Who or what influenced you to try your first cruise?

boba · September 20, 2008

dw and her friend started talking about it and planning. i didn't think I'd like it. I was very wrong. Going on our 5th cruise in 4 yrs. in 38 days. :cool2:

jacketwatch · September 20, 2008

Good question. :smile: For us it ws the bosses idea. :biggrin: My wife just deciced to try cruising one day so our first cruise was 2002 to the western Med. on the Splendour. Since then all of our vacations except one have been cruises. And no end in sight.

Shari2 · September 21, 2008

It was 1979, and I was a young widow. I loved watching the "Love Boat" show, and when my mom and step-dad, and two of our family friends, asked me to go with them on a cruise I did want to go, but didn't want to leave my 7-year old daughter. My former in-laws said they wanted her to come and stay with them for the week, and she wanted to visit with grandma and grandpa, so I went.

I hadn't been out much since my husband died, and it was good for me to start living again. I fell in love with cruising, and the sea. It was on the "Carnivale" a ship that was built in the '50s, and I had a single room which was about the size of a walk-in closet, but I got used to it and wasn't in it that long anyway. Back then, your only option for eating during the day was to be at your assigned table for traditional dining. I always missed breakfast, and my waiter always scolded me...LOL They did have huge midnight buffets, and even a semi-large buffet at 1:30 AM. If you wanted to use your curling iron or hair dryer, you had to go to a community room since the cabins weren't wired for them back then. I'm not sure if the ship had a stabilizer then because I remember my feet coming off the floor of the disco when I danced and how I flew down the stairs when it was rockin' and rollin'. It was fun when you got your sea legs. LOL

Since I was single then, the Captain even flirted with me when I shook his hand...he spoke in Italian, and I didn't know what he was saying, but he had a great smile on his face, and my cruise director told me he said that we have so many beautiful women on this cruise. I think he said that to all the single gals...LOL Anyway, I'm really glad that I went on that first cruise...I wasn't able to go again until my honeymoon with Marc in 1984. He asked me where I wanted to go, and of course it was on a cruise. Now he's hooked, too. :biggrin: We're so excited about our cruise coming up in under three weeks...we haven't been able to go for almost 4 years now. This will be our 9th cruise, and it will be back to the Mexican Riviera where we spent our honeymoon almost 25-years ago.

jacketwatch · September 21, 2008

It was 1979, and I was a young widow. I loved watching the "Love Boat" show, and when my mom and step-dad, and two of our family friends, asked me to go with them on a cruise I did want to go, but didn't want to leave my 7-year old daughter. My former in-laws said they wanted her to come and stay with them for the week, and she wanted to visit with grandma and grandpa, so I went.
I hadn't been out much since my husband died, and it was good for me to start living again. I fell in love with cruising, and the sea. It was on the "Carnivale" a ship that was built in the '50s, and I had a single room which was about the size of a walk-in closet, but I got used to it and wasn't in it that long anyway. Back then, your only option for eating during the day was to be at your assigned table for traditional dining. I always missed breakfast, and my waiter always scolded me...LOL They did have huge midnight buffets, and even a semi-large buffet at 1:30 AM. If you wanted to use your curling iron or hair dryer, you had to go to a community room since the cabins weren't wired for them back then. I'm not sure if the ship had a stabilizer then because I remember my feet coming off the floor of the disco when I danced and how I flew down the stairs when it was rockin' and rollin'. It was fun when you got your sea legs. LOL

Since I was single then, the Captain even flirted with me when I shook his hand...he spoke in Italian, and I didn't know what he was saying, but he had a great smile on his face, and my cruise director told me he said that we have so many beautiful women on this cruise. I think he said that to all the single gals...LOL Anyway, I'm really glad that I went on that first cruise...I wasn't able to go again until my honeymoon with Marc in 1984. He asked me where I wanted to go, and of course it was on a cruise. Now he's hooked, too. We're so excited about our cruise coming up in under three weeks...we haven't been able to go for almost 4 years now. This will be our 9th cruise, and it will be back to the Mexican Riviera where we spent our honeymoon almost 25-years ago.

Thats a very nice story. :thumbup:

Shari2 · September 22, 2008

Thank you, Larry!

elfed · September 23, 2008

If I remember correctly, it was way back in 1980 something that a mate of mine in Air Canada said he was taking a cruise to the Caribbean on one of NCL,s older ships. On his return he said he spent 90% of his time in the bars!!! So at the beginning of the new decade I took my 16 year old son on the Costa Riviera.I had broken up from my first wife at the time but it was a truly great cruise despite my son being the only 16 year old aboard!

Regards,

James.

DebbieandJerry · September 23, 2008

A local travel agency was booking a Valentine's getaway. We had no idea about cruising. We never knew anyone who could afford to cruise. We've been hooked ever since (1990!)

Joanandjoe · September 24, 2008

For our 30th anniversary 10 years ago, we decided to see if we could find an alternative to the Type A (always doing something) vacations we had gone on previously. My brother, who didn't like his only cruise, described it as "boring - nothing to do", and that actually sounded relaxing.

As it turns out, our cruise to Alaska wasn't boring at all, and we were hooked. Not counting our one night cruise in 1973, we've had 12 cruises, and booked lucky # 13 yesterday.

Peddler · September 24, 2008

The first cruise was with my mother and sister...I really didn't have a choice.

The first cruise of the modern day era, I won in a sales contest. Been hooked ever since.

lilrosie · October 25, 2008

I was in high school and on Friday nights the love boat came on. I instantly fell in love with cruising. but it was only for the rich folk. fast forward 15 years me and hubbies anniversary came around and he wanted to take me on an anniversary cruise...Yeah!!! finally my dream of going on a cruise came true..but a nightmare happened I became addicted to cruising and now I have withdrawals