Need YOUR help! (Yes, yours!)

[CarnivalCruiser875]

Oh boy has it been a minute since I've been on here, and I sure have missed it! Although I am not a "known" poster on this website, I look forward to becoming active again! Since my last cruise in 2018, I graduated college (woohoo!), got a real adult job (boo!), and after working and saving the last two years, now have the opportunity to take my first "I'm an adult now and this is what I want to do with my hard earned PTO" vacation! Therefore, I am planning this future cruise vacation all on my own, with the help of my fiancee of course. This will also be his VERY FIRST cruise! Can you tell I'm excited?? Although I have been on a handful of cruises, this will be the first time everything is on me! So, I need your help with a few things to get the trip planning started!

 

• So far, we have agreed the best time to plan this will be April of 2022. Yes, I KNOW that is far in advance, but with our schedules and travel for work, it has to be. I have an idea as to what the "average" cruise will cost us, but what would be the best time to book this cruise? I am able to view my "discounted rates for past cruisers", but is there truly a better time of the year or timeframe to book a cruise i.e. 18 months in advance, book on a specific month?
• This cruise is on the Paradise out of Tampa. Anyone with past experience on her or the port have any precautions, recommendations, or stories to tell?
• With this being my fiancee's first cruise, I want to make sure he gets the absolute best experience possible (duh, of course he will, it's Carnival!). What is one thing you wish you have or would not have done differently on your first cruise?
• At this point, I'm truly looking for feedback on booking and planning this cruise. It may sound silly, but with past cruises, I was only responsible for myself, not the finances or logistics. (thanks mom & dad!). We are so excited! Any comments or thoughts given are appreciated more than you know!

 

Thank you! 😁

[audcc77]

Check for good pricing between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  
 

The one thing I regretted on my first cruise is not planning ahead for excursions.  Now I get 2-3 options for each port and offer those up for my travel companions. Also, I rarely use Carnival excursions because they’re more expensive. 
 

Hope you have fun on your cruise. I really like traveling with a newbie.  It’s like I experience it all with new eyes. 

[mexicobob]

Get a balcony.
Do not get his hopes up too high. Love Carnival but not a 5 star experience. You have to be prepared for the crowds at times. The first timers I have cruised with were just blown away by how many people were in some areas of the ship.

As someone else said, research and plan your excursions. To the extreme.

 

Best time to book a cruise, in my opinion, is way in advance or very last minute. Can get some really good deals last minute but also a sold out ship.

 

Your excitement is contagious.

[Organized Chaos]

First I have to say, I like your enthusiasm. 🙂 We like to book well in advance most of the time. We also tend to do Early Saver rates. Many people like to steer clear of those because they come with stipulations and penalties, but they tend to work best for us. So if you do choose an Early Saver rate, be aware that if you have to make changes later, it's going to be more difficult and probably cost more money. One benefit of ES rates is that they come with Price Protection. If you find a cheaper price for your cabin category, you can submit a price match to get your balance adjusted down (before you're paid in full) or OBC for the difference in price (after you're paid in full).

 

While it's usually true that Carnival excursions are more expensive, that's not always the case. We have a cruise coming up in March. I was checking out three different excursions, both through Carnival and multiple independent excursion operators, and Carnival beat the price on all of them. Sometimes it wasn't by much, but it's better than nothing. Besides, many people are willing to pay Carnival's mark-up, if there is one, for the peace of mind that you won't be left behind if the excursion runs late. Just be sure to shop and compare.

 

Help your fiance share some of your enthusiasm, but like mexicobob said, don't get his hopes up too high, because you don't know how he'll see things through his own eyes. Epic Rock is one of the Playlist Production shows on the Paradise. If y'all like rock music, go see it. It's probably our favorite Playlist show so far.

[ober134]

I have a slightly different opinion than those above... I rather love the smaller fantasy class ships like Paradise. And if you are on a budget, save yourself some money and skip the balcony. For a first timer, he will want to spend time exploring the ship and mingling. Where are you traveling from? Flying? Keep in mind spring break time flights, hotels, and cruise prices may be higher. Avoid Easter break and be aware there may be a lot of children. And once you have a firm date and are positive... book early and set up price alerts (available here on CC cruise search - look for the little bell symbols). I saved $$$ on my upcoming 10 night cruise - booked 18 months in advance and I price matched 6 times. Good luck!

[May1cruiser]

I have sailed on Paradise 5 times. Each of the 5 sailings have been great. Ocean view has been our choice since balconies are a premium price. Port of Tampa is one of the best ports. No need for faster to fun. Easy in and out. If parking, look up park connect. Half price of regular parking. Her less expensive sailings are NOV-FEB. If you do some homework, there are usually reduced prices on carnival excursions immediately after booking. If you are looking for non carnival excursions, look at the ports of call sections in cruise critic, we have picked up great ideas. You can also look at Travelocity for ideas on excursions. 

 

For shipboard activities, the best thought is you will not be able to do everything, just pick your favorites. There will be some lines at peak times, just like any venue with a few thousand people attending. For the most part, the lines are minimal and the crew has been great. 

I am sure you will have a great time.

[ummgood]

If you have the funds save and get a Havana Cabana cabin on a Vista class ship. 

[rukkian]

Book as soon as the sailing becomes available.  If there is a lower price later on, you can always get the lower amount.  Before final payment, all rates have price protection, but after final payment, only a few do (like early saver, which has other restrictions).  Join a couple of groups for your sailing and get to know some of the people on the ship.

[sapphire_407]

I avoid cruising in March and April because of Spring Break.  Tampa port is wonderful.  Not the madhouse that Miami is.

[nissach]

1 hour ago, sapphire_407 said:

I avoid cruising in March and April because of Spring Break.  Tampa port is wonderful.  Not the madhouse that Miami is.

I agree that those times are crazy busy due to Spring Break and that Tampa is a great port.  It is the only time I can cruise(or Christmas/NY due to being a teacher), so busy is the norm for me when cruising.  So IMO it will be fine.  But as others have said book early and watch for price drops.

As for balcony or not, we have done both, and I cannot really say we enjoyed our balcony cruises more.  I book a balcony if the price is not too high vs. and inside or OV. 

As someone else commented, if it is your fiances first cruise I would probable save money book and inside/OV and use the savings for excursions, etc.

 

[K&RCurt]

Tampa is a great port to sail from, very easy.

 

We loved the Paradise but, we were in a Grand Suite as well, so that had somewhat of an effect on our experience. (We actually had booked a Mini-Suite as they were super affordable when we booked and then took a ridiculous upsell offer to the full suite).

 

You did not mention what itinerary you were considering, so that has some affect on what are "must dos."  Generally just pick a cabin category that fits your budget, Check out the FunTimes for stuff to do and do some research on what there is to do in the Ports you visit. 

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, sapphire_407 said:

I avoid cruising in March and April because of Spring Break.  Tampa port is wonderful.  Not the madhouse that Miami is.

 

17 minutes ago, nissach said:

I agree that those times are crazy busy due to Spring Break and that Tampa is a great port.  It is the only time I can cruise(or Christmas/NY due to being a teacher), so busy is the norm for me when cruising.  So IMO it will be fine.

 

Around here, schools don't go on break until the latter half of March or first half of April, somewhere in there. Typically, many go around Easter. We're cruising the second week of March. Do y'all think we'll see a lot of spring breakers that early? It's an 8-day out of Miami and the general rule of thumb tends to be...the longer the cruise, the fewer the kids. So that might be somewhat of a saving grace. Our son graduated high school last year, so we were taking summer cruises. We're not yet familiar with the norms of cruises during other times of the year.

[sapphire_407]

7 minutes ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

Around here, schools don't go on break until the latter half of March or first half of April, somewhere in there. Typically, many go around Easter. We're cruising the second week of March. Do y'all think we'll see a lot of spring breakers that early? It's an 8-day out of Miami and the general rule of thumb tends to be...the longer the cruise, the fewer the kids. So that might be somewhat of a saving grace. Our son graduated high school last year, so we were taking summer cruises. We're not yet familiar with the norms of cruises during other times of the year.

 

 

https://www.inertiatours.com/when-is-spring-break-2020/

 

Edited January 31, 2020 by sapphire_407

[Organized Chaos]

1 hour ago, sapphire_407 said:

https://www.inertiatours.com/when-is-spring-break-2020/

 

Thanks for the link. Dang, a lot of colleges take spring break much earlier in the year than I thought.  I guess I was thinking more about young(er) kids, K-12. I feel like if college kids are going to do a cruise, they'd take some of the shorter "booze cruises." Maybe I'm wrong. We'll just hope for the best. Having done summer cruises in the past, we know what it's like to have a lot of younger kids onboard, but I'm hoping to catch a break on this one.

[M2LR]

Even if you are the major point person I still would make sure to get your fiancee involved in the planning process. It seems like most people who are disappointed by cruises either had unrealistic expectations or were expecting something else. I do all the planning but I still go over with DH and the kids what I am thinking about before I make any bookings to make sure we are all on the same page. 

[Joe817]

1 minute ago, M2LR said:

Even if you are the major point person I still would make sure to get your fiancee involved in the planning process. It seems like most people who are disappointed by cruises either had unrealistic expectations or were expecting something else. I do all the planning but I still go over with DH and the kids what I am thinking about before I make any bookings to make sure we are all on the same page. 

Good advice! We do the same.  We cuss and discuss EVERY aspect of our upcoming cruise, and I mean everything. From booking a cabin, to insurance, to excursions, OBC, specialty dining, what we're going to do in port, spending money on the ship, spending money in port. Everything. We budget our daily spending, but have enough of a pad to get something not planned for. 

[rukkian]

2 hours ago, Organized Chaos said:

 

 

Around here, schools don't go on break until the latter half of March or first half of April, somewhere in there. Typically, many go around Easter. We're cruising the second week of March. Do y'all think we'll see a lot of spring breakers that early? It's an 8-day out of Miami and the general rule of thumb tends to be...the longer the cruise, the fewer the kids. So that might be somewhat of a saving grace. Our son graduated high school last year, so we were taking summer cruises. We're not yet familiar with the norms of cruises during other times of the year.

All of central Iowa has spring break the 2nd week of March - this year it is 3/13-3/22.  This also coincides with the 3 public universities, which is why my whole family is going on this cruise on magic.

[LadyMac72]

I cruised on the Paradise out of Tampa in March and we had a wonderful time.  No complaints about the food or entertainment on the ship.  Leon the cruise director was a doll - so much energy!   If you get a chance the night before your trip, try to have dinner at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. Great Cuban food and many nights there is a flamenco show.  Puts you in a very festive frame of mind.  The Port of Tampa was splendidly easy to get through.  I bought Faster to the Fun because my mother gets nervous while travelling but I think we would have been okay without it.  It was very smooth.

 

Taking my BF on his first cruise later this year and I'm encouraging him to participate in choosing items - I recommended he look on this site as well as TripAdvisor, but he's of the mindset to leave it to me.  I told him that if he does that and I hear one peep out of him that leads with "I wish we would have.....", then he might end up in the water!  LOL.

 

Have fun.  

[Joebucks]

Glad to see you are so excited. That is an exciting part of life once you are able to have the freedom to do whatever you want.

 

The best pricing you will get, bar none, is being flexible in your timing. If you wanted to go in July, that is peak-season. You are going to pay much more, no matter how many tips and tricks everyone tells you. If you are willing to book out far in advance, and in off-peak season, you will save more money overall.

 

As far as what to do, that is subjective. Ask 10 people and get 10 different answers. My best advice is to do a little bit of planning, not too much. Do enough to find a few things you know you would REALLY like, and book it. Leave enough room where you are not running around on some minute by minute itinerary, so you can take the time to try new things. I would just stay out of the room. Many people will say get the balcony, and by all means get it if you want. However, do not sit in the room too long. There is so much going on around you. Have fun!

 

 

[Homosassa]

Please discuss your plan with your fiance and find out what he is looking for in an onboard experience.

 

If he has no idea, carefully discuss what he considers having a good time (heavy drinking, loud music, food quality unimportant, etc).

 

 It might be that a different cruise line is a better fit for him.

 

 

[Garth2]

6 hours ago, rukkian said:

Book as soon as the sailing becomes available.  If there is a lower price later on, you can always get the lower amount.  Before final payment, all rates have price protection, but after final payment, only a few do (like early saver, which has other restrictions).  Join a couple of groups for your sailing and get to know some of the people on the ship.

 

This is not true.  I know for a fact that if you book at the Past Guest rate, you can cancel up until final payment without penalty, but you do not get price protection.

 

If you need flexibility and a good price, book at this rate and keep tabs on it.  If there is a better price you can cancel & re-book.

[rukkian]

4 minutes ago, Garth2 said:

 

This is not true.  I know for a fact that if you book at the Past Guest rate, you can cancel up until final payment without penalty, but you do not get price protection.

 

If you need flexibility and a good price, book at this rate and keep tabs on it.  If there is a better price you can cancel & re-book.

Being able to cancel is the exact same thing, as all you have to do is cancel and re-book.  I booked a past guest rate, full refundable, and when the price went down, they simply repriced instead of cancelling and re-booking, which I could have also done.  It may not be officially called price match, but it is the same thing.

[Organized Chaos]

25 minutes ago, Homosassa said:

Please discuss your plan with your fiance and find out what he is looking for in an onboard experience.

 

If he has no idea, carefully discuss what he considers having a good time (heavy drinking, loud music, food quality unimportant, etc).

 

 It might be that a different cruise line is a better fit for him.

 

Was that supposed to be some kind of cheap shot against Carnival? Are you implying it's nothing but heavy drinkers, loud music, and low quality food?

[Organized Chaos]

Just now, rukkian said:

Being able to cancel is the exact same thing, as all you have to do is cancel and re-book.  I booked a past guest rate, full refundable, and when the price went down, they simply repriced instead of cancelling and re-booking, which I could have also done.  It may not be officially called price match, but it is the same thing.

 

Fair enough, but please forgive me for being "that guy." In your previous post,  you said "all rates have price protection." Just to avoid confusing anyone who isn't fully aware, I think it's important to clarify that no, not all rates have Carnival's official Price Protection. Only Early Saver rates do. What you describe sounds more like a customer service rep. who's taking a shortcut to save them the effort of cancelling/re-booking. 😉

[ricew001]

We enjoyed our balcony so much on our last cruise. It gave us some extended area and made the room feel bigger. Listening to the waves at night just enhanced our experience. Have fun!