In February 2006 my mom called and asked if Walt and I wanted to go on a Thanksgiving Cruise with them. And that is how my passion for cruising start…with a simple phone call.
I had wanted to go on a cruise since I watched the Love Boat back in the day. Because my parents had already booked the cruise, our specific cruise was selected. I called up Holland America that evening and booked the Zuiderdam. I booked us in an inside cabin, but later on switched to an ocean view during a sale. With 9 months until my first cruise, I needed to snap to it on the planning.
After a Google, or maybe Yahoo, search I discovered Cruise Critic. Oh my, what an incredible resource I had stumbled upon. The message boards provided me a ton of information on Holland America and what to expect. I felt prepared by the time we needed to pack. Oh, and the 9 months leading up to this cruise were insane. In June, Walt had emergency double bypass, so we were not positive we would be able to go. Luckily, 3 months later he got the all clear.
The cruise was an interesting one. Walt and I learned to never cruise during a school holiday, since there were over 700 kiddos onboard. While most were well behaved, it just takes a gaggle of rowdy teenagers at 3am to convince you to avoid school holidays. The ports were wonderful and Thanksgiving onboard was a nice change.
With 11 in our group, I made sure I set some ground rules upfront. Walt and I would be scuba diving in St Thomas. We would eat dinner as a group, but the other meals were up to individuals. I also stated that we would not be doing everything single thing as a group. I think it’s important to set up expectations long before you board the ship.
First cruises are definitely have a learning curve. So, what did I learn? First, I needed to be more organized with my paperwork for the cruise, excursions, purchases, etc. My infamous cruise binder was born. Second, do my homework on cruise lines and see which line fits us best. While I loved the Zuiderdam, at 34 it was not the best fit for me (now at 46, I love Holland America and it’s a great fit…things change with age). Third, avoid school holidays. I had to relearn that one in 2017. Fourth, I am allergic to the patch, so Bonine is my friend. And finally, never book a cabin next to an exterior door. Remember the gaggle of teens at 3am?
So, even though my first cruise had quite a few hiccups, I was still hooked. Since 2006 we have been on 14 cruises, 4 cruise lines for a total of 116 days at sea. Obviously I love to cruise.