First time on a cruise?

Question

My husband and I are thinking of taking a cruise. This will be our first so I am thinking a shorter one would be best (4 -5 days). Any suggestions on the best cruise lines? What I should avoid? Where to go? I am not a sun worshiper so it does not have to be a beach destination. I would love to hear your recommendations. Thanks!!!

Answer 1

we r going on our first cruise that we stay on the ship. we're going to western carribbean 7 nights. grand cayman, cozumel, costa maya and belize through carnival. we went to the bahamas a few yrs ago but just took the ship over, stayed a week and cruised back. it was great! whatever u decide have fun!!! there's lots to do everywhere. i'm looking forward to the mayan ruins myself.:)

Answer 2

Well Ms depends what you 2 like depends on where to go. Norwegian & Princess offers some of the lowest prices out there & have a more relaxed dress code. I prefer Alaska because of the natural beauty, wildlife & meeting people from all over the world. Bermuda is great however you would be better off on a land vacation Check out Elbow Beach.com ) excellent.Alaska you could go for 7 days for around $1400. + air fare, Bermuda for $1800. + air fare. There are many web sites you can visit once you decide what you want to do. Check out some of the different sites just by typing in cruises. Also if you belong to AAA they have a travel department at no cost that can save you on complete trip.

Where ever you decide cruising is great.

Any questions you don't get an answer to email me and I will help.

Answer 3

For a person who's not a sunworshipper why would you go on a cruise in the middle of the ocean? You are better off at an open farmer's market in the middle of town where you can browse for bargains or catch a hot roast beef sandwich then keep shopping til dark. Cruises are a great way to gain weight and are not only boring but sometimes the food is old and there's no take-out nearby. Are you sure you can tolerate this?

Answer 4

Our first cruise was actually our favorite and we went to Alaska.  Celebrity ships are fantastic!!! We took the Mercury and it has the best entertainment and food!!! We felt like royalty!  Best of all, we actually could meet people and I even took a digital computer class aboard the ship.  I highly recommend this one if you can afford to go. Lots of port stops through the inside passage of Alaska and Hubbard Glacier was spectacular.  You can find some good deals in the spring usually.  If you go to travelzoo.com they have a good one coming up for 5 or 7 days on another cruise line.  We booked through Cru Con online and they were great to deal with too!  If you are over 55 or have a Military ID, you can also get discounted cruises.  Vacationstogo.com is a good place to check too.   When we went,  we did a repositioning cruise (They call it that because in the winter months the cruise is in the warmer tropics and then they go to colder climates to tour in the summer months so they have to go that direction anyway, so really you get a bonus trip in the process) We  flew from Indianapolis to San Diego and then a bus to Ensenada, Mexico and on up the coast last May.  On the way back, we docked in Seattle and flew from there home.  It was actually as cheap to go 11 days as it was for a week!  Of course the repositioning cruises are only 1 in the spring and 1 in the fall.  We actually went in May.

If you are looking for more affordability, then take a Carnival Cruise.  It is more family oriented so if you have young kids and family it would be good for that.  My husband and I are in our 50's and  although we enjoyed the Carribean trip, we would perhaps do it again on another cruise line.  The entertainment and the food were O.K. on Carnival, but not spectacular.After being on the Celebrity, you just can't even think that it was even in the running!  Also because Carnival is  geared for young families,  you really didn't meet people to talk to as they focused on their own. They also focused on photographs mostly!  I didn't care for the hard sales spa people.  Now that they got you there with an affordable cruise, I feel that they were trying to make others up in sales.  

There are lots of shore excursions that you can go on where ever they dock.  You can decide once you get on the ship too, but some can get picked over if you were wanting to take a helicopter ride or something like that.  We took the train excursion from Skagway and it was nice, but for the most part we really enjoyed just touring the areas on our own through the towns.  

I also felt it was very beneficial if you could do a stay over where ever you start or end up before you fly back.  It really is worth it to see more and avoids the crowd trying to get on to the air port.  We nearly missed our flight for our Carribean cruise  because they over booked or flight from Columbus to Miami. and they  tried to bump us onto the next day!  By then we would have missed our ship!  This is where the trip insurance would have been good!  Luckily we booked another flight ,but had to stay in Memphis in the process before continuing on.  So it was a detour, but we saw Graceland and had a fabulous pink limo ride for free. LOL

Oh, just a tip, if you are a coffee drinker, it would be good to get one of those take along coffee mugs while on the ship.  Lots better to tote when walking on the ship than a regular coffee cup.  Less spills and more to fill. LOL  Also while on the ship, it will take you a bit to get oriented.  We are so glad that we took the longer trip the first time as our time pretty much would have been gone by the time we figured out what was what and where everything was!  They do have maps on the ship though. LOL    Hope you have a great experience for your first cruise and if you have room in your suit case, invite me! LOL

Answer 5

just do not go to greece!man, with all the murders and now sinking of cruise liners happening, i am amazed that anyone in a sane and rational mind would go on a cruise! they shoulkd post warnings to potential passengers!

Answer 6

Royal Caribbean is a great line to start with for first-timers.  The crew is friendly, and the ships all have a wide range of activities on and off board.  You don't have to spend a day on the beach if you don't want to!

Royal Caribbean also has a wide array of sizes of ships, so you don't have to choose the biggest possible one.  Check out their website; I've listed it below.

Answer 7

You sound a bit like my hubby, doesn't like sitting out in the sun and really doesn't have an interest in water.. I talked him into an 11 day cruise to Hawaii with 5 days at sea for our first cruise!!  He loved it!  We never got bored, there was always something to do (even the 5 days at sea).  He even tried snorkeling one day and thought it was blast, loved all the colorfull fish.  We did all land tours, so many beautiful trips there!  As soon as we got back he was planning our next cruise!  So far we've tried Royal Carribean, Carnival and Princess.  Princess was probably our least favorite, but if it had been our first we still would have been amazed.  People talk about 'kids' cruises, they are adult only areas and activites on every ship, even Disney.  I've never felt overwhelmed by kids anywhere.  Definetly sit at a large table for dinner, you meet some really fun and interesting people from all over.

Have a wonderfull time, keep an open mind, you'll be addicted in no time!

Answer 8

Celebrity has 5 day cruises out of Miami.  Celebrity is an excellent line.  Great food, mature but not old clientle, good ports.

Do not go Carnival if you are not a drunk college student.  Norwegian Cruises have gone downhill terribly.

Answer 9

Your ideal cruise sounds like one with an emphasis on scenery. You should consider an Alaskan or European cruise. Alaska, of course, is not a beach destination. However, around the clock scenery can be viewed from the ship. Another cruise to consider is a European cruise. These cruises go to exotic destinations. The ports are loaded with history! Most major cruise lines have some of their finest ships running Alaskan and European itineraries. However, this cruises are usually 7-10 days. To find a 4-5 day cruise, you may have to research Caribbean and Mexican Rivera cruises. Personally, I would choose either Carnival or Royal Caribbean for my vacation. They offer unbeatable service, food, and FUN. Avoid booking shore excursions outside of the cruise line. These are usually much more expensive than the ones a cruise line will offer. Also avoid getting to the port for embarkation too early. Your stateroom will probably not be ready until around 1:30. You DO NOT want to wait in a long line longer than you have too! Enjoy your cruise!

Answer 10

Congratulations, for you are now on your way to become cruise-addicts!  Believe me, you'll be planning your next cruise before you get off your first.  lol

Suggestions on best cruise lines...  I can't really recommend one because it depends on what you value.  For example, the kids-oriented cruiseline won't exactly be the best if you're on your 2nd honeymoon.  lol  So, it really depends on what you want!  Consider the following:

Norwegian is known for having more restaurants than other cruiselines on their ships.  They're also reputed to have really good food and employ freestyle dining, meaning you're not locked into one time for dinner.  

Disney is the best for kids!  They've got tons of kid activities- they'll even take you to their own island!  And meals with the characters...  I mean, with kids, what can beat that???

Carnival has the best adult activities, including a class on how to shape your towels into animals, hairy chest contests and playing hot potato with a rubber chicken with 100 other people lol  Also, if you're into massages and spa treatments, I can testify that their onboard services are PHENOMENAL.

Radisson is wonderful on luxury.  Not only do they travel into exotic areas, I believe most (if not all) of their boats have rooms where their cheapest includes a sitting area!  One of their boats even provides a balcony for every guest...

Royal Caribbean is less expensive than most, but provide good food and service.  For those travelling with a family and on a budget, this is the one to go for!

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Contrary to popular belief, you do NOT have to be a sun worshipper to go on a cruise.  Have you looked into Alaska?  It's gorgeous!!!  The vision of those gorgeous glaciers will leave you breathless.  There's other destinations too, such as Asia, Peru, Australia...  Try going on a site like www.kayak.com (click on "cruise") to peruse over destinations you're interested in - they'll search every site for the best deals for you.

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You mentioned that a shorter cruise is best for you now, but I say, don't sweat it!  A 7 day sounds long, but believe me, you'll be MORE than okay.  lol  My first was a 5 day 4 night but I felt like I could stay on for a couple of days.  Goodness, you'll be soooo relaxed you'll wish life could be this way forever!  There's also a TON of activities on board.  Just don't be shy about joining classes and seeing shows and you'll see that being onboard can be a busy but fun time.  :)

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Here are some more suggestions to maximize your first cruise (and to maybe give yourself an idea on what it's like):

Don't forget an alarm clock! Fun sometimes equal exhausting so make sure you bring one on so you won't miss any fun activities. It's also a MUST if you're in an inside cabin, because the total darkness with mess with your body clock. It's also important for the day you disembark!

Garment bags are a must! You can get your clothes pressed, but it really makes it easier to have it all nice and neat.

EXTENSION CORD. I cannot emphasize how important this is! You usually get just ONE outlet - not cool if you need to plug in a curling iron, alarm clock, phone charger, blow dryer, etc.

You may even be able to bring on your favorite vintage wine! Give your cruise line a call - they may only charge you a small corking fee to have it at dinner.  (Carnival allows 1 bottle per person upon embarkment, Royal Caribbean does NOT allow this, etc.)

Sunblock and shades... Even if you're not sunbathing, the glare of the water can get you.  And sunblock...  well we should be wearing this all the time anyway. :)

I highly recommend getting a massage at the cruiseship spa. Getting completely pampered onboard is an experience like no other. Make sure you book it on the first day you're onboard though, appointments can get booked up pretty quickly!

Go on their excursions! It's so much better than wandering aimlessly plus you get to do things that will usually take a lot of research and planning. And of course you'll also be ensured that you'll get back to the ship safely and on time. Some of the things you an do off the boat are shopping tours, wine tasting tours, golfing, scuba diving/snokeling, etc. It really maximizes your trip.

Don't forget room service! It's usually free!

Bring some non-drowsy Dramamine. I come across alot of sea sick people, especially on the first day. Amazingly, I've also ran into a bunch of people who swear by these magnet bracelets (they'll sell it onboard).

You can save big $$$ on buying bottles of alcohol on board, but they usually won't let you have it until almost the end of the cruise.  Most cruiselines, if you purchase alcohol at a port, may require you to leave it with them until the end of the trip.

Sit at a big dinner table! That way, your chances of coming across people you like a bigger and it's easier to ignore people you can't stand.

Bring your business cards! Lots of people like to network onboard.

Digital camera with an extra card is a MUST. And take pictures constantly, even when you don't feel like you need to. You'll appreciate it later! Never be afraid of making silly and funny faces lol I take pictures of ridiculous things, from the murals on the walls to what I eat for dinner to sunsets from the ship. It makes an interesting slideshow for your friends and families!

Take advantage of the professional photographers. We have our cruise ship photos in nice frames around the house. One even ended up being on our Christmas card!

Seriously, the blackjack table at the casino rips you off. We spent a fair amount of time there and we didn't see even one person walk away a winner.

Take note of what time your favorite cafes close. It's a pain when you're craving a leg of lamb and you find out that they're shut down for cleaning! Uggg!

This is the time to try different foods!  Food is typically free, so hey if you don't like it, what does it matter, really?  But seriously, if you've never had duck, try duck on this trip - it'll make for a good story later and you'll be happy you did.  :)

OVERPACK.  Meaning, bring clothes for hot AND cold.  Reason being, the place you're docking may be hot because it's summer but the air conditioning on the boat can make you think you're in the Arctic!  Plus, it's a bit windy when you're at sea.

Get involved! That is the BEST way to maximize fun on your trip! Go see the shows, play their silly games during their open deck parties, go take salsa lessons if they have it. It makes fabulous dinner table conversation.

You're going to gain weight. But you know what? Who cares! Accept now that you'll be carrying the extra bulge when you get off the ship but know that it was worth it! lol

Although some cruiseships absolutely refuse to deal with cash (they just link everything to your credit card), you should still bring a bunch for doing your tourist stuff on the island. Plus, an extra tip here and there for your steward never hurts. ;)

Cruises are sooo addicting... Make sure you sign up for their frequent cruising programs.