Anyone been on a cruise?

Question

My fiance and I have been considering this for our honeymoon, but we are clueless........... help

Answer 1

We went to Bermuda on a cruise and it was the best trip we ever took.

Answer 2

I have been on about 20 cruises with 4 different cruise lines. So here's some useful information for you and also what I suggest..

Most cruises are done by cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, Cunard, Holland America, and Disney. Most of the ships for these lines are now 1500 to 2500 passenger ships. The ships are big but things are so well managed that you really don't feel crowded on them. Prices on these ship can be as low as $800 for a 7 day inside cabin and about $1200 for a balcony cabin.  Suites start at a higher price. Sometimes people get confused by the categories on ship that agents or the web sites refer to. Categories are simply a listing of the different types of cabins on the ship by size, location and amenities. Categories are the price structure.

There are 4 basic types of cabins on ships, inside, outside, balcony and suites. The cheapest cabins offered are always the inside cabins; those without a window or porthole. The inside, outside and balcony cabins are generally about the same size on each ship, but may vary by ship and cruise line. Some that are slightly larger in each category generally cost about $50 to $100 more; i.e., within each category there are sub categories.

The terms "cabin" and "stateroom" mean the same thing; the cruise industry prefers stateroom. The standard cabin that most people get is generally between 175 and 200 sq ft, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom. Each cabin has a two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a safe for valuables, a mini-refrigerator, and a life jacket for each passenger.

The type of cruise you have can vary by cruise line. Carnival is the fun ship, they are low priced, and are the party cruise line that most young folks and first time cruisers take (ages 20 to 35) who want to party, party, party. If that’s what you are looking for then Carnival is the one for you.

Princess, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity, and Norwegian tend to have people who have cruised many times and are in the 40 and over age group; a more reserved crowd. Although the crowd is more reserved the ships are still just as much fun. Holland America tends to have the oldest cruiser; primarily people in the 60 and up age group.

Celebrity and Princess also tend to be more upscale and Royal Caribbean tends to be more family oriented. Norwegian is also family oriented but is more casual with its "freestyle cruising" Freestyle simply means that you do not have to select a time to go to dinner each day; you just go whenever you want after about 6:00 PM. It also means that the traditional "formal night" which are really requested attire on ships, is more like "dress up if you want to night".

MOST ACTIVITIES:

Royal Caribbean is the cruise line that has the most activities on its ships. In addition to multiple pools and hot tubs, you will find, depending on the ship, the rock climbing wall, a full sized basketball/tennis court, a mini-golf course, an ice skating rink, a roller blade track, a water slide.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

The price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks and free 24/7 room service, all shows and entertainment, and free use of all facilities on ship except the spa services which would be things like massages, hair and nail appointments, etc.. After baying for your cruise, the things that you will have to pay for are:

GRATUITIES: They will amount to about $10 per person in your cabin per day; about $70 each for a 7 day cruise. When you check in at the pier they will set up an on-board charge account for you to cover any and everything you may buy on ship. They will issue you a "cruise card" which will also serve as your room key and pass to get on and off the ship. At the end of the cruise they will add the gratuity to your tab and you can pay with a credit card or cash, your choice.

ALCOHOLIC DRINKS AND SOFT DRINKS: Coffee, tea, milk, juice, and lemonade and punch will be provided free but you must pay for soft drinks and alcoholic beverages and they will add a 15% gratuity to each drink and soft drink order.

PHOTOGRAPHS: Cruise lines will take plenty of photographs of you all over the ship, in the dining room, and as you exit the ship in ports. These will cost a lot, like $15 to $20 for most.

TOURS/EXCURSIONS:  You DO NOT have to take any tours from the ship; you can get off and on as much as you want in port stops.  Tour are optional, but these are listed on the cruise line web site and you can reserve them well before the cruise and pay for them also. If you wait until you are on ship to book tours they will be charged to your on board account (then you can pay cash to settle your account on the last day). Once you book your cruise the cruise line will send you a booklet listing all of the tours.

SOUVENIRS: Anything you buy on ship from a gift shop or duty free shop goes on your on board account. Things that you buy on shore you pay cash or credit card for.

CASINO: If you plan to gamble on ship you will need cash for that.

OTHER: most cruise lines have what they call "specialty" restaurants where there is a gratuity/service charge. All other food on board is free and its not really necessary to budget for food; you cannot eat all that will be available.

If you want/need to have your hair done, get a massage or wrap, or any services from the spa, you will have to pay for them. You can use the gym free but the spa stuff cost big bucks.

Ships now have internet cafe and some have WiFi but the there is a fee for internet access and it is very expensive (like about $50 to $60 an hour).

You cabin will likely have a minibar with soft drinks and munchies; you have to pay for them (but there is free room service 24/7).

BEST DEALS

I have found that the best deals can be had by going directly to the cruise line web sites and looking for their specials. Most will have their specials prominently displayed on their home page but I have found that Royal Caribbean and Carnival have the best web sites for this.

You will always get the best price if you book very early and early means 9 to 12 months or more in advance. You can book on most any cruise line web site by paying a deposit of $250 to $350 per person, depending upon the length of the cruise, and then pay the balance no later than 60 to 75 days before the cruise (depending upon the cruise line).

Another factor to consider is to be flexible on your date of travel. Consider going when there is a special. Many times identical cruise itineraries can very in price by hundreds depending upon the date.  So the best price may not be the week after your wedding but maybe a month or two later.  Also remember that the hurricane season in the Caribbean is June through the end of October.

Al of the cruise lines that I have mentioned are good.   But if it were me going on my honeymoon I would pick a cruise line like Celebrity, Princess or Royal Caribbean, pretty much in that order.  These three lines have very finely decorated and comfortable ships and provide the best of food service and entertainment.  I would also reserve at least a balcony cabin if not a suite.  People who tell you that an inside cabin is all you need or will want are leading you astray.  As for a destination or itinerary, I suggest eitehr a Western Caribbean which will typically take you to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and a private cruise line island.  Or, consider a southern Caribbean leaving out of Puerto Rico with an itinerary that includes Aruba, Curacao, St Thomas and St Maarten.  The major differences between these is the Southern Caribbean cruise will give you a couple "at sea" days when there is no port stop so you can relax and enjoy the ship.  The Western Caribbean will give you some great beach days, especially at the 7-mile beach in Grand Cayman, and an opportunity if you want to tour some Mayan ruins.

Sorry that this is long but you said you didn't have a clue.

Answer 3

Go to  web-site freespirittravel1.com when you get in, click  on, book travel, and there's a bridal registry in there, some real good deals on the site too

Answer 4

I went on a cruise with Carnival Cruise line it was so much fun!!!!! I always recommend this type of vacation because everything is included and it was inexpensive. You are going to have so much fun.

Answer 5

I have been on 3 different cruises and absolutely loved them all!  I have been to the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Mexico.  I think it is very easy to go with a cruise because they take care of all food, boarding, and have tons if entertainment  / excursions for you to choose from.  Plus - the $ is reasonable (you just need extra $ for alcohol beverages, excursions, misc souveniers).

Answer 6

If you're "clueless", then you should start by getting a book on cruising from the library.  This will give you a general overview of what cruising is like and what the different lines and itineraries offer.

You can then talk to a good travel agent, who will [or should] ask you lots of questions, which, having done some reading, you should be able to answer.  For example, what size ship, when to go, where to go, what type of experience do you want, what type of cabin and on what deck, what's your budget, etc.  

You can get specific info about cruises by going to CruiseCritic.com.  Click on "Boards" to access info about various topics - they even have a "Romance" section that discusses which cruises are "best" for honeymooners, etc.  You may also want to check out the "Reviews" section, where both pros and past passengers give their opinions, good and bad, about the various ships.

Have fun researching - a cruise can be a great way to honeymoon.  It's very relaxing and carefree.