Can anyone give me some info on crusies -- what I can expect to pay, what that price includes, which one are the best, how big are the cabins, what kind of activities are offered??

I read the earlier posting warning against Carnival, any other comments would be appreciated.

been on only 2 cruises so no expert, but to answer a couple of your questions..
as for price..hard to say..but to save the most, book early..or book at the last min.
if your flexable on dates..can get good deals on some cruises thru the net.If you book
early theres a good chance that you will get upgraded to a better cabin..but dont count on it.
As for what you get for your $$..it may or may not include airfare..
Most of your food is included in the price..On Princess, the ice cream parlor was extra.
Shore excursions are extra. Also drinks are not included in price, and that bill can
sneek up on you if not careful!!!!! The drinks arn't cheap!!!!!!This includes soft drinks!
On both our cruises, cabins where rather small, but
since you dont spend that much time there not a problem.
hope this helped you.. Have fun!!!

HI-I've been on 3 cruises. Once on Carnival and the other two on NCL. I much prefer NCL. Better service, food, etc. Carnival is a real party boat so if you're into that then Carnival would be ok. NCL also has a lot of night life etc. however it's a much classier line. Price wasn't that different.

Over simplified, you get what you pay for. If it seems too good to be true, beware. Room location is important. Check to see what is above, below and beside your location. You don't want to be under the deck on which the midnight buffet is served if you go to bed early. (Remember clean-up of the deck takes place AFTER the buffet is over.) A room next to the anchor chain may get very noisey every time the anchor is dropped (6 am at times) or raised.

The average age of the passengers should be considered. Cruises that are longer than 7 days attract the geriatric set - they have the time and the money. On a 10 day Panama Canal trip, the aerobics class just had a handful of participants. When we went on a 7 day cruise, you had to get to the gym 20 minutes before class to get a spot on the floor. These cruises were both on the same line.

List, in order of importance, what you want out of this cruise and then go after it.

My favorite ships, are the new mega cruisers of Royal Caribbean and Princess. But we had a wonderful four-week trip on the small, old Stella Solaris. The ship and the food left something to be desired, but the people were warm and friendly and the crew was great.

Do your homework and have a ball.

There are about as many different cruises as there are places to cruise to. Contact a good T.A. and let them know what you are interested in, your age, and the ports that you would like to visit. They can supply you with all the different cruise brochures that list the ships, ports and prices, along with alot of useful information. Just remember that the book price is NOT the price you should pay. Most cruise lines make available a two for one fare as long as you book either very early or very late. It is normally the best vacation that anyone could take (in our opinion). Remember one thing when chooseing a cruise ship, look at the size and age of the ship and the date (if applicable) of its last reburbishing. Most cruise brochures will also give you a sample layout of the staterooms and suites, along with an actual picture of the cabins. Hope you choose to cruise-it is really an entire new and wonderful experience.

We have been on 7 cruises-Regency, Regal, Seawind, & Holland America. Our favorite by far is Holland America. Everything they did was first class. Some hints- get to the ship early to check in( the actual boarding is often much earlier than the cruise line says) Bring a plastic insulated bag for beverages- we bring our own booze & coke. The ships' shore excursions are very expensive- do it on your own. Call all the tourist offices & ask them what to do & how much a taxi will cost.

Have been on several cruises. In fact it is the best way to travel as far as I'm concerned. But hey to each his own... FIND A GOOD TRAVEL AGENT THAT YOU TRUST THAT SPECIALIZES IN CRUISES AND ASK QUESTIONS!!! Every cruise line has a web page do some surfing, also on AOL if you go to keyword "cruise" there are many message boards that you will be able to get any question answered you can think of. Typically once you get on the ship the only thing you pay for is anything that comes from the bar, gambling, and gifts... as far as the tours are concerned have had great fun exploring on our own with the help of a taxi driver as well as with a groupo from the ship... but it is for sure a great time no matter what you choose...

I think cruises are an excellent value for the money. There is some hidden cost. You are expected to do some tipping in cash at the edn of your trip and there are port charges but i still think it is a good value. i recommend that you go on a newer or remodoled ship. They are more comfortable. The rooms are not big but they are adequate for the trip. Falling asleep with the ship rocking is great. I would not go on Carinival but there are many good lines.