Originally Posted by
pinniped
Now I'm starting to wonder if we shouldn't just grab one of these rock-bottom options (the ubiquitous "80% off!!" deals) and then prep ourselves for a *lot* of extra expenses on the boat. (Wholly embrace the ULCC model!) The digging I've done so far looking for family suites and such usually leads to much higher prices than simply booking 5 of the cheapest cabins possible...
Crystal looks great, and I'd certainly be willing to pony up the funds to do it, but I don't think the rest of the group will.
I'm beginning to think I should spend more time figuring out which islands in the Caribbean interest us most, and then just find the best deal that covers the majority of those. We've been to Belize and Mexico already...so probably something farther east would be our target. St. Maarten, etc.
I did talk to one friend who said they always book a basic cabin because they rarely spend much time in it anyway. Sort of like a Vegas hotel room...
And yes, I'm diligently reading and digesting Cruise Critic. And I've now read and heard enough to know that we will book third-party as opposed to direct with the cruise line. Taking some notes, reading some FAQs and long threads for n00bs. Lots of great stuff there, although it's still quite overwhelming.
You will pay the nickels and dimes regardless of the discount. Cruise pricing is very much tied to demand. I have taken the same cruise at 2 different times of the year and paid 50% more for one. You will pay for port fees, tips, drinks, excursions, specialty dining, etc. on NCL or RCCL regardless of the base price. If you go to a cruise line website, select a cruise and then look at how the price changes over time. We have mostly avoided summer and holiday periods to save money. IIRC, our lowest price cruise was after Christmas when everyone else was using their cash to pay off their credit cards, maybe second week of January.
Get familiar with the cruise lines promotions. Everything I said you will pay extra for will at times be offered free of charge. My next cruise will feature unlimited alcoholic beverages. There were several other choices but that one offers the best value for a couple of lushes likes Mrs BV and me.
I agree that you need to spend time on cruisecritic (you'll find several of us FTers there with the same handle) and lack of status on the most common lines will not noticeably diminish the experience.
I never thought cruising would be for me but I was wrong. My bias was based on outdated ideas. If you keep an open mind, not only will you likely enjoy the experience but you just might be back on your own.