HawaiiJohn

On 9/19/2019 at 4:41 AM, PhillyFan33579 said:

I am in the minority so far, but I wouldn’t take a 2 year old on a cruise. I would be too worried about my child to enjoy myself on the cruise. 

Just curious... What is at the top of your worry list? 

PYNV? Please help out a newbie here. Even google couldn't find it.

Thank you for the feedback. This was very helpful. I'll start searching around for a good travel agent, and I invite PM's if you have one that has treated you good over the years. I actually have air travel all worked out, so it won't be much of an issue. Mahalo from Hawaii!

Aloha. I'm a newbie here so forgive me if this question has been asked & answered a million times.

I'll be retiring soon & hoping to join the ranks of occasional cruisers. My wife & I and our young daughter have extensive travel plans in the coming years. We've lived around the world, mostly in Asia, but that was either job-related, or working around jobs. As a retiree, we will be more unfettered.

With that intro, here is my question. We're looking at a very specific cruise. I don't want to post a link but you can find it online... Cunard line, Sydney to Tokyo, April 2019. We would shoot for a mid-range balcony stateroom. Our daughter will be only 3 years old by then. Since this is so far in advance, everything advertised is full price (roughly $4500 pp for the 18 days). We're hoping the child is free or cheap but I'm not familiar with pricing policies yet.

Given that I don't want to pay full price, what are the prospects & strategies for getting a steep discount on a cruise like this? Is it likely to sell out, and sell out early? If I wait, will the price come down? Are there aggregators or resellers who can help? Any good discounts for retirees, first-timers, or military vets? Any & all advice is welcome.

Please don't dwell on the fact of "This is not a good choice for a newbie" or "Not a good cruise for a child." Our family is infinitely adaptable and we have been in the most off-beat situations around the world. We are not afraid of a challenge or any new situation, and are instilling these qualities in our daughter. There are specific logistical reasons why I chose this cruise (i.e., relocating our family) which this cruise will fit nicely.

TYIA for any replies!