Getting close to booking..what should I know?

[divinmule]

I can't express how excited I am to finally be planning our 1st cruise:D . I have pretty well nailed down which port, ship,date, and destination. I have figured out the general area I would like our cabin to be. However now I'm wondering what is the best way to book the cruise.

 

Should I go thru the cruise line?

 

Advantages of going thru one of the discount online sites...free excursions etc.?

 

Any important info I should ask when booking?

 

Thanks so much for your input. I find this site to be addictive already...can't imagine what will happen as I get closer to actually cruising!!!!

[montgomeryfamily]

It would help in providing suggestions if you posted which cruise line/ship you were considering. Also, are you military or a veteran, over 55, or an airline employee?

[divinmule]

I think we've decided on Carnival Celebration sailing from Jacksonville 2nd or 3rd week in August.

My husband is over 55 and served as an officer in the National guard for 15 years but was never involved in a conflict.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Lari

[montgomeryfamily]

Several cruise lines offer "senior discounts" for various cruises. "Senior" is considered to be over 55. Also, sometimes there are resident rates, where a cruise line is offering special discounted rates to people in certain states. So when you book, you should inquire about both of these possibilities. You could probably find this out about this specific cruise with Carnival by calling them directly.

 

In addition, Carnival offers military discounts for many cruises. So based on your husband's honorable service, it is possible that you may be able to get a military rate on the cruise you are looking at booking. You would need to check to see if a military rate was being offered. Usually it is only good for a few cabins and only for certain categories. I don't know if Carnival would tell you whether this rate is available for your cruise or not. But you can check with a SATO office.

 

We are going on a Cruise Critic group cruise on the August 19, 2006 Caribbean Princess and if you change your mind about the Carnival cruise, it would great if you joined our cruise. I don't know if there are any senior rates (would have to check with the TA), but group rates are available and you also receive $50 cabin shipboard credit, a photo voucher, and some other freebies like some Cruise Critic stuff. It is an Eastern Caribbean intinerary going to St. Thomas, St. Martin, and Princess Cay leaving from Ft. Lauderdale. You can also get a referral credit if you haven't booked on Princess before. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me at kacruiser@ev1.net.

[Lynne79]

Call Carnival directly and ask about the military rate. DH and I are planning for our first cruise and I spoke to Carnival today. All you have to do is fax them discharge papers and anyone who served for 2 or more years can get the discount. It's saving us almost $400 on a 7-day western Caribbean cruise. (They do limit the number of people on each ship who can get the discount, but since you're booking well in advance, I would think they'd have plenty left.)

 

I believe all the cruise lines have a discount for people 55 and over, which I think you can get through any of the web sites. If you don't go through the cruise line, I have heard good things about cruise.com and *****.com.

 

Hope this helps!

[RevSmith]

First time cruisers should use a travel agent, they are free and helpful. Find one right away and stick with them. They give you little gifts, personal service and are partically responcible if anything goes wrong...please don't do this yourself.

[janetz]

Shop around. There are many good cruise aganets out there. A few questions for them may be...Do you charge a cancellation fee if we cancell our booking with you? Or do you monitor prices for a drop after booking? In which case your TA should be able to get $$ off, upgrade you or get you onboard credit. I use 3 different TA's..One sells mostly Carnival, another Princess, and another Celebrity. I have gotten the best prices from my agents. They work for their clients. It is such fun to plan a cruise! :D

[Seago2]

It is true that a TA will do much of your work for you. The problem is that every time I consult a local TA I get rates that are so much higher than Expedia and Travelocity that I am in shock. I have used Expedia for three cruises- no problem so far. My last cruise was for me and four kids- and then within the last three weeks my mother and aunt decided to go. Expedia changed a fifth passenger from my cabin to a second in my mom's cabin, and a fourth passenger from my cabin to a second in my aunt's. That involved a lot of money flying back and forth and major confusion- no problems. They also helped me with a ton of other things. This time around I have called them for my Latitudes number (NCL gave me the wrong one), called them to make sure my bed was a queen, to see what guarantee cabin I was assigned, and a few other things which I now forget. Each time they put me on hold for a minute while they called NCL and got my answer. The prices are the lowest I've seen anywhere. The best part is that I can shop and compare cruises on line in my own time.

 

Just MHO!

[celbercrz333]

Just keep in mind that the time of year you are going in and the location is in the hurricane lanes. We never made it to Nassau because of Hurricane Jeanne in 2004. We booked both of our cruises ourselves directly with the cruise line. We had no problems at all and it was most likely cheaper than going through a TA. I know some people swear by their TAs and that's fine. We just found that by calling the cruise line, their agents were very good. They asked us all kinds of questions and knew the ship top to bottom and could answer our questions. We still get e-mails from our agent telling us about specials that Carnival is having. Celebrity was our first cruise and my brother & his wife had done the same exact cruise that we did, only a few years earlier. If you know someone personally that has gone on a cruise, you might feel comfortable doing it all yourself directly with the cruiseline. If you don't feel comfortable doing it yourself, then maybe a TA would be your best option.

[tangerinebunny]

My advice is to use common sense and do what you're most comfortable with. In our case, it's Expedia. Whatever method you choose, keep copies of the paperwork yourself and bring it with you.

[Seago2]

celbercrz: You just reminded me of something I can't believe I forgot to write: make SURE to buy appropriate insurance- ESPECIALLY if you are cruising next August. A TA will be sure to hook you up with it, but if you are buying on line be sure to purchase it- at the same time as you book.

 

Happy cruising!

[Happy ks]

I'd use a TA the first time, if I were you, but look at some of the online prices, to be sure they are in line with what you can book yourself.

 

Additionally:

 

1. Book air independent of the cruise line, you can usually save enough money to:

 

2. Go at least 1 or 2 days in advance of boarding the ship. You will arrive more rested and in a much better frame of mind than if you are boarding stressed out from travelling all day. Don't believe the myth that the ship will wait for you if you have cruise air, they will only assist you in finding a way to get to the next port, to catch up to the ship. You can do the same yourself with a cell phone and a good travel insurance policy, which brings us to:

 

3. Buy travel insurance from a third party, never from the cruiseline. www.insuremytrip.com is a good place to compare costs.

 

4. Do not go out and buy a new wardrobe expressly for the cruise. Use what you already have, perhaps buy a few new things. But, a cruise is not a fashion show.

 

5. Do not take the packing lists you will read on these boards too seriously. If you have to ask what an item is used for, you don't need it. The ships are very sophisticated and will provide everything you need, with the exception of your clothes, personal toiletries and a good camera, you'll want a very small first aid kit along, too.

 

6. Don't assume the dining room takes too long for breakfast. We avoid the buffet and always have a far more pleasant experience in the dining room. If you're in a hurry, just tell the servers. We have gone with our kids when they get b-fast in the buffet (they sleep in late) and it has actually taken longer there.

 

7. Study the ports you will visit and make plans for one activity and try not to just walk around town and shop. You've paid a whole lot of money to visit a foreign land, so see a bit of it. If there is time left over after your excursion, then shop a bit. Also, you can get drunk at home, or back on the ship, if you do that sort of thing. Use your time more wisely.

 

8. (geez, there's a lot to know!) Have a plan B in place, in case the ship does not make it to the port you thought you were going to. Many things can happen, weather, mechanical, medical emergencies. Most cruises go smoothly, but if you hang around here long enough, you will read some "cruise from hell" posts. Be flexible enough to enjoy an alternate port, or take a good book along and enjoy your "lost" day of total relaxation.

 

9. Don't forget to take along a huge dose of humor, you may need it a few times. It makes the time waiting in line, or the cold eggs benedict, or the grumpy senior/baby/teen/smoker/inebriated/rude person you encounter much easier to handle.

 

10. Clean up nice for dinner!

 

Have a wonderful time planning your cruise. You may find it's (almost, not quite ;) ) as fun as the cruise itself.

 

I forgot to add, make your own ground transportation arrangements, easier, quicker and most of the time cheaper than the cruise line. Bottom line is, you want the cruise line to provide you only with the cruise portion of the vacation, take control of your own destiny and plan the rest yourself. Believe me, it will save you time, money and major frustration.

[Happy ks]

celbercrz: You just reminded me of something I can't believe I forgot to write: make SURE to buy appropriate insurance- ESPECIALLY if you are cruising next August. A TA will be sure to hook you up with it, but if you are buying on line be sure to purchase it- at the same time as you book.

 

Happy cruising!

 

I have to partially disagree with this statement.

 

If you have a pre-existing condition or an elderly parent, purchasing at the time of booking is the right thing to do. We have none of those issues, so we buy insurance after final payment. That way, if we have to cancel the cruise before final payment, we are not out the cost of the insurance.

 

Sometimes, I do understand the insurance company may transfer the coverage to another trip, you would have to check this out.

 

I really don't like giving money to a company, especially an insurance company, until I absolutely have to :) .

[Seago2]

Great posts, Happy K's! That is great advice.

 

When I mentioned insurance I was referring to trip insurance, not illness/injury insurance. It will be a long time before I book another August cruise (so I say- watch me do it this summer!!).

[Happy ks]

Another thought came to me, I can hardly believe I didn't say this in my original, too long, post.

 

Don't be in a hurry to get off the ship when it returns. If you can, it's delightful to stay an extra day in the port town, if not, don't book an early flight home. Delays can happen and you may not make it to the airport in time for your flight. Sometimes the wait is long to disembark, so make sure you don't have a lot to carry off that day. Your luggage has to be out by midnight the night before, so if you are packed, wear your disembarkment clothes the rest of the evening. Of course, staying up till midnight is rare for me, so I usually just pack up and go to bed.

 

I get a bit testy if I follow a wonderful vacation with a stressful travel day. I think I should just be allowed to be on a permanent vacation!

[captNcrunch]

It is true that a TA will do much of your work for you. The problem is that every time I consult a local TA I get rates that are so much higher than Expedia and Travelocity that I am in shock. Just MHO!

 

Thats interesting, my TA always gets me prices that beat everyone else :confused: . Of course I use a Cruise Only Agency, maybe that makes a difference!

[madelinerose]

I book online and have found both of these sites to be high.

 

It is true that a TA will do much of your work for you. The problem is that every time I consult a local TA I get rates that are so much higher than Expedia and Travelocity that I am in shock. The prices are the lowest I've seen anywhere.

[metrowon]

I'd use a TA the first time, if I were you, but look at some of the online prices, to be sure they are in line with what you can book yourself.

 

Additionally:

 

1. Book air independent of the cruise line, you can usually save enough money to:

 

2. Go at least 1 or 2 days in advance of boarding the ship. You will arrive more rested and in a much better frame of mind than if you are boarding stressed out from travelling all day. Don't believe the myth that the ship will wait for you if you have cruise air, they will only assist you in finding a way to get to the next port, to catch up to the ship. You can do the same yourself with a cell phone and a good travel insurance policy, which brings us to:

 

3. Buy travel insurance from a third party, never from the cruiseline. www.insuremytrip.com is a good place to compare costs.

 

4. Do not go out and buy a new wardrobe expressly for the cruise. Use what you already have, perhaps buy a few new things. But, a cruise is not a fashion show.

 

5. Do not take the packing lists you will read on these boards too seriously. If you have to ask what an item is used for, you don't need it. The ships are very sophisticated and will provide everything you need, with the exception of your clothes, personal toiletries and a good camera, you'll want a very small first aid kit along, too.

 

6. Don't assume the dining room takes too long for breakfast. We avoid the buffet and always have a far more pleasant experience in the dining room. If you're in a hurry, just tell the servers. We have gone with our kids when they get b-fast in the buffet (they sleep in late) and it has actually taken longer there.

 

7. Study the ports you will visit and make plans for one activity and try not to just walk around town and shop. You've paid a whole lot of money to visit a foreign land, so see a bit of it. If there is time left over after your excursion, then shop a bit. Also, you can get drunk at home, or back on the ship, if you do that sort of thing. Use your time more wisely.

 

8. (geez, there's a lot to know!) Have a plan B in place, in case the ship does not make it to the port you thought you were going to. Many things can happen, weather, mechanical, medical emergencies. Most cruises go smoothly, but if you hang around here long enough, you will read some "cruise from hell" posts. Be flexible enough to enjoy an alternate port, or take a good book along and enjoy your "lost" day of total relaxation.

 

9. Don't forget to take along a huge dose of humor, you may need it a few times. It makes the time waiting in line, or the cold eggs benedict, or the grumpy senior/baby/teen/smoker/inebriated/rude person you encounter much easier to handle.

 

10. Clean up nice for dinner!

 

Have a wonderful time planning your cruise. You may find it's (almost, not quite ;) ) as fun as the cruise itself.

 

I forgot to add, make your own ground transportation arrangements, easier, quicker and most of the time cheaper than the cruise line. Bottom line is, you want the cruise line to provide you only with the cruise portion of the vacation, take control of your own destiny and plan the rest yourself. Believe me, it will save you time, money and major frustration.

Those are good 10 hardfast, good advice tips. Metrowon

[metrowon]

First time cruisers should use a travel agent, they are free and helpful. Find one right away and stick with them. They give you little gifts, personal service and are partically responcible if anything goes wrong...please don't do this yourself.

If you are reading this on your computer, you are very capable of finding out how to spend your own money! Anytime you see 40% off, you have too understand that July 4th. week, and Christmas cruises, might be where the 40% off comes from. Sept/Oct rates are generally reasonable. Get to work Metrowon

[rin1]

Good info, Happy ks!

 

I elected to skip the travel agent myself, as I can cancel through the cruiseline and get all of my money back. I'm also a little soured on travel agents at the moment - they are hard to find in my area (I don't live in a major metropolitan area) and on our Hawaiian honeymoon we received little to no extra service (particularly disappointed on a lack of a lei upon arrival. Just made me sad). I plan to book insurance separately.

[cruisinbuddy]

When booking your cabin, take a look at ALL the deck plans and pictures you can. When I went on the Golden Princess we originaly thought a balcony on the promenade deck, cheapest one. Then I started looking at everything, pics and deckplans. Well I discovered that people could walk by at any time. Keep your curtains closed. So the T/A was talking to the rep and for another $43.00 each we could go from the lowest balcony to the highest. Now these balconies were smaller than the next 2 decks below us, but we could look right down into those balconies. Do your homework, your privacy depends on it.