First time on a cruise...?

Question

My husband and I live in california and we are thinking about going on a cruise. Neither one of us have been on one before.. We have a 18 month old baby... we were thinking that for the first time.. we would like to go to the mexican riviera, for seven days at the most.. what cruise lines have the best prices? any of you have any suggestions? what cruise line would you suggest? anything that you would stay away from? what have your experiences been like? Do you think it's a bad time to go on a cruise, because of our son's age?

Answer 1

Carnival Cruise Lines. Your baby can go with you or stay with a realtive. My experince was awesome. I went on the Carnival Liberty on Jan. 13-19, 2008. Go to http://www.carnival.com for more info.

Answer 2

I've never been on one (and I pray to the Lord that I do in the summer), but almost every person that had an experience say they love it and it's addicting. Carnival is usually cheap and is good for families. Royal Caribbean is a bit cheaper, but has a tiny more people who are adults, but still great for families and reasonably priced. There should be babysitters and day cares that you could leave your child in, but I think the babysittin will cost ya a bit. If you're still choosing a cruise, there are 10 crucial decisions you must make:

1. Do you like being in a gigantic floating city, or would you rather be in a small boat?

2. Do you like the cruise better or the destinations better?

3. What kind of destinations do you like? Great Beaches or Historic Sites and Cities?

4. Do you like more days at sea, or rather arrive at a new port each day?

5. Can you afford and would like to stay in a luxury suite, or just stay in a budget cabin?

6. Do you like casual food, or gourmet food?

7. Would you like assigned seating with a few other strangers in your table, or dine alone with your family?

8. Do you like to wear casual clothes, or formal clothes?

9. Do you like a cruise with a lot of activities, or one that focuses on relaxation?

10. Are you saving money and trying to find cheap prices, or is money not a problem for you?

And here are a few tips: Don't overpack, don't be afraid to request specific desires in dining, don't be surprised when you see your price for the 1st time, don't try to be 1st onboard (lines will be long to board ship), read cruise docs thoroughly, and for pete's sake, DONT MISS THE SHIP!

Answer 3

The best prices are likely with Carnival.  Also, if you wait six months, Carnival will take two year olds in its Camp Carnival children's program - and Carnival will change diapers.  Most other cruise lines require a child to be three and potty trained.

My first cruise included my then 15 month old nephew (he is soon to be ten and has been on two other cruises).  Nonetheless, just so Mom and Dad can have some "adult" time, I would suggest waiting until your child is two years old, so you can enroll your son in the Camp Carnival program.

Here is what Carnival says about its program ...

Is there a program for my children?

Camp Carnival is a year-round, fleet wide program that provides daily fun-filled and age appropriate activities for children and teenagers between the ages of 2 and 14 years old. In addition, there is supervised "free play" and babysitting service. Scheduled activities are planned for the following age groups:  

    * Toddlers 2 - 5 years old

    * Juniors 6 - 8 years old

    * Intermediates 9 - 11 years old

    * Teens 12 - 14 years old

Camp Carnival is not a "Day-Care" but an activity based program. The program is designed so that kids have the choice of being with peers of their own age, whenever desired, but also give families the chance to enjoy "quality family time" together.

On Sea Days Camp Carnival’s hours vary with activities starting at 9am and finishing at 10pm. Camp Carnival will close during the day to allow for Under 2’s. The closing times for 2-11 year olds will be 12-2pm/1pm-3pm and again for an hour before the dinner session (this will vary depending on the ship and the run). Activities for 12-14 year olds will vary from ship to ship, but on a typical sea day it will run 10am-12pm, 2-5pm and 8pm-1am.

Babysitting is provided for ages 0-11, nightly, from 10:00pm to 3:00am. There is a charge for this service (see "Babysitting").

Hours on Port Days: Supervised free play begins 15 minutes prior to the first scheduled ship tour to approximately 12:00pm; lunch will be offered and after the lunch an afternoon movie/ cartoons will be shown. Scheduled activities resume at 2:00pm until 10:00pm with a break before dinner. This service is complimentary. For ships that arrive in port later in the day supervised freeplay will be offered in the afternoon (each ship will vary so check with your Youth Staff when you are onboard).        

You can read additional details about Carnival's Camp Carnival program by clicking on the following link ...

http://www.carnival.com/CMS/FAQs/Camp_Ca...

Answer 4

I have been on about 20 cruises with 4 different cruise lines, including a cruise to the Mexican Riviera.  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. 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 (except the specialty restaurants), all shows and entertainment, and use of all facilities on ship except the spa services which would include massages, hair and nail appointments, etc.. 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 drinks (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: Tour are optional, but these are listed on your 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). Anyway, if you want to go next June then right now is a great time to book for a good price.

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.

Oh, many ships actually have babysitting services so if you and husband want to go out (on ship) you can leave baby in the room and hire a ship's sitter.   This is from Royal Caribbean's web site:

"   Children MUST be at least 1 year old.

Approximate Rate: $8.00 per hour for one  or two children within the same family or  $10.00 per hour for three children within the same family.

Times and prices are subject to change without notice. Payment must be made in cash."

Al of the cruise lines that I have mentioned are good.  We did our Mexican cruise on a NCL ship.  but NCL, Royal Caribbean, or Princess would be great choices for you.  But shop the three lines for the date with the best price, instead of picking a cruise line first and then looking.

Answer 5

I have been on 8 cruises with Princess including the Mexican Riviera. I always say, if you can travel while you are young, then go for it. I have seen some very old people on cruises and they can't do anything but stay on the ship because of their age. You would have a great time. You would probably leave out of San Diego, or Long Beach. They may have one leaving from SF, I'm not sure. I'm assuming you will be taking your son, either way, he would be fine. A cruise is such hassle free way to vacation. Once you get on the ship, you have no worries. Go to Princess.com to check out there cruises.