First time cruiser advice...

[cmoose]

Hi all, I am more of a lurker than a poster. Have been obsessing about taking a cruise for about a year now and it seems we may be on the brink of actually booking something.

I REALLY want to cruise with Royal for my first cruise, it seems most likely to be our style, however a number of factors are pointing me towards NCL.

We live in NH, so going out of Boston would be oh so easy.

My husband is a little skeptical of the whole cruising idea, he is afraid he will be sea sick. He's a big guy 6'5" and thinks he will feel very cramped in a small cabin, although I am planning on getting at least a balcony if not a smaller suite. He also is a little hesitant to travel outside the US. Although he is intrigued by Bermuda. SO, I was thinking the NCL Dawn out of Boston might fit the bill for our first time.

Have any of you loyal Royals had a good experience on the Dawn??

I'm hoping we have a great time and then can move on to a bigger ship like the Quantam!! She looks AMAZING!

Any advice would be great.

[Guest maddycat]

Our favorite cruise lines are RCI and Celebrity. We tried NCL twice....the Spirit and the Dawn. We were not pleased with the Spirit but thought that it might have been only that particular NCL ship. So we tried the Dawn. After sailing on the Dawn we decided that we would never sail with NCL again. We were not happy with the food, service or attitude of the staff on NCL. RCI's product is far superior. Do yourself a favor and book your Bermuda cruise on the Explorer.

[goneclear]

It's a pitty your Husband is hesitant about travelling outside the US. There is a whole world out there with magnificent places to visit and see. Try giving him some travel books loaded with pictures.

[emeraldcity]

If you want to Wow your hubby and get him to agree to cruise again, the suite is the way to go! If you think that RCI is the best fit, you may want to review your options to figure out how to make it work for you. It would be a shame to take a different line and then have an experience that didn't meet your expectations. Of course, you will get a different response on the NCL boards.;)

[George C]

I am 6'4" and have been in small inside rooms without a issue , RCCL is a excellent line great entertainment, if you want to try another line I would look at HAL which sails out of Boston and has excellent food.

[nyllrap]

I have been on the Dawn, in addition to a number of RCI ships. I have enjoyed all of my NCL cruises, but the service isn't quite as good as RCI. I do love the murals on NCL ships, though. I really think you and your husband will enjoy cruising with either.

[SECdawg]

I really have no opinion on the other cruise lines but I do know how your husband is feeling. It took awhile for my DW to get me to go and we picked a 3 nighter to the Bahamas. It was a great decision on my part to finally agree. The room size should not be a big deal as for first time cruisers you will spend little time in the room. If you start in a larger room it will be hard to go down to a less expensive one. My guess would be you will be planning your next cruise before this one is done. Whatever you choose have a great time.

[birdylady]

I find this funny. My hubby NEVER wanted to cruise. His thoughts were why would he want to be trapped on a ship and get food poisoning. And he couldn't figure out why I would want to go since I get motion sick so easily. Fast forward to the week after our first cruise. He was all set to book our next cruise. He (and I) are now officially addicted. And do not want to be cured. :)

 

I can't speak for any other cruise line than RCI so I won't say anything on which line to go with (you know who we'll choose. :D ). But I would think a balcony would be perfect (that's' what we do). But if the $ isn't an issue, go for a JS or higher.

 

Hope you get to cruise soon. And of course, both you enjoy it.

 

Erika

[MeHeartCruising]

I find NCL and Royal Caribbean to be more similar than different. I like them both equally. There may be something(s) on either line that you will like or dislike, but that will be true on any line. I would go for the easiest, best itinerary, price, and/or combinations of the 3.

[Happy2cruise]

Would recommend booking at least a balcony. Being able to open the door and walk out on to the balcony will win you husband over. As for size, my husband is large size and he has never felt cramped or closed in. Hope all works out for you;);)

[edjny]

My husband is a little skeptical of the whole cruising idea, he is afraid he will be sea sick. He's a big guy 6'5" and thinks he will feel very cramped in a small cabin, although I am planning on getting at least a balcony if not a smaller suite.

 

I am sensitive to motion sickness, so I take Meclozine. That is the generic for Bonine. Here is a link for all the info on the drug. You can find it at any drug store. We get ours at Walmart. It is relatively cheap.

 

We both take our first pill after we board the ship in port and one pill a day after that when sailing. By the time the ship gets going, the drug has taken effect to stop motion sickness. This is what we were taking when we sailed through Hurricane Sandy last October on the Explorer out of NYC. While the ship was rocking around, we both felt fine and enjoyed the excitement of the cruise.

 

A cruise to Bermuda is a great one for getting your 'feet wet' so to speak. On the 7 night cruise, there are 3 nights in port in Bermuda so you have lots of time to see the beautiful island. We have signed up for the Oct 27th cruise to Bermuda on Explorer again. We had such a great time last year on this Halloween cruise that we wanted to go again. The party on Oct 31st is a blast!!!

 

I would definitely recommend getting at least a balcony cabin and a Junior Suite would be even better for someone who does not want to be in a small cabin. The smallest cabin we will take is a balcony room. Most of the cruises we go on are Junior Suites. Just nicer, bigger cabin/bathroom/closet/balcony and more elbow room. Sometimes spending the extra money is just worth it.

[cmoose]

Thanks for all your input. I am really hoping that DH loves it! There are so many great places to see and cruising seems such a great way to do that. I totally agree with Bermuda being a great place to start. We love the idea of having the one port of call for our first time out. Plus the fact that it seems everyone loves Bermuda. Sounds really clean and friendly. Love that.

As soon as I book I will get on the roll call for that sailing.

Thanks again.

[celebrity]

Thanks for all your input. I am really hoping that DH loves it! There are so many great places to see and cruising seems such a great way to do that. I totally agree with Bermuda being a great place to start. We love the idea of having the one port of call for our first time out. Plus the fact that it seems everyone loves Bermuda. Sounds really clean and friendly. Love that.

As soon as I book I will get on the roll call for that sailing.

Thanks again.

 

Bermuda is the ideal cruise for a first timer! It was our introduction to cruising 34 years ago on our honeymoon.

My son who is 6'3" has no problem with an inside cabin.

Bermuda is gorgeous, clean and safe.

Book it and have a blast!

[edjny]

Bermuda is the ideal cruise for a first timer! It was our introduction to cruising 34 years ago on our honeymoon.

My son who is 6'3" has no problem with an inside cabin.

Bermuda is gorgeous, clean and safe.

Book it and have a blast!

 

Everybody is different.... I tend to get a bit claustrophobic when we are in an inside cabin. I just "feel" better having the balcony available and/or the larger interior space of a Junior Suite.

[edjny]

Thanks for all your input. I am really hoping that DH loves it! There are so many great places to see and cruising seems such a great way to do that. I totally agree with Bermuda being a great place to start. We love the idea of having the one port of call for our first time out. Plus the fact that it seems everyone loves Bermuda. Sounds really clean and friendly. Love that.

As soon as I book I will get on the roll call for that sailing.

Thanks again.

 

If you go on the Halloween cruise on Explorer, here is a link to the Meet & Mingle thread for that cruise. I posted some photos of last years Halloween costume parade and dance party on that thread to give you an idea of what to expect.

[cb at sea]

While ship cabins are smaller than hotel rooms, they are not shorter! It's a real, normal-sized ceiling!

[celebrity]

Everybody is different.... I tend to get a bit claustrophobic when we are in an inside cabin. I just "feel" better having the balcony available and/or the larger interior space of a Junior Suite.

 

I agree re preferring a balcony. I have personally never booked an inside for myself. Just wanted to point out that a big person will have no problem with beds, ceiling heights, etc.

[jcc1025]

While we did not move up to a balcony until about our third cruise, I surprised my wife with the location, once you do it you can never go back. Too much fun watching all the late people running down the dock to before the ship sails....lol.

Also don't let the few whiners on every cruise bother you, its the only way to travel.

[Familygoboston]

Couple of thoughts:

-The Atlantic is usually rougher than the Caribbean, so of sea sickness is a concern, a Caribbean cruise might be a better option than an Atlantic cruise.

-My DH is 6 foot 6 and finds then bathrooms small because the sinks are so low. The cabin is fine, not trouble there.

-If seasickness is a worry, go for a window at least, I was always more seasick in an interior cabin where I could not see the horizon.

 

Good luck, you will probably love cruising !:D