Cruise Newbie!

[Deleted User]

stoneman wrote: »

I was referring to the Caribbean. We have gotten off ship once at each destination then when going again stay onboard. There is no real history or culture there in my opinion anyway. Just pushy locals touting for business, oh and jewelry shops.

So, the reason I liked St Kitts is that they had a lot of charm about the place, were trying to make something of their short history - and they have the Sugar Train - http://www.stkittsscenicrailway.com/

We're Jewish, so we did enjoy finding the nuggets of Jewish history in the Caribbean - St Thomas has a great tiny synagogue (http://synagogue.vi/) as well as really good shopping. In Barbados there is the Nidhe Israel Museum.

There's quite a bit more than you think - http://experience.usatoday.com/caribbean/story/best-of-caribbean/2015/08/17/secret-history-jewish-caribbean/31864089/

Obviously a niche reason to visit some of these places; but there usually is a fair number of Jewish people on cruises (There are also Friday night services held onboard)

ibizafan_2

We're going on our first cruise in February with Saga (so no use to OP!) to hopefully see the Northern Lights in Norway. Although they seemed quite pricey, they pick you up at your house to take you to Southampton, all tips are included, and if they do drop the price you will be refunded the difference. We also picked them as they had the exact itinerary that we wanted, which was the priority. If we like the cruise, I can see us doing more. My brother and SIL did the Baltic Capitals this year and loved it.

pelirocco

We did a Caribbean cruise a few years ago , and hated it , said we would never do another
The last Year did a trip to Alaska , we drove round for a week , but you really need to go by boat for a lot of it , so bit the bullet and added a 7 day cruise on and we loved it , this year we did a 7 day med cruise and loved it .

The difference may have been the 2nd two were much smaller boats and we didnt feel over whelmed by it all . So you really need to do your research

travellerboy

March/April from Southampton is not ideal unless you want a Northern Europe cruise. I would avoid the Med from Southampton, too many sea-days and you need to avoid Bay of Biscay. Weather is too unpredictable too enjoy a cruise fully, ideally you would need to travel across the pond to start your cruise in the Caribbean.
It very much depends on the type of cruise which appeals to you both, visit www.cruisecritic.com for guidance. More choice if you can wait for May onwards then the choices are greater. Best prices in the UK are with www.vivavoyage.co.uk but we always book via the USA as the benefits are far greater - better prices, more perks and with refundable deposit. If you want more info PM me.

PompeyPete

If you go on a cruise, the Captain [or Master] might hold an open forum in the theatre, so you can learn a bit about the man, his life at sea, and that sort of thing.

But whatever you do, don't ask him anything about his boat.
His 'boat' is a ship, and he'll be very proud of her, and his crew.

One quick way to remember how to differentiate between a boat and a ship is...

You can put a boat on a ship, but you can't put a ship on a boat!

caringa

gettingtheresometime wrote: »

I'm off in 12 sleeps time for a fortnight on Britannia.

Must admit I'm a little nervous as we've never been on a ship as big as Britannia but at the same time excited!

This may be a stupid question but have you tried cruising before? I think it is very much of a marmite holiday and would recommend you go on a short cruise beforehand (just to see if you like it)

Thanks for you reply. Would be interested in hearing of your experiences on the Britannia.

zagubov

Might be better off with a Med cruise first. this one was mentioned on another thread.
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/11-night-canaries-med-cruise-norweigan-epic-with-free-drinks-package-1-night-barcelona-2307950

Looks like good value for money. Sounds like one that Ringo was talking about.

cheekyweegit

I'm going on my first ever cruise Wednesday. It a Med cruise for 10 days with P & O (Oceana) and I'm very nervous.

Should I be booking any of the on board trips? Are they worth doing purely as first timers?