Cruise recommendation

Hi, Peri,

Nice to hear from you. I always love hearing about your cruises. I think we
have similar tastes/interests. I knew you had been on a lot of RCI ships,
but wow, nearing Platinum status, that's cool!

To be clear, we haven't been on the Rhapsody for a while, but you know what?
The reviews remain positive and pretty much the same. I think she's a pretty
ship, and I like that class. You are probably correct in predicting the
experience will be very similar to your Splendour cruise. For the longest
time, the Rhapsody captain was this hilarious, gregarious fellow who lived
right here in the Texas Gulf Coast area. I wonder if he's still at the helm?

Aft corner balcony, eh...you did well!!!

Diana


"Peri" wrote in message
...
D Ball wrote:

Your mention of Key West brings Royal Caribbean's Rhapsody of the Seas
out of Galveston to mind. We've been on that ship, and she consistently
receives good reviews.

Diana, I'm really glad to hear you mention this ship. My husband and I
are booked on the Rhapsody out of Galveston the week of January 15th, and
one of the reasons we chose it was for the afternoon stop in Key West.
It'll be great fun to be there for sunset, which, as you know, many ships
are not.

We have a pretty good idea of what to expect from the Rhapsody, having
sailed the Splendour out of Galveston, but it's nice to hear first hand.
We've got a great, aft corner balcony awaiting, so I'm happy no matter
where we go!

~ Peri diligently working her way from Diamond to Platinum membership!

Hi, Chuck,

Don't know what's up with Travelocity, but any of the other search engines
will reveal the same info. Try Orbitz, Vacations to Go, cruises.com, etc.
Just use the Advanced Search engines at any website to narrow down your
search results by the factors important to you, otherwise, you'll be
overwhelmed.

If budget is a key consideration, then if it was me, I would rule out flying
and choose from the local options. They are great, and I don't think anyone
can say you will have a better vacation if you fly to catch a ship.

I failed to mention earlier that you could also cruise out of the port of
Houston on the NCL Dream. Norwegian Cruise Line's hallmark feature is
"Freestyle Cruising." This translates to two basic things: restaurant-style
dining anytime you want in a variety of venues and relaxed dress codes with
no "mandatory" formal nights, meaning you can eat in the dining room every
night regardless of attire, on "optional" formal night, those who want can
dress up. Here's how the other three ships compare in that regard: Royal
Caribbean Rhapsody and Carnival Conquest - traditional dining at an assigned
table and time every night + two formal nights, if you choose not to dress
in formal wear, you are requested to eat in the casual buffet or venues
other than the dining room; and Grand Princess - your choice of traditional
dining or Anytime Dining similar to NCL + two formal nights, you are
requested to eat elsewhere if you don't participate.

The NCL Dream operates an appealing 4-stop itinerary that includes Roatan,
Honduras, one of my favorite snorkeling spots. Actually, the Western
Caribbean is full of great snorkeling, especially along the living barrier
reef (second only to the Great Barrier off of the coast of Australia) that
runs just off the coast of Mexico and Central America. You can snorkel at
almost all of the stops on any of the itineraries...along the reef in
Cozumel, Cancun, Costa Maya/Majahual, Belize, and Roatan, and over other
reefs and "with the stingrays" (an incredible, "don't miss" experience) in
Grand Cayman.

excursions, out of 14 cruises, we've taken 5 or less cruise
ship-sponsored excursions. Cost is a factor--you can almost always do it
cheaper on your own. The inflexibility of set tours and group dynamics are
also not that appealing to us. Some will try to scare you off by saying, "Oh
gosh, you could miss the ship if you go off on your own." Well, duh, that's
right, you could. But you are clearly a researcher and will carefully plan
your days in port, just like the rest of us independent travelers who have
done it successfully for years and never even come close to missing the
ship. The Caribbean is an easy place to "do" without buying any
excursions...it's primarily a beach- and shopping-oriented cruise
destination, the other stuff you can do--catamaran snorkel & booze cruises,
4WD, canopy zip line, jet ski, etc.--is gravy. Read the list of cruise-ship
sponsored excursions on the cruise line website, e.g., study shore
excursions for the Caribbean at www.princess.com That will give you a
working idea of what you can do in port. Study travel guides for land
travelers to those destinations and learn about beaches, attractions,
shopping, etc. www.frommers.com and www.lonelyplanet.com online are terrific
resources, especially for budget travelers. And then study the discussion
forum for, e.g., Grand Cayman, at http://www.cruisecritic.com to find out
how to do things on your own and get recommendations private operators
when needed (honestly, thinking about all the W. Carib ports these ships go
to, I think you could have a blast in each with no tour operators except to
do the stingrays in Grand Cayman). For snorkeling, most beaches will have
snorkeling gear for rent for a modest charge. So all you need to know is
estimated taxi charge or public transportation from port to beach and back,
whether there is a fee for use of beach chairs, how much to expect to pay
for snorkeling gear rental, etc. Or if you think you'll want to snorkel in
several ports, price out buying your own gear--driving to port means no
worries bulky bags, although flying with mask, snorkel & fins isn't a
big deal.
cabins, there are a lot of savvy cruisers who book insides and apply the
savings to more cruises! I'd certainly pick an inside vs. worry about money
on my vacation or run up your credit card balance just for the experience of
a better cabin. From what I saw when I did a quick run of rates over the
spring on the Rhapsody/Grand P/Conquest, you could probably come in with a
cruise package under your $1,000 per person budget if you stick with an
inside. An outside cabin with window is nicer, of course, just to give you
some light, and a balcony is great. Depending on the week you pick, you
could find some awesome pricing that gives you the freedom to move into a
cabin that feels like a "treat." But if you stay with the inside, I promise,
you will not mope around all week feeling like you cheated yourselves. You
don't spend that much time in the cabin--and there's no class system on the
mass market lines, you will get to enjoy everything on the big, beautiful
ship just the same as those folks paying the highest dollars for suites.
Okay, there are a few concierge lounges and similar perks for some suite and
loyalty pax, but other than that, there's no difference.

spending money, that's pretty impossible for me to guesstimate--some
travelers have no problem cutting it to the bone, others find it hard to
resist a splurge here and there while on vacation. I think you should be
realistic about your spending habits and budget accordingly. Don't forget
that tips (waiters/cabin attendant) are not included in your cruise fare and
are generally about $10/day per person x 7 days = $140. The cruise lines
offer the option of leaving tips on your charge account or you can remove
them and pay cash directly to your servers/attendants at the end. Figure
drink prices equivalent to restaurants. A lot of people "smuggle" liquor on
board...you will find a lot of tips about that here and elsewhere if you are
interested. Note, all cruise lines charge for soft drinks (coffee, tea,
punch-type drinks are free), but if you gotta have it, you can buy a soda
card at the beginning entitling you to unlimited soft drinks. You can have
your photo taken a jillion times for free--then buy one, none or a bunch.
Figure on $20 per photo, some will be more/less. They are nice keepsakes,
and how often do you and your wife get your pictures made? Sounds like you
will need something to bring back for your son, grandmother, etc.
Inexpensive souvenirs in port will do the trick. The shops on board ship
tend to feature overpriced junk, IMO. And then you'll have the cost of your
port day adventures. Don't forget port parking for the week. ... I like a
challenge, so I think I could do pretty well with some homework and
frugality--but not so much I'd feel I missed something--on $500 in addition
to the TOTAL cost of the cruise (cruise rate + taxes and port charges + do
yourself a favor and buy insurance, see another thread here about a cruiser
who's mom is very ill and he didn't buy insurance, you never know with a kid
and a grandmother what could happen to prevent you from going, check
policies at www.insuremytrip.com, buy the policy within the stated time
period to make sure you cover all pre-existing conditions of every traveler
and stay-at-home family members so you don't have to worry about claims
hassles). (Note: A "hidden" expense of cruising is wardrobe-related. A lot
of people like to shop for cruise wear! But W. Carib. cruises tend to be
pretty casual--don't get too hyped over the idea that you *have* to have an
all-new wardrobe. You will find a range of dress from those who bring trunks
of snazzy outfits aboard to those who thumb their noses at the dress code. A
lot of us get very cranky about the folks in the latter group, LOL, so I'd
suggest you go for something nice in the middle. Since you live near
Galveston, you and your wife are going to have the usual assortment of warm
weather shorts and swim wear for port days, polo/khaki and sundress/smart
capris for non-formal night dining, you can wear a dark suit and just about
any cocktail/long dress/evening pants to formal night or skip it altogether
and eat in the casual dining areas.)

As a final note, please make sure the TA you contact is a cruise specialist.
Any TA can book a cruise for you, but TA's who don't specialize in cruising
can end up doing you more harm than good.

Diana




Good advice. I went to Travelocity and it kept timing out on me, no matter
how fast I flew through the search. Errrrr.

I am not dead set on any ports, and actually, really don't care to do
anything other than maybe hit the beach, walk a little and maybe grab a
burger during the ports. I don't really care to buy excursions unless I
could find a snorkeling excursion cheap.

I plan on going through a TA here in town, but I am getting ideas and
researching before I contact the TA, because I want to be educated before
I buy.

A friend at work has worked on several cruise lines, Celebrity and
Princess being ones that I remember. I have talked to him before, but he
can't give any info other than what a crew member sees and experiences
onboard. And does he have some stories! haha

How about another question or two.

We are going to be on a fairly tight budget, especially if we depart other
than Galveston or Houston. Is it worth the extra couple of hundred dollars
to get an outside room with a window vs an inside room? How about a
balcony room vs a window room? If we spend more money on the room, we will
have to cut back somewhere else.

I know this is a hard question to answer, but how much should a person
take for spending money? Like I said, not to interested in excursions,
but we will probably buy a few souvenirs, etc. What would I expect to pay
for a drink onboard?


Thanks again...

"C. Massey" wrote in message
om...


A friend at work has worked on several cruise lines, Celebrity and
Princess being ones that I remember. I have talked to him before, but he
can't give any info other than what a crew member sees and experiences
onboard. And does he have some stories! haha

How about another question or two.

We are going to be on a fairly tight budget, especially if we depart other
than Galveston or Houston. Is it worth the extra couple of hundred dollars
to get an outside room with a window vs an inside room? How about a
balcony room vs a window room? If we spend more money on the room, we will
have to cut back somewhere else.

I know this is a hard question to answer, but how much should a person
take for spending money? Like I said, not to interested in excursions,
but we will probably buy a few souvenirs, etc. What would I expect to pay
for a drink onboard?


Celebrity and Princess are actually my favorite lines. With a nod to
Celebrity over Princess.

As far as inside, outside or balcony... we don't spend much once on board.
We don't gamble, drink or do spa stuff. And rarely do shore excursions,
except when in a special place like the Norwegian Fjords or Scotland. So we
don't need to save on cabin because we need to spend it other places.

A balcony is always the nicest, but it's not worth it if it's a LOT more
money. If they want $200-300 total for the balcony... I'm taking the
balcony. If they want $1000 forget it.

When it comes down to it... I'd rather book an inside, than not go. But
another nice in-between option is the obstructed view outside. There is a
lifeboat partially or completely blocking your view, but you at least get
sunlight.

--Tom

C. Massey wrote:

We are going to be on a fairly tight budget, especially if we depart other
than Galveston or Houston. Is it worth the extra couple of hundred dollars
to get an outside room with a window vs an inside room? How about a balcony
room vs a window room? If we spend more money on the room, we will have to
cut back somewhere else.

If your budget is tight, book an inside cabin. You will have a wonderful
time on the cruise, no matter which cabin you get. I hope you will be
enjoying the ship and the ports, and not spending time in your cabin.

We have plenty of cruise ships in Texas (hi neighbor!) and the prices
are right. I cruised on the Grand Princess out of Galveston and the
crowd was fairly old, which was fine with me. This was the 2nd time I
cruised on the Grand, and the crowd was younger when we cruised out of
Fort Lauderdale. BTW, cruises out of Texas have the friendliest crowds.

The Carnival Conquest was a lot of fun, and I am booked on that ship
again for the Sleazy4 cruise next year. The Conquest would be a good
place to start. The cabins are large, the food is good and I liked the
entertainment.

It is nice being able to drive to the cruise port. You can bring a case
of bottled water with you, since there are no weight limits when you drive.

Becca

Thus spake Go Fig :

In article , C. Massey
wrote:

We are looking to book our, well my first cruise and my wife's 2nd. We are
looking for recommendations from the experts.

Departure port isn't an issue as we have plenty of mileage on Continental
Airlines as long as it's in the continental US.

With AA's Advantage Miles, it has turned into Lottery and American
Airlines does not have a gambling license in my state.

Agreed. Tried to book "first class" to Hawai'i 300 days out, no
seats. Tried to book coach. No seats.


jay
Mon Nov 21, 2005






We could drive to Galveston
though.

Looking for a 7 day, but may have to go with a 5 day cruise. I think that an
Eastern Caribbean cruise would be nice, but again, open for suggestions as
long as it's sunny and warm. Would also like to see Key West, but not
mandatory. Looking to stay at or preferably under $1,000 per person. Outside
room would be nice, but I know that's probably asking a bit much for the
budget.

We are an early 40's couple with our son skipping this cruise and staying
with Mimi. We aren't big party people, but we don't want an "old foggies"
cruise either. We will drink a little, but probably can't afford to drink
too much! We are looking for a good selection of decent quality food. Can
take or leave the casino and showrooms.

Anyone have any suggestions?


Thanks so much...

Chuck










--
dillon

Science is when a beautiful theory is killed by
an ugly fact.

Thus spake "C. Massey" :


"C. Massey" wrote in message
. net...
We are looking to book our, well my first cruise and my wife's 2nd. We are
looking for recommendations from the experts.


snip



Oh yeah... we are looking for Spring/Summer 2006 if that makes any
difference...


Book soon. I booked ourselves a cruise on the Splendour for Spring
Break. Did it back in August, all they had left were balconies and
suites.
--
dillon

Science is when a beautiful theory is killed by
an ugly fact.

To us it is not worth the extra money for anything other than an inside
cabin,what we save we can use for a lot of other things,and any money
saved,we put toward another cruise surfer
e2468

Chuck,

I had this same problem with Travelocity after I ran an anti-spyware
program. Unfortunately I can't remember how I fixed it. It may have just
been some setting in Internet Explorer that the program changed.

--
Greg

"C. Massey" wrote in message
om...
I went to Travelocity and it kept timing out on me, no matter how fast I
flew through the search. Errrrr.

"D Ball" wrote in message
...

snip

As a final note, please make sure the TA you contact is a cruise
specialist. Any TA can book a cruise for you, but TA's who don't
specialize in cruising can end up doing you more harm than good.

snip


Thanks again for so much valuable information...

Diana, didn't I read somewhere or maybe you gave me the impression that you
are in Texas. If so, do you have a recommendation on a TA that specializes
in cruises? If so and you would rather email me than post here, my email is



Thanks again!

My wife and I booked a fantastic cruise with P&O around Indonesia
through www.tourspotsaustralia.com, had an excellent time. The
accommodation on board surpassed my exspectations greatly, and the
facilities and entertainment provided were more than satisfactory. An
epensive holiday, however worth every penny.