To cruise or not to cruise

OnlineAlex

Evening all,

My partner and I both have milestone birthdays next year and we'd like to cruise around the med over the Easter school break next year. We've never been on a cruise before. 

Found a cruise on the Norwegian Star departing from Barcelona 3rd April for 10 days before finishing in Venice. I was quoted just shy of £3k but that included flights, an outside cabin and a drinks package.  There are a few questions I have before I book and wondered if anyone could offer me advice?

Firstly, I was quoted through Cru ise couk. I was thinking of posting in 'beat my quote' but wondered if anyone had any suggestions to reduce the price, for example, dealing with a TA in person or any tricks of the trade for saving money.

Secondly, excursions. There are many ports on over the trip which we would like to visit. Should you always pre-book or try and to organise it third party when you arrive in port. Any money saving advice here would be appreciated. Some of the articles I've read online are concerning as I understand they can be very expensive. 

Is the upgrade from inside to outside cabin worth it? I don't want to be 'tight' but likewise not sure if it'll be worth it for the amount of time we're in there. Pros and cons to the upgrade?

We're both double vaccinated. Will we have to have PCR tests for each country we visit do you thing?

Lastly, gratitude. Initially we looked at Marella cruises through TUI which included gratitude but Norwegian doesn't. How does this work? is it a fee charged to the room, or something you pay before you go. I can't find much information online. How much should I budget for 10 days?

Any advice would be amazing!

Best wishes, 
Alex 

Madge162

A couple of points that I’m able to answer;
1. An outside cabin is much nicer. Yes, you won’t be in it all day & asleep at night but if you like looking at the ocean & where you’re going then is say do it! In my experience the internal cabins are a bit bigger.
2. I’m booked on a cruise next year which includes Venice, however, Venice is now banning cruise ships to dock in the centre now and the nearest stop is Ravenna. Then it’s a 2.5 hour coach trip into Venice, so 5 hours round trip. 

3. If you get off at port, each county has their own entry restrictions. Might not be worth pre-booking any excursions yet in case you may need a >24 test for instance. 

4. Since COVID, some places might not let you just get off & wander about, therefore a guided excursion might be the only option so everyone is together. 

Hope that helps a bit! 

getmore4less

First things to point out is anything covid related changes regularly so what happens now won't be the same by Easter next year.

Hopefully better but maybe not.


Easter hols is premium period if it fits school holidays.


Is this adults or adults and kids can you shift the date?

On NCL service can be prepaid and for a first-time cruiser that's the easy way to go.

For 10 days add around £115pp

NCL product is a lot better than Marella so worth paying more.
 (We do both)

If it comes with the package "free at sea" that should include drinks, some special dining, WiFi and shorex credits.


Price wise most agents tend to be the same.
Just check the flight transfer package 
Is it NCL or  travel agent.

Always price the same cruise on the cruise line site to see what the TA is discounting
www.ncl.com

We often DIY flights   but with covid we are doing package for better protection.

Final point £150 per person per day for an ocean view is relatively high even with the drinks etc.

zagfles

Personally I wouldn't book a cruise in the current environment, and certainly not 6 months in advance. You don't know what the situation will be in 6 months time, you'll have to check the entry requirements for multiple countries, you might not be allowed off the ship in some, and that could change without much notice, if there's a COVID outbreak on the ship everyone might be prevented from leaving, diseases spread like wildfire on cruise ships.

getmore4less

Ships currently have better protocols in place than places on land in the UK.

Some are under 50% capacity so loads of space, social distancing, mask wearing, regular temp checks and testing as needed for ports.

The main issue is if you do test positive you will have to isolate and depending on ports may be offloaded to quarantine.

Good insurance needed.

daveyjp

Cost is what it is, search around see what other options there are, including direct with the cruise company.  Cruise only and low cost flight with hotel stay before the cruise can be cheaper.

Booking a GTY (guarantee) fare can be much cheaper.  All you are promised is the minimum cabin type, not where it is on the ship.  So you book a GTY outside you will get that, but you could end up in a balcony.  GTY may not be available through all sellers, if at all.

Port trips do your research.  Some ports are a walking distance from sights of interest, some ports may offer excursions to places difficult to get to.  There will usually be independent options, taxis etc which are generally cheaper.  Also needs to be checked against Covid restrictions.

Cabin type is down to you.  If you will just use the cabin to sleep an inside may be suitable, if you like to see the world an outside or balcony may be preferable.  Outside or balcony with a restricted view can be cost effective half way house.  With Covid (or norovirus) an inside could be pergatory.  A friend was stuck on a ship in February 2020 when Covid struck,  2 weeks without being able to leave an inside cabin.

Gratuity policy and payment terms depend on the operator.

NoodleDoodleMan

Not sure how things stand at the moment - but quite recently most (if not all) cruise lines were restricting runs ashore to their own organised excursions, which are invariably costly. Otherwise no passengers are allowed off the ship on DIY tours.

This policy was designed to control supervision of punters in ports of call as a result of the Covid scenario.

Best check with your cruise line what their current policy is.

Doc_N

If you can possibly afford it, go for a balcony - it makes a huge difference to the enjoyment you'll get from your cabin. They're always small, but a balcony adds space as well as the joy of sitting out with a few drinks.

There are discounts of around 5% to be had from certain travel agents. Some are best avoided, but one that is welll recommended on cruise forums is Bolsover Travel Club.

Look at different cruise companies too - a lot to choose from.  P&O can be reasonable if you book at the right time (prices are dynamic with most, if not all, companies).

Be aware at the moment that if you go test positive for Covid you'll probably be taken off the ship and put into a quarantine hotel - check your insurance covers this risk.

getmore4less

NoodleDoodleMan said:

Not sure how things stand at the moment - but quite recently most (if not all) cruise lines were restricting runs ashore to their own organised excursions, which are invariably costly. Otherwise no passengers are allowed off the ship on DIY tours.

This policy was designed to control supervision of punters in ports of call as a result of the Covid scenario.

Best check with your cruise line what their current policy is.

That was dropped for many ports and lines  over a month ago, most destinations are now DIY for vaccinated.

Doc_N

One thing that’s emerging from various cruise forums at the moment is that if you or anyone in your group test positive for Covid during one of the regular tests, you’re removed from the ship and placed in a quarantine hotel at your own expense. Insurance may not cover that, so check any policy.