Topic: The destination is the destination.

QUOTE:

End result? We took a pack of cards to a bar and played Crib.

We have a folding crib board that always goes on holiday with us but so few people seem to play these days that it normally just ends up as a game for 2.

A holiday is for doing something different than you do every day and for me that can be just sitting down watching the children play in the pool or walking round historic sights in the sun.

Is the ship the destination or the destination the destination? Well for me it can be a bit of both and an either or.

Yes, I can get very excited by a new ship and the things that it has to offer, so it may well start off with an ‘I want to go on that Ship’ then finding an itinerary that appeals. So in this instance the both the Ship and the Destination is the Destination.

On the other hand it can work the other way. Would love to do an itinerary I have seen on the Thomson Dream. The destinations really do appeal BUT I am not enamored by the Ship Thomson Dream (especially now she has a big hole in her side) but am seriously considering it because of the ports of call.
In this instance the Destination is the Destination.

Also; just booked to go on Eclipse, desperately in need of a break. Fancied the ship, but absolutely no real desire to go to Cork. Hence the Ship is the Destination.

I know also for a lot of elderly people the Ship is the Destination. My mother and her partner both 88 years of age will now go on a cruise and be quite happy not even getting off at the ports.

for us its all about the destinations..it need not be a port everyday..

we pick the destination 1st and then find out who goes there.
but would not want an inside cabin ,as i like to see where we are from the cabin.

Hi its May here, its Thursday and Stan is out, the only time I get to muscle in. Reading your comments its great to find out the different reasons for cruising, for us the cruise is the main thing. We can give the ports of call a miss, unless its somewhere special we really do enjoy the sea in all its elements. We do have a new port of call comning up in November, when we travel to Cape Verdi on Boudicca , so have quite a few sea days, when we enjoy playing cards and rummycub, a game we first encountered on Fred Olsen ships. Looking forward to our Celebrity jaunt. Carry on Cruising, May.

For us it is the whole package, the cruise experience, the destinations, the crew, the ship, the other passengers, the getting there and back too. It all counts.
It is after all our holiday and time spent away from the mundane things we do to be able to afford it in the first place.
In fairness, the destination is probably the first thing we look for, and a bargain it must be too. The company makes little difference, however in saying that we have become very accustomed to a balcony so that does narrow it down with certain company's who have older ships with less of them available.
I only have 4 cruises under my belt so far. Never been with the same company twice yet but will have done with 2 of them by the end of the year.
I am hooked by this form of holiday and don't think I could do a week in one resort any more. I am very envious of you Dave and all the others that have done a world cruise with so many different destinations on one trip, that is my dream to do one day. (how much drivel do I need to post to get one of those free????););););)
Perhaps when and if I get to be as old as Dave then I might feel the same but until then.............

QUOTE:

Hi its May here, its Thursday and Stan is out, the only time I get to muscle in. Reading your comments its great to find out the different reasons for cruising, for us the cruise is the main thing. We can give the ports of call a miss, unless its somewhere special we really do enjoy the sea in all its elements. We do have a new port of call comning up in November, when we travel to Cape Verdi on Boudicca , so have quite a few sea days, when we enjoy playing cards and rummycub, a game we first encountered on Fred Olsen ships. Looking forward to our Celebrity jaunt. Carry on Cruising, May.

Hi May. If it were a longer cruise, I'd say to bring Rummykub as we like to play that too. I think that on Eclipse however, we will be too busy soaking up the atmosphere and chatting to play board or card games.
Looking forward to meeting you both.
Jill

Cruising is a beautiful sloowww blend of both sweet ship
and interesting destinations to satisfy our curiosities
and that is as it should be -different strokes for different folks!

Seems we all cruise for pretty much the same reason/s
to get away from home in a way that forces us to travel slowly
as we pull away from the dock, inches at a time.


Our last land fades away over the horizon, as it did for ancient mariners
and by morning, here comes a new one, out of the mists on the horizon.




Whatever your thinking, your reason
just book the next cruise and enjoy whatever aspect floats your boat.
Literally.
.

QUOTE:

...Dave also chooses to cruise on...shall we say...less-than-exciting ships.
No wonder his destinations are the big deal.

Years ago I took one look at interior shots of FO ships and thought they looked as bland as coastal hotels along the South Coast of England. Actually, my apologies to most coastal hotels along the South Coast of England for I'm sure several of them are decorated inside, a good bit brighter than most FO ships with their plain,dull ceilings...

Aplmac, you know how to push the right buttons don't you? - Any dissing (popular teenage idiom possibly unknown in Barbados) of Fred Olsen and I come rushing to defend them!

I can see we've got the making of a lengthy debate here, so there's no hurry and I'll take one thing at a time. Let's start with two equivalent cabins - similar in size and facilities.

Ventura:


Balmoral:


Ventura:


Balmoral:


Ventura:


Balmoral:


My photos of the respective bathrooms aren't good enough to post, but Ventura's is tiny whilst Balmoral's is spacious and has a bath.

So, which cabin is the more bland?

I wish my wife would let me have another motorbike :o
I used to have a Honda 750 four travelled all over the place on it camping, Elephant run, Karlo treffen to name a few.
Imagine taking your bike on a cruise you could really plan some good DIY excursions and be pretty sure of parking and getting back to the ship on time :D

QUOTE:

I wish my wife would let me have another motorbike :o
I used to have a Honda 750 four travelled all over the place on it camping, Elephant run, Karlo treffen to name a few.
Imagine taking your bike on a cruise you could really plan some good DIY excursions and be pretty sure of parking and getting back to the ship on time :D

Me too! Mine was a CB750 Super Sport - one of the first bikes with alloy wheels. I had a Watsonian sidecar on it for a while .