daisymaybabe,
looks like any type of "freestyle" cruise ship would suit you, I would recomend the Western Med sailing from possibly Palma as your first cruise, using either of the companies you descibe (Thomsons or Ocean Village) or highly recommended is the Island Star. Also Royal Caribiean sailing in the Med would also possibly suite.

Teenages would find plenty to do on all the above, just keep away from formal ships like P&O etc unless it is formality, dressing up every night for dinner, etc that you are looking for.

Cruising is a bit of each to their own. Pick your shiping company based on your required holiday lifestyle, plus cost of course! and then your itinary based on the ports you take a fancy too. Barcellona, Rome, South of France, Med Islands all excellent, in fact we have never found a port that we would go as far as saying we did not enjoy the experience.
The Med is quite often calm waters, but can never be guarenteed but the chances are better than any open ocean cruising. Best sea ever experienced was on the very stable Island Star in the Med this year, worst on Thomson's Spirit crossing to Mederia from Morrocco, not the ships fault simply the sea.

We booked late (two weeks before sailing) on the Island Star for the English school holiday week @ the end of May. Got a very good deal in an outside cabin on deck 9 (restricted view) circa £500 each inc flights, getting an outside cabin late was not a problem, getting the nearest airport for such a late booking on a bank holiday weekend was; but that's another story.

Ian

Hi daisymaybabe and welcome to the Cruise forum!

I have merged your post with a similar topic. You may find some information in earlier posts.

luci

Thank you Ian and Luci.

I have looked at lots of sites and it seems the Ocean Village Med cruises for next summer are filling up already. Would you book soon or chance it? Keep thinking if I don't book we may miss out or if I do maybe get a better deal later on.

Also what sort of deck should I aim for? Is the higher the better?? (sorry, I must sound a right one!!) Also which part of the ship should I aim for? Front, middle or back.

Thanks for your help so far, by next year you'll all be hoping I take a very long one way cruise!!

daisymayx

daisymayx,

personally after my experiences this year I would wait until 4 weeks before sailing, I say this as 12 months ago I booked to go on Thomsons Destiny for this August the 10th, we are looking forward to the holiday just as much as when I booked it, but looking at web sites, teletxt etc there is still plenty of room and if I booked now I could have saved the best part of £1000 for two people on a two week cruise, same cabin, same flight but just lost out on the "free" all inclusive upgrade !.

As I said in my earlier note, I also booked a last minute deal on the Island Star in May, saved a lot of money but had a problem with the airport I wanted. Basically had to travel 270 miles from Scunthorpe to Glasgow for the flight, but it was still well worth the trouble.

Its always a chance and risk both monetry & hoilday wise of when you book, you pay your money you take your chance that you have the best deal, simple as that. But from this years & pervious years experiences I will not book earlier than a few weeks before cruising, I will risk losing out on a particular cruise rather than feel ripped off. After all there are plenty of other ships on the oceans. I have never known them all full.

As for decks, mid ship most stable, look where the medical centre is located. !! back end can suffer engine noise on lower decks, front end splashing seas. Never been too much concern though. Generally higher up the better as nearer the facilities, but beware of being above/below disco's etc. We look for the location of libries, quite rooms etc and try and get near them.

Can't give experience of OV as not personally done OV yet, but still on my "to do list".

glad to help any first timer.
Ian

Thanks Ian, your answer makes lots of sense on all counts. I will hold fire now and keep reading the cruise thread. I have sort of set my heart on a cruise now, and being a typical woman I want it now!!!

daisymayx

Hi,

What is included in the price of a full board cruise?

Do you get all your food and drinks and enterinment free?

thanks

Hi Kyle

Full board means all your food and entertainment, but not your drinks. You would need to pay a supplement for an AI package to include the drinks unless you got it free if you book early enough.

I have merged your post with our topic "New to cruising" and you should find some useful information in earlier posts.

luci

My husband and I are considering a cruise this year but we have no idea where to start.

My husband would like to try a cruise & stay (just incase he doesn't like the cruise!). Is this a good idea for first timers? Also my husband seems to think he will get sea sick - does this happen?

We are in our early 30's and would like a more relaxed cruise with buffet meals and pubs/nightclubs etc. Does anyone have any suggestions.

My next dilema:

A work mate of mine has been a carribean cruise and also a mediteranian cruise. She said the med cruise was a lot better as she sailed from the UK whereas the carribean cruise she had to fly to Miami which at the end of the holiday became quite tiring. Anyway, if I was to go it would be in October. If I did choose a med cruise would it not be quite dull weather at the ports of calls and especially rough at sea?

My budget would be £1,000 per person for either a two week cruise or cruise and stay. Is this realistic - i've been on some websites and the pricfes are in the region of £4,000!! Also`can you recommend a company thst includes transfers etc.

Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated.

Happy new year.

Diane

Hi, whilst you are waiting for somebody to give you some reccomendations have a look http://www.holidaytruths.co.uk/cruise-reviews/

Myvot

I have merged your post with a similar topic and you may find some useful information in earlier posts.

luci

We are totally new to cruising and and are considering a stay & cruise holiday for July 2007.

The identified options (so far) are:
- Med Spirit (on Island Star) and either Lagotel or Holiday Village Viva: or
- Med Discovery (on Island Escape) and either Lagotel or Holiday Village Viva: or
-Jewels of Med (on Thomson Destiny) and Coma Gran or Bonaire Aparthotel or ; or
-Jewels of Med (on Thomson Celebration) and Coma Gran or Bonaire Aparthotel; or
- Roman Epic (on Thomson Celebration) and Coma Gran or Bonaire Aparthotel.

Would any seasoned cruise and stayers have any views the above for a family of four (parents early 40s) and kids aged 3 and 10.

Your views/advice would be greatly appreciated.

We are considering booking now as it is our first time cruising and want some certainty. We may consider later booking in future. Also Thomson are offering AI on Board and some discounts for bookings by 31/1/07.

You could also consider Ocean Village. Like Island Cruises it is more informal with buffet style meals. Although i haven't travelled with them, I understand Thomson is slightly more formal with table service and set table mates - I prefer this but each to their own.

Personally I would be reluctant to book Island Escape. Unlike the other ships it is a converted car ferry and suffers by having a very small "swimming" pool and sun deck.

I have sailed on the Island Star and the Thomson Spirit. I think all the Thomson's ships would be similar.

I would recommend Thomson's over Island as I read somewhere that you weren't allowed to leave the children in the kid's club on the Island Star whereas you could with Thomsons.

If you click on Cruise Reviews at the top of the page you can read reviews of the ships you have listed which may help you decide.

luci

First point is the £1k all in door to door including drinks trips etc. if not then there is plenty of choice around that price, if it intends to include everything then you need to look at th cheaper options.

Next thing to think about is itinery and the kinds of place you want to see. Full days out can be tireing so on a two week cruise some sea days are usefull.

Nearly all cruise packages in clude flights/transfers. for casual add NCL to the list of cruises to look. There are also a few other options if you go beyond the general UK offerings of Thomsons,OV,Island and the prices are competative.

hi my friend wants to go on a caribean cruise for christmas. shes not sure which ship to choose. the quetions thast are bothering her are do you have to dress up in evening dress in the evenings, her hubby not to keen on wearing a tuxedo.waht is the normal dress in the day time and where do you do your washin and drying in the small cabins.any advise would be great .

Hi nuttynet and welcome to the Cruise forum!

I have merged your post with an existing topic of first-timers questions which may be useful.

It will depend on the ship, but it is usually not complusory to wear a tuxedo. Even on the Captain's Cocktails night a normal lounge suit would be fine.

You would need to know which ship your friend was going on so that you can check whether or not they have a self-service laundry.

luci

Hi, in terms of "motion sickness" which is the best deck to go on on a cruise ship??

is it better higher say 10,11 on a 12 deck ship??
or 7,8??
or 4,5??

cheers

Hi

In theory the lower the deck the less movement so less chance of seasickness.

However if seasickness is concerning you, I really wouldn't worry too much about it, especially in the Med. My hubby used to be sick one night of every cruise until he started taking Stugeron travel sickness tablets one hour before sailing. He's never had a problem since despite going through the Bay of Biscay 3 times, once when the porthole resembled a washing machine, it was so rough.

HTH

luci

Hi there,
As the title suggests me and my family have never been on a cruise before,in fact i have never even been on a boat and im 42
There would be me, my husband and 7 yr old daughter,my mother and father in law who are oaps.
I do not know where to start and wonder if someone who has some experience would be kind enough to help.
We are looking to go all inclusive,but as most cruises ive seen are full board then we are ok with that,but wondered roughly how much money we would need for drinks.We don't drink much but like a drink on holiday with our meals.Plus ive been told that some cruises do tea,coffee and soft drinks in with the full board.
I also wondered what sort of food to expect,as im worried about being stuck on a ship with rubbish food.
Any information would be greatly recieved.
Thank you for reading
Angela.