1st Cruise - have some questions for the experienced cruiser

[Hambergler]

I first posted on the beginner forum and was referred here. My girlfriend and I are going to be traveling for a year around the world. We want to start our adventure with a Trans-Atlantic cruise in April 2012 destined for Spain. One of these HERE (http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do?cruiseType=CO&includeAdjascentPorts=Y&actionType=&eventSource=date&dest=T.ATL&date=201203&date=201204&port=&ship=&experience=&submit=Find+Cruises&state=NA) Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before. I was hoping to tap the wealth of knowledge that is Cruise Critic. A little about us. We are in our mid thirties, don't drink, don't party, are on a very tight budget.

 

Here are my questions:

 

Which one of the Royal Carribean Cruises I linked to would you recommend?

 

When is the best time to book? The prices seam to fluctuate.

 

Where are the more desirable places on the ship to book your room? Any places to avoid? Someone said to be under and over another stateroom is good.

 

Some rooms have a "promenade view" Are these rooms very noisy? My understanding is that they face a busy mall area.

 

Is there internet on the ship?

 

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

[PantherFan]

Here is my two cents.

 

I would book as soon as make up your mind since these cruises only happen twice a year.

 

Liberty would be my choice since it has the most options, is the newest, and leaves from Fort Lauderdale (very easy port)

 

For a first time cruise I would recommend a room in the middle of the ship and on the lower decks (less movement if seas are rough)

 

Yes it will have internet for a fee and is quite slow

 

I have never stayed in a promenade room so can't answer the noise issue

[Jimbo]

I don't think very tight budget and traveling for a year around the world go together......

 

Do you plan on getting a job on the ship Hambergler?

 

Jimbo:)

[Sequim88]

Which one of the Royal Carribean Cruises I linked to would you recommend?

Whichever stops at ports you like best. For a first cruise though perhaps a shorter one.

 

When is the best time to book? The prices seam to fluctuate.

NOW!!! :eek: When we booked our May 2012 Transatlantic prices started at $539.. they now start at $839 and many categories are now unavailable.

Where are the more desirable places on the ship to book your room? Any places to avoid? Someone said to be under and over another stateroom is good. First question is if you must have a balcony or window. Locations near elevators and midship will mean less walking. As noted inside cabins on low deck in middle of ship will ahve less ocean motion.

Some rooms have a "promenade view" Are these rooms very noisy? My understanding is that they face a busy mall area.

Sorry, yet to see a promenade but what I have read is they are not bad for noise at night but if there is entertainment going it might be audible from cabin during day.

Is there internet on the ship?

Yes but on transatlantic routes expect several days without it mid-ocean due to sattelite coverage gap. Also any time it will be VEEERRY sloooow. Worse than old dial-up modems. And it is pretty expensive.

[mamapan]

I'm just going to offer my two cents on the promenade room since I have stayed in one.

 

I did not find them noisy at all. They usually do a parade during the evening and that was the only time I ever heard any noise outside my cabin. I LOVED our promenade room because it was diagonally across from the Cafe so I could see how many people were in there and decide on when to run down in my jammies for coffee.

 

I would book another promenade room in a minute. It was fun to people watch, offered some additional light and had a nice seat in the window too.

[RoofingPrincess]

If you're on a tight budget, you have to look at costs including airfare to the port of embarkation. The website will quote airfare for you, but it may be on the high side, so you may wish to check one-way airfare from your airport to the embarkation city (San Juan, Ft Lauderdale, Miami, New Orleans, even Sao Paulo Brazil!).

 

Then it depends on what you want from your ship. I'm partial to the Serenade, because I love the "Radiance class" of ships; they are smaller, have a lot of glass areas, and you get to see the sea. The Adventure (Voyager class) is larger and will give you a mall-like "Grand Promenade" down the center and an ice-skating rink. The Liberty is even bigger and has even more things to do, like a flowrider.

 

Be aware that these routes have a LOT of sea days on them - six in a row! Some people get really bored on sea days. I took a westbound transatlantic last year and found that there didn't seem to be as many activities on the transatlantic sea days as there had been on Caribbean sea days. My transatlantic, as scheduled, was not supposed to have more than two sea days in a row, which was splendid (we went from England to Boston via France, Ireland, Iceland, and Canada); however, we had to reroute after leaving Iceland due to a bad storm, skipping our first Canada port, which meant nearly five sea days (we arrived at our second Canada port a little over a half day early). I was really bored with the ship by then, couldn't wait to get off.

[Hambergler]

Thank you, great perspectives. We are booking a cruise as an alternative to a flight to Europe. Jetlag, cramped flying. Why do that when we have the time and we can experience a cruise. I know days at sea may be a little boring for us. Especially without internet. However, anticipating landfall sounds like it can be fun. What's pleasure without a little pain. We are planning on spending 25k for the year. It doesn't sound like much, but if you Google "RTW Travel" there are many people doing it, of all ages. Some for even less money.

 

I was leaning towards the San Juan departure because it stops in Gibraltar, but most seem to like the Liberty/Fort Lauderdale so far. Also I have read that Departures from San Juan can have many rowdy locals aboard.

 

After further reading and consideration. The most important thing for me is to be on the least crowded, most peaceful ship. Any recommends?

 

Thanks

[Familygoboston]

There will not be too many rowdies on a TA no matter where you depart. The cruise will skew older; picture most people twice your age. If you really want peaceful enjoyment go for one of the ships with less to do; I think Radiance class has been mentioned. Excellent choice- if you haven't cruised before you will enjoy all the glass to see the sea, and seeing the sea will cut down on any motion sickness, which is much more likely on a TA. The newer ships with all the activities generally attract a younger, louder crowd including more possibilities of kids.

Enjoy your RTW - great to do while you ae young and have few responsibilities!

[Missus Makkem]

Thank you, great perspectives. We are booking a cruise as an alternative to a flight to Europe. Jetlag, cramped flying. Why do that when we have the time and we can experience a cruise. I know days at sea may be a little boring for us. Especially without internet. However, anticipating landfall sounds like it can be fun. What's pleasure without a little pain. We are planning on spending 25k for the year. It doesn't sound like much, but if you Google "RTW Travel" there are many people doing it, of all ages. Some for even less money.

 

I was leaning towards the San Juan departure because it stops in Gibraltar, but most seem to like the Liberty/Fort Lauderdale so far. Also I have read that Departures from San Juan can have many rowdy locals aboard.

 

After further reading and consideration. The most important thing for me is to be on the least crowded, most peaceful ship. Any recommends?

 

Thanks

Can recommend this one on the Adventure,done it 2 years running and it was great, going to do it again in 2012...plenty to do on sea days and good ports to stop at, friendly ship with great food, highly recommended, come and join us.

[DeepWaterMariner]

Based on your info (first time cruisers, tight budget) here are my thoughts. As first time cruisers on a transatlantic crossing, I would recommend a midships cabin on a lower deck. We've done 4 TAs, all with outside cabins on deck 2 and they were perfect for the trip. Quiet and steady even when the seas got rocky. Also, considering that you may not find cruising perfect for you, I'd choose a shorter itinerary. I like the Grandeur TA from Miami. Cheaper airfare than to San Juan and a smaller ship which is plenty big enough for someone who has never cruised before. Also, the price is right. We did 14 days on Grandeur and loved it.

[Sequim88]

Suggestion... when you narrow it down to a couple go check out the Meet & Mingle Roll Call threads for those sailings. Read through the posts to get a sense for the people going as well as their thoughts on the itineraries. Post a few questions if needed for specifics. This may give your tie breaking info. Transatlantics tend to have pretty active Roll Call groups.

 

We love the sea days and never have any trouble filling them up. Things that we never have time for on port intensive cruises we don;t have to feel guilty about doing on sea days. Like using the fitness center, watching movie in movie theater, mini-golf, solarium time or just reading a book and listening to iPod while gazing out the windows at the water.

 

On last TA about 4 days into the sea days without seeing anything but water a freighter went by about a mile away going the other way. It was sort of weird to think how isolated from the world we were.

[LittleMissMagic]

If you're worried about 'rowdy locals,' then you might want to reconsider your wordly travels. :D You're going to be amongst people from many different backgrounds and cultures - it's best to enter with an open mind. :)

 

And, yes, Puerto Ricans can be a bit rowdy, but so can Americans! :D Like mentioned above, you probably aren't going to see many locals on a transatlantic cruise. The locals you're reading about more often frequent the roundtrip cruises.

 

While the cruises leaving from Puerto Rico appear cheaper, you also have to factor in airfare. Of course, airfare to Puerto Rico can be less expensive than to many US locations.

 

Where are you flying from? For Florida travel, Allegiant Aire has great prices to several different Florida airports. Also, Southwest Airlines has great Florida-travel prices. It may be less expensive to fly to Miami or Fort Lauderdale.

 

If you're completely flexible on dates and departure port, it might be best to snag the best airfare deal and then book your cruise. Because our dates are limited, we book our cruise first and then wait for airfare to go down. It's a game, whichever end you choose to start on.

[Bookish Angel]

Seeing the world has been, by far, the best thing I have ever done in my life thus far. Kudos to you for making it a priority.

 

I'll agree with the majority of what folks have stated in this thread. I'll also throw in a few thoughts:

 

Regarding multiple sea days: Frankly, I love them as it is a low-key time to read, check out unexplored areas of the ship, catch up on sleep, etc., that is very hard to do on port days.

 

Internet: I have never paid to use a ship's Internet as it is very pricey and from what I hear, often not reliable. I have used free Internet services at libraries all over the world with times ranging from 30 minutes to an hour per person. One of the first things I do in a city is to go immediately to the local library and sign up for Internet use. Sometimes my appointment time is an hour or two away so I use that time to sightsee, have lunch, etc. I always give a dollar or two to the library to thank them for the convenience. If the library is closed, go to a place that local gamers use as the speed is faster. Never go to that kind of place close to a port as it will almost always be more expensive always - the farther from the port the cheaper the fee.

 

I used virtualtourist.com religiously before I set of on my 7 continent quest. There is tons of information there from folks who have been or live in the places you'll research. You can avoid a lot of tourist traps (should you want to) and find less-expensive, more authentic places the locals frequent.

 

Have multiple copies of your passport in several different places as well as multiple copies of your insurance card, drivers license, health card, prescription info, etc. These could be very important in an emergency.

 

I used mostly local tour operators and public transportation and did fine. Cruise Critic and virtualtourist.com are invaluable for info on reputable operators.

 

Guidebooks: I like the Moon Handbooks as they were nearly always more up to date than Lonely Planet.

 

Lastly, I strongly encourage you to do some land-based trips if your budget will allow it. Cruising is fine and I enjoy it for some destinations but it really only scratches the surface of some remote places such as Africa and Antarctica - my two fave places.

 

Have fun, good luck and takes lots of photos!

[riclop]

I first posted on the beginner forum and was referred here. My girlfriend and I are going to be traveling for a year around the world. We want to start our adventure with a Trans-Atlantic cruise in April 2012 destined for Spain. One of these HERE (http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do?cruiseType=CO&includeAdjascentPorts=Y&actionType=&eventSource=date&dest=T.ATL&date=201203&date=201204&port=&ship=&experience=&submit=Find+Cruises&state=NA) Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before. I was hoping to tap the wealth of knowledge that is Cruise Critic. A little about us. We are in our mid thirties, don't drink, don't party, are on a very tight budget.

 

Here are my questions:

 

Which one of the Royal Carribean Cruises I linked to would you recommend?

 

When is the best time to book? The prices seam to fluctuate.

 

Where are the more desirable places on the ship to book your room? Any places to avoid? Someone said to be under and over another stateroom is good.

 

Some rooms have a "promenade view" Are these rooms very noisy? My understanding is that they face a busy mall area.

 

Is there internet on the ship?

 

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

You gave me a good laugh because you are going to travel around the world for a year but you are on a TIGHT BUDGET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[traveling1969]

Plan on an Eastbound TA in the spring and a westbound in the fall. It's not quite a year but I guarantee you'll save money on airfare. Bon Voyage!

[storm1of4]

You gave me a good laugh because you are going to travel around the world for a year but you are on a TIGHT BUDGET !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Hey this Guy might just be wealthy and good with his $$$$....I wish I could take a year off from my job while maintaining my financial obligations at home and take $25K to set to the wind!!! Even in retirement this will be but a dream for most of us!!! They are in their thirties too...This isnt exactly college age................Congratulations to them!!!!!!!!!! Not sure who has the last laugh here.........

[Bookish Angel]

but wants to be on a budget so as to afford future somethings. I did my around the world jaunts over 3.5 years, living frugally in order to travel well and not have to watch every single dime on a once in a lifetime experience.

[English_in_Spain]

I would say the 2 most important questions you need to ask yourselves are

 

1. Which port would we most like to sail from (easiest/cheapest to get to etc)

 

2. Where in Europe do you want to sail to (best place to start the rest of your trip etc).

 

Then look at the best fit at the best price you can find. As others have said don't forget to add on air fares and any possible overnight stays.

 

I would advise against any TA that sails to northern Europe (like the Jewel) if possible as, at that time of year, you could get some quite cold weather on the last few days.

 

Finally, widen your search a little and see if any other cruise lines have better deals.

[Hambergler]

Again, thank you for the incite.

 

I'm a radiology tech and my girlfriend is a nurse. Neither of us are wealthy by American standards. We live below our means, keep no debt and save. If you think "year long trip" and "budget" are funny when placed in the same sentence then perhaps you should revisit your understanding of budgeting. Here's a good start fatwallet.com

[orville99]

Have you considered just doing an around the world cruise? You can do the Queen Vic in an oceanview cabin with R/T airfare from Houston and two nights in a Southampton hotel (one on each end) for around $26,000 A/I:D

[Gone Fishing]

I first posted on the beginner forum and was referred here. My girlfriend and I are going to be traveling for a year around the world. We want to start our adventure with a Trans-Atlantic cruise in April 2012 destined for Spain. One of these HERE (http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/search/vacationSearchResult.do?cruiseType=CO&includeAdjascentPorts=Y&actionType=&eventSource=date&dest=T.ATL&date=201203&date=201204&port=&ship=&experience=&submit=Find+Cruises&state=NA) Neither of us have ever been on a cruise before. I was hoping to tap the wealth of knowledge that is Cruise Critic. A little about us. We are in our mid thirties, don't drink, don't party, are on a very tight budget.

 

Here are my questions:

 

Which one of the Royal Carribean Cruises I linked to would you recommend?

 

When is the best time to book? The prices seam to fluctuate.

 

Where are the more desirable places on the ship to book your room? Any places to avoid? Someone said to be under and over another stateroom is good.

 

Some rooms have a "promenade view" Are these rooms very noisy? My understanding is that they face a busy mall area.

 

Is there internet on the ship?

 

Any help or advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

 

You should work 40 to 50 hours a week for many, many years.

 

Save as much money as you can.

Invest it carefully in diversified stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

 

Then after 30 or 40 years of working and saving with a little luck you will have enough to retire.

 

Your reward will be having $25K to do an around the world trip!!! :D

 

Good Luck to you and wishing you a great year !!!

[Hambergler]

you should work 40 to 50 hours a week for many, many years.

 

save as much money as you can.

invest it carefully in diversified stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

 

then after 30 or 40 years of working and saving with a little luck you will have enough to retire.

 

your reward will be having $25k to do an around the world trip!!! :d

 

good luck to you and wishing you a great year !!!

 

QFT and Thank You

[boquer]

I found your idea of traveling around the way you plan to and starting with a cruise very intriguing and was about to give some suggestions.

However.....I got to the point where you mention the "rowdy locals" from Puerto Rico.

So, agreeing with Little Miss Magic about several things....including keeping an open mind, I've decided not to even try to help.

Also anyone who can be bored staring at the ocean shouldn't even consider a cruise. It's sad.

I am a non-rowdy local.

[Hambergler]

I found your idea of traveling around the way you plan to and starting with a cruise very intriguing and was about to give some suggestions.

However.....I got to the point where you mention the "rowdy locals" from Puerto Rico.

So, agreeing with Little Miss Magic about several things....including keeping an open mind, I've decided not to even try to help.

Also anyone who can be bored staring at the ocean shouldn't even consider a cruise. It's sad.

I am a non-rowdy local.

 

Let me understand, so your not going to help me because you are a non-rowdy local and protest the possibility that someone on this forum may have had an experience with locals from Puerto Rico that was rowdy. Wow. So no locals from any place can be called rowdy. I think your the one who need the help.

[orville99]

If you can hold off until the first week in May, my suggestion would be to do the TA on the Jewel out of Miami. That class of ship is the best that RCI has ever built.