Having doubts about Transatlantic cruise...

[BoiiMcFly]

I find cruise ships very fascinating and want to try them all, but my irrational anxiety disorder is making me overthink everything. I have only cruised once and many people are telling me that a 14 day Transatlantic cruise is not a good start for a newbie.

 

I strongly dislike flying but might just suck it up since I am worried about rough weather on atlantic ocean.

 

I really want to love cruising, but what if I board and don't like it, then I am stuck on the ship for 14 days.

 

At the same time if I don't do it I feel like I'm missing out. Does anyone have any advice?

[Nebr.cruiser]

I can't address how you will like a TA, but we have done three and loved each of them. We didn't experience bad weather (all April crossings) but of course that is always a possibility--with any cruise anywhere. In our 30 plus cruises we've never experienced really bad weather, so maybe we are lucky.

 

We loved all the sea days in a row and actually were disappointed when we 'had' to get off to tour the Canary Islands or Azores. Of course, we could have stayed on the ship; glad we didn't though.

 

We are always looking for more Transatlantics; on the bucket list is a Transpacific.

[hallasm]

Based on my own experience after 26 cruises I would not recommend a Trans Atlantic cruise to a newbie - certainly different from a cruise with only few sea days.

If you are afraid of being "stuck on the ship for 14 days" and "I am worried about rough weather on Atlantic ocean".

Personally Ii would look for alternatives.

[BlueRiband]

On a transatlantic crossing you will have a minimum of six consecutive sea days. And that's on the ocean liner QM2. A re-positioning crossing on a cruise ship will take longer. There's no "checking out" on day 2 if you don't like. I've had a gentle crossing in December and some rocking and rolling in July. There's no predicting what the weather will be like at any time of the year.

 

Given that you're looking at this with dreadful fear rather than happy anticipation, I think you answered your own question. A TA is not right for you at this time.

[jcl410]

You said you have cruised once before; How long was that voyage? Any "sea days"?

 

If so, then you know what a transatlantic will be like. There will be different things to do on board each day. Ask yourself if you enjoyed your time on board, or were itiching to get off the ship back on land?

 

Try not to worry about the weather on any cruise. It could be rough or smooth on any itinerary. The ship's crew will keep you safe, and as comfortable as possible.

 

Aloha,

 

John

[ger_77]

You won't be "stuck" on a ship for 14 days - we've done 2 trans-Atlantic crossings and had 7 and 8 days at sea. Both times we had great weather and very smooth crossings.

 

If you want to spend time on a cruise and think your anxiety levels might be compromised by that many days at sea, why not take a 14 day Panama Canal or Alaskan cruise? That way you will still experience ship life, with a few sea days thrown in.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

[BoiiMcFly]

You said you have cruised once before; How long was that voyage? Any "sea days"?

 

If so, then you know what a transatlantic will be like. There will be different things to do on board each day. Ask yourself if you enjoyed your time on board, or were itching to get off the ship back on land?

 

Try not to worry about the weather on any cruise. It could be rough or smooth on any itinerary. The ship's crew will keep you safe, and as comfortable as possible.

 

Aloha,

 

John

 

It was actually a transatlantic from Southampton to New York on the QE2. I was only about 7 years old, so don't remember much. As far as I can remember, I loved it. I also took an overnight ferry at the age of 10, which I also enjoyed. At that age I didn't have my generalized anxiety disorder yet so I had no fear of anything. Now all these irrational fears limit me from doing everything, which sucks. I definitely wanna get back on a ship but just don't know what to expect since I haven't been on one since I was about 12. I have been on boats on lakes and whatnot, but that's different.

[BoiiMcFly]

On a transatlantic crossing you will have a minimum of six consecutive sea days. And that's on the ocean liner QM2. A re-positioning crossing on a cruise ship will take longer. There's no "checking out" on day 2 if you don't like. I've had a gentle crossing in December and some rocking and rolling in July. There's no predicting what the weather will be like at any time of the year.

 

Given that you're looking at this with dreadful fear rather than happy anticipation, I think you answered your own question. A TA is not right for you at this time.

 

Well my dilemma is actually that I am looking at it with both happy anticipation and fear. If it were only fear I would obviously not even consider it. But part of me really wants to do it.

[BoiiMcFly]

You won't be "stuck" on a ship for 14 days - we've done 2 trans-Atlantic crossings and had 7 and 8 days at sea. Both times we had great weather and very smooth crossings.

 

If you want to spend time on a cruise and think your anxiety levels might be compromised by that many days at sea, why not take a 14 day Panama Canal or Alaskan cruise? That way you will still experience ship life, with a few sea days thrown in.

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

 

Thanks :)

[pris993]

Best advise try one then you will know for sure for you.

 

I had some second thoughts way back when... have done 5 over the years, now have one planned for October.

 

Suggestion even though a TA pay attention to the ports just the same... we lok for ports of interest to us just the same, so not just an TA will do.

 

We have done 4 east bound and 1 west bound... to be honest I prefer west bound because you gain and hour each day that the time changes, vs east bound where you loose an hour.

 

Trade off over east/west bound is weather??? chance of rain/wind in the spring east bound, chance of hurricane east found east bound in the fall. That being said overall we have experienced good weather.

[Sequim88]

Our 2nd cruise, after Alaska, was a TA from Miami to London (Southampton) and we were hooked. A little rough weather one day around Bermuda but otherwise as smooth as the inside passage was. Ended up we passed by (almost over but respectfully off to the side a few miles) the spot where the Titanic went down about a week after the 100th anniversary. Captain blew the horn in salute and mentioned it later in the daily update. We had worried about being bored but there was a lot to keep us busy - more than on most island hopping cruises. TA's tend to have much more active Roll Call groups too which helps.

 

One thing about eastbound is after days at sea it is port-port-port-port so can be a little hectic and we ended up flying home worn out. I think the next TA will be westbound so we can unwind and get home rested. Now that we are on West Coast we are seriously considering a Vancouver to Hawaii cruise. We do like the sea days a lot. But the Transatlantic re-positioning cruise are a huge bargain with probably the lowest per day cost in all of cruising. We did a 15nt for $999 so about $67 a day for room, food and entertainment and with research the flights home have been pretty close to the cost of domestic flights.

[AmazedByCruising]

I find cruise ships very fascinating and want to try them all, but my irrational anxiety disorder is making me overthink everything. I have only cruised once and many people are telling me that a 14 day Transatlantic cruise is not a good start for a newbie.

 

I strongly dislike flying but might just suck it up since I am worried about rough weather on atlantic ocean.

 

I really want to love cruising, but what if I board and don't like it, then I am stuck on the ship for 14 days.

 

At the same time if I don't do it I feel like I'm missing out. Does anyone have any advice?

 

Flying for just a vacation? I seem to hate flying more than you :) I may be more irrational when it comes to fears than you are.

 

I had some rough seas on one of my three cruises and it was just fun to experience. Sickness bags near the elevators, the dining room half empty, stuff falling, people being dragged to their chairs by crew, being rocked to sleep. At no point did I fear anything. While on a plane I was told, after asking the stewardess how long it would take, that we were not actually experiencing turbulence at that moment.

 

There's more. I have an irrational fear of heights as well. A balcony on the seventh story of a building is not for me. On a ship, similar heights have no effect whatsoever. Not outside (possibly "all that can happen is falling into the sea"), but not even inside (for which I have no explanation).

 

My guess is that we have similar fears, but based on my experiences on a ship I can tell you it's totally fine. So my suggestion is to try a small cruise first to see what a ship is like when you're not 12 anymore or to just trust me and book the TA you like.

[SPacificbound]

We have done several Transatlantic cruises, we no longer find flying a fun thing to do.

 

There isn't any way to know how the weather will be, and if the sea will be like glass, or it will be angry. For the most part our transatlantic cruises have been good, with a couple of rough days here and there.

 

You mentioned your anxiety disorder, and it is very important that you are able to be comfortable to go on a cruise and enjoy it, not worry about it. I suggest speaking with your doctor about the best way to deal with the anxiety so you are able to enjoy yourself.

 

Prepare yourself in advance and you may find that you will want to take even more cruises. :)

 

Edit to add, there are Atlantic crossings of 7 nights if you want to try out a shorter time period. Cunard's Queen Mary 2 does crossings back and forth at various times every year.

[mamasylvia]

You have two valid but contradictory goals, avoiding fear and experiencing fun.

 

I'd suggest sticking your toe in the water before you jump in. If you mentioned where you live, I missed it, but there are short (2-5 day) cruises available from several port towns. Try one. It won't be the same as a TA, but many elements will be the same: procedure for embarking, settlling in your room, looking at the daily schedule, deciding what to do (activity, excursion, pool frolic, reading a book and watching the waves - whatever), deciding where to eat, etc. Look for a cruise that has at least one sea day and at least one port day. If you find you didn't like it, at least you are only out a small cost rather than an expensive TA. If you do like it, try another cruise, maybe a 5-7 day one. By the end, you should have a feel for whether you like sea days or port days more, or whether cruising isn't for you. If you enjoyed yourself and particularly liked the sea days, you will likely enjoy the TA.

[bluegiraffe]

At that age I didn't have my generalized anxiety disorder yet so I had no fear of anything. Now all these irrational fears limit me from doing everything, which sucks.

 

Right there with you, BoiiMcFly. I agree with mamasylvia; try a short 3 night cruise with 1 at sea day. You'll know whether this is for you or not. I had always wanted to cruise Alaska's Inside Passage, but I have GAD and those same irrational fears (knowing that they're irrational doesn't stop them!). I took a 3 night cruise to see whether I would enjoy it, and I did. An Alaskan cruise followed a few months later. But the 3 nighter was a good way to "test the waters" so to speak. Have you spoken to a therapist/doctor about coping mechanisms that can help you through your anxiety and make more likely that you'd enjoy your trip?

[BoiiMcFly]

Flying for just a vacation? I seem to hate flying more than you :) I may be more irrational when it comes to fears than you are.

 

I had some rough seas on one of my three cruises and it was just fun to experience. Sickness bags near the elevators, the dining room half empty, stuff falling, people being dragged to their chairs by crew, being rocked to sleep. At no point did I fear anything. While on a plane I was told, after asking the stewardess how long it would take, that we were not actually experiencing turbulence at that moment.

 

There's more. I have an irrational fear of heights as well. A balcony on the seventh story of a building is not for me. On a ship, similar heights have no effect whatsoever. Not outside (possibly "all that can happen is falling into the sea"), but not even inside (for which I have no explanation).

 

My guess is that we have similar fears, but based on my experiences on a ship I can tell you it's totally fine. So my suggestion is to try a small cruise first to see what a ship is like when you're not 12 anymore or to just trust me and book the TA you like.

 

No we are actually moving to Europe for a year, which is the only reason why I was even considering flying. But you and many other cruisers are slowly changing my mind. I believe I am going to go for it, because despite my fear I also feel great excitement, whereas flying does not get me excited at all(I do enjoy visiting airports though.) Thanks for your useful input.

[BoiiMcFly]

At that age I didn't have my generalized anxiety disorder yet so I had no fear of anything. Now all these irrational fears limit me from doing everything, which sucks.

 

Right there with you, BoiiMcFly. I agree with mamasylvia; try a short 3 night cruise with 1 at sea day. You'll know whether this is for you or not. I had always wanted to cruise Alaska's Inside Passage, but I have GAD and those same irrational fears (knowing that they're irrational doesn't stop them!). I took a 3 night cruise to see whether I would enjoy it, and I did. An Alaskan cruise followed a few months later. But the 3 nighter was a good way to "test the waters" so to speak. Have you spoken to a therapist/doctor about coping mechanisms that can help you through your anxiety and make more likely that you'd enjoy your trip?

 

It helps to hear from other anxiety sufferers and how they dealt with it. I believe the best thing to do is face your fears, which I am doing one step at a time. I am glad you now enjoy cruising! I hope I will, too. Yes have been with several therapists and I believe it is just time for me to stop overthinking and do it.

[BoiiMcFly]

I want to thank you all for the very helpful posts, it is great to hear how others in similar situations have dealt with this issue of overcoming the fear to cruise. My wife and I have decided to go for it, so we are starting off with a transatlantic cruise. We are very excited and I am keeping a positive mindset. I hope we love it, pretty sure I will :D Thanks again.

[mamasylvia]

Wishing you a completely enjoyable cruise!

[AmazedByCruising]

I want to thank you all for the very helpful posts, it is great to hear how others in similar situations have dealt with this issue of overcoming the fear to cruise. My wife and I have decided to go for it, so we are starting off with a transatlantic cruise. We are very excited and I am keeping a positive mindset. I hope we love it, pretty sure I will :D Thanks again.

 

Have fun!

[BoiiMcFly]

Thanks fam! :)

[rugerdog]

One more vote for loving a trans cruise. After doing several cruises, I've realized that a trans is by far my favorite. Lots of relaxing and time to see and do everything on the ship, without ever feeling hurried or rushed as you tend to be on port intensive cruises.

 

As another posted mentioned, the Roll Calls for a trans cruise are generally very active, and many on board activities are organized within the group. You can be as involved or as isolated as you wish. If you choose to be social, you will likely meet some amazing people on the ship!

 

Best wishes to you going forward.

[SbbquilterUT]

We did land days in Spain and then TA from Barcelona in October - the weather was amazing. Warm enough to sun and water so smooth it was hard to believe we were in the middle of the Atlantic. Hope to repeat next year from Rome so we can visit there before boarding.