DO YOU CRUISE FOR THE SHIP, THE ITINERARY OR BOTH?

We prefer a specific port, so we don't have to fly anywhere. Then we search for specific dates and ports. Have been on two Royal Caribbean and one From Holland America.. (Damn fine ship)...

We usually decide on departure date as #1, then Company to see whats available. Ship does play a part, so if we don't like the ship we adjust departure date, and find the a ship we want to go on.

CRUISEDUCKDUO, and AUNTIE.....absolutely spectacular plans....I'm jealous hehehehe...we're just going on a plain ol ordinary one end of Jan...only difference is its almost a brand new ship in the NCL fleet...first time in the USA....been reading reviews, looking at VIDS...ought to be "interesting".....

Sounds like an adventure filled with excitement. We will be on the Carnival Magic setting sail on 12/30 and staying on board for the next sailing, so two weeks on the ship.

We usually cruise for the destination, but ship and line are huge factors in our decision to book.

End of October we were thinking of doing Emerald Princess for a Ft Lauderdale - Los Angeles Christmas/New Years Panama Canal trip, but we were wary of cruising with Princess again after a bad trip aboard the Grand Princess in August. To decide if we wanted to trust Princess with our holidays, last month we sailed on Emerald Princess from New York to the Caribbean, ending in Ft Lauderdale. While the overall trip was ok, it wasn't enough to convince us to stick with that brand, so we scuttled the holiday Panama Canal cruise plans, and decided to cut back to the Rotterdam for New Years.

After booking the Rotterdam, we decided that since we were going to be in south Florida, that might be an opportunity to go elsewhere too. We ended up booking Nieuw Statendam for a 7 day that departs two days after our Rotterdam adventure returns, and were going to spend two days in South Florida getting into trouble. Kicking around hotel prices, we then came up with a different plan, which is debark Rotterdam in Ft Lauderdale, rent a car, drive to Port Canaveral, take off on a low expectation two day cruise on the MSC Seashore, then after debarking that ship, hop back in the car and drive like a bat out of hell back to Ft Lauderdale to catch the Nieuw Statendam.

Exhausting? Yep, but we'll get to experience 3 ships and different itineraries over 16 days. The itineraries matter, but ships and lines are a huge factor.

Looking forward to meeting other forum members that are booked onboard:

* Holland America Rotterdam (Dec 29-Jan 5)

* MSC Seashore (Jan 5-Jan 7)

* Holland America Nieuw Statendam (Jan 7-Jan14)

This time, it's both. We've already been to the ports, loved them, but it's been about 20 years since we've been to any of the ports.

We also want to try this new venture that Carnival seems to have with the Venezia. We sailed both Carnival and Costa and weren't fans of either but heard that Carnival is trying to change it's reputation and be more in-line with the cruising that we like to do. Plus, we loved the food on Costa (the complaints were limited to smoking areas and language barriers, but the food was the best Italian food we've ever had, second only to "Jamie's Italian Grille" on Royal).

If I was "trolling" you, as you so quaintly put it, you'd know...lots of folks in here post just to vent...but usually they put the blame for a problem squarely where it belongs...besides, I have no idea what "decide for myself" means either...you're going to tell the Captain whether or not to make port? or if its a tender port, leave it up to the intelligence of the passengers (pardon the contradiction in terms) to "volunteer" to go ashore?..(forgetting someone from the crew usually (but not always) has to get the tenders in the water and run them? Course if something untoward happens, its the fault of the Captain/crew who should have known better....line to see lawyers forms on your left!!

Looks like you're having a dull disappointing day onboard...why don't YOU look for site like the one you describe...wouldn't mind seeing it...but then those stats are as useful as the proverbial rubber crutch...or most politicians....or corporate flaks....

It could be that the other cruise lines avoid this port "because" port entry is difficult and frequently cancelled. Maybe Princess feels it is worth having it even if actual visits are infrequent. I am going to guess this is a tender port?

Ya know Jen, I'm kind of confused as to the nature of your posts.

First of all, Yankee47 was not trolling you. Lets just say he has a "unique" worldview, although I see from your profile that you wouldn't know that since you just joined our forum this month (welcome aboard by the way).

Now, I understand disappointment, and God knows I've done my share of venting in my life. But to take valuable time from a cruise vacation to actually post FOM THE SHIP seems to me to be a waste of valuable leisure time. Please don't get me wrong. I admit I've never set foot on a Princess cruise ship. For all I know they may have no other venues other than cabins, a dining room, and a buffet. Maybe they don't have onboard clubs, lounges, casinos, theatres, specialty restaurants, arcades, art gallery's & auctions, ships tours etc.......

You go for the itinerary. I get that. But the one thing the cruise line has absolutely no control over is the weather. You've been handed yet another lemon..............go make some lemonade, then come back and tell us all about your "almost perfect" cruise vacation AFTER you get home.

Sorry you were disappointed. There are several ports that have difficult approaches (narrow channels, coral reefs, etc.) and bad weather can make them more hazardous. Perhaps your best solution would be to visit the islands you most want and stay for the whole time.