How do you pick your cruises?

[bouhunter]

No. It's not hurricane season and they rarely get them in Aruba anyway..

[cocacola86]

My DW is Dutch, and she would love to go to the ABC islands, but she is afraid to go during hurricane season.

[Clarea]

My DW is Dutch, and she would love to go to the ABC islands, but she is afraid to go during hurricane season.

Unfortunately, that eliminates a large amount of the calendar.

[cocacola86]

I was just reading the ABC islands are out of the way, the two other islands are San Juan and St Maarten but really the hurricane is usually around August, Sept.

[14Terry]

Taking for granted we're sailing RCI and noting consideration is given to each of these factors (which are listed in order of importance):

Itinerary

Price

Departure Port

Ship

 

 

Same here...

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Desert Cruizers]

Itinerary: I look at length of times in each Port & choose excursions accordingly.

Price

Ship

Since we have to fly to most of our cruises, destination plays a part in which Port we leave from.

[John&LaLa]

No. It's not hurricane season and they rarely get them in Aruba anyway..

 

Hurricane uncommon in ABC, but you have to get there via ports that do deal with hurricanes

[cocacola86]

For us it was cheaper to fly from Buffalo to SJ than from Buffalo to FL

[cruiseapril]

We prefer a cruise in March (to the Caribbean) from Florida.

 

Then, we choose by itinerary and try to visit at least one new port.

[cocacola86]

I like the Oasis class, but not fond of some of the ports.

[printingchick]

I use a number of different factors to decide, but in this order:

 

 

• ITINERARY - This is #1 and far outweighs the other considerations. I vastly prefer port-intensive cruises with limited sea days. I like to wake up in a different place every day.
  
• Cost/Cruise length
  
• Class of ship I prefer small ships, like Radiance Class. Thinking of trying Celebrity next as they have a variety of smaller sized ships
  
• Departure port Cost of flying has so far limited me to cruising in the Caribbean. However, I will delay cruising for a year in order to be able to afford to depart from San Juan because I like the port intensive itineraries.
  

I understand that for some people the ship is the destination. For me, choosing the ship is like choosing the hotel on a land-based vacation. It's a very important consideration, but one you make AFTER you decide where you're going. The itinerary (where I'm going) to me is by far the #1 factor.

Edited May 11, 2015 by printingchick

[NightOne]

Pretty much how I search them:

 

Departure Port > Date > Destination Ports (Itinerary) > Ship > Cruise Line > Price

[yj_eugene]

It's a combination, and if one factor is overwhelmingly favorable we'll give a bit on some of the others. In order:

 

1. Date - April/May and December/January are the best times DW and I can both get away from our jobs.

2. Length - Because of those jobs, all travel must fit into our available vacation days

3. Departure Port - Much prefer driving to a port here in Florida. Fly only if required.

4. Line - RCL 1st, HAL 2nd, NCL 3rd, then everyone else.

5. Ship - Prefer Radiance/Vision class size ships, and usually avoid the Mall of the Seas types

6. Price - Still want a good deal, but being DINKS give us a bit of flexibility

7. Itinerary - We'd love all sea days plus one new port, but the where isn't as important as where not: work.

[cincicruisers]

Timing

Port stops

Cost

Ship

[Goes Cruising]

I would say the majority of the time, it is -

 

1) Itinerary - I sail more outside of the Caribbean than in. I'm always looking for some place new to explore.

 

2) Ship - I LOVE Radiance class ships, and will definately be swayed by the ship.

 

3) Cost - I would rather sail an inside cabin on a Radiance class ship with an itinerary I love than on another cruise line or even a massive RCCL ship that is cheaper.

 

Since I have to fly almost anywhere, departure port usually doesn't play a part.

 

Most of my Caribbean sailings have been family get togethers, where my list is flipped completely over...cost, ship, itinerary. We sail just to spend time together and don't necessarily even get off the ship.

[molsonschooner]

I look at prices first. If I see a price I like then I check the itinerary. We have not cruised near as much as some people so I like to find a cruise that would take us to at least one new port.

[readyk]

For us it Itinerary/Ship. Some times we pick the ship and some times the itinerary. We always try to sail in sep. Next year we wanted to do the southern cruise and in 2017 I think we will do the biggest ship. Price are cheaper that time of year.

[American Bear]

1) Price and itinerary tied at top.

Can't afford it, can't go, and won't go if its not where we want to go.:D

Was offered a free cruise to Alaska last year, said no thanks, not interested.

 

2) Ship next, all the cruise lines now got some great ships now.

 

3)Cruise line last, we get good benes. with all the cruise lines now.

After enough years enjoying/wasting money(depends on how you look at it) on most of the cruise lines, our perks are pretty good with all.:)

[m*u*g*]

1. Date I want to go-this can be altered by various factors, but date comes first if for an event or milestone

2. Location

3. Ship

 

I have been know to go in reverse order, but location takes priority if I do.

 

Example: Quantum-location killed by desire to ever sail this class unless it changes from Bayonne.

[DebJ14]

We pick our cruises by departure ports. DH hates to fly and can only be enticed to fly if the itinerary is something really special. (Just flew to Florida for MSC Divina Yacht Club annual cruise to Bermuda). Otherwise we sail out of Galveston or Houston and whoever has the itinerary we like best among Princess, RCCL, NCL and Carnival on the date we want to go wins. Price is not really a factor since we books suites.

[Goodtime Cruizin]

If you do May 28 out of SJ going down to Aruba curaçao do you get hurricanes?

 

No. Typically speaking the Hurricane season doesn't kick in until around August - Oct.

 

1. Dates

2. Price/Cost

3. Ports

 

We love to go to different ports & explore different cultures, foods and it's people.

Edited May 12, 2015 by Goodtime Cruizin

[JimAOk1945]

1. The itinerary is always our priority in choosing a cruise.
    
   
2. The cruise line - it seems like most of the time, Royal Caribbean has what we want. Next year will something new for us, a HAL cruise, again chosen for the itinerary.
    
   
3. Price
   

Edited May 12, 2015 by JimAOk1945

[cruizers]

1 - itinerary

2 & 3 - ship/price

 

Departure point isn't quite as important because with only one exception, we must fly.

[B-52]

Itinerary....# of days.

Home port, what will it cost to get there...flight, hotel, rental car etc.

Cost of the cruise itself....

 

The ship comes last, as does the cruise line.

Although I will never sail on anything bigger than the Freedom class, every cruise must be at least 7 nights - prefer longer, and we always stay in a GS.

[cocacola86]

What about cabin, what do you usually book, if you go out of SJ do you usually book an interior or OV cause there's more port days than sea days?