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Ya'll are gonna get so sick of me. I am definitely a planner. I ask tons of questions. Heck, I have been to Disney World only since I was born, and I still ask for suggestions!
So, here is the deal.
My mom hates boats. She loves the beach, but hates boats. Now, she'll go on some of them.....she does not mind the Jungle Cruise or FriendShips. She has always been dead set against a cruise. (Also, the reputation of some cruise lines have scared her off)
I will spare you the details, but we somehow convinced my mom to do a Disney Cruise. So the question at this point is the 4 night Bahamian or the 7 night Eastern? Now, maybe just MAYBE, my mom will love it and want to go back again and again. But, I expect that this will likely be our only cruise as a whole family.
A part of me thinks we should do the 4 nighter because it will be easier on her. We'll get the cruise experience, get to eat at each of the restaurants, get to hang out on Castaway Cay and Nassau. But the selfish side of me (and my sister) really wants to go to St. Maarten and St. Thomas. And if this is going to likely be our only family cruise, I'd like to do it right and get the full experience. But, I am afraid 7 nights may be too much for her.
If we did do the 4 nighter, we would likely want to do the Double Dip. BUT, at that price point, you get more for your money to just do the 7 night.
I know you all probably have more experience dealing with finnicky children, but do you have any suggestions for which one would be better in my situation?
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We're getting ready to take our first cruise ever in Nov. so I don't have any personal experience info to offer. But.... your mom sounds like mine and if I were ever able to talk mine into a cruise we would do the shorter one to make sure she could handle it. I would hate to get out there and her start hating it and still have a lot of days left to be miserable...
I think that depends partially on whether or not your Mom would enjoy the things they have to offer on the ship. You have to remember that on the Eastern there are 3 days at sea, so if your Mom isn't really into the seminars, movies, etc...they have onboard she may just be bored on those days, and her fear may get the best of her since it's all she has to concentrate on.
Remember also, that if she has a fear of the sea, the 4 day spends two days in port where she can get on land quickly if she starts to get nervous.
We took my parents on a 3 day cruise for their first one and they had a blast. Don't think they would have done near as well on a 7 day cruise though. They wouldn't be interested in taking part in most of the shipboard activities on sea days.
What specifically about boats does she hate? Does she get motion sick? Does she feel claustrophobic?
While planning for the Panama cruise we decided to book the Passporter Dream Cruise and invite my mom, who has never been on a cruise. After we returned from the Panama cruise we were talking to her about all the excursions we took and activities we did everyday and she commented that she wasn't sure she wanted to go because she is a more sedate type of person. I told her that she didn't "have" to do anything while on board, she could choose to sit on the veranda and read all day if she wanted. She was all worried that we were going to expect her to keep up with us going snorkeling or parasailing or whatever.
What specifically about boats does she hate? Does she get motion sick? Does she feel claustrophobic?
While planning for the Panama cruise we decided to book the Passporter Dream Cruise and invite my mom, who has never been on a cruise. After we returned from the Panama cruise we were talking to her about all the excursions we took and activities we did everyday and she commented that she wasn't sure she wanted to go because she is a more sedate type of person. I told her that she didn't "have" to do anything while on board, she could choose to sit on the veranda and read all day if she wanted. She was all worried that we were going to expect her to keep up with us going snorkeling or parasailing or whatever.
Well, this is gonna sound looney tunes, but.....when my mom was much much younger, her friends and her were playing the Ouija Board, and they asked how she was going to die. And it said on a cruise (it also gave an age which she passed up many, many years ago).
As far as things to do and what not, I am not sure. My mom recently retired, and ever since has been rush rush rush rush rush, always has to have something to do. BUT, that said, anytime we are on vacation, at Disney or at the beach or at an amusement park, my mom is just happy as a clam to lay poolside all day. Now, in a cruise setting, would it be the same way? I don't know.
My aunt and uncle and their family, whom we are very close to, did a cruise the past couple of years. They are very much like us. They never did a cruise before, not really out of fear or anything, they just never had. Welp, they loved it. I believe they are even thinking of doing the Disney Cruise thing sometime in the future. So I guess there is a chance my mom loves it, but still...
In response to Mozart, yeah, that is why I suggested the double dip or the 5 day cruise, because with the 4 day, we would be on land every single day. But, for one, the dates offered are much more limited. And again, value wise, the 7 day just seems like so much more sense.
Ok, I get it. Sort of an irrational fear, but a fear nonetheless. I wish you luck with your dilemma. Keep us posted!! All I can say is we just went on our first cruise and I had a horrible fear that I would get seasick because I'd gotten violently ill on smaller boats before. So we jumped in with both feet and did the 15 day repo and I didn't get sick once, even in rough seas, and I was only periodically taking a Bonine here and there. I am so glad I went and faced my fears! Can't wait for the next one!
You have to remember that on the Eastern there are 3 days at sea,
This is why - for our first ever cruise last year, we went with the 7 day Western Caribbean......I was REALLY worried that I would be sick the entire time the boat was moving (I am and have always been prone to motion sickness) - so I tried to get the most out of my money AND the lesser days at sea.
NOW that I've been and have experienced it - I would do the Eastern in a heartbeat since the days at sea were great (and other than that very first night on-board, I didn't really feel a thing!). (Although, we are doing the Western again this December, but that was because we wanted Costa Maya and the double dip at Castaway cay......now we just get the double dip - which is fine by us!
fyi - i used the patch to control my motion sickness......but i'm not sure i really needed it - the side effects were pretty harsh - by wednesday i had blurred vision and couldn't read anything in front of my face or take pictures properly!!!!! :-) I was too worried to take it off "cold turkey" so I left it on and oy vey!!!!!
:-D This time i'll just manage that first day/night with dramamine or bonine.
with your dilemma. We did a four-day to make sure we'd enjoy it. Not for any fears of ships or seasickness....Sulley spent 22 years in the Navy and didn't really care to be on a ship at all. I had to convince him it wasn't like he was in the Navy and nobody was going to expect him to work, and we'd be comfortable, not on a rack somewhere in the bowels of the ship!
He loved it, of course, and we are getting ready for our fourth cruise in as many years.
And laying by the adult pool? You don't even know you are on a ship. It's Sulley's most favorite place on board!
Hope you are able to come to a mutual agreement and your Mom ends up loving it!
I hate to get all psychological on you guys. A lot of the reason this is such a dilemma, is just because of me basically.
My mindset is such that one would think we have a lot less money than we really have. Now, we are not rich by any stretch of the imagination, but we are also not as poor as we are inside my head.
My parents did not have a lot of money when they were growing up. But, they made a nice life for themselves and for my sister and me. We have been blessed. But, I don't know if it is guilt or what, but I have always gone through life with watching my money very much on the brain.
Which brings us to today. EVERY vacation we ever do, but especially Disney, I always approach as if it is our last. Christ had the Last Supper, and in universities, professors give Last Lectures. And I guess I approach our trips as if every one is the Last Vacation. We could be homeless tomorrow, and if this is gonna be it, I want the vacation to be the best ever.
Guess that irrational thing runs in the family, eh?
Last edited by mackeymouse; 06-29-2008 at 09:31 PM..
Not to fear, I am of the same mindset. Sulley often has to talk me down from the ledge that I am not bordering on homeless, etc. I guess growing up as a military brat, marrying into the military, there was never very much money. So even though we no longer live paycheck to paycheck, I am always positive I am inches away from poverty. So I totally understand your feelings. You just have to have faith.
Phobias are irrational fears. Irrational fears can't be reasoned away (hence, irrational). I'm a claustrophobe. Particularly places with low overheads. I can't go into caves, for instance. Can't explain why, it just is. The king will get the tide to not come in before I'll go in a cave.
I took my mom on a cruise last year and there was a concern if she would like it or not. Her issue, however, was that she always got sea sick on boats. We did a 4 night cruise and she was fine the whole time. She definitely enjoyed herself. My mom did say, though, that she would cruise again, but would only like to do a short cruise. She thinks that's just enough and that the 7 nighter would be too long. My mom is also the type that likes to lay by the pool/beach and is perfectly content just like that.
I think that with the short cruise you really can't go wrong. Even if your mom doesn't have a great time, she's not stuck on the boat for too long, and if she does really love it, then you can convince her to go again on a longer cruise!
If this WERE to be your last vacation, would you want it to one in which your Mom (and possibly everyone else in your party) was miserable for the last 3 days when that didn't have to be the case? If I were in your position, I would try to aim for a vacation that, at best, everyone will enjoy or, at worst, certain people would at least be able to tolerate.
If this WERE to be your last vacation, would you want it to one in which your Mom (and possibly everyone else in your party) was miserable for the last 3 days when that didn't have to be the case? If I were in your position, I would try to aim for a vacation that, at best, everyone will enjoy or, at worst, certain people would at least be able to tolerate.
Very insightful and great advice.
To tell you the truth, there for a while I was really leaning toward the 4 day Bahamian cruise. Then.....I was cursed with seeing the Disney Navigators for various trips.
I looked at the 4 day, and thought to myself, there is no way we can possibly do everything we'd want to do in 4 days. Heck, when I looked at the 7 day, I remember thinking, "How are we gonna do everything?" Then, I read a trip log of someone who did the 4 day, and wished they had booked longer, and I was kind of sold.
BUT, we will not be even entertaining the idea of booking for another 6 months-1 year, so anything can change between now and then.
__________________
"I'm doing this because I want to do it better" -Walter Elias Disney, on creating Walt Disney World
Just wanted to chime in and say that we chose the 4-nighter for our first cruise last summer, and it was just right. We were tentative about what to do, as our son is definitely not the adventurous type, and to try and figure out 3 more days of stuff would have overwhelmed us all! But we are so looking forward to our upcoming 7-night cruise and know that it will be even better. You're getting such good advice here, but I just had to say that the 4-night can be just right in some circumstances, and might be the way to go for you this time.
Hope you get it figured out the best possible way for all y'all!!
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with your dilemma. We did a four-day to make sure we'd enjoy it. Not for any fears of ships or seasickness....Sulley spent 22 years in the Navy and didn't really care to be on a ship at all. I had to convince him it wasn't like he was in the Navy and nobody was going to expect him to work, and we'd be comfortable, not on a rack somewhere in the bowels of the ship! 
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"I'm doing this because I want to do it better" -Walter Elias Disney, on creating Walt Disney World
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