First cruise in 5 days.... I'm freakin out!!!!

disagree that it is irrational. I see irrational everyday and the OP is not it.

I agree! The OP is not being irrational. I venture to guess the the OP is probably a very organized, structured person about to step out of her comfort zone. She already indicated that she is feeling a bit better based upon encouragement from other posters. The fact that she booked the cruise indicates her interest in cruising. After 20 cruises, I still get anxious but I

force myself to face my fears head on.

Life is too short and I plan to get the most out of it. OP, as soon as you step onboard, I can almost guarantee all your stress will melt away.

Please post on your return ..I am certain you will love it!

Happy sails to you. :)

Take a deep breath... now another one. Stand up and toss your arms above your head and shout HAPPY!! (seriously - this works)

Now I will tell you the biggest risk you're facing. You're going to be addicted to cruising and will waste many many hours on cruise critic when you come back.

My husband is afraid of flying and can't sleep his first night on board because he's afraid the ship is going to flip upside down. But he pushes through it - and adores cruising... except for the flying and the first night.

You might want to talk to your doctor, there are some mild beta blockers that are used for stage fright and situational panic attacks. What happens is when you're scared your heart rate increases. Your brain, being very clever thinks "OH NO, the heart is racing something must be wrong" so it sends all sorts of "get ready for a crisis" chemicals through out your body.

Your heart, also being clever, thinks "OH NO, the brain is sending those "get ready"chemicals down here, I better beat faster.

And it cycles.

A beta blocker can stop the heart from reacting to the brain which was only reacting to the heart to begin with.

They are mild, and pretty darn harmless things for temporary panics due to a situation, not normal inability to handle stress. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR as soon as possible so if he/she agrees you don't have to be miserable for 5 days. Otherwise, just watch funny movies and take your mind off it.

Take a deep breath... now another one. Stand up and toss your arms above your head and shout HAPPY!! (seriously - this works)

 

Now I will tell you the biggest risk you're facing. You're going to be addicted to cruising and will waste many many hours on cruise critic when you come back.

 

My husband is afraid of flying and can't sleep his first night on board because he's afraid the ship is going to flip upside down. But he pushes through it - and adores cruising... except for the flying and the first night.

 

You might want to talk to your doctor, there are some mild beta blockers that are used for stage fright and situational panic attacks. What happens is when you're scared your heart rate increases. Your brain, being very clever thinks "OH NO, the heart is racing something must be wrong" so it sends all sorts of "get ready for a crisis" chemicals through out your body.

 

Your heart, also being clever, thinks "OH NO, the brain is sending those "get ready"chemicals down here, I better beat faster.

 

And it cycles.

 

A beta blocker can stop the heart from reacting to the brain which was only reacting to the heart to begin with.

 

They are mild, and pretty darn harmless things for temporary panics due to a situation, not normal inability to handle stress. TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR as soon as possible so if he/she agrees you don't have to be miserable for 5 days. Otherwise, just watch funny movies and take your mind off it.

I could use some of those beta blockers. LOL..

So can you please elaborate so I can discuss with my doctor?

I could use some of those beta blockers. LOL..

So can you please elaborate so I can discuss with my doctor?

I really don't want to give a medication name - but if you ask your doctor for a mild beta blocker that's used for stage fright, he should know what I'm talking about.

They really help DH - in fact he rarely takes them now because once he realized the physical cycle that was happening, he sort of learned to ignore his heart beating faster, if that makes sense.

They are very fast acting - almost immediate - and have no psychological effects, they aren't a sedative or anything like that. Your doc should be able to figure it out. They really made a huge difference for DH.

We have done 3 family cruises and are headed out on our 4th in just 2 weeks!:D I am doing the happy dance in my chair right now!

We can all tell you there's no need to panic, but that won't really help you. Yes, it is stressful planning a family vacation - there's no way around that! (I can just hear the call - "Mom, did you bring me underwear?" :eek:)

Just a couple suggestions: If you really are worried about seasickness, just pick up one of the OTC remedies. Non-drowsy Dramamine, patches, etc., aren't likely to hurt you and even if they are only providing a placebo effect, will put your mind at ease. I have no idea whether or not I get seasick, but I religiously take Dramamine every morning starting with the day we are boarding the ship and have never had an issue. Best $4 I spend, IMO! :)

Spend a few minutes looking at some of the reviews on these boards from someone who went on your ship or to the ports you are going to. Ignore their comments, because then you will go into full "What if?" mode and that's no good. LOOK AT THE PICTURES! Look at happy people having fun and beautiful scenery that you are going to get to experience. Cruising is a truly amazing vacation.

Make sure you have all of your travel documents and go enjoy making memories with your family!

LOL had to laugh when I read your post. I am the same way. I can think of 50 ways to die before I even leave my driveway. But, we went and had a blast. Going on my third in July. Relax, and enjoy!

A few things..being seasick, tight spaces, capsizing (which I know is probably insane!) I somehow let my fears get the best of me...especially with something new. I don't know a lot of people that have been on cruises so I have no idea what to expect! I wasn't sure how safe it actually is! I know I probably sound like a fruit cake...my husband tells me I am everyday...lol!! I just need to know we will be ok!!

Nobody can guarantee that none or even several of these things will not happen. They probably will not but there is no guarantee.

If this happens every time you travel, perhaps you should stay home or do a local staycation.

DON

You are freaking out over a vacation! Stop it! It's fun...or so many wouldn't do it! So...go...have fun! This isn't some kind of difficult thing....pack, get on the ship, and relax...it's all good.

You are going to have such an amazing time! Try not to worry, you are going on vacation to relax and cruising is one of the most stress free vacations around!

Sent from my SM-N900W8 using Tapatalk

As to the capsizing, size of the ship, etc. It's hard to imagine the size of a ship until you've seen one. Check out the dimensions of the ship you're going on. The picture below is HAL's Statendam - one of the smaller ships out there. 719 ft long - that's 2 football fields and 101 feet wide - about 2/3's of a football field.

 

 

Relax - you're going to have a ball. And prepare to be hooked. :)

Sorry to correct you but the photo of that ship is not Statendam.

Right on her hull is written Westerdam. :)

At about 82,000 ton, she is around 27,000 tons larger than Statendam.

Sorry to correct you but the photo of that ship is not Statendam.

 

Right on her hull is written Westerdam. :)

 

At about 82,000 ton, she is around 27,000 tons larger than Statendam.

Good catch, Judy.

Y'all are so awesome!! Thank y'all for helping to ease my fears!! I'm slowly getting excited!! Gonna make the best of our first cruise!! :)

A few things..being seasick, tight spaces, capsizing (which I know is probably insane!) I somehow let my fears get the best of me...especially with something new. I don't know a lot of people that have been on cruises so I have no idea what to expect! I wasn't sure how safe it actually is! I know I probably sound like a fruit cake...my husband tells me I am everyday...lol!! I just need to know we will be ok!!

Two weeks before my first real cruise (been on the boat to Catalina Island with my college dorm, a few "three-hour" cruises just around a marina or so, and a practice one-day cruise that went RT from San Diego to Ensenada to test out a longer cruise for me), a major natural disaster hit our area, the Northridge earthquake of 1994. So while I could be freaking about the same things as you, I was too busy with the ramifications of dealing with being in a disaster area plus getting to work everyday (because I didn't have electricity -- and wouldn't for four days as it turned out, I fled to my parents, who did have electricity but no gas for a few days...I even did some shopping for them after work as it was very chaotic in the whole San Fernadino Valley, but stores had water and other supplies, etc. near where I worked).

Anyway, it was so nice to get on that ship and actually be able to sleep without being awaken every so often by an aftershock. And I had a ton of fun. Since then, I've been on ten more cruises, marrying the guy who took me on that first cruise, and introducing our daughter to cruising (she's been on eight!). I'm the only one in the family who tends to get motion sickness, so I tried various remedies and have found ginger chews work best for me. But what works for one person, might not work for another, so hopefully you've tried a few out and have some packed in your carry on bag so you can start taking before you get on the ship.

There are some itineraries that are smoother than others (our Alaskan cruise was extremely smooth and we were far forward). Hawaii, on the other hand, can be on the rough side, but I put up with it because we can drive to the port and don't fly (now flying is something that I'm fearful about but I'll do it to get to places).

As for tight spaces, yes, some cabins are small. I'm not bothered by small spaces, so I'm fine with inside cabins (I've had rooms smaller than that while I was in college). We're the type who will go out on the deck a lot, go to many activities, go to the shows. At night, we may watch a movie on the in-cabin TV before going to sleep. My hubby prefers a completely dark room to sleep in, but I like a little light, so we'll put the cabin TV to the bridge cam channel (the Princess ships have this) and it lets us know if we wake up early if it's light outside or not.

We have never capsized on my eleven cruises, and it really is a rare event. These are big ships and captains want to be careful with the ships. Even if you're on a cruise during a hurricane, the captain will change the itinerary to keep the ship and passengers safe. On one of our Hawaiian cruises, the captain made an announcement that he was varying the usual route to avoid a storm. You may get rain (probably will as many popular ports are in places that get a lot of rain, even one of the Alaskan ports, Ketchikan is known for a high level of annual rainfall) but usually not a big deal and probably would last a short time.

Possibly seek professional help with your irrational mental health issues.

IMO, this is not a helpful statement. Just because you have some fears, it doesn't mean you have a mental health issue. As I said, I have a fear of flying so from time to time, I take a train instead of a flight. But I will still take flights if needed. But I'll still have that phobia. With the OP, it's more the unknown that's bothering him and he's willing to still go -- and probably will come home with some brochures from the future cruise office on the ship, planning his next cruise.

Sorry to correct you but the photo of that ship is not Statendam.

 

Right on her hull is written Westerdam. :)

 

At about 82,000 ton, she is around 27,000 tons larger than Statendam.

Oops. Our latest cruise was on the Statendam so I guess I had that in my head. The pic was from the Caribbean. But it still gives OP an idea of the size of a ship - which is a surprise if you've never seen one up close and personal. Our first cruise was on Radiance of the Seas and I remember that jaw-dropping moment when we walked out on the dock and I got my first look at the ship.

Where are you going? Sometimes it helps to talk about the ports of call so others can share their experiences with you.

My wife was very apprehensive on our first cruise. Now she is the one who does all the bookings and takes all the pictures. I just go along for the ride! :D

I hope you come back to cruise critic after you return, and tell us all what a fantastic cruise you had!

You'll have a great time!

We are going to the Bahamas. Our ports are Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. Im telling myself we are gonna be fine and have a great time! I keep looking at pictures of the ports and trying to focus on the fun my kids will have. I will definitely let y'all know how it goes!

Y'all are so awesome!! Thank y'all for helping to ease my fears!! I'm slowly getting excited!! Gonna make the best of our first cruise!! :)

Some of my excitement about this trip was transferring over to anxiety - its irritating when your brain travels those paths and you get wonky. Personally - I'll go for the Xanax before the beta-blockers and there will be some in my bag for the flight. But I'm a nurse and the thought of randomly taking heart meds skeers me [see, my own irrational anxiety]

But I'm a nurse and the thought of randomly taking heart meds skeers me [see, my own irrational anxiety]

Well, fear of messing about with a healthey heart isn't really irrational.

Most of the last page or two of comments are just about words. If you have a phobia about something, it's irrational by definition. For example, if you have a phobia about flying and can't bear to get in an aeroplane, it's irrational. If you don't like flying but are willing to do it if you have to, that's rational and it's not a phobia.

The OP claimed to have panic attacks about being in a crowded space and about seasickness. If that's true, that's irrational. If that's just a figure of speech and the OP is just a bit nervous, then it's ratinal but it's not a panic attack.

Some of my excitement about this trip was transferring over to anxiety - its irritating when your brain travels those paths and you get wonky. Personally - I'll go for the Xanax before the beta-blockers and there will be some in my bag for the flight. But I'm a nurse and the thought of randomly taking heart meds skeers me [see, my own irrational anxiety]

Thanks for sharing this. I was all set to check with my DR. about beta blockers without realizing it's heart medication. I too will stick with Xanax. I have the lowest prescribed dosage and when they start calling passengers to board , I take half a Xanax and I'm fine.

In the days before I travel, I'm always anxious but don't take the pills until departure. I accept the fact that it's how my brain is wired and push through.

We are going to the Bahamas. Our ports are Grand Turk, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. Im telling myself we are gonna be fine and have a great time! I keep looking at pictures of the ports and trying to focus on the fun my kids will have. I will definitely let y'all know how it goes!

Yes!!! Think about your kids having a great time and the memories you'll create as a family.

We all want to hear from you when you return.

Have a wonderful cruise!

Good morning yall!! We are back from our cruise and I survived!! Actually it was wonderful!! I was totally stressed out when we first boarded but by dinner time I was completely at ease!! I never felt sick or claustrophobic....I actually forgot we were on a ship!! Im ready for our next one!! Thanks for all of the info and tips to make things easier!! Yall are the best!! :)

I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Isn't Half Moon Cay the best? We love it. We only wish that we could stay there longer.

I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it. Isn't Half Moon Cay the best? We love it. We only wish that we could stay there longer.

Half Moon Cay was absolutely amazing! My kids asked if we could just live there...lol! Will definitely have to go back!

Hey y'all....I need help!! We are going on our first family cruise in 5 days and I'm starting to have panic attacks!! I keep thinking of bad things that could happen and its making me want to cancel the trip!! Any advice on how to overcome all my issues??

Relax and have a drink, no worries, have fun.