I think the cruise addiction is losing its grip on me

[ZoeyVictoria]

I used to think it was impossible, but it seems that I am losing my addiction to cruising.  I think I have been gradually worn down by the constant negative news and a general feeling of discouragement.   I used to enjoy the planning as much as the cruise itself, but at this point I feel like I would be setting myself up for yet another disappointment.  I have always kept track of cruises on a spreadsheet, but now I keep a second one to track refunds and a third for unused insurance policies being held.  I look at possible future cruises without that  “gotta book it right now” feeling hitting me.  Even looking at cruise clothing online doesn't really interest me any more.  
 

Part of this is because after sitting at home for months, we realized that we should be living in an area we enjoy on a day to day basis, not just a place that we feel “blah” about but stay because the cost of living allows frequent cruising.   That is our silver lining in the debacle that 2020 has been to date.  We are excited about moving close to the coast in Bradenton (within 1,500 feet of the Palma Sola Bay according to homeowners insurance companies, but that is another story).   Inspections and appraisals and packing fill a lot of our time lately, time that used to be filled with cruise planning.   I don’t think we would have considered this move if we were still preoccupied with the next cruise.

 

I am not sure if the lessening of an addictive interest is a good thing or bad, but it is where I am at this time.  And I sense from some of the comments on CC that I am not alone.

 

 

[Cruise a holic]

I still am optimistic about cruising.  Love where I live as close to family and lifelong friends.  Some friends have relocated to hot wet climates and miss family.  If you are close to friends and family great!  I really would be very worried about bad hurricanes and that is why would never live close to water, or in a hurricane prone, tornado prone, etc region.

 

As long as you are happy that is the most important thing.  Covid has put the importance of things in place for all.  Life more important then cruising.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Cruise a holic

[Lady Hudson]

Not losing my cruise addition but wondering when I will ever be able to cruise again — and use up

all the FCCs.  Because of my/our ages I worry that restrictions might be put on our future sailings by with Royal or by the industry in general.  So my cruise addiction may come to a forced end — not something I look forward to.  
 

I guess this is life.  But I still very thankful that no one I know has been affected by Covid.  Katherine

[Iamcruzin]

I have switched my searches to land vacations. My son has turned my attention towards AirBnB.  The Key West thread has peaked my interest. It was always on my bucket list but I never made time to plan a trip because cruising was always my first choice.  I thought one day we would sail a Mediterranean itinerary but now I considering a land tour. I was never overly optimistic about the time cruising would start up again but I never thought it would turn out to be what it is today. There is plenty of time to research and plan because U.S. citizens won't be welcome to some places in our own country for some time.

[loman]

I have no interest in cruising as long as restrictions are in place .

There is field testing on humans going on , so maybe in a couple of years this virus will be under control .

Until then , i will stay home . 

About the only thing i miss is going to restaurants during the shutdown , but things are starting to ease up .

 

 

[bouhunter]

1 hour ago, Iamcruzin said:

I have switched my searches to land vacations. My son has turned my attention towards AirBnB.  The Key West thread has peaked my interest. It was always on my bucket list but I never made time to plan a trip because cruising was always my first choice. 

I've always said everyone should drive the Keys once in their life 🙂 .  Fly to FLL, MIA or even Fort Myers and rent a car.  Fort Myers is nice for a couple reasons - easy in/out smaller airport, and you can drive over on 41 through the everglades, do an airboat ride, etc.  And of course Fort Myers/Naples/Marco Island are great places to spend time before or after the Keys.  I mentioned on another thread, read Les Standiford's "Last Train to Paradise" for great historical info on the Keys.

 

We've shifted all our cruises to late 2021/2022.  Next winter will be the first time in 15 years we haven't cruised.  Did 6 weeks on ships last winter.  But we are good with not cruising for a while, it's been fun making other plans for 10 weeks next winter 🙂

 

[ryano]

Sadly, Im losing it too.  I booked a cruise on Harmony way back in early 2018 over 400 days out for September 2019. Hurricane Dorian reduced my 7 night cruise to a 3 night cruise and I opted for a FCC.   I immediately booked a Alaskan cruise on Ovation for this August using that FCC and of course that is now cancelled too.  We have moved that credit to the same cruise for next September.  It will be 1424 days since Ive been on a cruise if I cant squeeze in one between now and then and that isnt looking to promising.  Im use to cruising at least every other year.  

 

Really starting to wonder if I will ever roll onto another cruise ship again.  A lot of things can happen between now and then.  I may not even be alive.  Also, I have NO desire to go on a cruise with restrictions, even if it involves rolling away from 1800.00 in cruise credit

Edited July 14, 2020 by ryano

[ryano]

7 minutes ago, bouhunter said:

I've always said everyone should drive the Keys once in their life 🙂 . 

 

I lived in Central FL for 20 years and still have never made it to the Keys.  That needs to change!  

[ryano]

1 hour ago, loman said:

I have no interest in cruising as long as restrictions are in place .

 

 

 

I agree 

[bouhunter]

6 minutes ago, ryano said:

 

I lived in Central FL for 20 years and still have never made it to the Keys.  That needs to change!  

Do it 🙂

 

[PhillyFan33579]

3 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I used to think it was impossible, but it seems that I am losing my addiction to cruising.  I think I have been gradually worn down by the constant negative news and a general feeling of discouragement.   I used to enjoy the planning as much as the cruise itself, but at this point I feel like I would be setting myself up for yet another disappointment.  I have always kept track of cruises on a spreadsheet, but now I keep a second one to track refunds and a third for unused insurance policies being held.  I look at possible future cruises without that  “gotta book it right now” feeling hitting me.  Even looking at cruise clothing online doesn't really interest me any more.  
 

Part of this is because after sitting at home for months, we realized that we should be living in an area we enjoy on a day to day basis, not just a place that we feel “blah” about but stay because the cost of living allows frequent cruising.   That is our silver lining in the debacle that 2020 has been to date.  We are excited about moving close to the coast in Bradenton (within 1,500 feet of the Palma Sola Bay according to homeowners insurance companies, but that is another story).   Inspections and appraisals and packing fill a lot of our time lately, time that used to be filled with cruise planning.   I don’t think we would have considered this move if we were still preoccupied with the next cruise.

 

I am not sure if the lessening of an addictive interest is a good thing or bad, but it is where I am at this time.  And I sense from some of the comments on CC that I am not alone.

 

 

I agree and feel pretty much the same way. What helps me is the weather is still great living in Florida (close to Bradenton) and there are still things I can do that I enjoy.  The biggest fear my wife and I have now is restaurants closing again. Going out to eat  several times a week gives us some sense of normalcy even if more and more places are requiring a mask to be worn. Crazy how my expectations have changed over the last several months. 

[mek]

I have a November 2021 cruise on Oasis booked that was a L&S from 2020.  Who know if that will happen or not,  but the original booking had a NR deposit, so I had nothing to lose by rebooking it.

Right now I have absolutely no desire to book anything else. 

[kruzerci]

I don't feel the grip of the cruising addiction anymore, either. We've learned to really enjoy long weekends at the beach, planning land vacations, etc. during the spring and summer. I have no desire to go on a cruise with any restrictions. I miss balcony evenings, pulling into port, and relaxing in the heat of the sun watching the ocean pass, but I've re-found my love for watching the waves on the beach instead. We will take the sailings we lifted and shifted next year, but doubt it will ever be the same. 

[suesnake2002]

My addiction is being weaned, and my bank acct grows!!

I only have 2 cruises to look foward to. An oct 2020 lifted and shifted to 2021. And a march 2021. By now we would have had more booked. 

Can't justify booking more, when I am still waiting for refunds. 

[janetz]

The grip is just about gone for us.

Our.bucket list included a Panama Canal cruise in January and I don’t see that happening.
Being in great health with no issues, DH will be 79 in Sept and I late 60’s , but I am thinking our cruising vacations are over.
We have been blessed to do many many cruises 

We often said,  this is our last

Then booking another 😊

 

[alfaeric]

For us, since this is canceling everything, I don't see cruising standing out as a worse vacation than any other.   I do think there is more pressure on ships to provide more answers than everyone else, since the focus were on cruise ships prior to any other vacation destination, concerts, sporting events, or bars.

 

Because of that, I do wish the cruise industry were more obviously proactive in finding solutions to all of the issues WRT COVID19 and cruising.  Some of the things they come up with can be used in other industries- which would benefit everyone.  But some of the unique problems that ships have- like how to deal with someone who goes from negative to positive on the cruise.  And for that, I suspect they have some good plans based on Noro outbreaks- do norovirus infected people get off the ship in ports- or do they stay to their cabin?

 

Anyway, to the OP's point, we still want to cruise.  

[mac_tlc]

For me, I don’t think the allure (see what I did there?) of cruising has diminished, it’s just that I miss it more. We have cancelled and L&S’d out to May 2021. Still have 7 scheduled out through April 2022. 
With the current environment in this country, I’m not going anywhere — by land, sea, train or plane. 
 

Maybe later this year we will get to our Florida house. And maybe a drive to the Keys is a good idea. We have done it once before. 
 

We are not beach people, other than to look at it— not interested in laying in the sand in the sun. 

 

mac_tlc
 

 

[Milwaukee Eight]

2 hours ago, Iamcruzin said:

I have switched my searches to land vacations. My son has turned my attention towards AirBnB.  The Key West thread has peaked my interest. It was always on my bucket list but I never made time to plan a trip because cruising was always my first choice.  I thought one day we would sail a Mediterranean itinerary but now I considering a land tour. I was never overly optimistic about the time cruising would start up again but I never thought it would turn out to be what it is today. There is plenty of time to research and plan because U.S. citizens won't be welcome to some places in our own country for some time.

There are other areas of the Keys other than KW. More laid back style in the other islands. KW is a good day trip from the other islands. 
 

We typically would spend a week in Marathon. Easy reach to the other islands.   Only thing open early are places for breakfast. 
 

M8

[HaveWeMetYet]

Even land vacations are getting dicey if you are traveling out of state.

More and more states are going into lockdown. Some are even requiring quarantines of 14 days for out of state residents. 

The airlines are about to cut their schedules back again since air travel has dropped off after the rise in covid cases.

Looks like the only vacation you can count on not being disrupted is a stay at home vacation.

[SilkySal]

32 minutes ago, Milwaukee Eight said:

There are other areas of the Keys other than KW. More laid back style in the other islands. KW is a good day trip from the other islands. 
 

We typically would spend a week in Marathon. Easy reach to the other islands.   Only thing open early are places for breakfast. 
 

M8

We have neighbors (last name Taylor) here on our lake in Indiana, who have a place in KY (family), as well as a place down in Marathon. He's a pretty avid fisherman (34-foot boat) and always invites us to come down when we're at our FL home in Eustis. I keep telling DH that we need to get down there! We've ridden our trike to the end of the Keys but never stopped anywhere along the way.

Edited July 14, 2020 by SilkySal
add

[Milwaukee Eight]

7 minutes ago, SilkySal said:

We have neighbors (last name Taylor) here on our lake in Indiana, who have a place in KY (family), as well as a place down in Marathon. He's a pretty avid fisherman (34-foot boat) and always invites us to come down when we're at our FL home in Eustis. I keep telling DH that we need to get down there! We've ridden our trike to the end of the Keys but never stopped anywhere along the way.

You missing the real vibe of the Keys by just going to KW. 
 

M8

Edited July 14, 2020 by Milwaukee Eight

[lenquixote66]

5 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

I used to think it was impossible, but it seems that I am losing my addiction to cruising.  I think I have been gradually worn down by the constant negative news and a general feeling of discouragement.   I used to enjoy the planning as much as the cruise itself, but at this point I feel like I would be setting myself up for yet another disappointment.  I have always kept track of cruises on a spreadsheet, but now I keep a second one to track refunds and a third for unused insurance policies being held.  I look at possible future cruises without that  “gotta book it right now” feeling hitting me.  Even looking at cruise clothing online doesn't really interest me any more.  
 

Part of this is because after sitting at home for months, we realized that we should be living in an area we enjoy on a day to day basis, not just a place that we feel “blah” about but stay because the cost of living allows frequent cruising.   That is our silver lining in the debacle that 2020 has been to date.  We are excited about moving close to the coast in Bradenton (within 1,500 feet of the Palma Sola Bay according to homeowners insurance companies, but that is another story).   Inspections and appraisals and packing fill a lot of our time lately, time that used to be filled with cruise planning.   I don’t think we would have considered this move if we were still preoccupied with the next cruise.

 

I am not sure if the lessening of an addictive interest is a good thing or bad, but it is where I am at this time.  And I sense from some of the comments on CC that I am not alone.

 

 

My name is Lenquixote 66 and I was a cruise addict.In 2018 I broke a wrist and begged my doctor to give me the okay to go on a cruise.In December 2019 I was in severe pain and could barely walk .Mrs.66 said that we should cancel the cruise but like anyone who is a true addict I convinced her and we went .

We had a cruise booked for December 2020 which I cancelled due to extreme pain.

I guess I am no longer an addict and will give up my membership to Cruise Addicts Are Us.

[Cruising89143]

5 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

“I used to think it was impossible, but it seems that I am losing my addiction to cruising.” <rest snipped>
 

 

This is not a bad thing. Five years ago when we were working full time and living in Atlanta, we found a beautiful small town (Palm Springs)while taking a vacation in the west. We flew back two months later and purchased a vacation/future retirement home. We spent the next three years flying back and forth enjoying the home and town. No cruises at all. We went from an average from three cruises a year down to zero.  We did not miss cruising.

 

Fast forward. About a year and a half ago decided to sell our home in ATL and move west permanently. Best decision ever. We cruised for the first time in five years this past October. We had a few canceled earlier this year. Not a big deal. Our next cruise is now scheduled for next September and that will depend on the current situation and restrictions. The cruise is out of Italy. 
 

We used to think about cruising as the only way to vacation but no more. It will be interesting to see what happens when this current situation is all said and done. Land vacations have also become more appealing. Especially in Europe. 
 

Best of luck with your new home. The Bradenton area is nice. I was born in Florida and spent my first thirty-five years there. 
 

.

 

 

 

[parrotfeathers]

I cruise only one time a year.  Too many animals to do it numerous times.  But not having dog shows certainly has made me realize lack of dog shows isn't really that important in the end.  It's more about the relationship with my dogs.  I'm continuing to train (a little lackluster at times) but probably it will be next year before things go back to halfway normal.  And then we'll all have to wear masks and cannot be in the building unless we are in the ring.  That isn't a dog show to me.  The people are a huge part of why dog people show their dogs.  We want to hang out with our friends and discuss shows, blah blah blah.  And it's the same for cruising.  No use cruising if I have to wear a mask and sit on my balcony in isolation.

 

I've never really been addicted to cruising but I sure enjoyed it.

[Rocket3D]

5 hours ago, ZoeyVictoria said:

>>>>>>>   I am not sure if the lessening of an addictive interest is a good thing or bad, but it is where I am at this time.  And I sense from some of the comments on CC that I am not alone. <<<<<<<<<

 

You are not alone. 

 

The 'golden age of cruising' (before March 2020) is finished.

 

Cruising was a relaxing, fun, and largely social event.

 

We are not wanting to cruise with covid half-solutions....

simply won't be fun, or totally safe anymore.

 

We may try to use our FCC before it expires.... if vaccines arrive,

and things improve.

 

This pandemic mess is not RCL's fault.

 

 

 

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by Rocket3D