Saturday, May 17, 2008

The Love Boat...promises something for everyone

My husband is an exciting man. In fact, his nickname amongst the guys at work is “Ed-venture”, because he is fearless and creative. He has a unique ability to turn even the most mundane of tasks into an adventure for his work crew, and oftentimes elicits much laughter in the process (which makes their long work days seem not-so-long at all). He is admired by many, and really is the “life of the party”.

That said, you won’t be surprised to hear that those same characteristics ring true in our private lives at home, too. Though I’m oftentimes up for his wacky antics, occasionally I have to draw the line due to my own fears. “What fears, Kim? You are invincible!” Ha! How I wish that were true. I will let you in on a little secret. . . two secrets, actually:

1. I fear deep water.
2. I am somewhat claustrophobic.

(Ahhhh, now you understand?!)

Well then, it should come as no surprise to you to hear me say that I was slightly ambivalent when my husband arrived home from work yesterday with a “brilliant” idea for our next big vacation together – a 12-day Mediterranean cruise. Trapped aboard a boat. A big boat. With thousands of other people. Like a can of sardines. And a small stateroom. Unable to leave at-will. In the middle of a vast, deep, dark ocean. Full of sharks. Out to sea, like sitting ducks at the mercy of the waves and the weather. For days and days and days. Like the Titanic.

Gulp. Breathe.

I realize that to many, a Mediterranean cruise seems like a beautiful, exciting, romantic , fantasy-type of vacation. Sharing good food and fun and lots of laughter with the one you love. A different port-of-call every morning; Venice, Florence, Rome, Dubrovnik, Santorini, Athens, Barcelona. A dream come true, really. Except for the part about being stuck on a boat with thousands of people. In the midst of deep, dark water. For days on end. That thought alone makes my heart race and my throat go dry.

My husband has tried to convince me that the boat is so huge (a “floating city” is what he called it, I believe) that I won’t feel “trapped” on it. I'm not convinced. He encourages me that I won’t get seasick and end up spending every day in the confines of our cabin puking my guts out - because the boat is a LARGE, heavy ship that cuts through the water producing little motion at all, and will not be tossed about by every wave. Unless there's a hurricane. He reminds me how much I love people in general, and especially meeting new friends in the relaxed environment of a vacation where there is music, dancing, and entertainment. Yes, that's true. He entices me with my own lifelong dreams of traveling to different lands experiencing different foods, cultures. And it all sounds SO WONDERFUL – except for the boat. And the deep, dark water.

So, I figured I’d ask for a little advice from you all in hopes of diminishing some of my anxieties over the prospect of a cruise. Has anybody ever been on one before? If so, would you please be so kind (and honest) as to share your experience with me? Did you like it? What were the pros and cons? Are there any little tidbits of advice you could offer a first-timer to ensure a pleasurable experience? Did you get seasick? Do you feel motion at all?

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry no cruise experience, I do tend to think like you on that one. I float on a magic carpet and love it. Think positive, if the boat sinks, I'm sure your husband will hold your head above water.

Soge shirts said...

Never been on a cruise. Really it comes down to your level of comfort. If you aren't comfortable and the thought terrifies you then maybe you should suggest to your husband somewhere else. If you feel you can stomach it then go for it.

Kimba The White Lioness said...

KAK- thanks??? "If the boat sinks"... LOL - nothing like reassuring me that my fears are unfounded...=)

Soge- this has to be planned at least a year in advance, so I would have some time to thoroughly research things, think about them, and adjust my psyche - if I decided to go after all. I'm wondering though if it might not be better for me to start with something smaller than 12 days at sea... like a local cruise ship on the Great Lakes for a weekend, perhaps. Build myself up to a bigger cruise, so to speak. ??

Anonymous said...

Hey Kimba,
I've never been on a cruise or traveled much for that matter. It seems like a wonderful thing tho. I know some people who have gone on cruises and loved it so much that they make plans every year to go to some new place. We all have our fears and overcoming them can be hard obstacles but I know you can do it. Just think of all the fun you can have and what better than to have your soulmate - hubby right beside you reassuring you that all will be ok. Hope you find some answers you are seeking. Perhaps a research of cruises might give you some insight. Make a list of pros and cons and go from there. Sheesh I'm rambling here, lol, but I'm certain that you will make the right choice.

Anonymous said...

OMG! I am such a cruise fanatic! Aside from the various "Cruises" I attended while in the Marine Corps, we had our honeymoon on one that went from Italy to Barcelona!

The next one I went on by my self as part of a digital photography adventure to Alaska. It was also unbelievable.

Aside from that, the sheer logistics of a Cruise far outweigh any "normal" vacation anyone could go on. Think of all of the places a cruise visits, then try to work out a visit to all of the same locations on the same trip taking normal transportation. Not to mention the stresses of the travel and packing/unpacking!

I say go for it! I blogged a bit about my adventure on my site. It is well worth it.

p.s., get some of the sea-sicky wrist bands to help with the nausea/fear. The Mrs. said it helped her immensely.

Heather Dugan Creative / Footsteps said...

I haven't done one (yet) but am considering a cruise for this fall/winter.

-But I bet your husband is right in thinking that you'd enjoy discovering all those places and people. Sounds like a fun adventure to share...!! Hopefully, you could spring for one of the bigger rooms; it sounds like that would be an important consideration for you.

Oh, I hope you go so that you can have fun and tell us about it!

Kimba The White Lioness said...

NGB, thanks so much for your encouragement. And yes, I do plan to check into it further. I'm certainly tempted by the travels - it's just the "boat" issue concerning me, really. But I'm generally logical, so hopefully I can talk some sense into myself!
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SimplyRik, thanks so much for your encouragement! Your passion for cruising tells me how enjoyable it can be, and I definitely plan to look into it! Thanks so much for your comment. =)
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Heather, if you go this fall/winter, please be sure to let me know what your own personal experience was with cruising!