Which is more important: Ship or Ports of Call?

[90007012]

When booking a trip, if you had to pick which weighs more importance for you — would it be the  ship itself or the destinations?

[Tulsacoker]

Ships of Call 😄 

[fdthird]

Ship

[FLACRUISER99]

Both

[90007012]

1 minute ago, Tulsacoker said:

Ships of Call 😄 

Good point! We want to try as many ships as possible, but the easy weekend cruises all seem to go to Coco Cay and Nassau!

[jakeil7]

It depends on the type of vacation you want.   After all, you are not going to sail the Oasis down the Rhine and you wouldn’t want a Viking Longship (that’s the generic class, right?) sailing the Caribbean even if it were possible 😁

[Hoopster95]

This is loaded question....

 

If you've never been to Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, very port intensive with few sea days, would you choose Odyssey or Jewel? This is a no brainer to me ... the choice should be Jewel. Unless of course you'd rather bungee jump, Flo-ride, Ifly, bumper car instead of actually seeing places (see singingalot's current Greek Isle review.... one of the best ever). If you;re European and have sailed the Med many times, then Odyssey would be the choice likely as you can enjoy more of the ship.

 

If you're in Ft Lauderdale and about to visit Cozumel, Nassau, St Marten, etc for the 10th time, do you choose Jewel or Odyssey? Again, what I feel is a no brainer... the choice here is Odyssey. You can enjoy so much more of the ship as the ports of call would possibly take second place in this case

[barbeyg]

What Hoopster said.  ☺️

[hapster85]

So far, it's been ports. But we've just completed our 8th cruise, so things haven't really gotten repetitive for us yet.

[FLACRUISER99]

4 minutes ago, Hoopster95 said:

This is loaded question....

 

If you've never been to Santorini, Ephesus, Mykonos, very port intensive with few sea days, would you choose Odyssey or Jewel? This is a no brainer to me ... the choice should be Jewel. Unless of course you'd rather bungee jump, Flo-ride, Ifly, bumper car instead of actually seeing places (see singingalot's current Greek Isle review.... one of the best ever). If you;re European and have sailed the Med many times, then Odyssey would be the choice likely as you can enjoy more of the ship.

 

If you're in Ft Lauderdale and about to visit Cozumel, Nassau, St Marten, etc for the 10th time, do you choose Jewel or Odyssey? Again, what I feel is a no brainer... the choice here is Odyssey. You can enjoy so much more of the ship as the ports of call would possibly take second place in this case

Definitely the best answer.

[MalteseMama2]

Right now we are choosing ships over ports because we have been to most ports in the Caribbean, have limited times when we can cruise (in other words, no TAs or Mediterranean for us yet) and recently discovered how much we love the Oasis class ships. 
That will change when DH retires and we can explore areas new to us. 

[jbethel11]

16 minutes ago, 90007012 said:

When booking a trip, if you had to pick which weighs more importance for you — would it be the  ship itself or the destinations?

Priorities: Pricing, ship, ports of call.

[Oceansaway17]

I am doing the Odyssey of the seas because it is new.  Just like I am doing Sky Princess, Carnival Panorama, Celebrity APEX and Symphony of the Seas.

 

But if going to a place that is on bucket list for first time. Chose the itinerary especially Alaska.  Some ships have short stops and be careful when choosing Alaska.  Be glad RCI is allowed back into Glacier Bay next year.

[jbethel11]

Just now, Oceansaway17 said:

I am doing the Odyssey of the seas because it is new.  Just like I am doing Sky Princess, Carnival Panorama, Celebrity APEX and Symphony of the Seas.

I prefer doing ships that aren't necessarily new, but still have that "new feeling". Like maybe months or so after they debut.

[voyager70]

For the Caribbean it's all about the ship.  For the Med or other destination cruises it's all about the ports.

 

[dancingfish]

I think ports first and then ships... I mean is there really a bad ship???

[jakeil7]

4 minutes ago, dancingfish said:

I think ports first and then ships... I mean is there really a bad ship???

Yes. The S.S. Minnow 😁

[voyager70]

5 minutes ago, jakeil7 said:

Yes. The S.S. Minnow 😁

 

Or Titanic

 

[donaldsc]

I regard the ship as just a big bus that stops at places I want to sea.  Ports are 1st through 10th priority.  The ship is down there at priority #20.

 

DON

[hallasm]

it depends very much on the destination - in the Caribbean I will choose cruise line / ship - For Asia, Alaska, New England the  cruise line while for the Norwegian fjords or the Mediterranean clearly focus on the itinerary - which ports / fjords.

[clo]

PORTS!  The ships are so far down the list as to almost not be on the list.  And cruising will, barring physical limitations, hopefully never be the only way we travel.  Just finished an RV trip to Vegas, Malibu and Death Valley.

[HBE4]

1 hour ago, jbethel11 said:

Priorities: Pricing, ship, ports of call.

 

I second this.

[cb at sea]

For hubby...Ports....for me, I don't really care!  I enjoy port days, but I can entertain myself with a book almost anywhere.  We do enjoy a spacious cabin, so I want a ship that offers a bit of "elbow room".  Every person is different.  I don't feel we're in any port long enough to actually DO what we would do if we were on a land vacation...we do enjoy roaming about. 

 

I'm with Clo....I LOVE the Vegas area....we, too, have done the "death valley" thing...had lunch at a brothel!!!  (didn't know it at the time, but it makes a great story!)...and spent a great day in Death Valley.  Vegas is my "go to" vacation...love it!  Great rooms, great food....fair gambling and not much humidity!

[Shmoo here]

2 hours ago, 90007012 said:

When booking a trip, if you had to pick which weighs more importance for you — would it be the  ship itself or the destinations?

For our planning:

#1 - Itinerary

#2 - Cost

#3 - cruise line

#4 - ship

[clo]

45 minutes ago, cb at sea said:

great food.

Check out - if you haven't already - Lotus of Siam and Jose' Andres' Jaleo.