Thinking of planning a cruise and have lots of questions....

[dtuleya]

I'm thinking about booking a cruise for either next summer or the summer after that. I have lots of questions.

1. How far in advance can I book? What depost is required down? What if I have to change my dates? I'd really like to start paying on it because I'm really bad at saving money.

2. How do you know which category to choose? (first time cruising)? Both DS and DH are tall. We usually book accommodations for 5 even though there are only 4 of us. We'd like to get enough room for us all to sleep comfortably. We stayed at the WL and oldest DS ended up sleeping on the floor. We'd like a balcony, but I don't want to break the bank.

3. Is it horrible to go on a Carribbean cruise during the summer? We'd probably go in June 2004.

4. Are there any good DCL books that I can get to read? I know Passporter has one. Any others?

5. 7 Night Eastern or Western Caribbean Cruise?

That should get me started. Thanks!

 

[jfeasel]

10 of us just got back from the June 14 Eastern. We had 3 rooms between us. I would definately go for the verandah for the extra space and it's really nice to sit out there in the early mornings and at night. Categories 5 & 6 are the same but are on different decks, there isn't anything different in the rooms but 6 is cheaper. Most category 5 & 6 rooms sleep 4 with the pull down berth. If you want room for 5, you have to bump up to a category 4.

We did the Eastern this year on Disney and loved it. We did the Western islands on RCL last year and I prefer the Eastern islands better. Also, I like the extra day at sea.

The weather was spectacular on every island and since we did water-based excursions we were not affected by the heat. The breeze from the ship kept us comfortable when we were around the pools.

 

[Empire Day]

I'll try to answer some
1. As far as you can we booked ours a year and a half in advance (the cost somtimes seems to go up closer to the date) I would defintly book a 6/04 NOW!
We paid a $200 deposit per person and paid a little each month (we are horible at saving too )
2. We booked a cat6 for our first cruise, 3 of us and it was quite spacious the verandah makes the room about 4' longer and is well worth the extra $
3. May was GREAT I think June would be hotter and more chance of rain
someone will know
4. THE PASSPORTER IS GREAT GET IT BEFOR YOU BOOK TO get an idea of the catagorys etc.
5. we did the wonder so I don't know I hear the western is better (that will be our next!
...Don't forget to search and scower these boards for TONS of good info

 

[Lloyd Dobler]

I believe that they're currently taking bookings through December 2004. It's hard to say when they'll start taking reservations beyond that. If you work with a travel agent, they will have this information when it becomes available. The sponsors of this board, Dreams Unlimited, often post the information here when new dates are released for sale.

I believe that they now ask for a $250 deposit per person. I think that you must submit this within about 72 hours of making the reservation. The balance is due 60 days prior to departure, but you can pay against it in increments, if that works best for you.

If you have to change your dates, you can apply your balance to the new date, provided you do so outside of the 60-day mark. However, you may not be able to get the same rate as when you initially booked.

For 5 people who'd like a bit of space, the category 4 would probably be the way to go if you'd want a verandah. You could also price adjoining rooms in one of the other categories, either oceanview or inside, and compare the price.

I don't think the weather varies that greatly in the Caribbean. Yes, it will be hotter in June, but not that much hotter. It's pretty much mid- to high-eighties and humid year-round. We like to sail in September, when it's still very hot, but the prices are a bit less.

While this isn't a book specifically about DCL, I like to use Frommer's Caribbean Cruises and Ports of Call as a planning guide. This book has a brief section on each cruise line, but it's real value is in the port information it provides. I would say that this board is one of the best sources of DCL information going.

I tend to prefer the eastern route to the western, but have done both and both are very enjoyable. I mostly like the eastern for the extra day at sea, and while I like Grand Cayman quite a bit, I can really take or leave Cozumel. I think that the ship is the main attraction. I don't think either of these is a bad choice.