BBW First Cruise

[littlelion]

We're going to Labadee, Costa maya and Cozumel. From what I've read I don't think these are the destinations for me. But I will do what I can do. No Mayan ruins for me! Lol! quote]

 

I am probably what you call BBW 5'4" 210 size 18-20 in most things. I never worry about what others think even when I was a size 10-12 at 110. I loved Cozumel and my DH and I did the dolphin swim and swimming with the Manatees. It was great fun. I wanted the dolphins he wanted the sea cows so we did both. And just so you know he is bigger and heavier than I am 5'6" and 320 so don't worry about your size, just have fun, that is what you are paying for, the experience. And don't think you cant do the ruins. My DH is a disabled vet and can not walk long distances. We just took along a folding seat for him to rest in and moved at our own pace. Of course we did not climb up any ruins but we still took great pics and enjoyed the beautiful scenery.

[gram2trips]

Karen, so glad u posted, I have been waiting to hear bout your cruise also. Glad u had a good time & enjoyed yourself. Too bad u couldn't swim with the dolphins. I did not realize there is a weight limit. We did the dolphin encounter in Nassau with no problem. U might want to consider that for a future cruise. U still get to pet, feed & kiss the dolphin. When we got off in Labadee I used my rollator because i have to sit, can't walk as far as I used to. It worked quite well but that pier is long!!!

 

Well now that u have the 1st cruise under your belt, when r u signing up for the next??? LOL

[Neodog]

Usually, I have the upmost confidence.. I’m a big girl, but my beauty comes from within.. and I am usually very ok with my size, yes I want to lose weight, over all I don’t care what people think, I will do it for me, no one else.

But just a few minutes ago, I started to wig out. I feel like crying… what if people laugh at me, or make fun of me… then there is my fiance and omg omg omg..... Like I said, I usually don’t care what people think, but this feeling is overwhelming me for some reaon . I don’t have time to do much about my size, its only 11 days away now. I read the post here, folks say not to worry, but I’m worried! One excursion I wanted to go on has a weight Limit! I just noticed that.

I dont even want to go on the Vacation anymore.

[LesaL]

Neodog,

 

You have read over and over that there will probably be someone larger than you. That would be me. I don't think I have seen any women quite my size. A couple of men, maybe, some ladies who came close, but I am pretty confident that I was the largest woman onboard.

 

In the past 10 years I have been on 9 cruises. Six of them involved flying to the cruise port. Four of the cruises I traveled alone. I cannot wait until I can afford another cruise.

 

I always panic before I leave. The last cruise involved flying from Austin Texas to San Juan Puerto Rico for an 11 night cruise on the Celebrity Milennium. I went alone. I am not a spring chicken (54). I am still mobile, but I cannot walk long distances.

 

I had the best time. I had terrific table mates. I interacted with the cruise director staff doing trivia. I always had a smile and pleasant comment for other ship personnel and visited with folks I encountered at the shows and elsewhere onboard. I at no time felt out of place.

 

I did my homework and knew the ship had armless chairs in the main dining room and plenty of accomodating seating elsewhere around the ship. I did not do any excursions. This was my fourth Caribbean cruise and touring was not my goal with this trip. I enjoy the entertainment and activities on board. I took books to read, had a daily nap and felt totally spoiled by the experience.

 

At no time did I feel that people were making fun of me. In fact, one older gentleman kept coming up to me and telling me how beautiful I was and kissing me on the cheek. I do take care with my hair, makeup and clothing, but I think that a smile and pleasant attitude take you farther than anything you can clothe yourself with.

 

If you have any specific questions or concerns, I will try to address them. I am not sure where you are going but my cruises have been Caribbean, New England/Canada, Bermuda, and Alaska.

 

Lesa

[Neodog]

Lesa,

 

thank you for your words... im feeling better today. I am going to get my hair and nails done, and just do my best to look muy best...

 

I purchased a pretty swim cover up.. and some nice sandles.. and we found an excursions with no weight limit!

 

so im ready to go!!

[Jesscap5]

So happy you posted this and had a wonderful time, good for you! ;)

[panbear]

I completely understand the fear and worry. I am a large BBW, big hips and all. I freak out over everything. I am constantly on alert in new situations. Will I fit, is there now arms blah blah blah. I am making a conscious effort to work on this on the trip we just started today. The first flight yesterday was great. I had an extra seat, got my own seat belt extender from Amplestuff (beyond belief customer service there) and it was all good. Not that everyone would need the extra seat. I have very large hips so for me it was just worth it. I have decided that I can't stop my head chatter and will stress more out trying to. I will just put it to the background, hold my head up high and focus on enjoying the moment. My one from yesterday was riding the skytrain. Not a big deal for most, but I just sat and enjoyed the whole experience for what it was and I found the head chatter was much quieter.

The more in the moment I am, the less I freak out.

I sincerly hope that you are able to just relax and have a great time. I will be rooting for you (and me!!!). :D:D:D

[seadrifters]

You sound exactly like I did before I went on my cruise. You have to believe me, you will be so wrapped up in enjoying yourself that you won't have time to be self conscious! I had planned on doing my hair and makeup every day, but only ended up doing it the couple of times we ate in the diningroom. In fact, I never curled my hair once! It was too windy to bother. I had so much fun doing trivia, hanging out in the casino, eating all the different food, watching all the different shows! It was seriously the best vacation I've ever had, with Disney being a close second. Please don't be nervous! Start getting excited, because it goes by too fast!

If you have any other fears please try to get them out here and let us get rid of them for you.

 

Take care,

Karen

[Peachie1]

Usually, I have the upmost confidence.. I’m a big girl, but my beauty comes from within.. and I am usually very ok with my size, yes I want to lose weight, over all I don’t care what people think, I will do it for me, no one else.

 

But just a few minutes ago, I started to wig out. I feel like crying… what if people laugh at me, or make fun of me… then there is my fiance and omg omg omg..... Like I said, I usually don’t care what people think, but this feeling is overwhelming me for some reaon . I don’t have time to do much about my size, its only 11 days away now. I read the post here, folks say not to worry, but I’m worried! One excursion I wanted to go on has a weight Limit! I just noticed that.

 

I dont even want to go on the Vacation anymore.

 

 

Please tell us how your cruise went...I love cruising and go whenever the funds are available. Like you, I used to worry myself sick, then I took my very first cruise and believe me I don't worry about it anymore. My advice to anyone is to keep your head up! Don't act like you are ashamed or that you aren't as good as anyone else, because the chances are you are better than most! You are you and a gift to us all. Please let us know how it went..

 

Peaches

[Peachie1]

I'm back from my first cruise, and it was wonderful! I know a few people wanted to know how it went, so I thought I'd pop in and say a few words.

 

First, regarding the plane ride which I was very nervous about, I ended up sitting next to two different petite women both to and from FL. What a relief! I did get a seatbelt extender, which was done very discreetly. We arrived in Ft. Lauderdale the day before sailing, and had no problems with delays. Flying out of Boston had us worried, but we ended up flying on the only day of the week that had no snow! Yay!

 

When we got to the cruiseport, it only took us about 5 minutes to get through security and to get our sea passes. Then it was to a holding area where we waited for about 1/2 hour. It was fine because we ended up chatting with a nice couple from Toronto.

 

I had my seasickness patch on since early in the morning, so by the time I got on the ship I had no problem at all. I felt fine for the entire cruise, although we could definitely feel the ship moving once it set sail. It wasn't bad at all, but since this was my first cruise I didn't know what to expect. I'd heard both ends of the spectrum.

 

The ship is beautiful!! It is so big and has so much to see! I loved every part of cruising. I did feel like one of the biggest girls on the ship, but I tried not to let it bother me. I just focused on all the things my husband and I wanted to do and see that it didn't even matter.

 

As far as the ports of call, I only got off in Cozumel. I do feel a bit of regret about not getting off in Labadee, but it was 95 degrees and humid, and that pier is LONG! I knew once I got to the end I'd have been a sweaty mess. So, my husband went alone and did the zipline by himself. I do feel bad that he had to go alone, and he told me later that he missed me not being there and felt weird being the only one alone. I promised that when we went to Cozumel I'd go with him to swim with the dolphins. Now, there was a weight limit so I couldn't participate, which in hindsight makes me really sad. He had such a good time, and watching him pet the dolphin and kiss him made me wish I could have done it too. But, I got lots of pictures and at least I was there to share it with him. We had lunch there, and it was really nice to feel like I was involved. I feel like I really accomplished something, because it was really hot and it was a pretty long walk to where we had to get the shuttle to the dolphin place.

 

Another concern I had was the seating in the venues (Theater, skating rink, etc). It turned out that the seats were just fine, and I fit no problem. I also didn't have any problem with the seats anywhere else. There were arms on a lot of the chairs, but I fit with no problem. This also gave me more confidence. We didn't really hang out at the pool during the day because it was always very crowded and there were other things we wanted to do. We did go swimming a couple of nights after dinner and there were only one or two people there. We even had the jacuzzi to ourselves! One afternoon we lounged in the Solarium and swam and jacuzzied there too. I was so happy that I just didn't even pay attention to if anyone was looking at me funny. I had my pretty cover-up on, and when I slipped it off I just slid right into the water. No big deal.

 

I was especially worried about the tiny shower in our bathroom. Boy, was it small! But, once I got in there and shut the door, I really had enough room to take a nice shower. I didn't hit the walls or anything, but shaving my legs in there was definitely not an option! I stood outside the shower and put each leg in at a time to shave. Pretty simple.

 

I hope this helps anyone who is worried about cruising as a person of size. Just relax, and don't worry. No one is looking at you! Just enjoy the beautiful ship and all it has to offer.

 

I had such a good time, I didn't want to come home!

 

Any questions, feel free to ask!

 

-Karen

 

 

Karen I love love love your review!! And not wearing make-up is wonderful isn't it? Not worrying about anything or how you look makes for a great time and I bet you made new friends onboard. I'm so happy that you had a wonderful trip! Gonna go again? Like you, I wish there were a BBW cruise, that would rock my world!!

 

Peaches

[Ocean Spirit]

So happy you had a great time! I'm one of those super BBW's and the airplane always worries me also. I have always found cruising to be wonderful. I think people are there to have a good time.

 

The only time I was a bit uncomfortable was on the NCL Spirit. It's a lovely ship but it was build for the Asian market and boy those chairs are small.

The worst event was at the theater. They had new seats that had large cup holders on the arms of the chairs. The only way I could get out was by grabbing the seat in front of me... and I wasn't comfortable at all. One night a older lady & friends sat in front of me and wouldn't leave at the end of the show. With her seat slightly back and not being able to grab it, and having the round cup holders that were wider than the rest of the arm rest, I had to make a several attempts to get up. There for a brief moment I didn't know for sure if I would be able to get up!

So out of 17 cruises, I only had 1 scary moment... not bad.

Hope you will continue to enjoy cruising!

[MissRabbit]

so wonderful to hear all the great cruising stories.

 

Karen, glad you had a fabulous time. I would love to go on the Oasis of the Seas, but like you said, many venues had arms on the chairs. I simply can't fit into anything with arms. Soooooo, as long as i do research and pick cruise ships that don't have arms in the dining room and other venues, I can go on the cruise with the confidence of knowing there IS a place for me to sit.

 

We're going back and forth on our next cruise between 3 ships. Right now, we're booked for the NCL Pearl (again), but in contention is the Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic. All 3 ships appear to be BBW friendly. (well i know the pearl is as i've sailed her..except for the theatre, that is).

 

Have any of you been swimming with the Stingrays in Grand Cayman? I went once, 13 years ago and about 100lbs lighter than i am now (which was still very large even then). We were on a catamaran that had those angled stairs leading into the water. I really want to go again, but don't know if times have changed in the last 13 years and they don't have those kinds of water entry stairs anymore. Anyone?

[kassimer1]

I am also a BBW and am admittedly larger than many women. Sometimes I think us big grrls need to be reminded that everyone deserves to have fun - not just skinny people.

 

If you're comfortable, happy and confident in your own skin, people tend to respond to you very positively no matter what size you are. If you are anxious and withdrawn people pick up on that and respond in kind.

 

That being said, I am most comfortable in swim trunks and a fast-drying t-shirt when I go swimming or snorkeling. The more comfortable I am with myself and what i'm wearing, the more fun I have.

 

Go swimming, go snorkeling, try out that surf rider - I would!

 

HAVE FUN!

I have found a few swimsuits that have attached shorts at the bottom so its just liek wearing trunks and a tank top . they work great for excursions since you dont have to worry about them riding up. her is the link for my favorite one. i liked it so much i bought the other color for this cruise. http://www.justmysize.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product__11151_-1_11002_111087_13538 I am 270 lbs and when i saw the picture of our last cruise in this suit i couldnt believe how good it looked on me. here is the other oen i ordered - dont knwo hwo this one looks on.

http://www.womanwithin.com/clothing/Skortsuit-by-Inches-Off.aspx?PfId=214281&DeptId=9292&ProductTypeId=1

[kassimer1]

so wonderful to hear all the great cruising stories.

 

Karen, glad you had a fabulous time. I would love to go on the Oasis of the Seas, but like you said, many venues had arms on the chairs. I simply can't fit into anything with arms. Soooooo, as long as i do research and pick cruise ships that don't have arms in the dining room and other venues, I can go on the cruise with the confidence of knowing there IS a place for me to sit.

 

We're going back and forth on our next cruise between 3 ships. Right now, we're booked for the NCL Pearl (again), but in contention is the Carnival Dream and Carnival Magic. All 3 ships appear to be BBW friendly. (well i know the pearl is as i've sailed her..except for the theatre, that is).

 

Have any of you been swimming with the Stingrays in Grand Cayman? I went once, 13 years ago and about 100lbs lighter than i am now (which was still very large even then). We were on a catamaran that had those angled stairs leading into the water. I really want to go again, but don't know if times have changed in the last 13 years and they don't have those kinds of water entry stairs anymore. Anyone?

I dont know about on grand cayman for sting rays , but we went to the turtle farm and you can snorkle with the turtles and fish, it is a man made lagoon and you walk into the lagoon just like at a beach, the turtles were a little ways out but it really was worh it. they also let you pick up 1 yr old turtles during the tour part. and after you do all that there is a wonderful fresh water pool to cool off in with benches along the sides near the back.

if you are looking for stingrays you dont have to climb on a baot to get to you can try your next cruise on carnival at half moon cay they bus you to the site and you have to take a flight of regular sized stairs to the water .

[Talisker92]

My wife also has a problem walking long distances, so we have a Travelchair. We bought in on eBay. It is rated for 300 pounds , and collapses. The legs are in a tripod shape and telescope. We rigged it with a shoulder strap, and it only weighs about 2 pounds.

They are $12.00 from the Folding Chair Shop. I have attached a picture.

[mosiegirl]

awww thank you :)

 

I always buy a 2nd seat as well. It just helps ease the already massive amount of anxiety i have when travelling. I try to fly Alaska because of their refund policy. I never knew that about Air Canada. Too bad it's dang expensive to fly with them! We always drive to Seattle and fly out from there..

 

I'm 5' 360 lbs.. I booked an intinerary with Air Canada from Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada to Fort Lauderdale Florida for our cruise.. One stop over in Ottawa Ontario. They would NOT give me the second seat for free because this is ONLY an option when your complete itinerary starts AND ends within Canada. Because I had the Ottawa to Fort Lauderdale leg of my flight, they would NOT even honour the free extra seat from Halifax to Ottawa.. so be sure ... be sure to check this out before you leave.. I do have a medical form approved and on file with them already.. But NO international or US itineraries qualify for the free extra seat.. keep this in mind..

 

Note - My flight was April 9 2011.. and graciously enough, there happened to be 'no one' scheduled to be seated beside me on both legs of my flight.. but I was told this was "purely coincidental".. ;) Perhaps they were being kind? I don't know.. but didn't question it.. was just happy to have no one sitting beside me.

[MissRabbit]

that's good to know. I never fly Canada to Canada so i guess AirCanada is off the list of options.

 

While it's extra money to purchase a 2nd seat, the reduction in stress in fearing someone will be sitting next to me (which is impossible, really) is worth the extra cost. Flying is so stressful as it is. All that walking, hoping you're fast enough to not miss the plane, dealing with the seating at the airport/gates which often have arms, squishing yourself down the plane aisle and into your row of seats, getting a seat belt extender, having the lifted armrest digging into your back as it still sticks out a bit, not being able to lower your tray table, dealing with looks of people as they are walking down the aisle, praying they aren't seated next to you, hoping you don't have to go to the bathroom in flight cause it's not an option...oh yeah, and just flying in itself lolol...

 

All of these things stress me out, so if i have to pay for an extra seat to have one less thing to worry about, it's worth it to me. Plus i watch fares closely and usually get all 3 seats (me left buttcheek, my right buttcheek, my husband) for around the same price as 2 seats, had i not been watching for dips in airfare.

[mosiegirl]

that's good to know. I never fly Canada to Canada so i guess AirCanada is off the list of options.

 

While it's extra money to purchase a 2nd seat, the reduction in stress in fearing someone will be sitting next to me (which is impossible, really) is worth the extra cost. Flying is so stressful as it is. All that walking, hoping you're fast enough to not miss the plane, dealing with the seating at the airport/gates which often have arms, squishing yourself down the plane aisle and into your row of seats, getting a seat belt extender, having the lifted armrest digging into your back as it still sticks out a bit, not being able to lower your tray table, dealing with looks of people as they are walking down the aisle, praying they aren't seated next to you, hoping you don't have to go to the bathroom in flight cause it's not an option...oh yeah, and just flying in itself lolol... .

omg.. that is EXACTLY how I feel too ! I hated not being able to lower my tray ..so I lowered down the tray beside me instead.. and yes yes.. the lifted arm rests were digging into my back too.. not fun is it.. :(

[AnnJohn]

I'm a kindred spirit....have the same fears/concerns, especially about flying. When DH fly together, we usually fly Airtran and they often have seats that are 3 on one side, 2 on the other. We try to get the two and I sit on the aisle. If we have to go to the 3 together, we usually book the aisle and window seats, with the thought being that middle seats will be the last to be chosen and sometimes get lucky with the empty middle seat. If not, we will ask the person to switch so that DH and I sit next to each other. Airtran also offers business class upgrades at a reasonable cost when you check in up to 24 hours ahead of flight time and that is a great option. I agree, though, we will definitely look at buying the 3rd seat if need be, as flights are almost always full lately.

[sweetlissa]

i hear ya.. i hear ya! lolol

 

this last cruise we went on, i took the advice of others and just said to heck with it! Sure, i still wore shorts with my swimsuit so i could feel a bit more comfortable and i ended up not wearing any of my sleeveless shirts but that was my choice so i could deal with the rest of it. I ended up having the time of my life.

 

Yes, there are many others who are overweight on the cruise. I happened to be one of the largest ones. But at the same time, because i was choosing to throw caution to the wind, i ended up not focussing and stewing on it as much as i do normally. I didn't notice the stares as much as I do going grocery shopping or walking down the street here. At home, i'm pretty uncomfortable about being in public. But on the cruise, I figured i had as much right to be there as anyone else, and i just enjoyed myself.

 

Like Megalodon said, how you present yourself makes all the difference in the world.

 

To address some other points in your OT, yes there is a ton of walking. My hubby ended up giving me foot massages each night as they were so painful by the end of the night. BUT, there is a TON and i mean a TON of places to sit and relax on the cruise ship. Unless your rushing to the other end of the ship to catch a show or meet a dinner reservation, you're on vacation! Just leisurely stroll along and when you need to sit, do so and people watch for a while. There are many people sitting everywhere, so no one is going to think "oh, look at the fat lady..having to sit cause she can't walk far."

 

As for excursions, just do your homework. Pick excursions that have a lower activity level so you can be sure that you'll be able to enjoy them along with your husband. There are always stores near the port for shopping for souvenirs, so if you have to, you can always opt to buy there instead of walking further inland for better deals.

 

Oh... and one more thing... HOT TUB!! Nothing beats the aches and pains of a long day of walking and activities, than a soak in the hot tub under the stars. It's romantic, relaxing and you can fully unwind.

 

Bon Voyage!

 

Miss Rabbit, you're the coolest person!

 

Her and everyone else on here is so right, so nothing that I can add. I hope you do get off your balcony, b/c I would hate for you to miss this cruise. Do what you want and feel comfortable doing, and enjoy it! Have a great cruise.

 

Lissa

[Mama24]

Very cool thread. It's nice to know there are so many kindred BBWs with big hearts. I'm a BBW, and in a wheelchair to boot. I can't stand at all so for me to even get in the pool I have to use the hydraulic wheelchair lift. Talk about being on display!

 

We're cruising on the Freedom of the Seas in December, and I am so excited about this trip! Not sure yet about getting in the pool, but maybe I will...

[sweetlissa]

Just realized that I replied to an old post, so sorry bout that. Glad you enjoyed though!

[MissRabbit]

Just realized that I replied to an old post, so sorry bout that. Glad you enjoyed though!

 

no worries about it being an old thread. sometimes it's good to revive them for new folks strolling in who could use the information and pick-me-up!

[sweetlissa]

Very true.

[seadrifters]

I'm going on Oasis again in 2 weeks, and have been kind of freaking out again. So, I re-read this original thread of mine from last year and I'm already feeling better! Everyone who replied before is just so sweet, I was hoping to see how everyone has been and if anyone has been cruising lately.

 

This time is a bit different though, as we will be cruising with my in-laws this time. But we are going on Oasis again, this time to Eastern Caribbean.

 

Anyone out there? Newbies welcome to chime in/ask questions too!

 

Looking forward to replies!