Last minute - is it worth it?

[Izzybee]

Hi, after wrecking my car and then breaking my arm and needing surgery, all in the last 10 days, we've had to revise out vacation plans for this summer (we usually visit my parents in the UK). We are considering a cruise since I graduate from my masters program July 30th and I want to do something! I also really like the idea of having someone look after me for a week or so!

 

BTW, "we" is me, my husband and our 12 year old daughter.

 

My question is this. I'm looking at Carnival cruise August 17th out of Baltimore. How long do we have to decide and book? Also, since we are first time cruisers - and I've never done a package vacation in my life, are we going to find it expensive on board? I'm scared we will get on board and be on our cabin all the time to save money! Reading here has reassured me a little!

 

Oh, and is there any point going through a travel agent? - I've always found it best to do my own footwork online for flights to stay with relatives, but with a cruise I'm wondering if I'm missing out by doing that.

 

Please excuse any typos - typing with just your non dominant hand is no fun and quite slow going!

[Sumsss]

In regards to booking you can book up to almost time of the sail date. Carnival is running some good promotions so you might want to wait and see or go ahead and book.

 

As far as on the ship, you have tips and excursions to plan for and since you have a child there is the arcade and candy store. Don't forget photos too.

[beachbum53]

First of all, welcome to Cruise Critic. Wow! With you're recent run of bad luck, you're definitely in need of a vacation. I'd say a cruise is just what the doctor ordered.:rolleyes: Since you're apparently comfortable with making your own arrangements for vacation and travel, you may not need a travel agent. However, you might want to call Carnival and ask to be connected with a Personal Vacation Planner, typically referred to as a PVP. Hopefully you'll get a good one. He/she can answer all of your questions and help you with your booking. Some people like the convenience of booking their airfare and cruise together, but you don't have to. We always book our airfare separately. I like being able to look at the flight times on the day we want leave (and return) and choose the time(s) that best suits us. How much or how little you spend on board is up to you. No need to confine yourselves to your cabin. I wouldn't consider booking now, in June, as "last minute", but I wouldn't wait much longer. The closer it gets to August, the fewer cabins you'll have to choose from. Might as well do it and get addicted to cruising like the rest of us.:D

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

A good travel agent would be a huge help to you. :)

LuLu

[RSLeesburg]

Hi, after wrecking my car and then breaking my arm and needing surgery, all in the last 10 days, we've had to revise out vacation plans for this summer (we usually visit my parents in the UK). We are considering a cruise since I graduate from my masters program July 30th and I want to do something! I also really like the idea of having someone look after me for a week or so!

 

BTW, "we" is me, my husband and our 12 year old daughter.

 

My question is this. I'm looking at Carnival cruise August 17th out of Baltimore. How long do we have to decide and book? Also, since we are first time cruisers - and I've never done a package vacation in my life, are we going to find it expensive on board? I'm scared we will get on board and be on our cabin all the time to save money! Reading here has reassured me a little!

 

Oh, and is there any point going through a travel agent? - I've always found it best to do my own footwork online for flights to stay with relatives, but with a cruise I'm wondering if I'm missing out by doing that.

 

Please excuse any typos - typing with just your non dominant hand is no fun and quite slow going!

 

We took our first cruise out of Baltimore last year, and had same questions. First, if Carnival allows you to pre-pay gratuities, do it - it is one less thing to worry about after cruise; Second, parking is I think $15 a day at the port - which by the way is super easy to get to; Third, depending on Itinerary, you can go pretty cheap by doing just beach days (vs. lots of expensive excursions); and Fourth, plan on some expenditures on board. I think we had about $500 on our account by the end, which was more than we had expected but within our budget. Give yourselves something reasonable, and then just check with Guest Services a few times to see how you are doing.

 

PS: on our way back home from the cruise, my wife asked me to book another one, so plan on having a great time!

[wassup4565]

If you don't particularly care about the ports you will visit, last minute is terrific. Google cheap cruises and you will find lots of options.

 

Once you have paid for your cruise fares and your gratuities, you do not need to spend another cent if you don't want to. All your food is included, and so are non-carbonated drinks. Yes, you can spend lotsa dough on excursions, soda drinks and booze, but if you keep a hand on the purse strings, you actually don't have to spend any more money when you're on board. When the ship docks, you can get off and look around, and that costs you nothing. If you don't like what you see ashore, get back on board and enjoy all the amenities of the ship.

 

It's up to you. Spend nothing, spend a little, or spend a lot. Your decision.

[Izzybee]

Thanks! I didn't realize Carnival had PVP's - that sounds like an awesome idea. Also, $500 spending while on board doesn't sound terrible, I'm more scared of accidentally running up $1000 of more without realizing it... I'd be in trouble with the hubby for that, for sure :)

 

This advice is great so far, glad I found this site!

[cruisead]

The main problem with waiting to book last minute is you're left with not many cabins available, and those are usually the least desirable ones. Another problem with waiting is that once the ship is getting close to lifeboat capacity, they may not allow three to a cabin, even if the cabin is able to accommodate three. So in that respect, you may want to book sooner rather than later.

[panoramaofthepast]

Thanks! I didn't realize Carnival had PVP's - that sounds like an awesome idea. Also, $500 spending while on board doesn't sound terrible, I'm more scared of accidentally running up $1000 of more without realizing it... I'd be in trouble with the hubby for that, for sure :)

 

This advice is great so far, glad I found this site!

 

The main extras to watch out for [in no particular order]

• alcoholic drinks
  
• sodas
  
• shore excursions [which can be as little as $29/person or as much as $500
  

• gratuities - $11-12/day/person - can be paid in advance
  
• casino
  
• spa
  
  • shopping - on shore and on the ship
    

[Fog123]

I'm generally a book it myself type of person as well but for our cruise we used a TA who was experienced in cruises. She was able to answer a lot of our questions and when price drops happened after final payment was able to negotiate some benefits.

 

The surprising thing was she also managed to save us almost $100 off our hotel. She's part of a big bricks and mortar travel agency chain and they get good discounts sometimes. I'll check with a TA from here on out.

 

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

I would not wait too long to book. Ships only allow so many 3rd passengers in a cabin -- due to how many can be assigned to a lifeboat.

Also if you are able to book late -- not much choice in cabins.

We prefer to book cruises through a TA. hotels and air planes I book myself.

[sparky-elpaso]

Welcome to cruising - a great way to travel. Prepare to be hooked. :)

 

You shouldn't run into any "surprise" charges - you have to hand over your card (which is cabin key and charge card) to have something charged to your account. You can also check your account periodically - either on your tv or by going to the front desk for a printout.

 

One thing I like to do is check the ports using Google Earth so I can see what's there. We've decided we don't need any kind of excursion at times because there's lots to do where the ship docks.

[zoncom]

Be sure to check air fares before booking. Check out rates at several discount cruise agencies online .Get some cruise/cruise port books out of library so you can have a quality cruise experience. Average cruiser stays within 6 blocks of port, does not see much. Cruise lines biggest money makers are ships cruise excursions, alcohol and its most pricey cabins Avoid ripoff art sales.. An Inside cabin is best buy at sea. Avoid those in bow and cabins with public ares above (noisy),Look at deck plans before cabin selection.

[RSLeesburg]

The main extras to watch out for [in no particular order]

• alcoholic drinks
  
• sodas
  
• shore excursions [which can be as little as $29/person or as much as $500
  

• gratuities - $11-12/day/person - can be paid in advance
  
• casino
  
• spa
  
  • shopping - on shore and on the ship
    

 

Yes. This is a good list. The gratuities I view as something to have to pay, so factor that in and pay in advance. We do not drink and did not use the casino or spa, so that saved us a ton there. Most cruise lines offer different flavors of drink packages, so if you do drink you may want to look at these as a way to minimize your costs there. The spa will usually offer specials during the cruise, so I would not book anything in advance. One other area is the specialty restaurants, which cost extra - we went to one of these for one night, and it was so worth the extra money.

[navybankerteacher]

Thanks! I didn't realize Carnival had PVP's - that sounds like an awesome idea. Also, $500 spending while on board doesn't sound terrible, I'm more scared of accidentally running up $1000 of more without realizing it... I'd be in trouble with the hubby for that, for sure :)

 

This advice is great so far, glad I found this site!

 

Unless you splurge/binge, $500 for the week should be plenty.

 

While you MIGHT get a great deal by booking last minute, you also might find the cruise sold out if you wait too long. You really do not need to book through a T/A - rather call the line, and, with a deck plan in front of you, or on your screen, see what's available at what price - better sooner than later. You might want a balcony - or be satisfied with an inside - but, whichever, the choices will only get narrower as sailing date nears - and, if cabins are selling well the price will only increase between now and August.

[Gail & Marty sailing away]

Go have fun you need it ...

[Cruisin' Chick]

If you have picked out which cruise ship and sailing date, you should probably go ahead and book it. As others said, there's only so many cabins that accommodate more than two persons, and even with the others, there's a maximum number of passengers that they can book due to life boat capacity so not all berths will be used.

 

And if you want to save money, the lower category cabins may be gone (if so, ask about being waitlisted). Certainly ask about the third passenger rate if not offered to you (I think we've always automatically received it for our daughter).

 

We tend not to spend a lot on our cruises. When we cruise out of Los Angeles, it's just an hour's drive so no flights or hotels. For other ports, we always plan to get to the embarkation city at least a day ahead and spend the night close to the port.

 

Most of the time we don't do excursions. I'm the family researcher so I get guidebooks from the library (those I never take on the ship, but if I find one that's very handy with maps, I'll check our cheapie bookstore or go on Amazon) and google each port as there's always tons of tourism websites with ideas. The google maps is a good idea that someone mentioned above. My hubby was checking each port for our last cruise.

 

Other than getting to the ship and back home and maybe a taxi or two in port, the only mandatory expense for us is the tips (we never ever remove those and often add to them).

Edited June 4, 2014 by Cruisin' Chick
add

[dorisis]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

A good travel agent would be a huge help to you. :)

LuLu

 

The key word is good. be sure to get one that specializes in cruises. The internet and Cruise Critic is a good place for your research.

[Roz]

You will need to present your sign and sail card (or whatever your cruise line calls it) every time you purchase something that costs extra, and sign for it, so you can't accidentally run up a $1,000 bill. There are tons of included activities on the ship that don't cost extra, such as the nightly shows in the show lounge, so there's no need to stay in your cabin. Food is included, so at the very least you'll show up at the dining room or Lido 3 times a day. :D

 

Roz

[Cruisin' Chick]

You will need to present your sign and sail card (or whatever your cruise line calls it) every time you purchase something that costs extra, and sign for it, so you can't accidentally run up a $1,000 bill. There are tons of included activities on the ship that don't cost extra, such as the nightly shows in the show lounge, so there's no need to stay in your cabin. Food is included, so at the very least you'll show up at the dining room or Lido 3 times a day. :D

 

Roz

 

Other than the casino or bingo, you can spend all day on board without spending any money but still have fun. Plenty to eat without having to spend money for a specialty restaurant. Of course booze and soda (on most cruiselines) will cost you, but again, optional.

[griffy116]

Food is available at no cost 24 hours a day. Even room service is free (except between midnight and 5 am it's $3-4 on some cruise lines). Plenty of choices. Plenty of activities to take part in that are free. Shows are free. Walking off the ship and exploring the ports? Free unless you get a taxi and go somewhere. In the Caribbean, there's plenty of things to do that are free. Some of the most beautiful beaches and water in the world. No cooking, no cleaning, lots of sun and fun. Book a cruise and check out some books from the library on the ports you'll be visiting. Enjoy!

[alexspepa]

you can also get a printout of your existing charges each day so you are not surprised at the end of the trip.

 

also - your daughter's room key can also be a charge card! but I think you can block or limit charges for her?

 

I would stay away from the ship photos - overpriced in my opinion and they can really add to your bill.

 

Have fun!

[RockNCntry]

Our first cruise we spent almost $200.00, on photos! BUT, we didn't spend more than $250.00, on the entire cruise! Also, we didn't Drink alcohol, or gamble! Saved big there! We have only spent close to $200.00, on one other cruise, and we had onboard credit that we figured was extra. So we bought more souveniers on board and in ports! I have never ate in one the "Extra Charge" Supper Clubs! May have to try that soon! As was said if you can pay Gratuuities upfront, and save up money for parking! Since I live close to a port (2 Hour Drive) I don't have flying exspense! One more thing if you drink Sodas, they do have soft drink packages, for the whole cruise! I have used this once and it was worth the cost! On Carnival, They allow you to bring a certain amout of soft drinks per person in carry on bags! Check website for more info on this!!

 

I hope this helps! RockNCntry

[Izzybee]

Thanks for all the awesome input. To update everyone, my last piece of the set of three "bad luck" has happened. The money to book the cruise has been held up and won't be available until next week at the soonest. Fingers crossed there's still room for us on board! If not it's back to the drawing board. Booking out of Baltimore was best for us because we only live 40 mins away, but maybe I'll look at some other ports.

 

Still, one good outcome whatever happens, we're sure we're cruising at some point - everyone has been so helpful and reassuring - cruise lines should pay you all!

[RSLeesburg]

Not sure if you saw this recent review or not, but it was for the Pride - the ship you would be taking out of Baltimore. There are lots of photos of ship.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2034286