lotsa questions

noobiecruiser · October 22, 2005

OK, I'm nervous. We're booked on our first cruise, on the NCL Dream for a Christmas Caribbean cruise. One, I'm hearing lots of bad stuff since I booked about the Dream. Two, I didn't know what I was doing when I booked and the agent said I have a "guaranteed" reservation, but no specific assignment on the ship. Is this bad? Is it normal? Three, I booked flights with the cruiseline but don't know anything (time, airline) about the flight? Is this normal?

Help!

JoeyandDavid · October 22, 2005

OK, I'm nervous.

Rule 1.. Take a deep breath

We're booked on our first cruise, on the NCL Dream for a Christmas Caribbean cruise. One, I'm hearing lots of bad stuff since I booked about the Dream.

Congratulations on your Christmas booking, I am sure you will have a great time. Personally I dont worry too much about bad reviews, sometimes they tend to be a bit on the exagerated side, although no vacation is flawless, it's best to condsider the source. JMHO

Two, I didn't know what I was doing when I booked and the agent said I have a "guaranteed" reservation, but no specific assignment on the ship. Is this bad?

Is it normal?

All a guaranteed reservation means is that you will not be asigned a cabin in a lower class then what you purchased, for example if you buy a verandah class stateroom you will get a verandah , but location might not be ideal, most people prefer to pick a cabin based on deck and position of room, others dont care where as long as they have a verandah, more or less its a great way to get a certain type of room and save a few dollars

Three, I booked flights with the cruiseline but don't know anything (time, airline) about the flight? Is this normal?

Yes it is You will be given information for fight and travel arrangements with your documents normally a few weeks out of the actual sail date.

Help!

Hopes this helps.. I am sure others will be able to fill in and correct any mistakes that I may have given. good luck and dont forget to breath :grin:

Mebert · October 22, 2005

Hi noobiecruiser,

Welcome to Cruise Crazies.

The very first thing that I want to tell you is that all of the anxiety and fears that you are having now are feelings that many of us Cruise Crazies have had before our first cruise.

Secondly, I want to assure you that after your first cruise you will be an immediate veteran and prepared to answer questions about cruising to other new cruisers. Why? Because cruising is that easy.

So, Thirdly, you can relax and everything will fall into place before you know it.

Now, to answer some of your questions, I'm sorry that I've never sailed Norwegian Cruise Lines so I can't tell you anything about the Norwegian Dream. There are two reviews in the review section of Cruise Crazies. Look at the yellow tab that says "Reviews" and look for the Norwegian Dream reviews there.

A "guaranteed" reservation is one where you are guaranteed at least the minimum stateroom that booked with a chance that the cruiseline will upgrade you to a stateroom of the same type in a higher class and you will find out the stateroom when you arrive to check in. For instance, If you book the least expensive inside stateroom on the ship, you may be upgraded to another inside stateroom on a higher level. The same would apply for an outside stateroom or balcony. As you become more experienced you'll discover that upgrades are not always desirable. The most steady spot on the ship to avoid seasickness is near the lower level midship. If you don't suffer from seasickness than the upper levels of the ship may be more to your liking. If you're really, really lucky, you can be upgraded from an inside cabin to an outside one, or from an outside stateroom to a balcony, but it's very, very rare.

There are some Cruise Crazies who can tell you about certain tricks they use to find out the number of their guaranteed cabin.

Your flights should come with your cruise documents. They are not always the most convenient, but they'll get you to the ship on time. One advantage of booking flights with the cruiseline is that they make sure you will get to the ship, even if your flight is late. They will either wait for you and the other passengers who are late with you or get you to the next port. I've never booked my flights with the cruiselines because the flights are usually more expensive.

If you don't see your documents two or three weeks before your departure, call your TA unless you booked directly with the cruiseline.

That's it. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask.

DaCruzNut · October 23, 2005

Hi, noobiecruiser, and welcome to CruiseCrazies.

Stay calm! The people who are involved with your cruise, your agent, the cruise line, etc; all want to make this as easy, and as much fun, for you as they can! They want you to have a great time so you'll tell all your friends how terrific cruising is. this board is proof that it works. We're all cruisers, anywhere from first time to veterans.

The fact that you booked a 'package' is, usually, a guarantee that things will go smoothly. If your flight's delayed, it's the cruise line's responibility to get you to the ship.

Don't know what you've heard "bad"about the Dream, but I heard much more good than bad.

noobiecruiser · October 23, 2005

:cheesy: Thanks for your responses ... I feel a "little" better. I'm going to call my TA tomorrow and see if he can tell me any more. My husband didn't want to go on a cruise (he says all anyone says about cruising is, "you should have seen all the food!" So I want everything to go well!

rogue · October 24, 2005

Welcome to CruiseCrazies, noobiecruiser!RELAX

It's rare to find a cruise ship with no bad reviews. There are lots of negative people out there. On every cruise that I have been on, there have been some things that I didn't like (wait until you see the size of the showers) , but the good things totally overwhelmed the bad. There are some people who dwell on the bad things, and just never get past them. My worst cruise was only just slightly better than great.

As for the food, yes there is lots of it, but you aren't force fed. You don't have to eat it all. The most that I have ever gained on a cruise was 2 pounds, and we do overeat. We walk alot and usually pick out excursions that keep us active.

Mebert is correct when he says that after your first cruise you become an expert, but he may have understated it a little bit. I think that you start to become an expert somewhere in the middle of your 1st cruise.

Just enjoy the anticipation , and when you finally get on the ship you'll see that your nervousness was all for naught. If you have any (and I mean any) questions, please ask away. Someone (or ten) will give you the answer. As a matter of fact, we live to answer these questions. :grin: