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I think you really have nothing to be afraid of, but if it's a big issue maybe go on a road trip instead?
We are cruising to Italy for our honeymoon and though we've traveled (and cruised) before that cruiseliner accident shook me up. It's not totally irrational but once you put it in perspective, cruising is safer than driving. I say just book it.
Another option would be a nice road trip somewhere like Savannah, GA which I hear is beautiful. Miss Labrador (from the blog) got married there and it just looked so romantic.
Unfortunately you hear of plane crashes too oftern and we all still fly. I think it's just a shock because you don't usually hear of cruises having problems. I wouldn't not book a cruise because of what just happened, that is like never driving again because you heard of someone being injured or dying in a car accident.
Same thing with plane crashes. If a plane were to crash today I would be afraid to fly for a while. BUT statistically we all have a greater chance of dying from a car crash, and I can't stop driving because I see a car crash on the side of the road every day. Life in itself is dangerous!
So true, ladies!
We actually originally wanted to do a Savannah honeymoon, but I heard the weather is really awful and humid in August. Like I said, we are not big travelers (it's just so expensive, isnt it?!?) so we want to go somewhere really awesome!
You could wait a couple of months and go to Savannah if that's what you really want to do. We delayed our honeymoon a month because we wanted the weather to be better. Either way, you'll be fine. Book it. 
@futuremrsmaista: It is hot down here in the summer but being on the water in Savannah/ Tybee Island will make it cooler. Also, look at Hilton Head or you can go to Virginia Beach since its closer to Jersey.
Think of it this way: after that accident the cruise lines are going to be SUPER safe, Carnival/costa and all of the other lines are probably really scared about all of the bad publicity that this crash caused and they are going to AMP up safety precautions big time as a result. Seriously. All the suits and people not booking due to that crash- trust me, they will do everything in their power to make sure that such accidents become as rare as humanly possible. (and, btw, these accidents were few and far between to begin with.) So, if anything your cruise just went from being very safe to even safer (very, very, very safe).
You'll be fine!! We went on a cruise for our honeymoon and had a blast! We plan on doing one every other year. Really, it was awesome not having to pack and unpack but still being in a new place each day. And, we took naps every afternoon between our excursions and dinner-- honeymoon heaven!
I know the recent events are scary, but cruises are super safe. Pay attention to all of the safety stuff they do at the beginning so you are confident in what to do IF something happens... which is totally unlikely.
I think it's not entirely unfounded to be concerned about safety, but I'm WAY more afraid of car crashes than a cruise ship. It never even crossed my mind that they could tip over until recently :P And I've been on 3, in hurricanes no less, with no problems. I think you should go for it; however, we ARE big travelers and are very comfortable in the water (in case anything was to happen) so that's a change in perspective that might affect my opinion :)
The road trip ideas have also been great, but if you're from NJ, you'll think it's muggy down here in August. I have several coworkers from the NE and they all complain from May-October about the air down here :P.
omgosh, someone with the same fear as me!
I never want to go on a cruise...I know the boats are big, but I just don't want to be on a boat in the ocean!
I think you should book it. I would never book a Carnival Cruise (Costa - the ship that crashed in Italy - is part of Carnival) as its a partying cruiseline and we like a quieter more romantic atmosphere. But we love Norwegian Cruise Line (and highly recommend especially if you don't want to party all day with college students and also if you want to be able to choose your own dinner times and sit by yourselves as opposed to at a large table). Cruises are amazing because everything you need is right on the boat!! You can get off at ports if you want but its not even necessary. Plus, if you can't fly, its a perfect way to see other parts of the world that youd otherwise not get to see. I definitely think you should book it! We're thinking of doing a world cruise for our honeymoon if we have time.
I understand your concern but I wouldnt worry about the cruise. That was a rare occasion due to a horrible captain. Cruises are generally pretty safe and they give you a pretty good bang for your buck.
You can always wait for your honeymoon! Don't forget that, especially if you really want to do something else. My sister waited about 6 months for hers, as she wanted to go snowboarding in Alaska.
We took a beach trip after our wedding, mostly because we wanted to go to the beach but couldn't afford the summer months. We booked a cruise in April for our honeymoon though, and are still looking forward to it. I'm more afraid of the airplane than I am of the cruise ship. I'm really looking forward to our cruise though, and while seeing this makes me nervous, I really hope it opens the window to new safety measures. We are going on the Allure of the Seas with Royal Caribbean. I've sailed Carnival before but wasn't that impressed with them.
Think of how many cruises have gone on uneventfully since the Italian cruise ship incident. You only hear about the bad experiences, obviously. Actually, it might be a little safer to take a cruise after this incident happened because they are really focused on safety right now.
You have nothing to be afraid of. We cruised for our HM and it was the best time of our lives. Yes, you're "stuck" on a boat but it's not like you're in a canoe for days. Cruise ships are like small floating cities. As for the capsizing fears, thats understandable given the recent news story but the odds of your ship sinking are like one in a million. The cruise ship that capsized had significant human error so as long as your captain isn't drunk or trying to cut corners, you'll be fine.
I HIGHLY recommend cruising. Actually, I can't wait to book our next one and that's even after we had a bit of unexpected craziness on our cruise. I'm too lazy to type up our experience but you can check it out here, if you're interested.
Book the cruise. You won't regret it!
I have never been on a cruise, and I can't swim. (not that 'swimming' will do much good to me in the middle of the ocean if we were to capsize!), but i am still VERY EXCITED to go on a cruise ONE day. (We just don't have the money right now.)
As for the cruise ship capsizing, i think they said it was a captain error. Or maybe they are putting the blame on him because they need some kind of scapegoat to tell people about. Who knows he could be getting paid a LOT under the table to take most or all of the blame. Big billion dollar companies are not far from doing that kind of 'thing'. Especially because the cost to make the boat is in the MILLIONS of dollars. And plus their shares plummeted by 18%+!
But does that mean that YOUR boat will meet witih the same fate? I don't think so. Just cruise responsibly. I.e. make sure you know your safety exits and all the safety talk they give at the beginnning. BE PREPARED. Life is more dangerous crossing the streets you cross every single day than being on a ship isolated in the ocean . And leave the rest up to God/life.
My FH and I booked one for our honeymoon; he gets plane sick, but not seasick lol I agree with alot of the others, it's not going to stop me from going on my cruise at all... but you two need to be as relaxed as you can be on your honeymoon. :)
It's an easy choice for us, beacuse we live in Barbados, and the Victory comes every Wednesday, so it's taking us and dropping us right back on our door step :D :D
Whatever you decide, enjoy yourself:)
Why don't you try a one or two day cruise to see if you like it.
I would start off taking a shorter cruise (3-5 days) and see how you like it. I love cruising and you are on such a big ship you really don't get bothered being out in the water. They get to destinations pretty fast. I have to admit on my first cruise I was a little scared and when they first set sail you have to get use to the rocking of the boat but after a while it's really fun. Boat accidents almost rarely ever happen and I'm sure after the recent incident in Europe the captains of these ships are going to be extra careful so your chance of anything happening now is pretty close to nil.
I know how those fears are though - I'm terrified of flying the same way you are scared of cruising. When it all comes down to it though they are the more safer forms of travel.
my husband hates crowds, small spaces and gets horrible motion sickness and he did wonderfully on a cruise! you shouldn't be afraid - they are tons of fun and you will really enjoy yourself.
The whole Italian cruise ship thing was because one captain chose to make some really stupid decisions. Cruise ships leave ports every single day and you almost never hear of problems. i've been on 3 cruises and each one is better than the last.
I am a big cruiser and we are doing a cruise for our honeymoon! This kind of stuff never happens with cruises because they are so safe. The problem was with the captain of the ship in Italy was he went off his course that the cruise line allows and did not look properly at the depth or the maps to see what was around him. They put a lot of work into making sure those boats have safe waters to travel into. They were supposed to be 600 meters from land and he brought the ship to 150 meters. I am sure with all of this news they will have even more rules in place for the captains! If anything this is the best time to do when they will be wanting to make sure passengers feel safe and still travel using cruises! You will love it and a great bang for your buck! Also if you can swing it get a balcany! 100% worth the extra money :)
I have been on 7 cruises, and I absolutely love them! It's so relaxing to not have to worry about where you're going to eat at or how you're going to get to your next destination. I like how everything I could need or want is right there on the ship!
A cruise is the least boatlike experience you can have on a boat. It's more a floating city than a boat. Cruises are incredibly safe, and if they appeal to you you'll be fine.
Cruises are amazing. Think about it this way: they have email. How bad can it get if they're that well-connected even out in the middle of the ocean? You'd be on common cruising paths, I'd expect -- and as everyone has said, cruise ships' safety precautions were good, and they're going to get even better.
I'm with you. You couldn't pay me to go on a cruise ship.
It's not even the risk of sinking that worries me- its a combo of seasickness and clostrophobia and knowing that once you're on that ship you are not getting off until the cruise is over. bah.
Anyway, I'd suggest doing a trip on Amtrak. If you wanted to do something beachy, you can drive down to Virginia and catch a car transport train that will drop you in FL.
Or, take amtrak up to Montreal/Quebec- I haven't been to Montreal (yet), but I hear awesome things- and Quebec City is freaking amazing. I loved it there so much! And it would make for a very romantic honeymoon!!
Good luck :)
@September29: yup, agree 100%! Everything you said, plus the massive risk of sicknesses being spread through the ship. My parents took a Caribbean and an Alaskan cruise, and both times they, along with approx 30% of the other people on the boats, developed Norwalk virus and missed out on 1/2 the cruise, stuck in their rooms sick. On the Caribbean cruise 8 ppl had to be airlifted off the boat and rushed to the hospital! Like you - you couldn't pay me to get on a cruise ship.
I am scared too. My dad is a pilot and I like to remember what he always says in relation to flying: Driving is SO much more dangerous. There are many more crashes. And we drive ALL THE TIME. Right?
OK, I love cruises (as mentioned above), but I will also put in a plug for Amtrak. I love trains!
@futuremrsmaista: I would honestly wait until later if going to the coast. June 1 = November 30 is hurricane season, I would not plan for beach/water activity during those months. Yes I realize that this takes 6 months out of the equation, however, I would rather not have to change my plans last minute due to a storm.
I live in South Florida, and have my whole life. I am also a travel agent, so this is something that I have to let clients know all the time. Take it with a grain of salt, but know that the possibility of problems can arise.
As far as the Costa accident, the captain was an idiot and should most certainly be charged/convicted of manslaughter. He was trying to prove how close he could get to the island, and failed miserably. The cruise industry does sail at almost full capacity with hundreds of ships carrying thousands of customers daily. A cruise is safer than walking across the street.
What a lovely holiday plan, cruises are extremely luxurious and I think you should throw your reservations out the window (or would that be the porthole? haha)
No seriously, very rare things go wrong with cruises :)
@ScarletBegonia: The thing about norwalk virus is that it is an intestinal bug that is already in your system before it shows. Before boarding the ship there is a form required asking if you have had any nausea/vomiting or the like in the last 48 hours, most 99% people lie about this, and that is when the virus gets on the ship and then spreads. If people get sick in the first 48 hours of the cruise, it was already in their system, not something picked up onboard.
When there is an outbreak the crew goes into action and the entire ship is bleached to rid the virus. I have been on many ships where this has happened, including the MSC Lyrica on her first trip to the US and there was a sickness onboard. We were at the port and smelling the bleach, they were washing the inside and outside of the ships, the rooms and all. The ship was a couple hours late leaving so they could ventilate.
Fact of matter is.... people pay thousands of dollars for the cruise, but will not pay a hundred for insurance, then they get sick. Rather than losing thier money, they go anyway and then infect others.
Most of the time as well, the people that are ill, it is normally due to the change in eating. They are eating a lot of different foods than they would normally eat, and a lot more than normal, and probably more often. That would make anyone sick. Not to mention then they add in alcohol. Think about this... put 2500 people in one place for a week, and see how many get sick. Doesn't matter if it is a school, a park or a ship. You are going to have illness.
Heck, I am more scared of getting sick in a hospital than on a ship. 12 cruises and no illness for me yet. However I want to Tulsa in 1996 for the weekend and ended up in the ER for hours due to a stomach bug. Won't make me not visit Oklahoma again.
@clover32512: totally!! My mom said on the alaskan cruise, a family of 8 who were in the cabins around theirs ALL started showing signs about 6 hours after leaving the Vancouver port. I mean - theres no way of knowing, Norwalk does come on really suddenly and stuff...but thats why i wouldn't put myself at risk - in a semi-closed environment like a cruise ship, where you are constantly in communal environments and touching surfaces and stuff, its just too hard to avoid.
Then again, I'm a serious emetophobic (fear of vomiting), so there are alot of perfectly normal situations i also wouldn't put myself into for fear of getting sick!
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So, FI and I are on a budget for our honeymoon, but we (obviously) would love to have a nice honeymoon. We've never been ANYWHERE together, except for a work trip I had. He's also never been out of the states! I can not fly, due to eye trauma and cabin pressure. SO, we've been thinking a cruise is our best bet. We haven't booked yet, but I am all the sudden TERRIFIED of being stuck on a boat in the water. And NOW, that whole thing in the news about the Italian cruise ship that capsized....and pirating fears....I know this may be irrational, but FI and I are not big travelors, and I'm a HUGE worrywort....clearly.
Are these normal or rational fears? Should we just book it? Any suggestions/thoughts would be greatly appreciated!