Considering a Cruise?
Here are some things to consider before you book:
Get a good travel agent who will kick back some of his/her commission to you in the form of a discount or an Onboard Credit (money placed in your shipboard account that you can spend while on the ship). The guy we use typically gives us a deal that is about 10% better than buying directly from the cruiseline.
Don’t know a good travel agent? Try www.cruisecompete.com. You choose the cruise you want to take and multiple travel agencies quote you prices.
Use online resources to help you make decisions. www.cruisecritic.com has message boards where fellow cruisers answer questions about the ship, the ports, etc. It also has amateur and professional reviews of each ship. This is a great place to start. Additionally, Youtube has lots of video tours of cruise ships, cabins, etc. Reading about it is good. Seeing it is better!
Choose a line that fits your needs. Generally speaking, if you like to party, party, party (or are cruising with children/teens) your best bets are Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian. Party without kids? Consider Virgin Atlantic. If you are more into a slower pace and moderately affordable luxury, and you aren’t looking for a Hairy Chest Contest, your best bets are Princess, Celebrity or Holland America. If you are willing to spend for first class all the way and a small ship experience? Regents, Oceania or Seabourn might be a good fit. There are other lines as well, but we haven’t looked into them yet. There are lots of posts on Cruise Critic that detail the differences between what to expect from each line.
Some cabins in a given category are better than others in the same category. For example, the cabin we booked on the Nieuw Amsterdam is on the ship’s bump out, and has a much deeper balcony than others in the category. More room, same price. Winning! We always do our research. Pay attention to what is immediately above and below your cabin. Above a nightclub or below the buffet might be rough on someone who is a light sleeper.
The price you are quoted is just the beginning of what you will spend. Unless you are on a high end line (Regents, Seabourn, etc.), you will still need to factor in transportation to the port, parking or shuttle, alcohol/soft drinks, gratuities, WiFi, and the money you will spend ashore. Also, for those of you who hit the casino, don’t forget to factor in gambling cash! Many of the cruise lines offer packages that include your alcohol, spending cash, specialty restaurants, WiFi, etc. For some they are a great bargain. For others, they cost more than what they would actually use at a la carte prices. Did we tell you that it pays to do your research ahead of time?
Excursions purchased directly from the cruise line are expensive and crowded. You can get a better price and experience in port. Again, do your research. There are occasional horror stories of people getting stranded in port because their excursion returned late. That almost never happens though. We are ALWAYS back at the port several hours before the “all aboard” call. If you pass out at Senor Frogs or Carlos and Charlie’s and miss your ship, well, maybe you needed a good chaperone.
Travel insurance? We almost always purchase it, but have never had to use it. This topic is worthy of its own blog entry. For today, consider this. If you ever have a medical emergency and have to be airlifted off of a ship, you will be glad you have the insurance because you could buy a Tesla or twofor what you will pay for that without travel insurance. We never buy directly from the line though. You can find better policies for less money without having to try too hard. We use www.insuremytrip.com, which enables you to choose from scores of policies from highly rated insurers.
That is all for today. If you are still awake after sifting through all that information, thanks for taking the time to check us out. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comments section and we will respond with whatever we know. Future topics will include what to pack, gadgets that come in handy in your cabin, identifying the crew members that will be most important to you and why that is so, and more.
