Newbie to cruising here....questions questions...

[honestokie]

First and foremost, I want to say Thank you to everyone here.... I haven't posted a lot as of yet, but I do enjoy reading the forums and have learned a lot. Everyone is very helpful and friendly here, unlike another site I joined (and I haven't returned since finding cruise crazies!)

I noticed a lot of you have the future cruises on your posts. I also know that you can book future cruises while on the cruise and perhaps getting a discount? I don't know if I read it or saw it on the travel channel, but do they also let you book with a lower deposit? Can I book a cruise for myself and others?

Also, a couple of girls I work with want the three of us to go on a cruise. One is married, the other two of us are single. We don't want to go on a young singles cruise or anything, just a nice cruise that leaves out of Galveston (a 9 hr drive for us). Also, how far in advance can you book a cruise? We'd like to go on a nice one, but need to pay a little at a time. Any suggestions on a ship that leaves Galveston and that 3 girls can go on, feel safe, and have a lot of fun?

[GottaCruz]

Honestokie, I'm sorry I can't answer your questions but I'm sure some of our many knowledgeable members will be online soon to answer you. I do want to welcome you aboard CruiseCrazies. We're very glad that you found us and very glad to have you as a member of our CruiseCrazies family. We hope you'll become a regular here. Hang with us and the time will fly and before you know it, you'll be packing for your cruise. Please feel free to ask as many questions as you'd like. That's why we're here.

Welcome aboard, Honestokie, and it's great to see you posting. We hope to see you here often.

[rogue]

You can book a future cruise while on board your ship, but only for yourself. There is a lower deposit when you book on the ship (only $100), and you get cabin credit (anywhere from $25-100 depending on the type of cabin you book). Cabin credit is money put directly into your on board account to use for whatever you want on the ship (drinks, photos, souvenirs, excursions, tips, etc). I don't think that you get any discounts, but the cabin credit is nice. You don't have to book a specific cruise. You can just book a future cruise and decide later which one you want to go on. The $100 is the only deposit you have to give, so if you book later through a TA, you don't have to give them anything for a deposit. I believe you have 6 years to use this, but if you don't, they will refund your money. We've done this twice so far. When we go to our TA and book the cruise without having to give her a deposit, it feels like we're getting something for nothing.

[honestokie]

Thank you Rogue for the info!!! I will definitely make sure to book another cruise on the ship then.

[Dan]

If you book a future cruise on Princess, you can book more than one person per certificate in the same cabin, and those people only have to put down the $100 deposit, and they also get the on board credit. This is a tidbit I didn't know when I booked 2 open bookings the last time we were cruising, or I would have only put down $100 instead of $200. They are good for 4 years.

I don't beleive Princess is sailing from Galveston now but I think Royal Caribbean and Carnival are.

Bookings for cruises are usually open 12-18 months ahead of time so you can book and save for a long time if needed.

Have fun on your Grand cruise. I see you are leaving the day before us. That was one of the cruises we were looking at.

[Gregswife]

HonestOkie - our cruise that is coming up (sail 5 weeks from today) was booked 15 months in advance. We usually book about 10-12 months out but our friends we are traveling with needed to make it longer. She was undergoing radiation at the time we booked it and the dr. felt like she would need close to a year to feel like her old self so we gave it a little extra ime just to be on the safe side. Here we are 35 days from sailing and she is feeling great. You usually get great prices booking that far in advance....

[JohnG]

For the next two years RCCL Voyager of the Seas will be sailing 7 night cruises from Galveston from Dec through the end of Apr. Carnival Conquest sails 7 night cruises year round from Galveston, and Carnival Ecstasy sails 5 day cruises year round from Galveston. You can book far in advance with just the deposit and most agencies will let you make monthly payments until your balance is paid, as long as it is paid in full by 75 days before the cruise.

[honestokie]

Thank you so much for the information!!! I talked with my friends, and once I return from my cruise in January we are going to pick a date and book for the next cruise for 2009. That way we have plenty of time to pay it off and save extra for excursions!!!