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mgoblue101415

mgoblue101415

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Since there are plenty of folks around here who have gone on cruises, I figured this was a good place to start.

We're planning a cruise with another couple ( no, not that kind of cruise :thwak: )

We know we want Eastern Caribbean. We know we want to go in May of 09.

We've narrowed it down to Carnival or Norwegian, unless someone just completely, totally sells me on another line.

My main question is... What's the best way to get the best deal? Is it better to go through the cruise line itself, or is it better to go through a travel agency, or some other way? How have you booked yours? Have you gotten a good deal or been screwed?
 
Have you ever cruised before?

Any why are you narrowing down to Carnival or Norwegian?

Cruise lines restrict agents from jacking up the price (and for that matter, discount below) price-points that the cruise lines have set.

The reason why it's better to go through an agent is for customer service. Got a question? You call ONE person. Need expertise? Got a change? You call ONE person. Want to make a payment? You call ONE person. By going through the cruise line directly, with any issues, you risk speaking to their entire customer service staff (like when you have cell phone issues, credit card issues, etc. - same thing).

Here's a list of Eastern Caribbean sailings in May 2009
 
mgoblue101415 said:
Since there are plenty of folks around here who have gone on cruises, I figured this was a good place to start.

We're planning a cruise with another couple ( no, not that kind of cruise :thwak: )

We know we want Eastern Caribbean. We know we want to go in May of 09.

We've narrowed it down to Carnival or Norwegian, unless someone just completely, totally sells me on another line.

My main question is... What's the best way to get the best deal? Is it better to go through the cruise line itself, or is it better to go through a travel agency, or some other way? How have you booked yours? Have you gotten a good deal or been screwed?
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We went through a TA (travel agent) for the first time, which was helpful because he edumacated us on the ways of cruising. After that, though, there was no need to use them again, since nowadays you can get just as good a deal going online.

Here's a good example: use Travelocity (which has a good search engine) to narrow down your choices (date range, destination, departure port, even cruise lines). You can then sort the results by price, cruise line, etc.,. Look at the price they have on Travelocity, and then go to the cruise line's website as well as AAA and perhaps some "discount special Internet site", and I bet the prices will all be the same. At most, the TAs and discount sites throw you a small onboard credit or cheap free champagne; IMO you're better off foregoing all that and dealing directly with the cruise line.

DO NOT let them buy your airfare. Cruise lines suck at it.

DO consider the optional insurance.

DO NOT pay for it all until it's due (usually 90 days beforehand).

DO keep an eye out for price drops: some cruise lines (e.g. Royal Caribbean) will honor price drops and refund you money.

I hear a lot of bad things about Norwegian, whereas Carnival--formerly the "party line"--has gotten more respectable. Don't count out Royal Caribbean, either (love 'em!). Also, make sure the size of the ship and it's amenities are what you want; for some people the large new ships (e.g. RCCL's Freedom of the Seas) are intimidating and tiring to walk around, and for others the smaller ships are boring and cramped (and usually not run as well, since the better staff go to bigger boats).

One more piece of advice: www.cruisecritic.com. :D
 
Thanks for the advice and insight guys.

Yes, this is our first cruise, our friend's too. That's why I was kind of leaning towards a TA. Just so I know what the hell I'm doing.

And the only reason we had narrowed it down to Norwegian & Carnival was because everyone the four of us know who have gone on a cruise have gone on either one of those and had good things to say. We figured it was safe. But like I said, I can be sold on another line.

Thanks again guys, it gives me a starting point. :thumb:
 
We went on a cruise a couple of years ago and LOVED it. Once you get to the airport, all your worries and most of your decisions are over, so you can just relax and enjoy. We went on Carnival, for no particular reason and they were fine but we heard good things about Norweigian too.

I agree with JD about getting your own airfare. We saved $100s by booking our own, but if you do that, you might want to also purchase the insurance just in case there are flight problems and you miss the boat...

Once we landed at the Miami airport, we were created at teh lugage by a Carnival rep, who got us on a limo to the port, checked our bags all the way thru to our cabin, etc. I think there was a fee for this, but it was worth it. Once you get thru all the customs and checkin crap, prepare to relax and have fun. We just got a basic cabin and although it was small, it was fine. The beds were actually comfortable and you don't spend a whole lot of time int he cabins anyway.

The meals were fantastic. Dinner is served in 2 seatings, like 5:30 and 8pm. We went with the early one and a couple of times enjoyed the midnight buffet. The pools, casinos, night clubs, etc were all a blast. There were shows to got to every night as well that were very well done.

Anyway, as far as booking your cruise, sign up with Carnival for their weekly email. They send out specials every now and then and you can get some pretty good deals. Booking early may help, but we found that waiting till near the end was better for us because at the last minute they try to fill up the ships with discount prices. I think it's like an airplane though were no two people pay the same price, so I think once you buy, that is your price.

Good luck and enjoy.
 
The other thing to consider is what room (Inside vs. Oceanview vs. Balcony). Many people find an Inside (windowless) to be claustrophobic. We had an Oceanview (window)on our first cruise, but even there you need to do research: for example, the lowest deck's Oceanview had a smaller, split window, whereas the deck above had a larger round window, so we opted for that one. Balconies are nice, but you probably won't use it much; they're more necessary for the Alaskan and Mediterranean itineraries.

Cabins get pricier the higher you go on ship. Why, I don't know; the ride is rougher higher up. It's a status thing, I think. We had 3rd deck midship on our Oceanview cruise and it was fine. You definitely want to look at the floorplan of the ship when deciding on a cabin; near the elevator/centrum is convenient but noisy, and avoid the front of the ship near the anchors.

Also, don't lock yourself in to a cruise line or even a particular week if you don't have to. If you go to a site like Travelocity, once you pick a cruise line/date option and ask for more info it will bring up a window with ALL of that ship's dates and you'll see how widely the price varies not only by week but by category. Some weeks, a Balcony is only slightly more than an Oceanview, and other weeks it's a lot more; some weeks, a Junior Suite (more room in it) is a lot more than a Balcony, other weeks it's almost the same price.
 
Carnival sucks. Too many kids. I actually saw a father encourage his kid to piss in the pool so he didn't have to walk him to the bathroom. Carnival is kinda low rent IMO.

We saw much better ships when we were in port. Norweigan, Celebrity looked really cool.

BTW, you can eat as much as you want at dinner...I asked for like 3 apps, 2 dinners and 3 desserts each and every night. I tipped our waiter an extra 50 bucks at the end above and beyond the tip for the whole table.
 
sonsofkraftybob said:
Carnival sucks. Too many kids. I actually saw a father encourage his kid to piss in the pool so he didn't have to walk him to the bathroom. Carnival is kinda low rent IMO.

We saw much better ships when we were in port. Norweigan, Celebrity looked really cool.

BTW, you can eat as much as you want at dinner...I asked for like 3 apps, 2 dinners and 3 desserts each and every night. I tipped our waiter an extra 50 bucks at the end above and beyond the tip for the whole table.
Click to expand...

That may be true. We were traveling with the kids and that didn't bother us. In fact, they had special activities for kids if you wanted to lose them for awhile.
 
Yeah, we'd kind of like as few kids as possible. Course, that's one of the reasons we chose the middle of May. I'll be done with school and most little kids are still in school.


Another Q.... My dad and his wife had gone on a cruise last year and were telling us about "alcohol passes" you can buy. It's like $400-$500/person but it covers all your alcohol the entire trip. Has anyone ever bought these? Are there restrictions? The dad's wife thought that on their ship you had to have a group of 6 in order to purchase them.
 
mgoblue101415 said:
Yeah, we'd kind of like as few kids as possible. Course, that's one of the reasons we chose the middle of May. I'll be done with school and most little kids are still in school.
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Carnival is definitely the cheapest priced line, and thus will have more kids and drunks.

RCCL is not as cheap, so you'll have less kids.

Celebrity and Norwegian are very "adult" lines (probably few kids and drunks).

Another Q.... My dad and his wife had gone on a cruise last year and were telling us about "alcohol passes" you can buy. It's like $400-$500/person but it covers all your alcohol the entire trip. Has anyone ever bought these? Are there restrictions? The dad's wife thought that on their ship you had to have a group of 6 in order to purchase them.
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Never heard of that. Perhaps people on Cruise Critic have. Sounds overrated, though; you really can't drink THAT much booze on board, LOL. Even if you get a $6 drink three times a day, totaling $20 a day, it's still, what, $140 for seven days? You'd have to be a real lush to earn that $400-500 worth. ROFL

They do have soda card passes you can buy, though (since soda is NOT free on a cruise... only coffee, water, and lemonade or iced tea). Those are worth it if you drink more than 3 or 4 sodas a day...
 
I've cruised RC, Princess, NCL, and Celebrity.

I've avoided Carnival because I've always heard bad things about the food on the ships. I'm also a little too old for looking at drunks puking over the side of the ship so it's not one I'm likely to be on. I've been to enough ports where Carnival ships were docked to see enough fools returning to the ship blind drunk but that's just my experience.

Here's my advice
1) Get a newer ship. They are always better.
2) Get the best room you can afford. I enjoy having a deck.
3) Get your own transportation to and from the ship. They always charge way too much.

In order of my experience
Celebrity
RC or NCL
Princess (lots of blue hairs)
 
I've been on six, all Princess cruises because I have an "in" with one of their biggest travel agents and we get perks. I won't argue the point, but consider the fact that the more blue hairs there are on board then the less competition for choice pool spaces, seats at the bar, hot tubs and late dinners.

On the other hand it can be problematic to navigate all the bluebird scooters jackknifed in front of the dining room and they take forever to push the elevator buttons.

;)

Seriously, old people seldom bother anybody and that is more than I can say for some others.

My big piece of advice is to spend the extra dough for a balcony, preferably one of the more open types you get on the newer ships. JD is correct in that the newer the ship the better off you are-- because they tend to have more bells and whistles with bigger rooms, more balconies etc. They are always a better option and worth the extra effort.

The reason I advise the balconies is not only for the extra light/ambience that is gives, but because some of the best moments on board involve simply kicking back on a lounge chair watching the waves go by. When you are on your own balcony nobody bothers you, unless some redneck up above you decides to toss his cigarette ashes on your head. Happened to me once, but I spotted the idiot (he pretended not to hear me) and tracked him down and informed him that it wouldn't happen again or I would kick his ass.

Rednecks are one of the problem demographics on cruise lines, unless you enjoy the spectacle of people wearing NASCAR jackets to the dining room on formal night. That has a certain car-crash appeal, but their kids tend to be bratty and obnoxious. Rednecks simply don't follow rules and can get on your nerves.
 
mgoblue101415 said:
Since there are plenty of folks around here who have gone on cruises, I figured this was a good place to start.

We're planning a cruise with another couple ( no, not that kind of cruise :thwak: )

We know we want Eastern Caribbean. We know we want to go in May of 09.

We've narrowed it down to Carnival or Norwegian, unless someone just completely, totally sells me on another line.

My main question is... What's the best way to get the best deal? Is it better to go through the cruise line itself, or is it better to go through a travel agency, or some other way? How have you booked yours? Have you gotten a good deal or been screwed?
Click to expand...
The two cruise lines you selected attract a different clientelle. Carnival is cheaper, and to some, is known as the party (or yahoo) cruise line (you actually might like it). IMO, NCL is closer to Princess (attracting a slightly older mix), with RCCL being somewhere in between (they'll all have lots of families depending on the school calendar). I really don't think you'll go wrong with any of the major cruise lines (as they all have plenty to do for various age groups and personality types). I guess that's a long winded way of saying, "If you are considering NCL, then you should also be looking at Princess and RCCL as well".

As far as booking a cruise, a travel agent (whether brick and mortar or on-line) might be able to offer a better price, and/or get you a few perks. The advantage of booking directly through the cruise line is that is issues come up (before the cruise, not during it), they will be much more helpful. If you purchase through an agent, they may just tell you to call your agent.

Here are some resourses I'd recommend:

http://www.cruisecritic.com/
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/
http://www.cruise411.com/
http://www.travelzoo.com/
http://www.travelocity.com/
and (of course) the websites for each of the cruise lines.

Also, I've found travelocity to give the best service of any of the on-line agents (of course YMMV).

You're going to enjoy it!!!
 
JD10367 said:
Never heard of that. Perhaps people on Cruise Critic have. Sounds overrated, though; you really can't drink THAT much booze on board, LOL. Even if you get a $6 drink three times a day, totaling $20 a day, it's still, what, $140 for seven days? You'd have to be a real lush to earn that $400-500 worth. ROFL
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3 drinks a day?????

ROFL

Oh, the couple we're going with.... He brews his own beer, when ever he's out of town he checks online to see what brewery is in the area, and three drinks.... That would be while waiting for dinner.

When the four of us are out the friends & hubby will put down 3 before I finish my one. And on a cruise ship where there's no driving involved, just trying to find your way back to your room....

Let's see, if they drink on average 15 drinks a day ( and that's the low side - I mean, bloody marys with breakfast, drinks throughout the day, dinner, clubs), at $7/drink ( my dad said his O'Douls cost $8 so I'm averaging his cost and your cost ) that would be $105/day... 7 day cruise... We're talking $600-$700. Yeah, um, paying $400 or $500 in advance would be a much better deal for all going, well, except me who is a lightweight.
 
An unthinkable alternative for folks looking to cruise WITHOUT kids and not SEE kids during their cruise:

Disney Cruise Line

Yup. Cruising without kids? They put you in an adults-only rotation at dinner and I promise you'll see as few kids on a DCL cruise than on any other cruise. Disney Cruise Line is among the pricier options, however, you'll feel like you got every dime you spent back once you're onboard.

They even have an adults-only section of their Private Island (Castaway Cay) in the Bahamas. Also, their standard balcony staterooms (absolutely HUGE!) mimic what other cruise lines would call a suite.

Another thing? I don't particularly "love" Disney. But what I love about this cruise line is that the decore features a subtle, elegent touch of Disney. The ships are beutiful and elegent.The onboard appointments would rival that of Celebrity and Holland America to a large degree. Goofy will not be juggling bowling pins in your face each morning at breakfast.

Don't rule them out for any other reason than that they might price beyond your budget.
 
CleatMarks said:
I've cruised RC, Princess, NCL, and Celebrity.

I've avoided Carnival because I've always heard bad things about the food on the ships.
Click to expand...

Actually, I've heard the food is vastly improved, and some think it's even better than on RCCL.

I'm also a little too old for looking at drunks puking over the side of the ship so it's not one I'm likely to be on. I've been to enough ports where Carnival ships were docked to see enough fools returning to the ship blind drunk but that's just my experience.
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I hear that's not as bad as it used to be, but I'm sure there are still plenty of them. You tend to find them on the shorter cruises, though (3 to 5 days), so maybe a 7-nighter won't have as many.

Get a newer ship. They are always better.
Click to expand...

While the food, amenities, customer service, and activities might be a little better on a newer ship, keep in mind that "newer" usually means "larger". So you have to weigh that fact. The bigger the ship, the longer the lines at the buffet (and to get off the ship at ports, and to get back on the ship, etc.,.).

Get the best room you can afford. I enjoy having a deck.
Click to expand...

Well, I enjoy getting a professional :jerkit: four times a week but I can't afford those either. ROFL

Keep in mind there's a huge price difference between categories. An Inside might run you $599 for a week, an Oceanview might be $729, and a balcony might be $999. And that's per person, so the difference for two people is around $800 for a week in an Inside vs. a Balcony. Some people don't think it's worth that much.

Get your own transportation to and from the ship. They always charge way too much.
Click to expand...

Again, playing devil's advocate, it also depends on the port, how familiar you are with it, if you're flying in a day early to stay at a local hotel, etc.,. In Fort Lauderdale, the local hotel (not very far from the port) wanted to charge my in-laws $16 to shuttle them to the port... the same price as a taxi.

In order of my experience
Celebrity
RC or NCL
Princess (lots of blue hairs)
Click to expand...

Where did you use Princess? If it was in Alaska, then you probably will find bluehairs on any cruise line as it's an older itinerary. Not too many bluehairs in the Caribbean, I'd bet...
 
3 Point Stan said:
An unthinkable alternative for folks looking to cruise WITHOUT kids and not SEE kids during their cruise:

Disney Cruise Line

Yup. Cruising without kids? They put you in an adults-only rotation at dinner and I promise you'll see as few kids on a DCL cruise than on any other cruise. Disney Cruise Line is among the pricier options, however, you'll feel like you got every dime you spent back once you're onboard.

They even have an adults-only section of their Private Island (Castaway Cay) in the Bahamas. Also, their standard balcony staterooms (absolutely HUGE!) mimic what other cruise lines would call a suite.

Another thing? I don't particularly "love" Disney. But what I love about this cruise line is that the decore features a subtle, elegent touch of Disney. The ships are beutiful and elegent.The onboard appointments would rival that of Celebrity and Holland America to a large degree. Goofy will not be juggling bowling pins in your face each morning at breakfast.

Don't rule them out for any other reason than that they might price beyond your budget.
Click to expand...

We'll report back after we take our Disney Cruise in December of 2009. :D

Oh, and another thing about Disney... don't get tricked by their website. It actually calculates the TOTAL cost, unlike other cruise lines which quote per person. When my wife and I looked up a Disney cruise a few years back, we were appalled because they looked twice as expensive as other lines... until we realized the price they quoted was for both of us!
 
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