Why do you go on a cruise?

[drfun48]

Is it to go some place interesting,fun,and try new things?Or do you go primarily to get away ,relax, and refresh your batteries?

I would guess for most ,it's a combination of both as well as a variety of other reasons.

It can be a break from either the humdrum boredom of everyday life,or a chance to escape from its stresses.

That's why I find it interesting how many hear on the boards want to bring their "home" with them...will they be able to have constant cell phone contact and internet access. My second question is then "How long ,if ever,does it take before your vacation really begins?"

For me,preparing for the vacation,the stresses of tying things up at work and the aggravation of the airport ,all become a distant memory once I walk up the gangway.

[nps001]

For me, it's the only time I can complete escape from work. It is relaxing and it offers all that I like to do. I can chose to do many things, or none. It allows me to visit many places that are less expensive as a cruise than seeing individually. I admit it, I'm a Cruise Addict now! :)

[kman48]

I go on a cruise because a cuise ship is one of my three favorite vacation destinations (along with Napa Valley and Las Vegas).

 

In addition to variety in geographic location and sights to be seen, cruising allows me to experience worry-free dining and entertainment of high quality and friendly service in all aspects of the cruise. All neatly packaged at a reasonable price!!

 

Kman

[SusieV]

I agree with you. I don't WANT to be contacted from home while I'm on vacation. No email or cell phone for me, thanks.

 

I go on cruises to have romantic getaways with my husband and to see the world. I don't need anyone or anything else for that.

[Happy Cruiser 6143]

To be at sea and to be waited on. It's a bonus if the ship calls at interesting ports.

[casandbliz]

To us, taking a cruise means that we can experience other areas that we probably wouldn't see otherwise.To be honest, I know we would never venture to the Dominican Republic, Martinque, St. Thomas, etc., if not on a cruise. Cruising makes these places available, and even tho we aren't there for long, it's nice to say we have been there. Cruising to us is very affordable- one time unpacking, wonderful meals, entertainment, siteseeing for one price. We go to Las Vegas quite a bit, and when you add up all the costs for an upscale Vegas vacation, even for a 3-4 night stay, it can be $$$$!! It usually takes us a good 24-48 hours to unwind, depending on how our work at home has been...but once we unwind, we are in heaven!! We like to keep in touch with home (children and pets), but other than that, we don't care much for news at home...

[cruisequeen10]

Lets see:

 

1. Getting up early (no sleeping in) - so not to miss your breakfast

2. Running around the ship looking for activities

3. Waiting in lines at the buffet and dining room

4. Running around in port looking for that special souvenir

5. Hoping to catch a nap in between lunch and dinner

 

I need a vacation after the vacation, it is so exhausting.

[Kapricorn]

I go on cruises to relax and unwind. The ship herself is the destination for me, not the ports. That's why I go several times to the Mexican Riviera, but don't even get off anywhere. I relax at the outdoor pool with a book and cold beer. It's nice to be pampered by the staff, and to enjoy nice dinners with convivial table mates.

 

I also cruise to Alaska several times, because the scenery there is simply spectacular. Different weather conditions - sunny, rainy, foggy, etc. - produce interesting digital photographs. No cruise is ever the same, even if the itinerary is.

 

Donald.

[Toothfairy754]

Is it to go some place interesting,fun,and try new things?Or do you go primarily to get away ,relax, and refresh your batteries?

I would guess for most ,it's a combination of both as well as a variety of other reasons.

It can be a break from either the humdrum boredom of everyday life,or a chance to escape from its stresses.

That's why I find it interesting how many hear on the boards want to bring their "home" with them...will they be able to have constant cell phone contact and internet access. My second question is then "How long ,if ever,does it take before your vacation really begins?"

For me,preparing for the vacation,the stresses of tying things up at work and the aggravation of the airport ,all become a distant memory once I walk up the gangway.

 

I go for a variety of reasons. 1. to RELAX there is nothing like sitting on a balcony or deck with the peace and quiet. 2. Too see different places. 3 To be waited on and not worry about problems at work. 4. All the different foods I would not normally get at home.

My vacation begins the moment I close the door of my home.

I take my cell phone but turn it off while on ship.

[TRadle]

I don't care where the ship goes; I sail for the wind while at sea and the smell of salt water. It is good for my soul. :)

[osiebosie]

When we started cruising, it was extremely economical. Pricing has since caught up, but in the long run, it's still a very economical vacation, once you add fuel, food, entertainment, and whatnot. And the best thing about cruising is that you only have to unpack once! Since packing (all) and unpacking (almost all) falls on me, only doing it once is fabulous.

 

Vacation starts when we book the cruise. We talk and talk about it, and look up ports online, and read and re-read the catalog/book. I start thinking about clothes and losing weight (which never happens) and saving money. When it starts getting really close, like a couple of weeks out, I begin packing and doing all of the things that must be done before leaving. Most stuff can't be done until right before we leave, so that time gets stressful, but I love it!

 

Mostly, I hate leaving my animals at home. And, now, I hate leaving my grandson. But we keep in touch via phone while we are gone. And not very often, but ocassionally we check in just to make sure everything's okay. No business for me, at least, not very much.

 

We also love Vegas, which is a totally different type of vacation. A great year has one of each involved. Along with some camping trips.

 

We do love the stressless cruise vacation. We love getting into the relaxed frame of mind we find ourselves in when we cruise for more than a week. Naps, food, naps, food, ports, gambling, naps, food, and, did I mention naps and food?

 

Anticipating our 30th anniversary this fall on Millie,

 

Shay

[sea-cruise]

For me, it's just being onboard a ship that counts. I love unpacking once and not having to repack at every hotel stop on a tour. I love being rocked to sleep, and having different events onboard to choose from. :p

[Beach Nut]

Mostly for a search for great Caribbean swimming beaches and diving spots that we might want to return to for a land vacation, by trading the timeshare on Maui we bought through resale.

 

However, 2 recent cruises (Eastern Med and NZ/Oz) have been to sample more far-flung ports than the Caribbean. Neither of these concentrated on beaches, although we still managed to have at least one beach day on each cruise.

 

I am not anticipating any beach time on our upcoming Baltic cruise (LOL), even though we will be cruising in the summer. (However, with us, you never can tell, as we were once both foolish enough to jump off the dock into Moraine Lake in Banff :eek: and we even lived to tell about it.)

 

So, we have been transitioning towards taking longer cruises that are vehicles to experience many different areas in a relatively short amount of time, and with a high comfort factor.

 

The more we cruise, it seems the more time we like to spend OFF the ship, going as far as we can into the nether regions of the ports we visit. :)

 

Susan

[sea-cruise]

Mostly, I hate leaving my animals at home.

I hate leaving my dashchunds behind too. :(

And, now, I hate leaving my grandson.

We took ours with us 3 years ago. I think we created cruiseaholics. :eek:

 

No business for me, at least, not very much.

Shay

No phones or internet while cruising for us either, but we brought our DD & SIL a couple of months ago, and he had to keep in constant touch with his editor, so thankfully the Explorer of the Seas offered internet services.

[Kaboochi]

Every year my husband I have take a vacation to spend time with 12 other wonderful people we have known FOREVER. While we all take our children on numerous trips each year, we leave them home for this adventure.

 

For one full week we are carefree kids again! All we do is have fun, no cooking, no cleaning, no work! We don't have to make our beds :D We find taxi vans to hold us all for our island explorations and we feel like we are back on a school bus, being loud and silly, without the driver telling us to be quiet and sit down. We laugh, talk, overindulge and basically have the time of our lives.

 

When we cruise with Celebrity we get an added bonus of exceptional service, delicious food, great activities and fun ports to explore. I'd better stop, I'm getting the itch to go again and we just got back 2 weeks ago! Laurie

[kjwinston]

Oh, hi.

 

Just have a small time to answer this question of why I love to cruise. "Oh, Thanks Charles" He's my Butler giving me one of those Foo-Foo drinks with the umbrella in them. Ah, yes the answer..."Oh go ahead Charles, chill the wine for later" now where were we...I guess I like to count waves. Only place I know you can do this all day. "What's that Charles?" Oh, he told me to tell you I do better on counting Olives in my Martini's on the Veranda. He most likely is right, I do love to count those.

 

Well time's up! My wife and I are on the way up to the Martini Bar to relax and enjoy each others company before dinner, which is always spectacular. Maybe I will see you at the show and I could finish the question. ;)

[63galaxie]

Things that have never happened anywhere else......

 

1) Listening to my husband play his classical guitar on the balcony,

 

2) Seeing dolphins swim along next to my balcony,

 

3) Watching baby whales jump in and out of the ocean about 30 feet away,

 

4) Having handsome men say, "Excellent," while serving me hand and foot,

 

5) Not cleaning my room (or anything else except myself) for seven days,

 

6) Being completely anonymous to everyone except my husband,

 

7) Watching a dramatic storm over the ocean at 3 a.m.,

 

8) Spying silvery birds dive in and out of the ocean,

 

9) Swimming with and touching the velvety skin of a sting-ray,

 

10) Actually enjoying the rain,

 

11) Not feeling cold in March and October,

 

12) Being rocked to sleep while not in my mother's arms,

 

13) Giving away money to other people willingly,

 

14) Feeling the majesty of God over the ocean,

 

15) Dressing up and feeling like a princess for a few hours each night,

 

16) Anticipating and planning a trip months and even years in advance,

 

17) Experiencing new cultures, tastes, beliefs, customs, and scenery,

 

18) Sampling foods I've never heard of,

 

19) Sampling foods I've dreamt about,

 

20) Sampling foods I shouldn't be eating,

 

21) Walking around a deck and being pushed around by outrageously strong winds,

 

22) Smelling the ocean breeze,

 

23) Watching the sunrise and sunset for the "first time" every day,

 

24) Falling in love all over again and again with my husband,

 

25) Buying something from a country I'll never visit again,

 

26) Building memories to share with my children for a lifetime,

 

27) Pretending I'm rich,

 

28) Realizing I am rich (comparitively and figuaritively),

 

29) Meeting and making new friends,

 

30) Sweating and enjoying it,

 

31) Dressing up,

 

32) Dressing down,

 

33, 34, 35, etc.) Having a massage, sitting in a jacuzzi, drinking coffee from the Cova Cafe, reading a book while listening to the ocean, seeing white caps, playing bingo, getting stupidly excited about winning a free tee-shirt, ordering room service for "free," hoping unrealistically for an upgrade, sleeping with the door open, taking a dance class with my husband, being alone without my children, being with my children and watching them experience once-in-a lifetime experiences, having a formal picture taken, just feeling like the most blessed person on the planet.

[Canuker]

1. With the exception of liquor, it's an all inclusive vacation.

2. You wake up in a different place each morning

3. The industry is very competitive, so good service is virtually assured

4. It represents excellent value for money

5. Great way to meet other people (always surprised more single people don't cruise).

6. Something for everyone

7. The amount of repeat business and the number of new vessels hitting the ocean indicates it's a vert successful formula

[OrlandoD]

It is the one vacation that you are totally free of the "regular" world (unless you really go looking for it). If anybody REALLY had to get in touch with us there is a way; so we just throw the cell phones in the safe the first night and enjoy unplugging from the daily grind. Somebody else takes care of all the nitty gritty details and we just arrive at dinner. Somebody else cleans up. Somebody else takes us to many gorgeous places and we only have to unpack once. (actually this next trip somebody else will ask us if they can unpack!!). Somebody else plans entertainment and brings you a drink while you sit there. It’s as close to royalty as any of us will ever get. ;)

 

Re-entry to the real world with smelly suitcases of laundry, ugly traffic and the mundane chores of life leads to the inevitable post vacation blues – so live it up while you’re out there!

[caviargal]

To experience the old traditions of cruising: formal dining, dressing for dinner, watching the changing scenery from the deck or balcony, hearing the sounds of the ocean as we cruise. Love those nighttime strolls on deck and dancing after dinner in a lovely club, too!

[Pilot70D]

We cruise primarily because it's fun and the War Department (aka Mrs. B.) likes to be pampered for ten days to two weeks. In the past we have enjoyed the inability of the real world to reach out and get in contact with us. Unfortunately that is now changing somewhat with the advent of cell phone service aboard most larger cruise ships.

 

She likes the variety of entertainment aboard a cruise vessel and is a rabid Bingo addict....Oooops, I meant a dedicated Bingo player.

 

Both of us are divers consequently we dive in almost all ports. She enjoys diving but not to the extent that I do other wise our next cruise would be aboard a live aboard somewhere in the Caribbean.

 

We also enjoy the food and the feeling of having to do absolutely nothing on sea days. So for us at least cruising is and ideal vacation.

 

Everyone out there enjoy that next cruise no matter where you're cruising to or on what ship.

[claud925]

63galaxie: your sentiments as expressed in your post were beautifully-written. I couldn't have said it better myself.:)

[sea-cruise]

We cruise primarily because it's fun and the War Department (aka Mrs. B.) likes to be pampered for ten days to two weeks.

She likes the variety of entertainment aboard a cruise vessel and is a rabid Bingo addict....Oooops, I meant a dedicated Bingo player.

quote]

ROFLMBO!!!!! Sounds like Regis Philben!!! Too funny! :D :D :D

[Coco Creek]

Depends--on Carribean type cruise, simply relax, forget about cell phones and e-mails and just plain chill out.

 

On Alaska type cruises, get in shape and go for it--dog sledding, zip line riding, catamarans and float planes and maybe even a little whale watching.

[Kaboochi]

Hubby and I like being in an "us" world, north, south east and west, morning afternoon and night, full moon, no moon, sun, clouds, rain, qualls. It's all about us when we get away and cruising is the best way to get away, LE