Would you ever take a CCL cruise that didn't end/start in the US?

When we were on our Panama Canal cruise this summer we got talking to other passengers who were Carnival regulars and it got onto cruises in other Continents (Europe,Aus, Asia etc). Half of those said they would do it/have done it and the other half said it was US ones only for various reasons.

It got me thinking to asking this board...even though there are quite a few have already sailed in Europe etc.

Would you ever take a Carnival cruise that did not end/start in the US?

If not, why not? :)

Well, all those folks who have no passports and don't want to pay for them won't be taking cruises that start in other countries.

I generally prefer land vacations in Europe as I think the cities there are much to complex and interesting to do for only 1 day in each but I might take a cruise as I get older.

The first thing to consider is you MUST have a passport on any non-closed loop cruise (starting and ending in the same port). The other big issue is transportation to and from the ports. we typically drive to our ports of call (Flew twice), so that would make logistics more difficult.

Since i have my passport, I would certainly do it, if I could work out the flights at a reasonable price, if it was some where I want to go.

The passport thing came up while we were talking about it and I have always been surprised that you don't need a passport even when travelling abroad on a cruise and that a lot of US folk dont seem to own one.

I almost all Brits get one for ID purposes and for the fact you need one to ferry/Eurostar over to France anyway. :)

I definitly would.... i have to have a passport anyway being Canadian :p

The passport thing came up while we were talking about it and I have always been surprised that you don't need a passport even when travelling abroad on a cruise and that a lot of US folk dont seem to own one.

 

I think lots of Brits get one for ID purposes and for the fact you need one to ferry/Eurostar over to France anyway. :)

You'd probably be surprised how many people don't leave the US period. SOme don't even leave the state they live in. So they wouldn't need a passport. In truth though, there are large portions of the United States I haven't seen, and may never get to. If one was so inclined, they could vacation every year in the united states and not see it all. That being said, I prefer to get outside of the country, and see as much as I can. I would love to do Europe in the near future. I was close several years ago, when dw have a friend in Germany where we would have had free room and board. Then my wife turned up pregnant, and we wound up with a baby. Then 2 years ago, we were going to go to Fiji, but instead wound up with child number 3 instead.

I have no idea how this turned into another passport thread but....

I agreed with those who say there is just too much to experience on the 7 continents, limiting my desire to take a cruise rather than a land vacation, unless I had seen the majority of the area already.

The one exception was Antarctica -- an expedition ship with less than 100 passengers is a great way to see that continent. Cruise ships just can't get far enough south to really see this area and a land trip is a bit difficult.

I would! But honestly airfare is what's stoping me! I would love to go on a mediterranean cruise but airfare alone is insane!!

The fact that it is out of the country doesn't stop me at all. I have a passport already too!

I wouldn't because I don't like flying long distances. After a three hour flight, I'm ready to get off the plane. Not afraid of flying, just don't like sitting cramped in one spot for that long.

Did a Mediterranean 12 day on NCL in 2008. Cost was right, $750 each for the cruise, $750 each for the flights. Want to do another but flight costs are horrible right now.

When we were on our Panama Canal cruise this summer we got talking to other passengers who were Carnival regulars and it got onto cruises in other Continents (Europe,Aus, Asia etc). Half of those said they would do it/have done it and the other half said it was US ones only for various reasons.

 

It got me thinking to asking this board...even though there are quite a few have already sailed in Europe etc.

 

Would you ever take a Carnival cruise that did not end/start in the US?

 

If not, why not? :)

We were also on Legend this summer. Wasn't that a fabulous cruise? I took over 400 pictures just on the day we crossed the Panama Canal.

To answer your question, yes, in a heartbeat! We're (I'm :D) looking for the day Vista bookings open. We've never sailed a trans-Atlantic and would love to try it. Oh, all those sea days...heaven!

A note to those who changed the topic to passports...totally unnecessary.

The passport question is not changing the topic as that is a reason that many wouldn't do a cruise starting from another country.

We were also on Legend this summer. Wasn't that a fabulous cruise? I took over 400 pictures just on the day we crossed the Panama Canal.

 

To answer your question, yes, in a heartbeat! We're (I'm :D) looking for the day Vista bookings open. We've never sailed a trans-Atlantic and would love to try it. Oh, all those sea days...heaven!

 

A note to those who changed the topic to passports...totally unnecessary.

It was fabulous, we were up deck through the first locks and Gatun then sat in the hot tub with cocktails in the glorious rain with our friends...if you saw two young soggy Brits that day that was us. :D . Like minded it seems as we are also waiting for the Vista Med announcements so we can book especially as Croatia is confirmed.

I probably Hijacked my own thread about passports...oops. Although I guess it is a answer to my question.

Almost half of our cruises involved trips that started and ended outside the US. Except for the flying there really is not much difference.

The passport question is not changing the topic as that is a reason that many wouldn't do a cruise starting from another country.

 

Well if you are spending the money on the airfare...then why wouldn't they pay the price for a passport. Seems silly to me.

I think the reason is more of a money issue rather than a passport issue.

We were just looking at the Princess "grand journey" itineraries last night and dreaming about it. We would love to do that kind of itinerary, even with the added trouble of different starting and ending ports (although we live in Florida so it is slightly less troublesome). 25 days or more on a boat and cruising to northern Europe? We would so be all over that! Too bad our jobs would take issue with it....

It was fabulous, we were up deck through the first locks and Gatun then sat in the hot tub with cocktails in the glorious rain with our friends...if you saw two young soggy Brits that day that was us. :D . Like minded it seems as we are also waiting for the Vista Med announcements so we can book especially as Croatia is confirmed.

 

I probably Hijacked my own thread about passports...oops. Although I guess it is a answer to my question.

When we got to the very front of the ship, there were already people three deep standing and pushing. I stood with the masses until we began to enter the first lock. Then I went all the way aft on Lido. There were only about a dozen people out there. Watching the door close and the water line on the rivets was fascinating. I think our view was better than the one out front.

We've never sailed from other than a US port. It's a bucket list item, definitely. I heard (rumor?) that info is coming out on 1/22. Looking forward to see what's what.

I've only sailed out of the US so far but I am also waiting to book Vista for the Mediterranean. This will not be my first trip to Europe though just my first using a cruise as hotel.

I've made 5 trips to Europe since 2007 and airfares have only gone up. Yes, if you live in a major city you may be able to catch something really cheap but for the most part the airfare is going to cost. If that is what is keeping many people from Europe then they will never get there. Travelling to Europe is almost a necessity for me so I make it work financially. I don't spend a lot of money on excessive things like a fancy car, meals out, clothes etc in order to save for my trips.

I would! I have looked at some of the longer Australian cruises and drool at the possibility. Of course, flight costs and $$ in general is an issue right now but someday....

We did cruise out of San Juan once, of course not as significant as another country but it did require a passport.

I also think the Mediterranean would be amazing, but I also think I'd want a land vacation there just to experience it all!

I would! I have looked at some of the longer Australian cruises and drool at the possibility. Of course, flight costs and $$ in general is an issue right now but someday....

 

We did cruise out of San Juan once, of course not as significant as another country but it did require a passport.

 

I also think the Mediterranean would be amazing, but I also think I'd want a land vacation there just to experience it all!

why did you need a passport to cruise from San Juan? Was it a repo cruise?

Bill

My opinion is that Carnival is not the line I want for a Mediterranean cruise - I chose Princess instead.

Also sailed Princess for a cruise tour Fairbanks Alaska to Vancouver Canada.

If I ever sail Australia or the Orient, it will probably be Celebrity or similar.

I just don't think the Carnival brand is conducive to international sailing. I prefer a higher scale product for these once in a lifetime (for me) sailings.

We did the Freedom to the Med a few years ago, had a wonderful experience. Flew in and out of Rome, an amazing city. This was our third Europeon cruise, one being a transatlantic but the only one on Carnival. I wish they'd go back to doing the overseas cruises.

We did the Baltic cruise in 2013 out of Dover, with a few days in London ahead of time. The flights cost more than the cruise.:eek: Still, we loved the experience and are hoping that next week, if Vista's itineraries are announced, we will be able to book a Mediterranean cruise for 2016.:cool:

I would! I have looked at some of the longer Australian cruises and drool at the possibility. Of course, flight costs and $$ in general is an issue right now but someday....

 

We did cruise out of San Juan once, of course not as significant as another country but it did require a passport.

 

I also think the Mediterranean would be amazing, but I also think I'd want a land vacation there just to experience it all!

I don't understand your comment about requiring a passport to cruise out of San Juan since Puerto Rico is a US territory. No passport needed for US citizens at all to travel to PR.

I don't understand your comment about requiring a passport to cruise out of San Juan since Puerto Rico is a US territory. No passport needed for US citizens at all to travel to PR.

I asked the same thing in post #20. The only reason that a passport would be required is that it wasn't a closed loop cruise or they weren't from the U.S.

Maybe when the poster logs back onto CC they'll update us.:)

Bill