Priorities

[Soon2Barmn]

Postin this just to see where everyones priorities are at... I'm sailin on the Sea Princess to Alaska later this month. i felt uneasy at first booking it because of a couple bad reviews (sewage smell and sub-par service), but the itinerary was perfect (RT out of SF and stop in Glacier Bay). Which is more important, itinerary or ship?????

[Roadtripster]

Gonna get a ton of different answers on this one. LOL

 

For me - Itinerary. No doubt about it. That is the first thing I look for.

 

I really have never seen/found a difference with each ship I have been on as I don't use a lot of the services on it. More like a floating/moving hotel for me. LOL

[Keith1010]

You will get a lot of answers.

 

For you first several cruises I would say the itinerary is the driver and then I would find those cruise lines/ships that meet the itinerary and then at that point pick the cruise line and the cruise ship that work best for you.

 

Keith

[Tralynn]

Definitely itinerary comes first! So far, I haven't been on any cruise that I didn't enjoy. Some may have been better than others, but I've never been disappointed as long as I was traveling where I wanted to go.

[bbwex]

We could obviously get to questions of enjoying any ship, but for Alaska you need to find an itinerary that you like.

 

As for the issues you mentioned particularly the odors, you hear them about lots of ships at various times, and you will hear people on the same cruise that never noticed them. They do occur sometimes, but they are generally rectified reasonably quickly. Otherwise the ship would stop getting customers.

 

Service is an issue for many lines since most lines are looking for ways to cut costs. Cabin stewards sometimes have more cabins to take care of than they used to. At some level, the service is still excellent, but you might not see as much of it as you used to. "Used to" is important here. We "used to" get dressed up to fly on a plane and they "used to" serve meals with real silverware! Cruise ship crews are still as courteous and accommodating as ever (unlike some airline personnel), but they are generally spread a little thinner on anything less than luxury or premium lines.

[tak81288]

Itinerary comes first for me.

 

You also have to read the reviews with a grain of salt. I don't think I would ever hesitate trying out a ship based on a few bad reviews. Some people nic pick or notice things more than others and the issues they have may not necessarily be the same things you experience. Thousands of people cruise weekly and have a great time!

 

Enjoy!

[cb at sea]

Ship is my thing.....if you're REALLY concerned with the destination, you'll book a land-based vacation....more time to spend in the port of your choice.

Cruise ports are a diversion...you're there such a short time, you only get a "tease" ....

When cruising, it's the SHIP that matters.

[Artrina]

For me itinerary is number 1 concern, then cruise line, then ship. Sometimes I'm in a Carnival mood..... Sometimes I'm in a Princess mood.....

[DizzyDallasDi]

OP - You're going to Alaska and that is 110% all about the itinerary. The ship is merely the vessel that will take you to the most remarkable beauty you'll ever see. Enjoy !!

[aohkay]

For me it is the ship...IMO, the cruiseline I am on makes up a big part of my enjoyment...size of ship, demographics, level of service, food quality, ambiance, decor etc. I am sure I could find an itinerary that would be suitable based on the ship I choose.

[John Bull]

For me the world is my oyster, the ship is my motorhome.

And a day at sea is as boring as a day on the freeway.

 

But then I guess I'm just a tourist & not a proper cruiser :D

 

CB's point about time in port is valid, for me its the biggest bugbear of cruising. I get over it whenever possible by choosing a one-way (such as a leg of a World Cruise or Grand Voyage) with a few days at both embarkation & dis-embarkation ports, and itineraries with some overnites in port.

 

John Bull

[griffy116]

The ship is #1 for us and is a big part of th enjoyment. We now travel RCCL and love the big ships with all the bells and whistles. We consider the ship a big part of our vacation and it's like the difference in staying at a Days Inn or in a luxury resort. If you're just there to sleep, then the Days Inn makes more sense, but if you are interested in a nice luxury resort and you end up at a Days Inn, you're disappointed. Just depends on what you're looking for. We don't really care where we are cruising to...as long as they let me back on the ship.

[FawnRiver]

We're new to cruising, so we started with our travel agent's suggestion of cruise line first and what would suit our budget and when we could get away. My husband is self employed, so we have to go when his business is slowest. Of course, we have a wish list of places we want to go, they just have to wait until all the other factors allow for those cruises. We didn't think we'd like sea days, but we love them to the point of making that one of the things we look at when booking now. You never know what you're going to enjoy until you try.

[beachchick]

Itinerary, followed by fare, followed by cruise/line ship. However, the order of fare and line/ship are not set in concrete. We've been known to pay a bit more for a preferred line/ship, as long as the difference isn't too much and all other things being equal.

 

beachchick

[KirkNC]

We start with itinerary, ship is secondary.

 

Kirk