Best Cruise Line, Destination for March '07?

Question

I have never taken a cruise before and would like to go this coming March. Any suggestions from any seasoned cruisers out there for the best March destination or Cruise Line? All I know is I want to be treated like a Princess!...;-)

Answer 1

How much are you going to budget?  What type of weather do you want?  There are several classes of cruise lines and since mass market ships advertise and carry the most passengers, you'll always hear from people who'll tell you these cruise lines are the best.  Some have only sailed on 1 cruise line and have never compared or are even aware of others.  There are many cruise lines you'll never hear of because they don't market to Americans, and have home ports in foreign countries.  

Here's the cruise line break down:

Luxury - everything is included in the price except the air and shore excursions (sometimes econ. air is included on promos or if they're trying to fill up the ship)

SilverSea, Regent, Seabourn, Crystal, SeaDream - all except Crystal ships have < 1000 passengers with most ships only carrying between 390 - 790 passengers.  Cabins are all suites and no inside cabins. SeaDream ships are mega-yachts, carry only 110 passengers and have smaller cabins.  

A bit pricier than the other lines but, if you want impeccible food, accommodations, service, etc. these are the lines that will make you feel like a princess.

Premium Plus - Cunard and Oceania - both have inside cabins, but Oceania ships carry only a max of 684 passengers where Cunard carries >1000.  Top notch accommodations, food and service, but everything's additional - soft drinks, alcohol, gratuities, etc. Dining on Cunard is still by class - depending on what class cabin will determine which dining room and the quality / type of food you'll be served, however it will be great no matter what class.

Premium - Holland-America, Celebrity, Princess, Disney - a nicer version of mass market ships - still good service and food, however ships have large passenger capacity (especially Princess) and always seems to be a wait for anything you want to do including getting on and off the ship at ports.

Mass Market - Carnival, NCL, Royal Caribbean - affordable cruises, but be sure to book the newer ships as the older ships will be worn from overuse - 3 & 4 day cruises with constant passenger turnover puts a lot of wear and tear on a ship.  Service and food will be OK, but you must be careful. Carnival is great for young cruisers as their ships are known as "party boats" with very low fares and usually first time cruises choose Carnival and think they've died and gone to heaven, however, what they expect and what you expect might be two completely different things. NCL has been having a lot of service issues lately (as many TAs in the know will tell you).  Royal Caribbean would be my recommendation among these as they offer value and quality in their ships, accommodations, food and service.  However, because all these ships carry a very large amount of passengers - 1500-3500 - there will always be complaints and issues and a cattle call when getting on and off the ships in ports.

First, determine where you would like to go - pick 3 different areas.  Then take a look at the websites for the various cruise lines to see if you like the itineraries for these areas. Look at reviews of different cruise lines and sailings at www.cruisecritic.com. A well educated traveler is a travel agent's dream.

Then find a very good travel agent to put all your cruise plans together - there are a lot of details to handle with any cruise to make sure its perfect.  How do you know if you have a good agent?  If you give them you're info and they don't ask you any questions before making recommendations say "thank you" and keep looking.  Besides, if you are a princess, you want someone who will take very good care of you and handle the details for you.  You might want to look for an agent affilliated with Virtuoso.

Ask if they are and ask them to explain what this affiliation will mean for you.

Give the agent your options of where you'd like to go, your travel budget, and what you'd like to get out of the cruise (interested in history, music, food & wine, relaxing in the sun, etc) then ask for suggestions.  If the price is too high, and you like an itinerary, try asking for a cruise with fewer days - 7 days vs. 10 days.

The worst thing you can do is tell the travel agent, "I want to go on a cruise in Mar. 2007, I've never cruised before, I want to be treated like a princess."  That's an immediate turn-off for most agents and they'll simply hand/send you any brochure and tell you to pick something.  You'll waste a lot of the agent's time if you don't have something more definite in mind.

Another thing to remember is whatever cruise you choose, you'll still have expenses once you book the cruise and air. Have the agent check if they can find air cheaper than the air from the cruise line.  Spend your money in the right places - if you can afford it, fly into the port so you arrive the day before the ship sails and overnight in a hotel (even if its a Motel 6), especially if you're flying to the port.  If there's a weather delay or you miss a connection the day of the sailing, you might not make the sailing.  Make sure you book travel insurance - it cheaper booking independently vs. insurance thru the cruise ship offers - try Travelex or Travel Guard.  If you have to cancel your trip or if you miss the sailing, loose your luggage, are injured during the cruise, etc. you're covered and can usually recover most or all of your expenses.

Plan a budget for gratuities, shore excursions, alcoholic & soft drinks, restaurants fees (if you want to eat in the specialty restaurants vs. the dining rooms), shopping on board and in ports, spa/salon treatments, gambling, etc.  These are expenses you'll incur besides the cost of the cruise. The luxury ships have gratuities and all drinks included and there are no restaurant fees.

This is about as much info as I think anyone will give you.  Know its alot, but, if you follow my advice, you'll have a great trip.

Bon Voyage!

Answer 2

Bazaroutto Island Mozambique

Answer 3

Ok, here all you need to know.  Just go to the web sites and browse for the best deals.  I just finished my 12th cruise.

If you have the money to spend for the very top and best cruise lines try Crystal, Radisson, Cunard, Windstar, and Silver Sea.  These cruise lines are a cut above the others because they run smaller ships (about 500 to 700 passengers) and have a higher staff to passenger ratio so you get top of the line service.  They also have more amenities included in the much higher price, like all veranda/balcony cabins, tubs and shower bathroom, larger cabins, daily wine and/or champaign with meals, etc.  These ships generally go to a port or two on a seven day cruise which may be different from the normal.  Prices for a 7 day cruise on these top of the line ships may start at $2500 to $3000  (vs about $1200 on the next tier of ships.).  These ships tend to have a more sophisticated and older crowd and more formal dining.  They don’t pressure you to buy with art auctions and spa deals.  You are more likely to see a celebrity or someone famous on one of these cruises because they are what you may call “exclusive”.

                   LESS EXPENSIVE

Most cruises are done by the next tier of cruise lines like Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, Princess, Celebrity, Holland America, and Disney. Consider also Cunard Cruise Line and the Queen Mary II.  The ship is fantastic and the prices are comparable with RC, NCL and Princess. 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.  Most of these lines go to the same places, they are just in port on different days.  When you dock there may be one or two other ships there for the day and some days there may not be any where you go.

The first rule in getting less expensive cruises is book early.  The second rule is go with the same cruise line multiple times because they do offer repeat customer discounts of $50 to $100 per person in a cabin.  The third rule is shop around for specials.  Some lines will offer specials on a date that does not usually sell out, like Christmas or Thanksgiving week.  So don't lock yourself in to one particular week of the year; be flexible.  

If you have not cruised before and don't know the ropes it may be beneficial for you to use an agent; the agent does not charge a fee but is paid by the cruise line.  But, also, do some home work on cruise line, itineraries, and ships.  Use the cruise line web sites to look at what's being offered.  Try to have in mind some of  what you want to do when you talk to an agent.  If you feel comfortable doing it, you can do your own booking online, the price is the same and you can do everything you need right on the web sites.  The sites usually have cruises listed for this year and next. I booked my last two cruises completely online, including making payments and booking port tours. The format and service on all of these is about the same.

I have found that the food on Celebrity, Princess and RC is a cut above what I have been told is served on Disney and Carnival. Disney has good ships but is primarily  for kids, and families with kids.  It does have adults only areas on ship, but the kids are still there on ship.  They will have lots of kids’ activities on the ships, but they will still be all over the hallways, elevators and dining facilities.  There will be  lots of kids running around and looking for Micky, Donald, Minnie, Goofie, etc all over the ship.  

Carnival is the fun ship, but their accommodations are not the best.  Carnival is 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.  All of these cruise lines  may also have some kids but not many. However, on these lines there are activities just for kids of different ages and staff persons assigned to supervise them most of the day.  The last cruise we took on Celebrity had only about 7 or 8 kids all total.  

Another important factor to consider is, cruises going to the Caribbean tend to have more young folks than those going to Alaska, Panama, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, or South America.  People who go to the Caribbean are looking for fun things like beaches, jet skiing, snorkeling and scuba diving, parasailing, and a lot of other activities related to water and beaches.  On the other hand, people who go to Alaska, Panama, the Mediterranean, etc., are looking for cultural and historic activities.  These cruisers tend to be the older people (40+).  That does not mean these cruises are dull,  it just means that the passengers are more mature and reserved.  You will find the 40+ crowd in the bars and disco and having as good a time as the youngsters, but you may not hear them across the room or deck.

   SHIP’S  CABIN CATEGORIES

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. What you need to know and understand is that the category designations DO NOT mean the same thing on all cruise lines. For example, a Cat "C" on a Carnival ship is NOT the same as a Cat "C" on a Norwegian or Royal Caribbean ship. AND, a category "C" is not necessarily the same across all of the ships in a cruise line.  However, there is one exception to this. Some times cruise lines build TWO OR MORE IDENTICAL ships.  So all

of the cabins on both ships are the same and thus the categories for these two are the same.  For example, a Cat "D"on the RC's Jewel of the Seas is identical with a Cat “D” on their Brilliance of the Seas because the ships are identical. Same with the NCL's Dream and its Wind ships.  

If/when you go to a cruise line web site you will see the various cabins listed by type, i.e., SUITE, VERANDA/BALCONY, OUTSIDE, and INSIDE. the category, and generally the square footage of each cabin type. The category will generally be listed next to the cabin type.  The most expensive cabins (generally "Cat A and B") are the  penthouses and owners' suites, which are like apartments and what you saw on the old TV program "The Love Boat".  Next are the jr and full suites (maybe "Cat C"). The next are the VERANDA or BALCONY cabins (you have your own private patio). The next lowest priced  are OUTSIDE cabins (they have either a window or porthole). The cheapest cabins offered are always the inside cabins; those without a window or porthole. The inside, outside and balcony cabins are generally the same size on each ship, but may vary by ship and cruise line.  

I always recommend the balcony or Veranda cabins because  most ships these days tend to have many of them at a reasonable price (i.e., $1200 to $1500 for a 7-day.) and, frankly, you will enjoy your cruise more with a veranda/balcony cabin.

                             YOUR CABIN

First of all the terms "cabin" and "stateroom" mean the same thing; the cruise industry prefers stateroom.  The standard cabin that most people get (inside/outside/balcony) are generally between 175 and 200 Square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom (balconies are about 45 to 55 sq ft). Suites and penthouses can be between 350 and 1300 square feet. 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, and a life jacket for each passenger.  Some cabins that are built to accommodate 3 or 4 people will have a pull down bed and/or a sofa bed.   Its been my experience that Princess and Royal Caribbean have the best ship and cabin decor (also some of the best food.)

WHAT’S A CRUISE LIKE

Cruises are one of THE best vacations you can take. Once you are on ship the staff caters to you, its whatever you want. There is something to do all day every day. When you arrive at the port to check in you (each passenger) will receive a key card which will serve as your room key, charge card for anything you buy on ship (i.e.,drinks, souvenir) and its also your pass to get on and off ship in each port. When you first board the ship the security personnel will have you insert your key card into a scanner and then will take a photo of you that is included in the magnetic strip on the card.  Each time you get off ship you will need this key card and many times also a photo ID (passport or driver's license). This card allows them to keep an accurate track of all passengers entering and/or leaving the ship.  Infants and small children may be required to wear an ID bracelet (like in the hospital) in lieu of carry a card.

Each day of your cruise you will receive in your cabin a "newsletter" listing the time, place and particulars of everything happening for you on ship. There are generally activities like demonstrations of ice carvings, napkin folding and towel folding, and cooking demonstrations.  Some ships may offer a galley (kitchen) tour or a tour of the bridge. There may be organized games and other activities around the pools. In the evenings there are generally shows, one show for those with an early dinner seating and another (same show) for those who eat late. There is always food available. Usually there is a place in ship where you can go get something. Or, you can always just pick up the phone in your cabin and order from the room service menu (food is free). If you want, you can order breakfast room service.

All ships have a casino with slots and table games. Ships have movie theaters, generally small but nice, and you can also see movies in your room. They have ATM’s and a purser’s desk where you can cash a check or exchange currency if you need to.  There is a tour and activities desk so you can schedule land tours and activities.

Ships have free morning exercise programs, stretching and walking, etc, and on some you can pay for other things like Spinning. All cruise ships have gyms so you can go workout, usually any time from 6:00 AM to late at night. There is usually a walking/running track on one of the decks also. Some ships leave the gym open all night. They call the gyms Spa because they do promote getting pampered with things like wraps and massages with aroma therapy. They will also generally have a beauty salon to do hair and nails.

There are always pools. Some ships have more than one and the newer ships generally have an indoor pool as well as outdoor ones and all of these have hot tubs. There is generally a basketball court on the top deck, a place for scuffle board, and a mini-golf course. The newer Royal Caribbean ships have a rock climbing wall and the newest one has a pool for water surfing.

There are places on ships to play cards and board games, and the cards and games are provided. If you want to just sit and read, there’s a library where you can bring your books or select one from the shelf.  Ships have internet cafes and some offer WIFI if you bring your prefer to use your computer in your cabin (some ships offer notebooks for rent).  There are cocktail lounges that feature a variety of music.  Some have a piano bar with jazz. There is usually a disco that starts after 10:00 PM each night and last until everyone leave.  On certain days ships will have special activities like a chocolate lovers buffet, or a midnight deck party .      

I suggest that you go to the web site for the cruise lines and look at the cabin prices, port stops, the features for the ships and select a cruise that will do what you want to do.  Then you may want to talk to an agent and see if they can find what you want. Finally, decide whether you want to book your self or have an agent do it for you.

                       WILL YOU GET SEA SICK ??

Some people worry about getting sea sick, but the ships being used these days have automated stabilizers which minimize the rocking.  The larger ships cut through the water so easy that you don’t even feel like you are moving.  When there is bad weather the cruise lines will steer around and away from it, sometimes changing the order of port stops.  Also, the ships generally move overnight and dock in the mornings so you don’t feel much movement. Consequently, your chances of getting sea sick are minimal. There is generally less motion than on an airplane.  If you do get

sick, all ships have a doctor and they will dispense sea sick medicines.  If you are prone to motion sickness, just get pills or a patch from your own doctor before you go, or go to a boating store and get a sea sickness bracelet.

OTHER CRUISE TIPS

The shorter cruises are 4 or 5 days, and the normal ones are either 7 to 14 days or more.  If you are not sure whether you will like cruising, go on a short one first.  

To save some money, consider driving to the port; Miami, Ft Lauderdale, N.O., Houston, LA,  NJ.  Most ports have plentiful and safe parking (I have driven many times to Miami and Ft Lauderdale) at both places that costs about $12 a day.  Driving can save money over the cruise line "add-in" for airfare.  We generally drive most of the way on one day from NC and stop about an hour or two from the port for the night.  Then we continue the short trip the next day to the port.  Most ships start boarding between noon and 1:00 PM.  If you are a cruise club member you generally get to go on first, or early.  

Join the cruise club so that the cruise line will send you their specials and so that you can get discounts on future cruises with them.  The discount will typically be $50 to $100 per person.   If you will be celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary, or birthday during the cruise, be sure to tell them, they will do special stuff for that.  

Most 7-day cruises have two formal nights when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain.  Cruise lines charge a lot for the photos they take so take your own photos around the ship when you get the chance, especially on the formal nights.  Ask other passengers to take photos for you, they generally are very willing.

Review the listing of tours offered on your cruise and decide whether you want to pay for a tour or go on your own.  On most Caribbean islands you can get a taxi or tour in port for much less than the cruise ship tours.   HOWEVER, the one big advantage of going on ship sponsored tours is THE SHIP WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU if your ship sponsored tour is late getting back to the ship.  If you will be in a port for 12 to 16 hours you are probably safe to go on your own for most anything.  But if you are only there for six to eight hours you may want to stay close to the ship or go on the ship tours.

FREESTYLE CRUISING

Freestyle Cruising  means that you do not have to specify a dining option when you book your cruise and thus don't have a table and waiter assigned to you. "FREESTYLE" means you can go to dinner in the main dining room, or any other alternative restaurant, any time of the evening after 6:00 PM..  But you will have to reserve a time in the alternate restaurants.  It also means that you don't have to "dress up" for dinner, but just go "sports casual".  But it also means that you may be standing in line awaiting a table on some days (like we had to do a couple times); not what you want on a cruise.  Since you go when you want, you rarely get the same waiter and so never really get to know your waiter and he/she never learns what you prefer as is done on “traditional” cruise lines.

I have been on many Norwegian ships and at one time NCL was my favorite cruise line.  However, after NCL was bought by Star Cruises and they instituted the "Freestyle Cruising", I do not care for their cruises and do not recommend them, especially for people who have been on  a number of cruises and prefer traditional cruising. Since Star Cruises took over NCL the line it has an Asian flavor; Star is an Oriental company. Some of the performers and musicians were Asian and they have Karioke every evening. Not my cup of tea.

The option to traditional dining being pushed on NCL is their optional dining restaurants. However, these dining options can cost $10 to $20 a person for dinner each night.  This is not what you want after paying for a cruise which is supposed to be all inclusive. The optional restaurants are very nice, including French, Chinese/Sushi, Tex-Mex, Italian, and steak house restaurants. But who wants to go pay to eat on a cruise ship where all the meals are supposed to be included. We always skipped the optional restaurants and just got to the main dining early. That worked fine, except on "at sea" days when everyone wanted to go eat early.  We later found that we could reserve a time in the main dining room, but we still got a different table and waiter for dinner each night

HIDDEN COSTS

The hidden costs on a cruise are your tab after the cruise for drinks (alcoholic and sodas), tours, and gratuities.  Many ships now add the recommended gratuity to your onboard tab. The gratuity is about $10 to $12 per day per person. You can give more if you want. Tours can add hundreds to your final bill, depending upon how many stop the ship makes and what you want to do. Study the tours carefully; some places you may want to just go on your own.

Answer 4

I like NCL cruise lines the best. I like their freestyle cruising style. That means that you are not required to dress up formally for dinner each night and do not have assigned seats and guests you sit with each night for dinner. Each week they do have two formal nights and it is optional if you would like to get dressed to the nines for this. A lot of people do like dressing up, I am not one of them though. I like to be casual.

    For your first cruising experience I would suggest the Southern Caribbean. That is if you are from the U.S.A. for convenience sake. I can't help much if you are from Europe or anywhere else.

   The Southern Caribbean goes to places like Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, Antigua. Pretty much any of the Caribbean cruises are all fun as are the Mexican Riviera cruises.

   You say you want to be treated like a princess, well I can honestly say you will feel that way on NCL. Any of the cruise lines will make you feel the same way, I just personally like NCL after using other lines for the reasons stated above, the freestyle is my thing.

  A word of advice if you are thinking of taking some of the island excursions, which I am sure you are as they are half the fun, try and book in advance as they often sell out quickly and some of the better ones are not available once on the ship. This is not always the case but it can and does happen once in a while.

   Whatever you choose you are going to have a blast. Cruises are so much fun! I am looking forward to my next cruise next February, a short one weeker to the Mexican Riviera and then next October a fifteen day cruise down to Central America. Watch out you will become addicted! LOL

   Cruises are ridiculously cheap compared to regular vacations and you get to see and do so much fun stuff. Enjoy!