Do you cruise w/family & friends or cruise to escape from them?

[SeaTeach]

We love to cruise and will cruise with anybody. We've done both and enjoyed the experience by setting ground rules: everyone does what he or she wishes, and if by chance we met ...then great. If we don't meet during the day we will definitely see each other at dinner. Sometimes, during dinner we'll discuss plans for the following day.

 

Once a family friend traveled with us, and the experience could have gotten ugly but didn't. She loudly complained about everything (one of our many "Oh no she didn't" aspects. We learned. We just went everywhere on the ship that she didn't know about or didn't care to/could not experience i.e. concierge lounge, bingo and casino, in the sun, on excursions, etc. Needless to say, that was the first and last time traveling with her.

[zstell]

Nothing worse than complainers...we were reading a review today and could not believe the things people pick apart. I looked at my husband and said, "I feel sorry for their traveling companions". IMO, there just isn't too much to be unhappy about, attitude is EVERYTHING.

 

Cruisecatmama-that song makes me smile every time, gotta love the Georgia boys.

[cruisecatmama]

Cruisecatmama-that song makes me smile every time, gotta love the Georgia boys.

 

Yes. Life is good today. I don't drink beer, but they make Pabst sound good. Oh yeah. Toes.... *sigh* :D

[cctn]

Yes. Life is good today. I don't drink beer, but they make Pabst sound good. Oh yeah. Toes.... *sigh* :D

 

 

Hi to you too! I don't drink beer either - make mine a margarita - strawberry! carol

[momofmeg]

I only call when we are still at port - when they do not charge me for being at sea! ha!ha! I stopped sending postcards but I do buy them - and from time to time, I will send them out telling my friends I am NOT here but WAS here -- well, I love collecting postcards so i buy them wherever I am on vacation.

Carol

 

They always get them about a week after we return home-but they like that. I know my MIL looks forward to her postcards. We can't get her to cruise with us, even though we are paying, she hates cruising, but she loves her postcards!

[marshhawk]

Our first Carnival cruise we were part of a wedding party, but so low on the totem pole, that while we often saw the bride and groom, or family we rarely spent any time with them. We sat at the red headed step child table for dinner. This next cruise we are going with friends who wanted to share our honeymoon experience with us(originally we were going to get married on the ship). We are going to dine together at dinner, and the two guys may have an adventure in mexico scubaing together, but the rest of the time we are on our own. I have told them our excursions, and they are welcome to join us,:) but if they want to see something other than what we do, that's fine, they aren't water babies by nature.

[BroncosFan2010]

ESCAPE.... everyone and everything!

[Monkeythyme]

We have done all three, and had pretty much equal fun each way. One of my dearest friends was born in the Philippines, is fluent in his native tongue, and is often mistaken for a crew member. I love cruising with him. It is like going to a rock concert with McCartney.:D

[mr green]

Unfortunately this can be reversed. A few years ago a sad story was reported, an elderly lady with dementia was 'given' a cruise by her family.

Soon after sailing the cruise line contacted said family, ordering them to take charge of her at the first port of call. In other words she was removed from the ship.

 

john

[BroncosFan2010]

We have done all three, and had pretty much equal fun each way. One of my dearest friends was born in the Philippines, is fluent in his native tongue, and is often mistaken for a crew member. I love cruising with him. It is like going to a rock concert with McCartney.:D

 

Now that would provide an interesting perspective!

[sbflcruiser]

Most of our cruises have been excellent (only 1 that I would consider not great during 9-11 & in a tropical storm). We have travelled many times with friends/family, however, we always do seperate things and usually just end up with a few things together, dinner etc. We also enjoy cruising alone, which as our last one at the beginning of December. We met up with several great people from CC that we played trivia with, had dinner, etc.

 

But we define from the beginning that we are not the joined at the hip type of people, so there is no confusion or hurt feelings if we say no thank you to what someone else maybe doing or not doing.

 

Sometimes we have a pre-planned agenda for the ports, or sometimes we have no plan and just decide each day what we feel like doing or not doing.

 

No matter what, any day on a cruise beats being at work:eek:. So that is where I am at having to wait 5 months until the next cruise.

[Cougsie]

My husband and I have done all three. We first met on a cruise that we were on with our families (I mean we were both single in our 20s, on a cruise with our parents and siblings) so that was the best story. Then we got engaged on a cruise by ourselves, which of course was the most romantic. Now we go with friends and this is the most fun. We always tell the other couples in our group that we're not tied at the hip, but we usually do end up doing almost everything together because we all have such a great time together!

[momofmeg]

Unfortunately this can be reversed. A few years ago a sad story was reported, an elderly lady with dementia was 'given' a cruise by her family.

Soon after sailing the cruise line contacted said family, ordering them to take charge of her at the first port of call. In other words she was removed from the ship.

 

john

 

That is sad.

[MiamiSpartan]

We try to always cruise with them, but often times it is just us, which is great, too...

[cruisinbuddy]

We have cruised with family twice now and are going to be booking with friends very shortly. I have one rule when travelling with friends or family, Do what you want to do. If you want to see the show and we don't, go you can tell us about it later. Same goes for excursions. Why should you give up a tour to go snorkeling with us if you don't like the water. This makes for better dinner conversation.

[MiamiSpartan]

We have cruised with family twice now and are going to be booking with friends very shortly. I have one rule when travelling with friends or family, Do what you want to do. If you want to see the show and we don't, go you can tell us about it later. Same goes for excursions. Why should you give up a tour to go snorkeling with us if you don't like the water. This makes for better dinner conversation.

 

Good advice!

We are getting ready to cruise with my folks, my sister and bro-in-law, my partner's two cousins and their spouses....

We have already decided to let them know ahead of time what we are planning to do simply to let them know in case they would like to join us, but we are going to make sure that everyone knows that they can do whatever they want to do, since this is their vacation, too...

[penguin fan]

We have cruised alone, with friends, with just our dependent children and with our parents/BIL's kids. I guess it depends on your family, but the cruises with our parents where probably the least enjoyable because they aren't into "everyone do your own thing"; they want to do everything together. We spent an entire afternoon in Cozumel going into every shop on the strip so teenage nieces could find something for just about everyone they knew at home. The other types of cruises have been very enjoyable because our kids like to do their own thing and check in with us at appointed times and the cruise with friends was a blast because no one brought their kids and we all got lots of couple time while still doing some things together. Looking forward to our 25th anniversary cruise in the Mediterranean in 2012; definitely doing this one as just a couple.

[cctn]

We have cruised alone, with friends, with just our dependent children and with our parents/BIL's kids. I guess it depends on your family, but the cruises with our parents where probably the least enjoyable because they aren't into "everyone do your own thing"; they want to do everything together. We spent an entire afternoon in Cozumel going into every shop on the strip so teenage nieces could find something for just about everyone they knew at home. The other types of cruises have been very enjoyable because our kids like to do their own thing and check in with us at appointed times and the cruise with friends was a blast because no one brought their kids and we all got lots of couple time while still doing some things together. Looking forward to our 25th anniversary cruise in the Mediterranean in 2012; definitely doing this one as just a couple.

 

 

I also like Cruisinbuddy's advice - that's exactly what we tell our friends/family when we cruise with them- it's their vacation too - as well as ours, so Everyone do what you want to do when you want to -if we happen to be together, fine; if not, fine too!!

Penguin fan - Happy 25th anniv two yrs in advance - we did the Panama Canal for our 25th nine yrs ago and we had a great time- we did it as a couple and had the best time!!

carol

[Teala]

I dont mind being with either, but I have to be prepared for it! We've been planning our cruise for this december, DH and I, and a group of 3 other friends. I am totally ok with this, and excited for it. NOW my MIL and FIL are talking about going too, and our group of friends are going to ask a cousin and his GF to come too. :-(

If this is what i had planned from the beginning, then OK but I am bummed cuz it caught me off guard! I was very happy with the group that was 1st going.

I dont know if its selfish, but I am the one who is planning the whole damn thing and now everyone is changing it.

[beachdreams85]

My husband and I will be cruising for the first time alone after cruising with our 2 sons and twice with sons and my parents. Although I enjoyed traveling with them, I am looking forward to cruising alone this April especially since we will be celebrating our 25th.

[cctn]

My husband and I will be cruising for the first time alone after cruising with our 2 sons and twice with sons and my parents. Although I enjoyed traveling with them, I am looking forward to cruising alone this April especially since we will be celebrating our 25th.

 

 

That sounds romantic!! then you will be planning for yourselves as opposed to including others too. It'll be more convenient - however, when hubby & I are alone, altho' we enjoy it, we always think of our other traveling companions too - when we see things we know they like, or eat what they like, we comment that so&so would have like this or that!!

it's fun, alone or with others........carol

[cctn]

I dont mind being with either, but I have to be prepared for it! We've been planning our cruise for this december, DH and I, and a group of 3 other friends. I am totally ok with this, and excited for it. NOW my MIL and FIL are talking about going too, and our group of friends are going to ask a cousin and his GF to come too. :-(

If this is what i had planned from the beginning, then OK but I am bummed cuz it caught me off guard! I was very happy with the group that was 1st going.

I dont know if its selfish, but I am the one who is planning the whole damn thing and now everyone is changing it.

 

 

Yikes - I know how you feel... you just about doubled your group. WEll, stick with what you want to do... tell me how it works. Carol

[cruisejunkie5]

Hello everyone,

 

In the past I have cruised with just my DH, with the kids (5 people), with the in-laws (7 people) and with 4 friend's families (25 people). Some have wanted to spend every minute with us and others that really like to just catch up at dinner. All of the experiences were very different but we have learned if you just go with the flow things just work out. It's important to remember that it's a vacation and everyone views what vacations should be differently.

 

I'm about to embark on a new adventure and I need any advice available. I'm currently organizing an all girls 3-day baja cruise. It started last year when four of us managed to get away from the responsibilities for a very fun weekend. It was decided at the end of that cruise that we would try to make it an annual thing. Now that a lot of ladies have heard of the fun we had it has grown to about 14 ladies. That large of a group scares me a little. How do I keep them happy or should I even worry about it?

[cctn]

One yr, we organized a group of classmates - 13 gals said yes and ME, of all people - the one who suggested this, could not go at the last min. The remaining 12 were able to go - at that time - 4 yrs ago, it was for a 4 day sailing on the Monarch - they had a blast. 6 staterooms, all OV's - they all arranged their own tours - seems like all roomies stayed together and did tours together - they would then meet up at dinner and exchg stories re: their experiences.

After dinner, they would then go their own way or go together to the shows - They all said everything and everyone was fine - they just went with the flow as you stated, and they were all happy. Sometimes, they told me, one gal would go off on her own, she also did a couple of tours on her own - but they all had a great time. AFter their cruise, we all went away for a 4 day weekend in Reno - and we just all got along so well that we didn't have any problems --same group as the cruise group with me being able to go for that escapade. You are right, just go with the flow! carol

[cruisejunkie5]

Thank you Carol for the advice...

 

Its always worked for us before but again I have never cruised with all women. I think I just have to let things happen and not worry about it. I think as the cruise gets closer I might just suggest things for the ladies to do but make sure they don't feel obligated.:o