Whats the most important consideration when choosing a cruise?

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Tasha s

For me it is all about the itinerary the ports of call help me to decide, next it is the line, and then the ship..

Great question.... Star for you!!!!

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Mike B

large ship or small especially if going to somewhere like alaska
small ships can go places where the larger one can not go

but smaller have less things to do

beez

Selecting a cabin that is not at either end of the ship, deciding if you like formal or casual attire rules at meals, and whether you want to sail at night and reach a different port each day or whether you want more sailing time to one distant destination.

Locked & Loaded

You can't beat The Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Their food to us was better in quality and taste. You can do what you want while aboard. Our last trip was to Mexico on a 4 day cruise leaving San Pedro CA. If you want a party boat, then Carnival Cruise Lines is what you want.

Lew

It depends on whether it is your first Cruise or if you have been on many cruises.
If it's your first cruise, it's usually the itinerary, the line and ship, the cabin, the duration and the cost.
If you're a cruise addict and have been on a few cruises, the cost, the line and ship, the cabin, the itinerary and the duration.
Your first cruise is the yardstick that you judge following cruises on and if you are going to interesting ports of call, on a nice ship with a good cabin and you meet loads of new people and have a really great time, then you're hooked.

cryxander

I would say intinerary, and cost. I have never taken a cruise on Royal Caribbean, but hear lots of nice things about it. I have only been on Carnival, and have no complaints about it. It was awesome.

Zef H

This is one of cruising's great debates.

Some people believe the itinerary is the most important. They pick the places they want to go, and then find the ship that will take them there.

Some people believe the ship is the most important because itineraries can be changed by the weather, but not the ship. If you enjoy the ship, you will enjoy the cruise.

Early on I usually pick a region where I want to go to, and then pick the ship I want to take me there. However, as I have covered most of the regions around the United States, I am starting to pick a particular class of ship (that I have not tried yet). However, since I live within driving distance of two ports, many times I choose the departure port because I just enjoy cruising and I don't want to have to pay for the airfare.

My first cruise was chosen for me. My second cruise all I wanted was something short and close to home. My third cruise I wanted something close to home that spent three days at sea. For my fourth cruise I was invited to join some friends. I accepted because they were going to a region that I wanted to visit and because they were on a class of ship that I wanted to try. My fifth cruise was a cruise line I wanted to try and I wanted to leave from close to home to so I would not have to pay for airfare. My sixth cruise was to a region I had not visited to before, then I choose the best ship for that region. My seventh cruise the ship was the main factor. My eighth cruise the class of ship was the main factor, then I picked the one that was closest to home.

For my next cruise the region was the main factor. For my tenth cruise I have been invited to join some friends who again picked a class of ship I wanted to try and a region I wanted to try (however, I would not have picked the same departure port as they did - nonetheless, I am joining them). For my eleventh cruise the class of ship was a factor - I choose the one that was closest to home. For my twelfth cruise the departure port was the main factor (I wanted to sail past the Statue of Liberty). I also picked a region I had not gone to yet. For my thirteenth cruise it was the draw of a new ship close to home that was the main factor.

So I have five future cruises book through June 2009. I have not started planning number fourteen yet, though I do have some ideas.

bandgeek375211

well first cost, then ship, then itinerary.

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

There are two factors to consider when planning a cruise (1) what activities are on ship, and (2) what port stops will be made that I will enjoy.

The cruise line AND the ship that the cruise will go on will both be VERY important. The cruise lines pretty much give you the same things but in a slightly different format and the ship's amenities and accommodations DO matter. The newer ships built since about the year 2000 have more up to date features. The activities on the cruise ship can be the most fun. There are always pools and hot tubs and many ship have a Solarium (a cover area) with a pool and hot tubs for adults only. This is in addition to the regular pool and hot tubs for everyone. Some ships have water slides.

Ships have great gymnasiums with a variety of equipment. The RC's Freedom and Liberty have THE best gyms I have ever seen on ships.

The cruise director will organize games and activities around the pool, especially on "at sea" days when there is no port stop. They may also have a midnight party on the pool deck with a buffet, music and dancing one night. Each night there will be a show and it is usually run twice so that no matter what time you go to dinner you can see the show. If you go on the Royal Caribbean ships with the ice skating rink they will have a free ice show that is fabulous.

You need to pay attention to what the ship has because depending upon which cruise line and ship you select there are other things on board like a rock climbing wall, a full sized basketball/tennis court, a mini-golf course, a roller blade track, a bowling alley, billiards tables, water slides, and a large variety of lounges and bars and fantastic discos for you to use free. If you are a gambler there will be a casino, except on Disney ships.

The second important thing to consider in selecting a cruise is its itinerary or port stops. When you select a cruise consider that those going to the Caribbean will feature a lot of beach time and water sports related activities like snorkel, jet ski, para-sailing, or just swimming and relaxing on a beach. If you are not that interested in a lot of ports look for a cruise that has several "at sea" days with no port stops. If you want scenery go on an Alaska cruise. If you want historical tours go on a Mediterranean cruise.

Sometimes I pick a cruise because the price is great. I did that last May for a cruise out of Puerto Rico that was a great price only on that date. But I usually look for cruises going where I want to go and then shop around for the best price or deal. That way I am not trying to compare too many things at one time. Right now we want an Australia cruise and I am comparing itineraries. I already know which cruise line I want to use. So its a matter of what price now.

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