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NYPDlove
LIF Infant
Member since 1/12 80 total posts
Name:
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Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
I have always been scared of going on a cruise, and I'm finally getting to that Ok ill go stage. With all that is going on with the cruises lately I don't know what to look at/for.
My questions: Which cruises have you gone on and loved? Where did you go? How can I get best deal? Excursions? Where did you go out of NY, NJ, FL...? Did you feel sick first time? What should I look for?
Sorry for all the questions! Any info you can give me would be great...thank you :)
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Posted 5/31/13 9:48 AM  |
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Long Island Weddings
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halfbaked
LIF Adult
Member since 8/12 6937 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
I was a little wary the first time I cruised, too. Just the thought of being out at sea unnerved me. And I was afraid I'd get seasick. Couldn't have been more pleasantly surprised! I've taken several cruises since then and thoroughly enjoyed them all. What you see on the news- cruise ships losing power, running aground, etc. is NOT typical. There's tons of cruises leaving port each week and you rarely hear about them- only when disaster strikes! Most times when I'm on the ship, it doesn't even feel like you're moving. I mean it's a floating city! lol! There was only one cruise I ever got sick on and we were in very rough water. Nearly everyone was sick that night. It wasn't scary or anything- there were no waves crashing against the side of the ship or anything of the sort, but you could feel the movement of the boat. But the next morning it was back to smooth sailing. If you're looking at rooms, you might be better of getting an interior cabin midship on a lower deck. There's less movement there. But, personally, I always love a room with a balcony. The interior rooms are so small and you never even know what time of day it is. There's also plenty of over the counter pills, bracelets, etc. that you can get to prevent seasickness. They even sell these in the sundries stores onboard.
We usually cruise out of NY. It is by far the easiest way to travel. A quick drive down to the pier and they take your luggage as soon as you check in. No lugging things around or anything like that. They deliver your luggage right to your room about 2 hours after leaving port. I just recommend getting there earlier since the lines can get very long. We always prefer to be on the ship with a drink and some snacks and the music playing rather than waiting in line at the port.
I've only ever cruised with NCL. I know a lot of people don't like that cruise line, but it appeals to me mostly because of their "freestyle dining". On other cruise lines you are assigned a table with other cruisers (though I think other cruise lines are starting to move away from this as well) and given your choice of dining times. With NCL, you can go anytime you want and you will be seated with your group and your group only. Sometimes you have to wait, but we usually make reservations (especially if we are a large group) and the wait time is minimal. The food is very good, but I will say it's the same for every NCL cruise. In 5 years, I don't think they've added anything new to their included dining. They do offer some additional restaurants which you have to pay for (Usually $10 or $20 per person and as much food as you can stuff your face with). Very much worth it, IMO. I like to look for the newer and bigger ships- they're putting more and more things on them- waterslides, rock climbing walls, outdoor theaters, etc.
As far as destinations, that's really a personal preference. We've done the cruise from NY to Bermuda a lot, mostly because you are in port for 3 days. I just feel like you get to see a lot more of the island, you don't need to rush back by 4:00 PM or get left behind, KWIM? Plus, I love Bermuda! It's a great place to vacation. We've done a few other cruises that stop at multiple destinations for a day- for those I'd recommend doing a little more research. For instance we went on one that stopped at St. Thomas, Tortola, and I can't remember the last place. Anyway, we heard that St. Thomas had a great beach with cheap snorkeling and watercraft rentals so we didn't book an excursion for there, but booked one for Tortola because they had a relatively inexpensive swimming with dolphins excursion (which I HIGHLY recommend!).
Anyway, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised once you take your first cruise! I've always enjoyed it. I really want to go again! HTH! 
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| Posted 5/31/13 12:15 PM |
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ElizaRags35
My 2 Girls
Member since 2/09 20494 total posts
Name:
Me
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
Posted by NYPDlove
I have always been scared of going on a cruise, and I'm finally getting to that Ok ill go stage. With all that is going on with the cruises lately I don't know what to look at/for.
My questions: Which cruises have you gone on and loved? Where did you go? How can I get best deal? Excursions? Where did you go out of NY, NJ, FL...? Did you feel sick first time? What should I look for?
Sorry for all the questions! Any info you can give me would be great...thank you :)
I'm a huge cruise fan! I went on my first when I was a kid and I'm sad to say I've only been on 5 more since then. I will be going on my 7th cruise in August! I think they're a fabulous way to vacation. There's something about being on the open water during a sea day that is so relaxing. The water is the most gorgeous shade of dark blue. Plus you get to wake up in a different location everyday.
Every cruise I have been on so far has been on Carnival. They get a bad rap but in 6 cruises, I can't think of any negatives. They've all been fantastic! Our honeymoon was a 9 day cruise and it was seriously the best vacation I've ever taken and I've done land vacays in Hawaii, Mexico, DR, etc. We are going on NCL in August aboard their newest ship, the Breakaway and we are going to Bermuda. A cruise to Bermuda may be a good option for you since it's docked for 3 straight days. It gives you some sea days to experience that and then the one port. We are going on NCL b/c my dad is taking the family so he chose it. He's also a huge fan of cruises and loves Princess lines the best.
I have been to so many locations by taking cruises -- Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Islands, Mexico, Antigua, Tortola, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Grand Turk. Grand Turk is a favorite of mine b/c it docks right by a free beach, there's shopping, and a huge pool with swim up bar. If you don't want to spend any money, you don't have to. The snorkeling there was great too. St. Thomas was gorgeous.
I've left from NY, Port Canaveral, & Tampa. NY is easiest b/c you don't need to book a flight and check in, in my experience, was a breeze.
I have only felt dizzy/nauseous on one cruise, my last one, and I attribute the rockiness of the ship to the fact that we were in between hurricanes! Dramamine or Bonine + Sea Bands helped immensely.
Whether you book through the cruise line directly or a TA, the price of the room is generally the same. The difference might be in the On Board Credit you may receive but it really depends on the cruise.
The recent "disasters" that some of the lines have recently experienced are the exception and not the norm. There are over a hundred cruise ships sailing each and every day that never have any problems. There is always a chance for an itinerary change due to weather or something like that so just go with an open mind. Our honeymoon cruise was supposed to go to San Juan but they couldn't dock the ship! It was the first time this ship was sailing to the Caribbean and the dock at SJ had some structure on it that extended over the sides of the pier. The ship couldn't get close enough to the pier b/c of this structure! It would have damaged the lifeboats. So we got our port fees refunded and headed towards our next port.
I never book excursions outside of the cruiseline. I know a lot of people book private tours but they make me nervous lol. If you book through the cruise and you hit traffic getting back or the tour ran late, or some other issue, the ship waits for you. If you go off on your own and can't get back to the ship on time, BYE BYE! You are on your own to get to the next port. Do research on excursions. I highly recommend the message boards over at Cruise Critic. I do all of my research on ships, ports, excursions, etc. on there.
If you have any more questions, let me know!
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| Posted 5/31/13 12:48 PM |
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
I agree with everything that everyone has said. I prefer RCCL but don't think there is anything wrong with any other cruise line. It is just what you prefer.
I don't know many people who do not like cruising. More often than not, it becomes an addiction and as soon as they are done with the first one, they are booking another one.
We will be taking our 5th cruise this summer 
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| Posted 5/31/13 2:19 PM |
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MaZz
* Lovin my baby girl!!! *
Member since 2/09 6243 total posts
Name:
Gina
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
Posted by NYPDlove
I have always been scared of going on a cruise, and I'm finally getting to that Ok ill go stage. With all that is going on with the cruises lately I don't know what to look at/for.
My questions: Which cruises have you gone on and loved? Where did you go? How can I get best deal? Excursions? Where did you go out of NY, NJ, FL...? Did you feel sick first time? What should I look for?
Sorry for all the questions! Any info you can give me would be great...thank you :)
I have taken cruises out of NY, NJ, FL, and Puerto Rico. PR was prob the best because the ports were southern Caribbean. There are some cruises from NY that do southern Carib if you didn't want to fly. But those will end up being like 9-10 day cruises at least
I've been to just about every port out there (aside from Europe and Hawaii) so if you need to know about specific ports, fm me.
For the best perks, I like to book through cruise compete.com. You won't be able to really negotiate prices too much but you can get things thrown in like onboard credit, wine, etc
If you aren't sure if you'll get sick, I'd just take Bonine everyday regardless... Bc once that sea sickness hits, it's hard to shake it. Best to avoid it all together. I take one every morning on a cruise... Start the day before so it gets in your system.
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| Posted 5/31/13 6:23 PM |
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babydreaming
LIF Adult
Member since 3/07 1130 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
Posted incorrectly..sorry
Message edited 5/31/2013 8:36:22 PM.
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| Posted 5/31/13 8:34 PM |
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NYPDlove
LIF Infant
Member since 1/12 80 total posts
Name:
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Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
Wow, you ladies are great! So much information...thank you :) From what I'm reading, maybe I should avoid a cruise because it looks like I may get addicted ;) I may fm some of you as I get further into planning with more questions. Once again, thank you!!
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| Posted 6/1/13 9:23 AM |
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JennP
LIF Adult
Member since 10/06 3986 total posts
Name:
Jenn
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
I am also a cruise lover and I just wanted to add that if it's your first I would pick a port intensive itinerary. If worse comes to worst and you don't like it, you can maximize your time off the ship.
As much as I love cruising I prefer those types of itineraries myself because I just like to see as much as possible. I shoot for no more than two sea days for a one week cruise.
HTH!
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| Posted 6/1/13 10:00 AM |
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JandJ1224
Member since 6/06 5911 total posts
Name:
Jannette
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
For your first cruise I would suggest something that leaves from either Fl or further south as the water tends to be calmer as compared to leaving out of NY. Ihavebeen on 10+ cruises.
If you are concerned I would try to stick with newer ships.
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| Posted 6/1/13 8:21 PM |
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
I've only taken Royal Caribbean and never had a bad experience on their ships...already excited about the Quantum class ships.
Check out cruise critic.com- they have a ton of message boards specific to all cruise lines/ships./cruisers.
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| Posted 6/2/13 7:03 PM |
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Eunyboo
<3
Member since 7/12 4376 total posts
Name:
E
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
Posted by EclecticEsq10810
I've only taken Royal Caribbean and never had a bad experience on their ships...already excited about the Quantum class ships.
Check out cruise critic.com- they have a ton of message boards specific to all cruise lines/ships./cruisers.
Thissss! Love cruise critic! I've been on two Carnival cruises out of NY and had great experiences. Felt sick for one night on my last cruise but slept it off and was fine by the am. It is so much fun!!! Ended up posting about which cruise I was going on in cruisecritic about six months before I went and met up with other posters on board. Everyone had different room types so we did a "cabin crawl" where we got to see everything from the double suite room to an interior room. It was awesome and so nice to see friendly faces throughout my cruise. There is a serious wealth of knowledge on that site! (Best excursions, hotspots, detailed port info, etc.) Good luck and have fun!!
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| Posted 6/2/13 10:14 PM |
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JDubs
different, not less
Member since 7/09 13160 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
I never knew how great cruises were until I took my first one two years ago, I wish I would have discovered them sooner! We were on a budget so we went on Carnival both times. We didn't have any problems. We left out of Florida, one cruise we went to Key West, and Cozumel, I liked this one because we got to spend the day at Key West which was more than enough time and then at Cozumel we took an excursion to see the Mayan Ruins of Tulum which was really awesome. The 2nd cruise we went to stopped in Grand Cayman and Jamaica, wasn't too crazy about Jamaica though. Eventually I would like to cruise the Eastern Carribean and see those ports. Good luck!!
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| Posted 6/3/13 9:39 AM |
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nycgirl
Angels!
Member since 3/09 7721 total posts
Name:
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Re: Help me...thinking of taking first cruise ever next year
I love cruising. We will do it every year... especially with 2 kids now. Personally, I find it very relaxing, with lots to do (even if you are stuck with bad weather). I like the entertainment in the evenings and the food and beverage varieties.
I've been on Carnival twice and NCL twice.
I really LIKE traveling from NYC (done it twice) because you don't have to worry about flying, getting a hotel, or missing your cruise because of delays. It is easy with infants to just stroll onboard.
You CAN hit choppy waters and my last cruise, I felt like I had too much to drink the last night because of the motion. I typically do not get motion sickness.
Carnival has better food than NCL. NCL has nicer suites (high end). Both have a free style option. NCL just advertises it more.
Best $$ deal comes from booking with the cruise line directly.
For excursions, I book through the cruise line as well. It does cost $$, but I see that cost as "insurance" that the boat doesn't leave without us. Budget about $60 (beach day)-$150 (an activity) pp per excursion. It does add up.
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| Posted 6/12/13 11:04 AM |
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