more of a cruise experience

sending rockets with passengers to mars 

could be an uncomfortable experience for the passengers 

because of the small volume to live in during the travel 

but giant spaceships could be assembled in space 

from components sent by rockets from earth 

those giant spaceships would basically be giant space stations 

with rockets engines 

a fleet of rockets would be sent from earth to mars 

with fuel, equipment and robots 

to build a base on mars 

then the rockets would refuel on mars and fly into mars orbit 

waiting for the spaceships to arrive 

rockets with passengers would be sent from earth 

to the giant spaceships waiting in earth orbit 

the giant spaceships would travel in group to mars 

when the giant spaceships arrive to mars 

then the rockets waiting in mars orbit 

would transport the passengers to the base on the mars surface 

for the passengers it would be more of a cruise ship experience 

living on a giant spaceship travelling to mars 

and if one giant spaceship had problems 

then the passengers could move from that giant spaceship 

to the other giant spaceships in the group 

and if the rockets in mars orbit stopped functioning 

or if the mars base stopped functioning 

so that the passengers on the giant spaceships 

would have to return to earth 

then that wouldn't be uncomfortable for the passengers

since the giant spaceships would be so huge 

that a return trip to earth would be less of an issue 

the giant spaceships would also be able 

to carry a lot of extra food, water and energy 

and possibly vertical farms and smaller farm animals 

to increase the survivability of the passengers 

the giant spaceships would never leave space 

and would instead be upgraded and have old components 

changed for newer components as time passes