Golf12345

We are new to cruising, having only done two cruises with P and O. We would like to try something different and we have seen an itinery that is perfect for us on MSC Musica. We have read through some of the reviews but haven't seen any for the Musica. Is there anyone who could give us some advice on cabins, entertainment, activities, excursions etc. Is it a good idea to book direct or to use a TA? We have looked at the ship on their website and it looks lovely, but we would love some of your opinions please!

Hi, Thanks for all your replies and help on getting to Grand Anse beach.

Hello everyone. We are travelling to the Caribbean on Britannia this December. This is only our 2nd cruise. We were wondering how easy it is to get to Grand Anse beach independently. I understand it is near to the cruise port. How easy is it to get a taxi? Will a taxi be safe and how much does it cost?

Yes you do know the ones I am talking about....! Thanks for your help. Will check out UK forums.

Thank you. That does help. Sorry, didn't know there was a UK cruising forum. I am quite new to cruise critic.

Well, basically they are cruise specialists advertising cruises with different cruise lines. The prices they quote all seem reasonable. eg the holiday we are looking at is three days land based in Las Vegas, and then a 15 night cruise to Hawaii and Mexico with Princess Cruises for £1699 interior cabin.

Hello, We are planning our 2nd cruise and have been looking at the offers on the many cruise programmes on TV. Is it a good idea to book a cruise this way? I have been browsing this board and cannot see any posts at all on this topic. Can anyone advise please?

Thank you. That's really helpful to know.

We are going from Mayflower terminal.

What are the facilities like at Southampton? We have a boarding time of 1530, and plan to get there around 1300.

Thank you. Your advice is really helpful. We will now leave a little earlier than planned now, just to be sure. This website has been really useful for planning our cruise. I will definitely write a review when we get back and start planning our next one!

That's great. Thank you. Feel more reassured now.

Thank you. That's really helpful! Think we will probably arrive nearer to our time slot. We don't want to be hanging around for too long, hopefully.

Hi everyone

We are going on our very first cruise in four weeks on Ventura C deck. Our embarkation time is 1530. Am I right in thinking this is the last boarding slot? I have been reading previous posts on this subject and it all sounds a bit confusing. Is it really as bad as it sounds; eg having to rush for muster and then missing the sailaway? As it is our first cruise I don't want to miss the sailaway party. We don't particularly want to be rushing around for muster either, as obviously everything is going to be new to us. Is it a good idea to arrive early or just before our boarding time? We are travelling down from the Midlands.

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all very much for taking the time to reply to all my queries. I feel much more confident now and shall use cc a lot more when doing more research.

Hello everyone, I have only used this forum a couple of times, so I hope I am posting in the correct place. Can someone please give me some advice on how to actually book our first cruise? It seems a bit overwhelming when I've looked at all the advertising in brochures, newspapers and on TV. I decided to concentrate on one cruise line's website and it seemed a bit more straightforward, but I am still nervous about booking it online. Is it a good idea to consider a cruise advertised on TV? Can I speak to someone online to help us book it? There didn't seem to be this facility on this particular cruise line. Should I consult a cruise specialist and if so , how do I find one? I have been to a general travel agent but they weren't particularly helpful. I have researched what type of cruise we want, where and when we want to go, and our budget. I just need a little bit more help!

We have similar worries. We are first time cruisers, but have decided to book one next year, after just thinking about it for ages. I have also probably been overthinking it, but I do like to research my holidays thoroughly. I agree the ships do look crowded sometimes, but I suppose it's the time of year, type of ship you choose, and the destination, that affects the crowds, just like a land based holiday. I think the things that attract me to cruising are the different places you get to visit on the same holiday, you get the chance to really dress up on the formal nights if you want to, not that you couldn't do that on a land holiday, plus I think it will quite romantic being on the ocean. I have only joined this forum very recently, and everybody is very friendly, extremely knowledgeable and helpful!!

Thanks Essiesmom and Jay

That's really helpful! Can't wait to do some research now.

Thank you very much. That certainly will help us to start actually planning our first cruise.

Hi Everyone!

This is my first post. Have been thinking about a cruise for a long time and now its time for us to take the PLUNGE! BUT don't know where to start! Too confusing and we need help PLEASE! We are a couple in our late fifties and early sixties, but are NOT old! We do like a bit of luxury. We do like our food. We want to know we are on a ship, and am not worried about sea sickness. We are active and fairly adventurous and like hiking, running, water sports. We like some culture. We would like some night life but are not night owls! We don't like the look of those really huge ships. The things we are worried about are; will there be crowds of people when we arrive in a port? Is there time to actually see something of the place you are visiting? Is it very crowded in areas like the pool and sun beds We were thinking about a Mediterranean cruise, possible next year.