Honeymoon Cruise on Celebrity

[SusieV]

Hi,

 

I'm new here, so please forgive me if I'm posting in the wrong spot or something.

 

I've been on a cruise once, with Royal Caribbean, but it was seven years ago and I was just a kid, so I know things have changed. My fiance has never cruised before.

 

We are planning to go on a cruise for our honeymoon- a 12 night Panama Canal sailing on Galaxy in February 2006.

 

Where can I book to get the best price? I've already beaten the prices offered through Celebrity's website, but I want to get the lowest price as we are students and want to minimize the splurge :)

 

What are the rooms like? The time I cruised we had an interior room. I've been told I should really get a room with a veranda, but those are very expensive. Then I was told if I was getting a veranda I may as well get Concierge class as it's only a few bucks more. Those options are more than $1000 than a regular oceanview room; what would you choose for your honeymoon?

 

Is it really true that room service is free and you can get whatever you want? I've also been told that they can reserve tables for 2 for dinner?

 

Is alcohol expensive?

 

Anything we absolutely must do while on the ship?

 

Any tips you can give someone who is basically a first time cruiser looking for the best deal on a honeymoon?

 

Thanks for your help!

 

Susie

[sddiver]

Get a category 9 on the Sky Deck. Very small deck that you share with the Sky Suites. You will be a few short steps from the pool/outside decks/stratoshere lounge/aqua spa/gym/Oasis Cafe. Get the verandah if you can pull it off, but if not these inside rooms will be the best onboard, steps from a really big verandah, that you have to share. PS we got 1214 for a little over 1,100/person for the Dec 30th New Years cruise 11 day.

 

Good Luck & Congratulations in Advance

 

Rich

[Boo's Mom]

Hi Susie!

 

Yes, room-service is included in the cost of the cruise. They have a room service menu (found in your cabin) that is available 24/7. Also, during the hours that the dining room is serving, you can order off of the dining room menu and have it delivered to your cabin! Your cabin steward can get you a menu from the dining room.

 

Check out this site: http://www.*****.com

 

You plug in what cruise and what type cabin...and you will have several agents giving you price quotes.

 

You only Honeymoon once (hopefully)......go with at least a balcony!

 

Folks can give you cabin credit (money to use when you cruise) as wedding/shower gifts!

 

Have someone throw you a shower....and have them bring $$$$ for you to use on your cruise!!! ;)

 

Celebrity is a great cruiseline to have a honeymoon!

 

God's Blessing on your marriage.

[theawesome1]

Hi SusieV! No email on your file here so I couldn't email you to help. Just email me the awesome1@yahoo.com

[98Charlie]

Congratulations SusieV

 

New rules on the board will not allow discussions of specific travel agents or travel agencies. You can contact other CC members by email for their thoughts/experiences. The listing of a TA here can cause the entire thread to vanish!

 

In general terms, there are three levels of agencies available:

 

Brick and Mortar: This is your local TA where you can walk in an talk face to face with an agent. They should act as your counselor and advocate in all matters regarding your travel. If you use this it's not a bad idea to get an emergency number for weekends in case any situation arises on a day or time when the agency is closed. As with every business there are those who are better than others. Ask questions before you plunk down the cash. I went to one agency and asked to speak to someone who knew about cruising. I was told "We're all cruise experts!" When I gave her the cruise, ship, & date she proceeded to quote me the book price. I said thanks but no thanks and left.

 

Online Agency with telephone support: Here you can check prices and book either online or with a live agent via telephone. Again the agent should be a couselor and advocate. Your agent will not be available on his/her days off but someone else will be available, generally 24/7.

 

Online Agency via email/internet only: Everything here is done by email/internet. No phone calls etc. If you are OK with limited support, this can be a money saver.

 

Check around and compare prices and use search engines.

 

What are rooms like? We have never had a balcony room. For your one and only honeymoon I would suggest seriously considering getting the balcony. We enjoy watching the ocean go by from the deck and would rather use the "balcony money" to cruise more often. However, I have to believe that you would enjoy a room service breakfast on the balcony. If you decide to go the balcony route, ask around on the boards about the privacy of different balconies as some are more visible to other passengers.

 

Room Service: Yes, it's included in the cruise. It is appropriate to tip when the delivery is made.

 

Drinks: Generally drinks are about the price you will find in a good lounge at home. Beer under $4 (buckets available on some lines, I don't remember if Celebrity has them) and mixed drinks $4 and up.

 

Boo's Mom has a great idea regarding the shower and gift money.

[tbelian]

others have answered some, if not all of your questions. Or you will get answers soon.

 

I just wanted to drop a note to say congratulations, and to say that MY first cruise ever was a honeymoon cruise also. From that time on, I was hooked on cruising.

 

I had never been on a cruise before but my spouse-to-be had been. It was a great experience, and a terrific way to honeymoon.

 

Celebrity is a great choice for your honeymoon cruise.

 

Again, congrats, and enjoy!

 

oh, ps ... on Celebrity they often play the 'newlywed, not so newlylwed' game in the theatre... kind of a take off of the old Bob Eubanks 'Newlywed Game'... In regards to your question about a veranda, I can say we all got quite a chuckle out of an answer from another (not us) newlywed couple ... in their case 'The Veranda' was an answer to the question (so I won't get pulled by the moderators, we'lll just leave the question out ... <wink> ...)

[melisssa-e]

Hi! I am cruising for my honeymoon in June 2005. We have decided to go with the CC cabin. As someone said earlier, if you can you should. This is our one and only honeymoon so we are splurging. Having cruised before in a cabin with a balcony, a porthole and an inside cabin, I would definitely want at least an outside view. We are going on with the balcony because it is 10 days and because it is our HM. I have never done the Panama Canal cruise but I would imagine there is a lot to see from the ship so it would depend whether you want to watch with everyone or alone.

 

For dinner, you can request a table for 2. There are no guarantees on the size of dinner tables. We requested a larger table figuring we have plenty of time alone, it would be nice to talk with others over dinner.

 

Alcohol is not inexpensive on the cruise, but it is not outrageous. We drink moderately on the cruise and are bar bills are always reasonable. Room service is free.

 

I always book using a TA and get great rates.

 

If you have more questions, feel free to email me. melwed05@yahoo.com

 

Melissa

[flyaway]

Hi Susie,

 

I'm another who would recommend a balcony if you can swing it. Not having one is a great way to save money for normal vacations, but for our honeymoon, I feel we NEED one. :) Breakfast on your balcony is great, and I feel that balconies make your room feel a bit more open and inviting.

 

We're planning on a Mediterranean cruise (hopefully Millennium, depending on what the 2006 itineraries are) for our honeymoon.

[Ships R Great]

Hi Susie. Congratulations. Be sure to tell them you are hobeymooning. You might get some extra treats, at least a "serenade" in the DR. You will be spending a lot of time alone so you might want a table for 6-8 for dinner. It is fun to get acquainted with new people and share your day with them in the evening. You can breadkfast on your balcony (do try for one) every day. Don't forget tips are appropriate for room service.

[BB5953]

Congratulations!!!! I will be sailing on my honeymoon in April! We actually booked a 1A cabin and we going to upgrade to CC but found out through these boards that X has changed all 1A cabins to CC. I would definitely go with the veranda but that is just my opinion. As far as drinks go they are very reasonable - if you bring some wine/alcohol with you it will significantly cut down on your bar bill!

[Danno]

First...find a TA, who has extensive knowledge in the cruise field...you have a lot of decisions to make, limited knowledge and limited funds (we were ALL there once :D )...a TA might seem a bit pricier on the surface BUT if one mistake is avoided, your TA will will have become the cheapest route to go. You need sound, face to face advice...and I'm NOT a TA!!!

[BB5953]

SusieV - you might want to check out the post "things the cruise line doesn't want you to know" it has some great tips that first time cruisers might not know!

[sijid]

We're also honeymooning on Celebrity (Millenium-January 2005). Congrats to all! I'm directing folks to the Celebrity website for bon voyage gifts, and hope to have lots of wine waiting for us!

 

Where is the "things the cruise line doesn't want you to know" thread?

[tbelian]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=60920

[nealberk]

First...find a TA, who has extensive knowledge in the cruise field...you have a lot of decisions to make, limited knowledge and limited funds (we were ALL there once :D )...a TA might seem a bit pricier on the surface BUT if one mistake is avoided, your TA will will have become the cheapest route to go. You need sound, face to face advice...and I'm NOT a TA!!!

On this one I agree with Danno 100% (153% Canadian). Your honeymoon is not a time to have to worry about anything and a good travel agent will prevent any problem from occurring. While I knew a lot about cruising before booking our first cruise, I went to a travel agent anyway. Price was about the same as if I had gone through an on-line agency but the face to face questions and answers and the sheer knowledge that our agent had made the trip all that much better.

 

Congrats on the marriage. Cruising is a great way to celebrate a honeymoon. In fact, our first cruise was our second honeymoon! For our travel experiences see my websites below.

[flyaway]

We're also honeymooning on Celebrity (Millenium-January 2005). Congrats to all! I'm directing folks to the Celebrity website for bon voyage gifts, and hope to have lots of wine waiting for us!

 

Where is the "things the cruise line doesn't want you to know" thread?

 

That's a good idea. For us, though, I don't like wine, so I wouldn't want a whole bunch of it. It would be so cool if people gave us enough stateroom credit that we could pay for a lot of our excursions out of it. Of course, I guess then we'd probably have to wait until we were on board to book, and I'm too much of a planner for that.

[Lillykat]

We are taking our delayed honeymoon on 8/21 (LESS than a month!!!! YEAH on the century - we got a sky suite for a few reasons. One we were very limited with where we could go because of DH's schedule. The century only has balcony's in some of their suites - and the price was right (only $100 more pp for it than a regular balcony room on RCCL when we booked) I would say if you can swing it get a balcony - the balcony rooms on the Galaxy are nice. You will love the Galaxy I have been on it 5 times and enjoyed each and every trip. Request a table for two - I always saw honeymooners at their own tables on every cruise.

[SusieV]

Thanks everyone for the advice.

 

I wish we could do that with showers (ask for honeymoon $$) but I'd get flamed for tackiness by my family. We are considering setting up a honeymoon registry instead of a traditional one, but then you lose service charges, etc, which is really irritating.

 

I just noticed there's another Celebrity cruise leaving the next day- a 14 night on Summit. This one looks to be a LOT more expensive, though- much more than I'd expect for the extra two days! Is Summit a nicer ship?

 

When I told my fiance that everyone was recommending a balcony, he said that he wanted one too. I think he wants to go concierge class, actually. I guess it would be nice to be pampered, just once... but boy it's an awful lot of money more!

 

Am I looking too early? I've always heard that the earlier you can book, the better. I'm not waiting for last minute deals- it's my honeymoon!

 

Any other suggestions of things to do on the ship, or maybe Panama Canal ports that people have enjoyed?

 

Thanks- I appreciate your advice.

 

Susie

 

 

P.S. Silly question, but does Celebrity carry Korbel champagne? I know it's silly, but that's going to be my married name so we definitely want to order some :)

[Boo's Mom]

Susie......

 

Personally, I would love to be invited to a bridal shower...in which we are asked to bring "cruise cash".....for the honeymoon!

 

So many, many people don't do anything elborate for their honeymoon (we only went to a B&B for one night! Funds are often very limited. This is a way that your friends/family can help you to afford a very nice trip in celebration of your marriage. ...in lieu of buying you linens, etc... or cute things that you don't really need.

 

You would just need to find a friend who would do all of this for you....(have the shower)...

 

Remember.....it is your wedding, your shower, your marriage......your life.... you are not going to be pleasing your family through the whole process.

 

What does everyone else think?

 

ps. The Summit is a beautiful ship as well.

[98Charlie]

Susie

 

Too bad the family wouldn't understand the joy of giving you cash for a cruise :( (Maybe they think you'd waste it on something foolish like food or rent :D )

 

As was previously suggested, let the cruise line know that you are on your honeymoon. Most cruises have a newlywed gathering. Basically a small party with some complimentary drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

[damurph]

We've only gotten a balcony once, on a Crystal cruise through the Panama Canal, and I think it's probably worth it just for the canal day alone. Correct me if I'm wrong, Celebrity veterans, but ships normally spend hours and hours going through the canal, so enjoying some of that time on a private balcony is very nice.

 

I would echo the advice of using a travel agent to lessen the chances of something going wrong. Also, just to be safe, ask someone about using your maiden name versus married name (since it sounds like you are changing your name). I've heard stories -- not concerning Celebrity, just somewhere or another -- about women running into complications because they're registered somewhere under their married name, but the passport still has their maiden name. It might not be an issue at all, but in our security-conscious world, it's better to ask in advance than get a rude surprise.

 

My wife and I did a cruise on our honeymoon 16 years ago and loved it. It's a wonderfully relaxing trip after all the (enjoyable) chaos of putting together a wedding.

[damurph]

You probably already came across this, but in case you didn't -- Celebrity has tons of bon voyage type gifts available on its Web site. I can understand why your family might think it would be tacky to ask people for money for your honeymoon, but I wouldn't think there would be anything wrong with giving people the alternative of getting you a bon voyage gift instead of another toaster. And lots of those things are gift certificates or spa passes or other items you might be able to use. Just a thought if your budget is being stretched too tight.

[SusieV]

Is it true that the ship could be booking up already for 2006?? Now when I check the Celebrity site for CC rooms, it only shows me ones in the Sky Deck and before it showed me other ones.

 

What are the best CC rooms on Galaxy? We've decided to go with Galaxy over Summit since the longer cruise costs a LOT more. ~$1200 for 2 days! It looks like a nice cruise, but that's nuts.

 

Also, do CC rooms have beds that fold into a King? I saw that the Premium Oceanview ones do, and we definitely want that.

 

Damurph- thanks for pointing that out, I'll definitely take a look.

[cruisinjudy]

Well, I won our honeymoon cruise at a travel show, so we had to take what was given to us, an inside. We tried to upgrade but we were not allowed to. Our room was just fine, but now we book a verandah whenever we can. We also sat at a large table, figuring we had plenty of time alone. It was a lot of fun.

The CC beds do make into the same type of bed as the others so not to worry about that.

A lot of people gave us money for our wedding even though we didn't request it, and we used that for our on board charges and tours.