The old itch for cruising.

[srphnx]

At one point we sailed 3-5 times a year, then we got busy with work or unwilling to spend a lot of money or something distracted us and it went down to once a year and once even down to once every two years.

 

Now we have a dear friend who is very ill and on his bucket list is a cruise to Hawaii with his wife. We decided our anniversary/birthday/xmas presents to each other would be to take them on a 14 day sailing on Sapphire this March as our guests. His wife works and that was as soon as she could get the vacation days built up.

 

He is in a wheel chair much of the time due to very bad arthritis and we managed to get him one of the HUGE Emerald deck inside HC cabins. E717, E714 etc are all double sized and as big as a PH suite not counting balcony.

 

I digress, anyway with the constant talk with them (rookie cruisers who could use a distraction from near daily bad medical news) we got our selves all fired up again and could wait until March to go so we booked a "tweener" cruise because it was 'tween now and then and now we are back at the TA websites looking at coastals and panama canal and maybe an exotic and thinking that we have the time and money we can cruise every couple of months if we really want to prioritize it.

 

However there is such a thing as too much of a good thing and we are wiser now than when we would just act on things like this and frankly we live pretty well on land. Not like in a huge fancy house or car or Michelin star dining way, not like that but we do have the giant TV, great bed, don't have to grind 9-5 every day way.

 

 

So here is the topic for discussion.

 

I know many here would cruise A LOT if they could (and some do) but what is a realistic goal for cruises per year if you could bypass some sticky detail like kids school or paying for it or work.... just say you could pick the number what would it be and why?

 

 

We think it would be 2-3, how about you?

[avalong]

At one point we sailed 3-5 times a year, then we got busy with work or unwilling to spend a lot of money or something distracted us and it went down to once a year and once even down to once every two years.

 

Now we have a dear friend who is very ill and on his bucket list is a cruise to Hawaii with his wife. We decided our anniversary/birthday/xmas presents to each other would be to take them on a 14 day sailing on Sapphire this March as our guests. His wife works and that was as soon as she could get the vacation days built up.

 

He is in a wheel chair much of the time due to very bad arthritis and we managed to get him one of the HUGE Emerald deck inside HC cabins. E717, E714 etc are all double sized and as big as a PH suite not counting balcony.

 

I digress, anyway with the constant talk with them (rookie cruisers who could use a distraction from near daily bad medical news) we got our selves all fired up again and could wait until March to go so we booked a "tweener" cruise because it was 'tween now and then and now we are back at the TA websites looking at coastals and panama canal and maybe an exotic and thinking that we have the time and money we can cruise every couple of months if we really want to prioritize it.

 

However there is such a thing as too much of a good thing and we are wiser now than when we would just act on things like this and frankly we live pretty well on land. Not like in a huge fancy house or car or Michelin star dining way, not like that but we do have the giant TV, great bed, don't have to grind 9-5 every day way.

 

 

So here is the topic for discussion.

 

I know many here would cruise A LOT if they could (and some do) but what is a realistic goal for cruises per year if you could bypass some sticky detail like kids school or paying for it or work.... just say you could pick the number what would it be and why?

 

 

We think it would be 2-3, how about you?

 

I think 2 would be our max. I could probably do 3, but my husband really likes land-based vacations too, so we've got to leave time for them.

[Aussie Gal]

Two cruises each year is enough for us. We also fit in land trips around Australia and usually a couple of trips to places nearer home such as Fiji and Vietnam which we did this year.

 

We do try to fit as much as we can into our lives as we both have had cancer and we know that life is very short. We love travel and do so whilst we are able. This year we have had 7 trips. Some for only a week, others for 2 weeks and our biggest one was 6 weeks in April/May when we did a 26 day cruise on the Royal Princess and then spent time in Washington DC and Honolulu.

 

Jennie

[love2relax]

If money, schedule,..etc. were no object; I would like to cruise 4 - 6 times per year. I find it really hard to wait so long between vacations. It would be nice to get back, and then turn right back around to start getting ready for the next one a little less than two months later. I have four planned for 2012, but my last one was in July 2011, and I would like to be leaving sooner than the one I have scheduled in February 2012....sigh.

[Waihekean]

Yeah, for me too 2 - 3 per year, Perfect!

[Times Prince]

2-3 sounds right for us too. That gives us time for family and friends as well, plus our special church related interests.

 

Our son and his wife had twins this year - and they live in Europe (we in the US), so we are looking at the possibility of transatlantic cruises rather than those brutal airplane trips.

 

We've included cruises as part of our retirement financial planning - we love them !

[jrzebird]

2 - 3 sounds reasonable. In fact, that's what I have coming up for 2012. 2 of them are b2b. I would like to go more often but, as others have said, I also have to leave time to visit family and friends in other areas of the country. I do still work, but have been at this one job for almost 30 years so have a lot of leeway. This year I decided that I'm getting older and I have no idea how long I'll be well and able to travel on my own (which I love doing) so I'm going to do it as often as I can. I have to live my life to the fullest and hope that I'll be able to do that for the next several years, health and finances permitting.

 

Maureen

[BridgeMates]

I'd be happy with one.......104 days around the world cruise! :D

[paul929207]

We take three vacations each year. Most are cruises, but some are land tours/river cruises. Each is usually 30 to 40 days.

[superduper123]

I feel lucky to do two a year, but would love to figure out how to manage three.

[lakeguy]

Like most posters two or three times a year are about right for us. we love to cruise but don't want to burn out. Sounds like you are in a great position to scratch whenever it itches. enjoy, Lou

[Azure Moon]

I like 1 or 2 a year.

 

One of our 2nd cruises seemed like too much. I wasn't as excited beforehand, I was worn out and just didn't feel up for it. Went to bed early the day we boarded. Perked up some the next day, but that cruise was different from the previous ones - more laid back, going with the flow rather than trying to do everything. Turned out to be a fabulous cruise, which surprised me.

 

The second time we did 2 cruises in a year, I was excited and up for it from the moment we booked it through the end of the cruise.

 

It would have to be an awfully special occasion or another extraordinary reason for me to do a 3rd one in a year. Just can't picture myself wanting to be away from my dog again or being rich enough to pay that extra kenneling bill :eek::eek::eek:!