Pre-Cruise Preparation-

We put in for vacation time several months before the cruise and were targeting one of 2 cruises (GEM/Escape) that both left NY within a day of each other. I did numerous research and followed the prices. I like to book at least a month out so I have time to research the ports and plan excursions. We like the smaller ships but also wanted to experience a bigger one which we never had done. I hated the thought of over 4000 people on a ship but assumed that the length and time of year of the cruise would keep the crowds down. At one month out the prices had dropped from well-over $1000 to $529 on the Escape for the 14 day cruise (sail away rate). I also got an opportunity to bid for an upgrade. We bid the minimum of $55 per person for a balcony cabin (rate online showed this was almost a $1400 room?) which we got (notified 2 weeks out). We now had the ship and the cabin. We made all the dining room and show reservations that we were allowed to. We also booked our Chacchoben Ruins Excursion for Costa Maya. We printed out our new luggage tags and started to pack.

I had also booked the Cruise Package at Hilton Garden Inn in Ridgefield. Last year we booked at Hampton Inn which was $100 cheaper. This year Hilton Garden Inn’s rates were competitive (less than $3 difference) so we booked it based on great reviews. Parking at the pier was $400. The cruise package (just over $300) included a night’s stay, Breakfast the next day, parking for the length of the cruise and a shuttle to and from port. Read more