first timers..which line to caribb??

[chenille]

Just found this board and have been on it for the last 2 hours...I thought I posted this but I cant find it anywhere so I will try again..we are a family with 2 teenage boys and I just dont know which line would be better to east or west caribb from miami or lauderdale in july..we want a newer ship not a wild party atmosphere ..(does carnival still have this repuatation?)and activities for the boys and not a lot of formal evenings,,does it make sense to get the boys an inside cabin while we have an outside cabin..are there adjoining rooms..anyway all advise appreciated..thanks

[serene56]

If you are doing a 7 day cruise there will be 2 formal nights--no matter what cruise lines youtake. You donthave to partake in those nights- just eat at the buffet on those nights.

 

Carnival is what you want it to be. Carnival was our first cruisewithmy teens and they had a ball.

 

TIP #1 early dining so the kids can participae in teen activities. There will be a meeting the first night that they really must attend in order to meet the other kids onboard. (if they dont attend its like goingto school a week later)

 

We then did the VOyager with the rock climbing wall, etc etc the kids had a good time but prefered carnival.

[doone]

I agree with the above poster. I was going to suggest Royal Caribbean's Voyager class ships, they'll have a ball. My friend and her husband took their kids on one of the Voyager class ships and the kids are still talking about it. I think your whole family will be happy on one of these ships. Good luck.

[Cloud 9]

First Timers,

In the month of July, 2005, out of any Cruise Port in Florida, Carnival has the lowest prices, followed by Holland America, which is followed by Princess, and then finally comes Royal Caribbean.

 

Not always, but usually, people want the lowest price. But you get what you pay for.

Only Royal Caribbean offers a ROCK WALL, SKATING RINK, IN-LINE SKATING, GOLF, & SPORTS COURTS, on their VOYAGER CLASS SHIPS. However, if your TEENS are not SPORTS oriented you will have to look at other offered activities. Royal Caribbean will serve Beer & Wine to 18 year olds in the Disco, unless authorized not to do so by parents/guardians.

 

Carnival still has a reputation for their "FUN SHIPS", and they do offer a vast & organized TEEN program. Each Ship has a Spiral Slide into the pool. Their Age Requiement Rules are stricter all around the ship. And they do not serve Beer & Wine to 18 year olds.

 

Connecting cabins are a Great/Best option & both Lines offer them. Inside Cabins are popular also, and offer the Teens privacy in maintaining their own hours and often give them an opportunity to invite their friends in, without you knowing. You may also want to check into a Family Suite where you will often receive a discount for the 3rd & 4rh Cruisers.

 

As for choosing between the Eastern & the Western Itinerary, during the month of July, 2005, there will be 9 Ships in the Eastern Caribbean, with an aprox. total of 18 Sailings. Whereas the Western Caribbean will also have 9 Ships visiting for a total of 28 Sailings. The Western Caribbean ports will be more crowded than the Eastern Caribbean ports, this July. Also, you may want to study the distance that the Ship will travel between each port and how much time they give themselves, which will give you an idea of the necessary knots, & for comperable size ships, the one going the fastest will have more pitch. (Rock n Roll; Motion in the Ocean). This will usually happen during the nights, and if the Stabilizers are in good working order you really won't notice it, but some of us look forward to it!

 

Formal nights, now days, are not an issue on Carnival & Royal Caribbean. Both are Resort/Comtemporary experiences and only enforce the evening dress code in the Alternative/Specialty Dinning Venues.

Have fun & enjoy your research!

[chenille]

hey you guys are great...i.I wonder how many people go to a travel agency and pick their brain and then go online to book..is there a real difference in price..are you allowed to say on this board which online servise is best..thanks again

[serene56]

Chenille: I am glad you found your way backhere. I see from another posting you kinda got lost. See your name in a post and right click on your mouse and you can get options...one is to see your posts.

 

 

We are not allowed to talk about travel agents on cruise critic.

 

but if you know what you want when you want it try ***** to get you started with pricing... the go to google and type in cruise prices... youwill get a ton of hints.

 

you will need 250pp deposit for a 7 day cruise. before you book make sure the prices you are getting are including all port and taxes. (some sites can be misleading. also find out if the agency charges anything to take the booking or to make changes or what they charge to cancel. You also want to know that they offer any price reductions up til sailing.

[swimmer_steph]

Chenille: I am glad you found your way backhere. I see from another posting you kinda got lost. See your name in a post and right click on your mouse and you can get options...one is to see your posts.

 

 

We are not allowed to talk about travel agents on cruise critic.

 

but if you know what you want when you want it try ***** to get you started with pricing... the go to google and type in cruise prices... youwill get a ton of hints.

 

you will need 250pp deposit for a 7 day cruise. before you book make sure the prices you are getting are including all port and taxes. (some sites can be misleading. also find out if the agency charges anything to take the booking or to make changes or what they charge to cancel. You also want to know that they offer any price reductions up til sailing.

 

I just happened on your post and want to seriously THANK YOU! I just registered there and am awaiting their best offers on a Carnival cruise I'm interested in for April.

 

Wow - I'm once again amazed at the information you share w/us newbies!

 

Thanks again!

 

Steph

[serene56]

rdawg- welcome to the boards-- I see you are new too. Again like I said in a post above--we are NOT allowed to discuss agents or agencies on these boards..Its against the terms of service that you checked when you signed up.

[Host Walt]

hey you guys are great...i.I wonder how many people go to a travel agency and pick their brain and then go online to book..is there a real difference in price..are you allowed to say on this board which online servise is best..thanks again

 

Many do just that...to the frustration of good TA's. But it's a false economy. A good TA is definitely worth the few bucks you might save by playing that game, especially in getting you just the right cabin, or dealing with a booking problem, or getting an upgrade, or getting the dinner seating you want, or handling an in transit problem where you may have a delay in getting to the ship....and many more.

 

Purchasing a cruise involves big bucks and can also involve a bunch of important details that the amateur may not consider.

 

As for evaluating online travel agents (or any agents for that matter), that is not permitted on Cruise Critic. Two reasons. 1) The quality of on-line agent services can vary dramatically from customer to customer and from line to line; and, 2) In the We have found way too many self promotional posts. Refer to our Community Guidelines for more info.