What type of cruise would you recommend to first timers?

Question

My husband and I love to travel, and usually we prefer to go places to see the actual country/area. But we're interested in trying a cruise as cheaply as possible. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Answer 1

If you say that you want to try a cruise and then say you want it to be as cheap as possible, you will not have a good time.

Stay away from Carnival whatever you do.  My favorite cruiseline is Celebrity.  It is not the most expensive but it is not the cheapest - it is the nicest of the mid-price lines.

Get an outside cabin by all means.  Do not get an obstructed view.  Spend a few extra dollars and go for the balcony cabin. You will love it.

A good cruise to take for a starter cruise is the 7 day Western Caribbean with Celebrity.  Go on a couple of excursions such as Sting Ray City in Grand Cayman.  You will have a super good time.

For good prices, do not ever pay the brochure price for a cruise.  A cruise specialist travel agent can do wonders for you and probably you will pay about half the brochure price or even better.

Answer 2

Its the time of year you go.  If you want to go cheap then go when no one is going, and you'll have to check out the various cruise lines for that info.  For your first cruise I'd recommend that you go for a short cruise, a three day and no longer because you might not like it (I think you'll love it). Also it depends on where you stay onboard.  If you room has no window and it lower on the ship that can be a savings, but personally I must have a window. But really check out things before you go, there are things I wish I had known.  Read, read, read all about the cruise before you go.

Answer 3

For first timers it really depends on your budget and your experience you are looking for. NCL is a cruise first timers go on because of their freestyle luxury, on other cruise lines for a 7 day cruise you have 2 formal nights- dressy, 2 seim-formal- somewhat dressy, 3 casual nights-casual, and with freesyle you have about 4 to 8 resturuants to choose from and then you dress as casual as you want, and those dress codes mentioned above are for the main dining room, and their is always the buffett, and you will probably gain some wieght on a cruise due to all the food some people lsoe wieght others gain, but anyhow NCL is reasonably priced but mostly on the high side.

I would recommend Royal Caribbean and Celebrity as well but they are a little more expensive and you would probably enjoy them more if you had been on a previous cruise.

My personall recommendation would be NCL or Carnival. Carnival is well priced and you can get even better deals during Hurricane season and I would highly recommend an oceanview stateroom so you can look out your window in the morning, or if you want even a balcony depending on where you are going. I would also recommend the Caribbean or California as they are great areas to cruise but I would say as for first time cruisers the Caribbean would serve you well. Carnival is known for its Fun Ships, and their gigantic waterslides, the entertainment is the best in the industry but the food is lacking in some areas but is still wonderful, but lacking compared to some other cruise lines, the prices are reasonably priced from families and you never run out of anything to do on the cruise. Its amazing and you will have lots of fun. So if you have any more questions just ask.

Answer 4

Cruises are a great way to experience a destination without being stuck there for your whole vacation. You may find you love one port, but don't really enjoy the next. But, no worries, you will only be there a few hours. The best part is for the ones you really enjoy you can always make a return visit.

Since you sound like someone that travels quite a bit, I would suggest doing something a little out of the ordinary, the Caribbean cruises, etc are all quite common. I would suggest something that goes to the Mediterranean, or through the Panama Canal, Alaska, the Mexican Riviera, etc. These are all wonderful cruises to take, but they tend to run a little more than cruises that go to St. Thomas, St. Maarten, etc. but are well worth the extra money.

As for lines, there are many out there. The two biggest things to consider are your age and how much you want to spend. Carnival is the lowest cost cruise, but being lower in cost means that it is also more appealing to younger travelers. You will see more college aged kids, young families, young couples, etc. then you will see on other lines. Because of the younger age range you will notice that partying, drinking, gambling, etc. are also more popular. The biggest thing to remember though that just because Carnival is the least expensive initially, once you factor in the things that Carnival doesn't include, it can end up being more than some of the other, nicer, lines. Carnival tends to be an Ala carte cruise meaning the very basics are included in your price and most everything else is extra. Personally, Carnival is my least favorite line, not quite as clean as the others, not quite the service, food, etc. but some people really like it, so it very much depends on the traveler.

Royal Caribbean is a little more expensive and the average age will be closer to 30s or 40s (also remember the average age depends a lot of the cruise in general, for example older couples tend to travel to Alaska than to young couples and families) Here you are getting a slightly nicer line, with still many onboard activities, good ports, etc. This is still not one of my favorite lines, but I feel the extra money is worth it over Carnival.

Princess is a really wonderful line as well. This line is a little more popular with a slightly older crowd, I believe the average age tends to be 40s, 50s and 60s. The food is always great, the atmosphere is elegant, service is almost unbeatable. A few other lines I would put at this category, or possibly a little higher would be something like Cunard or Celebrity, both great lines, but a little more expensive.

Believe it or not, Disney is also a wonderful line. Even though they are more for families and children, it is still a great line. You don't pay quite as much as some of the more expensive lines, but you still get really great service and some of the perks of the other lines. Disney is great because they have a kids friendly atmosphere, i.e. no smoking, gambling, etc. if you aren't into that type of thing.

So age is something to really consider. However, if you enjoy a more energetic atmosphere, go with the younger crowds, or vice versa, you like a more laid back relaxing atmosphere, go with the lines like Princess.

Also, keep in mind that the itinerary has a lot to do with which line. For example, Princess offers some of the best cruises to Alaska, while NCl offers some of the best for Hawaii.

Cruising really is a great vacation, one of the most relaxing you will ever have. So my suggestion, if you are just looking to get a taste of cruising, go with the lower cost cruises, just to see if you like it. Shorter cruises are less expensive, but the longer the cruise, the more the average per day cost is, so that is also something to keep in mind. Finally, if you are flexible, check with your travel agent for specials. Many companies will offer agents exclusive deals for last minute trips, and/or group rates for really great rates.

Hopefully this answers your question and doesn't just all run together and make no sense. If you have any questions or I need to clarify something, please e-mail me, I'm glad to help!

I've also included a link to Cruise Critic, this is one of the most informative sites for each cruise line.

Good luck

Answer 5

There are 3 day Mexican cruises available from San Diego. I myself have never gone on less than a  7 day cruise. It takes 3 days just  to get used to the ship.

Answer 6

We have been on 2 cruises and you can sign up for tours of the country side in the ports that you visit..... I highly recommed this for this is how you really see the real country. Such lush scenes and beautiful water and breathtaking country and also some places have such poverty.. It really makes you appreciate what you have...

Answer 7

If this is your first time cruise any cruise would be great. My husband and I took our first cruise ever and had a wonderful time. We booked through Carnival.

Answer 8

It sounds like money is your biggest concern here, not necessarily where you go or what you do. I like to travel like you do-- go and see the area and the people. Unfortunately, I have to be honest with you-- cruises leave you with a small taste of what you want, and for travelers like us, sometimes leave disappointed you have to leave.

That being said, cruises are a ton of fun, and get you to places you might not have been before and can help you arrange a list of places you want to go back. With you wanting to control cost I would limit your cruise range to a 3-5 night cruise on Carnival. Typically the Western Caribbean has the cheapest ports of call, but that does vary throughout the seasons. Book an interior stateroom on the lowest level (typically the Riviera deck on Carnival) to both get the best price, and have the least amount of movement from the ship (I get seasick and have found that this is the best place to avoid the movement of the boat). You will not have a window in this room, but I can assure you that you rarely spend much time in your room to know the difference. The following is an excerpt from my guidelines to a cheap cruise. I have gotten numerous best answer awards for this method, and hope that it helps you find a vacation that you and your husband can enjoy!

Follow the steps below and you will get a knock out price on your cruise:

1. Start out at vacationstogo.com. They have reasonable rates and it's the easiest to see all of the ports and embarkation dates. They generally have good deals, but you can get it cheaper (also, note that their prices do not include government taxes, and the prices quoted are for guaranteed rooms).

2.Go to cruisecheap.com. They will generally have better rates than vacationtogo.com.

3. Use the rate from cruisecheap.com to get a quote from beatanycruiseprice.com. They will beat that price!

4. Finally, go to cruisecompete.com; They will beat the quote from beatanycruiseprice.com. I still book with beatanycruiseprice.com, just because I trust them and they are SUPER nice. Make them fight for you-- the cruise industry is so oversaturated right now that most places will fight over getting a cruiser to book with them, and you will get a good deal. I just booked a Carnival 7 night Eastern Carribean for $986 for both me and my husband! You CAN cruise CHEAP!

PS: Note that the major vacation carriers (ie Travelocity, Expedia, etc) are more commercialized than say a smaller agency such as the ones I have listed above, and typically will charge a booking fee just to make your reservations.

Answer 9

from experience working in the cruise industry... it's really not that cheap. Cruise companies don't make their money off of what you pay for your room and meals. They make their money off of onboard revenue. You are going to want to take excursions right... look into the costs... you are going to spend a lot of money. Drinks? more than on land. Specialty Restaurants onboard the ship? Cover charges.

I think it's better that you find a place that you want to go to and find the season that it's best to purchase tickets to travel there. Sometimes renting a house is cheaper than a hotel.... For example: orlando FL, i found this site that was something like: staybymickey. GORGEOUS HOUSE, slept 8, $500 for a week. Divided by 8 of us... pennies... we cooked some of the meals at the house and we budgeted our money at the parks.... But like this you can visit anywhere on a budget.... cruises, not price-savyy.

Answer 10

well depending on age really if your young and like to drink carnival is your best bet but if your a bit older and would like a moor refined cruise id say royal caribbean is for you its geared with older not antique people the line tries so hard to make all great so hope this helps some and have a great cruise.

Answer 11

I would suggest a 7 night cruise. I am personally looking into going on a Royal Caribbean cruise. The cabins are very fairly priced. People say their ships are great for first timers.

I would suggest going to the Caribbean.

Answer 12

I Recommend the "Pride Of America". It travels around the Hawaiian islands for a week. I think it was a great cruise for my first and only cruise i have been on. Good luck!!!

Answer 13

northwest one,alaska and british columbia,its outrageous...