Why do people cruise to the same place over and over again?

[OCruisers]

Lol! We love Myrtle Beach and go there almost every year!

 

That's great to hear... we appreciate our tourist! ;)

 

Seriously, we look forward to going back to the same place at the beach.

With cruises we love some port stops and are always excited about going back to them ... no matter how many times we've been.

 

LuLu

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[sail7seas]

I just don't get it...I see on people's signatures tons of cruises and a lot of time the same itineraries, why? We've done the Bahamas, Alaska, Western Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean and coming up we have an Eastern Caribbean but I wouldn't want to do any of them twice. Just wondering?

 

 

It depends where you are in your travel experience and what you want from travel. It is not 'one size fits all'.

 

We have cruised 95+ cruises and have favorite places, itineraries I won't sail no way no how, places we've been to but won't return and then there are the cruises where we really don't care where the ship is going.

 

We choose our cruises by date, ship, availability of cabin we like, then itinerary and price.

 

We go as much for warm weather (Caribbean) in the winter as shipboard life. We sometimes don't leave the ship during a week and other cruises (depending where we stop) where we might leave the ship every day in two weeks.

 

When you've cruised as much as us, every ship but one in Holland America fleet (most many multiple times), then we're looking for other than what the new, young couple or family is looking for from their cruises.

 

[Socref124]

I just don't get it...I see on people's signatures tons of cruises and a lot of time the same itineraries, why? We've done the Bahamas, Alaska, Western Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean and coming up we have an Eastern Caribbean but I wouldn't want to do any of them twice. Just wondering?

 

1. Different excursions

2. Different Ships

3. Different crew on same Ship

4. Like a specific excursion or ship.

5. Port of embarkation is near home

6. Less expensive than a land based vacation

7. When I am on a cruise I have no phone, no internet and I am able to totally relax. I know phones and internet are available, but we don't use them at all. On last land vacation, we were constantly looking things up on the internet, calling the kids, answering phone calls and driving around to different places:eek:. We don't do that on a cruise.:)

[marshhawk]

My first cruise was a short 3 day cruise to Nassau to attend a friends wedding, which actually ended up on the beach before the cruise, but while I was apprehensive, and arrived with BA (bad attitude) I suffered:rolleyes: through the first afternoon on the lido, by eating one of the best desserts I have ever had, watching the reveleres revel too much, and then OMG I had to dress for dinner:eek:, and eat some of the best food I have ever had:eek:. By day 3 I had chilled, and they still threw me off the ship. :p I hadn't planned to do a shore excursion, I had spent a lot on the cruise (didn't know about early saver, didn't know that the OBC was something you were supposed to use on the ship) etc. But the cruise director showed a film about all the things to do, and we went to Balckbeards CAy aka Discovery Island and had a blast.

Several years later we sailed to Key West, which of course goes to Nassau, and we did Blue Lagoon. The next year we really wanted to go to HMC which goes to Nassau so we tried the Sheritan day pass. I get such a kick out of people who sail to Nassau, say they saw Atlantis, and the straw market and they are never getting of the ship again, blah blah blah, because I have been 3 times, never seen Atlantis and know there are many other beaches to go to:)

Done the Legend twice, same places-did entirely different things, do I want to go back to all those places??? no, but back to Cozumel, to repeat a certain self induced shore excursion, yes, because you know when something is good. Not just acceptable or some place that throws booze your way, but something that is really good.

DH and I are getting old, his health is not always that good, so now he wants to start going to new ports to see new things overall. To add to his bucket list. My list too is getting smaller, and when the list disappears??? It might just end up being a cruise for the ship itself? Or maybe that pastry on the Lido deck:p

[wiskt]

Convenience perhaps?

I've cruised on the IMAGINATION by choice a few times to the same two ports. I like the ship experience and the ports are nice. Ive been to Cozumel so many times, but do a different excursion every time and it is always a different experience.

 

I try to change up my cruising as far as stateroom locations, itinerary and what I do onboard to keep my cruising fresh and new with experiences so they don’t become boring. I’m one that is always up to attend different meetings, gatherings, and explore on my own as well as take an unexpected excursion. Keeping an open mind and doing this, I’ve managed to meet different people and discover places and experiences I probably would never have.

Edited June 14, 2013 by wiskt

[Hlitner]

Lol! We love Myrtle Beach and go ther almost every year!

 

So do we! :)

[Ship's Wake]

Some cruisers are more interested in taking a vacation that they are in travelling and seeing new places. The same ports again don't even factor into their decision.

[Warm Breezes]

Lol! We love Myrtle Beach and go ther almost every year!

 

We went to Myrtle Beach for the first time last year....it rained every single day for most of the day. We only a few brief times we could go out to the beach between showers. It was very disappointing for us.

[SadieN]

We've done the 3day itin from Long Beach too many times.

 

It's great for DH. Being a sole practioner it is hard for him to take time off without the clients unraveling something. Since we know the ship and ports rarely is there anything new and he is able to unwind over the weekend.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

We love to cruise ..

[BruceMuzz]

You also need to consider that many North Americans (not all) are not the most adventurous travelers in the world. Their comfort zones are very precise. Get them too far from a McDonalds, a Starbucks, or a Walmart, and they get very uncomfortable.

"Foreigners" can be very scary to Americans.

Easier to take it in baby steps.

[NMLady]

I just don't get it...I see on people's signatures tons of cruises and a lot of time the same itineraries, why? We've done the Bahamas, Alaska, Western Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean and coming up we have an Eastern Caribbean but I wouldn't want to do any of them twice. Just wondering?

 

There is always so much to see in each port that is impossible to see in just one short day. So I love to have another chance to see more of the area.

[lady_cruiser]

I just don't get it...I see on people's signatures tons of cruises and a lot of time the same itineraries, why? We've done the Bahamas, Alaska, Western Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean and coming up we have an Eastern Caribbean but I wouldn't want to do any of them twice. Just wondering?

Because we don't fly.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Thanks for your responses everybody. I see there are many different reasons, some I never thought of. We cruise for the ports and like the easiness of a floating hotel but not everybody does :)

And to croooze, thanks for reminding me why I usually don't post on cc and just keep my questions and comments to myself. Does it matter to me...yes, or I wouldn't have asked. I was interested and curious and thought I'd ask and see if anyone was willing to answer and thankfully nice people did.

 

Crooze may have meant it rhetorically. At least that's how I read it. But as you can see, many have various reasons. It's what's best for you. Look at the people who go camping, and perhaps to the same camping area, each time. Not my cup of tea. And those people may feel the same about going on a ship.

 

We live about an hour's drive from a port and I hate flying. It's much easier for us to leave from Los Angeles -- don't have to worry about luggage limits or hotel stays. Unfortunately there's a limited number of itineraries, especially when we can go (when school is out). So we've done the Mexican Riviera twice, the Baja cruise a few times and the Hawaiian cruise (my favorite itinerary and perhaps my hubby's, too) three times. Alaska was very scenic and I wouldn't mind going again, but it means a flight or train trip. Did the Caribbean, west once and east once. I don't need a beach on vacation, but if that's what I want, we have plenty on the west coast (our favorite non-cruise stop is Ventura Harbor, about an hour's drive up north).

 

We do have some "dream list" cruises, but they all involve expensive flights (which would cost more than the actual cruise): Australia/NZ, South America and Baltic. But we're also looking at college tuition for our daughter in a couple of years, too.

 

And for us, much of the cruise is about the ship. That's why we really like Princess. A good variety of itineraries. Ships that aren't behemoths. And lots to do on sea days.

[brazilgirl]

I cruise for itineraries . I love ships but use them as a way to see as much of the world as possible with my family. Cruising is a comfortable way to do this...

 

 

 

 

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[Ashland]

I would prefer to go to the same places over and over again. I am not one that would like to cruise to Alaska, just not my cup of tea. Plus I love the Caribbean, so I'm happy with cruising to those destinations over and over again. If I'm on a ship where there are palm trees, sand, water, and sun I'm happy!:)

We have done the Mexican Riviera and Eastern Caribbean many times..Once each to Northern Europe/Baltics and the Western Med..I felt the same as you do about Alaska until I went in 2010 WOW just cruised to Alaska again May 17th..did I change my mind after that first Alaska cruise...YES :D

[pmacher61]

You also need to consider that many North Americans (not all) are not the most adventurous travelers in the world. Their comfort zones are very precise. Get them too far from a McDonalds, a Starbucks, or a Walmart, and they get very uncomfortable.

"Foreigners" can be very scary to Americans.

Easier to take it in baby steps.

Where do you get your statistics from? Are No Americans more or less adventurous than Pakistanis, Mexicans, Brazilians, Iranians, Chinese, Turks, Korean, Nigerians, or (insert country or continent) - I'd appreciate hearing further specifics based on your sources.

[Laughing Angel]

It's always been a 50/50 proposition for me...part of the fun is exploring the ship and enjoying the different amenities it has to offer. I also like meeting the crew and fellow passengers.The other part is getting the chance to visit a port of call and learning about the people, history and culture. Some places really intrigue me, and I want to go back again (and again).

[travlnblueberries]

I haven't read the thread but will post my response. We love the warm weather, the beautiful water and the people. We have been to many ports where we have made friends with some locals. We meet up with them and spend time together. Maybe you're just not a cruise addict like most of us are. :D It's not for everyone.

[pris993]

I just don't get it...I see on people's signatures tons of cruises and a lot of time the same itineraries, why? We've done the Bahamas, Alaska, Western Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean and coming up we have an Eastern Caribbean but I wouldn't want to do any of them twice. Just wondering?

 

We are just the opposite, we have done the Carribean, TAs, the Mediterranean both western and eastern, the Baltics, Alaska, Hawaii, Mexico, Califonria Coast numerous times. We do repeat becuase many itineraries do offer new ports we have not seen, even going to ports we have been to before we see something new, we visit friends along the way and we enjoy new ships. We generally plan our own port tours and we pace ourselves, so we can never see it all even in multiple visits to the same port. Besides returning to a familiar port is like visiting an old friend especially if you have been there many times before which is very true for us.

[sparks1093]

You also need to consider that many North Americans (not all) are not the most adventurous travelers in the world. Their comfort zones are very precise. Get them too far from a McDonalds, a Starbucks, or a Walmart, and they get very uncomfortable.

"Foreigners" can be very scary to Americans.

Easier to take it in baby steps.

 

I wouldn't expect that too many people with that mind set would spend the money necessary to cruise.

Edited June 15, 2013 by sparks1093

[Krazy Kruizers]

I just don't get it...I see on people's signatures tons of cruises and a lot of time the same itineraries, why? We've done the Bahamas, Alaska, Western Caribbean, Baltic, Mediterranean and coming up we have an Eastern Caribbean but I wouldn't want to do any of them twice. Just wondering?

 

When we were healthy, we were able to fly anywhere and did cruises everywhere. We were not restricted like we are now.

We used to cruise 70 - 90 days a year.

Now we take just 1 or 2 cruises a year -- nothing under 14 days. And before long we won't be cruising due to health and getting tired of the same itineraries.

Unlike some people -- the ship is not our destination. We cruise for the ports.

[dmwnc1959]

For me the ship is the destination. My next cruise is a B2B on the new Royal Princess that repeats the exact same itinerary, and the same one I did last year on Ruby Princess. The Western Caribbean cruise I did last year on Allure of the Seas was a near replica of the one I did the year before on a B2B on Celebrity Millennium. And before that is was a cruise out of Baltimore down the east coast and back on a ship I still consider one of my all time favorites, the Celebrity Mercury (now with TUI Cruises).

 

Don't really care about the islands and I spent 12 years in the Navy, and 12 years as a Travel Agent, seeing the world. Or at least the parts that interested me.

 

I cruise out of the US to keep from paying some of the expensive international airfares which can cost more than the cruise itself. And since I travel solo I can get really good deals on cruises from Florida or NY in December, which is when I always cruise.

[sail7seas]

I haven't read the thread but will post my response. We love the warm weather, the beautiful water and the people. We have been to many ports where we have made friends with some locals. We meet up with them and spend time together. Maybe you're just not a cruise addict like most of us are. :D It's not for everyone.

 

 

We do like the comfort of familiarity. We love knowing where we wish to shop, what garden to see again, where we'll have our lunch....... Having spent so much time in the Caribbean has allowed us to make friends along the way and find favorite places to look forward to again visiting.

 

Give us a beautiful blue hulled beautiful HAL ship, wonderful weather, and some favorite islands....... what more could we want? We never tire of it.

[Erik101]

Because not many people can afford to cruise outside the Caribbean! Take a look at the price tags to Hawaii, Europe and Asia. Now add in hotel and flight and compare those to the price tags of a Caribbean vacation. Do you honestly believe that many people can afford these types of vacation?

 

When I first joined this site, I had the same question but after chatting up with several cruisers who take the same annual Caribbean cruise vacation because it's what they can afford and provide such an awesome escape, then my question became irrelevant. It's what people enjoy and that's the only thing that matters.