This will be my first cruise with my husband and 6 year old. I haven't planned it yet, and am in the research stages. Does anyone have any suggestions? Such as, the length, best time of year to travel, and/or best cruiselines? Any input will be appreciated.
This will be my first cruise with my husband and 6 year old. I haven't planned it yet, and am in the research stages. Does anyone have any suggestions? Such as, the length, best time of year to travel, and/or best cruiselines? Any input will be appreciated.
First, welcome to CLF!
Next, it'll be easier to make suggestions if we know more about what you like to do on vacation. Are you into going on tours, historical areas, adventures (ziplining, etc.)?
Since I'm going to assume your child is in first grade, you might want to check your local school's policy on vacation time during school. Many school districts (like Los Angeles USD) ask parents to schedule vacations during school breaks. If that's the case, you have summertime, winter break and spring break.
I usually recommend those new to cruising take a short cruise (can be combined with a pre or post-cruise visit to your embarkation city -- the place where you're starting the cruise). Also, consider how you want to travel to your port city. If you're within driving distance of a port, you might want to try a cruise from there.
Also think about where you want to go. There are cruises to every continent (incl. Antarctica. It seems that most people try a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise first.
You will get as many suggestions and ideas as there are people. My best advice is to consult with an agent so they can work with you to find the best cruise for you based on your specific situation. Keep in mind that what is best for one is not good for another and what one person loves, another will hate. You need to find what will work best for you taking into consideration dates, itineraries, amenities, budget, etc. And since those things are different for each individual, it's important to find the right combination for you.
Wow, okay, thanks Patty and Pete. Well, I just want to do something fun. We usually stay in a hotel or condo and have to make our own itinerary. Everyone keeps telling me that once you cruise you won't want to vacation any other way. Well I'm from Delaware, and I was thinking about a Thanksgiving vacation since my child is out for the entire week. So, school wouldn't be a problem. Other than that, it looks like the first thing to do is go to an agent. I was going to book online, until I read the other posts. Since it is my first time it will probably be better for me to sit down w/someone. Thank you both again for responding to my post.
First, welcome to CLF!
Next, it'll be easier to make suggestions if we know more about what you like to do on vacation. Are you into going on tours, historical areas, adventures (ziplining, etc.)?
Since I'm going to assume your child is in first grade, you might want to check your local school's policy on vacation time during school. Many school districts (like Los Angeles USD) ask parents to schedule vacations during school breaks. If that's the case, you have summertime, winter break and spring break.
I usually recommend those new to cruising take a short cruise (can be combined with a pre or post-cruise visit to your embarkation city -- the place where you're starting the cruise). Also, consider how you want to travel to your port city. If you're within driving distance of a port, you might want to try a cruise from there.
Also think about where you want to go. There are cruises to every continent (incl. Antarctica. It seems that most people try a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise first.
Patty, my husband and I do enjoy tours. My husband is more the adventurer in our family. I did read that new cruiser should take shorter trips, and I'm all for that. Plus, my daughter is afraid of large bodies of water. She started to panic when we went to see the statue of liberty, however she is fine on planes? I don't get it. We are close to many ports living in Delaware, so we could save on airfare. I also like to shop and just relax.
Wow, okay, thanks Patty and Pete. Well, I just want to do something fun. We usually stay in a hotel or condo and have to make our own itinerary. Everyone keeps telling me that once you cruise you won't want to vacation any other way. Well I'm from Delaware, and I was thinking about a Thanksgiving vacation since my child is out for the entire week. So, school wouldn't be a problem. Other than that, it looks like the first thing to do is go to an agent. I was going to book online, until I read the other posts. Since it is my first time it will probably be better for me to sit down w/someone. Thank you both again for responding to my post.
My wife is a school teacher, and we have been able to take two Thanksgiving cruises (the most recent on last month!). We have now been on four cruises and have a fifth one booked for spring break. We have booked twice with online agencies and three times with Princess.com. I agree, for the first time, work with a local agent, just to understand the process, but then I think you will find better pricing online or with the cruise line itself.
If you have the extra cash, I recommend Disney - your 6 year old will absolutely love it and you will have a wonderful cruise. We just got back from 7-nights on the Disney Magic and it was great, even for a couple of 58-year olds.
The kids were in awe during the fantastic shows they have and there are plenty of times to get pics with the characters - we have a couple with Mickey we had to buy.
Cost more than RCCL and Princess, but it's the Disney experience you're paying for and you get a wonderful product.
My wife is a school teacher, and we have been able to take two Thanksgiving cruises (the most recent on last month!). We have now been on four cruises and have a fifth one booked for spring break. We have booked twice with online agencies and three times with Princess.com. I agree, for the first time, work with a local agent, just to understand the process, but then I think you will find better pricing online or with the cruise line itself.
Mike
I am not so sure that you get a better price from booking on line. I always use a TA, even after almost 30 cruises, and rarely see a better price on line than I can get from my TA.
First, I do my research on line, THEN call my TA. By that time, I already know the cruise I want, and the cabin I want, as well as the best pricing available.
There are other advantages to using a 'real' TA vs. booking on-line, either directly with the cruise line or through an internet only site.
You'll find lots of threads on that very topic elsewhere on this board, so I won't re-hash them. Suffice it to say that 1) a GOOD* TA has access to info (and sometimes pricing) you won't, even after hours of on-line research, and 2) for any issues that might arise after you book, the TA is better equipped to deal with them than you are, for obvious reasons.
* As with any profession, there are good and not-so-good TAs.
I am not so sure that you get a better price from booking on line. I always use a TA, even after almost 30 cruises, and rarely see a better price on line than I can get from my TA.
First, I do my research on line, THEN call my TA. By that time, I already know the cruise I want, and the cabin I want, as well as the best pricing available.
There are other advantages to using a 'real' TA vs. booking on-line, either directly with the cruise line or through an internet only site.
You'll find lots of threads on that very topic elsewhere on this board, so I won't re-hash them. Suffice it to say that 1) a GOOD* TA has access to info (and sometimes pricing) you won't, even after hours of on-line research, and 2) for any issues that might arise after you book, the TA is better equipped to deal with them than you are, for obvious reasons.
* As with any profession, there are good and not-so-good TAs.
I second that!!
After hearing many major problems people have encountered with online sites, I would NEVER recommend doing it online. Just look at what happened recently with CVC (cruise value center) going out of business and leaving hundreds of reservations unpaid for, yet they took the money from the clients.
As canarymoon has stated; an agent can often get you reduced rates the online sites or the cruise line will not or can not get for you. So, an agent can actually end up saving you hundreds of dollars.
There are NO advantages to using an online site, but there are hundreds of reasons not to. A good agent will not charge you for their services, so it costs you nothing to utilize their expertise.
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