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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 30, 2018 3:51:11 GMT
So this past spring DD who is 22 and I went to Germany and took the train to Paris (and my son, who lives in Germany)...
Now we both have the travel bug and we seem to travel well together.. which is crazy.. not many 22 year olds want to travel with their mom.. so I am thankful for that...
Anyways, I just texted her and said we need to go on another trip.. she suggested maybe a cruise... and include my younger DD (she is 10)....
Good idea?? We would surprise her little sister and not say anything...
If we go in 2020 I think you can make payments and get it paid off beforehand?
Any ideas and/or tips??
Neither of us have done a cruise.
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Post by mom on Nov 30, 2018 3:53:16 GMT
We like to cruise. Not sure about paying it off - I know on Royal you only have to pay your deposit and then the I think you only have a couple of months to pay it off (depending on when your cruise leaves and how far ahead it is).
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 30, 2018 4:12:34 GMT
We like to cruise. Not sure about paying it off - I know on Royal you only have to pay your deposit and then the I think you only have a couple of months to pay it off (depending on when your cruise leaves and how far ahead it is). I have a friend at my work that cruises all the time (and I need to catch up with her for the info) but she says they book theirs out and make payments. So maybe that is through some kind of special deal?? |
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Post by mom on Nov 30, 2018 4:14:26 GMT
We like to cruise. Not sure about paying it off - I know on Royal you only have to pay your deposit and then the I think you only have a couple of months to pay it off (depending on when your cruise leaves and how far ahead it is). I have a friend at my work that cruises all the time (and I need to catch up with her for the info) but she says they book theirs out and make payments. So maybe that is through some kind of special deal?? Interesting! Let me know what you find out. From what I have read - it sounds like most have to be paid for within 2-3 months? We've never paid ours out as we usually decide last minuet to go somewhere. |
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anaterra
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Post by anaterra on Nov 30, 2018 4:27:05 GMT
We have 2 cruises booked for next year... we paid deposit on each... and have started making payments on both... we cruise in Sept and final payment on that is July 1... we cruise in may and I think final payment on that is Jan but we have already paid it off...
So with carnival... yes you pay a deposit and there is no set payment... you just pay whatever you want until ur final payment date is due... then it has to be completely paid off
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 30, 2018 4:27:59 GMT
I have a friend at my work that cruises all the time (and I need to catch up with her for the info) but she says they book theirs out and make payments. So maybe that is through some kind of special deal?? Interesting! Let me know what you find out. From what I have read - it sounds like most have to be paid for within 2-3 months? We've never paid ours out as we usually decide last minuet to go somewhere. I will. I will try to get a hold of her tomorrow and see what she says. I just remember sitting with her one day after one of her trips and casually asked her about it. From what I remember they always have one booked out ahead of time, like every 3 years... so it seemed like she had a rotating thing going on..lol.. she said something like she keeps an eye out on the price and if it goes down (usually does) they always get back the difference.. but she says she has to ask for it.. She said that cash back usually paid for their excursions.. So yeah, I will definitely get with her and see what she does. |
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Post by grammadee on Nov 30, 2018 4:35:46 GMT
I love to travel, but hate packing up and lugging luggage, so I love cruising. You get on the ship, unpack your suitcase, and you are HOME! Every day your home moves to a new location to explore. I also have dietary restrictions, and I love that the dining room will accommodate my needs: just have to order the day before, and then no worries of reactions due to food sensitivities.
With Holland America, you pay the deposit, and then can pay off the balance at any time up to about 90 days before sailing. If a better deal comes along in the meantime, you may be offered an upgrade or a reduced fair before the final payment.
Lots of variety in the excursions, from sitting on the beach to heliskiing, depending on where you plan to travel. With a ten year old, you might want to do a Disney cruise, that combines the benefits of general cruising with entertainment for all ages.
Good luck with your plans.
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 30, 2018 4:41:14 GMT
Lots of variety in the excursions, from sitting on the beach to heliskiing, depending on where you plan to travel. With a ten year old, you might want to do a Disney cruise, that combines the benefits of general cruising with entertainment for all ages. Good luck with your plans. Disney seems to be the way to go, but looks like it might be out of our price range... She will be 12 by the time we go. There is just so many choices out there just from browsing... aggg |
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Post by grammadee on Nov 30, 2018 4:46:06 GMT
Disney seems to be the way to go, but looks like it might be out of our price range... She will be 12 by the time we go. There is just so many choices out there just from browsing... aggg If you are checking them out on line, it won't be long until you are receiving emails with "deals". Like seat sales, some deals are better than others. After our first cruise with HAL, we were assigned a cruise consultant, and she was a big help in planning for what we wanted and needed. Not sure if you can ask for one, but when our friends joined us on a cruise, we referred them to our advisor b/c she was so helpful. Maybe your coworker can put you in touch with someone. |
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 30, 2018 16:12:49 GMT
Just pushing this to the top... any tips??
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2018 16:25:31 GMT
Just pushing this to the top... any tips?? Check out the Disney sites. I am positive that there are really good deals to be had. |
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GiantsFan
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Post by GiantsFan on Nov 30, 2018 16:28:55 GMT
Not glamorous like a Caribbean or Mexican Riviera cruise, but maybe consider a "changing of the ships" cruise. It's the repositioning of the ships from Alaska cruises to Mexico or Hawaii, or vice versa. They usually run April/May and September/October. They're often less expensive but you get the same level of service and activities. They're short 3-4 days, but depending on the cruise line they have stops in places like Astoria, San Francisco, Monterey, Santa Barbara, LA.
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Post by annabella on Nov 30, 2018 16:36:19 GMT
I've been on 10 cruises, going on another one next year. I really like them.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Nov 30, 2018 17:18:00 GMT
Just pushing this to the top... any tips?? Check out the Disney sites. I am positive that there are really good deals to be had.
Not like there used to be. You can sometimes get a good deal on a cruise where you just pick the class, not the room, but Disney doesn't discount much. Their prices are cheapest opening day and tend to go up from there. Disney is a great cruise line, but they have priced me out.
With a 12 year old, I would look at 1) which cruise lines have good kids' clubs and 2) travel costs to get to the port you want to sail. I've been pricing New Orleans cruises, because that is an easy drive for me, rather than having to fly elsewhere. However, will your DD go to a kids' club alone? Mine didn't really want to at that age - so she stuck with me most of the time.
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 30, 2018 17:25:01 GMT
Check out the Disney sites. I am positive that there are really good deals to be had.
Not like there used to be. You can sometimes get a good deal on a cruise where you just pick the class, not the room, but Disney doesn't discount much. Their prices are cheapest opening day and tend to go up from there. Disney is a great cruise line, but they have priced me out.
With a 12 year old, I would look at 1) which cruise lines have good kids' clubs and 2) travel costs to get to the port you want to sail. I've been pricing New Orleans cruises, because that is an easy drive for me, rather than having to fly elsewhere. However, will your DD go to a kids' club alone? Mine didn't really want to at that age - so she stuck with me most of the time.
We are thinking about including her BFF (90% sure her parents would let her go) so they can pal around and would probably do the kids' club together. But yeah if she was by herself she probably wouldn't want to go alone. I am really land lock so you are right to consider plane costs to get to a port, I was looking at Florida, but New Orleans or California would probably be a little cheaper. One Disney cruise I looked at was insane.. over $2,300 (for 3 or 4, I can't remember what I plugged in) for basically nothing. Day 1, board boat at 4pm, Day 2 was day at destination, Day 3 off boat in the morning. |
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Post by heltr on Nov 30, 2018 18:06:26 GMT
check out vacationstogo.com - we have used them for quite a few cruises and they have some great specials. It is super easy to compare cruises to different destinations from different lines.
But before booking always compare to booking directly. Sometimes it is advantageous to book directly, sometimes not
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Post by papersilly on Nov 30, 2018 18:09:16 GMT
I love to travel, but hate packing up and lugging luggage, so I love cruising. You get on the ship, unpack your suitcase, and you are HOME! Every day your home moves to a new location to explore. this is exactly why we love cruising! |
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Post by melodyesch on Nov 30, 2018 18:30:24 GMT
We usually cruise on Norwegian and our niece loved their kids club. We’ve been on RCL and Carnival and find them comparable. The difference being that Norwegian doesn’t have formal nights.
I went on a Disney Cruise with my SIL and niece to fill in after SIL and BIL divorced. For what we paid for an inside room on Disney we could have had a balcony on NCL, RCL or Carnival. Some people find the “Disney experience” with the characters and kids activities as being worth the price. I am NOT one of those people. And frankly, my niece enjoyed the NCL kids club better.
You can go to the forums at cruisecritic.com and read advice and reviews.
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Post by walkerdill on Nov 30, 2018 18:37:21 GMT
I love cruising! We just got back from a 7 night Caribbean cruise on Sunday. I will say that Carnival gets a bad rap but I very much liked Carnival over Norwegian. I cant afford Disney cruises and my kids are 18 & 15 so not into Disney at all. Next we are going to try Royal Caribbean. We have always put down a deposit & paid by a specific deadline.
My thoughts on Norwegian vs. Carnival. In case your deciding between the two.
Norwegian has a better drink package than Carnival. Carnival limits you to 15 drinks per day and Norwegian is unlimited. They also have an unlimited arcade package that is not offered on Carnival. Norwegian's customer service was terrible. We had several issues with our room and it was dealt with very poorly. I was on the cruise for my birthday and it was never acknowledged. The specialty restaurants were not impressive except Teppenyaki. The extra activities like Bingo and Deal or no deal are very expensive! I felt like I was nickel and dimed to death for everything. The buffet sucks...lol
Carnival you can buy faster to the fun and it's worth every penny! It is not offered on Norwegian. The staff I found to be so much more friendlier on Carnival. Our steward remembered our names and it was a nice little touch. It felt like we were friends and knew each other forever & I'm sure it was for extra tips but it worked! I was on Carnival last year for my birthday and they wrote on the mirror and left me coupons for free items. At dinner they sang Happy Birthday and made it special (without being notified it was my birthday). The buffet also sucks....lol. They offered a lot more activities at a not outrageous price. They also had a lot more shows going on nightly.
We have gone out of Port Canaveral, Miami and Tampa. Tampa by far is the worst! It's so un-organized.
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Post by quinlove on Nov 30, 2018 18:47:59 GMT
Have you checked out Cruise Critic ? I’m pretty sure this has a ton of message boards about everything cruising. Although I’ve never even been on a cruise, my bff has. HTH
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valincal
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Southern Alberta
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Post by valincal on Nov 30, 2018 18:50:16 GMT
Once you narrow down your travel dates and your chosen departure port it will be much easier to select a specific cruise. I have sailed on both Carnival and Norwegian with my 12-year-old nephew and he enjoyed both of them. I think they offer the best value if you are on a budget and you can also get extra perks depending on the type of stateroom you book. I would aim for a newer ship or one that has been recently refurbished. And of course the number one tip is to head over to the forums at Cruise Critic and just start reading! 😄
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Post by workingclassdog on Nov 30, 2018 19:49:02 GMT
lots to take it for sure!!
I'll check out those different sites over the weekend and see if I can somewhat narrow all these decisions down.
I probably should run this by DH... HAHAHA....
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Loydene
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Post by Loydene on Nov 30, 2018 20:18:45 GMT
I would suggest that you contact a cruise only travel agent -- set out your parameters and ask for suggestions and help. The Pea=ple are glad to help - but we have preferences, etc. and don't know all that much about you. I think cruising is for the destination, first -- if you want to go to the Caribbean, then there are a lot of lines; if you want to cruise the Mediterranean then you have other choices -- then for the experience of the cruise -- the ship and what there is to do. We have recently downsized our ship preference -- the last ship was 612 passengers -- but I still want to experience one of the big ones -- Allure or Oasis of the Seas!
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Post by beachbum on Nov 30, 2018 20:37:53 GMT
We went on cruise #23 last month. We've cruised on NCL, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, and Carnival. One warning.... cruising is addictive. I second going to cruisecritic.com - you'll find answers to questions you didn't know you had - all the cruise lines have a board, as well as all the ports of call. Royal, Carnival, and NCL are all pretty much the same. Royal has better shows at night, Carnival has better food and better service, NCL has better alcohol packages. Holland America caters to an older crowd but we have seen a few kids on board. Holland has more longer cruises, too. Our first one with them was 21 days. We've been on more Carnival than any others, the price makes them hard to beat. They have great kids clubs on Carnival - be sure to go on the first night, that's when the kids kind of pick the group they're going to hang out with.
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Post by Leone on Nov 30, 2018 20:54:05 GMT
Typically, you pay the deposit. Can be whatever amount the cruise line is offering at the time. Could be $99 per person as that is what we had to pay for our cruise next week with MSC. Often during sales they will reduce the deposit by half. Then 100 days before sailing, the entire balance is due. We have never made payments. But we have an upcoming Alaskan cruise in May that includes Denali and the deposit for that is $875 per person.
Just remember when you are planning a cruise, there are a lot of hidden costs...taxes and port fees, mandatory tipping, drinks are expensive, shore excursions, specialty dinners, transportation to and from airport, etc. Your travel agent should throw in cabin credit to cover some of those extra costs.
If you are taking a ten year old, choose a cruise line that has kids on board.
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bklyngal62
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Post by bklyngal62 on Dec 1, 2018 18:16:19 GMT
We have done several cruises, most of them on Norwegian. We usually go through crucon to book our cruise and look for times when they offer paid gratuities, free drink plan and on board credit. This way all I have to worry about is making sure it's paid in full by the time balance is due. I usually give payments monthly and is paid off before hand. Things can start adding up on the ship if not careful. I also recommend reading cruise critic, it can be very helpful.
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Post by catck on Dec 1, 2018 18:39:34 GMT
We did our first cruise this year and loved it!!! Want to do more now.
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Post by kels99 on Dec 1, 2018 19:15:04 GMT
We cruise on Princess and have had great trips. Two to Alaska (highly, highly recommend!) and one of the repositioning cruises from Vancouver to LA. That one was just a few weeks ago in October on a Friday-Tuesday and was super cheap! $440/person total including air fare.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2018 20:42:05 GMT
Before taking tween or two, check the activities at the kids club area. While they may be of an age to attend Kids club the actual activities available may be better suited for much younger children. She may prefer to just go and attend things the adults do.
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paigepea
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Post by paigepea on Dec 1, 2018 22:29:24 GMT
We have been on Celebrity, Carnival and RC. We found the RC ships to be too big. We didn’t enjoy the carnival cruise - we preferred the food and ship on other lines. We found the Carnival ship more dark and claustrophobic. We absolutely adored Celebrity. I didn’t have one complaint. The ship, food and service were top notch. We are trying Holland America over New Years. We got a family suite so it has an extra bathroom (extra toilet and sink). We go with my parents so we haven’t tried Disney because my mom won’t go Disney.
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