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santacruisestoo
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Hello, apologizing in advance as most of this has probably been answered before.

 

 

My wife and I are looking to depart around April of 2018. We are looking at Carnival due to the affordability. We are finding conflicting answers on most of our searches due to the nature of them being opinionated answers. Would anyone here be willing to assist with this list of questions and provide some much needed insight from past experiences to help us out? Here is a list of our questions or advice requests:

 

 

- Is April a good time of year to go to the eastern Caribbean or Bahamas? we will be sailing out of either Florida or South Carolina. Also is April a good time to avoid to many children? We do not mind children as we have four of our own, just trying to take a vacation for us.

 

 

- Are suites worth the money to upgrade over a balcony? We are really interested in going for a suite because they look nice, but is it really worth it?

 

 

- Should we buy the carnival drink package? I keep seeing really mixed reviews on it, we plan on having 3-10 drinks each a day.

 

 

- Are there meetings with people taking the cruise before hand so that we can get to know a few of the people we will be sailing with before debarkation?

 

 

- Are the gyms normally good quality? We do HIT most of the time, and it can require a lot of space, or should we switch to doing cardio machines while one the cruise?

 

 

- Should we expect rude people? We have read many horror stories of terrible staff members, crew members, and just outright rude people being on the cruise, is this common or is it something that happens infrequently but stands out to people who let it ruin their cruise?

 

 

- Are the early embarking packages worth the price?

 

 

- Lastly, Travel agent or no? the one I have talked to locally did not seem to have many answers for my questions and it has kind of made me a bit leery of their services.

 

 

Thanks for taking your time to read this, hopefully, after our cruise, we can answer questions like this for other people.

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Welcome to Cruise Critic. Since most of your questions are Carnival related, you might wish to ask on the Carnival board.

 

 

The issue with April is that its still Spring Break. So yes, you might see a decent number of younger cruisers.

 

 

Since cruisers come from all over the world, its not likely there will be meetings ahead of time. Join the roll call for your cruise, and you can "talk" to your fellow cruisers.

 

 

You are asking a lot of pointed questions. TAs may not have the answer. If you aren't comfortable, don't use the TA. Its always ok to shop around.

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Hello, apologizing in advance as most of this has probably been answered before.

 

 

My wife and I are looking to depart around April of 2018. We are looking at Carnival due to the affordability. We are finding conflicting answers on most of our searches due to the nature of them being opinionated answers. Would anyone here be willing to assist with this list of questions and provide some much needed insight from past experiences to help us out? Here is a list of our questions or advice requests:

 

 

- Is April a good time of year to go to the eastern Caribbean or Bahamas? we will be sailing out of either Florida or South Carolina. Also is April a good time to avoid to many children? We do not mind children as we have four of our own, just trying to take a vacation for us.

Should be calm waters during that time.Spring break varies, ours is the first week of April. There will be more kids during Spring Break weeks. If you take a cruise longer than 7 days you will likely have less children. We've not been bothered by children during Spring break, even when we haven't cruised with ours during a spring break week.

- Are suites worth the money to upgrade over a balcony? We are really interested in going for a suite because they look nice, but is it really worth it?

No opinion. A balcony is nice. Suite is bigger, more perks.

 

- Should we buy the carnival drink package? I keep seeing really mixed reviews on it, we plan on having 3-10 drinks each a day.

This is up to you. The Cheers! package includes drinks up to $49, but I didn't find any more than $10 I really tried. It's nice to not think about the cost of the drinks with the package, but I find I drink more with the package, to justify the purchase price of it.

At 3-10 drinks per day, you might be better off paying as you go.

- Are there meetings with people taking the cruise before hand so that we can get to know a few of the people we will be sailing with before debarkation?

Look up your roll call. There will be people talking about your cruise. Some roll calls are busier than others.

- Are the gyms normally good quality? We do HIT most of the time, and it can require a lot of space, or should we switch to doing cardio machines while one the cruise?

Sure, they are fine. There are times of the day that are busier than others.

 

- Should we expect rude people? We have read many horror stories of terrible staff members, crew members, and just outright rude people being on the cruise, is this common or is it something that happens infrequently but stands out to people who let it ruin their cruise?

People are usually not rude. We just tend to talk about the rude ones more than the nice ones :)

- Are the early embarking packages worth the price?

Again, it's up to you. Do you want to rush to get on board? If so, yes it's worth it. :) Plus, if you book a suite, this is included.

 

- Lastly, Travel agent or no? the one I have talked to locally did not seem to have many answers for my questions and it has kind of made me a bit leery of their services.

A good TA is hard to find. I like the idea of being able to contact the cruise directly if I have an issue or concern, but it doesn't sound like you are too pleased with the one you've found. Shop around or go through the cruise line.

 

 

Thanks for taking your time to read this, hopefully, after our cruise, we can answer questions like this for other people.

 

 

I've made some comments in red.

Good luck on planning your cruise.I'm sure you will have a great time

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Welcome to CC! See my answers below.

 

 

- Is April a good time of year to go to the eastern Caribbean or Bahamas? we will be sailing out of either Florida or South Carolina. Also is April a good time to avoid to many children? We do not mind children as we have four of our own, just trying to take a vacation for us. Depending on how early you travel in April, you will still be in spring break season. The earlier in the month, the more kids you can expect to see.

- Are suites worth the money to upgrade over a balcony? We are really interested in going for a suite because they look nice, but is it really worth it? That's one that only you can answer. Personally, I get inside cabins and save my money for something else. It's all about your priorities.

 

- Should we buy the carnival drink package? I keep seeing really mixed reviews on it, we plan on having 3-10 drinks each a day. Cheer! would have to be purchased by everyone over 21 in the room. The break-even point is somewhere around 6 drinks each (higher for lower cost beverages, lower for higher cost beverages). If you think you would at least hit the break-even point, you should go for it.

 

- Are there meetings with people taking the cruise before hand so that we can get to know a few of the people we will be sailing with before debarkation? No meetings. Join your roll call on here and if there is a group on that other site of faces, join that as well. Sign up for your CC meet and greet.

 

- Are the gyms normally good quality? We do HIT most of the time, and it can require a lot of space, or should we switch to doing cardio machines while one the cruise? Sorry, I can't help with this.

 

- Should we expect rude people? We have read many horror stories of terrible staff members, crew members, and just outright rude people being on the cruise, is this common or is it something that happens infrequently but stands out to people who let it ruin their cruise? A cruise ship is just like everywhere else. Yes, you will encounter rude people, just like you would at Disney or anywhere else where there is a large number of people in a confined area.

 

- Are the early embarking packages worth the price? The value of FTTF is pretty individualized. If you feel that the benefits are worth the cost, then it is worth it. We always purchase it to have our room ready when we board and not have to wait until 1:30 to drop things off. There are other benefits, though, that may be important to you.

 

- Lastly, Travel agent or no? the one I have talked to locally did not seem to have many answers for my questions and it has kind of made me a bit leery of their services. Your choice. I don't use one. Some people use them for the perks. The drawback is that once you book with a TA, Carnival will not deal directly with you. All price drops, changes, updates, etc will have to be filtered through your TA.

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How long a cruise do you plan on taking? The shorter cruises attract the younger crowd all year. During spring break the 7 day cruises attract the younger crowd also. The weather in April can be a bit on the cool side. Once you get to the Caribbean it gets warmer. The Bahamas are in the Atlantic, could be cool.

 

 

The suite is a personal preference, we get an ocean view on our cruises. A balcony is usless to us, we never will use it. And never had a suite.

An average drink is around $10.00. If you each have at least 5 drinks a day its worth it.

 

 

Cruise Critic is a good place to start. The site covers cruises from a to z. There is a forum called roll calls, where you can converse with people on specific cruises.

 

 

The gym facilities are excellent on Carnival.

 

 

We have sailed on Carnival 11 times and never had a problem with any of the crew. They are all really nice people. They will go out of thier way to hrlp you. There are rude cruisers everywhere, they complain about every trivial thing.

 

 

The FTTF, early boarding is again your personal preference. FTTF allows youto check in and board at anytime, and drop your luggage off In your cabin before the usual 130pm time. Without it you will pick a time from a list that you would like to check in and you will not be allowed into the terminal until that time.

 

 

We have only used a travel agent once, we book directly with Carnival. For your first cruise a travel agent is a good idea. Ask family or friends if they might know a good one. Be aware, that all changes to your cruise must go through the T.A.

 

 

This is all based on Carnival because its the only cruiseline we have sailed. Hope I was able to help. Tried to be straight forward with no opinionated answers. If you choose Carnival and go to the Caribbean, love the beach, dont miss Half Moon Cay. Whereever you choose go have a great family cruise.

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April is our preferred cruise time....Nice and hot...and since all the ships sail full ALL THE TIME, there's no difference in the number of passengers.

 

 

Suites on Carnival only get you more space. Carnival has the WORST "suite perks" going.

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Welcome to Cruise Critic! :D

Spring is a great time to go to either the Eastern Caribbean or the Bahamas. Good weather in both that time of year. :)

Depending on the ship, you may need to book a suite to get a cabin with a balcony. ;)

We think FTTF is worth it. :)

Hopefully, you'll check around a bit and find another travel agent who will get to know you and spend the time to answer all of questions. We use our long time travel agent. Having a good TA is quite helpful. :)

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First, almost every question asked has already been asked before. No worries. I can't answer most of them but I would encourage you to join a roll call. Get to know the people on line and then meet them on the ship.

Rude people. I have only been on 4 cruises and I have not met rude people or staff. Sure people might shove into an elevator or cut in line. Doesn't bother me, I'm there to have a good time.

Also, I understand wanting a low number of children on a cruise. I love kids, I have 5 of my own. I also worked in a preschool. When I went on a cruise I didn't want a lot of kids. But since I worked at a school I vacationed when they did. I however never had a problem with children running everywhere or being unsupervised. I think that is another case of - if your looking for a problem you will find it, if your there to relax and mind your own business you will have a blast.

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Main benefit from early boarding is being able to get a seat a little easier at a venue for lunch. Also more time to explore the ship and check out places like the main dining room and specialty restaurants. Drink packages are usually pretty easy to calculate the break even point and when estimating daily consumption it is better to pad that by a drink or two since it is vacation and normal patterns go out the window. ;)

 

Roll calls are hit or miss but it pays to check for your ship and sailing date and see if one has been started. Longer and more unique cruises - like transatlantics - have much higher participation. Roll calls are the best route to organizing a pre-cruise meetup, whether in your area or at the port city. We've arranged to meet people at a restaurant the night before sailing in the port city. It's a lot of fun and you already have people to say "hi" to onboard.

 

Rude staff and crew are pretty unusual and if really bad we make sure someone knows AND we can provide clear details so the exact circumstances are known. Rude passengers are in the eye of the beholder and some people are more sensitive than others to what may be local or cultural differences in the places people have traveled from. Cruises (like popular tourist destinations, think Disney) attract a pretty wide variety of people with different expectations for what "acceptable" behavior is. If we don't like we just roll with it and don't let it ruin our cruise.

 

TAs that specialize in cruises tend to take a lot of cruises (often free from the line) and "know the drill". Just asking up front how many cruises an agent has taken can shed light on that.

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If you are going to get a suite, you should really look at NCL ships such as the NCL Getaway - the suites on that ship are a major step up. Since it is just for you and your wife, consider getting a The Haven Spa Suite - you get a large suite with a jetted tub for 2, large walk in shower for 2, double trough sink, butler service, concierge service, free room service, special restaurant for suite guests, special bar for suite guests, special pool for suite guests only, welcome aboard flowers and sparking champagne, sea shell bath salts, in room coffee maker (make cappuccino, tea, etc.) pillow menu, afternoon hors d'ouerves. They have a great gym - it is huge and the spa is the best at sea and included with The Haven spa Suite. Price is similar to a suite on Carnival. They also have a drinks package. Book directly with NCL for the best prices.

 

On Carnival, all you get with a suite is more room and a bathroom with a shower/tub combination.

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...

My wife and I are looking to depart around April of 2018. We are looking at Carnival due to the affordability....

Also is April a good time to avoid to many children? We do not mind children as we have four of our own, just trying to take a vacation for us.

If you're talking about this year, Easter is on April 16. Probably most colleges may have already had their spring break (my daughter's is in March), but you may find many younger kids on the ship in April because some school districts (for example the Los angeles Unified, the second largest district in the country, always takes the week off leading to Easter -- back when I was a kid and currently), But Carnival has a pretty good kids' program so most of the kids should be kept busy.

 

- Are suites worth the money to upgrade over a balcony? We are really interested in going for a suite because they look nice, but is it really worth it?

We do insides or OVs. We just prefer to be out and about the ship, and to save $.

 

- Should we buy the carnival drink package? I keep seeing really mixed reviews on it, we plan on having 3-10 drinks each a day.

check the Carnival website for prices and details about the packages. You have to decide what works for you. If you can wait until you get on board, check the bar menus to get an idea of individual drinks.

 

- Are there meetings with people taking the cruise before hand so that we can get to know a few of the people we will be sailing with before debarkation?

As others have said, look for the roll call section of this site and for your sailing when you decide on a cruise. usually there aren't precruise meets, even though most people know to arrive at least a day ahead of their cruise and stay in a hotel. But you can ask on the roll call if others will be at the same hotel and maybe arrange to have a drink together. There's usually on board meetings set up by the roll callers.

 

- Are the gyms normally good quality? We do HIT most of the time, and it can require a lot of space, or should we switch to doing cardio machines while one the cruise?

 

I never heard of HIT. sometimes the gym can get busy during the day on sea days. My hubby is the one who usually tries to go just about every day (our last three cruises had at least ten sea days, which we love, each.) but I may go for a treadmill session.

- Should we expect rude people? We have read many horror stories of terrible staff members, crew members, and just outright rude people being on the cruise, is this common or is it something that happens infrequently but stands out to people who let it ruin their cruise?

Usually if you encounter anyone rude on a ship, it's a passenger, but hopefully they will be few on your cruise.

 

-....

 

- Lastly, Travel agent or no? the one I have talked to locally did not seem to have many answers for my questions and it has kind of made me a bit leery of their services.

 

Some TAs aren't knowledgeable about cruises. Ask friends, family members, co-workers if they've been on cruises (you'll be surprised at how many have) and if they could recommend theirs. Our first few cruises we went with a TA, but after that we were pretty knowledgeable enough to feel confident in booking through the cruise line. I would guess that many of the online agencies have bookers who have never seen the ocean, much less been on a cruise. For your first cruise, try for a TA who can help you with any questions you have (besides this site and the cruise line website).

 

Thanks for taking your time to read this, hopefully, after our cruise, we can answer questions like this for other people.

 

 

I would suggest going with a positive attitude, don't sweat the small stuff, don't try to do everything whether on board or in port, fly in at least a day ahead of your cruise.

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Regarding kids, in Europe it's common for kids to be off school for 1/2 weeks around Easter. It's possible that there will be more kids on the Florida cruises around that time because of that.

Edited by lbjen
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I want to thank each and everyone of you for commenting on this and helping shed some light for me. Our plans have changed as the only person we would trust with our kids for that long backed out so we will now be cruising with them. I believe we will have to stray from carnival due to there being 6 and from what I can find on their site while trying to book, they only allow 5 per room. Might also have to change the dates due to needing to save up some more for it.

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I want to thank each and everyone of you for commenting on this and helping shed some light for me. Our plans have changed as the only person we would trust with our kids for that long backed out so we will now be cruising with them. I believe we will have to stray from carnival due to there being 6 and from what I can find on their site while trying to book, they only allow 5 per room. Might also have to change the dates due to needing to save up some more for it.

You might want to do some more investigation. It may cost less to spread the six people out into 2-3 cabins, rather than trying to fit them all into one. In some high capacity seasons (spring break, summer, NYE, etc), it is possible for the 3rd, 4th, etc persons to cost as much as the 1st and 2nd in a cabin. Also, think about all 6 people in a small area all trying to get ready for the day or dinner at the same time with one bathroom.

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You might want to do some more investigation. It may cost less to spread the six people out into 2-3 cabins, rather than trying to fit them all into one. In some high capacity seasons (spring break, summer, NYE, etc), it is possible for the 3rd, 4th, etc persons to cost as much as the 1st and 2nd in a cabin. Also, think about all 6 people in a small area all trying to get ready for the day or dinner at the same time with one bathroom.

 

 

I will look into this, is cruising with younger children hard? we will have 2 10 year olds, a 6 year old, and a 3 year old, a little worried that it might be more stress than just staying at home.

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I will look into this, is cruising with younger children hard? we will have 2 10 year olds, a 6 year old, and a 3 year old, a little worried that it might be more stress than just staying at home.

 

 

You should consider RCCL or Disney ships as they have care facilities and babysitting that other lines don't have for your youngest. You 10 year olds and 6 year old will probably spend most of their onboard time in the kid's clubs which operate a great deal of the time. Make sure they go when the clubs first open so they can make friends. Lots of people cruise with their kids and it's very popular as you can give your older 2 some degree of autonomy as long as they stick together at all times and know not to go to anyone's cabin and to go where they tell you they will be and if they want to go somewhere else, they need to come tell you. I would let 10 year olds go together to the buffet for food for example as long as you know they are mature and responsible and will use proper utensils in the buffet. If anyone wants to go to the pool, it should only be with you or your spouse. I would let the 10 year olds go play mini-golf by themselves - again with the understanding that they play by the rules and are polite to other guests and the staff. I'd make sure the 10 year olds know that they can be asked to leave the ship for misbehavior and that you want them to behave properly. Other than that, they should have a good time. Put a spending limit on their sign and sail cards if you don't want them running up a big arcade bill or buying lots of soda or stuff from the gift shops.

 

I know on RCCL, the kids seem extremely engaged in the youth clubs - you rarely see them unless you run across a youth club event - which is always cute. On Disney, there is something called a Fish Extender - google it to learn all about this as it is fun but requires pre-planning. Disney does lots and lots of character meet and greets and the little ones often wear their Disney costumes onboard. We have friends who have taken their young daughters on these cruises and really enjoy it. Disney also has a nursery and child-care for your youngest, while the older 3 can be in the children's clubs.

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Do you usually take all your kids on vacation? It's really no different to taking them to a resort or even to the beach and out to dinner. Of course I only have 2 😁, but I am one of 6 myself.

 

How much freedom you give your kids is really up to you (I wouldn't allow my 13 year old to have the freedom that the PP suggest for a 10 year old but she's not the best decision maker). But they will definitely enjoy the kids clubs, and if you pick a larger ship that has the kids water play areas, they can enjoy that too. If the excursions seem overwhelming with all 4 kids, don't go on any. We only did one on our last cruise, the ship was really what we went for.

 

The thing about a cruise is that it's extremely flexible and you can make it what you want it to be. If you want a week of great family time, you can do that. You want a break with your SO but want your kids to still have a great time, you can do that. You can eat all casual meals, have fun dressing up for formal dinners, see shows, not see shows, take a bunch of excursions, take none, you have options and so long as you have the right attitude, you will have a great time!

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Do you usually take all your kids on vacation? It's really no different to taking them to a resort or even to the beach and out to dinner. Of course I only have 2 😁, but I am one of 6 myself.

 

How much freedom you give your kids is really up to you (I wouldn't allow my 13 year old to have the freedom that the PP suggest for a 10 year old but she's not the best decision maker). But they will definitely enjoy the kids clubs, and if you pick a larger ship that has the kids water play areas, they can enjoy that too. If the excursions seem overwhelming with all 4 kids, don't go on any. We only did one on our last cruise, the ship was really what we went for.

 

The thing about a cruise is that it's extremely flexible and you can make it what you want it to be. If you want a week of great family time, you can do that. You want a break with your SO but want your kids to still have a great time, you can do that. You can eat all casual meals, have fun dressing up for formal dinners, see shows, not see shows, take a bunch of excursions, take none, you have options and so long as you have the right attitude, you will have a great time!

 

 

Honestly this would be our first true vacation, my career hasn't allowed for much before now. I will look into the kids clubs and see what we can work out, our 10y are not the best listeners at all, and they seem to cause trouble just to see how people would react sometimes.

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Honestly this would be our first true vacation, my career hasn't allowed for much before now. I will look into the kids clubs and see what we can work out, our 10y are not the best listeners at all, and they seem to cause trouble just to see how people would react sometimes.

 

 

All of the mainstream cruise lines have a club for your 3 year old, RCCL, DCL (super expensive), NCL, Carnival, Princess... Your kids are a great age to cruise! We took our kids on their first cruise when they were 4, 4, 6, 9, and 11. It's a great way to travel with multiple ages, because there is something for everyone. They will range from 14 - 20 on our next cruise, and it's still a great vacation. We always book two connecting balcony cabins.

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