Multi-cruisers

[vpoopsy]

I was telling a friend about this board and how so many of you sail several times a year. I'm curious as to what you do if you go to the same ports over and over again? Do you spend more time on the ships in port?

 

:confused:

[kryos]

I was telling a friend about this board and how so many of you sail several times a year. I'm curious as to what you do if you go to the same ports over and over again? Do you spend more time on the ships in port?

I'm going on a cruise in three weeks that will visit the same ports I visited in 2004.

 

You can't possibly see/do everything on a relatively short port visit. Even if you've been to the port before, there is always something new to do.

 

Then, of course, remaining on the ship is always an option. With the exception of a very, very special cruise (like my Hawaii/South Pacific one earlier this year), I don't generally get off at every port. Part of the reason I cruise is to take a very relaxing vacation that will allow me to recharge for my normally busy life in between vacations. Running around in every port is not my idea of total relaxation.

 

I know people who do "cheapie" Caribbean cruises all the time. Often, these cruises involve the same port stops they've made many times in the past. For those folks, often they never get off the boat ... yet still they have a wonderful vacation.

 

It's all about what YOU want to do. That's why I love cruising.

 

Blue skies ...

 

--rita

[hammybee]

I was telling a friend about this board and how so many of you sail several times a year. I'm curious as to what you do if you go to the same ports over and over again? Do you spend more time on the ships in port?

 

:confused:

 

I am a portaholic. I am always off and find something new to do or spend more time in a place I really enjoyed.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We don't mind visiting the same ports that we have cruised to in previous years. There is always something new to see and do.

 

Sometimes we do stay on the ship.

[gizmo]

I don't sail several times a year but I have been to many islands multiple times. We are the same as KK. We do not mind visiting the same ports we might have been to before. We usually get off the ship and do something. I can always find something new to do.

 

When we visit a port we pick one thing to do. On the ports of call board, I see that many people cram in as much as possible. That isn't for us. We like to enjoy and relax and not run all over the place. Different strokes for different folks. :)

[J&R Cruisers]

Been to most of the islands, Hawaii, and Europe several times. Can still find something to do in any port just as we can find something to do in our own home town. Revisiting ports is lots of fun to see what has changed since last time there.

[kakalina]

As the others state, one can always find something to do in port. There is always money to spend! Truly it depends on the port. In Hawaii there is so much to see and do that even after 6 cruises there in 4 years we still haven't visited all the places we want to. OTOH, in the Caribbean we like to swim and snorkel and any beach is nice. Some are better than others but a beach is almost always available.

[tomc]

I did one itinerary seven times, another maybe eight times. I get off in all ports the first time, most of them the second and following times, stay on the ship some ports, whatever. I'm concerned with minutes and seconds on my job, with telling people the time, temperature and forecast. Now I can be quiet and just hang out.

 

It's 3:44, 72 degrees and sunny; clear tonight and partly cloudy tomorrow. More after this.

[Giorgi-one]

I always get this question from my friends who don't cruise. My answer is usually "How many times have you been to Atlantic City or Wildwood (New Jersery beaches where families vacation every summer)? Now, would you rather be there or in St. Maarten? In January?

[rkacruiser]

For me, it really does depend on the port being visited for the ump-teenth time. Usually, I enjoy just getting off the ship, wandering around, and people watching. However, on one cruise when we were visitng Nassau, I stayed on the ship and enjoyed the Greenhouse Spa. Since the vast majority of people were off the ship, I almost had the spa and hydrotherapy pool to myself.

[gizmo]

"How many times have you been to Atlantic City or Wildwood (New Jersery beaches where families vacation every summer)?

 

I have been to AC and Wildwood so many times I couldn't even begin to try and guess !:D

[RuthC]

For me the ship is the destination, so the ports are secondary. In many of the places I've returned to there has been something new to see/do each time. Other times I return to a favorite spot in the little time ashore.

 

I usually go ashore, though. I stayed aboard while in San Juan last year, but it was so very hot and I'm not fond of heat/humidity or the Caribbean. Other than that I can't remember the last time I stayed aboard.

[RevNeal]

Ditto what Rita said ... nearly word-for-word, actually. No reason for me to re-type it.

[dakrewser]

Not only do we get off in each re-visited port, we often go back to the same places in that port. When we're not cruising, we go to the same restaurants every month or so (some even more often), the same theaters, the same museums, etc. Why would we change when we cruise?

 

In fact, by the third or forth time you visit a city, you know exactly where you want to go and can get there quickly and efficiently. That way you get the best seat at the bar!:rolleyes:

[vpoopsy]

Sounds like I have my answer. Thanks for the great posts. We have done the "all inclusive" resort and it's fun, but how can you compare to waking up in a different port every day, having gourmet meals, class entertainment all for the same price. The only difference I've heard from folks is you can't "drink" all you want on a ship like you can at a resort. Guess you make your choices on what's more important.