hubby wants to go on a cruise.......

21 years ago

ok heres the problem, my hubby wants so badly to go on a cruise and stay about 5 or so days, i don't fly, not because of 9/11 either, just never liked it. We live in Jersey and from what i see and hear they all leave from Florida. We cant drive there and back, not enough time. Is there any place that a cruise starts out at close by or not too far of a drive. I did get a brochure from AAA last month about one leaving from Maine and going to Nova Scotia for a few days. He says it wont be warm enough to swim and have the fun like on an island. Open for any suggestions here, thanks a lot.

Lynda

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (20)

johndeere
21 years ago
Show him the brocures and the cost of a cruise and the tipping they expect.He will chage his mind and you will not have to fly.My wife wanted to go on a cruise was unsure about flying it worked for her and I saved a bundle.
Roberta_Wi
21 years ago
hate to disagree with JohnDeere but a cruise is the most wonderful, fantastic, entertaining and economical vacation you can go on (for the amount of entertainment and type of food you get .... I'm not trying to compare a cruise to Motel 6 or camping!) If you figured out what the entertainment alone would cost that is included in your cruise cost you will find that you are getting a wonderful deal. It took me 17 years to convince my husband to go on a cruise and once he went I couldn't get him to consider another type of vacation! He would come home every year raving about what a good time we had and by the time we were planning the next years vacation he had a list of people that wanted to go with us!!!
Cruising isn't for everyone but you can't tell until you try it. There are cruises from Boston to Bermuda that might be what works best for you ... There are a lot of really good deals right now too so you will be able to find something that works for you. If you have any questions about cruises, please feel free to email me.
Have a great vacation wherever you go!
Related Discussions
Hubby wanted a 'natural' lawn
Q
Comments (16)
A lawn, a meadow and a prairie are three different things. Try and find out which one you two can agree on. There are also degrees to how pristine a lawn needs to be. There are low growing grasses that don't need so much mowing by the way. No matter which of the three you chose there is no escaping lots of prep. work and at least some maintenance. There are also low growing flowers and forbs. I wouldn't worry too much about what the neighbors think but that's just me and it sounds like your own preferences are not exactly being expressed. I have seen some very beautiful native plantings in place of lawns but they still require work and lots of weeding and mulching. Don't know which you purchased but a lot of "wildflower" packets are loaded with annuals, weed seeds and invasives. Tilling would probably make it worse. Your imported soil or your mulch may have been loaded with weed seeds as well. Some of the wildflowers also don't look great for the first year or two so maybe there are a few gems hiding in there which, hopefully, don't get overwhelmed by dandelions and such. Mowing will encourage grasses and discourage other plants to some degree.
...See More
WOO*Whoooooo,Hubby wants----------
Q
Comments (12)
I bet if you emailed Patty, she could include some heirloom tomatoes if there are extras. (the wish list swap) Dirtbert got the gist of hybrid vs heirloom right. Some hybrids do grow true--or almost true--from saved seed, Trudi seems to have tested that a lot. I love that I can save my own seed from heirlooms. The seed stays good for several years, too. I love the different colors available in heirloom tomatoes, I don't know if you will too, or if you just want red tomatoes. I LOVE to use: Old Ivory Egg or Persimmon (yellow, yellow-orange) Green Zebra (green and stripey) Black Krim (purple-brown) and a pink, like Caspian Pink or Porter Pink in a fresh mozzarella salad -- Ensalata Caprese. Oh, I need summer to get here!
...See More
My hubbie is going to be arrested!
Q
Comments (8)
Tushie implants? Just kidding! I wish I had his problem! Is his predicament due to weight loss? Or is he at a "certain age"? If he is in the process of losing weight, maybe you can sew a non-slip strip to the inside of his waistbands until he's ready for a smaller size. That should hang on to his skin or a tucked in shirt pretty well. Bras are starting to come with non-slip strips on the underside of straps, so it seems plausible. Otherwise you could make him some custom jeans if your machine can handle denim. HTH
...See More
Want my stepkids to live with us but my hubbies avoid the topic
Q
Comments (20)
I don't want to repeat myself--so read what I posted last on this thread. Thanks to benicebekind (smile), I'll write a little about what happens when you 'take over' for another person--that is how you train other people to be dependent on you. What that can lead to is not good. A person that is fairly normal will resent another person from wanting or trying to 'take over' for them (that would be me). Some people like the challenge that comes with life and aren't all that agreeable to someone else thinking for them, or doing for them, etc. (that's me too) I don't want to ramble on about the entire subject, so let me give a couple examples. A friend of mine was complaining about his wife (a professor at a university) missing important appointments and forgetting obligations, being constantly unprepared, etc. It was creating all kinds of dilemmas and involving other people coming to her aid. Her lack of organization was affecting too many areas of their life. He was even concerned that not meeting deadlines for important things would have something to do with her not obtaining tenure at the university (no job). I suggested that she needed a secretary. Of course, that was an unhelpful suggestion because we knew that their incomes wouldn't support such an extravagance. The husband tried to help by purchasing a dayplanner and trying to keep track of things for her, etc.--calling her throughout the day to remind her of things and seeing her off early every day with a checklist to make sure she had everything she needed that day. He was even helping her with the on-line university course she had obligated herself to. She was constantly overextending herself--and that was partly because she had stopped being realistic about what she could/would handle. He was more concerned about her lack of organization than she was. He had helped her all the years she was studying for her doctorate, etc. He was finding life quite frustrating--trying to keep track of her responsibilities and his own. He didn't know what to do. You see, by taking care of so many things that his wife could take care of on her own, he had trained his wife to be dependent upon him. He just thought he was being a great guy--but now her lack of organization was affecting the family life and her professional life. After all the money sunk into her career, the thought of her not getting tenure was more than he cared to even think about. The same story could be altered some and apply to the experiences he and his kids were sharing. I can tell you that having known this person for all his life, he was a tremendous self-starter and achiever. What caused him to place tremendous pressure on his family to achieve--I don't know. His kids are nervous wrecks and someday will face the dilemma of never being satisfied with themselves. They will most likely perpetuate the pressure that was placed on them with the love of their life and their children too. When we try to take over for other people--we usually have good intentions--and we all know that we need each other--I'm not talking about the healthy kind of help and support we give each other. The inspiration and encouragement we offer each other is often the best and most we can or should do for each other. When we 'take over' for another person, the message given is that we do not believe in this other person; we do not trust this other person; we are insecure and have to take things into our own hands. These messages are demeaning to the development of a marital relationship and even more harmful to the development of a child/teenager/young adult. 'Taking over' for another person when that other person is quite capable or WOULD be quite capable if we would give them the freedom to make mistakes and take responsibility for their decisions and actions and feelings, robs another person of their dignity and causes the human soul to falter. Making mistakes and suffering the consequences is part of learning. When you step in to prevent a person from suffering (PLEASE--take this in the spirit I mean it to be taken), you are hindering that person from progressing. Have you ever watched the people in the office that are right there to do extra work to make themselves just about indispensable--looking for a raise or some favoritism? Waiting for their boss to think, what would I do without that person? So sometimes having another person dependent on us isn't all that bad. In our personal lives, it can be disastrous. The wife that wants to take the husband's previous partner on, so-to-speak, is trespassing. If the husband gets used to his wife taking care of his business (even tresspassing to do so), and even going over his head with the children, and even more than willing to 'take on' the relatives--is it any wonder that one day she hears herself saying how he just puts off doing things until time runs out and she has to take care of things? There are guys out there that have become so dependent on their wives, that they have just about stopped thinking. If there was ever a hint of being a leader--it goes away. No wife and no child will benefit from a husband or dad that does not take on leadership in his own life. How often I hear women complain that their husbands don't show them affection--well, what guy wants to make love to his mother. Think about it. It gives me the creeps, and it gives most guys the creeps. You have no idea. There might be a few places (ok, so there are allot of places) in our lives where a mother is great, but when the woman in our life starts to sound like a mother--willing and waiting to take over for us, wanting to think for us, wanting to do what we can do ourselves--well, you gals may not know what I mean--and a lot of guys haven't been able to put it into words, but take it from me--it is no good to play mama with your husbands. Financial problems--mostly the result of not having discipline. A wife wearing the pants wants this and that. Make wife happy and you'll be happy too. Is that the way it goes? So you can't afford to take your kids to the ball game cause you have a high mortage--cause you bought a brand new home and for no money down, and your are paying high insurance rates for that new car--cause you could buy it for no money down. And your kids all have new shoes and you've got nice furniture and you know that you are spending too much on your credit card--but you just don't have the cash. You hope nothing needs to get fixed, and you keep the speed limit--cause a speeding ticket will cause you to go over the edge. Your daughter wants to get married and you have no money saved. You end up going on pills for depression--or spend the food money on a drinking binge, or your mortgage money on gambling, or maybe you'll just go crazy and take it out on the kids and wife, or maybe you'll just give up--period. You would like to blame your mom and dad for not teaching you how to make decisions or have some control over yourself, but you've heard lately that YOU are accountable for your actions. Maybe you can get a wife who will say that all will be well if you will just let her think for you. So the role of being dependent continues in your life. Oh, and did you tell this woman that wants to help you raise your kids (pay some bills and cook and clean for you, etc., etc.) that she will have to continue to work till kingdom come to support your dependent soul? My folks would very often say, "Give to the world the best you have, and the best will come back to you." I try to be the best person that I can be. I don't think about what's going to come back to me. I think my folks would like that I feel that way. Some people can't help it that they are dependent. You have compassion on those people. You accept them even though they can't help themselves much. You love them. But you don't let them mess with your soul. If they are stupid--you just take that into account, but you don't let them lead you, and you don't let them manipulate you. Enough said. Anyway, I've gone on too long. I hope I haven't offended anyone. Cheers
...See More
KTKelly
21 years ago
This is not the best time of year to go on a cruise. You've got to be aware that it is hurricane season, so there is always the chance of bad weather.

Yes, there are some cruise that run out of some of the more northern ports. Although those cruises will typically not go all the way to cancun, St.Thomas-St.Croix and the like, unless they are longer than 7 days.

But, if you have never been on a cruise, you should definitely consider it. It's a really great way to sit back, relax and let the time go by.
Metfan
21 years ago
Jersey_ponder, are you planning on going during the winter months? Because if not, there are tons of cruises out of NY. I don't know when they stop leaving from NY, but its at least September or October. Also, there are some cruises out of Baltimore and that's not too far a drive. Depending on when you want to go, you should check out the cruiselines web sites. I wish I could go on a cruise now. I've done it once and LOVED it! Good luck.
jersey_ponder
Original Author
21 years ago
not sure where or when but if we do go it wont be soon, maybe after the new yr, depends on where we go and the weather where we are going. As you can see I know nothing about cruises, all I do know is he has been bugging me for years and says we're going within a yr or hes going alone...lol my 22 yr old son said no way dad I'm going with you. food, women, snorkeling, lets leave Mom home. nice kid huh? he he
anyway, thanks all for the tips, I really would like to go, just not flying to get to the ship.
acey
21 years ago
Wow! I can't imagine never flying or taking a cruise!
Wait til next spring, bite the bullet, fly to Alaska and get a combo cruise and land tour! If you never do anything travel wise again, Alaska will burn into your memory for the rest of your life! Plus, it is in your own country!
MaryAnn_AL
21 years ago
There are cruises that leave from New York and Virginia to the Caribbean. Check out CarnivalCruise.com or royal caribbean's web site. They list iteraries and prices. I've been wanting to go for years also...maybe one of these days. I don't care to fly either. I live in Alabama so I would either drive to Florida or New Orleans.
TibbyToby
21 years ago
There are cruises out of NY, Boston, New Orleans, Philly, Baltimore and many, many more port cities. The cruiselines were hurt badly after 9/11. People JUST did NOT want to fly. The cruiselines have responded. They have added so many new embarktaion ports.. at first, they thought it would be temorary, but the responce to these new ports have been great. Call a TA, ask lots of questions..tell her what you want.. how many days, inside/outside or balcony room, port intensive or mostly sea days. Cruising is only 10% of the travel market, but that 10% is repeaters. People love to cruise... once you do, you'll never want to vacation any other way. I'm about to go on my 7th cruise, in November. There are great prices on cruises, right now.
Good luck... you'll have a blast!
Tibby
trekaren
21 years ago
KTKelly,
FYI we went on our cruise in hurricane season. There is no reason not to, due to hurricanes or storms. The ships navigate around these, and if a port of call is affected, go to an alternate port of call.

There was actually a tropical storm in the carribean when we did our cruise. And we had no problems.
carole602
21 years ago
For goodness sakes - a brochure price is something NO ONE ever pays unless somebody rips them off! Get in the know by visiting a couple of the cruise lines' websites online. What you'll pay is usually around 50 to 60% of what the so-called list (or brochure) price is. Holland America's website is particularly easy to work with and their prices always include the entire cost (port fees, etc.)
KTKelly
21 years ago
TREKaren:

I'm really glad that you had "no problems" when there was a tropical storm while you were on your cruise. But the fact is that typically during the hurricane season, the ships cannot simply navigate around these storms and simply go to "alternate ports" at will. Many, many times, the cruises will have you in for the ride of your life during these times. And no, you will not get a rebate if you are caught in one of these situations.

Nothing personal, but through experience I can say that you are most assuredly incorrect in your statement.
MsMagnolia
21 years ago
I've been on several cruises, and I think it's by far the best bang for the buck. I love crusing, and would go anytime someone suggests it! Since I live in New Orleans, it's easy to get on the ship. However, I've also flown to Florida and gone on a couple of cruises from Ft. Lauderdale and Miami.

My favorite cruise was with my two sisters. We flew from N.O. to San Juan, PR, and boarded the ship there. Went to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Martinique, Barbados, and also had two half-days in San Juan. Wonderful!

I think if anyone goes on one cruise, they will want to cruise again, and again. There's always so much to do - and everything's included in the price - EXCEPT Cokes and liquor - and the tips, which I think are fair. (If you were in a restaurant and had to tip for every meal, you'd shell out a lot more.)

I have been on 5 Carnival cruises - and after the first cruise was booked thru a travel agent, I've gone directly thru Carnival.com. You simply give your phone number (IF you want them to call you), and they've always called me within an hour. They're great to work with, can answer ALL your questions, set up the vacation as you want it, with no problem.

Go for it! Go on your cruise, and then come back and tell us how much you LOVE crusing!
DAVC
21 years ago
You can leave right from NYC and get to Bermuda or Nova Scotia/Canada. I look out my window daily this time of year (well, from I think May till the end of October) and see the cruise ships go by on the Hudson River. Check the cruiseline web sites (carnival, norweigan, royal caribbean, princess, etc.) and look for cruises leaving from NYC... no flying involved.
pal98
21 years ago
I went on a carnival cruise and I did not enjoy it. The whole time we were gone, I felt like I was being marketed to to spend more money. The shore excursions were overpriced and I could have done better by finding something off the ship after we were in port. Cruises are for party people who enjoy shopping, crowds, getting dressed up for dinner (at the specified time). I enjoy nature and peaceful walks -- not what a cruise is about.
KTKelly
21 years ago
It is true that cruises are not for everyone.

pal98, apparently likes going for long nature walks. Well you're definitely not going to find that on a cruise ship!

Nothing wrong with taking a vacation that involves communing with nature. Actually is something we tend to need now and then. Just sit around and watch the world go past?

Have been on more "nature" type of vacations than cruises myself.

That said, the cruises that I have been on, have all been with Carnival Lines. Always had fun, gambled a bit, played tourist a bit, saw the ship board shows and gained my fair share of pounds from the wonderful food.

Yes, you are "pitched" at every possible moment, although I didn't consider it a big problem.

My only "bad", (as MsMagnolia pointed out) is the fact that if you want something other than coffee or water at times other than the meals, you'll be out of pocket to the tune of $3.50 for a coke (not gonna happen).

No cokes or iced tea available for we non coffee drinkers, unless we wanted to pay for something? NOT FAIR! I DOTH PROTEST.

First cruise I actually went ashore at the first port of call, bought a small cooler and several six packs of my favorite. Problem solved.

Second cruise, planned ahead for this issue.
johndeere
21 years ago
50 TO 60 percent lower then the brocure is still a rip off.$3.50 for a coke I would take a cooler.
kelleylaura
21 years ago
Cruises leave from New York to Bermuda and beyond in the Caribbean. Look up the cruise websites, plus, expedia.com and travelocity.com have all of the published cruises, and reasonably priced. Just type in your embarkation/debarkation ports and there you go! Cruises are absolutely the best value. Avoid Carnival, they're geared toward the young budget-minded crowd anyways. Go through a travel agent and call around to compare with other travel agents for the same cruise. No one pays brochure prices, ever, and if so, they've paid far too much. Cruises are a very affordable way to enjoy a vacation. Enjoy.
JerriEllijay
21 years ago
Jersey Ponder - since the basic problem you have is with the flying portion of vacation, why not take a course on how to get over your "fear" of flying? Think of how this will open up all sorts of opportunities to see the world. I would hate to be limited to seeing places that I could only get to by car or boat. I imagine your husband would be thrilled beyond believe that you did this just for him.

Have fun wherever you go...jerri
vera123
21 years ago
Our entire family is going on a cruise in March to Cozumel and we are leaving out of Tampa. I've heard the price of drinks is outrageous, so how does the cooler work? Can we bring one on board the ship with beers/wine, ice tea, etc?
Any advice is really appreciated!

Vera
butterfly130
21 years ago
I have been on several cruises, my last Oct 02 was 11-night to Eastern Carribean, and I will go on as many more as I can find the time and money to go. There are activites to do if you want, lounging/resting if you want, excursions you can sign up for thru the ship or do your own, whatever you want to do. As far as the drinks, all alcohol is a separate charge which should be expected. However, soda/coffee is included and every ship I've been on has many cafe's, dining rooms, buffets that are open at some time or another nearly 24 hours a day. Coolers are not allowed to be brought on board but either your room will have a small refrigerator or you will have an ice bucket that the room steward will keep full. DON'T drink the soda that is in your cabin - the charge for that is $3.50 a can. If you are not flying, bring a 12pk in your suitcase. On my last cruise, the first after 9/11, any bag/pocketbook/tote was scanned thru a metal detector when you returned to the ship. Now, if you brought a pack of soda with you back to the ship, would they let you bring it on? I don't know, didn't try it.
The rules can be different according to the cruise line you are sailing on. Tipping, dining times, entertainment, activities and changing all the time becaused the consumers request it. There are cruises for adults only, free style cruises where there is no defined dining time and the tips are included in your price, single cruises, etc. Talk to friends, coworkers, anyone who has cruised and they will give you hints and tips of what to expect and what to avoid.
Carnival is for the younger set, not for me. Celebrity has upscale dining (quiet, elegant, gourmet), Royal Carribean has theme nights (American, Italian,etc, waiters parade and sing, more FUN than Celebrity, but food is excellent), top notch entertainment in theatre. Check with travel agents about other lines and what they have to offer.
Personally, I love crusing. I would like to spend more time in port so I can explore but then again, that gives me an excuse to take another cruise.
If you are still unsure, just take a 5 day cruise for your first. However, you will spend the first day getting to the departure destination checking in and leaving port and the last day you will probably arrive back home @ 8am and spend the rest of that day getting home, so that only leaves 3 days to go somewhere/see something/relax but it will give you a general idea of cruising.
Good luck and maybe I'll see you on a ship sometme. I'll be the one with the big smile on my face.

hubby wants to go on a cruise.......

Comments (20)

johndeere

Roberta_Wi

Related Discussions

KTKelly

Metfan

jersey_ponder
Original Author

acey

MaryAnn_AL

TibbyToby

trekaren

carole602

KTKelly

MsMagnolia

DAVC

pal98

KTKelly

johndeere

kelleylaura

JerriEllijay

vera123

butterfly130

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

hubby wants to go on a cruise.......

Comments (20)

Related Discussions

jersey_ponderOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

jersey_ponder
Original Author