[westcoast]

We have never been on a cruise but are thinking it's time. Would
prefer to leave from Tampa. Which cruise line and month would
you suggest?

[Skip2MySue]

Originally Posted by westcoast

We have never been on a cruise but are thinking it's time. Would
prefer to leave from Tampa. Which cruise line and month would
you suggest?

We got hooked a few years ago and this one will be our 10th. We would have done many more if that darn money tree would sprout a little faster. We're booked on Independence of the Seas for Jan. 27th 6 night cruise which is a short one if you want to give it a try. It sails out of Ft. Lauderdale which is a couple hours of driving to get there. But shhhhh, don't let the cat out of the bag as it's a surprise cruise for DW .
Skip 2

[chappy]

We have had 10 delightful cruises on Princess, Royal Caribbean, and Holland America. We usually cruise after November to avoid the Hurricane Season. The winter months were selected to 'escape the cold winters' but now that we are living in The Villages there is no reason to escape!

[swrinfla]

westcoast:

As I tidy up details for my 21st cruise, I think that I may have some expertise in cruising issues!

Cruising is really very personal and subjective. A great deal depends upon what your interests are. Just as much depends upon what the cruise itinerary provides.

Tampa-based itineraries are generally oriented to the western Caribbean. That means fewer ports than cruises sailing from Florida's east coast (Port Canaveral, Port Everglades [Fort Lauderdale] or Miami, although there may be some duplication.

I personally prefer either Holland America or Princess. I find them most compatible with a senior's outlook! Carnival attracts many because they are generally less expensive. But, please note that the atmosphere on board is highly skewed to the younger generation!

Royal Caribbean fills a gap between the "youngster-oriented" and the "elder-oriented" groups. It offers some excellent itineraries and ships.

As far as timing is concerned: I do not see much difference between months, overall. That said, it is worth paying attention to some details. For instance, I'd avoid one-week cruises during "Spring Break" and Thanksgiving because they'd be heavily peopled by kids! Kids are, for the most part, greatly taken care of by cruise ship staff, but can, nevertheless, be disruptive over a vacation cruise.

I may have added confusion to your considerations! However, please know that I am always happy to expound upon cruising issues at greater length (some might say, "exhaustive" length) at any time.

Send me a PM or contact me at swrinfla@comcast.net if you'd like more!

SWR

[KayakerNC]

Cruises out of Tampa are mostly to the Western Caribbean.
My wife (She who must be obeyed) and I are booked on the Norwegian Dawn for mid-November. Great itinerary, great ship.
RCI is also worthwhile. Based on our one cruise with Carnival, I'd skip them.
.

[missypie]

We cruise mostly with Princess. Overall really great line. Picked up a very good deal between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Off to the Caribbean.

Look at the wbsit Discount Cruises, Last Minute Cruises, Cruise, Cruise Line, Cruise Vacation.

Also go to Cruise Reviews, Cruise Deals and Cruises - Cruise Critic.

Lots of info. for you to consume.

[justjim]

Six times we have taken to the seas. The best cruise IMHO was the Alaska Cruise we took 3 years ago. It was on Celebrity. Of course, best to go in summer weather. We went on The Oasis of the Seas (Royal Caribbean)-----5,200 passengers and largest ship floating in 2010 for our anniversary with the entire family. Had a great time. First time out I would limit my journey to 7 days to see how it goes. We always take the patch of (whatever) you put behind the ear in case of rough seas. Came in handy the second time we cruised. Sea sick is no fun!

[rjm1cc]

Originally Posted by westcoast

We have never been on a cruise but are thinking it's time. Would
prefer to leave from Tampa. Which cruise line and month would
you suggest?

We use Holland America. Good service. I could tell you the lines we do not like but someone else probably thinks they are great and does not like HA. You might want to give a little info on what you would like to do on the ship. For example Holland America might not be your choice if you were taking your grand kids or wanted to drink until 4am. The various lines have their own personality. Try Cruise Critic Message Boards and research your questions. For example how are you going to get to Tampa? I would probably drive the day before and stay at a motel that allows me to park my car for free while I am on the cruise. The hotel may have a free (or pay for) shuttle to and from the pier. Lots to learn about cruising so I would spend a lot of time reading about the different ships and ports. By the way you will need a passport. Tampa is a good port to use. Try and pack one suite case per person. Generally one packs way to much on their first cruise. Pay attention to formal night(s). You do not need to be too formal or you can even be informal and go to the buffet. You can also be very formal.

[lanabanana73]

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas would be my choice out of Tampa. It's one of their smaller ships and our favorite in that line. There is glass everywhere and you are able to see the ocean from most places on the ship. It has an outdoor eating area behind the buffet that is our favorite place to gather. You can meet friends and have a snack. It has a beautiful theater and Royal Caribbean's entertainment is historically quite good.

As long as you are investigating cruising, take a look at cruisecritic.com. Click on "boards" and you'll find a message board just like this one except instead of talking about TV, they talk about everything cruising! It's a great place to research the topic and meet others, just like TOTV.

Good luck!

[duffysmom]

Originally Posted by lanabanana73

Royal Caribbean's Jewel of the Seas would be my choice out of Tampa. It's one of their smaller ships and our favorite in that line. There is glass everywhere and you are able to see the ocean from most places on the ship. It has an outdoor eating area behind the buffet that is our favorite place to gather. You can meet friends and have a snack. It has a beautiful theater and Royal Caribbean's entertainment is historically quite good.

As long as you are investigating cruising, take a look at cruisecritic.com. Click on "boards" and you'll find a message board just like this one except instead of talking about TV, they talk about everything cruising! It's a great place to research the topic and meet others, just like TOTV.

Good luck!

lanabanana, I could have written the note you sent. We LOVE the Jewel and the Radiance class ships. We have done transatlantics on her more than once. The buffet is wonderful and so is sitting outside. I would recommend Tampa for your first cruise; easy to get to, beautiful ship and you get a lot for your money. Maybe try their 4 or 5 day cruise. A few of my girlfriends and I will be sailing the Jewel in January for 4 nights.
Celebrity has a new class of ship called the Soltice class and it is beautiful as well. Holland America is an equally good choice with great service; we are considering a Tahiti South Pacific cruise with HA next Spring. But to keep it simple I vote for The Jewel out of Tampa for 4 or 5 nights. Have fun, it's great to live close by so many ports and after the Hurricane season the seas are usually calm.

[Happinow]

Although I have only been on 3 cruises, I will weigh in on this topic. We took two cruises on the Carnival ships and loved it. Then we took one with Holland America. We were less than impressed. The ship was old (Ziederdam) and it truly was geared to the older folks. There was very little activity on board and we were actually board on the cruise. We found that on the Carnival cruise ships there were many younger people on board but filled with activities where we could let our hair down and enjoy. We met many people our age on board as well and made some friends for the length of the cruise. I think it's a personal choice that's why there are so many ships to choose from! Have fun on your cruise.

[jimbo2012]

Just a babe in the woods, only one cruise.

NCL, was great not an old crown by any means, no dressing up for dinner, in fact most were dressed down, parties were going into the morning......a lot of fun.

It was a Christmas gift from our kids which made it special.

NCL I understand does it different.

[kaydee]

taking our 17th at the end of the month on Carnival . As stated earlier, it a personal preference. I will say we enjoy Royal Carribean, Princess & Carnival and I personally feel that choosing the time for cruising is very important. I do not want to cruise when it is spring break or a time where there could be an over flow of young children. We always lean towards the 1st week in Dec, which we are booked to take #18, usually the rates are good at that time. Another choice is early Feb as well as April ( after Easter). Hope all the info you gather is helpful and you get on the ship of your choice and have a wonderful time.

[jmvalcq]

If there are no restrctions, we prefer the 10 day cruises in mid to late January on Holland, Princess, or Celebrity. If you have never cruised before, I would suggest working with a cruise agent as opposed to the internet. Prices are about the same but somebody experienced to help you. Working with a cruise agent can be beneficial to you because most of them have been to the ports that you will be going to. Also they can help you find the last minute deals.

[Bonny]

We love cruising !! We have been on 47 of them. Our 48th, 49th & 50th are already booked.
We've only been out of Tampa twice. Very easy to get to. The rest are from the east coast.
We always cruise Celebrity & Royal Caribbean. Same company, but Celebrity is a little more upscale. Royal is fun. I really like the Freedom Class !