Would you go on the same cruise twice?

buzzrelly

DIS Veteran
Joined
Nov 20, 2005
I am slightly bummed. DH and I had booked the Fantasy November 3,2018 cruise. I was super excited about that and I've never been to the Eastern Caribbean and have always wanted to.

For various reasons, we decided to change that cruise to the Dream October 22,2018 cruise.

Some of the reasons we changed:

1. Too long away from the family-we are going to stay at DVC on points for 5 nights before the cruise. Using points and our APs, that portion of the trip won't cost anything, besides food. We have kids (older) that we are leaving home with family, and feel bad about spending 12 nights away from them, as opposed to 9.

2. Cost-changing to the Dream costs about $1800 less.

3. The timing-we just got back from a trip that crossed from October into November and while we had an amazing time, we missed spending Halloween at home. We could go on a cruise in later November but then it gets tricky with some of our family birthdays and also our APs expire on 10/30 so we wanted to get another use out of them.

Based on all this, we decided to change to the Dream, but I went on it in 2015 (NOT with DH, and NOT a Halloween cruise), I just don't know how excited I am about it.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has gone on the same cruise twice. Or just try to help me get more excited about this!

I also don't really know what to expect from this Halloween cruise. DH and I love Halloween, but we don't really dress up. We just went to MNSSHP and had a great time but didn't wear costumes. Is that pretty much all there is to that Halloween cruise? I'm thinking it's more for the families and kids and we might just be trying to avoid it.

Thanks for reading and for any advice you might have!
 
We're doing the exact same Fantasy Eastern a second time. My thought is I can do the excursions I didn't do last time and I can do the things on the ship I forgot to do last time. Would I do 3 the same? Not if it was just us. I would with other family or friends, though, as the experience is different with others.
 
I am slightly bummed. DH and I had booked the Fantasy November 3,2018 cruise. I was super excited about that and I've never been to the Eastern Caribbean and have always wanted to.

For various reasons, we decided to change that cruise to the Dream October 22,2018 cruise.

Some of the reasons we changed:

1. Too long away from the family-we are going to stay at DVC on points for 5 nights before the cruise. Using points and our APs, that portion of the trip won't cost anything, besides food. We have kids (older) that we are leaving home with family, and feel bad about spending 12 nights away from them, as opposed to 9.

2. Cost-changing to the Dream costs about $1800 less.

3. The timing-we just got back from a trip that crossed from October into November and while we had an amazing time, we missed spending Halloween at home. We could go on a cruise in later November but then it gets tricky with some of our family birthdays and also our APs expire on 10/30 so we wanted to get another use out of them.

Based on all this, we decided to change to the Dream, but I went on it in 2015 (NOT with DH, and NOT a Halloween cruise), I just don't know how excited I am about it.

I'd love to hear from anyone who has gone on the same cruise twice. Or just try to help me get more excited about this!

I also don't really know what to expect from this Halloween cruise. DH and I love Halloween, but we don't really dress up. We just went to MNSSHP and had a great time but didn't wear costumes. Is that pretty much all there is to that Halloween cruise? I'm thinking it's more for the families and kids and we might just be trying to avoid it.

Thanks for reading and for any advice you might have!
Yes, we've gone on the same cruise twice. As well as the "same" cruise on different cruise lines. And we've taken cruises that have visited some of the same ports multiple times. Each cruise is it's own experience. And the Dream does have the new Beauty and the Beast show, so that's going to be new to you.
 


Next week we'll be on our 3rd Fantasy Western in a row. Same room all three times. Same week. For us its like going to the same condo at the shore every year. We did the Dream 2x in a row as well.

We like the familiarity. We have done our research and now look for different things for each port, but this 3rd time will probably be our last on this itinerary.

For us just taking the cruise is our vacation. We could just cruise to no where and be happy.
 
I wouldn't hesitate booking the Halloween cruise again on the Dream that we did last month. I happened to book the Christmas one for next year as the dates worked out better. Lots of things to make the same one different I'd imagine. I'm sure I'll do the same one in the future if dates line up.
 
I have done the same cruise multiple times because as much as I enjoy going on excursions at the various ports my number one priority is spending time on the ship. I've done two WBTA cruises with Disney about four years apart but so far those transatlantic cruises are my favorite. I have also done three Mexican Rivera cruises only because I'm on the west coast. I have also done multiple western Caribbean cruises with Disney and always enjoy returning to those ports because I know exactly what I want to do or not to do depending on the port.
 


DH and I did and we tried to book totally different things to do.

Here's a few suggestions:

-Do a very different excursion... Ex: If you went to Atlantis in Nassau the last time, go to Blue Lagoon this time. Or stay on the ship and book Palo Brunch instead of an excursion.

-Subscribe to different activities.

-Book Palo and/or Remy instead of the MDR

-Book Palo and/or Remy or go watch a movie in the theater instead of seeing a show that you have already seen.
 
Yes, we have done several Eastern and several Western Itineraries, some have been on The Magic and some have been on The Fantasy.
I have no issues with it, there is sometimes one new port to check out, other times there's not and we make one port day another "sea day".
 
I think we did the Western Caribbean three times. Slightly different itinerary each time (once we were unable to go to Cozumel so did Costa Maya instead and once they substituted Falmouth for Key West). I'd be prepared to do it again.

On our last time, we didn't bother to get off at Grand Cayman since we'd been twice before, seen what we wanted those two times, and didn't want the hassle of tendering. We were sailing with friends so we had a nice time together on the ship. I'd probably skip it again if we went back. We're not beach people so if we've seen what we want to see, we don't bother to get off. I enjoy spending time on the ship.

At Cozumel, we've been to Tulum and Chitzen Itza on two different cruises. I might go back to one or the other or try something different if we went back. Or spend the day on the ship.

Key West we wandered around a bit and shopped. The first time we did a yacht excursion to see the sunset and went through a museum the second time our excursion was cancelled due to weather (boy can it rain there!). If we did Key West again, we might try an excursion we haven't before or we might go back to the same shop right on the pier which has really nice clothes and then hang out on deck again.

We've done the Bahamas three times (once a 3/4 day B2B). On the second time (B2B) we only got off at Nassau the second stop for a gourmet lunch at Greycliff Estates. It was a very relaxing cruise.

For us, it's not always about the ports but the company and/or the relaxing time on the ship. We eat, relax, read, watch movies, do Midship Detective if onboard the Dream/Fantasy, swim, participate in various activities. We don't feel we miss anything if we decide not to get off because there's nothing we're interested in doing or seeing.
 
I'm just as willing to take the same ship on the same itinerary as I am willing to stay in the same WDW resort, eat at the same restaurants and visit the same parks. In other words, I don't hesitate to repeat as often as financially possible.
 
In a way, I'd say you are LUCKY to be doing the same itinerary.

Normally, I like doing a "different" vacation every year: seeing something "new." But the last three years we found ourselves in Bar Harbor Maine (Acadia National Park). The third year was only 4 days, not even a week. (My wife's sister invited us to come with them at the last minute). That third trip, though the shortest, was the best, and felt the LONGEST.

Reason? There was nothing we HAD to do. No rushing around. No hectic schedules. We did do a few things that we had never done there before because this time we had the TIME to do it. Sometimes we just sat there and enjoyed the view or the fresh air. We knew which stores we wanted to hit, and which restaurants we wanted to try or go back to. Spent less on activities and souvenirs too.

So you may find that the same itinerary means that that it feels like it lasts longer. And I don't mean like getting bored. After all there is plenty to do, and I doubt you'll get tired of staring at ocean or dipping in the clear blue water. So enjoy it. Besides, there will be time to do something "different" another time.
 
Before we went on our first cruise on the Dream, someone in our group had been on the same exact cruise and I remember thinking, "Why are they doing that again?" But then after we cruised, I totally understood. We would go on the same cruise again in a heartbeat! There just isn't enough time on board to experience everything, plus I wanted to repeat some things. You will have a blast.
 
Sure, with only a few exceptions. I probably wouldn't do the Norwegian cruise again as I felt like we would have enjoyed a land vacation there more and I'm not very jazzed about doing a Bahamian one again since we've done it twice and they are so short. I wouldn't hesitate generally though... I would definitely do a Mexican Riviera one again as we really enjoyed ourselves and I would do an Alaskan or Eastern again as they were fun too. In fact I've done Alaska twice and would gladly do a third (though this time I MUST visit Glacier Bay...!)
 
Thanks everyone! I actually forgot about the new Beauty and the Beast show, so now I'm excited for that!

I think we will go to Palo or Remy (or both) since I didn't go to either my first time on the ship since I was with my mom and the kids. I think this will feel different since we will be spending more time in the adult areas, as well.

Thanks for helping me get more excited about this :P
 
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I think only you can answer this question - you know what you like and don't like. I will say I went on the same Dream cruise twice in two years and had a blast both times. Would I do that cruise a third time? No, because I feel like I've done all I want to do and I want to spend my $$ on more variety. That being said, we were supposed to be on the Sept. 23 Eastern cruise that got switched to a Western. No one in the family could get really jazzed about it, since we had been to those locations before. We waffled and finally ended up switching to a Mediterranean cruise next year, which everyone is excited about, despite having to postpone the trip 10 months. I think the more money it costs, the more picky I am about doing the same thing over again, and the Eastern cruise was a pretty penny, which was why we were "meh" about the proposed Western. So long story short - you know yourself. Don't try to rationalize something--listen to that inner voice.
 

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