First post and be kind please! Advice please

[gstepic]

My wife and I are planning our first cruise and I have not scoured the various forums yet and intend to do so. I hope these questions are not old as I am sure they have been asked many times. Searching the formus do help. My work schedule makes October through early December attractive because we are slow during that time. I photograph a lot of Lobo sports so games may determine what time we will book our cruise. From reading a post about weather the moderator suggested other factors be used when booking so I will take that advice. I have a few questions and I will try to do some searching when I get home from work to find answers, hopefully some forum member will be gracious enough to help out a little.

 

I am 58 years old and my wife is 49. I have a passion for photography so photo opps are more of a big deal to me than great beaches for example. I am considering Western Carribean cruises. We are from Albuquerque New Mexico. We want to relax and still take advantage of some of the activities. Our budget is around $3,000 to $3,500 for a seven night cruise. We are not huge gamblers so hopefully we can have a decent time with that price range. We are thinking of taking advantage of some of Soutwest Airlines promotional fairs, so we probably will book our own flights. Do the ships have shuttles from the airports if we book our own flights? We will get a room the night before the cruise so another related question - can we typically get special rates on rooms with some cruises?

 

I have no idea how important an interior room will be as opposed to an ocean view room. My guess is there should be enough places to hang out, and hopefully some places that are not real crowded, where we do not get cabin fever. We are not partiers but I would enjoy having a drink with my wife while listening to music we would enjoy. We have been told by a travel agent that we should not get an interior room because we can feel claustrophobic. She also said the cabins were larger in the Carnival line (we are debating between Carnival and Royal Carribean. leaning toward Carnival but open to all suggestions). So I don't know how much of a factor we shoud weigh for our rooms.

 

Also, not sure if best to book now for a November or early December cruise or if waiting gives us better deals. Not sure where to get the best deals. We are considering a local travel agency, Pavlus (they are based in Albuquerque), going direct through the cruise lines, Southwest Airlines cruise division, or any other source. My understanding is cruise lines do not give discounts, other than maybe senior discounts, so deals may be had by offering cruise credits, free upgrades, and such.

 

The cruises that are catching our attention are the Western Carribean. There is one out of Tampa with the Carnival Miracle that has four port stops, three in Mexico. I am thinking this could be very photographic (Mayan ruins?). There is another out of Galveston that is on the Carnival Conquest that has three port stops, one in Conzumel. I believe the Royal Caribbean has something very similar.

 

This site appears to be a great resource. My biggest problem with it is I want to spend all day on it but need to get some work done at my job! Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[jimc_usa]

Do the ships have shuttles from the airports if we book our own flights?

Yes but not free - I always get my own transportation - less hassle!

We will get a room the night before the cruise so another related question - can we typically get special rates on rooms with some cruises?

There are packages - but IMHO it is more cost effective to book your own hotel, find a hotel at HOTEL.COM

I have no idea how important an interior room will be as opposed to an ocean view room.

They are generally the same size room - the window makes a nice view(but mostly of water)

 

She also said the cabins were larger in the Carnival line (we are debating between Carnival and Royal Carribean. leaning toward Carnival but open to all suggestions). So I don't know how much of a factor we shoud weigh for our rooms. Nearly all the cabins are similar - you should pick a cruise based on what you want. Carnival tends to be party ships. Not always great for an older couple.

 

Also, not sure if best to book now for a November or early December cruise or if waiting gives us better deals.

If you book now and prices go down - you can get a credit if you ask.

I believe I get the best price through the cruise line itself. Just my opinion.

 

My wife is a photographer and she finds photo opportunities where ever we go. They are just different opportunies. My advice is to browse/google the ports of call of all the cruises and check the corresponding web sites.

 

[edited to correct formatting]

[kitty9]

I would not recommend Carnival for a couple in your age bracket. Carnival attracts families and younger passengers who like to party. I would recommend Celebrity or Princess for your first cruise. I'm in your age bracket, and while RCCI is nice, they are generally crowded and their ships are just too huge. Celebrity and some of the Princess ships (Star, Sea) are smaller and you won't be looking at the huge numbers of passengers that you have on Carnival or RCCI.

 

I'm not one for an inside cabin----just too dark and claustrophobic for me. At the least I need a window.

 

Most cruise lines don't offer pre cruise hotels as a part of their package. That's something you need to handle on your own. There are a number of hotels near most ports that offer a variety of prices.

[gstepic]

I wonder if that is an older rap that may not be as true now, and I am getting this view from reading this site. If others want to party that would not bother me, but if there was a lot of noise from it where we could not sleep, that would be a different story. I will have to read the posts from the various ships to get a better idea. I think what may have caught my attention about a Carnival ship was reading the ship review from this site and I think the review described classical music as one type of music we could listen to. I like all kinds of music, but having a glass of wine with my wife while listening to some string music just sounded pretty relaxing to me. I may be old but I am not dead so I don't mind listening to more up tempo music either, my wife loves country music.

 

This site does provide a lot of good information and I feel like I will not be making a blind descision as far as what cruise to book. I think I will pick out about three or four particular cruises and do specific research for those ships and itineraries.

[Cotton]

Hi Gestepic.:) Here's a link to the Carnival board, if you'd like to get more perspective on Carnival cruises:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=215&page=1&sort=lastpost&order=&pp=25&daysprune=-1

 

In the meantime, I'll answer a couple of your questions. NO, the party-hardy rep Carnival once had has died down. Carnival now caters to families and folks in all age brackets. I am older than you and your wife, and quite frankly could cruise any line I choose. However, most of my cruises are on Carnival ships. They suit me very well. I can find a quiet corner anytime, as I don't care for the hoopa of the pool games, etc.

 

"Tea Time" is offered every sea day afternoon, and is something you might enjoy. Live, quiet (often classical) music is offered there as you enjoy white-gloved service from silver tea service, as well as tea sandwiches, scones, lemon curd, petit fours, etc. A very nice respite from the other events of the day.

 

The art auctions are another quiet area - with comp champagne.

 

There is always at least one lounge on all Carnival cruises with live, quiet music. That's where I have my nightcap before retiring each evening.

 

I'm a retired chef by trade, photographer by hobby. I have some fantastic shots from Western Caribbean cruises. Mayan ruins, tropical palms on beaches, closeups of OLD Mexican ladies, and children playing by beautiful MX fountains. I love my photos!

 

After all your research, you'll come up with which cruise and which line is best suited for you and your wife.

 

Oh, and your TA is correct - Carnival does have larger cabins than most lines. I would suggest not booking an inside cabin. It's so nice to be able to 'see the sea' while in your cabin. (I never realized that I was claustrophobic until I had my ONE inside cabin.)

 

C'mon over to the Carnival board for more comments. Also check out the other boards. You have a tough decision to make.;)

[gstepic]

I wish all my tough choices were similar to picking a cruise line! LOL! Thanks for your comments, that was very helpful and I thought asking people that were actually on the cruises probably would be good source of info.

[98Charlie]

Do the ships have shuttles from the airports if we book our own flights?

Yes. They generally run around $20 for the round trip. A cab is about the same and you don't have to wait for the bus to load up.

 

I have no idea how important an interior room will be as opposed to an ocean view room.

Different strokes for different folks.

 

We've been on 14 cruises since December 2002. All but 2 were inside cabins. The others were oceanviews where we were upgraded. We figure that we can cruise 4x a year inside, 3x in an oceanview, 2x in a balcony or once in a suite.

 

We enjoy the fact that the room can be dark if we want to sleep in or take a nap in the afternoon.

 

Having said all of that, we have our first balcony (an aft no less) scheduled for our Alaskan cruise this September.

 

Also, not sure if best to book now for a November or early December cruise or if waiting gives us better deals.

Check with your agent before you book regarding the possibility of the price falling after you book. Many agents will accommodate a price change, some won't. With some they may want you to re-book for which there may be a cancellation fee for the first booking.

 

If you find a ship/itinerary/price that you like, book it now. There will always be someone on the ship that got a better deal than you (or me).

 

The cruises that are catching our attention are the Western Carribean. There is one out of Tampa with the Carnival Miracle that has four port stops, three in Mexico. I am thinking this could be very photographic (Mayan ruins?).

I guess it depends on what kind of photography you are in to. No matter where you go there will be outstanding opportunities to photograph people, architecture, historical sites, wildlife, etc.

 

If something such as Mayan ruins really interests you, make sure that your ship will be in port long enough for you to see what you want to see.

 

Good luck on the planning,

 

Charlie

[gstepic]

I find it very interesting that so many posters have so many cruises under their belts. Of course the one timers probably don't interact with this forum, but in general i am getting a strong sense that very few people are unhappy about their cruise, so i do want to do a lot of research but I have a feeling any cruise I choose I will enjoy.

 

I really appreciate this forum and the responses. Thanks for all the replies!

[98Charlie]

I find it very interesting that so many posters have so many cruises under their belts. Of course the one timers probably don't interact with this forum, but in general i am getting a strong sense that very few people are unhappy about their cruise, so i do want to do a lot of research but I have a feeling any cruise I choose I will enjoy.

 

I really appreciate this forum and the responses. Thanks for all the replies!

I have found very, very few people who have taken a cruise and would never go again.

 

I personally believe that your feeling "any cruise I choose I will enjoy" is one shared by many here on the boards.

 

When DW and I have missed out on doing something in a port (or missed the port all together) we generally figure that we'll catch it next time. Now, that is a great feeling:)

 

Charlie

[kitty9]

I've done 45 cruises, with numbers 46 through 49 booked for this year and next, and I've been on every line out there with the exception of MSC, and to be honest, picking a cruise ship can be confusing. If it's music you want, every cruise line has music, including classical and easy listening. Celebrity has a very lovely afternoon tea where the waiters wear white gloves and the music is classical. In the evening, they have some of the best combo groups for dancing and easy listening. What I like about Celebrity is they have a combo that plays lovely dinner music in the main dining room. I'm not one for the art auctions as I find them to be rather cheesy, so I avoid those like the plague and I don't go to the wine auctions either. I recently did a Carnival cruise and while their party hearty rep has declined somewhat, I found their service to be quite lackluster and the food to be dull and not very good. Also, their ships are so huge and I'm just not into sharing a ship with 3000 others. I much prefer ships that carry less than 2000, which you find on Celebrity, Crystal and on the smaller Princess ships. I recently cruised on the Adventure of the Seas, and that ship is far too big and crowded for my tastes and the QM2 is way beyond huge and crowded. But, in the end, it's all about what you want for your vacation. Happy cruise hunting.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

Here are some ideas for a true blue Lobo,

 

if you look at Vacations to Go, Expedia, Orbitz, Kayak, Travelocity and Travel Zoo among other search engines, you will see which ships are going where and the prices of cruises at the the time you want to go. All of the major cruise lines will provide you with a nice cruise experience so you are not to lose any sleep over your choice. Also check with the cruise lines because they have sales now and then. Frankly though Carnival is no doubt a fine cruise line but I am not sure if you want non-stop partying and you are indifferent to fine service.

 

For something special and within your budget of $3,000, on 10/18 the Amsterdam (HAL) sails from Brooklyn NY to Fort Lauderdale for 13 days including a partial transit of the Panama Canal for $1,190 p/p outside cabin, and this cruise includes stops in Aruba, Puerto Limon Costa Rica and some other ports. The photography opportunities on this trip will be truly outstanding, especially the Panama Canal.

 

The airfare from Albuquerque to La Guardia in NYC on Southwest Airlines and then home from Fort Lauderdale should be reasonable. And the only other major expenses are tipping and a hotel the night before the cruise. The cruise lines suggest $10.50 per person per day for each day of the cruise.

 

Other ideas are some very inexpensive cruises from San Diego and Los Angeles to the Mexican Reviera (Mexico's west coast).

 

Hope this helps,

 

Fred

[Quilting_Cruiser]

gstepic, welcome to cruising!

 

You're definitely going about this the right way with your researching and asking questions. I hope you and your DW the best vacation of your lives on your first cruise!

 

We're about to embark on our fifth and every one of them has been fantastic! We've sailed Carnival four times and the only time we've ever experienced the non-stop-party atmosphere was on our first cruise. But, that's because we were inexperienced--we cruised over spring break on a four-day cruise...yikes! But, we still had a great time!

 

My DH is 48 and I'm 47 and we have thoroughly enjoyed Carnival. We are definitely not partiers! The party reputation is grossly exaggerated. We've relaxed many times enjoying classical music and have never had an issue finding a quiet place to enjoy. You'll find that many of the people who bash Carnival have never sailed them, so take it for what it's worth.;)

 

As far as cabin choice, we consider that as important as the ship we choose. People say "I only change clothes and sleep in my cabin so it doesn't matter." But, we find we enjoy spending time in our cabin--just unwinding and relaxing...reading on the balcony. Sigh. :p We had an inside on our first cruise, and I'll never get an inside cabin again. Our second cruise was to Alaska, and we felt that if there was ever a time to get a balcony it was on an Alaska cruise. And, we were so right! We've had balcony cabins on every cruise since and have two of them booked for our upcoming Princess cruise. As much as we've enjoyed Carnival, we decided we wanted to try a different line and we're very excited about our first Princess cruise!

 

Part of my job is managing photo shoots, so I do know a little about photography, and I'm sure you'll find fabulous photo opps no matter what ports you visit. Depending upon what you're interested in shooting, I suggest you do some research on the different ports and then choose the cruise that best piques your creative interests.

 

Half the fun of cruising is the planning and anticipation--enjoy deliberating over your choices!

 

Cheers!

Jayne

[TexasMom2]

gstepic, considering that you live in Albuquerque, have you considered cruising from Galveston? Southwest flies to Hobby Airport which is only 30-45 minutes from Galveston, which also has some interesting things to do if you decide on a pre-cruise stay.

 

I've sailed on the Rhapsody and Grand Princess from Galveston and recommend the Rhapsody. It is by no means a behemoth ship as alluded by a previous poster that all Royal Caribbean ships are too big. It is mid-sized and gorgeous, with lots of glass and views to the sea. There are lots of reasons I prefer RCI over Princess, but you have time to do some research to figure out what your likes/dislikes might be. Weather in November-early December can be wonderful and prices in Nov (except for Thanksgiving) and before Christmas are very reasonable. Actually, RCI has a sale going on if you purchase on July 4.

 

Good luck with your research, and remember that if prices drop you can always get your travel agent to get the price reduction.

[kitty9]

I never said all RCCI ships are too big, I said AOS was huge as are all the Voyager Class RCCI ships. Ships like the Grandeur and Rhapsody are somewhat smaller, but they are by no means small or intimate. The Rhapsody carries 2500 passengers while the Celebrity ships carry between 1700 and 1900, which is far less than any of the RCCI ships.

[TexasMom2]

I never said all RCCI ships are too big, I said AOS was huge as are all the Voyager Class RCCI ships. Ships like the Grandeur and Rhapsody are somewhat smaller, but they are by no means small or intimate. The Rhapsody carries 2500 passengers while the Celebrity ships carry between 1700 and 1900, which is far less than any of the RCCI ships.

 

I would not recommend Carnival for a couple in your age bracket. Carnival attracts families and younger passengers who like to party. I would recommend Celebrity or Princess for your first cruise. I'm in your age bracket, and while RCCI is nice, they are generally crowded and their ships are just too huge. Celebrity and some of the Princess ships (Star, Sea) are smaller and you won't be looking at the huge numbers of passengers that you have on Carnival or RCCI.

 

I was referring to the statement above, as the OP was not considering a Voyager-class ship. We are in the same age bracket and have found the opposite to be true. The Empress of the Seas carries 2020 pax, Rhapsody 2435. Constellation class on Celebrity maxes out at 2034. The Star Princess carries 2600 according to their site but we sailed on the Grand, a sister ship, with 2974 aboard. The Sun class are smaller at just under 2000 pax and the even smaller ships (Royal, Regal, Tahitian) don't sail the western Caribbean but have fabulous exotic itineraries.

 

I have sailed on the AOS and was amazed at the design of the ship. It was full but we never ran into crowds or lines. It's a spectacular ship and itinerary and we are going back in 2008 on the Serenade.

 

Celebrity would be a nice start to cruising, unfortunately they only have one 7-nt western Caribbean sailing in Oct-Dec to choose from (Nov 20). Princess Grand (Galveston), Star (FLL) and Golden (New Orleans) sail western during that period but they are quite a bit larger than the Rhapsody. Good deals can be had on all the ships.

 

I recommend the Rhapsody for the beauty of the ship, the ports, low cost to fly from NM, and the budget mentioned. Finding a good travel agent can do wonders and can help you navigate the pricing, discounts, pluses and minuses of each line to find exactly what you are looking for.

[gstepic]

We decided to book the Carnival Glory out of Orlando on a seven day Western Caribbean cruise. We chose this cruise for what I thought would be interesting ports, the fact that Carnival gives nice discounts to vets, and mainly because we bought a time share several months back for a resport in the Disneyworld area and we have yet to see it (it is a Fairfield timeshare so the actual location of the timeshare is not really a huge deal). We thought about going to Disneyworld earlier this year so we are going to be vacation gluttons and do Disneyworld and a cruise.

 

Southwest often has specials to Orlando and other Florida cities so I feel if we are ready to jump on a special we will get decent flight prices. Needless to say we are pretty excited. We did get a balcony on the Lido deck toward the front of the ship. With my military discount our total cost is $1214 for both of us (includes taxes and port fees).

 

Our timeshare allows us to use our timeshare points toward a cruise, but the amount of points we would have to use is way too high. I am beginning to see why - they really don't want to encourage their owners to go on cruises because it is such a great alternative. Hopefully will be able to take advantage of both.

 

Again, thanks so much for all the input, it is really appreciated and I am sure I will not be done asking questions, but will more than likely spend more time on the Carnival board.

 

Gary

[TexasMom2]

Gary, you made an excellent choice. I would jump on that price in a heartbeat! And so convenient to your timeshare in Orlando. We have a timeshare, too, but have never considered trading for cruise credit because the exchange is not favorable. We haven't been to our home resort in 5 years as we end up trading every year for something new.

 

Sign up for the "ding" specials on Southwest and you're good to go. Have a wonderful cruise!

 

P.S. You have been forewarned....once you cruise, you are hooked!

[motherchic]

Sounds like a wonderful choice and a very good price. I have never sailed Carnival, but i am not opposed. And, as stated here- Carnival seems to be getting a bit away from the "always a party " boat.

Also your going after schools are back in session which will also help with that.

My favorite line is Celebrity, I am 51, love the M class ships and one day I recommend trying it.

Our last cruise we did a 7 day, on the Constellation for $500/ person.

Inside cabins.......hmmmm.... if its what i can afford, thats what i take, but obviously i prefere a balcony. We had an inside for our last cruise. Wanted to get away but couldnt spend allot. Still a great cruise ( but i am not clostraphobic ). Next cruise is in Feb, for 2 weeks with an aft balcony. As one poster so rightly stated it.... if it makes a difference whether i can cruise or not cruise.... give me the inside cabin.

Little tip if in an inside cabin. On the tv, is always a channel with just a camera-looking out off the ship, put this on ( there is no sound )as the sun comes up- so will the "light " on the tv.

Have a wonderful cruise

Nadine

[prarie cruiser]

Just to address another question, yes you can often get transport from the airport to the cruise ship by buying it through the cruise line. Whether or not you want to do so often depends upon the port (for instance, at FLL, often best just to get a cab).

 

Enjoy your cruise. The price you quoted is so low, I would confirm it and make sure that price was not for each person, versus the two of you. Its great you can add Disney on one end of your vacation!!

[Fredr]

hello,

 

Check Travelocity, Orbitz, Expedia, Travelzoo, Kayak, Vacations to Go for specials because your budget of $3,000.00 should get you a very nice cruise including air. Look at repositioning cruises such as The Amsterdam (HAL) sailing in October of 2006, 13 days , sailing from NYC to Fort Lauderdale, including a partial transit of the Panama Canal for $1,190 p/p for an outside cabin. Airfare is extra but very reasonable from Albuquerque to La Guardia and from Fort Lauderdale to Albuquerque.

 

This cruise will be a photographers dream, especially the Panama Canal.

 

Hope that this helps,

 

Fred

[Timmys_mom]

The price you quoted is so low, I would confirm it and make sure that price was not for each person, versus the two of you. Its great you can add Disney on one end of your vacation!!

 

No reason to confirm - Carnival gives fantastic discounts to vets.

 

Congratulations on your choice. I'm sailing the Glory in January (but going east) with my mom (she'll be 71) and my sister. The Glory is a big ship, but there are always places to go to be alone (especially if you have a balcony cabin).

 

Enjoy your cruise. Be seeing you on the Carnival boards!

[gstepic]

I received a confirmation email and it was in a TIFF format which I thought was odd. I do a lot of photography so in Photoshop I was able to view the confirmation and noticed I had to prove my vet status in 72 hours. I just sent off a form to request my DD214 (proof of discharge) and won't get the form for at least three weeks. Hopefully Carnival will give me some time and hold my room with the discount.

 

And of course today the Carnival agent that made the booking has not answered the phone and I am just leaving messages (I did tell her at booking I had to send in for the discharge papers). Maybe I am worrying too much as my deposit should hold the cabin (it was the last balcony cabin left on the port side) and I can reinstate the discount when I get my paperwork. Their veterans discount is really a very good discount and I did double check the confirmed rate, and it was for both of us and included taxes and port fees.

 

Now how do you put that cool scale below the posts that countdown the days left to sailing?

 

Gary

[TexasMom2]

Gary, you may get a quicker answer by posting the question on the veteran's discount on the Carnival board. I'm sure this has happened to others and you will get an answer pretty quickly. I wouldn't think you have anything to worry about, if they pull the discount until you get your documentation, they can always add the discount back in later.

 

For the countdown clock, here are the instructions for a clock like mine: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=174730

 

Another clock is the kind with a decorative strip with something that moves down the strip: http://www.tickerfactory.com/ezticker/ticker_designer.php

[gstepic]

she said she has never seen Carnival stick to that deadline and she said what you did, worse case is the discount would be taken off then added back in.

 

I was debating about a balcony room or ocean view. Originally I was going to book an interior but the agent said there were none that i could use the Vet discount for. The total difference for my wife and I was $200 extra for the balcony over the ocean view. It is on the port side and much higher than where the ocean view cabins were. I have read several posts about cabins and I know many prefer the interior rooms because so little time is spent in the cabin, but my guess is it may be nice to have a much higher view coming into port sitting at a table with our own balcony with my wife. Dang, just when I thought i was getting over the intitial excitement, typing that last sentance has caused me to visualize sitting in our balcony with a glass of wine and I can hardly think of anything else!

 

Gary

[TexasMom2]

Gary, only you know for sure, but if it were me, $100 additional each for a balcony is a good deal. There is nothing quite like having coffee on your balcony in the a.m. and watching the activities while pulling into port, and having your favorite cocktail on the balcony while departing the port and watching the sunset. It is really very special and if there is any way you can swing it, you won't regret it. Our first cruise was a great last minute deal in an outside, second cruise an aft balcony on Adventure. I planned a year in advance and saved like crazy. Now we are hooked, and I book everything at least a year in advance. It gives me incentive to budget at home and be smart about money, because I know in xx months I'll be sitting on my balcony with my hubby and wishing it would never end!