first timer with questions to ask

Hi Everyone,

After 12 years of holidaying in Orlando/Miami, we have decided to take a year off and try a cruise in 2018 (no previous cruise experience).

As an avid planner, I am looking forward to the challenge of finding the right cruise for us at a good price, but before I even get that far there seems to obstacles to overcome.

At the moment all I know is we want to take a 10 or 14 night Western Med cruise (Barcelona, Monaco, Rome, etc) inc flights from Manchester.

I am sure I will be asking for much more advice along this journey, before we even hit the deck of a ship, so if any of you can help with the below, I will be very grateful.

1/ when is the best time to take the cruise with consideration to price and weather. We are looking at May/June or Sept/Oct

2/ Should I look for cruises offering drinks packages as an add-on or even as included in the price ? We are not real drinkers and would probably only drink 3 or 4 alcoholic beverages in a day (I would probably drink more coffee)

3/ Dont think a inside cabin would be for us, so a outside cabin or even a balcony would be what we are looking for. Are balcony rooms ever available as free or little increase in the total cost of the cruise ?

4/ Best place and when to book a cruise at the best price

5/ We do not really want to dress for dinner. Are there restaurants on cruises which cater for this. (smart shorts or smart casual dress)

6/ I would probably look to book excursions privately either via the internet beforehand or when we hit the ports. Is this something you have had experience of and has it been straight forward as well as saving money

7/ gratuities. I guess these are compulsary. Are they paid per day to the individual concerned or at the end of the cruise

A reputable travel agent can provide you all the info for your guidance.

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In general, prices in Sept/Oct will be less expensive than those in May/June.

In general, prices in Sept/Oct will be less expensive than those in May/June.

cheers, thanks for that Bob

If a drink package on whatever line you choose is a "free perk", then take it...you won't have to worry about prices! But, if you have to PAY for a package, with what you said you might drink, it's better to simply pay "a la carte" for the drinks you want. Included beverages are: ice water, coffee, tea (iced or hot), lemonade or flavored water, milk, and juice during breakfast. If you can get buy with those things, and only an occasional alcoholic drink, you'll come out ahead without the packages.

Hi Everyone,

 

After 12 years of holidaying in Orlando/Miami, we have decided to take a year off and try a cruise in 2018 (no previous cruise experience).

As an avid planner, I am looking forward to the challenge of finding the right cruise for us at a good price, but before I even get that far there seems to obstacles to overcome.

At the moment all I know is we want to take a 10 or 14 night Western Med cruise (Barcelona, Monaco, Rome, etc) inc flights from Manchester.

I am sure I will be asking for much more advice along this journey, before we even hit the deck of a ship, so if any of you can help with the below, I will be very grateful.

 

1/ when is the best time to take the cruise with consideration to price and weather. We are looking at May/June or Sept/Oct

 

2/ Should I look for cruises offering drinks packages as an add-on or even as included in the price ? We are not real drinkers and would probably only drink 3 or 4 alcoholic beverages in a day (I would probably drink more coffee)

 

3/ Dont think a inside cabin would be for us, so a outside cabin or even a balcony would be what we are looking for. Are balcony rooms ever available as free or little increase in the total cost of the cruise ?

 

4/ Best place and when to book a cruise at the best price

 

5/ We do not really want to dress for dinner. Are there restaurants on cruises which cater for this. (smart shorts or smart casual dress)

 

6/ I would probably look to book excursions privately either via the internet beforehand or when we hit the ports. Is this something you have had experience of and has it been straight forward as well as saving money

 

7/ gratuities. I guess these are compulsary. Are they paid per day to the individual concerned or at the end of the cruise

I would look at May along with September/October prices. May can have attractive pricing as well particularly early May and the weather is quite nice.

Based on how much you drink I would look at both options.

Sometimes there are promotions for balconies and sometimes there is a very small price difference.

I believe in booking as early as you can. Why? Because the lowest price rooms go first as do the ones in the more optimal locations. We book early and if the price goes down we followup to get a lower price.

Several cruise lines offer casual dining so no worries.

Booking private excursions are easy. On cruise critic there is a port of call section where you can get a lot of idea. I also use Trip Advisor at http://www.tripadvisor.com to find most of our private excursions.

Most gratuities are based on per diem.

Keith

You definitely need to talk with a TA in person.

Have the TA ask what the cost of the cruise is with and without the drink package. There can be a big savings if choose not to take the drink package -- especially with as little as you drink.

Some crew get their gratuities at the end of the cruise from the front office. Some lines do it once a month. This varies by cruise lines.

Dress codes vary by cruise lines. There is always the option of going to the Lido buffet if you want to wear shorts for dinner.

Once you have decided on a ship and booked the cruise, then come back to Cruise Critic and join your Roll Call (another section of the board) and see what private tours others are doing.

Both spring and early autumn are pleasantly warm; beware of school holidays, as prices increase.

Be aware that most USA managed ships charge a lot for alcohol- we read that one line charges $59 per person per day for an all inclusive package- around £40. We've paid £15 on a UK managed line, and as pub price is offered for most drinks on those lines, a package isn't really worth it.

The main ships which stick to formal nights are the UK lines, but all have places where informal dress can be worn, such as the buffet and speciality restaurants. USA lines sailing out of the UK have mainly European passengers, who do dress more formally because they've been used to that in the past with Cunard/P&O etc.

Gratuities are not compulsory, but will be taken from your account each day. Again, they differ according to the management of the line, but will range from £4 to £6 on most UK ships, and I'm not sure with the USA ones these days, but used to be around £8.

Look at outside cabins- check out the obstructed ones, which can be cheaper- Google pictures to see what the obstruction is. We've had one where the window was almost blacked out (an upgrade from an inside!) to ones where you just had a little bit of a lifeboat showing.

Best time to book? You can get last minute deals- we've done cruises with just days to go, but we're retired, so timing's no problem. Not all cruises reduce at the last min, but you can join several cruise travel sites and ask for emails.

One cruise to consider for sheer convenience, is with P&O's Oceana, out of Malta. You fly with a charter plane out of Manchester, so you're looked after right from the start- no fussing about taxis to get to the ship.

Another way is by Thomson- their ships are older, but you're with Thomson from check in to landing back at MAN. Both of these lines keep you on board on the final day until it's time to fly home- most lines want you off by 10am, whatever your flight time.

Enjoy planning! :)

Agree with most, you should talk to a TA, make sure they know all your likes and dis-likes. Tell them everything you want in a vacation and let them come back to you with a few ideas.

As far as sightseeing goes, get a copy of Rick Steves' Mediterranean Cruise Ports. He will tell you what there is to see/do in the time you have in port, and how to do it without booking an expensive excursion. On his website you can download free audio tours for ipod/mp3 for some ports, and print out maps to go along. EM

Both spring and early autumn are pleasantly warm; beware of school holidays, as prices increase.

Be aware that most USA managed ships charge a lot for alcohol- we read that one line charges $59 per person per day for an all inclusive package- around £40. We've paid £15 on a UK managed line, and as pub price is offered for most drinks on those lines, a package isn't really worth it.

The main ships which stick to formal nights are the UK lines, but all have places where informal dress can be worn, such as the buffet and speciality restaurants. USA lines sailing out of the UK have mainly European passengers, who do dress more formally because they've been used to that in the past with Cunard/P&O etc.

Gratuities are not compulsory, but will be taken from your account each day. Again, they differ according to the management of the line, but will range from £4 to £6 on most UK ships, and I'm not sure with the USA ones these days, but used to be around £8.

Look at outside cabins- check out the obstructed ones, which can be cheaper- Google pictures to see what the obstruction is. We've had one where the window was almost blacked out (an upgrade from an inside!) to ones where you just had a little bit of a lifeboat showing.

Best time to book? You can get last minute deals- we've done cruises with just days to go, but we're retired, so timing's no problem. Not all cruises reduce at the last min, but you can join several cruise travel sites and ask for emails.

One cruise to consider for sheer convenience, is with P&O's Oceana, out of Malta. You fly with a charter plane out of Manchester, so you're looked after right from the start- no fussing about taxis to get to the ship.

Another way is by Thomson- their ships are older, but you're with Thomson from check in to landing back at MAN. Both of these lines keep you on board on the final day until it's time to fly home- most lines want you off by 10am, whatever your flight time.

 

Enjoy planning! :)

Hi! I took a Med Cruise last year with Oceania cruise lines. It was a beautiful ship and excellent food. They often offer 2-for-1 deals. We paid $2999 per person for a 10 day cruise (9 port), cruise, and that included air from LAX, plus 6 land excursions. We went a week early to see Venice and Rome on our own, and booked great tours through Viator. Enjoy!!

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1. We did an eastern med in October and the weather was great. But it won't be hard to compare prices to see which works better for you.

2. Is that 3-4 drinks total or per person? If it's total, I wouldn't even worry about it. If it's per person it's worth looking in to. I can tell you that Norwegian cruise lines and celebrity have an ongoing promotion where you can get your drink package included in your booking price.

3. No, balcony rooms are at a premium.

4. I look online, up to you if you want to research for yourself or talk to a TA.

5. Most cruise lines anymore allow for smart casual most of the time. They will have 1-2 formal nights per sailing where they have a more stringent dress code. However, this only applies in the main dining room so you can eat room service, at the buffet, or a specialty restaurant those nights if you prefer. Norwegian is the ultimate 'casual' cruising. No formal nights. There are two main dining room; one where anything goes (outside of swim wear) and one that requires long pants. But never a need to dress up.

6. Yes and yes. Many European ports can be done on your own with taxis and ferries but there are some private tour operators as well.

7. Yes, unless they are included in your book (depending on the line and promo they sometimes are), they are charged to your room daily, but you settle the balance at the end Of the cruise.

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I would look at May along with September/October prices. May can have attractive pricing as well particularly early May and the weather is quite nice.

 

Based on how much you drink I would look at both options.

 

Sometimes there are promotions for balconies and sometimes there is a very small price difference.

 

I believe in booking as early as you can. Why? Because the lowest price rooms go first as do the ones in the more optimal locations. We book early and if the price goes down we followup to get a lower price.

 

Several cruise lines offer casual dining so no worries.

 

Booking private excursions are easy. On cruise critic there is a port of call section where you can get a lot of idea. I also use Trip Advisor at www.tripadvisor.com to find most of our private excursions.

 

Most gratuities are based on per diem.

 

Keith

Thank you very much Keith for all your advice. Much appreciated

. NCL is charging $89 /£67.50 per day at least on US based cruises. I almost fell over, but would graciously accept their package as part of their promotional deals (though you indeed pay for part of it, plus 18% gratuity).

Thanks for this ..... very valuable information to start the ball rolling.

1. We did an eastern med in October and the weather was great. But it won't be hard to compare prices to see which works better for you.

 

2. Is that 3-4 drinks total or per person? If it's total, I wouldn't even worry about it. If it's per person it's worth looking in to. I can tell you that Norwegian cruise lines and celebrity have an ongoing promotion where you can get your drink package included in your booking price.

 

3. No, balcony rooms are at a premium.

 

4. I look online, up to you if you want to research for yourself or talk to a TA.

 

5. Most cruise lines anymore allow for smart casual most of the time. They will have 1-2 formal nights per sailing where they have a more stringent dress code. However, this only applies in the main dining room so you can eat room service, at the buffet, or a specialty restaurant those nights if you prefer. Norwegian is the ultimate 'casual' cruising. No formal nights. There are two main dining room; one where anything goes (outside of swim wear) and one that requires long pants. But never a need to dress up.

 

6. Yes and yes. Many European ports can be done on your own with taxis and ferries but there are some private tour operators as well.

 

7. Yes, unless they are included in your book (depending on the line and promo they sometimes are), they are charged to your room daily, but you settle the balance at the end Of the cruise.

 

 

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Thanks for all this. I have not used a TA for many years, choosing DIY and saving ££££, so online would be my preferred option.

thank you everyone for your help with mu first post here. I think the weeks/months ahead are going to be fun planning.

I will probably look to book at Christmas (maybe some sales on) and by then, I should have all the info I need

Onboard currency on US ships will be on USD, so you need to factor in possible fx rate changes between the time you book and your actual cruise.

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Thanks for all this. I have not used a TA for many years, choosing DIY and saving ££££, so online would be my preferred option.

Some would say that you'll save with a TA. I can't talk to the U.K. experience, only the US experience (though rumor is you can book through a US agent if you prefer the rates/promos/booking rules). You should not pay $1 more to book through a TA. Cruise line's rates are well publicized and TAs work to meet or beat those rates. Sometimes they can offer better rates because they get group rates due to their size. Sometimes they get standard rates but use their commission (from the cruise line) to purchase something for you - on board credit, prepaid gratuities, a bottle of wine, and sometimes they offer nothing extra and you are simply paying the same as you would when booking through the cruise line and just get the benefit of their knowledge.

However TAs are like any occupation; some are good at their job and some are not. I've read enough stories on here where people felt that the TA didn't explain their choices well enough or the booking terms; or they had trouble getting ahold of the TA for payments, changes, etc. So I only book w a TA after I've researched and know exactly what I want and if they offer me something - reduced rates, on board credit, etc.

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Certainly in the UK it is often the case that you will get a better deal booking through a TA rather than direct. You should certainly not discount using a TA. No harm in getting a quote from a TA and then comparing it to the price quoted by the cruise line.

A couple of points to note. Firstly that there are many different types of cabin grade. A balcony cabin at the front of the ship, underneath a public area will be considerably cheaper than a similar cabin mid-ships with cabins above and below. When looking at prices make sure you are comparing like for like. Secondly, pricing is extremely fluid. The price you see today may not be available tomorrow. If you see a price you are happy with, book it, and don't look back!

A balcony cabin at the front of the ship, underneath a public area will be considerably cheaper than a similar cabin mid-ships with cabins above and below.

Very important point. A cabin below a wooden deck where crew start putting up chairs and loungers early in the morning is not for us and we don't even sleep in!

We have the clothes down to an art! Bring 2 pairs of comfortable dressy (not cotton) black capri’s and then about 4 shirts (2 sparkly and two comfy shirts). Wear a pair of cotton or jeans capris, one pair of shorts and 2 bathing suits and two coverups. This is for Caribbean warm weather. No one is going to tabs on what you are wearing, except for that couple sitting near you at dinner that have nothing to say to each other and want something to gossip about. Oh and don’t forget the underwear ( unless you really want them to talk[emoji6])

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Actually, NCL is all inclusive for U.K. bookings.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2479569

Certainly in the UK it is often the case that you will get a better deal booking through a TA rather than direct. You should certainly not discount using a TA. No harm in getting a quote from a TA and then comparing it to the price quoted by the cruise line.

A couple of points to note. Firstly that there are many different types of cabin grade. A balcony cabin at the front of the ship, underneath a public area will be considerably cheaper than a similar cabin mid-ships with cabins above and below. When looking at prices make sure you are comparing like for like. Secondly, pricing is extremely fluid. The price you see today may not be available tomorrow. If you see a price you are happy with, book it, and don't look back!

I have been using the same travel agent for 20 years because she is my go to person for whatever I need. She has an inside tract to contact the cruise line to answer questions for me. A good TA is the best way to go. They should be responsive immediately to your questions. My TA responds by e-mail within 24 hours.

I think the prices are no different. If I find a quoted price cheaper than the one I have I ask why and she explains the difference. Sometimes some give refunds after the cruise depending on the cruise line.

Some would say that you'll save with a TA. I can't talk to the U.K. experience, only the US experience (though rumor is you can book through a US agent if you prefer the rates/promos/booking rules). You should not pay $1 more to book through a TA. Cruise line's rates are well publicized and TAs work to meet or beat those rates. Sometimes they can offer better rates because they get group rates due to their size. Sometimes they get standard rates but use their commission (from the cruise line) to purchase something for you - on board credit, prepaid gratuities, a bottle of wine, and sometimes they offer nothing extra and you are simply paying the same as you would when booking through the cruise line and just get the benefit of their knowledge.

 

However TAs are like any occupation; some are good at their job and some are not. I've read enough stories on here where people felt that the TA didn't explain their choices well enough or the booking terms; or they had trouble getting ahold of the TA for payments, changes, etc. So I only book w a TA after I've researched and know exactly what I want and if they offer me something - reduced rates, on board credit, etc.

 

 

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Thanks, I will give one or two TA's a go to see if they are comparable. So used to booking DIY to Orlando and it comes out much cheaper than any TA has been able to offer