NEWBIE

[wasup254]

Wen are just starting to look at Europe for a cruise, as such, we are totally lost as to what to take as a first time cruise,we have never even been to Europe. So any help on choosing a cruise and where to start a first time cruise to Europe would be greatly appreciated.

 

What are the general airfares to Europe? Lets say Barcelona, we live in Miami. Is it better to go with the cruise line airfare?

 

Is a 7 day cruise a long enough cruise for a first timer?

 

What are the hotels like if we came over early and where would we want to visit if we came over early??

 

Thanks so much

Mary

 

island princess panama canal here we come

 

[muzzy 10]

Hi Mary,May I suggest that since you live in florida, why not take a short cruise, say five days, out of lauderdale or Mianmi to se how you like it. You can get great deals especially last minute on these cruises. Then you can start planning your europe cruise. Read up on cruising in the library, bookstore, or through brochures found a t any travel agency. You can never have too much information. Cruising is usually a love hate thing. All of us on thesse boards love it, but if you are going to fall into the other category, a short cruise will help you find that out, because going to Europe on a cruise with airfare and touring is quite pricey. Hope this helps. Muzzy. And as for you UK1 ifyou don"t have anything good to say why on earth would you say it? Rudeness has no place on these boards.

[bec2629]

Welcome Mary,

Don't let people that respond negatively because don't know how to answer your questions scare you away.

MOST of us are here to help and learn

 

To answer your GOOD question, First I would check airfare on your own. We are flying British Airways from LAX for under $6000 for a family of four in World Traveller Plus, which is equivelent to domestic business class. It was $5000 LESS by phone than the internet if you can beleive that, even the agent couldn't explain it.

In my experience the aifare offered through the cruise line is almost always higher. The benefit of using the cruise line used to be that after you put your luggage outside your cabin door at the end of the cruise you didn't have to deal with it until you claimed it at the end of your return home. Since the increased safety measures that is no longer the case. Now you must claim your luggage from the ship and keep it in your possesion until you check it in at the airport. If you have a late flight in can be inconvenient. The other benefit is that if your flight is somehow delayed and you miss the ship, the cruise line is responsible to get you to the ship at the next port. If you purchase airfare on your own just be sure to fly in the day before sailing. Europe has so much to offer that I'm afraid the 12 day Med. cruise were taking is only going to be enough to get a small sample. If I'm sitting on a plane for 10 - 12 hours I'm going to try and make the most of it.

We will be in Barcelona 3 days prior and London 3 days post.

 

Enjoy your cruise and remember there are no stupid questions. If it weren't for this board and all the information people are kind enough to share, who knows what we might miss.

 

Becky

 

Why does time fly only when you don't want it to?

 

 

November 04 Explorer

July 03 Explorer

August 02 Adventurer

July 01 Voyager

Starward NCL 1981

 

[bec2629]

I agree with Muzzy, a short cruise out of Florida would be a great place to start. You have the ability to take advantage of great last minute deals since you live right there. Lucky you My first cruise was not a great experience, so it took 20 yrs to try again, now we're hooked.

Becky

 

Why does time fly only when you don't want it to?

 

 

November 04 Explorer

July 03 Explorer

August 02 Adventurer

July 01 Voyager

Starward NCL 1981

 

[uk1]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Amy G:

UK1, that was very uncalled for.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

 

Perhaps so - my apologies.

 

I do however feel that perhaps a reasonable rule should be that instead of asking "what's the fare from Miami to Barecelona" and "how does this compare to what the cruise line asks" people might look it up. Also how can anyone answer the question as to whether a 7 days cruise is long enough.

 

I shouldn't have been rude though - that is unforgivable!

[jhannah]

I also think a 7-day cruise out of Miami, Tampa, or FLL would be best to see how you like the experience. Most European cruises are for 10-14 days because of itineraries. We began with a week's sailing and got hooked.

 

If you are set on Europe, decide if you want to most see the Mediterranean or Scandinavia/Baltics. Then you can go to Orbitz, Travelocity, or a similar travel vendor and research sailings to the places you want to see. That will need to be your first decision. None of the other questions can be answered until you know where you're going.

 

A great resource is the Ports of Call section here on Cruise Critic. Tons of great information.

 

You should be able to get airfare for under $800 round trip. Much will depend on what time of year you go. (Forget going this summer during the Olympics.)

 

Good luck! Enjoy your planning. That's one of the great parts of cruising ... making plans and anticipation.

 

'Vegas Jim

 

[cberge]

May I also suggest that you look at the different countries and areas in Europe and then decide which ones you would like to visit,and then look to see what cruises may be going there.You could do the med,Northern Europe,The Baltic,Greece, etc.That way you could narrow down your choices. I also suggest that you talk to a good TA who does cruises only,as since this would be your first time doing Europe it can't hurt to get some input from a good TA.You also have many places of information on-line to choose from as well.Good luck.

 

Karen

Ü

[cberge]

this is a PS sort of...I have to say the UK1 was a tad on the rude side,but I think I understood where he was coming from...sometimes a lot of us who post on the board,and reply to all kinds of questions that we can help with get a little frustrated with questions asked that one knows that person did not check out the board to see what was there or do any homework beforehand.We can answer,and do, a lot of questions,but sometimes it is nice to know that someone is also helping themselves as well to the information that is available.This is just my thought,and I do not mean to offend anyone.

 

Karen

Ü

[Hornblower]

As Karen (cberg) said, talk to a good travel agent who specializes in cruises. That I think should be your first step. Your second step, with the info from the TA, should be to do some research, either at your local library or on the internet. Check the cruise lines’ and airlines’ websites, do web searches through Google on countries and cities/localities. The way I see it, it is best to have too much information than none at all.

 

The short cruise out of Florida may help you get the feeling of being on a ship, then when in Europe you'll be able to orientate yourself and enjoy the localities you'll visit a little better. If you prefer to save your money and go head first into the European cruise, that is still OK. Cruise ships are basically just large floating hotels/resorts, and if you’ve been to one the transition shouldn’t be a major one.

 

If you have further questions don't hesitate to ask, there a lot of people on this forum ready to help.

 

Cheers