Book for the destination or the ship?

[MarahBee]

HELP!!!!  I'm conflicted!  Carnival Destinations or Royal Caribbean Ships....... 

 

I have always cruised Carnival.  I have 7 cruises from 2010-2016.  I've taken a 3-year break and I have the itch again!  I would love to go to Turks & Caicos, but on a Carnival 4-5 day cruise it would be on the Sensation, which I have been on SO MANY TIMES.  UGHHHHH!

 

I am thinking of switching it up and going Royal Caribbean.  I have been curious about trying out one of their ships.  They look SO SO FUN!  But, I am not interested in their destinations much.

[denmarks]

I cruise for the cruise itself. I have been on Princess for years due to convenience.

[leaveitallbehind]

I think if you look at them, their itineraries are more similar than different, as would be the case with most mass market cruise lines in the Caribbean.  To experience something, however, that is not similar among the cruise lines I would look at an RCI Oasis or Quantum class ship which, IMO, would provide a rather unique on board experience.

[lenquixote66]

I almost never book for the ship . My first cruise was supposed to be on a Greek line ship but due to engine trouble my TA offered either a complete refund or a booking on a Cunard ship. Based on Cunard’s reputation we opted for the Cunard ship.

[jocap]

Itinerary and convenient port.

Most ships/lines have been pleasant enough.

[ducklite]

With what I"ve seen there isn't much difference in the itineraries that Royal, Carnival, HAL, and NCL sail.  I'd be surprised if you couldn't find a Royal ship with a destination you are interested in.

 

As for me, the cruise line we prefer (Windstar) sails almost everywhere we want to go.  We will use National Geographic for the Galapagos and Antarctica, might hop on a Regent ship for something in the Australia/NZ realm down the line, and will take a few river cruises on AMA or Uniworld.  I look at where we want to go, and then choose the cruise line that best fits that journey.

Edited September 18, 2019 by ducklite

[Dulciana8]

I do think it’s an important consideration, to take into account, the ship itself— you will “feel” a difference in a 2000 passenger ship vs one that sails with twice as many passengers, not only in terms of age of vessel per se, but also in on board amenities. (Heck, my husband swears he can tell a difference in layout and feel going from a ship with 2000 pax to one with 2500 pax and I’m only referring to passenger size, not layout or design. (I’m not sure he really can!))

 

BUT my point is, is that you should be comfortable and confident where you lay your head for the week/however long your sailing is— as well as liking your itinerary. I think it’s all important. You just have to decide what is more important! 

[navybankerteacher]

8 hours ago, MarahBee said:

HELP!!!!  I'm conflicted!  Carnival Destinations or Royal Caribbean Ships....... 

 

I have always cruised Carnival.  I have 7 cruises from 2010-2016.  I've taken a 3-year break and I have the itch again!  I would love to go to Turks & Caicos, but on a Carnival 4-5 day cruise it would be on the Sensation, which I have been on SO MANY TIMES.  UGHHHHH!

 

I am thinking of switching it up and going Royal Caribbean.  I have been curious about trying out one of their ships.  They look SO SO FUN!  But, I am not interested in their destinations much.

You need first to decide if you also want to switch it up from a 4-5 day itinerary to a week or more —— which will give you a much wider choice of itineraries as well as lines.

As long as you shoot for less than a week, you will largely be limited to Carnival and NCL - the “bargain brands” - as well as their bargain itineraries.

[Aquahound]

I'm genuinely curious what it is about Turks and Caicos that makes you want to go back so bad.  It's a pretty desolate stop where the 2 biggest attractions are the Margaritaville pool and Jack's Shack.  I get the attraction to a beach stop, but there are very similar experiences on numerous other islands throughout The Bahamas and Caribbean.

 

I recommend going with the RCI option.  Go to Coco Cay.  You might just find a new favorite.  

[sverigecruiser]

 

I prefer a good itinerary on a good ship but if I have to choose the ship is more important than the itinerary.

 

I should never book a good itinerary on a ship I don't like but I may book a bad itinerary on a ship I really like. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

OP: Why not head to the Pacific and enjoy French Polynesia or the Hawaiian Islands - (particularly Kauai)?

 

As for ship vs itinerary, remember that, after all, desirable itinerary features like a Bora Bora motu or the moai on Easter Island will stay the same no matter which ship took you there.

That said, which ship (or line) is the real variable in deciding how to get where you're going. After all, it will be your home away from home for XX days. And the longer the cruise, the more important the ship becomes (I.e., quality of food and service, included perks, passenger demographics and crew ratio, etc)

Edited September 19, 2019 by Flatbush Flyer

[navybankerteacher]

4 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

OP: Why not head to the Pacific and enjoy French Polynesia or the Hawaiian Islands - (particularly Kauai)?

 

As for ship vs itinerary, remember that, after all, desirable itinerary features like a Bora Bora motu or the moai on Easter Island will stay the same no matter which ship took you there.

...

You do realize that you are answering someone who is probably looking for a 4-5 day cruise on a bargain line to a nearby island?  This is like telling someone who couldn’t find a tee shirt at Walmart to try Bergdorf Goodman.

[MarahBee]

Yes, Exactly!  I can only take a 4-5 day cruise due to my vacation schedule limitations with my employer!

[Wayfairers]

Everyone is different...I book based on itinerary because that is what is important to me. Others book a particular ship because of the amenities offered are what matters to them. Decide what is most important to you and go from there. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

10 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

You do realize that you are answering someone who is probably looking for a 4-5 day cruise on a bargain line to a nearby island?  This is like telling someone who couldn’t find a tee shirt at Walmart to try Bergdorf Goodman.

She can dream, can't she?

 

Interesting thing about stores like Walmart vs a Bergdorf: Though unpublicized, Nordstrom's will match any locally advertised price. Of course, one may not find the same brands from Nordy's at Walmart. But there are other retailers to compare and Nordstrom's will always gift wrap.

 

Another interesting Walmart fact (too complicated to explain how I know this😳): Someone from the Department of Home Ec at a university in Oklahoma did a multiple washings comparison of similarly branded (though not exactly the same) men's athletic socks sold at Walmart and Macy's. Though cheaper, the Walmart socks failed long before the ones from Macy's. 

You get what you pay for!

 

[Nic6318]

Hi

 

If you look at a cruise as going someplace that you would like to visit, then you suggest that Turks & Caicos is where you would like to go.

 

If you are looking at the cruise as a theme park with lots of "flashy stuff" and that also attracts you, then you should give it a try and decide once and for all what you are looking for when you "feel the itch" next time.

 

Either way, you will have a good time. You say the RCL destinations don't interest you very much. So what. Many people on these boards say that they are more than happy to stay on board at many stops and enjoy an empty ship. 

 

have a great cruise

[leaveitallbehind]

12 minutes ago, Nic6318 said:

...You say the RCL destinations don't interest you very much....

 

I just find that to be an odd statement by the OP as was mentioned before, most of the mass market cruise line's itineraries in the Bahamas / Caribbean are very similar - if not the same.  While there are some specific island and private destination differences, the majority of the ports of call are included in one itinerary or another with almost all of them.

 

But agree that if the plan is to experience a new ship then the itinerary would be secondary.

[TNcruising02]

I think it's good to branch out and try different lines.  I have sailed on Disney, Royal, Norwegian, and Carnival.  Sailing on only one line is like eating only one flavor of ice cream.  The Royal ships that I have sailed on were nice.  I had great cruises.  While I prefer Carnival because it meets the majority of my preferences, I am so glad I branched out to experience other cruise lines because it allowed me to have different experiences.

[evandbob]

So the OP is limited to 4 or 5 day cruises, and likes ports like GT, and is tired of Carnival after 7 cruises on their old ships.

 

The OP should absolutely try another line, and if they can find an itinerary with a port similar to GT, that's the cherry on the ice cream.

 

I'll guess that their 3 yr hiatus from cruising has more to do with Carnival burnout than with cruising itself.

 

 

[Cruzaholic41]

OP - Sorry for the posts who obviously didn’t understand your question. There’s a couple people on these boards who look for every opportunity to blow their own horns. 

 

Anyways, I agree with the posts who said the Grand Turk experience can be had almost anywhere. Go Royal Caribbean. Their larger and newer ships are awesome and are a huge upgrade from Carnival, especially the Sensation. 

 

Im not sure what your choices are for 4/5 day cruises. Maybe avoid the small, old ships like Majesty and Empress. Look for Voyager or Freedom Class ships.  

[leaveitallbehind]

30 minutes ago, Cruzaholic41 said:

 

Im not sure what your choices are for 4/5 day cruises. Maybe avoid the small, old ships like Majesty and Empress. Look for Voyager or Freedom Class ships.  

 

To that, over the next 18+ months RCI is offering a mix of 3-5 day Bahamas and W. Caribbean itineraries on the following ships:

• Voyager class: Explorer, Adventure, Navigator, Mariner
• Freedom class: Independence
• Quantum class: Odyssey (New Quantum Ultra class launch in 2020)
• Oasis class: Oasis

Many of the Bahamas itineraries include the newly redeveloped CocoCay private island destination.

 

I would suggest the OP talk with a TA to learn more about each ship and see what date and itinerary options appeal to them with these various ship class choices.

Edited September 19, 2019 by leaveitallbehind

[ducklite]

9 hours ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

OP: Why not head to the Pacific and enjoy French Polynesia or the Hawaiian Islands - (particularly Kauai)?

 

As for ship vs itinerary, remember that, after all, desirable itinerary features like a Bora Bora motu or the moai on Easter Island will stay the same no matter which ship took you there.

That said, which ship (or line) is the real variable in deciding how to get where you're going. After all, it will be your home away from home for XX days. And the longer the cruise, the more important the ship becomes (I.e., quality of food and service, included perks, passenger demographics and crew ratio, etc)

They are talking about taking a RCL or CCL ship on a short cruise.  I would never suggest sailing to French Polynesia on a large ship.  

 

 

[ducklite]

You could also maybe look at Bermuda for something different.  I'm pretty sure someone is doing a five night cruise there out of NYC or Baltimore.

[slidergirl]

I did a quick look at short cruises that stop in T&C and it is only Carnival.  You must have found something on T&C that you like, so you would like to go again.  Well, you'd have to do Carnival.  Is that stop on T&C enough to go on Carnival again?  Or are you willing to forgo the stop to try something new?  It's a hard choice.  Me?  If I had a port that I liked on a short cruise, I'd take the ship.  I can always find something to do on the ship the other days.  But, if I'm not wedded to any one port, I'd be willing to step out and try something different.  

 

I understand your vacation restrictions - I only get 10 days/year, and that is actually 10 days off for vacation or illness.  And, I can't take them all at the same time.  So, I end up with shorter trips.  Not all of us have the job that gives lots of time off or has two buckets of time off (vacation/sick).  So, we do what we can.  Me?  I like the short repositioning cruises up and down the West Coast.  If I lived closer to the East Coast, I'd be doing what you do - short cruises.  

[leaveitallbehind]

1 hour ago, ducklite said:

You could also maybe look at Bermuda for something different.  I'm pretty sure someone is doing a five night cruise there out of NYC or Baltimore.

 

As OP is interested in RCI, Grandeur does 5-day Bermuda sailings out of Baltimore, and currently Anthem and Adventure do them out of Bayonne, NJ.  Each itinerary spends two days in Bermuda as the single destination port of call.

Edited September 19, 2019 by leaveitallbehind