??for frequent cruisers; same old same old??

[Crusing Candy]

DH and I just got back from a Carnival cruise last week. Enjoyed it. But, noticed alot of the stuff is done over and over again. Hairy chest contest, newlywed game etc. The food; I swear the first cruise we took 17 years ago they served escargo (misspelled) first night, lobster former night and still serve strawberry soup. Nothing wrong with it. Just wondering if you cruisers that go 2 and 3 times a year on Carnival get tired of the same old same old. Read a post yesterday about how often the enterainment is changed and it got me thinking.

Thanks, Candy

P.S. we are "talking up" another cruise :)

[SevenVII]

The passengers change though! :D

[halos]

C.C.

That's a really good question. I haven't cruised enough for it to be the 'same old, same old'....and there are many people on these boards with HUGE lists of cruises under their signature, so I guess if you love the sea, it can never get old. :D

[hstrybuf]

I've only cruised Carnival three times in five years and nothing has changed! :D

[cpayne]

I have noticed this from cruise line to cruise line as well. The menus, the games, etc....they all stay the same.

 

True and funny story.....couple of cruises back (can't remember which one) we attended the Newleywed's/Anniversary Couples party. The cruise director started off the get together by saying I'd like to read you a letter I rec'd from a passenger just a few weeks ago. He proceeded to tell us about the lady, what she looked like, etc....Really built up to the letter to make you think this really occurred. He read the letter and I kid you not I had attended another Newlywed/Anniversary Couples party several cruises back where they read the same letter. It was not designed to be a joke. It was designed to tell this sweet story about a couple that had been married quite some time. The least they could do is come up with a true story instead of a make believe one!!!

 

It's time to stir things up a bit and offer some new activities!

[HOSKI]

It does get to you that it is the same all the time. You just need to change what you do. This cruise is all about relaxing for us and less time in the casino, etc.

[herb]

The first few cruises we took we would come home exhausted running from event to event on the ship.

 

We now take less part in the "fun activities" and spend more time really relaxing.

 

For us, "same old-same old" has worked to our advantage :D

[mfs2k]

mostly same old.......... I'm Leaving for my 7th Carnival cruise on Monday on the Legend.

 

A few years ago, i remember the excitement on these boards as Carnival rolled out new menus on ships... Reports and food reviews were coming in on the timing of when each ship got the new menus.

 

It created quite a buzz...

 

The other thing they've changed are prices... Drink prices have gone up... a year or 2 ago, they raised the price of drink tickets from 4/$17.50 to 4/$19.50.

 

Although I shouldnt complain... I'm paying less for my 8 night balcony cabin next week than I did for my 7 night cruise on the Tropicale in 1985. But drinks were only about $2.50 each then...

 

Not all things stay the same. There's hope.

 

Maybe they will change the "hairy chest" contest to a "hairy butt" contest. ewwww

[MrPete]

Yes.

 

Same Old Same old

 

After 16 years of cruising. It's more painful when you see other lines doing the same thing, but are not as crafty in doing it.

 

Like previous posters, as I've seasoned myself, I do more picking and choosing, AND RELAXING. Instead of going to a show after dinner, we now find ourselves suiting up for a swim under the stars. Or a leisure walk up and down the promenade, sometimes walking into a production that has caught our ears.

 

The repeaters are at a disadvandage, as the newbies are in the majority. So the cruise lines can afford doing the same old same old, and get accolades for it.

 

Like another poster said, the uncommon denominator is the passengers, or those unique standouts, so even though some of the non production "shows" are the same, the result is different each time.

 

And sometimes quite enjoyable and over the top.

[pungo3]

I don't cruise for the "entertainment value". I cruise for the ocean, the salt air, being waited on, tasty food that I didn't have to cook, the solitude of my balcony and, most of all, getting away from the office to a place where they won't call me. That will never get old for me. Shows, games, casinos, etc., are just the "icing on the cake" for me.

[AllenF]

On our 1st 2 cruises we did not really get involved in to much of the ships activities went to a few more or less just relaxed. Now the ports were another thing ...guess thats why we relaxed so much on the ship we were tired from the port days.

[Peanuts]

DH and I have found the same thing but we cruise because it's relaxing and a great vacation. What else could you do for the $$ where you don't have to worry about the type of room you have, where to eat and where to go for entertainment. Plus we always try to do something different when we are in a port we've been to before. The cruise lines could come up with something new once in a while but like I said before we cruise because it's relaxing.

[cpayne]

Regardless of some of the same 'ol, same 'ol, we keep cruising!!! We still continue to love it, but for new reasons every time!! We've fallen in love with having a balcony which we never had when we first started cruising. I'll give up a hairy back contest for my balcony any day!!

[iluvdoxies]

I agree- it does get old. But the advantage is we have more time to just relax!

Never tire of the food, it's usually pretty good. And I like being waited on in the dining room.

Dont even watch the hairy chest contest anymore, ice sculpting, etc etc.

But we love the sea and crusing and do something different each time we re-visit a port, so we are never really bored.

Have discovered the value of an afternoon nap, too!

Dont know when we will get :burnt out"....probably never!

[judyf]

I'm only been on a few cruise and 4 different lines so I it hasn;t gooten old yet don't think it ever will cause I love being away on a ship no cell phone (boss can't reach me) no beeper, no faxes and no e-mails. Yeah, I'm happy and it will never get old for me, I like to try different ships and ports!

[DFD1]

We don't pay much attention to the orgainized activities on board. Maybe go to a movie on board, always take a couple of good books, sleep late, drop in for the shows whenever we feel like it, leave if we don't enjoy the show; whatever....it's the ship, the ocean, the breeze, the ports, and the carefree feeling for a few days....and equally important, the great value that a cruise represents.

 

We've been at this for 40 years or so enjoy it as much today as the first cruise. We do cruise different cruise lines depending on the pricing and the itinerary. Each cruise line puts a slightly different take on managing a cruise. Some are clearly better than others, depending on what one calls "better".

[Linda the Book Lover]

We don't pay much attention to the orgainized activities on board. Maybe go to a movie on board, always take a couple of good books, sleep late, drop in for the shows whenever we feel like it, leave if we don't enjoy the show; whatever....it's the ship, the ocean, the breeze, the ports, and the carefree feeling for a few days....and equally important, the great value that a cruise represents.

 

We've been at this for 40 years or so enjoy it as much today as the first cruise. QUOTE]

Ahhh....the sound of a happy couple enjoying their "cabin mate" and everything else is just icing on an already delectable cake :) What a wonderful way to cruise!

[Tom-n-Cheryl]

I too feel it has worked to our advantage. We have found there are only a couple of things that we really enjoy so now we don't rush, rush, rush trying to see it all...and yes, an afternoon nap on the balcony is pure heaven.

 

cheryl:)