marco

Colleges usually mid March. Public schools usually mid April. Note that not every school or school system has the same week(s) off.

Depneds where you're cruising to. When going to Europe, we've ALWAYS used cruise line air as we could never come close to the price if we booked on our own. We came home TA on the QM2 this past summer and the one way air to London was just a little over $200 through Cunard. Living in close proximity to JFK, we've pretty much always gotten a non-stop to Europe and it has never mattered to us what airline we were on. On the other hand, we once checked on Celebrity air to Fla for a Caribbean cruise and we got much better pricing booking air on our own.

As the code begins with "Allin" I'm assuming the line is HAL. We are going on a HAL cruise soon and the cruise price is different if you choose to take the "Allin" package or if you don't. . You can just look at the line's website and see what the price for your cruise/cabin is without the "Allin" package and the price with the "Allin" package. IF what you are paying is the price with the package, then yes...they are included. I'm assuming "8075" is maybe your cabin number?

If the line you will be traveling on offers a city tour that ends at JFK late in the afternoon, that might be an option.

I assume things are continuously chagning, but this was outr experience on a QM2 westbound crossing this past August. 1st sitting was at 6 (I think) set table, set time. Then it was open sitting 7:30 to 9:30, no set table or time. There was no set time/table 2nd sitting.

It may depend on the por. Bermuda is a popular destination from the northeast and a 7 day cruise to Bermuda allows 3 or 4 days there. OUr experience on all lines has been that you can get on and off the ship 24/7.

Some (most) cruise lines offer one to pre-pay gratuities. Let's use some arbitrary numbers. If the cost of the cruise is $1200 and you can pre-pay gratuities of $120. Your cost would be $1320. If the cruise line offered the cruise for sale at the price of $1320 and said there is no longer a requirement for gratuties ( or words to that affect).........the difference is???????? However, that might sound more appealing to some.

Yes, I sometmes read the reviews, but more for the entertainment factor than anything else. A while back, I read reveiws of a cruise we just got off of. They ranged from one star (awful) to 5 stars, (the best cruise I've ever been on). Some folks complained about the dining, while others thought it was terrific. And the same for other venues on the ship, and ranging from boarding to disembarkation. So all and all, I don't put too much value in the reviews.

Back to the OP's origianll inquiry......A few years ago I had the same quesiton and called and asked the line we were traveling on. After being transfered a couple of times, I was finally told, "tht is not public information".

First "cruise" was in the late 60's with my family. We sailed on Home Lines "Oceanic" to Nassau for a week. It was 7 days. However, not a cruise but a TA to Italy years prior.....9 days.

I've not looked at the itieraries, but if CP is 5 days and S is 4, do you go to one more port on the CP? That might make a difference in your choice.

And every once and a while they turn up at Goodwill or Salvation Army for 99 cents.

Our experience has been on various lines that the dining expeience on one ship in that line is not the same as that on a different ship witin that line. The chefs, where the ship is provisioned, what is available, among other factors make the dining experience not the same on ships within the line, regardless of the "class" of ship.

Maybe TA's are threated differently than cruises, but when we came home TA from England on the QM2 in July, there was fixed table 1st sitting (I think at 6) and "Open sitting" 7:45 to 9. There was no fixed lated sitting.

We're going to be taking the 32nd anniversary of the "Friends and Family Annual WInter Caribbean Cruise" in January.. It's been several years now that a lot of us don't even get off the ship. The ship is the destination for us and whilst in port, the best time to be on the ship is when most everyone else is off.

Both are pretty comparable. We like them both. I'd choose by itinerary, dates, price.

May is my favorite month to cruise to Bermuda. Living where we do, it's less than a hr ride to the NY crruise port and not too much longer to Bayone, depending which line we go determines where we wail out of. I think we've gone to Bermuda in May 6 or 7 times, now.

Alaska in July '21 on HAL. Feb '22 on HAL and Aug '22 on Cunard.

First cruise...17. FIrst T'A....12

My sister and b-i-l enjoy the casino. We don't. We're going on a cruise together soon and apparently the line keeps record of such as they are getting a "casino discount", which I never even knew there was such a thing.

We recently returned from a TA on QM2 to Brooklyn. And I've seen MSC is going to have a ship sailing year round out of there. Why don't they use the Manhattan cruise termials. SOOOOOO much more convenient to drive to and access from Penn, Grand Central and Port Authority. Not to mention Manhattan, if NYC were a port of call. On the QM2, there were several Brits who were sailing back to UK that day and just wanted a day in the city.

We came TA arriving in NY Aug 5th. Survey came within a week. Maybe they don't send the survey to everyone?

And speaking of....my 50th High School reunion is this coming weekend. There are 3 of us "kids" who have been and still are friends who we see regularly. And one of them has come on several cruises with us through the years.

Aside from other places, we go on a 10-12 Caribbean cruise every winter. It's a LOT less $$$$ than flying to and staying at a Caribbean island and for us anyway 10-12 days at the same island would be a bit of a bore.

I'm still in contact and friends I met on a cruise in 1969. Homes LInes "Oceanic".