Jamaica cruise?

Question

Planning a cruise to jamaica for me and my girl. Never been on one. Need some suggestions such as which company to use, best cabins, etc.

Answer 1

Check out www.vacationstogo.com. They have very good prices and ratings for everything.

Answer 2

A "Jamaica cruise" would consist of a 7-day cruise with one stop in either Ocho Rios or Montego Bay, for a total of about 8 hours.

Carnival and Royal Caribbean go to Jamaica.  Princess will be going there for a few more months, then will be dropping Jamaica as a stop due to complaints from passengers about crime, aggressive vendors, etc.

If you know nothing about cruising, I suggest you get a book from your library or bookstore and do some reading.  There's even a "Dummies" book on cruising, if that's your style.  There are so many variables in planning a cruise, that you really need to be aware of what your choices are.  

Some choices you'll need to make:  When to go?  What line and which ship?  Itinerary?  Cabin type and location?  Type of fellow passengers?  Price?  Etc, etc.  Once you've gotten idea of what's involved, a good travel agent - especially one with cruise experience - can be a big help.

Some tips:

Go to your departure port the day before your cruise, especially if you're flying from an area that is subject to weather problems [and that can be anywhere!].  This will save you the anxiety of wondering whether you'll get to the ship on time.

Don't use the cruise line air arrangements.  Unless you have different departure and return ports, it's not likely to save you money and the cruise line will make the arrangements that best suit them, not you.  [How does Miami to Boston by way of Chicago - in the winter! - sound.  Yes, they got to stay overnight in the airport in Chicago!]  You can pay to get a "deviation" from the cruise line plans, however.

You may want to consider trip insurance.  InsureMyTrip.com is a good source for comparing policies.

A great, highly reliable source of info about cruises is CruiseCritic.com.  You can click on "Boards" and find info on all aspects of cruising.  Click on "Reviews" and you can read "Member Reviews" on all the ships.  Click on "Cruise Styles" and you can get an overview on which lines/ships suit which types of cruisers, e.g. romantics, families, etc.

To get an idea of what cruises are available and what prices are [price shown is always for the lowest category cabin and may not include taxes and port fees - it's a starting point], go to VacationsToGo.com.  Even if you don't book with them, it's an easy site to use to see what's out there.

Cruising is a great way to vacation, but it does take a little research ahead of time.  That's part of the fun, though!

Hope you find just the right cruise for you and your girl!