I am getting married next year and am trying to figure out the honeymoon. We are looking to go on vacation on June 3rd or 4th of 2007. Our age is 24 and 22 and neither of us have even seen a cruise ship. I hear good and bad things about them so I though you experienced cruisers could offer your advice. We will have around $3,000 - $3,500 for are vaction (total). We are more private people but crowds dont really bother us as long as we have a least one nice private spot. As far as things we would want to do on land would be: snorkling, jet skiing, parasailing, dining, and general shopping. One big concern is room size and would want the biggest I could get ( I really like the sounds of a balcony, but funds are limited) My vaction experiances are very little (Florida, South Carolina, ect)so it doesnt take much to impress me.
Any one think given these circumstances we should go on a cruise or just plan on flying somewhere nice. If you think we would like a cruise, which one might be best for us. Im up for any suggestions, even for something other than a cruise. We want to go warm tropical type places regardless of how we do it.
I think it would be a great idea to go on a cruise for a honeymoon, wonderfully romantic and a great deal of fun. If you're going on a tight budget, then book as low a fare as you can and spend the rest for your excursions, shopping, and memories. The interior room is a good deal smaller than a balcony, but you'll have to weigh whether the balcony is worth the extra money. Depending on the itinerary you book, there are many ports you can do shore snorkels. The one thing to remember is that a cruise is close to being all inclusive, except for soda pop and alcohol. If you can drive to a port of departure, you can save tons in air fare. Carnival has a younger crowd mix, Princess is my favorite, however we're in our 50s. There are young people on Princess as well. RCCL voyager class has a good deal of on board attractions. Princess does have pools, hot tubs, spas, and gyms, but not wall climbing and flo-riders. NCL has a dive-in program that we really enjoyed since we love to snorkel. There are many cruise lines to choose from, so I would suggest going to a reputable travel agent to get ideas and pricing. Then do as much research as you can on-line. As you may have noticed from this board, there are a great many opinions as which is the best cruise line. The caribbean is a wonderful place to enjoy and there's no better way than a cruise. You get to visit a few islands, then maybe decide to return if you really liked one in particular. Congratulations on your up-coming wedding and best wishes!
I agree with Penny3333 you should try a cruise. I also agree you should talk with a reputable Travel Agent that will help you find the perfect cruise. However; I feel this is your honeymoon. And hopefully your only honeymoon. You want it to be romatic and memorable. Therefore; I think you should go for the balcony for your honeymoon. It's all about the "experience". Picture yourself sitting on your private balcony at night. Picture the moon, the waves gently slapping the side of the ship. Perhaps a drink in your hands as you enjoy the quietness of just the two of you. Picture yourself on your balcony in the morning watching the sun rise across the glistening ocean as you enjoy your morning coffee and croissants. These are romantic memories that will last for years. A good travel agent will help you find that right cruise in your budget.
First, congratulations on your impending marriage!!
I think that most of us on this board would tell you that cruising is going to be a great experience -- and value -- for your honeymoon. Yes, the ships are large, but if you want to be alone, you can be. I think most of them would even put you at a table for two in the dining room at night if you request it. I know that a friend who has cruised on both Royal Caribbean and Carnival has had a table for two with his wife as they wanted to celebrate anniversaries privately.
My suggestion is to find a travel agent in your area who is a cruise specialist. That person can probably give you a lot of guidance as to which ships, itineraries, etc. fit your wants and budget best.
Re: your budget. . . .You can get a 7-day cruise for whatever you want to pay if you are willing to look hard. I think early June is fringe-time, so you may get some good bargains. In Sept. (which I know is not June), we have a balcony on the Valor for under $800 pp. Add in airfare, taxes and gratuity, and we're still under $1000 pp.
Thanks for the input, you guys are pretty much tell me what I want to hear. I just need to do a bit more research. I just want to make sure that where ever we go, we dont have to worry about running out of money....we were originaly think about doing a 10 day cruise, but we could find one of the 7 days cruises and just hang out in flordia for a couple of days on our way back. Thanks again
My husband and I got married two years ago and we took a cruise for our honeymoon and it was the best time we have ever had. I had been on 3 cruises prior but it was his first time. We decided to go to the Mexican Riveria because neither one of us had ever been there. I would definetly recommend the Caribbean. We had a great time and it was very romantic. We had a table for two at dinner. We went with and ocean view room instead of a balcony because we also were on a budget and we wanted to do stuff on the island. After taking a cruise for our honeymoon my husband is hooked, we actually took one that Sept. after we got married in July and every year since then.
We had our honeymoon back in October 2003. We book a 10 day Eastern Carribbean on the Sun Princess. It really is a trip that we will remember for our life time. I, especially, had never cruised before then and this cruise had me hooked for life. My wife and myself had sailed on 3 additional cruises and we have excellent experience with all of them.
PS. My wife and I enjoy the quietness of Princess much better then the party theme of Carnival. But that's just us
Congratulations! My husband and I took our honeymoon on the Carnival Celebration when I was 7 months pregnant with our first child (whoops!). While it was fun, I didn't get the "romantic" atmosphere I was looking for on the ship. Carnival is more family-oriented and loud. The only thing about going to the Caribbean in early June is the hurricanes - they're bad down here in the Gulf so I would suggest taking the Mexican Riviera. Where are you from? The reason I ask is because when we were on a tight budget back then, we normally tried to take cruises out of the nearest port closest to home (Houston/Galveston) and drove there, which saved a bundle on airfare. I don't recommend NCL Dream out of Houston, though because it's an older ship and has had sooooo many engine problems. Even the ship is lacking a serious exterior paint job. I've never been on Royal Caribbean but I have heard GREAT things about them as well as Princess, which I will be going on in December. IMHO, I think you should try Royal Caribbean or Princess for your romantic honeymoon and get a balcony - you want to make it special and memorable as possible. Good luck and happy cruising!!!
While it was fun, I didn't get the "romantic" atmosphere I was looking for on the ship. Carnival is more family-oriented and loud. The only thing about going to the Caribbean in early June is the hurricanes - they're bad down here in the Gulf so I would suggest taking the Mexican Riviera. Where are you from? The reason I ask is because when we were on a tight budget back then, we normally tried to take cruises out of the nearest port closest to home (Houston/Galveston) and drove there, which saved a bundle on airfare. I don't recommend NCL Dream out of Houston, though because it's an older ship and has had sooooo many engine problems. Even the ship is lacking a serious exterior paint job. I've never been on Royal Caribbean but I have heard GREAT things about them as well as Princess, which I will be going on in December. IMHO, I think you should try Royal Caribbean or Princess for your romantic honeymoon and get a balcony - you want to make it special and memorable as possible. Good luck and happy cruising!!!
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