You're going on ANOTHER cruise?

[wrigley80]

Life is too short not to enjoy life while you can or have the people in your life that you can enjoy life with. I cruise on Carnival Cruise Lines with my dad (I am 31 years old and my dad is 55). My mom doesn't wanna go but I'm not gonna sit at home.

My dad and I are leaving out on a cruise 5 weeks from today. Our second cruise in 4 months.

[TLynn412]

What a good thread! Thanks for getting this conversation going.

 

I sent out an invitation to a group of friends and acquaintances to have them join me on a cruise to Alaska. Most were very excited for me, even if they could not go, but one replied back that he would rather “spend the money on my family than go on a swanky cruise.”

 

His response just struck me as a sad statement. It’s such a pity that some have to respond to a happy event with a snarky comment, rather than just being happy for someone else.

 

That is very sad that they felt they had to make that statement.

 

I, too have gotten comments from friends about how often I travel and I just say that I choose to spend my money on experiences instead of other things. My husband and I don't own the latest, greatest gadgets and we don't eat out a lot, etc.

 

I feel like I don't travel enough!!!

[Sinppu]

We hear this all the time. We like to travel A LOT and we usually take three or four trips abroad every year and people around us don't seem to understand HOW or WHY we can do it :confused:

 

It's actually quite easy.

We don't have children.

We don't own a car (big city, great public transport) let alone two

We don't have expensive hobbies (sailing, skiing, scuba diving, golf)

We plan our finances and mortgages extremely carefully

We don't party hard every weekend (or if it's me, every month...)

I don't go shopping very often, DH only when he needs something

We eat at home (both love cooking)

I'm an expert at saving and DH is fortunate enough to make good money at work

 

Lay these thing out in front of them and suggest they follow us so they could also travel. "But this...but that...we can't...we need..." :rolleyes:

 

Now that I've discovered cruising nothing can hold us back!! ;)

[michmike]

At 64, there are folks in the obits every nite younger than me, so you never know how much time you have left. Don't want to be like my in-laws and do the "wish we had" thing once their health went bad.

 

I'm still working so that we can afford to travel when we want to. (Wife is a bit younger and works as well). Have cruise # 11 booked for this coming December. We came back from our 2nd cruise and waxed so enthusiastic that our best friends decided to join us on #3 and have been on all the trips since. Thankfully we all get along well and have a great time together. Only regret we have is that we waited until we were in our 50s to get started.

[The Islanders]

DW and I just tell them, that is the life of a "DINK" :)

[Sinppu]

DW and I just tell them, that is the life of a "DINK" :)

 

Exactly :D

[don'tleavewithoutme]

My first cruise was in 2010, and I am so addicted. It's incredibly rude for anyone to guess our finances or our motives - what if I said, "what, you bought another car?" or "you went clothes shopping again?" or other equally inane remark.

I cruise because I love it, because I'm doing it while I am still healthy enough to do so, and to escape from the hum drum. I always have a cruise or two booked ahead for something to look forward to.

We skimp on other things, like living in a small house that is almost 50 years old. So what! It's our choice how we spend whatever we have.

[Smokeyham]

That is very sad that they felt they had to make that statement.

 

I, too have gotten comments from friends about how often I travel and I just say that I choose to spend my money on experiences instead of other things. My husband and I don't own the latest, greatest gadgets and we don't eat out a lot, etc.

 

I feel like I don't travel enough!!!

 

I'm with you completely! I live in a small place, and don't have much storage room, and don't want lots of stuff anyway, so give me the experiences which I can remember and enjoy!

[Cruisini]

There is always going to be someone somewhere that says, "another cruise?". You know who you can talk to about it and who you shouldn't:eek:It's no one's business, but I still find myself being more discreet after being consistently shocked at how some people react.

 

I am always so excited about our next cruise (we always have one planned) that it is hard to hold it in. That's why I am so thankful for Cruise Critic!! I get on here and there is a whole world of people who feel the same as me! I get to talk about it to my hearts content and listen to you too:D. I love all of you fellow cruisers!

[nurseingu]

:thumbup:

 

Karen

[Avelinnne]

Ditto!! Cruising is a gift of quiet that my DH and I need with all the noise in our life. I love hearing about other peoples trips and learn so much from everyone on this board. I can share my love of cruising and not get weird comments about my choice of vacationing.

[Avelinnne]

To the people who question why, this is my answer.

Yes, I am going on another cruise. This is why. I don't wanna drive on my vacations, my husband is truck driver. I don't wanna worry about meals, I cook everyday. On Land its too tempting with a phone close by, a vacation at sea takes me Away from all of that. I've been married 30+ and I STILL want to spend time with my husband. On a cruise, we have each others undivided attention. I'm not sure I will ever give up cruising, I'm having too much fun!! Next Cruise we plan, Why not join us and see ;-)

[EithneMay]

DH and I just tripled our income with a new job and a major promotion. We will likely be taking two major vacations a year, plus weekend get-sways. We are DINKS, are almost completely debt free (house will be paid off by April of next year!!), and each have lots of vacation time. I am mandated to take 4 weeks a year, DH has 5 weeks. I don't care what people say, we enjoy cruising and we have to spend our surplus somehow! It is not anyone else's business how or why we do it!

[Cruisini]

DH and I just tripled our income with a new job and a major promotion. We will likely be taking two major vacations a year, plus weekend get-sways. We are DINKS, are almost completely debt free (house will be paid off by April of next year!!), and each have lots of vacation time. I am mandated to take 4 weeks a year, DH has 5 weeks. I don't care what people say, we enjoy cruising and we have to spend our surplus somehow! It is not anyone else's business how or why we do it!

 

Congratulations EithneMay! I love hearing positive stories like yours! Being debt free is such a fantastic place to be. Enjoy the blessing of your surplus...out on the open sea :D

[EithneMay]

Congratulations EithneMay! I love hearing positive stories like yours! Being debt free is such a fantastic place to be. Enjoy the blessing of your surplus...out on the open sea :D

 

Thank you so much! We are more than thrilled at the place we have reached in our lives.

[texaridian]

I'm the OP. When I posted my comment/question, I had no idea it would strike a chord with so many people. Thank you for all of the responses. They've been helpful.

 

Most of you comment on the economy of cruising and I totally agree. I live about 2 hours away from Disney, but it costs more per day for us to drive down there and go to a theme park than it does for a day on a ship--Disney is probably twice as much, not even including spending the night in a hotel. And I'm not knocking Disney...

 

I also really like the comments about choosing not to have the latest electronics, brand new furniture, etc. Yes, those would be nice, but memories last so much longer (hopefully!) ;)

 

And to the posters who are facing serious illness, please know that I love your attitude of spending the time that you are still healthy doing things with your family. That means so much more to everyone than leaving a chunk of change in the bank.

 

Let's remember to always count our blessings!

 

Carol

[indigosails]

We are retired and have the time and the means to go. We saved our $$ when we worked and build up a nice nest egg. A few years back my husband was very ill and we could not travel. Now he is better we are making up for lost time. You have to go while you can! You never know when life will take a turn or you'll get too frail and you won't be able to travel.

 

That said, we don't tell our siblings we're going on another cruise. We tell the kids, but they are genuinely happy to see us enjoying our lives.

 

We count our blessings every single day. Each day is a gift.

[EithneMay]

We are retired and have the time and the means to go. We saved our $$ when we worked and build up a nice nest egg. A few years back my husband was very ill and we could not travel. Now he is better we are making up for lost time. You have to go while you can! You never know when life will take a turn or you'll get too frail and you won't be able to travel.

 

That said, we don't tell our siblings we're going on another cruise. We tell the kids, but they are genuinely happy to see us enjoying our lives.

 

We count our blessings every single day. Each day is a gift.

 

I totally get the telling people who are genuinely happy. It amazes me how many are not capable of genuine happiness for others.

[griffy116]

We always traveled with extended family. We have fabulous memories of my Dad on the cruises, having the time of his life. I was always healthy and was diagnosed with a serious illness a couple of years ago. At the time, they didn't give me much of a chance of survival. That was 2 years ago, and we have cruised twice since my diagnosis, we are leaving in June for another cruise, and when they say, "another cruise?", we always say, "...and wait until you hear about the one we are going to take after the next one. It's the trip of a lifetime"..we say this everytime, because each cruise, for us, truly is! It's the most peaceful, relaxing enjoyable time of our lives!! We make the most WONDERFUL memories on a cruise together. My Grandson was 3 on our first cruise and he'll be 18 on this cruise. He's Diamond status on his own, and is hooked! This upcoming cruise is Europe to celebrate his High School graduation!!!

[indychristine]

@griffy116....I love your post! And I love what you tell people! I think I may borrow that line if you do not mind!

"and wait until you hear about the one we are going to take after the next one. It's the trip of a lifetime" Perfect!

 

I hope you and your family get to enjoy many,many more "trips of a lifetime!"

Christine :)

[Smokeyham]

 

I am always so excited about our next cruise (we always have one planned) that it is hard to hold it in. That's why I am so thankful for Cruise Critic!! I get on here and there is a whole world of people who feel the same as me! I get to talk about it to my hearts content and listen to you too:D.

 

I love all of you fellow cruisers!

 

 

Same here! Friends get bored hearing about the nitty-gritty of cruises, and I can't blame them if they are not into cruising, so it is great to have a place were we can go to share the excitement, and all of the details, of cruising.

[aes215]

I really think most people just don't understand how economical a cruise vacation can really be if you are already planning on an island vacation. I mean, where could you go in the caribbean for a week for the same price? Unless you stay at a dump. Airfare alone would be more than the cruise cost for some islands!

[MrsNancyG]

If I were in the circumstances where I could cruise more than once in a blue moon, I would certainly NOT feel guilt over what others thought of me or feel the need to explain my finances. Hell, its about priorities. I could probably take three cruises for the money I'm putting into my next cruise, which is 700+ days out at this point. But for us its about getting the exact experience we want, and in this case, for that to happen we had to book way early and will be making payments towards it over time.

 

Some people go out to dinner nearly every night. That is their choice and their pleasure, but if they do, they can't complain about your taking more than one vacation a year. If they economized in the areas where they are spending discretionary money now; whether it be dinners out or trips to the casino or whatever, they too could probably enjoy more cruise time than they currently do.

 

Hold you head up and enjoy what YOU work for!

[MrsNancyG]

Sorry, I haven't read the entire thread yet, but ... what is a DINK?

[EithneMay]

Sorry, I haven't read the entire thread yet, but ... what is a DINK?

 

Double income, no kids.

 

 

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