Glad I stumbled onto this site

DH and I are both in our mid 30's, we are celebrating 20yrs together in February and we would love to go on our first cruise! (this will also be our first time away alone in 10yrs, the kids can stay with grama!)

Sooo - the only thing, we have all the cruise books and we are finding it all so overwhelming. So much to choose from and figure out... and with the prices not being right there it is very hard.

Any tips or recommendations for newbies?

We are wanting to travel February 2007, we are looking at a Southern Caribbean Cruise just because the ports seem a little more exotic

I am the type of person who needs to feel good about getting the best price I could...

I appreciate any help

Hey there,

Go to AAA and get their quote and other Travel Agents. That time of year is sort of in the High Season. The Southern Caribbean is the real deal. Wait and watch, and start getting yourself educated about prices. Shop it out, but don't get too envolved that it takes away from the Time of your life.

Try Cruise.com.

The service is great we have used them for 6 cruises.


A cruise is the most trouble free trip ever.

Have a great time.

Find a CLIA Travel Agent in your area and let them advise you. You'll be happier with the cruise you finally select AND you'll save money. Happy Cruising!

The best way to find what you want is to get a good travel agent who specializes in cruises. They can match you to your needs. From there, you could check out the prices, but I would imagine, they will give you the best price they can find. Best wishes!

TaraLeigh99- Welcome to Cruise Chat.. you already did yourself a favor by finding this forum. You'll find all kinds of good advice in these pages. Try searching for questions, there are often "newbies" coming her and asking similar questions, you'll find them answered already I'm sure. If not, ask away... we are all cruise junkies and never get bored talking about cruising. Also, go to the main page of Cruise Chat and read the various reviews and FAQs on cruising.. lots of good info there.

As far as getting deals, you'll find that each line has different prices depending on the line and cruise date. If you have a set time to cruise in mind, you can go to each cruise line's web stie and get a price to compare. But if you go ONLY by the lowest price, you may end up not liking your first cruise. Stick with a major line though... Good luck and happy cruising.

Thanks everyone!

We do have a travel agent and we have been looking at prices for a few months now but haven't noticed any changes or sales.

Our TA is saying we should book sooner rather than later to save - so we are kinda feeling pressured to get moving on something!

I think most TA's will tell you that. I booked my Freedom cruise for this October, a year ago. I'm glad I did because the ship is full for the same date. If you change your mind about a date or ship, you can always change it 70 days prior to your cruise date without any penalties. If the agent you're working with now is working hard for you, give them a chance.