Cruise Suggestions/ Information

I'm planning a Disney cruise with my family next November. I'm a member of Costco and got amazing deals. The cruise I'm looking at is $500 cheaper through Costco. Even if you aren't a member of Costco, it maybe worth the sign up fee to get the discount. They also have other cruise lines as well. My kids are going to be 5 1/2 and almost 3, so Disney is for us. Most cruise lines don't offer kids clubs until they are 3 and potty trained. Disney is one of the few that goes younger than 3.

I suggest passports as most ports go either to Mexico (passport needed) orccarribian (passport needed) they run 100-125/ person but last 10 yes for adults 5or7 for kids so they are an investment and I suggest starting the process now for that or as soon as possible and doing it at your local post office you need a check to pay for it

The cruise to the Mexican Riviera is really nice. Hubby and I took that for our honeymoon. I would suggest going in what we consider winter months - it's still really hot there - summer would be unbearable.

We went on Celebrity Cruise Lines. It's a smaller ship than the Princess lines, but we also did a Princess cruise once and found we got MUCH better service and more "freebies" on Celebrity.

As for the passport, you are going to need one. Start the process now. It can take a long time to get them and if there are any errors you will need time to get it corrected. My hubby and my passports arrived with his pic on the passport with my info and vice versa.

We took a cruise to Mexico this summer as a family and had a great time. We didn't need passports but did need birth certificates for everyone. Couple of things I wish I had known are ----

If you usually drink something other than filtered water, bring your own. I saw loads of people bringing in cases of soda and bottled water. The prices on board are outrageous.

Get a lanyard for your key cards. Everything is done by key card (on/off ship, purchasing, certain events, and getting in your room) and the holders they sell on board are flimsy.

Intend to be completely unplugged. You can buy internet access but .. why would you want to. Plan ahead and let go of electronics.

Budget. All essentials are paid for with the ticket, but spa treatments, drinks, etc. all can add up quickly.

If you do a 5 day you will regret it. Go for 7. You will not want to get off of the ship.

Carnival is a crazy line - filled with partying kids and small kids and it's the cheapest way to cruise. Personally, I love Royal Caribbean. The camps are TERRIFIC!

Yes, you will need a passport.

Definitely get a passport unless you will be going only to US ports. If you go to ports in other countries, passports are not required if you start and end the cruise in the US, but they are highly recommended just for the simple fact that if you become gravely ill while on the trip, they will bring you to the nearest country/island, etc and after treatment you will have to fly home from there, which will require a passport. Likewise if you go on an excursion and don't make it back to the ship before it departs (they won't wait for you), you will have to fly to the next port from wherever you are, which will probably require a passport. It's a good bit of insurance to have. As for cruise lines, we just went on Carnival a year ago and loved it. They are really geared towards families and are the most economical ones out there. Royal Caribbean is also supposed to be good with families. Figure out where you want to go and when and then look at which cruise lines/ships go there and pick the one that you think would suit you the best (or if the ship is more important to you than the destination, find a line and then a ship that you like and see where they go!) Disney cruises look really fun (and I hear, are!) but they are quite a bit more expensive than other lines. We did a 7-day cruise for our first, which gave us 3 1/2 ship days and 3 port days - a nice mix. Also, get onto some cruise forums, such as cruise critic.com or the one on the website of the line you choose (most of them have one). There are very experienced people on there, just itching to help newbies with all their questions and share their secrets. There are so many details to a cruise and so many things to consider and everyone has different priorities. One of the best pieces of advice I heard was "pack 1/2 the clothes you think you'll need and twice the money!" Charges can build up, but if you're smart and keep an eye on your spending and budget you can come out ok in the end and it's a really nice way to spend some quality time with your family and see another part of the world in the process! I highly recommend them!

I've been looking as well. I'd check out all-inclusive vacations. I know I don't want to have to figure out how much more food and drinks and whatnot is going to cost. :-)

I love cruises. With little kids, Disney is a blast but you really can't go wrong on pretty much any cruise line (I'm not a big fan of Carnival though). Think about whether you would most want to go to the Caribbean, Bahamas, Mexican Riviera or Alaska and start from there. Most Alaskan cruises are 7 days but there are plenty of cruises out of Florida and Texas for 3 - 5 days. I think 3 days is too short to really get a feel for it, but 5 days would be good.

www.cruisecritic.com is the best place for cruise information
If you want to go Disney, check out www.disboards.com

Finally, if you book through a travel agency or Costco, you can usually get the same price, but some type of credit to make it cheaper. Many travel agencies give onboard credit, so you can use it for buying drinks (alcohol is never included and soda is not included on any line but Disney), pictures, spa treatments, etc. Costco gives you back a Costco cash card, so if you shop there a lot, it's totally worth booking through them.

We went on a Carnival cruise in January as a family of 5. It was AMAZING! The kids were 5, 7, and 9 then, and it was perfect.

The camps did go down to babies, so I'm not sure what other ships don't...but this Carnival ship did. Not sure how young, but babies were in there.

Go for 7 days! We loved our days at sea as much as we loved the ports - defintiely go for longer if you can.

We are debating between another cruise next year or a trip to the west coast...I hope you have a great time when you go!

Go to vacationstogo.com. They are the Best prices around. Everything you need to know in a few clicks. I use them all the time. Carnival I consider booze cruises. Very young drinkers use this line because it is cheaper.

It would pay to get passports. The only place you could go is to Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.

Cruise lines must go to a foreign country before they return. It's just one of those things. You'll need a passport.

Go to travel.yahoo.com and click on cruises. Set the port you would want to go out of, I suggest Galveston, Houston, etc...so you don't have to add in the cost of a flight. Parking is available but it does cost a bit.

Then look at the time of year you want to go. Of course spring break is a peak vacation time, Valentine's Day, Christmas, etc...are all peak times when cruises cost the most. Look at a time that is not hurricane season and is not a time when every person is the world is wanting to go.

Then pick a destination.

I want to go to the inside passage and see whales and ice bergs/geographical things like that. I have no interest in going to see totem poles being made or fur items being scraped and sewn.

I plan on taking a cruise to Bermuda. My FIL was navy and was stationed there for a couple of years so my hubby lived there for a while. Two days there is enough to see the whole island. Then either going or coming back they stop in a Canadian port I think.

I also want to go out of Port Canaveral to Freeport. I don't really care about going to Nassau very much. I am not into straw markets. I would feel bored just going to the beach and swimming all day. In Freeport they have several forts, their House of Parliament is there, and many museums too. The ship lines only go to Freeport every few years, they go to Nassau and their own island most of the time or they add in the Florida Keys.

By going to Port Canaveral you can add in so many different sights on the mainland before and after the cruise. I wish we could have seen a shuttle take off, what a way to spend a vacation! Space, ocean, foreign country, home, etc...

I also would like to do the circle around the Gulf. Jamaica, South American port or two, and then back to the Texas/Louisiana area.

I want to do some traveling and expect to be able to do it someday.

We plan on driving to the port, getting a hotel for a day or two, getting on the ship, going on the trip, then coming back. So we can do some sight seeing on the way. Also if there are any vehicle issues or problems we can have plenty of time to still get to the ship.

But I always look at Yahoo travel for my ideas. They have it all.

I also suggest you look at the ammenities the ship offers. I would only go on Royal Carribean or Disney. I want to ice skate on the ocean...I want the kids to enjoy a huge rock climbing wall and have a lot of different water options while on the ship.

I also would consider the Disney line because they cater to kids. They would have a blast no matter what we were doing because the staff in the kids area would make sure of it. They would also have the options of multiple shows and movies on board.

Some of the other lines focus more on themes and age of their cruisers.

That is something to look at too. If you were on a cruise that had been advertised for months as a gay cruise and you had strong feelings against that you wouldn't feel comfortable in that situation. They also have square dance cruises, motivational cruises, marriage, finance, singles, LDS, Baptist, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc...if you check before booking with the cruise line you can find out what theme cruises they are offering to see if there is one that is just up your alley.

http://travel.travelocity.com/ecruise/CruiseSearch.do;jse...=

The CruiseCritic website is extremely helpful. I'd go there and start reading up about different itineraries and cruise lines. A number of cruises leave from Texas, so you may save a bit of money choosing one that departs from your state (and that may help you narrow down your options).

You can have fun on any cruise line. It's all in your attitude. We love Norwegian because it's very casual and you don't have a set meal time or table assignment. I also went on Carnival many years ago and had a great time then, too (although I'd hesitate a bit right now until they get their act together).