Anything but relaxing...???

My husband and I have booked and cancelled a couple of cruises, and we have now once again, moved our deposit to another cruise. We are booked on Celebrity Shiloutte for April. We have, up to now, always done the all-inclusive land vacation, primarily in Mexico. I am most likely condeming something I have never done, but cruising looks anything but relaxing to me and thats what often gets us. That and the seemingly endless "extras" that make it cost so much more. It appears, looking in, that everything is so scheduled and you would be looking at your watch all the time, making sure your where you should be, ie back on the boat on time, getting off on time, eating on time, ect. And it always looks so crowded and congested in every photo I look at. Those two things, plus the constant extras, seem to inflate the price so high. Am I being totally ridiculous?? I love the whole idea of cruising, the romance of it all, and thats what we were feeling when we booked it, but we just cant seem to make ourselves actually take the cruise. I am beginning to think I must have been on the Titanic in another life. HELP!!!!:confused::confused::confused::confused:

On a cruise there are many activities offered. In every port there will be shore excursions. These make money for the cruise line so they push them. However, you are free to do as little or as much as you want to.

On sea days, there will probably be things to do all day. Some are free, while others come with a cost. Some of the things with a price tag attached include things like bingo, wine tastings, etc.

We rarely take a cruise line excursion, don't play bingo, or do much if any of the charged activities. At the end of the cruise our on board account usually contains only the auto tips and wine.

Cruising is NOT for everyone. ;)

It's hard for those of us who love to cruise to understand ... but some people honestly just don't enjoy cruising ....

LuLu

You could go on a cruise and not spend a dime while on board, particularly if you don't tip. Nothing that costs extra is required.

If you chose Open Seating/My Time Dining (or whatever it is called on your cruise line), you don't have to do a single thing on a schedule, except go to the lifeboat drill, and get off on the last day. You can sit by the pool, or on your balcony if you have one, or in a lounge or a dark corner for your whole cruise if you wish, and no one will bother you.

If you get off the ship in a port, of course there will be an all aboard time...you want to miss the ship?

A cruise will be as relaxing as you make it, simple as that.

You won't know until you try it. However, I will tell you what I love about cruising, and maybe it will help you. First, cruises are a great way to see as many ports as possible in a short period of time. We think of the ship as our floating hotel -- no traveling on land and no packing and unpacking in each town. Sure, all-inclusive resorts are great, but you only get to see one place. Cruises are totally different. Your days do not have to be jammed packed with sightseeing if that is not your thing. You can choose to spend a few leisurely hours in the morning going into town and then return to the ship to relax by the pool before dinner time. Of course, some cruises are more port intensive like the ones in the Mediterranean, but they are probably not what you are looking at anyway.

As for the add ons, even all-inclusives charge for photos, bingo, gambling, etc. If you enjoy a few cocktails each day, consider purchasing a beverage package so that you don't have to worry about that cost at the end. Pre-pay your gratuities. All of these things will make the cruise resemble your all-inclusive resort in Mexico.

As for scheduling, Celebrity offers flexible dining times, so no watching the clock there. The only time we had to watch the time was if we wanted to see the show in the evening and when we wanted to make it to happy hour!

Celebrity is a very nice cruise line, so relax and enjoy. You may find that you are sorry you did not cruise sooner.

I love to cruise 50 plus cruises and also love A/I mostly Jamaica and Sandals, as said you do not need to spend extra , I think meals are normally better on cruises, also I think you picked a good line, Celebrity I find as one of the more laid back cruises, pool area was nice and relaxed, also ship is beautiful. They do have better specialty restaurants that are extra but you can eat in MDR, most lines now have drink packages and if you drink 5 or more drinks a day you should think about getting one, we do. Buffet for lunch and breakfast is really nice on Celebrity . I find entertainment way better on cruises, also like the casino. But cruise does allow you to just relax if you want but also with lots of other things as options. Tipping is also a extra expense on the cruise.

Any burden you feel on a cruise will be self-imposed.

You can take a cruise and never leave your cabin....tho you might want to let the steward do his housekeeping duties. :D:)

We all have activities that we like...and we have those that we choose not to do.

We like the opportunity to explore new places while not having to pack and travel (drive) ourselves to another place each day or two.

I think you are overthinking this. Assuming you are booking a 7 day cruise....if is just one short week. Try it and you decide if you can relax on a cruise. You are the one who determines your schedule regardless of the type of trip.

You may want to consider a longer cruise down the line. We are on a 28 day cruise in October to the South Pacific. 9 ports and 18 sea days. Not much running around.

I really think you have the wrong idea of what cruising is about. A cruise is what you make of it, and you can do as little or as much as you want. There are no cruise police, forcing everyone to participate in activities. You can sleep until noon, you can go to shows or not, you can find quiet places to sit and read or just stare out at the ocean.

You're on Celebrity, a line I know very well, with over 30 cruises on that line. Make sure you're signed up for Select Dining, where you have dinner anytime you want during the open hours. As for breakfast and lunch, it's open dining and you can eat at any time during the regular hours of operation. And of course, there's the buffet, and you can have all three meals there at any time you wish, during the open hours.

If you booked via a travel agent, see if there are any perks offered for your cruise. Celebrity also has a new booking option where you choose from three fare options called Go Big, Go Better or Go Best. If you choose the Go Best option, it makes your cruise nearly all inclusive as that option provides the Premium Drink package, included gratuities, on board credit and free wifi.

While cruising isn't for everyone, how do you know you'll love it or hate it, unless you try it once.

I think many first time cruisers try to do too much - an excursion in every port, going to one scheduled activity to another, trying to enjoy all the entertainment available, etc. They come home needing a vacation!

As mentioned, you do not have to spend a lot of money on extras. Other than tips (please don't remove those), you could still have a great time without spending much money.

Try it, you may become a cruising enthusiast like many of us!

Cruising can be as structured or as unstructured as you like. Hope you enjoy your first cruise. Some anxiety is natural when doing something new. You can spend as much or as little as you like. Very few extras are required.

Roz

Cruising can be as relaxed or not relaxed as you make it.

Are there a million activities planned? Sure. But that doesn't mean you have to go to them all either. My husband and I make our cruises very relaxing. If we have 4 ports of call we may do one shore excursion, that way getting off the ship at a certain time isn't necessary every single day. In the rest of the ports we do our own thing like walking around and exploring and shopping, or getting a drink at a local bar, coming back to the ship obviously on time but leisurely.

I'm not sure if Celebrity does anytime dining where you can dine at you own time and not at a scheduled time but it sounds like something like that would work for you as well. Maybe someone who knows more about Celebrity can comment on that for us.

We have similar worries. We are first time cruisers, but have decided to book one next year, after just thinking about it for ages. I have also probably been overthinking it, but I do like to research my holidays thoroughly. I agree the ships do look crowded sometimes, but I suppose it's the time of year, type of ship you choose, and the destination, that affects the crowds, just like a land based holiday. I think the things that attract me to cruising are the different places you get to visit on the same holiday, you get the chance to really dress up on the formal nights if you want to, not that you couldn't do that on a land holiday, plus I think it will quite romantic being on the ocean. I have only joined this forum very recently, and everybody is very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and helpful!!

On a cruise, you can do as much or little as you want. It's true, a cruise is not AI by any means (even the "luxury lines" can have added costs!), but, aside from tips (which you would leave at restaurants and hotels on land, don't you???), there is really nothing else that you MUST buy!

I don't understand the eating problem...don't you have relaxing dinners on your land vacations? I thought you wanted relaxation...not rushing through a meal! We seldom look at a clock on a cruise! If you aren't into the "go, go, go" thing, there is no reason to check time!

You need to make a decision...either get on the ship and DO IT...or cancel, and don't look back! Waffling isn't good for your mental health!

I think you have seen commercials about how cruiselines are "regimented"..but that's so far from the truth, that it's laughable!

My husband and I have booked and cancelled a couple of cruises, and we have now once again, moved our deposit to another cruise. We are booked on Celebrity Shiloutte for April. We have, up to now, always done the all-inclusive land vacation, primarily in Mexico. I am most likely condeming something I have never done, but cruising looks anything but relaxing to me and thats what often gets us. That and the seemingly endless "extras" that make it cost so much more. It appears, looking in, that everything is so scheduled and you would be looking at your watch all the time, making sure your where you should be, ie back on the boat on time, getting off on time, eating on time, ect. And it always looks so crowded and congested in every photo I look at. Those two things, plus the constant extras, seem to inflate the price so high. Am I being totally ridiculous?? I love the whole idea of cruising, the romance of it all, and thats what we were feeling when we booked it, but we just cant seem to make ourselves actually take the cruise. I am beginning to think I must have been on the Titanic in another life. HELP!!!!:confused::confused::confused::confused:

Celebrity is not a high-pressure cruise line. If you don't want to do something, don't do it. If you don't want to buy something, don't buy it. If you opt for Select Dining, you can eat dinner whenever you wish. Just as with land restaurants, if you don't make a reservation, you might have a short wait for a table. The only thing that you absolutely have to do is get to the ship on time. :cool: But, you'll never know, unless you go! ;)

I have a friend very similar to you. She's been to AIs and really, really liked them. Last year, she and her fiance joined us on a cruise, because he'd never done an AI or a cruise and the AI they were looking at was more expensive than the cruise we were on. In short, they both really enjoyed themselves ... so much so that they're joining us again on another cruise next year.

You just never know unless you try it. As others have said, on cruises, you can do as much or as little as you want. We lead pretty busy lives at home that my DH's and my favorite activity on a cruise is sitting on our balcony, watching the world (ocean) go by with a fruity ship drink in hand. :) We go to shows occasionally, but truly enjoy just relaxing on our balcony. Others I know really like to check out all the activities on board and are the busy the entire time and have equally an enjoyable time as we do sitting on our balcony.

Enjoy trying to decide! Either way, I'm sure you'll have a wonderful vacation.

Basically, the only things you HAVE to do are to attend the Muster Drill and be back to the ship on time at port stops.

Still, cruising is NOT for everyone. Some people honestly (even after trying it) don't like to cruise.

LuLu

We are the relaxed type cruisers. We don't participate in activities. We don't go to most shows..mainly just comedy. We like to people watch and I read a lot. Husband likes to hang out in the cigar bar and talk to other cigar smokers. On port days often we stay onboard. Take very few excursions. We take lot's of naps and eat in the main dining room each night. Many would consider us boring...but it is how we like it...oh we also drink very little alcohol. Our bill at the end of a 7 day cruise is often under $100 not including tips. We've actually had security call the room to make sure we are ok because we haven't used the card in a few days and didn't get off the ship. Do what you want and enjoy!

Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer all my questions. You have all given me a lot to consider and I agree. I am totally "over-thinking" this. I feel much better. I appreciate all your responses. :):)

My husband and I have booked and cancelled a couple of cruises, and we have now once again, moved our deposit to another cruise. We are booked on Celebrity Shiloutte for April. We have, up to now, always done the all-inclusive land vacation, primarily in Mexico. I am most likely condeming something I have never done, but cruising looks anything but relaxing to me and thats what often gets us. That and the seemingly endless "extras" that make it cost so much more. It appears, looking in, that everything is so scheduled and you would be looking at your watch all the time, making sure your where you should be, ie back on the boat on time, getting off on time, eating on time, ect. And it always looks so crowded and congested in every photo I look at. Those two things, plus the constant extras, seem to inflate the price so high. Am I being totally ridiculous?? I love the whole idea of cruising, the romance of it all, and thats what we were feeling when we booked it, but we just cant seem to make ourselves actually take the cruise. I am beginning to think I must have been on the Titanic in another life. HELP!!!!:confused::confused::confused::confused:

Just pace yourselves. You don't have to do everything, and you don't have to get the extras.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer all my questions. You have all given me a lot to consider and I agree. I am totally "over-thinking" this. I feel much better. I appreciate all your responses. :):)

When we first tried cruising, my wife was VERY skeptical. But she ended up LOVING it after about 3 hours on board. Yes, it can get crowded around the pool, but there are also always lots of places to get peace and quiet.

Here's my thought. Try it. If you love it, then a whole new world will have opened up to you that you can enjoy FOREVER. And if by some chance, it isn't your cup of tea, you can certainly share stories of it forever as well, including coming back here and telling us what you thought. To me, it is a gamble but with very high odds of paying off!

Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer all my questions. You have all given me a lot to consider and I agree. I am totally "over-thinking" this. I feel much better. I appreciate all your responses. :):)

You are very welcome! If you do the Silhouette cruise, please come back and tell us how you liked the ship (and cruising in general). Fair winds and following seas to you! :cool:

A cruise is what you make it.

I very rarely go to shows and ship activities. I like port intensive intineraries, and am usually too tired from seeing everything possible in port to do much more than have dinner and a few drinks before heading back to my cabin. I'm also very much an introvert and really don't do well with crowds - I find spots that are quiet and not crowded to hang out.

I do like to drink, so I pre-buy a drink package so I don't have to worry about the cost at the end. I also pre-pay gratuities. It's easy to keep track of the money spent on excursions - and you don't have to do those. Normally, I wander the port on my own, find a taxi to take me where I want to go, or book a private excursion.

It's every bit as relaxing as any AI resort I've been to -- with the benefit of an always changing scene outside your window.

Thanks everyone for taking the time to answer all my questions. You have all given me a lot to consider and I agree. I am totally "over-thinking" this. I feel much better. I appreciate all your responses. :):)

My husband and I went on our first cruise last January and ended up going on 3 last year because we loved it so much! Honestly for me, it is the most relaxing kind of vacation I've ever been on. On the three cruises we have been on, we did not pay for any extras or excursions (except for gratuities). We don't drink, gamble, go to the spa, etc but we still find plenty of things to do that we enjoy. There are lots of scheduled activities but you don't have to go to all or any of them if you don't want to. There's something very relaxing about not having cell phone reception or Internet access while you're at sea.

Give it a try, I don't think you will regret it! :)

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