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#1
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
We want to do a Caribbean cruise in late April for about
7 days, leaving from Miami or even Ft. Lauderdale. Should I just go to a local travel agent to arrange this and learn the basics of a cruise vacation, or do you vets recommend a particular Web site? Many many thanks! -- Flores |
#2
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
We have always used a travel agent. Currently we use one in our area, which
is suburban Philadelphia, but for years we used and cruised with a lady who lives in Ventura, CA. There are a bunch of travel agents who regularly post here and I don't recall reading much negativity recently. You seem to know what you want, so why not pick an agent and let them go to work for you. One word of warning, cruising is "addictive" and you will not stop at one cruise. Good cruising. -- DG in Cherry Hill, NJ wrote in message oups.com... We want to do a Caribbean cruise in late April for about 7 days, leaving from Miami or even Ft. Lauderdale. Should I just go to a local travel agent to arrange this and learn the basics of a cruise vacation, or do you vets recommend a particular Web site? Many many thanks! -- Flores |
#3
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
wrote in message oups.com... We want to do a Caribbean cruise in late April for about 7 days, leaving from Miami or even Ft. Lauderdale. Should I just go to a local travel agent to arrange this and learn the basics of a cruise vacation, or do you vets recommend a particular Web site? Many many thanks! -- Flores DEFINITELY a knowledgeable travel agent. A good TA will ask questions to find out what you're like... what kind of experience you're looking for... the things that are important to you. And it doesn't have to be a local TA. There are many good ones who post here that you can talk to on the phone. The success of a cruise is making sure you're on the right ship. Like with cars, no point putting you in a min-van if a Corvette is what fits your needs. Same with ships. Gotta find the right ship for you. --Tom |
#4
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
Hi, Flores,
Don't know where you live, but you can easily fly into Miami and cruise out of FLL and vice versa. Often, folks find less expensive flights in/out of FLL. Point is, consider both ports & figure out air later. More ships cruise out of those ports than anywhere else in the US. You have lots of choices! The island ports reached from Florida are generally what will be termed "Eastern Caribbean." You will see the itineraries are very similar. Note, don't ever get too wed to visiting a particular port, as if there is a storm, mechanical problem, passenger emergency or other situation that causes the captain to decide he must miss a port, you as passenger have no recourse--you are buying a vacation on a ship, you are not buying a destination vacation. The most expensive cruises will be on the "latest, greatest" megaships, right now, Royal Caribbean usually commands the top dollar in that segment. Their Voyager-class ships are, indeed, incredible and have the best "Wow!" factor on the seas. I think everyone who has ever done one would agree, hands down, they are worth every penny! But, there is no bad cruise, and you may not even be interested in what those ships offer. The less expensive cruises are usually on 'older' ships, but age is relative, right?! A ship can be thought of as a Grand Dame at the ripe old age of 10! That is really only because each new generation features more bells and whistles than the one before it. There is nothing wrong with most older ships--the cruise lines maintain them so lovingly, they will look gorgeous, offer everything you've dreamed about a cruise vacation and take your breath away no matter what! I like the advanced cruise finder at Travelocity. It is very user friendly. You can target dates, departure ports, cruise lines, etc. This would be a great place to start to begin identifying your choices. For all sorts of cruise lines reviews & other helpful information to get you started, you might want to look at http://www.cruisecritic.com and http://www.cruisemates.com Once you begin formulating ideas, go study the discussion forums at Cruise Critic--look specifically at the cruise line you are considering, then search for threads about the ship you are contemplating. You will learn a lot of current info, tips and tricks! Post questions...you'll get a lot of help. I agree, a TA who specializes in cruises will be very helpful to you. Your first cruise is like your first kiss or car. Sweet. And then, you're addicted, LOL. Have a fun time researching & planning. Diana Ball near Houston, TX |
#5
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
D Ball wrote: I like the advanced cruise finder at Travelocity. It is very user friendly. You can target dates, departure ports, cruise lines, etc. This would be a great place to start to begin identifying your choices. I agree with using Travelocity.com. It is very easy to us and it will give you an idea of what ships go where, what the different ports are and also give you an idea of what any particular cruise should cost. Other then when we go on a group cruise, I find Travelocity prices are right about on target. I use them for research only and think you should find a good, cruise only travel agent to book with. Diana, I have to tell you that I always love your posts!! sue |
#6
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
D Ball wrote:
I like the advanced cruise finder at Travelocity. It is very user friendly. You can target dates, departure ports, cruise lines, etc. This would be a great place to start to begin identifying your choices. I use travelocity to research cruises, but I always go through an agent. I and others have had problems getting in touch with, and satisfaction from, travelocity when I have a question or when others have had a problem. It's only a good place to book if everything goes well I can't stress this enough. Using a brick and mortar agency should not cost you more for a cruise (it may for airfare - be warned, I do my own) and since first time cruisers have a lot of questions, it would be good to have someone you can talk to. If you have friends who have used agents, get a recommendation. There can be shysters out there, though IMHO not too many - and a good one is golden. Others have made most of the other advice I would give, and I won't futher bore folks by repeating it. -- Julie ********** Read my blog on the adventure of learning a second language as an adult at http://www.livejournal.com/users/zweisprachen Web Page: http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm |
#7
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
D Ball wrote:
The island ports reached from Florida are generally what will be termed "Eastern Caribbean." You will see the itineraries are very similar. ????? Whaddya mean? I've taken six cruises out of south Florida (Ft. Lauderdale or Miami). Five of those have been termed "Western Caribbean" itineraries. Some ships alternate. I know that this past Summer, the HAL Zuiderdam was doing one week eastern, one week western. Not sure if that's still the case. Lee |
#8
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
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#9
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
D Ball wrote: snipped for space Thanks for the **great** response Diana (and I appreciate everyone's input, I really do!). I think I'll follow your advice and shop on Travelocity, then go with a local TA. This whole thing is very new for us, with lots of unknowns. -- Flores |
#10
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First time cruiser needs guidance:)
wrote in message oups.com... D Ball wrote: snipped for space Thanks for the **great** response Diana (and I appreciate everyone's input, I really do!). I think I'll follow your advice and shop on Travelocity, then go with a local TA. This whole thing is very new for us, with lots of unknowns. -- Flores, Here's an interesting 4 question test to help pick a cruise line. Let us know what comes up as an answer. http://www.02cruise.com/LineSearch/index.asp It will be interesting to validate what the Travel Agent tells you vs. what the test give you. --Tom |
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