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Cruise Discussion Thread

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Deal Fanatic
Apr 18, 2010
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Toronto
malakijoy wrote: The best cruise I ever went on was Hawaii.Great way to see the Islands and the cruise past a live volcano at night with lava flowing down into the sea was unforgettable!
Ohh wow that's priceless!
i6s1 wrote: I think I've been on 13 cruises.... including 5 on Carnival to the Caribbean. The reputation as a "party" line is incredibly overblown. Yes, it's a younger crowd than a Holland ship going to Alaska. But as a non-party person, I think the overall environment is great and the value is incredible.

Every year we talk about going on another line, but Carnival often ends up being hundreds cheaper... so it's hard justify that extra cost. I'd rather use the savings on activiities. We typically pay around $60/day. My last 6 day cruise with them on the Breeze was $280US pp. My last 10 day cruise on the Triumph was $650US pp.
How young and are there still older people?
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Oct 6, 2005
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glover78 wrote: How young and are there still older people?
You get a whole range on Carnival, more so than the other lines. Carnival also caters to a lower end crowd, personally I fine the vibe different and did not like it.

If this is your first cruise, you will be impressed nonetheless, but if you've been on other lines before, Carnival is a bit lacking.
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Feb 9, 2003
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glover78 wrote:
How young and are there still older people?
Yes, there's an age range on every cruise. Last time I went with kids was the 10 day trip from Puerto Rico, my sister's 4 kids were with us. It had a lot less kids than the 7 day cruises from Miami. I think there were 75 kids which is pretty low for ~3000 ppl cruise. There were a lot of middle aged and older people, probably because it's longer than a week. We had 3 medical emergencies... more common with the older crowd. We had to divert back to St Thomas for a midnight drop off, we had someone taken off in G+T, and we had to meet a Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Louisiana for another dropoff.

The time before I went with my wife's family for her dad's 60th birthday. Most of them (his brother/sister/cousins) were 60ish and they certainly weren't out of place. There were a few hundred kids on that one, maybe party cause the Breeze has an awesome waterpark, and partly because it was 6 days. I think most young families don't have much vacation time, so a week long cruise is far more attractive than the longer ones.

I've been on 8 non-Carnival cruises as well, (I'm Platinum-level in the Princess loyalty program) so I'm not unfamiliar with the mid-tier cruise lines. And I'd have no trouble recommending Carnival to almost any age group.

If your group is only ppl 70+ then Holland is a good idea. My mom (who's turning 60 this year) took my Grandma (who's now 88) on a Holland cruise a few years ago. And my mom hated it cause of the older crowd. But if it's a mixed crowd, then any of the lines are great. They all have a quiet pool at the back, some are explicitly adults-only. The middle pool is where the party atmosphere is, with the music and activities. The ships are so big that everyone can find places they like to hang out. So retirement age people will totally enjoy a Carnival cruise.

For me, it really depends on the price. If another line is fairly close to Carnival's price, then I try the other lines. But sometimes Carinval's been half the cost... so it's a no-brainer. The differences in service/food/ent are so slight that it's not worth a lot of extra money to go with a mid-tier line.
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Nov 18, 2005
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Kingston
Pete_Coach wrote: Your best bet is to use www.crusecritic.com for cruise advice and information. They have lots of forums and even first time cruisers forum. They also have cruise line specific forums.
+1. They even have your specific cruise forum (same cruise line, same route, specific dates). We've booked group excursions with people we met on cruisecritic and it worked out great (all done through their forums and then email)
Newbie
Dec 21, 2010
63 posts
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Hamilton, ON
I'm completely new to cruises and I was thinking of going with Royal Caribbean. They seem to offer great prices and lots of dining and activity options available on the larger ships. Crossing the border and flying to Fort Lauderdale is more reasonable than flying from Canada too.

Any thoughts on Royal Caribbean in terms of value?
Deal Expert
Oct 6, 2005
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Jaro wrote: Any thoughts on Royal Caribbean in terms of value?
They're a pretty standard issue cruise line, although these days they nickel and dime you with a lot of extras.
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Aug 24, 2009
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toronto
Princess and Celebrity would be great choice for their quality services, especially Celebrity.
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Jul 25, 2008
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Richmond Hill
I'm looking into going on a cruise in November and hoping to take advantage of the current Royal Caribbean deal. I will be travelling with my husband and will be 11 month old son, parents and my sister, her husband and her will be 16 month old daughter. What is the current age limit in which Royal Caribbean will start charging? Will the current promotion of kids sail free and 3 night free be any beneficial to us since I have 2 days before the sale ends.

This will also be our first cruise so I'm really new to this. I really want it to be a good experience so would like a really good ship. It looks like Oasis and Allure of the Seas are the top ones but I can't find a 5 night trip in November for those 2. I do see one with Enchantment of the Seas but they will be receiving a 61M revitalization in November. Does that mean a lot of things will be cordoned off at the time and quite messy or do they completely shutdown the entire ship to renovate.

I am also open to other cruise lines too, as long as quality is there. We would also like to spend no more than $1500 max per person on the cruise alone. In terms of destination, anywhere within North America is fine as well.

Also, when booking, are you able to choose your cabin? I am reading that you should avoid cabins next to nightclubs, open decks, galleys or "gray areas". I plan to choose a balcony or higher if the price allows so will we run into unfavorable cabins and when we book 3 rooms, they will definitely give you 3 rooms next to each other right? My husband heard from someone that it makes no difference if you get an ocean view or interior. I don't want a room where it takes 5-10 minutes to see the outside. Will this happen? Are interiors and exterior rooms really not all that different?

Ahhhh, I'm such a newbie to this. Thanks for all of your suggestions.
Sr. Member
Oct 13, 2011
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Stock R wrote: I'd like to throw in here. Has the prices of cruising increased significantly? I'm trying to price out cruises and the prices seem to have almost doubled for comparable cruises.
Come September/October this year, I think there will be more deals out of Florida this winter. There will be so many mega cruise ships, where each has a Capacity of 4000+ guest sailing out of Florida this winter. Off the top of my head, there will be 3 Oasis class, 2 Freedom class ship from Royal Caribbean, Escape, Epic and Getaway from NCL and there is also Carnival Vista, and MSC Divina.

In fact, I wonder if Royal Caribbean recent kids sail free promotion is to jump the gun on competitions as they may be struggling to fill their ships.
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Aug 1, 2005
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Didi_beee wrote: I'm looking into going on a cruise in November and hoping to take advantage of the current Royal Caribbean deal. I will be travelling with my husband and will be 11 month old son, parents and my sister, her husband and her will be 16 month old daughter. What is the current age limit in which Royal Caribbean will start charging? Will the current promotion of kids sail free and 3 night free be any beneficial to us since I have 2 days before the sale ends.

This will also be our first cruise so I'm really new to this. I really want it to be a good experience so would like a really good ship. It looks like Oasis and Allure of the Seas are the top ones but I can't find a 5 night trip in November for those 2. I do see one with Enchantment of the Seas but they will be receiving a 61M revitalization in November. Does that mean a lot of things will be cordoned off at the time and quite messy or do they completely shutdown the entire ship to renovate.

I am also open to other cruise lines too, as long as quality is there. We would also like to spend no more than $1500 max per person on the cruise alone. In terms of destination, anywhere within North America is fine as well.

Also, when booking, are you able to choose your cabin? I am reading that you should avoid cabins next to nightclubs, open decks, galleys or "gray areas". I plan to choose a balcony or higher if the price allows so will we run into unfavorable cabins and when we book 3 rooms, they will definitely give you 3 rooms next to each other right? My husband heard from someone that it makes no difference if you get an ocean view or interior. I don't want a room where it takes 5-10 minutes to see the outside. Will this happen? Are interiors and exterior rooms really not all that different?

Ahhhh, I'm such a newbie to this. Thanks for all of your suggestions.
If it is your first cruise... you will be amazed no matter what you choose. Before my first one I too was afraid I might pick the wrong ship or wrong cruise line. However while there may be differences across the various brands (Celebrity, Princess ARE a tier above RC, NCL, Carnival), they all provide a level of service that you will be impressed with.

As for picking the cabin... once you have chosen the ship you are sailing on, find a deck plan for it (google is your friend). I try and pick a cabin that has cabins above it and below it. I learned the hard way.

No matter what cruise line you choose you will be happy.
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Apr 4, 2013
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Didi_beee wrote: I'm looking into going on a cruise in November and hoping to take advantage of the current Royal Caribbean deal. I will be travelling with my husband and will be 11 month old son, parents and my sister, her husband and her will be 16 month old daughter. What is the current age limit in which Royal Caribbean will start charging? Will the current promotion of kids sail free and 3 night free be any beneficial to us since I have 2 days before the sale ends.
Make sure you read the terms and conditions associated with all cruise offers. In this case, for instance, the kids sale free refers to the cruise fare only. Taxes and port charges are not free, and you will also have to pay daily gratuities for the babies.
This will also be our first cruise so I'm really new to this. I really want it to be a good experience so would like a really good ship. It looks like Oasis and Allure of the Seas are the top ones but I can't find a 5 night trip in November for those 2. I do see one with Enchantment of the Seas but they will be receiving a 61M revitalization in November. Does that mean a lot of things will be cordoned off at the time and quite messy or do they completely shutdown the entire ship to renovate.
Ships are usually taken out of service and sent to dry dock for renovations. Some people avoid ships prior to and immediately after dry dock as there may still be some things left unfinished, but it is rare for areas to be cordoned off and messy.

Also, when booking, are you able to choose your cabin? I am reading that you should avoid cabins next to nightclubs, open decks, galleys or "gray areas". I plan to choose a balcony or higher if the price allows so will we run into unfavorable cabins and when we book 3 rooms, they will definitely give you 3 rooms next to each other right? My husband heard from someone that it makes no difference if you get an ocean view or interior. I don't want a room where it takes 5-10 minutes to see the outside. Will this happen? Are interiors and exterior rooms really not all that different?
Just make sure that you are booking 3 cabins together or that you link the reservations. Linking the reservations will allow you to all dine together. You may want to call the cruise line directly to deal with the reservation and working out the kinks.

Obviously, all cabins are not the same. Different people value different things when it comes to cabins. Some love interior cabins while others simply must have suites. I think it comes down to the type of traveler that you are. If you are hoping to spend most of your time out and about the ship then your cabin choice may not be that important. However, if you want a space to get away from it all then you may want a great cabin. Your choice.
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May 18, 2009
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Richmond Hill
Just came back from the Allure of the Seas (west caribb).

Food: was pretty good (buffet = good variety but salty; fine dining = delicious but repetitive menu), Grade = 4/5
Fun: not much fun. it was mostly a relaxing cruise. Grade = 3.5/5
Shows: Quite good but I missed Mamma Mia. Grade = 4/5
Overall service (waitress, housekeeping) = Very good. People were quite nice and professional. Grade 4.5/5

Overall = 4/5 as my first cruise.
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May 18, 2009
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Richmond Hill
Didi_beee wrote: I'm looking into going on a cruise in November and hoping to take advantage of the current Royal Caribbean deal. I will be travelling with my husband and will be 11 month old son, parents and my sister, her husband and her will be 16 month old daughter. What is the current age limit in which Royal Caribbean will start charging? Will the current promotion of kids sail free and 3 night free be any beneficial to us since I have 2 days before the sale ends.

This will also be our first cruise so I'm really new to this. I really want it to be a good experience so would like a really good ship. It looks like Oasis and Allure of the Seas are the top ones but I can't find a 5 night trip in November for those 2. I do see one with Enchantment of the Seas but they will be receiving a 61M revitalization in November. Does that mean a lot of things will be cordoned off at the time and quite messy or do they completely shutdown the entire ship to renovate.

I am also open to other cruise lines too, as long as quality is there. We would also like to spend no more than $1500 max per person on the cruise alone. In terms of destination, anywhere within North America is fine as well.

Also, when booking, are you able to choose your cabin? I am reading that you should avoid cabins next to nightclubs, open decks, galleys or "gray areas". I plan to choose a balcony or higher if the price allows so will we run into unfavorable cabins and when we book 3 rooms, they will definitely give you 3 rooms next to each other right? My husband heard from someone that it makes no difference if you get an ocean view or interior. I don't want a room where it takes 5-10 minutes to see the outside. Will this happen? Are interiors and exterior rooms really not all that different?

Ahhhh, I'm such a newbie to this. Thanks for all of your suggestions.
check out Harmony of the Seas. It's newer than Allure and seems to be more fun. I went with Allure to the West Caribbean (7 nights, 3 stops) from May 30 to June 5 with an interior cabin, with flight it was just under $1400 all in.
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Aug 1, 2005
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I would not recommend a "monster ship" for a first cruise. Stick with a mid-sized ship with about 2200-2300 px.
Some might find being on a ship with another 4500 people a little un-nerving.
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Aug 16, 2009
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Newbie to cruising as well and looking to take advantage of the current RCI promotion. We've narrowed it down to Oasis of the Seas in January for around $3108. Is this a decent price for a Large Interior Stateroom for 2 adults, 4 yo, 2 yo? The room is around 170 or 190 sq ft. in size. Anyone think this is doable for my family size?

Do you tend to line up arriving and departing flights on the same day as the cruise sailing and arrival?
Jr. Member
Oct 14, 2010
108 posts
33 upvotes
michiebaby wrote: Newbie to cruising as well and looking to take advantage of the current RCI promotion. We've narrowed it down to Oasis of the Seas in January for around $3108. Is this a decent price for a Large Interior Stateroom for 2 adults, 4 yo, 2 yo? The room is around 170 or 190 sq ft. in size. Anyone think this is doable for my family size?

Do you tend to line up arriving and departing flights on the same day as the cruise sailing and arrival?
I just paid $2,400 USD for an Oceanview room on Oasis in February using this promotion which I consider a decent price for two adults and two kids.

The room will be tight. But we don't plan on spending much time there.

Fly in the day before. Fly out the same day you arrive back in port, make sure your flight time home is after 11am.
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May 18, 2009
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Richmond Hill
michiebaby wrote: Newbie to cruising as well and looking to take advantage of the current RCI promotion. We've narrowed it down to Oasis of the Seas in January for around $3108. Is this a decent price for a Large Interior Stateroom for 2 adults, 4 yo, 2 yo? The room is around 170 or 190 sq ft. in size. Anyone think this is doable for my family size?

Do you tend to line up arriving and departing flights on the same day as the cruise sailing and arrival?
i had the interior room for 2 adults and it was pretty tight. It was smaller than your avg motel room. The most tight of all was the shower - I wonder how the avg larger american could fit in it.
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May 18, 2009
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Richmond Hill
mcewen wrote: I would not recommend a "monster ship" for a first cruise. Stick with a mid-sized ship with about 2200-2300 px.
Some might find being on a ship with another 4500 people a little un-nerving.
I just had my first on the Allure. It was perfectly fine. To me, it seemed like the size of the avg mall. The only thing i found annoying was walking to my room from the back as mine was located in the front of the ship - it was quite a walk.
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Jul 25, 2008
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Richmond Hill
I just booked Adventures of the Seas out of Puerto Rico for 5 nights for $2460 CDN for 2 adults and an 11 month old on an ocean view balcony suite in November. It is way better to call in to book as the reps can definitely help you choose your cabins if booking with a group. Its so much easier and they were all friendly.

As to the gratuities, they told me its up to us if we want to pay for the infant. Do people usually pay gratuities for their infants?

Can anyone comment on Puerto Rico? We are flying direct from Air Canada a day earlier and departing the same day the ship arrives. We will need a place to stay. Our group will be 6-8 adults, 2 infants and possibly another infant and 3 year old. I suggested Air BnB for an apartment but my husband thinks we should avoid it in a foreign country like Puerto Rico and stick with the safer hotels. Also, I want to avoid bringing tons of diapers and wipes on the plane, will Puerto Rico have the usual Huggies and Pampers for a reasonable price? I notice there are a few Walmart Supercenters in San Juan, are these comparable to U.S?
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Sep 21, 2004
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We sailed out of Puerto Rico for our 1 year olds birthday. Puerto Rico is a US territory. There is nothing shady if you stay in the main areas or hotel strips. We took public transit while we were there to get from our hotel to old San Juan.

You can buy all your baby supplies there.

There are 2 main ports for boarding the ships. Depending on where your ship docks, accessibility will vary.

Have a great cruise.

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