhhh

[cactuslady]

Hi, I must be the only single cruiser on this forum:eek: .....so, its up to me...and what I can afford:)

Lois, I used to be a single cruiser, but the Ryndam messed that up . . . :D

You're right, though. A cruise with a reasonable singles supplement is much more economical than a land vacation for a single. Lots more fun, too, I think.

[divinggirl]

Still can't convince my DH to cruise...next vacation is to the Seychelles, I think, or maybe Roatan before that...land based, dive-oriented, sometimes all-inclusive. My DH loves to lay on the beach with his feet in the sand, and we like to be able to just walk down and go snorkeling whenever, and you can't do that on board, unfortunately. But I can probably get him on one to Alaska, someday...:o

[ASM]

Cruising will probably always be just one element of our vacations. I would cruise more than DH but also like variety. We have one cruise booked this year in addition to one regularly scheduled beach week. We also have a summer home in the mountains we're planning to renovate and winterize. Our DD and family live in Charleston so we're there often too. DH wants to plan another Alaskan cruise tour and a cross country land trip. DD and SIL have planned a WDW trip for us with them next fall. DS is eager for a week in NYC (us paying & going !). I'll just go anywhere and enjoy it!

[LizB1]

We both have no problem with just cruising now. In our younger years we did extensive travels to Europe overland, and my husband was stationed in Germany and France back in the mid-50's. He and a buddy took every weekend and traveled to different places in Europe, including skiing in Austria, beaching in Southern France, etc.

 

We would like to get back to the Med. area and Greek Islands again but perhaps that will be in 2006 if all goes well. I am not a good flyer so will have to see about that. If we go it will have to be a b-to-b as I will not fly to Europe for just 12-days.

[Cracker Ken]

We prefer cruising by far. We got hooked last May with a HAL cruise to New England and Canada. In the past, we have done many trips on land, like to beaches, the mountains in NC, and to various locations out west (National Parks from Waterton/Glacier down to Joshua Tree, and lots in between). Lots of driving involved there, and I have to drive on my job. It gets tiring. The value of cruising, "one stop shopping", the relaxation, etc, makes it great for us. We love waking up each day in a new place (no changing hotels, no driving...) The only problem I've encountered, is I'm still looking all over the place for a cruise to the Canadian Rockies. I don't want to go unless I can cruise. No luck so far.:D

[debblue]

i to am a single and the single supplement can be pricey at times but this trip in september to alaska i have a cabin to myself, I have been cruising since the early 80's, my first cruise was on the Home Lines cruises, it got me addicted to cruising and yes sometimes family will travel with me but now it seems its only me, which is fine with me. i usualy do a cruise in the fall and then another vacation with family.But i can't stop my cruises.

[Lois R]

Hi,:) so you met someone on a cruise? Another passenger? And I am guessing things went well?

[ryansmemom]

A cruise is perfection for us. We never turn down an opportunity to cruise and frankly never consider any other type of vacation at this point. It suits our needs so well.

 

We may, when the grandkids are a bit older consider Disneyworld but I think it would have to be in conjuction with a cruise so we can recover from the Disney part.

 

Linda

[arzz]

In our home cruising is the first choice -- it is the venue upon which we disagree -- my DH considers chartering a sailboat with captain his ideal cruise -- though a sail charter is a unique experience and has many very positive aspects (like laying on a pitch blck deck at night and counting shooting stars) the lack of air conditioning and pumping the marine toilet gets old after a few days.... give me a cruise ship any day with a nice covered promenade with a comfy deck chair and an air conditioned cabin where I can shower using more than a teaspoon of water. The food, entertainment, ports, and quiet lounges are just icing on the cake.