newbie... a few questions...

[wylie67]

we've never cruised before... we're thinking of early february, either western or eastern caribbean. we're mid-forties and we're overwhelmed with all of the options.

thinking of norwegian... not sure yet. maybe rc...?

any suggestions or comments from anyone will much be appreciated, as we have so many questions.

i know we should just book something and go, but i want to get some tips first... i don't want to make the wrong choices...

anything for first timers?

thanks in advance...

[Gunner22aa]

Welcome to CC. I won't try and sell you on any particular cruise line. We all kind of settle on one after time. For us it's Princess but maybe not for you.

 

The one piece of advice I will give you if you want to sail in Feb is not to wait much longer. You will be cruising during high season in the Caribbean and ships tend to sell out. Find an itinerary that has the places you want to visit and jump on it. You are already within the final payment date for most lines so expect to be asked to pay the entire fare up front and not just a deposit. Make your choice wisely as there will be huge cancellation penalities at this close to the sailing date.

 

Not sure if you have to fly to the port but you had best be looking for airfare now as well. Don't sit on it waiting for a seat sale because the closer you get to sailing the less likely you are to find one. Planes like cruise ships fill up to warm places.

 

Welcome to a wonderful vacation style.

[GoVikes]

One thing to consider is how dressy you want to be for dinner. When we are flying into a port I would rather not lug dress clothes/shoes for the entire family, nor be forced to eat in the buffet(or at various "for an extra fee" restaurants)on the dress-up nights. If you feel the same, I would recommend Norwegian. If you enjoy dressing up, Royal Caribbean or Princess are both good choices. NCL does have one dining room that is a bit dressier than the other, so you certainly can still dress for dinner on a Norwegian cruise.

[Keith1010]

My biggest piece of advice is to talk with friends who cruise who have a Cruise Travel Specialist who they would recommend and seek help from that person. You can talk through those things you like and they can propose various alternatives for you.

 

This is what I would do.

 

Keith

[Roz]

Since you're a newb, I don't think there's any "wrong" choice. Once you've taken a cruise, you have something to compare it to, and book your next one based on what you did and didn't like about the first one.

 

Agree with the advice to book right away, especially if you have to fly. Flights to Florida are booked solid in February, as are hotel rooms, not to mention cruises.

 

Good luck and happy cruising.

 

Roz

[OCruisers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

You really do need to find a GOOD travel agent who specializes in cruises.

We aren't allowed to give you names. As Keith suggested, ask your friends who have cruised which travel agent they use.

 

Both Princess and Royal Caribbean suit a wide variety of people and are good choices for first time cruisers. :)

 

LuLu

~~~~

[cb at sea]

There really is no "wrong" choice. I do agree that you should head over to a local travel agency, pick up some brochures and see which cruiseline "feels" right to you! You can get a feel by the brochures...really! A travel agent can give you specifics on each cruiseline, if you have questions.

 

NCL is the least "formal", followed by Carnival. All of the other cruiselines will have formal nights (2 on a 7 night cruise). All of the mainstream cruiselines have some form of "anytime" dining nowadays.....NCL used to be the only one with that option. Although, we really prefer the traditional seating, where you have tablemates...makes dinner so much more fun, IMO!!

When you decide which line, and when, make sure you add the extra day prior for traveling....it's always best to fly to your port the day prior! Budget for the hotel/meals for that extra day!

[Scrapnana]

Welcome to Cruise Critic!

 

There are good and bad things about all of the cruise lines.

 

I agree about finding a good travel agent.

 

Also, be sure to get travel insurance (not from the cruise line). You may be young and healthy but an accident can happen to anybody. Most health insurance is not good once you leave the country. I consider travel insurance (with good medical and evacuation coverage) just part of the cost of cruising.

[cruisetrail]

we've never cruised before... we're thinking of early february, either western or eastern caribbean. we're mid-forties and we're overwhelmed with all of the options.

thinking of norwegian... not sure yet. maybe rc...?

any suggestions or comments from anyone will much be appreciated, as we have so many questions.

i know we should just book something and go, but i want to get some tips first... i don't want to make the wrong choices...

anything for first timers?

thanks in advance...

 

Easy.

First timers should start from the best.

Holland America Eurodam or Nieuw Amsterdam (Eastern)

Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas (Eastern or Western)

If you have 14 days - combine both HAL and RC (RC first).

 

If you are on a budget - book an inside cabin.

Remember that it's better to cruise in a cheap cabin on a classy ship than in an expensive cabin on a cheap ship.

 

Links to video reviews in my signature.

[Fredr]

Do not overlook Celebrity. While Celebrity may be somewhat more sedate than the other cruise lines Celebrity provides an excellent cruise experience at a very reasonable price.

 

As for formal nights you can easily pack a suit or jacket and tie or black dress pants for women. Further, for a first timer, formal nights is an experience. You will probably like the New Year's Eve type of festivities on the ship.

[Cruisin' Chick]

My biggest piece of advice is to talk with friends who cruise who have a Cruise Travel Specialist who they would recommend and seek help from that person. You can talk through those things you like and they can propose various alternatives for you.

 

This is what I would do.

 

Keith

 

I agree with the posters who advise this. You can even go in and interview the travel agent. Ask what is his or her favorite cruise, how many cruises they've been on, etc. If not enthusiastic about cruising, how can they enthusiastic about getting you the first right cruise?

 

My second piece of advice, whichever cruise you select, get to the embarkation city at least a day ahead. Don't try to fly in on the same day, especially in the winter time. There were some people who didn't plan for an advance flight even last April and got caught by the last minute snow storm.

[Buck Turgidson]

we've never cruised before... we're thinking of early february, either western or eastern caribbean. we're mid-forties and we're overwhelmed with all of the options.

thinking of norwegian... not sure yet. maybe rc...?

any suggestions or comments from anyone will much be appreciated, as we have so many questions.

i know we should just book something and go, but i want to get some tips first... i don't want to make the wrong choices...

anything for first timers?

thanks in advance...

I've enjoyed all my cruises, from cheaper to more expensive. I did Carnival when I was your age, good party ship.

I liked to snorkel in the Caribbean so I learned after my first cruise to bring my own gear, I did not like using the gnawed on mouthpiece of a rental.

[attilamom1217]

Consider the following:

 

Price - what is your budget? Fare price is only part of the budget. There are also the gratuities, drinks (both alcohol and non-alcohol), excursions, taxis, hotel the night before.....

 

Size of ship - bigger isn't always better but can be. Do you like crowds? some of the newer ships (Allure and Oasis of the Seas) have 6000 passengers. There are several ships that have 4000-5000 passengers. Many have 2000-3000 passengers. All ships will have some kind of organization for getting on and off the ship at ports and embarkation and disembarkation. Some ships have alot of public spaces in order to minimize the crowds on board. Some of several 'for fee' restaurants; others have only one or two.

 

Any recommendation for a particular ship is someone's opinion - not necessarily one that you might agree with.

 

Demographics - what is the typical age group of a certain cruise line. Some lines have longer cruises and therefore an older crowd. Others have many families. You don't mention your age group. Holland America, for instance, caters to an older crowd - especially on their more than 7 day cruises. Royal Carib has alot of activities for all ages (rock climbing on all their ships; ice skating, surfing on some of their ships, etc.)

 

Activity level - all have activities all day. Are you interested in hairy chest and belly flop contests? Would you rather sit by a pool or quiet outdoor spot reading? Do you like mini-golf? some ships have a mini golf course; many do not.

 

Smoking - some cruise lines have minimal smoking allowed; others allow it in many public spaces. Are you bothered by smoke? Or, are you a smoker?

 

Take the advice of some of the other posters - Talk to a cruise specialist. (S)he will be the most qualified to help you hone in on the best first cruise for you.

 

Enjoy your first cruise.

[George C]

Talk to friends that have cruised, read reviews, there are so many ships and ports. If you have a good travel agent talk to them. I would do RCCL, Celeberity, Hal or Princess but thats just my choices. Cruises are a great deal for the money

[rjgdjg]

Hi-

 

I'll echo what others said that it depends on what you enjoy. Here is my take on the mass market ships I've taken:

* Royal Caribbean--best if you like activities. Their ships have rock-climbing walls, skating rinks, miniature golf, etc.

* Celebrity and Holland America--they appeal to more sedate interests by offering lectures, cooking demos and computer classes

* Princess--really doesn't offer either activities or classes, but is a good all-around ship

 

The food is more or less the same on the four cruise lines and the entertainment is similar as well. The exception is Royal Caribbean's Oasis class ships, which have ice skating and water shows. And Celebrity's Solstice Class ships have a Cirque de Soleil-type show.

 

Hope that helps a bit. - Diana, http://musingaboutcruising.blogspot.com

[kingoftheicedragons]

I like how the people in this thread are not trying to push one line over another, which is how it should be. I do agree that as a newbie, it's probably impossible to go wrong.

 

I do disagree with the travel agent thing. Cruises are easy to plan on your own, and an agent is going to try to push you in a direction that may be best for them, not for you. Do you have any friends who cruise? I'd speak with them directly, see who they like and why. If they know you well, they may tell you why you may like one line over another (and if they don't offer this, then ask directly why you'd like one line over another because trying to find the best line for you needs to be about you ultimately, and not just based on what your friends like).

 

While all of my cruises thus far have been with Carnival, I have suggested my friends try other lines based on what I've heard about them and what they enjoy and the type of personality they have.

 

It can be daunting trying to sort through all your options for a cruise, but what it comes down to, it depends on you for your line, the size of ship within that line, crowds, budget, activities, itinerary, etc. Don't let anyone try to convince you of anything when it comes to what you think your ideal vacation will be.

[Glith]

we've never cruised before... we're thinking of early february, either western or eastern caribbean. we're mid-forties and we're overwhelmed with all of the options.

thinking of norwegian... not sure yet. maybe rc...?

any suggestions or comments from anyone will much be appreciated, as we have so many questions.

i know we should just book something and go, but i want to get some tips first... i don't want to make the wrong choices...

anything for first timers?

thanks in advance...

 

We are first timers too but we've been thinking about this for several years since we are taking our first cruise to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We tend to shop a while for anything. We talked to several friends who are veteran cruisers, set our budget and then decided where we wanted to go.

Once we had basically picked our cruise, we went to a travel specialist. She was so very enthusiastic about our pick. She answered many of our questions, book our cruise and got us our travel insurance (a must in my opinion).

Having just gone through the choosing, I can advise you to think about what is most important to you on the cruise - food? Cost? A continual party? A chance to dress to the nines? Excellent programs for kids? Quiet time by the pool?

Then pick the cruise line, the ship and the destinations.

And of course joining Cruise Critic. I found this place long before I joined. There is tons of information on the website.

We ended up choosing RCI. We can hardly wait to take our very first cruise! :)

[Cruisin' Chick]

I like how the people in this thread are not trying to push one line over another, which is how it should be. I do agree that as a newbie, it's probably impossible to go wrong.

 

I do disagree with the travel agent thing. Cruises are easy to plan on your own, and an agent is going to try to push you in a direction that may be best for them, not for you. Do you have any friends who cruise? I'd speak with them directly, see who they like and why. If they know you well, they may tell you why you may like one line over another (and if they don't offer this, then ask directly why you'd like one line over another because trying to find the best line for you needs to be about you ultimately, and not just based on what your friends like).

 

While all of my cruises thus far have been with Carnival, I have suggested my friends try other lines based on what I've heard about them and what they enjoy and the type of personality they have.

 

It can be daunting trying to sort through all your options for a cruise, but what it comes down to, it depends on you for your line, the size of ship within that line, crowds, budget, activities, itinerary, etc. Don't let anyone try to convince you of anything when it comes to what you think your ideal vacation will be.

 

Ah, but here's the reason to go to a cruise specialist: a good one can help you select a cruise that will fit you (hopefully), but also be there to answer questions. If you go on one of those travel sites and book there, you're not getting any advice or getting any help (if you do need some). Some thing with going through the cruise line. Many of the customer service reps at these websites or even at the cruiseline may have never been on a cruise ship or even seen the ocean. A cruise specialist has undoubtedly been on several cruises and hopefully on different lines and different ships. When you go into their place of business and sit down with one, ask what cruise lines they've been on, what's their favorite ship, port, etc. If they're unwilling to talk enthusiastically about their cruises, they're not really good at their job, IMO.

 

Some of us do book through the cruiselines. My last few cruises, I've talked with hubby about possible cabins we want and then I've called the booking number as I won't have any questions about the ship/line/itinerary. But our first few cruises, we went through a travel agency. Just makes more sense, and it's not going to cost you extra.

[Scottyxr5]

Not all travel agents are in it for themselves! I am a travel agent and never push a client I listen to what they want and provide them with there best options. We have access to specials and promos that arnt always available to the public.