Cruises

Posted by: Forum Host

Cruises - 04/06/04 08:40 AM

Have you ever been on a cruise? Where did you cruise? What's it like, which cruise line do you prefer? Did you get bored or was there enough to do on board? Give us the scoop on cruising and share your photos!
Posted by: BeachVacations

Re: Cruises - 09/23/13 08:45 PM

Last February my wife and I did a 7 day Caribbean out of Ft Lauderdale on Princess Cruise Lines. We visited St Martin, St Thomas/St John and Grand Turk. We have been to St Thomas/St John several times:

http://www.beach-vacations-firsthand.com/st-john-caribbean.html

This time we snorkeled Buck Island, a natural wildlife refuge and also did a swim with the Stingrays in Grand Turks......very docile creatures with some weighing 100-150 pounds with 8 inch barbs....obviously used to human interaction but still very wild.

This was our first trip on Princess and we were very impressed with everything about the trip.
Posted by: gonzobobo

Cruise with WM or airline points - 03/10/14 10:48 AM

I've enjoyed 3 Caribbean cruises and one took my Mother from Vancouver to Alaska for her 75th birthday. I would like to send my married children. Can anyone offer insight or links for using Worldmark points or airline points for cruises?

thx
gonzo
Posted by: CandR

Re: Cruises - 03/12/19 11:10 AM

We have been on a few cruises. We are looking for information from members that have used their points to cruise. Is it worth it? Easy/hassle??
Posted by: Snordo

Re: Cruises - 04/24/19 09:07 PM

I used some of my credits last year to go on a cruse this year through Personal Choice (available for Diamond Elite and above) for two connecting cabins. I would not have done it except for the fact that I had extra credits that we weren't using for the year and it helped offset the cost. You use the Worldmark Travel Agency for the reservations and the process is easy and seamless; however, you only receive $0.065 per credit - yep, that's 6.5 cents. It is not a good exchange and only did it because I had extra points. We did Royal Caribbean and loved it and have not regretted our decision.

I am only Diamond Elite and can only use the Personal Choice every other year and may use an exchange through Interval International for a cruise next year. I believe the discount is around $600 for a cabin with the deposit of around 12,000 points. RCI may be the same as well but their website was not as easy to use.
Posted by: fewkes5

Re: Cruises - 02/16/20 12:04 PM

I would have to agree with Snordo as far as the value given your credits. But you have to decide if it's worth saving some of the money you would need by utilizing credits since they will come back on your anniversary date or if you have better use of your credits via resort stays. Sometimes if you watch various sites i.e., AvoyaTravel, cruisesonly and vacationstogo, you can get some pretty decent discounts without using any credits. You just have to weigh out the dollar for dollar when it comes to utilizing your credits.

We have been on 8 cruises over the years and I have only used a portion of my credits for one of those. (Royal Carribbean, NCL, Carnival, Celebrity)
Posted by: Icc5

Re: Cruises - 02/23/20 09:10 AM

We've been on approximately 15 cruises and use Vacations to Go for our bookings. We usually save close to 50% compared to what the cruise lines charge. We own timeshares in 4 different groups but never have used any to purchase a cruise. I think even Costco cruise prices beat what it cost you if using WM points.
Bart