Am I the only one

[BusyFLmom]

That didnt get hooked on cruising after their first cruise? Dh and I took our first cruise on RCCL Sovereign of the Seas in 2007. It sucked! It was a 3 day cruise and we couldnt wait to get off. I think it was a combination of the ship and port (Nassau) :confused:

 

So what has convinced us to try it again? Our 7 year old has been begging to go on a cruise for about 6 months now when he saw the Disney Dream on tv:rolleyes: It wasnt until SIL called and said "lets do a family cruise together" that I figured we should do it.

 

Now that we are booked and Im excited to go....Dh still isnt :( How can I convince him that this time will be different?

[llachance]

isn't for everyone and my husband "tolerates" my love of cruising. His first cruise was on Sovereign as well (before it was extended) and although it wasn't the greatest it made me understand that RCCL is not for me. Since then we have been on longer cruises to various ports of call and my husband actually said book a cruise that I hadn't planned on going on!

[cschultz]

That didnt get hooked on cruising after their first cruise? Dh and I took our first cruise on RCCL Sovereign of the Seas in 2007. It sucked! It was a 3 day cruise and we couldnt wait to get off. I think it was a combination of the ship and port (Nassau) :confused:

 

So what has convinced us to try it again? Our 7 year old has been begging to go on a cruise for about 6 months now when he saw the Disney Dream on tv:rolleyes: It wasnt until SIL called and said "lets do a family cruise together" that I figured we should do it.

 

Now that we are booked and Im excited to go....Dh still isnt :( How can I convince him that this time will be different?

 

What ship will you be on? What ports will you be going to? What kind of room did you book? I like to check out everything that I can, that gets me more and more excited about an upcoming cruise. Go to the ports of call board and see what other people did for excursions at each of your ports. Join the roll call and chat with other cruisers that will be on your sailing. Go to You tube and look for clips about the ship that you will be on.

There are lots of ways to get more and more excited about your cruise.

[tef43]

How can I convince him that this time will be different?

This time it's not on Royal Crapibbean.

[slybear]

It took over 20 years for me to try cruising again. Now I'm hooked! That 1st cruise was horrible, but my Dad insisted I try again & I'm sure glad I did as it is a totally different experience now. And now that airfare is so high I'm fortunate to live in a port city so I can take really cheap cruises.

[cjkumbaya]

You will love the Legend!!! It took me 10 years to talk my husband into trying cruising. He just thought that he would be bored or feel confined. Our first cruise together was on the Miracle (same type ship as the Legend). The second evening when we were waiting for our dining time he look at me and said "so honey, we need to start saving for our next cruise". I knew he was hooked. Tell me to relax and go with the flow. Hope you have a great trip.

[tammi0916]

That didnt get hooked on cruising after their first cruise? Dh and I took our first cruise on RCCL Sovereign of the Seas in 2007. It sucked! It was a 3 day cruise and we couldnt wait to get off. I think it was a combination of the ship and port (Nassau) :confused:

 

So what has convinced us to try it again? Our 7 year old has been begging to go on a cruise for about 6 months now when he saw the Disney Dream on tv:rolleyes: It wasnt until SIL called and said "lets do a family cruise together" that I figured we should do it.

 

Now that we are booked and Im excited to go....Dh still isnt :( How can I convince him that this time will be different?

 

 

OMG! That is exactly what happened to us - we even sailed on the same ship Sovereign of the Seas in 2007 - we went in August and there was a tropical storm going on but we still cruised! The ship was being retired later that year so I don't think the staff really cared about anything.

 

I hated it! We had decided that Cruising wasn't for us.....I also did not know anything about cruising and didn't find Cruise Critic until a couple of years later.

 

We decided to try it again when we decided not to travel to Cancun for our 2009 vacation due to the swine fly and drug war stuff....I had gotten an email from Carnival offering us a full category upgrade (they were trying to get poeple to cruise due to the swine flu) so we booked a balcony and got a suite...I was hooked from the moment I stepped on the ship - The Carnival Glory! I am going on my 3rd cruise in 23 days!

 

I say give it another chance just to make sure but I think you will have a completely different experience than the on RCCL!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

~Tam

[golfadj]

Join a roll call and plan some fun stuff and take advantage of what the ship has to offer.

 

Having said that cruising is not for everyone.

[frangran]

Sometimes cruising is an acquired taste. We didn't care much for the experience the first time, in 2001. Eight years later we tried again & ended up taking 3 cruises in one year!

 

The first time we'd expected it to be very luxurious & sophisticated, like the crossing in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," and were disappointed with the reality of cruising. Later, we accepted cruising for what is: a casual, fun, relaxing -- and affordable-- experience. We also started taking excursions on our later trips, which made it more interesting than just sitting on the beach.

[Room Service!]

I think travelling with a 7 year old will make it a totally different cruise. Can't imagine you'll have time to feel bored, and you'll be seeing things through his eyes.

DH really should change his attitude, could muck it up for everyone. Hope you all have a great time! :)

[woodey]

Guys are simple minded....all you need to say is balcony sex......he will perk up...of course the results for you are optinal..:D

[Gracie115]

Sailing on Sensation today...so don't bash me as a "RCCL Lover" but sailing on Sovereign is/was NOT typical of Royal ships........now if you hate the Radiance/Voyager/Oasis class OK, but Sovereign class is not what I would judge that line by at all...I've been on all classes except Oasis so I am able to see the difference...suspect if you tried any of the other classes you would be more pleased...might even love it!!:)

[Zada]

When my wife proposed our first cruise in 2004 I have to admit I was less than enthusiastic. It wasn't based on a bad cruise experience but, rather, on never having cruised before. I was primarily worried about what I would do with myself on board.

 

The cruise we picked (Carnival Triumph out of Miami) was based on my desire to see Mayan ruins. That alone got me hyped for the trip. I can understand why a three day to Nassau might put you off cruising. Personally, the Bahamas do little for me. There isn't much there that I couldn't expect to see at a nice beach in Florida (IMO).

 

We are booked for our seventh cruise in January, heading east this time, with family members who got hooked cruising this past January. While I still prefer the southern or western caribbean, a cruise is a perfect break from the harsh Vermont winters and anywhere is better than here in January.

 

The best way to keep your spouse engaged is to involve him in planning excursions. Is there a particular hobby he enjoys or sights he might like to see? Use the Port of Call boards and check out what the different ports have to offer. Liekwise, check the tourism sites for the ports of call and see if there are other things that might pique his interest.

 

For example, my FIL loves fishing so finding a port that offers deep sea fishing (something that's hard to manage in VT) is sure to get him excited (not that he needs prodding...January will be his 11th cruise). The western Caribbean is about adventures like cave tubing, Mayan ruins, zip lining, parasailing, fishing, dune buggies etc. The eastern Caribbean is more about relaxation, shopping and beaches. Pick an itinerary that suits your interests and give everyone something to get excited about and you'll have a good time.

[Mekamax]

We took 2 short cruises in early 90s and hubby thought it was ok but not real excited to do another and spend the money. We did a 7 night cruise for our 3rd cruise (ironically it was on the new at the time RCL Sovereign IN 1994) and we met a great fun couple at our dinner table and it ended up being a great cruise and a lot of fun - hubby was hooked... :) So it took 3 cruises for DH...

[BusyFLmom]

OMG! That is exactly what happened to us - we even sailed on the same ship Sovereign of the Seas in 2007 - we went in August and there was a tropical storm going on but we still cruised! The ship was being retired later that year so I don't think the staff really cared about anything.

 

I hated it! We had decided that Cruising wasn't for us.....I also did not know anything about cruising and didn't find Cruise Critic until a couple of years later.

 

We decided to try it again when we decided not to travel to Cancun for our 2009 vacation due to the swine fly and drug war stuff....I had gotten an email from Carnival offering us a full category upgrade (they were trying to get poeple to cruise due to the swine flu) so we booked a balcony and got a suite...I was hooked from the moment I stepped on the ship - The Carnival Glory! I am going on my 3rd cruise in 23 days!

 

I say give it another chance just to make sure but I think you will have a completely different experience than the on RCCL!

 

Happy Cruising!

 

~Tam

 

Oh thank goodness!!! We were on the Sovereign in July. Glad to know you tried again and Loved it :)

 

Great advise from experienced cruisers!!! Im really excited about this trip ...especially since our son is beyond excited!! We are booked in a balcony room so I hope that makes the experience more enjoyable. Also since this is a 7 night cruise with more ports (Western)....hopefully lots more to do :)

[tiffy0428]

My first cruise was three day cruise (bahamas) as well. I did not enjoy the port or the cruise it felt like it was ocer very fast. However I am giving in another try. I am booked for Carnival Miracle 8/18 for 8 nights going to San Juan, St. Thomas, Grand Turk and I am so excited.

[ilionite65]

This time it's not on Royal Crapibbean.

 

Care to elaborate on how that stupid comment helps this thread?

[arpie05]

I love to cruise. One of my sisters gets a free cruise (7 nights out of Miami in suite) every fall for a company trip to thank her for her business. She does NOT really enjoy it. But they enjoy the other couples that they've met through the trips. She can't be out in the sun a lot, she does not enjoy reading, she won't play any games (except gamble) or dance lessons or trivia - Wish she would let me have the trip

 

So she's bored on the ship. She prefers lots of ports. My son and I like sea days. He doesn't even want to get off the ship. He'd be one of the ones begging for the 7 days at sea cruise. Where I enjoy all the ship board activities and go from one to the next. Everyone is different. So don't feel bad if you don't but if you like it - then it's good!

 

The bigger the ship, the more to do. Also if you make friends it helps. Does SIL (sister in law?) have kids? And then you have a 7 year old. So how many in your party? Be sure who ever booked your cabins that the reservations are connected so you eat together. You will want early dining for your 7 year old because kids activities stop around 4:30 pm and start back around 8:30 pm.

[CruisinAgain2Soon]

This time it's not on Royal Crapibbean.

Why. Ever even been on Royal Caribbean?

[moopig]

My first cruise was in '98 and was a 4 night Aegean Sea cruise out of Athens. The boat was small (had nothing to compare it to) and was it rocking! My neice and I were soooo seasick until we took Dramamine. It was in November so it was cold and the pool or hot tubs were not open. The ports were fabulous (5 stops on a 4 night cruise) but the cruise experience wasn't fabulous. Decided to take a Carribean cruise to Coz & Grand Caymen in '04 and fell in love with cruising! I try to cruise twice a year now!

[CruisinAgain2Soon]

That didnt get hooked on cruising after their first cruise? Dh and I took our first cruise on RCCL Sovereign of the Seas in 2007. It sucked! It was a 3 day cruise and we couldnt wait to get off. I think it was a combination of the ship and port (Nassau) :confused:

 

So what has convinced us to try it again? Our 7 year old has been begging to go on a cruise for about 6 months now when he saw the Disney Dream on tv:rolleyes: It wasnt until SIL called and said "lets do a family cruise together" that I figured we should do it.

 

Now that we are booked and Im excited to go....Dh still isnt :( How can I convince him that this time will be different?

I don't think I would have liked that cruise either even though RCL is my favorites line of the 4 I've sailed.

Short cruises for most lines are usually on their oldest ships and don't go to the best ports.

This one will be night and day different, but not because you changed cruise lines.

[platinum.wannabe]

I can't imagine you'd find many people who ended up not liking cruising on Cruise Critic but there are probably a handful of them. lol!

 

Hope your next cruise 'hooks' you! :D

[pjtulsa]

Start concentrating on the Great Ports you are going to. Find something that he can get excited about, maybe Cave Tubing in Belize, Zip Lining in Roatan, Stingrays in Cayman & a relaxing All Inclusive on Cozumel... If he likes to snorkle or fish look for those.. What ever his interests you should be able to find at least one thing that will get him excited. Check out the "Ports of Call" boards for ideas and recommendations for Independant Tours that will save your family a lot of money.

 

Good Luck :) Hope you have a Great Time and make Great Family Memories along the way

[ratherBcruizin']

I hated my first cruise. It was a 4 day on the Fantasy in 1998. I swore I'd never set foot on a ship again and that I'd fly to where I wanted to go. Fast forward to 2000 and planning our honeymoon. We just could not get flights, times, and hotels worked out to the 2-3 caribbean islands we had picked to go to. So our TA brought up cruising. At first I was very resistant but we were running out of time and the pressure was on. So I said something is better then nothing and we booked a balcony suite on the Enchantment of the Seas for 7 days. That was a complete game changer and I will be booking my 16th cruise tomorrow actually.

 

So yes, it's possible to go from hating it to loving it!

[BlueJacketsFan1]

My wife and I did our first cruise for our honeymoon in 2003 and were addicted ever since. We have been lucky enough to have been able to do 3 more since then and will be leaving in 125 days for our 3 day pre-cruise in SoBe. Then it's onto the Liberty for our 5th cruise.