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I enjoy traveling quite a bit, but I've never had any interest in cruises. For many years, I have been trying to get my family, scattered around the U.S. to do a vacation together. Finally, this year, everyone wants to do it... and what do they want to do: a cruise. ugh! So I'll be doing my first (and probably last) one in November in the Carribbean. As I learn more of the details for the upcoming cruise, I feel like my worse suspicions are being confirmed... It sounds like a floating 'shopping mall/casino/amusement park' on water, which has zero appeal to me. It makes a stop each day at a different port, and they have day tours, but these tours seem to go to the same few, heavily touristed destinations. I also found it interesting when reading cruise reviews that a lot of people ate most of their meals on the ship instead of in the cities/towns where they were visiting--and I'm not sure why they would chose this. But I'm going to try to enjoy the cruise and keep an open mind.
Cruising is not for everybody. If you're young,, and able, do the individual trip thing. But when you get older like many cruisers, and you have a handicap or can't walk up steps or hills or have a limited budget, and you would like to get away from the doldrums at home, and see something, even if it's tourist things in other ports or country's, before you die, then a cruise that takes care of you and everything is the way to go.
It's better than sitting in a rockin chair whittling your life away if you can manage to go. God Bless the old people who worked hard all their life and now have earned a chance to see some parts of the world before they leave us.
No I got sick from a virus someone caught in Mexico and brought it onto the ship. I never got off the ship that day to stop at Cozumel and I certainly never drank the water anywhere but the ship, my husband had a sunburn from laying out the day before so we decided to putz around the ship casue it was empty. Later that night as we set sail again I started to feel horrible, I was then sick for the next 3 days of my cruise throwing up , sores on my head, and mouth.. My family debated flying me back when we stopped at Jamacia but my symptoms lessened and I was able to get around.. 3 weeks after getting back I began having the same exact symptoms, sores and everything(never had these in my life). I then proceeded to lose 30lbs in a month ,was hospitalized etc.
No only is crime bad, but health hazards, I went to Mexico in Sept of 04.. I caught a virus on the cruise ship that someone brought on from mexico. It rendered me disabled for 3 years.. I lost my job and was bed and hospital bound for 3 months. I still to this day have residual symptoms and severe chronic vertigo from it destroying one of the equilibriums in my ears.. Along with continuing sores on my tongue and head... Thats the just the tip of things, dont' get me started on the damage it did to my heart. STAY AWAY... All it takes is for you to put your hands in your mouth or rub your eyes not even thinking about it and you could end up like I did... Its a horrible country to go to.. its dirty, crime ridden and nasty
Sorry about your bad experience. I agree with you about Mexico. Anything can happen and usually does there. It's not for me either. I've never had an enjoyable visit in Mexico. You have to watch your pockets and what you eat and drink there. Many people say don't drink the water, which they don't, then they go to a bar and have a drink with ice cubes in the drink, then boom Montezumas revenge.
Did you go to the doctor and get a diagnosis for your ailments? Would be interested to hear what the doc said.
Don't put the cruise ship down because you got sick. They go out of their way to sanitize everything. It's generally one of the passengers that bring the bug(s) on the ships. Those people are probably slobs at home and just bring their dirty bad habits with them. That nobody can control. All the ships I've been on, 8 so far, have sanitizers all over the ship, in the bars, in the dining rooms, at the buffets. Usually at dinner time a crew member is standing at the waiting area of the dinner with a sanitizer on hand to give to you.
I like different vacations at different times. I like cruises, but they have to be upscale - Seabourne, Crystal, etc. But since my life isn't centered around food and eating, I can only take cruising for so many days. I too like more adventure-type vacations.
I like different vacations at different times. I like cruises, but they have to be upscale - Seabourne, Crystal, etc. But since my life isn't centered around food and eating, I can only take cruising for so many days. I too like more adventure-type vacations.
Well on our cruises, we went snorkeling with sea turtles, ZIP LINED over a forest , kayaking in the pacific, whale watching, hicking over "jurrasic Park" type gorges, sunrise bike ride on volcano land. I found 'adventurous' to be an understatement.
I have never been on a cruise and have NO interest to go, even if it were free! My idea of a vacation is a nice long road trip to wherever I choose. More relaxing and I can come and go anywhere on my schedule at my pace.
I have never been on a cruise and have NO interest to go, even if it were free! My idea of a vacation is a nice long road trip to wherever I choose. More relaxing and I can come and go anywhere on my schedule at my pace.
This is EXACTLY what I used to say, before I went on a cruise.
I do think that it is preferable to spend time on land when you want to do it rather than when the onshore tour guide says so.
But I can see how with a cruise, getting it all in a package deal can be both a moneysaver as well as a mindsaver--some people enjoy having it all figured out for them.
Obviously there are different sorts of cruises.
I've done the humungous floating-hotel cruise thing, and I don't think I want to do that again anytime soon.
One that appeals to me is a riverboat cruise through France, or maybe just a houseboat kind of deal where we'd rent the houseboat and go at our own leisure.
Cruises are one option in a plethora of vacation possibility. Its not the only vacation I care to do, but going with a large family reunion group as we did was a hassle free, PEACEFUL (or busy) option for a group of diverse family members.
I thought of it, but everyone tells me about all the eating and more eating, and the one day here and the next day there and more eating foods one is not use too. I am a diabetic and its hard enough to manage it. I think a cruise for me would make it very hard finding proper foods I felt I could eat and was use to eating, and way to much time in situations where food would be part of my day.
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, kayaking in the pacific, whale watching, hicking over "jurrasic Park" type gorges, sunrise bike ride on volcano land. I found 'adventurous' to be an understatement.
