Boarding with Anxiety

Hello Everyone! I have never been on a cruise before and my family and I have booked our first one in August of this year. Also I have major travel Anxiety. My question is on Embarkation day when I board the ship lets say for some reason i don't like it can you get off of the ship? Or is it after you clear customs and board the ship you HAVE to stay on. I am trying to get as much information before going. TIA! :o:eek::eek::confused:

Hi there and welcome. Can you give us some more information? What is your itinerary? The reason I ask is because going on an Alaskan cruise, for example, you go through US pre-clearance right at the cruise ship terminal, and are considered to be in US waters... so you couldn't just "get off the ship".

You also just can't get off at the first port and not re-board. It is not as cut-and-dried as that.

Let us know your details. :)

You can get off, if you wish. You will not be forced to get back on.

If you do decide to skip the cruise, you will not get any refund.

That said, virtually everyone that cruises loves it.

Yes, you're a free person -- you could disembark and go back home; however, it would be a very expensive choice -- you would receive no refund.

Thoughts on the subject:

Do not base your initial opinions about cruising on embarkation. Getting to the terminal, waiting in line, winding your way up the ramp to board the ship -- you'll be in a crowd, and I can see that it could be anxiety-inducing. Then you'll board, but you won't have your room ready right away, so you won't feel that you have "your place" just yet. And you won't know your way around. In those first couple hours, the ship feels "too full".

My point: Those first couple hours could be bad for you; however, they are not indicative of what the rest of the cruise experience will be like.

Once the rooms open up, you'll find that people disperse throughout the ship, and things aren't crowded. It'd be too bad for you to decide before that point that you can't take it.

What ship are you on and what embarkation port? I am sure people familiar with your ship and/or embarkation port can give you the best idea about how to avoid crowds or whatever might cause anxiety for you on the first day with more information.

Hello Everyone! I have never been on a cruise before and my family and I have booked our first one in August of this year. Also I have major travel Anxiety. My question is on Embarkation day when I board the ship lets say for some reason i don't like it can you get off of the ship? Or is it after you clear customs and board the ship you HAVE to stay on. I am trying to get as much information before going. TIA! :o:eek::eek::confused:

if you depart the ship you won't be allowed back on if you are past the cut off(90 minutes before sailing) and NO refund will be issued. plus it is also possible that your luggage will not be delivered to the cabin by then to take off with you. and later on, you won't be allowed to just leave in another port( especially if you do not have a passport )

you have time between now and then to get some therapy and receive coping skills/strategies.

Hello Everyone! I have never been on a cruise before and my family and I have booked our first one in August of this year. Also I have major travel Anxiety. My question is on Embarkation day when I board the ship lets say for some reason i don't like it can you get off of the ship? Or is it after you clear customs and board the ship you HAVE to stay on. I am trying to get as much information before going. TIA! :o:eek::eek::confused:

I'm fairly certain, that, if you need to leave the ship, you can. Of course, you'll forfeit your cruise fare in that case.

No refunds just because you didn't actually take the cruise. And I'm not sure that travel insurance would cover that either.

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

My advice would be to obtain as much information as you can about the ship and itinerary on which you are sailing as well as information about what to expect at the port of embarkation. Visit the CC Message Boards that concern themselves with your Cruise Line and your embarkation port. Ask specific questions that are of concern to you on these Message Boards.

As other posters have said, the day of embarkation can be a hassle. There are many suggestions out there as to the time to arrive at the pier to avoid the hassles, as much as possible. Such experiences are usually not the fault of the cruise line and most certainly should not be held against them, particularly by a novice cruiser.

Arriving in the city from which you sail the day before your cruise, if possible, will help you to re-charge from your trip to get there. You ought to be more relaxed, eager, and excited to begin your first cruise. That should help to relieve some of your anxiety.

Don't get off the ship soon after embarking. Why would you want to assume the monetary loss that you would encur? No travel insurance that I know of or will the cruise line refund your money in such a situation.

Embark, take a deep breath, go to your stateroom if it is available at that time, have a bite to eat with the beverage of your choice, and take a tour of your new "home away from home" for awhile. Give the cruise experience a chance to work its "magic" on you as it has for many others.

Thank you everyone for the quick response :). We are leaving from Port Canaveral , and we some how decided our first cruise should be an 8 day Cruise (not sure wth we were thinking LOL) :eek: The Ship is the Valor. I really want to have a good time and do this, but I can't help but be a little nervous :confused:... OK alot nervous! :p Thanks Again Everyone!!

I agree with everyone else but might I suggest that you head for the main dining room to eat lunch on embarkation day. They tend to herd everyone to the buffet but the main dining room is usually open and you can relax a bit after the embarkation process. You wont feel so rushed and you can be waited on.

I agree with everyone else but might I suggest that you head for the main dining room to eat lunch on embarkation day. They tend to herd everyone to the buffet but the main dining room is usually open and you can relax a bit after the embarkation process. You wont feel so rushed and you can be waited on.

NCL ships have MDR open on embarkation day, but I am not sure if Carnival does. OP, I recommend you post your info on the Carnival board and I am sure you will get a lot of helpful info about your specific port.

Carnival forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215

Also, find your roll call, if you would like to chat with people for your specific cruise ahead of time: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=336

I know Carnival does have a "Faster To the Fun" option which can make embarkation and getting on and off in ports less stressful. You might want to look into that option and see if it is still available for your cruise.

There are many folks with travel and/or flight anxiety. If you think that describes you, you might want to see if you family doc will prescribe an anti anxiety med.

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Is this 'anxiety" (which is definitely not pleasant) or are you concerned about a full blown "panic attack" (which is entirely different)?

Are you concerned more about the ship, ship movement, enclosed space, crowds, or something else (or "all of the above"!)?

Do check in with the ROLL CALL for your specific cruise.

Perhaps there will be a few other seasoned cruisers who could meet with you the evening before, or for breakfast that morning, and go on with you.

Also, perhaps you should NOT board early, as that's when much of the crowding occurs. Also, the first to board often can't go directly to their cabins, as they haven't been cleaned yet.

So if you arrive on the later end of the the boarding time interval, there will probably be less crowding (waiting to board or on the ship) and you could go right to your cabin.

NOTE: There are strict time deadlines prior to the ship's sail-away time, so do NOT cut that close. But you don't need to be "first on".

If you could share a bit more about what you are fearful of, we might be able to offer more suggestions.

(If you do need to eat before being able to get into your cabin, the suggestion to see if an MDR - Main Dining Room - is open, rather than the hectic nature of a buffet, is a great idea.)

If it's more "just the unknown", many of us were probably like that the first time.

How are you at hotels?

After all, the ship is really just a "hotel/resort that floats around with you at night".

And one where people have to line up to get in, sort of like a stadium event.

And yes, there can be motion at times. Many people feel it very soothing.

(The first night I was on a cruise after a long time since the previous cruise, I was lulled/rocked to sleep so deeply that I slept until 1pm. I missed some events :o. The next time, I told DH to *please* wake me up if that happened, but it didn't.)

Some anxiety is normal - the process of getting to the cruise -finally- can be overwhelming. I agree with the other posters that you want to be very prepared for the crowds initially, knowing that once the ship gets underway, the crowds will not be in one place. You can do as much or as little as you want once you start the cruise - you can spend time in your room, or out on deck - there are some quiet places - the top decks at night, the library, and some places along the promenade , you can just sit and watch. Cruising is really enjoyable, although there are some times that the crowds, noise, smoke and activity can be a bit much - when that happens, go to a quiet place and try to relax. Good luck to you!

One word, Xanax. :) And don't freak out about embarkation day crowds in the buffet.

Thank you everyone for the quick response :). We are leaving from Port Canaveral , and we some how decided our first cruise should be an 8 day Cruise (not sure wth we were thinking LOL) :eek: The Ship is the Valor. I really want to have a good time and do this, but I can't help but be a little nervous :confused:... OK alot nervous! :p Thanks Again Everyone!!

I don't know if this will make you feel any better but I have sufferd from Agoraphobia and Panic Disorder for many years......but you can see in my signature I love cruising.

I had the same anxiety before my first cruise because of the fear of the unknown. BUT I can honestly say that the moment I stepped on the ship my fear subsided.

Please try to relax and enjoy your cruise!!!

Since you are sailing Carnival I want to offer you some advice.

My son was 17 when he last sailed on Carnival this past August. He has such a sever anxiety disorder our home school district decided that they couldn't cope with his needs, and sent him to a school that includes therapists IN the class room if that gives you any indication of how bad he is.

Carnival was AMAZING about him!

First I would suggest getting FTTF (Faster to the Fun) for your sailing if it is still available. It was $50 per room last August. It gives you priority embarkation, debarkation and tendering. It ALSO makes it so your room are ready as soon as you board! For anxiety issues, the $50 was well worth it knowing my son could go into our room if needed at anytime after we boarded. They can sell out very quickly on sailings though. Ours sold out about 5 months before hand. If you can book it (under Excursions in Port Canaveral) don't hesitate!

Also if you are worried about crowds AND can provide doctors documentation of your anxiety if asked, you can contact the Carnival Special Needs Department. This wasn't our first cruise so for us it wasn't an issue to actually go to it, but we got a totally private muster drill for my son. I knew he wouldn't be able to cope with the crowd of people standing for it.

As for Rkacruiser's statement of "if you needs anti-anxiety medicine to embark a cruise, this isn't the experience for you!" don't pay attention to that. You can tell it come from someone w/o an anxiety disorder. My son needs acute medicine to go shopping during the weekends, heck I need it to go shopping during the Holiday season because I can't cope with that many people at once! We are fine once we can have our "space" to get away from people when needed. But the thought of locked in the embarkation zone with 1000's of others just waiting to be let on? Not something either of us can deal with!

Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for something to make the ability to get on the ship easier! You don't even need a bunch of them. My son's Dr from school gives up a prescription of 5 pills for travel when we go somewhere. If it is a new medicine, I would also suggest asking for an extra one or two, just so you know how it will effect you!

If you decide that you are too anxious once onboard, check out Carnival's Vacation Guarantee.

Need to let them know within the first 24 hours of the cruise and you'll need a valid passport.

http://www.carnival.com/about-carnival/vacation-guarantee.aspx

Sometimes having an 'out' makes it easier.

new2cruising, others have let you know the details about being able to get off the ship, so I won't chime in on that. But, I'm a former therapist and want to encourage you. There are ways to prepare yourself to make the cruise experience as low-anxiety as possible.

If you're currently in therapy, be sure to talk to your counselor about specific coping skills you can use to help you calm your anxiety. If you're not in therapy, it would be a good idea to see someone a few times before you cruise to discuss this issue and get some ideas for coping mechanisms. If you don't have a prescription for anti-anxiety medication, I suggest you talk with your doctor about that. A little help is sometimes necessary. There are medications he or she can prescribe that will help you feel less overwhelmed--I'm not suggesting you go on long-term meds but medication that you can take occasionally as needed. Learn as much as you can about the boarding process and cruise experience; I encourage you to watch videos to give you an idea of what it's like--not professional videos, but look at youtube. You should be able to find quite a few of walking onto the ship to give you an idea of what it's like and tons of videos of the shipboard experience. Being on ship is similar to being at a resort and you'll be doing all the things you would normally do on a resort vacation like going to restaurants and the pool, etc. But, since this is your first cruise it can trigger anxiety since it's an unknown for you. Think about your triggers and then ask here about those types of situations or ask friends and family who've cruised before. The more you know what to expect, the easier it will be to prepare yourself.

If crowds are an issue for you, then arrive after the rush to check in. I like the suggestion to eat in the dining room instead of the buffet. If you find the crowds overwhelming after lunch and before your cabin is ready, you could go someplace like the theater or the back of the casino which should be pretty empty.

Best wishes. I hope you have a smooth embarkation and a wonderful cruise!

Although agree the MDR would be nicer for lunch than Lido, Carnival doesn't open the dining room for lunch on embarkation day. If you want to avoid the crowds during boarding I would suggest aiming for a 1-1-30 pm boarding time. Hopefully the crowds will have died down by then and the rooms will probably be ready to give you a place to escape to if need be.

Hello Everyone! I have never been on a cruise before and my family and I have booked our first one in August of this year. Also I have major travel Anxiety. My question is on Embarkation day when I board the ship lets say for some reason i don't like it can you get off of the ship? Or is it after you clear customs and board the ship you HAVE to stay on. I am trying to get as much information before going. TIA! :o:eek::eek::confused:

Hi and welcome to CC. :)

Are there any specifics about your travel anxiety? With a little information we might be able to help. :)

Thank you everyone for the quick response :). We are leaving from Port Canaveral , and we some how decided our first cruise should be an 8 day Cruise (not sure wth we were thinking LOL) :eek: The Ship is the Valor. I really want to have a good time and do this, but I can't help but be a little nervous :confused:... OK alot nervous! :p Thanks Again Everyone!!

Any new experience can be a bit of concern.

You're booked. Go! You may find the first day a bit stressful ... but then you'll relax and enjoy and be so happy you booked the cruise. :)

as everyone says - it depends what makes your anxiety flare. and also to clarify - if you are just nervous about it, or have actual anxiety with panic attacks that require xanax//ativan.

i have an anxiety disorder, but luckily it doesn't effect travel for me. getting on a cruise can be annoying and hectic - kind of like getting on a plane that charges for checked luggage. i do have friends that have severe anxiety in crowds, and i have always suggested they avoid cruises. buffet can be hectic and getting off the boat right when it docks as well as waiting for the MDR a few minutes before it opens. otherwise its not too bad. just depends what you can handle!

I've only had one bad embarkation and it was when the cruise terminal was switched at the last minute to a terminal not equipped to handle everything..but that was just sit around and wait mostly.

people have suggested faster to the fun for carnival - and i would recommend that as well. when i used that option i had the best boarding experience.

i hope you find what works for you and have a great time!

Hello new2cruisingg

I hope you board your ship and find it comfortable enough to stay. The initial hours of embarkation and emergency drill may be hectic but after that it is all up to you to decide how to interact with the people on the ship and its activities. I will say this again, your choice of cruise experience will be entirely up to you. You can choose to dine in your cabin or at one of the many restaurants. You can choose to enjoy the quiet of your cabin or choose to see the theatre or any other activity aboard. You can choose to stay aboard in port (when it is quiet) or go ashore with your family and friends on your terms. Really it is up to you to decide to put up with an hour or two of boarding activities and some time later that day with 30-60 minutes of the mandatory boarding emergency drill followed by the entirety of the cruise on YOUR terms. I hope you make the choice that is comfortable for you, but I wish you choose to try a cruise. Best wishes!

If you do not want to go - do not go. However if you bail out after you have checked in and before the cruise starts or at a port after the cruise starts, make sure to inform the cruise staff so they do not go looking for you. Also, I would get a passport before you go since if you do leave when the ship is docked in a foreign country, you will not be allowed into the US without a lot of paperwork and a big delay.

DON