No, that's me. I'm a walking dichotomy. I fear being in open water (physically) because I can't swim (and I'm afraid of swamp monsters). I also fear canoes/kayaks/boats et al, because I don't think they are big enough to defend against the larger variety swamp monsters, and I don't trust them not to sink/flip/catch fire/etc. In a contradiction I can neither explain nor fathom, I am fascinated by big ships - and cruise ships are just big floating cities. It's not like I don't think about it, it's just a different kind of fear. It doesn't overwhelm me and paralyze me. A lifelong interest in ships/shipping (Navy and Merchant Marine family!) gives me an appreciation for how strong and powerful ships are. They move the world, and they can take a lickin' and keep on tickin.' Little boats, not so much.
We do trans-Atlantic crossings 3-4x a year and have been in some pretty bad storms. In June 2018 our ship conducted a rescue at sea during a storm I thought was going to rip the ship apart (it's on YouTube). As we headed into the storm, I lay in bed that night thinking, "Well, this is how it's going to end for us. Laying in bed, holding hands." As terrified as I was, I felt strangely comforted that we'd die together. We usually book the QM2 (an ocean-liner) vs a cruise ship when we're crossing the North Atlantic - there is a
world of difference in how she handles rough seas. However.... if Norwegian has a 13-day crossing from Florida to Barcelona for $599 - yeah, NCL it is. I'm more frugal than I am afeared of big ships.
I'm afraid it's true - but I'm not THAT kind of Cruise Queen. I don't cruise for the joy of cruising, nor do I own a single article of clothing with my favorite cruise line on it. We do it strictly to get from Point A (US) to Point B (Europe) and back again. We both hate flying, and after decades of frequent flying for work, we just aren't doing it anymore. An 8 or 9 hour flight is uncomfortable and I arrive tired, cranky, and miserable -
plus I'm jet lagged for days. On a 7- to 14-day cruise I get fed, watered, and pampered around the clock, I get to see a few sites along the way, meet some interesting people, and arrive rested and relaxed with no jet lag!
We don't take advantage of most of the onboard activities, which makes us a bit of a mystery to our table mates, who discuss the days events with great enthusiasm. When we do a trans-Atlantic migration, we've just spent two weeks dealing with the logistics of closing down a home for the season. We're tired and we're resting up for another week or so of dealing with the logistics of
opening a home for the season. So our cruise itinerary looks something like this:
-Wake up
-Breakfast in Buffet
-Nap in Cabin
-Lunch in Buffet or Dining Room or Both
-Nap in Cabin
-Dinner in Dining Room
-Bedtime
I don't know, something about the salt air and the gentle waves puts me to sleep.
We break up the naps with lots of reading, talking, and an occasional drink or lecture if it's a particularly interesting subject (true crime) - but we're not there for wet t-shirt contests on the Lido Deck, or to learn ballroom dancing or water painting. We're just two people, in-transit, and caught between two worlds for a week or so. It's a nice transition. Cunard gives us free wifi, but we unplug while we're at sea. I check messages twice a day (for emergencies) and keep my phone off the rest of the time. It's wonderful, a really relaxing and civilized way to travel (harp music at dinner!).
If you have the time to do it (min 7 days), I highly recommend it. It is not as expensive as people think it is, maybe $200-$300 more than an airline ticket
and no baggage limit. If it fits in your cabin, you can bring it with you. An exhausting 14 hour day of running thru airports and being shoe-horned into a seat for 8 hours? Or a relaxing 7 day All-You-Can-Eat Vacation at Sea? It's an easy choice for me.