Help Please! Complete and Utter Cruise Newbie!

Hi All!

While I am very familiar with the invaluable resource of message boards, I'm a complete newbie to cruising. I've been looking over these boards for the past week or so and am ready to put my toes in the water - both in regards to cruising and these boards.

I am wondering if there are any kind of step by step guidelines on how to go about planning a cruise vacation.

I think that I know what cruise line I'm interested in, and I think that I know a ballpark time of when we'd like to go. I have an idea of where we'd like to go, and I know that I'd like to get the best price that we can (kinda obsessed with that one.) I know that I like to handle my own planning (vs a TA - but would be willing to use one if I could end up with a better price or value.) But now I have no idea how to proceed.

I have done a search on these boards, but have not been able to find such a list/guideline.

I'm sure that the experts here can point me in the right direction.

TIA!

BethR - Bahama Mama

Dear Cookie Diva,

There are so many variables that your question is hard to answer.

You could almost make a decision tree to help narrow down the choices

First, where do you want to go? Europe, Caribbean, Western Coastal, Canada and New England, Alaska

Do you want a destination oriented cruise or one with sea days

How long a cruise- 7,14,21 days

What is your budget

Do you want an inside cabin, sea view, or balcony

What is your age range-are you party hearty or prefer a more reserved cruise

Each cruise line has its own personality. Among the mainstream lines,IMO, the age ranges from younger to older

Carnival

NCL and RCI

Princess , Celebrity

Holland America

Once you get your choices narrowed down, find a TA that specializes in cruises. You have done the initial research, and your TA can then work with you.

If you go to the TA and tell them where and when you want to go, what your budget is, and the choice of a couple of cruise lines, he can really help.

Since you know the cruise line and destination you want, find a cruise in the timeslot you'd like, call the cruise line, and book it! Have the deck plans in front of you, so you know what you're paying for. This isn't rocket science!

If you have a local travel agency, and want to let them book it, do that! Sometimes, they give "incentives"...but you won't be in control of your own booking...any requests or changes will have to go through the TA. If you use a TA, check about change or cancellation fees!

Next, get a guidebook on your ports, so you'll know something about where you're going!

Will you need to fly to port? If so, plan to fly in the day prior....too much can go wrong, if flights are delayed to take the chance of same day arrival! That means budgeting for a hotel the night before!

Prices will vary for a given cruise over time. Cruise lines raise and lower the prices in response to demand. In considering this, the key date is when the final payment is due. This is usually 75 days before you sail. When you book you will be asked for a deposit. Usually it is 25% or less of the cost of your cruise. The rest will be due on the final payment date.

Once you have passed the final payment date, there will be a penalty if you cancel. It usually starts at the deposit amount and increases. By the last few weeks before the cruise you get nothing back if you cancel. You can get insurance to cover medical, death in family, etc. There is even cancel for any reason insurance.

When you book, you lock in a maximum price. If the cruise line raises the fare, you are not affected. If the price drops before final payment, you can call your TA or the cruise line and get the lower fare.

However, most fare cuts after final payment are for new bookings only. You may be able to get an upgrade or some On Board Credit.

So to me there are two times to book. The first is long before the cruise. You lock in the price. You get a better selection of cabins. Your fare cannot go up, but can go down.

The other choice is to wait until after final payment and hope there will be a sail. This option is best if you are flexible on the travel dates or can make alternate plans. It is possible the ship will be sold out and you will not be able to get a cabin. It is also possible that there are few cabins and the price has gone up or they are the expensive ones.

Absolute newbies here as well - booked our first cruise for March '15 about four months ago. We ended up using a travel agent (how we got to that decision is a whole different story !!) whose agency is nation-wide in Canada, and as such, had access to block bookings which were significantly lower in price than that offered directly by the cruise line. And, very recently, we decided to amend our original booking from a regular outside stateroom/balcony to a mini-suite/balcony , again at a significantly lower cost through the TA as opposed to Cruise Line upgrade price quote. Being rookies, we have no idea is this is typical or not - others will likely chime in :D.

...VTX-Al

Thank you for the information given so far. As I mentioned above, I am so much more comfortable doing the work and watching myself than with a TA. Have done dozens of Disney trips that way. I want to be able to make changes, cancellations, etc myself.

Paul, I appreciate the information about the "right" times to book and what happens when prices go up or down. That is exactly the information that I am looking for.

Since we are thinking of traveling in the spring of 2016, it sounds like it would be a good time to make our choice now, book, and watch prices. Believe me, I just cannot NOT watch prices! It's in my DNA! ;-)

Royal Caribbean is having a promotion now til October 31, so I guess that it would make sense to just book before then.

Sooo much research to do!

Again, thanks!

BethR - Bahama Mama

Al, you must have been posting at the same time as I was. Very interesting information. I have read about the savings that you

mention through TAs - and that would be my sole reason for using one. I would just have a very difficult time committing to just any TA in hopes that they MIGHT be able to get better pricing. Arrrrggghh! The thrill and agony of vacation planning!

:-D

BethR - Bahama Mama

There are several ways a TA can give you a discount.

The first is the most obvious, they reduce the price. All things being equal this would be the best arrangement.

The second is to give you some On Board Credit (OBC). This goes into your shipboard account to cover your expenses on the ship. This could include tips, sodas, alcohol, shore excursions, bingo, etc. As long as the amount is less than what you will spend it is great. Anything beyond that is wasted either since it goes unused or you make unnecessary purchases just to spend it.

Third way is to give you something on board. It can be flowers, prepaid tips, a soda or alcohol package, etc. These are fine if you would have gotten them anyway. If you would not then they are of much less value to you. For instance, an alcohol package would not be worth much if you expected to have 2 beers the entire cruise.

I used a TA to book our first cruise, but it was admittedly fairly "mercenary" to see what deals I could get. Sounds like we're pretty similar - I'd rather do something myself as opposed to trusting someone else. Having a TA is a little frustrating because it is then somewhat out of your hands, but most TAs don't charge a cancellation fee, so you still retain control if necessary. If you search online, you can find websites where TAs will compete for your business - an easy way to find the best deal relatively quickly, once you know what cruise you want to go on.

These boards are really invaluable, but there are a million other resources online. Just search for what you're looking for and you're liable to find it. As far as a step by step approach, I basically just planned the vacation door to door and started figuring things out as I encountered something I hadn't planned already. We're going on a 9 day cruise in a little over a month and everything but 2.5 of our three sea days is planned out. If you want to give me your email address, I can send you the spreadsheet I'm using as well as one I got here to give you some ideas.

We book as early as possible in order to get the cabin location we want. We find a price we can live with and hope that it goes down (and watch for any reduction). If the price goes down, we make sure the TA gets the reduction. With some of the cruise lines (including Royal) there is an incentive to book at least months in advance. We book with a TA because we get OBC, which is nice. We go to the cruise lines website and look at teh excursions offered to get an idea of what's popular, what's available and the price. We then to to the roll call for the specific cruise and check out what private excursions (and prices) other people on our cruise are taking and compare the price. We have found that we save money and get to see more on a private excursion. We then book a hotel near the port for the day/night prior to the cruise. Weather can affect a flight or a long drive, including snow, ice, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes depending on what area of the country you live. We like to know that we are there and rested prior to boarding the ship and that nothing is going to interfere with us making it to the port. If we plan to use a car service, we book it. Same with a rental car. Airline tickets are purchased later but I start watching the airfare before booking the cruise if the date is not too far in advance to check the prices. I create a folder on my laptop and as soon as I start booking or corresponding with companies about the cruise, I put the document in the electronic file to print out prior to the cruise. Just prior to the cruise, I also e-mail any documents that are essential. That way if I lose anything, I can get on the internet and pull up my correspondence/conirmations.

You have received a wealth of information already, but I have a few ideas not listed.

I also do all the planning and research myself and consider it part of the fun so I understand your interest in doing it yourself.

First, on amazon and kindle ( I'm sure others as well) there are many self published books and ebooks to help the first time cruiser with all the hints and tips that will help save time, money and sanity. Since they are singularly focused on cruising, most are very reasonably priced and can help immensely. Just search first cruise or similar.

There are websites that keep track of current prices on all(?) ships and will even email you if your price goes down- either before you book or after, so you can request a drop from your cruiseline. The ones I know of offhand are cruise fish (no spaces) and icruise.

There are many other websites offering ideas to book. Start by "googling" cruise hints and tips. Many are blogs written by seasoned cruisers wanting to help those of us get started cruising with as much information as possible. Cruise-diva is one I go back to again and again.

The websites I find the most information on are cruiseclues, cruisedeckplans, and cruiselinerooms.

You will also find a load of information on this site. It has ship and port reviews, news, a place to connect to other people on your ship the same week (roll call,) and such friendly helpful people on the boards. Also, on each message board page, on the upper right, you'll see "search this forum," I believe. I click on advanced search, type in a keyword or two, and it will pull up every message with that (those) word(s.) It helps for looking up a specific ship, restaurant, need, etc. You can type in "booking" under first time cruisers, for example.

I hope some of this helps and that you get as much joy planning and cruising as I and many others do. Good luck!

You have received a wealth of information already, but I have a few ideas not listed.

 

I also do all the planning and research myself and consider it part of the fun so I understand your interest in doing it yourself.

 

First, on amazon and kindle ( I'm sure others as well) there are many self published books and ebooks to help the first time cruiser with all the hints and tips that will help save time, money and sanity. Since they are singularly focused on cruising, most are very reasonably priced and can help immensely. Just search first cruise or similar.

 

There are websites that keep track of current prices on all(?) ships and will even email you if your price goes down- either before you book or after, so you can request a drop from your cruiseline. The ones I know of offhand are cruise fish (no spaces) and icruise.

 

There are many other websites offering ideas to book. Start by "googling" cruise hints and tips. Many are blogs written by seasoned cruisers wanting to help those of us get started cruising with as much information as possible. Cruise-diva is one I go back to again and again.

 

The websites I find the most information on are cruiseclues, cruisedeckplans, and cruiselinerooms.

 

You will also find a load of information on this site. It has ship and port reviews, news, a place to connect to other people on your ship the same week (roll call,) and such friendly helpful people on the boards. Also, on each message board page, on the upper right, you'll see "search this forum," I believe. I click on advanced search, type in a keyword or two, and it will pull up every message with that (those) word(s.) It helps for looking up a specific ship, restaurant, need, etc. You can type in "booking" under first time cruisers, for example.

 

I hope some of this helps and that you get as much joy planning and cruising as I and many others do. Good luck!

Please can you help with names or links of the books you refer to? Thanks!

Al, you must have been posting at the same time as I was. Very interesting information. I have read about the savings that you

mention through TAs - and that would be my sole reason for using one. I would just have a very difficult time committing to just any TA in hopes that they MIGHT be able to get better pricing. Arrrrggghh! The thrill and agony of vacation planning!

 

:-D

 

 

BethR - Bahama Mama

We booked our first cruise last year, and I know exactly where you are coming from. We wanted to take a cruise the year before, but I had no idea how much it was going to cost above and beyond what was listed on the cruise line web site. But, I discovered CC, and asked lots of newbie questions - so you are off to a great start. Also for us, we narrowed down our cruise options fairly quickly because we wanted to sail out of Baltimore so we could drive to/from port (we were traveling with our young son, so this was way more convent). This narrowed down cruise lines - Carnival or RCI. We heard great things about both, but selected RCI simply because we wanted to go to Bermuda. I learned a lot more about estimating gratuities and factored in travel insurance, and then just called RCI and booked our trip. I watched religiously for price drops, but because we booked a suite, all I saw was the price go up and up and up until all the suites were sold out. The same thing happened this year, prices never came down. So my advice is this - determine how much you can comfortably afford, and if you find a cruise in that price range for the cabin type and itinerary you want, book it and then check it everyday for price drops. If you get one, call immediately. If you don't get one, you still got what you wanted at the price you can afford.

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All good advice! Like you, I like to do all the research and what not myself . . . compare and re-compare. I think it's fun. The best way to find out how this all works for sure is to just do it. Have faith in your search abilities - read up on sites like Cruise Critic, Cruise.com, etc.... Be sensible and ask a lot of questions - especially while you are on the cruise. Your first one will surely be a learning experience. We have found that everyone is so friendly and willing to help and explain. But be advised . . . Once you have gone on one cruise you you may very well be hooked! It is the one of the best vacation ever. And just know that you can't do it all one cruise....so you will have to go back for more.

Thanks everyone for all of your thoughts and sharing your experiences. We've decided to use a TA and hope to book - or at least put a trip on hold - by the end of the week. Although I know that I will do tons of research myself, our TA is actually an acquaintance of mine who specializes in cruise travel. We can work together. She can share her expertise and I can spend the next 18 months obsessing over every detail. Our friends are going to join us and my friend is not interested in doing the research

like I am. So I can share everything that I've learned with her! Woohoo! I might already be overwhelming them. I hope that we will still be friends at the end of the trip! [emoji14]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Oh, and we decided to do a Caribbean cruise on RCIs Freedom of the Seas in the spring of 2016. Still deciding east vs west though.

BethR - Bahama Mama

Sounds like you are moving right along. If your friends feel you are overwhelming them with info, they can push back a little.

Or I could be a good friend and push back myself. [emoji6] I think that once we've booked and chosen cabins, I can let everyone go for awhile. I'll research excursions then. [emoji2]

BethR - Bahama Mama

Cookie ~ I have to laugh....you sound so much like me! Our next cruise is the end of November and I have already started packing and gathering "stuff" together. . . . making lists of what I need to do (find dog sitter, stop the mail, remember the camera and the charger . . . . ) I also like to research the excursions. Check out itinerary and prices.

This is the first cruise that Hubby and I will be on by ourselves. We usually go with 1 or 2 other couples. We have a hard and fast rule when we go with friends. Everyone is spending a lot of money and should be able to do what ever they want to do (excursions, shows, beach or pool time).....However, we meet up for dinner at the MDR (we happen to like that very much - kidding with the waiters and learning about their lives at home etc. You get to know them pretty well and we appreciate their hard work). But, so far, we have ended up doing almost everything together just bc we have so much fun. It's lay back once we get there and lots of laughing. Can't wait to hear what you think of cruising after your trip....hope you will post!

Oh, and we decided to do a Caribbean cruise on RCIs Freedom of the Seas in the spring of 2016. Still deciding east vs west though.

 

 

BethR - Bahama Mama

We have been on the Freedom of the Seas (both Eastern & Western) several times and you cannot go wrong either way!

You are going to LOVE the Freedom!!!

Enjoy your cruise!!!

Newbie here, too. My travel agent is associated with Virtuoso so we are afforded some benefits, none of which are deal makers but are nice to have: on board credit of $150, an onboard Virtuoso host, onboard cocktail party. Such bennies seem allocated to the upper-scale lines so pricing never will be dirt cheap and that's fine with us. Wage slaves until recently, now we're out to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

One negative I've encountered is the difficulty in booking larger suites as they go out of available inventory very quickly indeed.

Newbie here, too. My travel agent is associated with Virtuoso so we are afforded some benefits, none of which are deal makers but are nice to have: on board credit of $150, an onboard Virtuoso host, onboard cocktail party. Such bennies seem allocated to the upper-scale lines so pricing never will be dirt cheap and that's fine with us. Wage slaves until recently, now we're out to enjoy the fruits of our labor.

 

One negative I've encountered is the difficulty in booking larger suites as they go out of available inventory very quickly indeed.

You will find that the cheapest inside cabins and the most expensive suites are usually the first booked.

Thanks Deena and GTO Girl! So we "officially" put the EASTERN Caribbean cruise on a courtesy hold today. WooHoo! Still am concerned that I'm the most excited one so far, but I guess everyone shows their excitement in different ways. My way? Exuberance and lots of emails and texts messages. TRYING to contain myself a bit. I'll just have to spend a ton of time here on these boards.

Just like when we first started going to Disney World - the Disney boards were how I sustained my passion between trips. This will be a great way to get me through the

next 2 winters. [emoji106]

BethR - Bahama Mama

We booked an inside promenade cabin for our first trip. And our friends got the balcony cabin right across from us. So we can get a real feel for how much difference that $600 would have made.

BethR - Bahama Mama

Ha! DH might be wanting to upgrade to a balcony room already! Good thing that we have 18 months to save (well 15 til final payment.)

I'm going to have to spend every waking moment playing MyVegas! 😉😛

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