Any claustrophobics out there??

[cmoose]

Any of you cruisers suffer from claustrophobia?? Does it bother you not being able to see land??

Do you worry about something going wrong at while at sea?

I'm not sure this will bother me or not. But I imagine it could. Not enough to keep me from obsessing about booking my first cruise.( Ok- I did take one cruise about 30 years ago, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.) Just wondering for those of you who have confinement/control

issues how cruising works for you. TIA

[celebrity]

I suffer from claustrophobia and cruises are no problem. I always book a balcony cabin but years ago when balconies were non existent, I had no problem with Oceanview accommodations. There is no way I could manage an inside cabin but my sons love it. Looking out at the beautiful sea is as good as it gets for me. Being stuck on an airplane is my nightmare. HTH.

[green eyed lady]

Any of you cruisers suffer from claustrophobia?? Does it bother you not being able to see land??

Do you worry about something going wrong at while at sea?

I'm not sure this will bother me or not. But I imagine it could. Not enough to keep me from obsessing about booking my first cruise.( Ok- I did take one cruise about 30 years ago, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.) Just wondering for those of you who have confinement/control

issues how cruising works for you. TIA

 

I am claustrophobic but that doesn't stop me from cruising :D For me the worst thing is the public bathrooms on the ship. The doors go very high and I think they are to the floor - I have a fear of being locked in one of the stalls - with no cell phone :eek: Not seeing land doesn't bother me at all. Before our first cruise, I was afraid of feeling too claustrophobic with the small cabins and low ceilings in the hallways, but that hasn't affected me.

 

Now muster drill is another story. I need to stand in the front...no way can I line up in the back and have 50 people crammed in front of me :o

[green eyed lady]

I suffer from claustrophobia and cruises are no problem. I always book a balcony cabin but years ago when balconies were non existent, I had no problem with Oceanview accommodations. There is no way I could manage an inside cabin but my sons love it. Looking out at the beautiful sea is as good as it gets for me. Being stuck on an airplane is my nightmare. HTH.

 

Lol about the airplane. My biggest problem is when the beverage cart comes down the aisle and there's no possible escape from my seat :eek::rolleyes:

Kudos to Jet Blue for coming around with snack baskets instead of rolling carts :D

[kingsgirl]

Any of you cruisers suffer from claustrophobia?? Does it bother you not being able to see land??

Do you worry about something going wrong at while at sea?

I'm not sure this will bother me or not. But I imagine it could. Not enough to keep me from obsessing about booking my first cruise.( Ok- I did take one cruise about 30 years ago, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.) Just wondering for those of you who have confinement/control

issues how cruising works for you. TIA

 

I have found the following have helped me:

 

a. Making sure that I always have access to an outside view. This means no interior cabin!

b. Memorizing safety information (where to go in an emergency and be aware of how to get there regardless of where I am on the ship)

c. Having a back up plan incase the ship tips to one side (again, knowing where I am in the ship and where the exit possibilities are)

d. Knowing where to get a life jacket if I'm not in my room during an emergency

e. Knowing where my party is at all times. This is usually just my Mom, but this important because my Mom cannot swim.

f. I like to know the details of all the ships horn meanings and agreeing to a safety plan if something were to go wrong (so, where would I meet/wait for my Mom?)

g. Knowing the itinerary inside and out so I don't get left behind at a port.

h. Caring my passport with me incase something happens on land.

i. Storing money in different locations (on me, in the cabin, etc)

 

I feel like this is reading like a paranoid lunatic, but these are some of the coping strategies I use. I also have generalized anxiety disorder, so that compounds things. It's part of who I am and doesn't really restrict me from much, but it does require that I pre-plan and think things out before doing them to reduce stress levels.

[njoyndride]

Any of you cruisers suffer from claustrophobia?? Does it bother you not being able to see land??

Do you worry about something going wrong at while at sea?

I'm not sure this will bother me or not. But I imagine it could. Not enough to keep me from obsessing about booking my first cruise.( Ok- I did take one cruise about 30 years ago, but I'm pretty sure that doesn't count.) Just wondering for those of you who have confinement/control

issues how cruising works for you. TIA

 

I worried about this on my first cruise...nothing to worry about. If you are comfortable in a hotel or shopping mall you will be fine. The part about being away from land didn't bother me at all, it was more the confinement issue that was stressing me out.

 

We are booked for our 26th...obviously it doesn't bother me :D.

[trucruz]

The only time claustrophobia bothers me, is during the lifeboat drill. I am only 5 foot tall and they stack you shoulder to shoulder about 10 deep. I have learned to hold back to make sure I am in the front, or I ask the attendant to place me at the front of the row.

 

You may want to book a room that limits your having to use the elevators. People will really pack in there. The other thing to avoid is trying to catch the first few tenders. The halls can become packed with people.

 

The ships are so big, if you avoid these peak crowd times, I am sure you will be fine. I hope this helps you.

[HB Cruiser]

I feel like all these answers are comming from my DW! ;)

 

Her major problem is not with cruising but with airplanes, as a previous poster stated. They are more of the issue than the ship and cruising.

 

When we do the muster drill we always go later than most and I tell the attendant at the station my DW has claustrophobia and they always allow her to stay in the front of the group.

 

Tim

[websaunt]

On our very first cruise we were on the Sovereign of the Seas and the room was very tiny. We had a window and that was very helpful. Since then we've been lucky enough to have a balcony cabin but I would still be fine with a window, just not a porthole! I am very claustrophobic and crusing does not bother me at all. If I feel the least bit confined I walk outside, usually to the pool deck or above, and the openness of the ship takes all that away. If you sit and dwell on it and think about it I'm sure it would be more of a problem. The airplane is the worst part, if you have to fly to the port, but the ship is so open and large, you should be fine!! Just enjoy your cruise! There's nothing like it!

[baggal]

Does it bother you not being able to see land??

 

Where are you cruising? In many cases, you will either see land in the distance, or at least another ship. Cruise ships usually travel in designated shipping lanes and unless you are cruising in an exotic region, there's usually a ship in front of and behind your ship, as well as ships to either side.

 

So relax and have a great cruise.