Sailing a particular ship more then once. Is the thrill gone?

[Seayalater]

Several posts show that some of you repeatedly cruise on the same ships

To me, half the excitement is exploring new surroundings.

Besides different itineraries, why do you enjoy this?

 

Maria

[Pam in CA]

I go for the itinerary and dates rather than the ship. The ship is not the destination for me -- if I wanted it to be the destination, I'd take a land vacation. Since I like new and different itineraries, it means I go on different ships but also return to some of them.

 

There are some ships I prefer over others and if the itinerary and dates are somewhat similar, I go for the ship or avoid one I didn't like as well. For instance, I preferred to go on RCI rather than the Golden last December, having been on the Grand and not liking it. But again, I went for the itinerary where RCI went to Belize, which I loved. I'd do it again.

[sue d. miller]

I love the grand class, and that's my baby. Would sail any one of them.!! :D

[JanetMarie]

DH and I cruise two to three times a year, we're 47, and we really don't care about disembarking the ship. We cruise to be away from our schedules, away from the phones, etc. We are perfectly content to stay on the ship for the week, maybe take a stroll off once the ship does dock, and that's also why we select a larger cabin and balcony, suite-types, aft. I prefer to sail on the grand ships, and I prefer Princess.:o

[Shelli]

My first cruise was in 1997 on the late S.S. Norway. Immediately hooked on cruising, my ex and I went the following year on the then brand-new Sovereign of the Seas... and didn't have a very good time (due to a variety of factors). Horrified by our disappointment, we booked again on the Norway a year later. Going on the ship we'd adored so much re-hooked us on cruising-- we felt like we'd come "home." I do think that the "coming home" feeling is definitely part of what attracts repeat cruisers on the same ship.

[srphnx]

To me it isn't exploring new surroundings that is exciting, let's face it most ships are pretty similar with minor differences, my excitement is being in the BEST surroundings I can. I would be happy to drive the same BEST car every day or live in the same BEST home. I don't believe in change for changes sake. What does that accomplish? I sail the best ship and value, if it is the same ship.. so be it.

 

Several posts show that some of you repeatedly cruise on the same ships

To me, half the excitement is exploring new surroundings.

Besides different itineraries, why do you enjoy this?

 

Maria

[dobie]

The thrill is never gone for me. We're going on the Vision for the third time in Oct, and are really looking forward to it. We've been on the Dawn twice, the Century twice, the Norwegian Sea twice. And each cruise line's ships are similar within a certain class anyway, just the decor changes. We also look for itinerary, and a covered pool. When we go on the Island in March it will be the first time for that class, so we're really looking forward to that trip as well.

[KAJOKG]

Shelli -- "Coming Home" is a good way to put it. We have always been adventurous land travelers, but find that once we have a "proven entity" in regards to a ship, we don't mind repeating at all. Also, not so much time trying to find your way around. BTW, the Norway was our introduction to cruising and hooked us also! Wasn't she a grand ship?

[mringenoldus]

Interesting question for me since I have just rebooked on the Golden. I hesitated for a moment - wishing it were a different ship to explore - but the itinerary and price won out.

[cnmiranda]

I am sailing the Majesty of the Seas twice because it was our first cruise (our favorite ways to travel these days) and because we are renewing our 10 year anniversary vows on the ship this October. We were so happy the first time around, loved waking up at a new port each day, and the service was good. Can't wait.....

 

Also we will probably do the Monarch again since it is a short cruise and only a 45 min filght to San Diego....

 

I love the Diamond and wouldn't mind sailing her again. But there are so many itineraries and so little time;)

[spongerob]

I like being on a familiar ship, as much as I like being on one I haven't experienced previously. The ship is a destination for us, and is just as important as the itinerary. There always seems to be something new to discover, even if you've been on the ship before.

[Toto2Kansas]

We have repeated the same ship a couple of times in the last 10 years. I have to admit, I don't get quite as excited about a cruise on a ship that I already have sailed on, just takes some of the magic out of it. But once in awhile we find a ship that we just love, so we repeat it.

 

Next spring will be a bit different for us as we will again be sailing on a longer cruise on the Legend of the Seas (RCI). We sailed on her for 19 days in 2000, 18 days in 2001, and now will be joining her for a 14 day PC sailing. It is one ship that I never seem to get enough of.

[coiran]

We loke the Sun Class ships - sailing on them is like going home - we know how to get around them very well and just like this size of ship. We have been on the Golden and although it is a nice ship, it's not the Sun.

[fourcruises]

I have sailed on the Grand six times, and her sister Golden once with once more scheduled for February, the Dawn three times with another scheduled for next April and her sister ships the Sun and the Sea Princess once, and the (HAL) Zuiderdam once with a second scheduled for September. I have repeated itineraries on each ship and done different itineraries and they have all been great...it's just the cruising experience that is so much fun and so exciting each and every time (and so hard to explain to anyone who has never cruised). I guess you could say the thrill is never gone.

[mii]

We have been on 5 different Princess ships and this Oct. will be on the Sapphire only because we want to try the ship, it is near our house, and this time it is not the itinerary as it is to the Mex. Riviera and it is hot and humid in Oct. On the other hand next Feb. we are sailing on the Sun again to the E. Carribbean and that will be twice for us on the sun. I am also a Sun class ship lover. Not too big or not too small. Most of the time it is the itinerary.

 

 

Marilyn

[GottoCruise]

I enjoy the "coming home" feeling when sailing on the same ship - however nice to try new ships too - it's the itinerary that drives us first....then the ship -

[DrivesLikeMario]

For us, yes, there was definitely less excitement the second time around on the Grand Princess, even though we were staying in a suite this time. It was more of a 'relaxed' feeling than a feeling of disappointment.

 

Would I cruise twice on the same ship again? Possibly, but there are SO many incredible ships to see right now that I feel the need to see as many as I can first and then repeat the ones I love.

[Jerlyn]

Sea Days, how many, if there are a lot thats how we pick our cruise. This is the 3rd year in a row for the Princess Eastern, and lucky for us it is a new ship this time.

 

Be happy

Jerlyn ;)

[PescadoAmarillo]

I've spent 8 weeks total on the Celebrity Mercury, and would leave without packing right NOW to sail on her again. But, like others, we are getting to the point where we choose the itinerary over the ship, and are even looking at sailing one of the smaller cruise lines with yacht type ships to get to some of the islands we've missed in the Caribbean.

 

It's nice when it happens, as we feel it will for us this fall cruising to Sydney on the Sapphire Princess, that there is a great itinerary and a great ship rolled into one.

[bdjam]

DH and I cruise two to three times a year, we're 47, and we really don't care about disembarking the ship. We cruise to be away from our schedules, away from the phones, etc. We are perfectly content to stay on the ship for the week, maybe take a stroll off once the ship does dock,

I'm with you on that...I too see the ship as the destination. Ports aren't that important to me - I want to be at sea, away from everyday life, enjoying being pampered.

 

That being said, I don't mind repeating on ships. If I find something I like that allows me to enjoy my time at sea, I'll go back. I don't want rock climbing walls and shopping malls. I've got enough of that around town here. So Princess ships give me what I want and I don't mind going back again and again as long as the experience holds out. And what's lost from the "new ship" experience is made up in - as someone mentioned - that "coming home" feeling. Sun Princess is home for me - Regal Princess would be the home away from home. When I go aboard Sun Princess, the entity of the ship envelops me and I feel like I've returned...

[Tak8]

If I like the ship experience, I would go back again. We were on the Norweigian Sea twice. You can never get everything in on one try. I go back to do some the same and try some things I didn't the first time. I would love to go back on the Golden. If the Golden does the caribbean again in the summer, I will book it. It was a fabulous cruise, so I have an idea of what I will be getting.

[sue d. miller]

Tak8, I love the Golden as well, but I don't want to spend for air fare. We have booked her sister ship, Star, going out of Ft. Lauderdale, in October. Can't wait!!! :D

[WillB]

I've cruised on Crysal Harmony 4 times and will do it again without a doubt. It's like a family because it's only 900 passengers and has a very loyal passenger base. The crew doesn't turn over as much either, so there are plenty of familiar faces.

 

I can't see how a 2700 passenger giant like Diamond and Sapphire would have the same feeling for repeat cruises.

[sue d. miller]

Oh but it does!! That is what Princess is famous for. Big ship, with small ship feel!! They make you feel so comfy. It is like returning home!!! :D

[dobie]

If I could afford the Crystal.......I forgot about the sea day aspect. That's the reason we booked the Island Hawaii 15 day from LA for March. More sea days than port days, and a harbor close to home. We thought about Europe for next year, but when we saw the itinerary with so many sea days, we were sold!