New to cruises

Castle_Rock

Me & the wife are quite fancying a cruise this year.

Somewhere around the Med would probably be best as we don't want a long flight to get to the port.

Our budget is probably about £1,500 pp.

Ideally we would like A.I. & plenty to do on the ship to keep us entertained.

I don't really know where to look or who has the best deal, is there a place to start? Not sure if it works out better to arrange your own flights are just book everything through one company.

Thanks
David

Caz3121

cruisecritic is a good resource for all things cruises

Hasbeen

Castle_Rock wrote: »

Me & the wife are quite fancying a cruise this year.

Somewhere around the Med would probably be best as we don't want a long flight to get to the port.

Our budget is probably about £1,500 pp.

Ideally we would like A.I. & plenty to do on the ship to keep us entertained.

I don't really know where to look or who has the best deal, is there a place to start? Not sure if it works out better to arrange your own flights are just book everything through one company.

Thanks
David

Been on a few with TUI "thomsons" Quite like the older smaller boats, majesty, dream etc all includes flights. AI, and you can add a holiday in hotel at the return port for extra.

Back to back 14 day cruises are good.

https://www.tui.co.uk/cruise/

caz07

Try planet cruise , Tui or Iglu .

Caz3121

just to point out that not all cruises are equal...pick the right cruise and you may end up hooked...pick the wrong one and you could be put off for life :-)
check out reviews of the ships
what is a great cruise for a family with young children looking for flumes, climbing walls and kids entertainment could be a terrible cruise for someone looking for a relaxing holiday

zagfles

For the best deals, if you're flexible, book late as possible. Friend of mine has just booked a 2 week cruise round India/SE Asia for about £500 each.

Cruise lines vary a lot. Most include food but will then charge you loads for drinks, some are AI, most have very expensive shore excursions and try to scare you into not doing your own thing or booking with a local agent as the ship won't wait if you get delayed.

Some will charge you up front for "tips" - which is very cheeky. Some have dress codes for dinner etc, varying levels eg from a simple "no shorts" up to tux and dicky bow! With some you get a butler!
We did all this research and ended up going with TUI (Marella) who are very relaxed, none of the pretentious stuff and great food and shows, and AI, inc drinks. Excursions were expensive but not horrendously so.

As above cruisecritic is an excellent forum for cruise questions.

TELLIT01

Friends of ours who do a lot of cruises often use Cruise Nation. I have no personal experience of Cruise Nation, but they aren't easily pleased and seem happy with what they have had through them.

Techno

Be careful if you leave it late as suggested by zagfles. The cruise might be cheap but the flight cost could be very high as many cruise lines don't include it. Safe to do if you are sailing from the U.K. though.

Katiehound

If you book a cruise which includes the flights you are ATOL protected. If you book your own flights and it is delayed so that you miss the ship the onus is on you.

For one thing you need to figure out if you want a large floating 'block of flats' with inside shopping mall, top deck pool, zip wires, children and maybe 2k other guests.

Or you might want a smaller 'real' ship with teak decks but without the frills

Or a very exclusive experience with your own butler- but that won't be in the price range you have quoted.

Be advised that all cruises quote a 'from price'- this is usually the cheapest type of shared inside cabin and is a per person price.

As far as I am aware all cruise prices include food and entertainment, however if you want fine dining that comes extra (usually)
One cruise line that includes pretty much everything is Saga- reflected in the price 'though.
Fred Olsen (and others have a sale on now) Fred adds £5 pp per night gratuities & £19pp per day if you want all inclusive drinks. About 100 cruises being advertised have these included.

zagfles

Techno wrote: »

Be careful if you leave it late as suggested by zagfles. The cruise might be cheap but the flight cost could be very high as many cruise lines don't include it. Safe to do if you are sailing from the U.K. though.

Indeed - check the flight prices too, though my friend managed to get some flights (booked about 2 weeks in advance) at reasonable prices. Very last minute flights are generally expensive.

getmore4less

zagfles wrote: »

Indeed - check the flight prices too, though my friend managed to get some flights (booked about 2 weeks in advance) at reasonable prices. Very last minute flights are generally expensive.

Far east flight go very low once Xmas/NY has gone

Still adds to the cruise prices, med flights are often under £100pp, middle/far east tend to start around £400 for decent airline and timings.