First Time Cruiser questions (lots!)

[bmw2000]

Hi all,

 

I'm a newbie to this forum. My husband and I will be celebrating our five-year wedding anniversary on 20 November and I want to surprise him with a Western Caribbean cruise. I've been looking at prices on Priceline/ Hotwire (seem to be the same). I've used Priceline before for hotel rooms and have always been happy, but are they good for cruises too? What are the hidden costs? Is it actually cheaper to go directly through the cruise line?

 

Also I've read that Holland America is mainly for seniors (we're in our twenties/ thirties), but I'm really interested in their cruise (good price, nice facilities etc). Would we be out of place? How does Norwegian compare? We're not really party people and have heard bad things about Carnival, so it's not really about party atmosphere. How much of a difference does it make what the age groups of the other passengers are?

 

Also does anyone have any romance tips for cruising? I want to make this a really fabulous second honeymoon.

 

Lastly, is it hurricane season in November (the end)? I'm terrified we'll be caught in something nasty. I've never cruised before and am somewhat nervous.

 

Any advice appreciated.

[kitty9]

If this is your very first cruise I would highly recommend finding a good local travel agent and talking to her about what you want. You're not paying them anything and if they find a cruise that you like, for a good price, then book with the travel agent. A TA can handle any problems that might come up, which is something an internet company sometimes cannot, or will not, do for you. If you decide to go via the internet route, make sure to ask them if the price is all inclusive, which means things like taxes, port charges and the rest.

 

HAL is known as a cruise line for older folks, but if you like the itinerary, then go for it. A cruise is what YOU make of it and the other passengers shouldn't matter. I'm not a fan of NCL (I just think their food and service is really sub-par) and I don't think they can come close to HAL in terms of food and service, and if you take one of Carnival's newer ships they really aren't like the party ships of old.

 

Hurricane season is until Nov 30, but hurricanes in November are quite few, so don't worry about that.

[cruisinqt]

There are some Carnival cruises where it's a big party atmosphere with drinking and loud partygoers. But it's mainly on the smaller 3 or 4 day cruises that are on holidays. I've been on tons of 7 day cruises with Carnival and have seen nothing but first class people, first class service and wonderful food. Don't count them out, just be sure to go on a 7 day or longer cruise if you cruise with them, and stay away from summertime cruises when the ships are overcrowded and filled with youngsters.:)

 

I also am a big fan of RCI and would highly recommend them too. Many of their ships have extras like rock climbing walls and skating rinks. They also have daily exercise programs scheduled. And every time you do the daily scheduled exercise routine you get an ocean adventure dollar. These ocean adventure dollars can add up and be used to buy lots of neat stuff at the end of the cruise. You can buy stuff like ball caps, t-shirts, key chains, lanyards, beach totes, bags, etc.:)

 

HAL is very upscale and nice but the average age on the ship will probably be way up there. You won't see many twenty/thirty somethings there at all. I wouldn't be surprised if you were the only twenty/thirty something couple on the cruise since it's off season in November. But if you're loners and don't really care about being around people your age, then this cruise would be perfect. HAL is quite elegant.

 

As for RCI, and Carnival, you will probably come across lots of young people your age. I have made quite a few good friends on board the ship and even shared taxi cabs with them when going to local bars while in port to hang out together. We've also arranged to do excursions with other couples while in port and had a blast. We are very social and enjoy being around other people our age. This is why we like RCI and Carnival so much, and after all of our cruises we have yet to see the "drunk party atmosphere" Carnival has been reputed to have. Maybe it is because we go on the 7 day or longer cruises.

Anyway, those are just some of the positives for going on a cruise with more people of your age. But if you're wanting alone time together to have a cozy private anniversary, then I would go with HAL. If you think your hubby would prefer to have other young people around, then go with RCI or Carnival.:)

 

I've only went on one NCL cruise, so I don't have a lot of experience with them. We went in the off season around October and it was mostly older folks which was kind of a downer for us because we are in our thirties and were looking for someone our age to talk to and maybe hang with. Like I said we don't have a lot of experience with NCL and don't know if this is typical of them or not. We weren't a big fan of the freestyle dining either. So we went back to RCI and Carnival and have never looked back!:D

 

I wouldn't worry about hurricanes, they usually end in November. In fact there are rarely any hurricanes in November. I think this hurricane season has just been exceptionally bad and has everyone on edge and worried sick. I wouldn't worry about it. I hope this helps, happy cruising and enjoy your anniversary!

[Host Walt]

I agree with the suggestion that you use a live travel agent, not a website. Click here Finding a Cruise Travel Agent to help in choosing an agent.

 

From that article, this is the most important part. "Interview the agent, and don't be afraid to ask how many cruises he or she has been on. If you don't feel comfortable with that agent, move on to another." Don't be afraid to be tenacious when first chatting with an agent; but also be sure they know you are definitely serious. Agents are approached all too often by folks who have them do a lot of research, but are not really able to afford a cruise.

 

As for your choice of lines, HAL is definitely getting a younger passenger and, while it is not a "party ship" it is still popular with younger people.

 

Princess is not as elegant as HAL but is also a good choice.

 

In any case, a good cruise agent can give you all the particulars.

[trish1c]

I don't know anything about HAL, except I too have heard the rumor that they have an older demographic. If you have an "older soul" & I do, you might have a great time.

 

We're about your age. Our 1st cruise was RCI Majesty of the Seas & we were hooked. It was too short though. RCI seemed to have alot of active people on it -- it was a sporty cruise.

 

We sailed NCL's Sky (no longer in service on that route) for our 2nd cruise last spring & loved it. We especially enjoyed freestyle dining -- eating when we wanted not on some pre-set schedule. The age range was varied: 20-80's.

 

Getting professional help or at least reading everything you can is never a bad idea.

[StephenJohnson]

My wife and I went on our first cruise for our fifth anniversary, and got the bug big time. Since then, I've never met a cruise I didn't like.

 

You can either follow other folks or pick for yourself -an excellent reference book is the Unofficial guide to Cruises which can help point you in the right direction. An excellent piece of advice I was offered early on is: look at the people in the brochures - do they look like the folks you want to hang out with? They're picked carefully to appeal the line's key demographics, so it's not a bad technique.

 

Good luck, good cruising!

[The Cellar Dweller]

BMW2000

 

My wife and I have been crusing many years been on Norwegin Line many time. Age is a mix. It's to bad the Norway isn't running in the states. What an elegant ship. I highly recommend making arrangements through a TA. They say the large volume TA, the better discounts. No cost to you. Also, not sure where you would be flying in from but it would be best if you came in the day before. No pressure, your better relax.

Yes, November is still Hurrican season. Generally the western carribean is peak in November while eastern is peak in late Sept and October.

 

Several years ago my wife and I were in the western carribean in November along with Roxanne, yes Roxanne was a hurrican. All ports were cancelled. They rerouted to Jamaica, not my favorite port. It was one our favorite cruises. We had a great time on board.

Best of luck to both of you.

[Ellya]

You didn't mention what ship from HAL you were considering, but the Zuiderdam is definately a ship which attracts all ages. When we sailed there were many people from every age group. The activities are very varied and there is lots to do for younger people. My daughter and her friend were both 18 and they had a great time.

[Goldens]

Yes, a good TA can be very informative. I find the boards helpful but keep in mind it is just someone elses opinion and experience. I believe as well a cruise is what you make it!

 

Our first cruise (10 yrs. ago) was not a good experience for various reasons. I didn't know much about cruising and our TA didn't prove to be that good. We had a good time and met some great people but it was not what we were looking for.

 

It took me 8 years to convince my husband to cruise again. Now, he is hooked! That's all I have to do is mention "cruise" and were off!

 

We are 40 years old and like a good party but also enjoy the quiet times to read and relax. Not into "loud" crowds.

 

We have cruised RCCL (VOS & AOS) with friends, twice and loved it!

 

Last Feb. we wanted something different so we booked Hal (Oosterdam). The great price did influence us.

It was just the two of us and we were looking for a more quiet, relaxed cruise and that is exactly what we got. It was very apparent that the passengers were much older than us.

 

No matter how busy a ship may be, you can always find a quiet spot.

 

This month we are booked on Carnival Conquest. We are wanting a more active ship this time and people around our own age.

 

We have enjoyed all our cruises. The ships are all beautiful! And yes we have complaints but not worth mentioning. We love cruising and always come home with plans for our next one. We do enjoy the newer, bigger ships.

 

Go ahead and explore your options but don't take too long, the cruise ship may leave without you......AND you do not want that!

 

Plan, book and enjoy your 2nd Anniversary!!

 

Cathy

[freddiebud]

Lots of good advice here. But I just have to put in my 2 cents!! LOL!

 

A cruise is what you make of it. So pick the route you like. Use this website for suggestions of what to do and what to pack and that kind of stuff (and to kick the enthusiasm up a notch!). For your first time, go with an experienced agent so that you don't have to worry about details. Instead, spend your time worrying about how many desserts to order and how you will be able to do everything!

 

As to romance, walks around the deck at night, staring at the stars, watching the sun go down (or if you are an early bird, watching it come up), cocktails on your balcony, decorating your cabin, tell them it is your anniversary. Romance is all around.

[doone]

I sail HAL and have for well over 20 years, I am 47 years old. I have found the nicest people on HAL ships and a very nice mix of ages. Just remember one thing, the longer the cruise, the older the passenger will be and that's true of any cruise line. Time of year will also influence ages on ships. HAL is a more traditional cruise line, no rock climbing walls, no ice skating rinks. HAL's crew have always made me feel more like a guest vs. a passenger. HAL's passengers seemed to be more seasoned cruisers and have wonderful stories and experiences to share. Yes, I have sailed other lines, but I always feel like I am at home when I sail HAL.

 

I have found HAL cabins to be some of the largest of any cruise line, I am always very comfortable in them, unlike a few other lines I have sailed that I felt like I was in a closet.

 

I say if you find an itinerary that you like, book it, don't worry about age, you may miss the best cruise of your life worrying about the silliest things.

 

I hope this helps.