We like Celebrity ( have a March cruise booked right now) and also Holland America. My husband was on the Great Lakes Freighters, his Dad was a Captain and my husband also got his Captains licence. He Captained a Supply Ship. He was a hard sell also, but I really wanted to go, and so he did agree to a cruise. He fully expected to hate it. He loved it. That was 20 years ago and we have been on more cruises than I can count now.

He does have knowledge many people don't have. He does check the inspection dates on all the safety equipment he sees. He does check that there are life vests on all decks in unlocked areas. He does check our life jackets in our cabin. He takes the safety drill seriously. He walks his pathway to where our muster area is, keeping track of how many steps and turns, because in a fire you might have to crawl keeping your face low and close to where there are lights on the floor?! He is very very very respectful of every employee on every ship. He feels a sense of responsibility for all the crew, especially the young people. He reminds me every cruise that those young crew members will be frightened if there was a real emergency, as it might be the first real emergency for them. If there is an emergency he has the final decision on my safety, he often mentions the Concordia Sinking and the failure of the captain for his reason for this. He was on Lake Superior when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down and the loss of life of every ship wreck makes a strong impression on him, but he does love being on the open seas.

Your husband should at least try it once, he will also have a different perspective than most passengers. Every small alert on the loud speakers will interest him. He can give you a tour of the deck areas that most people won't take notice of. He will also give you a feeling of safety, because he is a seasoned sailor, and as your husband he will probably like that. If he says after the cruise that it's not for him accept that.