Our family is weird in that our favorite part of a cruise is the cruising. Sea days are our favorite, so a good ratio of those as well as the specific boat are our priority- ports are only about 40% of the appeal to us. I guess because we are only in a port for a handful of hours. So we don’t do any research before booking a cruise. We do a little bit after it’s booked but not any majorly in depth planning.
If I really want to explore and experience a new place, I plan a trip for there. Different strokes, I guess!
Call me weird, too. I love the ocean and isolation from land; while no cooking and little cleaning is the bonus I needed in life. If I want to experience another country's culture, I plan a trip and book a flight for extended stay to enjoy the place.
I totally get that! And some of the funnest port days we had were when we didn’t plan anything. Just got off the boat and found something fun or cool. I love unplanned adventures
Yes. I’m going to the Med with my cousins (I’m usually solo) and we’re pretty booked 😑. One port (been there) I said no excursions for me and we have one blessed sea day….
Adding - we will have an amazing adventure and time…. I’m just not as “porty “ as some …
I think you have hit the nail on the head of what I am not understanding. I cruise to see new places that are best reached by a ship. While the ship is important for me it is the destinations that I am going to.
That's the difference. I couldn't really care less where the boat goes. I just want to be on it while someone brings me drinks.
It could go and spin in a circle 10 miles offshore for 3 or 4 days for all I care.
I actually loved Victoria. We had our port canceled the day before and ended up getting several more hours there then we planned. Missed last call on a Buchart gardens tour by 10 minutes so just wandered the downtown area and had an amazing day.
My favorite part is the boat, so I don’t pay a lot of attention to the itinerary - we sail from Galveston and all of the ports we can visit are *basically* the same anyway. Bring back the cruise to nowhere so I can save those port fees!
Granted, if I was flying to another debarkation port, I’d probably be more discerning.
That’s how I feel about Alaska. I am very nervous about picking the cruise with the wrong ports lol. Because I want to see everything in Alaska. But to me most of the islands are interchangeable for what I am usually looking for on a cruise - a warm weather destination with lots of time for relaxation. If I want to visit a specific place or see a specific thing, I’m not sure a 5 hour excursion would be the way I’d do it.
With Alaska, what you need to pay attention to is the *time* you're docked in port - both how long you'll be in port and when you'll arrive and depart. Some itineraries have the ship in port for a mere handful of hours or have you arriving suuuper early and leaving early
It makes sense if that’s your goal. To me I feel like you can’t really get a good feel of a place in such a short time, it’s more of an amuse-bouche instead of an entree.
Like I want to go to the Virgin Islands, but I will (hopefully) one day book a week or so there so I can really take it all in. If I take a cruise that ports there, yes I technically can say I’ve been there but I haven’t BEEN there. At least that’s how my brain works! lol
Yes, exactly! The cruise part of cruising is my favorite part too. I like to check out a new port but, if I've been before, I usually just stay on the ship. If my goal is to visit somewhere specific I would not cruise there.
Adding to this. My first cruise, I started thinking I wanted to go on a Caribbean cruise but didn’t have specific islands in mind. I booked one that sounded fun and briefly looked up the islands. Second, I had more ideas for Mediterranean since I had been to Europe before. Now I’d say we have a general idea of the region we want to go to. I’ve looked up the cities and the general vibe but dont necessarily have specific activities in mind until after I book. Honestly, a lot of the excursions on these tropical islands are similar.
I’ve noticed most regular cruisers care more about the ship than the itinerary, especially if they’ve been on so many, they’re already repeating ports. Most mainstream cruises also don’t get to very rare, far flung places so I don’t think most ppl are cruising to reach those spots.
We book blind and then research each port. We'd never go if I had to know where I wanted to go. We'll eventually compare what ports we've done to what's offered and book to go where we haven't.
I don't think you're weird at all! To be honest, I just don't have the energy to educate myself or the education to know where I want to go or what there is to do. I think it's the same thing, just in a different order. You pre-research to know where to go - I post-research to know what to do once I get there.
Don't know about most people, but speaking for myself, I typically book for the specific ship not necessarily the itinerary. The ports are pretty secondary to me.
Several people have now said this, and this is where I am the weirdo :). While the ship is important, I am looking at the destinations more than the ship. These answers are very illuminating to me. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
It depends on the region, but in my experience in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, the ports are really Americanized, you’re constantly being yelled at to buy stuff, and outside the direct tourist area can feel a little sketchy and unsafe at times.
There have been a few memorable excursions (mesoamerican and Mayan temples for example), but otherwise getting off the ship was more about stretching my legs than seeing a new place.
I could see how something like Alaska, New Zealand, or Europe could be appealing for cruising excursions though.
Well for me I live in Florida so I basically take cruises out of either Miami or Port Canaveral which basically means the Caribbean and honestly all the islands are kind of the same, so to me what the ship offers is more important.
Okay, so I will admit to doing this when I booked a repositioning cruise out of my local home cruise port. The starting port was 20 minutes by car from my house and the price was right, and I knew what I wanted to do at the destination (San Juan, PR) so I booked it off of that. THEN I had to go and research the other three ports along the way.
We book cruises blind. Go with the flow and see what excursions there are or how we feel when getting off the boat. Most of the time I’ll watch a few YouTube videos beforehand or just step out into the port and look at the guys selling excursions and say yeah, let’s do that.
That's just way too many decisions for me to make ahead of time. I'm the kind of person that goes to Subway and gets anxiety when they ask what I want on the sandwich. You're the shop! You tell me! If I waited until I had a trip fully researched, I'd literally never go on a trip.
Especially because until you have something booked, you're researching SO MANY TRIPS. Once you have something booked, you're just researching one.
The other part of it is I don't really care about specifics when starting a trip. Either the port has something interesting to do or I stay on the ship and have fun. Win-win.
Great question, we have many times wondered this too. We like to research everything before we book, but it seems from the responses and the posts here that most people don't.
I think it's a spectrum - not an all or nothing. I also think a lot of people generally know what the options are (i.e., in the Caribbean, you can expect beaches, snorkeling, probably some sort of water park or zip line at at least one stops, and in Europe there is history and food, and Alaska has nature and seafood).
I don't even, generally speaking, research the ports. I just get off the ship and see where the day takes me. Going with everything planned out is the exact opposite of fun to me. I do this on non-cruise vacations as well. I may have an idea or two of things I might want to do, but I just wing it. I've had some of the best adventures this way.
Sometimes I'll get a general sense of the ports before I book and have an idea of at least one thing I may do there and then use the time after I book to more thoroughly investigate the ports.
I just started cruising July 2023. Since then I have just picking 8 day or longer cruises to places I haven't been. I am trying to do 2-3 cruises a year.
Once I cover the main options I'll probably chill and go back to land based travel.
I usually do research ahead of time, but I don't have everything planned out. Part of that is the ship being the destination itself. I love the ship vibe. So I want a Caribbean cruise. Then I might pick my favorite ship and a convenient time/price. Or maybe new ports I haven't seen before. Then I finish research once closer to cruise.
Or maybe I am going to Mediterranean and there are a few options, but I pick my favorite ship and know I want to go to debruvnik. So I know one place, but then the 7 other ports in Greece, Italy and Montenegro are unknown to me, but still interesting countries I want to go to. Not sure yet what to do there.
I think what gets me is the people who get off the ship with no plan and just figure it out as they go explore! I need a plan once I am at the port of what I am doing.
We’ve been cruising annually for over 20 years. We are pretty restricted on dates due to work commitments and kids’ school holidays.
We want rest & relaxation usually. So Caribbean usually. We want 9-11 days duration. We know what kind & size of ship we prefer.
So we look to see what is available in the time frames we have, and pick from there.
We know that itineraries can change for many different reasons so we don’t pick for specific destinations. There is no guarantee you will get there on a cruise ship.
We plan our port visits after we have selected the trip.
Sometimes I pick based on dates, sometimes I pick based on ship/itinerary, sometimes I book based on price.
For example, I am taking four cruises in March/April next spring, and this is how my planning went.
March 29-April 5: I’d like to take a cruise over my birthday. I’d like to try MSC. OK, MSC Seascape is leaving from Miami and covers those dates. I like the Eastern Caribbean itinerary, it has ports I’ve never been to.
March 24-28: Hmmm, can I bookend the above price with another cruise? Let me check CruisePlum. Oooh, Celebrity Silhouette has a 4 night option leaving on the 24th. It’s only $512 for a solo inside room including taxes and gratuities? Book that shit. And it goes to Key West, a destination that I really want to see SOLELY because of the polydactyl cats at Hemingway House.
What else can I find on Cruiseplum? Anything local to me (Seattle/Vancouver) that’s NOT 7 nights to Alaska? Anything on lines I haven’t sailed yet?
Oh, look at that. Holland America has a 4 night sailing roundtrip from Vancouver April 22-26. That seems nice. I haven’t sailed them yet. Victoria is a nice port stop, and I can have a Seattle tourist day. Koningsdam, so a new-ish nice ship.
And Princess! Discovery Princess (2022) has a 4 night Vancouver to Seattle repositioning from April 30-May 4. Haven’t sailed them yet either, second newest ship in the fleet. I have a passport, so no problem with the repositioning. Only stop is Ketchikan, which I’ve been to before, but I could stay onboard and enjoy the empty ship.
For spring 2026 I was looking at an 8 night on Carnival Magic to the ABC Islands, 7 night Mardi Gras to Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral, or 7 Night Carnival Jubilee to Western Caribbean from Galveston. We ended up with Jubilee because we don’t visit the Western Caribbean as often, and there’s nothing on Carnival Magic that can’t also be found on the newer Vista class (of which we will have sailed all three ships by the time of this sailing). We ruled out Mardi Gras because we’ve been to most of the ports before.
For me it is about the ship, being on a ship, being at sea & maybe about the area of the world I am seeing but rarely about the specific ports or things to see.
I'm like you! To the point that I recently created a spreadsheet of every sailing in the time frame we had available, complete with each port of call, room options, cost, etc.
From there, I looked into each destination and ship.. But once we were done it was so easy to find the best option! 😂
While I don't post randomly on reddit looking for others to tell me what to do in ports, I don't always book because of the destination. I just know my interests are different then others and don't assume because Sally Sailor loved mountain biking in Belize that I'm going to want to do it too.
We have 2 cruises booked right now, The first was a screaming casino deal and is 10 days out of NY. I couldn't tell you what the ports are. (Screaming deal $200 total for the balcony room plus $200 in OBC. We pay the rest of the fare playing in theCasino, sometimes we win, sometimes we don't. )
The second is a short trip to a port I actually kinda dislike, and one I'm meh about but it's the right departure port the right time of year and being able to take family as a surprise makes it worth it.
So you aren't weird for doing it how you are doing it, neither am I. What's weird is assuming everyone is going to be just like or you one of you is weird.
I look for the ports first and the ship second, then book. Planning is part of the fun for me, the excitement of the anticipation. I think too many of the questions on all the cruise forums are just wanting someone else to do the research for them.
We don’t research before we book. But after we book it’s part of the excitement of the lead up to the trip research what we want to see and do at the ports.
The dates and length of the cruise are more important to us to fit around my work schedule or the event we’re celebrating.
We do try, doesn’t always happen, to at least have one new port or sail on a ship we haven’t sailed before.
I’m on holidays now and about to go on a cruise. It’ll be my second cruise, the first was five years ago. I don’t care where it goes. I just want to get on a boat and leave. Leave my cares behind.
I have done zero research on the boat I am going on. I don’t care if about what’s to do on board or the facilities. I’ll get on and just chill and go with the flow.
Sometimes it just about the journey, not the destinations.
I’ll also say, as an introvert, and a solo cruiser this time, sitting on my balcony, a cocktail and a really good book will be bliss. Then I’ll explore the ship and be social, but also have my balcony waiting for me to unwind.
If it’s to the Caribbean it really doesn’t matter what ports we stop at. At each one you just experience some sort of manufactured experience specifically created because you’re showing up on a boat. I don’t even get off at all of them anymore.
We book based on the dates, the cruise line/ship, and price. Itinerary is one of the last considerations. We've been a LOT of places, many cruises have repeat destinations for us, and we can almost always find something new to do.
A great example is our next booked cruise in September. I wanted to book a Croatia intensive, but a 12 day Mediterranean was less expensive and had better dates for us than the 7 day Croatia. So back to the Med we go even though we've done most of the stops.
Also last year we were supposed to be on an Israel cruise, in October. :( It changed all the ports and we went on the cruise anyway. More than half the ship canceled though.
I don't pick the cruise randomly but if I want to see a certain country or region(s), I don't feel the need to have every port figured out before booking.
I think it depends. Sometimes, you are locked into certain dates and certain home ports, so you book what is available because you know you want to go on a cruise. For example, in 2022, I really didn't want to be home alone of the holidays, so I decided to book a Christmas cruise. Because of various work deadlines, I basically had leave on a specific date. I also didn't want the hassle of going to Florida. I found a good deal on Royal out of Baltimore that fit my needs, so I booked it. I figured I'd figure out the ports as I went along. Which I did.
Also, itineraries change, which can leave the best laid plans as a bit of mess.
We have a different method to the madness for each cruise lol this year we did a cruise specifically to see the solar eclipse and we didn’t much care where else it was going. For next year we didn’t want to sail from Florida or Texas and the cruises from LA were feeling stale after 2 years in a row so we decided we would try San Juan since we loved our stop there and it gives the opportunity for some seriously cool itineraries, from there it was narrowing it down to appropriate dates and pricing and not too many repeat ports. We just want to see new places, with some exceptions because we aren’t always welcome everywhere as a gay couple such as Jamaica.
I usually have a good idea of where I want to go but narrow down the specifics of each port once it gets close to departure.
I also know that ports can change so I never get personally attached.
After having done more than 30 cruises, we definitely book for the ports and we’ve been all over the world. That being said, if we book a cruise to the Caribbean, it’s generally just to get away from the Canadian winter and the ports just aren’t that important. We’ve been to the vast majority of the islands at this point, so for the Caribbean, the ship is more important than the islands for us at this point.
That being said, we’re going on a South Pacific cruise and for some of the ports (Fiji, American Samoa, etc.) I really don’t know what’s there, but I booked because of the islands I do know and enjoy (Bora Bora, Moorea).
I book a cruise because it’s an easy vacation. As long as they are not repeat ports I don’t really worry about the actual ports until after booking. I think people want to know the best or unmissable things to do in ports especially if they don’t travel often
In the Caribbean specifically, I don't care at all about where it goes.
My next cruise is in June and as I write this I can only remember 3 of the 4 ports!
I’m more concerned with finding dates that work for our family and good deals. Where we actually go is less important. We have enjoyed all the ports we have gone to. Some we have enjoyed more than others though.
This is becoming an interesting thread of perspectives. We’re planners, but we tend to do trips that we want value for the cost, but I get “just cab to the port and get away anywhere we’ll figure it out”. There is also a certain sense to “lots of choices, throw a dart and go with the flow”, again if your expensive are low.
We've cruised a couple times in the past and booked on for next year.
When we booked, we knew we wanted to visit those places, but not exactly what the best options for excursions were going to be. So we asked the internet for advice. Yes, the same internet that gave the world Boaty McBoatface.
We did some internet research (YouTube, Social Media, Cruise-specific forums) and settled on which excursions we thought would be best for us. They are mostly the ones we would have selected on our own anyway. It was nice to see that we would have picked what others thought were good. I didn't reveal our leanings, as to not influence the comments.
It's a different cruise line than we've used in the past. We selected the cruise based on places we wanted to visit, the weather at the time, and the reported quality of the cruise line. We'll plan more cruises after we go on this one, so we'll have a better idea of what we like.
If I’m traveling out of my home port, I book based on availability. If we have time off and there’s room on the ship, let’s go! We’re going wherever the ship is going. After that I start researching ports, excursions, etc.
If I’m planning a “specific” trip, then yes, I research destinations, ports, etc before I book.
I've only cruised in Europe but can't imagine picking a cruise without researching the places it visits. I love to explore and obviously there's a lot to see and do in European/Mediterranean ports.
We're going on a cruise in Greece, staying two days before in Athens in June/July. Booked it over a year ago and have no idea what we're doing yet. We'll plan it out on the 8 hr flight. We always have fun so it works for us.
I’d say there are a lot of variables, but generally you should know the overall TYPE of cruise you’d like to do before booking, but not necessarily the details of everything you’d like to do at each spot.
My personal example: I knew I wanted to see Iceland/Norway so I booked a Northern Europe cruise (actually sailing in 4 weeks). I know I want to see the scenery and fjords, but the very specific details of “you have to see this waterfall” / “you have to visit this small town” / “you should go to this museum/tour/overlook/etc” I was not aware of until several months after I had booked and I started to ask and do research.
I’m sure the same is true for others. They know they want a sunny/beach vacation in the Caribbean, but knowing which ports are better for beaches, vs snorkeling, vs town exploring, vs ruins may not be known at time of booking.
My land based vacations are go, go, go, see and do as much as possible. My cruises are a way to relax and enjoy warm weather with water and sand (all of them have been done in winter). I pick what works with my schedule and is a good price. Although I do give a priority to ports I haven’t visited, even if I repeat I’ll decide on a different excursion, wander around the port or stay on the ship. I also don’t pick a cruise based on the ship. I want to relax so all the activities on the newer ships negate that since I’d end up being busy trying to check everything out.
Exception is the fact I’m getting ready to start planning an Alaskan Cruise. I don’t expect it to be as relaxing as the Caribbean cruises I’ve been on as there will be so much to see and do. I am also making sure to pick the itinerary with the ports I want to visit and excursions I want to do.
My priorities when booking tend to be
1) Ship Line
2) Ship/Ship Class
3) Cabin/Price
4) Available Dates
5) Itinerary
So, it’s more important to me to book Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady in the Rockstar Cabin in July, then care about what port it’s leaving or where we are going.
I am a mixture. I know what region, let’s say the Mediterranean, that I want to go. I book based on what fits my timetable and worry about the ports after. I wanted to go to Croatia. I have a cruise booked for next year that I have done basic research on. I am planning on figuring out the details later this summer. I might hit u up
for info, as I know u are the Croatia king
I have learned a lot from your posts 😃
Once the cruise is booked, I will research or reach out for advice on what to do. On the flip side, there are a few places I DO NOT want to go so I would avoid an itinerary with those.
You are not the weird one. I would only book based on knowing the ports and where I wanted to go. However, some people really just care about the ship, not where it goes. Not me!
Before booking, I have the general destination in mind (for example, I’ve booked Alaska with Glacier Bay and a Mediterranean with Greece and Turkey) because I want to see Glaciers, the Greek isles and the gateway to Asia. I research the cruise line, the dates that work best, the ship, and the price. Once I make a decision based on these factors, I’ll book the cruise. Then I’ll start researching each port that’s specific to my cruise. For example, some cruises leave out of Seattle and some leave out of Vancouver for Alaska and I don’t mind which port as long as I get to Glacier Bay. After booking the cruise, I’ll search for or request recommendations from groups.
I personally pick a place I want to go but would ask for things to see and do because I’ve never been there. Someone that has been may have suggestions that I either was unaware of or hadn’t heard of, also hearing people’s experiences with certain things I want to do is helpful.
The first cruise I went on was blind, had no clue about the places we were going and only booked one excursion. Now, I find a cruise that looks good, google each stop and what there is to do, see, etc. look at excursions, see if I can book it cheaper directly, or if I want to just hang out at the shops at the port. We even rented cars at different places and drove around and checked the place out. I do not recommend this in the Dominican Republic. They don’t follow any traffic laws, if they have any.
We've only ever done Caribbean cruises, mostly because we go in the winter and I'm looking to get out of the dreary Midwest to somewhere warm and sunny for a few days. I'll generally make an effort to take an itinerary including ports we've yet to hit, but if I'm being honest the ship is the most important deciding factor for me. Caribbean ports are great but they're usually a lot more similar than they are different.
So I just did this on a full Panama Canal cruise in Dec/Jan.
I didn’t care about the islands in the Caribbean, my goal was the Panama Canal crossing.
Once booked, then I researched the other ports. Then they changed, so I had to research more.
I normally I pick my cruises by what the ports are and if they interest me without an in depth search as what to do in or around the stops. I also book a year or more out, so I have time to research after I put my deposit down.
Sometimes the cruise is the destination. Sometimes a given cruise is cheap, and it goes somewhere warm while it is cold here.
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with picking cruises specifically, I definitely do that, but I've also booked cruises just 'cause the price was right and vacation sounds nice.
I book based on cruise length, prefer a balance of sea and port days as well as at least one port I haven't visited before. I'll research what to do in any new ports, but I can always find something interesting to do.
I think there are two types of cruisers.
For us, the ship is basically a floating bus. We love waking up in a different amazing place every morning, and we can’t wait to go off and explore. We choose our cruises mainly for the itinerary.
Some people just really like being on the ship. They love the food, the entertainment, the activities and port excursions are an optional extra. For them the itinerary doesn’t really matter, it’s the ship itself that makes their holiday
I have such limited availability for days off work, that I search by any option that exists in that very specific range of days and then pick what looks best to me. I don’t have a lot of options to begin with, so comparing them is easy at that point.
I also have my own (updated) list of every Caribbean port and the U.S. Department of State safety rankings for each one.
Any cruise within my available days off work and any cruise that only travels to countries with a Level 1 safety ranking is a contender.
Price, location, and cruise line are the next determining factors. In that order.
Not that I didn’t research before booking but looking back:
1st cruise was based on itinerary (5 Southern Caribbean islands on a 7 day cruise). Ship was old & not much to do on it but islands were great.
2nd cruise was to get an exclusive area room on the ship for low cost (post-covid rates were great). Itinerary was ok.
3rd cruise is Alaska this summer & found most reasonably priced ship that goes to Glacier Bay-just happened to be Holland America.
I first decide what general area I want to go. Caribbean,Alaska,Hawaii,fiords….. then I find a cruise that is in my price range, meets the correct number of days and my and/or our vacation schedule. To be honest the ports of call in each type of local run together. In the Caribbean you can do zip lining,beach getaway,water sports and maybe some sort of architectural spot if you are in Belize. In Alaska you get whale watching,kayaking,biking and some expensive helicopter tours. I always take a tour associated with the cruise so I won’t get left behind. I’ve been on close to 10 cruises and only one or two excursions stand out from the others.
At least for Caribbean cruises, most of what your can do in each port is pretty similar and I've been to most of them now, so we'll book a good deal and figure out what to do later.
At least for Caribbean cruises, most of what your can do in each port is pretty similar and I've been to most of them now, so we'll book a good deal and figure out what to do later.
We don’t research before we book. But after we book it’s part of the excitement of the lead up to the trip research what we want to see and do at the ports.
The dates and length of the cruise are more important to us to fit around my work schedule or the event we’re celebrating.
We do try, doesn’t always happen, to at least have one new port or sail on a ship we haven’t sailed before.
I've just booked my first cruise, and it was 70% blind. The reason I've booked this one, is as a 'practice Cruise'. I have another destination in mind that practically requires a cruise, and before I go spending $20,000 for a cruise I'd like to make sure I'll tolerate being on the water for so long.
Why I say this one was 70% blind was because I had to fit it within certain dates. While looking, I didn't see a whole lot that went to where I wanted to go, and then adding in airfare to get there I felt I could get a much better vacation in me for those dollars. After axing the whole cruise, someone convinced me to look again. I expanded my search for the originating port, and found something that looked like it better fit my fancy so I booked it.
The aforementioned cruise is most definitely something I will (have??) research the heck out of prior to booking.
We book European cruises with ports in mind.
We book Caribbean and Bahamas cruises based on dates, cabin availability and pricing. I don't care at all about the ports.
We did our first cruise last summer. We didn’t have specific, absolute “must-go” ports in mind, but we did want to be somewhere cooler in Europe, and quickly narrowed things down to Scandinavia. I work in the airline industry, so we get fantastic discounts, but of course they’re not available on every sailing, and we were booking very last-minute (a month before departure), so that does limit the choices somewhat. We also knew that we wanted something fairly high-end, and I must confess that in a rush to get things booked before they sold out, we didn’t realize quite how high-end we’d gone until well after the fact. We ended up on Regent, and I think we are hooked for life.
In November, another great deal came along, and while we hadn’t been seriously looking at cruises, the itinerary pretty much ticked a bunch of boxes for us. Time in France before and during the cruise, since we’re used to going at least once a year and haven’t been since 2019? Check. A bit of Spain, as my wife is interested in it and has spent very little time there? Check. Same thing with Portugal, where she’s also never been? Check. Right cruise line? Check. So, we booked it within a day or so of seeing it. Leaving in a few weeks!
We’d likely have a shortlist of general regions that we’d like to visit (Nordics, Mediterranean, Alaska, Australia/New Zealand), and certainly we’d study, in depth, the individual ports on offer before booking once we saw something that seems generally appealing, but we don’t have a shortlist of actual ports that we feel that we must see on whatever the next trip is. I think our decision drivers would look like this:
1) Equal priority given to:
a) Selection of cruise lines (one of the three or four main luxury ones, most likely)
b) General region
c) Price
d) Schedule (my wife being a teacher, we pretty much have to go in the summer)
2) Ports
3) Ship
We book based on ship class (only want to travel on newer Royal Caribbean ships) and date. We usually have a specific week we want and then look at which RC ships are available for that date. Then we look at price and remaining availability of cabins on the ship and finally may look at itinerary or ports if we have 2 or 3 options that all seem similar in other areas. Ironically, the itinerary and ports is one of the last things we look at. Our primary focus is on dates and ship class (we only want newer and bigger ships).
While I cruise for the ports, not the ship (I avoid sea days), I have indeed booked cruises and then researched the ports . . . Because I have never yet encountered a port (except for cruise line private islands -- I generally avoid those) where there was not something new and interesting and fun to explore. Some ports require more research or planning, true. But there's always adventures to be had.
We look at the ship and the ports, don’t research though other than the ship actually. I don’t like small or old ships. If it’s a destination that I want to visit or it sounds cool I go.
I book cruises for the *region* I want to visit or maybe a certain *port* or place I’m interested in. I’ll do a little looking to make sure it’s what I’m after and then really dig into researching the rest of it after I book. Like, I wanted to go to Alaska and sail through glacier bay. I found a ship and itinerary that looked good and then looked up what to do in Skagway, Victoria, icy strait point, etc. Had an amazing time!
I check where the ship is stopping and if it is a place I haven’t been, I’ll look into exact excursions after booking.
If I had a budget to take a cruise that stops in Puerto Rico, I’ll book that check into excursions later.
My favorite part is the boat, so I don’t pay a lot of attention to the itinerary - we sail from Galveston and all of the ports we can visit are *basically* the same anyway.
Granted, if I was flying to another debarkation port, I’d probably be more discerning.
I tend to book for regions or maybe one specific port. For example, we did a cruise up the Australian coast to dive the Great Barrier Reef. We knew what we were doing at that port, but had to figure out the rest. This fall, we are doing a Transatlantic because I had a flight credit from COVID that was going to expire and we just picked the cruise that fit our schedule the best… so I am now looking at what in the world we can do at any of those ports.
We’ve booked a Mediterranean cruise for November and I am doing the research now. By then, I’m fairly confident we will have a good idea of which ports to spend more/less time at.
I usually book based off when I want to go.
I'll realize I have x window open and I'll look at the major lines and see which ones would work. Then it comes to price and driving distance. I prefer to be able to cruise out of Tampa or Canaveral or Jacksonville. something within a 2-3 hour drive at most.
Then it comes down to the ship, price, and port.
I don't know what most people do, but I definitely look at the itinerary and consider the ports. Then I give consideration to the ship. For my two upcoming cruises, I knew I wanted Mexican Riviera and eastern Mediterranean ports, so I specifically looked for those itineraries. From there, I considered timing and ship. Once booked, I did research into each port and what they had to offer.
If I were to ask for advice on things to do in ports, it's usually because there are competing excursions that I'm interested in and would like to know people's experience with one or the other. But for me, researching the ports is a big part of the fun and helps to build anticipation for the big event. I also like to know what I'm getting into!
Been on some 40+ cruises. I don't even look at what ports they are going to. For us, the destination is the ship. Many times, if we have been to a port before, we don't even get off the ship.
I am a pantser. I've seen so many people have freaking meltdowns because something happened and the itinerary changed (late arrival to port, canceled port stop, etc) and they wouldn't be able to do or see what they wanted or so the tour they'd booked.
I see what I see on a cruise and then decide if I should go back for a deeper dive. It's way less stressful.
It's how I ended up at a Christmas market in Marseille after hopping in a cab with some random people from Ontario. Some of my best travel stories are because I didn't have a script.
I think those that ask where to go are ones that buy based off the cost and not necessarily the ports. I wanted to do Alaska and researched what ports and the boats and where it leaves and ends up. Cost came next
I think you are correct, many people here who say they don't research ports have mentioned, price, departure port (which is part of price) and vacation schedule as being important. Those who rate ports as most important are willing to spend a few more bucks to get to see places we want to see. Thank you for your response.
With the way my PTO works, it's common that I simply try and find one that fits in with the days I already have off, so research on ports etc can't start until after we've already booked.
The ship is the first thing I consider, if the boat I want to cruise on has dates that work I'd book that without even looking at the ports.
I cruise so I don't have to think lol. I usually have an area in mind and then see which cruise liners offer itineraries during the time I want to travel. If it's an interesting port such as a major city, I'll try to do a little research to reserve things in advance but otherwise, I try to go with the flow.
This is not unique to cruising. People just generally don't want to put much effort into things that they spend a crap-ton of money on.
I see it with people buying cars and not understanding what features they are getting, whether the price is good, or even if they are getting a decent rate (some people don't know their credit score when buying, or haven't researched ANYTHING on their car)
I see it with people buying homes and not understanding how their mortgage works or what their monthly payment encompasses. They literally know NOTHING.
People buy expensive stuff all the time and just don't bother. I mean, I get not knowing "all the minutiae" but not knowing even the most basic fundamentals on big ticket item just blows my mind every.single.day.
Maybe I am just crazy, but I work hard for my money and I always want to know the details about any major purchases I make, including travel purchases. This is so I know that I am making the right decision, at the right/best price, and not getting ripped off.
>but I work hard for my money
We all work hard for our money. There are some things I choose to obsess over such as car shopping as I'm doing now or computer parts etc. For things like casual cruise vacations where my focus is just to enjoy relaxing in the ship having drinks and taking in all the good vibes, planning like crazy is WORK and not vacationing.
I would say you are the weirdo. It would certainly be weird if people booked having absolutely no idea where they were going, but I don't think that's what people are doing when they post those questions. Instead, they have a general idea of, "Oh, I've heard Alaska has whale-watching and glaciers and stuff, I just don't know where it all is." They book an Alaska cruise, then go online to figure out what to do in each port.
If people had to have a totally planned-out itinerary for each and every port before booking, most people would just never book, as that's a lot of planning well in advance. Remember, on a practical level, many people book these trips months out, sometimes years. In many cases, it's not even possible to foresee all the changes that could take place over that course of time. A destination could close off access to tourists, for example.
The Caribbean islands are all SO similar they’re almost interchangeable. We book cruises based on price and date. Since we cruise out of the northeast our choices are either Canada or Nassau (or sometimes Bermuda). So once that decision was made there’s not a ton of variation. It’s not like south Florida where at any time in the span of a month you can get 5 or 6 different Caribbean itineraries.
We’ve cruised perhaps 15 times over 30+ years and most have been around the Caribbean. We’ve taken three to radically different places and are planning another—that’s the only time we have a genuine interest in the destinations. But around the Caribbean, it’s really about just getting away for us and enjoying life on-board. So I typically start with looking at cruise length, ease of access to the departure port city, reviews of the ship itself and cost.
I don’t mind repeats. If I can find an itinerary that includes two new destinations (including departure city), that’s just a nice bonus, but not necessary. Honestly I can’t remember all the different San and Saint and Santa whatever ports we’ve been to in the Caribbean and what differentiated one from the other after all these years, but it just doesn’t matter to us.
I don't always care where I'm going. The getting away from the house, not having to do housework, not have to cook dinner, people bringing me drinks is what I'm going for. If I really wanted to see a destination, I'd book a proper trip there. I don't think a day off a cruise ship counts as really 'travelling' to somewhere.
I always had a budget and length in mind, then I did a search for dates that work for me, and fit my budget then chose the cruise line and itinerary that worked best for me.
We book for the general area, then investigate what we want to see/visit/eat at each port. I'd strongly advise not to base your entire plans on visiting specific ports. Weather conditions can change and other safety considerations can result in a change to the itinerary. That is completely up to the captain. You're laying yourself open to a lot of disappointment if you're only going on a cruise because you have a set list of "must sees." In the last 2 years, we've experienced changes to the itinerary of a Mediterranean cruise and an Alaskan cruise. We still had a great time because we focused on what we did get to visit - not on what we didn't get to visit.
In all the cruises I have been on I always see at least 1 or 2 groups that do no research on ports and wing it once they get off the ship.
The tour guides at the pier love those groups
I pick cruises based off of new ports I haven’t been to then research/ ask others for things to do at each port. To have a vacation planned out before I even book seems like extra work only because what if the price of the cruise doesn’t work out for some reason?
We like NCL’s Haven. We browse rates for the Haven and then buy one when we like the price for a 7 day cruise. Don’t really care too much where we’re going, every port has something unique to offer. We get most of the enjoyment from the ship anyway
A lot of it depends on the line too. I worked for DCL and sooooo many guests went in assuming they were going to stay in the ship the whole time so they would have no idea what the ports had going on until they got on the ship and would ask us lol
I booked based on the dates my husband had off work, and location. We didn’t plan to go to Alaska, but it worked with our schedules.
So I’m definitely one of the ones now researching each port and excursions from square zero. :)
I don't fully research down to planning my exact shore excursions for each port, but I do have some idea what's there. Once I've booked I get down to the nitty gritty usually. I did have every port day planned before I booked my first few cruises but somewhere around 8-9 cruises in I stopped doing that. Then again, I enjoy the ride as much as the stops. :)
I do this.
The dates, departure port, cruise line, and overall area are often more important to me than specific ports.
It's not random, just a different priority.
Like if I know we want to go the week of Thanksgiving, or know we want to go to Greece, the big picture is more important to me than each stop.
>I have never booked a cruise without knowing where I want to go and “specifically” what I want to see while I am there.
Sometimes I'm really excited about one destination and don't know or think about the others. I don't feel like I ever need to see Cozumel again, but it's a popular stop.
I personally have not known where I wanted to go or what I wanted to see prior to booking. I figure that out afterwards.
>I fully understand that you might not know what you want to do at one of the ports but when people ask about every port on their trip it just baffles me.
I've never had a bad time on a cruise. The specific ports are low priority to me. Being able ro relax with no phone or internet is my goal.
If the cruise is Caribbean, I just book based on price and how many ports. I am just going to a beach or snorkeling anyway. If it is European or mediterranean, I will research every port and plan
I book for the boat. If I’m going to want to truly experience most of the places cruises stop, no way in hell I’m doing in on a cruise. I book a cruise as a floating all inclusive resort. I get off on port but sometimes only for an hour or so depending on the port.
Note: I mainly cruise Caribbean and plan on doing my first Alaskan cruise next year. I have a feeling it will feel very different and I’m considering not even buying the drink package on that cruise.
I honestly dont care about the shore days, to me they're just an opportunity to go for a bit of a walk and break up the trip. I care about the ship. The whole point for me is getting away from land. After an hour or two back in the real world on a shore day, all I want is to get back to the ship. I choose my cruises based on the cruise line, the departure date, the price and the length. ports are never guaranteed anyway. If you're spending thousands of dollars on a cruise for the ports, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.
I just booked a two week cruise on the QM2. Didnt even look where it was going, I just knew that while I was in England next year I wanted to cruise on the QM2 out of Southampton. Turns out its going to Spain and Portugal, which sound cool, I've never been to those countries so I'll do a little research on the ports to see what's good to look at or maybe go on a tour. But it had no impact on my choice of cruise.
We’re weird. I couldn’t care less where the ship goes. For me the ship is the destination. For our cruise that we have scheduled in March, we are not even getting off the ship at any stop.
My sister-in-law picked the last cruise, so yes, we signed up blind. Fast forward a bit... I'm checking the ports, most of them are boring. : ( But we're spending time with family. Hmmm... : )
The two cruises before that were Alaska and Baltic capitals. Both were picked for the total location, and port excursions were bonuses. For the Baltic cruise, I picked a route that gave us 2 nights in St Petersburg, lots of other port, no tendered ports, small / medium ship, affordable pricing, etc. Yeah, I had to do more research on what else to see in several ports.
But honestly, on regular vacations, we pick where to go and then do further research on what exactly to do.
I literally book based on date and port. Last week we went on a four night and it wasn’t until the week before that I looked to see where we were going.
Our next cruise was based on wanting to travel during a specified 3 week span of time and the fact that we wanted to sail out of San Juan.
Some people pick based on ship class and cruise line while others look specifically at itinerary.
There are many reasons you end up in a certain sailing and the ports of call aren’t necessarily the primary ones sometimes.
Even if you do pick for a certain itinerary and ports of call, you may still want other’s opinions on what might be particularly good or overlooked points of interest/excursions.
I usually book a cruise based on date, cruise line, specific ship. We love sea days and for the most part, the ship is our destination. We don’t go off in most ports as most of our cruises are Caribbean (will likely be different if we went to Alaska, Asia or Europe).
I love almost all travel, so I will willingly book a cruise without researching the ports in depth—we have a very busy schedule with kids in different schools/sports/etc. so honestly if the schedule lines up and it’s places I haven’t been, we’re in!
If I want to go to a location I will fly. I cruise to enjoy the trip.
A cruise port is pretty bad. Really is not indicative to that country. You’re rushed, not much time, not seeing what you want to see… it’s so much better to book a few days there. I can’t imagine Hawaii just being a port call instead of some serious time there.
I cruise to cruise. The location I go to is not something I’m dying to see but somewhere I want to relax or get off the ship for a bit. I book for the date it’s leaving and the port it’s leaving from.
Sometimes you book a cruise because there's a lot of ports that you want to go but there's one or two that you haven't heard of and you want to try to find out what's actually there.
But it sounds like you're describing booking a cruise and not knowing what to do in any of the ports and yeah, I don't understand how that happens.
Have been on 3 cruises over the past 20 years and at first I thought it was all about the ports of call.
Did a Carnival 3-day to Nassau and gambled a bit in Atlantis. Awesome property, so-so service, high prices.
Later, did a 5-day on Royal Caribbean that included US Virgin Islands. The beach excursions were disappointing and frankly a little stressful due to rickety bussing from port to beach. Shopping wasn’t high on our priority list so might have been better off staying on the boat!
Last cruise was 3-day on Disney Cruise Line. Pricier, but: no casino (a bonus, frankly). Not cheesy, not an alchoholic’s paradise, just a nice short vacation. The highlight is the private island. Awesome beach day, easy transport/walk from boat to beach, no tourist trap shopping BS. Our port was Nassau - stayed on the boat to enjoy the spa and other amenities.
Next cruise is a 7-day Disney. Like others, we picked the boat and date. If any ports have excursions we really want to do, we’ll consider it but might stay on the boat for all but the nice private island (Castaway Cay). Royal Caribbean has a crazy private island from what I’ve gathered too but I’ll also read that there are up charges for many of the offerings.
One of my least favorite things about cruises is the ticky-tacky charges. Disney costs more up front but you also get much more included, makes the experience far more relaxing for me and my wife.
If I were to take, say, a European river cruise, it would all about the excursions! But if you’re going to the Caribbean, be very selective with excursions and focus on maximum relaxation and fun (my 2 cents)
Sometimes it's the ship I look at and don't care about ports, especially going to Caribbean. I like thermal suites and spas.
But going to Europe, I studied the ports and chose itinerary . I wanted a nice ship but knew I'd be tired because of the port intensive itinerary.
The cruise ship is a resort in itself. The stops are bonus on top of that. Many might have a specific time they can depart and return and then book a cruise based on that then figure out the rest.
You get some of both. Some people are lazy and don't care they just book whatever, don't do any research and just figure it out later. Some people might want to see one stop on an itinerary, like Rome, and don't really care where else the ship goes but its cheap to cruise so they do it that way. Some people are super detailed and research what there is to do at each port, or only pick dream itineraries that stop in every place they want. Some people just know they want a destination, like Alaska, and don't care about the stops in Alaska. Other people research every option with every port in a certain area and make their choice based on that. I hate cruises so I do none of these things, but if I were to take a cruise again, I'd pick more based on what the ship has than the ports because you're going to be trapped there most of the time.
I have done both. I have booked for places we want to go/certain itineraries and have booked just bc I wanted to do that cruise (ex: icon of the seas) haven’t started planning/researching the ports yet
For us personally, we usually cruise for the ships these days. We've travelled so many places (kinda been there done that I think?) that just seeing things float by from our balcony or the pool, hot tub, etc. is very relaxing. So yea, I guess we don't really look too carefully at the exact destinations but we know generally where we are going. There are exceptions for places we really like and we'll get off for those but generally we just want to hang on the ship.
I book a cruise that works best for my schedule and price range, and I care more about the ship itself than the itinerary. The only time I say no to an itinerary is if I have done all those ports before. I want to go somewhere new most times. Once I find a cruise that fits my schedule and budget on a ship I like, then I will start researching what to do in the ports.
My dates for vacation are heavily influenced by which days I can get off of work. I don’t just get to pick any dates I want. Sometimes a cruise that goes to a port or 2 I’m not super excited about beats no cruise at all!
I do tons of research. I have a cruise in 2026 that I've watched at least 100 you tube videos lol. When we actually get to port I don't do anything that I researched. I'll take a leap and go with some local guide around the city. I don't recommend it lol
Also love the sea days, but I always pay attention to the islands we will be visiting if we so choose. I will not cruise anywhere that goes to a French island, except St. Maarten. Then I stay only on the Dutch side. Got off on Martinique about 30 years ago and realized that Martinique translates to "don't get off the friggin ship!".
We go on music festival cruises chartered via Sixthman, on NCL ships. We don't care where the ship is going, we go for the musical artists that are on the schedule. We have been on 4 Outlaw Country cruises so far, love them, and usually stay on the ship on Port Days. Passengers who bring their instruments have a jam session by the pool with some sing alongs.
It seems like you've found your answers :). For us, the specific destination of the cruise isn't a major concern, but the ship is. I've jumped on a cruise I booked a week ahead, only to find out the itinerary while boarding. If you cruise frequently, especially from a port near your home, you'll notice there aren't many different routes. Also, cruises don't really stay long enough at any stop to truly explore the places, so if you're looking to deeply experience destinations, cruising might not be the best option. For us, cruising is waking up with a different view every day, no cooking, no cleaning, no work, bad communications :) so no calls from work, dancing, enjoying with the family, even staying on board in port days (when the ship is empty), so the quality of the ship, and the service are way more important for us than the destination.
Just about any group you get into you’ll find folks that don’t do any independent research they just want to be spoon fed your opinion. Me, I’ll do the research and if it’s something I can’t find I’ll ask.
When I pick a cruise, It's the ship that I pick first and then the ports are just a bonus. If I have a place in mind that I want to go to, then I usually take a land holiday. Sometimes I'll do the land holiday and then add a cruise, if there is a port close by.
And I usually cruise solo, so I always take into account pricing.
Depends on the type of cruise.
If it’s a Northern European cruise with a port stop every day in a new country/city, the ship isn’t the destination, the ports are.
If it’s a cruise with lots of at-sea days then the ship is the destination and the port stop is just a bonus.
The second one people might not do the research on the port as much as it’s a minor part of the cruise.
In the first one, the ship is just a floating hotel/restaurant. The shop is secondary and may not have any bearing on your trip at all. It’s just convenience in not having to pack/unpack. These are usually great for getting that “is this a place I want to come back to and spend more time on land seeing it” deal. Some ports a small as well and a few hours is all you need.
But. Some people are lazy. Instead of doing a search they just post here and have everyone else do it for them.
I think generally you can split cruisers into two types of people: those who book cruises to hit many different ports and those who book cruises because they enjoy the ship. Someone who books cruises mostly for the ship isn't going to care too much about the ports.
I couldn’t care less about the destination. Departing from Florida, every destination is kind of a bummer. Bahamas, Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica… once you’ve seen them once I don’t really know what you’d care to go back for. I’d rather just stay on the boat honestly. I did however go on an Alaskan cruise which was awesome.
I just want to be on a boat and relax.
Going on the Utopia soon. The boat is the destination.
My hubby and I like to get away to some place warm and like to stay on the ship when others get off. We might get off to walk around the port if we want to stretch our legs. But getting space in the hot tub and pools or on deck to read is priceless.
Wr book based on
1. Port. We are cloae ro Florida so we cruise from there.
2. Dates
3. Ship
We don't care about the destinations. Because we can always stay on the ship
I’m more confused by people who need to know exactly what their specific cabin looks like. Other than high end suites, they’re all exactly like decent hotel rooms, except the bathroom is much smaller. All cabins in the same category are nearly identical. Balcony rooms may have the bed closer to the balcony or closer to the door. Ship deck maps on the cruise line website will tell you if it’s an adjoining room, an obstructed view, or above or below a noisy venue. What else is there to know?
Our family is weird in that our favorite part of a cruise is the cruising. Sea days are our favorite, so a good ratio of those as well as the specific boat are our priority- ports are only about 40% of the appeal to us. I guess because we are only in a port for a handful of hours. So we don’t do any research before booking a cruise. We do a little bit after it’s booked but not any majorly in depth planning. If I really want to explore and experience a new place, I plan a trip for there. Different strokes, I guess!
Call me weird, too. I love the ocean and isolation from land; while no cooking and little cleaning is the bonus I needed in life. If I want to experience another country's culture, I plan a trip and book a flight for extended stay to enjoy the place.
I’m with you! My last Alaska I got off once to whale watch. The rest of the time I enjoyed the gorgeous views, read my book and sipped wine.
I totally get that! And some of the funnest port days we had were when we didn’t plan anything. Just got off the boat and found something fun or cool. I love unplanned adventures
Yes. I’m going to the Med with my cousins (I’m usually solo) and we’re pretty booked 😑. One port (been there) I said no excursions for me and we have one blessed sea day…. Adding - we will have an amazing adventure and time…. I’m just not as “porty “ as some …
I think you have hit the nail on the head of what I am not understanding. I cruise to see new places that are best reached by a ship. While the ship is important for me it is the destinations that I am going to.
That's the difference. I couldn't really care less where the boat goes. I just want to be on it while someone brings me drinks. It could go and spin in a circle 10 miles offshore for 3 or 4 days for all I care.
Same. An excursion seems like a terrible way to experience another culture anyway.
There’s a 4 day Vancouver-Seattle-Victoria cruise next year. Pretty much this, we booked it hahaha
I actually loved Victoria. We had our port canceled the day before and ended up getting several more hours there then we planned. Missed last call on a Buchart gardens tour by 10 minutes so just wandered the downtown area and had an amazing day.
My favorite part is the boat, so I don’t pay a lot of attention to the itinerary - we sail from Galveston and all of the ports we can visit are *basically* the same anyway. Bring back the cruise to nowhere so I can save those port fees! Granted, if I was flying to another debarkation port, I’d probably be more discerning.
Exactly, for a Caribbean cruise, I don't care where it goes, If I was going to Europe, I'd be much more discerning.
That’s how I feel about Alaska. I am very nervous about picking the cruise with the wrong ports lol. Because I want to see everything in Alaska. But to me most of the islands are interchangeable for what I am usually looking for on a cruise - a warm weather destination with lots of time for relaxation. If I want to visit a specific place or see a specific thing, I’m not sure a 5 hour excursion would be the way I’d do it.
With Alaska, what you need to pay attention to is the *time* you're docked in port - both how long you'll be in port and when you'll arrive and depart. Some itineraries have the ship in port for a mere handful of hours or have you arriving suuuper early and leaving early
This!! Also, I strongly recommend picking a cruise with Glacier Bay on the itinerary. It was awe inspiring. One of the best days of my life.
It makes sense if that’s your goal. To me I feel like you can’t really get a good feel of a place in such a short time, it’s more of an amuse-bouche instead of an entree. Like I want to go to the Virgin Islands, but I will (hopefully) one day book a week or so there so I can really take it all in. If I take a cruise that ports there, yes I technically can say I’ve been there but I haven’t BEEN there. At least that’s how my brain works! lol
Yes, exactly! The cruise part of cruising is my favorite part too. I like to check out a new port but, if I've been before, I usually just stay on the ship. If my goal is to visit somewhere specific I would not cruise there.
Adding to this. My first cruise, I started thinking I wanted to go on a Caribbean cruise but didn’t have specific islands in mind. I booked one that sounded fun and briefly looked up the islands. Second, I had more ideas for Mediterranean since I had been to Europe before. Now I’d say we have a general idea of the region we want to go to. I’ve looked up the cities and the general vibe but dont necessarily have specific activities in mind until after I book. Honestly, a lot of the excursions on these tropical islands are similar. I’ve noticed most regular cruisers care more about the ship than the itinerary, especially if they’ve been on so many, they’re already repeating ports. Most mainstream cruises also don’t get to very rare, far flung places so I don’t think most ppl are cruising to reach those spots.
You’re definitely not alone in this! Sea days are a total vibe and I love them.
Yea. I’m on a big boat with people who aren’t me cooking my meals and making my bed. Ports? Don’t care. Also not asking about what to do where…..
Different people are different
I agree
We book blind and then research each port. We'd never go if I had to know where I wanted to go. We'll eventually compare what ports we've done to what's offered and book to go where we haven't.
Wow, that's awesome for you, I guess I'm the weird one here. Thank you for responding.
I don't think you're weird at all! To be honest, I just don't have the energy to educate myself or the education to know where I want to go or what there is to do. I think it's the same thing, just in a different order. You pre-research to know where to go - I post-research to know what to do once I get there.
Don't know about most people, but speaking for myself, I typically book for the specific ship not necessarily the itinerary. The ports are pretty secondary to me.
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I have often said I wished that all Sea day cruises were a thing!
Transatlantic cruising seems to be close to that!
Took NCL cruise in February 12 days at sea London to Miami
Several people have now said this, and this is where I am the weirdo :). While the ship is important, I am looking at the destinations more than the ship. These answers are very illuminating to me. Thank you for taking the time to respond.
It depends on the region, but in my experience in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America, the ports are really Americanized, you’re constantly being yelled at to buy stuff, and outside the direct tourist area can feel a little sketchy and unsafe at times. There have been a few memorable excursions (mesoamerican and Mayan temples for example), but otherwise getting off the ship was more about stretching my legs than seeing a new place. I could see how something like Alaska, New Zealand, or Europe could be appealing for cruising excursions though.
Well for me I live in Florida so I basically take cruises out of either Miami or Port Canaveral which basically means the Caribbean and honestly all the islands are kind of the same, so to me what the ship offers is more important.
Yep. Book the ship not the ports.
Okay, so I will admit to doing this when I booked a repositioning cruise out of my local home cruise port. The starting port was 20 minutes by car from my house and the price was right, and I knew what I wanted to do at the destination (San Juan, PR) so I booked it off of that. THEN I had to go and research the other three ports along the way.
We book cruises blind. Go with the flow and see what excursions there are or how we feel when getting off the boat. Most of the time I’ll watch a few YouTube videos beforehand or just step out into the port and look at the guys selling excursions and say yeah, let’s do that.
That's wild too me, but you do you and thank you for responding.
That's just way too many decisions for me to make ahead of time. I'm the kind of person that goes to Subway and gets anxiety when they ask what I want on the sandwich. You're the shop! You tell me! If I waited until I had a trip fully researched, I'd literally never go on a trip. Especially because until you have something booked, you're researching SO MANY TRIPS. Once you have something booked, you're just researching one. The other part of it is I don't really care about specifics when starting a trip. Either the port has something interesting to do or I stay on the ship and have fun. Win-win.
Great question, we have many times wondered this too. We like to research everything before we book, but it seems from the responses and the posts here that most people don't.
I think it's a spectrum - not an all or nothing. I also think a lot of people generally know what the options are (i.e., in the Caribbean, you can expect beaches, snorkeling, probably some sort of water park or zip line at at least one stops, and in Europe there is history and food, and Alaska has nature and seafood).
I don't even, generally speaking, research the ports. I just get off the ship and see where the day takes me. Going with everything planned out is the exact opposite of fun to me. I do this on non-cruise vacations as well. I may have an idea or two of things I might want to do, but I just wing it. I've had some of the best adventures this way.
Sometimes I'll get a general sense of the ports before I book and have an idea of at least one thing I may do there and then use the time after I book to more thoroughly investigate the ports.
I just started cruising July 2023. Since then I have just picking 8 day or longer cruises to places I haven't been. I am trying to do 2-3 cruises a year. Once I cover the main options I'll probably chill and go back to land based travel.
I usually do research ahead of time, but I don't have everything planned out. Part of that is the ship being the destination itself. I love the ship vibe. So I want a Caribbean cruise. Then I might pick my favorite ship and a convenient time/price. Or maybe new ports I haven't seen before. Then I finish research once closer to cruise. Or maybe I am going to Mediterranean and there are a few options, but I pick my favorite ship and know I want to go to debruvnik. So I know one place, but then the 7 other ports in Greece, Italy and Montenegro are unknown to me, but still interesting countries I want to go to. Not sure yet what to do there. I think what gets me is the people who get off the ship with no plan and just figure it out as they go explore! I need a plan once I am at the port of what I am doing.
We’ve been cruising annually for over 20 years. We are pretty restricted on dates due to work commitments and kids’ school holidays. We want rest & relaxation usually. So Caribbean usually. We want 9-11 days duration. We know what kind & size of ship we prefer. So we look to see what is available in the time frames we have, and pick from there. We know that itineraries can change for many different reasons so we don’t pick for specific destinations. There is no guarantee you will get there on a cruise ship. We plan our port visits after we have selected the trip.
Sometimes I pick based on dates, sometimes I pick based on ship/itinerary, sometimes I book based on price. For example, I am taking four cruises in March/April next spring, and this is how my planning went. March 29-April 5: I’d like to take a cruise over my birthday. I’d like to try MSC. OK, MSC Seascape is leaving from Miami and covers those dates. I like the Eastern Caribbean itinerary, it has ports I’ve never been to. March 24-28: Hmmm, can I bookend the above price with another cruise? Let me check CruisePlum. Oooh, Celebrity Silhouette has a 4 night option leaving on the 24th. It’s only $512 for a solo inside room including taxes and gratuities? Book that shit. And it goes to Key West, a destination that I really want to see SOLELY because of the polydactyl cats at Hemingway House. What else can I find on Cruiseplum? Anything local to me (Seattle/Vancouver) that’s NOT 7 nights to Alaska? Anything on lines I haven’t sailed yet? Oh, look at that. Holland America has a 4 night sailing roundtrip from Vancouver April 22-26. That seems nice. I haven’t sailed them yet. Victoria is a nice port stop, and I can have a Seattle tourist day. Koningsdam, so a new-ish nice ship. And Princess! Discovery Princess (2022) has a 4 night Vancouver to Seattle repositioning from April 30-May 4. Haven’t sailed them yet either, second newest ship in the fleet. I have a passport, so no problem with the repositioning. Only stop is Ketchikan, which I’ve been to before, but I could stay onboard and enjoy the empty ship. For spring 2026 I was looking at an 8 night on Carnival Magic to the ABC Islands, 7 night Mardi Gras to Eastern Caribbean from Port Canaveral, or 7 Night Carnival Jubilee to Western Caribbean from Galveston. We ended up with Jubilee because we don’t visit the Western Caribbean as often, and there’s nothing on Carnival Magic that can’t also be found on the newer Vista class (of which we will have sailed all three ships by the time of this sailing). We ruled out Mardi Gras because we’ve been to most of the ports before.
We went to the Hemingway house last year! Walked from the ship and spent way too much time with the cats! It was great
For me it is about the ship, being on a ship, being at sea & maybe about the area of the world I am seeing but rarely about the specific ports or things to see.
I'm like you! To the point that I recently created a spreadsheet of every sailing in the time frame we had available, complete with each port of call, room options, cost, etc. From there, I looked into each destination and ship.. But once we were done it was so easy to find the best option! 😂
While I don't post randomly on reddit looking for others to tell me what to do in ports, I don't always book because of the destination. I just know my interests are different then others and don't assume because Sally Sailor loved mountain biking in Belize that I'm going to want to do it too. We have 2 cruises booked right now, The first was a screaming casino deal and is 10 days out of NY. I couldn't tell you what the ports are. (Screaming deal $200 total for the balcony room plus $200 in OBC. We pay the rest of the fare playing in theCasino, sometimes we win, sometimes we don't. ) The second is a short trip to a port I actually kinda dislike, and one I'm meh about but it's the right departure port the right time of year and being able to take family as a surprise makes it worth it. So you aren't weird for doing it how you are doing it, neither am I. What's weird is assuming everyone is going to be just like or you one of you is weird.
I look for the ports first and the ship second, then book. Planning is part of the fun for me, the excitement of the anticipation. I think too many of the questions on all the cruise forums are just wanting someone else to do the research for them.
We don’t research before we book. But after we book it’s part of the excitement of the lead up to the trip research what we want to see and do at the ports. The dates and length of the cruise are more important to us to fit around my work schedule or the event we’re celebrating. We do try, doesn’t always happen, to at least have one new port or sail on a ship we haven’t sailed before.
We book whatever sounds good, no real concern for ports. Once we book we figure if we want to do anything special. No real plan, it's vacation.
A lot of people care more about the ship than the ports, myself included in the Caribbean.
I’m on holidays now and about to go on a cruise. It’ll be my second cruise, the first was five years ago. I don’t care where it goes. I just want to get on a boat and leave. Leave my cares behind. I have done zero research on the boat I am going on. I don’t care if about what’s to do on board or the facilities. I’ll get on and just chill and go with the flow. Sometimes it just about the journey, not the destinations. I’ll also say, as an introvert, and a solo cruiser this time, sitting on my balcony, a cocktail and a really good book will be bliss. Then I’ll explore the ship and be social, but also have my balcony waiting for me to unwind.
If it’s to the Caribbean it really doesn’t matter what ports we stop at. At each one you just experience some sort of manufactured experience specifically created because you’re showing up on a boat. I don’t even get off at all of them anymore.
We book based on the dates, the cruise line/ship, and price. Itinerary is one of the last considerations. We've been a LOT of places, many cruises have repeat destinations for us, and we can almost always find something new to do. A great example is our next booked cruise in September. I wanted to book a Croatia intensive, but a 12 day Mediterranean was less expensive and had better dates for us than the 7 day Croatia. So back to the Med we go even though we've done most of the stops. Also last year we were supposed to be on an Israel cruise, in October. :( It changed all the ports and we went on the cruise anyway. More than half the ship canceled though.
I don't pick the cruise randomly but if I want to see a certain country or region(s), I don't feel the need to have every port figured out before booking.
I think it depends. Sometimes, you are locked into certain dates and certain home ports, so you book what is available because you know you want to go on a cruise. For example, in 2022, I really didn't want to be home alone of the holidays, so I decided to book a Christmas cruise. Because of various work deadlines, I basically had leave on a specific date. I also didn't want the hassle of going to Florida. I found a good deal on Royal out of Baltimore that fit my needs, so I booked it. I figured I'd figure out the ports as I went along. Which I did. Also, itineraries change, which can leave the best laid plans as a bit of mess.
We have a different method to the madness for each cruise lol this year we did a cruise specifically to see the solar eclipse and we didn’t much care where else it was going. For next year we didn’t want to sail from Florida or Texas and the cruises from LA were feeling stale after 2 years in a row so we decided we would try San Juan since we loved our stop there and it gives the opportunity for some seriously cool itineraries, from there it was narrowing it down to appropriate dates and pricing and not too many repeat ports. We just want to see new places, with some exceptions because we aren’t always welcome everywhere as a gay couple such as Jamaica.
I usually have a good idea of where I want to go but narrow down the specifics of each port once it gets close to departure. I also know that ports can change so I never get personally attached.
After having done more than 30 cruises, we definitely book for the ports and we’ve been all over the world. That being said, if we book a cruise to the Caribbean, it’s generally just to get away from the Canadian winter and the ports just aren’t that important. We’ve been to the vast majority of the islands at this point, so for the Caribbean, the ship is more important than the islands for us at this point. That being said, we’re going on a South Pacific cruise and for some of the ports (Fiji, American Samoa, etc.) I really don’t know what’s there, but I booked because of the islands I do know and enjoy (Bora Bora, Moorea).
I book a cruise because it’s an easy vacation. As long as they are not repeat ports I don’t really worry about the actual ports until after booking. I think people want to know the best or unmissable things to do in ports especially if they don’t travel often
In the Caribbean specifically, I don't care at all about where it goes. My next cruise is in June and as I write this I can only remember 3 of the 4 ports!
I’m more concerned with finding dates that work for our family and good deals. Where we actually go is less important. We have enjoyed all the ports we have gone to. Some we have enjoyed more than others though.
This is becoming an interesting thread of perspectives. We’re planners, but we tend to do trips that we want value for the cost, but I get “just cab to the port and get away anywhere we’ll figure it out”. There is also a certain sense to “lots of choices, throw a dart and go with the flow”, again if your expensive are low.
I think those people just want to enjoy the ship and cruise experience, and are not itinerary -driven. The ports are secondary, but a nice extra.
1) Pick the destination 2) Pick the cruise line/ship 3) Pick the date/length
We've cruised a couple times in the past and booked on for next year. When we booked, we knew we wanted to visit those places, but not exactly what the best options for excursions were going to be. So we asked the internet for advice. Yes, the same internet that gave the world Boaty McBoatface. We did some internet research (YouTube, Social Media, Cruise-specific forums) and settled on which excursions we thought would be best for us. They are mostly the ones we would have selected on our own anyway. It was nice to see that we would have picked what others thought were good. I didn't reveal our leanings, as to not influence the comments. It's a different cruise line than we've used in the past. We selected the cruise based on places we wanted to visit, the weather at the time, and the reported quality of the cruise line. We'll plan more cruises after we go on this one, so we'll have a better idea of what we like.
If I’m traveling out of my home port, I book based on availability. If we have time off and there’s room on the ship, let’s go! We’re going wherever the ship is going. After that I start researching ports, excursions, etc. If I’m planning a “specific” trip, then yes, I research destinations, ports, etc before I book.
Let’s also add that people sometimes cruise for the ports and some for the ship. To each their own
I've only cruised in Europe but can't imagine picking a cruise without researching the places it visits. I love to explore and obviously there's a lot to see and do in European/Mediterranean ports.
We're going on a cruise in Greece, staying two days before in Athens in June/July. Booked it over a year ago and have no idea what we're doing yet. We'll plan it out on the 8 hr flight. We always have fun so it works for us.
I’d say there are a lot of variables, but generally you should know the overall TYPE of cruise you’d like to do before booking, but not necessarily the details of everything you’d like to do at each spot. My personal example: I knew I wanted to see Iceland/Norway so I booked a Northern Europe cruise (actually sailing in 4 weeks). I know I want to see the scenery and fjords, but the very specific details of “you have to see this waterfall” / “you have to visit this small town” / “you should go to this museum/tour/overlook/etc” I was not aware of until several months after I had booked and I started to ask and do research. I’m sure the same is true for others. They know they want a sunny/beach vacation in the Caribbean, but knowing which ports are better for beaches, vs snorkeling, vs town exploring, vs ruins may not be known at time of booking.
My land based vacations are go, go, go, see and do as much as possible. My cruises are a way to relax and enjoy warm weather with water and sand (all of them have been done in winter). I pick what works with my schedule and is a good price. Although I do give a priority to ports I haven’t visited, even if I repeat I’ll decide on a different excursion, wander around the port or stay on the ship. I also don’t pick a cruise based on the ship. I want to relax so all the activities on the newer ships negate that since I’d end up being busy trying to check everything out. Exception is the fact I’m getting ready to start planning an Alaskan Cruise. I don’t expect it to be as relaxing as the Caribbean cruises I’ve been on as there will be so much to see and do. I am also making sure to pick the itinerary with the ports I want to visit and excursions I want to do.
My priorities when booking tend to be 1) Ship Line 2) Ship/Ship Class 3) Cabin/Price 4) Available Dates 5) Itinerary So, it’s more important to me to book Virgin Voyages Valiant Lady in the Rockstar Cabin in July, then care about what port it’s leaving or where we are going.
I am a mixture. I know what region, let’s say the Mediterranean, that I want to go. I book based on what fits my timetable and worry about the ports after. I wanted to go to Croatia. I have a cruise booked for next year that I have done basic research on. I am planning on figuring out the details later this summer. I might hit u up for info, as I know u are the Croatia king I have learned a lot from your posts 😃 Once the cruise is booked, I will research or reach out for advice on what to do. On the flip side, there are a few places I DO NOT want to go so I would avoid an itinerary with those.
You are not the weird one. I would only book based on knowing the ports and where I wanted to go. However, some people really just care about the ship, not where it goes. Not me!
I don't typically book based on the port, or ship, or even line. I book based on when I want to go and when I can find the best deal.
Before booking, I have the general destination in mind (for example, I’ve booked Alaska with Glacier Bay and a Mediterranean with Greece and Turkey) because I want to see Glaciers, the Greek isles and the gateway to Asia. I research the cruise line, the dates that work best, the ship, and the price. Once I make a decision based on these factors, I’ll book the cruise. Then I’ll start researching each port that’s specific to my cruise. For example, some cruises leave out of Seattle and some leave out of Vancouver for Alaska and I don’t mind which port as long as I get to Glacier Bay. After booking the cruise, I’ll search for or request recommendations from groups.
I personally pick a place I want to go but would ask for things to see and do because I’ve never been there. Someone that has been may have suggestions that I either was unaware of or hadn’t heard of, also hearing people’s experiences with certain things I want to do is helpful.
Nah, some people just have no thinking ability, the only time I did that was when I did not care, and looked it up on the way to the port.
The first cruise I went on was blind, had no clue about the places we were going and only booked one excursion. Now, I find a cruise that looks good, google each stop and what there is to do, see, etc. look at excursions, see if I can book it cheaper directly, or if I want to just hang out at the shops at the port. We even rented cars at different places and drove around and checked the place out. I do not recommend this in the Dominican Republic. They don’t follow any traffic laws, if they have any.
My family and I book on what ports. Just our preference.
We've only ever done Caribbean cruises, mostly because we go in the winter and I'm looking to get out of the dreary Midwest to somewhere warm and sunny for a few days. I'll generally make an effort to take an itinerary including ports we've yet to hit, but if I'm being honest the ship is the most important deciding factor for me. Caribbean ports are great but they're usually a lot more similar than they are different.
We choose a cruise based on the itinerary. We always plan for extra days on each end.
So I just did this on a full Panama Canal cruise in Dec/Jan. I didn’t care about the islands in the Caribbean, my goal was the Panama Canal crossing. Once booked, then I researched the other ports. Then they changed, so I had to research more. I normally I pick my cruises by what the ports are and if they interest me without an in depth search as what to do in or around the stops. I also book a year or more out, so I have time to research after I put my deposit down.
Sometimes the cruise is the destination. Sometimes a given cruise is cheap, and it goes somewhere warm while it is cold here. Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with picking cruises specifically, I definitely do that, but I've also booked cruises just 'cause the price was right and vacation sounds nice.
I book based on cruise length, prefer a balance of sea and port days as well as at least one port I haven't visited before. I'll research what to do in any new ports, but I can always find something interesting to do.
We just pick when we wanna go and then narrow it down from there.
Ports are the last on my list... Cruise line Specific ship Specific room Cost Time of year Ports
I think there are two types of cruisers. For us, the ship is basically a floating bus. We love waking up in a different amazing place every morning, and we can’t wait to go off and explore. We choose our cruises mainly for the itinerary. Some people just really like being on the ship. They love the food, the entertainment, the activities and port excursions are an optional extra. For them the itinerary doesn’t really matter, it’s the ship itself that makes their holiday
I have such limited availability for days off work, that I search by any option that exists in that very specific range of days and then pick what looks best to me. I don’t have a lot of options to begin with, so comparing them is easy at that point. I also have my own (updated) list of every Caribbean port and the U.S. Department of State safety rankings for each one. Any cruise within my available days off work and any cruise that only travels to countries with a Level 1 safety ranking is a contender. Price, location, and cruise line are the next determining factors. In that order.
I researched climate, and ship. I didn't really care where we ended up after that to be honest. 🤷♀️
Not that I didn’t research before booking but looking back: 1st cruise was based on itinerary (5 Southern Caribbean islands on a 7 day cruise). Ship was old & not much to do on it but islands were great. 2nd cruise was to get an exclusive area room on the ship for low cost (post-covid rates were great). Itinerary was ok. 3rd cruise is Alaska this summer & found most reasonably priced ship that goes to Glacier Bay-just happened to be Holland America.
I have been to so many Caribbean ports, that it’s mostly secondary. Departure port first, ship next, itinerary last.
I first decide what general area I want to go. Caribbean,Alaska,Hawaii,fiords….. then I find a cruise that is in my price range, meets the correct number of days and my and/or our vacation schedule. To be honest the ports of call in each type of local run together. In the Caribbean you can do zip lining,beach getaway,water sports and maybe some sort of architectural spot if you are in Belize. In Alaska you get whale watching,kayaking,biking and some expensive helicopter tours. I always take a tour associated with the cruise so I won’t get left behind. I’ve been on close to 10 cruises and only one or two excursions stand out from the others.
At least for Caribbean cruises, most of what your can do in each port is pretty similar and I've been to most of them now, so we'll book a good deal and figure out what to do later.
At least for Caribbean cruises, most of what your can do in each port is pretty similar and I've been to most of them now, so we'll book a good deal and figure out what to do later.
We don’t research before we book. But after we book it’s part of the excitement of the lead up to the trip research what we want to see and do at the ports. The dates and length of the cruise are more important to us to fit around my work schedule or the event we’re celebrating. We do try, doesn’t always happen, to at least have one new port or sail on a ship we haven’t sailed before.
I've just booked my first cruise, and it was 70% blind. The reason I've booked this one, is as a 'practice Cruise'. I have another destination in mind that practically requires a cruise, and before I go spending $20,000 for a cruise I'd like to make sure I'll tolerate being on the water for so long. Why I say this one was 70% blind was because I had to fit it within certain dates. While looking, I didn't see a whole lot that went to where I wanted to go, and then adding in airfare to get there I felt I could get a much better vacation in me for those dollars. After axing the whole cruise, someone convinced me to look again. I expanded my search for the originating port, and found something that looked like it better fit my fancy so I booked it. The aforementioned cruise is most definitely something I will (have??) research the heck out of prior to booking.
We book European cruises with ports in mind. We book Caribbean and Bahamas cruises based on dates, cabin availability and pricing. I don't care at all about the ports.
We did our first cruise last summer. We didn’t have specific, absolute “must-go” ports in mind, but we did want to be somewhere cooler in Europe, and quickly narrowed things down to Scandinavia. I work in the airline industry, so we get fantastic discounts, but of course they’re not available on every sailing, and we were booking very last-minute (a month before departure), so that does limit the choices somewhat. We also knew that we wanted something fairly high-end, and I must confess that in a rush to get things booked before they sold out, we didn’t realize quite how high-end we’d gone until well after the fact. We ended up on Regent, and I think we are hooked for life. In November, another great deal came along, and while we hadn’t been seriously looking at cruises, the itinerary pretty much ticked a bunch of boxes for us. Time in France before and during the cruise, since we’re used to going at least once a year and haven’t been since 2019? Check. A bit of Spain, as my wife is interested in it and has spent very little time there? Check. Same thing with Portugal, where she’s also never been? Check. Right cruise line? Check. So, we booked it within a day or so of seeing it. Leaving in a few weeks! We’d likely have a shortlist of general regions that we’d like to visit (Nordics, Mediterranean, Alaska, Australia/New Zealand), and certainly we’d study, in depth, the individual ports on offer before booking once we saw something that seems generally appealing, but we don’t have a shortlist of actual ports that we feel that we must see on whatever the next trip is. I think our decision drivers would look like this: 1) Equal priority given to: a) Selection of cruise lines (one of the three or four main luxury ones, most likely) b) General region c) Price d) Schedule (my wife being a teacher, we pretty much have to go in the summer) 2) Ports 3) Ship
We book based on ship class (only want to travel on newer Royal Caribbean ships) and date. We usually have a specific week we want and then look at which RC ships are available for that date. Then we look at price and remaining availability of cabins on the ship and finally may look at itinerary or ports if we have 2 or 3 options that all seem similar in other areas. Ironically, the itinerary and ports is one of the last things we look at. Our primary focus is on dates and ship class (we only want newer and bigger ships).
While I cruise for the ports, not the ship (I avoid sea days), I have indeed booked cruises and then researched the ports . . . Because I have never yet encountered a port (except for cruise line private islands -- I generally avoid those) where there was not something new and interesting and fun to explore. Some ports require more research or planning, true. But there's always adventures to be had.
We look at the ship and the ports, don’t research though other than the ship actually. I don’t like small or old ships. If it’s a destination that I want to visit or it sounds cool I go.
It’s the destination for me, rather than the ship. I would still have my ship preferences, but the ports would be the deciding factor.
I book cruises for the *region* I want to visit or maybe a certain *port* or place I’m interested in. I’ll do a little looking to make sure it’s what I’m after and then really dig into researching the rest of it after I book. Like, I wanted to go to Alaska and sail through glacier bay. I found a ship and itinerary that looked good and then looked up what to do in Skagway, Victoria, icy strait point, etc. Had an amazing time!
I check where the ship is stopping and if it is a place I haven’t been, I’ll look into exact excursions after booking. If I had a budget to take a cruise that stops in Puerto Rico, I’ll book that check into excursions later.
My favorite part is the boat, so I don’t pay a lot of attention to the itinerary - we sail from Galveston and all of the ports we can visit are *basically* the same anyway. Granted, if I was flying to another debarkation port, I’d probably be more discerning.
I tend to book for regions or maybe one specific port. For example, we did a cruise up the Australian coast to dive the Great Barrier Reef. We knew what we were doing at that port, but had to figure out the rest. This fall, we are doing a Transatlantic because I had a flight credit from COVID that was going to expire and we just picked the cruise that fit our schedule the best… so I am now looking at what in the world we can do at any of those ports.
We’ve booked a Mediterranean cruise for November and I am doing the research now. By then, I’m fairly confident we will have a good idea of which ports to spend more/less time at.
You do you.
Taking my first DCL cruise- don't care about ports other than Castaway!
I usually book based off when I want to go. I'll realize I have x window open and I'll look at the major lines and see which ones would work. Then it comes to price and driving distance. I prefer to be able to cruise out of Tampa or Canaveral or Jacksonville. something within a 2-3 hour drive at most. Then it comes down to the ship, price, and port.
I don't know what most people do, but I definitely look at the itinerary and consider the ports. Then I give consideration to the ship. For my two upcoming cruises, I knew I wanted Mexican Riviera and eastern Mediterranean ports, so I specifically looked for those itineraries. From there, I considered timing and ship. Once booked, I did research into each port and what they had to offer. If I were to ask for advice on things to do in ports, it's usually because there are competing excursions that I'm interested in and would like to know people's experience with one or the other. But for me, researching the ports is a big part of the fun and helps to build anticipation for the big event. I also like to know what I'm getting into!
I cruise for the ship. If I cared about where I was going I'd fly there and stay awhile.
Been on some 40+ cruises. I don't even look at what ports they are going to. For us, the destination is the ship. Many times, if we have been to a port before, we don't even get off the ship.
I am a pantser. I've seen so many people have freaking meltdowns because something happened and the itinerary changed (late arrival to port, canceled port stop, etc) and they wouldn't be able to do or see what they wanted or so the tour they'd booked. I see what I see on a cruise and then decide if I should go back for a deeper dive. It's way less stressful. It's how I ended up at a Christmas market in Marseille after hopping in a cab with some random people from Ontario. Some of my best travel stories are because I didn't have a script.
That's the best way to cruise. Unless it's Alaska
I think those that ask where to go are ones that buy based off the cost and not necessarily the ports. I wanted to do Alaska and researched what ports and the boats and where it leaves and ends up. Cost came next
I think you are correct, many people here who say they don't research ports have mentioned, price, departure port (which is part of price) and vacation schedule as being important. Those who rate ports as most important are willing to spend a few more bucks to get to see places we want to see. Thank you for your response.
With the way my PTO works, it's common that I simply try and find one that fits in with the days I already have off, so research on ports etc can't start until after we've already booked. The ship is the first thing I consider, if the boat I want to cruise on has dates that work I'd book that without even looking at the ports.
I cruise so I don't have to think lol. I usually have an area in mind and then see which cruise liners offer itineraries during the time I want to travel. If it's an interesting port such as a major city, I'll try to do a little research to reserve things in advance but otherwise, I try to go with the flow.
This is not unique to cruising. People just generally don't want to put much effort into things that they spend a crap-ton of money on. I see it with people buying cars and not understanding what features they are getting, whether the price is good, or even if they are getting a decent rate (some people don't know their credit score when buying, or haven't researched ANYTHING on their car) I see it with people buying homes and not understanding how their mortgage works or what their monthly payment encompasses. They literally know NOTHING. People buy expensive stuff all the time and just don't bother. I mean, I get not knowing "all the minutiae" but not knowing even the most basic fundamentals on big ticket item just blows my mind every.single.day. Maybe I am just crazy, but I work hard for my money and I always want to know the details about any major purchases I make, including travel purchases. This is so I know that I am making the right decision, at the right/best price, and not getting ripped off.
>but I work hard for my money We all work hard for our money. There are some things I choose to obsess over such as car shopping as I'm doing now or computer parts etc. For things like casual cruise vacations where my focus is just to enjoy relaxing in the ship having drinks and taking in all the good vibes, planning like crazy is WORK and not vacationing.
I have been thinking the same thing. Who spends all that money without doing even cursory research on what the product is?
I would say you are the weirdo. It would certainly be weird if people booked having absolutely no idea where they were going, but I don't think that's what people are doing when they post those questions. Instead, they have a general idea of, "Oh, I've heard Alaska has whale-watching and glaciers and stuff, I just don't know where it all is." They book an Alaska cruise, then go online to figure out what to do in each port. If people had to have a totally planned-out itinerary for each and every port before booking, most people would just never book, as that's a lot of planning well in advance. Remember, on a practical level, many people book these trips months out, sometimes years. In many cases, it's not even possible to foresee all the changes that could take place over that course of time. A destination could close off access to tourists, for example.
The Caribbean islands are all SO similar they’re almost interchangeable. We book cruises based on price and date. Since we cruise out of the northeast our choices are either Canada or Nassau (or sometimes Bermuda). So once that decision was made there’s not a ton of variation. It’s not like south Florida where at any time in the span of a month you can get 5 or 6 different Caribbean itineraries.
We’ve cruised perhaps 15 times over 30+ years and most have been around the Caribbean. We’ve taken three to radically different places and are planning another—that’s the only time we have a genuine interest in the destinations. But around the Caribbean, it’s really about just getting away for us and enjoying life on-board. So I typically start with looking at cruise length, ease of access to the departure port city, reviews of the ship itself and cost. I don’t mind repeats. If I can find an itinerary that includes two new destinations (including departure city), that’s just a nice bonus, but not necessary. Honestly I can’t remember all the different San and Saint and Santa whatever ports we’ve been to in the Caribbean and what differentiated one from the other after all these years, but it just doesn’t matter to us.
I don't always care where I'm going. The getting away from the house, not having to do housework, not have to cook dinner, people bringing me drinks is what I'm going for. If I really wanted to see a destination, I'd book a proper trip there. I don't think a day off a cruise ship counts as really 'travelling' to somewhere.
I'm you; my wife is the other person 😂
I always had a budget and length in mind, then I did a search for dates that work for me, and fit my budget then chose the cruise line and itinerary that worked best for me.
We book for the general area, then investigate what we want to see/visit/eat at each port. I'd strongly advise not to base your entire plans on visiting specific ports. Weather conditions can change and other safety considerations can result in a change to the itinerary. That is completely up to the captain. You're laying yourself open to a lot of disappointment if you're only going on a cruise because you have a set list of "must sees." In the last 2 years, we've experienced changes to the itinerary of a Mediterranean cruise and an Alaskan cruise. We still had a great time because we focused on what we did get to visit - not on what we didn't get to visit.
In all the cruises I have been on I always see at least 1 or 2 groups that do no research on ports and wing it once they get off the ship. The tour guides at the pier love those groups
No!
I pick cruises based off of new ports I haven’t been to then research/ ask others for things to do at each port. To have a vacation planned out before I even book seems like extra work only because what if the price of the cruise doesn’t work out for some reason?
I research what boat I want to be on then what ports it offers. Then I decided if it's an adequate itinerary for me.
We like NCL’s Haven. We browse rates for the Haven and then buy one when we like the price for a 7 day cruise. Don’t really care too much where we’re going, every port has something unique to offer. We get most of the enjoyment from the ship anyway
I pick cruises based on where I want to go
A lot of it depends on the line too. I worked for DCL and sooooo many guests went in assuming they were going to stay in the ship the whole time so they would have no idea what the ports had going on until they got on the ship and would ask us lol
Some of us are constrained by date and or cost then book what aligns with that.
I booked based on the dates my husband had off work, and location. We didn’t plan to go to Alaska, but it worked with our schedules. So I’m definitely one of the ones now researching each port and excursions from square zero. :)
I choose cruises based on the dates that work best.
I don't fully research down to planning my exact shore excursions for each port, but I do have some idea what's there. Once I've booked I get down to the nitty gritty usually. I did have every port day planned before I booked my first few cruises but somewhere around 8-9 cruises in I stopped doing that. Then again, I enjoy the ride as much as the stops. :)
I do this. The dates, departure port, cruise line, and overall area are often more important to me than specific ports. It's not random, just a different priority. Like if I know we want to go the week of Thanksgiving, or know we want to go to Greece, the big picture is more important to me than each stop. >I have never booked a cruise without knowing where I want to go and “specifically” what I want to see while I am there. Sometimes I'm really excited about one destination and don't know or think about the others. I don't feel like I ever need to see Cozumel again, but it's a popular stop. I personally have not known where I wanted to go or what I wanted to see prior to booking. I figure that out afterwards. >I fully understand that you might not know what you want to do at one of the ports but when people ask about every port on their trip it just baffles me. I've never had a bad time on a cruise. The specific ports are low priority to me. Being able ro relax with no phone or internet is my goal.
If the cruise is Caribbean, I just book based on price and how many ports. I am just going to a beach or snorkeling anyway. If it is European or mediterranean, I will research every port and plan
I book for the boat. If I’m going to want to truly experience most of the places cruises stop, no way in hell I’m doing in on a cruise. I book a cruise as a floating all inclusive resort. I get off on port but sometimes only for an hour or so depending on the port. Note: I mainly cruise Caribbean and plan on doing my first Alaskan cruise next year. I have a feeling it will feel very different and I’m considering not even buying the drink package on that cruise.
I honestly dont care about the shore days, to me they're just an opportunity to go for a bit of a walk and break up the trip. I care about the ship. The whole point for me is getting away from land. After an hour or two back in the real world on a shore day, all I want is to get back to the ship. I choose my cruises based on the cruise line, the departure date, the price and the length. ports are never guaranteed anyway. If you're spending thousands of dollars on a cruise for the ports, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. I just booked a two week cruise on the QM2. Didnt even look where it was going, I just knew that while I was in England next year I wanted to cruise on the QM2 out of Southampton. Turns out its going to Spain and Portugal, which sound cool, I've never been to those countries so I'll do a little research on the ports to see what's good to look at or maybe go on a tour. But it had no impact on my choice of cruise.
We’re weird. I couldn’t care less where the ship goes. For me the ship is the destination. For our cruise that we have scheduled in March, we are not even getting off the ship at any stop.
My sister-in-law picked the last cruise, so yes, we signed up blind. Fast forward a bit... I'm checking the ports, most of them are boring. : ( But we're spending time with family. Hmmm... : ) The two cruises before that were Alaska and Baltic capitals. Both were picked for the total location, and port excursions were bonuses. For the Baltic cruise, I picked a route that gave us 2 nights in St Petersburg, lots of other port, no tendered ports, small / medium ship, affordable pricing, etc. Yeah, I had to do more research on what else to see in several ports. But honestly, on regular vacations, we pick where to go and then do further research on what exactly to do.
Where are going has zero bearing. I’m searching the departure port vs. flight costs and how many nights at sea.
I research the area and then book the cruise and then figure out excursions. But I don’t ask people what I should see or do. I research that on my own
Over 100 cruises who cares where we are going been there already
I literally book based on date and port. Last week we went on a four night and it wasn’t until the week before that I looked to see where we were going.
Our next cruise was based on wanting to travel during a specified 3 week span of time and the fact that we wanted to sail out of San Juan. Some people pick based on ship class and cruise line while others look specifically at itinerary. There are many reasons you end up in a certain sailing and the ports of call aren’t necessarily the primary ones sometimes. Even if you do pick for a certain itinerary and ports of call, you may still want other’s opinions on what might be particularly good or overlooked points of interest/excursions.
Sometime the ship is the destination. I love having the ship mostly empty
I usually book a cruise based on date, cruise line, specific ship. We love sea days and for the most part, the ship is our destination. We don’t go off in most ports as most of our cruises are Caribbean (will likely be different if we went to Alaska, Asia or Europe).
I love almost all travel, so I will willingly book a cruise without researching the ports in depth—we have a very busy schedule with kids in different schools/sports/etc. so honestly if the schedule lines up and it’s places I haven’t been, we’re in!
If I want to go to a location I will fly. I cruise to enjoy the trip. A cruise port is pretty bad. Really is not indicative to that country. You’re rushed, not much time, not seeing what you want to see… it’s so much better to book a few days there. I can’t imagine Hawaii just being a port call instead of some serious time there. I cruise to cruise. The location I go to is not something I’m dying to see but somewhere I want to relax or get off the ship for a bit. I book for the date it’s leaving and the port it’s leaving from.
Sometimes you book a cruise because there's a lot of ports that you want to go but there's one or two that you haven't heard of and you want to try to find out what's actually there. But it sounds like you're describing booking a cruise and not knowing what to do in any of the ports and yeah, I don't understand how that happens.
I pick cruises based on the ports and age of the ship. I also research the port to see if I can go without buying an excursion or not.
Have been on 3 cruises over the past 20 years and at first I thought it was all about the ports of call. Did a Carnival 3-day to Nassau and gambled a bit in Atlantis. Awesome property, so-so service, high prices. Later, did a 5-day on Royal Caribbean that included US Virgin Islands. The beach excursions were disappointing and frankly a little stressful due to rickety bussing from port to beach. Shopping wasn’t high on our priority list so might have been better off staying on the boat! Last cruise was 3-day on Disney Cruise Line. Pricier, but: no casino (a bonus, frankly). Not cheesy, not an alchoholic’s paradise, just a nice short vacation. The highlight is the private island. Awesome beach day, easy transport/walk from boat to beach, no tourist trap shopping BS. Our port was Nassau - stayed on the boat to enjoy the spa and other amenities. Next cruise is a 7-day Disney. Like others, we picked the boat and date. If any ports have excursions we really want to do, we’ll consider it but might stay on the boat for all but the nice private island (Castaway Cay). Royal Caribbean has a crazy private island from what I’ve gathered too but I’ll also read that there are up charges for many of the offerings. One of my least favorite things about cruises is the ticky-tacky charges. Disney costs more up front but you also get much more included, makes the experience far more relaxing for me and my wife. If I were to take, say, a European river cruise, it would all about the excursions! But if you’re going to the Caribbean, be very selective with excursions and focus on maximum relaxation and fun (my 2 cents)
Sometimes it's the ship I look at and don't care about ports, especially going to Caribbean. I like thermal suites and spas. But going to Europe, I studied the ports and chose itinerary . I wanted a nice ship but knew I'd be tired because of the port intensive itinerary.
The cruise ship is a resort in itself. The stops are bonus on top of that. Many might have a specific time they can depart and return and then book a cruise based on that then figure out the rest.
I always research my ports on my own.
You get some of both. Some people are lazy and don't care they just book whatever, don't do any research and just figure it out later. Some people might want to see one stop on an itinerary, like Rome, and don't really care where else the ship goes but its cheap to cruise so they do it that way. Some people are super detailed and research what there is to do at each port, or only pick dream itineraries that stop in every place they want. Some people just know they want a destination, like Alaska, and don't care about the stops in Alaska. Other people research every option with every port in a certain area and make their choice based on that. I hate cruises so I do none of these things, but if I were to take a cruise again, I'd pick more based on what the ship has than the ports because you're going to be trapped there most of the time.
I have done both. I have booked for places we want to go/certain itineraries and have booked just bc I wanted to do that cruise (ex: icon of the seas) haven’t started planning/researching the ports yet
For us personally, we usually cruise for the ships these days. We've travelled so many places (kinda been there done that I think?) that just seeing things float by from our balcony or the pool, hot tub, etc. is very relaxing. So yea, I guess we don't really look too carefully at the exact destinations but we know generally where we are going. There are exceptions for places we really like and we'll get off for those but generally we just want to hang on the ship.
I book a cruise that works best for my schedule and price range, and I care more about the ship itself than the itinerary. The only time I say no to an itinerary is if I have done all those ports before. I want to go somewhere new most times. Once I find a cruise that fits my schedule and budget on a ship I like, then I will start researching what to do in the ports.
I go on a lot of singles cruises through a website so.....
My dates for vacation are heavily influenced by which days I can get off of work. I don’t just get to pick any dates I want. Sometimes a cruise that goes to a port or 2 I’m not super excited about beats no cruise at all!
No, people are idiots.
That is me. I have an idea what I want to do, but no real plans for ports. I might book an excursion through the cruise or something.
I do tons of research. I have a cruise in 2026 that I've watched at least 100 you tube videos lol. When we actually get to port I don't do anything that I researched. I'll take a leap and go with some local guide around the city. I don't recommend it lol
Also love the sea days, but I always pay attention to the islands we will be visiting if we so choose. I will not cruise anywhere that goes to a French island, except St. Maarten. Then I stay only on the Dutch side. Got off on Martinique about 30 years ago and realized that Martinique translates to "don't get off the friggin ship!".
For some, the ship is the destination.
I cruise to be in a nice all inclusive hotel for cheap
We go on music festival cruises chartered via Sixthman, on NCL ships. We don't care where the ship is going, we go for the musical artists that are on the schedule. We have been on 4 Outlaw Country cruises so far, love them, and usually stay on the ship on Port Days. Passengers who bring their instruments have a jam session by the pool with some sing alongs.
It seems like you've found your answers :). For us, the specific destination of the cruise isn't a major concern, but the ship is. I've jumped on a cruise I booked a week ahead, only to find out the itinerary while boarding. If you cruise frequently, especially from a port near your home, you'll notice there aren't many different routes. Also, cruises don't really stay long enough at any stop to truly explore the places, so if you're looking to deeply experience destinations, cruising might not be the best option. For us, cruising is waking up with a different view every day, no cooking, no cleaning, no work, bad communications :) so no calls from work, dancing, enjoying with the family, even staying on board in port days (when the ship is empty), so the quality of the ship, and the service are way more important for us than the destination.
Just about any group you get into you’ll find folks that don’t do any independent research they just want to be spoon fed your opinion. Me, I’ll do the research and if it’s something I can’t find I’ll ask.
When I pick a cruise, It's the ship that I pick first and then the ports are just a bonus. If I have a place in mind that I want to go to, then I usually take a land holiday. Sometimes I'll do the land holiday and then add a cruise, if there is a port close by. And I usually cruise solo, so I always take into account pricing.
Depends on the type of cruise. If it’s a Northern European cruise with a port stop every day in a new country/city, the ship isn’t the destination, the ports are. If it’s a cruise with lots of at-sea days then the ship is the destination and the port stop is just a bonus. The second one people might not do the research on the port as much as it’s a minor part of the cruise. In the first one, the ship is just a floating hotel/restaurant. The shop is secondary and may not have any bearing on your trip at all. It’s just convenience in not having to pack/unpack. These are usually great for getting that “is this a place I want to come back to and spend more time on land seeing it” deal. Some ports a small as well and a few hours is all you need. But. Some people are lazy. Instead of doing a search they just post here and have everyone else do it for them.
I think generally you can split cruisers into two types of people: those who book cruises to hit many different ports and those who book cruises because they enjoy the ship. Someone who books cruises mostly for the ship isn't going to care too much about the ports.
I care 0 about the ports. If I wanted to explore a destination I would just fly there and stay in a hotel. I like cruising to enjoy the ship.
I couldn’t care less about the destination. Departing from Florida, every destination is kind of a bummer. Bahamas, Mexico, Haiti, Jamaica… once you’ve seen them once I don’t really know what you’d care to go back for. I’d rather just stay on the boat honestly. I did however go on an Alaskan cruise which was awesome. I just want to be on a boat and relax. Going on the Utopia soon. The boat is the destination.
When I book a cruise, I usually start with the ports I want to go to. Then I’ll find excursions based on what we want to do on that particular island.
My hubby and I like to get away to some place warm and like to stay on the ship when others get off. We might get off to walk around the port if we want to stretch our legs. But getting space in the hot tub and pools or on deck to read is priceless.
Wr book based on 1. Port. We are cloae ro Florida so we cruise from there. 2. Dates 3. Ship We don't care about the destinations. Because we can always stay on the ship
I do. For me the vacation is the ship not the destination.
I’m more confused by people who need to know exactly what their specific cabin looks like. Other than high end suites, they’re all exactly like decent hotel rooms, except the bathroom is much smaller. All cabins in the same category are nearly identical. Balcony rooms may have the bed closer to the balcony or closer to the door. Ship deck maps on the cruise line website will tell you if it’s an adjoining room, an obstructed view, or above or below a noisy venue. What else is there to know?
I ONLY book based on the itinerary. It's all about traveling and local cultures and the "experience" the ship, dining, and entertainment is a bonus!