Booking a first cruise

All,
I know the fanbase isn't quite as large over here as it is on WoV, so I may end up posting this over there as well, but I was looking for some info from any of you who go on cruises frequently in terms of the best time/day/etc. to book a cruise. The fiancee and I are planning a cruise for our spring break period (she is a teacher and I work in higher education), so that's really one of the few times where we both have off since we happen to have the same week off for our breaks. I know it will be more expensive due to spring breakers flocking to go on cruises, but does anyone have any advice as to whether I should book it now or wait until the 11th hour to see if the price goes down?

Unlike car rentals, I've read once you book, you are pretty much locked into that rate, even if the price drops drastically near the end of the booking period. Anyone have any experience with this and/or calling the cruise-line looking for a lower rate or added amenities (upgrades, onboard credit, etc) and if so, how successful was that?

Really any information you guys can provide would be helpful. Looking forward to our first cruise, just would like to be more informed before I make these decisions.

Thanks in advance for the help!

I would book it now. Spring break is a tough week to book a vacation for, so I wouldn't risk the ship selling out.

Not that you asked, but avoid the excursions. They are extremely overpriced. If you need something to do in any port just hire a cab driver to show you around. They always congregate at the ports awaiting such requests.

Also, don't play the slots in the casino. They are set very tight.

Quote: Wizard

I would book it now. Spring break is a tough week to book a vacation for, so I wouldn't risk the ship selling out.

Not that you asked, but avoid the excursions. They are extremely overpriced. If you need something to do in any port just hire a cab driver to show you around. They always congregate at the ports awaiting such requests.

Also, don't play the slots in the casino. They are set very tight.

Good to know. I suppose I could look for responses on things such as excursions, booking times, etc. here and go to WoV for any on-board casino advice. I've heard of poker games on cruise ships being rather beatable, but I'm not sure how limited my casino time will be with the fiancee in tow or if the ships I'm looking at will even have poker available as an option. If anything, I'll probably stick to the BJ tables as I've heard bad things about VP paytables as well. Thanks for the words of advice, Wiz.

We cruise with NCL. You are not locked in till final payment is made. If the price goes down you just call them. If you are really interested in a cruise I suggest you join Cruise Critic, they answer all your questions, people post when theres a sale etc. Very friendly and knowledeable site.

Quote: duckmankilla

Good to know. I suppose I could look for responses on things such as excursions, booking times, etc. here and go to WoV for any on-board casino advice. I've heard of poker games on cruise ships being rather beatable, but I'm not sure how limited my casino time will be with the fiancee in tow or if the ships I'm looking at will even have poker available as an option. If anything, I'll probably stick to the BJ tables as I've heard bad things about VP paytables as well. Thanks for the words of advice, Wiz.

My Odds site has gambling advice applicable anywhere. With cruise ships, the table games odds are pretty standard but the slots are as tight as the Vegas airport. Just two words to explain why -- Captive Audience. I played several hours of poker my last cruise on NCL. It was the same faces the whole time. About half were weak players and the other half were sharks taking their money. While there are a lot of weak players, the rake was very high. As I recall, 10% up to $10 per hand.

Quote: Wizard

I played several hours of poker my last cruise on NCL. It was the same faces the whole time. About half were weak players and the other half were sharks taking their money. While there are a lot of weak players, the rake was very high.

I understand that in the golden age of steamships, vessels posted notices to be careful of professional card players. It might be a great life... book a cruise involving shipboard luxury and pay for it with the very first night's income supplied by "fish on vacation".

Remember. Cruise ships are safe. There is no crimes aboard a cruise ship. All deaths are natural deaths or else suicides. All disappearances are accidents involving voluntary over consumption of alcohol. All shipboard employees are honest and law abiding and would never commit any rape. The ships fly a flag of convenience and that means that all crimes are investigated by one police officer who knows full well how much revenue the cruise ships bring to his country.

You may recall the "missing" husband aboard a Mediterranean cruise ship: young handsome, his wife an absolute knockout and his death unheralded until the media got hold of a brave teenage girl's digital image of a large red blood stain that the crew had promptly washed away. Only after the courageous 13 year old girl snapped that photo did the media latch onto the murder case because its the Captain who controls the crime scene and the captain's priorities are to Public Relations, not CSI.

This getting a bit off topic, but I've always wondered about what jurisdiction is responsible for investigating and punishing crimes at sea. For example, there is a cruise that leaves out of Long Beach and there is a crime committed in international waters. The last port of call was Acapulco. The cruise ship flies the flag of Liberia. What is the protocol?

Civil suits are probably valid only in Palm Beach County, Florida which would require Florida counsel and Florida based arbitration procedures involving arbitrators chosen primarily by the cruise line.

Criminal investigations would be by a lone policeman from Liberia who would be flown in to read reports and interview the crew about a week after the event. The policeman would be well aware of his country's income from selling its "Flag of Convenience". This is the procedure if the crime involved a fatality. If there was no death, there would probably be no investigation. Note: The policeman's uniform would be identical to a NYC police uniform of several decades ago.

The FBI would have jurisdiction if the victim were a United States citizen. However, it might prove difficult to get Spanish speaking FBI agents on the case and then try to later summon Mexican witnesses. Witnesses from other foreign countries would have to be examined via Letters Rogatory through the State Department, a tedious and cumbersome process requiring the cooperation of the foreign country.

Death Certificates would not be issued by the vessel or by Liberia but instead by a US District Court upon proper application under the Death on the High Seas Act.

If there was any suspicion of involvement of ship employees, by the time the ship docked there would be a flurry of vessel reassignments or inquiries would prompt a simple "no longer an employee of the company" response.

This was a problem with the training ship Picton Castle. It advertised in Canada, recruited its students largely from Canada and sailed from a Canadian port but when it sailed far out to sea directly into the path of a storm with virtually nothing but seasick students aboard, the ship asserted its Turks & Caicos registry and the death investigation took place in the Caribbean in a postage stamp size country that makes much of its income from ship registry fees. Needless to say the Captain was found not guilty of criminal negligence after relatives had to fly to the Caribbean for various hearings and file lawsuits there.

Quote: duckmankilla

I've heard of poker games on cruise ships being rather beatable...

I took only one cruise. There was only 1 poker table. $2/$5 No Limit Hold 'Em, 10% rate with a maximum of $15, and they had 50¢ chips so they wouldn't have to round the rake down too much. And the dealers were fairly inexperienced and not completely familiar with standard rules.

On the plus side, if you know what you're doing, it WAS fairly beatable Almost like walking up to an ATM...