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How biased of cruises were you before your first cruise?


Gibbs1986

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I took my first cruise last spring in March on Freedom of the Seas for my future brother in laws wedding. He got married in Jamaica. And before he told everyone of the destenation wedding I would have never have thought of a cruise for a vacation. When he first talked about doing it for his wedding I always thought "Why would anyone want to be stuck on a ship for so long?" or "They can't be that exciting." But BOY was I wrong! I can't wait for my next wait cruise in 2014 on the Adventure of the Seas! I am addicted to cruises now!!

 

Before you took your first cruise how biased of cruising were you?

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I was terrified before my first cruise. I had heard so many different stories from how awesome cruising was to the don't do it because it was the holiday from hell. Our first cruise had so many hiccups before we even got to port that I figured the trip was going to be money wasted. To start the flight was delayed out of Edmonton, rerouted thru Vancouver and delayed. Rerouted again through Toronto and New York, delayed by 4 hours due to thunderstorms in New York and New Jersey. Landed in New York at noon and got to New Jersey by 245. Exhausted from flying all night, ship was delayed leaving port by 2 hours and then the weather was crappy the first two days/nights and ship was rocking and swaying tons. All in all, after everything settled down, had an awesome time and is counting down to cruise #3 in February.

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Our first cruise was back in 1997. The only things we knew about going on a cruise were what some friends told us ("You have to go! It's a lot of fun!") and Hollywood's version "The Love Boat". We knew we wanted to go on a cruise, but we didn't really know what to expect. And, like most first-timers, we overpacked. But we had a great time and definitely got addicted to cruising.:)

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We took our very first short cruises back in the '80's -- when most of the ships were converted oceanliners. We just loved cruising, and couldn't wait to get back to it (although it took 15 years to do that). However, both DH and I have spent a great deal of time since then, explaining to friends and family that cruising is not just for the "newly-wed, over-fed, and nearly dead". ;)

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I took my first cruise in 1972 on an old rust bucket that was built in the 30's. I had my own cabin, with a sink, and the bathroom was down the hall. I had no pre-conceptions...Just that taking a cruise was something romantic/exotic/adventurous. It was wonderful! I took three more in the next year, then didn't have the opportunity to go again until 1999. But I am trying to make up for lost time...EM

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I really wasnt that excited about cruiseing... I like to DO STUFF on vacation. I am not a beach bunny, sun worshipper. So of course i thought 7 days stuck on a boat with nothing to do but lay by the pool sounded pretty lame. I'd rather go to Disney!

But after doing Disney 4 times and Universal 1 times i knew I needed to find something else for an adult only 15th wedding anniversary trip.

I really wanted to do Vegas... I have never flown, but I am openminded and decided to do some research. Facebook friends had raved about cruiseing and i had a tight budget due to the economical changes occuring right now. A 7 day cruise could stay within my budget and i will get a chance to visit other countries...something else I have never done. Once I really got to researching i am soooo excited to go on this cruise! There is more to "DO" then I imagined. I think its going to be a perfect balance for relaxation and adventure.

Granted...I am still 37 days to go but my preconcieved ideas about cruising have already shifted from negative to positivly excited!

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We weren't craving a cruise when my parents decided that's how they wanted to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary in 1996. We had a wonderful time, and have been on about eight since then, including two to the Med and one Baltic/Scandinavian. The most recent for their 60th wedding anniversary; my Dad dies four months later.

 

We enjoy cruising, and expect to go again, but enjoy other different types of vacations, too, so would never restrict ourselves to just cruises.

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My 1st job was as a computer operator for US Lines which owned SS United States and SS America in late 1960's, I heard some great stories about cruising from co-workers, Started cruising in 1975 and have cruised every year since 1977, , cruise #56 will be in April. Also used to see the cruise ships from the office in NYC, seeing them pass Statue of Liberty was a great sight.

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I wasn't biased against cruising at all - it was a different type of vacation that we hadn't tried yet, so we thought it would be good to try it, and we had fun. That said, we enjoy other types of vacations as well, and I don't think we will ever limit our travel to cruises.

 

Before we booked our first cruise and started talking to people about our plans, I had NO IDEA that so many people are so adamantly AGAINST cruises! I remember chatting with three coworkers one day about vacation plans and all three vehemently stated that they would NEVER EVER get on a cruise ship. I was really surprised at their reaction to the idea of crusing - it was as if I'd suggested locking their families in a dungeon and calling it a vacation. The funny thing is that none of them - and these typically reasonable and open-minded individuals - could articulate exactly WHY they were so opposed to taking a cruise. Funny!

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I got into cruising through a Disney connection. Don't remember how I heard about it, but back in the early 90s, there was a deal between Premier Cruise Lines ("The Big Red Boat") and Disney. A week vacation was 4 days at Disney World and 3 on a cruise, or vice versa. My son was in third grade at the time, and as a single parent, the idea of having some "me time" on a vacation while my son was entertained in a group of kids his age (at no extra charge!) was tremendously appealing.

I'd seen "The Love Boat" on TV but had no other preconceptions of cruising. I didn't expect to be romanced on the cruise :) (and wasn't). My son and I had a marvelous time, and the following year took another cruise and took along my mom, who after hearing about my previous vacation said "I've always wanted to try that!"

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Our first was on the QE II. At the time the last of the great oceanliners. Not a cruise ship by todays measure. Was I disappointed. In no way. I expected opulance and got it. We were fortunate to be in the Queens Grill. Service and food was impeckable. Yes on these ships there is somewhat of a class system to this day. Your dining room assigned is based on cabin catagory. It was truly an experience of a lifetime for the entire family.

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From the time I was little I had always wanted to go to Bermuda. I don't remember why just that's the only place I ever wanted to go...So after 20 years of marriage I told my husband take me to Bermuda or I'm going alone..HAHA...Keep in mind that my husband has very bad motion sickness issues...Well, he booked us a cruise to Bermuda on the Celebrity Zenith...Holy cow a cruise and Bermuda...I was so excited I cried when I got on the ship. It was fabulous. My dh took medicine on our first cruise but since then he doesn't take anything most of the time...He loved it too. We weren't even back a week and he booked us for the next year. Now we cruise once a year to Bermuda!!!

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I expected a cruise to be slow-paced and kind of boring, with the ship pretty much functioning as a mobile hotel room. On top of that, I was going solo. So boredom was something I expected; that was neither good, nor bad, just something that comes with the territory. Still, getting a vacation was very important to me (see next paragraph), so I still wanted to cruise. I simply prepared for it: signing up for shore excursions that take up most of the day, looking for activities to pass time on, and bringing some books to read. In the end, I didn't have one boring moment, and the only time I opened even one of my books was on the plane ride back.

 

So why go in the first place, preconcieved notions and all? I work in IT, and at my previous role, I constantly got calls on nights, weekends, and vacations. So getting any rest was out of the question, unless I went to a place with no cell phone signal. Since most resorts have cell phone towers nowadays, and also not good places to go solo, that left one option: a cruise. I got what I wanted and had the best vacation of my life. Well, I'll see how my Sensation cruise goes before making such a final statement. :)

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I thought cruising was for elderly people who sat around doing nothing. I actully had a Hawaiian vacation book when I was given a video on cruising from a TA. It was nothing like I thought. It looked so fun that I cancelled my Hawaiian vacation and booked a cruise.

 

It was so much fun, my husband and I had the best time. Now we love cruising.

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I really wasnt that excited about cruiseing... I like to DO STUFF on vacation. !

 

You are going to have such a great time! My only preconception of cruises was 'The Love Boat' and that looked pretty cool to me. But cruising outdid all my possible ideas! My cruise pal and I are 'doers' also. So, we do all the research of the ports and hit the ground running as soon as the gangway caresses the pier. If the ship in in port for 8 hours - we're ashore about 6 - touring, shopping, swimming, snorkeling, on a catamaran, dining, taking it ALL IN. But, back to the ship in plenty of time to not be left. We usually choose very port-intensive cruises, at least 4 of the 7 days in ports, preferrably 5 of 7. And, yes, we do lay by the pool and read for part of the day on sea days. But what we are really doing is storing up energy for the next port day! I will say, too, that I've been to an all-inclusive - 65 acres. I felt more confined there than I do on a ship. We couldn't leave the compound and though there was a lot to do - we were still in an opulent cage. Expect to have fun - and you will - and there will be time for lots of 'doing'!! A first cruise is really exciting! Enjoy every minute!

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We took our first cruise on a whim. I had picked a short 4 day cruise that was port intensive. We figured if we completely hated it, we'd never do it again. By the 2nd day I was signing up for future cruise credits!!

I am not a person that enjoys sitting on the beach, porch or anywhere really, but there is something about sitting my balcony just watching the ocean going by that is very relaxing. Glad we decided to take that first cruise and also glad that we are sending our last child to college this August so we have more time to cruise!

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Ohhhh love this thread!!!! I had always wanted to take a cruise starting from back when I was a kid watching the Love Boat, even though I can't swim worth a darn and kind of nervous around the water, lol!!! Anyway, fast forward to 2005 and we were trying to plan some sort of family vacation with our then 3.5 year old son & 6 year old daughter. My hubby is self-employed in logging and his cell phone does to quit ringing!!!! His cousin & her husband convinced him that it would be the best choice for us, he dragged his feet but still agreed. The day we had to get off the ship to come home, we were walking off the ramp and he looked longingly back at the ship and said "I'd give anything to be getting right back on that ship", mission accomplished!!!:))

We just love that there is as much or as little as you want to do on a ship, and lots to do for the kids so that everyone has their time:)

We went to a resort in Mexico fr March Break last year and it was a nice resort but very noisy, lots of spring breakers and such. We we standing on the balcony overlooking the pool area and my hubby says "you don't hear all that on a cruise ship", and this was within about an hour after we checked in to the room, lol!!!

After the third day, I agreed with him and he said we will definately be on a shop next March!! About three weeks after we got back from Mexico, I booked us on the Emerald Princess for March 7th and my daughter's best friend and her parents are coming with us too. They have never cruised before and I hope they love it as much as we do!!! She is pretty sure they will and are already talking about where they'd want to cruise next:)

Holy moly, so for being do long winded!!!! Once you get me talking about cruising, I tend to ramble!!!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Pretty biased against because of the Love Boat. But then I thought, TV often caters to the lowest denominator, so maybe it's not that bad in real life. So I was over it. But then I signed up here on this site, and I find people talking about hairy chest contests, belly flopping and dodgeball like those are good things. So now I am all worried again.

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My husband tried for YEARS to get me on a cruise ship. My response was that I would rather stay home with a pencil stuck in my eye. My whole perception of cruising was A) drunken spring breakers, B) middle-aged men with too much exposed chest hair and gold chains trying to hit on said drunken spring breakers, C) perky cruise directors exhorting the crowds to have fun, fun, FUN!, D) too many people, not enough space.

I think it was in 2003 or 2004 that my husband got a job as a guest entertainer on the maiden voyage of the Crystal Serenity. Since he would be gone for about 8 months, I grudgingly agreed to join him for a couple of weeks while the ship was in Italy. I have to say, it was pretty fabulous. I voluntarily joined him 2 more times while he was out.

Most recently we took a New England cruise on Symphony and got caught up in the hurricane. Even that has not dampened my enthusiasm for another cruise.

(However I agree with Prince Roy. I have no desire to be involved in Hairy Chest Contests or Belly Flopping type vacations. Too much like being at work.)

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I was biased towards cruising even before my first cruise. My family really did not see any point to cruising. My Mother went on one to Alaska and that was it. I literally had to sell the cruise to my Father. When we took the first one it was soo good we booked another.

 

Once you take one 14 night cruise there is no going back? If you had asked me 10-15 years ago would I like to take a cruise? I would have answered yes and said where do I sign?

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