Anyone go on a cruise yet this winter...??

[rc51]

What cruise line and what ports?

We're off next week to the Caribbean :D

Any tips....??? Advice? From recent cruisers?

[HighFlyer]

Been on most of the mainstream cruise lines and Caribbean ports, what do you need to know?

Tips? Here are the biggest money makers for a cruise line:
-casino/bingo
-photo gallery
-booze
-shore excursions
-shops on board

minimize your consumption/spending on those and you'll be ahead (cruise lines depend on onboard spending as they don't make much on the discounted base fare).

not sure if they still have this setup in Miami, but when debarking for US customs, look for the closest non-US citizen line that's closest to the US citizen line. Usually when there are no US citizens to be processed, they'll call the Canadian citizens over. The non-US citizens line is much slower due to the fingerprinting and photographing.

[mma]

What cruise line and what ports?

We're off next week to the Caribbean :D

Any tips....??? Advice? From recent cruisers?

don't book any on shore excursions through the cruise line. they jack up prices like crazy. when you get off the boat onto your port, there will be about 5-10 local tour guides offering the same excursions as the cruise for at least 1/2 the price. One word of caution though, if there is something special, the local guides may not have it. eg, atv tour through jungle. but otherwise they pretty much have everything else.

[UncleSteve]

Have you thought about what line is best for you? HAL is mostly older (but that is changing), Carnival is mostly younger (but again, that is changing), with Celebrity, RCCL and Princess in the middle.

The newer bigger ships from RCI seem to get pretty good reviews, as they are large, and have many activities (including rock-climbing).

Eastern and western Caribbean out of Miami have a few sea days, with western best-suited to watersports like snorkelling. Southern, out of San Juan tends to have more port days.

[Ben Jr]

But the majority of the fun is everything you've just listed.


Been on most of the mainstream cruise lines and Caribbean ports, what do you need to know?

Tips? Here are the biggest money makers for a cruise line:
-casino/bingo
-photo gallery
-booze
-shore excursions
-shops on board

minimize your consumption/spending on those and you'll be ahead (cruise lines depend on onboard spending as they don't make much on the discounted base fare).

not sure if they still have this setup in Miami, but when debarking for US customs, look for the closest non-US citizen line that's closest to the US citizen line. Usually when there are no US citizens to be processed, they'll call the Canadian citizens over. The non-US citizens line is much slower due to the fingerprinting and photographing.

[HighFlyer]

But the majority of the fun is everything you've just listed.
I didn't say not to do those things, I just said minimize. If you go on cruises often enough, you can eliminate trips to the photo gallery, shore excursion desk, casino (once you play enough, you'll figure out that the payout is obscenely low), shops on board (you'll soon notice that you're not missing out on much).

[gacomeau1]

Also a first time cruiser but taking a Mediterranean cruise. I'm leaving on April 4th. I'm looking forward to it, but the excursions are very expensive. Any different tips or suggestions for the Med?

Leaving from Genoa then Naples (Italy), Alexandria (Cairo), Limassol (Cyprus), Rhodes (Greece), Marmaris (Turkey), Piraeus (Athens), and Katakolon (Greece).

[Shaf]

Also a first time cruiser but taking a Mediterranean cruise. I'm leaving on April 4th. I'm looking forward to it, but the excursions are very expensive. Any different tips or suggestions for the Med?

Leaving from Genoa then Naples (Italy), Alexandria (Cairo), Limassol (Cyprus), Rhodes (Greece), Marmaris (Turkey), Piraeus (Athens), and Katakolon (Greece).
If you don't mind, how much are you paying and who are booking it through? Is it online? Thanks!

[mlc2000]

I was on Adventurer of the Seas (with rock climbing and ice skating), sailing from Puerto Rico.

Getting on the ship was a breeze - heres a tip - you can prebook your rooms online for faster service. Well, not exactly.

85% of the passengers did that and inspite of being savvy about things like this, I didn't know you could do it.

So the line for people who didn't do the internet express thingy was completely empty, we walked right to the counter. We boarded 30 mins after arrival, passing many of the folks in the 'internet line-up'.

We sailed to Aruba, Curacao, St Thomas and St Martin.

It was interesting cruising but for me, definitely not relaxing. With 3000+ passengers plus another 1500 staff, it was like staying at a floating 2500-room resort.

When I am on holiday, i don't bring a watch with me. I get up, eat breakfast and head to the beach. I didn't like taking an elevator to the Lido deck to see if there was any lawnchairs. There were few places one could chill out in a lawnchair. Always people jogging around you, dance contests, pool contests, the same crappy band all week long. Then the waiters come around with these $11 drinks, but u get to keep the glass! Wow, wonder if that'll make it past a p!ssed off baggage handler?

We always had to be mindful....if you eat dinner at the late sitting, you have to go to the show before dinner. Which means now you have to leave the relaxing pool area (!) at 4pm to be ready for the show at 6 so u can eat at 8:30.

Schedules, humbug!! I thought I left all that behind!

I agree, the tours on the ship are a waste. Where else would u spend $50 US for a bicycle and walking tour? Grab a taxi and ask them for an hourly rate.

Do your shopping in St Martin and St Thomas, not on the ship.
If u are at St. Thomas, spend a few hours at Magens Bay, its spectacular.

I'm assuming you will bring a camera....have someone take a nice pic of you and your SO. You don't need to pay a professional photog to take your picture.

And get ready for the tipping nightmare - U will see by weeks end, they will suggest you tip the room steward $5US / day, the waiter $7US/day, the assistant waiter $5US/day, the waiter captain( I saw this guy once, he cut my scampi from the shell. I'm 250lbs, getting food has not been a problem yet. I don't need to pay him $20US for this service unless HE is a SHE and there's other services included :cheesygri )

Rooms steward = $35US
Waiter = $49US
Waiter Ass't = $35US
Waiter Captain = $20US.

Total is $139USD each or $278USD for both of you.
Nice $350CAD surprise at the end of the trip!

Uhh, won't see me on cruise ship again until I'm retired.
I'll be spending my $ on a Sandals resort where to food is better, the booze is free, scuba is free, your room is bigger than a standard sized walk-in closet (See:cruiseships) and its as relaxing as u want it to be.

[Ben Jr]

I'm hoping to go in May, I'm questioning the idea of taking the wife dolphin swimming...I'm not sure whether she's gonna be ecstatic, or mentally scar'd for life.
But ya your right, limit those excursions and it won't cost a fortune.

I didn't say not to do those things, I just said minimize. If you go on cruises often enough, you can eliminate trips to the photo gallery, shore excursion desk, casino (once you play enough, you'll figure out that the payout is obscenely low), shops on board (you'll soon notice that you're not missing out on much).

[mlc2000]

I'm hoping to go in May, I'm questioning the idea of taking the wife dolphin swimming...I'm not sure whether she's gonna be ecstatic, or mentally scar'd for life.
But ya your right, limit those excursions and it won't cost a fortune.

When booked away from a cruise ship, dolphin adventures is about $85USD each. I did it at Xcaret in Playa Del Carmen. It was worth it for me. Very cool.

[mma]

We always had to be mindful....if you eat dinner at the late sitting, you have to go to the show before dinner. Which means now you have to leave the relaxing pool area (!) at 4pm to be ready for the show at 6 so u can eat at 8:30.

Schedules, humbug!! I thought I left all that behind!

i went on NCL, no eating schedules. do all the other cruise lines have set times to eat??

[UncleSteve]

i went on NCL, no eating schedules. do all the other cruise lines have set times to eat??

Princess has dining rooms split into Traditional Dining (set times) and Personal Choice dining (eat whenever you want). Carnival has split the times up between the 2 dining rooms, so that early in one dining room is earlier than the other, the same being true for late seating. Also, most ships now also have alternative dining for a surcharge.

[gacomeau1]

If you don't mind, how much are you paying and who are booking it through? Is it online? Thanks!

I booked this through my local B&M travel agent, but you can book it online at http://www.vacationstogo.com/fastdeal.cfm?deal=13004.

I paid a couple hundred less than the online price with my travel agent.

[blizzah]

Went two years ago on Carnival, the food was musch better than Cancun this year in a heartbeat, even though the price pre-tips and such were the same.

The early sitting dinner is always better and book at least the balcony, or a window, you don't want to feel like your inside a show box. A cruise is more for fun, if you want relax go to a beachside resort with everything included.

[mlc2000]

I booked this through my local B&M travel agent, but you can book it online at http://www.vacationstogo.com/fastdeal.cfm?deal=13004.

I paid a couple hundred less than the online price with my travel agent.

FYI: The real deals on cruising are with the Early Booking Bonus.
You can save serious money on a cruise ( like 40%) with EBB.

This is NOT the case with resort / All-Inclusive vacations where the EBB is at the most, up to $400 per couple. On a $3000 vacation, thats a 13% savings.
Conversely, I always save more than that booking last minute for resort vacations. Last April I booked Sandals Halcyon in St. Lucia for $4800 all in.
Brochure rate was $6400 +taxes. EBB was a measly $200 pp.


While cruising is not my cup of tea (see earlier post) I do book cruises for my parents all the time.
They have saved alot more with EBB than they ever did on last minute.

[Ben Jr]

How far in advance do we need to book to take advantage of the EBB?


FYI: The real deals on cruising are with the Early Booking Bonus.
You can save serious money on a cruise ( like 40%) with EBB.

This is NOT the case with resort / All-Inclusive vacations where the EBB is at the most, up to $400 per couple. On a $3000 vacation, thats a 13% savings.
Conversely, I always save more than that booking last minute for resort vacations. Last April I booked Sandals Halcyon in St. Lucia for $4800 all in.
Brochure rate was $6400 +taxes. EBB was a measly $200 pp.


While cruising is not my cup of tea (see earlier post) I do book cruises for my parents all the time.
They have saved alot more with EBB than they ever did on last minute.

[mtevel]

2 last year... PRINCESS on the 'Golden Princess' and Royal Caribbean 'Voyager of the Seas' ..

Bioth very nice ships (110,000 tons and 150,000 tons respectively). I highly recommend the RC ship , great food, shows and NO ROCKING since the ship was so big

[blizzah]

2 last year... PRINCESS on the 'Golden Princess' and Royal Caribbean 'Voyager of the Seas' ..

Bioth very nice ships (110,000 tons and 150,000 tons respectively). I highly recommend the RC ship , great food, shows and NO ROCKING since the ship was so big

Well, I'd assume all bigger ships wouldn't rock. Only 1 day with it, but that was with huge waves, like visibly you can see them, staff was especially nice that day

[HighFlyer]

ALL ships will rock (even RCL's Voyager class ships). The bigger ships that are equipped with stabilizers will rock less, but it will still happen.

[Oiler11]

I am about to go on my second cruise with NCL, we picked them for the free-style cruising. There are no schedules for meals, and no set seating arrangements. I think some cruise lines make you sit with the same people for every meal, cool if the people are ok, but what if you hate them? We picked NCL so that our senior aged parents can relax more.

Check out www.cruisedealsonline.com, we saved about $300US by booking with them versus using a local travel agency.

mcl2000: What are the specifics for this early booking discount? Who did you go through to get it? Thanks, maybe I'll use this for next year.

[blizzah]

I think some cruise lines make you sit with the same people for every meal, cool if the people are ok, but what if you hate them?

I think you can request to be alone for dinner, but we went with friends for a 10 seat table, so it worked out well.

[HighFlyer]

I am about to go on my second cruise with NCL, we picked them for the free-style cruising. There are no schedules for meals, and no set seating arrangements. I think some cruise lines make you sit with the same people for every meal, cool if the people are ok, but what if you hate them? We picked NCL so that our senior aged parents can relax more.
Princess does this too with its Personal Choice Dining program. I prefer the pre-set early seating dinner times. I did try Personal Choice at one time, but found that we always had to take a number, particularly on formal nights.

If you don't like who you are seated with, you can always ask the Maitre'd to seat you somewhere else.

[rc51]

It was interesting cruising but for me, definitely not relaxing. With 3000+ passengers plus another 1500 staff, it was like staying at a floating 2500-room resort.

When I am on holiday, i don't bring a watch with me. I get up, eat breakfast and head to the beach. I didn't like taking an elevator to the Lido deck to see if there was any lawnchairs. There were few places one could chill out in a lawnchair. Always people jogging around you, dance contests, pool contests, the same crappy band all week long. Then the waiters come around with these $11 drinks, but u get to keep the glass! Wow, wonder if that'll make it past a p!ssed off baggage handler?

I'm assuming you will bring a camera....have someone take a nice pic of you and your SO. You don't need to pay a professional photog to take your picture.

And get ready for the tipping nightmare - U will see by weeks end, they will suggest you tip the room steward $5US / day, the waiter $7US/day, the assistant waiter $5US/day, the waiter captain( I saw this guy once, he cut my scampi from the shell. I'm 250lbs, getting food has not been a problem yet. I don't need to pay him $20US for this service unless HE is a SHE and there's other services included :cheesygri )

Rooms steward = $35US
Waiter = $49US
Waiter Ass't = $35US
Waiter Captain = $20US.



I believe they've changed the tipping policies..our cruise on Princess charges a flat tip rate of $10ppd..so it's a total of $200 for both of us for a 10 day trip..not bad, considering, if I ate out at a restaurant when at home for breakfast, lunch and dinner, we'd be tipping probably more than that...so it equals out.

I'm a bit leary of the 'relaxation' factor, with so much to do, and this cruise being so port intensive, I wonder if we'll actually relax...

We've done the all inclusive resort thing...a few years ago, supposedly one of the better upscale resorts, but neither my wife or myself liked it, the food was simply put - 'crap', except for breakfast. Funny thing is everyone else on the trip, (we went with 26 other friends) and even others we met, thought it was great (the food), either we eat out when at home too much and are used to much better restaurants, or they don't get out much!! The booze also was watered down, cheap rums, cheap drink mixes...they're not going to serve you Cuervo or Bacardi, JW Blue Label at all inclusive prices...!!!! :)

Our first cruise..we figure we'd try it at least once.....this first time we're going with a mainstream line (Princess) and we'll probably do something like Crystal or Radisson next time for comparison.

[CSR]

Last time i went on a cruise, it was a waste cuz we just stayed on the ship lol..

I think its better wen u get off and walk around the bahamas

[William W]

Went on Navigator of the Sea in December. I think in terms of the hardware itself, the Voyager class is very hard to beat.

To get the most discount for cruising, you either have to book very early or book very late (ie within 2-3 weeks of departure). And if you're booking last minute, don't be afraid to book the "run of ship" category. I booked this category on my last cruise, and I was given the highest grade inside cabin (Inside Promenade) on the ship. Which translate to an approx 65% saving.

[aZnRYcEbOi]

Carnival has a 2-category upgrade sale today (march 3)...

I booked the Carnival Triumph (Western caribbean, April 30th, inside stateroom) for $585USD per person including all taxes & port charges. (Timex Travel at Times Square...905-707-6868...they quote prices cheaper than directly from Carnival)

Then I arranged my flight from Buffalo Int'l to Fort Lauderdale Int'l for $189 CAD per person all taxes included round trip April 29 - May 7 on Continental Airlines. (travelocity.ca)

Pretty good deal IMO. It's going to be my 3rd cruise with Carnival, second time booking through timex & travelocity...I can't wait!!! :D

[GT108]

Some tips for cruising.

Pop/Soda
If you are a big pop drinker, (soda in the state), Soda Card is the way to go. Buy this at the beginning of your cruise and you get unlimited fountain drinks. They basically place a sticker on your crusie card so everytime you want a pop, you flash this to the bartender I think they are around $28 USD.

An alternative to buying the Soda Card is to smuggle cans onboard. They usually don't confiscate softdrink, but will sometimes confiscate the hard stuff. If this is the route you will take, buy them when you are on your way to the pier. Tell the taxi driver to stop at a convienance store along the way and they will happliy oblige...with the meter running. :D


Excursion
Do your research before you go. You will find the excursion much cheaper if you arrange them on your own. You can also buy them as you get off the ship at port, but buyer beware as not all vendors are equal.

One thing to remember is if you are on a ship arranged excursion, you will be protected if your tour comes back late. The ship will wait for you. If you are on an independant tour and you come back late (car trouble, traffic etc), make sure you have the camera with you. A picture of your ship sailing into the sunset definately a Kodak moment. You will need to find a way to meet your ship at the next port before it leaves to get back onboard...at your own expense.

That said, I always arrange my own excurison. Do the research and you will find who are the more reputable tour company out there. Many will arrange with you over email.

Tipping
Many lines have now included tipping into their fare or automatically included them into your ship account to be paid at the end of the trip. If you don't agree with the level of service, you could always talk to the conciere (sp?) and have the tip adjusted or removed. As always, tips are at your discretion.

In my experience, the staff onboard work very hard for their tips. Many also relies on the money to send home for their family. Unless something very bad happened, I recommend you tip the minimun at the very least. Please factor this into your cruise budget/price.

[GT108]

Bring along a shoe pocket that hangs on the back of doors. The cabin are pretty small. The shoe pocket (I think that is what they are called) will come in handy organizing small items like, sun screen and cameras, that you will use daily and keep them in plain view while out of the way.

Bring along an extension cord. It will come in handy as additional outlet as most rooms will have only one electrical outlet.

Bring a night light is you are in an inside cabin. It will be dark with all the light out...during the day or night.

Buy your disposable camera here before you go. Waterpoof camera are great if you plan on snorkling or diving. You can buy them here for around $12. Regualr one time use camera are handy for going to the beach and not having to keep an eye on your expensive camera. They can be bought for around $5 here. Expect to pay around $15 to $20US on the ship.

Use plastic ties like the ones used to tie up electrical cords instead of luggage locks. US custom have the right to manually inspect your luggage at any time. If there is a lock on it, they will cut it. The plastic ties keeps it realitively secure while it doesn't cost you a lot of money if they cut it.

Related to the above tip...NEVER keep anything of value to you in your luggage. Let's face it, if someone wants to go into your luggage, they can and will...Locked or not.

[mlc2000]

2 last year... PRINCESS on the 'Golden Princess' and Royal Caribbean 'Voyager of the Seas' ..

Bioth very nice ships (110,000 tons and 150,000 tons respectively). I highly recommend the RC ship , great food, shows and NO ROCKING since the ship was so big


I was on Adventurer of the Seas and I felt the ship rocking.
Mostly at night, newbiew cruisers might not be aware that most nights, the ships drop anchor and sits for about 8 hrs. Many of the islands are only a few hrs apart so they start sailing again around 3:30am. Even on the deck at night it seems like you're moving.

[mlc2000]

Went on Navigator of the Sea in December. I think in terms of the hardware itself, the Voyager class is very hard to beat.

To get the most discount for cruising, you either have to book very early or book very late (ie within 2-3 weeks of departure). And if you're booking last minute, don't be afraid to book the "run of ship" category. I booked this category on my last cruise, and I was given the highest grade inside cabin (Inside Promenade) on the ship. Which translate to an approx 65% saving.


An inside room with a window...who would've thought it was possible?

[girlstar]

I love Voyager class ships. I just got back 2 weeks ago from RCI Adventure of the Seas out of San Juan. Ports of call: Aruba, Curacao, St Maarten and St. Thomas. Excellent itinery. Excellent weather. Excellent ship in terms of wear and tear (it is a 3.5 yr old ship), food was better than on Mariner and staff was excellent.

Cruising history: Adventure of the Seas (02/05), Mariner of the Seas (02/04), Grand Princess (03/03), Galaxy (11/99), Sun Princess (10/96) and loved them ALL.

[William W]

An inside room with a window...who would've thought it was possible?

The only problem with this type of room is you'll have to keep reminding yourself to keep the curtain close when you change. Else you'll be giving everyone a free show. :cheesygri

Actually, I think I enjoy that room more than an outside cabin without balcony. The reason is you don't see anything except the sea with an outside cabin. Whereas if you are in one of these inside prommenade room, there are constant changes to the scenery as there are always people walking back and forth.