Newbie in the ranks needing HELP!!!

[Sallighted]

Hi to all you cruisers out there,

 

As explained in the title I am a newbie to these here ranks:D ... And as usual have the million and one questions that everyone else has asked so I have done my homework and looked up most stuff I can find first through past threads:p . So on to my questions:rolleyes: will explain myself first... we are a mid twenties couple with no littlies. I am really wanting to do a cruise, my OH is of the opinion that he will get bored (which I think unlikely;) ) so he will come but need to make the first trip the best! Am planning for Oct-Dec 09 (yes I know a long way off!!!) and as we are in Aus was thinking possibly the Dawn. Will throw out the line to you as this is way too long a post anyway soooo here goes.....

1. How much on average per day should you be spending on your cruise (not the spending money just the actual cost) as I am always out for a bargain!!!

2. Should we do this ourselves (this is what I normally do with other holidays) or go through a TA?

3. Does anyone have a cruise they would advise to go on? (me thinking somewhere in the 9-14 day range)

4. Which rooms are best??? Would like to keep low cost (would love a window or even a balcony but don't know if it is worth the cost???)

 

See a few questions which I can guarentee there will be many more to come:o Thanks for your help in advance...

 

XS

[Ela 2]

Hi Sailighted,

Welcome. I doubt very much that your husband will be bored on a cruise.

 

Many of us book through on-line travel agents. We are not permitted to mention agent's names on this board, but you can easily find them on line. They have heaps of specials that are much cheaper than booking direct throught he cruise line. Prices vary, and outside cabins and balconies are much more expensive than inside cabins. The cheapest way to cruise is to book a 'guarantee'. This is often a bit over $100 per day per person and is for the cheapest inside cabin on the ship. They sell quite a few at this price, and the earlier bookings are up-graded.

 

Cruise length - We feel that 7 days is too short. You just get into the swing of life on the ship, when it is time to think about packing up. If you can go for at least 10 days.

 

Which are the best cabins - Cabins in the middle are more stable in rough weather. If you book a 'guarantee' you take what you are given.:):)

[fishtaco]

Hi pleased to have you aboard!

 

 

although older than you we also have no children so sort of act like teenagers all the time (Dreaming Den:( )

 

Anyway, I was a bit worried about going on a cruise as i thought it would be a bit boreing,I dont read much or sunbake for long before I get bored and need some action.

 

For some reason I actually love cruising :D , There is so much to see and do that it is quite suprising.

 

There is many couples on board of your age all wanting what you want.

 

I think gone are the days of the over 70,s and rich being the ones who cruise.

 

It is a lot of fun and a really good holiday,most people who cruise for the first time end up booking another soon after getting off.

 

 

Personaly I would at least go for a window and the balcony is great if you have the funds but the cabins play second fiddle as the ship is for all.

 

You cant really go it alone as you need to either book through P&O or a T/A,with some T/A,s having much better deals than direct through P&O

 

 

The daily cost per person may seem a bit high at first but you need not spend anything else.

 

In the end my cruises have been cheaper than some of my other holidays and thats with flying into Sydney from Perth.

 

When you look at the members on this forum,not all cruise all the time but a lot come back to chat and stir memories of what a great time they had while cruising.

 

Book one, you wont regret it!

 

Den

[sailawaysally]

Hi there, my DH didn't think he would enjoy cruising until he actually did and now he wants to go at least twice a year. For ourselves, we look to find bargains of between $100 - $150 per day. The lower price will get you an inside cabin, the higher an outside cabin. Balconies are great but too expensive for us and my hubby spends time actually sitting in the window (because you can) looking out and enjoying the view. We always go for outisde but there are T Grade cabins on the Pacific Dawn that have portholes and are an upper and lower bunk and are in the middle of the ship. These are the best value I think if you want a bargain. 14 days was great, 10 is good and anything less than that would still be better than not cruising. This board is great for finding out anything you want to know. Most are very helpful and don't forget to check out the stickys at the top for Hints etc.

[aussie57]

Hi XS

Welcome to CC. My DH & I went on a one-off 9 night cruise on Pacific Sky in 2004 - the holiday of a lifetime! But we got hooked & have just booked our 4th cruise for end of Sept. It's only a 7 nighter & we already know that it won't be long enough but we wanted to do Tropical Qld & our TA got us a great deal.

So far we've always had "last minute" deals & have never booked more than 3 months ahead. We have health issues so don't want to book too far into the future. However if you want to request a specific cabin you need to book a long way in advance. You can also get earlybird specials, but never pay the non-discounted advertised brochure price. On-line Cruise specific TAs have e-newsletters that you can sign up for to find out their latest deals.

I've never heard of anyone being bored on a cruise as there are just so many entertainment options both on board & ashore at ports. in fact, finding time to chill in a deckchair with a book is really difficult.

Enjoy your planning & research. You will find these boards invaluable & thepeople wonderful.

[didiaust]

Greetings and welcome to a great site.

 

I began cruising in my 20's (1970's) - there would be at least 12 of us and we would either book 2 or 3 - 6 berth or 3 or 4 4 berth in the very hull of the ship. In those days the 6 berths didn't have showers or toilets in the cabins but they were roomier. We had an absolute ball. In the last 5 or 6 years we prefer the comfort of our own 2 berth cabin but we don't care where it is . We have good sea legs so the position on the ship doesn't matter to us. Have been at the very front on Sky and can't complain. Use to always book outside but we have also cruised inside and don't care so long as we are aboard. We have booked through TA's , booked through P&O and booked through online TA's. We have also found some amazing deals - last year got a 11 day South Pacific cruise for $895( advertised in Sunday paper) . Got a good deal this year advertised on line 10 nights outside for just over $1000. I would love a balcony but can do 2 cruises for the price of a balcony. Cruising is a favourite for my hubby- he hates Bali so I am lucky I get to go to Bali each year and keep him company cruising. I am sure your man will be occupied the entire time. My advise to first timers is to keep reading this wonderful forum - don't rush into booking just watch the papers and check as many online sites as possible. If you are worried about him talk one his mates and partner into going.

 

Just keep posing your questions and we will all give you an opinion

 

Di

[arxcards]

Being in your 20's, your cabin will be mostly for sleeping, bathing, changing etc, so an inside will probably do the trick, especially on a budget.

 

As for itinerary, it is really up to your personal tastes. Pacific Dawn is almost exclusively cruising into the Pacific Islands, where there are other itineraries along the Aussie coast, NZ, Asia etc.

 

No harm in planning for late '09 - We already have a Chrissy/New Year cruise booked for 09/10. Ships will be busy during school holidays.

 

While you are looking at prices, consider the other ships cruising from Sydney in 09/10. The extra competition can lead to a good deal. Dawn Princess, Diamond Princess, Rhapsody of the Seas, Volendam and Millennium all operate various cruises from Sydney during the 09/10 cruise season. Depending on your location, there are some cruises departing from Fremantle and Melbourne as well as Pacific Sun in Brisbane.

 

No advice on T/A's, except that online contact gives you easy access to find specials. Your local T/A will have plenty of brochures though - and that would be my first stop.

[Sallighted]

Thanks soooo much for your replies... I am not really too worried about the other half he didn't think he would like bali either and had a ball so I am ignoring him for the time being:p . Okay so some say get a window and others say save the money.... so what I will do will be to go with the flow and just find out what happens:rolleyes: !!! Its a shame you dont have a personal message system on this forum... would make life easier to find out some stuff that you guys cant post... anyway okay.. next question.

 

I am in WA so what is the easiest way to sort it.. do I book the cruise early and wait until the last minute to book flights???

What is the garuantee thingie for booking that is cheaper???

So we are going longer ie. 10 - 12 days then (cant do more cos' of the roster structure we are on and getting over there etc.) can anyone advise good places, islands to go??? Anywhere NOT to miss out on??? Also got an email the other day advertising half price cruises are these actual or just a gimic for gullible people (like myself:o )

 

As before thanks heaps in advance!!!:D

[Ela 2]

Anywhere NOT to miss out on??? Also got an email the other day advertising half price cruises are these actual or just a gimic for gullible people (like myself:o ) :D

Hi Saillighted,

If you have to go in a peak season you would probably have to pay half price, otherwise it is easier to get a better price. Specials are not available on every cruise, so if there is a particularly date/itinerary you really want, then take a half price deal. If you can be flexible, you can expect to do a lot better.

 

Which ports are best? Vila has a lot going for it and I think is a favorite with most people. Beach ports of call - Isle of Pines, Ouvea, Champagne Bay, Mystery Island. We went to Pentecost Island on our last cruise and thought it was fantastic. In my opinion Luganville is the bottom of the barrell. Suva is not great if you stay in the city, but you can go to Pacific Harbour (it's great). Research what to do in each port. You will find a lot of information on various posts on this forum. :):)

[LouLou28]

Thanks soooo much for your replies... I am not really too worried about the other half he didn't think he would like bali either and had a ball so I am ignoring him for the time being:p . Okay so some say get a window and others say save the money.... so what I will do will be to go with the flow and just find out what happens:rolleyes: !!! Its a shame you dont have a personal message system on this forum... would make life easier to find out some stuff that you guys cant post... anyway okay.. next question.

 

I am in WA so what is the easiest way to sort it.. do I book the cruise early and wait until the last minute to book flights???

What is the garuantee thingie for booking that is cheaper???

So we are going longer ie. 10 - 12 days then (cant do more cos' of the roster structure we are on and getting over there etc.) can anyone advise good places, islands to go??? Anywhere NOT to miss out on??? Also got an email the other day advertising half price cruises are these actual or just a gimic for gullible people (like myself:o )

 

As before thanks heaps in advance!!!:D

 

Hi Sallighted .... the window/no window thing often comes up ... we had an inside cabin on our first cruise (just decided we didn't care - as long as we were on the ship) --- got an outside on our last cruise ... because we got a great deal ... and loved being able to see outside!

 

Although ... have to say --- slept SOOOOO well in the inside cabin --- pitch black - so if you enjoy a sleep in - don't stress!

 

My advice - is get on the boat for the best price/best deal you can!

 

Some of us are on MSN,etc (there's a little icon at the top right panel of each person's the post - you can get the details from there) - or put your email address up - those that do have info that may be more useful than what we can post here can let you know! Otherwise, it's worth checking out some of the on-line T/As (google will help) --- compare the deals and see if you can get something good! We then went to our normal T/A who was able to more than match what was on-line ... just depends on the T/A and what their relationship is is P&O and if they're able to do the bulk bookings, etc ... but always worth asking! For our next cruise, I got quotes for a few T/As (including online ones) and my own was able to do the deal on the best price we could provide them with.

[arxcards]

Thanks soooo much for your replies... I am not really too worried about the other half he didn't think he would like bali either and had a ball so I am ignoring him for the time being:p . Okay so some say get a window and others say save the money.... so what I will do will be to go with the flow and just find out what happens:rolleyes: !!! Its a shame you dont have a personal message system on this forum... would make life easier to find out some stuff that you guys cant post... anyway okay.. next question.

 

I am in WA so what is the easiest way to sort it.. do I book the cruise early and wait until the last minute to book flights???

What is the garuantee thingie for booking that is cheaper???

So we are going longer ie. 10 - 12 days then (cant do more cos' of the roster structure we are on and getting over there etc.) can anyone advise good places, islands to go??? Anywhere NOT to miss out on??? Also got an email the other day advertising half price cruises are these actual or just a gimic for gullible people (like myself:o )

 

As before thanks heaps in advance!!!:D

This forum has PM capability, but it was disabled a long time ago.

 

This is another version that lists posters PM details on other systems. It is over to the RH side, under the number of posts. I have a little blue man there for my MSN/email. Feel free to use it.

 

Flights are usually cheapest with advance promo deals. Early or late booking of a cruise varies. The ones with the biggest specials are usually in the colder months - when the cruise is being undersold.

 

The 50% off is a little bit of a gimmick, but still a special. P&O lists a full price, and an earlybird 30% off for all of their cruises. The 50% will be off the full price, so is only 20% better than the everyday earlybird price. Some of these specials are short lived, depending on the response.

 

If you see a cruise you like in the 50% off sale - go for it!!

 

Guarantee booking means you do not choose your cabin. To help P&O sell as many cabins as possible, they will sell these guarantees cheaper than if you select a specific cabin. These are flexible for P&O, and you will not be assigned your cabin number till the last couple of weeks before your cruise. Your assigned cabin may be well forward or well aft in the ship, or close to a public area.

[newyork40]

Hi there!,

 

As you are from WA have you considered cruising on "The Athena" which is a CIC ship. It leaves from Fremantle which would be a bonus as no need for airfares.

 

I am from Perth and am looking forward to cruising from Fremantle in March 09 on "Rhapsody of the Seas" which is a RCC ship, but I still have to get a flight back from Sydney which is where the cruise finishes.

 

Yes it is a pity that CC doesn't have a private email setup (would love to know why!).

 

Trish

[aussie57]

 

I am in WA so what is the easiest way to sort it.. do I book the cruise early and wait until the last minute to book flights???

 

Last year we sailed from Auckland to Tonga & Fiji on Pacific Star. We booked through an online T/A and it was a Fly-stay-cruise deal where the return flights to NZ, a night in an Auckland hotel & the cruise cost were all included. We had to organise our own transfers though, but some deals will include those as well. It was less than the original price for the cruise so if P&O wants to fill a ship they will offer these types of deals. When we flew to Auckland to join the Sapphire Princess Cruise to Sydney we bought the airfare ourselves with the best available online deal at the time we booked the cruise.