Why did you book your last cruise? Price? Ship? Ports? Room?

[luv2cruz44]

OK, your going to love this!! We were already booked on the fall foliage cruise on the Victory, leaving 9/30/06. Recently we heard the song "Tiny Bubbles" on the radio and decided we wanted to try a Hawaii cruise. Then, because our friends were booked on the same ship for Alaska, decided to join them. All thanks to Don Ho!!

[Wennfred]

I am just curious. Why did you book your last cruise?

 

Another Cruise Critic friend that sailed on the Pride with us last year invited us to cruise with them again, so we checked into it and said yes. since it was only a drive up to Long Beach, no airfare, and we used our Carnval Vacation Club points to book it, it was no big deal.

 

We booked the Spirit out of San Diego for April because this one is only 7 days and it goes to a new port that I have never sailed too called La Paz.

Also no Airfare and using our Points to book it.

 

Fred

[bubbles1209]

DH picked our first cruise in June, booked it & everything because it was something I have always wanted to do since I was a little girl, and he wanted to see my dream come true.:)

 

We just booked the Liberty for a Feb. cruise, and I honestly booked that one for the room as well as the itenerary. We booked room 2462 which is a 1a with 2 ov windows in it. (yep, a ov room for the price of a 1a, how cool is that?) The itenerary is a 6 day going to Freeport/Nassau, Cayman Islands, and Costa Maya. I booked this itenerary because after looking at the brochures, I wanted to sail on Liberty but seeing as how she does 8, 12, & 16 day voyages, we don't have enough vacation time built up between us to be able to go. When I saw she was doing 6 day sailings for a brief period of time, I figure this is our chance to sail on her......so we are:D

[Twaincruisers]

We pick our cruises for a variety of reasons, but 99% are chosen at the best rate. This has been an especially good year to cruise Carnival, so after not being on Carnival for over 4 years, we have taken two this year and leave Sunday on the Elation. The first two were 3-4 night, just to get away, but the Elation was chosen so we can go to Grand Turk, one of the few islands we haven't seen yet (at least we'll see it, if we get past Margaritaville). We also choose to try a new ship or class...did a one night on the Freedom of the Seas in June; chose a 14-night on the Sea Princess for our 25th anniversary in Dec to see 3-4 islands we hadn't visited yet. We really like to cruise and don't need a reason, but I think it is written someplace that it is a sin not to cruise frequently if you live in Miami!

[Barkingowl]

What makes you take your cruises?

 

We cruise with a group of friends we met on a Corvette board. We do it mainly for the camaraderie. They like Carnival & we like it too.

[bflowngs]

We can only cruise during spring break as we are both teachers. I search for the best value for my money and the ports. So far, Carnival has been the very best value for us!! Actually we are paying less money for our up-coming cruise than we did for a cruise we took 3 years ago.

 

I really think it is a bargain, considering how much airfares have risen in the past year alone!!

[shark&minnow]

Our cruises have been chosen because of price and home port. Our first ones were short cruises out of LA because that's where we lived. The last 2 were longer ones at low prices out of Galveston and Houston (we now live in Texas) This next one was such a great price (we're getting our first balcony!) and we had enough frequent flyer miles to get us to San Juan. As we get older our cruises are moving up in length and $. I really want to do a Mediteranian (sp?) one!

[SunnieD]

I knew it! Everyone cruises for many different reasons. I told my DH that I would get a bunch of different responses and I have. He figured they would all say "my wife made me do it" ha ha.

[Marmarjudy]

My sister and I cruised for the first time 14 years ago because it had been a dream of ours for several years before that....our husbands weren't interested. All it took was that 3 night cruise on a tiny NCL ship: our dreams came true and we were hooked!

 

After several cruises and also "addicting" another sister, we have sailed with my best friend, mom, other relatives, and finally, my husband, reluctantly joined in 9 years ago.

 

I still sail just myself with my sister (the one that was the late addiction) on any cruise line because she is now a travel agent, gets us great deals, and she is not only my perfect cruise partner but my best friend.

 

But....my husband and I, after a couple of cruises with just the two of us on other lines and groups of us on Carnival, four years ago we discovered Princess with the anytime dining and perfect mini suite cabin aft and he was once again agreeable to cruising as our annual (or more) vacation of choice for just us--usually in January to escape the cold.

 

We now choose the cruise first by the perfect cabin availability, (I want aft, aft, aft, and he is a cruise snob and has never sailed without a balcony :-) then the ports, since we have been to most all of them. We are lucky that price is not a major consideration.

 

Our upcoming cruise on the Legend will be a test: we are returning to Carnival after many years because we were able to get the perfect aft CAT 11 with the wrap balcony. My sister/travel agent just cruised Carnival in May and LOVED it and assures me that we will too. I am sure we will IF we are able to get a table for two late seating....VERY IMPORTANT......if not, this could be a disaster, for sure. Our cruise is our time together, to connect and escape the real world, and, as much as we love to be with other people and always meet others on the ship, we do NOT want to spend our cruise making small talk with strangers at dinner. We have to do the small talk with strangers in both of our very stressful jobs and that is not our idea of vacation. We enjoy being together--we are best friends after 39 years of marriage--and are guaranteed a good time just the two of us. I will be at the maitre de as soon as we board to try to confirm the table for two. We are very much looking forward to this cruise because after 20+ cruises these are actually 3 all new ports and we have the perfect cabin......

 

Bottom line: we book for the cabin first, dining options next, ports last, price doesn't matter........

 

Judy

[SunnieD]

Judy,

We too are from VA. Richmond though. We also are trying Carnival this time as we have the perfect cabin as well. Wrap balcony Cat 11 and a GREAT Price! Congrats!