Why do you cruise?

[Linda the Book Lover]

The ocean and my sailor enjoying adult beverages on our balcony. It doesn't hurt that neither of us has any house/yard chores either...LOL :)

[oregonian123]

It's great to be able to go to a variety of places and only have to unpack once! :D

LuLu

 

Ditto!!!

[maywell]

It's great to be able to go to a variety of places and only have to unpack once! :D

LuLu

 

So true.:D

[Barb Nahoumi]

I never thought about cruises until friends and I went on an "all girls" vacation, back in 1999. Our husbands couldn't get off from work.

 

Well, we've been cruising ever since as a group with our husbands.

 

My favorite reason to cruise is to sit on my balcony or pool deck, and watch the sea.

[mugtech]

We enjoy getting on board and unpacking for the whole trip, but being able to go to different locations and not having to pack and unpack. Not having to drive to get to a restaurant or club and having to worry about getting back.

 

I love the relaxation of a cruise and meeting people from all over the world.

 

And being "unplugged". :p

Agree, plus no drunk drivers on the ship.:)

[mugtech]

It's great to be able to go to a variety of places and only have to unpack once! :D

LuLu

Exactly!! Great way to scout and see what places would be great as a future spend a couple of days stop, like Rome or Istanbul.

Edited November 11, 2014 by mugtech

[mugtech]

Because I can't travel for $34 per day including all meals and snacks with entertainment on land......

It ia amazing to me that many people who take vacations but have never cruised cannot grasp the true value of a cruise. For many it only takes one to get them planning number 2.

[MACE]

The Common Core of why we cruise...

 

Fell in love with cruising the first time we were on a cruise ship: the BRB Oceanic 1991

 

We didn't know any better, had a inside cabin, and didn't mind having to push a 25 year old plus heavy metal door and step over a lip, to get onto the Lido deck

 

Low and behold - came our 2nd cruise one year later on CCL Ecstasy and we were blown away with a outside cabin and the differences of this ship -vs- the BRB, the grand size, the modernization, the atrium, the activities, etc...and have never looked back.

 

To us, cruising is a good bang for your buck vacation: you leave behind from home: cooking and cleaning up after your meals, no room cleanup, eating at different venues if you choose, and waking up to a new part of the world each morning, thinking of planning a land vacation to your new found favorite place on earth...till you cruise again the following year!

 

Some have said cruising is like dreaming while being awake, I also equate it to what my signature says...

[Linda the Book Lover]

The Common Core of why we cruise...

 

Fell in love with cruising the first time we were on a cruise ship: the BRB Oceanic 1991

 

We didn't know any better, had a inside cabin, and didn't mind having to push a 25 year old plus heavy metal door and step over a lip, to get onto the Lido deck

 

Low and behold - came our 2nd cruise one year later on CCL Ecstasy and we were blown away with a outside cabin and the differences of this ship -vs- the BRB, the grand size, the modernization, the atrium, the activities, etc...and have never looked back.

 

To us, cruising is a good bang for your buck vacation: you leave behind from home: cooking and cleaning up after your meals, no room cleanup, eating at different venues if you choose, and waking up to a new part of the world each morning, thinking of planning a land vacation to your new found favorite place on earth...till you cruise again the following year!

 

Some have said cruising is like dreaming while being awake, I also equate it to what my signature says...

 

I love your response even the work part which is now a blessed memory since we are both retired and can afford a cruise without worrying about putting in a vacation request.

[pokerpro5]

Why I cruise:

 

1) You can get to several places which are difficult/impossible to get to otherwise

 

2) No packing/unpacking for a week, yet you're not stuck in the same spot

 

3) Plentiful food that you can walk to

 

4) Good value if you plan things right

 

5) It's kind of cool to be on a giant boat, and to sit on your balcony and relax as you float from place to place

 

 

Of course, cruising does have a few downsides:

 

1) Limited time in each port

 

2) Higher chance of getting sick than on a non-cruise vacation

 

3) Tiny rooms compared to typical hotel rooms, unless you want to spend a fortune getting a suite

 

4) You're cut off from the world. Cell service and internet are very expensive.

 

 

The positives outweigh the negatives, though.

Edited November 12, 2014 by pokerpro5

[jkgourmet]

Why I cruise:

 

1) You can get to several places which are difficult/impossible to get to otherwise

 

2) No packing/unpacking for a week, yet you're not stuck in the same spot

 

3) Plentiful food that you can walk to

 

4) Good value if you plan things right

 

5) It's kind of cool to be on a giant boat, and to sit on your balcony and relax as you float from place to place

 

 

Of course, cruising does have a few downsides:

 

1) Limited time in each port

 

2) Higher chance of getting sick than on a non-cruise vacation

 

3) Tiny rooms compared to typical hotel rooms, unless you want to spend a fortune getting a suite

 

4) You're cut off from the world. Cell service and internet are very expensive.

 

 

The positives outweigh the negatives, though.

 

I'd switch your downside #4 to the positive side of the equation.

[C-line]

DH is self employed in construction (I work for him), as are his parents, and they work together on most projects. When we're at home the discussion inevitably turns to work. We cruise with his parents, so when we're on the ship and disconnected from emails and phone calls we get to enjoy each other's company without feeling the need to talk shop. For the most part. :) We love the fact that we just need to get to the ship (NY is a short 8 hour drive away) and after that we just have to kick back and relax. This spring we scheduled all our dinners and entertainment. The only commitments we had all week were when to eat dinner and what to do before/afterwards, and one shore excursion. We cruise in the last half of March. It's at the point where we wonder if winter is ever going to end and we feel like we can see a difference in the weather when we get home. We usually book almost last minute, so it's weird counting down from triple digits. We may not last until the end of March! :)

[hpecorari]

Why I cruise:

 

1) You can get to several places which are difficult/impossible to get to otherwise

 

2) No packing/unpacking for a week, yet you're not stuck in the same spot

 

3) Plentiful food that you can walk to

 

4) Good value if you plan things right

 

5) It's kind of cool to be on a giant boat, and to sit on your balcony and relax as you float from place to place

 

 

Of course, cruising does have a few downsides:

 

1) Limited time in each port

 

2) Higher chance of getting sick than on a non-cruise vacation

 

3) Tiny rooms compared to typical hotel rooms, unless you want to spend a fortune getting a suite

 

4) You're cut off from the world. Cell service and internet are very expensive.

 

 

The positives outweigh the negatives, though.

 

Your #4 on your downside is my #1 for my upside! Lol

 

Harriet

Edited November 12, 2014 by hpecorari

[hpecorari]

I'd switch your downside #4 to the positive side of the equation.

 

Agree! I just said that.....before reading this.

 

Harriet

[silvercrikhix]

We love cruising, it took one step onto our first one & we have yet to look back.

Why?

-A great value for the travel, food & lodging received.

-We can socialize or not, as we choose.

-Beauty; the ship, the sea, the sky, the ports, the people (mostly)

-Fun & adventure in ports. Or a quieter ship to enjoy.

-We time when we cruise alone w/o friends or family.

-A fun time with friends & family, with options for everyone.

-Simplicity, unpack once & the ship totes us around.

-So many options that we'll never run out of them! Cruise lines, ships, ports, countries, restaurants, bars, cabins, etc...

-Ships staff! We have very rarely received the friendly, conscientious service that we enjoy on cruise ships on land.

-It really seems like a true disconnect from daily life so we can RELAX.

-so many positives I could go on & on......

[Susie51]

Reasons why I cruise: being on the ocean, wide variety of food, unpack once, enjoy different ports, and the entertainment.

[mfinster007]

Ditto 'Susie51' with the addition of meeting wonderful people and not having to worry about drinking and driving.

 

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[IdRatherBCruisin]

Best reason...you can go on vacation with friends and family...and sometimes even with people you don't even know.....and enjoy their company or go your own way when you want.

 

In other words .. you choose to spend time with them and they with you. Makes for a much happier group dynamic!

[Bars7816]

Escaping all that you mentioned. I send out an email to all family and responsibilities, that we will be out of touch for...however many days the cruise is. No will be way to get in touch with us. If someone dies, whatever happens, it will wait until after the cruise. The great escape!

Yes!! Don't know why anyone wants to even see a computer while on a cruise.

 

We love cruising in a classy hotel with more bars than we can frequent. Love meals someone else has prepared for us -- no cleaning for a whole week!!:):):)

[Bars7816]

But still have to find your room, and if you wake up in a room that's not yours - Well,that would be a interesting story, to say the least.......

Last cruise, we actually did try to unlock the wrong cabin door once. Well, all those doors do look the same -- and the cabin numbers are so similar! :D

 

Also, we just love the sea. It's scary and beautiful all at the same time.

[NH Cruisers]

That's an easy answer for us. We love to cruise for the lack of responsibility! Maybe this is a selfish answer but it is the one time every couple of years I am really off duty.

 

Someone else is responsible for getting from point a to point b. Someone else is responsible for cooking, clearing the table and washing the dishes. Someone else makes sure we have a variety of things to do all day long. I also like that the TV choices are limited and I refuse to buy internet access so I can't check email and I do not turn on my blackberry once we pull out of Miami.

 

I somehow end up being the planner and tour guide for any land based vacations whether traveling with friends or family. On cruises I am not in charge. Everyone can do their own thing or do things together, we don't need a group decision on where to go today, what time to eat and on and on and on.

You said it perfectly for me. I also love the sea, nautical things, ships and the color of the water over white sea bottoms.

 

One thing I got to get over too... While on a land based vacation, if I see a cruise ship, what ever I am doing no matter how fun. It just isnt' as good in my mind as a cruise.

[The Mister]

My wife and I homeschool our kids. This is the one option (that we know of) for a family vacation that gives my wife several opportunities for a break from the kids, while also giving us an opportunity for quality time all together while in port.

 

It also helps that the staff of the family-oriented lines are qualified enough (in our experience thus far) to handle an autistic kid for several hours at a time, but also gives us peace of mind that if something DOES go awry, we're only a couple hundred yards away at most.

 

Oh, also to unplug from our collective electronics addiction.

Edited November 12, 2014 by The Mister

[pokerpro5]

Some people were questioning why I put the inability to communicate with shore for a reasonable price as a downside to cruising. They said that being "out of touch" was an upside.

 

While I am not going to tell anyone what their personal preferences should be, I find that the lack of ability to get online or make phone calls (unless you want to pay a lot) to be somewhat annoying.

 

I don't need a cruise to help me "disconnect". If I want to disconnect, I always have the option to turn off my phone and not boot up my computer. I don't need a cruise to do that. And what of the people who expect to reach me? You can always claim you're not feeling well and won't be answering the phones/e-mail for the same level of peace.

 

I don't like having options taken away from me in order to bring simplicity to my life. I have enough self-control to where, if something is becoming bothersome, I can make it go away. I don't need a prohibitive price hanging over my head in order to force me to make it go away.

 

FYI on the Jewel cruise I took in the Caribbean in 2013, I bought the 250-minute internet package.

 

On the Alaska cruise I took in August, I did not buy the internet, as I just utilized my phone/computer in port where I could do it for free. The other days (and nights) when I was out of cell range, I just dealt with the fact that I had no connection, and was fine with it, knowing I could get it again soon.

[maywell]

My reason for why lack of cell phone connections is plus to me - The people who are extremely loud with person(s) right next to them (like 6 inches away) are usually super loud on their phones. Do know how obnoxious and discourteous that is to other people who want no part of conversation of Megan went out Jason but he likes Heather but she sleep with his best friend Dylan and now Jessica is upset because she likes Jason & Dylan ~or~ how business deal with Tishman is being ruin because a Chinese Bank is giving them a bettet offer than your company, etc.... Do I or any else need tp hear while on sundeck enjoying the breeze? Really?!? I can understand if its a group of 5 or more being loud but come on, when it 5 people and under, no one needs to hear you guys from other side of the restaurant while all sitting together. No one definitely needs to hear your one-sided phone conversation at the bar, unless of course you want complete strangers to join in, which I highly doubt .

 

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[NancyL2]

Because I can....and my husband doesn't like to travel. :D