what is the best cruise line for a first time cruise goer?
April 26th, 2010 | 
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we are wanting to go on a cruise for our anniversary… any suggestions on the best cruise line for a first time cruise seeker? as far as cost efficiency and time of year to go… our anniversary is in sept. and we would like to go on a warm cruise not like maybe mexico or bahamas? any suggestions on location would be great too.
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Posted in Cruise Line | 
Tags: anniversary, Bahamas, best cruise, cost efficiency, Cruise Line, mexico, time cruise, time of year
A cruise is a great idea. In response to the other post, an all-inclusive resort is an okay idea until you compare the cost. With international airfare and the high price of the resort, the all-inclusives I’ve priced always end up costing 3x the price of a cruise. What do you get for the extra hundreds of dollars you pay that you don’t get on a cruise? Not a lot. Throw in the extra inconvenience of (more) flights, and the cruise is just a better experience in my book.
Destinations: the Bahamas is kind of overrated in my opinion. If you do Caribbean, look for destinations more in the Eastern / Southern end such as St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Kitts, etc. I also enjoy going to Mexico more than the Bahamas. If you’ve never been, Cozumel is a perfectly acceptable cruise destination. I’ve been there a couple times and still enjoy it.
It’s hard to beat Carnival for low fares. Their ships range from brand new to around 20 years old, so try to find a newer ship such as Dream. The older ships are maintained well, but will lack features that you’ll find on the newer ones. Carnival is a pretty good line, despite some things you hear.
I would recommend a cruise of about 7 days in length for first-timers. I would not go less than 5 days, for sure. Use a good cruise search engine to compare rates and find a good price. Travelocity’s cruise search is pretty good if you use the ‘advanced’ search options. Vacationstogo.com has a very good search engine too. (Both are travel agents, but you can book your cruise direct with the line if you prefer).
Just to give you an idea of what’s out there. Carnival has a 7 night cruise departing Miami on September 25, 2010 on Carnival Liberty, built in 2005. It goes to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios, Jamaica. You can get an oceanview cabin on this sailing for $449 per person (plus tax), an excellent deal.
The Emerald Princess leaving Fort Lauderdale on September 12 is also an excellent value at just $545 for Oceanview. (Princess is a good bit more upscale than Carnival.)
If you do decide to cruise, check into the passport situation now. Many "closed loop" cruises can be done without passport, but it’s still a very good idea to have one. If you needed to fly home in an emergency, you can’t do so without a passport. A passport will cost you about $125 per person and they take a month or two to process. A passport is good for ten years.
If you have more questions, feel free to e-mail me.
Good luck.
For a first timer you can’t go wrong with Carnival cruise line. They offer plenty of trips in the Bahamas and Mexico. It could be a bit crowded though.
September (after Labor Day) is a great time to go price-wise, but be sure to buy travel insurance in case there’s a hurricane. Most lines will re-reoute around the storms, but it’s well worth it just in case.
As for the cruise line, that depends on your age, temperament, and type of activities you like. Some of the ships are great for people wanting to party and others are better for older folks. I said temperament because my husband and I, while not that old, are curmudgeons on a cruise, ha ha! We don’t want a lot of kids around, so we tend to go at times when school is in. Mexican Riviera is supposed to be nice, Antigua was beautiful and so was St. Thomas. I didn’t personally care for Nassau, but that’s because I don’t really like wearing a bathing suit.
If you like parties and after-hours, try Carnival or something like that. Royal Caribbean is a nice in-between. Celebrity was a little more mature. They still had all the parties, but that wasn’t the main focus and the dining room was a lot nicer and a little more formal than Royal Caribbean. Those are the only two we’ve been on, so I don’t know about the others.
ENJOY it! Cruising is the best way to go!
A lot depends on your expectations and budget. Talk to a cruise planner. Most of them will be happy to go over the different cruise lines in detail and give you suggestions.
I firmly believe in the idea of "you get what you pay for." Don’t go for the cheapest ticket, or you might be disappointed. Make sure you know what you are wanting from your trip and that your package matches your expectations.
There are a lot of choices. It’s going to depend on what your tastes are. Carnival has fairly reasonable cruise fares and beautiful destinations. As the name "Carnival" implies, they are more or less "Party" ships, and they sometimes attract that kind of crowd, particularly on the shorter, weekend cruises.
For a honeymoon or anniversary, I recommend a 1 week cruise. You will probably find a more refined group of people compared to a shorter cruise.
I like cruises for the variety they offer; wake up in a new place every morning, the shows, the food, etc.
But if it’s tranquility, peaceful, romantic settings you are looking for, I recommend going to an all-inclusive resort instead of taking a cruise. On a cruise ship, you’re sleeping in a room the size of a walk-in closet, it can sometimes feel like you’re trapped in a very expensive amusement park with no way to escape. They can be noisy and crowded. Resorts are typically very relaxing, the rooms, depending on where you stay, are VERY luxurious (king-sized beds, jacuzzis, sitting rooms, room service, food, AND drinks all included in the price.) Sure, resorts don’t usually offer as much variety as a cruise, but they’re great if you and your spouse are looking for someplace quiet and romantic.
Are you in UK?
If so, try Royal Caribbean. They sail from Southampton so you won’t be restricted on luggage. They do a mediterranean cruise stopping at Gibraltar, Barcelona, Rome, Corsica, South of France. September should still be lovely and warm. Hubby and I did similar cruise for our first time cruise a few years ago and we are now addicted! I have been on Royal Caribbean a few times now! Never been disappointed.
P&O also do similar cruises but I have heard bad things about them but look all the same. Celebrity are sailing from Southampton this year too. They all do similar itineraries. There is also one which goes to the Canary Islands and/or Madeira.
Have fun!
Mexico is a fantastic place to visit but what you have to remember is that you will be in a port. Ports in countries like this aren’t very nice and you would have to arrange your own transport unless on an excursion. The safest bet would be the Caribbean. Try and get a cruise with Royal Caribbean that takes you to Puerto Rico (Old San Juan beautiful!), St Martin (Duty Free and great beaches.Take a trip to the French side), St Thomas ( lovely beaches and again duty free), any of The UK or US virgin islands and definately Barbados where the locals are among the friendliest you will meet. You will be guaranteed the weather and beaches are on your doorstep.Personally I don’t really rate the Bahamas.
sept. is hurricane season. i just did a lot of research on the subject and talked to several people who actually been on cruises. i realized that sept. is a BAD month to go! i was going for my husband 30th birthday, which is in sept. but opted to go in june instead. june 1st starts the hurricane season but from what i’ve been told, it’s rare that a hurricane will start that early. i think you should either go before sept. or after october. because you’ll run a serious risk of getting stuck in a hurricane.
i got the royal caribbean , but i wouldnt recommend that unless you like seeing kids everywhere. we’re bringing our son so it’s fine with us. my friend went, without kids, and she said there were a butt load of kids. i heard the princess and celebrity are better for more intimate cruises, less children orientated. good luck
i’m going june5-10! already booked baby! cant wait! for 3 of us it was about 2200, not including travel insurance. in july, i checked, it was A LOT more–just so you know.
carnival. just don’t take costa.
I suggest Carnival as a good first cruise that has good prices. If you can spend a bit more, I would go with Royal Caribbean. A Caribbean or Bahamas cruise would be nice for you.
Hope I helped!
Royal Caribbean, that is for sure. Believe me they are really really really good.