Cruise ...Uncertain

[lucky3]

I've always been tempted to take a cruise but never followed through thinking" paying all that money just to get sea sick?" Many friends I know say a Caribbean crusie is the best vacation.
One says I should explore a "river cruise" or a Mediterranean cruise.

I know there's no way to guarantee calm seas...I also know the Bogleheads like to "stay the course". But I can stay the course on a plane too. Any hesitant sailors out there?

Lucky3

[bUU]

Pardon me for reordering your thoughts...

I've always been tempted to take a cruise but never followed through thinking" paying all that money just to get sea sick?" ... I know there's no way to guarantee calm seas...I also know the Bogleheads like to "stay the course". But I can stay the course on a plane too. Any hesitant sailors out there?

We've been on a handful of cruises, and we've now stopped mostly because my discomfort on the seas became larger than my spouse's appreciation of cruising. It is very important to note (a) that different cruises are radically different in terms of the risk of sea sickness; and (b) Rule #1 of cruising is that the ship moves, and nothing is going to change Rule #1.

With regard to (a)... The Caribbean is quite calm. Taking a Caribbean cruise, for me, is closer to vacationing on land than it is to taking a cruise that travels across any open ocean. Once you get out of that bowl which is the Caribbean, your risk skyrockets. And I'm not talking about a cruise across the Atlantic... that would be insane for me... Even cruises from New York to Puerto Rico go across the ocean (the Sargasso Sea, to be precise). So cruise selection does matter with regard to your concern about sea sickness.

With regard to (b)... We've also had sea sickness issues on a cruise from Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas. So if you're especially prone to it, it should be a consideration. Like I said, it's gotten to the point, for us, that although I had no problem on most of the cruises we've been on, it just wasn't worth the few where I did have a problem. Though, that's not absolute. I don't doubt that someday we'll consider an Alaskan cruise, just because it is offers something that you cannot really experience any other way.

Many friends I know say a Caribbean crusie is the best vacation.

I have friends who feel that hiking the Presidential Ridge in NH is the best vacation. And others who insist that it is Las Vegas that has that distinction. What are you hoping to get out of cruising? What do you think would make it special for you? Your answer may help us push you in one direction or the other, with advice better attuned to your expectations.

One says I should explore a "river cruise" or a Mediterranean cruise.

River cruises always seemed to me to be oppressively expensive by comparison to Caribbean cruises. I never really seriously considered a Mediterranean cruise so I cannot speak directly to that.

[mbres60]

We cruised Alaska this past June (round trip from Seattle) and thought it was the smoothest cruise we had ever been on. Extremely smooth sailing. If you are fine flying on a plane then pick a cruise that doesn't sail across the ocean (even those I hear are often not rocky). Cruising is a wonderful vacation.

[livesoft]

I have been on a cruise. If you like being trapped in a small shopping mall with a casino, then a cruise is for you.

[mack123]

I have been on a cruise. If you like being trapped in a small shopping mall with a casino, then a cruise is for you.

There's a lot of upside too, although maybe they didn't interest you. There are dance clubs, dance classes, casino, shops to buy things in, pools, gym, hot tubs, good restaurants. You wake up each day at a different port of call. You can find different things to do at destinations. Spend the day sunbathing or swimming or whatever suits you.

[Taylor Larimore]

Lucky3:

Seasickness is becoming increasingly rare on cruise ships as they become larger and equipt with better stabilizers. If you think you might be susceptible, consider the Carribbean or Alaska Inside Passage cruise or a short cruise to the Bahamas. Cabins low-down and in the middle/stern of the ship are most stable. Pick a big ship.

We recently took a week's cruise on the huge Allure of the Seas. We had a wonderful time and I never heard of anyone suffering seasickness.

Disclaimer: I have done a transatlantic crossing in a 40 foot sailboat without getting seasick.

Happy Holiday!
Taylor

[bUU]

I have been on a cruise. If you like being trapped in a small shopping mall with a casino, then a cruise is for you.

There's a lot of upside too, although maybe they didn't interest you. There are dance clubs, dance classes, casino, shops to buy things in, pools, gym, hot tubs, good restaurants. You wake up each day at a different port of call. You can find different things to do at destinations. Spend the day sunbathing or swimming or whatever suits you.

Definitely. We are not gamblers, and we don't shop aboard ship. We also don't do dance clubs, or use the gym, or the pools - heck we're early people, rising by 5am everyday no matter what we do, and therefore we retire around 9pm each evening. Yet we still enjoyed the cruises we took.

What we enjoyed most were the fact that every day there would be a different port-of-call. Often this meant a different culture to encounter - architecture, cuisine, etc. Different experiences available to us (especially back when we were lean and fit) - hiking, kayaking (extra fee for this, by the way), etc.

We also enjoyed just sitting on the balcony watching the ocean go by. There is something utterly relaxing about just letting the world pass by without worrying about having to steer where its going.

I think about one of my brothers as a good comparison. Before his oldest went to college, he took his family to the Jersey shore each summer for a week. They'd plant themselves in some rental home (probably including more than one that Sandy destroyed) and the whole week was made up of walking down the block to the beach for swimming, boogie boarding, etc., and a whole lot of just sitting in the sun doing nothing - blessed nothing. Maybe once during the week they'd walk down to the center of town for some sponsored concert on the beach, where a local band covered classic rock tunes. The major events of the day included the morning walk to get coffee at the little shack down the block (which also offered awesome cinnamon rolls), and the evening game of Charades or Pictionary. They also cooked for themselves, which is something I never really understood, as part of "vacation" but heck, we were guests on their vacation.

Even ignoring almost all the various offerings the cruise ships offered, as my spouse and I did, we still "did" more on our cruises than my brother's family did on their vacations on the Jersey shore, and got more out of the experience, I feel.

Now, to be fair, we're talking about a different price point. They drove to the Jersey shore, while we would generally fly to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami for cruises (though we did take that one cruise from New York). However, if you're going to fly to Florida to sit on a beach, then a cruise would be a viable alternative to consider, at roughly the same price-point, at least in our past experience. (It's been a few years, so I don't know if prices have changed.) Also, I noted above that one of the things we did was kayaking, and that has an added cost, which doesn't really map to anything my brother's family does. However, if you're going to go to any attractions on vacation, they'll generally have a price, not much different from what we paid for kayaking. And with regard to other things we did, the parallels are there: My brother's family walking down to town center to see a concert on the beach is analogous to us walking around the historic sites in Nassau (Bahamas), which we did on one of the cruises.

So I wouldn't worry too much about not having much to do, or even having to pay so much more than you'd pay on land to do things. There's definitely a premium for cruising, but it isn't significant as some people make it out to be, and it is essentially "paying for" the transportation from port to port, which presumably you're getting some personal value out of.

[JDCPAEsq]

It's very rare for anyone to get seasick on a cruise ship. Most of the time you are hardly aware you're at sea. Try it. You'll probably like it. We've been on 25+ cruises and now have grown a bit tired of it, but enjoyed it at the time.
John

[chaz]

We've cruised Princess many times and liked it.

[soaring]

We have never had an interest in being with so many people in close quarters, eating food that too often makes people sick, and likely isn't any better than regular food at best and then there are the seas. When I deep sea fished 100 miles off shore some time the swells were almost too much.

Just nothing ever made us want to do it. Now possibly Alaska inland tour but not sure. Good luck. Our interest are in the mountains and hiking, etc.

[centrifuge41]

Agreed, very few people get ill on a cruise ship. The ships are really stable. You can take a short cruise (3 or 4 day) to see if you like it or not. You can sometimes buy cruises from, say Miami or Ft. Lauderdale to the Bahamas for about $80 or 90 a night. Bahamas and Caribbean cruises are quite stable. Alaska cruises seem to be even more so due to the inside passage. The only section of my Alaska cruise that was a little less stable was between Vancouver Island and Queen Charlotte island, where the boat is more exposed to the Pacific. Even then, it was very mild.

[Mikle]

Having never been on one I'm no expert but my wife and I would never go on a Caribbean cruise. We would much rather go to a island destination where we could explore at our own pace. We saw sights in Alaska and Hawaii that cruise tourist never see. I know the ships offer side excursions at extra costs but the schedule is up to the cruise line, not the traveler.
It is probably the cheapest and easiest way to see the islands. I have heard great things about the Mediterranean cruises.

[sscritic]

Having never been on one I'm no expert but my wife and I would never go on a Caribbean cruise. We would much rather go to a island destination where we could explore at our own pace.

The question was about the stability (although you can walk around the decks of the ship as slowly as you wish). Can you say Krakatoa?

I know there's no way to guarantee calm seas

[jojay]

Timing.
We are leaving tomorrow for a Carribean cruise. This will be our 5th and 2nd with our kids, 22, 20 and 17.
When my wife first suggested a cruise, I was dead set against it. Now, I love them. They are an excellent way to get completely away from everything with very little decision making or deadline meeting on our part. They are a blast - I have not been on a cruise I did not like. I know people that have gone on as many as 2 dozen cruises and they love them. As you become more cruise-savvy, you'll figure out how to max out the value.
Yes, you are overpaying for the week. Just about everything except alcohol and soda is included in the trip and they are ridiculously expensive on board. Excursions - things to do at ports of call - are expensive as well.
You can control those things though as all of those items are elective and there are "specials" offered before and during the cruise.
The food is certainly plentiful and there are always things on board to entertain just about everyone.The cruise lines supply plenty of entertainment venues which are included in the fixed price - you need to make the most of the cruise. On this upcoming cruise, we will see Blue Man Group on Board, Cirque De Soleil ( $25 pp extra and includes dinner ), commedians, magicians and other entertainers for free. The cruise folks want you to go there figuring you will buy alcohol but you can minimize that. I think it was 60 Minutes who reviewed cruises and learned that cruise lines make as much money from alcohol as they do from ticket sales.
There are activities during the day. Some cruises have section for adults only so there is peace from little kids.
I woukd not spend all of my vacation time on cruises but a week every couple of years is well worth it. Cruises are unique vacations times.
I am a frugal person - really, very frugal. But I let that frugality go ( to a large degree anyway if not completely ) when I go on a cruise. I know I'm overpaying but because I'm frugal with everything else, I let it go.
The Caribbean is almost always calm except for hurricane season. If you have some latitude, you can go during off times to save some dough.
Try it - you never know.

[Mikle]

One can always count on sscritic's subtle scolding for veering from the his requirements of the discussion. Thank you for putting me in my place ........ again.

[snyder66]

I agree with livesoft. Just remember that you spend most of your time on the ship. We went on a country-rock cruise, so there was constant music and activity. That's the only way I would do it again.

[sscritic]

I have been on a cruise. If you like being trapped in a small shopping mall with a casino, then a cruise is for you.

My grandkids love the mall, but not the casino. They would prefer a cruise that didn't dock until the end; the more days on the water the better.

[user5027]

I never thought I would go on a cruise and never understood why anyone would.

My wife is a Titanic fanatic and insisted we go on the Titanic 100 year Memorial Cruise. Since it was crossing the North Atlantic (Southampton-Cobh-Halifax-New York) in April, we decided we better go on a Caribbean cruise to try cruising and make sure we really like it. We loved both cruises and have booked our third for Denmark, Norway and Iceland in September.

[Watty]

A few years ago I wanted to try out a cruise to see of I would enjoy it so I found a greately discounted four night cruise on this web site;

http://www.vacationstogo.com/


If you are flexible you can find them on that web site for a couple of hundred dollars per person. It cost us less than four nights in a hotel would have even with the extra fees that they always have.


We had a good time but as expected we found out that we were not "cruise people". I'm glad that we tried it, you might consider working a short inexpensive cruise in as part of another trip.

[travelerfromsj]

I'm a poor sailor myself, but my husband and I did a one-week Carribean cruise, and there was only one night where my stomach started to lurch: when the cruise ship was parked (anchored?) a few miles off-island because there was no room for another ship to berth. The ship gently rocked, the cruise ship dancers stumbled, and I headed for my dramamine. Otherwise, it was a very smooth trip, and I'd certainly try it again. It may have helped that we tried to minimize the problem by choosing a midship cabin on a lower deck, on one of the larger cruise ships.

[Valuethinker]

I've always been tempted to take a cruise but never followed through thinking" paying all that money just to get sea sick?" Many friends I know say a Caribbean crusie is the best vacation.
One says I should explore a "river cruise" or a Mediterranean cruise.

I know there's no way to guarantee calm seas...I also know the Bogleheads like to "stay the course". But I can stay the course on a plane too. Any hesitant sailors out there?

Lucky3

On a (25 passengers & crew) boat in the Galapagos I was 'the worst seasickness he had ever seen' said the guide.

Lasted about 12 hours.

Gravol did not work.

Sturgeron DID work. If they sell it in USA?

My advice would be to see a doctor beforehand. Because of cancer treatments, anti-emetics are a big area, there are some powerful ones. There was a cancer nurse on the trip, she had some pretty good chemicals (but it turned out Sturgeron did the trick for me). To get good drugs, you need a professional I guess . Least that's what the guy at the end of my street tells me in the morning . (medical care in Galapagos is somewhat frontier: the town dentist checked me over . You'd need to evacuate to the mainland for better care).

BTW Galapagos is an extraordinary journey and well worth the discomforts (take your snorkel, vision corrected goggles and a shortie wetsuit, even for a non swimmer there's lots of shallow waters and the animals and fish swim right up to you, the water is pretty warm). Smaller boats are generally better (you can only visit the islands at specified times in a guided group, so given the time to get on and off the boats into the panga dinghies, a smaller vessel gives you more time).

Med has very varying conditions but is dead calm, generally, in summer (in winter it's a lot worse, parts of it, than people think).

What I like about the Med (and the Baltic) is there is so much to see when you go ashore. I guess it depends what you want, whether Carribean would offer that.

For me, a cruise is an efficient and possibly cheap way of getting to interesting places (Alaska would be similar, but the problem of large cruise liners and small tourist towns) rather than what actually goes on on a cruise (I prefer my hotels to be stationary ). Baltic is best case for that: the cities (Copenhagen, Stockholm, Talinn, Helsinki, Riga) are all fascinating (Danzig is historic, I am not sure how pretty it is, ditto Kaliningrad (sp?)). And very expensive places to visit conventionally (hotels and meals). Stockholm I think you'd want 2 days. Copenhagen if you want to see that art museum outside (Louisiana?) ditto.

Similar advantage of a Med Cruise in that you can see places like Venice which are a pain to get to otherwise (of course, if it were left to me, Cruise liners are ruining Venice both physically and culturally, and would be sharply restricted)-- you cannot get what makes Venice special in a day off a cruise liner, but you can get a feel maybe for what makes it special. I would do Med in May or September perhaps, risking worse weather but (slightly) smaller crowds and cooler. DO NOT holiday in Southern Europe in August if possible-- both the heat, and the whole continent downs tools and goes on holiday on a Med sea shore, it's crowded, expensive and too bloody hot. And stuff is closed for the summer holidays. (the Scandinavian version of this is July, but that is probably still the best time to see that part of the world, and those countries are all so efficient and organized that everything is still working-- even if half the locals are on holiday in Sicily or Sardinia ).

If you are single, male and of a certain age (60+) then I am told you will be the most popular class of person on a cruise . Do prepare for any eventuality .

There are also of course cruises aimed appropriately at different sociological sub groups. For example The Nation supporters have their own cruise -- you'll get an entirely different perspective on things .

[Valuethinker]

I never thought I would go on a cruise and never understood why anyone would.

My wife is a Titanic fanatic and insisted we go on the Titanic 100 year Memorial Cruise. Since it was crossing the North Atlantic (Southampton-Cobh-Halifax-New York) in April, we decided we better go on a Caribbean cruise to try cruising and make sure we really like it. We loved both cruises and have booked our third for Denmark, Norway and Iceland in September.

Denmark Norway Iceland will be fantastic, but do take warm clothes for September! I should think you could get to freezing (0 C) in Iceland in September. How much of Iceland will you be able to see? The centre is supposed to be fantastic.

The Spitzbergen/ Svalbard Archipelago trips are now phenomenally expensive, getting towards (per day) Antartica prices (well half as much, at least). And it would be amazing-- polar bears etc.

[halfnine]

.....It may have helped that we tried to minimize the problem by choosing a midship cabin on a lower deck, on one of the larger cruise ships.

That's my recommendation as well. Lowest floor and closest to the middle as you can get.

[bUU]

Not necessarily the "lowest" floor, but rather the floor which is closest to the ship's center of movement (not center of mass). Of course, given the shape of the ship and the placement of its engines and such, that often works out to be among the lowest floors that have passenger cabins, but it is not always the case. It is important to understand that anything under the waterline is effectively ballast, and doesn't have the same impact on movement that mass above the waterline has. (I wish I knew the right words to explain the physics of that.) Despite how massive the engines are, you never see a cruise ship rocking back and forth on an axis right on the waterline... that would actually be quite scary if you did see that. So while it may seem like Deck 2 on Majesty of the Seas would be the right deck to aim for, it isn't. On that ship, it seemed to me that it was Deck 4 that was most stable. (Of course, we were on Deck 2 on that cruise. Blech.)

[TomatoTomahto]

BTW Galapagos is an extraordinary journey and well worth the discomforts (take your snorkel, vision corrected goggles and a shortie wetsuit, even for a non swimmer there's lots of shallow waters and the animals and fish swim right up to you, the water is pretty warm). Smaller boats are generally better (you can only visit the islands at specified times in a guided group, so given the time to get on and off the boats into the panga dinghies, a smaller vessel gives you more time).

I agree with almost everything you say, except that there are times when the Humboldt Current makes the water incredibly cold. Even with a wetsuit, I couldn't stay in for more than a half hour (of playing with the friendly and athletic Sea Lions; a memory of a lifetime).

I seldom get seasick but on our boat (roughly the same size as yours), many of us were thrown out of our "beds" during one stormy night in the Galapagos.

I would go again in a heartbeat. It's quite pricey (there were 5 of us), but it is in my top 5 vacations.

[reggiesimpson]

Enjoyed both cruises we have been on. On the most recent one i struck up a conversation with a 75 yr old couple. They have been on 85 cruises! They highly recommended Princess.
While seasickness is less of an issue you may want to try the "patch" just in case. A less noted problem are ones knees. The ships subtle movement can play havoc with some older knees.
Enjoy your trip its a great way to go.

[dm200]

We have been on 2 cruises, both to Bermuda. WONDERFUL - I like toe 2-3 days at sea going and coming back, as well as the wonderful things in Bermuda (clean, safe,etc.). I am not at all intersted in 6 ports in 5 days, and the like.

I don;t know if this is typical, but both cruises were not all "calm seas". The first one had some degree of ups and downs going and coming. The second one - coming back - had a really rough time one evening/night. So rough, we almost got knocked off the bed. A lot of damage to the gift shop, chairs on the decks, etc the next day. There was even a fire in the lower galley when a large coffee maker shirt circuited and started a small fire. The Captain was on te PA system 2 or 3 times during the night.

BUT - I still loved it and would go again - to Bermuda.

[ndchamp]

If you leave from a Gulf of Mexico port, like Tampa or New Orleans, the chances of calm seas on your Caribbean cruise are greatly increased.
Leaving from a port on the Atlantic, like Port Canaveral, will pretty much guarantee some motion on the 1st and last days of the cruise.
Wrist bands may work for some folks, but the patch is my salvation.

[tadamsmar]

Here's some advice on planning for and avoiding seasickness on a cruise:

http://www.cruisesavvy.com/savvyguide/i ... et_seasick

As they say, looking out at the horizon helps. There is a theory that seasickness is caused because your body decides that you have been poisoned with a neurotoxin and you need to throw up because what your eyes see does not agree with what your inner ear feels. Looking outside the ship a the horizon puts the inner ear and eyes in agreement. So, getting a room with a balcony or window can be nice for this and other reasons, but more expensive.

Taylor's suggestion to take a short cruise is a good idea. We first did a trial 3-day cruise to Nassau and a private island and we liked cruising. I think it was this cruise:

http://www.vacationstogo.com/fastdeal.cfm?deal=20729

Different cruise lines provide different experiences. I don't like Carnival, but it probably appeals more to the younger set. We eventually got kind of tried of taking cruses because drill of being in a port for only 8 hours or so got tiresome. But it's hard to beat the bargain and it's a good way to explore a number of ports cheaply.

[JohnnyO]

I usually only read other posts, but this one is right up our alley. My wife and I discovered cruising six years ago and became hooked. We have cruised five times, three Caribbean, one Hawaii, one Mexico from the Pacific. Every one was great. First off go to Cruise Critic and read, and check out the forums much like these which are all about cruising. I have written a bit in those forums on tips and experiences we have learned and gone thru.

Things we like: The variety of things to do even though you are on a ship;
Having your every whim taken care of, from meals to room, to the shows;
No 50 pound luggage restriction like airlines;
We meet new people and make new friends from around the world each cruise;
Getting to see four to five places in one week instead of just one;
Sitting on our veranda listening to the ocean after a night of dancing, shows, eating, and well you get the picture.

Cruises aren't for everyone, try the Caribbean first. Hurricane season runs June through November so you may try a spring cruise and if you can avoid summer as prices are the highest if you can. We have not retired yet but a transatlantic cruise is in store for one of our Europe trips.

Johnny-O

[JupiterJones]

But I can stay the course on a plane too.

And you can get motion-sick on a plane too.

I'm a fan of cruise vacations. They're not everyone's cup of tea, but I think most normal people would enjoy themselves. It's definitely worth trying once.

As mentioned, larger boats move less. A cabin that's inside, center, close to the waterline, will move less. But if you think you would otherwise prefer an outside cabin with a view (or balcony) and/or a smaller boat experience, then go for it. Don't let the fear of seasickness drive you toward a room and boat you won't like.

And hey, if you get a little seasick, you get a little seasick. No big deal. Take some Dramamine. Rest a bit. You'll get over it. It's no big deal.

I highly recommend that you do a lot of research to find the boat/route that's best for you. Pick up a book like the Berlitz guide. Poke around on CruiseCritic.com for awhile. There are real differences among cruise lines, in terms of typical age of passengers, noise level, party-vs-relaxed atmosphere, food/drink, activities, etc.

JJ

[user5027]

We loved both cruises and have booked our third for Denmark, Norway and Iceland in September.

Denmark Norway Iceland will be fantastic, but do take warm clothes for September! I should think you could get to freezing (0 C) in Iceland in September. How much of Iceland will you be able to see? The centre is supposed to be fantastic.

The Spitzbergen/ Svalbard Archipelago trips are now phenomenally expensive, getting towards (per day) Antartica prices (well half as much, at least). And it would be amazing-- polar bears etc.

We packed and used long underwear for the outdoor wreath laying service on the Titanic cruise and I've worked on the Greenland Icecap. This cruise is a return to Copenhagen for us. While working in Greenland DW and I rendezvoused there. She from JFK and I from Sondrestrom.

We have 10 hours in Reykjavik and these are the available excursions...

http://www.ncl.com/cruise-destination/e ... tab_detail

Getting to see four to five places in one week instead of just one;
Johnny-O

Strongly agree. Cruising is the Boglehead (efficient) way to see many places in a short time.

We will usually hook several days of land vacation before or after the cruise to see more. We did Belfast and Southampton before Titanic and anticipate doing Scotland before or after the upcoming Copenhagen cruise.

[JamesSFO]

I will advocate for motion sickness patches--scopalamine.

[dm200]

I don't have a seasickness problem, but for any kind of motion-related issues (plane, driving, cruise, etc.), my wife swears by these wristbands (not sure of the details). She insists that they help her avoid motion sickness.

[camden]

I have been on some excellent small ship river cruises, which eliminate the seasickness problem. They are, however, very expensive.