Expert: Curtis Thorsen - 2/17/2005

Question
My wife and I are thinking about taking a cruise this year.  We have never been on one and have heard both the negatives and the positives.  We are both in are late 50's.  Any feedback and suggestions would be appreciated.
·   We would like a cruise with a minimal amount of children on board.  More adult oriented.
·   What is the best time of the year to take a cruise?
·   What is normally included in the price (i.e. food, beverages, entertainment, etc.)?
·   What areas for the cruise would you suggest?
·   Definitely want a ship with a casino.
·   What cruise lines do you suggest?


Answer
Hi Doug, wel all I can say is WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF CRUISING ! What other method of travel allows you to unpack once, visit 3-4 exotic ports of call (based on 7 night cruise), be pampered and will include your meals, entertainment and accommodations ?? The cruise fits this requirement and you wil have a ball !

1. Being in your late fifties... no problem. If you want rest, luxury and relaxation (with a little fun and sun mixed in), than I will suggest either Celebrity Cruiselines, or possibly Holland America Line. Both of these cruiselines will cater to passengers of your age and do not tend to have as many children onboard than say Royal Caribbean, Princess or Carnival. You will see children onboard any ship as cruising has hit new levels, but they have also developed the best childrens programs to keep the little ones very busy throughout the cruise !

2.Best time of year and best pricing are two different issues.... spring, summer and holidays are the most expensive.....Fall being hurricane season (dont let that scare you !) will offer lower fares and will have less children sailing on any cruiseline. Usually after Labor Day you will see that cruiselines are often selling cruises at much less than during the peak season. Personally I go in the fall as the captain of the ship us going to everything possible to avoid any bad weather scenarios....and could even divert the ship to an alternate itinerary if necessary.
Fall also has the advantages of getting away from the cold and into the warm winds of the caribbean.... summer can be VERY HOT in the caribbean and spring and fall are wonderful.

3. All food (including 24 hour room service) which entails breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks throught the day will be included in your cruise fare. Beverages such as tea, coffee, milk and juices are also included. Not included will be soft drinks,(however you can purchase a soft drink card for unlimited soft drinks thru the cruise if desired), alcoholic beverages, beer and wine. When purchasing any of the beverages not included there will also be a 15% tip added to your charge. Onboard purchases at the shops onboard are additional as are shore tours, donations to the casino, etc..... Also remember that tipping at the end of the cruise is customary or is auto added to your shipboard portfolio at a normal fee of $10.00 p/p per day of your cruise and divided accordingly to the staff and management of the ship. So you would be looking at approx. $70.00 per person in gratuities to allow for in your total costs over and above the cruise fare.

4. Depends where you want to go on a cruise... most people will start with eh caribbean... probably the eastern with ports of call usually of St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan, perhaps a private island or Nassau along with 2 - 3 days at sea. Western Caribbean will stop at Cozumel, Grand Caymen, Ocho Rios, possibly a private island, Key West, etc...Both of these itineraries usually depart from either Miami, Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa Galveston, and New Orleans. Souther Caribbean departures to Aruba, St. Maarten, Curacao, Barbados, and St. Lucia will depart from San Juan.

Hope this is of great assistance to you and that it gets you started. You may want to go to www.celebrity.com, www.hollandamerica.com, and www.royalcaribbean.com to get a taste of what ship, itinerary and ammenities meet your needs and lifestyle.

If you need further assistance...I am happy to assist in your travel planning.

Regards.....

Curtis J. Thorsen, President
Cruise & Resort Connection, Inc. "Virtuoso" Agency ~~~ Specialists in the Art of Travel
10781 Hwy 23
Glennville, Ga. 30427
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The "Vacation Store" to our clients since 1996 !
1.912.654.1072 Office
1.888.482.7215 Toll Free
1.912.654.2072 Fax
e-mail: fun2cruiz@aol.com
http://hometown.aol.com/fun2cruiz/myhomepage/profile.html
Participating Member of : www.allexperts.com
EMERGENCY AFTER HOURS TRAVEL RELATED ISSUES
1.912.654.1007 (residence) 1.912.282.8105 (OnStar-Vehicle)