We've never taken a cruise b4 and could use some help

Hi.

My wife and I are planning a cruise for March 2018. It will be a family vacation so the kids aged 3 and 5 will be coming with us. I've only just begun looking but have started with xxx and xxx. I've been exploring what each offers and right away I have questions regarding the suite. It seems even with a balcony view, your overlooking the lower decks but is it a lot? Will you see more of the deck than the ocean when sitting on the balcony?

Mid ship is better than aft for fore in terms of feeling ship motion?

The butler and concierge services, are they worth it? One agency offers them with the mini suites whereas it seems the other doesn't but the second costs significantly less.

What should I be asking each of them (or a travel agent) when I call? What pitfalls can I avoid by asking the correct probative questions?

What expenses are generally included in the booking charges and what expenses are not?

Any assistance will be greatly appreciated.

John

Discussions about specific TAs is not allowed on CC. Your post is going to be pulled or edited.

You don't name the cruise ship you are considering, so impossible to answer any of your questions. You can call the TA and ask them. Prices on TA webpages often don't include taxes or fees.

Midship is better than fwd.

Would advise not to name any travel agent on any board as the rule does not allow it.

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I had not considered the two companies I listed as travel agents...I've always thought of a travel agent as the mom and pop shop with the small office adorned with small model planes and ships with one too many posters depicting beach get-a-way scenes. I'll message an Admin to edit the post since I am unable to do so.

One of the cruises we're looking at is Norwegian Cruise Line that departs from NY. It visits San Juan, St. Thomas/Charlotte Amalie, Philipsburg, Basseterre & Tortola.

Mini-suits do not get you any suit perks, it a slightly bigger cabin than a standard balcony.

Cabins on ships are a lot smaller than hotel rooms.

You get the butler in the Haven cabins which are right on top of the ship. If you are sitting on your balcony you can't see the decks below (unless on deck 8 maybe). You have to go and stand at the railing and look over to see them.

You can mention cruise lines here not just the agents. What other cruise lines have you looked at MSC are offering suits with butlers that is cheaper than NCL.

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So far my search has been limited to the two TAs as they have points/rewards on credit cards I use frequently.

One of the TAs explicitly states butler and concierge service included with mini suite. This perk is also listed on NCL web site.

I'm not even sure we'd ever avail ourselves of that service but I can see it being useful.

Departing from NY in March is crucial as we do not want to fly and the month has significance for us.

The cabin is on deck 11, mid ship. Would this afford us a picturesque ocean view?

What should we ask the TAs? To weed out the pit falls of the fine print.

Welcome to Cruise Critic, and welcome to cruising! I hope you and your family love it, and that this is the first of many wonderful vacations for you!

Many people say that they feel less motion in the middle of the ship, particularly on the lower decks. However, unless one of you is prone to motion sickness, the gentle rolling is generally not an issue. In fact, many people say that they sleep extremely well on a cruise, thanks to the rocking! Also, unless the cabin you select is described as an Obstructed or Partial View (ask your agent about that), your views will be spectacular!

Some things to ask your TA about are; what programs are available for your children, do you want a scheduled dinner time or a flexible one, what cruise line options are available out of your chosen port and what are their itineraries, what is included in each line's cruise price, what is additional, how formal or casual is the dress code? There are lots of other questions, and I'm sure others will have great suggestions.

Good luck picking your cruise, and don't be afraid to ask about packing, destinations, specific cabin reviews, other people's experiences. Half the fun is in the planning!

Have a great cruise!

One thing I thought about when you mentioned March, you have a good possibility of having Spring Break kids onboard. For your little ones, the extra kids could be a godsend in the daycare center in terms of a plethora of playmates, but the college kids are another matter completely.

Another thing to talk to your TA about.

Have a great cruise!

Welcome to Cruise Critic.

Ask the TA's you are considering if they charge a fee should you need to cancel the cruise -- some do and some don't.

Ask what the gratuities will be for the 4 of you.

Keep in mind -- sailing out of New York/New Jersey in March -- winter -- rough seas -- may even encounter a Nor'Easter.

So far my search has been limited to the two TAs as they have points/rewards on credit cards I use frequently.

 

One of the TAs explicitly states butler and concierge service included with mini suite. This perk is also listed on NCL web site.

 

I'm not even sure we'd ever avail ourselves of that service but I can see it being useful.

 

Departing from NY in March is crucial as we do not want to fly and the month has significance for us.

 

The cabin is on deck 11, mid ship. Would this afford us a picturesque ocean view?

 

What should we ask the TAs? To weed out the pit falls of the fine print.

A mini suite on NCL is not a real suite, it comes with zero perks. On the larger ships, it's not even bigger than a balcony, except for a bigger bathrooms. Real suites with perks are significantly more expensive than mini suites.

We have been on 15 ocean cruises in the past 7 years. Only one involved serious waves (2014 in the North Sea with a Cat 2 hurricane).

Mid ship is best for minimizing movement, forward cabins are the worst. Aft cabins are great for some cruises like alaska where it is not hot and you aft balcony is exposed to the sun in hot weather.

We have upgraded to a suite on Celebrity once and it was great, but we would never pay the full price for a suite. Mini suites on NCL are just slightly larger balcony cabins. When we had the suite, we hardly used the butler. We just don't need hand holding.

Have you considered a Disney cruise? The cabins are bigger and the bathrooms are split so more than one person can get ready at a time. The kids clubs are fantastic. I highly recommend Disney balcony cabin.

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Thank you to everyone that replied, all of this help is truly appreciated as it will help make the best choice and have a great cruise.

@Fern Crest,

Thanks for the suggestions, we'd prefer a less itinerant meal schedule so I'll definitely be asking about that.

I have no experience with motion sickness, the only other time we were on a vessel of any kind was near the Hoover Dam a few years ago and a ferry that goes between Italy and croatia. Neither were an issue but this may not be quantitative enough as they were very short and one was a lake. I'll be asking about activities for kids and the dress code as well, we enjoy fine dining but haven't had many opportunities and without access to safe child care solutions on board, we will have to limit meals to casual kid friendly places.

The college kid warning is a very good point. Not sure how I can structure a question around that where a TAs can answer without running afoul of legalities, provided they would even have access to such data.

@Krazy Kruizers,

I'll ask about fee's, potential refunds and included gratuities. I'll also be looking into the weather for a Nor'easter possibility and asking the TAs what happens if one develops. If a Nor'easter develops while the cruise is under way, what typically happens? Do cruises get cancelled because of this and what of the monies paid?

@mjkacmom,

I'm only quoting the TAs web site and printed magazine about the mini suite butler/concierge perk. It is the only ship board perk they list as all other incentives are TA provided. The pictures, floor plan and stated sq footage don't mislead at all as to just how small the space is. I plan to create a mock up of this space in our family room to get a real world idea of just how closed in it is.

@DCLCrazy,

I hadn't looked at Disney mainly because I thought they only departed from Florida or California. NY is the only option because we can use Dial7 to get there. Flying with the luggage and the kids isn't something we'd like to entertain.

Thank you to everyone that replied, all of this help is truly appreciated as it will help make the best choice and have a great cruise.

 

@Fern Crest,

 

Thanks for the suggestions, we'd prefer a less itinerant meal schedule so I'll definitely be asking about that.

I have no experience with motion sickness, the only other time we were on a vessel of any kind was near the Hoover Dam a few years ago and a ferry that goes between Italy and croatia. Neither were an issue but this may not be quantitative enough as they were very short and one was a lake. I'll be asking about activities for kids and the dress code as well, we enjoy fine dining but haven't had many opportunities and without access to safe child care solutions on board, we will have to limit meals to casual kid friendly places.

 

The college kid warning is a very good point. Not sure how I can structure a question around that where a TAs can answer without running afoul of legalities, provided they would even have access to such data.

 

@Krazy Kruizers,

 

I'll ask about fee's, potential refunds and included gratuities. I'll also be looking into the weather for a Nor'easter possibility and asking the TAs what happens if one develops. If a Nor'easter develops while the cruise is under way, what typically happens? Do cruises get cancelled because of this and what of the monies paid?

 

@mjkacmom,

 

I'm only quoting the TAs web site and printed magazine about the mini suite butler/concierge perk. It is the only ship board perk they list as all other incentives are TA provided. The pictures, floor plan and stated sq footage don't mislead at all as to just how small the space is. I plan to create a mock up of this space in our family room to get a real world idea of just how closed in it is.

 

@DCLCrazy,

 

I hadn't looked at Disney mainly because I thought they only departed from Florida or California. NY is the only option because we can use Dial7 to get there. Flying with the luggage and the kids isn't something we'd like to entertain.

There is no way you will have a butler or concierge with a mini suite, I guarantee it. Ships sail around weather and change itineraries due to storms, they don't cancel.

@mjkacmom,

The TA agent is saying something similar to what your saying which she admits is a contradiction to their own web site. To her credit, she called NCL through an internal contact to get the answer.

Thank you to everyone that replied, all of this help is truly appreciated as it will help make the best choice and have a great cruise.

 

 

 

@Fern Crest,

 

 

 

Thanks for the suggestions, we'd prefer a less itinerant meal schedule so I'll definitely be asking about that.

 

I have no experience with motion sickness, the only other time we were on a vessel of any kind was near the Hoover Dam a few years ago and a ferry that goes between Italy and croatia. Neither were an issue but this may not be quantitative enough as they were very short and one was a lake. I'll be asking about activities for kids and the dress code as well, we enjoy fine dining but haven't had many opportunities and without access to safe child care solutions on board, we will have to limit meals to casual kid friendly places.

 

 

 

The college kid warning is a very good point. Not sure how I can structure a question around that where a TAs can answer without running afoul of legalities, provided they would even have access to such data.

 

 

 

@Krazy Kruizers,

 

 

 

I'll ask about fee's, potential refunds and included gratuities. I'll also be looking into the weather for a Nor'easter possibility and asking the TAs what happens if one develops. If a Nor'easter develops while the cruise is under way, what typically happens? Do cruises get cancelled because of this and what of the monies paid?

 

 

 

@mjkacmom,

 

 

 

I'm only quoting the TAs web site and printed magazine about the mini suite butler/concierge perk. It is the only ship board perk they list as all other incentives are TA provided. The pictures, floor plan and stated sq footage don't mislead at all as to just how small the space is. I plan to create a mock up of this space in our family room to get a real world idea of just how closed in it is.

 

 

 

DCLCrazy,

 

 

 

I hadn't looked at Disney mainly because I thought they only departed from Florida or California. NY is the only option because we can use Dial7 to get there. Flying with the luggage and the kids isn't something we'd like to entertain.

They sail out of NYC too. Plus they are running a special for NYC itineraries on their special deals page.

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They sail out of NYC too. Plus they are running a special for NYC itineraries on their special deals page.

 

 

 

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@DCLCrazy,

I checked their site, they don't have cruises in March. Just September, October and November.

@DCLCrazy,

 

I checked their site, they don't have cruises in March. Just September, October and November.

OMG, DCL is more than triple NCL!

We always get connecting cabins, one for the kids and the other for me and hubby :)

It gives us extra space, and will cost less then a suite. You also have two bathrooms when you have the connecting rooms. In the evening, we put a shoe between the doors so that it doesn't shut tight.

@micheecruise,

That is a good idea, I inquired and was told connecting cabins cannot be guaranteed. Knowing Murphy as I do, he'd be the guy in charge of our rooms so you can imagine how that would play out.

I did get a quote from one TA for a NCL 7 night cruise with an aft Haven cabin on deck 11. I'll get the Ultimate Beverage Package, the Specialty Dining Package, the Internet Package, a $50 Per Port Shore Excursion Credit and the kids travel free (except for taxes).

I also get a $150 ship credit.

Total is $7,800

Does this seem reasonable or can a better deal be had?

@micheecruise,

 

That is a good idea, I inquired and was told connecting cabins cannot be guaranteed. Knowing Murphy as I do, he'd be the guy in charge of our rooms so you can imagine how that would play out.

 

I did get a quote from one TA for a NCL 7 night cruise with an aft Haven cabin on deck 11. I'll get the Ultimate Beverage Package, the Specialty Dining Package, the Internet Package, a $50 Per Port Shore Excursion Credit and the kids travel free (except for taxes).

I also get a $150 ship credit.

 

Total is $7,800

 

Does this seem reasonable or can a better deal be had?

I believe that you can do much better than $7800.00 You could get connecting ocean view rooms and spend (about) half that amount. It sounds like you are booking through a travel agent? I would give the cruise line a call directly. And regarding all those extras, I believe that NCL is having a promo right now and you can get the same extras from them directly. I am going on a 7 day CCL cruise in Nov, we have connecting rooms (they are deluxe Ocean View) and including air fare our total is about $4500.

@micheecruise,

 

That is a good idea, I inquired and was told connecting cabins cannot be guaranteed. Knowing Murphy as I do, he'd be the guy in charge of our rooms so you can imagine how that would play out.

 

I did get a quote from one TA for a NCL 7 night cruise with an aft Haven cabin on deck 11. I'll get the Ultimate Beverage Package, the Specialty Dining Package, the Internet Package, a $50 Per Port Shore Excursion Credit and the kids travel free (except for taxes).

I also get a $150 ship credit.

 

Total is $7,800

 

Does this seem reasonable or can a better deal be had?

Of course you can get connecting cabins, when you cruise, you pick your cabin, unless you choose a guarantee cabin, which means it gets chosen for you (which you wouldn't do if you wanted connecting).

That's way too high. I see this listed on a popular TA webpage, with all the perks you mention, and it's much less expensive.

Suggest you discuss directly with the cruise line and other TAs.

OMG, DCL is more than triple NCL!

But so worth it when you have kids.

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But so worth it when you have kids.

 

 

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Not for me! I have 5 of them and we did 1 Disney cruise, and for us, it wasn't worth the extra expense (and the kids were between the ages of 4 - 11).