OK folks. Sorry for the trouble in advance.

Never been on a cruise but all our friends and family are talking it up so we are looking into it. Did some internet searches and holy cow there are a lot of options, ships, cruise lines, it all has its own lingo. Have seen some recent travel shows on cruising. Just joined here and will be starting to read up on your posts.

So where would you start to get the facts and feel for a cruise. Any FAQ section here? Any advice appreciated.

We are thinking of Carribbean ( maybe VI, Bahamas or others ) for first trip and sailing out of Fla or the gulf. We are a Middle age couple, active, love good food and dining.

Was thinking of a 7 day cruise for our first - is that too long ? Too short? Whats a good time of the year etc.etc.

Cheers.

With all those questions, and being a first-time cruiser, I strongly recommend you work with a travel agent, especially one who specializes in cruises. They will be able to help you sort out all your interests and preferences; as you have found out, there are many, many options, making a decision on your own extremely time-consuming and difficult.

As one who usually books my own trips - I agree with Karen 100%! You have a much better chance of getting what you want from an agent.

Thanks .

I usually do not think I can get the straight scoop from anyone on anything if they are selling something - I usually like to chat with 'real ' users. Like my Vegas vacations, when I started going there my travel agent didnt know jack about hotels and other issues and I found much better advice on online forums. I guess my feeling is these people might not be able to afford to take trips and get the experience others can - they just sit in an office and talk about it.

Oh well. I'll go read around or try another forum. You all have a nice trip.

Grayhorse:

Just two years ago, just like you, I was new to cruising. My very first cruise was onboard Royal Caribbean's Sovereign of the Seas. It was a 4-day Bahamian Cruise. It sailed out of Port Canaveral (within eye sight of the Space Shuttle launch pads...or at least the collosal Vehicle Assembly Building).

My second cruise was onboard Carnival's Inspiration. It was a 5-day Western Caribbean Cruise.

With any luck, later this year in November, I will set sail on my third cruise. This time it will be onboard Carnival's Carnival Glory . It will be a 7-day Eastern Caribbean Cruise.

So, with all that in mind:

- I have decided to start my cruising expieriences with a short cruise (to see if I like the expierience; of course I did) . Then progressivly work my way up to longer cruises.
I think that was a good desicion of mine, but may not necessarly hold true in your situation.

- I had a wonderful time on both ships. However, I liked, as a personal opinion, my Carnival cruise a little better than R.C. That is why my next cruise will be onboard Carnival.

- That brings to mind that everything in cruising is subjective, and can vary in opinion by each individual. What I liked on my cruise, you might not, and visa versa.

That all is all the reason why you should continue researching cruising and find what is right for you and your spouse.

The previous respondants of this posting said you should seek the advice of a good travel agent. I would agree. But also you should continue to visit this website (and it's parent website www.cruisereviews.com) and learn from everyone that contributes to it. I too, have looked around at different cruise related websites and these two websites I would consider near the top, in terms which is best.

Good luck on your first cruise. If all goes well (and most of the time it does) you will have a wonderful time and will be hooked on taking cruises.

Whats a good time of the year?

I can't say for sure, since I am just a begginer with only two cruises under my belt. But I have booked my previous two cruises and future third cruise around October and November. Why?:
- Usually Hurricane season, in the Caribbean, is all done by then (usually........unlike last year).
- The prices seam to be the lowest around that time of the year.
- The Caribbean is always warm enough, even in October and November.

quote:

Originally posted by Grayhorse:
Thanks .

I usually do not think I can get the straight scoop from anyone on anything if they are selling something - I usually like to chat with 'real ' users. Like my Vegas vacations, when I started going there my travel agent didnt know jack about hotels and other issues and I found much better advice on online forums. I guess my feeling is these people might not be able to afford to take trips and get the experience others can - they just sit in an office and talk about it.

Oh well. I'll go read around or try another forum. You all have a nice trip.

Grayhorse, I understand why you would be leary of using a TA for your cruise, but a Cruise Only agent is trained in selling the cruise, also it doesnt cost you an extra cent to use the services of an agent. As a Cruise Specialist myself, I have had extensive training in the different cruise lines and ships, my job is to qualify the potential passenger to which cruiseline or ship to go on. Also, most cruise only agents have been on several cruises, they also continue their education and to be the best in their field they learn everything they can. A good agent is not all about making the money, they do this because they love it and they want to make the experiences of their clients the best possible. Try looking in your local phone book and find an agent that specializes in cruises only then call them and question them. If you are not happy with their answers, then try another agent. Even if you talk to an agent you are under no obligation to purchase from them if you are not comfortable with their level of experience.

You can go to www.cruising.org to find a cruise specialist in your area.

I have found this web site to be great!!!!!! If you are a real beach person - try to plan a cruise with a private island - COCO CAY is great went there in August and December of 2005. I have fallen in love with cruising doing three last year and now have two booked for this year. Bahamas are nice the Alantics Hotel (Spelling?) is great. Since going there we have seen a few T.V. with it. It's always nice to go some where then see it on T.V. - We have also seen Key West on T.V. - But to me Key West was one on thoses "Been there - done it - never need to go back"

I'm in Virginia - I have a great cruise Lady - In the last year I have booked five cruises with her. She always gives great thank you gifts with every cruise booked.

quote:

I guess my feeling is these people might not be able to afford to take trips and get the experience others can - they just sit in an office and talk about it.

What a refreshing viewpoint! Usually we hear that travel agents are never in the office, they're constantly flitting around the world for free. Would that this were true!

I agree with Carol's excellent post. An experienced cruise seller has both the education and cruising experience to be a great source of knowledge.

Sandy

Thanks for the info, I will keep reading. I assume that just like hotels and other vacations you need to fit the ship and destination to the people. Older folks might enjoy the atmosphere of a ship that young folks find stuffy etc. The entertainment options can be markedly different I suppose.

Is there a price point / clientele socio-economic strata associated with the lines and ships as well? I guess a good comparison I might make is if you go to Las Vegas, some folks like the Bellagio, some feel comfortable at Circus Circus and there is everything in between.. :-)

I checked that web site and found there are a few cruise experts listed at one of the travel agencies that we already use, so that was helpful!

We've been on 16 cruises, ready for 2 more this year. Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I can let you know our experiences. We've sailed on Norweigan Caribbean, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, Holland America, Costa, and Princess. We are in our 50s now, started cruising in our 30s. Carnival usually has a younger crowd, Norweigan and Costa were fun-but were not as exceptional as Princess, Holland American were really nice, but the food was not as good as Princess, Royal Caribbean used to be exceptional-but lately the reviews I've been reading have not been great, Princess is our favorite. Our first cruise was a 3 day on Costa and I was hooked. Since then we've never been on one less than a week, the longest was 21 days and still was not long enough. My only problem is getting enough time off from work and money. I met a lady on our Princess cruise last year that had lived on board for 17 years. I tried to get her to trade places with me, but no luck. I think it is a good idea to try a shorter cruise at first, but I don't think Princess does anything less than a 7 day. We're going on the Sun in October for 10 days, and on the Costa Magica at Christmas (only because they were less expensive than Princess at that time of year). We usually book in October or November and have always had great weather (except for last year-dang hurricanes). I've read good reviews on Celebrity, but have not sailed them. We keep going back to Princess because we truly have a great time on board. We've been on the Sea 3 times, the Sun twice, and the Dawn. The food on the Sea and the Dawn were better than the Sun, but it did not stop us from booking her again this October. I don't work for Princess, but I really enjoy the line. I was so worried when Carnival bought them out that they would skimp on things, but Princess is still holding her own. The Caribbean rules for me because I love warm water, snorkeling, sun, and warm weather. I truly believe you will have a wonderful time on a cruise, it is really the most affordable form of a vacation you can get (bang for the buck). Have a wonderful time!

Super summary Penny, thanks much!

I am thinking we would like to avoid a cruise with a lot of children, we can go to Disney for that :-) . A younger crowd is fine if they are not acting like a lot of college kids on spring break - if you know what I mean.

The time of year you choose has alot to do with how many children are on board, as well as college kids. If you can work out your schedules to go in the winter or May(not March, April) then you will hit a crowd that doesn't have as many kids I would think. Some of the cruise specialists that cruise all the time could really address that better though.

Hi,Celebrity my choice all around,Caribbean my choice for first cruise also 7 days.After that it,s open season on cruise lines @ lenghtof cruise.Promise each cruise you take will become longer & longerand also more adventurous.Have fun.You don't even have to get off at ports if you don.t want to,Just relax & enjoy weather etc.Have a great trip.

Our first cruise was a 7 day 6 port non-stop tour till you drop trip. We have since opted for cruises with a couple of days at sea or at least a private island day and a day at sea. We have cruised RCCL, Celebrity, and Princess and think RCCL is the best value (although we loved all of them.) If you travel during April, you will travel with the K-12 spring breakers and have many kids on the cruise. I think Celebrity does the best job of controlling children - separate pools, deck staff actually insuring order.

If you are looking to avoid large groups of children, then opt for a longer cruise (8 days or more). Of course, if you are not sure you will enjoy cruising, a shorter cruise might be good for starters - but again, you are more likely to find families onboard. Definitely avoid spring break; also avoid Christmas & New Year's, as prices are high then and there will be more families onboard.

You are right that there are different "price points" - and generally, the higher they are, the more likely the cruise line will attract an older crowd.

Glad to hear there are some cruise specialists in the agency you currently use. That does simplify things! Make sure to ask for one of them specifically when you call or stop in.

Agree with Bill & Paulette on the 7day/6 island,"need a vacation to get over the vacation" cruise, this is probably not for
everyone, our last was 7 day/3 island and was so much more relaxing. We went in March and the ship was very crowded as well. Would not book again in March or April. I also don't think for your first cruise you should go in the fall months, even with the cheaper fares. They are predicting another hurricane season like last year, with above average amount of
storms. Would hate to see your first cruise ruined by a hurricane. First impressions can be lasting ones and we want you to be as addicted as we are!! (ha ha)

The best times of the year to go are when the weather is not so turbulent. Avoid Hurricane Season if you can - you will be playing Russian Roulette with the weather. (there is a reason those tickets are soo cheap) Your Cruise may be delayed, diverted on an alternate itineray or outright cancelled (with full refund).

Late spring seems best for me - End of April or early May, the weather is beutiful, and the seas are not as rough

I have seen many reviews for January Western Caribbean Cruises where the ship could not dock because the seas were too rough, so they had to skip that port of call.

Last year, I booked on the Imagination 5 day Western run, but Hurricane Wilma delayed the ship 2 days - we could not get air connections with the ship so we had to cancell and rebook on the Fascination (3 day trip as well)