Cruise Newbie with lots of questions

[Joannedisfan]

Greetings! I'm a total newbie and have never cruised before. I'm also a Disney fan. We are thinking about doing a family cruise sometime in the next year. We have 2 kids ages 4 and 15(Both have birthdays in Sept). We live in NW Arkansas.

 

We will have to cruise when the teenager is out of school. What time of year is the best to cruise?

 

We live about a 12 hr drive from Houston, Galveston and New Orleans. I am I better off flying to another port (Miami, Cape Canaveral) or driving to a closer port?

 

I know there are so many cruise lines out there and Disney has great reviews, but is it worth the higher price tag?

 

Hubby is a bit paranoid about getting on a ship and the whole ship getting sick. Are there any cruise lines that tend to have this problem more frequently than others?

 

Am I better off to get a cruise travel agent to help me or do it online myself?

[klfrodo]

Greetings! I'm a total newbie and have never cruised before. I'm also a Disney fan. We are thinking about doing a family cruise sometime in the next year. We have 2 kids ages 4 and 15(Both have birthdays in Sept). We live in NW Arkansas.

 

We will have to cruise when the teenager is out of school. What time of year is the best to cruise?

 

We live about a 12 hr drive from Houston, Galveston and New Orleans. I am I better off flying to another port (Miami, Cape Canaveral) or driving to a closer port?Whatever your budget allows. However, Disney only sails out of a couple of ports

 

I know there are so many cruise lines out there and Disney has great reviews, but is it worth the higher price tag? In my opinion, not a freakin chance is Disney worth the double price of Carnival or Royal caribbean

 

Hubby is a bit paranoid about getting on a ship and the whole ship getting sick. Are there any cruise lines that tend to have this problem more frequently than others? Talking about Norovirus? Passengers bring Norovirus onto the ships. The "News" blows it out of proportion. Schools and work places have much higher incidents of Norovirus, however, they are not REQUIRED to report it to the CDC the way cruise lines are.

 

Am I better off to get a cruise travel agent to help me or do it online myself?Since it's your first time and you do have a lot of questions, I'd ask family and or friends for recommendations for a local brick and mortor travel agent

 

answers in Red

[t_car]

Good answers to your questions above.

 

When our kids were young, we enjoyed cruising a week or two before the start of school. Late August is generally less expensive and memories fresh in their minds for the "What did you do this Summer?" back at school.

Driving to a port is certainly more economical, but do you really want to spend a whole day traveling in a car, and be tired for your vacation? You decide.

 

Just do what fits your timeliness, budget, and likes. Strongly recommend a travel agent that specializes in cruises.

 

Enjoy planning your cruise. Welcome to the world of cruising.

[cb at sea]

It's not the SHIP that gets sick...it's the passengers! People bring viruses onboard!

 

I don't think I'd drive 12 hours to get to any port....the trip there is fine, because you're excited...but the trip home will be AWFUL! If you decide to fly, I'd head to Florida and go out of those ports! More options!

 

I wouldn't pay extra for the Disney name....the 4 year old is too young to appreciate the "magic" and the 15 year old won't care that much! (Now, Disneyworld is a whole other kettle of fish...the 15 year old would have a blast!!!) The newer ships (NCL, RCI and Carnival) have tons of things for the kids...and will save you some $$$!

Edited April 22, 2015 by cb at sea

[Hyuaul]

What awesome answers! Lots of experience behind those words:)

Because I get respiratory problems easily, I have my Dr. rx antibiotics before my sail date. You might be able to talk with your dr. and get more professional solutions to his concerns.

What ever cruise you take- you will bring home wonderful stories to share:D

debbie

[Krazy Kruizers]

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You really need to sit down and talk with a travel agent who specializes in cruises.

Also keep in mind that there are not a lot of ships sailing in the Caribbean during the summer months. Most of them head to Alaska, Europe and Canada/New England.

[Captain Canuck]

my 2 cents and probably all its worth

 

12 hour drive a killer

you can probably save the cost of the flight on cheaper cruises out of Florida...so many more ships so there are many more options.

 

if the budget allows you could also add in a visit to disneyworld....but would not go Disney cruise unless $ is not an object

 

and, unless you are into beaches I would go for a ship like Allure or Oasis that is a destination in itself...

 

so many options with cruising that getting a TA is probably a good idea..but get one that specializes in cruising..last time we use a TA they booked us on a ship that was in dry dock

[Cruisin' Chick]

Greetings! I'm a total newbie and have never cruised before. I'm also a Disney fan. We are thinking about doing a family cruise sometime in the next year. We have 2 kids ages 4 and 15(Both have birthdays in Sept). We live in NW Arkansas.

 

We will have to cruise when the teenager is out of school. What time of year is the best to cruise? There's your answer. When your oldest is on break. Time of year/itinerary will be important factors: if you select a Caribbean cruise, summer will be during hurricane season. Many cruise lines will go elsewhere (Princess, for one, has a heavy Alaskan presence in the summer -- so other than the flights, this might be a great cruise for your family, believe it or not). But don't worry if you select a summer Caribbean cruise -- if the weather forecast is indicating a potential storm, the itinerary will probably get changed, so be prepared to go to the eastern area or the western one instead.

 

We live about a 12 hr drive from Houston, Galveston and New Orleans. I am I better off flying to another port (Miami, Cape Canaveral) or driving to a closer port?

 

Just remember to arrive in your embarkation city at least a day ahead. If flying, this will allow for any flight delays. If driving, it will give the drivers a chance to recover before the cruise. We live an hour's drive from the Port of Los Angeles, so most of our cruises have been from there, but we've taken the train up the coast to Seattle for our Alaskan cruise (getting in Friday night for a Sunday cruise) and a couple from Miami. That seems like a long drive to do, personally. (we might have a similar one in a few months if my daughter ends up going to her first choice of colleges:eek:)

 

I know there are so many cruise lines out there and Disney has great reviews, but is it worth the higher price tag? Personally I'm not a big fan of Disney. There are some who are, but you're paying for the name (plus they don't have the onboard gambling revenue as there's no casinos, so that probably is a major reason they charge more).

 

Hubby is a bit paranoid about getting on a ship and the whole ship getting sick. Are there any cruise lines that tend to have this problem more frequently than others?

 

I'm the family member who tends to suffer from motion sickness. Over the years, I figured out that ginger works best for me, as many OTC remedies make me drowsy. You can try out different things ahead of the cruise and see what works for you and your family members and take those along. It's not a cruise line-specific thing, but often has to do with where you're going (Hawaiian cruises tend to have rough seas crossing the Pacific, but it's now my favorite itinerary, despite that). Aim for a mid ships cabin.

 

Am I better off to get a cruise travel agent to help me or do it online myself? Definitely go with a cruise specialist rather than booking it online as it's your first cruise. A good TA will want to match you up with a great cruise -- maybe get some repeat business from your family or a lot of recommendations from you to others if you enjoy your cruise. Plus a cruise specialist can answer your questions or intervene with the cruise line if needed.

 

I agree with many of the answers you've received. I added mine above.

[trish1c]

There is no universal best time to cruise. Some people love to cruise during summer. Others want out of the cold for winter. Still others like hurricane season because you may be able to get better deals. You have to look carefully. Friends want us to cancel our January 2016 cruise & go with them in October but it's a lot more money; go figure.

 

Anyway . . . the first thing you have to look at is budget. How much you are willing to spend will dictate cruise ship, transportation, there & size of cabin. N.B. The prices you see are per person, not per cabin and it's a very bad idea to try to fit 4 people in a tiny cabin but it can be done. If you want to do this, look for the sales where the 3rd & 4th passenger in a cabin sail free just pay the taxes.

 

As far as value goes, a Disney cruise will be very expensive. I'd do a Florida cruise then visit the park, rather than a Disney cruise. The cruises are priced like the character breakfast IMHO -- at $79.99 pp $5 is for the food & the balance is for the privilege of being in the room with actors in costume.

[BullDawg91]

My family has done 2 Disney cruises and we LOVED them. I highly recommend them. That said, we are about to try Carnival due to the price.

 

There are intangibles that you get with a Disney cruise that can't be valued and have no value to some people. Frankly, only you can decide if it's worth it and it's impossible to know without trying it.

 

I loved walking around just checking out the decor, making pictures and discovering very discreet Mickeys (not exactly hidden).

[angelwinks_ca]

 

We live about a 12 hr drive from Houston, Galveston and New Orleans. I am I better off flying to another port (Miami, Cape Canaveral) or driving to a closer port?

 

Hubby is a bit paranoid about getting on a ship and the whole ship getting sick. Are there any cruise lines that tend to have this problem more frequently than others?

 

Am I better off to get a cruise travel agent to help me or do it online myself?

 

Our 1st and 3rd cruise, we flew to Miami from Toronto and Buffalo. We live in Ontario, Canada. Our 2nd cruise, we drove 17 hours to South Carolina. Paying airfare is a HUGE chunk of the budget! We don't mind driving and look at it as part of the vacation. We have closer ports...New York, New Jersey, Baltimore that's about 9 hours away. We wouldn't hesitate to do this in the future. Driving can save us upwards to $1000 depending on how many in the family are going so to us...if we have it in our budget to fly...we will. If not, we don't mind the drive!

 

Our second cruise, the captain decided not to stop in Grand Turk because previous ships that had stopped had reported cases of a gastrointestinal infection. What made people sick or how many of them...who knows! Maybe high bacteria levels in the water?? Captain made arrangements for us to visit Freeport Bahamas instead. Disappointed to miss this port but hey...better than getting sick! Regardless of being on a ship or at an all inclusive...you have to take precautions to not get sick. That means washing your own hands frequently and using antibacterial soap when you can't wash your hands.

 

We have only gone with a cruise travel agent for our last cruise. We did this only because we were travelling with another family and wanted to make sure everything was linked up together. I'm good at researching and LOVE it!! I spent many many hours going through this website and others. Making notes, asking questions, etc. We were fine booking our own and figuring everything out with the help of our online friends.

[OCruisers]

A Christmas/New Years cruise is a wonderful time to cruise with school aged children! :)

 

LuLu

[Imalismom]

Greetings! I'm a total newbie and have never cruised before. I'm also a Disney fan. We are thinking about doing a family cruise sometime in the next year. We have 2 kids ages 4 and 15(Both have birthdays in Sept). We live in NW Arkansas.

 

We will have to cruise when the teenager is out of school. What time of year is the best to cruise?

 

We live about a 12 hr drive from Houston, Galveston and New Orleans. I am I better off flying to another port (Miami, Cape Canaveral) or driving to a closer port?

 

Disney actually sails out of Galveston in Nov and Dec - you might want to look at a Christmas Sailing when everyone is out of school

 

I know there are so many cruise lines out there and Disney has great reviews, but is it worth the higher price tag?

 

I have sailed Disney (several times), Carnival, and soon NCL. I still pick Disney hands down. Yes, it is a little more, but you get SO much more. Larger rooms, split bathrooms, better entertainment, great kids and teen programs, no smoky casino, soda free, free room service that is not a paired down menu... the list can go on and on.

 

Hubby is a bit paranoid about getting on a ship and the whole ship getting sick. Are there any cruise lines that tend to have this problem more frequently than others?

 

Carnival jumps to mind.... but I can not scientifically prove that.

 

Am I better off to get a cruise travel agent to help me or do it online myself?

 

It all depends - I have done it both ways. Both have their advantages. If you want to not have to deal with ANYTHING - go with an agency - if you MUST have full control, do it yourself.

 

 

 

 

I hope this helps you.....

[Hyuaul]

"As far as value goes, a Disney cruise will be very expensive. I'd do a Florida cruise then visit the park, rather than a Disney cruise. The cruises are priced like the character breakfast IMHO -- at $79.99 pp $5 is for the food & the balance is for the privilege of being in the room with actors in costume."

 

In total agreement from Disneyland, Ca. :D You can make a killing on plush at the local Toys R Us.

debbie

[t_car]

"Hubby is a bit paranoid about getting on a ship and the whole ship getting sick. Are there any cruise lines that tend to have this problem more frequently than others?

 

Carnival jumps to mind.... but I can not scientifically prove that."

 

 

The last two instances have been Royal and Celebrity, about 200 people.

Edited April 24, 2015 by t_car