First time cruiser, anniversary cruise

[QueenMadge]

My husband and I would like to cruise to the southern carribean in November. We will be flying from California to the east coast, probably florida for the cruise. Can anyone recommend information for first time cruisers, which cruise line, do we need passports, how formal/informal etc? TIA

Margot

[lougee1043]

tough questions without knowing more about you --do you want swimming activities etc etc what are y our likes and dislikes---have you done any homework on cruise lines and ports of call

 

yes imo you should have a passport as it really makes life easier at airports etc etc

[Big Al B.]

I honestly think the best thing is to visit the various lines websites and look over what they have, then visit a travel agent and sit down and discuss your situation - preferences, budget, etc. A good agent will be able to show you the alternatives, but I still like to do some online research first. I've also just visited a travel agency and taken some brochures to read.

As to the passport, I also feel that it's the best idea unless you know that you will absolutely not be leaving the country again.

[fodorspeter]

would be to fly to San Juan instead of Florida. Unless you have ten to twelve days to cruise, the true southern caribbean can't be reached in seven days from Florida. I'm talking about Barbados, Dominica, Curacao, etc.

 

Peter

[QueenMadge]

than the on ship amenities. I have been doing research online but as this is our first cruise I would like to make the best choices for us without getting sucked in by slick offers.....we can get to San Juan I believe from where we are. We are thinking 7 days minimum perhaps 10 is more likely. I will be calling travel agents today. Thank you again for the feedback.

Margot

[trish1c]

Queen Madge --

 

Different cruise lines cater to different people. Before we can help you, we need more info. If you don't want to post it on the internet for safety reasons, talk to a TA, face to face. Anyway, the following are generalizations:

 

Are you 20 something party hearty people? -- go on Carnival Before I get flamed, I know that people over 20 who are interested in things other than drinking go on these ships & that the line is working to clean up it's image. All the chrome & glitz turns me off though.

 

Are you athletic & active? try RCL or, if you are really active / sporty go barefoot on a Windjammer cruise.

 

Do you want something more elegant? try Celebrity or Princess

 

Do you want calm & sedate? HAL is the way to go

 

do you hate being told when & where to eat or how to dress once you get there? NCL's freestyle is for you

 

Do you care about 5 star cuisine & amenities (& can you afford them?) try Raddison or Crystal

 

Passports are an excellent idea. They have lots of uses, are cost effective & some places like Barbados now require them; other islands will probably go that route. Better safe than sorry & if you order them now, you won't have any problems with time pressures.

 

Formal means formal: tux & gown, but the dress codes on the mass market lines are "suggested." That said, you will find people who adhere to them (or something close -- dark suit & cocktail dress -- think very elegant evening wedding in the nicest place in town). Day time is beach wear or shorts. Casual or informal nights -- no jeans or shorts, but almost anything else goes as long as it's neat & clean. For the most part, in general, it's a dressier vacation than almost anything else.

 

Enjoy.

[QueenMadge]

My husband is more active than I am but I am perfectly capable of keeping up on a good hike, etc. I am not the most strong swimmer but would love snorkeling. My husband is a new rescue diver with the local fire department so would enjoy diving or snorkeling equally. We want to walk, hike explore ports when possible. Not so formal is best for everything. My husband is in construction so formal for him is anything other than a t-shirt, I can probably convince him to wear a sport coat and tie if necessary but it will not be his first choice. He wanted to do a Windjammer cruise but our budget doesn't stretch that far. We have about 3k to spend for plane and cruise transportation from n. california. I am looking for something that will give us the most bang for our buck, more ports rather than fewer. does this help? Thank you!

Margot

[QueenMadge]

two including air fare. 10 days from ft lauderdale to princess cays, st thomas, st maarten, st kitts, barbados and antigua. is 2500 good for category n cabin for 10 days? I feel like such a dweeb for not knowing more about this whole process. I did not realise there were so many variables, options and things to consider. We will be purchasing trip insurance, can anyone give me an idea of how much that costs? I know we have to have money for tipping as well as alcohol etc while on board ship. Thank you.

Margot

[CaptData]

Flying from west coast east I would suggest over night before you board. Try Priceline for hotels. BurBunny has a site to help you here. Biddingfun.com, I think.

 

Look for San Jaun for Southern and maybe Golden Princess or Voyager Class one. I would book inside room as they are the cheapest and will allow a little more money for shore ex.

 

Check out Maasdam Southern Carb route out of Norfolk. VA. I'm going Feb 6th.

 

I snorkle when I go. I have heard that Cozumel and St Thomas/St John are really good for diving.

[mrsfuzzmo]

QueenMadge...I would look into RCCL or NCL for what it sound like you are trying to do. I believe RCCL has more S. Caribbean routes, but NCL will give you a little more bang for a little less buck. NCL will also be less formal with the "Freestyle dining" onboard their ships.

[fodorspeter]

The best bang for your buck might be the Mexican Riviera (Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta) out of L.A. Those prices are generally cheaper than the caribbean. Not a bad cruise if you've never been to those places.

 

Peter

[mrsfuzzmo]

Good Point Foforspeter. I forget about the west coast because I am in WI and the airfare alone is a HUGE add on for us (compared to Caribbean). Though if snorkelilng is your bag, Caribbean definitely is the way to go. Haven't been to Cabo, but the rest are marginal if any at all in the snorkeling area. Just a thought.