For many people, cruises can be idyllic getaways from the daily grind. When you’re on a giant ship in the middle of the ocean, far away from home and work and all of your worries, it’s pretty hard to be stressed. This isn’t the case for everyone, however. For those that suffer from fears of the ocean, or seasickness, or are simply always jumping to the worst possible solution (we’ve all seen Titanic…), cruises can seem like a nightmare. Luckily, there are plenty of ways that the cruise-averse can conquer their fears and learn to appreciate the unique travel experience for what it can offer.
Book a cruise with frequent stops
While some may think of cruises as non-stop sailing escapades filled with nausea and non-stop water, this is not the case for all cruises. There are many excellent options with frequent stops where the cruise itself is mainly a method of getting from port to port. During the days, you’ll be enjoying exotic locations and adventure; during the nights, you’ll either be sleeping on the ship or busy with festivities to the point where you’ll hardly be aware that you’re at sea. Looking specifically for trips with many stops will help avoid seasickness and cabin fever alike, so be mindful of the at-sea time of your trip when booking if this describes you!
Believe it or not: cruises are safe!
While this may be a hard thing to believe for those with ship-phobia, cruises are indeed a very safe mode of transportation. While TV and movies love to dramatize the dangers of the open ocean, cruise ships are specifically designed with safety in mind and are inspected often by both the Coast Guard and the crew on board. If anything were to go wrong, there are people on board tasked with solving any problems quickly and efficiently. There are plenty of figures out there that even point to cruises being much safer than flying on a plane (and don’t even get us started on how much safer it is than driving a car). If you are someone afraid of catastrophes, just keep this in mind!
The power in your hands
While it may seem that the terrifying nature of a cruise is inescapable once on board, this is not entirely true. For those horrified of seasickness, there are plenty of good over-the-counter medications available. For those scared of something as outlandish as falling overboard, you can rest assured that you would have to go out of your way to make that happen. For those who are afraid of going crazy from being stuck on the sea for too long, remember that cruises are designed from the ground up to be fun! Do a little research beforehand and you’ll find that all cruises have more than enough options on them to keep you more than sane.
Cruises, much like airplanes, can sometimes seem an impossible fear to overcome for some people. If you are looking for a way to push those fears aside and take the relaxing trip of a lifetime, remember the tips above! Try to remember that your fears have a source, and if you can identify that source, you can work towards finding the solution.
