General Advice about what, where, & when

[bingoprincess]

I hope to be a first-time cruiser within a year. My DH and I would like to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a cruise (as a couple, no kids). Our anniversary is in Sept. 2006, but we'd also consider Jan. or Feb. 2007 to escape our Minnesota winters. I have read Cruising for Dummies and the Unofficial Guide to Cruising, but I'm still confused/overwhelmed by choosing the line, ship, and itinerary. Here are my questions. Please help me narrow my choices.

 

1) When should be decide/book? OK, some say book early & save; others say wait for deals that will appear 1-2 months before the cruise. Getting time off from work with about 1 month notice should be ok.

 

2) Mainstream or Luxury? We'd be willing to pay more if we were getting more. Are the costs worth it to go Luxury? I have heard great things about Celebrity; that Carnival is more of a party atmosphere: True/False? If going Luxury, which line?

 

3) Itinerary and Ports? Any intinerary will be of places neither of us has been. But how do you choose?! We'd like to see Alaska, but I think I'd rather wait when I can do 2 weeks in Alaska for a land & cruise experience; so I think we've narrowed it to Caribbean or Mexico maybe Hawaii. Does the port of origin matter?

 

4) Is is better to arrange your own flights or get a package which includes the flight?

 

5) When should we go? What are your opinions on Sept. 2006, or Jan./Feb. 2007?

 

6) Which lines have the better food? We both love to cook, like to eat, and are impressed with great food & presentation. Do you "miss" the formal dinners & dinning companions when you go with a ship that has freestyle type dinning?

 

Thank you so much.

[cwc]

First decide on how much you are willing to spend on total - airfare. Then that will help you determine what cruiseline out there for you.

[sandiego1]

Just my opinions. I'm sure you'll get a lot more...

 

1) if you are picky about the location of your cabin, I would suggest you book early. Then you'd have the best selection. I don't think the cruise lines cut prices 1 month before departure. Prob the week before to try to fill it up. Our class of suites for our upcoming HAL cruise (later this month) has been completely sold out for many weeks.

 

2) I've only been on 2 one week cruises so far: Carnival to Mexico and Celebrity to the Caribb. Carnival definitely had a lot more kids and was not a "luxury" line. But we had a very good time. Our expectations were low (we didn't think we were the cruise "type") and they were exceeded. So it was a successful trip. Our next cruise was on Celebrity in a Concierge room. Much better experience. Less kids running amok on deck, better food and better service in general. I also didn't like the Mexico ports as much as those we saw in the Caribb.

 

3) port of origin matters in terms of price of flights and convenience. It's much cheaper for me to fly to Tampa or Ft. Lauderdale vs. San Juan. Seems a lot of the ships I wanted to go on for our next cruise leave from San Juan. That's where we embarked for our Celebrity cruise. It wasn't an option this time for us since my in-laws are coming w/ us. Flights to San Juan from Boston were very expensive for them. We were able to get them flights on Southwest to Tampa for less than $150 round trip. The flights from San Diego to Tampa were so cheap we didn't bother using frequent flyer miles. If you are willing to go to San Juan (must go the night before typically), then you probably have a lot more options for ships/ports.

 

4) I prefer to arrange my own flights. The cruise arranged flights may require you to leave much earlier than you want (sometimes the day before), have long stop-overs or other issues. You can't dictate the flights you want. They put you on whatever they can get at a good price. I found that it was even more expensive too! The down side of doing your own arrangements is that if your flight is delayed and you miss the ship, you're out of luck. That's also why I suggest you travel the day before (especially for long flights like we have from San Diego). If you book w/ the cruise line, they will make what ever arrangements are necessary to get you to the ship.

 

5) I would suggest Jan/Feb to avoid the fall hurricane season in the Carrib. Also watch out for school holidays in Jan/Feb.

 

6) I can only compare Celebrity and Carnival. Celebrity's food (taste, quality and presentation) was much better than Carnival. But I still had plenty to eat on Carnival. I wouldn't consider it to be worthy of a "foodie" however. On Carnival, we ate both in the formal dining room and buffet. On Celebrity, we never ate in the casual restaurant. The food and service were too good in the main dining room. I checked the menu every day to determine where I wanted to eat. We wound up there every night because of the variety.

[trish1c]

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary.

 

1) When should be decide/book? OK, some say book early & save; others say wait for deals that will appear 1-2 months before the cruise. Getting time off from work with about 1 month notice should be ok.

 

I'm a last minute traveler. I can't plan that far in advance. What time frame have you used for your other vacations? Understanding that there may be homeland security issues, anything you're comfortable with up to one month before should be OK. There are pros & cons on both sides; just pick which will give you the most peace of mind.

 

2) Mainstream or Luxury? We'd be willing to pay more if we were getting more. Are the costs worth it to go Luxury? I have heard great things about Celebrity; that Carnival is more of a party atmosphere: True/False? If going Luxury, which line?

 

I've never been able to sail luxury yet so I can't be too much help. You should read the brochures & the boards. Take a look at the web sites & read the reviews which you seem to be doing. Realize that most of these are generlaizations but if you are reading the same kind of info over & over again from multiple sources, there may be some truth to it.

 

The best piece of advice I've ever read was for more luxury, upgrade your ship / cruiseline, not your cabin. If you are really a "foodie" you may be more happy with a tiny inside cabin on a small luxury ship with a great menu than in the "best" most expensive cabin on a mass market ship with mass produced food.

 

 

3) Itinerary and Ports? Any intinerary will be of places neither of us has been. But how do you choose?! We'd like to see Alaska, but I think I'd rather wait when I can do 2 weeks in Alaska for a land & cruise experience; so I think we've narrowed it to Caribbean or Mexico maybe Hawaii. Does the port of origin matter?

 

Some people consider the ship itself to be the destination. Personally I hate sea days so I care about the ports.

 

The point of origin matters because it will determine if you have to fly to get there. Airfare will add to the costs of your trip. The point of embarkation effects where you can go just based on distances. Unless you have 2 months to cruise you are not going to be able to sail from NY to South America. As a previous poster explained, because you are already in the middle of everything, you may get more choices by sailing out of San Juan. As for Hawaii, sailing on a ship that never leaves the US may get you more islands but you loose the savings of duty free liquor etc. Sailing Hawaii on a ship that leaves the US adds a lot of sea days.

 

You should make your choices based on what interests you. I like to sail to ports that are more expensive than I can afford to go on a land based vacation.

 

4) Is is better to arrange your own flights or get a package which includes the flight?

 

Book the flight yourself. It's more money to book through the cruise & you have little control.

 

Most people on this board will also caution you to fly in a day before so there's no danger in missing the cruise. Also do not book your return flight leaving any earlier than noon.

 

5) When should we go? What are your opinions on Sept. 2006, or Jan./Feb. 2007?

 

I'd prefer to get out of the cold in the winter. If you really want to go for your anniversary, remember that's prime hurricane season. Do a lot of research before you opt for a September cruise. You might not go to your desiganted ports. Pack a flexible attitude & a good sense of humor.

 

 

6) Which lines have the better food? We both love to cook, like to eat, and are impressed with great food & presentation. Do you "miss" the formal dinners & dinning companions when you go with a ship that has freestyle type dinning?

 

All mass market lines have mass market food. Think wedding. The kitchen is pumping out 1,000 meals at a time. The food isn't bad, but it's certainly not great & I've never been remotely impressed by the presentation. Plating is not a concern with that many people to feed. If you are true foodies & are willing to spend the money, pick a food cruise or you will be disappointed. Cruise food IMO is for gourmands, not gormets.

 

You still get formal dinners with freestye. Just for those who don't want to pack that stuff for vacation, they are not required to & can still eat in the dining room.

 

Whatever you decide, enjoy your trip. Happy planning & sailing.

[4merlurker]

Don't forget to factor in that you WILL need a passport after December 2006.

 

Whatever you decide have a wonderful trip and a great anniversary! :)

 

~Connie

[Keith1010]

You have asked excellent questions. I've added my answer below your questions.

 

 

1) When should be decide/book? OK, some say book early & save; others say wait for deals that will appear 1-2 months before the cruise. Getting time off from work with about 1 month notice should be ok.

 

I would recommend booking as early as possible. For example, if you are looking at a cruise for early next year now is the time to book. Demand for cruise booking has rebounded significantly and cruise ships are filling up sooner rather than later. So, for best choice of cabin book early.

 

2) Mainstream or Luxury? We'd be willing to pay more if we were getting more. Are the costs worth it to go Luxury? I have heard great things about Celebrity; that Carnival is more of a party atmosphere: True/False? If going Luxury, which line?

 

It really comes down to taste and money. You have it right though. Carnival is more of a party atmosphere compared to many other lines.

 

Celebrity does a wonderful job in cruising and having sailed many lines over the years I think that they are the best in the area that they compete in. So, I would highly recommend booking Celebrity for your cruise.

 

3) Itinerary and Ports? Any intinerary will be of places neither of us has been. But how do you choose?! We'd like to see Alaska, but I think I'd rather wait when I can do 2 weeks in Alaska for a land & cruise experience; so I think we've narrowed it to Caribbean or Mexico maybe Hawaii. Does the port of origin matter?

 

Celebrity has a very nice cruise (in 2006 it is 14 days not sure about 2007) that goes from Los Angeles to Hawaii and back to Los Angeles. You might want to look at that.

 

Alaska cruises are offered between May and October so if you want to go early in 2007 that is not an option. Cruising Alaska is nice and the cruises are typically 7 days plus you can add a land package.

 

When you look at the port of origin the main factor to consider is ease of getting there. I always recommend getting there at least one day prior to your cruise just in case you encounter and airilne delays (you don't want to arrive after the ship leaves) and so you can rest up from your travels before boarding the ship.

 

 

 

4) Is is better to arrange your own flights or get a package which includes the flight?

 

I would look at both. In most cases you can now get prices cheaper than what the cruise lines offer but be sure that you are comparing apples to apples as the cruise air normally includes transfers from the airport to the ship and back from the ship to the airport. If you go this route and go in a day or two early then you would want to consider their hotel. If it's an easy port to get to and from then we normally just book our own air for also the peace of mind that we can select the precise flights we want with an eye to getting direct flights which is not always the case with the cruise line air.

 

5) When should we go? What are your opinions on Sept. 2006, or Jan./Feb. 2007?

 

If you are looking at the Caribbean, I would go with Jan/Feb given hurricaneeason in September and for Hawaii there are cruises there in Jan/Feb so for those locations I would highly recommend Jan/Feb. For Alaska, then September.

 

6) Which lines have the better food? We both love to cook, like to eat, and are impressed with great food & presentation. Do you "miss" the formal dinners & dinning companions when you go with a ship that has freestyle type dinning?

 

This is a matter of personal choice. If you are looking at lines such as Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, Princess, Holland, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival and say Holland my personal belief is that Celebrity is the best of these lines in terms of food and their presentation. They get consistent high marks in this area from passenger's and critics. So, out of the mass market and premium lines I would highly recommend Celebrity. I would avoid their smallest ship (Zenith) which dates back from the early 1990's.

 

If you wanted to spend more, a luxury line to consider is Crystal. It's pricier than the others as it is in the luxury market but will amaze you in terms of food and service.

 

What I can't stress enough is that I highly recommend starting to plan this now and to do your booking soon.

 

One other suggestion. When I first started to cruise I picked up a book called the Complete Guide to Ocean Cruising b Douglas Ward. The publisher is Berlitz. It has over a 100 pages providing a nice overview on cruising and then several hundred pages (about one to three pages per cruise ship) that provides a nice summary on each cruise ship and also rates them. Regardless, of whether people agree with the ratings (I personally think they are reasonable) it really provides a worth of knowledge.

 

You can get it on say Amazon.com or at a Barnes and Noble book store. I think it is about $17.00 on Amazon and I think given how much people spend on cruising it is a wonderful source of information and a minor expense relative to the entire vacation. I get an update copy every couple of years just to have as a reference.

 

Keith

[montgomeryfamily]

If you want to go on your actual anniversary date, depending on when it is in September, if you want to go to the Caribbean, you will be limited as Celebrity and Holland America have no ships in the Caribbean for summer of 2006. They will be repositioning some ships in the Caribbean and other locations in late September. So I recommend if you want to cruise during this time that you take Princess. The Caribbean Princess is sailing 7 day cruises and the Crown Princess is doing some 9 day cruises that include the Caribbean and Bermuda.

 

If you wait until January or February, then there would be some additional options, including Celebrity. So this might be a consideration for you.

 

However, the prices in January and February are usually more expensive than September (also probably due to hurricane season) and you will need a passport.

 

Princess does offer some very nice activities for couples that Celebrity does not offer. There are some couple's spa treatments which are romantic, balcony breakfast and dinner, which you can purchase, and probably easier to get a table for two, especially with the anytime dining. Celebrity does have great service and, if you book a suite, you can have dinner on your balcony also.

 

If you want to go earlier, Cruise Critic has a group cruise on August 19, 2006 on the Caribbean Princess. We'd love to have you aboard with the group.

 

Regardless of what you chose, a cruise will be a wonderful way to spend your anniversary. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kacruiser@ev1.net.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

There are some very nice 10 and 11 day cruises that sail the Mexican Reviera, round trip from Los Angeles and San Diego from October to April. There is a lot of competition on these route which means that there are some great deals. All of the majors provide a nice cruise experience, and for a first timer you probably could not tell the difference between the luxury and the very nice.

 

Book your own air and arrive the day before your cruise. When planning your return flight, consider the distance from the cruise terminal to the airport. For example the airport in San Diego is about a 10 to 15 minute ride from the cruise terminal. Galveston however, is an hour to two hours from the major Houston airports. Generally the ship will arrive back in port about 7:00 AM and then the disembarkation process begins. The time consuming aspect of this is US Customs. As they (US Customs) have a very important job to do, it is difficult to estimate how much time it takes to get off the ship, through Customs and to the airport. Again, much depends on the airport.

 

A cruise that is round trip from Los Angeles or San Diego to Mexico would be very enjoyable and a wonderful way to celebrate your anniversary.

 

Hope that this helps,

 

Fred

[Cruisin' Chick]

I hope to be a first-time cruiser within a year. My DH and I would like to celebrate our 10th anniversary with a cruise (as a couple, no kids). Our anniversary is in Sept. 2006, but we'd also consider Jan. or Feb. 2007 to escape our Minnesota winters. I have read Cruising for Dummies and the Unofficial Guide to Cruising, but I'm still confused/overwhelmed by choosing the line, ship, and itinerary. Here are my questions. Please help me narrow my choices.

 

1) When should be decide/book? OK, some say book early & save; others say wait for deals that will appear 1-2 months before the cruise. Getting time off from work with about 1 month notice should be ok.

 

***We have booked anywhere from eight days before to 13 months ahead. Our last one was the 13 months ahead, booked as soon as we decided so that we can get the cabin we want. Also on Princess, if you want traditional dining, it's best to request that early too.

 

2) Mainstream or Luxury? We'd be willing to pay more if we were getting more. Are the costs worth it to go Luxury? I have heard great things about Celebrity; that Carnival is more of a party atmosphere: True/False? If going Luxury, which line?

 

***We have only gone on Carnival and Princess. I've read good and bad about every cruiseline. It's so subjective. We preferred to go on more cruises. And with a eight year old that's coming with us, child-friendly is a major consideration. But even before having kids, we have never had a problem with the little ones (except on our last cruise, but that was due to some parents who were pretty inconsiderate). We also save on getting inside cabins. But that is our preference****

 

3) Itinerary and Ports? Any intinerary will be of places neither of us has been. But how do you choose?! We'd like to see Alaska, but I think I'd rather wait when I can do 2 weeks in Alaska for a land & cruise experience; so I think we've narrowed it to Caribbean or Mexico maybe Hawaii. Does the port of origin matter?

 

***IMO, that should be your first consideration. Decide on your port. I always suggest trying a short cruise -- 3 or 4 days. That will limit you but gives you a chance to see if you like cruising. On my last cruise, a 15-day one to Hawaii, there was a couple going on their first one. Not a good choice as there tends to be rough seas for a couple of days. And they got sick.***

 

4) Is is better to arrange your own flights or get a package which includes the flight?

 

***if you go through the cruiseline, make sure they don't stick you with an undesirable flight. One time we used a TA that booked thru the cruiseline and when I opened the package, I discovered we were given a red-eye flight. I immediately demanded a change. Another piece of advice: try to fly out at least a day ahead. There's always a chance of weather or mechanical problems. Why risk missing the ship when you can have a day to get adjusted to any time zone changes and a day or two to relax.***

 

 

5) When should we go? What are your opinions on Sept. 2006, or Jan./Feb. 2007?

 

***depends on the destination***

6) Which lines have the better food? We both love to cook, like to eat, and are impressed with great food & presentation. Do you "miss" the formal dinners & dinning companions when you go with a ship that has freestyle type dinning?

 

***again, subjective. Even varies from ship to ship on the same cruiseline.***

 

Thank you so much.

 

So, first decide on places you want to visit. Then see what ships are going and when. Pad your arrival and departure dates so you want miss the boat or flight.