Info on cruises

[Badgerland]

My wife and I are planning our first cruise next March or April. (2004) It's never too early to start planning. Anyway, since it is going to be our first time on a cruise, we want to do a 4-day cruise, just in case we are miserable and don't want to stick around for a 7 day cruise.

Anyway, we are in our mid 20s, so I'd rather go on a cruise with younger folk. (The kids will be staying with grandma.) I want to hear stories from others. Cruise lines recommendations, destinations, ports of departure, etc. If anyone has had bad experiences with certain cruise lines, let me know too.

Thanks ahead of time...

[notoriouspig409]

Call 1-800-833-8644. That's my family's travel agency (I was the black sheep & became a cop). Ask for my sister Lynn, she has a good background in that area and should be able to hook you up.

[Pigskin]

We went on one last year for the first time. Ours was in October. We left out of Galveston on Carnival on Monday traveling to Cancun & Cozumel before coming back on Saturday. We were on the smaller ship Jubilee which was not as fancy as I had thought it would be but it was still comfortable. It was fun. The dining experience alone was worth going. We had the late meals which was fine for sleeping in & going to breakfast but by the time we had finished dinner we didn't want to eat anything at the Midnight buffet. You can still catch the shows with either choice of dining, early or late, & they were excellent. There's a lot of young talent & they put on some fancy shows. There were some things to do during the day or you could make your own day with sunbathing, swimming (the pools were very small), volleyball, etc. Be careful buying bottled water or other drinks...that tab will run up quickly. You definitely should do it though just for the experience of having done it. Watch your step getting in & out of the bathroom.

[Deputy Joe]

Badgerland,
A few years ago I was joking with my wife about taking a Great Lakes Cruise. A few months later, we learned that there really is a Great Lakes Cruise.
I found an ad in a magazine and posted it on the fridge, for laughs.
The cruise departs Quebec City, Quebec. It stops Montreal, Windsor, Ontario, Mackinac Island, Door County and Chicago. Oh, I almost forgot that it stops in one of the most exciting cities on earth, Manitowoc, WI.
If you want info on this 100 person "floating hotel" let me know.

[kirch]

Badgerland:

I've been on about half a dozen cruises, most of them being small 3-day excursions. For what you're looking for, I think Carnival is the way to go. It's younger crowd (unlike the Alaskan cruise my wife and I took where we were about the youngest people on the ship) and set up for having a good time. The food is good and there's plenty of it. A few tips based upon my experience:

1. Don't put your ship charge card on your credit card if you can avoid it. When it goes on the credit card, you never pay any attention to it. And there's a reason they slip the itemized bill under your door at 4:00 am the morning you have to depart. Instead, pay cash toward the charge card. That way, when you get close to the amount you've put down on the card, they'll let you know. It's a much better way of budgeting yourself and not ending up with the moment when you get that bill.

2. If you want to do something like fishing or scuba diving while in port, try to make the arrangements before you leave. And make them directly with the charter company. The excursions you book while on the ship are well-organized, but MUCH more expensive than booking direct.

3. If you're like me, you're not used to tipping people other than your waiter at lunch. Read the info they give you when you get on board -- there should be something about tipping in there. Determine how much (max) you're going to need for tipping, then put it aside in your room safe. I've been on cruises with people who stiffed their room steward, waiter, et al because they blew all their cash at the casino or on excursions. That ain't right.

4. Even if you are prone to motion sickness, most larger cruise ships are stable enough not to trigger it, unless you get into some real rough water. I tend to get seasick in smaller vessels but have never had a problem on a cruise ship. If you're really worried, get some good motion sickness medicine (Murazine worked great for me) and start taking it a few hours before you get on the ship. If you wait til you start feeling sick, you'll be that way for a while til the medicine kicks in.

5. Be aware of Spring Break. One of the cruises I went on fell smack in the middle of Spring Break season. Our ship was full of college kids partying 24/3 (it was only a 3-day cruise). Fine when you're ogling co-eds at the pool. Sucks when they're in the next room drinking and screaming at 4:00 a.m.

met1264:

Hey, don't diss Manitowoc! Half my family's from that town (the other half's from TR). How many other cities around the country can say they have a submarine parked downtown?

[Deputy Joe]

I just found it kinda funny that the ship was stopping in Manitowoc. It isn't a bad city. I have been to the Maritime Museum once or twice. I have some family in Two Rivers too.

[Niteshift]

I'd REALLY recommend either Celebrity or Princess for a number of reasons.

I'd personally avoid Costa, Holland America and Carnival.

If you really want detailed info, PM me. My aunt owns a travel agency that does nothing but cruises anymore because the business in them got that good.

[InSane1]

Freedom Ship
Just go around the world