I am trying to plan a cruise?

Question

i dont know anything about them and i would like someone who has already gone on a cruise to tell me about their experience and which cruise line is best. So on and so forth. Thank you very much!!!

Answer 1

Hi Annabelle,I am a Travel Agent and can answer all your questions.A cruise is a great experience.It is like floating on a moving city with a lot of fun things to do and great food and service.You can go to Caribbean islands,Alaska,Europe or just about anywhere.You dress casual and meet new people and can gamble in the casino or dance in a club.You can lay out at the pool or work out in the gym.As far as cruise lines and the best one,that depends on what you want personally.Most cruise lines have all the activities I mentioned before.If you like to party Carnival is good.I usually talk to my clients to get a feel of what they want.Have a happy day

Answer 2

I have been on 20 cruises with 4 different cruise lines and cruised all over the Caribbean, Alaska, Europe and South America; also have 3 cruises booked right now for various times during the next year.  So I can give you advice based on my experiences.

You can go to a travel agent and get FREE information and advice to help you decide on a cruise but you should also do some research on line so that you have a idea of what is available and how cruises are priced.  Most all of the cruise line web sites will let you do a search for cruises by selection a destination (i.e., Caribbean, Europe, or Alaska), a date or date range, the number of days you want to cruise, the departure port (i.e., Miami, LA, or NY City), and even the ship you want to cruise on.

There are a lot of factors that affect what cruise you should select. Cruises generally cost about $100 to $125.00 per day per person AND all cruises are priced based on double occupancy (2 people per cabin).  Since cruises can be between  3, and 14 days or more, the price will depend mostly on how many days your cruise is.  The price you pay will depend also to a great extent on the type cabin/accommodations that you choose.

There are 4 basic types of cabins on ships;

- inside (no window),................................... least expensive

- outside (a window or porthole),

- balcony/veranda, and

- suites and penthouses.......................... most expensive.

Also, Royal Caribbean cruise lines has inside cabins on some of its ships that overlook a promenade mall down the center of the ship.

The "FROM" prices you see will always be for an inside cabin. There are also some subcategories within each category with cabins on a higher deck, and/or a better location on ship (like midship), and/or that are slightly larger costing more. Then the cruise lines give the best price for early bookings that are a year or more in advance.   AND, cruise lines also list specials on their web sites so do look for those. The specials can many times save you a couple hundred per person over the price for the exact same cruise on a different date.

All cruise cabins are sold based on double occupancy and the prices listed will be per person and based on at least two people going on the cruise. If you have a 3rd and/or 4th person in your cabin their fare is generally about 50 percent of the first two persons.

You can reserve a cruise by using the cruise line's web site and reserving on line; by calling the cruise line and reserving with a cruise consultant; or through a travel agent.  Either way when you reserve you will pay the minimum deposit which will be between $250 and $350 per person for a 7 day cruise, depending upon the cruise line. The minimum will be more for a longer cruise, for example $450 per person for a 14 day cruise. The balance will be due approximately 60 days before the cruise departure date. But you can make periodic payment on line, with the cruise line, or with your travel agent. I have reserved on line and made payments many times and found it very easy.

I have been on Princess, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean ships and can vouch that they are good cruise lines. However, there are some differences.

- Princess, Celebrity and Holland America have great ships are more classy and reserved. They are just a little more upscale and luxurious than the other cruise lines. Passengers tend to be middle aged and up and have cruised multiple times. Holland America has mostly senior citizens cruising on its ships. Princess and Holland America also have the "eat dinner whenever you want" policy if that's important to you.

-Norwegian cruise line is good, they cater to families and have mostly passengers in the range of age 35-40 and up. Its the line that you want to go on if you want to be informal for pretty much your whole cruise. They have formal nights like other cruise lines but they do not stress dressing up; the call it "dress up if you want to" night. This is the cruise line that advertises "freestyle cruising"; meaning you do not have a set dinner seating but just go anytime you want after about 6:00 PM.

Carnival is the budget cruise line that generally has the lowest prices. They cater to young people, first time cruiser and families. The best of their ships are their newer ships so do pay attention to when the ship was launched is you find a really cheap cruise. A seven day cruise on a Carnival ship can be as low as $650. per person.

Royal Caribbean is also a cruise line that caters to young cruiser and families. It has the advantage of having the most on-board activities. Things like ice skating, roller blading, mini-golf course, a full sized basketball/tennis court, the rock climbing wall, fabulous gym's, and on the new Freedom Class ships the surfing simulator, called the Flowrider.

For the most part all cruises are all inclusive. Let me explain.

Regardless of which cruise line you select, the things that a

Answer 3

good answers-you should probably talk to an agent. Want the # for mine?

Answer 4

What we recommend is that you talk to a travel agent who is a cruise specialist. Why just cruise specialist?  They will be more knowledgeable about cruises and which cruise would suite you the best. They will also have had extensive training through and organization called CLIA or Cruise Line International Association.

Check out our web site and call us for information.  We do not charge to give advise nor do we charge a 'booking fee'

www.myvacationcenter.com

Answer 5

Go w/ the 1st answer. Walk into a local travel agency.

Most are willing to help you!

Answer 6

go see a travel agent they can help you more than anything we could ... they love to tell you about cruising .. and most have been on quite a few themselves..

Answer 7

This question is going to depend greatly on what you want out of your experience from barefoot cruises to elegant cruising where every detail is covered to small, intimate cruises.  I like Cruise Direct.com and Expedia typically are good agencies to use.  I've also booked through AA's cruise service and had good guidance.

Answer 8

You have already received some great answers, my advise would be to already have some answers prior to seeing an good cruise specialist agent.  Such as, what age group are you, what do you like to do on your vacations, do you like to stay active the entire time or are you looking for a more laid back experience?  Is visiting exotic places important to you, or do you think just enjoying the ship in a nice peacefull atmosphere more important to you.  With these type of questions answered it would be easier to someone to put you on the correct ship.

Many people have booked their cruises based only on price, and found that they were very active people and ended up on a ship that basically shuts down around 11:00 at night.  Others have ended up on ships that are more party type ships that have activities going on all hours of the night, but they were looking for a more quiet type cruise.

I can tell you if you are looking for lots of activities, Carnival and Royal Caribbean are two cruiselines that are geared more toward the active lifestyle, and also families, with lots of kids on the ships at all times of the year.

If you are looking for a more quiet type cruise, but still quality, then Celebrity is a great cruise and a lot less kids on it.

If you prefer a cruise where you can eat at anytime, and still have lots of activities, but do not want anyone telling you what time and where to eat your meals, then try NCL, they are also family oriented and have lots of activities on them.  Princess is also a good choice you can choose to have assigned dining, or you can choose Personal Choice which means you eat with who you want and when you want.

So many variables, that the advise you have already been given about finding a good Cruise Specialist travel agent is such a good idea.  

Some agencies do charge a booking fee, others don't so always ask that question prior to booking.  Sometimes its worth paying a small booking fee to get the experience an agent will bring to you.

Good Luck!!

Answer 9

Your question cannot be easily answered here - there are too many variables, and what is the "best" cruise for one person won't necessarily be the "best" for another.  It's like asking "Which car is best for me?"

Since you "don't know anything" about cruising, I suggest you go to your library or bookstore and find a book about cruising [there's even a "Dummies" book, if that's your style!].  This will give you a good overview about the different cruise lines and about the various aspects of cruising.

Once you've gotten a general idea, you can begin to narrow down the options regarding itinerary, time of year, length of cruise, demographics of fellow passengers, type and location of cabin, size and age of ship, cost, etc, etc.  Once you've done that, you can do some on-line research and then go to a travel agent to help you actually book your cruise.  [Booking can be done on-line, but I wouldn't recommend it for a first-timer.]

Some useful websites:

CruiseCritic.com [click on "Boards", "Cruise Styles", "Reviews" - be sure and read "Member Reviews".

VacationsToGo.com has lists of available cruises and is easy to navigate.

The Fodor's and/or Frommer's websites probably also have info about cruising, as would other travel websites, such as Travelocity, Expedia, etc.

In general, I'd recommend a Carnival seven-day cruise to the Western Caribbean on a newer ship in either the fall [even though it's still hurricane season] or in early January through mid-March [not New Year's or Presidents Week].  Royal Caribbean or Princess would also be good.

Have fun with your research - I hope you find something that's just right for you.