How to Convince Your Spouse (or Family or Friend) to Take a Cruise

It can be really frustrating when you’re itching to try a cruise, but your spouse keeps putting up roadblocks. And with every bad news story, that roadblock gets taller and wider.

For a veteran cruiser, it can be maddening when you can’t get your family member or friend to try one. It’s kind of like having a favorite food that no one else will taste.

I’ve been there. I’ve done my share of coaxing, cajoling and arm-twisting. Sometimes it’s worked. Sometimes, it hasn’t. In any event, here are my very best suggestions for getting that special someone to try something we just know they’re going to like. If only…

Find out what excites them and zero in on it. For an active person, play up the rock climbing walls,

Rock climbing on the Allure of the Seas

zip lining and surf-maker on Royal Caribbean’s Oasis-class ships. The catamaran, parasailing or scuba diving excursions in the Caribbean islands. Entice gamblers with visions of roulette tables at sea. Tempt people who want to be pampered with menus of massages

Allure's Solarium

Appeal to all the senses. My spouse and I talked about cruising for years before trying it. Behind our procrastination was fear—we really had no idea what it was like. After all, it’s not like you can just walk onto a cruise ship, take a look around, say thank you and be on your way. And photos don’t really do it. Video helps because it involves more of the senses; it allows you to feel the excitement in a way that photos just can’t

So, find a documentary on cruising. You can rent one from your local library or see if the Travel Channel is airing one. Visit the cruise line websites for video clips and 360-degree views. Here’s a video on the Oasis class ships. Also, check out YouTube; it’s got a treasure trove of clips cruisers have posted from their trips

Let them hear someone else’s voice other than your own. The person you may trying to convince may be tuning you out at this point. If you know someone else who’s a cruise enthusiast, recruit him/her to help. Does your spouse/family/friend have a newspaper or magazine he/she regularly reads and trusts? Find an article on cruising from this source and share it, such as this one from The New York Times

Show them the cost. In the end, many things come down to cost. And this is where you can get some of your best ammunition. Break down a typical vacation to calculate the daily cost. Do the same for a cruise. Here’s one tool you can use

If none of these strategies work, don’t despair. It’s always possible some of this has gotten through and then when you least expect it, your spouse/family/friend has jumped onboard!

 

 

What to Do With Those Cruise Trip Photos

Given the choice, most people wouldn’t want to give up their digital cameras and go back to film. Yet, part of me looks back wistfully at the days when I didn’t come home from a trip with 2,000 photos to go through.

On a recent cruise, upon seeing that my spouse and I were about to go into a port with five cameras between us, a woman said to us, “We don’t take photos any more. What do you do with them?”

 
Good question.
 
To give purpose to the drudgery of going through digital trip photos, a few years ago I scouted around for ideas and have since put (some of them) into action. Below are the ones I’ve come up with. If you’ve got others, do share!
 
Calendar—I’ve been creating one every year from Costco’s photo online service, but there are many places that do it—Shutterfly, CVS, Walgreen’s—to name a few. Calendars are cheap to produce and you get to relive your trip all year round

 

Digital picture frame—We’ve got a bunch of these now at home and work, each with different photos. They’re easy to use and you can swap out individual photos or whole SD cards when you get tired of the same images. For me, the mother of all digital frames is the Nix 15” X15B. The resolution makes pictures pop and the screen is big enough to really bring the Caribbean to life right there on your desk
 
Photo books—Someone I know has created many of these—hard-bound, coffee table-worthy books of travel shots from digital pictures. They’re really an updated version of the old photo album but much better. She did them through Shutterfly and they’re reasonably priced
 
Computer and cell phone wallpapers—Take your best photos and turn them into wallpaper or a screen saver for your computer and cell phone. Much better than downloading someone else’s
 
Other stuff—Then there’s Christmas cards, prints for the wall, mugs, mouse pads, magnets, key chains…And photo contests. Or, you could do what I did—start a blog!

Alas, you’ll still have to go through your 2,000 photos when you get home. But, at least you’ll have something to do with them!

P.S. You can even get started while you’re still onboard—Holland America and Celebrity both offer digital photo workshops (availability may vary by ship).

 

Why You Should Do Your Own Research

On our recent cruise in the eastern Caribbean, in the crowded cafeteria, we ended up sharing a table at lunch with an elderly couple we didn’t know. We struck up a conversation and eventually, it turned to the ports. “Do you know anything about Dominica?” the woman asked. “Someone told us not to get off the ship because it’s too dangerous.”

The harbor of Roseau, Dominica

I was speechless, which, believe me, doesn’t happen too often. Roseau, Dominica is one of our favorite ports, I replied when I found my voice. And then I extolled the virtues of the island—its  compact harbor tightly framed by lush green mountains, generous display of colorful tropical foliage throughout the capital city and the array of earthy locally made baskets for sale. Not to mention the free wi-fi from the nearby public library…



Sold by vendors along the pier

When we got to Dominica, my spouse and I left the pier to begin our usual jaunt up and down the hilly streets. Before we had walked more than a few blocks, we bumped into the same couple. They breathlessly told us about a little museum they discovered where they learned about the island’s culture and history. And they marveled at how they had this little gem completely to themselves.

The woman paused, looked at me and then added, “You know, you were right about Dominica. Next time we take a trip, I’m going to get a book and do my own research.”