Absolute Beginner

Hello All here on CC

Always so nerve racking walking in to a new community but here goes ..........

Myself & Hubby (young 50’s) Planning our 1st ever cruise for 2 weeks Feb 2019 , flying from Bhamto Caribbean

Really thought it would be quite simple to choose but its becamerather minefield now and I think I’m losing the will , as there are so many options.

Spoke to a High St agency earlier today and they havesuggested,

1.Marella Explorer

2.Marella Discovery 2

3.Britannia

Not sure we wouldbenefit from the All-inclusive from on option1 & 2 since I don’t drink alcohol and my husband is a Beer man.

Inside cabin orBalcony ?

Have absolutely no idea where the best location is on a ship or what deck?

Can anyone offer someadvice on this please or suggest any other ships for me to have a look at please.

thank you

Menos

Having looked at the itineraries, I assume that to get 14 days, you are doing back to back (B2B) 7 day cruises. Only Britannia seems to sell them as one cruise. Of the itinerary choices, unless you really want to visit Cuba, I would choose one of the ships that leaves from Barbados. You will see far more islands and get a feel for the Caribbean rather than Central America. Most people recommend avoiding Jamaica, Just my opinion. You might also ask on the boards here for Marella cruises, located on the main boards page under Cruise Lines A-O, and on the board for P&O-UK, located under Cruise Lines P-Z.

And just a caution: Many of the answers you get here will not be familiar with the lines and ships you refer to, nor realize that you are from the UK, as you do not list a location, and we are not familiar the Bham as Birmingham. These forums are based in North America, as are most of the members. Yes, we have members from Europe and Down Under, but they are a minority. EM

Hi & welcome to cruise critic.

From your original post, I believe you are looking for a fly cruise, departing Birmingham and joining a ship in the Caribbean.

Your TA has suggested 2 Marella ships, which was formerly Thompson's cruises, part of the package holiday operator, which is now part of the TUI Group.

The Britannia is a new P&O - UK, a large ship based on the Princess Cruises - Royal class of ships.

Your travel agent has only recommended vessels that appeal to the UK market. Without knowing your interests it is difficult to suggest a particular cruise line. Are you interested in more of a party atmosphere, glitzy entertainment, lots of alternative dining options then a mainstream mega ship might be of interest. If you prefer a more laid back atmosphere with better quality meals, focus on culture/history of the ports being visited then a premium or luxury line may be more appropriate.

Balcony or inside - is personal preference and is mostly based on budget. Remember the ship has numerous public lounges, so consider the cabin as your bedroom and the rest of the ship as your living room.

For cabin selection - since DW is subject to motion sickness we look for cabins low down and midships. Also look for cabins that have no entertainment spaces, galleys, etc above or below.

In summary, I would check out a few other TA's, but go armed with some of your preferences for the ship and also a list of cruising locations of interest.

If considering any of the P&O ships - check when they are eliminating the daily tip charges. I also note that 3 of their ships are 18+ and Saga has a ship that is 50+.

Good luck finding a cruise.

Your TA gave some good advice for a first cruise, because both Marella (formerly Thomson) and P&O are the only cruise lines to sell package holidays to the Caribbean- you check in at Bham (or MAN or wherever), and you fly on a charter flight to Barbados... your luggage goes directly to your cabin, and on your return goes from your cabin to the plane. The whole experience is made easier this way....

On your last day, most ships need you off by 9.30am, but with either of these two packages you will stay on board, have your lunch etc,until 3 hours or so before your flight, when the coaches will come for you.

Other cruise lines may offer flights in the price, not charter flights though, but this sometimes means waiting at the airport all day for an evening flight. Several will leave from the USA, so you'll need to buy an ESTA first; neither line you mention visits USA islands in the Carib,unless quoted first,so you'll not need one.

There is another ship from the P&O stable which does this package- Azura- but I don't know if she uses Bham.

For a first time, I'd suggest a mid ship cabin, because the motion is slighter there; you'll have replies from people who will only go with a balcony; we use any kind of cabin according to price, but prefer an outside cabin with a window- you may prefer a balcony for sunbathing or a quiet drink, but we're happy out on deck, or near a pool for that.

Also, there is a Cruise Critic UK page, which may answer your questions more from the perspective of other UK citizens. https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/

At a glance, content looks pretty much the same... Others could tell you better if it's work checking

Also, there is a Cruise Critic UK page, which may answer your questions more from the perspective of other UK citizens. https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/

At a glance, content looks pretty much the same... Others could tell you better if it's work checking

I'm afraid that page gets little traffic, and the few of us who answer questions also check this page for lost Brits…;)

Part of the problem is that we in the UK see the promise that this site is Cruise Critic UK, so presume that the questions will be answered by someone who knows what they're talking about to Brits... :D

Just to add that the 2 P&O ships in the Caribbean this winter are both family friendly ie. not any of the adult only ones; unfortunately the tipping doesn't cease until May, but there's no tipping on drinks, which are pub prices.

On ANY ship, mid-ship and mid-deck are best as far as "motion" goes..think of a see-saw...the middle moves less than the ends. Book the largest cabin you can afford. A balcony is the very least we will book, but others really like the absolute dark of an inside cabin. AT any rate, when you are out of the cabin, everyone is treated equally....no one cares what kind of cabin you're in!

My advice to you is try not to get overly stressed. Once you go on your first cruise you will learn what things are of the most importance to you. I personally would not get a balcony for a Caribbean itinerary, but would going to Alaska for example. The middle of the ship is the best place to reduce the motion you feel, although the Caribbean tends to be pretty calm, except during hurricane season. For talking with a TA, think about what elements you most enjoy when you are on vacation. Are you someone who wants activities all of the time, or do you like to rest and relax. How important is the quality of the food, how much do you drink, what do you like to do. If you can provide a TA information like I have listed they can suggest a ship that will most meet your interests. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your first cruise.

Marella (used to be Thomson's) have everything except excursions in one price, which includes flights, tips, drinks, transfers etc so life is made easy for everybody. As for cabin, it's all down to what you want and can afford, I prefer inside as it's dark no matter what time of day when lights are out and I sleep better. You can book a specific cabin for £48 extra, if you do (I always do) go for mid ships or slightly forward and not above or below noisy areas.

Hope your trip is a good one

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Definitely talk to a couple more travel agents.

Since you have never cruised before, book a cabin mid ships and on a lower deck.

Marella Explorer was built in 1996

Marella Discovery 2 was built in 1995

Britania was built in 2015.

There is nothing wrong with older ships but if it were my first cruise, I would choose the Britannia which was built in 2015. JMO

Having looked at the itineraries, I assume that to get 14 days, you are doing back to back (B2B) 7 day cruises. Only Britannia seems to sell them as one cruise. Of the itinerary choices, unless you really want to visit Cuba, I would choose one of the ships that leaves from Barbados. You will see far more islands and get a feel for the Caribbean rather than Central America. Most people recommend avoiding Jamaica, Just my opinion. You might also ask on the boards here for Marella cruises, located on the main boards page under Cruise Lines A-O, and on the board for P&O-UK, located under Cruise Lines P-Z.

 

And just a caution: Many of the answers you get here will not be familiar with the lines and ships you refer to, nor realize that you are from the UK, as you do not list a location, and we are not familiar the Bham as Birmingham. These forums are based in North America, as are most of the members. Yes, we have members from Europe and Down Under, but they are a minority. EM[/quote

 

Hi , apologies for the delayed reply. Thank you for this information and my location has now been added (y)

Hi & welcome to cruise critic.

 

From your original post, I believe you are looking for a fly cruise, departing Birmingham and joining a ship in the Caribbean.

 

Your TA has suggested 2 Marella ships, which was formerly Thompson's cruises, part of the package holiday operator, which is now part of the TUI Group.

 

The Britannia is a new P&O - UK, a large ship based on the Princess Cruises - Royal class of ships.

 

Your travel agent has only recommended vessels that appeal to the UK market. Without knowing your interests it is difficult to suggest a particular cruise line. Are you interested in more of a party atmosphere, glitzy entertainment, lots of alternative dining options then a mainstream mega ship might be of interest. If you prefer a more laid back atmosphere with better quality meals, focus on culture/history of the ports being visited then a premium or luxury line may be more appropriate.

 

Balcony or inside - is personal preference and is mostly based on budget. Remember the ship has numerous public lounges, so consider the cabin as your bedroom and the rest of the ship as your living room.

 

For cabin selection - since DW is subject to motion sickness we look for cabins low down and midships. Also look for cabins that have no entertainment spaces, galleys, etc above or below.

 

In summary, I would check out a few other TA's, but go armed with some of your preferences for the ship and also a list of cruising locations of interest.

 

If considering any of the P&O ships - check when they are eliminating the daily tip charges. I also note that 3 of their ships are 18+ and Saga has a ship that is 50+.

 

Good luck finding a cruise.

Thank you Andy and Judy Much appreciated 👍

Your TA gave some good advice for a first cruise, because both Marella (formerly Thomson) and P&O are the only cruise lines to sell package holidays to the Caribbean- you check in at Bham (or MAN or wherever), and you fly on a charter flight to Barbados... your luggage goes directly to your cabin, and on your return goes from your cabin to the plane. The whole experience is made easier this way....

On your last day, most ships need you off by 9.30am, but with either of these two packages you will stay on board, have your lunch etc,until 3 hours or so before your flight, when the coaches will come for you.

Other cruise lines may offer flights in the price, not charter flights though, but this sometimes means waiting at the airport all day for an evening flight. Several will leave from the USA, so you'll need to buy an ESTA first; neither line you mention visits USA islands in the Carib,unless quoted first,so you'll not need one.

There is another ship from the P&O stable which does this package- Azura- but I don't know if she uses Bham.

For a first time, I'd suggest a mid ship cabin, because the motion is slighter there; you'll have replies from people who will only go with a balcony; we use any kind of cabin according to price, but prefer an outside cabin with a window- you may prefer a balcony for sunbathing or a quiet drink, but we're happy out on deck, or near a pool for that.

Hi Jo, really appreciate your reply on this 👍

Also, there is a Cruise Critic UK page, which may answer your questions more from the perspective of other UK citizens. https://www.cruisecritic.co.uk/

At a glance, content looks pretty much the same... Others could tell you better if it's work checking

Thank you for this. I will check it out 👍

I'm afraid that page gets little traffic, and the few of us who answer questions also check this page for lost Brits…;)

Part of the problem is that we in the UK see the promise that this site is Cruise Critic UK, so presume that the questions will be answered by someone who knows what they're talking about to Brits... :D

Just to add that the 2 P&O ships in the Caribbean this winter are both family friendly ie. not any of the adult only ones; unfortunately the tipping doesn't cease until May, but there's no tipping on drinks, which are pub prices.

Thank you Jo

On ANY ship, mid-ship and mid-deck are best as far as "motion" goes..think of a see-saw...the middle moves less than the ends. Book the largest cabin you can afford. A balcony is the very least we will book, but others really like the absolute dark of an inside cabin. AT any rate, when you are out of the cabin, everyone is treated equally....no one cares what kind of cabin you're in!

Thank you , Mid Ship it will be 👍

My advice to you is try not to get overly stressed. Once you go on your first cruise you will learn what things are of the most importance to you. I personally would not get a balcony for a Caribbean itinerary, but would going to Alaska for example. The middle of the ship is the best place to reduce the motion you feel, although the Caribbean tends to be pretty calm, except during hurricane season. For talking with a TA, think about what elements you most enjoy when you are on vacation. Are you someone who wants activities all of the time, or do you like to rest and relax. How important is the quality of the food, how much do you drink, what do you like to do. If you can provide a TA information like I have listed they can suggest a ship that will most meet your interests. Good luck and I hope you enjoy your first cruise.

Thank you for this reply , much appreciated and our interests now added 👍

Marella (used to be Thomson's) have everything except excursions in one price, which includes flights, tips, drinks, transfers etc so life is made easy for everybody. As for cabin, it's all down to what you want and can afford, I prefer inside as it's dark no matter what time of day when lights are out and I sleep better. You can book a specific cabin for £48 extra, if you do (I always do) go for mid ships or slightly forward and not above or below noisy areas.

Hope your trip is a good one

Thank you Bline 👍

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Definitely talk to a couple more travel agents.

Since you have never cruised before, book a cabin mid ships and on a lower deck.

Marella Explorer was built in 1996

Marella Discovery 2 was built in 1995

Britania was built in 2015.

There is nothing wrong with older ships but if it were my first cruise, I would choose the Britannia which was built in 2015. JMO

Thank you so much Krazy Kruizers , Brittannia it will be 👍

On ANY ship, mid-ship and mid-deck are best as far as "motion" goes..think of a see-saw...the middle moves less than the ends.

Sorry, but yet again you are providing incorrect information.

The position with the least motion on a ship is the Centre of Flotation. With respect to Horizontal CoF, you are correct that a location about mid-ships is the best location. However, from a vertical perspective, a lower deck will generally receive the least motion. Another consideration is interior cabins have less movement than balcony cabins.