Comments on: Tips from an Expert First-Time Cruiser

By: Cruises for Large Families | Travels with Children by minnemom

Cruises for Large Families | Travels with Children by minnemom — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 15:26:14 +0000

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By: Donna Hull

Donna Hull — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 04:39:01 +0000

Good "newbie" list, minnemom. Concerning weather information, many ships post this in their daily activities newspaper or on one of the television channels. I agree with Nancy that small cruise ships tend to be more environmentally friendly. Also, you won't experience many lines or crowding on the smaller ships. I am very concerned with the new emphasis on mega ships. Donna Hull’s last blog post..Romancing the stars at Mt. Lemmon Sky Center

By: Nancy D. Brown

Nancy D. Brown — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 00:14:55 +0000

I second the comments of Soultravelers3. My mother lives in Carmel, California. When the cruise ships asked for permission to anchor in Monterey Bay, a marine coastal sanctuary, they dumped their garbage at sea. Fortunately, this particular ship was caught and fined.

I don’t think people are aware of the huge impact that megaships have on our environment. I’ve not been on a small cruise ship, but I think they tend to be more environmentally-friendly.

By: Soultravelers3

Soultravelers3 — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:43:42 +0000

I can understand the joy of slow travel via a ship and glad you had a nice get away, but the one thing I really hate about cruise ships is just how terribly hard they are on the environment. They are one of the all time worse ways to travel & polar opposite to sustainable travel.

We are independent world travelers and I have seen first hand the kind of obscene damage people from a large cruise ship can do to tiny ancient towns like Dubrovnik and Mykonos. Scary and I can not see how anyone could enjoy such travel, like massive, cramped ant pile overtaking a tiny sweet morsel.

I hope you can go into some of those facts as well, that people must take into consideration before booking a cruise on our endangered little planet.

http://blog.wholetravel.com/2008/08/05/when-it-comes-to-sustainable-travel-steer-clear-of-cruising/

I think most people are just not aware of the damage. I know we all want these beautiful places to still be around for our children and grandchildren.

By: Kim/hormone-colored days

Kim/hormone-colored days — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 21:04:50 +0000

Here via Twitter. I've never taken a cruise, but this sounds like a helpful list for newbies like me. Kim/hormone-colored days’s last blog post..We have a winner!

By: Kristin

Kristin — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:48:14 +0000

My parents and in-laws have both taken cruises and LOVED them. Maybe we’ll take our brood someday when they’re older. This is great advice!

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:46:16 +0000

Something to add- The many workers on the ship are the best people to ask about what to do in a port. They are there every week and often spend free-time in the ports. We found the best beaches in Hawaii by asking the table bus people at breakfast.

And Amen on the lines—lines for everything from getting on, to getting off- go with that in mind and maybe it won’t bug you as much as it did us.

And many cruiselines have specials they offer to you once you have cruised with them…we just got an offer in the mail for $399 a person for a 7 day cruise to various places in Mexico- available only to those who have cruised with them before. They also have free or discounted upgrades on rooms sometimes too.

We loved it and would do it again!

By: Stesha

Stesha — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:35:13 +0000

Thanks for the trip. We want to take our children on the Disney Cruise! Hugs and Mocha, Stesha Stesha’s last blog post..Wordless Wednesday- Eat The Peas!

By: Planning Your First Cruise: What No One Told You | Travels with Children

Planning Your First Cruise: What No One Told You | Travels with Children — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:23:41 +0000

[...] post: Planning Your First Cruise: What No One Told You addthis_url = ‘http%3A%2F%2Fminnemom.com%2F2009%2F02%2F09%2Ftips-for-planning-first-cruise%2F’; [...]