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Originally Posted by Raen Dear
You know you're a Villager when . . . you are thinking about taking your first cruise. The Hubster and I would like to launch our cruising adventure with a Christmas cruise to somewhere like Mexico or the Panama Canal for maybe a week. My question is how in the world do you know what is a reasonable price for a cruise? Prices are all over the place and there are discounts etc etc. Do you just find something that you can afford and take a chance or is there a reasonably easy way to compare prices? I don't want to make finding cruise deals a second career because I've already found mah jongg. Thanks.
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As an "Elite Plus" Celebrity Cruiser, I will offer my comments regarding your post. AS a first time cruiser, I would definitley find a good reliable travel agent to steer you in the right direction ...with that I mean, choosing which ship, time of year to travel, type of cabin and what price should I pay. Also regarding price, you should not simply look at the price per person per cabin. YOu need to look at the total cost of the cruise itself. This also takes into consideration what they call On Board Credits (OBC) which all good travel agents (TA) should offer and definitely some TAs offer more than others. This can bring down the total cost of cruising for OBC can include pre-paid tips, OBC to use in Bars or other locations on teh ship, and even free meals in the speciality resturants.
AS a first time cruiser, I would NOT cruise over Christmas and New Years. Prices are MUCH higher, you will find many more families and young kids . I would also keep it to a 7 day itenary probably to the Eastern Carabean. I would NOT select a MEGA ship such as RCCL 's Allure or Oasis...although great ships theya er just too big for you to get a feel and to appreciate crusing.
I personaly rely on
Cruise Reviews, Cruise Deals and Cruises - Cruise Critic for alot of advice but you need to find a good TA.
Good Luck