Ship vs. itinerary

[patterson3]

When choosing a cruise what is more important- the ship or the itinerary? I ask because I am dying to sail on the Celebrity Solstice but found more appealing itineraries for a 7 day cruise on several Princess ships....I'm still leaning towards the Solstice but was just curious how other's make their decisions....?

[chipmaster]

When choosing a cruise what is more important- the ship or the itinerary? I ask because I am dying to sail on the Celebrity Solstice but found more appealing itineraries for a 7 day cruise on several Princess ships....I'm still leaning towards the Solstice but was just curious how other's make their decisions....?

 

This is a personal choice.

 

You sailing because you enjoy cruising and the ports aren't the main attraction?

 

Or you sailing because one stop ( the ship ) and you get 3- any number of different ports to explore and enjoy.

 

For some places like Europe, Asia, South America etc. I think it is more about the ports. The Caribbean I think less so as all the ports and attractions in each are very similar IMHO.

 

Of course the ship experience matters much more if most of your time is on it, and less so when you do say 10 ports in 12 days :D

[Shorex]

We have, through experience, devised a personal list of cruise lines/ships that we prefer and enjoy. We search the itineraries of those lines as soon as they are released and match desirable itineraries with the times we have available to cruise.

 

That being said, we are still open to new adventures when an opportunity presents itself. And we have the "let's try it someday" list with lines such as Hurtigruten and Hebridean, and itineraries such as Antarctica from the New Zealand side on the list.

 

For a crossing, it's all about the ship -- for other cruises, it's a combination of ship/itinerary.

 

OTOH, our most recent cruise decision was made in about ten minutes -- after getting an email about a great sale price announced on a line we love AND a unique itinerary. Book 'em Danno.

[hubofhockey]

When choosing a cruise what is more important- the ship or the itinerary? I ask because I am dying to sail on the Celebrity Solstice but found more appealing itineraries for a 7 day cruise on several Princess ships....I'm still leaning towards the Solstice but was just curious how other's make their decisions....?

 

Itinerary, ship, price, line - those are the four factors i look at and it all depends on what type of vacation it is and if kids are coming along. what is the solstice caribbean itinerary that you don't like?

[cb at sea]

Since it's the SHIP we pay to use, that's our main selection criteria! The ports, (for us) are just a bonus! However, there are certain itineraries that I won't do, such as Mexico--have no interest in it--so I'll pick the best ship going to Eastern or Southern Caribbean....(no interest in a cold-weather destination,either!!)

[momofmeg]

Normally I would pick itinerary over ship-but it depends on the amount of sea days-for example if the cruise is 7 days and there are only 3 ports-that is a lot of time on ship-THEN the ship matters. But, if there is 4 port days on a 7 day cruise-the ship does not matter as much.

 

So, my thinking-4 ports days-go for Princess-3 port days go for Celebrity.

[patterson3]

Itinerary, ship, price, line - those are the four factors i look at and it all depends on what type of vacation it is and if kids are coming along. what is the solstice caribbean itinerary that you don't like?

 

Well the Solstice itinerary has 3 ports vs 4 for the Princess options we like, and one of the ports for the Solstice is San Juan, which we're not too crazy about.

[paul929207]

That is really up to you. We are more interested in the itinerary. Always looking for new places to go.

[Cruzaholic41]

It depends.

 

When I cruised RCI's Freedom, and X's Solstice, it was about the ships.

 

When I cruised the Carnival Spirit, and NCL POH, it is was about the itineraries.

 

These are just 4 examples. Point is, it really depends on what your tastes and priorities are for that particular vacation.

[cruiselover57]

When choosing a cruise what is more important- the ship or the itinerary? I ask because I am dying to sail on the Celebrity Solstice but found more appealing itineraries for a 7 day cruise on several Princess ships....I'm still leaning towards the Solstice but was just curious how other's make their decisions....?

 

As other posters have mentioned, we also go both ways. Example: We are booked on the Mariner of the Seas for Xmas 7-day Mexico this year. While we've been to Mexico many times, I have always wanted to try one of their larger ships with an ice skating rink so even though it's not the new Oasis, that is fine by me (plus, I'm in the LA area and we don't have to fly)! The Solstice does sound nice though as well as the Equinox - considering trying them in the near future; just can't say when!

[BonnieVA]

When choosing a cruise what is more important- the ship or the itinerary?

 

I have a different agenda for each cruise. The 1st cruise was solely for the destination (Bermuda). The 2nd cruise was solely for my entire family to experience a cruise at a decent price at the time of year we wanted to travel. The 3rd cruise was for the ports (more unique & exotic). Now I am hankering for a cruise soleley for the ship; we want to experience a large ship w/ a bunch of bells & whistles next time. And I'm sure the cruise after that will have its own purpose.

[Keith1010]

We look at a combination of both when we make our decision to cruise. Sometimes the itinerary is the main appeal. Other times it is the ship. And sometimes it is both. If you want to try out the Celebrity ship and you are fine with the itinerary go for it. Good luck with whatever you end up doing.

 

Keith