Whats more important the Itinerary or the Ship?

[sunshine 229]

I agree with those who said that it depends on what you are looking for in a vacation. If you want relaxation and escape from stress etc. I'd go for the ship and personally I'd go for a cruise with more sea days as I find those the most relaxing days of all. If you are after relaxing and being pampered then the better the ship accomodations, food and service the happier you should be.

 

If you are looking for a more active vacation then the itinerary becomes more important. As others have pointed out, in Hawaii, the NCL itineraries are so port intensive that the ship probably matters less than on almost any other cruise, it sounds more like transportation between the islands than a typical cruise experience.

 

Still, I wouldn't pick a ship that sounded very unappealing to me just to get the itinerary since, as someone already mentioned, cruiselines can and quite often do change itineraries. You wouldn't want to be stuck on a ship you were unhappy with and an itinerary you didn't want either.

 

Although it does happen occassionaly ( for example Pride of Aloha replacing Pride of America as the first NCL Hawaiiain ship) it is much less likely that the cruiseline will change ships on you then that they will change itinerary.

[Elizabeth27]

Well, that is a very good question...for me it's always been a little of both. I was actually in the same position myself when I was debating whether to book the Jewel to the Eastern Caribbean or the Majesty to Bermuda. I really want to go to Bermuda but I chose the Jewel because she's so beautiful and I have heard such wonderful things about her. Plus, I wanted to visit Antigua, which is part of the itinerary.

 

I hope I don't regret not choosing Bermuda, as it seems the small ships are being phased out and pretty soon there may not be such wonderful itineraries to Bermuda like the one the Majesty offers. Guess I'll have to plan it soon.

 

With that being said, I have done two land-based vacations in Hawaii, and it is my favorite place on earth - so far! if I had a chance to go to Hawaii, I would jump on it...regardless of the ship!

 

Best of luck with your decision, and IMO, you can't make a bad choice. Either one would be fantastic!:)

[kdzgon]

Quote:

Leaving from NYC is also a huge consideration......I am reluctant to fly to a cruise in the future after experiencing the ease of departing from a port within driving distance from my home.

 

Ditto!!

What time of year did each of you sail? I was considering leaving from NY, but we are cruising in Jan 07 and I didn't want (at least) two cold at-sea days. I made that mistake on our Hawaiian cruise, which ended in Vancouver - in mid-MAY! I just didn't enjoy when they swapped out the pool towels for woolen blankets....

[elephant98]

The Pride of Hawaii or the Jewel? Well, they are actually sister ships with an almost identical layout and the exact same specialty restaurants. The POH doesn't have a casino, but everything else is pretty much the same from what I've seen and read. So, if it comes down to ship alone, its a push!

 

I sailed on the Jewel in the Eastern Caribbean back in February and had a wonderful time. It was easily my favorite ship because of the numerous, unique dining options. That's why I didn't hesitate to book the POH for January 2007. I absolutely love the layout of the ship.

 

Having sailed on the Pride of Aloha in its first six months of service in the Hawaiin Islands back in 2005, I can attest to the fact that there are probably going to be some growing pains onboard the POH for a little while. However, NCL's exclusive inter-island itinerary far outweighs any disappointments in service and quality that you may encounter onboard. (Which, in our case, we found very little to complain about onboard the Pride of Aloha when we sailed. Especially considering that we spent more time off the ship in Hawaii than we have ever done on any Caribbean cruise).

[kimberja14]

If you like sea days...then choose depending on the ship:-)

Edited July 26, 2015 by kimberja14

[Siora7777]

I choose by week I can go on vacation, itinerary, price, cruiseline, and then ship. Usually by then, I'm down to only a few choices. I love Hawaii too much to do a cruise, I only do land vacations there. Some ports have similar itineraries so if I've done them before I'd choose based off ship/price or who I'm cruising with and what they want. I'm up for any ship, I'm not picky when it comes to ships.