Going on a Cruise?

sterlingice · 12-04-2009, 12:48 PM

One, I'm vaguely disturbed that when I tried to search for thread titles with the word "cruise"- there were something like 11 hits and 1 was about an actual cruise while a couple used it as a verb and the rest were about Tom Cruise. Anyways...

So, in my emails for stuff like Expedia and Priceline, I keep getting advertisements for cruises, which I imagine is a pretty battered industry right now. Prices are so cheap that, even tho I don't know if it's really my thing (what? no internet! no tv?!? how do you people survive?), I'd be willing to try it and my wife seems to love the idea.

Just a few random questions, some logistical, others more, I dunno, content-based, trying to tap into the FOFC thinking- anyone who has actually been on one before. I realize, like anything, cruises are created differently. But I'm sure there are things that are mostly standard.

1) We were just cursorily looking at departing from either Baltimore or Charleston, SC as both are easily within driving distance. Baltimore is barely a 3 hour drive and Charleston is about 6 but we've wanted to visit there so maybe a day or two before a cruise would be perfect. Miami or Ft Lauderdale seem to be where most inexpensive east coast cruises leave from. However, then I have to tack on a flight where even a cheap flight for both of us probably runs $200 per person after taxes.

Show Cruise Information
So, anyways, I ran across one in September which I guess is cruise offseason (hurricane season issues, perhaps- is there anything you can do to offset that potential danger?) for $299 per person which is 6 nights and leaves from Charleston- about $750 for both of us after taxes. From the reviews, it looks like a lot of people like we could be- first time doing one, picked a cheap one just to do it and they enjoyed it. Lots of the veterans didn't have anything particularly bad to say except basically "we've been on better"- which, well, what do you expect from something that's South Carolina to the Bahamas and Key West? It's not exactly the most exotic thing you could think of.

(aside: you know- the Bahamas feel like cheating. Sure, it's technically international but that's like saying Tijuana is international when you live in San Diego. I mean, geez- Orlando's twice as far from Miami as Freeport is.)

In short- it sounds like a decent, cheap starter cruise for newbies which pretty much fits us like a glove.

1A) Is it worth the extra $50is per person to get an "oceanview" vs an "interior"? We're not talking about a suite as that suddenly doubles the price? But it's not really worth $100 to be given a little porthole either.

2) So how does this work with parking? Can you park by the ship? Or do you park at a hotel? How does that work- I mean this can't be an uncommon problem. Anyone who takes a cruise has to pretty much drive to the boat, right?

3) What to do on the ship? I'm sure this varies from ship to ship but just to get a general idea. On top of that- this kindof goes with one of the later points- what costs money and what doesn't when you're just on the ship?

4) Getting off the ship? So, I see you can get ripped off with "excursions" where it costs, I dunno, $400 to go snorkeling. But if you don't want to do the cruise company's thing- can you do your own thing? How does that work- just make sure you're back on the ship before it leaves port or what?

5) What about silly little preferences for someone who has never done one before? Early or later food- is there some hidden advantage or disadvantage (maybe you get to do more stuff at your stops if you take the later dinner, for instance?) How about where to be on the ship? Is back better because you'll be away from families? Or is the front away from the engine or makes for a better ride or anything like that?

6) How does dining work? It appears they have quite a few different options (again, early vs late from above?) and you can get a variety. Are you locked into any one place? Can you, say, grab sushi early and then grab something more substantial later?

7) Hidden costs? So where else do you get nickeled and dimed? Even more importantly, where do you drop $20 or $50 or more a person that you didn't expect? Looks like food is free for these, but are tips expected? And, if so, on what amount since there's no price for the food?

Anyways- thanks for any help in advance. Considering how "cheap" it is- $750 for 6 days for 2 of us seems like worth trying it- provided I can find out about potential pitfalls and additional costs.

SI

Airhog · 12-04-2009, 01:53 PM

I went on a cruise for my honeymoon so I can answer a lot of the questions

1aa) You can purchase cruise insurance I believe. If there is a hurricane, they can reroute you to different destinations, or just spend the whole cruise at sea. I believe they will comp you if this happens.

1a) Not really, unless you like being able to see the ocean. My aunt and uncle cruise a lot, and they save their cash for drinks, and excursions, so they get a cheap room. When we went we only went to the room to sleep, or change.

2. We left from galveston, and they have parking lots. for a 7 day cruise, it was 45 dollars to park. We found a lot online, and saved 5 bucks by paying in advance

3. AFAIK, only gifts and drinks, and gambling cost money. On the ship we were on they have a lot of different activities. There were several clubs, for dancing and stuff in the evenings. they had nightly shows in the theather also.

4. You do not have to do the cruise ship thing. I think it just depends on where you are going. when we went to jamaca, we were very glad that we did an excursion. cause the port is shitty, and there is no place to go that felt safe. It was much better in mexico, and grand cayman. The boat will have a time that you have to be back by, otherwise you could be left behind. If you don't want to do the ship excursions, do your homework. just remember that the excursions you book on ship are more expensive, but your guaranteed not to get ripped off.

5. we chose the late dinner, just because we like eating late to begin with. you shouldn't have much problem either way though. I don't think there is really a better part of the ship to be. we had kids near us, but no issues. it was noisy in our cabin, but we were on the lowest deck at the end of the ship. Didnt really bother us though, because we only slept in our cabin.

6. you can eat as much as you want, as often as you want. The late/early dining options are for the formal dining only, which we went to and they were good. I would grab sushi as a late snack at 5, and then eat dinner later. Also, if you do eat at the formal place, you can ask for extra food. So don't be afraid to ask for a second steak, or lobster tail if you want one.

7. The only other cost is the tip, for our package. half of the tip was included in the cost of the cruise, and the other half was added at the end. I don't remember the specifics though, you'd have to look that up. basically at the end of the cruise, you can tip more money if you would like to certain people, and you can also change the distribution of your tip money. You don't tip for individual meals. Also, soda drinks are not free, you need to buy a 25$ fountain drink card. Tea and juice were free for me. So if you cannot eat a meal without soda its worth it, as drinks were like 2 bucks I think. If you like to drink liquor expect to pay for it of course. (on our cruise there was a captains party the first night, and that was the only time we got any free booze)

I think overall, we spent about 2000 on our cruise. it cost us 1400 for the cruise, plus all of the other stuff (driving to galveston from OKC, the excursions, the tips, parking, drinks, etc.)

If you have any other questions feel free to PM me, or ask here.

MrBug708 · 12-04-2009, 02:00 PM

1A) Oceanview might be a porthole so is a window the size of a basketball worth the 50 dollars?

2) Here in Los Angeles, my dad works at the port so we got to park for free. Im not sure how it works though

3) Cheesy touristy things like trivia and dancing and things

4) You gotta pay to do activities, but if it's just a port, you can either walk or take a shuttle to activities.

5) Eat early IMO. The food is "fresher", less likely to run out of things, and the wait staff has more patience.

6) Its worth it to eat in the dining room. Plus you can order more then one item when you eat so it's a great place to try things you might never order in a restaurant back home. (Snails, duck, et al)

7) Tips can get you, the longer you stay the more it costs

Lathum · 12-04-2009, 02:12 PM

Airhog did a good job answering most things accurately. One thing I would caution, that time of year leaving from Baltimore the first day will probably be VERY choppy. If you or the Mrs. get seasick I recommend leaving from Florida.

As far as excursions go, they are a little overpriced, but not a crazy stupid rip off.

I like doing the late dinner because if you are doing something during the day you don't need to hurry back.

As far as eating, you eat whenever you want. The overwhelming number one reason people go on cruises is to eat. It is an embarrassment of excess. There will always be something, somewhere to eat. Some cruise lines have restaurants you have to pay to eat at certain restaurants, it doesn't look like this is one of them, however I have never been on Carnival, we do Royal Caribbean. TBH I have heard bad things about Carnival, but that may just be my Mother in Laws bias.

The interior room you tend to feel the motion of the boat less so again, if tehre are seasick issues you may want one, but like Airhog said, you really will only sleep there.

Most cruises have TV in the rooms.

I don't know about parking, we have always flown

Otherwise, it is a great experience, cruises are a lot of fun.

dwardzala · 12-04-2009, 02:15 PM

My experience has been on several larger ships, but in looking at the info it seems similar.

1A) is personal preference. If you aren't in your room during the day, there won't be much to see at night. I've never bothered with a seaview room.

2) I think depends on the port more than the cruise line/ship. I've always flown and been bussed to the port from the airport. Miami did have long terma parking for cruisers to leave their vehicles.

3) From the website you provided, there looks to be the normal variety of activities, casino ($), spa ($), live entertainment (usually free, but sometimes there are charges for special events), night clubs, pool, etc. This is pretty standard fair. They set up these cruises so if you are the type of person that does something 24/7 on vacation you can, or you can just chill.

4) You can always go on your own when the ship is in port. Beware, the ship won't wait for you if you are late getting back.

5)Regarding preferences, early sitting for dinner will have more kids in the dining room. Later usually doesn't. The later dinner sitting probably will not give you more time to do things ashore, but while the first sitting is going on, the late sitting people can see shows and then those shows are (usually repeated for the early sitting crowd.) As far location on the ship, you probably won't even know there is an engine. I don't think you will be able to avoid families with location.

6)Dining is set up so that you can eat 24 hours a day (or at least 20). All the food on your ship appears to be included. Be aware that alcohol and most soft drinks will cost you extra (about what you'd pay at an "upscale" bar). Coffee, tea, lemonade and water are usually included with meals at no cost.

7) Hidden cost - you will have to tip many people at the end of the cruise. You cabin staff (make bed, deliver clean towels, etc.), you wait staff (often two or more people per table) and possibly porters and other people who assist. You will also want to tip bartenders/servers who you purchase beverages from just like a normal bar/restaurant. There are often port fees/taxes which are added on to you ticket price and jack it up the same way airlines do. Excursions and shipboard activities may cost you extra, but obviously those are optional. For a 6 day cruise, you should set aside extra money so you can settle up at the end. The last 7 day cruise I took I figured cost us $1000 more after all the booze, excursions and shopping my wife and I did, but we weren't trying to pinch pennies either.

Our experience was a good one. Be aware that if you are the least bit sensitive to motion sickness, you will need to take measures to prevent it (dramamine, wrist bands, etc).

cartman · 12-04-2009, 02:24 PM

I'm heading out of Galveston on a cruise next Saturday. It will be my second one.

We had a room with a porthole window, and it was ok, but honestly we treated the room like a trip to Vegas: it is just a place to crash. All of the entertainment on the cruise we were on was part of the price, so no extra charge for the shows. The casino is obviously a different matter.

We picked the early dinner, in order to have the evenings entirely open to do stuff. As has been mentioned, the food is all you can eat. Even though the menus don't mention it, you can have multiple appetizers/entrees if you want.

As for parking, it varies from port to port, so you'll need to check. In Galveston, you drive up and porter takes your luggage. Then you drive to a parking lot the port operates, and a shuttle takes you back to the check-in point.

You aren't tied to using the cruise offered excursions. In most instances you can find the local company and book the same thing for a significant discount from what the cruise charges. The gotcha might be if the excursion is a long one. If you aren't back in time, the cruise will wait for people that booked through them. Otherwise you are on your own.

For hidden charges, just be aware that most everything has an added tip that you buy on board. Also turn off roaming on your cell phone, that might be a bit of surprise if you don't.

Swaggs · 12-04-2009, 02:52 PM

Most everything is covered, but I would just like add that the excursions are what make the cruise, in my opinion. We have been on two cruises. On the first, we were pinching pennies and didn't do any excursions and had an okay time. On the second, we had a little more money available and went on several excursions and had some great experiences (hiked through a rainforest w/ a waterfall, visited a mountain top, went on a tour of a Rum factory, etc.).

I'd recommend saving the money on the oceanside room and putting it towards excursions. As Cartman said, the room is just a place to crash -- they are very small and minimalistic regardless (unless you spring for a suite, which we have never done), so you won't be spending much time in there other than to sleep.

Airhog · 12-04-2009, 03:04 PM

Just to add to what Lathum said, there was one fancy resturaunt on our carnival boat, that you had to pay extra to eat at.

Lathum · 12-04-2009, 03:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swaggs

Most everything is covered, but I would just like add that the excursions are what make the cruise, in my opinion. We have been on two cruises. On the first, we were pinching pennies and didn't do any excursions and had an okay time. On the second, we had a little more money available and went on several excursions and had some great experiences (hiked through a rainforest w/ a waterfall, visited a mountain top, went on a tour of a Rum factory, etc.).

Sounds like Puerto Rico

Mustang · 12-04-2009, 03:37 PM

1A. I would not go on a cruise and not get a balcony view. We loved it because it was great to relax on and just read or lounge when you didn't want to hassle with the upper decks.

2. We have normally flown in and then were bused in groups to the ship. I'm not sure how far away you are coming from, if you are relatively close (150 miles) might be easiest just to pay someone to drop you off and pick you up.

3. Most everything is free on the ship. Comedy shows, variety shows, movies.. They have trivia contests and things of that nature so, there is always something to do. I think some of the sports equipment might have a small rental fee, but other than that your biggest expensive will be drinks.

4. You don't have to do any excursions. You can walk off the ship and do whatever you want. Just as long as you are back in time. They will not wait for you and if this happens, you are on your own. Our excursions were normally in the $75 range (Tulum, tour around Cayman Isles, etc)

5. Early/Late dinner, just a personal choice. We liked the later meal because when we got back on the boat it gave us a little more time to relax and get ready instead of rushing. As for boat position, we have stayed in the middle and back and had no preference.

6. We like the freestyle dining which is show up when you want between the hours they have. Typically there is the nice dining sections and then the buffet sections. The nice dining section has set menus and you can order whatever. If you want multiple appetizers, have at it. Some places have a different restaurants that you can pay for, but the price isn't that bad. We typically go once a cruise to these type of places just because they are more specialty ones - Steak, Italian, Sushi, etc. Just remember to reserve a spot early in the cruise and make a reservation as they are not ones you just show up at.

7. Hidden costs? Not really. Just be careful on the booze. When you go on the ship, you don't pay for anything with cash, they just give you a card that is attached to your room that you pay for at the end of the cruise. I've heard horror stories of some people getting carried away and they have a $1500 booze bill at the end. Also, you pay roughly $10-$12 a day in tips to your room cleaners. I believe a small tip is added to bar bills for the bartender also.

path12 · 12-04-2009, 04:27 PM

Most of your questions have been answered, but personally I'm with Mustang that having a balcony is well worth the upgrade.

I'm also a fan of the later dinner, just because 5 is too damn early for me when I'm on vacation. We'd usually have dinner and a bottle of wine, then hit the late show.

Excursions are OK if you feel weird/paranoid about your ability to make your way around in a place you're not familiar with. I kind of like just figuring stuff out on my own -- when we stopped in St. Maarten we found a taxi driver who took us to a beach on the other side of the island, then came back three hours later to pick us up and take us to another little town area where we wandered around for awhile, then he picked us up again a couple hours later to take us back to the docks. We were a little nervous at first that he might not come back, but it worked out fine.

We've also went on excursions that were quite nice, but there is a bit of bus tour feel to those IMO.

CU Tiger · 12-04-2009, 11:49 PM

Much of this has been covered, but I am going to chime in
1-with my opinions
2- With Charleston,SC specific info

My wife and I have been on 8 cruises, and thoroughly enjoyed them.
That said if you are leaving out off Charleston you are going on Carnival. Which is a good "starter" type cruise, and honestly enough what we did the first 3 times. They are low on the high scale list if that is your thing.
But they cover all the basics well, and are a good value for thee $$ imho.

1)The insurance thing is worth looking into. Also cruise prices vary GREATLY, research this. We have found good deals through different sources without ever seeing any one source be consistently the ticket.

1A) I personally would not go on a cruise without a a balcony room. A few things to consider, the rooms are considerably smaller than you average hotel room. Having a window helps it feel bigger. Also the extra light afforded by the window is worth it to me by itself. Plus you cant beat sitting on your own balcony with your wife at night smelling the air, hearing the waves and the privacy cant be matched up on deck. Also my wife is mildly sea sick and interior rooms kill her but as long as she can see she is fine.

2) If you cruise out of Charleston,SC there is a parking deck right there by the port. It was $25 for a week last time we left from there. LEAVE NOTHING IN YOUR CAR. NOTHING.NOPE NOT EVEN THAT. NOTHING. The ship schedules are well posted and thiefs know how long your car will be there. Also it takes much longer than you would expect to get on and off the boat. Arrive earlier than you think you need to.

3) On the boat, casinos are usually ab ig hit, and of course they cost money. Alcohol is always nice and it costs money. Think bar prices for drinks all week. There are duty shops on board where you can buy trinkets, they will take pictures every time you turn around and try to get you to buy those. And all wait staff work exclusively on tips, so every time you get a beer, you are expected to at last toss a dollar to the bartender. There are shows which can be a bit hokey but...can also be entertaining. There will be spa services (at cost) sun bathing and swimming pools on deck...

4) You can do your own thing, but excursions are often very well put together. I would plan on doing at least one, otherwise you may find yourself wondering around all day. Specific point. If you find yourself in freeport try to check out the Bananna Bay Cafe, you will most liekly have to rent a car to get there but it is worth it. Its a local restaurant and what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in scenery and food. They have a dock that is literally 30' into the ocean you eat on and it is authentic iland grub. You will probably be the only toursit there.

5) Again Id take any balcony room over any non balcony room.

6) You ahve teh formal dining every night everything else is just walk up and order/grab and certain food places will be open all night. It is literally all you can eat. You can walk up and get pizza take a bite and trash it and go get a burger, then sushi etc. etc.

7) This will vary greatly, but my wife and I will generally go through a couple hundred in alcoholic drinks in a week. Something about it for us, you get up on a boat and just want a drink...and like I said bar prices or a bit higher ($4-$5 beers) $8-10 drinks etc. Oh and if you like Cigars, you will need $50-100 for Cubanos to smuggle back in your luggage.

path12 · 12-05-2009, 01:26 AM

I've also found it fairly easy to smuggle in some alcohol for in room drinks in a water container, though they do frown upon that so YMMV. Can save you a few bucks -- but if you're up on deck you won't want to schlep down to your room every time you want a drink, so expect to pay for most of your drinks.

terpkristin · 12-05-2009, 10:24 AM

I went on a cruise with my family over labor day weekend. I went in expecting to HATE the cruise and ended up having a much better time than I'd expected. Actually, it was so much better that I'm contemplating another one (though I wouldn't go back to Bermuda, which is where I went this time).

Quote:

1) We were just cursorily looking at departing from either Baltimore or Charleston, SC as both are easily within driving distance. Baltimore is barely a 3 hour drive and Charleston is about 6 but we've wanted to visit there so maybe a day or two before a cruise would be perfect.

I think it's well established that I think Baltimore is a fine city, and this is where our cruise departed from. They have a lot of cruises in and out, so they know what they're doing and do it efficiently.

Quote:

1A) Is it worth the extra $50is per person to get an "oceanview" vs an "interior"? We're not talking about a suite as that suddenly doubles the price? But it's not really worth $100 to be given a little porthole either.

Do you get seasick? My sister, who does not normally get seasick (we've been out on very rough seas on my dad's sailboat), had an interior room on her first cruise and an oceanview on her second, and after that, always gets oceanviews. She said for her, she felt less likely to get seasick on the oceanviews. I dunno. She and I shared a room and had an oceanview. I don't get seasick so can't judge that, but our window was a good size (3' x 4'), though we rarely looked out it.

Quote:

2) So how does this work with parking? Can you park by the ship? Or do you park at a hotel? How does that work- I mean this can't be an uncommon problem. Anyone who takes a cruise has to pretty much drive to the boat, right?

In Baltimore there is ample parking at the port, or you could take a cab from the hotel or airport. I believe that if you tell them you're flying in (and flying out), that you can arrange to be on a shuttle to the airport.

Quote:

3) What to do on the ship? I'm sure this varies from ship to ship but just to get a general idea. On top of that- this kindof goes with one of the later points- what costs money and what doesn't when you're just on the ship?

During the day, I napped and did a ton of reading, mostly up on the pool deck or the top deck. I hung out with my family, sometimes we'd just sit around talking. We did drink a bit, though not as much as it seemed most people did. There were a few activities during the day on the boat that were interesting (my mom and I did a wine tasting, there were some movies, and there was a game or two--trivia-like stuff). But mostly during the day I read. Never went to the casino, even at night, though my folks did (they like the slots).

At nights, after dinner there are shows and then usually music and dancing up on the deck. We did family dinner in the dining rooms and usually did a show.

Quote:

4) Getting off the ship? So, I see you can get ripped off with "excursions" where it costs, I dunno, $400 to go snorkeling. But if you don't want to do the cruise company's thing- can you do your own thing? How does that work- just make sure you're back on the ship before it leaves port or what?

Yep. If you can find things to do on your own, you most definitely don't need to book through the cruise line, and you'll save a truckload of money. I did 2 snorkeling trips and 1 scuba trip, none through the cruiseline. Did a glass-bottom boat trip that was and was overpriced, though was still fun (and was with the family). They'll tell you what time you need to be back. Just remember to bring a small pouch or otherwise for your passport and stuff. That's one thing I didn't really realize, how much, even on the boat, I'd want a small backpack with me, to carry my book, my sea pass, sun screen, iPod, camera etc.

Quote:

5) What about silly little preferences for someone who has never done one before? Early or later food- is there some hidden advantage or disadvantage (maybe you get to do more stuff at your stops if you take the later dinner, for instance?) How about where to be on the ship? Is back better because you'll be away from families? Or is the front away from the engine or makes for a better ride or anything like that?

I think higher up is better than lower down, again if you get seasick. We had really rough seas one night and it was definitely rougher on the lower decks. Dinner is a personal preference. We did the earlier dinner so we had time to change clothes if we wanted before night events, since all the dinners were a little more dressy than jeans and t-shirts.

Quote:

6) How does dining work? It appears they have quite a few different options (again, early vs late from above?) and you can get a variety. Are you locked into any one place? Can you, say, grab sushi early and then grab something more substantial later?

You're assigned a dinner time and you need to go there on time. On RC, you have the same waiter the entire time for dinners. Usually there are 5 options for first course, 5 for second, and 3-5 for dessert. Alcohol is extra. One night is always a fancier night (on ours they had lobster, duck, and some steak thing as the main dishes). There is always a vegetarian option. You can get multiple dishes in each course if you desire. You also won't be hungry on the ship. Breakfast you can go to the dining area and get sit-down service or buffet style in the other area, as much as you want. Lunch is the same deal. The dining area is open at a certain time, or you can go through the buffet, which has lots of options. Between breakfast and lunch the buffet areas have snacks and there is usually also an option for stuff like burgers, hot dogs, pizza, fries, etc. Between lunch and dinner there are also snacks, like nachos, etc. Dinner you can do in the main area or in the buffet area, or do the buffet area as 2nd dinner after the main dinner, usually it stays open til 10 or so with a variety of food stuffs.

Quote:

7) Hidden costs? So where else do you get nickeled and dimed? Even more importantly, where do you drop $20 or $50 or more a person that you didn't expect? Looks like food is free for these, but are tips expected? And, if so, on what amount since there's no price for the food?

Tips are expected on drinks. They also expect you to give gratuity per person for your dinner waiter, your area waiter (the guy who is over your main dinner waiter), your housecleaning people, etc. All that is done at the end of the cruise, they give you envelopes for them and suggested gratuities.

As I said at first, I expected to HATE the cruise and I would love to go on one again. Good luck.

/tk

sterlingice · 12-17-2009, 01:55 AM

Well, we put down a deposit on a cruise (with the intent to go). I'll post more as we get closer to the time. It's 5 nights and leaves Charleston in September (hooray for hurricane season!)

SI

Airhog · 12-17-2009, 10:25 AM

On the liquor thing, at least on carnival, you are allowed to bring so much on. We brought on a bottle of champagne. Didn't bring on any other liquor as we don't drink much.

cartman · 12-18-2009, 11:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Airhog

On the liquor thing, at least on carnival, you are allowed to bring so much on. We brought on a bottle of champagne. Didn't bring on any other liquor as we don't drink much.

According to their site, you are allowed to bring one wine bottle on per person. We flagrantly violated the rules last week, and tried to bring on board two bottles of Crown Royal. It was successful. And, as we heard in the debarkation meeting, even if it wasn't successful, they return the seized liquor at the end of the trip instead of pouring it out.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Well, we put down a deposit on a cruise (with the intent to go). I'll post more as we get closer to the time. It's 5 nights and leaves Charleston in September (hooray for hurricane season!)

SI

Have fun! We had a blast over the past few days, even if we had 20+ foot waves on the last day of our trip.

sterlingice · 12-23-2009, 01:02 PM

Oh, and I can't believe I didn't do this earlier:

Thanks, everyone, for all the advice- we took it all under advisement, considering our conditions.

Again, we'll probably be back to pick people's brains this summer as times get closer.

SI

DanGarion · 12-23-2009, 02:01 PM

I'm surprised no one else posted this yet...

Landshark44 · 02-16-2010, 11:01 AM

my wife just booked a cruise for us. her and i, and we have two boys 8 and 13. leaving in november, out of tampa, we go to grand cayman and cozumel. i am very much looking forward to it. we were able to get two cabins next to each other, all for around $1400.......

we are looking at excursions, now. it's another thing we'd like to pay for ahead of time. it seems there are about thirty in each port. anything you guys have done that you loved? thanks...

Samdari · 02-16-2010, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landshark44

my wife just booked a cruise for us. her and i, and we have two boys 8 and 13. leaving in november, out of tampa, we go to grand cayman and cozumel. i am very much looking forward to it. we were able to get two cabins next to each other, all for around $1400.......

we are looking at excursions, now. it's another thing we'd like to pay for ahead of time. it seems there are about thirty in each port. anything you guys have done that you loved? thanks...

You have to go to Stingray City from Grand Cayman. When we were there, it was just about the only thing to do. Easily the best excursion I've done on 3 cruises.

cartman · 02-16-2010, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landshark44

my wife just booked a cruise for us. her and i, and we have two boys 8 and 13. leaving in november, out of tampa, we go to grand cayman and cozumel. i am very much looking forward to it. we were able to get two cabins next to each other, all for around $1400.......

we are looking at excursions, now. it's another thing we'd like to pay for ahead of time. it seems there are about thirty in each port. anything you guys have done that you loved? thanks...

We found a great beach in Cozumel called Nachi Cocom. It isn't offered by the cruise lines, you have to book direct. It is ~$50/adult, $30 per kid, and all of the food and drinks are included. They only allow 100 people per day in, so it isn't crowded. You get your own area on the beach, and there is also a freshwater pool with jacuzzi and swim up bar. There are also available, for an extra charge, jetskis and kayaks to rent, parasailing, beach massages, and there is also a boat that will take you out snorkeling for around $30 per person. The snorkeling was incredible when we went. We even had a couple of dolphins swim underneath us, and we could hear them talking.

Cozumel Beach Break at Nachi Cocom the Perfect Day in Paradise at Nachi Cocom in cozumel

Jon · 02-16-2010, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landshark44

my wife just booked a cruise for us. her and i, and we have two boys 8 and 13. leaving in november, out of tampa, we go to grand cayman and cozumel. i am very much looking forward to it. we were able to get two cabins next to each other, all for around $1400.......

we are looking at excursions, now. it's another thing we'd like to pay for ahead of time. it seems there are about thirty in each port. anything you guys have done that you loved? thanks...

There's a turtle farm and rum factory in Grand Cayman. The turtle farm was great. And the rum factory gave out samples...

Landshark44 · 02-16-2010, 02:37 PM

cool, thanks. stingray city is definitely on our list of things to do.....

my wife was also looking at some sort of zip-line adventure. any of you try this one...?

Adventure Park, Zip Line & Snorkel Combo

and another one where you walk on the ocean floor, wearing some sort of helmet.....

SeaTrek Helmet Diving

PurdueBrad · 02-16-2010, 02:48 PM

We're going to Cozumel, Cayman, Roatan, and Belize in June so I'm definitely taking notes!

Right now, we're thinking:

Belize- Cave tubing
Cozumel- Atlantis sub
Isla Roatan- The beach
Cayman- Dolphin Experience (swimming with the slimy little bastards)

Landshark44 · 05-07-2010, 12:58 PM

can you bring "red bull" on a cruise? and some vodka to go with it....?

Ragone · 05-07-2010, 07:00 PM

if you are going to nassau.. don't do the cruise excursion tour.. there are locals who give tours for like 1/3rd of the price that are extremely legit. Took us everywhere the cruise ship tour would have and more.

we went last year on norwegian, i would recommend them highly.

Landshark44 · 10-20-2010, 07:20 PM

Ok, we are set to leave in two weeks...(Nov 7th)

I still haven't booked an excursion for Cozumel, and am interested to know if anyone has had any positive experiences there. We are doing the "Swim with Dolphins" the day before we get there, in Grand Caymen....

Also, my wife and I can drink some alcohol, and are concerned about our possible bar tab. Has anyone had any success sneaking alcohol onboard? Some tips for doing so would be appreciated....

cartman · 10-20-2010, 07:38 PM

Check my post a few up with the link to Nachi Cocom. We had a blast there.

Landshark44 · 10-20-2010, 08:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cartman

Check my post a few up with the link to Nachi Cocom. We had a blast there.

i was just checking that out. it does look like a good time......

thanks

sterlingice · 10-20-2010, 09:29 PM

*sigh* I ended up not even going because of almost losing my job and then moving to Indy as a transfer

SI

CU Tiger · 10-21-2010, 11:01 AM

we just got back from the same trip last month.
tampa-grand cayman-cozumel-tampa

We did an excursion in cozumal that went snorkeling and then went to some private beach and had a big play day....they had there huge wipeout style inflatables out in the water and everyone had a blast...

cartman · 10-21-2010, 11:05 AM

As for getting alcohol on board, just put a bottle in each of your bags. They only do random searches, and no one we talked to had any confiscated. The drink prices on board are pretty outrageous. Once you get on board, and verify that your contraband made it on, you can get an unlimited soft drink card for something like $8/day. That is how you make your own mixed drinks, as long as you remember to bring a flask.

Landshark44 · 10-21-2010, 12:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

we just got back from the same trip last month.
tampa-grand cayman-cozumel-tampa

they had there huge wipeout style inflatables out in the water and everyone had a blast...

do you remember the name of the place you went? was it a hotel?

alcohol right in the carry-on? seems so simple....but i'll try it, nothing to lose.......

cartman · 10-21-2010, 01:01 PM

No, we put the bottles in our checked luggage. They'd probably find it in the carry-on, since you have to run it through an X-ray machine.

I think we did that same excursion on a different cruise to Cozumel. Was the boat a catamaran, and the beach with inflatables also had a small grill to buy food? We had fun there as well, but enjoyed Nachi Cocom a lot more on the second cruise. There were several reasons why. One was that instead of only 4 hours, it was all day, two, all drinks were free, not just beer and watered down margaritas, third, it was a lot more secluded, four, the lunch that was included was awesome, and finally, we got our own private snorkeling tour for three of us that lasted over an hour and a half.

Landshark44 · 10-21-2010, 01:07 PM

did you try and hid the fact they were bottles of alcohol?

what i mean is, should i just put a bottle of scotch in my suitcase? Or.....

should i pour scotch into an empty ice tea bottle, and then put it in my suitcase?

Landshark44 · 10-21-2010, 01:08 PM

my wife and son have decided to do this excursion...in cozumel..

Adventure Park, Zip Line & Snorkel Combo

cartman · 10-21-2010, 01:09 PM

Didn't try to hide them. They were just bottles of Crown in those pouches they always come in. On another cruise one of my aunts just put a 1.75 liter bottle in one of her suitcases.

cartman · 10-21-2010, 01:11 PM

I'll check with my aunt, but I think they did that zip line on a cruise last year, and she was disappointed. They made it sound like it went through the trees, but she said it was all over concrete. I'll see if that is the same one she did in Cozumel.

Landshark44 · 10-21-2010, 01:15 PM

cool, thanks...

Lathum · 10-21-2010, 01:17 PM

Plus anything they confiscate you can get back at the end of the cruise.

Jon · 10-21-2010, 02:48 PM

I just got back from a Scandinavian cruise a little over a month ago (my 8th). Due to the economy, they've begun really enforcing the alcohol policies on the ship (since that's where they make there dough). You may be able to sneak some through, but if not, you'll get it back at the end.

Try to get on the ship around noon, if possible. That way you can get there before the majority of people show up and take a look around. One suggestion I would make is to bring a bathing suit with you as well (along with socks, etc to change in after the pool time), in case you want to hit the pool in the afternoon before you get your lugguage.
More importantly, check out your table as soon as you get on the ship. That way you know where it's located, whether the table is too big or too small, and generally if you like it or not. If you don't, talk to maitre d' and try to switch. If they're able to, they usually do it with no problem (including changing from early to late seating--I prefer late seating--it doesn't give you more time ashore usually, but it does give you a little rest period before dinner). And, If your wife is looking for a massage, the best time is to schedule the massage as soon as you get on the ship--that way you get the time that you want (they have a schedule of port times, etc--best massages are during days at sea).

As for tips, I've found that, although you tip at the end of the cruise (and can add it to your overall cruise bill), it's good to slip the room steward and your waiter some cash the first day. This was suggested by another frequent cruiser that we met and it has paid off each time. The room steward does a little more in your room, gives you robes or extra towels, and generally is more helpful. The waiter will make an extra effort for you as well (such as remembering if you said that you really liked an appetizer --the waiter may make the effort to have it for you if it's not on the menu another night). This isn't in lieu of tipping at the end, just a nice little extra to get good service (not that service is bad, but anything extra is good).

Have fun! And don't feel obligated to follow the ship's schedule. My first cruise was on carnival, and I was hesitant to go because I heard that they push the whole "do this" "do that" mentality. Once aboard, I did my own thing (which included sitting by the pool with a book and music). I now generally use Royal Carribean, but I use the same principles. It's my vacation, so I'll do what I want.

Also, before you leave, make a copy of the passports to bring with you just in case. If possible, scan them into a PDF, email them to your wife, yourself, and another friend/family member. They may take it from you when you go onboard, but it's good to have a copy.

Landshark44 · 10-21-2010, 02:58 PM

thanks jon, good advice....

Jon · 10-21-2010, 03:11 PM

I mean the cruise lines may take your original passports, which is why you want the copies (that you would bring with you ashore just in case).

You're very welcome for the advice. If you have any other questions let me know.

You will have a blast. Once you go on one cruise, it will be difficult to stay away.

Lathum · 06-21-2012, 09:54 PM

Leaving for an Alaskan cruise next Saturday. Really excited. We have a lot of excursions and spa time planned. Can not wait.

sterlingice · 06-21-2012, 09:58 PM

It makes me sad that I started this thread and never got to go on the cruise

SI

Glengoyne · 06-21-2012, 10:05 PM

Can you give details. Mrs. Glen's parents are doing a Princess Alaska cruise at the end of September.

Ports of call/excursions chosen
Cruise line

Lathum · 06-21-2012, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Glengoyne

Can you give details. Mrs. Glen's parents are doing a Princess Alaska cruise at the end of September.

Ports of call/excursions chosen
Cruise line

We are doing Princess as well, leaving from Seattle, which is obviously convenient for us. Our ship is the golden princess.

It stops in Juneau, Ketchikan,Skagway, and Victoria with a "scenic" cruise day.

In Juneau we are doing

Quote:

Bike & Brew Glacier View
JNU-455 Approximately 4 hours / From $99
12sfS
This guided bike tour offers you an exhilarating way to enjoy some of Juneau's most beautiful scenery - the Mendenhall Valley. Upon
arrival, your expert guides will outfit you in top-of-the-line gear and give you a safety briefing before you set out on your 9-mile ride.
Be sure to bring your camera, as photo opportunities abound. Starting beside Auke Lake, you'll enjoy the picturesque views of it and
the Mendenhall Glacier from in front of the charming Chapel by the Lake. Then, you'll stop at the beach for another spectacular view
of the glacier's western vista and a snack before continuing to the glacier's east side. Your final stop is near the Mendenhall Glacier
Visitor's Center so you can see the Glacier from a much closer perspective. Then, finally, you'll board a van for a ride to Merchant's
Wharf where you'll sample award-winning beers from Alaska's micro-breweries.

In Skagway we are doing

Quote:

Glacier Lake Kayak,Scenic Railway & Klondike Summit
SGY-770 Approximately 5 hours / From $229
13sf
Ride the historic White Pass & Yukon Route railroad and explore the crystal-clear waters of a glacier lake by kayak on this scenic and
immersive 5-hour excursion.
Your tour begins onboard a vintage railcar in operation since 1898. Enjoy a ride with plenty of sights along the way, such as Gold
Rush Cemetery, Pitchfork Falls, Black Cross Rock and infamous Dead Horse Gulch.
The next portion of your adventure begins at Bernard Lake. Paddle for approximately an hour across the pristine waters in your twoperson
kayak. Your naturalist guide will entertain you with stories of the gold rush and point out wildlife - watch for bears, mountain
goats, caribou and eagles.
Enjoy a light snack with beverage before boarding your motorcoach back to Skagway. En route, your driver will narrate the journey
along the Klondike Highway. Soak in the views of the mountains, waterfalls and glaciers on this 45-minute drive.

And in Ketchikan we are doing

Quote:

Coastal Wildlife Cruise
KTN-630 Approximately 3.25 hours / From $169
1ef
This 3 1/4-hour cruise takes you on a search for black bears, eagles, seals, sea lions, humpback and killer whales. Your tour begins
with a short walk to board a custom-built, high-speed boat specially designed for wildlife viewing. You'll cruise 25 miles to a remote
inlet to witness seals and eagles fishing for salmon and look for bears as they emerge from the forest to forage on beach grass and
dig for clams. Although bear watching is your main objective, you'll spend about 30 minutes viewing wildlife that may be sighted
during the journey to and from the bear viewing area. You'll keep a keen eye out for wildlife on the move. Whales, porpoise and sea
lions follow schools of herring and salmon as they migrate to and from their spawning streams. Your excursion concludes downtown,
with a short walk back to the pier.

Really excited about the excursions. We also have a couples massage planned to relax our tired bones from the excursions and my wife has various mani/pedi/facials scheduled. I will likely be drinking and gambling during those.

We are leaving the little one with Nana and PopPop and are really looking forward to alone time, long quiet meals, and lots of sleep.

One of the things that sucks for us is we live cross country from our whole family and we tend to spend all our vacation time on visits. We decided this year to do something for ourselves and are really looking forward to it.

MrBug708 · 06-22-2012, 02:20 AM

I'm going on a 12 day Med. cruise that departs Barcelona on Wednesday.

Blackadar · 06-22-2012, 08:25 AM

I hope ya'll have a better time than I did.

I went on a nice cruise last year - the Allure of the Seas in the Eastern Caribbean. Beautiful ship, no doubt. But it pretty well sucked. It was like being trapped in a hotel for a week, the excursions were underwhelming and frankly I was bored as hell. I guess it's just not my style of vacation.

In 3 weeks I go to SF, whitewater rafting and Yosemite. THAT'S my style of vacation.

12-04-2009, 01:53 PM	#2
Airhog Captain Obvious Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Norman, Oklahoma	I went on a cruise for my honeymoon so I can answer a lot of the questions 1aa) You can purchase cruise insurance I believe. If there is a hurricane, they can reroute you to different destinations, or just spend the whole cruise at sea. I believe they will comp you if this happens. 1a) Not really, unless you like being able to see the ocean. My aunt and uncle cruise a lot, and they save their cash for drinks, and excursions, so they get a cheap room. When we went we only went to the room to sleep, or change. 2. We left from galveston, and they have parking lots. for a 7 day cruise, it was 45 dollars to park. We found a lot online, and saved 5 bucks by paying in advance 3. AFAIK, only gifts and drinks, and gambling cost money. On the ship we were on they have a lot of different activities. There were several clubs, for dancing and stuff in the evenings. they had nightly shows in the theather also. 4. You do not have to do the cruise ship thing. I think it just depends on where you are going. when we went to jamaca, we were very glad that we did an excursion. cause the port is shitty, and there is no place to go that felt safe. It was much better in mexico, and grand cayman. The boat will have a time that you have to be back by, otherwise you could be left behind. If you don't want to do the ship excursions, do your homework. just remember that the excursions you book on ship are more expensive, but your guaranteed not to get ripped off. 5. we chose the late dinner, just because we like eating late to begin with. you shouldn't have much problem either way though. I don't think there is really a better part of the ship to be. we had kids near us, but no issues. it was noisy in our cabin, but we were on the lowest deck at the end of the ship. Didnt really bother us though, because we only slept in our cabin. 6. you can eat as much as you want, as often as you want. The late/early dining options are for the formal dining only, which we went to and they were good. I would grab sushi as a late snack at 5, and then eat dinner later. Also, if you do eat at the formal place, you can ask for extra food. So don't be afraid to ask for a second steak, or lobster tail if you want one. 7. The only other cost is the tip, for our package. half of the tip was included in the cost of the cruise, and the other half was added at the end. I don't remember the specifics though, you'd have to look that up. basically at the end of the cruise, you can tip more money if you would like to certain people, and you can also change the distribution of your tip money. You don't tip for individual meals. Also, soda drinks are not free, you need to buy a 25$ fountain drink card. Tea and juice were free for me. So if you cannot eat a meal without soda its worth it, as drinks were like 2 bucks I think. If you like to drink liquor expect to pay for it of course. (on our cruise there was a captains party the first night, and that was the only time we got any free booze) I think overall, we spent about 2000 on our cruise. it cost us 1400 for the cruise, plus all of the other stuff (driving to galveston from OKC, the excursions, the tips, parking, drinks, etc.) If you have any other questions feel free to PM me, or ask here. __________________ Thread Killer extraordinaire Yay! its football season once again! Last edited by Airhog : 12-04-2009 at 01:55 PM.

12-04-2009, 02:24 PM	#6
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	I'm heading out of Galveston on a cruise next Saturday. It will be my second one. We had a room with a porthole window, and it was ok, but honestly we treated the room like a trip to Vegas: it is just a place to crash. All of the entertainment on the cruise we were on was part of the price, so no extra charge for the shows. The casino is obviously a different matter. We picked the early dinner, in order to have the evenings entirely open to do stuff. As has been mentioned, the food is all you can eat. Even though the menus don't mention it, you can have multiple appetizers/entrees if you want. As for parking, it varies from port to port, so you'll need to check. In Galveston, you drive up and porter takes your luggage. Then you drive to a parking lot the port operates, and a shuttle takes you back to the check-in point. You aren't tied to using the cruise offered excursions. In most instances you can find the local company and book the same thing for a significant discount from what the cruise charges. The gotcha might be if the excursion is a long one. If you aren't back in time, the cruise will wait for people that booked through them. Otherwise you are on your own. For hidden charges, just be aware that most everything has an added tip that you buy on board. Also turn off roaming on your cell phone, that might be a bit of surprise if you don't. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

12-04-2009, 02:52 PM	#7
Swaggs Coordinator Join Date: Oct 2000	Most everything is covered, but I would just like add that the excursions are what make the cruise, in my opinion. We have been on two cruises. On the first, we were pinching pennies and didn't do any excursions and had an okay time. On the second, we had a little more money available and went on several excursions and had some great experiences (hiked through a rainforest w/ a waterfall, visited a mountain top, went on a tour of a Rum factory, etc.). I'd recommend saving the money on the oceanside room and putting it towards excursions. As Cartman said, the room is just a place to crash -- they are very small and minimalistic regardless (unless you spring for a suite, which we have never done), so you won't be spending much time in there other than to sleep. __________________ DOWN WITH HATTRICK!!! The RWBL Are you reading In The Bleachers?

12-04-2009, 03:04 PM	#8
Airhog Captain Obvious Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Norman, Oklahoma	Just to add to what Lathum said, there was one fancy resturaunt on our carnival boat, that you had to pay extra to eat at. __________________ Thread Killer extraordinaire Yay! its football season once again!

12-04-2009, 03:37 PM	#10
Mustang Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Wisconsin	1A. I would not go on a cruise and not get a balcony view. We loved it because it was great to relax on and just read or lounge when you didn't want to hassle with the upper decks. 2. We have normally flown in and then were bused in groups to the ship. I'm not sure how far away you are coming from, if you are relatively close (150 miles) might be easiest just to pay someone to drop you off and pick you up. 3. Most everything is free on the ship. Comedy shows, variety shows, movies.. They have trivia contests and things of that nature so, there is always something to do. I think some of the sports equipment might have a small rental fee, but other than that your biggest expensive will be drinks. 4. You don't have to do any excursions. You can walk off the ship and do whatever you want. Just as long as you are back in time. They will not wait for you and if this happens, you are on your own. Our excursions were normally in the $75 range (Tulum, tour around Cayman Isles, etc) 5. Early/Late dinner, just a personal choice. We liked the later meal because when we got back on the boat it gave us a little more time to relax and get ready instead of rushing. As for boat position, we have stayed in the middle and back and had no preference. 6. We like the freestyle dining which is show up when you want between the hours they have. Typically there is the nice dining sections and then the buffet sections. The nice dining section has set menus and you can order whatever. If you want multiple appetizers, have at it. Some places have a different restaurants that you can pay for, but the price isn't that bad. We typically go once a cruise to these type of places just because they are more specialty ones - Steak, Italian, Sushi, etc. Just remember to reserve a spot early in the cruise and make a reservation as they are not ones you just show up at. 7. Hidden costs? Not really. Just be careful on the booze. When you go on the ship, you don't pay for anything with cash, they just give you a card that is attached to your room that you pay for at the end of the cruise. I've heard horror stories of some people getting carried away and they have a $1500 booze bill at the end. Also, you pay roughly $10-$12 a day in tips to your room cleaners. I believe a small tip is added to bar bills for the bartender also. __________________ You, you will regret what you have done this day. I will make you regret ever being born. Your going to wish you never left your mothers womb, where it was warm and safe... and wet. i am going to show you pain you never knew existed, you are going to see a whole new spectrum of pain, like a Rainboooow. But! This rainbow is not just like any other rainbow, its...

12-04-2009, 02:00 PM	#3
MrBug708 Head Coach Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Whittier	1A) Oceanview might be a porthole so is a window the size of a basketball worth the 50 dollars? 2) Here in Los Angeles, my dad works at the port so we got to park for free. Im not sure how it works though 3) Cheesy touristy things like trivia and dancing and things 4) You gotta pay to do activities, but if it's just a port, you can either walk or take a shuttle to activities. 5) Eat early IMO. The food is "fresher", less likely to run out of things, and the wait staff has more patience. 6) Its worth it to eat in the dining room. Plus you can order more then one item when you eat so it's a great place to try things you might never order in a restaurant back home. (Snails, duck, et al) 7) Tips can get you, the longer you stay the more it costs

12-04-2009, 02:12 PM	#4
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	Airhog did a good job answering most things accurately. One thing I would caution, that time of year leaving from Baltimore the first day will probably be VERY choppy. If you or the Mrs. get seasick I recommend leaving from Florida. As far as excursions go, they are a little overpriced, but not a crazy stupid rip off. I like doing the late dinner because if you are doing something during the day you don't need to hurry back. As far as eating, you eat whenever you want. The overwhelming number one reason people go on cruises is to eat. It is an embarrassment of excess. There will always be something, somewhere to eat. Some cruise lines have restaurants you have to pay to eat at certain restaurants, it doesn't look like this is one of them, however I have never been on Carnival, we do Royal Caribbean. TBH I have heard bad things about Carnival, but that may just be my Mother in Laws bias. The interior room you tend to feel the motion of the boat less so again, if tehre are seasick issues you may want one, but like Airhog said, you really will only sleep there. Most cruises have TV in the rooms. I don't know about parking, we have always flown Otherwise, it is a great experience, cruises are a lot of fun.

12-04-2009, 02:15 PM	#5
dwardzala H.S. Freshman Team Join Date: Nov 2004	My experience has been on several larger ships, but in looking at the info it seems similar. 1A) is personal preference. If you aren't in your room during the day, there won't be much to see at night. I've never bothered with a seaview room. 2) I think depends on the port more than the cruise line/ship. I've always flown and been bussed to the port from the airport. Miami did have long terma parking for cruisers to leave their vehicles. 3) From the website you provided, there looks to be the normal variety of activities, casino ($), spa ($), live entertainment (usually free, but sometimes there are charges for special events), night clubs, pool, etc. This is pretty standard fair. They set up these cruises so if you are the type of person that does something 24/7 on vacation you can, or you can just chill. 4) You can always go on your own when the ship is in port. Beware, the ship won't wait for you if you are late getting back. 5)Regarding preferences, early sitting for dinner will have more kids in the dining room. Later usually doesn't. The later dinner sitting probably will not give you more time to do things ashore, but while the first sitting is going on, the late sitting people can see shows and then those shows are (usually repeated for the early sitting crowd.) As far location on the ship, you probably won't even know there is an engine. I don't think you will be able to avoid families with location. 6)Dining is set up so that you can eat 24 hours a day (or at least 20). All the food on your ship appears to be included. Be aware that alcohol and most soft drinks will cost you extra (about what you'd pay at an "upscale" bar). Coffee, tea, lemonade and water are usually included with meals at no cost. 7) Hidden cost - you will have to tip many people at the end of the cruise. You cabin staff (make bed, deliver clean towels, etc.), you wait staff (often two or more people per table) and possibly porters and other people who assist. You will also want to tip bartenders/servers who you purchase beverages from just like a normal bar/restaurant. There are often port fees/taxes which are added on to you ticket price and jack it up the same way airlines do. Excursions and shipboard activities may cost you extra, but obviously those are optional. For a 6 day cruise, you should set aside extra money so you can settle up at the end. The last 7 day cruise I took I figured cost us $1000 more after all the booze, excursions and shopping my wife and I did, but we weren't trying to pinch pennies either. Our experience was a good one. Be aware that if you are the least bit sensitive to motion sickness, you will need to take measures to prevent it (dramamine, wrist bands, etc).

12-04-2009, 04:27 PM	#11
path12 Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Seattle, WA	Most of your questions have been answered, but personally I'm with Mustang that having a balcony is well worth the upgrade. I'm also a fan of the later dinner, just because 5 is too damn early for me when I'm on vacation. We'd usually have dinner and a bottle of wine, then hit the late show. Excursions are OK if you feel weird/paranoid about your ability to make your way around in a place you're not familiar with. I kind of like just figuring stuff out on my own -- when we stopped in St. Maarten we found a taxi driver who took us to a beach on the other side of the island, then came back three hours later to pick us up and take us to another little town area where we wandered around for awhile, then he picked us up again a couple hours later to take us back to the docks. We were a little nervous at first that he might not come back, but it worked out fine. We've also went on excursions that were quite nice, but there is a bit of bus tour feel to those IMO. __________________ We have always been at war with Eastasia.

12-04-2009, 11:49 PM	#12
CU Tiger Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Backwoods, SC	Much of this has been covered, but I am going to chime in 1-with my opinions 2- With Charleston,SC specific info My wife and I have been on 8 cruises, and thoroughly enjoyed them. That said if you are leaving out off Charleston you are going on Carnival. Which is a good "starter" type cruise, and honestly enough what we did the first 3 times. They are low on the high scale list if that is your thing. But they cover all the basics well, and are a good value for thee $$ imho. 1)The insurance thing is worth looking into. Also cruise prices vary GREATLY, research this. We have found good deals through different sources without ever seeing any one source be consistently the ticket. 1A) I personally would not go on a cruise without a a balcony room. A few things to consider, the rooms are considerably smaller than you average hotel room. Having a window helps it feel bigger. Also the extra light afforded by the window is worth it to me by itself. Plus you cant beat sitting on your own balcony with your wife at night smelling the air, hearing the waves and the privacy cant be matched up on deck. Also my wife is mildly sea sick and interior rooms kill her but as long as she can see she is fine. 2) If you cruise out of Charleston,SC there is a parking deck right there by the port. It was $25 for a week last time we left from there. LEAVE NOTHING IN YOUR CAR. NOTHING.NOPE NOT EVEN THAT. NOTHING. The ship schedules are well posted and thiefs know how long your car will be there. Also it takes much longer than you would expect to get on and off the boat. Arrive earlier than you think you need to. 3) On the boat, casinos are usually ab ig hit, and of course they cost money. Alcohol is always nice and it costs money. Think bar prices for drinks all week. There are duty shops on board where you can buy trinkets, they will take pictures every time you turn around and try to get you to buy those. And all wait staff work exclusively on tips, so every time you get a beer, you are expected to at last toss a dollar to the bartender. There are shows which can be a bit hokey but...can also be entertaining. There will be spa services (at cost) sun bathing and swimming pools on deck... 4) You can do your own thing, but excursions are often very well put together. I would plan on doing at least one, otherwise you may find yourself wondering around all day. Specific point. If you find yourself in freeport try to check out the Bananna Bay Cafe, you will most liekly have to rent a car to get there but it is worth it. Its a local restaurant and what it lacks in amenities it makes up for in scenery and food. They have a dock that is literally 30' into the ocean you eat on and it is authentic iland grub. You will probably be the only toursit there. 5) Again Id take any balcony room over any non balcony room. 6) You ahve teh formal dining every night everything else is just walk up and order/grab and certain food places will be open all night. It is literally all you can eat. You can walk up and get pizza take a bite and trash it and go get a burger, then sushi etc. etc. 7) This will vary greatly, but my wife and I will generally go through a couple hundred in alcoholic drinks in a week. Something about it for us, you get up on a boat and just want a drink...and like I said bar prices or a bit higher ($4-$5 beers) $8-10 drinks etc. Oh and if you like Cigars, you will need $50-100 for Cubanos to smuggle back in your luggage.

12-05-2009, 01:26 AM	#13
path12 Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Seattle, WA	I've also found it fairly easy to smuggle in some alcohol for in room drinks in a water container, though they do frown upon that so YMMV. Can save you a few bucks -- but if you're up on deck you won't want to schlep down to your room every time you want a drink, so expect to pay for most of your drinks. __________________ We have always been at war with Eastasia.

12-17-2009, 01:55 AM	#15
sterlingice Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Back in Houston!	Well, we put down a deposit on a cruise (with the intent to go). I'll post more as we get closer to the time. It's 5 nights and leaves Charleston in September (hooray for hurricane season!) SI __________________ Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!" Last edited by sterlingice : 12-17-2009 at 01:55 AM.

12-17-2009, 10:25 AM	#16
Airhog Captain Obvious Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Norman, Oklahoma	On the liquor thing, at least on carnival, you are allowed to bring so much on. We brought on a bottle of champagne. Didn't bring on any other liquor as we don't drink much. __________________ Thread Killer extraordinaire Yay! its football season once again!

12-23-2009, 01:02 PM	#18
sterlingice Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Back in Houston!	Oh, and I can't believe I didn't do this earlier: Thanks, everyone, for all the advice- we took it all under advisement, considering our conditions. Again, we'll probably be back to pick people's brains this summer as times get closer. SI __________________ Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!"

12-23-2009, 02:01 PM	#19
DanGarion Coordinator Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: The Great Northwest	I'm surprised no one else posted this yet... __________________ Los Angeles Dodgers Check out the FOFC Groups on Facebook! and Reddit! DON'T REPORT ME BRO!

02-16-2010, 11:01 AM	#20
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	my wife just booked a cruise for us. her and i, and we have two boys 8 and 13. leaving in november, out of tampa, we go to grand cayman and cozumel. i am very much looking forward to it. we were able to get two cabins next to each other, all for around $1400....... we are looking at excursions, now. it's another thing we'd like to pay for ahead of time. it seems there are about thirty in each port. anything you guys have done that you loved? thanks...

02-16-2010, 02:37 PM	#24
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	cool, thanks. stingray city is definitely on our list of things to do..... my wife was also looking at some sort of zip-line adventure. any of you try this one...? Adventure Park, Zip Line & Snorkel Combo and another one where you walk on the ocean floor, wearing some sort of helmet..... SeaTrek Helmet Diving

02-16-2010, 02:48 PM	#25
PurdueBrad Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: DeKalb, IL	We're going to Cozumel, Cayman, Roatan, and Belize in June so I'm definitely taking notes! Right now, we're thinking: Belize- Cave tubing Cozumel- Atlantis sub Isla Roatan- The beach Cayman- Dolphin Experience (swimming with the slimy little bastards)

05-07-2010, 12:58 PM	#26
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	can you bring "red bull" on a cruise? and some vodka to go with it....?

05-07-2010, 07:00 PM	#27
Ragone Pro Rookie Join Date: May 2002 Location: Kansas City, Mo	if you are going to nassau.. don't do the cruise excursion tour.. there are locals who give tours for like 1/3rd of the price that are extremely legit. Took us everywhere the cruise ship tour would have and more. we went last year on norwegian, i would recommend them highly.

10-20-2010, 07:20 PM	#28
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	Ok, we are set to leave in two weeks...(Nov 7th) I still haven't booked an excursion for Cozumel, and am interested to know if anyone has had any positive experiences there. We are doing the "Swim with Dolphins" the day before we get there, in Grand Caymen.... Also, my wife and I can drink some alcohol, and are concerned about our possible bar tab. Has anyone had any success sneaking alcohol onboard? Some tips for doing so would be appreciated....

10-20-2010, 07:38 PM	#29
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Check my post a few up with the link to Nachi Cocom. We had a blast there. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

10-20-2010, 09:29 PM	#31
sterlingice Hall Of Famer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Back in Houston!	sigh I ended up not even going because of almost losing my job and then moving to Indy as a transfer SI __________________ Houston Hippopotami, III.3: 20th Anniversary Thread - All former HT players are encouraged to check it out! Janos: "Only America could produce an imbecile of your caliber!" Freakazoid: "That's because we make lots of things better than other people!"

10-21-2010, 11:01 AM	#32
CU Tiger Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Backwoods, SC	we just got back from the same trip last month. tampa-grand cayman-cozumel-tampa We did an excursion in cozumal that went snorkeling and then went to some private beach and had a big play day....they had there huge wipeout style inflatables out in the water and everyone had a blast...

10-21-2010, 11:05 AM	#33
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	As for getting alcohol on board, just put a bottle in each of your bags. They only do random searches, and no one we talked to had any confiscated. The drink prices on board are pretty outrageous. Once you get on board, and verify that your contraband made it on, you can get an unlimited soft drink card for something like $8/day. That is how you make your own mixed drinks, as long as you remember to bring a flask. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

10-21-2010, 01:01 PM	#35
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	No, we put the bottles in our checked luggage. They'd probably find it in the carry-on, since you have to run it through an X-ray machine. I think we did that same excursion on a different cruise to Cozumel. Was the boat a catamaran, and the beach with inflatables also had a small grill to buy food? We had fun there as well, but enjoyed Nachi Cocom a lot more on the second cruise. There were several reasons why. One was that instead of only 4 hours, it was all day, two, all drinks were free, not just beer and watered down margaritas, third, it was a lot more secluded, four, the lunch that was included was awesome, and finally, we got our own private snorkeling tour for three of us that lasted over an hour and a half. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint Last edited by cartman : 10-21-2010 at 01:03 PM.

10-21-2010, 01:07 PM	#36
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	did you try and hid the fact they were bottles of alcohol? what i mean is, should i just put a bottle of scotch in my suitcase? Or..... should i pour scotch into an empty ice tea bottle, and then put it in my suitcase?

10-21-2010, 01:08 PM	#37
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	my wife and son have decided to do this excursion...in cozumel.. Adventure Park, Zip Line & Snorkel Combo

10-21-2010, 01:09 PM	#38
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	Didn't try to hide them. They were just bottles of Crown in those pouches they always come in. On another cruise one of my aunts just put a 1.75 liter bottle in one of her suitcases. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

10-21-2010, 01:11 PM	#39
cartman Death Herald Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Le stelle la notte sono grandi e luminose nel cuore profondo del Texas	I'll check with my aunt, but I think they did that zip line on a cruise last year, and she was disappointed. They made it sound like it went through the trees, but she said it was all over concrete. I'll see if that is the same one she did in Cozumel. __________________ Thinkin' of a master plan 'Cuz ain't nuthin' but sweat inside my hand So I dig into my pocket, all my money is spent So I dig deeper but still comin' up with lint

10-21-2010, 01:15 PM	#40
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	cool, thanks...

10-21-2010, 01:17 PM	#41
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	Plus anything they confiscate you can get back at the end of the cruise.

10-21-2010, 02:48 PM	#42
Jon High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2000	I just got back from a Scandinavian cruise a little over a month ago (my 8th). Due to the economy, they've begun really enforcing the alcohol policies on the ship (since that's where they make there dough). You may be able to sneak some through, but if not, you'll get it back at the end. Try to get on the ship around noon, if possible. That way you can get there before the majority of people show up and take a look around. One suggestion I would make is to bring a bathing suit with you as well (along with socks, etc to change in after the pool time), in case you want to hit the pool in the afternoon before you get your lugguage. More importantly, check out your table as soon as you get on the ship. That way you know where it's located, whether the table is too big or too small, and generally if you like it or not. If you don't, talk to maitre d' and try to switch. If they're able to, they usually do it with no problem (including changing from early to late seating--I prefer late seating--it doesn't give you more time ashore usually, but it does give you a little rest period before dinner). And, If your wife is looking for a massage, the best time is to schedule the massage as soon as you get on the ship--that way you get the time that you want (they have a schedule of port times, etc--best massages are during days at sea). As for tips, I've found that, although you tip at the end of the cruise (and can add it to your overall cruise bill), it's good to slip the room steward and your waiter some cash the first day. This was suggested by another frequent cruiser that we met and it has paid off each time. The room steward does a little more in your room, gives you robes or extra towels, and generally is more helpful. The waiter will make an extra effort for you as well (such as remembering if you said that you really liked an appetizer --the waiter may make the effort to have it for you if it's not on the menu another night). This isn't in lieu of tipping at the end, just a nice little extra to get good service (not that service is bad, but anything extra is good). Have fun! And don't feel obligated to follow the ship's schedule. My first cruise was on carnival, and I was hesitant to go because I heard that they push the whole "do this" "do that" mentality. Once aboard, I did my own thing (which included sitting by the pool with a book and music). I now generally use Royal Carribean, but I use the same principles. It's my vacation, so I'll do what I want. Also, before you leave, make a copy of the passports to bring with you just in case. If possible, scan them into a PDF, email them to your wife, yourself, and another friend/family member. They may take it from you when you go onboard, but it's good to have a copy.

10-21-2010, 02:58 PM	#43
Landshark44 High School Varsity Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Atlantic City, NJ	thanks jon, good advice....

10-21-2010, 03:11 PM	#44
Jon High School Varsity Join Date: Oct 2000	I mean the cruise lines may take your original passports, which is why you want the copies (that you would bring with you ashore just in case). You're very welcome for the advice. If you have any other questions let me know. You will have a blast. Once you go on one cruise, it will be difficult to stay away.