Been on Caribbean Cruise What Next

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Cruising Life Cycle

The majority of first-time cruisers start with a short 3 - 5 night Caribbean or Bahamas cruise.  These usually depart from somewhere in Florida, but they could also depart from other local ports such as Mobile, AL or New Orleans, LA, to name a couple alternate ports.

Is Cruising Right for You

There are several reasons why most new cruisers select those short cruises.   First of all, they want to answer the questions they have around whether or not they would like it.  Often first-time cruisers are just starting out in their jobs, and can't get away for a long vacation.

Cruising is all about choices.  There are many misconceptions about cruising which we have addressed in past columns.   See our Cruise Rookies page for some background information that will help answer questions that you might have. 

7-Night Cruises

There is no right or wrong answer to the question "What Next?".  However, as vacation time starts to accrue, most cruisers set their sights on longer trips.   Many cruise destinations exist which can be visited in a week's time.   Once again, the Caribbean makes up the majority of those itineraries, however you'll now be able to explore different ports of call.  But, that isn't the only possibility.

Alaska

One of our favorite destinations beyond the Caribbean is Alaska.   Despite living in the cold mid-west, I convinced my husband to travel to Alaska on a cruise many years ago.   It wasn't hard once I showed him some of the scenery that we'd visit.

While we suggest extending your time pre or post-cruise in Alaska, in order to really explore the area, a 7-night Inside Passage can be the beginning of your Alaska adventure.   These are often trips of a life-time, especially if you can include a cruise-tour.  READ MORE

Bermuda

Cruise to exquisite pink sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and warm sunshine of Bermuda. Your ship will sail from New York or Boston to this island country.  Base of operations for your exploration will typically be Kings Wharf.  It is easy to explore Bermuda via public transportation including ferry boat.  READ MORE

After two or three days in Bermuda your ship will set sail for return to the embarkation port.  This is another great cruise itinerary for cruise rookies, since you get the onboard experience with limited time actually at sea.   So, if you have any concerns about sailing, this cruise might be for you.

Europe

Experience what cruising is really about as you encounter the vast, enchanting lands of Europe. From the fjords of Norway to the waterways of Venice to the ruins of the Mediterranean, explore the richness and beauty of Europe in a totally new way.   READ MORE

When you are ready for a longer cruise, set sail for the adventure of a lifetime & see where history was made.  Most first-time European cruisers start out with a Mediterranean cruise.  These usually set sail from historic ports like Rome, Italy or Barcelona, Spain.  Airfare will most likely be your largest expense of the cruise, so we recommend booking a 10 or 12 night voyage instead of a 7 night.  It's also a good idea to spend one or more days in your embarkation port prior to the cruise.   This maximizes the value and also helps get you used to the timezone change.

Hawaii

From palm-fringed beaches to tropical sunsets, Polynesian luaus and glowing volcanoes... there's something for everyone in Hawaii.  Chose from a 7-night inter-island cruise to longer cruises that visit additional ports in the Pacific Ocean.  Since you use the ship as your base, this is a very relaxing way to experience multiple Hawaiian islands without the hassle of changing hotels and flying between the islands. READ MORE

Cruising is About Choices

Hopefully we've convinced you that there's a lot more to see via cruise ship than the Caribbean.  Of course, there is nothing wrong with taking a cruise to The Bahamas or Caribbean, especially in the winter time when it is cold, windy, and snowy in your home town.   We'll continue with more choices in our NEXT POST.   Until then, check out the links we've provided to learn more about these destinations.  Happy Cruising !!

How To Plan a Cruise

You Haven't Lived Until You've Cruised...

You've heard friends talk about their cruise vacations and how great a time they had, and you wonder what's it all about. More and more people are discovering the all-inclusive pleasures of a cruise vacation.   This month, in conjunction with CLIA's National Cruise Vacation Month, we are writing a series of articles to help you become more familiar with cruise vacations.

Planning Your First / Next Cruise

The diagram above shows some of the decision points that factor into your final selection of a particular cruise sailing.   At first glance, it may seem to be a bit daunting, and perhaps that is what has kept you away from taking a cruise up to now.  We can work with you to demystify the process.

We highly recommend that you work with a professional travel agent, that specializes in cruises, to plan your vacation.   As a CLIA certified Master Cruise Counselor (MCC), we've taken the time to learn about the industry, the cruise lines, the destinations, all the changes that occur year after year, and through our personal experiences, can ask the right questions to find the cruise that best meets your desires.  The MCC certification isn't a one-time event, it is an ongoing commitment, of our expertise, which we need to renew year after year, much like your family doctor. 


Asking the Right Questions

Think about other travel that you have done ...  When planning those trips, you had certain criteria in mind that ultimately factored into what became your vacation or business trip.

Who's Going, What are their Ages, When Can you Go

In many cases, you are locked into a specific date or period of time (such as when the other travelers can get off of work, or when the kids are out of school).  Once a date is selected, the pool of possible cruise destinations may shrink.   For example, if you wanted to cruise in December, you won't be going to Alaska, as that season goes from May - September.

Are Certain Ports a Must, Are you Driving or Flying to Port

We'll look at destinations in more detail in another post, but that is one of the key determining factors in planning the actual sailing.   Let's assume that you want to meet a long lost relative in a foreign country...   that would become a must-see port of call and could become your primary deciding factor.

If you are fortunate enough to be within driving distance to a cruise port, departing from that port may dictate the length of cruise and destination(s) possible.  Even if you are flying, each port has certain destinations that are within sailing distance for a given length of a cruise.

Do you Have any Preferences

You may have some cruise lines, that you are familiar with, and want to sail on.   This may be a trip with the family who loves Disney characters or Dreamworks characters and the cruise line becomes the most important factor in your planning.

Finding the Right Cruise at the Right Price

After discussing all the options within the framework of your wants, the final decision will most likely involve what's available within my budget.   Our goal as your agent is to find you the best value for your vacation dollar.  Note that doesn't necessarily equate to the lowest price.   If the lowest priced cruise doesn't have any of your top requirements, then that cruise isn't for you.  You wouldn't buy a car that you didn't like, and you shouldn't purchase a cruise vacation that you won't like either.

Starting the Planning

We have many tools for you to begin your cruise research.   We are highlighting them throughout the month as we look at cruising, which we fell in love with personally some 30+ years ago.  This blog, our Facebook page, and our website are your building blocks.   We have a cruise finder on all these sites which can give you an idea about the destinations that are possible within the desired time frame.  The best tool that you have at  your disposal is the phone.  An interactive conversation is the best way to uncover your wants and desires and funnel them down to possible candidate cruise sailings.

Are you new to cruising?   Start by reading our Cruise Rookies page.  We'll be posting several more articles this month, but if you can't wait, we suggest you next visit our NCVW mini-site.  You can also search our Blog for past articles.

Follow us on Twitter: @ChrisPappinMCC  Pinterest: CruiseWithChris Pappin and Facebook: CruiseWithChris Pappin Cruises Inc for more ideas.  Sign up for our eNewsletter to get updates.

Getting to Know Carnival Breeze Cabin

New to Cruising?
Not Sailed on Carnival Breeze?
What to Expect?
 
Once you get on board the ship money is no longer needed so you can tuck your wallet and other valuables in your room safe.   Select a four digit code to lock the safe.

It's dark in here...  

Modern ships are designed with energy conservation in mind.  In order for the lights to operate you need to insert your Sail 'n Sign card, or other card, into the slot.   When you remove the card, lights stay on for a bit allowing you to get out the cabin door before they go off.

Privacy Please!

When you are sleeping, just as in a hotel, you can hang a "Snoozin" sign on your door so that noone disturbs you.

Time to head off for breakfast...   Just put the "Cruisin'" sign on your cabin door so that your steward knows you are out of the cabin.   By the time you return from breakfast your bed will be made and new towels hung in the bathroom.

The Temperature is Just Right !

Each cabin's temperature is individually controlled by the guests.  Next to the bathroom door, you'll find the temperature controls.  They are simple to operate just press the arrow in the direction you wan the temperature to go.   The green LED light shows the current setting.

Rub a Dub - Time to Scrub

If you've not sailed on Carnival before, you might look at the shower controls and say - now what do I do.  You'll notice there are two nobs on either end.  There's also a warning sign that says to be sure to test the water to avoid scalding.   It goes on to say, make sure water temperature is set to 38 degrees.   The right-hand knob has a line which you need to line up with 38.   I suggest taking the shower head from it's holder and turning on the left knob.   Check the temperature and then put the shower head back in the holder.  

Instead of small bottles of shampoo and bath gel, the shower has a built-in dispenser of the two liquids.   There is also a place to hold a bar of soap or any other bottle you might have brought to use instead of the ones supplied.

There are several shelves on both sides of the sink for you to place your various toiletries.  Since we only brought carry-on bags for our cruise, you'll notice several 3 oz. size bottles in our image.   The mirror is a nice touch to get a close-up of your face (eg. when shaving).   There is an outlet that can only be used by a shaver, if you don't have a rechargeable shaver.

Electrical Outlets

There are two 110v outlets and one 220v outlet over the desk / storage unit in the cabin.   We bring a small power strip which makes it easier when you need to charge all your tech gadgets at one time.   Just be sure that you don't overload the circuit or you'll have someone knocking on your cabin door and probably confiscating anything that is not allowed.

There are certain devices which you should never bring with you.  They include things like irons, hair-curlers, and anything with an open flame (eg. candles).  Refer to your cruise documents or Carnival website for details.

How many times have you entered a hotel room and gone on a hunt for a hair dryer?   You'd have to go on the same hunt here unless you were clued in on the secret in this article.   The top drawer of your storage unit pulls out and has a compartment for the hair dryer.   This means you need to dry your hair outside the bathroom, which shouldn't be an issue since you are provided with robes.

Finally, on the back of the cabin door is the safety information, just like you would find in a hotel room.  Be sure to familiarize everyone in the family with the safety information and do attend the mandatory safety drill.   The ship is required to complete the drill within 24 hours of sailing, but usually this happens before departure (just like on an airplane).  

We've focused on Carnival Breeze in this article because we just completed a seminar at sea on her.  Most of the ships in the Carnival fleet are setup similarly.  There might be variations in the safe and hair-dryer on some of the older ships as the models have changed over time.

We'll touch on a few more pointers in other articles.  In the meantime, if you have a specific question and can't wait, do leave us a comment or contact us by clicking above.