cruises

[Tactical Turtle 11]

Well being my baby girl is due in september, I decided that before all my money goes to diapers and such I would book a cruise for our first anniversary now while I still got the cash, and the will to work overtime lol. Can anyone make any recomendatiins on a cruise line, where to go that doesnt require a passport, and what to expected? This would be our first cruise, I'm hoping to leave out of nyc and it to be 3-4 nights. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

Chris

[67gtonut 847]

No Passport is going to be the issue.........

[ShooterNJ 0]

You'll need a passport no matter what. Leaving out of Manhattan is really cool, and an easy drive. I prefer Carnival, their ships food and excursions are great. If this is your first cruise, I would recommend getting a balcony on the back corner of the ship. They are the longest balconies for a few dollars more. Canada is nice this time of year and better fits your time frame. Google Peggy's Cove, it's near Halifax. beautiful. Good luck!

[e80hydro 120]

I've sailed out of port canaveral many times, on both Carnival and Royal Carribean. They are both good. If you can't have a good time on a cruise it's probably not their fault. Look for the best deal. Getting a passport isn't a big deal. It will take about a month to get so schedule accordingly.

[Smokin .50 1,907]

Well being my baby girl is due in september, I decided that before all my money goes to diapers and such I would book a cruise for our first anniversary now while I still got the cash, and the will to work overtime lol. Can anyone make any recomendatiins on a cruise line, where to go that doesnt require a passport, and what to expected? This would be our first cruise, I'm hoping to leave out of nyc and it to be 3-4 nights. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

Chris

 

Check with Celebrity Lines as they leave outta Bayone. RayRay can help with the bags, lol! We did the Celebrity Summit to Bermuda. Nice trip and the food was fantastic! Good luck and congrats on the planned arrival!

[david8613 69]

subscribed... never did a cruise always wanted to though, do they have cruises to puerto rico?

[MedicYeti 96]

As stated above; Get the passport. You will need it for a cruise.

I've sailed Carnival and Princess, both are excellant. I really enjoyes the "Southern Carribian" cruise with Princess. If I were to do it again, I'd stay on the ship when we hit Grenada. You will have to really work at being bored and miserable on a cruise.

Enjoy the trip, regardless of the line and destination, it will be a lifelong memory.

Congrats on the little one coming.

[MedicYeti 96]

subscribed... never did a cruise always wanted to though, do they have cruises to puerto rico?

 

To and From, Yes. The Southern Carribian Cruise my wife and I took started and ended in Puerto Rico. We went down a day early and stayed 2 days after the cruise to enjoy Old San Juan.

If You find yourself in Old San Juan, Eat and drink at the "Old Harbor Brewery" yummmmm!!!!!!!

[hd2000fxdl 422]

Well being my baby girl is due in september, I decided that before all my money goes to diapers and such I would book a cruise for our first anniversary now while I still got the cash, and the will to work overtime lol. Can anyone make any recomendatiins on a cruise line, where to go that doesnt require a passport, and what to expected? This would be our first cruise, I'm hoping to leave out of nyc and it to be 3-4 nights. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

Chris

 

Not sure if there are any that fit the bill but I can check with my wife, she does Cruises and has a few deals going on right now. By the way she's owns a Travel agency in Perth Amboy. I'll flip her off an Email and see if she knows of any.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

By the way for others, my wife does have a few cruises she has space booked on, not sure being I am just the IT guy for her office if it would be cool to post some of her current specials here on the forum. if that's cool I will..

 

Maks, Mods, would that be ok??

[Krdshrk 3,878]

I'd like to see some of those deals

[hd2000fxdl 422]

Well being my baby girl is due in september, I decided that before all my money goes to diapers and such I would book a cruise for our first anniversary now while I still got the cash, and the will to work overtime lol. Can anyone make any recomendatiins on a cruise line, where to go that doesnt require a passport, and what to expected? This would be our first cruise, I'm hoping to leave out of nyc and it to be 3-4 nights. Any help or advice would be appreciated.

 

Chris

 

Just got this from my wife:

 

There are no 3 or 4 days around here. Cruise like this would be called a cruise to nowhere, they don't stop anywhere. Some depending on where they go they need to have proof of citizen, Original Birth Certificate and federal ID (DL or Military ID) 3 and 4 day to Bahamas it would be from Miami. Cruise to nowhere on Carnival will be from Norfolk VA... Friday to Sunday or Sat to Mon...

But I highly recommend Passport to all Us..

 

To answer your questions, yes they can ( with Original Birth Certificate and federal ID) I am sure Carnival Cruise Line does accept these Docs but double checking prior to booking would be advised regardless.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

I'd like to see some of those deals

 

BRB, have a meeting will get back to you in about an hour..

[bry@n 195]

Harry, that would be great.

 

I have sailed with Celebrity and they were awesome. I also sailed with Royal Carribean and had nothing but issues. I'll never be back on RC again. They ports we went to were great but the svc and issues were just unacceptable.

[Red Solo Cup 11]

A passport isn't always required, though it is the path of least resistance.

If you're on a closed loop cruise starting and ending in US apparently you don't need it

Probably your best bet is a cruise to Bermuda on Royal Caribbean out of Bayonne or Baltimore.

They're usually 7 days. You save the cost and hassle of air travel that way.

Here is one article I googled on the passport issue: http://www.rushmypas...ts-for-cruises/

I am not a big fan of cruises, since I caught mono on my first cruise to Alaska in 2001.

P.S. Baby due in Sept? Obviously you want to go very soon since you don't want medical issues at sea.

[DirtyDigz 1,812]

Couple of comments (been on several cruises, last one was Nov '11, Royal Caribbean)

 

- If you're a Costco member, check out their cruise rates. Got a better rate for my last cruise through Costco than I was able to find anywhere else.

 

- Watch the prices of the cabins as you approach your cruise date. On my last cruise I originally booked a non-balcony cabin, then watched as the prices of cabins went down as the cruise date approached. When I saw the price of a balcony drop to the rate I originally paid I called up R.C. and they upgraded me to a balcony at no charge. It actually turned out to be a handicapped-accessible cabin so it had more space than normal.

 

- If you have a "passport emergency" you can get your passport renewed same day or next day at the state dept. passport agency in NYC. You have to make an appointment in advance, you'll have to go in person and you'll have to wait 2-3 hours for the service and then either pick it up later the same day or next day.

 

- On the last cruise the ship had hand sanitizer dispensers everywhere, as well as employees manually spraying passenger's hands with sanitizer when they entered restaurants.

[Tactical Turtle 11]

A passport isn't always required, though it is the path of least resistance.

If you're on a closed loop cruise starting and ending in US apparently you don't need it

Probably your best bet is a cruise to Bermuda on Royal Caribbean out of Bayonne or Baltimore.

They're usually 7 days. You save the cost and hassle of air travel that way.

Here is one article I googled on the passport issue: http://www.rushmypas...ts-for-cruises/

I am not a big fan of cruises, since I caught mono on my first cruise to Alaska in 2001.

P.S. Baby due in Sept? Obviously you want to go very soon since you don't want medical issues at sea.

 

We are looking in febuary of 2013, just talked to notweigoin can't spell to save my life lol, no passport needed on most south America cruises. But is recommended. From what I got from you guys is its hard to have a bad time. Which is good to hear. Just curous how much money I should bring? The misses is excited. Almost booked a cruise had to refrain 750 with voyage cost, port fees, and what not... For 2 people out of Florida, o.ly problem is air fare, I think for.my first cruise.I wanna leave out of ny.

[Sandy 44]

For passports , most people when I went were that needed same day passports ( NYC) were there an average of 6 to 8 hours and needed a letter from a doctor that a family member was ill , a death notice for a death in the family ..the only other people getting them same day were Hasidim with newborn babies that needed immediate passports to get the baby on a trip home for a ceremony *I think* . If you go there with an itinerary showing next day travel I think they have to get it to you in any event..but be prepared to wait and wait.

 

Anyone with run of the mill last minute vacay plans that were not occurring the very next day were being told to come back next day to will call to pick up the passports after handing in all the paperwork that day. I was there 3 1/2 hours and had to go back next day to will call , which was quick.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

If anyone would like info from my wife who owns a travel agency in central NJ. Perth Amboy to be exact. Send me a PM, don't want to post any info here until Maks or the mods give me a thumbs up that it's cool.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Sandy 44]

We are looking in febuary of 2013, just talked to notweigoin can't spell to save my life lol, no passport needed on most south America cruises. But is recommended. From what I got from you guys is its hard to have a bad time. Which is good to hear. Just curous how much money I should bring? The misses is excited. Almost booked a cruise had to refrain 750 with voyage cost, port fees, and what not... For 2 people out of Florida, o.ly problem is air fare, I think for.my first cruise.I wanna leave out of ny.

 

Norwegian is a freestyle cruise..a lot of stuff is extra , whereas something like RC is almost all inclusive. You have to pay a reasonable rate for alcohol and soda ..some restaurants are premium and cost 25 per person , but the included restaurants are awesome so you don't have to do the paid restaurant,.

 

I don't recommend cruising with a baby. Been there done that . It sucks going out to eat when you have a baby...then you get on a cruise and realize you signed up to go out and eat 3 times a day for 7 days. Most cruises have a 6 month old minimum age , and I know for a fact that Celebrity and Royal Caribbean only has pools and activities for potty trained and up. They do have these baby classes where you basically sit in an empty dining room with a mat , some toys , some music , and a cruise employee named Todd doing a puppet show. But no water slides , no dipping toes in the water. Babies in diapers are not allowed in da pools period. I guess they don't want a code brown that closes the pool for 3 days out of a 5 day trip lol

 

If you do go with a baby , Norwegian is the only way to go. If you do want to use the nice , clean , safe baby room while you and your wife enjoy some hands free time they will give you a beeper and you have to come change your baby ( they are not allowed to do it) . The other cruise lines have no babysitting services for kids and babies that are not potty trained. They do not say that in the pamphlet , and my travel agent was not aware of that fact. Just a heads up.

 

The place to go with babies and kids in my experience is a Beaches resort. Very baby friendly. We went there with my daughter in Jamaica and had an awesome time. The all inclusive was ALL inclusive , much cheaper than a cruise , and more baby friendly. There was stuff for everyone and since it was a family resort we were able to sit , drink , listen to a band play softy while she slept in the stroller. Most areas of a cruise at night will be louder .

[Sandy 44]

Harry -PM me your wife's info please , so I can file it for the future

[TheLugNutZ 21]

I was in the same situation as you a few years ago. We went out of NYC on Norwegian for a week to the Caribbean. Wife was preggo as hell but we had a lot of fun!

 

4-5 days isn’t going to work unless you are going to Canada I would imagine. It took like 2 days to get down there from NYC alone…

[checko 180]

This will be my 6th cruise in September and I love carnival. I have a vacation planner that's top notch if you want the #

[Sandy 44]

Yeah , go with the baby on the inside if you can..though I think they cut women off once it gets far into the 3rd tri. No helicopters babies lol . It would be cool though...the baby's nickname could be Chopper

[Tactical Turtle 11]

No baby will be going my parents volunteered to watch her

[Sandy 44]

LUCKY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tactical Turtle 11]

LUCKY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yea I am, my patents are more excited then me for the baby lol

 

[KpdPipes 388]

You'll need a passport no matter what. Leaving out of Manhattan is really cool, and an easy drive. I prefer Carnival, their ships food and excursions are great. If this is your first cruise, I would recommend getting a balcony on the back corner of the ship. They are the longest balconies for a few dollars more. Canada is nice this time of year and better fits your time frame. Google Peggy's Cove, it's near Halifax. beautiful. Good luck!

 

No, you dont..although it IS helpful. As long as you are returning to the same port you leave from, a Photo ID and proof of Citizenship (ie Birth Certificate) are all you really need. How do I know this?? Wife and I went on a Carnival Cruise to Bermuda last September, left from and returned to NY and we DID NOT NEED PASSPORTS. That said, its better to have it than not, I happen to like Carnival, the crew is friendly and bends over backwards to make sure you have a good time. There's always something to do, Always food around somewhere, and lots of little places to get away and just veg out if you need some quiet time. The only downside is the Liquor, THAT gets expensive if you're a drinker, and carnival doesnt have the Drinks package that other lines do. Coffee, tea, Iced Tea Lemonade, and Juice in the mornings are free, if you're a soda drinker, it pays to get the Soda Stamp, as that can add up quickly if you dont. Carnival has a lot of decent deals going on right now, we just booked one for the first week of Sept on Saturday, and paid less for an outboard room with a balcony than we did for an Inboard room last year.

[Gorilla800lbs 12]

I only cruised with Carnival once (Miami-US VI-Turks & Caicos-Miami), and I have a positive experience.

 

My own modest experience and awareness regarding the passports. Even if you aren't planning on taking any shore excursions, you very well may need a passport just to board the ship. Many if not all cruise ships are flying flags of countries as exotic as Liberia or Panama, where it's cheaper and easier to register a vessel. For all intends and purposes, these ships are considered a piece of a sovereign land. You WILL be asked for a passport when you disembark in US, as if you have returned from abroad. Be sure to check where the ship is registered before making reservations.

 

At any rate, seeing how you're only planning to take that trip in Feb 2013, you have plenty of time to get the passports.

[coldsolderjoint 84]

I got my passport in 09 i believe, and the old bridge library does it like once or twice a month on Sundays.. It took about 4 weeks almost to the day to get it back. and that was without the expedite fee.

 

Really speeds things up on the cruise rather then having to have customs check birth certificate and Driver's license and having to carry it around, etc.. just get it.. its worth the money in saved hassle alone.

 

as for liquor on cruises... http://www.rumrunnerflasks.com/.... not that i know anything about that... :-P

 

I've only cruised on carnival, but never had a bad experiance... NYC x2, Port Canaveral x1, Long Beach CA x1, Miami x1

 

The 8 day from NYC can get a bit long IMO, for us the 7 day is optimal.

 

And a BIG +1 to having an aft balcony if you can afford it/availability. Check out the floor plan of the ship. Not only is the view of the wake awesome, but you also usually get to see more stuff when in port. On the bigger ships having an aft balcony on deck 8 or 9, which is right under the rear pool and bar/buffet is awesome..