There's a punch line here .... and I know Im going to regret it BUT .... Tom sucks.

Seriously - a cruise can be a lot of fun. The cabins are really small but you don't spend much time in them. Everything except alcohol and souveniers is usually included. The food is really good and you meet a lot of nice people. You get to see places that you normally wouldn't go. There are pretty good shows and discos on board and other activities. You might try a short 3 to 4 day cruise first to see if you like it.

FUN FUN more FUN!

Not bad if you like ALOT of food and can handle the water without getting seasick. Alot of things to do. Assuming the weather is good. Watch out for auctions of high priced and not very good artwork. Also, with todays lines, there is a high rate of people getting stomach distress/virus or otherwise. SO, I would be careful what I ate and maybe check the record of the cruise line regarding safety and problems they had (fires, outbreaks of illness etc.) before you shell out your money. I'd also try a weekend or 3 day cruise first, to see how your stomach and the rest of you likes it before you book a longer more expensive cruise.

It really depends on you. Food seems to be the big deal, and I have never seen so many morbidly obese people in one place (I don't say that to be mean, it's the truth). Pool and casino are the ongoing time fillers, and if the weather is bad and you don't gamble, better bring a good book. When we docked in Mesico, it was at a little "fake" town, set-up for the touristas, with very high prices. We headed away and into the real town and it was great. Swim with dolphins was very expensive and the actual encounter only lasted minutes, but it was very cool and for me worth the $120. Some single guys in our group went to the singles dance, teenagers with their parents and that was about it. If you're single, go on a singles cruise.

Awesome. Bigger ships are like floating cities. Movie theaters, dances, floor shows, water slides, pools, casinos, bars, FOOD, FOOD And Midnight Buffets in case you get hungry. They do suck you in-- prepare to spend nearly twice what you expected. There are tips --expected for EVERYONE, a picture of you and some stuffed dolphin, pirate, giant 'duck', etc at the bottom of every gangplank at every port, photogs at dinner, art auctions, cards slipped under your door each day telling you where to shop [CL'c own parts of certain shops or are pd a hefty fee to promote], that you should go to get a facial, a massage, hair done, a pedicure, a manicure, a sauna, etc. They will also try to book you on some pricey excursions, during which some companies tell you the tips are included, but not. More $. The side trips can be worth it, and some not. The locals know more, but the independents [local tour operators] are a dicey bunch. May or may not know their stuff, can give the best or worst tour you have ever had, but 1/2 price of the ship booked ones. TALK to your driver, if going this route- not the ticket sales ppl on the dock. Find out who is local, and follow gut instincts... Same w/ local shopping. If the ppl are FROM there [vs popping in a few months a yr to make $], you have recourse if dissatisfied, or if you want more after you go home. Small ship cruising is most fun. The ppl all get to know each other, and many go again and again for years. Booking tours through them onboard are WAY less $$ and good quality too, as making $ off the tours are not their main objective ["Value added"]... Enjoy!

Fat Vegas with a bunch of strangers stuck in the same hotel.

It's like being aboard a floating mini-city and it occasionally 'bumps' up against an island or two, where you can get off and experience totally different cultures, shopping and beautiful sights. While on board, you can enjoy rock climbing, movies, Vegas style shows, club nightlife, incredible food, etc. If you stick to bottled beverages or brewed ice tea you can avoid drink related illnesses, although I never had a problem.

It's a different experience. Inside you feel like you're on land because it's very stable. However, walk to any area with windows and you can see unlimited water in every direction (except in port...). You walk into the restaurant on your first cruise, pick up your food and then go to pay, realizing that you only have one card and you don't need to pay. Everything is free (except for luxuries like casino, shops, etc) and seemingly unlimited. You have your own section of this huge ship (your cabin) to head back to for R&R, although honestly you won't spend much time there. Room service is free, food is available 24hr per day, you have umpteen waiters and servants that are at your beckoning all the time. You can lay on a pool chair all day, flag down a waiter, and get a drink taken right to you. It's the lap of luxury. If you live in Canada, on History Television there's a show called 'Things that Move'. They did one episode not too long ago where they sent the host on a 7-day cruise. It really gives you an idea of what it's like to do it. Of course, they can't cover everything in 30minutes, but it gets the point across. There's music everyday on the Lido deck, several bars available all the time, duty free shops, a golf course, some have rock climbing walls, several pools, pizza bars, etc etc etc. I personally have taken 5 cruises in my life. Everytime I get on a ship I find my cabin, eat, and then spend a few hours exploring the ship (it takes that long). There's so many activities that it helps to know where all the rooms are so you can attend them. Everything is optional, but there's something for everyone - napkin folding, singles bar, dance lessons, kids contests, beer sales, art auctions, comedy shows.... It's unlike anything you will have experienced before. And, if I may, I'd like to offer some advice - take a cruise that's at least 7 days long. Otherwise it just doesn't give you enough time to enjoy everything. Hope this helps, Good luck Here's some sites that can help: http://www.cruisecritic.com/ftc/index.cfm http://www.cruisemates.com/articles/firsttime/ http://www.firstcruisetips.com/ http://cruises.about.com/od/tipsforfirsttimecruises/Tips_for_FirstTime_Cruisers.htm http://www.cruisereviews.com/1stTime.htm http://www.vsn.org/cruise/

ive only been on carival cruise line, but from my experience, it is sooooo nice and there are so many things and clubs for the kids to go to if you want an alone evening with whoever (and i know EVERY parent wants that sometimes)! And i just like all the fun events they have and for those of you that might be more afraid, they have a great saftey procedure and they practice the life vests and stuff like that with you just in case! I just really love the view and the time with the family and how relaxing it is! I always pick cruises as my favorite kind of vaca! P.S- my favorite part is how you get free icecream alll the time and you can take the bowl or cone wherever you want! Thats my kind of heaven!

It's really fun. There are so many activites to do. I'm always constantly on the move onboard the ship. Just look at the compass when you get onboard and you will get the idea. It depends on what ship you go on because each ship has different activities. I have ice skated on a cruise ship, roller bladed, went on the rock climbing wall, swam in many different pools, and I even went on the flowrider. The Freedom Class has a flowrider which creates a wave for you to surf. There is so much food and you will never go hungry. There is never a time when you will be looking for food. Some of the cruise ships have speciality restaurants that cost money but they are very upscale. Then, the cruise ship goes to many different islands. It's like 4 vacations in one because you visit many different islands. It depends on the length of the cruise though because at least 7 day cruises would be ideal. It's even hard to see everything in 7 days. The cruise ships even have jacuzzis and spas. Also, there is a workout area that is very upscale. On Freedom of the Seas, the workout area was huge and there were even tvs on each cardio machine. You could plug in your earphones and listen to the tv. It really was a lot of fun walking towards the peaceful caribbean ocean.

No problem with DUIs. Room service, fun and games or solitude, something for everyone.

Being trapped in a floating old folks home

You see alot of ugly and fat people, take cheesie pictures with fake backgrounds, and eat a lot of food (gain 5-10 pounds)...you also end up drinking alot cause after a while bingo and cheesie shows get old...and then at the end of the trip you end up having an expensive bar tab that probably costs more than the trip itself. I had a lot of fun but i heard that longer cruises are better than the short ones.

I liked it. I thought it was like being on a floating city, with a hotel, restaurants, stores, and all kinds of entertainment options.

I do not consider myself an expert on cruising but I have cruised over 40 times on about 12 different lines and I find cruising to be my favorite form of travel for several reasons. 1. Someone else drives 2. Someone else cooks 3. Someone else cleans 4. You only unpack once 5. You usually get 3-5 locations for the price of one and this is especially good when you are in an unfamiliar area and want to get a "taste" of what the area has to offer. 6. You can make many decisions or none at all--and you are always right 7. Being on or near water and sea air can be very calming 8. The likelihood of picking up a "bug" from unpure water or food is slim 9. You can experiment with new and perhaps unusual food, drinks and activities 10. Your travel budget is easier to manage. As a 1st time cruiser you will want to: 1. Study the ship to learn how to navigate between decks 2. Sign up early for things that require reservations (like dinner, tours, etc) 3. Find your "quiet-time spot"-whether it be the library, a secluded part of a deck, or even inside your cabin with the privacy sign displayed 4. Know how and where to muster in case of an emergency 5. Enjoy a verandah cabin at least once 6. Don't be afraid to ask any crew member a question you have. 7. Take time to relax--you don't have to do "everything" that is available even though you may be tempted 8. Try new things and activities that you would normally not experience 9. Keep an open mind about weather (as you would for any travel) 10. Study your ports and if you decide to disembark, note the time the ship leaves port and be 30 minutes early and carry the name and phone number of each port's ship-contact person.

I loved it. Going on a cruise was one of my favourite vacations. You can never get bored on one. It is pretty much like a city on water. I love it!

It's like rubbing your warm cheeks up against a home-stitched sweater made from pure African Pherret fur you little creep!

It is well worth it! Free travel, great food, great shows, great lectures, good spa, good pool etc.. The Days Inn almost charges the same price! Go for it! I know, I am on the Norwegian Dream this very moment in Acra Chile, 18 month cruise to Boston! This is my second 18 day cruise!

Awesome!!! The best vacations ever!! If you don't like the place you are at, just get back on the ship, eat yourself happy again, and then you wake up the next day somewhere totally new! It's my fave way to travel! We've done 5 now!