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First cruise December 2017


zhuuliye
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Hi!

 

We have not booked any cruise yet. But we are looking to go on a cruise this December 2017, just not sure which (was looking at carnival & royal Caribbean). Was just wondering which may be better? We are from Canada and would have to travel to Miami because that's where most of the cruises leave off. Please help by commenting below on your advice! Thank you :)

 

 

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Need to clear up some things here. First, more cruise ships sail from Ft Lauderdale, including both Royal Caribbean and Carnival.

 

Second, which cruise line is better is totally a subjective, personal opinion. "Better" is what interests you, not me, or anyone else that answers your questions. There is not going to be a right or wrong answer to which is "better".

 

So, I would be thinking, as it is your first cruise, it is very hard to go wrong. Either one would work just fine. If one has a port or two that you are interested in, or has a schedule that works better for you, or is more in your budget...all possible issues that could sway you.

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Do you have friends, family or colleagues that know you personally and have cruised before or will be cruising in the near future?

We cruised for the first time with a group of old friends who some were long time cruisers. This made things so much easier because the experienced cruisers clued us in on what each of the choices/options meant. They also could be counted on to let us know if we were "DOING IT WRONG" once we were on the ship...LOL

We let the friends choose the ship, dates, etc for our first cruise, now I feel comfortable enough to do it on my own.

Once booked, I then came to CC to learn all the ins and outs of cruising.

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True, "most" cruises do leave from Florida. But, you do have options in California, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Washington State, and New York as well. I would suggest trying to figure out where it is that you want to sail to as a starter. It might be good to know what your budget will be, including your travel, lodging, and meals both pre- and post-cruise. [emoji6]

 

 

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Hi!

 

We have not booked any cruise yet. But we are looking to go on a cruise this December 2017, just not sure which (was looking at carnival & royal Caribbean). Was just wondering which may be better? We are from Canada and would have to travel to Miami because that's where most of the cruises leave off. Please help by commenting below on your advice! Thank you :)

 

 

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Spend a lot of time on this board - especially the first time cruisers board. it will be helpful. We picked our first cruise based on the excursions. I was finally able to get my husband to go to the Carribean when he found a train ride in St. Kitts!

If you're coming from Canada, i'd be inclined to start with a 7-day cruise so you could really get more of the experience after you've invested time and money in the cruise. i had a document I saved from here that has first time cruisers advice for Carnival that i will upload for you later today in case that helps.

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:D

 

I'm taking my first cruise in December 2017 too. What sold me was a group I am part of booking rooms and having classes while on board. Look for what you want to do and go from there. I just made my final payment and now I'm counting down the days until I embark.

 

Thanks :)

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Leaving our of Florida in December is great because of the weather.

 

If you do fly to Florida I would recommend flying in ahead at least one ore more days before the cruise as flying in the day of the cruise is risky should the flight be delayed.

 

Be careful on what time you book the return flight for so you have sufficient time to get to the airport at the end of the cruise and get through airport security.

 

It's a great time to sail the Caribbean which many ships due that time of year from Fort Lauderdale (Port Everglades) or Miami.

 

Keith

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If you do fly to Florida I would recommend flying in ahead at least one ore more days before the cruise as flying in the day of the cruise is risky should the flight be delayed.

 

Keith is so right on this one.

 

I'm from Canada, and I almost missed my first cruise years ago in December when I flew in on the same day as departure!

 

Never made that mistake again!

 

While it seems so obvious of a thing to know now, many first time cruisers may not think of this...

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I agree with the others. I'm a first time cruiser but I was extremely nervous about being late. I'm in Central Orlando, but since it is so close to Christmas, I'm flying in to Miami and staying the night before at a hotel and staying the night I return in a hotel. Then I will fly back the next night. Gives me a chance to explore Miami

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You'll want to book as soon as possible. Usually the cabin locations are poorer the longer you wait. If you need special cabins such as connecting or handicap, you'll probably find these are already taken. And I agree with others -- fly in at least one day early. And don't book the return flight too early -- from Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, I would not book a return before noon, and 1pm might be safer. (Longer from other ports such as Galveston because of the long drive to the airport and more traffic.)

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Agreed....leave out of Fl...and fly INTO FL. at least a day prior to the sailing. Figure the cost of hotel into your vacation funds.. We usually book a return flight around 10:45 am...ample time from POM to MIA. You could go earlier if you are at Port Everglades and flying out of FLL.

 

As far as which cruise line...they are more alike than different. Find the dates and itinerary you want, and type of cabin..and book it. Really doesn't matter which cruise line! You 'll have a blast on either!

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In addition to Florida, I would look at going out of San Juan. The ships there are not the mega ships, but the southern itineraries out of there are incredible. You will get 5 ports, instead of the 3 or 4 out of Florida, and the weather is incredible. We spent a couple days there before hand and there was lots to do as well.

 

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I have cruise both Carnival and Royal. I love Royal! For your first I would suggest a great ship. Either Harmony, Oasis or Allure on Royal. So much to do and you won't get bored in the week. For me the ports are secondary. You spend maybe 6 hours at each of 3 ports. But much longer time on the ship. Mid ship or rat is better than forward. Lower decks are. Tommy preference but are not bad. But do book right away.

 

 

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On our first cruise, my daughter and I booked just three weeks in advance in early December. Huge bargain, about $500 each for five nights. You can get deals like this in the time between American Thanksgiving and before Christmas. We knew nothing and had a fabulous time. What did we care which ports we went to? We'd never been to any of them. Both were in Mexico -Cozumel and Costa Maya. Had a fine time walking around a bit, and people on board gave us advice and info. It went fine.

 

We just happened to sail on RCI because that suited our dates, but another line would have been fine too. Weather was cold and rainy a couple of days, but we didn't care. It wasn't snowing. We explored every bit of that ship, and participated in everything. Went to the shows, did the Trivia, took in the live music in the bars, ate in the Dining Room and the buffet, and loved that we could order room service for just the price of a decent tip.

 

I agree with the advice that, coming from Canada, you should fly in before the day of departure and stay overnight. We almost missed the cruise because of snow and delays. If you miss the ship, that's your problem, both from the departure port and any stops along the way. Number One rule: get onto the ship on time, everywhere.

 

Don't sweat this. Book a cruise that suits your dates and your budget. Try it out, and be open to enjoying everything. Once you've got one under your belt you can be more particular about destinations, cruise lines, etc. Anyone on Cruise Critic will tell you, any cruise is fine, and always better than no cruise at all.

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On our first cruise, my daughter and I booked just three weeks in advance in early December. Huge bargain, about $500 each for five nights. You can get deals like this in the time between American Thanksgiving and before Christmas. We knew nothing and had a fabulous time. What did we care which ports we went to? We'd never been to any of them. Both were in Mexico -Cozumel and Costa Maya. Had a fine time walking around a bit, and people on board gave us advice and info. It went fine.

 

We just happened to sail on RCI because that suited our dates, but another line would have been fine too. Weather was cold and rainy a couple of days, but we didn't care. It wasn't snowing. We explored every bit of that ship, and participated in everything. Went to the shows, did the Trivia, took in the live music in the bars, ate in the Dining Room and the buffet, and loved that we could order room service for just the price of a decent tip.

 

I agree with the advice that, coming from Canada, you should fly in before the day of departure and stay overnight. We almost missed the cruise because of snow and delays. If you miss the ship, that's your problem, both from the departure port and any stops along the way. Number One rule: get onto the ship on time, everywhere.

 

Don't sweat this. Book a cruise that suits your dates and your budget. Try it out, and be open to enjoying everything. Once you've got one under your belt you can be more particular about destinations, cruise lines, etc. Anyone on Cruise Critic will tell you, any cruise is fine, and always better than no cruise at all.

 

 

 

Exactly!

 

 

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On our first cruise, my daughter and I booked just three weeks in advance in early December. Huge bargain, about $500 each for five nights. You can get deals like this in the time between American Thanksgiving and before Christmas. We knew nothing and had a fabulous time. What did we care which ports we went to? We'd never been to any of them. Both were in Mexico -Cozumel and Costa Maya. Had a fine time walking around a bit, and people on board gave us advice and info. It went fine.

 

We just happened to sail on RCI because that suited our dates, but another line would have been fine too. Weather was cold and rainy a couple of days, but we didn't care. It wasn't snowing. We explored every bit of that ship, and participated in everything. Went to the shows, did the Trivia, took in the live music in the bars, ate in the Dining Room and the buffet, and loved that we could order room service for just the price of a decent tip.

 

I agree with the advice that, coming from Canada, you should fly in before the day of departure and stay overnight. We almost missed the cruise because of snow and delays. If you miss the ship, that's your problem, both from the departure port and any stops along the way. Number One rule: get onto the ship on time, everywhere.

 

Don't sweat this. Book a cruise that suits your dates and your budget. Try it out, and be open to enjoying everything. Once you've got one under your belt you can be more particular about destinations, cruise lines, etc. Anyone on Cruise Critic will tell you, any cruise is fine, and always better than no cruise at all.

Well said :)

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I agree with most everything said. The line matters less than finding an itinerary and a price that's agreeable to you. I will be just a tiny bit contrarian on one point... Where to cruise out of. Miami and Ft Lauderdale are great, and San Juan is another option. But for your first cruise? Give some thought to Tampa. Yes, the ships are a bit smaller (to get under the Suncoast bridge), but it's an easier airport to get in and out of, an easier town (personal opinion) to get around in, and the cruises are sometimes cheaper. Smaller ships sometimes a bit less intimidating for the first cruise, too! By the way, we're not talking tiny ships by any means... Just 2,500 passengers instead of 5,000. Still big, comfortable ships. Oh, and the long sail across Tampa Bay is kind of nice, too! Just another option to consider.

 

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You should be able to get some great discounts between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Definetly fly down the day before, as airline schedules are most unpredictable.

 

Obviously, your budget will determine the type of stateroom you get. We love the balcony staterooms in the mid section of the ship.

 

I would recommend Royal Caribbean International, as we have never had any unresolved issues or a bad day at sea with them.

 

Good luck and welcome to cruising.

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Welcome to Cruise Critic.

You didn't give us much information to help you.

How long a cruise are you interested in? 7 days, 10 days or longer?

What are your interests? Do you like site seeing and learning about your ports? Do you like water sports? Do you like shopping?

Are you interested in the Eastern Caribbean ports, the Western Caribbean ports? The Southern Caribbean ports? You need to take time to decide what ports interest you.

What are your ages? Do you want a relaxing cruise or do you like to stay up and party?

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You didn't give us much information to help you.

 

How long a cruise are you interested in? 7 days, 10 days or longer?

 

What are your interests? Do you like site seeing and learning about your ports? Do you like water sports? Do you like shopping?

 

Are you interested in the Eastern Caribbean ports, the Western Caribbean ports? The Southern Caribbean ports? You need to take time to decide what ports interest you.

 

What are your ages? Do you want a relaxing cruise or do you like to stay up and party?

I agree with Krazy Kruizers - you should give more details so the experienced cruisers on cruise critic can guide you even more.

 

 

I notice some posters suggesting the cruise line isn't critical for your first cruise. I disagree slightly, only in so far as you may be able to rule out some cruise lines if you have some strict requirements yourself (you don't want to go on a Disney cruise if you don't want to be around kids, as an example). So it is worth spending time trying to figure this out. I think the underlying message that everyone is saying is, "don't worry, you'll enjoy yourself", but a little bit of homework in advance will help to make your experience as pleasurable as possible :)

 

I know for me, my first cruise was spectacular, which 'hooked' me so-to-speak on cruising. At that time, a travel agent helped me to decide everything based on their knowledge of me and what I like. So some simple questions, like Krazy Kruizers asked in the post above, will be useful to know.

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Port Canaveral. I went out of RCCL Freedom of the Seas from there a few years ago. The checkin process went much smoother than the other ports I've used.

I personally prefer Royal Caribbean. I feel they are classier and maintain their ships better, but Carnival may be less expensive and you'll still have a good time. I've also been on Norwegian. They have really nice ships and include several perks such as a free ultimate beverage package (yes it includes alcohol).

I would suggest checking YouTube for cruise tips. There are several travel agents who cruise themselves and make videos with cruise suggestions from choosing the right cruise line to what to pack. I subscribe to Mr Traveler and Don's Family Vacations.

 

 

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I would be happy to help. More information is needed.

 

You age and your destination preferences.

 

Budget would help.

 

Thanks. :cool:

 

 

 

Mid 20s, multiple ports in the Caribbean. Budget not too expensive, reasonable. We are students

 

 

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I have cruise both Carnival and Royal. I love Royal! For your first I would suggest a great ship. Either Harmony, Oasis or Allure on Royal. So much to do and you won't get bored in the week. For me the ports are secondary. You spend maybe 6 hours at each of 3 ports. But much longer time on the ship. Mid ship or rat is better than forward. Lower decks are. Tommy preference but are not bad. But do book right away.

 

 

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Did you enjoy oasis or harmony ? I can't chose!

 

 

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