Where to book and where to go

[anil099]

First time cruiser here...What's the best way to book a cruise? I was thinking orbitz...or some internet site like that...anything wrong with that?

 

Second, where to go? I'm split between Bahamas, Jamaica, and Caribbean

What's the difference, if any? and what would you reccommend?

 

pros and cons of each destination if you've been?

 

its gonna be like a 4-5 day cruise...

 

whats the food situation? can you pretty much order food 24/7 in your room? or is there an open restaurant 24/7 for the free food? cuz me and I probly won't be eating at the normal times if im cruising...

 

and lastly...hows the etnertainment? I;m thinking about carinval or royal caribbean....what type of entertainment do they have?

 

thanks

 

plus any advice for first timers would be appreciated

[serene56]

You want to be careful with some online agencies-

 

Some agencies will charge you to take your booking. (those $15.00 does add up)

 

Some agencies will not offer any rebates after final payment-- ask your questions.

 

what do the agencies charge if youneed to cancel- some agencies will charge up to 75.00 to do so. Cruiselines charge only after final payment is due.

 

There are a lot of good internet companies out there. Ask questions like what i mentioned here.

 

Some cruiselines like Royal Caribbean does not allow agencies to discount thier cruises.

 

We are not allowed to discuss agents or agencies.

 

Have you checked the cruise critic group cruise boards-- sometimes you can find great deals there.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=24

 

 

 

Food is a subjective matter. what is good for one person might not be good for anpther. You dont cruise expecting 5 * cuisine and know that the food is prepared enmasse. I have yet to have a bad meal on a cruise ship.

 

difference in the ports--- check out the port of call board to see if something grabs your attention. SOme people dont like Jamaica and feel its unsafe. Been to Ocho Rios 3 times already and never felt unsafe at all.

 

 

Caribbean is a bunch of islands. you will have to decide if you want a western caribbean or Eastern caribbean itinerary. (most 5 day cruises only do the western side_ which is a good pickfor first time cruisers. Lots of choices on what to do.

 

Check out http://www.cruiseclues.com scroll and look at the ships you are interested in.

Check out their daily activity pages to see what kind of stuff to do on each ship.

 

I found that royal and carnival are comparable with eachother in the way of service and food. I found that night time activities were better on carnival. Also find that lots of cruises Carnival is cheaper then royal.

[kitty9]

There can be some problems with booking with places like you mentioned. I used that same one you said and I had nothing but problems with them, plus the price they quoted on their site was nowhere near what the final charge was---they added in all sorts of fees and taxes to the original price. Plus, if you have problems, you can find it difficult to talk to a live person---not on just the site you mentioned, but on many of the internet sites. I go to a live travel agent who matches the prices on the internet, plus I get benefits like paid gratuities and on board credits from my TA.

 

Restaurants on ships, even the casual ones, are not open 24 hours a day, but there is room service. You must tip the server who brings your room service, a couple of dollars each time. It's really not all that difficult to go to the dining room for dinner each night and the food there is the best than any of the alternatives, such as the buffet and room service.

 

I'm not at all a fan of Jamaica. We had a couple of bad experiences with the locals each time we were there. As to other islands, I've been on 49 cruises, so I've seen most of them, and to be honest, they are pretty much all the same with the same looking beaches, shopping and tourist traps. Just find a ship that interests you, and go from there.

[anil099]

book from the original website? or call them up directly?

[serene56]

book from the original website? or call them up directly?

 

 

always call them directly. not all discounts are offered on the net. Like a resident rates. senior discount rate. (do you have a person in the militarty that could get a military rate.)

maybe happy hour sales.. you want all discounts that you are entitled to. so ask for each one above seperately.

[Fredr]

Hello,

 

99....here are some suggestions.

 

Look at the cruise related websites such as Orbitz, Travelocity, Travel Zoo, Vacations to Go and the cruise line websites such as RCCL, Princess and so on. This will give you a good idea of where the cruises are going and the prices. After you do your research go see an experienced travel agent. I use a travel agent because I want someone to help me if there is any trouble and the travel agent doesn't cost more than a website. As you will be more knowledgeable you and the travel agent can find a cruise that is interesting and in your price range.

 

I suggest that you select a 7 day cruise. The shorter cruises are really party cruises and you do not (at least in my opinion get the service and food that you get on longer cruises). Who cares about food and service when alcohol, romance, and music have first priority? Recommend the western Caribbean out of Fort Lauderdale with Aruba and Grand Cayman the ports to visit as there is a lot to see and do in these ports. Jamaica and Nassau are beautiful places and that is it...beautiful places. A Mexican Riviera cruise is a great lace to cruise as well.

 

Food...you won't go hungry as there is room service, buffets, and snacks but it is really nice to have breakfast, lunch and especially dinner in the ship's elegant dining room.

 

Hope that this helps.

 

Fred

[suezyq50]

We booked our first one through a TA, RCI (Resorts Condiminuim International through our timeshare) but never saw them. There after, we have called Royal Caribbean Cruise Line to book our cruises. I do check with local TA and RCI, but I get just as good rates with RCCL direct.

At this point my favorite has been Western Caribbean. We really enjoyed Grand Cayman.

[98Charlie]

First time cruiser here...What's the best way to book a cruise? I was thinking orbitz...or some internet site like that...anything wrong with that?

Nothing wrong with that. As suggested, ask questions about fees, cancellation policies and rebates for price drops. Counting our currently booked future cruises, we have 20 cruises. The only time that I felt we paid too much and got no service was when we went to a local brick and mortar shop. We have used an online since then. While they have many agents, we have one only that we use. When we have had any situations that require help, she has come through for us.

 

Do you have any friends that have cruised? Find out their experience and see if they can recommend an agent.

 

Second, where to go? I'm split between Bahamas, Jamaica, and Caribbean

What's the difference, if any? and what would you reccommend?

We're not fans of either Jamaica or the Bahamas. With out knowing more about your likes/dislikes I would suggest that the St. Thomas/St. Martin/Private Island itinerary is a good Eastern Caribbean starter cruise. You get some ports and some sea days. There are beaches and shopping at each of the ports. English is generally spoken wherever you go on this itinerary. Several of the cruise lines have this itinerary.

 

For the Western Caribbean, Grand Caymen is nice (Beaches and swim with the stingrays), Cozumel (very touristy but fun), Roatan (primitive, more like what the Caribbean was before all the ships started arriving), Costa Maya (Tours to Mayan ruins or a relaxing beach at Mahaual).

 

its gonna be like a 4-5 day cruise...

Really consider the 7 day option.

 

whats the food situation? can you pretty much order food 24/7 in your room? or is there an open restaurant 24/7 for the free food? cuz me and I probly won't be eating at the normal times if im cruising...

There is always food available somewhere, somehow. NCL has dinig rooms that are open where you walk in, Princess has a similar option along with traditional dining. All others are tradtional dining where you have a set time for your evening meal.

 

and lastly...hows the etnertainment? I;m thinking about carinval or royal caribbean....what type of entertainment do they have?

Live stage entertainment is available on all cruise ships/lines. There will be deck bands, piano bars, discos, etc. All ships have casinos (not open while in port).

 

Charlie