First Cruise - How to Find the Right Cruise Line for Us

[PixiTrix]

This might be a dumb question, but how do I find out which cruise line is most suited to our personality? Someone I know made a comment about one line being a "partier" line compared to another, so it made me wonder.

 

I am not really a partier...I am more of a quiet to myself person. lol! Well, myself and my husband.

 

My husband and I are planning our 25 year anniversary trip. We have been on road trips, and to Las Vegas, but we have NOT traveled anywhere else - no honeymoon even. We have been busy with 5 children, so not time and no money. The older ones are now old enough to watch the younger ones, so we are finally going to go somewhere.

 

Also, I am a teacher AND earn more than my husband, if that tells you anything about our budget. I understand that some lines give a teacher discount. We are looking at Alaska or Alaska cruise tour.

Edited September 5, 2015 by PixiTrix

[Floridiana]

Welcome to cruise critic!

Have a look at Princess and Holland America. They are middle of the road lines with many Alaska cruises. A good travel agent will also help you find the right ship for your budget and personality. Travel agents can give you on board credit and smoothe any potential issues with the cruise line beforehand.

[paul929207]

Princess and HAL have much more experience in Alaska. Most of their cruises include Glacier Bay while few of the competition's cruises do. That is the most spectacular part of Alaska.

 

We have been to Alaska twice with Princess and plan to go again net summer

[sparky-elpaso]

Holland America and Princess are considered to be the premier lines for Alaska - which, by the way, is an incredible first cruise.

 

Our first cruise was to Alaska on Royal Caribbean and we had a fantastic time.

 

I would check out the cruise line web sites to see what they offer and get an idea of prices, then go from there. Something like teacher discounts are probably the luck of the draw. The only cruise line I know of that gives routine perks for something is Princess and their onboard credit for veterans on every cruise.

 

If you can find a travel agent that specializes in cruises you might want to start there. It all depends on how comfortable you are doing your own research.

 

There's an Alaska board here on CC that you might want to check out - lots of knowledgable folks there.

 

And welcome to the great world of cruising. Prepare to be hooked. :)

[BlueRiband]

... how do I find out which cruise line is most suited to our personality?....

 

This is absolutely true because one person's idea of paradise is another person's idea of hell. No matter how great the itinerary you'll be spending far more time on the ship than in port. You'll come back from vacation needing a vacation if your fellow passengers have a life style that clashes with your own.

 

No lines give school teacher discounts and, because you are one, you will be sailing during peak summer months. You are also a family of five so you would need two cabins either adjoining or very close to each other. You're probably also looking for a line that has an embarkation port on the west coast.

 

As Floridiana mentioned a travel agent can help you a lot. We can't mention any here in this forum but use one that tends to specialize in cruises. It's seldom a good idea to use the workplace travel agent since they only know how to put people on business flights.

[PixiTrix]

Actually, I am a family of 7, but only my husband and I are going on this cruise! Kids are staying home. My kids are 12, 14, 19, 19, and 19 and will all be a year older by the time I take this cruise.

 

I have been told that Holland America does give teacher discounts, but do not know how much of a discount and whether it is year-round. When I contacted Holland America directly, the agent told me to pick a 1-3 tours I was interested in and then she would price them out with the discount.

 

I don't particularly want a fancy or upscale cruise. Not only is it more costly, but it is not my personality. A friend mentioned formal or dress clothes and I balked.

 

So far, after doing multiple searches, Holland America offers an itinerary that I think I prefer. However, I am wondering about a one way 7 day cruise and then doing my own land sight seeing.

 

Most of my trips have been to national parks (or Las Vegas), so that is the type of thing we enjoy and why we are leaning toward Alaska. My other dream location is New Zealand, but that's a bit more costly and I am not sure if the seasonal differences vs. my vacation times would mesh.

 

I am pretty good at doing online research and typically do everything online on my own. Heck, I bought a car on ebay! However, I keep hearing different things about TAs being able to get you some perks so am wondering if I should go with an agent instead. I did meet with someone at the AAA travel agency, but I found cheaper online than what he quoted me. But all he seemed to do was call the cruise line and ask the same things I would have....so I didn't see the point. I know he is not a cruise agent though. I also have looked at booking through CostCo.

 

Thanks! I will go look for the Alaska board.

[cb at sea]

On any cruise line, a short (3-4) night cruise will have more of a "party" atmosphere...longer cruises are a bit more laid-back.

 

The thing about cruises is you can do as much or as little partying as you want. Sounds like you're concerned about Carnival...they are no more a "party" ship than any other cruise line.

 

If you have a travel agency in your town, stop by and pick up some brochures...that will give you a "feel" for each line.

[Aquahound]

I don't particularly want a fancy or upscale cruise. Not only is it more costly, but it is not my personality. A friend mentioned formal or dress clothes and I balked.

 

First, please do not fall for the cruise line "A" does Alaska so much better than cruise line "B." That's a bunch of bull and it makes no difference whatsoever who has been there longer. I've cruised Alaska more than once and my favorite was a southbound cruise from Seward to Vancouver on the Celebrity Millennium.

 

Based on the part of your post quoted above, you might want to consider NCL. They have no formal nights and the dress is much more casual.

[trish1c]

The Mass Market lines are more similar then different. Deserved or not, the following generalizations are the most common:

 

Carnival: party hearty

 

RCL: lots of onboard bells & whistles, active, sporty, family friendly

 

Disney: just like the parks, expensive, no casino

 

NCL: freestyle, rep for nickel & diming you, cheap

 

Princess: love boat, elegant & understated

 

Celebrity: high end, glitzy, more expensive

 

HAL: older crowd, sleepy

 

Again these are generalizations. There are exceptions. One person's favorite could be another's nightmare.

 

DH & I took 1 Princess cruise. It was too sleepy for us. We like to party & are late night people. We felt like Princess rolled up the passageways at 10 p.m. Even my 82 year old father pronounced it dull. It wasn't a bad cruise; we loved the itinerary but it was a bad fit for us.

[PixiTrix]

Ok, now when I say I am not a partier, let me be more descriptive. I am not an outgoing person that readily talks to anyone and everyone. I would rather spend quiet time with my husband, but don't mind talking to others....just takes me a little while to warm up.

 

BUT, we do like Las Vegas because it is open 24 hours a day. Having said that, we don't gamble much - just like the fun things to see and the theme hotels.

 

Ultimately though, I have some more important priorities than the atmosphere:

(1) inside passage

(2) include Denali

 

If the cruise line doesn't offer that, especially the first one, then I don't think I would want to book it. I do like the appeal of the NCL, but since I am also on a budget, I want to know up front what the costs are and not be nickeled and dimed.

 

Since this is supposed to be a romantic trip, I would at least like a balcony room...but may have to either downgrade to oceanview or give up the land portion of the trip.

[spookwife]

The Mass Market lines are more similar then different. Deserved or not, the following generalizations are the most common:

 

Carnival: party hearty

 

RCL: lots of onboard bells & whistles, active, sporty, family friendly

 

Disney: just like the parks, expensive, no casino

 

NCL: freestyle, rep for nickel & diming you, cheap

 

Princess: love boat, elegant & understated

 

Celebrity: high end, glitzy, more expensive

 

HAL: older crowd, sleepy

 

Again these are generalizations. There are exceptions. One person's favorite could be another's nightmare.

 

DH & I took 1 Princess cruise. It was too sleepy for us. We like to party & are late night people. We felt like Princess rolled up the passageways at 10 p.m. Even my 82 year old father pronounced it dull. It wasn't a bad cruise; we loved the itinerary but it was a bad fit for us.

 

I would not use the word glitzy to describe Celebrity. I find them to be on par with Princess.. elegant and understated and much more 'calm' with nightlife being very low key.

[Keith1010]

For Alaska I would take a look at Celebrity, Princess and Holland.

 

Read some of the member reviews to get a feel about each ship.

 

I also would highly recommend getting a copy of a book that updated annually by Douglas Ward and published by Berlitz. It will give you a lot of good subjective information on each cruise line and their ships. This link will take you to the book that can be purchased on Amazon.Com

 

http://www.amazon.com/Berlitz-Cruising-Cruise-Ships-2015/dp/1780047541/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441472300&sr=8-1&keywords=Douglas+Ward

 

Keith

[Sauer-kraut]

On NCL there are no other charges (besides your daily service charge) if you eat in the included dining options depending on the ship there are at least 2 main dining rooms, a 24 eatery, the buffet and poolside bbq's.

 

Any cruise line is going to charge for specialty restaurants, bar drinks, soda pop, photos, excursions, spa treatments and spa passes. The nickle and dime thing not exclusive to NCL.

 

Right now Norwegian is offering an Unlimited Beverage Package when booking certain cabin categories, so that might be an incentive. It will include juices IF ordering from a bar as well as pop, the drink price limit is $11 and there are very few drinks that are above that amount.

 

Make sure you do your Alaska homework -- there are a few threads on the Norwegian board where folks did a cruise tour and it looked like a lot of fun.

[Aquahound]

I do like the appeal of the NCL, but since I am also on a budget, I want to know up front what the costs are and not be nickeled and dimed.

 

There's no denying it by the sensible.....NCL is the King of nickel and dime. You just have to research all their charges so you're not surprised. Perhaps the most egregious of their N&D charges is the $7.95 room service charge. They also have the highest daily service charge of any mass market cruise line.

[Robinsoncruiseso]

We just celebrated our 25th with kids being 20 and 23...so I am guessing we are in the same age bracket. We have cruised HAL, Carnival, NCL and RCCL, but our heart belongs to Princess. We took a quick 4 day up to Ketchican, Alaska and had a great time with on board activities. We played fun games, watched shows, and danced at "skywalkers" until well after midnight. The late night crowd was mostly in the 45 to 60 year range which generally meant a less roudy crowd, but upbeat and energetic none the less.

 

I am eagerly awaiting the 2017 Alaska schedules to come out, but I have definitely decided on a 7 day northbound or southbound in order to get the best views of the glaciers.

 

Hope you have a great time whatever you choose...and congratulations on a kid free vacation!!! I am sure you both deserve it.

[Hawaiifrank]

This might be a dumb question, but how do I find out which cruise line is most suited to our personality? Someone I know made a comment about one line being a "partier" line compared to another, so it made me wonder.

 

I am not really a partier...I am more of a quiet to myself person. lol! Well, myself and my husband.

 

My husband and I are planning our 25 year anniversary trip. We have been on road trips, and to Las Vegas, but we have NOT traveled anywhere else - no honeymoon even. We have been busy with 5 children, so not time and no money. The older ones are now old enough to watch the younger ones, so we are finally going to go somewhere.

 

Also, I am a teacher AND earn more than my husband, if that tells you anything about our budget. I understand that some lines give a teacher discount. We are looking at Alaska or Alaska cruise tour.

 

No one has suggested that Carnival might be a reasonable choice. My Alaska cruise was on the Carnival Spirit and it was great. We did a 7 day northbound and 7 days southbound May 13th to 27th, 2009.

 

Carnival has a undeserved bad reputation, IMO. Sure all the 3 and 4 day party cruises to the Caribbean are alcohol saturated. Alaska is a different experience from a Caribbean cruise and it attracts a different clientele. If you're comparing price, it is usually right there as one of the least expensive.

 

The month of May can have some iffy weather, but we had very good weather both weeks. Being a teacher, I think everyone is assuming you'll be traveling in June, July or August. There is generally better weather in the summer, but you can get lousy rain and cold ANY time of year.

 

As another poster mentioned, summer is the "high" season for Alaska. As a rule of thumb, I take it as a given that any cruise on a school holiday or in the summer will be 30% or 40% more expensive than one when kids are in school.

 

Also mentioned previously, you can party or not as you feel moved. We don't go to the disco (I don't even dance), but that doesn't mean I go to bed at 9 pm either. There are late comedy shows, the piano bar and other evening activities.

 

I've cruised RCCL and Carnival almost evenly, about 8 voyages each, and NCL twice. NCL doesn't have a formal night per se, but they do "suggest" that certain nights should be more dressy. Carnival also suggests that we all dress up in a jacket and tie, but really it's code for "NO shorts, we really mean it". I wear a button shirt and dress slacks and call it good. RCCL is a little more...well, not really more strict, but I do see more people with ties on, even me occasionally.

 

You said you are used to shopping for your Las Vegas trips. Spend a few weeks looking at cruise line websites, comparing prices, itenarary, amenities and the ships. Read some posts here on Cruise Critic in some other subtopics like Alaska, Carnival, RCCL and NCL. Each line has their supporters and detractors. Each line will let you do a trial booking to see exactly what the price is for your selected cabin.

 

Finally, I've always felt I could put together my own land package for less than the cruise line. By doing your own research and tailoring your trip to what you want to see you can save. You can use public transportation and/or rent a car, choose mid-priced accommodations and limit restaurant dining and you will come out less than organized tours. OTOH, there will be no one to hold your hand if the train is late or the rental gets a flat.

[Moondogy]

I am by far no expert as I'm still kinda a beginner at cruising myself, But, I can say as far as formal nights. On lines like Princess, they are NOT mandatory and if you don't dress up on these nights, you will not be alone. Also there are other dining options if you think you might feel out of place on the formal nights, Like the buffets. I have seen on Princess and RCI both on the formal nights everything from collared shirts and pants all the way up to tuxedos on men, but more casual clothes and suits then tuxedos. Those that wanted to stay inshorts and tshirts ate in the buffets. My dream cruise is Alaska, so you'll have to let me know how it is when you get back.....And btw, thank you for your service as a teacher, without people like you we wouldn't be here today typing to each other :-)

[griffy116]

Can't speak to an Alaskan cruise, but as a family of teachers and students who love to cruise, I can offer a few things we have discovered over the years. We are also limited to cruising when school is out in the summer months. We know it's high season but it's also during weather that we enjoy and the cruise being planned is what gets us through the school year. We've found that you will find a different crowd on a short 3-5 day cruise than on a 7-night or longer cruise. On a short cruise, it seems everyone is more "rowdy" or tempted to be more of a party crowd. On a longer cruise, there is less of a party atmosphere. On a cruise in the Caribbean, it's more of a party crowd. On a cruise outside the Caribbean, it's less of a party atmosphere. Our favorite cruise line is RCCL. We like the food, the service and the options. We enjoy being able to go to a show, or skip the shows and go to the casino, shop, sit at one of the cafes pubs and people watch during some of the street shows, visit the spa, play trivia, listen to the different music in the pubs or piano bar or watch some of the other activities...or walk around the deck at night in the quiet and to just look at the sea. Late at night, we enjoy getting some snacks from room service and sitting with a glass of wine in peace and quiet. There's really no wrong choice. I'm sure you'll enjoy the cruise, no matter what cruise line you choose.

[Baz23]

There's no denying it by the sensible.....NCL is the King of nickel and dime. You just have to research all their charges so you're not surprised. Perhaps the most egregious of their N&D charges is the $7.95 room service charge. They also have the highest daily service charge of any mass market cruise line.

 

I would definitely agree with that, NCL is a great line to start off with.

 

Have a go! :)

[PixiTrix]

lol! I stumbled on this quiz:

What is the best cruiseline for you

 

It told me Celebrity. That was NOT what I was expecting.

[Aquahound]

lol! I stumbled on this quiz:

What is the best cruiseline for you

 

It told me Celebrity. That was NOT what I was expecting.

 

Celebrity is one of my favorite cruise lines, and my Celebrity cruise through Alaska, which went from Seward to Vancouver, was one of my all time favorite cruises. Beginning in Seward, you can easily add on a Denali land tour through Celebrity. I did it on my own and had a great time, but you can do it either way.

Edited September 6, 2015 by Aquahound

[PixiTrix]

They have a tour called Alaska Wildlife that I am looking at, but still comparing.

 

I do have a question. How do you find out about the optional excursions (pay extra) that are available on a cruise line?

[Host Walt]

Check out this Cruise Critic source:

 

First Time Cruiser Resources

[OCruisers]

For a cruise to Alaska either Princess or Holland America would be our choice.

Both lines have been offering Alaskan cruises for a very long time. :)

[rjgdjg]

Hi-

I'd like to recommend Princess for your trip to Alaska, for these reasons:

 

* Princess has a very long history of sailing Alaska

* Their program is excellent--they have great naturalists on board who give presentations on the state and what you're going to see

* They offer itineraries with cruising through Glacier Bay, a remote, narrow channel lined with snow-capped mountains, and featuring blue-ice glaciers

* They had some terrific other speakers, like the woman who won the dog race

* The cruise line had other special programs, such as a salmon buffet

* The line draws a range of ages, and offers a great all-around experience

 

We took the Golden Princess roundtrip out of Seattle; it was our first on Princess (having formerly sailed on Celebrity, Holland America and Royal Caribbean), and it turned us immediately into a fan of the cruise line. Hope this helped. - Musing About Cruising