Hi everyone!
My husband and I are looking at taking a cruise next summer, and we’re new to the whole cruise scene. We’re in our early 30s, enjoy exploring new places, and are really into good food and drinks! We’re leaning toward an international trip but haven’t settled on anything specific. Any tips or recommendations would be amazing!
Thanks in advance!
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Hey everyone!
My husband and I are considering a cruise for next summer. We’re in our low 30s, love exploring on vacations, and are into good food and drinks. Looking at international cruises, so any recommendations would be awesome!
Thanks!
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Are you looking for an adults-only experience? If you want to avoid kids, check out Virgin. But if you’re fine with some kids around, then Celebrity might also be a good fit (when you add up tips, WiFi, and other costs, they come out pretty similar).
You usually get a choice between western, central, or eastern Mediterranean routes. We’ve done Virgin cruises in Spain and the Greek Islands, and the excursions were more unique and engaging than other lines.
If you’re into history, Rhodes is awesome! Santorini is beautiful too, but it can be crowded. Also, the ports in France and Italy can be a blast to explore.
Haven’t tried anything super luxurious yet, but we’re curious about Oceania. Some of those cruises also go through Northern Europe if you’d rather skip the heat.
@Tan
Thank you! Virgin was one of the options that caught my eye. Any tips for booking with them?
Tan said:
@Tan
Thank you! Virgin was one of the options that caught my eye. Any tips for booking with them?
We’ve done four cruises with Virgin so far (two of those were 14-night repositioning cruises) and have two more planned.
You might want to check out the forum focused on Virgin Voyages, and if you usually use a travel agent, they can help get you some extra perks that aren’t always available when booking directly.
@Tan
Appreciate the info!
Tan said:
@Tan
Thank you! Virgin was one of the options that caught my eye. Any tips for booking with them?
Highly recommend Virgin! I’m actually on the Valiant Lady right now and having a blast. The food’s been great, and the drinks at the “good” bars are top-notch.
Booking with a travel agent (they call them “first mates”) saved me a lot of money. I found a sea terrace room online for $2700 but ended up paying $2000 through the agent, plus got $200 in credits.
We enjoy our drinks and went with the $500 bar tab, which also gave us an extra $100 in credit. That covered about four days of drinks, and we were set!
For picking a destination, most major cruise lines offer similar stops, so unless there’s a specific place you’re set on, it’s probably more about choosing the cruise line and ship you like.
If you’re new to cruising, I’d suggest looking at Royal Caribbean. They’ve got solid food and a good range of options without being overly expensive. If you’re looking for a bit of an upgrade, Celebrity might be a nice choice too.
I’d recommend the Mediterranean if you’re looking for ports with a lot to see and unique experiences. Celebrity and Princess have good food and drink options. If you’re on a budget, MSC and Royal Caribbean are also good.
Try going in late May or early June, or even September. That way, you’ll miss most of the family crowds and avoid the hottest weather.
Here’s a quick rundown of our first five cruises:
We’ll probably keep going back to Alaska every few years and revisit the Caribbean. We also want to see more of Europe, especially places we haven’t been yet, like Portugal.
We might not cruise Hawaii again, though. The time on the islands felt too short compared to the Caribbean or Europe.