First Time Cruisers

[Kendall James-Vargas]

Are any of you new to cruising? Booking your very first cruise can be overwhelming due to the vast amount of options the industry provides! For those of you contemplating your first cruise experience, it's always reassuring to ask other avid cruisers for their tips and tricks. I personally have figured out how I prefer to cruise and what amenities are worthwhile for my family.

Since I immensely enjoy cruising, saving money on a booking is truly important to me because it gives me more wiggle-room in my budget to plan another cruise down the line. I found these money saving tips for first time cruise guests very practical! Hopefully you find these tips helpful when booking your first cruise vacation. https://www.cruisehive.com/7-ways-save-money-first-cruise/16370

[Cruising Caribbean]

I think that booking a cruise can be an intricate process! I'm always on the look out for good cruise prices, especially since the prices are on the rise. I guess we are still in Wave Season, so it could be a good time to snag a great rate. What are some of your recommended cruise lines when on a tight budget? What are some amenities you can't live without?

[Kendall James-Vargas]

Wave Season is a great time of year to book at good rates! It depends on where you are cruising from, but Celebrity Cruises can offer some really great rates and amenities. The cruise line just opened up it's wave season, and the prices are pretty competitive. https://www.cruisehive.com/celebrity-cruises-opens-its-wave-season/92153

Some of the Celebrity Cruises' itineraries even offer a 75% off the second guest promotion. If you have a friend/companion to share the room and fare with this could be a really great way to save. 

[FJB]

Celebrity’s price to value ratio is very high in my opinion. Whenever I compare prices of Celebrity vs Princess (comparable cruise lines), Celebrity wins most of the time. 

[Kendall James-Vargas]

@FJB Thanks for your supporting feedback here! I have found that Celebrity Cruises is known to be a bit more upscale than Princess Cruises, but I personally haven't cruised with both to truly compare. Princess Cruises does offer very unique specialty itineraries for some of its ships. Almost half of Princess Cruises' fleet will actually be cruising to Alaska in 2024; so that shows the line's dedication to more unique itinerary and destination options. Overall, I think Celebrity Cruises has very well rounded itinerary options for first-time cruisers. What ship would you recommend for a first time guest? 

[FJB]

9 hours ago, Kendall James-Vargas said:

@FJB Thanks for your supporting feedback here! I have found that Celebrity Cruises is known to be a bit more upscale than Princess Cruises, but I personally haven't cruised with both to truly compare. Princess Cruises does offer very unique specialty itineraries for some of its ships. Almost half of Princess Cruises' fleet will actually be cruising to Alaska in 2024; so that shows the line's dedication to more unique itinerary and destination options. Overall, I think Celebrity Cruises has very well rounded itinerary options for first-time cruisers. What ship would you recommend for a first time guest? 

We did Princess when we went to Alaska 10+ years ago. Princess knows how to do Alaska!

First time cruisers on Celebrity would probably enjoy an ‘S’ class ship - Equinox, Eclipse, Solstice, Silouhette, or Reflection. I would probably choose Reflection.  

[3Sisters]

I agree with you @FJB! Princess Cruises seems to know what it's doing in terms of cruising throughout Alaska. I would say, Princess Cruises is an optimal choice to sailing to this region. You are so knowledgable of all of the Celebrity Cruises' ships! If I were to cruise with my family on a  Celebrity Cruises' ship, what ship would you recommend? The Solstice class ships look like the most practical, and I definitely prefer a less crowded experience. I think The Edge-class ships have lots of new amenities, but maybe too crowded for my linking. 

[FJB]

10 hours ago, 3Sisters said:

I agree with you @FJB! Princess Cruises seems to know what it's doing in terms of cruising throughout Alaska. I would say, Princess Cruises is an optimal choice to sailing to this region. You are so knowledgable of all of the Celebrity Cruises' ships! If I were to cruise with my family on a  Celebrity Cruises' ship, what ship would you recommend? The Solstice class ships look like the most practical, and I definitely prefer a less crowded experience. I think The Edge-class ships have lots of new amenities, but maybe too crowded for my linking. 

Try the Equinox - the glass blowing venue is cool. We also like the Reflection. 

[3Sisters]

@FJB Glass blowing at sea sounds fantastic! I was exploring a local art district, and I saw this glass-blown art with pieces of trash on the inside (sort of a trash to treasure sentiment) and it was lovely. Does this experience allow for guests to participate in the process? I have heard of this unique area onboard some Celebrity Cruises' ships, and it sounds very worthwhile.

The Gelateria onboard Celebrity Equinox looks delicious too! Have you tried the gelato onboard? I personally prefer gelato over ice cream. Usually ice cream is just too overly sweet for me.

[FJB]

5 hours ago, 3Sisters said:

@FJB Glass blowing at sea sounds fantastic! I was exploring a local art district, and I saw this glass-blown art with pieces of trash on the inside (sort of a trash to treasure sentiment) and it was lovely. Does this experience allow for guests to participate in the process? I have heard of this unique area onboard some Celebrity Cruises' ships, and it sounds very worthwhile.

The Gelateria onboard Celebrity Equinox looks delicious too! Have you tried the gelato onboard? I personally prefer gelato over ice cream. Usually ice cream is just too overly sweet for me.

No guest participation in the glass blowing except for being able to buy a glass of art occasionally. 
 

Have not tried the gelato - I’m an ice cream man all the way! 

[Cruising Caribbean]

@FJB Glass blowing would be super grand. That's something unheard of in the cruise industry. I wish guests could participate, but maybe it's dangerous. Glass blowers work with some serious heat. I'm sure cruise lines wouldn't want to risk anyone getting hurt. I enjoy experiencing new things on vacation! Glass blowing is something I haven't tried before, so I would absolutely give it a go. Any art on vacation is a good one, like dancing. I love to try new dance styles on a cruise when its an option. It's the perfect activity for a day at sea.