1'st time cruiser with many ?????

thumper*

Disney Dreamer
Joined
Mar 25, 2010
Hi my Dis friends. DH and I are considering our first cruise ever late Dec 2019-early Jan 2020.

I have a read a few TR's here on the boards about Disney cruise line but other than that we know hardly anything about cruising.

We like quiteness (fewer kids) since we don't have any. So between that and the cost of a Disney cruise it is off the table for a first time cruise. But hopefully in the future.

I'm thinking a 4 nt RCL with a balcony might be up our alley.
We tend to like higher quality foods & drink. We prefer relaxing around a pool/beach vs shows, shopping or excursions. Plus Coco cay looks awesome...lot's of adult space. Or we have a friend that winters in Cozumel and we would enjoy a day long visit with him if we did a Western Caribbean cruise.

We definitely won't sail Carnival.

Also what are the best locations for state rooms? Are higher or lower decks preferred?

How would I know if a room has an obstructed view?

I'm all ears for any suggestions on cruise lines, itineraries and web sites for a 1'st timer to visit.

TIA for any info. and why.

EDITED to add that DH refuses to do Carnival because of all the bad press over the last 10 yr's of major sickness on board and stranded ships. I know that was then and this is now but it's how he feels.
 
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My RCL trip reports are for the larger ships so may not fit the itineraries you’re looking at. Early Jan will be cheaper than December if that matters to you. I’m tentatively scheduled for Navigator in Jan 2020 for that reason.

If you’re not using a TA I recommend getting one. I’ve not used DU but I know they’ve got a good reputation so I’d start there for Royal/DCL cruises.

Don’t sell Carnival short as some of their newer ships look great. Our French Canadian friend mevelandry might be able to make some recommendations there.

If you’ve not been on a cruise the low centre might be preferable. Less movement relative to the rest of the ship. I think most people prefer higher decks if they want a view, so keep that in mind.

I think obstructed views are noted when looking at rooms but I can’t remember, but that’s another point for using a TA - they’ll figure that stuff out for you.
 
Hi my Dis friends. DH and I are considering our first cruise ever late Dec 2019-early Jan 2020.

I have a read a few TR's here on the boards about Disney cruise line but other than that we know hardly anything about cruising.

We like quiteness (fewer kids) since we don't have any. So between that and the cost of a Disney cruise it is off the table for a first time cruise. But hopefully in the future.

I'm thinking a 4 nt RCL with a balcony might be up our alley.
We tend to like higher quality foods & drink. We prefer relaxing around a pool/beach vs shows, shopping or excursions. Plus Coco cay looks awesome...lot's of adult space. Or we have a friend that winters in Cozumel and we would enjoy a day long visit with him if we did a Western Caribbean cruise.

We definitely won't sail Carnival.

Also what are the best locations for state rooms? Are higher or lower decks preferred?

How would I know if a room has an obstructed view?

I'm all ears for any suggestions on cruise lines, itineraries and web sites for a 1'st timer to visit.

TIA for any info. and why.

Haven't sailed with RCCL yet (currently planning my first RCCL cruise in October 2019) but I'm very curious to know why you don't want to sail with Carnival?

While I'm not the biggest fan of old ships, the brand new Carnival ships are actually very nice (I sailed on the Vista and I've liked it more than DCL ships) and if you book a cabin in the Havana Section, those cabins can't have kids under 12 and there's a pool reserved those staying in Havana (during the day) ... I haven't tried it but I've seen the area and it was great.

And they have the Serenity deck that is adult only as well. The entertainment is very adult oriented.
 
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DH and I just did a 4 day cruise on Independence. Great ship! Not too large (such as Oasis) and not too small. It went to Cozumel, but I'm sure there are itineraries that also hit CoCo Cay.
We also did Mariner 4 night with our kids that went to Nassau and CoCo Cay, which is also great.

It does have family friendly features (waterslides, skypad, lasertag), but there is also a solarium for adults only. There is also a kids-spash area, which we found lessened the crowds a bit at the main pool compared with Mariner (which doesn't have kids area). You mentioned shows aren't as important but as a note it does have Grease and Once Upon a Time, both of which are excellent. Other fun night time stuff such as Love & Marriage Show, Quest, adult Comedy Show, and various venus with music, etc

There are specialty restaurants (although not as many as Oasis or Quantum class). We did Giovanni's, but did also try Chops on another ship and was great too.

For avoiding obstructed rooms, look at the deck plan and make sure to pick one wthout the square (or just have Royal or a TA help you out).
 
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This is true. I’d categorize cruise (and AI resort) food as usually between Average Office Christmas Party and Deluxe Wedding Banquet. Which is a huge range, but that is the kind of variance you can get when you’re reading reviews.
 
Thank you @starvenger @mevelandry @Frozen2014 @Mrsjvb @gumbypee for your insights and info.

DH refuses to do Carnival because of all the bad press over the last 10 yr's of major sickness on board and stranded ships. I know that was then and this is now but it's how he feels.

We also did Mariner 4 night with our kids that went to Nassau and CoCo Cay, which is also great.
This is the cruise I've been eyeballing but I'm still studying Celebrity cruises and a few others.
 
Thank you @starvenger @mevelandry @Frozen2014 @Mrsjvb @gumbypee for your insights and info.

DH refuses to do Carnival because of all the bad press over the last 10 yr's of major sickness on board and stranded ships. I know that was then and this is now but it's how he feels.

This is the cruise I've been eyeballing but I'm still studying Celebrity cruises and a few others.

That's too bad because IMO Carnival suffers unfairly from bad press.

Novovirus/Rotavirus can unfortunately happen on board of any cruise ship and even the best cruise lines have suffered them... but just an FYI, Carnival has been pretty good (even better than many luxury lines) at avoiding it based on the CDC reports:

https://www.cdc.gov/nceh/vsp/surv/gilist.htm

Here are the inspection scores:

https://wwwn.cdc.gov/InspectionQueryTool/InspectionResults.aspx


As for "stranded ships" (loss of power due to fire), it happened twice (2010 & 2013). Engine fire... This is unfortunate but what can you do.

EDIT: I'm not trying to change your mind or anything. Just explaining why I think Carnival is unfairly treated by the media... and some cruisers.
 
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Ironically, as we are talking, there is a norovirus outbreak on the Oasis of the Seas. They had to cancel the stop in Cozumel and people will have their cruise 100% refunded.
 
Thank you @starvenger @mevelandry @Frozen2014 @Mrsjvb @gumbypee for your insights and info.

DH refuses to do Carnival because of all the bad press over the last 10 yr's of major sickness on board and stranded ships. I know that was then and this is now but it's how he feels.

This is the cruise I've been eyeballing but I'm still studying Celebrity cruises and a few others.

umm.. a Royal ship just had to curtail its latest cruise due to too large a percentage of the pax contracting Norovirus. it will Be on EVERY ship on EVERY line. and there will be an outbreak on every cruise. just hope big an outbreak is anybody's guess. take the proper precautions and you won't fall victim. as for stranding/mechanical difficulties; again, everybody has those as well. I don't like Carnival either, but for others reasons.
 
umm.. a Royal ship just had to curtail its latest cruise due to too large a percentage of the pax contracting Norovirus. it will Be on EVERY ship on EVERY line. and there will be an outbreak on every cruise. just hope big an outbreak is anybody's guess. take the proper precautions and you won't fall victim. as for stranding/mechanical difficulties; again, everybody has those as well. I don't like Carnival either, but for others reasons.

I can't help but asking... Why? (I'm super curious, sorry.)
 
Thank you @starvenger @mevelandry @Frozen2014 @Mrsjvb @gumbypee for your insights and info.

DH refuses to do Carnival because of all the bad press over the last 10 yr's of major sickness on board and stranded ships. I know that was then and this is now but it's how he feels.

This is the cruise I've been eyeballing but I'm still studying Celebrity cruises and a few others.


My sister refused to even look at Carnival due to the publicity. Were just looking for quick, casual fun in the sun so I think we found the perfect fit with RCL.
 
Not a fan of the decor, or on board activities ( hairy chest contests, etc). Nor the constant announcements, which are piped in to the cabin

Yeah. The decor (especially on the old ships since the new ones look really good) definitely need a more modern upgrade & I agree that the hairy chest contest could retire (that being said, I never attend it). I never noticed the announcements, probably because I'm busy having fun outside.

Have you tried Trivia? I LOVE playing Trivia on board and the Hasbro games are quite fun to watch too.
 
There’s lots about cruising that is great. But high quality food and quiet are not those great things. If you stay on the ship during port days then you might find the pool areas quiet and relaxing, but they’re almost always packed and loud. Cruise ships just have a high population density and that can really be felt around the pool areas. Even the adults only solarium is usually loud with rowdy adults and the sound bounces amplifying things.

Cruise ship food is just bad IMO. It’s nearly impossible to create quality meals from such a small galley for so many people at the same time. Even years ago before all the complaints of cutbacks and declining service, I hated cruise food lol.

The upcharge restaurants are much better though you have to budget $25/pp and up for those. We always do a dining package that saves a little as we do upcharge restaurants or eat in port (depending on the itinerary) every night. The other benefit of the upcharge restaurants is being “off-schedule” since the dining rooms seat at 6:30 and 8:00 you have a group at early dinner and the later dinner folks having cocktails and seeing the show then switch. The upcharge dining works more like a normal restaurant so you can go anytime between 5:30-6:00 and 9:00-10:00pm.

The solarium pool is usually quiet in the evenings at like 6:00 or 7:00 for a swim without feeling like everybody on the ship is there with you.

Based on the preferences you described, I would say a balcony or even a suite would be your best bet. That way you have a quiet place to relax, read, whatever to watch the waves go by.

Balcony state rooms are higher up just because of ship design. They tend to price up the higher deck you go, but there’s nothing inherently better about higher up. Being right under the pool/buffet deck can be noisier because of chairs being moved, kids running etc.

Rooms closest to midship will have less movement and be the most convenient to accessing most of the ship. Some people love aft balconies and they often sell fast and carry a premium (and are usually quite big). Usually when searching a cabin category, it will tell you if it’s an obstructed view. The lower level balcony categories will tend to be the obstructed views. It also usually warns you that booking a guarantee cabin (cheaper because you don’t pick a specific cabin but just get a room in that category) that it may be an obstructed view.
 
Thanks @FairestOfThemAll37 very informative. We would definitely do a dining package because we would be more interested in the upcharge dining options. Don 't get me wrong we also like burgers and wings and can make do but do like the occasional higher end dining.
LOL the other night while doing research on the RCL website I discovered the Aft balcony rooms I had no idea they existed. I know we would prefer an outside balcony and I'm willing to pay a lil extra to have a guarantee cabin for this reason. I also appreciate the input for room location of mid ship and less motion.
 
We prefer relaxing around a pool/beach vs shows, shopping or excursions.

We sailed Oasis on Royal and really enjoyed it, but the adult only area (Solarium) was just ok for us. It was a great space, but we had to get there quite early to get good chairs, and the "pool" was very small and got crowded. But it was either this, or deal with the masses at the all ages pool which seemed very busy and loud. There was also live music at the all ages pool, and much more of a party type of atmosphere. But for us, the pool was only one part of it. We did enjoy the activities around the ship, shows, dining, etc. so having the best pool wasn't a main priority for us.

We tend to like higher quality foods & drink.

I'm in agreement with PPs that food is subjective. We liked it, but we are not foodies and don't care much for fine dining. We though the specialty restaurants were great though, better than the main dining room.
 
This is a Royal forum ... not that you can't try to ask questions about others.

If you really want less kids and high quality food .... I wouldn't cruise Royal
OR
I would book a week that it's hard for families to travel and plan to buy the dining upgrade package & eat at the specialty restaurants.

Otherwise look at other lines .... Cruise Critic forums are your best bet.
 

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