Anyone else feel like this?

[Lushpuppy]

My DH and I were discussing the cruise last night (eh..what other topic is there:D). Anyway, we were both saying that in truth, we cant really be bothered getting off at the ports. (well maybe one at the most). For us, the ship is our destination. We have been to all of the ports before, and take land vacations which are beach related.

I feel kind of guilty and think..are we being silly not getting off?(12 night cruise)

We once did a med cruise from southampton and didnt even need our passports..we cruised for ten days and did not get off the ship even once!

We love the ship on port days, can find a sunlounger no prob, lazy days in the sun.

Sometimes we have got off the ship and an hour later thought "WHAT are we doing here..lets go "home"!

The only place on our cruise we havent been to before is San Juan. We are not into looking at forts/old ruins etc. Have loads of them here at home. Only reason I would get off would be for shops, and we plan to shop in NYC before the cruise..so thats kind of out. Then we think, should we get off and go to local bars and restaurants..but then..got lovely bars and restaurants on the ship...

We have a beautiful suite which we want to enjoy.. maybe I am looking to justify this...

Does anyone else do this? NOT get off the ship???

Anyone else feel they've "been there done it and doesnt want to do it again"?

Then friends ask me when I get home oh what was "such and such" like.. They look at me as if I am crazy when I say..we didnt do anything..

Both of us just love being at sea. We love the ship as a resort. Love dressing up and having so many things to do...

Are we in the minority? Any of you out there feel the same??

I do like St. Thomas, have a favorite shop there, but then..is it worth all the queuing for immigration to buy a dress... (when I already have hundreds!).

I dont know...:rolleyes:

How about you..are you port intensive or is the ship your destination?

[Teeara]

I think you probably are in the minority, but hey! It's your vacation and your reasoning is sound and works for you. I completely agree with you on enjoying your cabin to the max! If you have a suite and would rather stay there and spend your time on the quiet ship, then by all means do so.

 

One of the best times I've ever had cruising was staying onboard ship while everyone else was out at the ship's private port. My mom and I played two rounds of mini golf with no interruptions and then had a quiet lunch by ourselves. I was able to go throughout the ship and take photos with no people in them and read my book outside listening to the gentle lapping waves against the hull rather than the conversation of numerous groups of people walking by.

 

Enjoy your time on ship! Sounds like your vacation is very relaxing and who knows? Maybe I'll join you sometime in the future...

 

Theresa

[honeywell]

YES! I totally agree with you, but we are in the minority. The ship is my destination. I travel with my sister and two young children. Getting on and off a ship is the biggest hassle of the trip.

 

We live at the beach so seeing the island beaches is not a huge deal to us. I've been to the caribbean many times, and love the islands, but spending time on them is not what I do when cruising. I go for land vacations to do that. My cruise time is spent on lovely ships, with nice amenities, fun things to do, great food and entertainment.

 

If there is something particularly extraordinary to do, like Stingray City in Grand Cayman (a "do not miss" excursion in my opinion) then we will do so - otherwise, we just enjoy the ship. As my children get older, however, I can see enjoying the excursion opportunities more.

[Janice M]

My DH and I were discussing the cruise last night (eh..what other topic is there:D). Anyway, we were both saying that in truth, we cant really be bothered getting off at the ports. (well maybe one at the most). For us, the ship is our destination. We have been to all of the ports before, and take land vacations which are beach related.

I feel kind of guilty and think..are we being silly not getting off?(12 night cruise)

We once did a med cruise from southampton and didnt even need our passports..we cruised for ten days and did not get off the ship even once!

We love the ship on port days, can find a sunlounger no prob, lazy days in the sun.

Sometimes we have got off the ship and an hour later thought "WHAT are we doing here..lets go "home"!

The only place on our cruise we havent been to before is San Juan. We are not into looking at forts/old ruins etc. Have loads of them here at home. Only reason I would get off would be for shops, and we plan to shop in NYC before the cruise..so thats kind of out. Then we think, should we get off and go to local bars and restaurants..but then..got lovely bars and restaurants on the ship...

We have a beautiful suite which we want to enjoy.. maybe I am looking to justify this...

Does anyone else do this? NOT get off the ship???

Anyone else feel they've "been there done it and doesnt want to do it again"?

Then friends ask me when I get home oh what was "such and such" like.. They look at me as if I am crazy when I say..we didnt do anything..

Both of us just love being at sea. We love the ship as a resort. Love dressing up and having so many things to do...

Are we in the minority? Any of you out there feel the same??

I do like St. Thomas, have a favorite shop there, but then..is it worth all the queuing for immigration to buy a dress... (when I already have hundreds!).

I dont know...:rolleyes:

How about you..are you port intensive or is the ship your destination?

 

I agree. Although it depends on which itinerary we are doing. Feb.1 and Feb. 8 we will be on the Freedom for the eastern and western Carib. and don't plan to get of the ship. But in Aug. we will be doing the Baltic and I think there will be a lot to see in the ports and surrounding areas. I actually love being on the ship and especially at sea. This is what cruising is.

 

Jan

[kidless]

We do not always get off the ship. There are a couple ports we do like and will sometimes get off, new ones we have never been to we will get off the first time there. The ship is also our destination not the ports, I love days on ship when the masses go to port!

[UTCJCB]

My DH and I were discussing the cruise last night (eh..what other topic is there:D). Anyway, we were both saying that in truth, we cant really be bothered getting off at the ports. (well maybe one at the most). For us, the ship is our destination. We have been to all of the ports before, and take land vacations which are beach related.

I feel kind of guilty and think..are we being silly not getting off?(12 night cruise)

We once did a med cruise from southampton and didnt even need our passports..we cruised for ten days and did not get off the ship even once!

We love the ship on port days, can find a sunlounger no prob, lazy days in the sun.

Sometimes we have got off the ship and an hour later thought "WHAT are we doing here..lets go "home"!

The only place on our cruise we havent been to before is San Juan. We are not into looking at forts/old ruins etc. Have loads of them here at home. Only reason I would get off would be for shops, and we plan to shop in NYC before the cruise..so thats kind of out. Then we think, should we get off and go to local bars and restaurants..but then..got lovely bars and restaurants on the ship...

We have a beautiful suite which we want to enjoy.. maybe I am looking to justify this...

Does anyone else do this? NOT get off the ship???

Anyone else feel they've "been there done it and doesnt want to do it again"?

Then friends ask me when I get home oh what was "such and such" like.. They look at me as if I am crazy when I say..we didnt do anything..

Both of us just love being at sea. We love the ship as a resort. Love dressing up and having so many things to do...

Are we in the minority? Any of you out there feel the same??

I do like St. Thomas, have a favorite shop there, but then..is it worth all the queuing for immigration to buy a dress... (when I already have hundreds!).

I dont know...:rolleyes:

How about you..are you port intensive or is the ship your destination?

 

I agree. As far as the Caribbean goes, I am more likely to enjoy an empty ship, rather than Cozumel or Grand Cayman which i've seen 6 times. I am completely with you. If there is something that doesn't peak my interest, I stay on board, read, have a cocktail, and lounge by the pool. It's kind of nice having a hot tub to myself.:rolleyes:

[Happy ks]

If I've been to the port before, I have no problem staying onboard. We used to do this on Monarch in Ensenada. The only problem was, since there were so many locals onboard that ship, it wasn't empty like at other port stops :p. That was one yucky port!

 

If I haven't been before, no way am I going to stay on a cruise ship. They are nice, but why travel to a new area and not see it? We like to go on private excursions, not to beaches or to shopping areas.

[cruisinkitten]

Right now we cruise for the ports but I can certainly see the appeal with staying on the ship. Once at a private island stop I came back to the ship early and it was really nice to lay by the pool without all the crowds. I could definitely see going on The Oasis for the ship itself although it will be harder to convince my DH since he likes going to new places. On our next cruise there is one port we have been to a few times (St Marten) so I may stay on the ship or just get off to do some shopping and chill at the beach. There are only so many places to go on cruises. Once you have been there done that why not just relax and do what you like. That’s what a vacation is all about. :D

[Formerfuzz]

We too have been on 22 cruises and have seen and done all that we wanted to in each of the Caribbean Ports. We are booked on the VOS 1/25/09 and will enjoy seeing this ship for the first time. We do plan to get off at each port to walk through the shops, but have no excursions planned. We will wait until the rush to get off of the ship is over, then leisurely stroll off. The main purpose for our cruise is to slow down and relax from the daily grind of working. That is the beauty of cruising, everyone can do do what they want.

 

Happy Cruising...

[Lushpuppy]

Oh I really dont feel so stupid now:)

Glad others feel the same way. Thats it..sealed...its 12 lazy sea days for us..ah bliss:D.. no fighting for cabs, no rushed excursions..no sand in my sandwiches.. no peeing in a wooden shack.. ;) BLISS BLISS BLISS

My husband WILL be a happy man!

And I can just get any retail therapy I need (if any) on board!

WEH HEY!!!!!

[STEVE-O]

Doing Eastern and Western..... We're planning on staying on the ship in ports we've been to before. I'm not sure 2 weeks is long enough to see the whole ship as it is!!!.......

 

Looking forward to the B2B more than last year's 15-nighter to Hawaii....

[MedicKen]

Lushpuppy (love the name)

DW and I did a 7 day last year and spent, probably a total of 2 hours off the ship. We are going on another 7 day on Freedom (with Janice) and the only thing I have planned is Stingray City with the family. Never been there, always wanted to do the rays. Other than that I plan on spending a lot of time catching up with my cigar smoking and fine liquor swilling, as well as on-board sight seeing. (girls you know)

 

Enjoy your destination, I will mine.

[linkerbink]

My sister and I cruise together, and we rarely do excursions, and often don't even get off the ship. We will be doing the Stingray City excursion to swim with the stingrays in Grand Cayman in April, but other than that we'll probably stay on the ship. I'd love to do a trans-Atlantic cruise because we LOVE the sea days...the ocean is so lovely and almost hypnotic! Yes, we may be in the minority, but that just leaves more room on the ship for us on port days!!!

[jpg1747]

I know what you mean. There are ports I'm perfectly happy to skip. Staying on board at these ports is heavenly. It's like having the ship to yourself.

 

On my upcoming 3 day cruise, I'll go to Cococay only because I like reading in a hammock. If I can't find one, I'll head back to the ship. I'm not planning to get off in Nassau at all. This cruise is definitely all about relaxing on the ship.

[mikefast]

I agree with you. If the ports were the most important to me, I'd fly and spend my time there. My destination is the ship, and I enjoy the ship when most people are gone. We usually do get off just for a little while, my wife has to have her shopping fix. But, we will usually be back on board in just a little while. Love the swimming pool and hot tubs when they are mostly empty.

[Lushpuppy]

Lushpuppy (love the name)

DW and I did a 7 day last year and spent, probably a total of 2 hours off the ship. We are going on another 7 day on Freedom (with Janice) and the only thing I have planned is Stingray City with the family. Never been there, always wanted to do the rays. Other than that I plan on spending a lot of time catching up with my cigar smoking and fine liquor swilling, as well as on-board sight seeing. (girls you know)

 

Enjoy your destination, I will mine.

 

 

Just as well you not on my cruise..got two gorgeous girls with me and believe me...theres a LOT of sightseeing goes on when they are on board. DH and I have fun making them parade around the pool and watching all the wives belt their husbands as they peek from their books:D

Love it on Celebrity, the old guys get really whacked:eek:

I was once a Miss Scotland (YEAH I WAS!)... but had my day, but DD is just perfection (words from a mother but she is!)

[kooljamming]

People take vacations for different reason. For me vacations are about seeing and doing. It's also about discovering new things and seeing what's different since the last time I left. I get plenty of rest at home, so not much need for that on vacation. Some days I am even pampered with coffee in bed and a glass of wine at night. I love to take pictures and different places give me that opportunity. One thing I NEVER do is to judge the entire place by the port/tourist trap I visit. For some the ship the destination, for others it's a fantastic means of transportation.

It's your vacation, enjoy it your way!

[Lushpuppy]

People take vacations for different reason. For me vacations are about seeing and doing. It's also about discovering new things and seeing what's different since the last time I left. I get plenty of rest at home, so not much need for that on vacation. Some days I am even pampered with coffee in bed and a glass of wine at night. I love to take pictures and different places give me that opportunity. One thing I NEVER do is to judge the entire place by the port/tourist trap I visit. For some the ship the destination, for others it's a fantastic means of transportation.

 

It's your vacation, enjoy it your way!

 

 

You are so right, and glad you make the most out of your cruise. I am just feeling less guilty about not getting off this time. Its friends at home who make me feel silly when I return. They think its awful we dont go off at ports... but you are right..its our vacation and doing what makes one happy is the important thing.

I have been known to give a fellow passenger a camera to take pics for me of a port...that shuts the friends up if I start boring them with "MY" pics:D

[C U Onboard]

So glad that you started this thread. My wife and I no longer feel the odd ones out. In the beginning we joined the masses and did the touristy thing with gusto and came back home feeling in need of a rest. Nowadays we are perfectly happy to relax and be pampered onboard the ship and come home fully refreshed and ready for the next one :cool:. Thanks for making us feel normal again.

[carhirer]

I agree with you Lushpuppy

To put it another way, cruising is a ridiculous way to visit places. You arrive with a shedload of people, all at the same time, the locals “see you coming”, everywhere gets crowded immediately and after maybe 6 hours you are whisked back to the ship to be taken somewhere else.

The joy of cruising has got to lie in the cruising and shipboard life itself. It’s such a pity that cruise ships these days look more like floating Vegas megahotels and less like boats

[critterchick]

I like water sports, so if something like snorkelling, sailing or kayaking beckons, I'll get off the ship, even in a port I've seen before. And in Ensenada, we have a favorite day spa for killer massages, so I'm always happy to disembark there for a few hours of pounding and lunch.

 

But I'm not a shopper and generally don't enjoy sightseeing tours (in the Caribbean; in Europe, I want to see everything), so I could see staying onboard for some ports. Mazatlan is one where I never feel compelled to leave, for example, unless it's to check my email at the port Internet cafe.

 

Enjoy your relaxations!:)

 

PS I don't agree that cruising is a ridiculous way to see a country or a region, at least not always. Many land-based tours take you from one city to another at whirlwind pace, and you have to drag your luggage with you. We've greatly enjoyed our European cruises, for example, where we've gotten a great overview of a number of countries. The only problem is that we do want to go back to many of them for extended visits now (as in a week or two in one place, not careening around the country), and we're running out of lifespan to do it all. :eek:

[fungirl28]

So glad that you started this thread. My wife and I no longer feel the odd ones out. In the beginning we joined the masses and did the touristy thing with gusto and came back home feeling in need of a rest.

 

I've felt that way too. It depends on why I'm taking a cruise. If I want a little adventure, I get off at the ports and explore the island. But If i've been there before or just need a week of relaxation, I stay on the ship for the entire cruise. I've found that when I remained on the ship, I don't need a vacation after the vacation to rejuvenate.:D

[Lushpuppy]

WOW..SO many of us!! Thats it RCI..we need long cruises in the sun to absolutely nowhere:)

[piercetc4]

its your vacation- enjoy it how / where you decide-

we have stayed on the ship here and there in ports we have no interest in ( been there done that ) and we have favorite beaches we visit in a couple of ports- i see nothing wrong with staying on the ship for the entire cruise- we would do that too should the mood strike us to do so- the ship is our destination as well-

[C U Onboard]

WOW..SO many of us!! Thats it RCI..we need long cruises in the sun to absolutely nowhere:)

 

Don't even need the sun on radiance class ships. Just don the shades for effect and head for the solarium ;)