First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions
in [Cruise Ship]
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From: Warren on 4 Jun 2010 18:07 On Jun 4, 4:41 pm, Ohioguy <n...(a)none.net> 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
From: Ohioguy on 4 Jun 2010 20:11 > 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.
From: Brian K on 4 Jun 2010 20:21 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/
From: Stu on 4 Jun 2010 20:49 On Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:41:17 -0400, Ohioguy <none(a)none.net> 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! Don't let anyone talk you out of Carnival, usually you only find a number of kids on board during spring break. They are not your's so relax and enjoy yourself. First time may I suggest the eastern caribean cruise on Carnival, we've been on both the Victory and the Valor, we perfered the Victory (get the balcony bigger room) and you can sit and sip wine at night watching the sea...very relaxing.
From: Ohioguy on 4 Jun 2010 21:00
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? |