Can taking too many cruises be a bad thing?

[parallax]

As I have perused the message board and seen some of the reviews and comments about recent experiences, I wonder if going on multiple cruises can distort one's perspective on his/her cruising experience? On average, my family and I go on a cruise every two years or so. By the time we are boarding the ship for the next trip, our memories of our previous cruise are not fresh and we only have general memories of our previous experience. We typically don't remember much about the food we ate, the drinks or the shows. Nor do we remember much in the way of inconveniences we encounter. Instead, we remember escaping for a week or so, having good food and drink, meeting interesting people, see interesting places and getting away from the rat race. Like an addict, these fond memories eventually get us jonesing for another cruise.

 

On the other hand, it would seem that is would be hard to get the same "fix" if you are cruising on a frequent basis. It is easier to be more critical when memories of previous cruises are still fresh in your head. Do expectations change when you go on my frequent cruises? Do you experience the same joy as when you were cruising less frequent?

[OCruisers]

There's nothing wrong with taking as many cruises as you like as frequently as you wish if you have the time and money to do so.

Some years we take more cruises than we do others. Doing so neither lessens nor heightens our cruise experience. :)

LuLu

[herbanrenewal]

there are some folks who would take the same ship, or the same itinerary dozens of times and enjoy every minute of it.

 

there are some who harken back to the good old days when service and quality (and comparatively prices) were high. Nothing today quite meets that standard.

 

there are those who want drinks and adult activities and no kids; others who want to bring their toddlers.

 

Some will only sail on the newest, largest super-sized ships, others want the smaller ships with less flowriders to zipline experiences on board.

 

some complain every minute except while they are buying their next cruise

 

some who find every experience to be an adventure.

 

some who cruise 4 or more times a year, some who save for 4 years for the next trip.

 

but to answer your question about me personally, sometimes i look for ports Ive not visited. On my first few cruises i would not have considered staying onboard during a port day, but now i relish those quieter shipboard experiences.

But i still find cruising exciting, rewarding, wonderful way to experience new places or to simply relax. For me, there is no such thing as too many cruises.

Edited May 9, 2014 by herbanrenewal

[sfpen66]

For us, there is no such thing as too many cruises. We love all of them. We also take lots of pictures to recall some of our fond memories. We just wish our budget would let us go more often.

[iancal]

They tend to loose their novelty for us.

 

We usually intersperse them with extended land trips. And on those land trips we often book on short notice. Makes for a nice change. We are working on two land trips now-one in Sept/Oct. and one in the winter. We hope to snag a great deal on a late booking. If not, we can revert back to our original land trip plans.

[Budget Queen]

In my case, my frequent cruising does have an effect. :) I am not "impressed" like some are, nor get "excited" with the count downs etc. (I question the long extended count downs :) )

 

But I cruise for where it can take me, I don't care about the ship or cabin, and miss several meals. It is an excellent value for me, meals, lodging and transportation all in one. :)

 

I've been on 5 cruises already this year, 87 total cruises. I'm on 3 b2b2b, next week- for my Alaska preference.

 

Everyone is different.

[CowPrincess]

In my case, my frequent cruising does have an effect. :) I am not "impressed" like some are, nor get "excited" with the count downs etc. (I question the long extended count downs :) )

 

But I cruise for where it can take me, I don't care about the ship or cabin, and miss several meals. It is an excellent value for me, meals, lodging and transportation all in one. :)

 

I've been on 5 cruises already this year, 87 total cruises. I'm on 3 b2b2b, next week- for my Alaska preference.

 

Everyone is different.

 

I'm available for adoption ;)

[Talisker92]

In my case, my frequent cruising does have an effect. :) I am not "impressed" like some are, nor get "excited" with the count downs etc. (I question the long extended count downs :) )

 

But I cruise for where it can take me, I don't care about the ship or cabin, and miss several meals. It is an excellent value for me, meals, lodging and transportation all in one. :)

 

Everyone is different.

 

I am sort of in the same boat (forgive the pun) with Budget Queen. We do not get "excited" or count down to a cruise. We enjoy them thoroughly, but are aware there may be some bumps in the road.

To sum it up, last year when we were planning our South American cruise, we had a choice for flying home from Santiago or staying on the ship to LA. It turned our the airfare and the cruise fare were about the same.

My wife, in her infinite wisdom said," do you want to fly home or be pampered for another 15 days and not have to fly?"

That pretty much decided us, and we got off the ship in LA.

[CowPrincess]

We don't cruise all that much, usually once a year for DH and me together, and sometimes an "extra" solo cruise for me. I don't think we are jaded but we do notice that sometimes, a cruise is less stellar than a prior one, or a cruise is head and shoulders above some other cruises we've taken.

 

I still remember negative experiences on early cruises, like back in 1999 and 2000. That said, we approach each cruise with an open mind, I think. We don't expect the same level of food and service as back in the 90s, and try to overlook the little things.

 

BQ, re your comment on "extended count downs", DH and I once had a countdown that was 500+ days -- seeing that countdown and knowing we'd be on an itinerary we really REALLY enjoyed, maintained my sanity for over a year ;)

Edited May 9, 2014 by CowPrincess

[panoramaofthepast]

As I have perused the message board and seen some of the reviews and comments about recent experiences, I wonder if going on multiple cruises can distort one's perspective on his/her cruising experience? On average, my family and I go on a cruise every two years or so. By the time we are boarding the ship for the next trip, our memories of our previous cruise are not fresh and we only have general memories of our previous experience. We typically don't remember much about the food we ate, the drinks or the shows. Nor do we remember much in the way of inconveniences we encounter. Instead, we remember escaping for a week or so, having good food and drink, meeting interesting people, see interesting places and getting away from the rat race. Like an addict, these fond memories eventually get us jonesing for another cruise.

 

 

 

On the other hand, it would seem that is would be hard to get the same "fix" if you are cruising on a frequent basis. It is easier to be more critical when memories of previous cruises are still fresh in your head. Do expectations change when you go on my frequent cruises? Do you experience the same joy as when you were cruising less frequent?

 

 

Every evening at some point, I look at the countdown clock and tell my husband how much longer - "6 months and 14 days!" - we share a laugh and a little anticipation. We have three booked in the coming 13 months and are looking forward to all of them.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums mobile app

[Cruising Golfer]

If only I was born RICH, instead of so good looking...LOL:D

I would be on a cruise ship instead of living on land, it is cost effective and would be my dream life!!!

So no, never too many cruises!!!:cool:

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

There's nothing wrong with taking as many cruises as you like as frequently as you wish if you have the time and money to do so.

Some years we take more cruises than we do others. Doing so neither lessens nor heightens our cruise experience. :)

LuLu

We are in the same boat ...

[Lastdance]

I think if you tend to eat and/or drink a lot, cruising many times a year might not be the best thing for your health. I also agree with others that too much of a good thing isn't always that good if repetitive. I like to mix it up with land and sea vacations etc. It solely depends on you and what you enjoy most...I love variety!:cool: Although, I must confess that I just can't get my fill of Europe - anyway I can see it works for me!

[CruiserBruce]

Certainly everyone has their tolerance for something like cruising, Some can take many cruises- say 2 or 3 a year- and be happy with them. Others, including several I see here on Cruise Critic who have been on literally dozens of cruises, now are very cynical about cruising. Constant comments like "we used to do that...but that doesn't interest us any more", or "they rarely have anything we like" or "they don't treat us as well as they used to" or similar. Makes me think they are burned out on cruising, and perhaps a different style of vacation would be better suited to those people.

 

We used to take a cruise about every 18-24 months, to keep things fresh. We currently are in the middle of a 3 cruises in just under 24 months streak, which sort of surprised us when it occurred. We are happy, but right now we aren't planning on any cruises after our November cruise (third in the series) for almost two years after that.

Edited May 9, 2014 by CruiserBruce

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have done over 120 cruises -- stopped counting a few years ago.

We certainly have seen a lot of changes over the years -- some for the good and some for the bad.

There was a time when we used to cruise 4 and 5 times a year -- about 70 days a year -- yes we are retired.

Due to health issues we have had to cut back.

We will still cruise as long as we can. And yes we still get that "rush" when we get on a ship.

And when we get home -- we start "Do you remember when HAL used to have............, etc".

[navybankerteacher]

Over-doing anything can diminish the appreciation. But, the only clear cut case, in my mind, of too many cruises being a bad thing would be if that last cruise were on Costa Concordia.

 

Seriously, if you start thinking in terms of "too many" as a numerical concept of cruising, you should consider other vacation plans.

[dorisis]

Cruising IS addictive.Just depends on your addiction as to how many is too many.

[Scrapnana]

I just finished 118 days at sea and could have stayed on for another 118. So for me, there is no such thing as too much cruising - unfortunately my bank account disagrees:D:D.

[travlnblueberries]

The only problem I have with cruising frequently is I'll remember something but get the ports mixed up. .......Was that at this port or was it that port?

[SPacificbound]

I just finished 118 days at sea and could have stayed on for another 118. So for me, there is no such thing as too much cruising - unfortunately my bank account disagrees:D:D.

 

Wow I would love 118 days. :D

 

To the OP- we are new to cruising but avid travelers. At this point each cruise we choose is different and unique for us. I cannot imagine taking multiple cruises to the same place. To do that I would think it might cause comparisons, as in "the last time we were here......".

[screwsmcernst]

As I have perused the message board and seen some of the reviews and comments about recent experiences, I wonder if going on multiple cruises can distort one's perspective on his/her cruising experience? On average, my family and I go on a cruise every two years or so. By the time we are boarding the ship for the next trip, our memories of our previous cruise are not fresh and we only have general memories of our previous experience. We typically don't remember much about the food we ate, the drinks or the shows. Nor do we remember much in the way of inconveniences we encounter. Instead, we remember escaping for a week or so, having good food and drink, meeting interesting people, see interesting places and getting away from the rat race. Like an addict, these fond memories eventually get us jonesing for another cruise.

 

On the other hand, it would seem that is would be hard to get the same "fix" if you are cruising on a frequent basis. It is easier to be more critical when memories of previous cruises are still fresh in your head. Do expectations change when you go on my frequent cruises? Do you experience the same joy as when you were cruising less frequent?

 

My sister and I were just having the same conversation. We wondered it people were becoming more critical because it is becoming their norm. I mentioned to my sister that I wouldn't want to cruise all the time, or move to the beach, because I don't want my "everyday life" to encroach on my happy place.

While some of the concerns and problems are legitimate, some of the "Nit-picking" is exhausting. Yes I said nit-picking... let the flaming begin. ;)

[toberman]

While some of the concerns and problems are legitimate, some of the "Nit-picking" is exhausting. Yes I said nit-picking... let the flaming begin. ;)

 

Oh.. Now you're just "Nit-Picking". ;) :D

[Grannycb]

We took lots of cruises, up to 7 a year, for the past several years. Each had it's own set of memories. No matter how many times we walk up the gangway for a cruise my heart still races. I feel like a 7 year old about to get a pony. We missed a year of cruising recently due to my ill health. The first cruise back was far from perfect but we had a blast. We came home with good memories and that peaceful after vacation feeling. Who cares about a few little glitches like missed ports or missing performances? Being out on the water, breathing fresh air, getting away from stress, and letting someone else do the work is priceless. The only down sides are leaving our cats at home, and having family make comments about like, "Oh, they are on ANOTHER cruise."