How do you convince someone to cruise who is afraid

[Cruisin'Kim]

Iv got a friend who is afraid to be surrounded by water and refuses to learn to swim and hates the idea of being near the ocean. So far my reasoning is falling on deaf ears to say the least. She says it would be terrifying to be surrounded by all that water on the ship.

 

If you find words to help...Im all ears.

 

My brother-in-law was the same way - was terrified of being surrounded by water.......that was 3 cruises for him ago! On the 1st cruise which he joined us, he didn't want to look out towards the ocean at night and see "nothing", but the first nighht he realized that the boat was so beautifully lit around him, and so many people having fun, that he didn't have a problem with it at all - and he has cruised every year since.

 

Of course, everyone is different - you can try what my girlfriend is doing this year, she couldn't get her husband to try cruising, but convinced him to go on a three day Bahama cruise in December, try the shorter cruises first.

 

Happy cruising!

 

Kim.

[sailinglisa]

Your mother in law has already stated that she doesn't want to go on the birthday cruise without him. He is her son and she wants him to be there on her birthday. Take your mother in law on a cruise at a different time and plan a celebration on land for her 75th birthday to make your mother in law happy.

 

Don't force the issue. You do NOT know that your brother in law will love cruising, that the seas will be smooth and he won't get sick. I know when people keep pressing me on something I don't want to do, I get grumpy and irritated and dig in my feet even more. You have to respect your brother in laws feelings.

[San Diego Ellie]

Tell him my story. I refused to cruise for the same reason (seasick on small snorkeling boats, etc.) until two years ago, and I am in my 60s. My husband finally persuaded me to try a cruise. I bought an electronic relief band that you wear on one wrist. It operates on two batteries, and has five varying intensities. I swear by it. It is expensive but worth every penny. We have always travelled a lot, but now all I want to do is cruise, as I am now completely addicted to cruising and have never gotten seasick during any of the six cruises we have gone on during the last two years. (My first cruise was less than two years ago). We are booked for three more cruises. I am even going to be brave enough to do an Antarctic cruise in February, and the Drake is the roughest water in the world. Tell him to come equpped with seasick remedies and try it. He will probably be fine, and may discover he loves cruising the way I do.

Ellie

[coach32]

Like fear of flying there really needs to be a separate board to address this topic where first timers present their emotional state before and after their first cruise. I've convinced several people this past year to go with our group and it took alot of work. I always start with Cruise ships are bigger than sharks, you can fall off unless you want to and that ships don't sink often. (only once) Then I hand them a hand written note from the captain promising them that if they are bored he will turn the ship around and bring them back home.

[SheriNtexas]

On our cruise in May, we had a wicked storm. Big honking waves and people boncing off the walls in the hallways. I was out on the balcony, leaning over the rail, getting drenched from rain and spray grinning like a loon. DH opened the door and said, "Um, Honey? Shouldn't you be hiding under the bed in the fetal position crying or something?"

No way!! I LOVED it!

 

 

That was me on my first cruise!! We were on Carnival Ecstasy and it was our last sea day back towards Galveston. The seas had become pretty choppy overnight and just walking in the cabin was difficult. I was out on the balcony, watching the waves and watching as the front of the ship came down. It was SO cool because I could actually SEE when the sea spray was coming so i just stepped back out of the way and I could see the spray travel past our balcony! I came back into the room to tell my mom, and she was sick!:( She was sick the whole day! I'm hoping that my trans-atlantic in april 2009 will have some good waves!!:cool:

[SheriNtexas]

Like fear of flying there really needs to be a separate board to address this topic where first timers present their emotional state before and after their first cruise. I've convinced several people this past year to go with our group and it took alot of work. I always start with Cruise ships are bigger than sharks, you can fall off unless you want to and that ships don't sink often. (only once) Then I hand them a hand written note from the captain promising them that if they are bored he will turn the ship around and bring them back home.

 

 

At the disembarkation talk on Conquest in July, the CD said, "For those of you who worry about being out in the ocean, don't worry. The Captain makes sure that we are never more than 5 miles from land--of course--that land is straight down"!!:D