First cruise

My wife and I are considering our first cruise. We are in our 40's and
very active. Preliminary research and the experiences of friends have
us leaning towards either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. We know we
want to do a western Caribbean itinerary. Suggestions or comparisions
would be welcome.

The online booking sites I checked seem to have similar prices. Are
there any tips on how to find the lowest price? We usually make our
travel arrangements ourselves. Is using a travel agent a benefit?
What about online reservation companies like Expedia or Travelocity or
making the arrangements directly with the cruise line?

TIA

Ed

No matter which cruise line you choose,your first cruise is always the
best,we after 45 cruises prefer PRINCESS,HAL,or CELEBRITY,not too fond
of carnival,and do not choose NCL unless you do not care about the
food,and using 1/2 paper napkins in the buffet. We also
prefer the inside cabins,mid ship,not much chance of getting mal de
mer(seasick) also you do not use the cabin that much,we like being out
on the decks,and only use the cabin for showering,dressing,and
sleeping.The money we save by not going to an ocean view or a balcony
we can use for our tours,and incidentals, drinks in the lounges,and a
short stop at the casino. But what ever you select,go and enjoy,you only
live once. surfer
e2468


cruise lover

The cow and I prefer HAL, especialy the Ziuieirdam(We are both seniors)
"Harry Cooper" wrote in message
...
Welcome to our world, but beware that it can be addictive. I have never
had a bad cruise, but in general prefer HAL, Princess, RCCL or Celebrity.
Balcony cabins are very nice, inside rooms not so nice, let your wallet
decide accommodations. There are a number of very capable agents in this
group and perhaps some will contact you. Follow the group awhile and you
will sort them out.

Check the net for prices, then check a good local agent. You may find a
local TA valuable in setting up your first experience. Ask people you
trust to refer a TA. Take a week if you can, longer is better when it
comes to cruising.

Don't expect perfection, but enjoy the experience. Have fun,

Harry Cooper
wrote in message
...
My wife and I are considering our first cruise. We are in our 40's and
very active. Preliminary research and the experiences of friends have
us leaning towards either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. We know we
want to do a western Caribbean itinerary. Suggestions or comparisions
would be welcome.

The online booking sites I checked seem to have similar prices. Are
there any tips on how to find the lowest price? We usually make our
travel arrangements ourselves. Is using a travel agent a benefit?
What about online reservation companies like Expedia or Travelocity or
making the arrangements directly with the cruise line?

TIA

Ed



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Welcome to our world, but beware that it can be addictive. I have never had
a bad cruise, but in general prefer HAL, Princess, RCCL or Celebrity.
Balcony cabins are very nice, inside rooms not so nice, let your wallet
decide accommodations. There are a number of very capable agents in this
group and perhaps some will contact you. Follow the group awhile and you
will sort them out.

Check the net for prices, then check a good local agent. You may find a
local TA valuable in setting up your first experience. Ask people you trust
to refer a TA. Take a week if you can, longer is better when it comes to
cruising.

Don't expect perfection, but enjoy the experience. Have fun,

Harry Cooper
wrote in message
...
My wife and I are considering our first cruise. We are in our 40's and
very active. Preliminary research and the experiences of friends have
us leaning towards either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. We know we
want to do a western Caribbean itinerary. Suggestions or comparisions
would be welcome.

The online booking sites I checked seem to have similar prices. Are
there any tips on how to find the lowest price? We usually make our
travel arrangements ourselves. Is using a travel agent a benefit?
What about online reservation companies like Expedia or Travelocity or
making the arrangements directly with the cruise line?

TIA

Ed



Posted Via Usenet.com Premium Usenet Newsgroup Services
----------------------------------------------------------
** SPEED ** RETENTION ** COMPLETION ** ANONYMITY **
----------------------------------------------------------
http://www.usenet.com

Surfer E2468 wrote:
No matter which cruise line you choose,your first cruise is always the
best,we after 45 cruises prefer PRINCESS,HAL,or CELEBRITY,not too fond
of carnival,and do not choose NCL unless you do not care about the
food,and using 1/2 paper napkins in the buffet. We also
prefer the inside cabins,mid ship,not much chance of getting mal de
mer(seasick) also you do not use the cabin that much,we like being out
on the decks,and only use the cabin for showering,dressing,and
sleeping.The money we save by not going to an ocean view or a balcony
we can use for our tours,and incidentals, drinks in the lounges,and a
short stop at the casino. But what ever you select,go and enjoy,you only
live once. surfer
e2468


cruise lover



Depending on the agency some travel agents who do a lot of bookings with
cruise lines can offer unadvertised rates. Plus if it's your first
cruise, a good agent who specializes in cruising can provide lots of
information and advice. If when you call on the phone or meet at his/her
office, if they sound like a pushy used car salesman run do not walk.
If on the other hand they take the time to discover your interests and
budget that's a step in the right direction. If they actually cruise
frequently and have personal experience that's someone you may trust to
book your cruise. It also helps if they're computer savvy. You don't
want someone who might make a serious error during the booking process.

--
________
To email me, Edit "blog" from my email address.
Brian M. Kochera
"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once!"
View My Web Page: http://home.earthlink.net/~brian1951

Ed,

Just from the general description of what you like to do, plus your age
bracket, your friends are on the right track. Either Royal Caribbean
International or Carnival Cruise Line would be a good choice. Likewise, I
personally think Holland America, as another suggested, may be a little too
high-end, laid-back and pricy at this point in time. Likewise, unless you're
an experiences cruiser, know exactly what you want, and are simply price
shopping at this time, the expertise of a good cruise-only agency is highly
recommended. You can obviously do some background work yourself if you wish
over the Internet with the likes of Expedia, Travelocity and others, but at
this point, that should only be a general guideline, not the final say-so.

Happy sailing...
John Sisker - SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY (sm)
(714) 536-3850 or toll-free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency ID: 714.536.3850)
www.shiptoshorecruise.com




wrote in message
...
My wife and I are considering our first cruise. We are in our 40's and
very active. Preliminary research and the experiences of friends have
us leaning towards either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. We know we
want to do a western Caribbean itinerary. Suggestions or comparisions
would be welcome.

The online booking sites I checked seem to have similar prices. Are
there any tips on how to find the lowest price? We usually make our
travel arrangements ourselves. Is using a travel agent a benefit?
What about online reservation companies like Expedia or Travelocity or
making the arrangements directly with the cruise line?

TIA

Ed

In article
,
wrote:

My wife and I are considering our first cruise. We are in our 40's and
very active. Preliminary research and the experiences of friends have
us leaning towards either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. We know we
want to do a western Caribbean itinerary. Suggestions or comparisions
would be welcome.

My wife and I are in our 50s and had our first cruise when we were in
our 30s. Like another respondent said, this will probably be the best
cruise you take and the one all others measure up to. Our first was on
Princess and though we have been on other lines, we tend to gravitate
back to this line.

Our most recent cruise was on HAL and we felt like youngsters. I did
talk with some other couples on this cruise who were in their 30s and
40s, however there were not many of them and the lounge areas and
activities for this age group were mostly empty. Not a line I would
recommend for you and not one we will likely sail on for many years to
come.

We have never been on Carnival, but we did sail once on RCL and it was
okay... just okay, though.

I'd say to take a good look at Princess and get some current reports on
their demographic.

Cheers... Bob

--
If replying by email, please remove the removes.
Visit my home course at http://www.sunshinecoastgolf.com

Thank you to everyone who replied. Your input has been helpful.

Note to J. Sisker. Your private email to me has been reported to your
ISP as SPAM.

Ed

IMO the choice of ship depends on the length of the cruise and your energey
level. For a cruise less than 7 days, or you loooove to party (ie.. get
drunk) choose Carnival. I 've been on them all, and I prefer a quiter
atmosphere, but if you want to pack a lot into a short period of time, I
thingk Carnival is the ticket.

Tim Brown


wrote in message
...
My wife and I are considering our first cruise. We are in our 40's and
very active. Preliminary research and the experiences of friends have
us leaning towards either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. We know we
want to do a western Caribbean itinerary. Suggestions or comparisions
would be welcome.

The online booking sites I checked seem to have similar prices. Are
there any tips on how to find the lowest price? We usually make our
travel arrangements ourselves. Is using a travel agent a benefit?
What about online reservation companies like Expedia or Travelocity or
making the arrangements directly with the cruise line?

TIA

Ed

Personally, I don't think Edward can go wrong with a Carnival cruise now
days, even though Royal Caribbean would be a good backup. Carnival is not
quite the beer-drinking party ships of years ago, but obviously it is
somewhat hard for them to live down that stereotype. However, depending on
the itinerary and time of year, just about any ship may have a little more
lively crowd aboard.

Personally, based on the original request, and since price seems to be the
governing factor, Carnival may still be the best choice.

Happy sailing...
John Sisker - SHIP-TO-SHORE CRUISE AGENCY (sm)
(714) 536-3850 or toll-free at (800) 724-6644 & (Agency ID: 714.536.3850)
www.shiptoshorecruise.com






"Tim Brown" wrote in message
news:L32Ej.2782$CO3.2087@trnddc04...
IMO the choice of ship depends on the length of the cruise and your
energey level. For a cruise less than 7 days, or you loooove to party
(ie.. get drunk) choose Carnival. I 've been on them all, and I prefer a
quiter atmosphere, but if you want to pack a lot into a short period of
time, I thingk Carnival is the ticket.

Tim Brown


wrote in message
...
My wife and I are considering our first cruise. We are in our 40's and
very active. Preliminary research and the experiences of friends have
us leaning towards either Royal Caribbean or Carnival. We know we
want to do a western Caribbean itinerary. Suggestions or comparisions
would be welcome.

The online booking sites I checked seem to have similar prices. Are
there any tips on how to find the lowest price? We usually make our
travel arrangements ourselves. Is using a travel agent a benefit?
What about online reservation companies like Expedia or Travelocity or
making the arrangements directly with the cruise line?

TIA

Ed