NOSaints1 Posted March 22, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I'm just curious in when people are booking a cruise, do they do more of a port intensive cruise or do they book for the ship or more for the ports? Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tatelek Posted March 22, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Ports for sure ~Natasha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KPfromCT Posted March 22, 2014 #3 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Both!!!!!! The itinerary edges the ship out, SLIGHTLY. Lol. I really prefer the bigger, newer ships. And it MUST have 2.0 upgrades. Lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gracie65 Posted March 22, 2014 #4 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Both. Last time I sailed on The Royal Princess just for the ship. She was amazing!! The next cruise we are sailing for the ports. Carnival Valor. Almost didn't as we have sailed the Valor before. Wish she had the upgrades. What I really wish is Carnival would add more ports going to some besides the typical Nassau, St. Thomas, St. Martin, Cozumel, Grand Cayman etc. How about the British Virgin Islands, Antigua, Barbados to some itineraries of ships leaving Florida ports. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saltz Posted March 22, 2014 #5 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Ports. But then I read reviews on the ship to finalize my decision. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pungo3 Posted March 22, 2014 #6 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I guess I'm kind of weird. I cruise for the ship. In fact, my last 5 or 6 cruises, I never got off the ship. I love having a stress free vacation and I'm never stressed on the ship.:D:D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikefast Posted March 22, 2014 #7 Share Posted March 22, 2014 My destination is the ship. As far as the ports are concerned, I couldn't care less, unless it is some more exotic place like Hawaii. My wife and I have a running joke. She goes for the shopping, I go to eat. When we stop at a port, we'll just get off for a short time, just so she can get her shopping fix. Then we go back to the ship and enjoy the lack of crowds for a while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SadieN Posted March 22, 2014 #8 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Neither. We look at price since the itins are almost always the same out of Long Beach. Biggest decision is how long do we want to be gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rednose83 Posted March 22, 2014 #9 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Ports. In fact, we've decided that we will only sail ships that have the 2.0 upgrades from now on. We are just so over the Fantasy class ships. Though, I might consider another 5-day with a stop in HMC if the price was right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OCruisers Posted March 22, 2014 #10 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Since this is on the Carnival Board, on Carnival it is for the itinerary only. Not always the case on other cruise lines. LuLu ~~~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A2Mich Posted March 22, 2014 #11 Share Posted March 22, 2014 We generally book for the ports, but the ship has to be decent as well. For our upcoming cruise we booked on RCI for the ship, but wanted decent ports. We were going to book the Carnival Sunshine out of PC for April 2015 to Aruba, Curacao, and Grand Turk, and may still book that for the next cruise. In the Caribbean there is so much competition generally going to the same ports, that it can be a tough decision. However, I would love to cruise AU/NZ, and there is not a lot of "relatively" affordable choices in that part of the world, and would likely book with whomever I could get the best value through, whether it be RCI, Carnival AU, P & O, etc. I for one, would not care to cruise another Carnival Fantasy class ship again, but would do so if the itinerary was too irresistible to pass up. One thing to keep in mind is that are many ports where the monster ships simply can't go. If wanting to book a cruise on Oasis/Allure of the Seas, the ports will be limited, but most other ships can dock at most any port, I realize that this is the Carnival board, I was just using those two ships as an example, as they are the most limited (other than the QM2) as to deep water ports, length of pier, turning basins, etc. The smaller ships simply have more options as to where they can berth. If new to cruising and "need" constant entertainment, I would suggest booking for the ship and following up with acceptable ports. If more of the laid back, and can always find something to do, or would prefer nothing to do at all, than by all means book based on itinerary alone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostdart1 Posted March 22, 2014 #12 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Ports. In fact, we've decided that we will only sail ships that have the 2.0 upgrades from now on. We are just so over the Fantasy class ships. Though, I might consider another 5-day with a stop in HMC if the price was right. So it is the ship then and not the ports? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommiemudd Posted March 22, 2014 #13 Share Posted March 22, 2014 We first have to go by date since we are tied to a school schedule. We usually cruise during our fall break. So first its date, then ports. We prefer southern and eastern routes. And there are a few ports we like to repeat but like to have new ones as well. Then I look at the cruises available, research the ship and then make a decision. 5 more years till my DD is out of school then we will look more at choosing a cruise based on the ship. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chill6x6 Posted March 22, 2014 #14 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Ports for sure! May pick between two ships if going to same/similar ports though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anastasia3939 Posted March 22, 2014 #15 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I've always been a book for the ports kind of person, until I decided to buy a week long spa pass on my last NCL cruise. It was awesome!!! When planning our next cruise I told my husband we would have to be on one of Carnival's ships which had the cloud 9 spa....hence we're booked on the Dream :-) Sent from my KFTT using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rednose83 Posted March 22, 2014 #16 Share Posted March 22, 2014 So it is the ship then and not the ports? No, ports. That was a conflicting post though. Not sure what I was thinking. :confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billys5764 Posted March 22, 2014 #17 Share Posted March 22, 2014 I look at how many sea days there are. We're on the Liberty in June with FOUR sea days. We live sea days. We do nothing but lie out on the top deck at the aft end. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSaints1 Posted March 22, 2014 Author #18 Share Posted March 22, 2014 DW and I are going on the Valor with one sea day, April we were on the Breeze for 6 days and I think we had 3 sea days. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cuzzx Posted March 22, 2014 #19 Share Posted March 22, 2014 i book my cruise by which ship my wife is booked on and what ports she wants to see or go to. so i don't really no. ok, figured it out, book for the company. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sfpen66 Posted March 22, 2014 #20 Share Posted March 22, 2014 We choose the port first, then the cruise ship. On our last cruise we decided we wanted to visit St. Kitts, so we choose the 10-day cruise on Emerald Princess. Our favorite port on that cruise was St. Lucia. That was totally unexpected, so you never know. Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSaints1 Posted March 22, 2014 Author #21 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Our upcoming cruise were on the Valor, we went for the ports our last cruise in April on the Breeze we went for the ship. Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CatlinSTJ Posted March 22, 2014 #22 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Both, but mainly itinerary especially if there are several sea days. Next cruise: Carnival Breeze June 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOSaints1 Posted March 22, 2014 Author #23 Share Posted March 22, 2014 You will love the Breeze! Sent from my iPhone using Forums Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
092306 Posted March 22, 2014 #24 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Really depends. Will go on a ship that I'm not thrilled about because of the itinerary, but will definitely go on a ship I love even if the ports aren't great or repeats for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jay49307 Posted March 22, 2014 #25 Share Posted March 22, 2014 DW and I book based mostly on price. We don't really care where we go as long as it is away from home. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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