Any Advice On Where To Go On A Cruise?
Lounge By LittleLinda Updated 22 Feb 2006 , 2:02pm by LittleLinda
I want to go on a cruise. Our 25th anniversary is in April. I live near Boston. I am more interested in the boat activities than off-boat acitivities. I suppose I'd have to fly somewhere then get on a ship. Do you need a passport? How long does it take to get one?
My husband's company gives a cruise away every year at their employee apprecaion party ( which was last week) and this year we won it!!!
We get to go to their travel angency and plan the whole thing and they pay for it (up to $3000). I am so excited 
Now I don't have a clue of where to start...I have heard the Alasken cruises are wonderfull but I was thinking of going on one of the Disney cruises. No we don't have children, I am just a child at heart 
I would love to hear the feedback from some of you who have been before
ALASKA!!!!!! DH and I took a cruise tour (has both land and sea parts) there in 2004 and it was AWESOME! There is no place like it. I wouldn't go in April though, more like June. I can't tell you enough how wonderful of a cruise it was. We used Princess and flew into Anchorage from Baltimore. Spent a week on land taking scenic trains, ferries and buses throughout some of the interior. After that, we boarded the ship in Valdez (near Whittier) and spent a week on the ship visiting many ports. The glaciers, whales, towns, vistas are UNBELIEVEABLE!!!! It was worth every cent.
Dia
HI,
I've been on three criuses, most recently in January '06. They are SO fun!! You'll love it. 
Depending on what you like and if you have a preference on ports of call, I'd recommend the Southern Carribean. It's gorgeous down there. You fly into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale usually. If you can, go for an 8 day cruise, 7 nights. The first and last days are more like 1/2 days or less because of the time you have to embark and disembark the ship. So you want to get in as much time as you can. I haven't done the inside passage of the Alaskan cruises although I've done the little ones ( day trips) several times. I grew up there and later was a travel agent who booked people on Alaskan cruises many times. It's truely beautiful!
I've been on Holland America( my fav so far), Royal Carribean and Carnival cruise lines.
Also another tip I might add if to go for the "late seating" for meals unless you're an early riser. You can eat in many places on board but the formal dining room has set times and for me, the early seating was too early. ( 7am bkfast, 5:30pm dinner as oppose tp 9am bkfast and 8:15pm dinner) I'm sure all ships vary a little though.
I've had outside cabins each time I've gone and prefer those. This most recent cruise we had a lovely full view of the lifeboat! 
However, you don't spend much time in your cabin at all so it's not a big deal really. I personally don't think the cabins with balconies are a big deal ( for the extra $$) because like I said, you're not in there much at all. There are too many fun things to be doing all over the ship.
Depending on when you go, all cruise lines will require passports starting in Dec 06 I believe. Right now, it's not required but it prefered. I used my birth certificate and that is fine too. It has to be original or a certified copy of the original with the State Seal on it. Passports take around6-8 weeks to get unless you pay a hefty price to get it sooner.
Hope that helps.
KimAZ
I've been on 3 cruises with Carnival and loved all three. Eastern, Western, and Southern Caribbean. Southern was definitely my favorite. We had to fly to San Juan PR, so that jumped the price up a bit. I absolutely loved Aruba and Barbados!!!
I'd have to agree with KimAZ regarding the late seating for meals. I'm an early riser, but late was still better for us. Outside cabins are nice, and I prefer the balcony. It's wonderful to have morning coffee (if you drink that stuff) out there or just enjoy coming into or leaving ports from your own balcony.
I would go for the passport, I hated carrying around my birth certificate and marriage license.
You're going to love it!!!!
I went on a cruise 3 years ago. The food was fantastic. I never ate so much in my life. It was a Western Carribean cruise but because of a tropical storm we missed Grand Cayman and Jamaica. 
They turned around and took us to Belize and Costa Maya. I have lasting memories of a ferry ride from Playa de Carman to Cozumel. That was when the tropical storm hit. It was so bad that the cruise ship couldn't leave the dock. I was just happy to get off the ferry. We also stopped at Roatan and Key West. The dock at Roatan wasn't the cleanest place but the rest of the island was beautiful. Even with the tropical storm, it was a wonderful trip.
My DH has some pics of the trip in his gallery. The Tulum pick was when the storm was starting to blow in. http://www.pbase.com/evil4blue/cruise2k3
The dolphins were at Roatan. It was very interesting because they were not caged. They follow a boat in to the dock, put on a show, and then leave. One of them wasn't in the mood and left for a while and then came back.
The rooster is real. We were walking around the shops in Key West and this restaurant had a rooster walking around like a pet. A couple of guys were throwing down some bread for it. I don't know why I love this pic but it is hanging on my cube wall.
My DH has become a great photographer so our next trip will probably be Alaska.
After several cruises, I can strongly recommend Norwegian Cruise Line. The go to all the great desitnations and have what they call "freestyle". It means you don't have a fixed time for dinner and there are several great themed restaurants on the ship in addition to a buffet and the regular restaurant. Many great choices and you control when to have dinner and where. Doesn't sound that important, but it really is.
We just got back last week from a week in Mexico (Cabo, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta) and the weather was perfect. Royal Caribbian Vision of the Seas is a beautiful ship with a fantastic crew, but we missed dinner in the dining room several times. (there is plenty of other food) You also don't have to dress up for dinner, unless you choose to. So it makes packing easier.
There are a number of cruises that start on the east coast- it might save you some money on airfare. There may be one that starts in New York and is at sea several days- that gives you lots of on the ship time.
It depends on where you go, but passports are not yet required. It takes about 8 weeks to get one-really easy if you check with the post office, they will help you. Passports will be mandadorty starting next year. A birth certificate and government issued photo ID (drivers license) are sufficient ID. You MUST have at least these two.
A travel agent can help with choices based on the weather at the desitnation. Once you choose a destination, you can save money booking online directly with the cruise line.
Cruises are a bit different than other traveling out of the country. Until next year 2007 Passports on cruises are suggested but not required, provided you have your Birth cert AND a government issued photo ID.
The travel provider usually will include the ID requirements when you book your travel.
Talmas, Good pictures. The dolphins look very interesting!
As far as passports, my DH was born in Germany and has a German birth certificate. He has other papers saying he is an American Citizen Born Abroad. He has a passport that is ten years old. Do they expire?
Poohbear, you are lucky to have won a cruise! Fantastic!
Barefoot Contessa: Isn't Alaska cold? I live in Massachusetts! I hate the cold!
Joanne B: I like the idea of not having scheduled meal times. I'll check into Norwegian cruise lines.
Keep the feedback coming!
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