Suggestions about cruiseliners?

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Mary L

I suggest you talk to a travel agent who does a lot of bookings on passenger ships. All ships have lots to do, but some may have things that don't interest you at all, while others will be just perfect for you. Some are more formal than others. (Cunard is very formal! Carnival is not formal! Others may be inbetween.) About the eating arrangements, some companies and ships have "open seating", so be sure to check that out. Others do not, but you can request a table for just you two. A good travel agent doesn't cost a penny to you, but can be worth his or her weight in gold! By the way, just because a ship or company is owned by Carnival does NOT means it is informal! Carnival is the parent company for most cruise lines, including Cunard, and I met a very unhappy couple on the Queen Elizabeth 2 who had been told it was a Carnival ship -- they wanted to run around in denim on a party boat and found themselves on what is almost certainly the most formal and traditional ocean liner on the seas! Their travel agent didn't know squat, unfortunately. Ask lots of questions!

yomera

Don't go an a cruise! Go to a beach resort instead. You'll be stuck in a ship for several days and you will have to hang out with strangers.

This is my personal experience:
I went on the Carnival Ecstasy departing from Galveston about a month ago.
The ship was old and it look like it has not been updated in 25 years. It was like a trip back to the 80's.
The food was very good.
The staff was friendly and the service was great.
The little bars were always half empty and sometimes I felt sorry for the musicians (they were good, but they were playing in an empty place)
The casino was nice, but I tried to stay away from it because I didn't want to keep losing my money.
The shows were just OK, the dancers need to learn more international dances. They just dance like plain cheerleaders. The singers were great. One night they had the guests perform. Unless you are related to them or friends with them, this really sucked. I could care less about some high school girls playing the flute or this other girl singing country music out of tune. Some people in the audience were very loud and I did not know if they were supporting the guests or making fun of them. The big theater felt like a huge low class family reunion. I left after a little while.
The pool was tiny and packed with people (yuck). I guess since it's on a ship it can't have a large heavy pool.
The ship was full of pre-teens.
Some of the activities were kind of dumb (I guess it's just not my type of fun) and at other activities that were kind of interesting they were always trying to sell you something.
The destinations were AWESOME. I went to Chichen Itza and one of the beaches in Cozumel and I loved it!!!! Mexican people are the friendliest people in the world!!!!!!! The guide in Chichen Itza was VERY knowledgeable.
I usually go to beach resorts and I always have a BETTER experience than this cruise. Better shows, better food (alcohol is included), better service, friendly people everywhere and it's even cheaper!!!!
If you have never been to a beach resort or a similar vacation, you will think the cruise is great.... but in reality they are not giving you what your money is worth. Also, cruises are more for families with pre-teens or teenagers. Parents can have fun without worrying where their kids might be (they may be out of sight but they can't go anywhere, they are in the same ship!), and those teens can go to the little teen parties that they have on the cruise.
As you can see, I personally prefer beach resorts over cruises. They are more fun and you can do a lot more!

â™¥showstopperâ™¥

Go on Norwegian Cruise lines. My parents thought it was a total party ship because there are always parties for adults. But also lots of things for kids. You never have to get dressed up or have dinner reservations and stuff like that.

http://www.ncl.com/nclweb/home.html

Dave Holman

While you can request a table for two on Royal Caribbean, you won't necessarily get it, and then you either eat with people you don't want to, pay for a premium restaurant or eat at the buffet all week.

Norwegian has Freestyle Dining, where you can get a table for two ALWAYS - you may have to wait a bit for it, but you will get it.

Likewise on Princess you can go with Anytime Dining, and always get the table you want.

And if you choose to use a Travel Agent, find one who is responsive to your stated needs, and doesn't try to push you into a cruise that is clearly unsuitable. While they may imply it is because they have sailed that line, and prefer it, it is more often that that line will pay them a higher commission.

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