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First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions



 
 
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  #1  
Old June 4th, 2010, 09:41 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Ohioguy
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Posts: 61
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

It looks like my wife and I will be going on a cruise in early
October. It just works out that several relatives can come by and watch
our kids (all are 7 or under). I think this will be the first time my
wife and I have had a week to ourselves since our first child was born
over 7 years ago.

My preference for a vacation is actually hiking in the wilderness for
a week or so, but my wife wasn't interested in that. I find that when
I'm around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn out. I
tend to recharge when I have time to reflect in nature, in my garden, or
similar activities. Probably has something to do with growing up in the
country, out on a farm.

Anyway, details: we can take a 7 day cruise, with up to a day
allowed for travel on both ends. In other words, we can be gone a grand
total of about 9 days, and wouldn't want to push it past that. Due to a
"Disney on Ice" show that various folks in the family want to see, we
can leave either October 1, 2, 3 or 4. Sort of wish there was a website
that could also lump in airfare - I'm trying to do it separately. (from
Dayton, Ohio) I think we will focus on the Caribbean 7 day trips.

I'm most interested in buffets, magic shows, and perhaps
40's/50's/60's type nostalgia music shows, or just some variety shows.
I'm not very interested in formal dining, because by the time you've
waited to be seated, waited to order, waited to get your food, and
waited for the bill - I find myself thinking, "gee, I could have fixed
something like that in half the time". I am looking forward to having
time to relax and read as well, rather than change diapers, get kids
ready for school, etc.

I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
possibilities. They are all Carnival ships - Legend, Victory & Liberty.
Oct. 3 7 night Western Caribbean from Tampa shows $569 for balcony, so
that is one possibility.

I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic. I think I heard that it has
Blue Man Group show, which I've always wanted to see - and was trying to
decide if it was worth the extra cost. (and smaller room, most likely)

If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in
benefiting from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of the
trip.

Thanks!
  #2  
Old June 4th, 2010, 10:08 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
LVTravel[_1_]
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Posts: 168
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions



"Ohioguy" wrote in message
...
It looks like my wife and I will be going on a cruise in early October.
It just works out that several relatives can come by and watch our kids
(all are 7 or under). I think this will be the first time my wife and I
have had a week to ourselves since our first child was born over 7 years
ago.

My preference for a vacation is actually hiking in the wilderness for a
week or so, but my wife wasn't interested in that. I find that when I'm
around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn out. I tend to
recharge when I have time to reflect in nature, in my garden, or similar
activities. Probably has something to do with growing up in the country,
out on a farm.

Anyway, details: we can take a 7 day cruise, with up to a day allowed
for travel on both ends. In other words, we can be gone a grand total of
about 9 days, and wouldn't want to push it past that. Due to a "Disney on
Ice" show that various folks in the family want to see, we can leave
either October 1, 2, 3 or 4. Sort of wish there was a website that could
also lump in airfare - I'm trying to do it separately. (from Dayton, Ohio)
I think we will focus on the Caribbean 7 day trips.

I'm most interested in buffets, magic shows, and perhaps 40's/50's/60's
type nostalgia music shows, or just some variety shows. I'm not very
interested in formal dining, because by the time you've waited to be
seated, waited to order, waited to get your food, and waited for the
bill - I find myself thinking, "gee, I could have fixed something like
that in half the time". I am looking forward to having time to relax and
read as well, rather than change diapers, get kids ready for school, etc.

I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
possibilities. They are all Carnival ships - Legend, Victory & Liberty.
Oct. 3 7 night Western Caribbean from Tampa shows $569 for balcony, so
that is one possibility.

I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic. I think I heard that it has
Blue Man Group show, which I've always wanted to see - and was trying to
decide if it was worth the extra cost. (and smaller room, most likely)

If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in benefiting
from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of the trip.

Thanks!


While the Carnival from Tampa may not have all you desire the price is good
and one thing you won't have to worry about that I see in the post is
"waited for the bill" as food is included in the cruise fare. The only
thing you may have to wait for is if you ordered in one of their specialty
restaurants or alcohol at the table in which case the wine steward or the
waiter should produce your check to sign before you finish your desert.
Most cruise lines have meals down to a science and you can either eat
leisurely or speed up the meal (especially if you have a table for two.)
Waiting to be seated is normally only an issue the first night because you
need to find your assigned table at the appropriate time (fixed dining
restaurants) or if you have some form of anytime dining you can arrange with
the maitre 'de to have a particular table at a particular time every night.

You may want to relax on a cruise and I have found that this is really easy.
If you want excitement that can be had also. A cruise is only what you make
it combined with the expectations of service and friendship from the staff.

  #3  
Old June 4th, 2010, 10:26 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Surfer E2468
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,757
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

hope you will enjoy your first cruise,you can do as much as you wish or
just lounge around,we have taken 49 cruises and still just like to sit
on the deck and relax watching the ocean. If you do the caribbean the
tours of the islands are quite good. The ships we like the most are
princess,holland america, celebrity,and royal caribbean. We tend to stay
away from the extra huge ships(EPIC ETC.) do not like the idea of 5 to 6
thousand people on a ship. Always like
the smaller ships.,much more cozy. Will not sail carnival or n.c.l.
letus know what you decide,with all the children you have you need a
quiet vacation.





cruise lover(~~~~~)






..

  #4  
Old June 4th, 2010, 10:36 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Barbara Brown
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 52
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

I'm glad to see you are focused on the ship and not specific ports.
Since you're sailing in hurricane season you can't always be guaranteed
of being in a specific port. Too many people forget that and blame the
cruise line.

Anyway, cruising can be the most relaxing vacation depending on how you
approach it. You don't have to take part in all the on board activities.
You can lay by the pool. If you get a veranda cabin you can relax in
privacy and watch the waves, just as relaxing as watching nature in a park.

I haven't sailed any of those ships as we stick with Holland America
(more our age group) or Princess with is a mix. But they are all owned
by Carnival.

Our only experience with NCL was good except for the ship having very
small cabins (NCL Sky). I'd stay away from Royal Caribbean as they are
more active and crowded and big.

Even when your ship has formal nights you don't have to eat in the
dining room on those nights. You can go to the buffet instead. Yes, you
are required to dress appropriately in dining rooms. But other than
formal nights it's slacks (no jeans or shorts) and a nice shirt.

For the port calls you can find nature experiences in almost any port.


--
Barbara Brown
http://www.bapcentral.com
Pet, Family, and Cruising Information

http://www.babrown.com
Training Games & Authorware Programming



On 6/4/2010 3:41 PM, Ohioguy wrote:
It looks like my wife and I will be going on a cruise in early
October. It just works out that several relatives can come by and watch
our kids (all are 7 or under). I think this will be the first time my
wife and I have had a week to ourselves since our first child was born
over 7 years ago.

My preference for a vacation is actually hiking in the wilderness for a
week or so, but my wife wasn't interested in that. I find that when I'm
around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn out. I tend to
recharge when I have time to reflect in nature, in my garden, or similar
activities. Probably has something to do with growing up in the country,
out on a farm.

Anyway, details: we can take a 7 day cruise, with up to a day allowed
for travel on both ends. In other words, we can be gone a grand total of
about 9 days, and wouldn't want to push it past that. Due to a "Disney
on Ice" show that various folks in the family want to see, we can leave
either October 1, 2, 3 or 4. Sort of wish there was a website that could
also lump in airfare - I'm trying to do it separately. (from Dayton,
Ohio) I think we will focus on the Caribbean 7 day trips.

I'm most interested in buffets, magic shows, and perhaps 40's/50's/60's
type nostalgia music shows, or just some variety shows. I'm not very
interested in formal dining, because by the time you've waited to be
seated, waited to order, waited to get your food, and waited for the
bill - I find myself thinking, "gee, I could have fixed something like
that in half the time". I am looking forward to having time to relax and
read as well, rather than change diapers, get kids ready for school, etc.

I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
possibilities. They are all Carnival ships - Legend, Victory & Liberty.
Oct. 3 7 night Western Caribbean from Tampa shows $569 for balcony, so
that is one possibility.

I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic. I think I heard that it has
Blue Man Group show, which I've always wanted to see - and was trying to
decide if it was worth the extra cost. (and smaller room, most likely)

If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in benefiting
from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of the trip.

Thanks!


  #5  
Old June 4th, 2010, 10:55 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Barbara Brown
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 52
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

I forgot to mention, you can get air from the cruise line. I'm not sure
if they have prices online but you can ask your travel agent to quote
you the air and then compare it to shopping yourself. We usually use
frequent flier miles but the one or two times we've paid for air, we've
used the cruise line as they were cheaper.

--
Barbara
  #6  
Old June 4th, 2010, 11:07 PM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Warren[_1_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 476
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

On Jun 4, 4:41*pm, Ohioguy wrote:
snip
* * find that when I'm around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn out. *

snip
* *I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
possibilities. *They are all Carnival ships

snip
* *I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic.


I'm sure I'm going to take a lot of flak for saying this, but I don't
think a cruise is for you. I doubt you'll be happy.

This is especially true if you are considering Carnival, NCL, or any
of the other mass-market lines. You will need to cope with crowds -
huge crowds.

You might be happy if you are willing to spend a LOT more money and
book a cruise line with small ships. The fares for these types of
cruises
are in the thousands of dollars per week per person - not hundreds.

Warren


  #7  
Old June 5th, 2010, 01:11 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Ohioguy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 61
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

I forgot to mention, you can get air from the cruise line. I'm not sure
if they have prices online but you can ask your travel agent to quote


That's another thing I wanted to ask - I've never used a travel
agent. Normally I've just taken a train, bus or car to wherever I was
going, then camped, stayed in a hotel, or something along those lines.

I always thought that the travel agents simply made money by adding
on a couple of hundred dollars to the cheapest thing out there, and
folks figured it was ok because of the convenience of them doing most
all the work of getting scheduling and everything to work out. You're
saying it is not like that?

If so, I might have to check out a local travel agency before buying
the tickets myself.
  #8  
Old June 5th, 2010, 01:21 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Brian K[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,329
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

Ohioguy conferred with the ghost of Faye Wray and said On 6/4/2010 4:41
PM:
It looks like my wife and I will be going on a cruise in early
October. It just works out that several relatives can come by and
watch our kids (all are 7 or under). I think this will be the first
time my wife and I have had a week to ourselves since our first child
was born over 7 years ago.

My preference for a vacation is actually hiking in the wilderness
for a week or so, but my wife wasn't interested in that. I find that
when I'm around crowds of people, it typically makes me feel worn
out. I tend to recharge when I have time to reflect in nature, in my
garden, or similar activities. Probably has something to do with
growing up in the country, out on a farm.

Anyway, details: we can take a 7 day cruise, with up to a day
allowed for travel on both ends. In other words, we can be gone a
grand total of about 9 days, and wouldn't want to push it past that.
Due to a "Disney on Ice" show that various folks in the family want to
see, we can leave either October 1, 2, 3 or 4. Sort of wish there was
a website that could also lump in airfare - I'm trying to do it
separately. (from Dayton, Ohio) I think we will focus on the
Caribbean 7 day trips.

I'm most interested in buffets, magic shows, and perhaps
40's/50's/60's type nostalgia music shows, or just some variety shows.
I'm not very interested in formal dining, because by the time you've
waited to be seated, waited to order, waited to get your food, and
waited for the bill - I find myself thinking, "gee, I could have fixed
something like that in half the time". I am looking forward to having
time to relax and read as well, rather than change diapers, get kids
ready for school, etc.

I've used a website, cruisecheap.com, to come up with some
possibilities. They are all Carnival ships - Legend, Victory &
Liberty. Oct. 3 7 night Western Caribbean from Tampa shows $569 for
balcony, so that is one possibility.

I'm also considering the Norwegian Epic. I think I heard that it
has Blue Man Group show, which I've always wanted to see - and was
trying to decide if it was worth the extra cost. (and smaller room,
most likely)

If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in
benefiting from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of
the trip.

Thanks!

I would suggest that you see a travel agent, (not an internet site)
where you can discuss your needs. A seasoned travel agent specializing
in cruises can help you book a cruise a lot better then doing so by
yourself. While it's true that many cruise lines offer air/cruise
packages, they tend to low ball you for the cruise and hit you up for
the air. A travel agent can put together for you an air/cruise package
tailored to your specific preferences. He or she can do this offering
more options plus unadvertised fares and cruise rates you can't find on
your own. After you have some experience with cruises, you can go it alone.

If you don't like crowds, I agree with the advice to stay away from the
large Carnival ships plus Royal Caribbean's Monstrosity of The Seas, I
mean Oasis of The Seas. It's so big they could just drop anchor and
call it an island city. Staying within your budget, don't just shop
price. Go to the various cruise line web pages and learn about the ships
and the itineraries that are offered. Depending on the cruise line a
Western Caribbean will give you a nice mix of islands, plus a stop at
their "private island". For the get away to nature enthusiast, St.
Thomas (Eastern Caribbean) offers excellent snorkeling or scuba diving
in a natural park. A Southern Caribbean cruise might include Dominica,
often called the garden island. It offers a nice mix of walking nature
tours and beaches. It is a volcanic island peppered with geothermal
springs, and waterfalls. Trafalgar falls is a must-see. Perhaps on this
island your wife and you might choose to split up. She can do an
excursion to her tastes and you can do the day long (actually 4 hour
hike plus transport) to the Boiling Lake, an active caldera.

Have you considered as an alternative taking a land vacation at an All
Inclusive resort (AI)? You may find a small scale AI with a more
intimate feel to your liking. An AI in Costa Rica may be just right for
you. Many of them are small in scale in surroundings that offer the best
beaches, nightlife and adventure in the rain forest. Again, for the
first time around consider using a travel agent. He or she can put
together an air/AI package that meets your needs and fits your budget.
Some travel agents will charge you a booking fee, while others don't and
derive their commission from the tour operator, hotel, or cruise line.
Shop for a good agent and let them do all the work, providing you with
different options that fit your budget.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"The poor dog is the firmest of friends, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron

View My Web Pages: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
My Shutterfly Page http://photosbybrianmk.shutterfly.com/

  #9  
Old June 5th, 2010, 01:50 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Brian K[_2_]
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,329
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

Ohioguy conferred with the ghost of Faye Wray and said On 6/4/2010 8:11
PM:
I forgot to mention, you can get air from the cruise line. I'm not
sure if they have prices online but you can ask your travel agent to
quote


That's another thing I wanted to ask - I've never used a travel
agent. Normally I've just taken a train, bus or car to wherever I was
going, then camped, stayed in a hotel, or something along those lines.

I always thought that the travel agents simply made money by adding
on a couple of hundred dollars to the cheapest thing out there, and
folks figured it was ok because of the convenience of them doing most
all the work of getting scheduling and everything to work out. You're
saying it is not like that?

If so, I might have to check out a local travel agency before buying
the tickets myself.

There are good agents who will listen to what you want from a vacation,
Then the agent will suggest various options that fit your budget and are
tailored to your interests and needs. There are also those which my
sister calls "ticket mills", these are only concerned with making money.
A good agent will want to have you happy with your vacation. Repeat
customers as with any other business is their key to success. If they
sell you an inflated piece of crap, you aren't going to come back. My
sister Karen, lives in Minnesota (too far for you) and is a travel
agent. At the agency where she works, there are no added booking fees.
Karen gets her commission from the cruise line, hotel, tour
operator...etc. I would classify her as a good agent, not because she's
my sister, but because she goes the extra mile for her clients. Karen
is always updating her travel information. She attends seminars, and
classes offered by cruise lines. Often even when not agency sponsored
she will take cruises or All Inclusive resort vacations. Her attitude is
"How can I expect my clients to book this travel if I haven't experience
a similar one myself?".

Since you will be traveling in October, previously mentioned as during
hurricane season, you may want to consider trip cancellation insurance.
I'll let some of our resident agents explain trip cancellation insurance
for you as I think they'll do a better job of it. If you budget allows
you might also consider traveling to the cruise port city the day before
embarkation. That way if the flight gets canceled or there's some other
problem, you'll have a little wiggle room so you don't miss your
cruise. When I cruise with Karen, we always fly to the cruise port city
the day before. It's less of a hassle if you have to cancel a hotel
reservation because the airline messed up then missing the cruise
because they didn't get you there on time.

There are participants of this newsgroup who are agents, you might
consider asking Frank or Susette for help. Many of the folks here at
rec.travel.cruises have used them in the past and were quite satisfied.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"The poor dog is the firmest of friends, the first to welcome the foremost to defend" - Lord Byron

View My Web Pages: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951
My Shutterfly Page http://photosbybrianmk.shutterfly.com/

  #10  
Old June 5th, 2010, 02:00 AM posted to rec.travel.cruises
Ohioguy
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 61
Default First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions

Is it true that you get some perks if you book your cruise with an
American Express credit card, or is this just some sort of Urban Myth?
 




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