I've never been on a cruise before? would like to book one? help?

Question

I'm 24 and my husband is 23, we have no children and have never been on a vacation before, he has been overseas because he is in the Air Force, but i haven't been anywhere out of the country before, i heard the eastern carribean is better then the western, i live in Charleston SC, i only want to be gone for 6-8 days, where do i start? i look in the search engine but i have so many choices i don't know where to start? what cruise line is considered good? We have $5000.00 to do this but i'd rather not spend the whole amount. help!

i was thinking to go in the summer or fall, we can't get last minute deals because of our jobs

Answer 1

I would go to your local travel agent, tell them what you are thinking of doing and pick up some brochures - you then can get an idea of what is offered and the itinerary that you may like best.

Answer 2

You have a great budget for a cruise, and depending on what room category you reserve as well as the price of airfare, you should be able to book something well below what you have set aside. The 2 major cruise lines offer great discounts to military families: Carnival and Royal Caribbean. Both are great lines; Carnival is cheaper, however I have always felt like I was getting 1st class service, food and ammenities on their line. I have never traveled with RC, but if you can foot the extra couple of hundred it will cost, they have a lot of activities on board (ie On board surfing, rock climbing, ice skating, etc.) that Carnival does not offer. For Carnival, look to spend around $500-1000 per person depending on room category (if you can foot the bill, get a balcony room!) and add about $300-$400 per person more for RC. Don't forget that you will need to pay tips, which is generally $10/per person/per day.

With that narrowed down, go to cruisecritic.com and search out the different ships on both Carnival and Royal Caribbean. They have both professional and member reviews that are very helpful, and will help you narrow down by way of itinerary, boat size, boat amenities, etc.

Once you have selected which ship you want, follow this pattern (always notify any agency you work with that you are military so they will know which discounts to look for. Typically your husband will have to fax in a copy of his orders/mil. id, and also show during booking to qualify for the discount):
1. Check out Vacationstogo.com. They are a good search engine that is easy to look around... however, they typically do not have the BEST prices.
2. Check out cruisecheap.com to compare the prices/get a price quote.
3. Go to cruisecompete.com to get price quotes emailed to you.
4. Book through The Cruise Line Ltd (beatanycruiseprice.com). They will beat any cruise quote you have so far gotten. There is a # to call, so you will deal directly with a person, not some online website. I have booked a cruise twice with The Cruise Line Ltd and have always had exceptional service.

Cruise prices vary due to school breaks and seasons, so be sure to think about that before you book your cruise. Also, starting January 2008, passports will be required on cruise travel. I would get a passport now if you don't have one already. Let me know if you have any other questions.

Answer 3

I was just looking at a cruise through New England and Canada for the fall through the Princess line. I live in LA but if you live in SC you could drive. There are a lot of cruises that start in the fall that cover the Caribbean

Answer 4

For a geat sailing adventure try Windjammer Barefoot Cruises...They have around an 80% return rate of loyal satisfied customers of all ages...There are 4 sailing ships that ply the waters of the British Virgin Islands, The French West Indies, The Grenadines, The ABC Islands, The San Blas Islands and Costa Rica...I have been sailig them for over 20 years and have met folks with over 100 sailings under their belt..Also see the Windjammer Flotilla passenger website on Jammerbabe...Sea-Dog Don

Answer 5

Contact a travel agent that specializes in cruises. They will work with you to match you with a line and itinerary that fits you. It's very hard to give a recommendation in a forum like this.

Even better for you, Carnival, NCL, and Holland America offer Military rates that are very good. Availability depends on the sailing, again a travel agent can help you locate those fares. BTW NCL's Military rates are brand new, they were only announced the other day.

I recommend Cruise Planners, you can reach them at 888-286-9827 or www.mycruiseplanner.net they have access to the same pricing and offers as the cruise lines and online travel sites, and they don't charge any service fees for working with them.

Answer 6

I would check the Carnival Web site or call them I know there is a cruise for May 20, 2007 and final payment is due 3/6/2007. For two people it will cost you around 3,000. I would recommend the Carnival conquest, Glory, and the Valor. The ships are a good size and lots of fun. Don’t forget to get a balcony, it is so much nicer. If you get an Ocean view or inside Cabin the rooms are cheaper.

Answer 7

I am no expert on cruises, but I did sign up for information from "Viking River Cruises," and they have some amazing deals and packagages. A lot of it is spent off the boat though, venturing around cities with your group. If you're interested in seeing places like Russia, Venice, the Ukraine, Bejing... they offer a wide variety of places to see.

Are you or your husband currently a student? http://www.statravel.com/ is the way to go, if you are. Talk about saving money!

Answer 8

ive been one on cruise before when i was 14 with my mom my dad and my sister.we went on the cruise line princess cruises.it was so much fun and relaxing.we went on thanksgiving to the mexican rivera.they had a ton of tours you could do with the cruise or you could just stay on the boat and do things there or you could go do things by yourself.either way you wont be bored.the food was great,the other passengers were really friendly.if you want a party ship i hear carnival cruise line is a good place to book with but if you want a more mature time then princess cruises is the way to go.

Answer 9

I have been on a few cruises they are so much fun!! I went on the Caribbean cruise we flew to Puerto Rico and got on a cruise ship there and the traveled to St. Thomas, Dominico ( which only a few cruise ships go to) Barbados & Aruba. it was eight days and sooo much fun!!! The cruise sent sail on Dec. 31 so we celebrated the new years on board!!! We chose the Carnival Cruise ship and it was so great! the weather was perfect and still fairly warm!!! I believe we we got our information through AAA. Good luck and have fun!!!

Answer 10

I would try to book a year in advance to get the good prices and best rooms.

I went on a RCCL cruise and loved it.