First timer, travelling with a group!

[aprilmay2]

Hi,

Thank you to the cruising pros who answer questions like mine.

My husband and six or eight of our friends are considering a cruise in October. We have been look at a cruise on Carnival's Glory. I have a couple of questions.

 

1. What are the age issues when it comes to group travel? Carnival's website says that age limits may be more strict when it comes to groups, but it does not specify any further. Most of us are between 21 and 26, but there may be a couple of 20-year-olds. We would be OK based on their posted policy, but I just wonder how it is altered for groups.

 

2. Is Carnival a good line for first timers? We will do a little partying, but certainly don't want our first cruise ship to be a dump.

 

3. Is October a good time to cruise, r/t weather? This particular trip ports in Belize, Mexico, and I believe Key West.

 

Thanks for all your help.

April

[caviargal]

I just did a group of 193 on the Glory.

 

Re age, the information provided by group reservations was very inconsistent.

 

- I could not allow a 25 YO man to sail in the same cabin as his 20 YI girlfriend

- I had a couple bringing along 4 teens/YAs: 23, 17, 15, 14. At first I was told "no way" there had to be a 25YO in each cabin and the other person had to be related. I escalated this to management and it was eventually resolved. They had to be accomodated directly adjacent to the parents but were allowed to sail. This took HOURS of phone calls, emails, faxes.

 

I would not recommend the Glory for anyone that does not have kids as there are no adults only pools or areas (except a small topless area) and this is a problem as Carnival caters to families. I found it to be extremely crowded, both in general and also with kids and teens. The pools are too small for the ship and the ship is the most packed with people I have ever experienced.

 

I think Carnival's new ships are good for first time cruisers PROVIDED you are: casual in regard to clothing and service, not extremely particular when it comes to food and how it is prepared. There is LOTS of food available; however, the lines were VERY long on sea days in the buffet. Healthy choices were rare. If you are a pizza/deli/fast food person you will be quite happy.

 

The food at dinner in the DR was good overall. Service friendly, not attentive.

 

I found the atmosphere aboard to be loud and exhausting.

 

The ship is new and well maintained and certainly not a dump. It is also decorated in a very loud fashion that I found tacky but I am sure was great for most.

 

The staff was very friendly, but not particularly professional.

 

If you have more specific questions, I will try to help.

[kitty9]

You're going to have to be concerned about the 20 year olds as cruise lines don't allow anyone under 21 to cruise without a parent or guardian or someone over the age of 25 who acts as a guardian in the same room. If your 20 year olds are "couples" who want to occupy the same room together, they won't allow that to happen. They don't alter this under 21 age policy for groups---actually they instituted this age policy because of groups who cruised and trashed the ship.

 

October is still hurricane season, so you need to be aware of that as it can alter or cancel your cruise if a hurricane is in the area.

[sharonella]

Wow! We just sailed the Glory (3/5/05) and had a great time! We were 7 of us between 45-55, with one 70+. I really didn't notice about having no "adults only pools", but maybe because this was after February vacations, there were just fewer kids around.

 

We had NO problems with the service, the food was marvelous, & since I continued with my diet all thru the cruise (I actually lost 1 lb!), I had NO problem finding healthy food options at both dinner & at the buffets. We were not thrilled with their "tiered decks" by the main pool area. While it seems to make easier access to the pool area for more people in lounge chairs, it is a bit claustrophobic, and there are NO decks where you can walk entirely around the ship! (On the Legend, I think there are 3 decks you can walk entirely around -- 3, 9 & 10.)

 

One of the reasons for Carnival's age policy in the cabins is to restrict the "spring break" mentality of a bunch of college-age kids (18-22) just out to wreak havoc with no supervision. I knew that at least one person in each cabin needed to be 25 (from our previous group cruise, we had some younger people), but I wasn't aware they were that strict about people who were obviously family, or that they wouldn't allow a 25 yr old male in the same cabin as an unrelated 20 yr old female (and I would assume vice versa). Hmmmmm?!?!?!

 

How can they be sure that 2 people of the opposite sex are not just trying to save $$ by rooming together, or that 2 people of the same sex are platonic, whatever their ages? And why does it matter?

 

All that said - You might want to consider booking through a seasoned cruise travel agent, rather than directly through Carnival. A good travel agent may be able to navigate some of these possible problems, and suggest options & solutions for you more easily than you can on your own. Also, many travel agents can offer you a "book 11 people, the 12th sails free" kind of deal or something like that.

 

Good luck! Have fun!

[tinsel57]

The happiest cruisers are the ones that best match their wants, needs and pocketbook to the cruise. There is much to take into consideration.

 

I just did a group for my daughter and her roommates on Carnival. Drop me a note if I can help you further or you'd like to chat more on it and I can go into specifics. Tinsel57@hotmail.com