new to bermuda cruising

[travelcrazy006]

there are 9 of us (all adults) wanting to cruise to bermuda in june 09. of the 9 i am the only one who has ever cruised and that was only once, to alaska. i have found that NCL is the only one that does a 7 day bermuda only cruise. we all live in southeast new england (RI and MA), so either boston or NY is fine. needless to say we want to get the best price but are confused about how to do that. work constraints hold us to the 6/19 or 6/21 cruises. are we better off going directly through NCL? what about expedia, etc. or just through a travel agent? We are hoping to get 1 balcony (for 3 adults) with 3 inside staterooms across from the balcony (with 2 in each cabin). should we book now, or will the prices go down maybe? is the Dawn or the Spirit better? i've heard that the dawn has had some bad luck. it certainly would be easier and cheaper for us to leave from boston but we are not against going from NY. sorry for so many questions but as you can see we are definitely newbies. thanks for whatever help you can be.

[davejohn]

If you definitely want 4 cabins close together, I'd consider booking as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the greater the chance you cabins will be all over the ship. Prices may go down as time goes on, but they may not too. It depends on how full the ships gets. Check around for prices with different agencies and see what you can get. One advantage to booking direct with NCL is that you deal with them directly. Otherwise you have to go through your agent.

 

I don't know what you're referring to about the Dawn. We sailed on the Dawn in April to Bermuda and the ship was great. We've booked the Dawn again for a Canada/NE cruise in Sept.

 

One thing to consider.....compare the parking in Boston to NYC. Parking at the cruise terminal in NYC can get quite expensive, $30 per night. Boston might be closer and cheaper.

[travelcrazy006]

davejohn, thanks so much for the advise. when you say agencies, do you mean on-line or the traditional kind? have you ever booked through an online place? BTW - great pics

any other advise please feel free to jump in, thanks

[Philly Steve]

I agree that it's best to book ASAP in order to snag staterooms in the same "neighborhood." Good to use a reliable travel agent if you have one (they can be on the look out for any discounts that may arise before your cruise). Otherwise, it's easy to book directly with NCL. Just check in periodically with your rep to see if you can get any discounts or upgrades before the sailing. We did, and we were able to land an oceanview cabin for the price we paid for an inside stateroom. Sounds like you're going to have a fun time! :)

[Nuncie]

Something you may want to keep in mind about the Spirit. Next year thier run will be from Fri to Fri instead of the Sunday to Sunday run. Spirit will also be docked at the Dockyards next to the Dawn.

The Dawn is a beautiful ship and I believe it is a bit larger than the Spirit. I have heard the Spirit is beautiful too.

Parking in Boston was $14 in June that may increase next year like everything else.

 

I don't think you will be disappointed in which ship you choose.

[Cattie]

I sailed the Spirit last year and was not impressed with it. The rooms where small, as where the bathrooms. Its totally up to you. I just wasn't impressed with it. Although I was never on the Dawn either, just have heard better reviews though.

[maun]

Dave,

Love your Bermuda pics. There was a pic of a beautiful flower garden. Where was that located?

~~Maun

[travelcrazy006]

thanks for all the advise. someone told me that you can book a cruise for next june with a down payment but cancel if need be by february or so and get your deposit back, does anyone know if that is true? there are a couple in my group that are not totally sure they can make it. also what does everyone think of cruising to bermuda around the second week in july - weather wise? was the spirit the one that got hit by that big 70 foot wave a while ago? also i read that they are going to refurbish the spirit this year, what exactly does that mean? is that just mechanical stuff or does that improve the rooms, etc? thanks again

[CastawayCruiser]

We are going to Bermuda on the Dawn June 7, 2009 with a Cruise Critic group cruise. The prices are great and there are perks like on board credit, wine, etc. If you are interested check the group cruise board and look for the Norwegian Dawn. All of the details for pricing and booking are in one of the threads.

 

We have sailed both the Spirit and the Dawn before. I prefer the Dawn - it is newer and larger. I enjoyed the Spirit but would pick the Dawn all other things being equal.