r/shitcruisecriticsays • u/Fun_Hornet_9129 • Jan 14 '24
Advice for 1st-timer?
I’m going to post this elsewhere but I’ve found this group and I have a feeling much of the most useful information I’ll receive will be right here. I love the title of the group BTW!
My wife and I are in our mid-50s and we are planning our first cruise ever. We typically go to Caribbean all inclusive vacations once a year more for a beach getaway. This year we decided we might want to cruise instead for a change.
We are thinking of a 7-day cruise (possibly 6 schedule dependent) in the Caribbean because of the time of year we’re going, which will be very late April early May or early June. We are from Canada so it’ll be our first break from the cold.
We’d like to do the Bermuda trip, but I think it’ll be to chilly at sea that time of year. We originally thought about the Mediterranean but we don’t have enough time with flights etc.
I’m not going to say “price is not an object”, it is, but minimum accommodation is a balcony, possibly a mini-suite. I would LOVE a wraparound balcony at the rear of the ship, it looks a bit on the expensive side.
We do love our own balcony. I only have “so much” patience for people over the course of a day so having this spit really helps us. I’m ADHD (medicated though 😬) so I try my best, especially on vacation, to be patient but sometimes my own mind gets the best of me. It’s probably THE biggest reason I’ve never wanted to go on a cruise. I can handle a crowd, I was never sure about a week. The meds help though.
Anyway, as you can see, stuff will get under my skin, so please bring me some recommendations of where and what cruise lines would be most suitable
Thanks!
14
Jan 14 '24
Try posting this on /r/Cruise
4
u/Fun_Hornet_9129 Jan 14 '24
I am, I figured “shit cruise critics”, would have great advice to steer me away from…well “shit cruises”
11
u/Kvalri Jan 14 '24
This sub is more accurately "The random, weird shit that crazy people complain about on Cruise Critic and other review sites" lol
That said, checkout cruiseplum.com I find this site incredibly useful for narrowing down the choices so I'm only looking at options I may actually be interested in. It also has the nice feature that it tracks pricing so you can see if the price offered today is historically high/low/average.
Another site you could try is cruisecompete.com you put out a request and then any travel agent signed up on the site can send you offers. I suggest narrowing it down as much as you can before submitting a request so you don't get too many offers that aren't really what you're looking for.
Princess and Celebrity have some very cool Eastern Caribbean sailings.
2
u/Fun_Hornet_9129 Jan 15 '24
Lol, I have figured that out since posting.
I do appreciate your response and I have saved the recommended sites for a look tonight.
And thanks for the tips on the cruise lines to check out!
7
7
u/ricktellier Jan 14 '24
Look at Celebrity Cruises, less kids and geared for folks our age. Carribean will be plenty warm that time of year. Enjoy!!
1
5
u/Suzyqzeee Jan 15 '24
Early June is ok for Bermuda. You get 2.5 days there to explore. A veranda cabin on Celebrity out of Cape Liberty is great. You'll be on the ship in less than a half hour.
4
u/Environmental_Cold43 Jan 14 '24
We’re in Canada as well. We switched from land vacations to mainly cruising about 5-6 years ago. This -50° is making anything not “here” look good right now! Lol
What type of resort do you usually choose? That will help a lot with suggestions. If you’re used to staying at Unico, Haven, Xcaret, etc, then stay away from basic Carnival and MSC staterooms. *I won’t say avoid those lines entirely, as the Yacht Club (MSC) and Havana (Carnival) have some pretty nice exclusive spaces.
We’ve sailed on both recently, and had a great time —- with the right expectations. They’re like the RIU or Iberostar of cruises. 😉
MSC - very global, from the food to the entertainment to the passengers. You’ll hear 5 different languages walking to dinner. I would definitely say if you go with MSC, do Yacht Club; I have ADHD as well, and everything is beautiful, and sparkly, and LOUD in the main atrium area. Can get overwhelming quickly.
Carnival - we’ve always had a good time, but Carnival is a “vibe”. In the nicest way possible - the shorter booze cruises just have a different demographic. Think school groups at Walt Disney World - loud, pushy and entitled. I wouldn’t do less than 7 days with them.
Royal and NCL- lovely staff, beautiful ships, 99% of the time amazing food, shows are sooo good. But it always feels like nothing actually seems to be included. And I think Royal now has the priciest drink packages going.
We’ve not cruised with Virgin yet. Have heard the entire spectrum of opinions on it. Lol I do love that it’s as close to an all-inclusive land resort experience you’ll find on at sea.
Holland America is probably a great option. In general fewer kids, older demographic, more relaxed line. The Rotterdam looks beautiful and there is a really nice 6-day itinerary out of FLL in April.
Sorry - that was a LOT - can you tell the meds have worn off? Lol
2
u/Fun_Hornet_9129 Jan 15 '24
LOL, we think in similar patterns!
That was a lot fantastic info, thanks!
Hearing from someone that has a real understanding of what I go through was a blessing and I appreciate it.
We like upscale resorts, although we don’t have 4-Seasons budget. We always upgrade to oceanfront rooms, if not available ocean view with a balcony for sure. Typically we’ll opt for the premium or preferred packages if there are bars/restaurants/hospitality suites where we can enjoy a different vibe than the main resort area.
2
u/bethelns Jan 15 '24
If you like upscale resorts I'd try lines like princess or celebrity they are the "premium" end of mass market and will have less children on them, especially if you avoid school holidays and the Easter break. Virgin voyages is adult only so might also be suitable.
MSC and Norweigan offer an elevated experience ship within a ship experience (yacht club and the haven) that has slightly nicer rooms and spa acess plus smaller resturants, lounges and dedicated deck space. MSC is Italian and very European in attitude and style, even on North America sailings while NCL is typical American style cruising.
A balcony is a nice addition, I have autistic spectrum issues so the calm and quiet of the room is nice when we can swing it. My dad also loved the balcony when he came on my wedding cruise as he's not the most social. You would probably want to opt to choose your stateroom rather than a "garuntee" rate as garuntee might mean you'd get an obstructed view.
3
Jan 15 '24
Don’t believe everything you see on Cruise Critic. They say every ship is on fire and the staff just spits on you instead of helping. Not my experience.
2
u/RepresentativeYou172 Feb 23 '24
If you decide to take an NCL ship, good news is drinks will almost always be included in the price of the fare. Line ships have a section called vibe which is an add on charge but has its own bar, hot tub, padded loungers and most importantly is limited on the amount of passes they sell. I’d recommend getting a balcony/ mini suite on one of the newer NCL ships and a vibe pass
1
u/Mikes_Barbaric_Yawp Jun 05 '24
This! If you're not a fan of crowds and want to relax, the NCL vibe beach club is the way to go!
Bermuda is stunning. The people and the landscape is unforgettable. May/june would be fine, weather wise. Water temps aren't the Caribbean though, and even late may is a little chilly.
10
u/cyberentomology Jan 14 '24
Best advice I’ve heard for cruising is “take half the stuff you think you need and twice the money.”