Cruising - How did you start doing it?

[cathy63]

... We have been invited to cruises with friends, but these are "veterans" who want to do 2 week cruises, many days at sea, etc. Something we do not want to try the first time out.

At the moment we are considering river cruises (like on the Mississippi) a short 5 day cruise out of Baltimore (we can drive to the port and no added airfare), or a 3-6 day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale (add it onto the next time we visit family there)...

So the thing with short 3- or 4-day cruises out of Fort Lauderdale is that they're not like other cruises. They tend to attract people who are looking for low cost trips with easy access to lots and lots of booze, and it can be a bit like being stuck in a non-stop spring break. If that's the type of vacation you enjoy, no problem and I am not judging; but I can tell you I have several family members who are certain that cruising is not for them after doing one of those trips.

I think the short trip out of Baltimore is less likely to be party central; or maybe a one-way trip to Quebec would give you a good taste of cruising. A week from Vancouver to Anchorage is also great. If you want something more tropical and are willing to fly, then a week-long Caribbean cruise out of San Juan will usually only have one sea day, and Windstar cruises out of St Maarten have no sea days.

 

[brett]

I don’t like big cruise ships because they are too crowded. And I don’t want to have to eat dinner at a specified time.

I would recommend starting off on a small cruise ship with minimal passengers.

We never eat dinner at a specified time or at a specified table in the main dining room. We book 'open seating' which means we go when we want and we typically sit at a table by ourselves.

Or we select an alternate dining venue or the buffet.

Either way it is when we want and at by ourselves if we so wish.

 

[ABQ2015]

My first cruise is scheduled for July, a small 49 passenger expedition cruise to the Alaska Inside Passage including Glacier Bay. I spent a lot of time researching small cruise lines, reviews, best times to go, prices, etc. Cruise Critic and Tripadvisor were very helpful. There were several good contenders but I finally decided on a specific cruise line because of their great reviews, emphasis on Native American and historical villages, ability to get close to glaciers and wilderness areas, opportunities for kayaking and remote hiking while accommodating guest of different physical skill levels, good food and knowledgeable crew, and the port excursions are included in the price. Drawbacks are spartan cabins, little or no nighttime entertainment or WIFI, and very limited port excursions (but few large ports). I am hoping that the good far outweighs the bad.

The 8 night cruise starts and ends in Alaska, a short enough cruise for a beginner that allows me to spend a lot of time in Alaska including a few extra days in Sitka and not be gone more than 2 weeks from my pets. Small expedition cruises are more expensive than the megaships but usually less expensive than the mid-sized luxury liners. Since I started researching my trip a year ago, I knew there would be some good deals earlier in the year. I was able to get a great discount just this past week (late February) but their high season summer cruises were starting to book up so it was a balancing act.

It might have been easier to use a travel agent but I preferred to do it myself and enjoy the planning. For a larger mainstream cruise, I would probably go with a travel agent at least the first time or two to avoid first timer mistakes and because there are so many decisions concerning cabin selection, special packages, dining, excursions, etc. If my first cruise goes well, I am open to future ones. Maybe a European river cruise.

 

[Lewis Clark]

I've been on two cruises on the large ships with 4,000+ passengers. Not my preference, but they can be a good option if you are on a family trip with multiple generations, as we were. The larger ships have a wider variety of activities for the different age groups.

Despite the sizes, the ships generally did not feel crowded most of the time. One exception was while we were at sea in a rain storm. It did get crowded inside because people were escaping from the rain outside.

 

[jollystomper]

So the thing with short 3- or 4-day cruises out of Fort Lauderdale is that they're not like other cruises. They tend to attract people who are looking for low cost trips with easy access to lots and lots of booze, and it can be a bit like being stuck in a non-stop spring break. If that's the type of vacation you enjoy, no problem and I am not judging; but I can tell you I have several family members who are certain that cruising is not for them after doing one of those trips.

I think the short trip out of Baltimore is less likely to be party central; or maybe a one-way trip to Quebec would give you a good taste of cruising. A week from Vancouver to Anchorage is also great. If you want something more tropical and are willing to fly, then a week-long Caribbean cruise out of San Juan will usually only have one sea day, and Windstar cruises out of St Maarten have no sea days.

Thanks for the info. That is a good point. I am thinking of some of our relatives in Florida who like to take cruises, and that sounds like their cup of tea . DW and I do like to dance, however, so a cruise with evening dancing would be fine with us.

 

[RetireBy90]

DW has been on 3 any I’ve been o. 2. We did a an islade 7 day on Carnival. We enjoyed But too many teens. 2nd for me was Viking from New Zealand to Australia. Better as it was all adult. We are old folks now
I would recommend Viking. However they always docked in out of the way docks and we couldn’t just get off the ship and wander about like the Carnival. We will be on one from Barcelona to Bergen in April. It will be good to see how the docking works there. Then we have one planned to Morocco which I’ve on my bucket list, ( say why)
My advice s to try a short island cruise, maybe 5 or 7 days. Smaller ships are more desired as posts show, but you can try a Carnival or other mid sized ship and still enjoy. Get a balcony for sure. My DW is my travel agent and never a miss. She has us using AAA agent for before and after cruise adventures.

 

[treeofpain]

We started when we were pretty young, and cruise ships were not the behemoths they are today. Lots of changes through the years - some good and some not so good.

It really depends on what you are looking for. Folks looking to party will go on the Carnival 3-4 night cruises, but it can get pretty rowdy. Not really our thing.

Longer cruises seem to have better entertainment. Style-wise, we prefer Royal Caribbean to Carnival. We have been on one Norwegian and one MSC, and both were nice. We re trying Celebrity this spring for a 10 nighter.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have been on 6 cruises and they are fun. The ships have varied from 1k passengers to 4K. I never had to wait in lines. The entertainment was fantastic and the food excellent. The first two we got an ocean view cabin but after that just an inside one as we were rarely in the cabin except to sleep or shower.

 

[Flyfish1]

We have done only one cruise , that being to Antartica with Nat Geo. An amazing adventure filled with unbelievable scenery and massive 30 ft waves in the Southern Ocean. I literally was thrown out of bed from the waves! The ship was on the smaller side, which I enjoyed , but it's always fun going to the dining area and they have put the steel plates bolted in to prevent the portholes from being struck from waves and ice!
We are former sailors/now power boaters so we get it, but my wife kept a scopolamine patch on the entire trip.
We are now considering a more tame Viking River cruise through France.

 

[braumeister]

We have done only one cruise , that being to Antartica with Nat Geo. An amazing adventure filled with unbelievable scenery and massive 30 ft waves in the Southern Ocean. I literally was thrown out of bed from the waves! The ship was on the smaller side, which I enjoyed , but it's always fun going to the dining area and they have put the steel plates bolted in to prevent the portholes from being struck from waves and ice!

I've heard so many stories like this, but when we went (end of 2019) on a similar size (small) ship, the crossing in both directions was absolutely smooth sailing. The captain said the infamous Drake Passage was the "Drake Lake" for us. I realize that we were simply lucky, and the extra bonus was being able to stop at Cape Horn and visit the station there. I understand that's usually off limits due to the weather.

 

[Aerides]

I've only done one (2nd coming up next month), but my choices are always going to be:

Small luxury ship where a nice size room with a balcony is the starting option (though some very small or adventure type boats might not always have it). Nothing under 200 sf.
All inclusive, wifi, drinks, food, I don't want to have to nickle and dime my way on a cruise
Not too many sailing days. I can lounge by the pool easily...but then so does everyone else. Even on a small ship, it will feel more crowded when no one is going off on excursions all day
No forced group dining. Table for two thank you.

 

[Sunset]

...
At the moment we are considering river cruises (like on the Mississippi) a short 5 day cruise out of Baltimore (we can drive to the port and no added airfare), or a 3-6 day cruise out of Fort Lauderdale (add it onto the next time we visit family there). I am monitoring the offerings from vacationstogo.com (recommended by multiple friends who have found it a good site) to see if something with the right length and timing pops up.

A river cruise in Europe (IMHO) offers much more interesting tourism and experience than the Mississippi and it's often cheaper including the flight to take the European river cruise.

We did a Viking Grand European river cruise in June 2017 (June to avoid European summer holidays). It was a fantastic 15 days.

For reference it was $5K with included flight and included tips.

 

[Lewis Clark]

No forced group dining. Table for two thank you.

I have been on several cruises with group dining. The group dining was only at dinner. For breakfast and lunch you could choose not to dine with strangers.

We have almost always enjoyed it. With one or two individual exceptions, we have enjoyed meeting new people at meals. For us it usually enhances the experience.

 

[braumeister]

With one or two individual exceptions, we have enjoyed meeting new people at meals. For us it usually enhances the experience.

That can be amazing. My all time favorite was meeting the guy who had invented most of the instruments used in cataract surgery, along with a long list of other patents. He and his wife were absolutely delightful, so we kept sitting with them the rest of the trip.

It's also good to get reports from the more seasoned cruisers about other potential trips. For example, I had long been skeptical about whether an Antarctic trip would be worth the eye-watering fare, but we got so many hugely positive recommendations on our Galapagos trip that I decided to go for it. Yes, it was worth every penny.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I have been on several cruises with group dining. The group dining was only at dinner. For breakfast and lunch you could choose not to dine with strangers.

We have almost always enjoyed it. With one or two individual exceptions, we have enjoyed meeting new people at meals. For us it usually enhances the experience.

We always liked the group dining for dinner. We met great people, had fun and got good tips for other cruises that are worthwhile to take.

 

[YVRRocketSurgery]

We've been on about a dozen+ cruises with our first cruise being part of our honeymoon.

IIRC, most of our early days research during the mid aughts was via Cruise Critic. We did all of our early bookings using a travel agent and we did get general and some tidbits of info from her. But we found that more specific questions better answered on Cruise Critic. There are a lot more resources today (Youtube videos, blogs, AI, etc) but CC is still a key source of info.

Most cruise specialist travel agents can likely only build up a limited amount of expertise and detailed knowledge on each cruise line, class of ship, itineraries, etc. However, that's not to say that they are not a resource that should be tapped. They are.

IMO, the cruise line, the class of ship, and the itinerary (location and time of year) all play a role on the cruise experience.
For a first cruise, it's kind of chicken/egg. You can identify a few ideas on where to cruise and see what cruise lines/ships sail there or you can get an idea what cruise lines/ships fit the experience you are looking for (onboard activities/amenities, demographics, food, etc) and then see where they sail.

 

[levindb]

First cruise was just 4 days to see if I would get seasick...since then have been on a few more cruises...Alaska, Caribbean, Trans-Atlantic (18 day), and World Cruise (137 days). Our next cruise is 83 days in northern Europe. Our preferences have become smaller (500-750 pax) ships, and longer cruises with many ports and not many days at sea. We also prefer All Inclusive (drinks, dining, excursions, laundry, etc.) where we are not deciding excursions based on price, but more on the activities...hiking, kayaking, dog sledding, scuba...DOING things rather than riding around taking pictures and shopping.
From these short visits in many countries, we then determine where we would like to return in the future with longer, non-cruise visits.

 

[Aerides]

I have been on several cruises with group dining. The group dining was only at dinner. For breakfast and lunch you could choose not to dine with strangers.

We have almost always enjoyed it. With one or two individual exceptions, we have enjoyed meeting new people at meals. For us it usually enhances the experience.

I would not mind, but I know my DH quite well. He shuts down in a group setting, very introverted, and would be dreading dinner by the 2nd night.

 

[MarieIG]

We haven't started cruising yet. I am a bit concerned about my back tolerating sleeping in the cruise ship bed.

 

[sengsational]

I have long put off cruising but as the years roll by I am beginning to think that a cruise would be a nice way to blow some dough as I age.

Clark Howard recommends start-up cruisers should team up with experienced cruisers. But, like me, few of my friends cruise very much. And the ones who do cruise like Huge ships with tons of play things and lots of food and drink. I don’t think I would enjoy that. I want smaller boats (say several hundred people) and longer stops at ports and other places of interest.

The other suggestion was to use a travel agent who specializes in cruising for the first few cruises while I learn the ins and outs of cruising.

So, if you are a cruiser, How did you start cruising and become a wise consumer of the cruising business?

Your BTD is aligned with your lack of interest in the large ship experience because small ships are more money. And the clientele is night and day different.

Just pick a destination you're jazzed about and a cruise line with small ships. Actually, vacationstogo is a travel agent where you can do that. Or, as CH suggests, let someone else get you jazzed about a particular cruise. My next one is on a line I've never used before, Amazara. 700 passengers (small). PM me if you want the details. I'd love to meet you in Early October in Lisbon

Oh, for specifics, the forums on cruise critic are useful.

We haven't started cruising yet. I am a bit concerned about my back tolerating sleeping in the cruise ship bed.

Apparently you can ask for "egg crate" foam pads on some lines. I saw that on cruisecritic.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

We are planning on our first cruise in 25 years. We have been on 2 short 4 day ones in the late 90's and really do not remember much about them. We plan on using a travel agent to book it.

 

[njhowie]

I haven't read through all of the comments so it's probably already been said, but definitely create a login on cruisecritic.com and start skimming through their forums, it's the best place to get good information.

I had always told DW I did not want to go on a cruise, could not see myself enjoying being confined on a ship. When DD was 3 or 4, I gave in and we took her on a Disney cruise, and it wasn't bad. However, a week on board was a bit much and the last day or two I had enough already. Don't know if it was the cruise experience itself, or all the kids and activities geared towards kids and not so much for adults.

After that we took a Royal Caribbean 5 day Bermuda cruise from the local port, and it was simply fabulous. It had the right amount of everything. 5 days was just the right amount of time for me. The activities were the right mix of adult vs. kids. After we got off the ship, we were home within an hour.

Since then I've been on 8 cruises. Been on all the major cruise lines. All have things they do well and other things not so well.

Our last cruise was almost 6 years ago. We got a last minute call offering a major upgrade on Royal Caribbean to one of their two level Sky Loft Suites for our 25th anniversary. Had to pay a little extra above the original amount, but nothing close to what it would have been had I booked that in the beginning. It was an experience that can't be matched. We were all treated like VIPs and given perks galore. When we got home, DW said that would probably be the last cruise we go on because it couldn't be topped.

 

[njhowie]

We are planning on our first cruise in 25 years. We have been on 2 short 4 day ones in the late 90's and really do not remember much about them. We plan on using a travel agent to book it.

I don't believe a travel agent buys you anything when it comes to cruises these days. If you're comfortable making airline or rental car reservations online, then booking a cruise is no different. However, what you must keep in mind is that all of the cruise lines now have non-refundable deposits and depending on the cabin you choose, it can be a good amount of money. So, regardless of how you book, be sure you understand the rules surrounding any money you pay.

If you are a Costco or AARP member, they do offer discounts which can get you better prices than with the cruise line directly.

If you think you'll be more comfortable dealing with a travel agent than directly with the cruise line, then certainly you should. But it's similar to the financial advisor - you are going to pay for the service.

 

[Chuckanut]

Wow! Plenty of good suggestions. Thanks.

 

[RetireBy90]

I don't believe a travel agent buys you anything when it comes to cruises these days. If you're comfortable making airline or rental car reservations online, then booking a cruise is no different. However, what you must keep in mind is that all of the cruise lines now have non-refundable deposits and depending on the cabin you choose, it can be a good amount of money. So, regardless of how you book, be sure you understand the rules surrounding any money you pay.

If you are a Costco or AARP member, they do offer discounts which can get you better prices than with the cruise line directly.

If you think you'll be more comfortable dealing with a travel agent than directly with the cruise line, then certainly you should. But it's similar to the financial advisor - you are going to pay for the service.

DW does our travel planning and does it very well. However, she uses AAA when she wants more assistance. I would recommend trying them if you have AAA. Costs you nothing, the cruise line pays them a commission. We are heading out in March on a cruise that ends in Bergen Norway. She consulted with AAA agent to get hotel and ferry details. Again, no cost. If your comfortable doing all the planning including upcoming visa requirements for EU no need. We wanted a second set of eyes to confirm our plans.