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Help! info on cruising

LandLovers said:
DH and I have been on 5 cruises over the last few years. Cruise Critic is a valuable resource. We have owned our timeshare since 1999 and I just found this site today. I starting thinking if there is a forum for cruising there must be one for Timeshare owners-any advise from seasoned TUG members? Specifically, we would like to know how to rent our reservation in Cocoa Beach in December. This site seems a bit more confusing than cruise critic or perhaps I'm just not used to it yet.
TIA,
Kim
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Welcome to TUG, Kim!

There's a forum on this site called, "Buying, Selling, Renting," and at the top of the threads there's a section with 'Stickies'--and one specifically about how to rent your timeshare. (That is, if it's a reservation at your resort--most exchange companies do not allow renting exchanges.)

Good luck.
 
There are SO MANY variables for you to sort thru. One is the target age group for the cruise line. Carnival targets a very young set, while another line is best for seniors. Think about what type of room you want....balcony? inside cabin? no balcony? what level on the ship? Early sitting or late sitting for dinner?

Liquor and excursions could be a real pricey situation. In any case, do LOTS of research before you make a deposit. CruiseCritic will be extremely helpful, but the majority of the users are seasoned cruisers and might be speaking over your head.
 
Going on the assumption that you will like cruising, if you continue to cruise, consider consolidating your cruises on one line; the rewards of loyalty are worth having. We now have free cocktails every evening in the lounge set aside for those who have cruised quite a bit; we get some free laundry, some free internet, priority on excursions, etc. Had we stayed with the same line instead of having 4 or 5 on one; then 2 on another, etc., we would have gotten the loyalty benefits much more quickly. Up to Diamond level, status on Royal Caribbean carries over to Celebrity as elite and Azamara as whatever is equivalent, and status on Celebrity and Azamara carry over to Royal Caribbean--but you can't "mix and match;" the status has to be all on one line. I don't think any other "cruise families" have the carry-over arrangement on status, but I don't actually know.
 
So much good information! and the loyalty angle I would never have gotten.
I have more questions: what about laundry? Are there facilities? I don't want to have to pay a per piece price for it.
Another: do the various lines have a way to deal with special food needs? As in less or no salt?
We are spry 70's, husband still working, so I think Disney and Carnival are out.:)

Anita
 
PClapham said:
So much good information! and the loyalty angle I would never have gotten.
I have more questions: what about laundry? Are there facilities? I don't want to have to pay a per piece price for it.
Another: do the various lines have a way to deal with special food needs? As in less or no salt?
We are spry 70's, husband still working, so I think Disney and Carnival are out.:)

Anita
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I've never seen a place to do your own washing.

As far as special meals, there are always options like Gluten Free, low salt, kosher or other diets.

Cheers
 
PClapham said:
So much good information! and the loyalty angle I would never have gotten.
I have more questions: what about laundry? Are there facilities? I don't want to have to pay a per piece price for it.
Another: do the various lines have a way to deal with special food needs? As in less or no salt?
We are spry 70's, husband still working, so I think Disney and Carnival are out.:)

Anita
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Special meals are always available by request. You may need to let the cruise line know ahead of time. I know one time my mom, sister and I were on a 3 day cruise to Mexico and one of our table mates had dietary issues. She always got a special meal served to her, and they looked great. In fact one night her dessert looked so good the rest of us wanted what she had. :D
 
Tuggers are fabulous!:banana:

Thanks!

Anita
 
You will feel very comfortable on Celebrity, Princess, Holland A, also fine on RCCL and NCL, in that order (IMHO).
Do you have a month you want to cruise? Do you have a port you want to depart from? Do you want to travel via land before/after cruise? There are a lot of possibilities--can you narrow it down a bit?
There are many easy, low cost DIY or hop-on buses you can take without an excursion--the exception being StP, where you can expect to pay $200+PP for a 2 day tour. St. P. is awesome--worth every ruble.
All Princess have self serve laundry. RCCL does not. There is usually a "fill a bag" for $25 or so special. I can fit 4-5 days underW, 3 polos, 2 thin ladies shirts in the bag. If you plan to use the fill a bag or self-service 1X, you can easily pack in a carry-on (or slightly bigger 24") and large totebag with some careful planning and rewearing dark capris/pants.
I have never bothered with loyalty for cruises. I am much more interested in a particular place/time and best deals I can get. Getting free laundry or a few drinks does not tip the scale for me.
For most cruiselines, you can fill out a medical needs form for special diet (low salt, diabetic, etc.). But, you should call at least 60 days prior to departure. That would entail almost always eating in the dining room vs. the buffet to ensure specially prepared meals.
 
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PClapham said:
I have more questions: what about laundry? Are there facilities? I don't want to have to pay a per piece price for it.
Another: do the various lines have a way to deal with special food needs? As in less or no salt?
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I think Carnival has some self-serve laundry facilities, but honestly, you have better things to do on a cruise. Other lines we've cruised with will have a special during the cruise- like a big laundry bag full for $20. I rinse out my own undies and socks- there is a clothes line in the shower. Roll them up in dry towels and wring them out or walk on them, they will easily dry overnight. Tide makes little travel packets of detergent- or use shampoo.

Special diets: You will be asked when you do your online check-in if there are any dietary restrictions low sodium, Kosher, Halal, diabetic are no problems. Remember, you will be with many others in your age category. Your restrictions will not be unique.

Jim
 
The Viking ocean ships have free launderettes with free detergent on every deck that has cabins.
 
About Loyalty: be aware that as you look at various specials, the loyalty benefits also kick in on price. For example, if you book a balcony on Royal Car., you'll get a $200 reduction in price if you're Diamond level or above. It doesn't pay for booking a balcony over an inside or an outside with view, but it helps. In addition, the benefits of booking with a particular cruise agent can make a big difference: our last cruise netted the balcony discount, free grat., dinner in a specialty restaurant, and on board credit--in addition to a price below what the cruise company was offering for the same cruise. The only rule I've discovered that holds 100% of the time is "shop, shop, shop." No one cruise company is always the least expensive or always offers the best perks. It's always worth checking, and above all, keep watching the cruise you have signed up with for reductions in price. As long as you haven't made the final payment (and we always wait until the last possible moment to make it), if the cruise line marks down your category of cabin, you can get the reduction.
 
You may also want to check II for cruise pricing if you haven't booked (assuming you have an II account); I've booked a few cruises with them and they usually have very competitive pricing.

Or, depending on cabin you're booking (if balcony or higher) and if you're a United Airlines credit card holder (and looking to earn miles), you may want to compare with United Cruises.

YMMV.
 
I have found that when comparing a cabin with balcony to a cabin without (on the same deck level) the overall cabin dimensions are the same. The difference is a cabin without a balcony provides the area of the balcony as living space. So with a balcony you pay more per square foot of living space. It's just a matter of personal priorities. Although it's nice to watch the arrival to a port, but there's no guarantee the action will be on your side of the boat. The views from the top deck are limitless!
 
trip reports

I also suggest that you look for trip reports for whichever ships you are considering. Cruisecritics has a review section for each specific ship, then scroll down and find trips for the Baltics. Good chance the same or similar ship did the Baltics in 2015. you can also find trip reports scattered in the Northern European port of call section.
 
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You have four (4) choices of cabins on a cruise ship: inside cabins, ocean view, cabins w/balconies and suites. Again check with cruisecritics.com for more information.
 
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most cruise ships also have oceanview. Sometimes, they are only slightly more than inside, but a lot less than balconies. Princess has even better deals on obstructed oceanviews that have a view of a partial lifeboat/pulley system, etc., but still can see daylight/shore thru obstruction. Almost same price as inside cabin. DH called it the "money view" as it saved us A LOT of $ on our European cruise. There is a website to see what your view would look like. I always make sure I can see a photo of my view before booking an obstructed room. AS long as I can see outside, I would rather spend my $ elsewhere in Europe.
 
Not entirely correct

Kal said:
I have found that when comparing a cabin with balcony to a cabin without (on the same deck level) the overall cabin dimensions are the same. The difference is a cabin without a balcony provides the area of the balcony as living space. So with a balcony you pay more per square foot of living space. It's just a matter of personal priorities. Although it's nice to watch the arrival to a port, but there's no guarantee the action will be on your side of the boat. The views from the top deck are limitless!
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This may be true for some lines, but definitely not all!! For Celebrity ships, the veranda square footage is in addition to that of the cabin. For example, on S-class ships, veranda cabins are 194 sq. ft of indoor space and the veranda adds an extra 54 sq. ft. of outdoor space.
 
I've had oceanview on Princess and Norwegian cruises and like them for the natural light, and also for the extra space. They were about 2-3 feet longer than inside cabins; but ships may vary.
 
I just did a silverseas cruise in an ocean view room without a balcony and yes i thought my room internal size must have been larger than those with balconies

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk
 
baza said:
I just did a silverseas cruise in an ocean view room without a balcony and yes i thought my room internal size must have been larger than those with balconies

Sent from my SM-T800 using Tapatalk
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Unless I'm reading it wrong on the Princess ship we'll be on the rooms with balconies are around 288 - 323 sq ft, with the balcony being extra. The ocean view rooms are 179 sq ft.
 
dsmrp said:
I've had oceanview on Princess and Norwegian cruises and like them for the natural light, and also for the extra space. They were about 2-3 feet longer than inside cabins; but ships may vary.
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Cabins of the same class on the same ship can vary in size and features. That's why you ALWAYS, at a minimum, look at the deck plan of your ship and make the decision on what cabin you want. Look above your cabin, below, and beside it too. If you just order a XXX category cabin from a consolidator- or even from the cruise line you have no control. You could get one over the disco, or a smoking area might adjoin your balcony or you could overlook the garbage deck or be just above the fuel barge when in ports. It's your choice. Exercise it.

Jim
 
Passepartout said:
...you ALWAYS, at a minimum, look at the deck plan of your ship and make the decision on what cabin you want. Look above your cabin, below, and beside it too...
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And don't forget to look OUTSIDE the room.

I was once upgraded two decks up at the time of check-in. Didn't take long to find out the room faced one of the life-boats. At night there was also a light shining into the room. So all the advance planning was undone by the cruise line. Too late to reverse the action as our room originally booked was taken.
 
Passepartout said:
Cabins of the same class on the same ship can vary in size and features. That's why you ALWAYS, at a minimum, look at the deck plan of your ship and make the decision on what cabin you want. Look above your cabin, below, and beside it too. If you just order a XXX category cabin from a consolidator- or even from the cruise line you have no control. You could get one over the disco, or a smoking area might adjoin your balcony or you could overlook the garbage deck or be just above the fuel barge when in ports. It's your choice. Exercise it.

Jim
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Oh we almost always choose our cabins and look at the online deck plans. We prefer lower decks, but not lowest, and also ones more aft rather than forward. My mother likes to be a few cabins away from the stern elevators, so she doesn't have to walk as far to the dining areas. Everyone has their favorites, whatever works for you.

Last cruise we booked late, so not as much choice on cabins, but got a great cabin fare. I think almost every cruise line has their cutoff date, 'n' days before sailing in which payment in full is due. After that cutoff, my brother has found some good fares. The tradeoff is cabin location. But unless the cruise is very popular or only one with that itinerary, there are usually cabins we can live with :)

Wheelchair or limited mobility cabins are in short supply, and those should be booked early.
 
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