Heres my dilemma....

[Cholly]

I have only been on 1 cruise (RCCL-2 years ago). I have booked an 8 Day cruise to Panama, Costa Rica, & Belize on the Carnival Legend for Dec 2006, but I am now thinking maybe 4 at sea days is too many and I could get bored. Should I change my cruise to the Grand Princess (sails the same day interesting ports) and have more port stops or stay with what I have. Any advice???

[MrPete]

I personally LOVE the sea days. The more the merrier.

[yogimax]

I also enjoy the sea days. If, however, your previous experience leads you to believe that four are too many, by all means book another cruise.

[KelliKevin]

First of all, the Legend is an awesome ship!

Second of all, you need AT SEA to have a true relaxed vacation. All ports would be very rushed..you wouldn't even have time to reflect on place because you're too busy going to another....

Third, there is plenty to do even on Sea Days!

 

Have fun!!! It is more than just where you go...it is about having TIME to enjoy life!

[caribbeandreaming]

You are taking my dream cruise!! lucky you!:) . Regarding days at sea....You may wish to take the time at sea to: write in a journal, explore the ship, work on the tan, just relax, watch the world go by, read, meet new friends, sleep all you wish, order room service, reflect on the port you were just at. If you have problems or have tried any of these ideas, you may wish wish to change ships. Personally I really enjoy the chance to reflect on the island we just left. Too many days in port and they start to blur together and the individual charm of each stop gets lost. Our 1st cruise was a 7 day and we had 5 islands in a row. Not fun for us! :( we were so tired from all the sightseeing, and excursions that we were head-over-tea kettle. Nothing really stood out. I hope you do not experience that! :) Which ever you choose I hope that you have a wonderful and memorable cruise.:)

[vincenzo0506]

As far as I'm concerned, the ship can just cruise around in circles for 8 days and I'd be happy. but thats just me, and I've been tested. I know I just not right...

 

:D vincenzo:D

[momof4boys]

Before I cruised, I wanted as many port days as possible. My first cruise was so exciting--plus our ports were changed due to a hurricane. When trying to decide on my second cruise, I thought about booking a cruise with 4 ports in 7 days, but friends couldn't do that one. So, we went with the 3 ports and 4 sea days.

 

Now I am convinced that although I love port days, I NEED sea days to relax and rest. Next cruise I am booking a ship that ends with 2 sea days or an 8 day cruise.

 

Have fun!

[Fiestacruiser]

I am with the other posters (?). But anyways I throughly enjoy the sea days. It is definitely a day to relaxe no hustle and bustle, just enjoy. There is also enough going on within the ship to keep you busy if sitting still is not your thing. I think you will enjoy it! Ports are nice, but the days go by fast!

[CruzVinnieCruz]

Sea days are the greatest. We love the Legend and booked her twice earlier in the year. Lot's of ports are ok but they can be exhausting trying to do too much. I don't like coming home feeling like a need vacation and the sea days are very relaxing.

[Knights on the Beach]

We are also booked on the Legend in December. Before booking, I considered several other ships but in the end went with the Legend because it's eight days instead of seven and has four sea days. (And I didn't book us on the Grand Princess because I thought we might be bored on it.) ;) When we cruise on Carnival, we don't get bored -- we like more sea days. When we cruise on other lines, we need more port days to help keep us busy.

[Guest YesitDonna]

I too could cruise in circles for 8 days! I love sea days best!!!

[KAWS]

I think it also depends on what you're planning to do on the excursions. We have a seven day booked with 4 ports. The sea days are the first and last full days of the cruise. However, two of the four ports are going to be beach days for us, and it will go something like:

Day 1 Embarkation

Day 2 Sea Day

Day 3 Active excursion

Day 4 Beach day

Day 5 Active excursion

Day 6 Beach Day

Day 7 Sea Day

Day 8 Debarkation

 

To me, I'm getting the best of all worlds, but like I said, it definitely depends on what you have planned for your excursions. I know if I planned active excursions for every port, the week would go by way too fast for us.

 

Kim

[Cholly]

Thanks for all the replies! I am going to stay with the Legend and enjoy the sea days. It is a good point that you can get so busy with a lot of port stops that you don't enjoy the ship. I feel better!

[Butterfinger1954]

I just have to chime in and say how much I love the sea days on board. Our last two cruises were 7 days and we had 4 ports. We did active excursions each port day and we exhausted by the time we got home. OK, lesson learned!!! When we cruise on the Triumph in Dec.--7 days---we really have 4 sea days as we don't arrive in San Juan until 5 p.m. on our second sea day. Then we go to two more port days in a row followed by 2 more sea days. Even on sea days I'm always running from one activity to another having so much fun. This time I hope to bring a good book and actually do some real relaxing in a lounge chair. I'm gonna try anyway. Might have to get DH to tie me to a chair or sumthin! LOL

 

Kathy in Maine

[Mikew0805]

As far as I'm concerned, the ship can just cruise around in circles for 8 days and I'd be happy. but thats just me, and I've been tested. I know I just not right...

 

:D vincenzo:D

 

I agree totally, days at sea are the best!

 

-Mike

[popcorngal]

We cruise to relax and get away from the pressures of owning our own business. We are also open 7 days a week, 364 days a year. We love the Legend because of the four days at sea. An eight day cruise to nowhere would be our idea of heaven as well. You can be as busy or as "unbusy" as you choose on sea days. It's all up to you!:D

[PACURN]

We have 5 sea days in a row coming from Hawaii to Ensendada. I'm a little scared of that. I've never had that many before. Since I have freinds already (from the roll call) I will have someone to do things with ( when I'm fed up with the DH or he's visiting the casino). We are bringing games. Cards, scrabble, Mexican Train. I plan on hanging out on my balcony and enjoying the sea as it goes by. Since I'm a picture taker I will spend some of the time working on my pictures (editing and putting in remarks before I forget) which will be stored on my laptop. I will have to do luandry, since it's a 12 day cruise ( that sucks). Then there are going to be all the ship board activites. So it seems I will have plenty to do. Bring it on

[MrPete]

DW was a little scared of that and the 12 days, being she was 5 months pregnant. You seem to be lucky doing that AFTER your tour of Hawaii.

 

Well, it was the most peaceful and enjoyable 5 days we ever had, we had a great cruise director (God rest his Soul), with activities a plenty, and DW tells me at the end of the 12 days that she wished there were 5 more, just to sail back to the mainland.

 

We did our laundry halfway through too, as we were not going to be packing for 12 days and lugging it.

[zqvol]

I must say that I am in the minority, but I hate sea days.

 

If I could have every cruise with a port every day I would be in heaven. I find days at sea to be very boring. Finding peace and quiet in the sun to sit and read and then cool off in the water is impossible and the activities all bore me beyond belief. I would change in an instant and not think twice about it.

[FreddyKruiser]

Sea days are the best, I find them better than port days.

[nybumpkin]

We've found ourselves looking at a cruise next year based on sea days. Do we really want 4 ports in 4 days? It works great for some folks. I looked briefly at Destiny, but 5 ports and only 1 full day at sea on a 7-day cruise is just too much for us.

[MrPete]

We did something like that twice, once even on the Destiny. We were exhausted and needed a vacation when we got back!

[PACURN]

Mr Pete. I hope I find them enjoyable. I am glad to be doing the 5 days after the whirlwind Island days. I tend to wear myself out on port days, which I love. I'm like Zqvol, I love port days. My ideal cruise would be a port day and a sea day inbetween each port day to recouperate.