Question for frequent cruisers

[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.

[Avista]

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.

We love to cruise and are Diamond status on Royal Caribbean. In fact we are leaving Friday on the Oasis. Fiirst choose the kind of cabin you want. We have had all-inside, ocean view and balcony. Dates of sailing reflect price. Over Christmas is expensive. The rest of Dec is much less expensive. Prices go,up when school is out. Carnival as a whole is least expensive, but very loud and lots of drinking. Although, they DO have a great children's program. We like Royal Caribbean. Holland America is nice--older people sailing, but nice and has classes which we like. Tampa and Port Canaveral Ports are nearby. Oasis docks at Ft Lauderdal. A good ship to start with would be Royal Caribbean's Enchantment of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. Feel free to PM me.

[George Bieniaszek]

We have been on many cruises and now being a Villager, it is very easy to drop everything and hop on a cruise ship with 4 cruise ports to pick from here in Florida. As a previous poster mentioned, the newer the ship, the higher the cabin prices. Also prices are adjusted based on when school is in session and major holidays. We have been on the newest ships along with some of the older ones. We went in April on a 4 day cruise on Royal Caribbean for $149 per person plus port charges and taxes on the spur of the moment. 8 days after booking, we were stepping on the cruise ship.

My advise is to check the cruise web sites often. Sometimes they offer super deals for a limited time only. I figure that they want to have a certain percentage of rooms booked at a certain period of time before the cruise departs and offer incentives if they did not hit that number.

[Raen Dear]

We have been on many cruises and now being a Villager, it is very easy to drop everything and hop on a cruise ship with 4 cruise ports to pick from here in Florida. As a previous poster mentioned, the newer the ship, the higher the cabin prices. Also prices are adjusted based on when school is in session and major holidays. We have been on the newest ships along with some of the older ones. We went in April on a 4 day cruise on Royal Caribbean for $149 per person plus port charges and taxes on the spur of the moment. 8 days after booking, we were stepping on the cruise ship.

My advise is to check the cruise web sites often. Sometimes they offer super deals for a limited time only. I figure that they want to have a certain percentage of rooms booked at a certain period of time before the cruise departs and offer incentives if they did not hit that number.

I really like the idea of taking off at a few days' notice. I had no idea such inexpensive trips were available. Now if I could find a dog sitter. . .

[Avista]

I really like the idea of taking off at a few days' notice. I had no idea such inexpensive trips were available. Now if I could find a dog sitter. . .

We have two little dogs too-Boston Terrier and Dachshund. We leave them at All About Cats and Dogs. The have inside/outside runs. They don't seem to mind going there. Your other option would be a dog sitter.

[Carl in Tampa]

The old rule of thumb that I used was a reasonable price for a cruise was $100 a day per person, but the bad economy has caused the cruise lines to offer many deals at lower prices.

Being mildly claustrophobic I don't book inside cabins. I've had balconies on many cruises but have come to regard it as undesirable. When underway it is usually windblown and uncomfortable. When in port you go ashore for local color and by the time you return the ship is getting underway again, so use of the balcony is limited. Also, without a balcony you get a larger cabin with an oceanview.

I've sailed on the megaships on on the medium sized older ones. Both have virtues. Megaships cannot use the Port of Tampa due to having to sail under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

If you sail out of Port Canaveral the itineraries are mostly the western Caribbean with stops in Mexico. As a matter of principal I am no longer willing to go to Mexico. There may be a couple of sailings that go to Key West and Jamaica, I haven't checked lately.

I strongly recommend sailing the Eastern Caribbean, which may mean sailing out of Miami or Ft. Lauderdale.

HERE IS THE BEST TIP I CAN GIVE YOU: There are motels in Port Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale where you can stay the night before your sailing that will provide you with free parking for the week of your trip and free transportation to and from the port on the day of sailing.

Although you could drive to either port on the day of the sailing, I have experienced arrival anxiety when doing that. What if my car breaks down; what if I'm in a traffic crash; etc. And......... the parking fees at the port can be quite expensive and must be paid in advance.

Here's another tip: For years I've used the web site Cruise Reviews, Cruise Deals and Cruises - Cruise Critic (http://www.cruisecritic.com/) to gather information about cruises. There are forums where people exchange information about their experiences on particular ships, with particular cruise lines and in particular ports. On the home page on the top right there is a tab for Community. Click on it and then on forums to see reviews. I have reviews posted there under the same name I use here: Carl in Tampa.

Of course all of the cruise lines have their own web sites where you can search for cruises by defining your departure port and dates your are interested in.

When I was new to cruising I used AAA cruise advisors to find cruises. I'm sure they are still a good source if you are a AAA member. They also have brochures from different cruise lines so you can read about them at your convenience.

My favorite lines are Princess and Royal Caribbean. I like Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Lines. I dislike Carnival because they tend to have children running wild at all hours of the night,

I sincerely hope you grow to love cruising. It can be a great experience.

Carl

[rubicon]

Celebrity is owned by royal Caribbean and a cut above royal. We prefer cabins with a port window

[villager]

As one who used to work a couple months at a time teaching computer classes on cruise ships, I might suggest taking a cruise over New Year's vs. Christmas. I can say, first hand, that Christmas cruises are not the most fun. As our cruise director used to say, the people who are on a Christmas cruise either have no family or their family doesn't want them. The tone of the passengers over a Christmas cruise is so much different than other times. The passengers are usually very grumpy and it affects the whole atmosphere. Even though the crew tries to make sure they are "up" and friendly, Christmas cruise passengers affect them, too. Hubby and I thought all this was crazy when we were told about it and then we experienced it first hand. So, book a New Year's Eve cruise and enjoy the fun and party! People are amazingly happy during New Year's.

[manaboutown]

I tend to stick with Crystal and Celebrity. Holland America and NCL are pretty good, too. Silversea and Cunard are excellent but pricey. I will never sail on Carnival again. Lots of young families. Food like a Denny's except for a couple of nights. Children running around and screaming everywhere.

[ttown]

We cruise frequently also. We have found that we want lots of service and a bigger room....we are getting up there. Party less, but spend time in the room and balcony.The bigger room go quickly because there are fewer of them, so we book in advance. we have come to enjoy Holland America which also offers lots of niceties to returning cruisers.It all depends on what you are looking for.

[justjim]

TAMPA CARL----thanks for the tips. Really good information.

[bookseller49]

Been on 17 Carnival cruises and had one cruise during Spring break and there were many children, screaming I don't remember. Had another Carnival cruise which was %90 Senior citizen(large contingents from retirement groups). By 9PM nightclubs and decks were empty.Having said that I would recommend Carnival anytime.Keep an open mind. Went on one Royal Caribbean cruise and will never go again. Was NOT told it was a Gay cruise and we are not Gay. Had a terrible time and tried to make the best of the situation. Many of the Clubs were closed off at night for private parties and comedy shows were tailored to the clientele. Lido deck activities were not for the faint hearted.What a nightmare.

[sgiamp1]

Been on 17 Carnival cruises and had one cruise during Spring break and there were many children, screaming I don't remember. Had another Carnival cruise which was %90 Senior citizen(large contingents from retirement groups). By 9PM nightclubs and decks were empty.Having said that I would recommend Carnival anytime.Keep an open mind. Went on one Royal Caribbean cruise and will never go again. Was NOT told it was a Gay cruise and we are not Gay. Had a terrible time and tried to make the best of the situation. Many of the Clubs were closed off at night for private parties and comedy shows were tailored to the clientele. Lido deck activities were not for the faint hearted.What a nightmare.

We've been on Carnival 6 times and only found the 4-night cruise to be a "party cruise" All others were longer and in my opinion, had a completely different demographic. Regarding children, we cruise with our children and grandchildren and find Camp Carnival (programs for kids) to be exceptional. Our grandchildren look forward to going everyday. They even have children's activities while you are in port so you can take adult excursions. Yes, you might see teenagers wandering around on their own but never noticed anything that upset or offended us. As a matter of fact, we've scheduled another family reunion cruise for next September on Carnival.

We've only cruised Royal Carribean once and did notice that the passengers were an older crowd than Carnival. We're in our 60s and don't mind being around the younger generations - it makes us feel young. As a matter of fact, we also enjoy seeing grandkids at the town squares.

[Raen Dear]

Thanks to Carl in Tampa. Very helpful. What are your feelings about travel to Mexico? Too dangerous? I want to see those pyramids!

[ladylake1]

You can go to the pyramid at Tulum on a cruise that goes to Cozumel. There are also sites in Belize that have pyramids and ancient ruins. I don't think you can get to Chichen Itza on any itinerary. They have eliminated Mazatlan from the Pacific side cruise due to dangerous conditions and I don't recall any pyramid opportunities on that cruise which they call the Mexican Riviera.

[Avista]

Although prefer not to cruise Carnival, our last Carnival Cruise was quite nice. Our daughter likes Carnival for their excellent childrens program. When we all cruise together, it is usually Carnival. Our last cruise was on The Carnival Dream. We had a Cove Balcony which we loved. This is a balcony on Deck 2 under the lifeboats and close to the water. Only some ships have Cove Balconies.

[Raen Dear]

Thanks, Ladylake1. I think you are correct. Most of the pyramids are inland; I was making assumptions but when I checked it out, I think I need to do a specialized tour. I did not realize Mazatlan had become so dangerous. It used to be a lot of fun.

[Avista]

Thought of one more things. We will board about 11am even if given a later boarding time. Once onboard we head straight to lunch. Tables are taken quickly, and cabins are usually not ready yet. We have a nice leisurely lunch. You will have your carryons with you.

We board our dogs at. http://www.abcdpetresort.com. While we cruise.

[rayschic]

I really like the idea of taking off at a few days' notice. I had no idea such inexpensive trips were available. Now if I could find a dog sitter. . .

Here's a good website for cruises. Prices are very good, especially if you are willing to go within 90 days. The closer the date, the better the price, usually.

Discount Cruises, Last-Minute Cruises, Short Notice Cruises - Vacations To Go (http://www.vacationstogo.com/login.cfm?r=0&m=0&l=0&s=0&n=0&d=0&v=0&sm=0&tm=0)

[Carl in Tampa]

Thanks to Carl in Tampa. Very helpful. What are your feelings about travel to Mexico? Too dangerous? I want to see those pyramids!

Most of the problems that American tourists have in Mexico are more related to land travel than the cruises. But the fact that American tourists are so often victims makes me refuse to spend my money in Mexico.

Abductions for the purpose of obtaining and using credit cards and taking cash is commonplace along the Texas border.

Drug dealing gangs are now making forays onto our side of the boarder for the same purpose.

Mexican police and soldiers have fired upon our Border Patrol officers.

The Mexican government has been ineffective or negligent in providing protection for American tourists.

The influx of Mexicans into our country is changing the demographic of our country and is a drain on our welfare system.

I have an associate who retired from the same agency that I did who made a good living representing the families of kidnapped tourists by going into Mexico and paying the ransoms.

Mexican police regularly and routinely arrest American tourists for the purpose of extorting bribes for their release.

These are some of the reasons I decline to travel to Mexico.

However, years ago, before things were as they are now I did travel in Mexico, both crossing from Texas and on cruises.

[emc101]

have been on cunard they are very formal, royal carribean once loved ice show and at see crafts but food was worse I have ever had. they managed to ruin our family anniversary cruise will never use them again. carnival is part all the time and drunks were everywhere so they rank just above royal. been on Holland America several time. took cruise with them through panama canal and to south America, also to and from Europe. loved Holland they seem willing to do anything for you.

have used vacations to go 1 time and rest have used aaa in leesburg. kathi Roberts is very good.

[JourneyOfLife]

Prices do tend to vary with different operators and seasons (supply/demand).

One other thing to consider is the condition of the ship. If we are considering booking a cruise, I try to find out the last time the ship was refurbished.

[Rollie]

Christmas Break and Spring Break are the most expensive times to cruise. They are also crammed full of little one's out of school. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

As someone else suggested, check out Cruise Critic. Most all your questions can be answered on this site. Also great forums for chatting.

As for cruise lines themselves. Carnival, NCL, and RCCL tend to be more family oriented. Celebrity and Holland are more upscale. Princess tries to do everything well. That being said, asking for cruise line advise is very suggestive, and you can get many different answers.

Happy Cruise, what ever you choose.

Rollie

[justjim]

New Years Cruise and between Christmas and New Years are a lot more expensive times to Cruise. Unless there is a very good reason to go during this time (kids out of school etc.) I would choose another time for my First Cruise. I know ---hit the bank account real hard a couple years ago to take kids and grandkids on a Cruise during their Christmas break! Of course, money no "object"---and good reasons to go during this time----let it happen.

[PennBF]

We have cruised a great deal on Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, Holland America and Princess. Most usage on Royal Caribbean and Celebrity. We just came off of an 18 days cruise on Princess which was our first experience with Princess and it is the only line we would never use again. It would take too much space to give all the reasons and in summary would only say they were the ones allegedly with the less concern with the passenge including food, comfort, ship design, etc. We are diamond on Royal Caribbean, etc and have enjoyed their cruises along with Celebrity and Holland America. Just an opinion as another input.:wave:

[bubblehead1026]

Lots of good advice in these responses. We have cruised the Caribean several times,Alaska, the Med and the Baltic. What I hear about Mexico is troubling right now. We love Port Canaveral as a point of departure for domestic ports. Also like Royal Caribbean and like Celebrity best. We have also cruised Princess (so-so) and Holland American (in truth, one of their older vessels, very dated). Avoid Carnival! We prefer a balcony cabin, but depending on time of year and how much "cabin time" you spend, that might not be a big deal for you. None of the beds are as comfortable as yours, lol. The advice about using AAA is good advice, especially if you must fly to the departure point. AAA travel services should be able to tap into good rates, although, the "last minute" sites are good if you can go on short notice. AAA advisors will also discuss things like trip insurance. We like AAA because they give us a one stop source to get it all done.

[ConnecticutYankee]

We cruise frequently and compare prices on Vacations to Go, and DirectLine Cruises. For cruises over 5 days, DirectLine provides insurance. We have sailed Holland, Carnival, Princess and Royal Caribbean. Royal Caribbean is our 1st choice, with Princess second. We have found that booking on either of these 2 sites, the price can be less than booking direct with the cruise line.

Parking at Port Canaveral at Park&Cruise will run around $60 for a week. It's double that to park right at the port. There are bus lines that take you to Ft. Lauderdale and Miami....about $100 RT per person. You can also drive (4 hrs) and there are lots of places to park.

I would suggest for your first cruise, try a 7 day Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. The itinerary is a stop at Cocoa Cay (RC's private Island), day in St Thomas, and a day in St. Maarten. The entertainment was very good, and we thought the food was excellent. We always get a cabin with an ocean view. We tried a balcony once, and the problem is there can be smokers around, and it can be very windy. Also, the cabin is smaller. If you explore the 2 sites I mentioned above, you can get this cruise for around $750-800/pp.

Cruising is the best vacation value going! Give it a try!

[patfla06]

We love cruising!
Our favorite cruise line is Princess.

A really good website to use is:
Cruisecritic.com
(Lots of good info and advice)

[Cajulian]

Vacations2go.com is a great site with great deals. It shows all the cruise locations and cruise lines. My wife and I are up to about 35 cruises now. We usually stick to Princess, Royal Carribean, and Norwegian. We have sailed many other Cruise Lines, but primarily stick to these.

We like big ships versus small because in rough seas they are much smoother and far less motion sickness. Quality of food, rooms, and all levels of the ships are great on the three cruise lines I mention. Ships like the Norwegian Epic, the Royal Caribbean Oasis and Navigator series ships are like being in a Grand Hotel or give you the feeling of being in a city with street parades and Promenades.

We just enjoyed a Southern cruise to Aruba. We liked it far better than the Eastern and Western. Although we still like to go to St Thomas/St Marteen.

Panama was our most disliked cruise ever. Just not worth seeing and the ports were not nice, with the exception of Cabo San Lucas, which was good.

My wife checks deals every week. We usually find prices for $499 to $699 plus port fees/taxes per person for 7 days, sometimes 9days.

My wife just got back from two Viking River cruises in Europe. She did three river cruise back to back last year.

Best Vacations ever. Something to do everyday, great food and entertainment. No worries about what to do each day or where to eat.

[784caroline]

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.

************************************************** *********

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 (http://www.cruisecritic.com) for alot of advice but you need to find a good TA.

Good Luck

[buggyone]

I also am in the Elite Plus category of Celebrity. For a first time cruise, I would suggest a 10 night Western Caribbean cruise. You will have some nice ports with great beaches. I would not suggest a Christmas cruise - these are the most expensive and most crowded of the year. The perfect time for a Caribbean cruise is April or October. Least expensive time of the year and pretty much perfect weather in the Caribbean.

For a good on-line travel agency, I would recommend CruCon.com. They will give on-board credits and usually will include all gratuities prepaid.

Tell them you are Florida residents over 55. That is a discount. On some cruises with Celebrity, you also get a discount if you are a veteran or if you own stock with RCL.

Have fun.

[Mr Hanky]

I would suggest for your first cruise, try a 7 day Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas out of Port Canaveral. The itinerary is a stop at Cocoa Cay (RC's private Island), day in St Thomas, and a day in St. Maarten. The entertainment was very good, and we thought the food was excellent. We always get a cabin with an ocean view. We tried a balcony once, and the problem is there can be smokers around, and it can be very windy. Also, the cabin is smaller. If you explore the 2 sites I mentioned above, you can get this cruise for around $750-800/pp.

Cruising is the best vacation value going! Give it a try!
:BigApplause::BigApplause::BigApplause:

[kstew43]

As one who used to work a couple months at a time teaching computer classes on cruise ships, I might suggest taking a cruise over New Year's vs. Christmas. I can say, first hand, that Christmas cruises are not the most fun. As our cruise director used to say, the people who are on a Christmas cruise either have no family or their family doesn't want them. The tone of the passengers over a Christmas cruise is so much different than other times. The passengers are usually very grumpy and it affects the whole atmosphere. Even though the crew tries to make sure they are "up" and friendly, Christmas cruise passengers affect them, too. Hubby and I thought all this was crazy when we were told about it and then we experienced it first hand. So, book a New Year's Eve cruise and enjoy the fun and party! People are amazingly happy during New Year's.
:cold:
Seriously.........We cruise at Christmas just to see all the decorations, and we have places to go and I think we are very much wanted.
We tend to attempt to get away from the hometown at christmas due to the crowds, congestion, cold and time off of work. Plus after the actual christmas day, families seem to behave a little better and there is less arguing.
I think your statement was cruel.

[buggyone]

" We always get a cabin with an ocean view. We tried a balcony once, and the problem is there can be smokers around, and it can be very windy. Also, the cabin is smaller."

Mrs. Buggy and I travel on Celebrity cruises - and they are a part of Royal Caribbean. On Celebrity, there is NO smoking allowed in the cabins NOR on the balcony. I believe RCL has the same policy.

The cabin of a balcony room is the same size of an outside ocean view cabin (usually around 190 sq feet - plus another 65 sq feet for the balcony - enough for a couple of chairs and small cocktail table outside.)

If you have a balcony cabin, you will find it hard to go to one without the balcony on your next cruise.

As you can see, some cruisers love Christmas cruising and some do not. It is a personal choice. Some people love going to Disney World during Christmas week - busiest time of year - and others would not go at gunpoint. Personal choice.

Anyhow, have fun whatever you decide.

[buggyone]

Best travel months are April, May, September, and October for good cruise prices and least crowded. Schools are in session so there will not be many kids on the cruise.

Do your own research online or ask a travel agent pertinent questions. Get price comparisons from at least 3 agencies. Have them compete for your business! Tell them you want things such as: onboard ship credits, paid gratuities or a drink package.

When I took my last cruise, Celebrity Cruises was offering their 1-2-3 package. You could have your choice of the onboard credits, paid gratuities, or a drink package for all alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. We chose the drink packages (1 for each of us) and our online travel agency (CruCon.com) paid for all of our gratuities and gave us onboard credits.

Those items saved us a huge amount of cash! Make the travel agent work for you!!

[swrinfla]

I'm a long-time cruiser, but have never sailed over the "holidays!"

On the other hand, I've done cruises over Thanksgiving for many years. Sometimes the ship is decorated for that day, then for Christmas. Other times, there seems to be little attention paid to the December event!

I can imagine that some folks over Christmas may be down, either because their family has 'rejected' them or because they don't have family, anymore. That's sad; I hope their fellow passengers will embrace them and make their sailing memorable!

SWR
:beer3:

[JourneyOfLife]

We travel outside of the country quite a bit.

Our first couple of cruises were more about trying the experience of a cruise.

For us, the novelty of "the cruise experience" wore off fairly quickly.

We cruise from time to time when that mode of transportation best meets our needs. The operative word being "transportation".

IMO; independent travel with fewer destinations and more time in those destinations is a far superior experience.

There are reasons other than "transportation" that we might consider a cruise too. But it is a fairly small list of reasons.

[casita37]

We just took a 7 day cruise on Norwegian, out of Tampa, the first week of December. The rates were by far the best for anytime even close to the holidays. I think the first week of Dec. is traditionally one of the lowest prices. The ship was already decorated, too.

That was just our 3rd cruise, so we're not experts. That brings me to my question. I am getting ready to book a 3 day out of Port Canaveral, on RCI in late March. I have checked all the travel sites and RCI's own site. They all offer the same rates, no on board credits, no free grats, etc. Is there any reason at all to use a travel site rather than the ship's own booking site....or vice versa?

[Ragman]

HERE IS THE BEST TIP I CAN GIVE YOU: There are motels in Port Canaveral and Ft. Lauderdale where you can stay the night before your sailing that will provide you with free parking for the week of your trip and free transportation to and from the port on the day of sailing.



What are some of the motels in Ft Lauderdale that provide free parking and transportation?

[dsweet12]

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.

Cruising prices can be all over the place, but rule of thumb for a mass market cruise is; $100 per person per day is what to expect. So lets say for a 7 day Caribbean cruise for 2, expect to pay around $1400. This should include taxes, but not gratuities. That could add up to an additional $80 pp.

[Lauren Sweeny]

We have traveled for 30 days to the South Pacific after our dog died. You are so right about finding care for pets for long durations. I promised my hubby no more pets so we can have the cruises.

[wmkhut]

We just got back from our 42nd. cruise, we have been on most of the major lines. I would suggest a Southern Caribbean trip, the seas are usually calm that time of year, and you get better ports. We have found if you go on 7 day or longer, and go on newer ships it takes a lot of the risk out. Older people take longer cruises and there is less likely to be problems on newer ships. Of the 42 cruises 19 have been on Carnival and 15 of those were on ships that were new in the last 6 Mos. of us sailing and we had a Grand time, Carnival is still trying to out live the old days when they catered to a young party crowd. Their newer ships are as nice as any and there food and dining options are great. The advantage of using a Travel Agent is that we try to help the clients get rooms located where your not over or under say the Casino or the Theater Etc Personal experience is Valuable. Happy cruising to you. If you need advice on parking i know all the off site places to save you money. Bill