Criuse Deal

[billy]

I'm trying to book a cruise for the first time, anyone used vacations to go site? It looks like you have to call to book?

[secondcor521]

I get their emails, and I like the website's ability to sort and filter in a bunch of different ways.  But I've never booked a cruise with them, mostly because I'm only lukewarm about taking a cruise in general.

[GilesMM]

Cruise ships reportedly are ferocious polluters of the air and sea.  They produce more CO2 per passenger mile than aeroplanes.  Hope you at least look for a sustainable operator, e.g. a sailboat.

[patchyfacialhair]

As a general rule, I never book anything through a third party website. That includes hotels, flights, concert tickets, anything. It's just not worth it to me. Too much money at stake to now have a middleman between the product/service I'm trying to purchase.

[jimmyshutter]

For a quick search I'll use Expedia for pricing and when I'm ready to book I'll go straight through the Cruise's website because you can usually get better prices especially if you're already a member. People say going through a travel agency will get you better deals but I don't know because I've never used one.

[solon]

I've booked a couple cruises through vacations to go. They do a good job. Don't think of them as a third party website. They are a travel agent, with all the benefits that brings.

[billy]

I've booked a couple cruises through vacations to go. They do a good job. Don't think of them as a third party website. They are a travel agent, with all the benefits that brings.

Good to know thanks, carpe diem.

[Dicey]

I've booked a couple cruises through vacations to go. They do a good job. Don't think of them as a third party website. They are a travel agent, with all the benefits that brings.

+1

[solon]

I get their emails, and I like the website's ability to sort and filter in a bunch of different ways.  But I've never booked a cruise with them, mostly because I'm only lukewarm about taking a cruise in general.

To people who are unsure about cruising, I recommend taking a 3-day cruise. They're super cheap, and if it turns out you don't like cruising you've only lost 3 days.

[patchyfacialhair]

I get their emails, and I like the website's ability to sort and filter in a bunch of different ways.  But I've never booked a cruise with them, mostly because I'm only lukewarm about taking a cruise in general.

To people who are unsure about cruising, I recommend taking a 3-day cruise. They're super cheap, and if it turns out you don't like cruising you've only lost 3 days.

Yep. First cruise was a 4 night cruise. Ended up loving it, and now wouldn't book less than 7 nights going forward. But it's not for everyone.

[TheAnonOne]

I've done a few via Royal Caribbean, always pretty good, we recommend them simply because they put on a good show, have clean and updated ships, and the food is nice.

Book directly, pick a route with some interesting stops, do a shore excursion or two. Enjoy.


PS. The drink package is rarely worth it, even as someone who drinks a good amount on vacations, it's hard to break even. More-so if you're doing stops at places not owned by the cruise line.

[TheAnonOne]

Cruise ships reportedly are ferocious polluters of the air and sea.  They produce more CO2 per passenger mile than aeroplanes.  Hope you at least look for a sustainable operator, e.g. a sailboat.

This is mostly due to the use of "Bunker Fuel" like most large ships. Luckily they are slowly transitioning to other fuel sources.

[Loren Ver]

I've used vacations to go as well.  You do have to call, but it is a really easy process if you already know what you want.  By the time I call I have all my ducks in a row (been well through the website and what cruise I want) and if I have any questions they are written out with what is acceptable and what is not.  If you are less organized or need more of a walk though you may have a different experience. 

One of the things I really like is they never try to up sell me on anything.  I tell them what I want and why, they might give some suggestions if it fits my why better.   We discuss, and then book.  It's pretty fast.

Loren

[billy]

I've used vacations to go as well.  You do have to call, but it is a really easy process if you already know what you want.  By the time I call I have all my ducks in a row (been well through the website and what cruise I want) and if I have any questions they are written out with what is acceptable and what is not.  If you are less organized or need more of a walk though you may have a different experience. 

One of the things I really like is they never try to up sell me on anything.  I tell them what I want and why, they might give some suggestions if it fits my why better.   We discuss, and then book.  It's pretty fast.

Loren

Okay, so is there a similar 3rd party site where you can book online by any chance, outside of the big guys like booking, travelosity, etc.?

[GilesMM]

Cruise ships reportedly are ferocious polluters of the air and sea.  They produce more CO2 per passenger mile than aeroplanes.  Hope you at least look for a sustainable operator, e.g. a sailboat.

This is mostly due to the use of "Bunker Fuel" like most large ships. Luckily they are slowly transitioning to other fuel sources.

Don't forget about dumping of wastewater and sewage at sea and tremendous CO2 emissions from any power/locomotion source other than solar/wind/nuclear.


https://news.mongabay.com/2023/10/cleaning-up-cruise-ships-environmental-wake/#:~:text=Air%20pollution%20is%20another%20significant,2022%20as%20a%20billion%20cars.

[tj]

cruisecompete.com will allow travel agents bid on you.

cruiseplum.com shows all in prices (taxes, fees, gratuities) - making it easier to compare between cruise lines.

[clarkfan1979]

I've done a few via Royal Caribbean, always pretty good, we recommend them simply because they put on a good show, have clean and updated ships, and the food is nice.

Book directly, pick a route with some interesting stops, do a shore excursion or two. Enjoy.


PS. The drink package is rarely worth it, even as someone who drinks a good amount on vacations, it's hard to break even. More-so if you're doing stops at places not owned by the cruise line.

I've been on the website a little over the past month. We are looking at doing a Caribbean/Bahamas cruise in June leaving from Florida. My biggest question is that when you filter for pricing, it's based on double occupancy. We have a 7-year old, so we need some sort of room that can accommodate 3 people. I haven't been able to figure out how to filter that. Can it be done or do you have to call for special pricing?

For the drinking, it depends on how much you drink. My step-sister got married on Royal Caribbean in 2013. It was a 5-day cruise. We did the drink package at $50/day per person. Drink prices were about $10/drink, so the break even point was around 5 drinks/day. I would drink about 12/day and my wife would drink about 6/day. I was pleasantly surprised that there were some decent wines on the list for dinner. I was drinking Kendall Jackson Pino Noir at every dinner. The actual limit is 15 drinks/day and my dad averaged about 18 drinks/day. We would have to order him drinks at dinner because he was out of credits. I was able to keep pace of 12 drinks/day on a 5-day cruise. If it was more than 5-days, I probably wouldn't do the drink package.

 

[tj]

I've done a few via Royal Caribbean, always pretty good, we recommend them simply because they put on a good show, have clean and updated ships, and the food is nice.

Book directly, pick a route with some interesting stops, do a shore excursion or two. Enjoy.


PS. The drink package is rarely worth it, even as someone who drinks a good amount on vacations, it's hard to break even. More-so if you're doing stops at places not owned by the cruise line.

I've been on the website a little over the past month. We are looking at doing a Caribbean/Bahamas cruise in June leaving from Florida. My biggest question is that when you filter for pricing, it's based on double occupancy. We have a 7-year old, so we need some sort of room that can accommodate 3 people. I haven't been able to figure out how to filter that. Can it be done or do you have to call for special pricing?

For the drinking, it depends on how much you drink. My step-sister got married on Royal Caribbean in 2013. It was a 5-day cruise. We did the drink package at $50/day per person. Drink prices were about $10/drink, so the break even point was around 5 drinks/day. I would drink about 12/day and my wife would drink about 6/day. I was pleasantly surprised that there were some decent wines on the list for dinner. I was drinking Kendall Jackson Pino Noir at every dinner. The actual limit is 15 drinks/day and my dad averaged about 18 drinks/day. We would have to order him drinks at dinner because he was out of credits. I was able to keep pace of 12 drinks/day on a 5-day cruise. If it was more than 5-days, I probably wouldn't do the drink package.

Shouldn't be an issue, most of the cruise lines have quad cabins.

[clarkfan1979]

I've done a few via Royal Caribbean, always pretty good, we recommend them simply because they put on a good show, have clean and updated ships, and the food is nice.

Book directly, pick a route with some interesting stops, do a shore excursion or two. Enjoy.


PS. The drink package is rarely worth it, even as someone who drinks a good amount on vacations, it's hard to break even. More-so if you're doing stops at places not owned by the cruise line.

I've been on the website a little over the past month. We are looking at doing a Caribbean/Bahamas cruise in June leaving from Florida. My biggest question is that when you filter for pricing, it's based on double occupancy. We have a 7-year old, so we need some sort of room that can accommodate 3 people. I haven't been able to figure out how to filter that. Can it be done or do you have to call for special pricing?

For the drinking, it depends on how much you drink. My step-sister got married on Royal Caribbean in 2013. It was a 5-day cruise. We did the drink package at $50/day per person. Drink prices were about $10/drink, so the break even point was around 5 drinks/day. I would drink about 12/day and my wife would drink about 6/day. I was pleasantly surprised that there were some decent wines on the list for dinner. I was drinking Kendall Jackson Pino Noir at every dinner. The actual limit is 15 drinks/day and my dad averaged about 18 drinks/day. We would have to order him drinks at dinner because he was out of credits. I was able to keep pace of 12 drinks/day on a 5-day cruise. If it was more than 5-days, I probably wouldn't do the drink package.

Shouldn't be an issue, most of the cruise lines have quad cabins.

Can you filter based on the search or do you have to call each time? When you book a quad cabin, is it going to be 80% off, similar to the double occupancy that is advertised as 80% off?

[tj]

I've done a few via Royal Caribbean, always pretty good, we recommend them simply because they put on a good show, have clean and updated ships, and the food is nice.

Book directly, pick a route with some interesting stops, do a shore excursion or two. Enjoy.


PS. The drink package is rarely worth it, even as someone who drinks a good amount on vacations, it's hard to break even. More-so if you're doing stops at places not owned by the cruise line.

I've been on the website a little over the past month. We are looking at doing a Caribbean/Bahamas cruise in June leaving from Florida. My biggest question is that when you filter for pricing, it's based on double occupancy. We have a 7-year old, so we need some sort of room that can accommodate 3 people. I haven't been able to figure out how to filter that. Can it be done or do you have to call for special pricing?

For the drinking, it depends on how much you drink. My step-sister got married on Royal Caribbean in 2013. It was a 5-day cruise. We did the drink package at $50/day per person. Drink prices were about $10/drink, so the break even point was around 5 drinks/day. I would drink about 12/day and my wife would drink about 6/day. I was pleasantly surprised that there were some decent wines on the list for dinner. I was drinking Kendall Jackson Pino Noir at every dinner. The actual limit is 15 drinks/day and my dad averaged about 18 drinks/day. We would have to order him drinks at dinner because he was out of credits. I was able to keep pace of 12 drinks/day on a 5-day cruise. If it was more than 5-days, I probably wouldn't do the drink package.

Shouldn't be an issue, most of the cruise lines have quad cabins.

Can you filter based on the search or do you have to call each time? When you book a quad cabin, is it going to be 80% off, similar to the double occupancy that is advertised as 80% off?

You shouldn't need to call anybody. Just go to Carnival's website (or whichever cruise line you are using), and when you do a search, put 4 guests.  You might get a slightly better deal from a broker, ut not significantly so. Use the cruise line's search engine to narrow down which cruise you want, ask for quotes on cruisecompete and see what deals you are offered?

[fuzzy math]

Can you filter based on the search or do you have to call each time? When you book a quad cabin, is it going to be 80% off, similar to the double occupancy that is advertised as 80% off?

Many lines have a "kids cruise free" or other discount for the 3rd person. When you go to any site you just choose the number of guests and input the kid's age. Its simple on a variety of sites. You only have to call when you're like me and have 5 people and need to book multiple rooms

[YttriumNitrate]

Don't forget about dumping of wastewater and sewage at sea and tremendous CO2 emissions from any power/locomotion source other than solar/wind/nuclear.

It currently isn't available due to sanctions, but there were nuclear powered ships being used for cruises.
https://www.quarkexpeditions.com/expedition-ships/50-years-of-victory#ship-departures

I took a cruise with Quark back in 2009 and it was a great time. Interestingly, most of the people on the cruise found the idea of going on a Carnival-style cruise utterly repulsive.

[dandarc]

I get their emails, and I like the website's ability to sort and filter in a bunch of different ways.  But I've never booked a cruise with them, mostly because I'm only lukewarm about taking a cruise in general.

To people who are unsure about cruising, I recommend taking a 3-day cruise. They're super cheap, and if it turns out you don't like cruising you've only lost 3 days.

Yep. First cruise was a 4 night cruise. Ended up loving it, and now wouldn't book less than 7 nights going forward. But it's not for everyone.

This. And if you want to give cruising a fair shot, don't try to be a hero - take your dramamine or bonine.

[partgypsy]

I went on a cruise in HS and loved it. Have browsed but never pulled the trigger on a cruise, in part bc I'd prefer a smaller ship and they are more pricey. When I was researching, I would look up packages on vacations to go, and then go on cruise critic.com where you could look up posts on specific cruises and see people's reviews and helpful commentary (what locations to avoid re cabins etc). It was very helpful.

[partgypsy]

I get their emails, and I like the website's ability to sort and filter in a bunch of different ways.  But I've never booked a cruise with them, mostly because I'm only lukewarm about taking a cruise in general.

To people who are unsure about cruising, I recommend taking a 3-day cruise. They're super cheap, and if it turns out you don't like cruising you've only lost 3 days.

Yep. First cruise was a 4 night cruise. Ended up loving it, and now wouldn't book less than 7 nights going forward. But it's not for everyone.

This. And if you want to give cruising a fair shot, don't try to be a hero - take your dramamine or bonine.

The one time I cruised, it's so big, you forget you are in a boat. Even when I was crossing the channel in a ferry in choppy water (with people throwing up left and right) it wasn't something that bothered me? But people vary.   I wonder if it could be genetic. My little brother gets car sick and also can get sick from rides. OTOH I've never known my Mom and Dad to ever get seasick (in fact some people on Dad's side are in the shipping business).

[dandarc]

I get their emails, and I like the website's ability to sort and filter in a bunch of different ways.  But I've never booked a cruise with them, mostly because I'm only lukewarm about taking a cruise in general.

To people who are unsure about cruising, I recommend taking a 3-day cruise. They're super cheap, and if it turns out you don't like cruising you've only lost 3 days.

Yep. First cruise was a 4 night cruise. Ended up loving it, and now wouldn't book less than 7 nights going forward. But it's not for everyone.

This. And if you want to give cruising a fair shot, don't try to be a hero - take your dramamine or bonine.

The one time I cruised, it's so big, you forget you are in a boat. Even when I was crossing the channel in a ferry in choppy water (with people throwing up left and right) it wasn't something that bothered me? But people vary.

I was personally fine until I tried to sleep on the very first one. Maybe that was a fluke or because it was an older/somewhat smaller boat at the time (Carnival Holiday if memory serves - was out of Mobile or New Orleans, not the biggest cruise port situations), and I had the very cheapest room they sold - an interior upper/lower and the beds were arranged cross-wise. But I haven't messed around on this front since.

[jinga nation]

If you wanna do your due diligence, read reviews of the ships/lines. I use https://www.cruisecritic.com/cruise-ships/

[EliteZags]

https://slickdeals.net/f/17295616-celebrity-cruises-48-hour-flash-sale-75-off-2nd-guest-3rd-4th-guest-free-plus-save-150-per-stateroom-still-active?src=frontpage_recombee&prop=rcmid-02c319fd642717478988317d2d48b482&attrsrc=Personalization%3AInterspersed%3ATrue

[FIREin2018]

I'm trying to book a cruise for the first time, anyone used vacations to go site? It looks like you have to call to book?

I have a friend that uses v2go and loves it.
she gets extra obc from them.

my sister uses Costco travel for cruises. instead of obc, she gets a costco gift card.

For both, the amount they get varies depending on cruise

[Dicey]

I'm trying to book a cruise for the first time, anyone used vacations to go site? It looks like you have to call to book?

I have a friend that uses v2go and loves it.
she gets extra obc from them.

my sister uses Costco travel for cruises. instead of obc, she gets a costco gift card.

For both, the amount they get varies depending on cruise

obc = On Board Credit. Took me a minute.

[tj]

I booked a cruise for December directly with a cruise line.

I saw someone I know on FB mentioned they are taking a cruise and have a travel agent friend who saves them money.

I asked that person who their travel agent was. They gave me the contact info.

From sending one email, I gained some additional onboard credit as well as prepaid gratuities at no additional cost to myself.

That is pretty cool.