considering booking our 2nd cruise...are we crazy to cruise the same itinerary again?

[valentinebaby1]

Hubby and I took our first cruise (and our first trip together ever, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary) a few weeks ago. We have not been able to stop thinking about our trip, talking about our trip and dreaming about doing it all again someday.

 

We can currently get the same itinerary for next fall at a very affordable price.

 

Are we crazy to book the same exact trip again? The trip was on the Carnival Valor. We stayed a couple days in San Juan, PR before and 1 day after the cruise, and the cruise stops in St Thomas, Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts, St Maarten.

 

We've looked at other itineraries, but we really enjoyed San Juan and the 3 days we had before our cruise there. So cruising in/out of other ports doesn't excite us as much, at least not in the fall. We have enough airline miles (hubby used to travel a lot on business) for both our tickets free to Puerto Rico, so that isn't an issue at all.

 

The Valor is the only ship that leaves from San Juan.

 

Has anyone done the same itinerary twice and did you love it as much the 2nd time around or was it a let down since it wasn't new and exciting anymore?

 

Price is an issue as well, and currently the Valor is the lowest priced itinerary for Sept/Oct for a 7 night cruise, from any port.

 

We did snorkeling tours in St Thomas and Barbados and island tours for St Lucia, St Kitts and St Maarten. We could easily do completely different things in all of these ports than we did this year. We're also looking at a much smaller budget for this trip, so we're thinking we'd probably lean more towards just taking taxi's to the beaches instead of the booking big excursions for each port.

 

Since this cruise is so port intensive, we kind of are looking back and realizing how much we didn't do on the ship because we didn't have time or were too tired after being in port all day.

 

We are also looking at having to book an interior room instead of a balcony like we had before because of the price.

 

Any input on this idea is much appreciated!

[pungo3]

I have done the same itinerary 3 and 4 times. If you enjoy the ports, why not go back? I don't think you are crazy at all.:)

[jabberjaw070596]

No you are not crazy I will be the exact same itinerary for the 3rd time in February 2014. We love it!

[llm161]

I don't think you're crazy at all. There is so much to do both on the ship and at the destinations that you could probably do each cruise a couple of times. I hate having to decide which thing I want to do and then wish I could have done them all. One place that I'd love to go back to, and perhaps stay at, is Aruba.

[valentinebaby1]

I have done the same itinerary 3 and 4 times. If you enjoy the ports, why not go back? I don't think you are crazy at all.:)

 

 

No you are not crazy I will be the exact same itinerary for the 3rd time in February 2014. We love it!

 

This is very reassuring! We obviously haven't traveled much so we wonder if we're missing anything by not going to Cancun or Jamaica or some other place we haven't been, in exchange for repeating this one that we loved so much!

[kcwingwalker]

This is very reassuring! We obviously haven't traveled much so we wonder if we're missing anything by not going to Cancun or Jamaica or some other place we haven't been, in exchange for repeating this one that we loved so much!

 

You are not crazy in the head, but crazy about cruising...............enjoy!:)

[lsbgvaguy]

Our third cruise is in January and it's the same itinerary as our first because we absolutely loved the Eastern Caribbean on the Liberty. And our second cruise was on the same ship but the Western itinerary....so no I don't think you're crazy at all!

[firemanbobswife]

We've done the same itinerary numerous times. Each time is just as fun. We tend to go for the ship experience itself more so than the ports now. But I never get bored. Go for it!

[allison0523]

As long as you have ideas of things you would like to do and don't mind going back to the same ports, I say go for it! We are cruising the same itinerary next Feb as we went on last February. We have no problem visiting the same ports and we got a great price too! You will have a great time!

[valentinebaby1]

I don't think you're crazy at all. There is so much to do both on the ship and at the destinations that you could probably do each cruise a couple of times. I hate having to decide which thing I want to do and then wish I could have done them all. One place that I'd love to go back to, and perhaps stay at, is Aruba.

 

We did have a really hard time deciding what to do, it would be a lot easier this time!

 

I'd love to go to Aruba and/or Curacao some time...but the cruises going to those countries is out of our price range!

[valentinebaby1]

You are not crazy in the head, but crazy about cruising...............enjoy!:)

 

Our third cruise is in January and it's the same itinerary as our first because we absolutely loved the Eastern Caribbean on the Liberty. And our second cruise was on the same ship but the Western itinerary....so no I don't think you're crazy at all!

 

Wow, so many replies so quickly! It's great to see so many people are passionate about cruising their same itineraries again!

 

Ya, we got bit by the cruising bug...the itching won't stop!

[valentinebaby1]

We've done the same itinerary numerous times. Each time is just as fun. We tend to go for the ship experience itself more so than the ports now. But I never get bored. Go for it!

 

Hubby liked the ports far more than the stuff on the ship. He says he doesn't think he'd want a cruise with more than 1 sea day. I loved every minute on the ship as well as off of it.

 

As long as you have ideas of things you would like to do and don't mind going back to the same ports, I say go for it! We are cruising the same itinerary next Feb as we went on last February. We have no problem visiting the same ports and we got a great price too! You will have a great time!

 

I keep thinking there's so much we missed out on...like we didn't have time to take the ski lift up to Paradise Point in St Thomas for banana daiquiris for example. So I know we'd have no trouble finding new things to do!

[Katoo]

There is something exciting about familiar. You already know you will like it so there isn't any anxiety of the unknown attached to the anticipation.

 

My husband and I rent the same country cottage in England every couple of years. We have been to Venice for a week 3 times. We are just back from our annual week in the Florida keys. We've sailed the western Caribbean itinerary 3 times.

 

Why not repeat something you really enjoyed?

[KPfromCT]

I LOVED your Valor review!!!:D:D Absolutely does NOT make you crazy!!! Do what makes you happy!!!! I would LOVE to do that itineary!!! Keep us posted!!!!:D

[rdevine10]

No not crazy. We have done the bahamas a few times and are booked to go back there again in April. Why? well those private islands are like heaven on earth to us. And this time we want to try the Atlantis. We are going to cruise again in August and I can bet it will likely be back to the bahamas again (this time due to needing a shorter cruise since we have to arrange grandparents childcare for our kids!)

 

And- I am totally ok with it!

[Rainberry]

I think that you could definitely do the same itinerary and have a great time. We're repeating a Western Itinerary in a couple of weeks, mostly because of how cheap it was but also because we loved the Liberty.

 

But I would also highly recommend you consider the Eastern Caribbean itinerary if you are looking for nice beaches - the Liberty Eastern that stops in Turks & Caicos, Half Moon Cay, St. Thomas and Puerto Rico is my absolute favorite and even if you pay a bit more for the ship, you don't really spend a ton of money in any of the ports. Turks and Half Moon both are beautiful beaches, Puerto Rico is a great walking around day and then St. Thomas is another good beach day, or there are lots of other things to do as you mentioned. It also has a large amount of port days like your husband likes.

 

Also, I really do enjoy cruising from Miami and staying in South Beach prior.

 

It's definitely refreshing to sail a new ship and itinerary, but no doubt you'd still have a nice time if you did the same ship/itinerary again. That's the beauty of cruising!

[Budget Queen]

You liked it very much, had a great time. It's available for you to repeat next year at a price good for you- GO. :)

 

If the option comes up for a second booking, certainly consider trying something else. Live for today, and have a great time. :) I'm sailing the Valor 12/8.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Budget Queen

[MicksMom]

We did the same itinerary 4 times in a row & have done it again since then. Don't really care where I am going as long as I'm on a ship.

[abisha]

We did have a really hard time deciding what to do, it would be a lot easier this time!

 

I'd love to go to Aruba and/or Curacao some time...but the cruises going to those countries is out of our price range!

 

Same with me...the Aruba itinerary is priced a bit high for me.

 

I don't blame OP for wanting to do the same itinerary. DH and I did same one this past May and LOVED it! I would also love to do it again some day. The Valor crew was wonderful and those are great ports. Our favorites were St. Kitts and St. Lucia

 

I say go for it!

[j&tcruiser]

Hubby and I took our first cruise (and our first trip together ever, to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary) a few weeks ago. We have not been able to stop thinking about our trip, talking about our trip and dreaming about doing it all again someday.

 

We can currently get the same itinerary for next fall at a very affordable price.

 

Are we crazy to book the same exact trip again? The trip was on the Carnival Valor. We stayed a couple days in San Juan, PR before and 1 day after the cruise, and the cruise stops in St Thomas, Barbados, St Lucia, St Kitts, St Maarten.

 

We've looked at other itineraries, but we really enjoyed San Juan and the 3 days we had before our cruise there. So cruising in/out of other ports doesn't excite us as much, at least not in the fall. We have enough airline miles (hubby used to travel a lot on business) for both our tickets free to Puerto Rico, so that isn't an issue at all.

 

The Valor is the only ship that leaves from San Juan.

 

Has anyone done the same itinerary twice and did you love it as much the 2nd time around or was it a let down since it wasn't new and exciting anymore?

 

Price is an issue as well, and currently the Valor is the lowest priced itinerary for Sept/Oct for a 7 night cruise, from any port.

 

We did snorkeling tours in St Thomas and Barbados and island tours for St Lucia, St Kitts and St Maarten. We could easily do completely different things in all of these ports than we did this year. We're also looking at a much smaller budget for this trip, so we're thinking we'd probably lean more towards just taking taxi's to the beaches instead of the booking big excursions for each port.

 

Since this cruise is so port intensive, we kind of are looking back and realizing how much we didn't do on the ship because we didn't have time or were too tired after being in port all day.

 

We are also looking at having to book an interior room instead of a balcony like we had before because of the price.

 

Any input on this idea is much appreciated!

 

I have done over 20 cruises and my goal is to visit as many different islands as possible. Of course I have done the same island more than once. Next year we are repeating an itinerary only because it is going out of New Orleans and have never been there plus the price was too good to pass up

 

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[hockeyluver]

This is very reassuring! We obviously haven't traveled much so we wonder if we're missing anything by not going to Cancun or Jamaica or some other place we haven't been, in exchange for repeating this one that we loved so much!

We have done the same itinerary a few times, there is nothing wrong with that. And the Valor itinerary :D :D I cant wait to do it!! We have been to all the islands a few times with the exception of Barbados. We always find something new to do at each island. In all our cruises we have yet to go to Cancun or Jamaica :eek: LOL

 

instead of booking an inside, look at the 4J cabins, they are inside's with a walkway view. Cheaper than an OV a little more than an inside.

Edited November 7, 2013 by hockeyluver

[izmeeh]

If you're crazy, then I'm crazier. I've been on one itinerary 4 times already. :( Unfortunately, I'm willing to go on the same one again if my family isn't too bored with it already.

[irie0518]

We loved that Valor and it's itinerary so much that we are thinking about doing a B2B on it. The only thing we didn't like was how port intensive it was. So if we do the B2B we are only going to get off the ship at each port once and alternate each week so we also feel like we will be relaxing. The only port we will probably get off both weeks is St. Kitts b/c we just want to go to Palm Court Gardens and hang out there so it is really like another sea day almost. We will do some of the same things we did last time but also do some new things also. By the time we got to St. Martin last time we were pretty exhausted so we just went to Maho beach for a couple of hours and then went back to the ship early. So this time we definitely want to do more of an Island tour this time so we can see more of it.

 

I feel as long as you are still excited about going to those place then that's all that matters. The cruises out of San Juan really are a bargain and now that Southwest flies there the flights really aren't that much more for us there than to Florida.

[alymb03]

I say, if you know you love that itinerary, why not? You do different activities and make it a new experience! I would definitely do the same itinerary if the price and timing was right and I had fun the first time!

[Bimmie Girl]

Have done the same itinerary before and same ship. We changed it up by booking a completely different cabin. Went from spa balcony to an aft wrap. Two totally different ends of the ship and had 2 totally different experiences because of them! We also changed what we did in the ports. Met new people, and always fun to run into crew members from the previous cruise. Try it, I think you will like it!

 

 

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