I won a Celebrity Caribbean cruise... Now which one should I pick!

[nycdave]

I've been dying to go on a cruise for a long time, but finances have stood in the way.

 

Or, they did... Until I won a drawing for a cruise on Celebrity at NYC Pride! And it turned out to be a real, no-fooling prize, not some sort of scam to get me to pay money to an agency!

 

So here's what I'm looking at:

 

Celebrity.

Any Caribbean cruise departing from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or San Juan.

Any time from now until the end of 2017.

Value up to $2500

Can book a cruise in excess of $2500, but would have to pay for the difference.

Port taxes/fees not included (of course)

 

So gosh! What to choose! What choices to make!

I really want to go on a cruise this winter because it's been so long since I've had a proper vacation... But I could afford "more" if I put it off till next fall/winter! So that's something I'll have to work out for myself, but maybe you kind people can help me figure out some of the rest!

 

A little background: I'm a single gay guy in my mid-30's who -- from what I've been told -- would probably enjoy NCL or RC most, because I do love socializing. But thankfully, I also REALLY enjoy relaxing, sunning, reading, food, and less "active" vacationing as well, which is what I'm told is the strength of Celebrity. I REALLY love a nice spa day, so Aqua Class definitely intrigues me... I used to travel extensively around the world through my 20's, but a change of job and caring for sick parents has pretty much killed my travel & vacation ability the past five years. I will probably invite a friend to join me for the cruise -- and maybe pony up 500-800 bucks to cover an upgrade, taxes, etc. After all, that'd still be a good deal, right? ;)

 

So:

 

• Should I choose a longer cruise with more interesting stops, and go with a cheap cabin? Or should I go with a shorter cruise but splurge on Concierge or Aqua Class?
   
  
• Is Aqua Class really worth the extra in terms of access and booking the spa? What about the additional dining option?
   
  
• How is the Summit now that it's been renovated? It looks like the Solstice Class ships have more to do and some nicer amenities, but they're also more expensive (and lengthy) trips!
   
  
• How much attention should I pay to the ports-of-call? When I've traveled before, I've always preferred spending a few days and really soaking a place up, rather than a touch-and-go. Friends who've cruised told me I probably wouldn't get much out of most of them -- but then there seems to be a stop or two with each line that actually IS really special and unique. What would that be for Celebrity in the Caribbean?
   
  
• How much do you think I could (or should) ask a friend to chip in to be my guest? On the one hand, I'd love it if they could help us to afford a nicer experience, but on the other hand, I don't want to be greedy, or be giving them a worse deal than they could get on their own!
  

 

Any other recommendations, or questions I should be asking, I would be SO SO SO grateful. Thanks in advance, everyone!

[Tom47]

Congrats on winning a cruise. We usually book a mid ship balcony cabin. We go one or 2 days ahead and prefer to cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale. We stay at the Hyatt Convention Center on 17th.

Try a 7 day cruise, Eastern or Western Caribbean.

Good luck

Tom:)

[Sixtytwo]

First, congratulations on winning the cruise! You need to know that going solo will wind up costing you almost as much as two would! Unless Celebrity has solo cabins, you will be in a cabin designed for at least two folks and the cruise lines will charge you a significant portion of the second person rate on top of your rate. Keep this in mind as you look at your options.

 

We, honestly, cruise for both the ship experience and the ports. Some cruise just for ports so don't really put too much emphasis on ship or cabin. Others definitely will not cruise except in a suite or a balcony as the ship experience is more important to them. Since you have never been on a cruise, maybe look at a decent cabin on a cruise with good ports. After the first one, then you can decide what the next one will be. [emoji6]

 

If you decide to take a friend, how about your friend paying the port charges and taxes for you both? You would be taking care of the larger amount but will not have to pay the single supplement. Check out the costs of both single and with a friend. I think you will figure out what will work best for you.

 

I hope you have a great experience planning your cruise and a great time when you finally get it work out and start counting down until embarkation! Good luck!

[kitty9]

Celebrity does not have solo cabins, so unfortunately, much of your dollar amount will be going toward the single supplement. Cruise cabins are designed for two, therefore the charges are PP rates, so if you travel solo, most cruise lines will charge 200% single supplement, which means you're paying for two people when you're the only one traveling. NCL does have solo cabins and a solo cruiser lounge to meet your fellow solo cruisers.

 

While Celebrity will be quiet, they also have a higher average age for their cruises, especially in the months when school is in session. One of the major gripes with Celebrity is that the nightlife is lacking and not much going on past 11pm.

[janetz]

Lucky you! Bring someone along. I would also post your question here on the Celebrity board..:)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

[cbr663]

Bringing a friend on your cruise is a lot of fun. Just make sure it is someone that you can spend time with in close quarters. Those cabins are small.

 

I would definitely recommend Aqua. We loved Blu and would cruise again for Blu. The food and service was amazing.

 

Look into a Southern Caribbean cruise. We are sailing to the ABC islands this winter and can't wait. Have sailed the Eastern and Western and while we had a great time, these cruises really do feel like city bus cruises.

[nycdave]

Lucky you! Bring someone along. I would also post your question here on the Celebrity board..:)

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=28

 

Thanks! I'll do that! :-)

[Wanderista]

Congrats for winning, that is really awesome. I haven't been on Celebrity myself but it sounds like a nice line and I've read some reviews of it. From what I've heard, it has some interesting cocktails/skilled bartenders. It should also be good for chilling out. I would definitely go on a Celebrity cruise with a prize like that.

 

I think that if it were me, I might try to balance the more relaxed vibe of the cruise line by picking an interesting itinerary. As others mentioned, I would definitely try to get a friend to go with. I went on a cruise with a friend in May and we had a great time. Just pick someone with a compatible traveling style to yours. My friend complained that she had previously traveled with another friend and had a terrible time because they never wanted to do the same things at all.

 

I'd probably go for one of the southern itineraries from San Juan, especially if I won the cruise as a prize. Several of those cruises on the Celebrity Summit look really interesting such as the one that goes to St. Lucia and Barbados. I'm sure the "Celebrity" people will be able to give you more info.

 

Personally, I'd probably pick a cruise for next year if it would give me a better value and better choice of cabins. Maybe see what a friend wants to do though. Space might open up on the 2016 cruises as people cancel for the payment in full deadline. That was what happened on the cruise I went on earlier this year.

 

I'm sure you will have a good time wherever you go. Have a great time!

[zoncom]

Congrats, I have seen Celebrity cruises combined into one longer one. I myself prefer an inside cabin on a long cruise. Can Choice air be included? . If including another party, make sure they are travelers and someone you can enjoy/tolerate 24 hrs a day. Make them pay their Air,tips and all ship expenditures. Make sure they have the funds in hand. Ask to see their passport too. It must have 6 mos. lef. t Not all people make good cruisers. I have been on at least 30 X cruises; Summit at the bottom. Just back from a month on Reflection TA and Europe. Best X experience ever. Can you do B2B cruises if you go solo? Europe very cheap currently.Solstice transpacific to Sydney good also.Balconies and Aqua etc. not necessary when I cruise solo.

[Wanderista]

Having thought about this a little more, in your situation where it is a prize, I would look for an interesting itinerary that also got me nearish to the price tag of the prize. So, I'd look at the choices for destinations (and based on knowledgable reviews, evaluate the ship options) and then I would pick the class of room I would travel in to get near to the $2500, so that would determine what type of room I'd go with. I'd determine the length of cruise based on the amount of time that my traveling friend and I could be away.

 

There are a lot of great options, so congrats again.

[Dancer Bob]

There's a GLBT board under Special Interest cruising, you might get some good advice there. From what I've been told, many Caribbean islands are very gay-unfriendly, advice from straight couples might not fit your situation.

[tracesmom]

One thing to consider is if you sail from San Juan the water and ports are warmer right away, particularly in the winter. So check weather averages if plan on swimming or beaches. Cruise fares also vary greatly so choosing an off week, for instance when kids are in school and not around a holiday time will allow you to get more trip for your money. If you fly to your port check rates carefully it is often more cost effective to stay over a night both coming and going.

[GottaKnowWhen]

... If you fly to your port check rates carefully it is often more cost effective to stay over a night both coming and going.

 

 

And less stressful by far! Also note: Old San Juan is a wonderful place to spend extra time pre/post cruise.

 

In my brief Celebrity experience I noted a LGBT gathering every evening at one of the bars, listed in the Daily. Which says something about their openness to that group. Even if you don't join in, at least it would seem that you won't be a pariah.

 

Enjoy! Whatever you choose, you can hardly go wrong.

[ReneeFLL]

Lucky you on winning the cruise. Great prize. If you want to take a longer cruise with more ports there is a 14 day Celebrity Eclipse cruise which hits 7 ports. It is not 2 back to back (b2b) cruises, but 14 days out so you go to more ports. We will be on this cruise again in 2018 and it will be our third time. There is a lot to think about. I would talk to your friend and explain the situation. Maybe you can take a longer cruise in a better cabin if you pool your money together. What ever you do just enjoy your cruise and have fun.

 

It is the 14 day cruise on this link. If you do an inside cabin it will be close to your amount. The ocean view is the same price as the veranda/balcony, but will run more.

http://www.celebritycruises.com/cruise-search/search-results?cruisesOnly=Y&isWidget=false&dest=CARIB&sailStartDate=2017-01&sailEndDate=2017-04&ship=ANY&port=MIA#&dest=CARIB&isWidget=false&sortBy=6&selectedInput=sort&cruiseType=CO&cruisesOnly=Y&accessCabin=&includeAdjascentPorts=Y&state=&captain_id=737008000&couponCodes=&isSenior=Y&isMilitary=&isFireandPolice=&sailStartDate=2017-01&sailEndDate=2017-04&port=MIA&duration=ANY&port=MIA&ship=ANY&startRow=10

 

Right now they have 2 perks for free. Not sure how long that is going to go on. We usually get the beverage package (it is for 2 people and worth a lot for a 14 day cruise) and the paid gratuities.

 

G&L forum you might find some info here.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=162

[idil]

I've been dying to go on a cruise for a long time, but finances have stood in the way.

 

Or, they did... Until I won a drawing for a cruise on Celebrity at NYC Pride! And it turned out to be a real, no-fooling prize, not some sort of scam to get me to pay money to an agency!

 

So here's what I'm looking at:

 

Celebrity.

Any Caribbean cruise departing from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, or San Juan.

Any time from now until the end of 2017.

Value up to $2500

Can book a cruise in excess of $2500, but would have to pay for the difference.

Port taxes/fees not included (of course)

 

So gosh! What to choose! What choices to make!

I really want to go on a cruise this winter because it's been so long since I've had a proper vacation... But I could afford "more" if I put it off till next fall/winter! So that's something I'll have to work out for myself, but maybe you kind people can help me figure out some of the rest!

 

A little background: I'm a single gay guy in my mid-30's who -- from what I've been told -- would probably enjoy NCL or RC most, because I do love socializing. But thankfully, I also REALLY enjoy relaxing, sunning, reading, food, and less "active" vacationing as well, which is what I'm told is the strength of Celebrity. I REALLY love a nice spa day, so Aqua Class definitely intrigues me... I used to travel extensively around the world through my 20's, but a change of job and caring for sick parents has pretty much killed my travel & vacation ability the past five years. I will probably invite a friend to join me for the cruise -- and maybe pony up 500-800 bucks to cover an upgrade, taxes, etc. After all, that'd still be a good deal, right? ;)

 

So:

 

• Should I choose a longer cruise with more interesting stops, and go with a cheap cabin? Or should I go with a shorter cruise but splurge on Concierge or Aqua Class?
   
  
• Is Aqua Class really worth the extra in terms of access and booking the spa? What about the additional dining option?
   
  
• How is the Summit now that it's been renovated? It looks like the Solstice Class ships have more to do and some nicer amenities, but they're also more expensive (and lengthy) trips!
   
  
• How much attention should I pay to the ports-of-call? When I've traveled before, I've always preferred spending a few days and really soaking a place up, rather than a touch-and-go. Friends who've cruised told me I probably wouldn't get much out of most of them -- but then there seems to be a stop or two with each line that actually IS really special and unique. What would that be for Celebrity in the Caribbean?
   
  
• How much do you think I could (or should) ask a friend to chip in to be my guest? On the one hand, I'd love it if they could help us to afford a nicer experience, but on the other hand, I don't want to be greedy, or be giving them a worse deal than they could get on their own!
  

 

Any other recommendations, or questions I should be asking, I would be SO SO SO grateful. Thanks in advance, everyone!

 

I don't know any of the answers to your questions but I just stopped by to say CONGRATS :D Wow ... enjoy it ... we just did a cruise (very first cruise!) in the Caribbean and loooooovvvvveeeedddd it :) Have a blast (Y)