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Why are people addicted to cruising?


Joe01

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Got to be honest here, I come across a lot of people over on CC and some here as well who just seem obsessed with cruising. It's like their main hobby that they can't live without.  Same with Virtual of the Seas - I went on those virtual cruises during lockdown but when they stopped, people seemed to freak out.

In all honesty, I was never addicted but my passion seems to have kinda faded over the last year, I guess I've just got my land legs back!

What makes people on here addicted to cruising? What about it do you love so much? Interested to hear what you have to say.

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Being out on the open sea....sunshine (usually), lots of dancing, truly being able to relax and not have to do any cooking or cleaning, meeting new friends, trying new foods, going to bed at night and waking up in a new place, never having to unpack, but seeing a new island or city every few days, great shows, feeling very pampered.  ect. ect ect...

 

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For me, it just ticks all the boxes for a great vacation trip. And it does it for less than I've seen it cost to go by air with a hotel stay.

  • Visits to cities I can't otherwise see, with chances to experience their scenery / culture / etc
  • It's only a day for each place, but that's enough to give me a sense of whether it's a place I actually liked visiting in the end, not just thinking "Man, I really want to see this place!"; and that's enough time to decide if I want to experience more (repeat cruise? land tour?)
  • I get good to great food each night without paying extra
  • I have a place to sleep each night, at whatever level of basic or luxury I want to go -- be that through cabin class or ship choice; again without paying extra
  • And I have the transportation to each of those places, with as much entertainment and activities as I feel like indulging in for those in-between days; slower than a plane, but when that means  a chance to recover from a crazy long day (or set of days), that's a good thing!; and once again it's all part of that total cost and not a penny more
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For me, as a parent, it is truly the only time that I can get away and 100% relax and not do anything!  That is what cruising represents to me. It is not just a vacation. It is more than that. In addition, I truly believe that cruising offers the best value for a vacation compared to other options.

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I get away and 100% relax.  

I get away from my house, my job, politics, having to feed the animals, driving....yadayadayada...

 

And one thing that has always stood out for me - the crew members treat me like I'm somebody,

which is so rare these days.  They are unfailingly courteous, friendly, and respectful - as I am to them.

 

I've only been on 4 so far, but I'm as hooked as I can be - I would cruise right now at 11:30 on Friday 

night in the middle of a pandemic if I could.  Just love it.

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I was introduced to cruising by my father, a Navy veteran who fought in WWII. He loved ships and being on the water, and shared that experience with his family, although in a much more glamorous way!  My first cruise was in the Mediterranean when I was a teenager, and I was mesmerized by the calm blue waters, clear sky and exotic destinations.  Cruising became a type of vacation experience that was simply a part of all our lives--more than just an addiction.  Yes, I do many other kinds of vacations as well--drive, fly, all -inclusive and so forth, but boarding a ship, unpacking once, dressing for dinner, formally meeting the captain, enjoying live shows, seeing all the stars at night, and pulling into a port that beckons with beauty, history and adventure totally enriches the story of my life.  I am a lifelong cruiser!!

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I like being pampered as much (or as little) as I am willing to pay for. I also like that my daughter loves Adventure Ocean so it gives me a break, and I can actually have a conversation with my husband without being interrupted 1000 times.

I like that my extended family all enjoy cruising, so it's an easy, easy way for a large group to enjoy a vacation together with someone else doing the cooking, cleaning, etc. and not having to worry about where to stay, where to eat, how to get around.

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We enjoy seeing/visiting different places without having to unpack. For us, it offers such a diverse experience. The crew is phenomenal! I’ve yet to have a land based (in the US) vacation where the employees are all so courteous. It’s so nice to feel like you’re appreciated for coming. This particularly stands out when you first get off the ship and go to the airport. Now that’s a slap in the face right there! Lol 

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I'll repeat pretty much what others have said

  • it's a way to totally get away from work and problems, etc
  • it's a way to have complete family time (no internet for us so we really just enjoy our time together)
  • no cooking, cleaning and laundry (well ok...laundry will be waiting when we return but none to be done during the week)
  • so much to do for all of us, adults and kids, between the amenities (swimming, mini golf, rock wall, waterslides, zipline, laser tag, sky pad, etc etc depending on the ship) and the organized activities (e.g. scavenger huts, trivia, dance classes, games such as giant jenga, etc etc)
  • great food selection and love the sit down every night
  • excellent entertainment and variety every single night (broadway shows, musical acts, comedy type shows, etc, then fun things like Love & Marriage, Quest, Battle of the Sexes, etc)
  • yummy fun drinks
  • different music playing in the evenings (schooner bar, other areas along the promenade)
  • crew is generally excellent, smiling, happy
  • excellent ambiance...I love just waking and exploring the ship, looking at the art work on the walls and around the ship, etc
  • relaxing...nothing better than going for a walk and watching the water move by (will often just watch the wake at the back)
  • and seeing different places for a day

I really don't think any other vacation even comes close.  

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Like most others, there are so many reasons, when you walk in and they greet you with a smile and welcome you aboard, it’s like YES, I’m on vacation, after that first few hours it’s off to dinner to meet new friends or dine with old friends, we met a couple about ten years ago from Napa, were midwestern folks, we have cruised together ever since, every year and visit each other yearly, except this year, we did get a cruise in, in late January. We enjoy waking up to a new island and exploring those islands or at times just get some sun on the top deck, no phones, no computers, just fun in the sun.

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I cruised with Uncle Sam years ago and fell in love with the oceans, the ports, the sea gulls, the marine life, seeing merchant ships at sea, the tug boats, the junks....the whole deal. Unfortunately we were busy raising a family and couldn't afford cruises for many years. Now we can and I still love the sea. I don't know if we are addicted to cruising  yet but it seems like we are getting that way. We see the cruises as a great way to see new places, get entertained, eat well, and relax if we want to or get exhausted if we want to....our choice. And this takes place all in a relatively small area. Compared to a vacation where we would be flying or driving, staying in a hotel, eating wherever, maybe renting a car, paying for entertainment....cruising is more appealing! Can't wait for our next one!

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One more thing that I thought of: I feel very safe on a cruise ship. Years ago when I was a cute blonde 20-something-year-old, I would go to land-based resorts and be "propositioned" (if you know what I mean) by the local resort staff. Made me feel very uncomfortable and I wouldn't go anywhere on the resort property by myself.

Contrarily, the staff on RCL ships have always been extraordinarily courteous and polite and not leering in any regard. Now that my nieces have grown up to be beautiful young teenagers, I am thoroughly comfortable with them walking to/from the cabin by themselves without worrying about them being approached in an inappropriate way.

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Simply put.. Its the perfect vacation for us..  With my ADD I cant stand to stay in one place for too long lol.. Theme parks don't interest us whatsoever,  I like the fact that once I cross the gangway I really don't have to worry about a thing for 7 nights..  When we took our first cruise back in 2016, I almost kicked my own A## for not doing it sooner lol.. 

As far as obsessed.. Yeah I guess I am.. I look for deals and price drops on a weekly basis.. Im on YouTube a lot watching cruise videos and constantly talking about cruises.. lol.. 

 

 

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You could book a week in a spanish resort which you enjoy or you could book a week on a cruiseship which is a floating resort and each new day you wake up in a new country. 

Each new place we visit is a new experience and as our time on this planet is limited we need to make the most of them and venture out to experience new things! 

No point looking back in 20 yrs with regrets 

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The only responsibility I have for 7 days is to make it back to the room under my own power, make it back to the ship on time and not be a ?head to anyone. 

I can eat and drink to my hearts content, I can choose to do it all or do nothing at all.  It just doesn't get any better than that.  

I will also add that I am not a very social person on land but I find meeting new people and hanging out quite enjoyable on the ship.  

 

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For most of life raising kids we had at a young age we rarely took vacations, 1) we could not afford them and 2) the time we could take them was taken by "kids" travels and obligations. Once the kids were grown and out of the house, we had friends who insisted we go with their family of grownups on a cruise telling us they do this every year and we would not regret it. The trip along the Eastern Caribbean was unbelievable and we did not realize it but the "hook" was set. Later that year I had a heart scare that really puts life into perspective. Nothing major but really shakes your foundation. The wife and I sat down and decided that of all the travels with the kids and places we had seen, the cruise was at the top of the list in all of the items mentioned above. Since then we have been on at least 3 per year and have taken our kids families, grandkids separately (much better) and now they are looking at when they can return to the ship. It is the feeling of total relaxation when you step across the gangway and know that you will be pampered, entertained and taken care of, and best of all I can shut off and out the daily grind for a week of total rest.

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Cruise Vacation versus a resort vacation:

Yes I am hooked/addicted to cruising if that's what you call it.  

I will compare going to a resort or other destinations compared to a cruise vacation as an example of why I am only addicted to cruises and not just going to travel destinations.

When I spend any length of time at all at a resort, compared to a cruise vacation, I am bored for the most part.

 At a resort, I ask myself:

"Where is the fabulous entertainment each day and night?" "Where is my compass which is loaded with a list of daily activities".  "Where is the wonderful food provided all day long which is included?" (Oh yes for variety I have to drive somewhere".)  Where are all the people who help you?  Where are all the new friends to meet? And where are the different sights to see every day or so without packing and unpacking.  The list goes on and on... ... ... ... ...

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A lot of what has been said is my answer. But for me I was diagnosed with clinical depression when I was 16. My future husband was my only friend and tried to cheer me up. For our first year anniversary he took me on the Shannon Princess. It was a river cruise around Ireland. It was the first time since I was a child that I felt happy. The smell of the water, the access to delicious food and a comfy bed without walking too far was pure joy. Even if it is a land vacation, I always find a way to cruise. Cruising is the one vacation that always makes me happy.

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For somebody who has never cruised, they would not understand the feeling of standing on deck, in the middle of the vast ocean with no land for hundreds of miles, looking up at more stars than you can ever remember seeing before and both feeling so alive and so insignificant at the same time. In those moments, I find cruising to be very humbling. A small fish in a very large pond. Albeit a very happy fish.

 

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I love the idea of unpacking once and getting a taste of lots of different ports.  I am a water baby and love to see the waves from my cabin.  Unlimited Drink Package...yes please.  I also think cruising is a great value for my family.  With two boys who love to eat (my oldest orders everything in the MDR) it has probably actually saved us money over the years ?

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8 minutes ago, Jennifer Kelln said:

I love the idea of unpacking once and getting a taste of lots of different ports.  I am a water baby and love to see the waves from my cabin.  Unlimited Drink Package...yes please.  I also think cruising is a great value for my family.  With two boys who love to eat (my oldest orders everything in the MDR) it has probably actually saved us money over the years ?

Welcome, Jennifer !

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2 hours ago, FManke said:

the feeling of standing on deck, in the middle of the vast ocean with no land for hundreds of miles, looking up at more stars than you can ever remember seeing before

Thank you for reminding me of this! That is probably one of my best memories of our first cruise, standing on the helipad of FotS in the dark, the stars spread out overhead and their colors actually visible to me for the first time in my life. Messaged the kids to come and join us, and thankfully they were able to get there about 10 minutes before some people tried to take photos with their phones or cameras, which of course auto-fired the flash in the dark and alerted security to come and escort us all off the helipad because of the flashes wrecking the bridge crew's vision through their night-sight binocs.

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On 8/1/2020 at 11:33 AM, dawnelda said:

One more thing that I thought of: I feel very safe on a cruise ship. Years ago when I was a cute blonde 20-something-year-old, I would go to land-based resorts and be "propositioned" (if you know what I mean) by the local resort staff. Made me feel very uncomfortable and I wouldn't go anywhere on the resort property by myself.

Contrarily, the staff on RCL ships have always been extraordinarily courteous and polite and not leering in any regard. Now that my nieces have grown up to be beautiful young teenagers, I am thoroughly comfortable with them walking to/from the cabin by themselves without worrying about them being approached in an inappropriate way.

I feel like this isn't talked about a lot and I agree 100%. I've cruised solo and with others and the same with land vacations. The resorts in some countries are awful with the staff following you and making unwanted advances...and in my case, I didn't feel comfortable going to the managers because I was afraid of some sort of retaliation.

Never felt this way on any of my cruises, I've always felt safe walking around the ship.

For me, I'll always choose to be by the water. I grew up on the water, it's my happy place. Add just about everything else that has already been mentioned and it's a perfect vacation.

 

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For years, I resisted the wife's suggestion that we should take a cruise.  I thought it was to expensive; that I'd be bored trapped on a boat, then a coworker told me how much fun they had (this is a person who loves work and has to be made to vacation) I decided to give it a try.  Our first ship was Oasis in April 2018, and we fell in love with cruising.  Love that we could be as busy or relaxing as we wanted, explore ports we had never been, pampered by the crew, more food than one person can eat and sitting on the balcony with a nite cap listening to the ship cut a path thru the ocean,  Since then we have been on 4 cruises,  had to cancel my summer cruise to Alaska and fall cruise to NE/Canada and move them to 2021.  God willing we have 3 scheduled for next year, if they get a handle on the Covid problem I would consider a winter cruise if I can.  So yeah I guess it is an addition or obsession.

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As we're at a stand still with no end in sight, started to discuss alternate vacations with my wife.  When I started to put them together, all the pieces food, hotel, travel, attractions what to do on what day? - I actually have to think about it.    Guess that's why cruising became the "go to".   Just find an attractive itinerary, pay up, and your whole vacation is put together.  Just need to get to the port - but the lines can help with that too.

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Cruising is carefree...everything is included and, as a few others mentioned, you get to be 'pampered' by wonderful staff!  Land vacations bring you to one place at a time (and if you choose to go to more than one place your suitcase and belongings must go with you!!)...whereas cruises will bring you to as many places as you choose and you "live" in one room for the duration!  There is no time wasted looking for specialty restaurants either!!  That's the point...time is yours and when cruising...it remains yours to do whatever it is you'd like to do!

There is no other vacation that matches up to a cruise vacation but that is just my opinion ?

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17 hours ago, Jennifer Kelln said:

I love the idea of unpacking once and getting a taste of lots of different ports.  I am a water baby and love to see the waves from my cabin.  Unlimited Drink Package...yes please.  I also think cruising is a great value for my family.  With two boys who love to eat (my oldest orders everything in the MDR) it has probably actually saved us money over the years ?

We always found Royal kid-friendly, especially on the day I lost my 5-year old son in the men's room (he exited out the 2nd door I never saw).  Our son loved to dress up for the MDR...

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On 7/31/2020 at 7:38 PM, Joe01 said:

Got to be honest here, I come across a lot of people over on CC and some here as well who just seem obsessed with cruising. It's like their main hobby that they can't live without.  Same with Virtual of the Seas - I went on those virtual cruises during lockdown but when they stopped, people seemed to freak out.

In all honesty, I was never addicted but my passion seems to have kinda faded over the last year, I guess I've just got my land legs back!

What makes people on here addicted to cruising? What about it do you love so much? Interested to hear what you have to say.

For me, it's a total escape from reality. I am blessed with a wonderful life...a husband I adore, 3 successful and independent adult children and 3 grandchidren, and amazing friends. That said, life has stress. The second I walk onto a ship, all of my worries seem to just disappear for a short time. I'm a nurturer, and having somebody else (or lots of somebodies) is such a blessing, and really rejuvenates me to come back and give my best to those in my life.
I love the sound and smell of the ocean, and that my only responsibility for the duration of my cruise is to make sure that I am clean...and even if I'm not (didn't get out of the hottub in time, whatever...) someone will still graciously care for me.

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