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

Luvit!!!!! thanks for making laff........btw, you think someone at PRINCESS can control the stock market?? At least THAT would be useful if I could just get their phone number... hehehehehheh seriously, cruiselines publish their schedules sometimes almost 2 years in advance...and folks book em way ahead to get the itineraries, cabins etc they want...IF that stuff is important to you...The world is going to hell in a handbasket and you're complaining about the weather on your cruise??...and blaming Princess???? mebbe picking a cruise at the tail end of a late hurricane season is the problem...and unless you happen to live in the same place as the port you departed from, you have to fly/drive to get there...and if weather impacts that you blame who??? sorry I was trying to be logical...forgot where I was for a minute there...ain't cyber grand?? I think its just bad karma... the Captains, Princess cruises, the guy in the next cabin...maybe yours??? I found a solution, where I live,,,you don''t like the weather report? change the channel...or better, ignore it and make it a pleasant day anyway...bwahahahaha

Just a thought...most ports in the Carib host more than one cruiseship at a time...sometimes even docking the same day...so you think some other cruiseline made that particular port and it was just Princess that didn't? never mind...foolish question.......

Amen! I am also on board with #3!

Absolutely agree with option 3. For us, we drive to port so may be limited for ships, lines and itineraries. Price is a factor as well but not the decider. It is usually a combination of the cruise line and ship, where and when and cost. Sort of juggle all of them together and we see what shakes out.

Simple...warm, sunny, and why pay for whats free onboard, especially when most folks leave on port days. One island looks like another, and as I once posted, if they didn't tell you where you were, I'd bet real $$ 3/4 of the passengers wouldn't know the difference... Therefore, we check the calendar, then the ship and its amenities, and our cabin. we're picky...a few $$ more or less either way doesn't matter...and like AB, wandering the ship no longer has the allure it did about 1137 years ago...we know where we want to be from one day to the next. I wish there truly were smaller ships around, might be interesting..

Thanks for your point of view, very interesting.

The answer to that question has evolved for us over time. The present decision making process is now to primarily only consider smaller ships. We realized over the last few years that not only do they offer a more relaxing time (in our view), but they also are a lot easier on our bodies. We have mobility issues, and walking back and forth on the big behemoth ships put a lot of daily stress on our joints.

Being from the Midwest, we only do Bahamian and Caribbean itineraries in the middle of winter or early spring. We don't particularly care where they're going so long as it's warm & sunny. Besides, it's my view that most of the islands are pretty much the same, so by that standard we've seen everything we want to see. I know every destination has it's own unique interests and mystique, but when one's only real interests are uncrowded beaches with a lounge chair and access to beverages, well, what more do you need to see?

Having stated all that, GIL155's choice #3 would also work just fine with me.

Usually it's something like this:

1. Cruise line (we have perks with one).

2. Dates we want to sail.

3. Itineraries available for said dates.(There are favorites and others we like to avoid)

4. Ship (there are a few we just don't care for)

3. Cabin availability.

However, Like GIL155 "if someone else is paying - wherever they put me is fine. The ship, the cabin, the deck -- NO arguments (lol)." And i someone has asked us to join them (depending on who it is) all of our requirements may go out the window.

Thanks for sharing. Very interesting and different way than I do when I choose where to cruise and with whom to cruise. I must say I really like your way of thinking with your choice number 3... Lol lol

I am different. I look for a particular class ship in my favorite cruise line, THEN one of four particular cabins on that particular ship. If the particular cabins are not available, I do not book. Weird. Right ??

That is choice #1. Choice #2 would occur if my cruise line did not visit a specific area I wanted to see (example, a river cruise thru Europe). Then, cruise reviews would start a search on the cruise Company and itinerary.

Choice #3 - if someone else is paying - wherever they put me is fine. The ship, the cabin, the deck -- NO arguments (lol).