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Cruise Help
MrDoctorProfessor
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So, Im planning on taking a cruise summer after next (2012). Being the plebian that I am, I have no idea how such bourgeois things function. I would like to venture towards Europe, mainly around either the Mediterranean or the British Isles (or both if possible, which it seems some cruise lines offer). My biggest dilema is that (and Ive only done a cursatory browsing) there doesnt seem to be any sort of round trip cruises. My Wife has an irrational fear of flying, and it seems most cruises just get you there and that is it. If anyone here could offer up some helpful advice for all things cruise related, Id really appreciate it i.e is a cruise worth the money, how is life on the ship whislt traversing the ocean and not docked in port, how do the trips work once you get in port etc.
MrDoctorProfessor on
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That being said, there is nothing to prevent you from having a good time on a lower budget cruise if you know what you're getting yourself into. You'll have the same opportunities as the person on the fancy cruise to do what you want while in port. I think you should be mindful though that if you are going to be transatlantic, a large portion of your time is going to be at sea. If I was going to do that, I would be sure to get a sizable room and make sure it was a ship with plenty of features. Of course, your transatlantic ships will generally be nicer and more luxurious, but it is going to cost money.
As to round trip cruises. Cunard does some out of New York that go for around 4,500 per person. I am not sure of the other lines. My guess would be there are some that would, but I think most people who are on a boat for 8 days want to get to their destination and actually spend some time there. I'm not saying a european cruise is a bad idea, but I would only use it for the getting there part. With all that Europe has to offer, do you really want to be limited to basically a day in each place? Cruise ships also usually spend only one day in each port. That means that if you're docked in London you better be getting up really early if you want to see more than a few sites.
Trips in port can be booked through the cruise line (at incredibly marked up prices.) Alternatively, you can just get off the ship, hop in a taxi, and go about your business. This will of course require a good deal of pre-planning on your part. You will save money this way though, and you won't be in the giant group of cruise ship tourists. The ship basically says, "be back at such and such time." Between getting off and the time to return, you'll be able to do whatever you want.
Personally, I wouldn't cruise to Europe. Maybe to get there, but I would also want time in Europe. South American or the Caribbean I have done and might consider again. However, I always felt like I didn't soak in any of the culture on cruises. When I flew and stayed in the Caribbean, I got to enjoy a lot of small experiences that contributed a lot to the trip. When cruising, I basically got off the boat, did one big thing, and then got back on the boat. That's my two cents anyways.
The line you choose is incredibly important to the experience. For instance, if you book on Carnival, expect a College frat party atmosphere. If you book on HAL, expect old people. If you book on Royal Caribbean, expect giant tacky-assed ships with literally everything you could ever want on board. Also, while some lines have reputations for being expensive, and some are in general more expensive than others, there are ways to get really cheap prices even from the higher-end lines. If you wait until last-minute and don't care all too much about where you're specifically going or on what ship, you can get cheaper prices, as the lines will lower prices just to sell the rooms as they get closer to actually having that cruise, since if you're on board and buying drinks or going to the casino or taking shore excursions from the ship Shorex they'll still be making money off of you.
Also, the above is partially incorrect. Smaller ships often tend to be more expensive... think the difference between taking a private jet and a 747. The bigger ships like the Oasis or the Allure for Royal Caribbean pack you in waaaaay more than, say, an R-class HAL ship.
Now, for round trips... well they all do tend to be round trips with the exception of Repo cruises, but they're round trip from London back to London if they're in Europe, for instance. The reason is pretty simple... take a look at this cruise, for instance. Look at the number of sea days in there versus the number of port days. That's because the top speed of the ship is about 30 miles per hour. Going from Florida to Europe takes a looooonnng time. Now, yeah, going back for the season transition it's going up north via Greenland and Canada, but even then that's a long cruise. In general you'll be flying to the home port, taking the cruise around, and flying back from the home port. There maaaaaay be round trips on some lines but repos are really less than the best cruises around, because you're basically just cooped up on a ship for a week before getting anywhere. Even on a ship like the Allure or Oasis that would be a loooong time on the ship straight. Heck, down in the Caribbean right now we have two sea days in a row at the beginning of the cruise to go from Florida to Aruba, and being able to get off the ship in aruba is amaaaaaaaaaazing.
Now, as for life on the ship, it's fun. Some things about it are great, for example: The gym is upstairs. Food is prepared by a large food staff and right upstairs. There are multiple forms of entertainment every night, and during the day there are things going on. You get to go out and see a port pretty much every day, especially in Europe, and then you get back on the ship either in the afternoon or evening, maybe go see a show, maybe go see a live band, maybe head to the piano bar and have a couple of drinks, go to sleep, and the next day you're in another port. Some times there are overnights, where you get pretty much two days, or an evening and then a day, which are nice as well. For Sea Days, the ship tries reeeeeeeally hard to have something going on, but at the same time there are limits to just how much they can actually have happening. If you want to just relax though for a couple of days it's fantastic. Also, the afternoon/evening will be full of activities and entertainment.
One last thing... I know from my parents, who cruise a lot, they would recommend HAL. And quite honestly I would too, unless you hate old people. The ships aren't crazy tricked out like the bigger Royal Caribbean ships, but the food is pretty excellent, the ships, especially the Vista and Signatures, are really nice looking and classy inside, the entertainment's good, and it's surprisingly affordable.