Do you think it's possible to repeat a perfect cruise?

We like to refer to our first Holland America experience as our "One Perfect Cruise". It was on the Westerdam, early in 2006. Truly - every single thing about that trip was absolutely perfect. When I tell myself that isn't possible, I pull out the photos and remember that it IS possible. We've never known such peace and contentment on a vacation.

SO ... we are finally going to sail the Westerdam again, and I'm trying to lower my expectations. After perfection, what is left? Have you found yourselves in this situation, where you feel like you're expecting too much? How do you talk yourself down from that? Or is it possible a repeat cruise just might be as perfect as the first?

We have had it both ways.

We have done the same ship and itinerary a couple of times and everything was perfect.

And we have also done the same ship and itinerary and it seemed like what we expected to happen on the ship, didn't. We just figured that it was because of HAL's cutbacks, different captains and hotel directors.

We don't expect every cruise to be perfect.

You can only have a first cruise once. All the excitement, novelty, discovery, sense of wonder at it all can never be repeated. That's a big part of what made your first cruise "perfect".

Can you have other "perfect" cruises? In a different way, possibly. But know that each time, you see things through different eyes. It will not be the same.

Just don't blind yourself to what is good that you missed seeing the first time!

Enjoy the great time I know you will have.

We have repeated a couple exactly and they are always different. Not neccesarily better or worse.

Time changes personal attitudes, expectations and experiences. We have listed our top three several times. And they change over the years. We never go into cruises looking for perfect. You will be setting yourself up to be looking at details, rather than the whole experience and feeling of the vacation.

Have a great time!!

I don't think that you should lower your expectations at all. Your cruise should be perfect. By perfect, I am meaning that it should be as good as it can be, without faults and defects for those things that the cruise line can control.

I find it sad sometimes that so many people on this forum are so quick to accept less than service and quickly admonish others who expect a cruise to be without faults and defects. You are not expecting the same cruise, just a similar experience, one that was perfect for you. It isn't unreasonable to expect any service provider to provide a consistent product, it's the inconsistency that drives us nuts. :(

We have repeated 2 cruises on the Nieuw Amsterdam both the same with our 24 day cruise Barcelona to Venice, and will again do in 2016. Each time was wonderful, but again different. Always your first experience is sooo exciting and new, again the repeat was like comming home again!

3STAR MARINER becoming 4 on next cruise

Sailing Nieuw Amsterdam B2B western/eastern Caribbiean Cruise 3/15/2015

We had good luck repeating Alaskan cruises with HAL. Four times and each was very good.

Sometimes a repeat cruise is better than the first cruise because on the second cruise one makes better decisions. For example. on our second visit to Puerto Vallarta (Mexican Riviera cruise) we purchased inexpensive day passes at a downtown hotel which made the day much more enjoyable.

I would suggest that you start with tempered expectations and then let yourself be pleasantly surprised.

igraf

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SO ... we are finally going to sail the Westerdam again, and I'm trying to lower my expectations. After perfection, what is left? Have you found yourselves in this situation, where you feel like you're expecting too much? How do you talk yourself down from that? Or is it possible a repeat cruise just might be as perfect as the first?

Thanks for all the input here. We, too, have repeated cruises - and though none were perfect, all were exceptional. (Which is why we stick with HAL.) Maybe it's just the memory that's throwing me - the memory of one we did consider perfect. And, yes, things have changed a lot since then. Not only for Holland America, but for us as well. I think I'll tuck that "perfect" thing away if I can, and try to anticipate this cruise the same as I would any other. I've never been disappointed with HAL, and that in itself is amazing. As always, we're counting the days.

You can only have a first cruise once. All the excitement, novelty, discovery, sense of wonder at it all can never be repeated. That's a big part of what made your first cruise "perfect".

 

Can you have other "perfect" cruises? In a different way, possibly. But know that each time, you see things through different eyes. It will not be the same.

Just don't blind yourself to what is good that you missed seeing the first time!

 

Enjoy the great time I know you will have.

 

 

Very well put, Ruth, as usual. Words of wisdom.

Ruth put it very well.

I'll just say that you can't put the clock back (would any of us really want to?) and have exactly the same experience. But new ships and itineraries can give just as much, if not more, pleasure.

I know Foreigner sang the song "Feels Like the First Time", but it doesn't. Things are only new once.

That said, each cruise is a microcosm of great or bad, awesome or awful depending on your personality.

Are you a person that shrieks, "OMG I wanted taupe bedding, not tan" or are you person that exclaims, "OMG a bed that I don't need to tend to for X # of days"? How you answer that question to yourself will letcha know how the coming cruise is going to be for your.

Personally, when I'm on vacation/on a cruise, that worse day there is greater than my best non-vacation/cruise day.

>SNIP<

 

SO ... we are finally going to sail the Westerdam again, and I'm trying to lower my expectations. After perfection, what is left? .... >SNIP< ....Or is it possible a repeat cruise just might be as perfect as the first?

I have had several "perfect cruises", specifically 4 (of 7) to Alaska. Despite not-great food, less-than-stellar shore excursions, and some difficulties with the group I was travelling with -- the cruises were perfect for me. When I look back on each of them the things I remember are not the bad/marginal food, the waste of money on a bad shore excursion, or the interpersonal issues that might have derailed friendships. I remember the scenery, the joy of someone seeing their first-EVER whale in the wild, the sunrises and sunsets, the spontaneous conversations with strangers.

My point here is, if a cruise "ticks the boxes" for you, the rest of it is just background. I do think you can have another "perfect cruise" if you get what you need or want from it, despite it being imperfect in many ways.

The sense of excitement I had when we boarded the Veendam this summer for our first ever cruise was intense. I doubt if we'll feel quite as excited when we go on subsequent cruises.

Maybe I am a perfectionist -believing as I do that the "PERFECT CRUISE" cannot exist. I have enough imagination to be able to conjure up some facet of a cruise capable of being improved; even if it involved such a minor aspect of the temperature being just a shade above, or below, my ideal, or just the fact that I may have overslept and missed what a fellow passenger described as an awe-inspiring sunrise.

That being said, I am enough of a positive-thinking realist to recognize that every cruise is a wonderful opportunity, a gift to be appreciated without fault-finding or reminiscing about how an earlier one was in one degree or another better.

There is always magic in the first experience of anything - the first-ness of a cruise cannot possibly be repeated, but today is where you are now -- so seize it, savor it and remember it: do not consign it to comparisons to other days.

I have found the magic has been with me for 10 out of 11 HAL cruises,, that one time , it was me,, (was having a rough personal time),, I repeated that Alaskan cruise last month,, and had one of the best times ever,---:)--:)

I think of another "perfect" cruise as a wanted and planned for child or grandchild. They all are perfect in their own ways..........but also very different. I would not want a "cloned" grandchild, or a been there, done that cruise.

Yes, We have had about 15 perfect cruises LOL :):) Bill

All of our HAL cruises have been (though not perfect) but wonderful except our last one. Even DH complained. Now he doesn't want to sail HAL again if we can help it. Since we have had some unexpected expenses and serious family issues we will not be cruising for some time to come. I told him I don't think we are a good fit for the newer ships. I like the older more "seasoned" ships. Rotterdam, Statendam etc. and this last time we picked the Zuiderdam.

Anyway I guess perfect is like beauty, in the eyes of the beholder!

For me it the cruise is wonderful I'm happy!!!!

Challenge yourself to make every cruise better than the last one. Look for the differences and enjoy them.

If you are a "glass half-full" kind of person, then any cruise can be near perfect. We tend to roll with the punches and make great memories on every cruise - was every one perfect? No, but that doesn't mean we couldn't enjoy the overall experience and have some really good dinner-talk long after the cruise was over.

I always say if you can't bring perfection, don't expect it. Trust me, I don't expect it. ;)

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

If you are a "glass half-full" kind of person, then any cruise can be near perfect. We tend to roll with the punches and make great memories on every cruise - was every one perfect? No, but that doesn't mean we couldn't enjoy the overall experience and have some really good dinner-talk long after the cruise was over.

 

I always say if you can't bring perfection, don't expect it. Trust me, I don't expect it. ;)

 

 

 

Smooth Sailing ! :) :) :)

Loved your response :)

We like to refer to our first Holland America experience as our "One Perfect Cruise". It was on the Westerdam, early in 2006. Truly - every single thing about that trip was absolutely perfect. When I tell myself that isn't possible, I pull out the photos and remember that it IS possible. We've never known such peace and contentment on a vacation.

 

SO ... we are finally going to sail the Westerdam again, and I'm trying to lower my expectations. After perfection, what is left? Have you found yourselves in this situation, where you feel like you're expecting too much? How do you talk yourself down from that? Or is it possible a repeat cruise just might be as perfect as the first?

I got off the Westerdam last December and realized there had not been even one thing to find fault with. What a well run ship!

I think it depends, though, on the staff and crew onboard at the time.

We went for our fourth cruise on a ship of another line, our favorite ship, in April. Staff had changed, and although it was a good cruise, it was not the same and no longer my ship of choice. I find hotel directors make all the difference as can some cruise directors. Even the passenger mix makes a difference. Our first Westerdam cruise was not nearly as great as the last one. Great weather helps, too.

Enjoy your cruise and have a wonderful time, even if everything is not perfect this time.

Everyone would describe the perfect cruise in a different way. As a 'half full' person, the new experiences, amazing staff, and creature comforts are perfect for us. Throw in some truly awesome fellow passengers and we can easily approach perfect.

Although we would never want to repeat one of most memorable cruise, we still talk about it now and again. It was the 'cruise from h$%^ - oh sorry, cruise to the Mayan Ruins. The cruise line went out of business shortly after we got home. Some examples: we ran aground in the harbor of Guatemala City and you could see the reef outcroppings from the Sports deck, flew over miles of dense jungle to Tikal on an excursion and I had one of the better seats as had 1/2 a seat belt, ran into a peasant revolt in on our way to Copan (have pictures of them blowing up the road while we cowered in the bus), captain's dinner had lobster loaf (think pickle loaf with bits of lobster,) half the ship did not have air conditioning including the dining room so you could wear whatever you wanted for dinner, etc etc. Although far from perfect, we had a blast as we had wonderful table mates who could roll with the punches - especially after 4 of them discovered the gym was freezing cold so they slept there every night!

Life is somewhat what you make of it.

When we took the Westerdam over 3 years ago to the South Pacific, it was near perfect. Now we just took her again, different itinerary, different crew in most cases but still a near perfect cruise. So yes, I think it can happen more then once.

Hoping we can repeat the perfect cruise. Mom & I did Ryndam S Carib this past February & it was perfection! Doing it again in 2015.