Doing research after booking the cruise

[cruising_family]

I'm typically a full blown planner for my vacations like many of you are on CC. This continues after I book the trip until I leave for the port. This time I am on a new cruise line for the first time and found a couple of videos about the ship and began watching. Then it hit me that if I watch those, the surprise might be spoiled when I board the ship the first time. My question is do you prefer to see as much of the ship as you can before boarding or prefer to be surprised when boarding?

 

On a somewhat related note, for my upcoming theme cruise that I booked for my husband's interest, I researched the cabins and booked one. Just changed my choice because an aft cabin became available for not much more than our previous cabin choice. Woohoo!! Just wanted to share that because I'm so excited. I hope that was a good idea because of being in the back of the ship. More exercise by walking, right?

[Dcoy]

I booked a cruise last year many months before. Kept checking and an aft cabin opened up. You are correct that you will have a lot of walking, but it will be worth it. Just make sure you have everything you need when you leave your cabin before going on shore. Long way back to get it.

 

Have a great time.

 

Don

[cruiserking]

I'm typically a full blown planner for my vacations like many of you are on CC. This continues after I book the trip until I leave for the port. This time I am on a new cruise line for the first time and found a couple of videos about the ship and began watching. Then it hit me that if I watch those, the surprise might be spoiled when I board the ship the first time. My question is do you prefer to see as much of the ship as you can before boarding or prefer to be surprised when boarding?

 

On a somewhat related note, for my upcoming theme cruise that I booked for my husband's interest, I researched the cabins and booked one. Just changed my choice because an aft cabin became available for not much more than our previous cabin choice. Woohoo!! Just wanted to share that because I'm so excited. I hope that was a good idea because of being in the back of the ship. More exercise by walking, right?

 

I absolutely watch cruise videos of the ship we're booked on. I study deck plans, I love to know my way around once I get aboard. There is still a great excitement when you board because now you are finally seeing all of these lounges, restaurants and venues that you have been reading about for 8 months.

 

It's all part of the build up and thrill of having a cruise booked, that's what it's all about, the build up is huge.

 

Jonathan

[cb at sea]

I don't think seeing photos beforehand makes the real thing any less exciting!

 

As far as aft cabins....I don't enjoy the long walk....it's long enough to be a pain, if you run back and forth to the cabin several times a day, but it's not really enough to be considered major "exercise"!

[Scrapnana]

I love looking at pictures and videos of the ship - I can't get enough of them! I would love to have an aft cabin even with the long walk. My favorite place to sit and watch the sea is somewhere on the aft.

[Keith1010]

We don't ask a zillion questions but I certainly would watch videos as part of my decision making process.

 

Keith

[2bthereagain]

I absolutely watch cruise videos of the ship we're booked on. I study deck plans, I love to know my way around once I get aboard. There is still a great excitement when you board because now you are finally seeing all of these lounges, restaurants and venues that you have been reading about for 8 months.

 

It's all part of the build up and thrill of having a cruise booked, that's what it's all about, the build up is huge.

 

Jonathan

 

^^^ Well said :D This is exactly how we feel. The thrill of having a cruise booked! I'm just not 'complete' without having one booked. And no matter how many pictures or videos you see, they never do it justice. I'm always in 'awh' when I see it all in person.

 

Lisa

[calliopecruiser]

This time I am on a new cruise line for the first time and found a couple of videos about the ship and began watching. Then it hit me that if I watch those, the surprise might be spoiled when I board the ship the first time.

 

I don't care about being surprised - that's not a part of what I look for in a cruise vacation, LOL. I have been guilty in the past of over-researching a destination, but I wouldn't hesitate to look at a video any more than I would hesitate to look at pictures. I'm not a huge video fan (prefer still photos or written articles) so I wouldn't go search them out, but I wouldn't hesitate to watch them either.

[navybankerteacher]

It's great to get a feel for the layout of the ship in advance, otherwise you could spend a good part of the first couple of days wandering around lost.

[OCruisers]

It's great to get a feel for the layout of the ship in advance, otherwise you could spend a good part of the first couple of days wandering around lost.

 

:D Some still don't at the end of a 20 night cruise.

 

LuLu

~~~~

[Cruisin' Chick]

I don't think looking at photos or videos would ruin the experience when getting on board (is that what you mean by "surprise"???). We don't even book a cabin until we see where on the ship (what's under and over, etc) it is One reason I don't book guarantees is that I don't want to get on board and find we're under the disco.