I am planning a caribbean cruise in January, which cruiseline is the best?

Question

I am traveling with my best friend and we only have a 5 day window in which we can get the time off of work. We want to go on a cruise leaving from Miami but have never gone on a cruise. What sort of things should we know a head of time? Is it better to have an oceanside room or interior? Is January a good time to go on a cruise?

I have been looking at fares on orbitz.com and expedia.com, are those good places to look?

Answer 1

Please make a decision and book your cruise as soon as possible. These cruises fill up fast and are usually booked a year in advance. Prices for cruises during Jan and Feb.will be higher than usual too.

Then find a very good travel agent to put all your cruise plans together - there are a lot of details to handle with any cruise to make sure its perfect. How do you know if you have a good agent? If you give them you're info and they don't ask you any questions before making recommendations say "thank you" and keep looking. You want someone who will take very good care of you and handle the details for you. You might want to look for an agent affilliated with Virtuoso. (www.virtuoso.net) Ask if they are and ask them to explain what this affiliation will mean for you.

Give the agent your options of where you'd like to go, your travel budget, and what you'd like to get out of the cruise (interested in history, music, food & wine, relaxing in the sun, etc) then ask for suggestions. If the price is too high, and you like an itinerary, try asking for a cruise with fewer days.

For your first cruise, I'd make these cruise line recommendations:
1. Princess Celebrity or Holland-America- Premium cruise lines. All these provide nice accommodations, great food, good service and nice itineraries)

2. Royal Caribbean - Mass market cruise line - my favorite in this category as they are right on the edge of being a premium line. They have great ships, nice service, good food and are especially great for families as they have something on board that will appeal to every age group.

3. NCL - Mass market line - Looks nice from the outside - all ships do, but service has been a big issue on NCL, and some people like the food while others don't.

4. Carnival - Unless you're 20-something, are on a low budget and just want to party 24/7, this is not the line for you.

You'll find many on this site who will recommend Carnival or NClL and say how great they are, but these are people who have never been on any other line and don't really know what's out there. Carnival and NCL are at the low end of many agents' lists because of poor service, food quality, etc. but people insist on booking them because of the cheap fares. Remember- you get what you pay for and I'd want your first cruise experience to be wonderful.

Since you'll be in a warm weather climate, if you can afford it, book yourself a room with a balcony. You'll enjoy relaxing out there and enjoying the sun, having drinks or meals served there.
Those that say you won't spend a lot of time in your cabin are the same people who book inside cabins. These cabins have no windows or natural light, so, no matter what time of the day or night you walk into them, it will always be pitch black. The only way you'll know where you are or what the weather is like will be if you go up on deck. I wouldn't spend a lot of time in my cabin either if all I had to go to was a dark hole!!! If you don't want to spend the money for a balcony, get yourself something with a window - you'll appreciate this where you're going.

Another thing to remember is whatever cruise you choose, you'll still have expenses once you book the cruise and air. Have the agent check if they can find air cheaper than the air from the cruise line. Spend your money in the right places - if you can afford it, fly into the port so you arrive the day before the ship sails and overnight in a hotel (even if its a Motel 6), especially if you're flying to the port. If there's a weather delay or you miss a connection the day of the sailing, you might not make the sailing. Make sure you book travel insurance - it cheaper booking independently vs. insurance thru the cruise ship offers - try Travelex or Travel Guard. If you have to cancel your trip or if you miss the sailing, loose your luggage, are injured during the cruise, etc. you're covered and can usually recover most or all of your expenses.

Plan a budget for gratuities, shore excursions, alcoholic & soft drinks, restaurants fees (if you want to eat in the specialty restaurants vs. the dining rooms), shopping on board and in ports, spa/salon treatments, gambling, etc. These are expenses you'll incur besides the cost of the cruise. .

This is about as much info as I think anyone will give you. Know its alot, but, if you follow my advice, you'll have a great trip.

Bon Voyage!

Answer 2

January is a wonderful time to go on a cruise. I went the third week in January from Miami to Nassau in the Bahamas and the weather was 80' and sunny the whole time.

We had an oceanside room, which is nice if you want to see some sun. The rooms are very small and can feel even smaller. But then again, you will probably spend very little time in your room, so it may not matter.

AVOID CARNIVAL CRUISELINE at all costs. Water came up in our shower drain every time we flushed our toilet. We complained, but were told there was nothing that could be done except use the public toilets on the upper decks. One of the pools was out of service for the whole trip. The crew and staff were friendly but not particularly helpful. It took four times as long to get on board and off board as we were told by the brochures. Before debarking back in Miami every person on the ship was herded onto one deck and made to sit in sweltering conditions for hours while Customs boarded the ship and searched cabin by cabin for drugs. We were told by the captain it was routine and would take 15 minutes. I thought the people were going to start to mutiny after 90 minutes. Many of us missed our flights home. It was the cruise from hell.

Believe the saying, You get what you pay for. Pay a little more and travel on a better cruise line.

Answer 3

Personally, my choice has always been Carnival Cruise Lines. I've been on 15 cruises in my life, and every one has been memorable, fun, and reasonably priced.

For a first cruise, I'd go with an interior stateroom because you're not going to spend a lot of time in the cabin, and you can save some money that way. In the future, if you decide you want a nicer cabin, fine...but for your first cruise, go inside.

If you're cruising after January 1st, make sure you have a passport. After that date, that is the only way you can go on a cruise and still get back in the country.

I've never been on a cruise in January, and I'm not sure if that is considered off-season or not. I know that you will not be in the middle of hurricane season, which is definitely a good thing.

A few helpful tips....

1.) Tip your cabin steward, your dining steward, and your waiter in cash on the first day. They will remember that, and they will treat you even better during the cruise.

2.) Have you camera with you at all times. You will be amazed at how many photo opportunities come up when you least expect it.

Have fun!!

Answer 4

Be prepared to pay a lot because January is prime time for the cruise industry. Oceanside rooms are more expensive than interior rooms. You don't spend that much time in your room anyway because of the many activities there are to enjoy on a cruise, from tours of the ports of call to evening shows. It's also easy to gain weight on a cruise because there's food available almost every hour of the day. Many cruises have exercise programs to combat those extra calories.
Personally I have taken cruises on Royal Carribbean and Carnival and had a great time on both.

Answer 5

I like Royal Caribbean. I have been on Princess and Carnival also, and RCCL is my favorite. I always book my cruises through cruisebrothers.com. Miami is a great port to go out of because there are so many choices. Check out cruise brothers. You can search on their site, and put in your dates, embarkation port, etc. and the available cruises will come up. Go on the newest ship possible because they are always nicer and have more modern ammenities. You can look up reviews at cruisecritic.com. I love this site also. Hope this helps! I like an oceanview cabin because you can at least look out the window and see what the weather is like. Balcony is just a luxury I personally think you don't need. January should be a great mont because it is not hurricane season and the water should be calmer...

Answer 6

If you really need help deciding, please call me or email me at [e-mail]. Each cruise ship has its own personality and we need to make it align with yours. January is a great month if you can sail after the 1st week of January.... prices go down. Keep it simple and I can work with you on prices-I have the lowest prices and can not be beat

Thanks and good luck

Answer 7

Great time to cruise -- http://1cheapcruise.com - plus you'll save a ton by not needing airfare!

Answer 8

carnival is like a floating bar, royal carribbean really does live up to its name. they treat u well and not too expensive

Answer 9

visit www.georgeortega.mytravelweb.net they have GREAT deals that i used