Just thinking why.

[weltek]

I have two places I am interested in cruising:

1) The Caribbean

2) Alaska

 

Everywhere else that interests me (Europe, Central America), I'd rather do on a land based vacation because if I'm paying big bucks for airfare, I'm going to take my time and enjoy the countries and cities at a leisurely pace. The Caribbean has a lot of small islands that can be reasonably enjoyed in a day long stop, and depart from US ports, therefore it's great for us as a winter getaway.

 

Don't assume people that only have Caribbean cruises have only traveled to the Caribbean. Many of us just choose a different mode of transportation for visiting other places.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I don't list my cruises -- several cruise lines -- have been to many places, Alaska, Caribbean, Med, Baltic, Hawaii, South America, etc.

 

But now that DH has had 2 unsuccessful heart procedures -- we are very limited as to where we can cruise.

 

[jocap]

People cruise to the Caribbean for the same reason that millions of Europeans do the short hop to Spain, Greece, Turkey- they want, and need, a relaxing beach holiday. It's the same reason that cold northern Europeans head to the Canary Isles, or Egypt in winter, whether on a cruise or not, or why NYers head for Florida. The culture, or history, may be a part of their holiday, but it's not the main reason for going.

You might as well ask why people from the UK go on endless cruises round the Med, when they've visited all the ports umpteen times- it's often for the sun and sand. :rolleyes:

Jo.

[Happy ks]

I've gone on 23 cruises as far as I recall, but next year will be my first Caribbean cruise. My husband did go on a couple before us, back in the late 70's and he says I'll like it, I beleive him.

 

There are so many more places to cruise from and enjoy. I was a bit sorry to read the person who won't do Alaska, they are really missing out on a great experience. Especially since they stated they like to explore new places. Our one (so far) Alaska cruise was fascinating and...surprise...not necessarily all that cold. Yes, the day at the glacier was, but other days people were in the pool.

[dolittle]

For some cruisers, the Caribbean is all they know and/or choose to do. And you know what? That's their right because it's their vacation $$ and they can choose to spend it as they wish. For me, I'm done with the islands for a while. The next cruise I'm planning on will be the Mediterranean. I need to see the cruise world from a non-Caribbean perspective.

Erik this is really a silly post no one is saying they do not have the right to go some where or to spend there money the way they want.The poster is asking a very good question I have wondered this myself and have posted on this topic. I think many people think vaction=beach (nothing wrong with that). Where I live most people go to the "jersy shore" they go to the same town and many times the same house(rent) and they love it and never think of going anywhere else.That kind of person I think is the same kind who goes to the Caribbean 10 and 15 times. They think "hey I had a great time and I want to have it again and when they do the same thing over and over it brings back those great memories.When I go to the shore towns I went to as a kid it hits you as you are driving in the smells ,noise, fresh air etc.It reinforces your experinces and puts you in the mood for the new ones.The other kind of person wants new places to discover I have been both types of traveler in my life. I do not know if that is common but I think it might be .I do know the best thing I ever did was to expand my travel horizons to Europe, my D.W.was very fearfull and now wont go any place else.I do think it is healthy to get out of you travel comfort Zone ,and that most people will be glad they did.

[lady_cruiser]

Ok so you post on CC and have big post numbers. Your signature says you did so many cruises. Caribbean, Caribbean, Caribbean . Did you ever want to cruise to somwhere else? If not why not? Fancy rooms then ( free bees) now cheap seats

Yes, Yes, Yes - I would love to cruise The Panama Canal, The U.S. Virgin Islands and Mexican Riveria. But to do so I would either have to fly which I don't do or, drive to Florida. And with two cockatiels and a cat, I can't be away from home for longer than nine days max.

[Talisker92]

Erik this is really a silly post no one is saying they do not have the right to go some where or to spend there money the way they want.The poster is asking a very good question I have wondered this myself and have posted on this topic. I think many people think vaction=beach (nothing wrong with that). Where I live most people go to the "jersy shore" they go to the same town and many times the same house(rent) and they love it and never think of going anywhere else.That kind of person I think is the same kind who goes to the Caribbean 10 and 15 times. They think "hey I had a great time and I want to have it again and when they do the same thing over and over it brings back those great memories.When I go to the shore towns I went to as a kid it hits you as you are driving in the smells ,noise, fresh air etc.It reinforces your experiences and puts you in the mood for the new ones.The other kind of person wants new places to discover I have been both types of traveler in my life. I do not know if that is common but I think it might be .I do know the best thing I ever did was to expand my travel horizons to Europe, my D.W.was very fearful and now wont go any place else.I do think it is healthy to get out of you travel comfort Zone ,and that most people will be glad they did.

I agree-I worked near Atlantic City and during the summer all the people from Philly came there.

I will not list all my cruises, because I think it is bragging in a way, and may cause resentment from people who are not quite as blessed.

I lost my wife in 2005, and we were lucky enough to go to Antarctica 3 months before she passed away.

I was fortunate to meet a lady who has the same desire to experience new things as I do, and we have traveling together to do that.

[marco]

I've seen a few posters who have over 50K posts. I think they must be on CC nearly 24/7 as a lot of their posts are the first post to new posters and their post is nothing more than "welcome to cruise critic" or they post the exact same answer to a question that has already been answered correctly and completely. (maybe they think CC is going to give them a free cruise for posting the most posts in a year?!?!?!?!?) We've taken cruises to all over the world, but every winter we take a Caribbean cruise, and have for over 30 years, now. We primarily are going because it's 80 degrees and sunny and it seems like 10-12 days in the Caribbean on a ship is far more economical than going to an island in the Caribbean for that length of time. We've done a few European cruises and several river cruises in Europe. The latter being our preferred. An ocean liner cruise to Europe allows you barely a "taste" of a city, let alone the country. We felt to Alaska, a day in each port is sufficient. We've done a couple of trips to the orient, but never by cruise. We were in Thailand this Feb and on an afternoon excursion. We ran into some folks who were on a cruise and this one excursion was the extent of what they were seeing in Bangkok. I would not be a happy camper if I had gone to Bangkok, Thailand and the extent of what I saw was this one afternoon's excursion. Granted, you don't have the ambiance and ammenities of a cruise ship when taking a land tour, but the trade off is really seeing the country you are in rather than a day's excursion to one "something".

[Erik101]

Erik this is really a silly post no one is saying they do not have the right to go some where or to spend there money the way they want.The poster is asking a very good question I have wondered this myself and have posted on this topic. I think many people think vaction=beach (nothing wrong with that). Where I live most people go to the "jersy shore" they go to the same town and many times the same house(rent) and they love it and never think of going anywhere else.That kind of person I think is the same kind who goes to the Caribbean 10 and 15 times. They think "hey I had a great time and I want to have it again and when they do the same thing over and over it brings back those great memories.When I go to the shore towns I went to as a kid it hits you as you are driving in the smells ,noise, fresh air etc.It reinforces your experinces and puts you in the mood for the new ones.The other kind of person wants new places to discover I have been both types of traveler in my life. I do not know if that is common but I think it might be .I do know the best thing I ever did was to expand my travel horizons to Europe, my D.W.was very fearfull and now wont go any place else.I do think it is healthy to get out of you travel comfort Zone ,and that most people will be glad they did.

 

The reason why I included this on my post is because since this is a forum that's open for discussion and very strong opinions, I did my best to cover what I needed to say without being biased or offending anyone. On another thread, my wording came across as rude and I ticked off a couple of Royal Caribbean's D+ members...lesson learned on that one.

 

I see your point on going to the same places again and again in order to capture/recapture past experiences. I was in the Walt Disney World college program and that was the best time of my life so going back to Orlando always recaptures those memories.

 

Cruising however, I have a different take on. When I look at cruise websites whether they are RCI, Celebrity, NCL, etc., I can't help but imagine what it would be like to experience different destinations and cruising will allow me to get a glimpse of different cultures. Like what the OP said in a latter post, there's so much to see and I agree!

[mitsugirly]

I am one of those that does the Caribbean over and over for several reasons.

 

When I think of a cruise, I think of crystal clear Caribbean water in the sun. I don't think of places that have regular green/brown/murky water, places that are cold and so on.

 

Another reason is because it's cheaper for me to get to Florida to cruise a Caribbean cruise than any transatlantic/europe/alaskan/hawaii cruise. I can't justify the cost (at the moment). Now that's NOT saying I wouldn't want to, because I would. It's just not in the cards for me right now (I'm in Nursing school so maybe once I graduate I will be able to afford the more expensive cruises).

 

Another reason, because the Caribbean cruises are cheaper than any of the others.

 

When I cruise and find a port that I REALLY LIKE, I always pick the next cruise, making sure to return to this port, while visiting different other ports. Then after that, I will go somewhere else while in that port on the next cruise.

 

I mean when you cruise, you are on a time limit while in port. Therefore, you usually only get to pick a place you want to go and go there only. There is so much more to experience in each port. So, I don't mind repeating ports...I just go somewhere different. :D

 

On my to-do list...Bermuda. I've always wanted to go there, while it's not the Caribbean, it is sort of like that. So...a must see and do on my list. I just have to be able to arrange it with my work/school schedule. That's my only problem. :)

[wallygator]

I have read most responses. My post was only meant to suggest/food for thought maybe. I have cruised the Caribbean many times and continue to. Now days they are my get away chill/relax cruises/cruises with friends or sit on our aft balcony and be happy. I was merely suggesting that there are so many other great places to visit by cruising. I live in NJ/NY area and can cruise without flying, which can be a pain with wait time, luggage fees, airfare cost and so on. I’ve gotten lucky a few times flew to London and cruised back to Cape Liberty NJ great cruise. But Alaska, Hawaii, Bermuda, the Med, Panama Canal, Australia, Bora Bora, Tahiti, a River Cruise in Europe, and China or Russia I do need to fly some visas (extra cost) to name a few. That was my intent in my post so much to see and my absolute favorite thing is the people we meet. The people on the cruises from so many different places, of varied ages. And the people from the places we visit. Bottom line is do what you enjoy and remember there is so much to see in our world.

 

You'll never see this in the Caribbean

[Sinppu]

I've got 14 cruises on my bucket list. Alaska, Asia, Australia, Dubai, Hawaii, Panama Canal, South America... I have a picky husband and we've noticed that cruising is a great way to see places where we might want to return.

 

So far we've only cruised the Caribbean because both our cruises were picked for us :)

[mszpolaris]

I think cruise wise I would stick to the Caribbean, land based would be Asia, Europe etc. I feel in other parts of the world, merely stopping by for a day wouldn't be worth the time and money. Going there you can really experience it. When I went to Italy I loved it, but I would never visit on a cruise. You can not do Rome in a day in my opinion.

[CMar00]

Yes, Yes, Yes - I would love to cruise The Panama Canal, The U.S. Virgin Islands and Mexican Riveria. But to do so I would either have to fly which I don't do or, drive to Florida. And with two cockatiels and a cat, I can't be away from home for longer than nine days max.

 

Great pets! :D

[DonnaK]

For us, it's simply a matter of finances. We would love to cruise Alaska, Europe, etc. But, the airfare and the high price of excursions/sightseeing in these regions make the total vacation cost-prohibitive. Caribbean cruises are significantly more affordable. Perhaps when our daughters no longer travel with us, and we're no longer paying times 4, my husband and I will be able to consider more expensive vacations.

[Warm Breezes]

Simple answer for me...time. It is very difficult for DH and I to get longer than a week off...let alone at the same time. We did venture out of the Caribbean with our cruise up to Canada last year...but we were able to drive to NY and do it in a 5 day cruise so that kept it in the time frame we could manage.

 

I have a long list of cruises/foreign vacations that are just waiting for retirement to come so we could have the time to do them right. In the meantime we get most of our cruise fixes in the Caribbean and we take land vacations across the USA to see areas we have yet to explore. I've still got a long list of those to see too, so I'm sure I can fill our vacation time slots until retirement with many new adventures for us around the good old USA...although that car trip down Route 66 and motorhome trip to Yellowstone will have to wait for retirement too, so we will have the time to do it right.

[madjack]

There are as many different types of vacations as there are different vacationers. We love to travel and have taken 10 cruises, including two Med cruises. We still love to cruise, more for the ship and warm weather, so we now cruise only in the Caribbean. We also love Europe, but only by land. Our Med cruises were not my idea of seeing or feeling Europe. We ran around all day, usually in such a rush we didn't enjoy what we saw, then came back to an American ship, ate American food and conversed with American passengers (not that I don't like Americans - I am one!), but when in Europe.... Now we stay in Rome, Florence, Paris, or whatever for a few days and enjoy the people, food and ambiance. Train and bus travel is so easy in Europe. We are going again to Italy and France for 15 days in September, and will do a Caribbean cruise during the winter. As long as people enjoy their trips, however they go, is all that matters. I love to see happy travelers!

[wallygator]

I think cruise wise I would stick to the Caribbean, land based would be Asia, Europe etc. I feel in other parts of the world, merely stopping by for a day wouldn't be worth the time and money. Going there you can really experience it. When I went to Italy I loved it, but I would never visit on a cruise. You can not do Rome in a day in my opinion.

 

 

The beauty of cruising is we all get a TASTE of a port/country or whatever you'd like to call it. That said we can get some idea of the place. I have been to some and said "OK nice but not wanting to go back for extended stay" Others we said wow and DID go back for extended stays. Aruba four times, Bermuda twice, Ireland once, Hawaii once. Yes I'm retired and we can afford to and have the time to go. But we also do vacations in my country. in July we (wife, myself, seven grandchildren, and their parents) will be going to Florida. Please enjoy where ever you go but think more. OK??

[meggie711]

1. I'm 6 miles from the GA/FL border, so I have several options for ports to leave out of (Jax, Port Canaveral, Tampa, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale). It happens that they mostly go to the Caribbean.

2. I have a 3 year old. At this age, I'm not looking to go much further away. When he is a little older, we will be taking him on cruises with us, and can look at going further.

3. I have a large dog. Costs more and more to board as he gets bigger and bigger.

4. I don't fly. I may in the future, but for the time being, I choose not to do so.

Yes it's a big world and I want to see all of it, but I'm perfectly happy doing what I can with what I've got for now. "Settling" for a Caribbean cruise is hardly torture. ;)

[printingchick]

I cruise in the Caribbean, as do some others, because I live in the northeast and appreciate the escape from the cold and snow.

 

There is so much variety - particularly in the SOUTHERN islands - that I never get tired of the region. There are still southern Caribbean islands I've never been to - Tortola, Martinique, Grenada to name a few. And because cruise vacations allow only ONE day in each port, there are MANY islands I truly WANT to return to again and again. If I could afford to spend a week on St. John, I'd do it. Instead, I look forward to visits on cruise ships. (An extended stay is definitely on my bucket list!)

 

My budget doesn't really allow me to enjoy a winter escape to the Mediterranean. Maybe some day, but I'm in no hurry. The idea of those LONG flights, dealing with currency and language issues and adjusting to jet lag just don't seem relaxing to me. Maybe I lack the "culture" of Americans who yearn to travel abroad and bask in the history and character of other countries.

 

I'm very satisfied with my visits to Caribbean ports. Maybe I'll eventually want something different...maybe not. I certainly don't feel like I'm missing out or envy my friends who travel overseas.

[ithaca gal]

I don't have that many posts or cruises, so I'm just going to give my speculation on the people I think you're referring to.

 

There are a lot of people who live in Florida or driving distance from another US port that sails to the Caribbean. They don't have to worry about purchasing plane tickets, and they have the advantage of being able to book last-minute if they like.

 

If you look at my sig, most of my cruises are Caribbean. This is because we have begun cruising every Christmas, and we like to escape to where it's warmer. We also have the advantage of being driving distance from Port Canaveral and Tampa, however, to ensure warm weather, we have begun flying to PR for southern Caribbean cruises.

 

I'd love to cruise other places. We've cruised Alaska, and I would like to do it again some day. I'm also planning to cruise the Mediterranean next spring/summer. And I'd really like to cruise the Panama Canal (looking to do that this winter, actually). My dream cruises, however, are an Asian itinerary... I'd love to visit Singapore. And then I want to cruise the Nile River.

 

Little Miss Magic, I'm just curious as to why you would love to visit Singapore. We lived there for twelve years, due to DH's job, and I miss it a lot ........ just wondered why you are interested!

[circuitrider]

I like cruising in general. I try to find cruises that go to ports we haven't been to before, but one can only do so many Caribbean cruises before you start doubling up (I think we've been to St. Thomas three times now). Been on one Transatlantic, and one (well, B2B so two I guess) Alaska cruise. Would like to do an Australia/New Zealand cruise, we'll see. Or maybe Australia to US via Hawaii. Just get me on a ship, I'll be happy.