How many cruises do you do a year?

[GUT2407]

We did our first one, three years to the next, then a few I. Quick time, doctors then made me take a break for about 7 years, some at least one a year since 2014, have 6 booked in the next 18 months, ranging from 3 nights to 34 b2b. Still dreaming of the 77 night Circle Pacific and a World Cruise but medical men don’t want me leaving Aus

Edited September 20, 2019 by GUT2407

[Lois R]

16 hours ago, clo said:

Our first cruise about 20 years ago was a B2B 10 day Caribbean and I was ready to jump.  

 

You hated it that much?

[clo]

6 hours ago, Lois R said:

You hated it that much?

I wasn't really ready to jump but along about day 15 I'd have paid to go home.  We were both bored.  This was Southern Caribbean with all different ports except for St. Thomas.  I can't remember the port but I went ashore alone as Bob was sick with a cold.  I walked for about 15 minutes and threw up my hands, probably muttered "enough' and went back to the ship. Similar experience with Alaska.  The tourists just ruined the ports for us.  Just talked with a family member whose mom did and Alaska cruise on a ship with 100 pax and loved it.

[cruisemom42]

4 hours ago, clo said:

The tourists just ruined the ports for us.  Just talked with a family member whose mom did and Alaska cruise on a ship with 100 pax and loved it.

 

The problem is that you can take a cruise on a 100 passenger ship and still end up in port with passengers from one or two or three 3,000 passenger ships.

 

I always try to choose wisely with regard to time of year, area and also look to see what other ships are going to be in port with me.

[Donald]

I cruise 180 days per year.

But only on small upscale ships that go to small ports that do not have any big ships around.

[MicCanberra]

3 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

The problem is that you can take a cruise on a 100 passenger ship and still end up in port with passengers from one or two or three 3,000 passenger ships.

 

I always try to choose wisely with regard to time of year, area and also look to see what other ships are going to be in port with me.

Agreed, we do likewise.

[Mary229]

One but it tends to be over 2 weeks.  I also do a lot of land based travel.  When I fully retire (maybe never)  I would love to string together a B2B series for a "world cruise" of my own design.  

[Lois R]

On ‎9‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 6:11 PM, CruiseGal999 said:

I had a crazy, incredible year from Sept. 2018 - Sept. 2019 ... I sailed on 6 cruises.  2 of them were B2B .... it was fantastic. 

Sounds awesome to me

[ducklite]

On 9/20/2019 at 6:09 PM, MicCanberra said:

While I have been on a B2B for 30 nights (US to Australia) and didn't want to hope off

 

That is very different from 10 days straight in the Caribbean.  

[ducklite]

On 9/20/2019 at 6:11 PM, CruiseGal999 said:

I had a crazy, incredible year from Sept. 2018 - Sept. 2019 ... I sailed on 6 cruises.  2 of them were B2B .... it was fantastic. 

 

Were they all in the Caribbean?  I adored my B2B in Europe a few years back.  But I have zero desire to do so in the Caribbean.  Ugh.

[ducklite]

18 hours ago, clo said:

I wasn't really ready to jump but along about day 15 I'd have paid to go home.  We were both bored.  This was Southern Caribbean with all different ports except for St. Thomas.  I can't remember the port but I went ashore alone as Bob was sick with a cold.  I walked for about 15 minutes and threw up my hands, probably muttered "enough' and went back to the ship. Similar experience with Alaska.  The tourists just ruined the ports for us.  Just talked with a family member whose mom did and Alaska cruise on a ship with 100 pax and loved it.

We're doing Alaska on Windstar after we retire.  We'll start with a cruise in Japan, then take the TP up through Northern Japan to the Aleutians and stay on through to Vancouver.  A little over a month total, and it sounds like Nirvana.  

[ducklite]

14 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

 

The problem is that you can take a cruise on a 100 passenger ship and still end up in port with passengers from one or two or three 3,000 passenger ships.

 

I always try to choose wisely with regard to time of year, area and also look to see what other ships are going to be in port with me.

Agree!  On my next cruise we're in port alone on most days.  Our first day in Bordeaux there are two other ships--a river cruise with 120 or so passengers and a Regent ship with 700.  Around 1000 people total, I'm not worried about it.  Bordeaux is certainly a big enough city to absorb that number of people.

[clo]

1 hour ago, ducklite said:

 

That is very different from 10 days straight in the Caribbean.  

Or 20!

[CruiseGal999]

3 hours ago, ducklite said:

 

Were they all in the Caribbean?  I adored my B2B in Europe a few years back.  But I have zero desire to do so in the Caribbean.  Ugh.

 

No, the B2B was from NY to Quebec & Quebec to NY.  It was fantastic.  Great time of year.  Only had bad weather in Maine ... 

[MicCanberra]

7 hours ago, ducklite said:

 

That is very different from 10 days straight in the Caribbean.  

Yes, for starters it is 3 times as long and it is different ports.

[MicCanberra]

7 hours ago, ducklite said:

 

That is very different from 10 days straight in the Caribbean.  

 

6 hours ago, clo said:

Or 20!

We are planning a B2B2B where we will do a Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruise (29 nights all up).

[clo]

2 minutes ago, MicCanberra said:

 

We are planning a B2B2B where we will do a Western, Eastern and Southern Caribbean cruise (29 nights all up).

Good thing we don't all like (or hate!) the same things.

[MicCanberra]

Agreed, 🙂

[Tom47]

We are doing our first B2B, 17 days, in October, on Azamara, Mediterranean

[clo]

1 minute ago, Tom47 said:

We are doing our first B2B, 17 days, in October, on Azamara, Mediterranean

Now that could have lots of interesting ports, yes?  That would make a difference to me.  Maybe 🙂

[Tom47]

1st cruise, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Corfu, Greece, ail new ports..  2nd, Greek islands and Kusadasi, about 1/2 new ports, including Patmos and Crete.  DW was a Greek/Latin major in  college.  Bucket list for her.

[hapster85]

I wasn't really ready to jump but along about day 15 I'd have paid to go home.  We were both bored.  This was Southern Caribbean with all different ports except for St. Thomas.  I can't remember the port but I went ashore alone as Bob was sick with a cold.  I walked for about 15 minutes and threw up my hands, probably muttered "enough' and went back to the ship. Similar experience with Alaska.  The tourists just ruined the ports for us.  Just talked with a family member whose mom did and Alaska cruise on a ship with 100 pax and loved it.

Did you do any excursions at any of these ports? There are dozens of possibilities at every stop, booked through the ship or on your own. Most people would bore quickly if all they ever did was walk around the port area. If you've seen one t-shirt and souvenir store or discount jeweler, you've seen them all.

[clo]

Just now, hapster85 said:

On 9/21/2019 at 11:38 AM, clo said:

I wasn't really ready to jump but along about day 15 I'd have paid to go home.  We were both bored.  This was Southern Caribbean with all different ports except for St. Thomas.  I can't remember the port but I went ashore alone as Bob was sick with a cold.  I walked for about 15 minutes and threw up my hands, probably muttered "enough' and went back to the ship. Similar experience with Alaska.  The tourists just ruined the ports for us.  Just talked with a family member whose mom did and Alaska cruise on a ship with 100 pax and loved it.

Did you do any excursions at any of these ports? There are dozens of possibilities at every stop, booked through the ship or on your own. Most people would bore quickly if all they ever did was walk around the port area. If you've seen one t-shirt and souvenir store or discount jeweler, you've seen them all.

It's been almost 20 years ago but I remember the lovely buildings in Curacao and the 'legend' that a former mayor owned a paint store.  Also in Caracas we visited a Murano factory where we bought two great looking candleholders and met two American women married to two oil company guys.  So they couldn't work there.  But we still remember they said "but we can shop and play tennis."

[ReneeFLL]

On 9/21/2019 at 2:38 PM, clo said:

I wasn't really ready to jump but along about day 15 I'd have paid to go home.  We were both bored.  This was Southern Caribbean with all different ports except for St. Thomas.  I can't remember the port but I went ashore alone as Bob was sick with a cold.  I walked for about 15 minutes and threw up my hands, probably muttered "enough' and went back to the ship. Similar experience with Alaska.  The tourists just ruined the ports for us.  Just talked with a family member whose mom did and Alaska cruise on a ship with 100 pax and loved it.

I laugh when people say the tourist ruined it for them, yet they are one of those tourist. 🙄

 

On 9/22/2019 at 9:32 AM, ducklite said:

 

Were they all in the Caribbean?  I adored my B2B in Europe a few years back.  But I have zero desire to do so in the Caribbean.  Ugh.

Why would it make a difference if they were all Caribbean? A lot of people like the islands.

 

We usually sail about 2 cruises a year since hubby isn't retired yet. We prefer 10 days or longer, but this year we will be doing 5 with them being 5 to 7 days. We love the b2b lasting over 20+ days. After hubby retires we will be doing a RTW cruise. Really looking forward to that one.

[clo]

2 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

I laugh when people say the tourist ruined it for them, yet they are one of those tourist. 🙄

 

Ah, yes.  I'm ONE of them.  But not HUNDREDS of them swarming all in one direction 🙂  As I've mentioned before we get as far away from those people as possible, going up and down side streets, looking for the locals.  Here was a guy that bought me dessert and wrote down his name and phone # in case we had problems 🙂

Edited October 1, 2019 by clo