I'm think about taking a cruise this time next year?

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Kristina L

The first thing I would do is go to http://www.vacationstogo.com/ticker.cfm and just play around with the options. Find the port closest to where you live or a port that you would like to leave out off. If you can avoid airfare, it'll help keep the costs down. I use this sight to window shop my cruises all the time. Even when I'm not planning one, haha. It's great to give you an idea of costs, ports, deport locations etc. You can use this to figure out what type of cruise is going to fall into your budget. As far as destinations go... for your first cruise, it doesn't matter. You have nothing to compare it too and you are going to have a blast. After years of cruising you'll start comparing one destination to another and build preferences - but for the time being, you'll just enjoy anywhere you go (cause it's all so much fun!)

If you are going to go through a travel agent (there are some good ones out there) you may want to do the VacationsToGo thing anyway - kind of like comparative shopping. Know what the base price is on things before a stranger over the phone starts quoting you prices.

Once you have your cruise booked - check out the FAQ on your cruise lines website, along with the 1st time cruiser info. There will be important info here you will want to know. Also cruisecritic.com can give you some great advice.

Oma

First, where are you located? Can you drive to where the ship/cuiseline is located or would you need to fly? That adds to the expense of trip planned. If flying is needed, there are packages for cruises. How long would you like to be on board ship? There are several websites for cruises and cruiselines. I just came home from my first cruise two weeks ago. Under your search engine, type cruises. Several cruiselines will come up. I definately would choose Holland America again and again and again! The ship ms oosterdam was wonderful! A travel agent can also assist you with answers - free! There are different cruiselines, ships for activities that you would enjoy as well, while sailing. I felt that was important in decision making. Also the size of 'cabin' that you would want defines a price.

jerry

Yes, there are a lot of good deals on great cruises. If you want a good deal on a cruise just check with a good travel agent and if you are a little flexible in your schedule you can get really cheap deals in the "Off seasons". Their prices are cheaper than directly with the cruise line, surprisingly.

I deal with barbara at Kustom Travel for great deals on cruises & tours.
You can email her for a quote at: kustomtravel@yahoo.com

Good luck, take a cruise, it's a blast!!!

MomSezNo

If you stay with the "mass-market" lines [Carnival, NCL, RCCL, Princess} and go with the least-expensive cabin and do some searching, you can find some great deals at the end of hurricane season!

First thing you should do is go to the library or bookstore and get a book about cruising - there are lots of them - which will give you an overview of what's involved. There are lots of variables price, and only you can decide which are most important, e.g. type of cabin, new/old ship, size of ship, itinerary, length of cruise, "type" of cruise ["party hearty", laid back, elegant, etc].

There's also lots of info available on-line. My favorite site is CruiseCritic.com. You can click on "Cruise Styles" at the top of the page and find discussions of the various types of cruises. Click on "Reviews" and get specific, up-to-date info on the various ships, especially if you read "Member Reviews". Click on "Boards" and you'll find numerous topics. The info is from experienced cruisers who are glad to share their knowledge. You'll have to join to ask questions, but it's free. Otherwise, you can just browse the topics.

You can check out the various travel companies on-line, too, and get an idea of what's available and to where. VacationsToGo.com is an easy site to navigate, but you might also want to check Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, etc. Once you have an idea of what you want, a travel agent who is experienced in cruise travel can help you.

You're smart to begin planning early. It gives you plenty of time to do research. Have fun with it!

Mary L

Good for you on planning very early! Go see a travel agent who books a lot of cruises, and pick up written information --- there should be quite a bit! You can also request the information on line, but that can take a while to get in your hands. Once you have looked over the information, you will certainly have more ideas as to what you want to do and a general idea of costs involved. Go back to your travel agent, who will be able to get the best pricing for you -- and that doesn't come out of your pocket, by the way! Booking early is always a very good way to get a very good price and ensure you get the type of cabin you want in a good part of the ship. (Not all cabins are equal, even in the same catagory. As in real estate, LOCATION COUNTS.) Also, buy the insurance! There are several varieties, and some will even cover cancellation due to pre-existing conditions so long as you buy the insurance at the same time you book your cruise. Some people save the money and take the risk, and most get away without problems. However, my sister and I were booked on a cruise (going this week, in fact), but she got very ill a month ago and had to have major surgery. We got the claim forms from our travel agent, who also cancelled the cruise for us, and got them sent in along with information from my sister's doctor, so we will be getting our money back and be able to take another cruise later on. Without the insurance we would have lost everything!

Rocket Star

Cruises.com

I went to that site and bought a crusie for $279, two stops, Cozumel Mexico and Progresso Mexico. I thought it was well worth it for the money!

Robin H

I have been on cruises by myself and also taken my son (starting at the age of 5) with me on cruises. I prefer Carnival Cruise Lines personally; I believe that you get more for your money. The two agencies that have given me the best prices and pointers are: Planning Cruises.com and Cruises.com.

There are a lot of good pointers from folks on here, so I'm not going to repeat them. The only thing that I want to add that you may not find on the cruise line sites is that the bigger the ship, the smoother the sailing. I would suggest that you get some Bonine (it's over the counter) and take it with you "just in case". We've had a couple of rough spells on the water and while other people stayed in their cabins, we were having fun because we took the Bonine.

I don't believe that you will find a better way to go places and see things, experience different cultures, foods, people, etc. for such a reasonable price. Good luck!

TINKERTOY ..... the 1 & only

I have been on about 20 cruises on 4 different cruise lines and can give you some advice/help based on my experiences.

There are a lot of factors that affect what cruise you should select. Cruises generally cost about $100. to 125..00 per day per person AND all cruises are priced based on double occupancy (2 people per cabin).

Since cruises can be 3, to 12, or 14 days or more the price will depend mostly on how many days your cruise is. Then the cruise lines give the best price for early bookings that are a year or more in advance. Cruise lines also list specials on their web sites so do look for those. The specials can many times save you a couple hundred per person over the price for the exact same cruise on a different date.

The hurricane season is June through the end of October in the Caribbean only so if you want a Caribbean cruise with no hurricane worries then go in November or December of next year.

All cruise cabins are sold based on double occupancy and the prices listed will be per person and based on at least two people going on the cruise. The price you pay will depend also on the type cabin/accommodations that you choose.

There are 4 basic types of cabins on ships;
- inside (no window),................................... least expensive
- outside (a window or porthole),
- balcony/veranda, and
- suites and penthouses.......................... most expensive.

The "FROM" prices you see will always be for an inside cabin. There are also some subcategories within each category with cabins on a higher deck, and/or a better location on ship (like midship), and/or that are slightly larger costing more.

You can reserve a cruise by booking on line; by calling the cruise line, or through a travel agent. You will pay at booking the minimum deposit which will be between $250 and $350 per person for a 7 day cruise, depending upon the cruise line. The minimum will be more for a longer cruise, for example $450 per person for a 14 day cruise. The balance will be due approximately 60 days before the cruise departure date. But you can make periodic payment on line or with the cruise line. I have reserved on line and made payments many times. If you book within about 60 days of the cruise you will likely have to pay the full amount.

I have listed below the web sites for the medium priced cruise lines which operate from US ports. These are the cruise lines that most people use. There are some luxury lines that are much higher priced with prices starting around $4,000 for a 7 day cruise. The lines that I have listed below will have cruises starting in the range of $700 to $1,000 per person for a 7 day cruise, again depending upon the date and type cabin you select.

I have been on Princess, Celebrity, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean ships and can vouch that they are good cruise lines. However, there are some differences.

- Princess, Celebrity and Holland America have great ships are more classy and reserved. They are just a little more upscale and luxurious than the other cruise lines. Passengers tend to be middle aged and up and have cruised multiple times. Holland America has mostly senior citizens cruising on its ships.

-Norwegian cruise line is good, they cater to families and have mostly passengers in the range of age 35-40 and up. Its the line that you want to go on if you want to be informal for pretty much your whole cruise. They have formal nights like other cruise lines but they do not stress dressing up; the call it "dress up if you want to" night.

Carnival is the budget cruise line that generally has the lowest prices. They cater to young people, first time cruiser and families. The best of their ships are their newer ships so do pay attention to when the ship was launched is you find a really cheap cruise. A seven day cruise on a Carnival ship can be as low as $650. per person. :http://www.carnivalcruiselines.com/cms/f...

Royal Caribbean is also a cruise line that caters to young cruiser and families. It has the advantage of having the most on-board activities. Things like ice skating, roller blading, mini-golf course, a full sized basketball/tennis court, the rock climbing wall, and on the new Freedom Class ships the surfing simulator, the Flowrider. The RC ships that you should look for cruises on are the RC's Freedom Class and Voyager Class ships. You can look at the features of these ships on these two web links:

Freedom Class:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruis...

Voyager Class:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruis...

For the most part all cruises are all inclusive. Regardless of which cruise line you select the things that are included are pretty much the same. The price of your cruise includes your cabin, all meals (including breakfast, lunch dinner, snacks and free room service), free admissions to all shows and entertainment, and free use of all facilities on ship except spa services. The things that you will have to pay for a

1Cheapcruise

Walk into a local travel agency, that is your best option.

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