Your 1st cruise..what was main factor that helped you choose which cruise?

[MMMD]

what was the main factor for your first cruise? Some here might not even remember as they have been on so many, but when you planned your first cruise..what was it that finally determined what cruise? Money? Destination? kids club? Pool? Family chose? Tossed a coin? Pro and con list? Friend recommendation?

 

Really just wondering if all this research that makes you want to go on each cruiseline is worth it? Maybe I will just pick top 5 and pull one out of hat!:p

 

Our main factor was to be able to drive easily to the port. First I researched which cruise lines sailed from the NY/NJ area.

 

Then, I Googled 'cruise reviews' and the first site to pop up was Cruise Critic. I joined and read all I could on the ships from my area. We wanted something laid back and casual.

 

Once I narrowed down which line to book with, I continued to read reviews and ask many questions. For a first time cruiser, the information I received from this site was very valuable and we had a great time.

 

All in all I just researched cruising as I would have done for any new vacation destination.

[weltek]

I'd have a harder time now. Back then, NCL had implemented freestyle, yet was still considered quite highly by travel agents. As a young honeymooning couple, the agents suggested it and we said "ok!" There weren't message boards just about cruising and plentiful reviews, just a little stuff here and there, so we trusted the agents based on their experience. And one of the agents was my dad's new girlfriend, so I felt she had our best interests at heart. Twelve years later and they are getting married in 2012. :-)

 

We picked the intinerary of the S. Caribbean because we wanted a winter escape to warmth (we honeymooned a few months post-wedding), and the agents said it offered some of the best of the Caribbean. They were right. We got the shopping/touristy area of St. Thomas, the rustic charm of Tortolla, the quaintness of Curacao, and the beachy resortlike Aruba. Not to mention the San Juan departure seemed exotic.

[ama-sam]

We knew we wanted to go the Mediterranean for our honeymoon. Our cruise included an overnight in Venice - made for an easy decision!

[sjcruiser]

Our first was a wedding in the family, so someone else picked out the ship and itinerary.

[oncerfan]

Visiting family in Sydney this year. Wanted to go to New Zealand. Started researching land tours vs. driving. Dismissed land tours (for cost). Dismissed driving (other side of the road... eep!) Chose cruising. Perfect dates & itinerary. The stars aligned. :D

[Nansafan]

Three things factored into our first cruise.

 

1.) I wanted to go to Grand Cayman as my sister (an experienced cruiser) loved Grand Cayman so much she and her husband spent a week there some years after they cruised there.

 

2.) Our original plans for our 25th anniversary vacation fell through and we already had the time scheduled off from work.

 

3.) Carnival was going to Grand Cayman the week we were off.

[capncarp]

Well, we were supposed to leave out of NOLA on a Carnival ship August 27, 2005, but they had a little unsettled weather (Hurricane Katrina:eek:) around that weekend so we canceled that cruise and rescheduled another that left out of Corpus Christi about a month later. Well, it seems bad weather was again shadowing us (Hurricane Rita:eek:), and we canceled that cruise also. DW scrambled around for a week or so and then snagged the last (interior) cabin on NCL Dawn out of NYC to the Western Caribbean for 11 days over Thanksgiving.

 

And we STILL had to dodge a tropical storm sliding up the East Coast on the leg out.:rolleyes:

[suezyq50]

For us, it was keeping up with the "Jones". If they could, so could we. Did exactly what they did, same ship, etc. I had thought cruising was expensive. I was surprised how affordable it was. We love it.

[shippmates]

We took the word of a TA for our cruise in 1990. She booked us on the last 3 day cruise on Carnival Mardi Gras. Our cabin was an inside with a lower & upper bunk. The beds were too short for my 6'2" husband so we slept in separate bunks. I had to climb up to the top bunk. The ship was in total disrepair. Carpet was being torn out while on the ship. Let me say our next cruise was 10 years later on the Paradise (smoke free) chosen by a much better TA and myself. It was a totally different experience. This cruise got us hooked.

[sweet angel]

My first cruise was chosen for me because it was back in 1988 and we went in lieu of another couple who ended up not being able to go at the last minute -- yes, back then you could do that!

 

My first cruise that I chose was on DCL in 2004. I chose it because my son and my bf at the time had never been on a cruise. I did the 3nt cruise and 4nt WDW vacation to make sure they'd like it. We're big Disney fans. My son was 13 at the time and I figured Disney would have great kids programs and would be "safe" for him to wander around (I was a bit over-protective!).

 

We loved it and were not disappointed. We've since done several other cruises since then, but I wouldn't change having Disney be the first cruise experience!

[dddaisy]

Going on a cruise is #2 on my "bucket list." #1 on the bucket list was a trip to Ireland which I did take last September :D The rest of my family, DH & 2 DDs, weren't too interested in cruising.

 

Shortly before Christmas and DH's 50th birthday we found out DH had prostate cancer. Long story short, all turned out well but while he was recouperating from surgery he decided that we needed a real family vacation. Through the years most of our vacations had been eaten up by visiting relatives. I was planning on having a "big bash" dual graduation party for the girls this summer but he suggested a vacation in lieu of it. He conceded that he would even "consider" a cruise.

 

In March we went to a "cruise fair" sponsored by a local travel agency. The travel agent we met with steered us to NCL 1) because it was within our price range and we could sail from NYC (we live in CT) 2) he sized us up as "freestylers" and 3) we had a limited window and the cruise to FL and Bahamas fit our time schedule. Bahamas is not my first choice but if it gets us on a boat I'm all for it. My DDs (ages 17 & 22) think the trip will be boring :rolleyes: I think once we get on the ship they'll change their mind! So far we're doing separate excursions in FL (DH & DD#2 are going to the Kennedy Space Center, and DD#1 and I are going to Universal Studios) We're currently trying to figure out what to do in the Bahamas.

[TBird1]

we haven't sailed on our first cruise yet, but the major determining factor was getting out of the cold weather here in the NE in the winter. So we chose Caribbean, then looked at what ports seemed the best to us and came up with the 2/11/12 sailing on serenade. Hoping for a great first experience!

[ActiveTraveler]

I always believed no matter where you are going and what type of vacation you will take you need to plan, plan, plan by doing lots of research on your destinations. The type of vacation I take especially requires as much research and planning as possible.

Knowing my mom does not want to take a Hawaiian or trans-Atlantic cruise because of the number of sea days and duration, I feel like I have to choose a 7-night cruise for my first one. But while my mom will choose the itinerary I will choose the cruise line based on research and consultations with a cruise specialist. Of course, price will be a pretty big factor as well because I am not settling for a tiny cabin with no balcony.

[lucysdiamond]

We looked for one leaving from the closest port, the day after our wedding (so we didn't have a gap in between where we had to go home) It was easy- only 2 to choose from so we took the one that was less expensive so we could get a suite!

[sunluva7]

We looked for one leaving from the closest port, the day after our wedding (so we didn't have a gap in between where we had to go home) It was easy- only 2 to choose from so we took the one that was less expensive so we could get a suite!

Congratulations on your upcoming marriage! I agree, sometimes fewer cruise options are a good thing.:)

[Atdow]

It was free! :). It was for my high school graduation in 1989 and my sisters paid for me to go. IIRC, it was 8 of us who went (all family) we had a great time. It was on one of the Cunard boats. Since then, I've been on 4 cruises and hope to go on my 5th for my 40th bday in December.