Cruise advice for a noob

I've decided to go on a cruise for the first time in my life. We're shooting for July or September (I know, July is getting close) and have tentatively decided to go on a 7-day to Bermuda. Destination is not that important. Ship ambiance is. My companion would also much prefer leaving from Port Liberty in Bayonne. She's had much experience on cruises.

Companion also says it's not worth going if you don't have a balcony, which I think I agree with.

As noted, this is my first time, so any non-obvious tips would be helpful. One thing I'm worried about is packing appropriately, as I am a horrible over-packer and am afraid I will wind up with 3 suitcases and a garment bag. I'm already planning on 3 pairs of shoes (dress, sneakers and in-between casual boat shoes).

We've been looking mostly at Celebrity Cruise Lines with an Aqua class room. Anyone ever gone Aqua?

Drummerboy, the summit is the celebrity ship thatgoes to Bermuda, its an older ship with less amenities then some of the newer ones. With that said its also very nice. Celebrity has better food then the other lines. It also attracts an older clientele, so less teens and collage kids partying.  Bermuda is awesome.  Don't downplay the destination. Ive actually been on  that ship a few times. If you want info on island, port, etc PM me. Also age bracket so I can point you to cool stuff! Ill try to post some links later. 

http://www.bermuda-attractions.com/ for stuff to do , its a good site.

My daughter and I just loved Bermuda. Get a three day public transportation pass. We went all over te Island that way and people were incredibly helpful and polite. Great way to see the "real" Bermuda

The Summit is a nice ship with good food and a great pool deck. Aqua Class is fine - not as fancy as it sounds so if it's a lot more $- just go with a regular balcony.

September will price much cheaper than July and there will be very few kids ( especially if you avoid dates of Sept 12-14 where school is closed for many.

NCL breakaway is your other option and it will usually price better and includes unlimited beverage package ( alcoholic) these days. It is a livelier, more action-filled ship. I think the food on both lines is about equal now. Breakaway tends to be more crowded and family-oriented but in September, it too will have much fewer kids and be calmer.

They both do the same Bermuda for 3 days itinerary. Bermuda is gorgeous! Enjoy!

And, yes, get a balcony. And, no, don't worry about overpacking- who cares ? You aren't flying and no restrictions so bring what you want! While cabins are small, they have great storage.

I didn't mean to downplay Bermuda. Was there once on a business trip and I loved it. So much that I kind of made up a reason to extend the trip a coupla days, that just happened to extend across a 3-day weekend. ;-) Looking forward to seeing it again.

I'll add that I have seem shoulder season pricing (May & Sept) drop steadily for these cruises so if you decide on Sept, I wouldn't rush to book or if you book, be sure to not pay the deposit until last possible minute & re- check pricing before you do!

Would hurricanes be a concern in September for Bermuda?  

July- Nov is hurricane season so it's possible. I'd still rather have less crowded & no kids in Sept but always a possibility. Cruise ships usually divert around so it isn't typically a big deal

conandrob240 said:

July- Nov is hurricane season so it's possible. I'd still rather have less crowded & no kids in Sept but always a possibility. Cruise ships usually divert around so it isn't typically a big deal

 Companion pretty much said the same thing about less crowded and no kids vs. hurricane possibility.

conandrob240 said:

I'll add that I have seem shoulder season pricing (May & Sept) drop steadily for these cruises so if you decide on Sept, I wouldn't rush to book or if you book, be sure to not pay the deposit until last possible minute & re- check pricing before you do!

 Do prices in general seem to drop as you approach the cruise date? Was looking at a cruise with several departure dates in July, and the earliest one (on 7/5 I think) was about $700 cheaper than the later ones.

+1 on the balcony! I found it very relaxing to sit out there at times, look up at the stars at night, and just gaze out through the glass doors. By the way, there is a website (I forget the exact name, but you can find via Google) that not only reviews the various cruise lines and ships but even reviews the best cabin locations!

It depends, supplant demand. So if there is lots of  unbooked rooms the price will drop, not to many rooms left the price will go up a lot. Booking early also gets you the room you want were you want it. Also, if you plan on taking sea sickness pills start a day before the cruise to get it into your blood stream. Pack a carry on with a bathing suit, for the first day as sometimes the luggage comes late to your room. Someone has to get there bags last. I always bring a bungee cord to hold te balcony door open, nice to get that ocean air in when I lay down for a minute. Most ships allow 2 bottles of outside wine to be brought onboard, so you can have a glass in your room. Also you can bring a certain amount of water etc... you can save money by planning stuff by yourself. Like was mentioned the transportation pass is the way to go. I did book the underwater helmet dive, it was the coolest thing ever. Ill try to find the site, but thats the only thing id book through the ship. 

http://www.hartleybermuda.com/wp/what-is-helmet-diving-2 if this is your type of thing , its so with it. 

I have been watching breakaway pricing on these cruises past year or so. Prices dropped a bit on every sailing last year about 30 days before. But prices dropped dramatically for May & Sept 30-60 days before. The summer sailings ( July - midAugust) look better booked this year so I would expect smaller ( if any) price drops. If a very prime week (4th of July) I've actually seen those prices going up each week a little bit. Remember , this is a huge ship and last year NCL was just learning the summer NYC market so we may not see as large drops this year as they have the "formula" down better.

I am less experienced with Celebrity but in looking at those prices a bit last summer, I think they are more stable and less subject to large drops. In the past they have been a lot more expensive than Breakaway but I think that has leveled out too and they are about equal for summer travel. 

I'm a cruise junkie. Absolutely love it.  Here's a good forum to get most of the questions you may have answered. 

http://www.cruisecritic.com/

Have not been on Celebrity but have sailed on NCL Breakaway and really liked the ship and the whole 'Freestyle Cruising" thing. Of course, some folks prefer the more "formal" style of other lines   (i.e. Holland America) but I appreciate being able to be casual much of the time and that enables me to leave the suit bag behind. The Ultimate Beverage Package on NCL is a good deal but only if you drink enough to break even.  Otherwise, you might be better off going with a lower rate and simply buying your drinks.

I think you will like Bermuda.  An interesting mix of formal British social norms and island life.  Quite different from most of the Caribbean Islands.   I'd recommend a visit to St George's (small town on north end), Horseshoe or Elbow Beach, the Crystal Cave, and a basic tour of the island with a "blue flag" (certified guide) taxi.  Ship's excursions can be costly and typically more crowded than private excursions.  I assume the ship will dock at King's Wharf where there are a number of shops, and a glass blowing demonstration/shop which we enjoyed.  If you decide to rent a moped, be careful. It's amazing how ingrained it is to make a turn and stay on the right.  But in Bermuda, that means you are in the wrong lane.  I understand that incidents of tourists injured on mopeds is quite common and I think we came close to adding to that total a couple of times.

Cruising is a wonderful and relaxing way to vacation.  I know that it may not be everyone's "cup of tea" but I find it forces me to relax, stay off work email (shipboard rates are expensive), and allow the batteries to recharge.  It's like being on an all-inclusive vacation but the hotel moves.  Enjoy!

The Ultimate Beverage Package on NCL is being offered FREE right now on a promo.  The promo has been around since January so it seems its here to stay. It makes that ship (and NCL) a pretty attractive deal.

The Ultimate Beverage Package on NCL is being offered FREE right now on a promo.  The promo has been around since January so it seems its here to stay. It makes that ship (and NCL) a pretty attractive deal.

The Ultimate Beverage Package on NCL is being offered FREE right now on a promo.  The promo has been around since January so it seems its here to stay. It makes that ship (and NCL) a pretty attractive deal.

unicorn33 said:

+1 on the balcony! I found it very relaxing to sit out there at times, look up at the stars at night, and just gaze out through the glass doors. By the way, there is a website (I forget the exact name, but you can find via Google) that not only reviews the various cruise lines and ships but even reviews the best cabin locations!

I think you mean cruisecritic.com (or something like that). And yeah, the idea of a balcony overlooking the sea sounds kind of cool.

www.cruisecritic.com

Celebrity Summit

• Pros: Smaller size means consistent service; heavy emphasis on food and wine, with mostly good results
• Cons: Despite refurbs and Solstice-class additions, ship is over a decade old -- and in some places, shows it.
• Bottom line: The ship presents some of the best features of Celebrity, without being too overwhelming.

http://www.cruisecritic.com/reviews/review.cfm?ShipID=251

The secret to not over-packing is making sure everything you take does double duty. Take items that are color-coordinated in a particular palette... e.g., black, khaki, and white, or blue and white and grey, and take only items that you can wear in multiple combinations.

What I used to do when I was taking cruises was lay everything I WANTED to take out on the bed, then go over it with a ruthless eye and remove about half of what I thought was essential, then look at what was left. If I could put all of items together in various different ways to achieve different looks using the same essential items, I was happy. 

...or, enjoy overpacking! No flying involved. Pack away! 

And sorry about the multiple posts about Bev plan. Not sure what happened there!

Price-wise, you might also want to look at Costco Travel. Their cruise prices are good. (They also offer excursions at comparable prices.)

Some people love cruises, some hate them, some are in the middle. I'm in the latter category. I went on a cruise earlier this year, and there was much to like. However, there were also a number of annoyances. (One example: Never-ending loud music playing made relaxing at poolside not so fun.) I think it's important to have a clear idea of the people who will be on the cruise with you (e.g., young vs. older) and what activities are offered (both on and off ship). Food is also a big deal, of course, since you'll probably be eating/snacking multiple times during the day. Personally, I would go on another cruise, but I would choose both the ships and the ports of call verrrrry carefully.

unicorn33 - thanks for the tip about Costco Travel. I always forget about their extra services.

Especially since it posted three times, I feel compelled to update this thread with the info that effective today, the Free Beverage Package offer from NCL is gone.  Boo!

Leaving out of Bayonne is very convenient.  Parking is avail but I'm sure the taxi fare to Bayonne won't be that bad (20 min ride, my hometown).  I've gone to Bermuda on Royal Caribean and NCL.  We liked them both.  Bon Voyage!

Leaving out of Bayonne is very convenient.  Parking is avail but I'm sure the taxi fare to Bayonne won't be that bad (20 min ride, my hometown).  I've gone to Bermuda on Royal Caribean and NCL.  We liked them both.  Bon Voyage!