repeat same cruise or try something new?

[glickk]

Posted this on Royal Caribbean thread--but thought i'd try here as well--

 

We cruised for the first time on Mariner over new year's. Had a blast (me, dh, and 7 and 11 year old children). We are trying to decide whether to do a cruise again this coming december and, if so, do we "repeat" Mariner --it will be same itinerary . . . or do we go with something new. Part of us is afraid that nothing will be as great as our original experience, but another part of us thinks--we should try something new.

 

Freedom and Liberty are just too expensive--we're looking at possibly Norwegian Star out of LA (which does the Mexican Riviera and looks fairly kid friendly as well).

 

Can anyone give us advice--is the "second time around" just as fun--or is it a let down? Any advice would be appreciated.

[awatt]

Well, your first cruise is usually one of your most memorable ones.

 

So from that standpoint the WOW factor teh first time you cruised will be hard to beat. But, you may very well find a ship you like even better, or a better itinerary. That was our experience.

 

So I say go ahead and try something new. But don't compare it to your first one because you can't quite duplicate that. That doesn't mean the second time around can't be even better!

[Snerd]

I felt the same way with my first cruise being on Explorer of the Seas (sister ship of Mariner). Next we went on Mariner and had so much fun we booked it again but for the other itinerary (and months later of course!). Having only been on voyager class ships I was leery to go to a smaller one but am happy to say that we just got back last week from the Norwegian Sun and had a GREAT time on a ship almost 1/2 the size (although it did feel smaller the first day or two since I'd only been on the large ones). We look forward to booking Norwegian again; freestyle is great! Where else can you find blackjack beside the pool?

 

Also, If you're going to cruise, why not cover the whole Caribbean instead of going to the same places?! :)

[BeachBumMama]

Can anyone give us advice--is the "second time around" just as fun--or is it a let down?

I think if you look at the signatures of many, most on these boards have been on 1 to 20+ cruises and are researching for their next. So the question of whether the "second time around" being just as fun is obvious around here.:p

 

All cruises will be a different experience and hopefully they'll all be wonderful. Even if you go on the same ship and do the same itinerary, it could be a very different experience for you than the first time.

 

I say spread the wings a little and try something new. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.:)

[vowsatsea]

I feel the same way. I went with my first cruise on Princess Cruise Line (Grand Princess), because my friend and I went by ourselves and we were only 18...they were the only ones we could sail with. I booked my second cruise with Norwegian Cruise Line (Norwegian Dawn). Haven't sailed yet, but I'm SO scared that I'm not going to like it as much as my first. The NCL itinerary is better, but the Grand Princess was such a gorgeous ship, I can't imagine any one of them beating it.

[Missilecop]

I am working on cruise number 4 now. We took RCCL the first one then the NCL Jewel the next two. Our two on the Jewel were different ports, but the reason we picked the Jewel was we enjoyed the ship. Our next cruise is on the Pearl back to back.

[jetskier]

We enjoy going back onboard in a short period of time. The look on the crewmember's faces is priceless as they recognize you as being a repeat. Plus we find that it is less stressful as you already know the layout of the ship. So we end up helping other people who are lost. The guys in the shops were threatening to get me a crew name tag because I knew their sales pitch as well as they did.

Dave

[POOHISME2]

Your first cruise will always be the one you compare all the rest to. I have sailed different lines and have enjoyed now comparing the different ships. I don't really care where they are going.

[CruisinCrow]

I vote for trying something new.

 

I've been on 12 cruises now and have never been on the same ship twice. There are just so many ships out there to experience. I've found that each vacation has some things better and some things not as good as the others.

 

Your 2nd cruise will be just as much fun as your first, but it will be different. Don't try to recreate the past, just enjoy the present!

[electricron]

I strongly believe that "variety adds spice to life".

 

I have never sailed the same ship twice. But if I did, it would certainly be on a different itinerary. I feel there's nothing wrong sailing the same itinerary again, as long as you are sailing on a different ship.

 

When each ship and itnerary is different, you remember the special times you had on each, by cruise, and don't get them mixed up with one another.

[megessey]

In defense of doing the same cruise on the Mariner, you do get become a Crown & Anchor member and you'll get a few gifities in your room.

 

As for your question "2nd time around just as fun"? I haven't cruised the same boat twice before, but I just get such a sense of wonderment being on a cruiseship that I don't ever get on a landbased vacation, that I can't help but think your family will love your vacation if its on the same ship or a new one.

 

I'd choose the ship that gives you the best price and best itinerary. You'll have fun on either ship I just know it!

[glickk]

Thanks so much--all of your comments are so helpful. . . .any specific advice on the dawn, star or pearl with an8 and 12 year old?

[judyf]

For me I like to try something different all the time, Different ship and different intinerary whenever possible. Makes it feel like a first time again.

 

I have sailed the Spiirt twice with different intinerary and I will be on the Dawn twice in 2 weeks but it's also has a different intinerary. Love sailing out of NYC so looking forward to a new ship coming soon.

[xstarrlove]

I took NCL's spirit ship last August and I have to say I enjoyed myself. The service was excellent. I enjoyed it so much that I taking another one this year.The best part is at dinner you don not have to sit with strangers to eat. The worst thing about the ship is the tiny, tiny. :eek: oh and very tiny, pool they have for all those people. You really can't swim in it- all you can do is stand.

Outside of that the ship is great. The staff treat you like a jew and the land trips are nice:D . I look forward to returning in June.

[BeachBumMama]

Thanks so much--all of your comments are so helpful. . . .any specific advice on the dawn, star or pearl with an8 and 12 year old?

Any of these would be fantastic. There are many posts with regards to cruising with the kids on these ships, my girls are young adults now so I would have no specific input. I know the Dawn and Star have a great kids pool area, and I'm sure the Pearl would also. There is the kids crew also for both of their ages. Again, if you search around you'll find many who can give you more specific answers with regards to the kids but I know they are ships with something for everyone!:)

[BeachBumMama]

Love sailing out of NYC so looking forward to a new ship coming soon.

Yeah, you guys get all the good ships!:)

[nealstuber]

We did the Star right After doing the Mariner Twice once without kids and once with. Were dissapointed with the Star and went on the Voyager next after that. We've also done the Conquest twice - there enough you can do to change up the experience - even more so one the Mariner because it goes east and west. If you really liked the Voyager/Freedom class ship everything else out there (at least for now)will be a a lower category.

 

Having said that pirces on RCCL have gone up since we did the Mariner and we can have a great time on most any cruise.

[Lotteryfan]

Outside of that the ship is great. The staff treat you like a jew and the land trips are nice:D .

 

 

What the hell does that mean?!?!?!:( :mad: :eek: :eek:

[Seago2]

WELLLLL..... I'm about to sail the same ship for the THIRD time. The first time was a five day out of Miami and the second was from NYC. This one is from NYC. I just sailed out of NYC on HAL in January. Am I getting sick of the Caribbean? YES. But the same ship is fine. I'm bringing the kids on this next one so it will be a new experience for them at least.

 

Same itinerary will require you to be creative about what you do in port. And there are some ports I wouldn't even get off the ship for any more- Nassau, Grand Cayman, Grand Turk, Tortola.

 

But your kids probably look back at the cruise with :) great:) memories and would love the same ship. My kids have been absolutely dying to go on the Elation again, or at least CCL. Spirit was a great deal so OH WELL. I know they will love it, though.

[Seago2]

I took NCL's spirit ship last August and I have to say I enjoyed myself. The service was excellent. I enjoyed it so much that I taking another one this year.The staff treat you like a jew and the land trips are nice:D . I look forward to returning in June.

 

Hahahahaaaaaaaa :D :D ! I am laughing- thanks for the wake up this morning!

 

I agree on the Spirit part but what the....:eek:

[Dolphins]

Our first cruise was on HAL and we enjoyed it so much we kept going back to HAL. We got tired of flying to Florida so when NCL started sailing year round from New York, we decided to give them a try. We were delighted with the Dawn and freestyle cruising and now all our cruises are out of New York. So many other cruise lines have followed in NCL's wake so there are many options available to sail from New York. After four cruises on the Dawn, we now look forward to the new Gem. If you like a ship, do it again but don't be afraid to try something new. We have sailed on seven different cruise lines and never had a bad cruise. Our only restriction now is no flying and after watching those stranded airline passengers last weekend, that is a wise move for us.

[Seago2]

I agree totally. I would far rather drive 6 hours to NYC than drive to the airport, wait a minimum of an hour, wait another half hour to taxi, fly four hours or even longer if I have to change planes in Charlotte or Philly or Atlanta, then take 30 minutes+ to get off the plane, then take ground transport or deal with a car rental, then stay in a hotel or risk missing the cruise.

 

Dolphins: you should check out the Noordam before it repos. The Spirit is also a fave :) .

[cruisingfromMN]

Well, what can I say. On April 15, 2007 we will board the Star for the 5th time. Two times in Hawaii, once in Alaska and twice to the Mexican Riviera. Love the ship, love the crew and really love the 8 day Mexican Itinerary.

[fabby50]

I think it was just a typo - they probably meant "jewel"!

[ute_fan]

Out of our four cruises so far, one was a repeat with the same ship and same itinerary, but different traveling companions. We had such a great time on the old NCL Sea, which was our first cruise, that when we found she was leaving the fleet, we arranged to go again (#3 cruise). In the middle of those two cruises, we sailed on the Sun. Since then, we've sailed on the Jewel and will be sailing in May on the Pearl. I don't know that I would have repeated the very same itinerary and ship, however, if she hadn't been leaving the fleet. So many cruises, so little time :( .

 

There are advantages to sailing the same ship again. You don't have to spend the time that it takes learning where everything is, and like someone else said, there is some satisfaction with seeing many of the same crew again. On the other hand, it's not quite as exciting as seeing a "new" ship for the first time and exploring the differences between the ships.

 

With the changes in crew that are constantly occuring, and by varying your excursion options, it really doesn't need to seem like the same cruise all over again. In fact, with the different passenger list from week to week, every cruise is going to have it's own personality. I honestly don't think you could ever have exactly the same experience.