We are signing up for a cruise to Alaska along the Inland Passage and I've never taken a cruise before. The travel agent we're using has fibro and recommends Royal Caribbean cruise line as less expensive and having good rooms with chairs and space to relax away from the noise and people for rests between events. That sounds good although I think it's still expensive. Do any of you take cruises? Do any of you have suggestions for making the trip more comfortable and less stressful?
Hi. It sounds like your travel agent gave you some good notes. So all I can say is to go and enjoy!!
All the best!
HUGGGGGGGGGGGGS
Suzie
I’ve never taken a cruise but my mom and my sister & her family have gone on a number of them. My mother, who is a fit 81, told me that the amount of walking is incredible, that the cabins are usually very far from the activity areas. Then there’s all the walking on & off the ship at ports. My mom didn’t think I could’ve done so much walking (and she’s right.) So bring good walking shoes and cane if you use one.
My folks actually went on that exact same Alaskan cruise last summer (August/Septimber) and said it was cold (40’s) and rainy most of the trip. I don’t know if you are sensitive to weather, but I am so I would not have been able to get out of bed. I could have gone for free but decided not to, and I have always dreamed of seeing Alaska in the summer! Bring some warm clothes and heating pad, whatever you need.
Sorry to be so discouraging, everyone’s Fibro is different, if the walking and weather don’t bother you then you should be fine!
Starr
Although I have never been on a cruise myself, this sounds awesome! At least you have had some reassuring advice from your travel agent. What's the worse thing that can happen? You may not be able to access all trips and activities, but with pacing I suspect you can do the things you most want. Be prepared, as Starr has said, so you can get the best you can out of it. Good luck
Take care, Anne
My sister took my on a Bermuda cruise this past summer for my Birthday. We used Norwegian Cruise Line and she splurged for the mini-spa suite with complementary access to the thermal spa. I have fibro and my sister has a bad back. We spent half the cruise in the thermal spa; it was that amazing. I also paid for a massage. It was pretty expensive, but the masseuse knew more about fibro than some of the doctors I've seen. I've also been on a Carnival Cruise. I hadn't been diagnosed at the time and wasn't suffering from severe symptoms, but I still wouldn't suggest it. It's a lot less flexible and I find that the luxuries on the more expensive cruise lines (more comfortable, larger staterooms, more space on the ship itself, flexible dining) become necessities for people with fibro.
Sounds great, especially the thermal spa and massage. Your sister is great! We're looking at Royal Caribbean instead of Princess, the two lines with the most ships on this route and charging less than Holland America. Our agent also recommends the flexible dining. Plus we're upgrading our room to have seating on the balcony for whale watching and a seating area with two chairs inside the room so my choices are not limited to lying down, standing up, or freezing. If I start a flare I will be able to relax in my room. I'm glad Starr mentioned the cold.
Thank you all for your responses,
Kathy
Stephanie Goldberg said:
My sister took my on a Bermuda cruise this past summer for my Birthday. We used Norwegian Cruise Line and she splurged for the mini-spa suite with complementary access to the thermal spa. I have fibro and my sister has a bad back. We spent half the cruise in the thermal spa; it was that amazing. I also paid for a massage. It was pretty expensive, but the masseuse knew more about fibro than some of the doctors I've seen. I've also been on a Carnival Cruise. I hadn't been diagnosed at the time and wasn't suffering from severe symptoms, but I still wouldn't suggest it. It's a lot less flexible and I find that the luxuries on the more expensive cruise lines (more comfortable, larger staterooms, more space on the ship itself, flexible dining) become necessities for people with fibro.
I have found that Royal Caribbean cruise line is one of the best.Remember you can have your meal in your room if you need to. Enjoy
Good point. I hadn't thought of eating in my room but I bet that will come in handy. Thank you.
I would’ve been stuck like a sardine in a tiny room with 4 bunk beds- if I could’ve had my own room I would have gone!
Hi Kathy
Enjoy the trip. Call the agent or see if you can pull up on line the things like massage or spas that they will offer and the extra charges. I hope you have a great time.
Hi Kathy, wow, what a neat thing to be able to do. You have received wonderful advice from everyone. I just wanted to add that earlier this year I took a leap and took my 11 year old daughter to Disneyland. I was absolutely aprehensive as it is so noisy, crowded, lots of walking, etc. But with good mental preparation as well as physical preparation, I did fine and had a wonderful trip and lasting memory. Please let us know how the cruise goes, I have never been to Alaska or on a cruise :-). Hugs.
We made our decision to take the cruise and signed on the (many) dotted lines. Our trip will be next summer, July 15th 2016. It will be awhile before I can let you know how I liked the trip. Thank you all of you for your comments and suggestions. They helped.
Make sure you book excursions that won’t be too physically difficult and exhausting. Some are more strenuous than others. You also don’t have to book an excursion at every port. Sometimes just a short walk around and then back to the ship is enough. Also massages etc are less expensive on days when the ship is in port
Enjoy knowing you don’t have to pack and repack and change hotels multiple times. Cruises are great