Cruise recommendation

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. 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

"C. Massey" wrote in message
et...
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...

Take this simple 4 question test to help you pick a cruise line.

http://www.02cruise.com/LineSearch/index.asp

--Tom

"C. Massey" wrote in message
et...
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. 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

Tom K wrote:
Take this simple 4 question test to help you pick a cruise line.

http://www.02cruise.com/LineSearch/index.asp

--Tom

"C. Massey" wrote in message
et...

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. We could drive to
Galveston though.


Tom this questionnaire is really a joke, no offense. The questions are
to vague, especially if you are somewhat unfamiliar with the types of
ships. I gave some realistic answers and ONLY Princess came up.

I seriously recommend a travel agent Chuck. You have a good amount of
data already and the agent can go over what's available and help you
decide. I recommend you also look at everything that leaves from Galveston.
Check out this search engine:
http://www.7blueseas.com/cruises/advsearch.asp

Clay

"C. Massey" wrote in message
et...
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. 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?

Either Princess or RCI would be a good choice. Sometimes a Princess can have
an older crowd on their 10 day cruises. The food is comparable on both.

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.

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

Hi, Chuck,

We cruise out of Galveston sometimes. It's nice to drive to the port because
you don't have to worry about airline baggage limitations. On the other
hand, if you fly, you have more cruise options. The ships out of Galveston
go to the Western Caribbean. You will have to fly to cruise to the Eastern
Caribbean.

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. There are two other great choices out of Galveston--the Grand
Princess and Carnival Conquest. They don't go to Key West, but their
itineraries are very attractive (the Grand Princess is the only one of the
three that makes 4 port stops, which is a + or - depending on your
preferences; note, all Western Carib cruises feature Cozumel, which was hard
hit by the hurricane, but working fast to "come back" and already receiving
cruise ships again, based on the many reports here and elsewhere their
plans for recovery, I wouldn't hesitate to book a cruise stopping there,
especially for next spring/summer). I honestly think any of those three
ships would deliver a great cruise experience for you and your wife. We've
cruised 14 times in the past 6 years on all of the mass market lines except
Disney, and in my opinion--others are sure to disagree!--they're all pretty
similar. We've never had a bad cruise--every experience includes good food,
service, entertainment and accommodations, it's just that one line/ship
might excel in one area over another. Based on our personal tastes and past
cruises on these or similar ships, of the three Galveston-based ships, I'd
say the Rhapsody will offer the best entertainment, the Grand Princess will
feel slightly more elegant and offer better service, and the Conquest will
be "gaudy as all get out" but offer the best food!

I'll share a few general thoughts with you based on our cruise experiences.
First, there aren't many cruises under 7 days. If you're going to cruise,
just make time and budget for the full 7-day experience. You will have many
more choices, and once aboard, you will understand why those last couple of
days are so important to the overall experience. Second, if you want to see
a particular port, the best way to figure out how to get there is to find
that port's cruise calendar. I found this one for Key West:
http://www.keywestcity.com/depts/por...ruiseships.asp Third,
please remember not to get too committed to a particular port...if a captain
determines the port must be missed due to weather, mechanical problems,
medical emergency or other reason, you have no recourse for missing the
port. The cruise contract basically entitles you to a week of fun, food and
entertainment aboard the ship, but doesn't guarantee where your ship will
be! Fourth, Spring/Summer cruise pricing and demographics are tricky. Prices
spike for holidays and those times kids are out of school and families are
cruising. So, you can figure there will be tons of families cruising and
cruise prices will be higher over President's Week in February, the entire
month of March = various spring breaks all over the country, Easter week in
April, and then summer vacations approximately June 1 through Labor Day. A
good way to evalute peak cruise weeks and pricing trends is to use the
advanced cruise search function at Travelocity. (I'm not pushing them as a
travel agency--I've never bought a cruise from them, I just like their user
friendly interface.) You can input your desired destination, dates, etc.,
and then you will receive a hit list. When you see a cruise that looks
interested, hit the "More Info" button. The next page will show the
itinerary, and then when you scroll down, you will see the sailing calendar
with pricing for inside, outside, balcony and suite cabins. After you
compare the sailing calendars with prices of several ships at the same time
you are looking at your own calendar for key dates, e.g., Easter, you will
be able to zero in on the weeks during the spring that look best for you.

Of course, do not rely on Travelocity to the exclusion of other information
sources. I agree 100%, you need a travel agent to guide you and provide the
most current and accurate information about the cruises that interest you.
However, I think you will get better help from a TA and be happier with your
travel plans if you continue doing some of your own research as you are
doing now. Two more online resources that are helpful are the articles,
reviews and discussion forums at http://www.cruisecritic.com and
http://www.cruisemates.com I like to supplement with some "old-fashioned"
books...and your local library will stock current travel guides cruising
and the Caribbean.

Have fun researching & planning,

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX

"D Ball" wrote in message
...
Hi, Chuck,

We cruise out of Galveston sometimes. It's nice to drive to the port
because you don't have to worry about airline baggage limitations. On the
other hand, if you fly, you have more cruise options. The ships out of
Galveston go to the Western Caribbean. You will have to fly to cruise to
the Eastern Caribbean.

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. There are two other great choices out of
Galveston--the Grand Princess and Carnival Conquest. They don't go to Key
West, but their itineraries are very attractive (the Grand Princess is the
only one of the three that makes 4 port stops, which is a + or - depending
on your preferences; note, all Western Carib cruises feature Cozumel,
which was hard hit by the hurricane, but working fast to "come back" and
already receiving cruise ships again, based on the many reports here and
elsewhere their plans for recovery, I wouldn't hesitate to book a
cruise stopping there, especially for next spring/summer). I honestly
think any of those three ships would deliver a great cruise experience for
you and your wife. We've cruised 14 times in the past 6 years on all of
the mass market lines except Disney, and in my opinion--others are sure to
disagree!--they're all pretty similar. We've never had a bad cruise--every
experience includes good food, service, entertainment and accommodations,
it's just that one line/ship might excel in one area over another. Based
on our personal tastes and past cruises on these or similar ships, of the
three Galveston-based ships, I'd say the Rhapsody will offer the best
entertainment, the Grand Princess will feel slightly more elegant and
offer better service, and the Conquest will be "gaudy as all get out" but
offer the best food!

I'll share a few general thoughts with you based on our cruise
experiences. First, there aren't many cruises under 7 days. If you're
going to cruise, just make time and budget for the full 7-day experience.
You will have many more choices, and once aboard, you will understand why
those last couple of days are so important to the overall experience.
Second, if you want to see a particular port, the best way to figure out
how to get there is to find that port's cruise calendar. I found this one
for Key West:
http://www.keywestcity.com/depts/por...ruiseships.asp Third,
please remember not to get too committed to a particular port...if a
captain determines the port must be missed due to weather, mechanical
problems, medical emergency or other reason, you have no recourse for
missing the port. The cruise contract basically entitles you to a week of
fun, food and entertainment aboard the ship, but doesn't guarantee where
your ship will be! Fourth, Spring/Summer cruise pricing and demographics
are tricky. Prices spike for holidays and those times kids are out of
school and families are cruising. So, you can figure there will be tons of
families cruising and cruise prices will be higher over President's Week
in February, the entire month of March = various spring breaks all over
the country, Easter week in April, and then summer vacations approximately
June 1 through Labor Day. A good way to evalute peak cruise weeks and
pricing trends is to use the advanced cruise search function at
Travelocity. (I'm not pushing them as a travel agency--I've never bought a
cruise from them, I just like their user friendly interface.) You can
input your desired destination, dates, etc., and then you will receive a
hit list. When you see a cruise that looks interested, hit the "More Info"
button. The next page will show the itinerary, and then when you scroll
down, you will see the sailing calendar with pricing for inside, outside,
balcony and suite cabins. After you compare the sailing calendars with
prices of several ships at the same time you are looking at your own
calendar for key dates, e.g., Easter, you will be able to zero in on the
weeks during the spring that look best for you.

Of course, do not rely on Travelocity to the exclusion of other
information sources. I agree 100%, you need a travel agent to guide you
and provide the most current and accurate information about the cruises
that interest you. However, I think you will get better help from a TA and
be happier with your travel plans if you continue doing some of your own
research as you are doing now. Two more online resources that are helpful
are the articles, reviews and discussion forums at
http://www.cruisecritic.com and http://www.cruisemates.com I like to
supplement with some "old-fashioned" books...and your local library will
stock current travel guides cruising and the Caribbean.

Have fun researching & planning,

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX



Thanks 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...

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!

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

"D Ball" wrote in message
...
Hi, Chuck,

We cruise out of Galveston sometimes. It's nice to drive to the port
because you don't have to worry about airline baggage limitations. On
the
other hand, if you fly, you have more cruise options. The ships out of
Galveston go to the Western Caribbean. You will have to fly to cruise to
the Eastern Caribbean.

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. There are two other great choices out of
Galveston--the Grand Princess and Carnival Conquest. They don't go to
Key
West, but their itineraries are very attractive (the Grand Princess is
the
only one of the three that makes 4 port stops, which is a + or -
depending
on your preferences; note, all Western Carib cruises feature Cozumel,
which was hard hit by the hurricane, but working fast to "come back" and
already receiving cruise ships again, based on the many reports here and
elsewhere their plans for recovery, I wouldn't hesitate to book a
cruise stopping there, especially for next spring/summer). I honestly
think any of those three ships would deliver a great cruise experience
for
you and your wife. We've cruised 14 times in the past 6 years on all of
the mass market lines except Disney, and in my opinion--others are sure
to
disagree!--they're all pretty similar. We've never had a bad
cruise--every
experience includes good food, service, entertainment and
accommodations,
it's just that one line/ship might excel in one area over another. Based
on our personal tastes and past cruises on these or similar ships, of
the
three Galveston-based ships, I'd say the Rhapsody will offer the best
entertainment, the Grand Princess will feel slightly more elegant and
offer better service, and the Conquest will be "gaudy as all get out"
but
offer the best food!

I'll share a few general thoughts with you based on our cruise
experiences. First, there aren't many cruises under 7 days. If you're
going to cruise, just make time and budget for the full 7-day
experience.
You will have many more choices, and once aboard, you will understand
why
those last couple of days are so important to the overall experience.
Second, if you want to see a particular port, the best way to figure out
how to get there is to find that port's cruise calendar. I found this
one
for Key West:
http://www.keywestcity.com/depts/por...ruiseships.asp Third,
please remember not to get too committed to a particular port...if a
captain determines the port must be missed due to weather, mechanical
problems, medical emergency or other reason, you have no recourse for
missing the port. The cruise contract basically entitles you to a week
of
fun, food and entertainment aboard the ship, but doesn't guarantee where
your ship will be! Fourth, Spring/Summer cruise pricing and demographics
are tricky. Prices spike for holidays and those times kids are out of
school and families are cruising. So, you can figure there will be tons
of
families cruising and cruise prices will be higher over President's Week
in February, the entire month of March = various spring breaks all over
the country, Easter week in April, and then summer vacations
approximately
June 1 through Labor Day. A good way to evalute peak cruise weeks and
pricing trends is to use the advanced cruise search function at
Travelocity. (I'm not pushing them as a travel agency--I've never bought
a
cruise from them, I just like their user friendly interface.) You can
input your desired destination, dates, etc., and then you will receive a
hit list. When you see a cruise that looks interested, hit the "More
Info"
button. The next page will show the itinerary, and then when you scroll
down, you will see the sailing calendar with pricing for inside,
outside,
balcony and suite cabins. After you compare the sailing calendars with
prices of several ships at the same time you are looking at your own
calendar for key dates, e.g., Easter, you will be able to zero in on the
weeks during the spring that look best for you.

Of course, do not rely on Travelocity to the exclusion of other
information sources. I agree 100%, you need a travel agent to guide you
and provide the most current and accurate information about the cruises
that interest you. However, I think you will get better help from a TA
and
be happier with your travel plans if you continue doing some of your own
research as you are doing now. Two more online resources that are
helpful
are the articles, reviews and discussion forums at
http://www.cruisecritic.com and http://www.cruisemates.com I like to
supplement with some "old-fashioned" books...and your local library will
stock current travel guides cruising and the Caribbean.

Have fun researching & planning,

Diana Ball
near Houston, TX



Thanks 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...


I am same age group as you, I like Carnival. I have cruised Celebrity & NCL
(but not since freestyle) as well. I sort of operate on the no cruise is a
bad cruise. In fact, I booked an el cheapo 4 day cruise on the Tropicale
just before it went out of service. I'd heard many bad things about it (and
it was a bit worn), but it fit the time table and price, and it was one of
the best....so if you go with an open mind & you will have a good time. I
found Celebrity to be an older person's cruise, but I enjoyed it as well,
and cruised her again within the next 6 months. But overall, Carnival has
good food and is not as "old" type cruise, though be preppared for a few
rednecks. We have the rednecks around here so they arent a big deal to me,
though they might be to others.

As far as an inside, oceanview, or balcony---I prefer the balcony. I have
just had one on one cruise, the last, but I wouldnt go back to an oceanview
unless I just had to. I loved just sitting out on my little deck. I dont
like an inside because I wound up sleeping though lunch once and couldnt
wake up with the darkness. But once again, dependant on my finances I would
take any room just to cruise!