Curious....Do you really want to cruise?

[DC Caps]

The more I thought about this question it seems to become dumber and dumber to ask but I figured whatever, I'll ask anyway. Do you who cruise multiple times year after year, vacation after vacation really want to? Even those who just started. We will be going on our first on the Victory next year and we can't wait, so I don't want to come across as knocking cruisers. But I think there is so much to do out there. Like I would love to do an entire Uk tour vacation or Scandavia, or even spend a couple weeks in Australia and New Zealand, even here in the states. Thats just to name a few. So do you guy's just do it because it's a fabulous bang for your buck vacation going to many exotic places, or do you ever want to branch out at the cost of cruising less? Like I said, no knock against cruising because I'm pretty sure I will get the bug,(and that worries me a little) but do you forsake other dream vacations to do it? I would ask the same question in reverse to people that do the same land vacation time after time.

[tnincy]

sometimes. haven't lately due to my last experience. it is a good value for money, but price is not my determining factor. we have a set budget for vacation. while cruises are great, they only allow for a short experience at at multiple ports while land vacations allow you to soak up more culture. if i had to choose one over the other, it would be the land vacations that i have had more fun.

[Frick_&_Frack]

To us the cruise ship is a destination itself. We love to travel but DH doesn't fly (so that cuts options drastically) and, with medical limitations, for us cruising is perfect. We visit various places, can participate in activities and yet the environment is comfortable enough that if DH can't do much "outside" on a given day, we have the beautiful ship to enjoy.

[5waldos]

I find that I turn to cruising to be lazy. For me it is easy- little real planning, my son loves the teen club, and I can relax. It is a vacation, pure and simple. And there is nothing wrong with that at all. But when I get the itch to travel it will always be on land- you really can't learn much about someplace in 8 or 10 hours.

[vonster]

GOING ON My first cruise next week so I'll find out if I like busy vacation or not...

I always think that I am more of a land-vacation-resort type person so that everything is more relaxed and slow motion...and you are free to just lounge by the pool for the whole 7 days and not have to get off the ship for anything...

 

Also I noticed that the swimming pool on the cruise is quite small and probably super crowded which is not my thing also...

 

However, the food is probably still better on the cruise ship than some 5 star resort in cuba...

[DaytonCruiser]

In life sometime the option is: this,that or all the above.:D

 

Since this boards focus is cruising, dont negate the fact that many of us also take land trips as well.

 

Yet, for many with families cruising is a cost effective way to have a hotel, place to eat and transportation all in one, which is economical.

 

I just love to travel and see the world. Cruising is one of the ways in which I accomplish that goal.

[Kurbanfan]

The more I thought about this question it seems to become dumber and dumber to ask but I figured whatever, I'll ask anyway. Do you who cruise multiple times year after year, vacation after vacation really want to? Even those who just started. We will be going on our first on the Victory next year and we can't wait, so I don't want to come across as knocking cruisers. But I think there is so much to do out there. Like I would love to do an entire Uk tour vacation or Scandavia, or even spend a couple weeks in Australia and New Zealand, even here in the states. Thats just to name a few. So do you guy's just do it because it's a fabulous bang for your buck vacation going to many exotic places, or do you ever want to branch out at the cost of cruising less? Like I said, no knock against cruising because I'm pretty sure I will get the bug,(and that worries me a little) but do you forsake other dream vacations to do it? I would ask the same question in reverse to people that do the same land vacation time after time.

 

Well we cruise and do land vacations......but evidently trying to compare costs and value will get your thread locked like the other one:rolleyes:

[Edmund DeWinter]

1. It's almost all-inclusive, so it's much easier to budget for.
   
2. I'm not stuck having to drive 4+ hours every day to get us where we are going.
   
3. I'm completely "away" from it all, with no worries of cell phone or emails or anything along those lines.
   
4. The food is excellent, plentiful and there's a wide variety so everyone can get what they like.
   
5. Sunsets on the Water! :rolleyes:
   

[CruzVinnieCruz]

We are in a unique position in that we do love to cruise and my DW is a flight attendant with a major carrier. Sometimes to her going on vacation to spend 6 or 7 nights in a hotel room is like being at work but she does not view a cabin on a cruise as being the same if that makes sense.

 

We do our share of land vacations but we are limited by my vacation time.

[Bookbug53]

We took our first cruise just 11 years ago. We love it however there are also other trips in our life. We have spent various weeks in Ireland, France, Portugal, and traveled the states to Orlando (Disney w/grandkids), Vegas, New Hampshire, etc., and many trips to Canada. We go on camping weekends and a yearly 4 day get away to Boston. I may post on a cruise chat board and love the topic but we are definitely not limited in our vacation options or choices. We just come home a bit more relaxed from a cruise. :)

[Hunwolf]

Well we cruise and do land vacations......but evidently trying to compare costs and value will get your thread locked like the other one:rolleyes:

 

I think my comment killed it. They even removed it...but what I said was legit.

[bankerbabe]

We genuinely like to cruise. Love being on the water, love sitting on our balcony and watching the sea go by. Sure, there are other places that I'd love to go - Australia, Europe, etc. but for now it's the Western Hemisphere and cruising. We do land vacations as well as cruises, it seems lately we've been cruising every other year and doing land vacations on the off years.

 

Europe, Australia, and the like will still be there when the kids are grown and gone. THEN we will branch out in our travel, when it's just the two of us that we need to pay for.

[psbtrvlr]

The more I thought about this question it seems to become dumber and dumber to ask but I figured whatever, I'll ask anyway. Do you who cruise multiple times year after year, vacation after vacation really want to? Even those who just started. We will be going on our first on the Victory next year and we can't wait, so I don't want to come across as knocking cruisers. But I think there is so much to do out there. Like I would love to do an entire Uk tour vacation or Scandavia, or even spend a couple weeks in Australia and New Zealand, even here in the states. Thats just to name a few. So do you guy's just do it because it's a fabulous bang for your buck vacation going to many exotic places, or do you ever want to branch out at the cost of cruising less? Like I said, no knock against cruising because I'm pretty sure I will get the bug,(and that worries me a little) but do you forsake other dream vacations to do it? I would ask the same question in reverse to people that do the same land vacation time after time.

 

Why limit yourself? We do it all. Land vacations here in the US, and abroad, sprinkled with some cruises.

[SANDYJABS]

I would recommend cruising to anyone due to the value you get for the vacation. (not just CCL but any cruise line) I have priced all inclusive resorts and even paying for our alcohol (most all inclusives include alcohol) cruising is a better value! I must also say that we are very fortunate to live in Orlando, Florida :D and have 5 ports within a 4 hour drive from us. This has a lot to do with the value since we do not have to pay for other travel expenses, hotel, air fare, etc...

Yes, if I could I would love to do more than just cruise. We got to visit 4 of the Hawaiian Islands (5 ports) by taking a cruise. It would have been so much more $$$$ if we had done this by land, but now we can someday go back to our favorite Hawaiian Island as a land vacation.

I am looking forward to when my children are all on their own and DH and I can start doing longer cruises :D

[EmmasNana]

We cruise about 3 or 4 times a year. We love being on our balcony as we float on by. We are doing the Victory in a little over a week and really like to see different destinations. It's nice to get a sampling of different places to see if you would like to go back for a longer land based holiday.

 

We don't just cruise though. We do take other vacations. I originally booked us on the Magic for the Med next year but have since changed the plan to an Italy land based 2 week trip. Italy is where we mostly wanted to go and didn't really want to risk missing ports.

[Hunwolf]

Yes, if I could I would love to do more than just cruise. We got to visit 4 of the Hawaiian Islands (5 ports) by taking a cruise. It would have been so much more $$$$ if we had done this by land, but now we can someday go back to our favorite Hawaiian Island as a land vacation.

I am looking forward to when my children are all on their own and DH and I can start doing longer cruises :D

 

I would highly recommend this. There are some great deals out there...and it's an unbelievable family vacation. Amazing!!

[MacBrokefoot]

Personally, my family and I both love it. It is a great way for the kids to see different countries and cultures, meet new people on the ship from all over and really not be bored the entire time.

[*Mach*]

The more I thought about this question it seems to become dumber and dumber to ask but I figured whatever, I'll ask anyway. Do you who cruise multiple times year after year, vacation after vacation really want to? Even those who just started. We will be going on our first on the Victory next year and we can't wait, so I don't want to come across as knocking cruisers. But I think there is so much to do out there. Like I would love to do an entire Uk tour vacation or Scandavia, or even spend a couple weeks in Australia and New Zealand, even here in the states. Thats just to name a few. So do you guy's just do it because it's a fabulous bang for your buck vacation going to many exotic places, or do you ever want to branch out at the cost of cruising less? Like I said, no knock against cruising because I'm pretty sure I will get the bug,(and that worries me a little) but do you forsake other dream vacations to do it? I would ask the same question in reverse to people that do the same land vacation time after time.

 

 

Nope... I don't want to. Secretly I HATE cruising...

Of course, that was HUGELY sarcastic. I love cruising. I'd rather cruise than do any other type of vacation.

I've been all over Europe, much of the middle east and a fair chunk of Africa and nothing compares to being at sea... nothing.

In addition to the marvel of being at sea is the fact that I pretty much always sail with a wonderful group of friends... folk who I love and admire. Try getting 30 or 40 of your best buds together to go pub crawling in London... ain't gonna happen but getting them all on a ship is easy!!!

:)

[runcassrun_07]

Traveling on land is fun, you can check all out, but I really want to cruise more. Your room onboard is comfortable and close so you can take a nap when wanted while your DH may take a nap near in the hot tub. There is good food onboard, healthy or not so healthy. I love cruise ship stopping at ports because alot get off the ship and I'm about alone all day laying out, in the pool or hot tub, and eating with out standing in lines. I love having 24 hour pizza and ice cream and/or yougurt cones. They have alot of entertainment onboard, shows, dancing, casino, etc. You will either love it like most people I know or it doesn't fit as a favorite vacation. Hope you will have a fabulous time on yours.:)

[BubMunkeyBles]

Cruising is actually a great way to see some of Europe (especially Scandinavia, Greece, Egypt, the Med etc). Traveling through Europe can get very expensive (more so now because the dollar is down) and cruising gives you the food, room and some extra entertainment.

 

We cruise some (not as much as some though), still do family trips to Disney and also travel abroad some. I like to budget travel because I'd rather be on a cheap vacation than at home.

[mividajp]

DH and I love cruising! We do occasional land vacations as well but we really like cruising for several reasons.

 

1. We get to see a lot more places than we would with a land vacation. E.g. we went on a Hawaiian cruise last year. We went to five different islands. With a land vacation we would have been able to afford only one island. I REALLY wanted to see the Arizona Memorial, but I don't really like Honolulu. So we would have had to choose between seeing the Arizona and staying on Oahu or staying on a nicer island and missing the Arizona. With a cruise, we got the best of both!:)

 

2. For an equivalent land vacation you can't beat the price. By the time you budget airfare/gas, lodging, dining, etc at the same caliber as a cruise you'll be spending about twice as much. The ships are literally floating resorts and the food is AT LEAST equivalent to a restaurant where you would spend approx $10 or more pp for each meal. When you add that up on land it's usually more than we can afford.

 

3. For us a cruise is total relaxation. You board the ship, unpack for your entire trip (no living out of suitcase for a week or longer) and then on your way to your destination you swim in the pool, get something to eat, play games, sleep, get a massage, whatever you want. No sitting in a car for hours on end, having to make pit stops along the way. If you leave from a port that's in your hometown you don't even have to bother with airplanes and airports.

 

4. The people you meet on a ship are amazing! Between your fellow passengers and the staff you'll meet people you would probably never meet on a land vacation. You'll run into people on the ship that met on a cruise 10-20 years ago and get together once or twice a year to cruise together again. How many people have you met on a land vacation that you plan vacations with? The ship is a floating community and you tend to see the same people over the course of your vacation. You talk, mingle, get to know each other and before you know it, you're exchanging e-mails, addresses, facebook, etc.

 

5. Some people say that you can't get to know the true culture of a place when you stop for just a day, but DH and I always grab a local taxi or rent a car and see the sights. We talk to the people and visit the "off the beaten path" places. We've always felt that we've seen more of our stops than just the tourist places. Most people we run into are very eager to tell you of their favorite place to eat or favorite place to hang out at. The locals always know where the best beaches are as well.

 

Cruising is definitely not for everyone, but if you like to travel and you like people, you will probably become addicted!

[dear23]

Land vacations are great (I'm a big fan of renting beach houses for a week at the coast), but a cruise is just so much more bang for your buck. I'm doing one of the Magic Med cruises next fall, and let me tell you, I could *not* afford to do that same trip via land (priced it, it's almost 3 times as much $$). And as a solo traveler, I have to admit that 1) I feel safer on a cruise, and 2) I'm more likely to meet new people to enjoy my vacation with on a cruise.

[fabby50]

I'm there with Sandy - we started to cruise for 2 reasons - reasonable price and the ability to go to a lot of places and look around in a short amount of time. The idea was we'd look at a bunch of different places and then go back on land vacations. We did this with a couple of Caribbean cruises and the Hawaiian one. Cruises had us doing land based vacations in Kauai, St. Lucia, and the Florida Keys.

 

That said, we do love to cruise. It is very relaxing - I love unpacking once and seeing different places. I love not having to pull out my wallet all the time and paying for just about everything in advance. I love going to the spa for a treatment and stumbling back to my cabin instead of having a great treatment and then getting in a car and driving home (sort of defeats the purpose in my mind).

 

A lot of time we combine the two types of vacation - we'll go a couple of days early, enjoy the area, cruise, then stay a couple of extra days. We did this in Hawaii and always do it in Miami (I LOVE Miami - we're big art deco fans).

[Kurbanfan]

I think my comment killed it. They even removed it...but what I said was legit.

 

Did you say "boo?" LOL! That's all it takes anymore:rolleyes:

 

OK op as I mentioned in the other thread.......many people find it being cheaper then any other vacation.......some of us do both land and cruising because it costs pretty much the same for us:) Some people are satisfied with inside cabins and only paying tips while others like us need a balcony cabin, money for casino and drinks......we spend the same on land vacations.

Don't limit yourselves!

[okgirl]

I try to combine the best of both worlds by traveling to my embarkation ports several days early and/or staying over somewhere on the way back home.

 

I do take one land based vacation with my family every summer because they don't like to cruise.

 

Next year we're going to spend a week in Barcelona before we get on the Magic for her TA.