Cruising questions from a first-timer.....?

Question

My husband, daughter (will be 6) and I are planning on a cruise to Alaska May of 2008. We definitely want to go on the inside passage. My questions.....

1. Is it best to book your cruise as soon as they are released for purchase? We want to do a budget cruise the first time out.

2. I have heard some say they didn't pay until they went on the cruise. How is that possible? Deposit? Anywhere I have looked they ask for full payment.

3. How do you get the free upgrades I have heard of? ie: better cabin if the ship isn't full.

4. If the price of your cruise goes down after you book, do you get the lower price? How?

5. Should I get a travel agent? Is there any cost to me? And can they really save me more than the internet?

6. Do you recommend travel insurance?

7. We are thinking of going on NCL. Is the room service really free? 24 hours? How is the food?

8. Anyone know about NCL's kid's club?

Thank you to anyone that takes the time to answer my many questions

Answer 1

I love Alaska, it is one of the best cruise destinations, in my opinion. It really makes for a great vacation. Just make sure that this is something your daughter will enjoy as well, which I'm sure you have. A lot of kids think of a cruise as spending time on the beach and in the ocean, not really the case with Alaska, sometimes you need to be a little older to fully enjoy Alaska. However, this is not always the case, my sister loved Alaska her entire life and even when she was little preferred it over the beach and ocean.

I really think you will have a great time.

Here are my answers to your questions:

1. It kind of depends on the cruise line that you will be booking with. Some cruise lines will offer discounts at different times (which you can usually apply later anyway) others raise prices as their ship fills. Generally you get the best savings waiting until last minute. However, this is not always possible for some people and may not be the most economical when it comes to flights and such. If you are really flexible with dates and things, many lines will offer last minute savings where you can get the cruise for next to nothing, basically just taxes and port fees. However, there is no guarantee that a special will be available, if you will be able to go during that time, how high flights will be, etc.

While you don't have to book as soon as the rates become available, it usually doesn't hurt, since most promotions you can apply later, or you can rebook. Booking early will give you more options when it comes to your cabin, locations, dining times, etc. I always book in advance when I know I want to go somewhere during a specific date or time frame. If I have some time and want to go somewhere last minute, than I book that way, but otherwise I book pretty far out. Since you are trying to save money, this will also allow you more time to search around for air and get the best prices.



2. I've never heard of not paying for your cruise. The cruise line is going to ask for a deposit, what it is will depend on the cruise length, company, etc. After you pay the deposit, your reservation is reserved for you. If for some reason you need to cancel or change, you can still do so without being penalized. The cruise line will then give you a date that you have to make final payment by, this also varies a little by line. From the time you place deposit until you pay your balance, you can pay nothing, or you can make payments as you like. Now, after you apply the final payment, you may have a penalty if you have to cancel, change, etc. So be sure to find out what it is for your cruise line.

Most lines won't even allow you to book shore excursions until final payment is applied, so I don't think you will find a line that doesn't require you to pay for the cruise. The only thing I can think of would be if the cruise line offers a credit card and deferred payments, but not all offer this.



3. More than likely what you are thinking of is a guarantee room. Basically this is when the cruise line oversells a certain category of a room, expecting people to cancel and then more rooms become available. However, if nothing becomes available in that category, then the cruise line will upgrade you to the next available category. If you do this you may not get any upgrades, you may get upgrade one category, or you may get a really good upgrade. However, you don't know what room you will be in, so you may not get the best room available, that is the biggest negative, but, if you can get it, most people like this. Just remember that when you make your reservation, you won't get a room number as you normally would, since at that point in time there is no room for you. If you book pretty far in advance, you likely won't see any guarantees since most categories won't be sold out.

Also, some cruise lines will ask you when you book if you would be willing to take a free upgrade. For example, one line is Princess. If you say yes and they have a room available, you may get an upgrade this way. But, they do have to ask, some people are really set on one room, or location and book far out to get that, so they don't want to be moved. If you don't mind so much, then this is a good way to go.


4. This will depend on the cruise line and/or promotion. With some promotions you can just call in and they can apply that discount to your reservation. However, with some cruise lines and/or promotions, you may need to cancel your current reservation and then rebook it. Just be sure to find out all the little details and any "what ifs" you don't want to find out when it is too late.



5. I'm a strong believer in using a travel agent. With the introduction of more internet sites claiming to save you money, like Expedia, Orbitz, etc. good travel agents are finding it harder and harder to stay in business. I've always used an agent and I am very happy I do. There have been so many situations where my agent has really done something great, that could have potentially ruined my trip if it weren't for her. There has been a few cases where I know I would have never been able to do what she did on my own, simply because she works with these companies every day, knows people there, and has more pull than I do as one person that they don't deal with daily.

Another reason I recommend using an agent is because this is your first cruise and you already have a lot of questions. The questions are going to keep coming up, an agent is always going to be there to answer them for you. Now, there are a lot of sites that talk about cruises, as well as message boards and even places like Answers where you can ask your questions and have several people reply. But, many times you may find that you are getting different answers for the same questions, these answers come from personal experience or opinions, so they are going to vary. I've even heard of people answering other people's questions incorrectly, on purpose, because they thought it was funny to get them the wrong information, you just never know and you can spend a lot of time trying to make sure the answers you get are correct, which is what you should do when you get opinions from sites like this. Don't get me wrong, Y! Answers is great, but not everything is going to be accurate. An agent is going to give you an honest opinion and give you accurate and up to date information. Plus, the agent is going to be there with you every step of the way to answer questions, take care of problems, etc. Even with sites like Expedia and Orbitz, you are pretty much on your own, and a lot of people have had a lot of trouble if they find themselves in a situation where something is wrong or they need to cancel. Just to talk to a human can take a long time on hold.

Even if you don't book with an agent, I would book directly with the cruise line. I definitely would try to avoid the "online discounters" there are just so many risks involved and so many ways to ruin your vacation.

As far as price, most of the time my agent is lower than the cruise line and/or "online discounters" Even if the initial cost is not less, I generally find that I will get more savings in the end. For example, my agent usually has a promotion for onboard credit, I always receive a nice gift for my booking, and she also has ways to save money on transfers, insurance, pre and post nights, etc. So I almost always end up saving money, plus I get all the knowledge and service. Most agencies don't charge a penny for the service, they work off of commissions. You will find that if you use an agent that specializes in cruises or more specifically in Alaska cruises, you are going to get the best use out of them. If it were me, I would use an agent without question.



6. I always get the travel insurance. Pretty much, I now consider the travel insurance as one of the things I have to get. When I book a cruise I know that I will need transfers, air and the insurance. There are so many things that it covers and many things people don't realize. For example, if you would need to be airlifted off of the ship for some reason, it can cost more than $25,000 just to get off the ship, then you have to pay for medical expenses and everything else, this is covered by the travel protection. You also have baggage loss, travel delays, etc. It is really a good idea if you will be flying commercially, even privately in some cases. There are a lot of delays now a days, if you won't be doing a prenight you definitely want it. But, there is always that chance that you may miss the ship because of a delayed flight. If you aren't there in time, the ship has to leave, then you are stuck without your cruise and having spent all that money for nothing, insurance will cover that as well. It is just a good idea to get, for a small fee you can be covered and have peace of mind.



7. First I will start with the room service. Room service is 24 hours and is free on all cruise lines. The big thing when it comes to cruising is food, so that is the one thing you will find all day and night, no one is ever hungry on a cruise, that's for sure. Even though the room service is free, it is always a good idea to give a tip, about $1 to $2 per person. It isn't required, but it is pretty much what everyone does.

As far as NCL, they are a pretty good cruise line. It seems that people that have cruised with them either love their cruises or hate it. The freestyle cruising is their biggest selling point and a lot of people just don't like it, as well as some of the other aspects of the line. NCL is known more for their Hawaiian cruises, which are great, not so much for their Alaskan cruises. Princess and Holland America are the most well known for their Alaska cruises. However, both lines are more popular for seniors, so it may not be as much fun for your family. I think that Royal Caribbean would be a much better choice for you, it is a cost friendly cruise line and is a lot of fun for adults as well as kids. Carnival would be another good choice for your family, but personally I like Royal Caribbean better. Whichever line you choose, just be sure to read reviews on the ship before booking, I will include a link to a great site for finding reviews on all ships. Reading reviews can give you more info on kids programs and things like that.



8. Not sure what info you are looking for, but here is a little info. NCL is a good family line, but probably not one of the best as far as kids programs go. They are going to be fun, but some of the lines offer a little more when it comes to the kids clubs. It will also depend a little on the ship you pick. Again, I would look into a few other lines before settling with one. Carnival, Royal Caribbean, you may even look into Celebrity, though that may not be the best choice, as with Princess.



I've included some links for you to look over. One is just the link to cruise critic. This is one of the best sites for cruises, reviews, pictures, message boards, etc. Most of the info you need is all in one place. The other will take you to an area on family cruising. I've also included a link to the best ships for families. Finally, I included links NCL, RCCL and Carnivals kids programs so you can compare them and see what will work best for you.



I hope this helps answer your questions. Good luck with your planning and have a fantastic time on your cruise and in Alaska!

Answer 2

1-Cruise prices change all the time. May is an excellent time to get good deals on Alaska cruises but just keep watching it--the prices change all the time based on when people are buying and supply/demand on that particular ship.

2-I've never heard of not being able to pay for it until you went on cruise.

3-Free upgrades. You call right beforehand. 1-2 weeks out just call and ask if they have any upgrades. Be careful though. If you get motion sick, often free upgrades aren't an upgrade. If you have a cabin in the middle it isn't going to move as much and of course laws of physics the higher up on ship you go, the more movement you are going to experience. Often Verandah deck, people can see in your balcony too. Make sure you have a deck plan in front of you so that when they offer an upgrade, you can check to see if you really want it.

4- Especially if you book through the cruiseline website, you can definitely call them back with where you found the lower fare and they will reduce the price.

5- Travel agents are great. Depending on where you go, many are free. AAA has free travel agents. Usually I think the prices are about the same but they know all the rules about which cabins you'd do best with.

6-TRAVEL INSURANCE IS A MUST!!! I'm always telling people about that. Now mostly this is for Caribbean cruises during Hurricane season, but travel insurance is great just in case. I've taken a cruise in August--mine didnt get cancelled but a cruise the week before me did and there was a hurricane the week after my cruise that wiped out an island I was at. If you break a leg and suddenly can't go, if something happens and your grandmother gets sick, if you get sick--travel insurance protects you.

7-AVOID NCL. These are my only 2 extreme (notice all caps) answers of all your questions. NCL is the worst cruiseline in existance. It's on here all the time with people talking about the horrible food, sparce food, rude service--and freestyle cruising where you don't have the same table or waitstaff every night. (No need to be exceptional since all the tips are split) You wait for a table just like a restaurant--not having to wait is what makes it a vacation. The night entertainment is the worst. And they have the smallest cabin size in the industry with many ships having a one-price policy--where you pay the same price regardless of how big a cabin you have. I can't tell you enough how many people took their first cruise with NCL and have said they would NEVER take NCL again. (I'm sure thats what the person who put 7&8-??? meant as well) I was shocked that every part of that cruise was so miserable that I can't even get into it all here. Even though Holland is generally for older people, I've heard great things about their Alaskan cruise. They were the first.

Anyway enjoy your Alaskan cruise. I've heard its a great cruise and I know you'll love it!

Answer 3

First of all I hope you guys have an awesome time and cruises are the best!!!!

1. I think that you should wait a few months and wait for the prices to drop a little and then book but still save your money as the prices will be really high at first but wait about 3-6 months maybe and then book. I think thats when you get the best deals.
2. Most cruises lines make you deposit a certain amount usually by credit card if you order online and then they say they need a full payment by a certain date so more then likely I would put it all on the credit card and just pay off your credit card balance as thats probably the easiest way I know of to do it..
3. If your in a certain club or belong to a certain group then you can receive certain upgrades and say you book an oceanview but they oversold it and they have a few verandahs left then they will randomly select a few people to be upgraded.
4. If the price goes down after you book your cruise online or whereever keep visiting the site and if the price goes down for your category before your full payment is due call the cruise line and they iwll give you a lower price and if you call them directly and say I saw this price for the same room on a different category they more then likely will beat it but they usually only take maybe $50 bucks off a person give or take though.
5. Travel Agents can be sometimes more helpful but if you do your research they can basically get you the same price. The crusie line directly tells them and they get a part of whatever you spend on your cruise and the travel agent gets the commission for that. That's how they make their money.
6. Travel insurance is a must!! I highly recommend that and don't book wiht the cruise line. They charge way more then you need. I would use TravelGuard as they are really good and their rates are way cheaper then the cruise lines. I would also have a passport as it will be required by the time your going to be cruising. Adults are good for 10 years and the kids are good for 5 years. Also on the insurance it really comes in handy if you lose your bags or anything like that.
7. The food on all cruises is really good some more hten others but its more then likely better then food you would get at home. Also NCL may not be the best cruise line as their are other cruises available. Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Carnival are also good first time cruise lines try. The food is free but I think they charge a certain amount to your room which they will request a credit card for at the beginning of the cruise. I think that you can order room service 24 hours or pretty close to it and most cruise lines have buffets that are often at weird times of the night and morning.. I would also remember the gratuities which are so much per person per day even for the little one but they usually give or take but depending on the service tip accordingly. Most people though don't have regular salaries and make their income based on tips.
8. The children's programs are better on the newer ships and then again if you go on an older ship their are still going to be less kids programs but they are going to have less kids but enough to socialize with but not enough to ruin your cruise as some cruiselines are overwhelmed and ruin the cruises for people. Do your research and cruise critic has great information about kids programs as well. Bon Voyage.

Answer 4

I pasted your questions and put my answers after each question.

Is it best to book your cruise as soon as they are released for purchase? We want to do a budget cruise the first time out.
I usually book at least 6-8 months out. This way, you can get the best choice of cabins.......midship instead of at either end, in case any of you may have motion sickness. Midship is usually the best. Sometimes they have good deals about one month before sailing, but cabin selection may be limited.

2. I have heard some say they didn't pay until they went on the cruise. How is that possible? Deposit? Anywhere I have looked they ask for full payment.
You need to make a deposit/person when you book your cruise. Then you make the final payment about 75 days prior to sailing. If you need to cancel prior to making the final payment, you will receive a full refund on your deposit.

3. How do you get the free upgrades I have heard of? ie: better cabin if the ship isn't full.
If you book early, and request an upgrade, if available, you may get an upgrade before those who book later.

4. If the price of your cruise goes down after you book, do you get the lower price? How?
This has never happened for me, so I'm not too sure.

5. Should I get a travel agent? Is there any cost to me? And can they really save me more than the internet?
Some travel agents may charge you a small fee to book or they may charge a fee if you need to cancel. If you are a Costco member, they sometimes have some good deals. Costco also does NOT charge you if you need to cancel. If you do go with internet travel, make sure that it's reputable.

6. Do you recommend travel insurance?
Travel insurance is good if you think that you might need to cancel later on after you make your final payment. Also, if you, husband or child become extremely ill right before the cruise, you may need to cancel........insurance comes in handy. I don't always purchase it, but it can be a good thing to have.

7. We are thinking of going on NCL. Is the room service really free? 24 hours? How is the food?
I've never cruised on NCL, but usually room service is free on most cruiselines. The menu items may be limited in the late hours (only sandwiches), but usually a good selection for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Holland America & Princess has excellent food.

8. Anyone know about NCL's kid's club?
I hear it's pretty good. Carnival's kids club is excellent.


Whatever you decide, I know you will have a wonderful time on the cruise. Me, my husband, and two daughters love cruising. It's a great deal!! A room, all the food you can eat, and almost all of the entertainment is included. You will love it. Good Luck!

Answer 5

1. Depends on the cruise... if it's filling up, the price will go up as the sail date gets closer... if it's not busy, there will be a sale to sell some empty staterooms.

2. NCL requires a deposit only, which is fully refundable until 60 days to sailing. Full payment is due 60 days prior to sailing.

3. Most upgrades are not free, but heavily discounted. When you book, mention to the representative that you would be interested in an 'upsell' if they come available. The cruise line may call you and offer a better cabin for a discounted rate.

4. You can, up until your cruise is paid in full. Simply keep checking the fare, and if you find a lower one, call them and have it adjusted.

5. I do not use a travel agent. I don't believe that they would save me any money.

6. Depends on your situation. We have not purchased it in the past, but it could be money very well spent if it were ever needed.

7. I have had great experience with NCL. Room service from the room service menu is included in your cruise fare, and is available 24 hours. Food in the main dining rooms is very good. Food in some of the specialty restaurants is excellent.

8. Sorry, no experience with the kids club..... yet.

Answer 6

1. Yes, often cruises offer a early booking discount plus booking early gives you more choices when picking a cabin and dinning times.
2.Generally final payment is due 90 days prior to departure but this can vary depending on cruise line and destination. Booking early allows you to make payments on your cruise over time at no additional cost.
3.If the ship isn't full you can ask for an upgrade when you check in. In some cases you can book a guaranteed cabin which mean you are guaranteed a certain category or better but the cruise line assigns the cabin just prior to departure and you may not get a prefered location on the ship.
4. In some cases you can get the lower price depending on cruise line policy and if you book through a travel agent they can take care of this for you. Generally after your final payment there is no price adjustment allowed.
5. In most cases there are no additional fees to using a travel agent and most cruise are booked through a travel agent. Using a travel agent can save you money as well. Travel agents are paid through the cruise line at no additional cost to you.
6. Yes we recomend travel isurance to all our clients. However if you book your air seperate from the cruise line then we recomend that you purchase a travel insurance outside of the cruise line so that every aspect of your vacation is covered.
7. We have had several clients who really enjoyed their NCL cruise and the food was great. I believe that room service is included with most of the cruise lines.
8. I would be happy to send you information about NCL and thier kids club but I have not personally hear any recomendations on NCL's kids club.

If you have any other questions you can also check out the cruise line associations website at cruising.org or we have a link on our website to additional information for all the cruise lines and the cruise line association. You can email us for more imformation or search for our website through yahoo or google by typing in our company name with or without spaces.

I hope I have answered your questions.
Greg @ BC Travel Company

Answer 7

In May it would still be considered off season so you should get a decent price. I would get a travel agent. They will take care of everything for you and monitor your cruise if the fare drops and they will do the leg work to get the lowest price.
Because you are not traveling for over a year - you should only have to put a deposit down - Final payments are usually due a few months before your cruise>
Many travel agents will offer upgrades and cruise sales - You can call a local travel agent and tell them what you are interested in and they will call you when they see a cruise sale come up ( probably not until Sept 07 for May 08 )
Travel agents should not cost you more, as they make commissions straight from the cruise line and would not effect your cost. Its always a good idea to add travel insurance - that can be done directly with the agent and cruise line.

Answer 8

Cannot answer all of your questions but here goes.

1. No, try the website www.vacationstogo.com. I am from Canada but this is an American Company and I have found no other website with prices and service upgrades that compare. I have traveled a lot.

2. They likely went with a deferred payment plan. Some travel companies offer "cruise now and pay later"

3. Depends on the person you book with and how experience they are. Try the website I suggested.

4. I have had this happen with Holland America. Ask the person you book with and also monitor yourself through the website I suggested.

5. no - travel agent is expensive - you do all the leg work. try the web first.

6. Yes, you never know what can happen. It is worth the peace of mind.

7 & 8 ???

I have travelled with Costa, Holland America, Carnival, Disney, Royal and Princess.

Disney was the most beautiful and my duaghter loved it.

Royal and Holland have had great deals lately.

Carnival - you get what you apid for!

Answer 9

LOL, you have a lot of sub-questions in your question.

1, Book early because that will get you the best price. The Alaska cruise season is May to September so space is limited.

2. You will be required to make a deposit for each person when you book, about $150. per person. The balance is due about 60 days before your cruise. The exact date depends upon which cruise line.

3. You cannot necessarily get free upgrades unless the ship is not selling out and offers an upgrade promotion. Forget about free upgrade.

4. No, you will get the lower price when you book. But if you see a lower fare on a different cruise line and want to change you can cancel and will if you cancel early enough you can get your whole deposit back.

5. If you have never booked a cruise before AND you are not familiar with using the internet you may want to get a travel agent. The agent will not charge a fee for booking the cruise and is paid by the cruise line on commission. You can get the same prices on the internet and you can book entirely on the internet; I do that all of the time. If you start out booking online and run into trouble, just call the cruise line and they will help.

6. I usually recommend travel insurance if you will be making several connections to get to and from the cruise ship where the chances of losing luggage or missing a flight is higher. Also get travel insurance if you are elderly and or if anyone has a health issue which may flare up. I use a private travel insurance co, TRAVELUX, rather than the cruise line offering. Its cheaper and covers more.

7. If you are going to Alaska and really want to see it all I recommend doing a cruise-tour. The best Alaska cruise experience is the CRUISE-TOUR. Princess, Holland America, and Royal Caribbean all run cruise tours which take you by train all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska. Princess and RC have special domed train cars for this. Your best chance to see wild animals will be if you do a cruise-tour where you go further north after cruising the inside passage. The only animals you are likely to see in the inside passage is seals. On these tours You can arrange to stop for a night or two in Taketna, or Denali National Park. This will be your best opportunity to see Moose, Caribou, eagle, wolf, and bear. But you really need two days at Denali so that you have time to get one of the Park Service's busses that go deep into the park. Regular tour busses , cars and campers can only go about 3 or 4 miles into the park. The Park Service runs busses about 17 miles into the park, but you must get to the visitor center very early to reserve a spot on one of their busses. The train stops going north and south do not get you to Denali in time or allow enough time for the deep back country busses. With Princess, Holland America, and RC you can do the tour part first and then go to Seward or Whittier to get on ship for the inside passage part. I recommend doing the tour part first. Norwegian is a good cruise line and I have cruised with them many times, but I recommend Royal Caribbean or Princess.

Yes the food is free for room service but you should tip the person who brings the food a couple dollars.

8. NCL and most of the other cruise lines have programs specifically for children and a staff person assigned to be with and supervise the kids for games and activities. There are special areas on ship where kids go to participate. There are different groups for kids of different ages, like one for teens, and some ships even have a teens disco area. You can usually read about kids programs on the cruise line web sites.

Answer 10

what a mouth full of questions and you must have thought of more sence you ask ...go to a travel agent for your first cruise..find one you like. ..they will have all the answers and about the same price..find a price online and then go in with the info..