First time on a Cruise - have lots of questions
in [Cruise Ship]
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From: Charles on 5 Jun 2010 06:51 In article <aa04f312-c7d9-4abc-84c9-18446368235d(a)z8g2000yqz.googlegroups.com>, Warren <oceanvoyager_nyc(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > You can't spend an entire cruise sitting on the cabin balcony. > Carnival=Crowds on ships with seriously flawed passenger flow which > accentuate just how crowded it is. I have seen honeymoon couples on cruises who rarely venture out of their cabins. Even for dining they would order from room service. On a crowded cruise ship a balcony would provide a respite. I never could find a noiseless, relaxing public area, on the Carnival ship I was on. Everything was busy. I would have to have a balcony on a Carnival ship to have a getaway place. Not to spend the entire cruise on but for respite. Our Viking group cruise is on Valor this December and I booked a balcony for that reason. Obviously a cruise looks like a poor idea for Ohioguy except in the context of being considerate of his wife. Being considerate of his wife may be more important than what he likes and worth some suffering on his part. That is something he has to decide. And you never know. If he goes on the cruise it might not turn out that bad. I thought I would not like cruises before I went on one. -- Charles
From: MAS on 5 Jun 2010 08:21 On 6/4/2010 4:41 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. > Don't forget to check into passport requirements. Marsha
From: Stu on 5 Jun 2010 10:34 On Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:54:14 +1000, Gettamulla Tupya <gettamullatupya(a)gmail.com> wrote: >On Fri, 04 Jun 2010 20:12:00 -0700, Jack Hamilton <jfh(a)acm.org> wrote: > >> >Get a balcony cabin and you can sit out there and avoid the crowds. >> >Sitting out on the balcony overlooking the sea is restful and you can >> >reflect in the nature of the sea. Even on a crowded ship. >> >> Be careful, though, not to get a balcony right under the pool deck, or >> you will not have quiet. > >There were some pictures doing the rounds a few years back of a couple going at it on >their "private" balcony on a cruise ship. Problem was the ship was docked at the time and >their balcony was on the dock side. Our's was as well and we didn't have a problem. interesting to watch things happening while sharing a bottle of wine and some snacks. Definitely don't get your stateroom under the pool deck. We had 8212 and 8216 on Veranda deck. http://www.cruiseweb.com/CARNIVAL-VICTORY-DECKPLANS.HTM It's quiet, and you get to watch what's happening on the bridge as well. You will not regret getting a balcony. http://www.cruiseweb.com/CARNIVAL-VICTORY-ACCOMMODATION-03.HTM
From: gmbeasley on 5 Jun 2010 10:16 On Fri, 04 Jun 2010 16:41:17 -0400, Ohioguy <none(a)none.net> wrote: > 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. All the ships will have buffets and some kind of variety show. >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. > The formal dining does not take any more time than any other kind of dining on a ship. You either have an assigned table which you go directly to at the assigned time, or you go to the dining room and are seated - wait time depending on when you go. We usually go early and are seated right away but going late is the same. You only have to wait if you go between 6 and 7 which is when most other people go. There's no waiting for the bill as others have mentioned. > 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. > Once you decide on your trip, buy it from a travel agent that knows about cruises. Can be on-line but use an individual person and not a mass marketing agency. The travel agent's fee is paid by the cruise line and they do NOT give you a lower price because you don't use and agent. Also I would caution about using cruise line air. I talked to a couple from Toronto on our last cruise who had done that, and they had three flights to connect on, starting at 5 am and getting to the ship just before it sailed. It was January and they were worried about the weather disrupting one of the connections which were pretty tight. > 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) > NCL does not really have formal dining or assigned seating. Also this cruise goes mostly to Mexico and Central America. > If anyone has advice or suggestions, I'm very interested in >benefiting from your experience to hopefully improve the quality of the >trip. > I looked on Vacations to Go for cruises a max of 7 days leaving Oct 1, 2, 3 or 4 and I have some other suggestions that might suit you better than what you have listed as the weather will be cooler. Bermuda for 7 nights departing October 3, 2010 on Holland America's Veendam from New York. This is a smaller ship and Bermuda is cooler than the Caribbean. If there is a hurricane the cruise will probably default to Canada. When you get to Bermuda you can get off the ship and walk around on your own - ride the bus, hike the old railroad trailbed or whatever. And your wife can shop or even stay on the ship. There's also a shorter 5 day cruise to Bermuda from Baltimore There are four 7 day cruises going to Canada on those dates Oct 2 out of Boston, MA Royal Caribbean / Jewel of the Seas Oct 2 New York (Brooklyn), NY Caribbean Princess Oct 2 New York (Manhattan), Carnival Glory Oct 3 New York (Manhattan), NY Norwegian Dawn There is a 7 day Bahamas cruise on the Carnival Pride out of Baltimore. Later in the winter the Bahamas will be a lot cooler than the Caribbean, but probably this time of year it will be warm. However the trip down will be cooler. There is a danger of hurricanes on this itinerary. There are also two river cruises out of Portland Oregon.
From: Stu on 5 Jun 2010 10:54
On Fri, 4 Jun 2010 23:57:11 -0700 (PDT), Warren <oceanvoyager_nyc(a)yahoo.com> wrote: >On Jun 4, 8:49�pm, Stu <i...(a)foodforu.ca> wrote: >>we've been on both the Victory and the >> Valor, we perfered the Victory > >The guy started out with saying how much he hates crowds, and you're >recommending VICTORY of all ships? > >Seriously? > >The most crowded ships I've been on have been Carnival ships - >particularly Victory. I didn't nickname Destiny 'Density' just to get >a couple of laughs. > >You can't spend an entire cruise sitting on the cabin balcony. >Carnival=Crowds on ships with seriously flawed passenger flow which >accentuate just how crowded it is. > >Warren What 2700 cruisers and 1100 staff isn't so bad , look at the new Royal Caribbean Ship .. Oasis of the Seas 5,400 passengers and 2,165 crew members, way too many people for my liking. Then a 29,000 sq. ft kids area, not a ship I'd like to be on for a relaxing time. |