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Getting my feet wet


Allonsea
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Greetings!

 

My partner and I are looking into our first cruise. We’re thinking next September would be nice - kids will be in school, lower rates, nice weather, etc. I understand that Galveston isn’t a mecca of cruise locations, but we live in San Antonio - it’s not a super inconvenient drive to get to the port. And with work schedules being at least a partial factor to consider, 5 days would be perfect for a vacation and we wouldn’t have to dedicate an extra day for flying.

 

Anyway, because we’re looking at Galveston cruises we’re mainly looking at Royal Caribbean and Carnival. Right now we’re leaning towards an ocean suite on Carnival because it seems to be the most decent for the price, but I suppose a junior suite on Royal Caribbean is comparable, if not slightly more expensive?

 

So. With that preface out of the way and knowing that this is our first cruise so we’re not sure what we’re getting ourselves into (will we even like it? Is 5 days enough? Should we just call it quits and go to Vegas again?) - would you recommend an ocean suite on Carnival or a junior suite on Royal Caribbean? Or should we throw caution to the wind and look at a grand suite? Is Carnival Valor good for a first timer just looking to try on some sea legs for a change - or should we spring for Enchantment of the Seas?

 

Again. I’m super new to all of this. Moderators- feel free to move, modify, delete, any/all of the above if this isn’t where it needs to be or if I’m just being dumb. Cruise websites are harder to navigate than Disney World websites - and that’s saying something.

 

 

Grayson

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You can post on the CCL and RCI Cruise forum for more opinions

 

Carnival Cruise Lines

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?215https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?215

Royal Caribbean International

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?83https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?83

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Go for it!! 5 days is great for a first cruise. I think it’s perfect actually. Any shorter and you don’t get the real effect. And my guess is you will be wishing it was a 7 day cruise! Galveston is a great port to drive to. We always park with EZ Cruise, it’s locally owned and they always take good care of us. I’ve not been on Valor but my family has and liked it. I’ve not sailed RCI so I can’t comment there. I’ve been happy with Carnival so far. Sailed with them at least 5 times. September will be a great time of year. Just be sure to buy trip insurance as soon as you book. I buy mine through insuremytrip dot com. It’s cheaper and better coverage than Carnivals insurance. And just know that you are spoiling yourself with a suite. It’s not a bad thing, you just won’t ever be satisfied with anything less [emoji38]. If you really want to have some fun Disney sails out of Galveston in November and December...they are AMAZING!

 

 

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Go for it!! 5 days is great for a first cruise. I think it’s perfect actually. Any shorter and you don’t get the real effect. And my guess is you will be wishing it was a 7 day cruise! Galveston is a great port to drive to. We always park with EZ Cruise, it’s locally owned and they always take good care of us. I’ve not been on Valor but my family has and liked it. I’ve not sailed RCI so I can’t comment there. I’ve been happy with Carnival so far. Sailed with them at least 5 times. September will be a great time of year. Just be sure to buy trip insurance as soon as you book. I buy mine through insuremytrip dot com. It’s cheaper and better coverage than Carnivals insurance. And just know that you are spoiling yourself with a suite. It’s not a bad thing, you just won’t ever be satisfied with anything less [emoji38]. If you really want to have some fun Disney sails out of Galveston in November and December...they are AMAZING!

 

 

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Firstly, OP: what a very well written intelligent post!

That said, IMO, 5 days isn't a "cruise." It's a "boat ride." Nonetheless, a short trip like that may make some sense. But, it (5 days/Galveston/mass market) will also paint a portrait of cruising that is not indicative of the broad spectrum of quality available across the industry. As long as you realize that it's a "starter" experience, it'll probably be an OK adventure.

 

 

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Welcome to Cruise Critic.

September is hurricane season -- look back as to what happened this year. Weather is unpredictable -- next year may be great with fewer hurricanes.

We had a western Caribbean cruise changed to an eastern Caribbean cruise in October one year thanks to Hurricane Paula.

Suites are wonderful. JMO -- go with RCI.

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Carnival has the worst "suite perks" at sea. A JS on RCI, while a lovely space, will not get you any perks during the cruise, except for being able to use the "suite line" for boarding. You have to book a GS or greater on RCI to get the perks. Being a Vegas veteran, you will find the cabins no where near as "luxurious" as a Vegas hotel, in most cases! You will also find the casino much tighter, with lower odds than Vegas!

 

That said, a 5 nighter is a good way to start....you will have a great time, I'm sure..99.9% of cruisers do!!

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I’ve cruised in September with minimal issues due to hurricanes. One port was changed because a small hurricane hit Jamaica. No big deal, we remained flexible. That’s why I suggest buying trip insurance. It sounds to me like Carnival handled the hurricanes very well this year. I personally sail in hurricane season because rates are low and it’s the best weather I have ever experienced on a cruise. The ocean was like glass, not too hot, not too cool. Also, less kids. Just know that you may need to be flexible with ports changing. I’m personally more concerned about cruising out of Galveston during fog season. Now that sounds like a nightmare. I also agree with what one poster said about it being one of the less exciting itineraries. Progresso wasn’t appealing for us so we stayed on the ship. Cozumel is nice. But I also think as a first time cruiser you will be still be “wowed” by it all. As a seasoned cruiser I cringe at the thought of a 5 day cruise. Even 7 is beginning to feel too short. But for a first time cruiser it will be fine. If you are feeling frisky go for a seven night, you won’t regret it. As for the suites, Carnival doesn’t offer many perks but their suites do come at a more affordable price tag. Personally, I don’t need a suite and won’t book one on Carnival unless I’m sailing to a popular tender port such as half moon cay to get priority tenders.

 

 

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Be sure to read the fine print on any insurance you buy so get a good understanding of how it will cover hurricanes. Each policy is different. You can also purchase “cancel for any reason” coverage. Some policies include it for a bit more money. I like insure my trip dot com because it’s easy to compare several different policies at once. Some include cancel for any reason coverage if you buy it soon after booking your cruise.

 

 

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Where does your cruise go from Galveston? New Orleans is always a good time, Cozumel and Cancun are great. Maybe a stop at Key West. Do those places interest you? Since you’ve never done it, go for it. But Vegas is awfully nice, too. You can take a helicopter to the Grand Canyon, and the shows are beyond belief. There is a lot to love about Las Vegas.

 

 

Take the cruise.

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Where does your cruise go from Galveston? New Orleans is always a good time, Cozumel and Cancun are great. Maybe a stop at Key West. Do those places interest you? Since you’ve never done it, go for it. But Vegas is awfully nice, too. You can take a helicopter to the Grand Canyon, and the shows are beyond belief. There is a lot to love about Las Vegas.

 

 

Take the cruise.

 

 

 

The cruise we’re considering is going to Cozumel and Yucatán. Okay stops?

 

 

Allons-y!

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One caveat, if you book a Grand Suite on Royal, you may become spoiled to the Suite Life, and never want to drop down. :)

 

Two philosophies, one is cheap cabin, cruise more. The other is, get a Suite, enjoy life, and cruise less, but better quality of life on board. :)

 

We have decided on the later. As did a couple we become friends with on the last cruise. We were in a lowly Grand Suite, THEY were in an Owner's Suite. :)

 

One recommendation, when choosing an itinerary, get one with a mix of sea days and port days, to what you like. Some people mainly like port days, I really like a good number of sea days.

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Last Christmas was my first cruise, so I was a complete newbie. We sailed on HAL out of Tampa mostly because of the cost/drive/ports. I let DH do most of the booking as it was completely new to me, but these message boards were a lifesaver to a planner like mine once we got started. We used a travel website to narrow down the departure ports (we knew we wanted to drive) the dates we had available and the ports of call that sounded interesting along with the cost that seemed reasonable. Start there and narrow it down. Carnival tends to be a younger crowd, RCL, a bit of a more adult crowd. The size of the ship will dictate how much entertainment there will be. We decided that this year we wanted a longer cruise because by the end of the cruise, we had found a great group of friends to hang out with and all wished we'd had more time. lol I personally would say that if you can afford a balcony, even if it's not a suite, go for it! Having the outside space to watch the waves at night or watch the ports come and go was a real treat for me!

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Four/five day cruises tend toward the party crowd, especially on Carnival. That doesn't rule them out, just something we have observed.

 

Cozumel can be lovely. We always do a private excursion to Nachi Cocum, an all inclusive day resort that you can book on line. They only take 130 people a day which is nice if there are 5 or 6 ships docked in Coz that day. Progresso is not much, IMHO.

 

Sailing out of Galveston is easy if you drive, harder if you are flying in. Park off site at EZ cruise or one oft he others; they transport you right to the ship and are there to pick you up.

 

Advantage to RCI - you will get double points toward perks in a junior suite on RCI, so you can climb to the next level faster. The food is better on Carnival, I think. The Carnival Serenity deck is lovely.

 

I would lean toward RCI, but have done both.

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I've cruised Carnival the most frequently, due to their cruises out of Tampa. I've never had a suite on Carnival, but now that I can afford suites I keep *not* booking Carnival because, from what I can tell their suite perks are just no where near as nice as other lines.

 

I have sailed in a Grand Suite on Royal and have the Owner's Suite booked on Enchantment this coming February before she leaves Florida. The GS was beautiful and I had an invitation to tour the bridge, a bottle of bubbly and daily treats delivered. I felt so taken care of and welcomed.

 

I will say, I definitely liked the main dining room food better on Carnival, but the ships I sailed on were smaller and didn't have any upgrade options. Their pizza was fantastic.

 

I think either option will be fun for you. If you can swing a GS, do it - but if not I think the JS on Royal will likely be comparable to the suit on Carnival.

 

I'm t-minus 30 days from my first Star suite experience on Oasis and quite excited.

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