Having so much trouble finding cruising buddies!

[Pretty Poly]

My husband and I are both in our late 20s and love to cruise with Disney! We've taken 4, plus 1 carnival, and the service on disney just doesn't compare.

We usually cruise alone for our anniversary, but that didn't work out this year so we're trying to get one booked for next january or february. I really wanted to try and get some of our friends to go, but no one wants to join us! It has nothing to do with the fact that it's Disney or the price, just everything else on the planet. One says she doesn't want to take that many days from work (it's a 5 day), another couple is trying to have a baby and doesn't think it's safe to cruise if shes pregnant, another went back to school and can't miss classes, one is a teacher and won't go on vacation when class is in season, and another couple who LOVE cruises won't give us a straight answer.

Am i the only one with this problem?? Don't get me wrong, it's fine if it's just DH and I, but I see him all the time, lol, and I'd love to sit with people we know at dinner and have another girl to do stuff with that DH doesn't like.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My husband and I are both in our late 20s and love to cruise with Disney! We've taken 4, plus 1 carnival, and the service on disney just doesn't compare.

We usually cruise alone for our anniversary, but that didn't work out this year so we're trying to get one booked for next january or february. I really wanted to try and get some of our friends to go, but no one wants to join us! It has nothing to do with the fact that it's Disney or the price, just everything else on the planet. One says she doesn't want to take that many days from work (it's a 5 day), another couple is trying to have a baby and doesn't think it's safe to cruise if shes pregnant, another went back to school and can't miss classes, one is a teacher and won't go on vacation when class is in season, and another couple who LOVE cruises won't give us a straight answer.

Am i the only one with this problem?? Don't get me wrong, it's fine if it's just DH and I, but I see him all the time, lol, and I'd love to sit with people we know at dinner and have another girl to do stuff with that DH doesn't like.

I will point out that, as long as you don't request a table for just the two of you, at dinner you will be assigned to a table with others. In most cases, DCL is quite good about assigning tablemates of comperable ages, family make up, and kid ages. You could meet some new friends. Many people have reported here that friendships made at DCL dinner tables have continued long past the cruise.

 

[chateau]

We're in the same boat....would even share a suite if someone would be game... but everone has their own agenda, and life plans.

 

[ImDMous]

In May we went on the Fantasy for a 7-day. We booked it 14 months ahead and sent the info to all the family and friends at that time because we thought it would be really fun to have a group. It was just us on the cruise. I don't understand why it's so hard to get people to go on vacation even with over a year's notice. We had fun without them.

 

[JOANNEL]

We have made a great group of cruising friends. It started here for a DVC member cruise. This month will be our 6th cruise together and we have Aulani planned for next year. We are quite a bit older so it's easier, no one has kids in school any more. Keep trying, we love our cruise buddies!!!

 

[Otimon]

Join the cruise meet thread for your cruise and inquire if anyone may be traveling alone, or a single parent with a youngster, and who would enjoy getting together on the ship. Get to know them via Facebook before the cruise.

Also, maybe you and your husband could try new things together on the cruise, such as enjoying foods you never ate before, wine tastings, couple's massage, visiting a new place at one of the ports, etc. etc. It won't take long to get to know folks on a cruise who have the same interests.

Good luck and whatever you decide, have a wonderful cruise.

 

[MTmomma]

I never quite understood why people feel the need to drag other families/extended family on vacation. We go to get away from ours!

 

[chateau]

oops, forgot they read the board too

 

[Pretty Poly]

I never quite understood why people feel the need to drag other families/extended family on vacation. We go to get away from ours!

Oh, we never ever ever cruise with family! Not our families at least, lol. Yes, we always look forward to sitting with people at dinner and there have been some great tablemates, but we've also had some complete duds.

Not that I mind at all, but the cruise meets are usually people with children who do the early seating and are on a different schedule. Don't get a wrong - DH and I always have a fabulous time, but i'd love to go with some friends too. I've even tried to plan a girls weekend away without the guys and didn't even have any takers for the 3 day.

 

[holula]

I never quite understood why people feel the need to drag other families/extended family on vacation. We go to get away from ours!

Thankfully I now live in another country to mine but they are coming on a cruise with us in December 2013. I feel this was a mistake but we have the Walt suite (and my parents are paying the difference between two staterooms and that) so... I am not complaining.

However, finding friends to come on a cruise is IMPOSSIBLE. I have a four day booked in January, offered to everyone I know at my expense and no takers. It's ridiculous! I would take a free cruise in a heartbeat.

 

[jlemieu1]

I got a story that is kind of simular. I thought it would be a cool idea to book my entire family on a 5 day Dream. I told all my family about my idea and they basically blew me off including my brother who tends to forget stuff.
Months passed by then I hear my brother came up with a cool idea to go on a DCL to Alaska.... So I gave up.
Now I'm taking my most Disney girls(two nieces) on a Nov Dream cruise in Walt Suite. I'm glad I'm just keeping it to the Disney fans, they are SO EXCITED....it is the others loss

 

[sissy_ib]

We just took a vacation to Vegas with my BIL and his fiance. NEVER AGAIN! They wanted us to show them around but didn't want to do anything we suggested. It was a nightmare. I told my DH we are never going on vacation with other people again. It is one of those things that sounds great in theory but in practice, not so much.

ETA: They invited us on that trip and they were the ones who acted like they didn't want to be there. Still not sure what that was about...

 

[dleighb]

I understand the teacher. My SIL is a teacher and she can't take off for vacation. She can be sick, but that is about it.

As to your friend who is trying to get pregnant, in 1998 we went on a DCL cruise with a couple who spent years trying to get pregnant. They had actually given up and assumed that it wasn't going to happen. They were looking at other options. As it happens, they can pinpoint their date of conception down to their first night on the ship. Just in case you need a story to try and entice your friends who are trying to have a baby.

We've done a cruise with friends, a cruise with my parents, and a cruise with my parents and my brother and SIL. Now we're going on another one with another couple and their kids. I like cruising with people. It means that if DH wants to do something and I want to do something else, we don't feel obligated to go with each other. I know on this next cruise, DH and our friend will do all the alcohol tastings while I and his wife will do more girly options.

 

[elaine amj]

Obviously if your friends are not enthusiastic, they're not interested.

A few years ago our close friends started cruising. We had no interest or desire nor did it fit within our budget. They didn't ask, we didn't say we were interested either. They went, had fun, came back and told us all about it.

Last year we were talking and for some reason or other we both said it would be fun to cruise together. It started as a Disney cruise. Then she waffled. After a couple of months, she said she was interested but by that time the Disney cruise price was more than I wanted to pay so I said no Disney. We ended up finding a RCCL cruise and cruised together. So much fun!!

We are now planning our next cruise together next year.

So far no one else has agreed to come. For one family, their baby is too little for them to feel it's "worth it". Another family felt it's out of their price range. Another friend doesn't have someone to travel with and travelling single would be too $$. Yet another set of friends would love to go but it's too $$ plus the dates don't work out for them.

So....lots of "interest" but everyone has completely legitimate reasons for not wanting to go. And that's completely fine. It's a $$ vacation and for a group trip to work, everyone has to agree it is a great vacation "for them".

We're also trying to coordinate a group West Coast trip and one family has already completely backed out.

Maybe your friends like a different line. Or maybe your friends want to vacation someplace different.

 

[chateau]

Thankfully I now live in another country to mine but they are coming on a cruise with us in December 2013. I feel this was a mistake but we have the Walt suite (and my parents are paying the difference between two staterooms and that) so... I am not complaining.

However, finding friends to come on a cruise is IMPOSSIBLE. I have a four day booked in January, offered to everyone I know at my expense and no takers. It's ridiculous! I would take a free cruise in a heartbeat.

I need a hug...

 

[PrincessShmoo]

We had the opposite experience. DH & I booked our cruise. The next day, we mentioned it to DHs mom & her husband, and just fleetingly said, "would you be interested?" We thought they might, but weren't going to be disappointed if they said no. They said yes, so we called and got a reservation for them too.

The next day, the phone rings, it's DHs sister, "Ummmm....can we come, too?". Well TA was closed til Monday. We said we'd call then and see if we can add another room. Called on Monday, added 3rd room.

 

[loricdietzel]

I have a four day booked in January, offered to everyone I know at my expense and no takers. It's ridiculous! I would take a free cruise in a heartbeat.

I SO don't get that! But maybe they would feel "in your debt" and that's why they didn't take you up on it? I'd go with you!!!

Have fun on your cruise!!!

 

[remisue16]

I never quite understood why people feel the need to drag other families/extended family on vacation. We go to get away from ours!

We actually love cruising with our families. Almost every vacation we do is with one or the other and it always works out well. Cruising is the best though because we usually do our own thing during the day and get together for dinner at night.

 

[WolfpackFan]

OP - we're kind of in the same category, except we're a lot older (60's). We love to cruise and also go to WDW. We always see these groups (some families and some just friends) and they always look like they are having so much fun. Usually now, it's just me and DW. Our DS37 doesn't like to travel (well to be blunt, he doesn't like to be around children) and DD32 has a serious BF now and probably won't be traveling with us much anymore. We are planning on taking a Fantasy cruise in January 2014 and had some friends who we thought were going with us but they changed their minds. So looks like it will just be DW and myself again. Anybody want to adopt some wannabe grandparents?

PS - I love your last sentence about loving your DH but would like to eat with some others you know. DW says that to me also, says she loves me dearly but sure would like to have some family or friends with us sometimes.

 

[Happy100]

We would love to cruise with family/friends too and have tried to get them to join us but they never would.

We did meet another family on the cruise meets thread and decided to dine together on the cruise. We all had a wonderful time and decided to book another cruise together. Again we all had a wonderful time together. We decided to book #3 together. Well unfortunately they decided to cancel so we are going by ourselves but we will have a fabulous time no matter what. And you never know we may meet another family on our next cruise that loves cruising DCL.