First time cruisers, confused, afraid of getting ripped off.

[amateurcruisers]

My wife and I both in early 40s with a 14 yr girl 12 yr boy. I retired from the US Army in 2001 and my wife is currently on active duty but due to retire in a year. We wWant to cruise somewhere warm during the winter this year. We've never been on a cruise and the only thing we know for sure is that we want to go somewhere warm and that we think we'd enjoy a balcony room. I think I would enjoy relaxing on the balcony spending time watching the sea go by, doing lots of activities at ports of call is second on my list of priorities. I want to cruise on a comfortable vessel that caters to families. We have looked at Disney liners but other than that are clueless. We obviously have lots of research to do. We live in Kansas, and don't relish the thought of traveling to Florida for departure, I wonder if we could find something closer, maybe Texas? I don't know, but any advice at this point would be sincerely appreciated. Do you think so far we are on the right track?

[electro]

Try calling Carnival and asking about their military discounts.

They have ships that depart from galveston tx.

If money is not an issue, go for the balcony.

Personally, I'd rather spend a lot less on my cabin and have more money for other things like shore excursions.

You get a great view of the sea from up on deck:D

electro

[springtxbill]

Personally, I would recommend RCCL's Rhapsody out of Galveston. But Rccl or Carnival out of Galveston or New Orleans should be a good fit for you.

[amateurcruisers]

RCCL? What cruiseline is that? Royal Caribbean?

[wwinfl91]

Yes, RCI or RCCL is Royal Caribbean.

 

We have never been on Carnival but we have been on RCI and would recommend them. We would also suggest looking at other cruise lines, like HAL, Celebrity or Princess.

 

As far as prices go check with the various online travel agencies and be sure to ask for a military discount which most of them have. Try searching online for *****. We have used them to book 8 cruises and have been very happy with them. Ask for Joan.

 

Have a great next cruise or in your case first cruise.

[ute_fan]

Another line you might consider is NCL -- our first cruise was in January 2004 on the NCL Sea and now we're hooked! I haven't tried their kids programs, but if you search the archives you will be able to find information. Some like them, some don't. Our 2nd cruise was on the Sun (beautiful ship with excellent service) and our 3rd one is coming up in May, a return trip on the Sea.

 

We enjoy their freestyle cruising with our kids (who are 21 & almost 19). Our family isn't used to a strict schedule, so being able to dine at times of our choosing works well. The dress code is also more relaxed, and we're not much into "formal attire".

 

They also have ships going out of Houston and New Orleans -- by the time you are looking at going, it should be the Dream out of Houston and the Sun out of New Orleans.

 

Whatever line you choose, I hope you will enjoy it as much as we have done!

[lilmsonry]

We are 40ish and kids, 16, 11, 10. We are sailing out of Galveston 9/4/05 taking kids out of school for 4 days (labor day week). I have checked and checked and Carnival beat the price over RCCL. Also, my personal opinion was when talking to RCCL they didn't seem to know who or what was going on. Maybe a bad day or something, dunno. Carnival all the way for me. Also, booked excursion with Coral Breeze in Belize that sounds definitely like a blast. Happy sailing!

[kitty9]

I think Royal Caribbean offers more in the way of activities than other cruise lines. Some of their ships have things like inline skating tracks, rock climbing walls, ice skating, golf and things like that. Since your kids are teens, RCCI is a great choice for you. They have kid's clubs that will provide activities for your kids which they will love, and it will give you and your wife time alone together. RCCI has good food and service (better than NCL or Costa), and their cabins are a nice size. You might want to consider getting two rooms, one balcony for you and your wife and an inside cabin right across the hall for the kids. That way, there's no problem with bathroom time and closet space.

[maddea66]

We have looked at Disney liners but other than that are clueless. We obviously have lots of research to do. We live in Kansas, and don't relish the thought of traveling to Florida for departure, I wonder if we could find something closer, maybe Texas?

 

My two cents would be to contact each of the various cruise lines and request a brochure (if time isn't an issue). Then you could do a visual comparison between them. I did that last February when we started planning our cruise for this April (only 43 days). Just another thought!! :D

[CaptData]

I would book the newest of the ships in the area you are leaving from. It will have more amenities for you and your family. Ensure your kids go to reg for the kids program the first night. They will meet other kids and have a blast while you relax on that balconey.

[trish1c]

A lot is going to depend on you & your wants / needs.

 

 

You said you were from Kansas & want a cruise for families. That is subject to interpretation. What exactly does that mean to you? You don't have to post your answer b/c it's none of my business but you have to define that in your mind.

 

People have recomended Carnival to you. I've never sailed on Carnival & have no 1st hand experience but you should know Carnival has a topless deck. It's clearly marked so nobody accidently goes there. Only you know if it's existence sits well with your idea of a "family" cruise.

 

I've cruised RCCL & NCL and enjoyed them both. There were people drinking & some people who were drunk on both. Is that going to both you or your idea of a family cruise? RCCL had an R-Rated commedianne one night; again there were signs & no one should have been surprised but if that might offend, be warned.

 

I did see lots of stuff for kids to do on my RCCL cruise. There's a rock climbing wall. Some ships have ice skating. I'd see kids in groups. One told me about a pirate play his group put on. I didn't see many kids on my NCL cruise.

 

There's a topic / board / list called family cruising under specialty cruising that may help you get more & better answers about various kids programs.

 

If you want to sail out of Texas you may not be able to take a Disney cruise. I don't think they sail from anywhere except Florida.

 

None of the above was meant as a judgment. Just think about what you want.

 

You won't get ripped off if you plan & research. Check lots of sites for pricing. Always check the cruise line itself for pricing. Talk to a travel agent. Read the brouchures. Ask about military discounts.

 

Then figure out how you want to spend your money: do you need / want a balcony or suite or do you want to save the money? What's the difference between 1 suite for the whole familiy and 2 cabins? Do you need a window? I was nervous before my 1st cruise so I spent the money for an ocean view. The next cruise I tried an inside cabin. It's what you want.

 

Happy sailing.

 

PS: thanks to both you & your wife for your military service.

[nybumpkin]

People have recomended Carnival to you. I've never sailed on Carnival & have no 1st hand experience but you should know Carnival has a topless deck. It's clearly marked so nobody accidently goes there. Only you know if it's existence sits well with your idea of a "family" cruise.

 

The topless deck is the uppermost deck by the funnel. It's not visible from other decks and kids are unlikely to stumble on it by accident. I'm not sure how well used it is - while I never ventured up to that area, somehow I got the impression it was not particularly popular on the North Atlantic run from NYC to Canada! (Never had a problem getting a deck chair on the Lido deck on that trip, either. Sweatshirts tended to be the dress of choice.)

[Ellya]

You will find out a lot by reading, reading, reading on this site. All the cruises/ships have been reviewed and rated and their amenities are all available for you to evaluate. Once you decide on your budget, look at itineraries and it will begin to narrow the field for you. Are there certain weeks you have open to travel or can you go any time? Are there certain destinations that interest you? If a balcony is very important to you, they are much more available (and affordable) on some ships than others. Keep reading and you will begin to get an idea of what you need.