Help with Miami cruises please

getmore4less

stoneman wrote: »

Thanks alot guys and gals. I have been looking at Carnival cruise lines site and no where can I find that it says the food is included, but I am sure it is. What is the deal with the premium Steakhouse and the like, do you pay an extra cover charge to eat there, and how many times a day do you get fed?

Typicaly there will be 3 main meals

Breakfast buffet and dinning room

Lunch buffet and dinning room

Dinner buffet and dinning room

Most ships will have the buffet open for longer hours with snack/sandwiches or full meals burgers piza

Pool side grill are common burgers salads
Evening might also have pool side food BBQ.

Speciality restaurants are normaly extra cover charge.

Room service is usualy 24 hours and included(small tip $1-$2) is normal

Many ships also have other food outlets included, open various hours.

There may be an Icecream machine somewhere.

When ordering food you can have whatever you want off the menu.
If ti comes and you change you mind just ask and get something else.
In the dinning room you can usualy mix and match the meals so if you want the steak but prefer the sides that come with the chicken just ask or have both.

You do not go hungry

travellerboy

poet123 wrote: »

That is incorrect info, all the US TA's I have dealt with have ways of getting around the system, even Vacations to Go;) despite their disclaimer.

People talk a lot of rubbish. E-Mail Vacations to go and you will find that its US Residents ONLY. If you want to take a risk and use mailing addresses, carry-on, after all its your holiday.
A very high risk strategy, I would rather deal with a uk agent who is BONDED, remember the recent vocanic ash saga.
Happy cruising...............

eslick

travellerboy with the ash cloud you wouldnt be dealing with the cruise line if you were stranded you would take it up with the airline so I dont understand that point. As someone stranded for a week in the US who didnt book a package, it will make no difference at all.

Why should people book with a UK agent, most people arent doing that when they book holidays to the US, you book houses, hotels, cars and everything separately so it makes no difference, unless you book as a package of course which no one should as it always costs more.

Booking with the UK agent only serves one purpose, it allows cruise companies to make UK people pay higher prices and in the end there is no reason why they should be allowed to do it. Its a free market or supposed to be.

poet123

travellerboy wrote: »

People talk a lot of rubbish. E-Mail Vacations to go and you will find that its US Residents ONLY. If you want to take a risk and use mailing addresses, carry-on, after all its your holiday.
A very high risk strategy, I would rather deal with a uk agent who is BONDED, remember the recent vocanic ash saga.
Happy cruising...............

I agree they do;) but I am not one of them.

I returned in late April from an MSC cruise booked via US TA,(note they are on the list VTG quote as not bookable!;)) and I have just booked another cruise via a US TA for another of the operators mentioned. So, I can tell you categorically, and from recent personal experience that you are wrong.


I suspect, and correct me if I am wrong that you work for the UK company you linked to Travellerboy, which means you have a vested interest in persuading people to book via UK TA:). Which is fair enough, but misinformation and scare tactics are not the way to go.

You can always check out the company via www.cruisecompete.com and post questions to the numerous cruise forums, and pay by credit card for further protection. I have never has any problems at all, and saved a lot of money.

As an example, on my recent MSC cruise out of Venice, we had a cat 11 balcony cabin and we paid $2400 for 3 people, which at that time equated to approx £1500, that same cruise via the cheapest UK TA was around £900pp,.........

so the price we paid was a saving of £1200.

I arranged my own flights at a cost of £60pp as opposed to the cruiseline airfare of £210pp, so another saving there.

So that is why I use a US TA:D

travellerboy

To poet123, Took your advise and got a quote from cruisecompete today for a HAL and Princess Cruise for Jan 11. Just had the quotes back, the cheapest was £360 more than the UK based agent for the HAL cruise and £560 more for the other.

The dramatic fall in the Exchange Rate has turned the advantage in our favour. TRY it for yourself, get a comparison quote from cruisecompete and smartcruiser.co.uk.

The only negative I can see with the smartcruiser quote is that the deposit is 33% for the HAL cruise.

travellerboy

To poet123, I forgot to respond to your comment, as I was laughing too much. I am NOT employed, linked or involved in anyway to the Travel Industry, I am a retired engineer who enjoys cruising. Did try Tenerife recently but was terribly disappointed so its back t the Carribbean in January.

poet123

travellerboy wrote: »

To poet123, Took your advise and got a quote from cruisecompete today for a HAL and Princess Cruise for Jan 11. Just had the quotes back, the cheapest was £360 more than the UK based agent for the HAL cruise and £560 more for the other.

The dramatic fall in the Exchange Rate has turned the advantage in our favour. TRY it for yourself, get a comparison quote from cruisecompete and smartcruiser.co.uk.

The only negative I can see with the smartcruiser quote is that the deposit is 33% for the HAL cruise.

You got your quotes very quickly, usually they come in dribs and drabs over a couple of day, so it may be that the cheapest from cruisecompete is yet to arrive;)

I will try a comparision, but I did do that for my MSC cruise and the results were as above. I cruised RCI too relatively recently, and they were cheaper for them too.

You have got quotes for HAL and Princess? I assume they are aware you are UK based? if so, as they are on the list linked to above it would seem to prove my point that you can book via a US TA.

travellerboy

Update, I have now had all the quotes from cruisecompete.com

The cheapest was a UK Travel Agent, Cruise Specialist (part of Co-op) they obviously quote via the cruisecompete system. They were £360 cheaper than the cheapest US travel Agent.

The tide has turned in our favour with the dip in the exchange rate

odowdchr

stoneman wrote: »

We are looking at spending a week or so in Miami in September and want to do a 3 night cruise. It seems as though Norwegian and Carnival are the main players for a short cruise. Would like some input as per best place to get prices, are there any scrapers that might beat the liners own websites. Also experiences as to which gives the best cruise, as in most and best food, entertainment, on board pool experiences. We are looking at about $260 each for an outside cabin

If you know you're going to be in Miami, have researched the cruises and the dates....why not just wait until you get there?
We've done it twice from Lauderdale after a recommendation from US friends, via local agents, bartered the available cruises, gave the home address as a hotel in Florida and paid in one go.
If you're standing there with dollars in your hand they're going to give you what you want.
Risks are the boat is full (very unlikely), or you cant get the cabin of choice (more likely).

Be aware it's still hurricane season in September and the projections are for more than normal this year.