CRUISES

macska

macska

Cathlete
Hi everyone

I was just wondering if there is any cruise fan out there.
We just booked our very first cruise with Royal Caribbean yesterday. I've always thought cruises were like all you can eat buffes, and I hate those with the passion. But I've heard many good things about this particular cruise line, and I'm now cautiously excited -- still have my concerns though. The ship offers rock climbing, ice skating, roller blading and about 15 different classes a day. Plus at land you can swimm w/ dolphins, parasail, etc.
Any advice on what to take or to do or not to do? I'm a first timer...

Thanks, Mari
 
Hi Mari,

I went on my first cruise about 3 years ago to the Eastern Carribean. We went through Royal Carribean as well. It was such a blast! If you get motion sickness easily, make sure you take some motion sickness pills. I can't remember what they're called, I never had to use mine but it was nice to have just in case.

Also, there is a lot of food available...24 hrs a day. At night, waiters would walk around with all these decadent desserts, OMG it was so hard to say no. The only recommendation I have is to book your shore excursions immediately. I knew that I wanted to see the dolphins sooo bad, so right when we got on the boat we filled out our form and dropped it off. It is a first come first serve type thing and space is limited, so if there is something you want to do make sure you get it filled out quickly. It sounds like you are going on the newer boat with the rock climbing wall and other stuff...WOW...I'm so jealous!! ;-) You will have sooo much fun, there is so much to do on the boat while you are at sea. The one I was on even had an exercise area. Mostly everything is free, except for the salon things like massages and seaweed wraps. If I think of anything else, I will let you know. Have a wonderful time!

Autumn
 
Thank you Autumn, that sounds very good. All that foods just scares me to death. The dolphin swimming is the one thing that I want to do the most, so we'll book it as soon as we can, thanks! Mari
 
I had just discovered Cathe when we went on our first cruise. I was working out like crazy, so I let myself eat what I wanted. I ate dessert every night. Our whole group (10 people) ate differently and had different levels of activity. We all gained about 4 pounds during the week long trip. I lost it all the next week. It might have been from the heat and drinking pop, which I usually don't do.

You might be able to book you excursions NOW, which is what we did, because they do fill up.

We never took the elevator, to help us with the weight gain thing. I walked on the track that overlooked both sides of the boat. It was glorious to run on that thing with such a beautiful view!

We are already planning our next cruise, even though I was sick (very sick) for the whole first day. I got a prescription for the Scopalamine patch. It turns out that it was too strong for me. The nurse advised me to take it off and take dramamine (the less drowsy version), and then 12 hours later I felt great!

I hope that you enjoy your cruise! I highly recommend cruising for anyone interested!
 
I love cruises! i wore one of those patches the first day b/c i didn't know if i would get sick or not, but i never did. there were very few times throughout the week that i was even aware the ship was moving at all! it is so relaxing and the food is great! we filmed an entire sun set one evening and it was very romantic and memorable. We didn't do any of the "excursions" b/c we were with my in laws and they knew where to go. You're going to have such a good time!

jes:D
 
O.K. I am going to be the odd woman out. I hate 'em. We now rent a house for week on an island and I would never go back to cruise's.

TOO MANY PEOPLE!!

Just a thought. I know many people luv em but it's just not for me. I need solitude and a house gives it to me.

I'd rather have six days on one island and exploring it on my own terms than one or two days on an island and living with a millions other people. . .


Dawnx(
 
I got married on the Royal Caribbean cruise line. The ship was called the "Monarch of the Sea."

Then we cruised to Mexico for our honeymoon. We had such a blast. The best part was the whole wedding and honeymoon cost me less then $5,000.00 and all I had to do was show up in a dress.

Seriously though, the whole cruise was great fun and so much more to do than eat. It IS seriously over crowded though. You can only cram so many people on one cruise ship.


Laura
 
Me too, Mari. I'm going on my first cruise this summer. It's an Alaskan cruise. The planning alone is exhausting me, even though my DH is doing all the planning!

Between flights and hotels and tours of Denali Park, I get tired just hearing about it. I have NO IDEA what to pack, and have heard different reports about the weather.

We STILL have not chosen all of our excursions. This thing is costing a small fortune and the planning is so time-consuming. I'm an awful traveler, but I've got to do this for my DH and for my Mom. My DH loves to travel and my Mom really needs something to look forward to and time with the family since my Dad passed away last fall.

Who knows, maybe I'll actually enjoy it? I am looking foward to hiking the glaciers. And there's a gym on board. If I can just figure out how to pack x(
 
Mari,

Oh you will love Royal Caribbean!!! Where are you going?? My husband and I went on a cruise to the Western Caribbean and loved it!!

My advice:
Book your shore excursions online, on the RC web site..that way you can plan your trip ahead of time..and you know that you will not have to worry about not doing a shore excursion that you really want....the Dolphin one fills up very quickly!!

If you are going to be doing a lot of excursions take the later dinner seating..that way you can enjoy all your time on shore..rather than running back to the ship for the first dinner seating. Talk to your travel agent and get advice on the shore excursions..some are great while others are ok..or just plain stink.. If you are doing any snorkeling take along a thick pair of socks to wear under the flippers(I got sores on the tops of my feet from the flippers and they hurt..plus if you get a nice pedicure the socks will keep your polish from wearing off) and it would not be a horrible idea to take along your own mask and snorkel...if you seen how they clean that stuff it will make you wish you had brought your own snorkel..trust me!! After our first snorkeling, we bought our own snorkel and mask...

If you like to drink..buy all your bottles of liquor your first night on the ship..they don't have a limit on how many you can buy..after the first night they limit it (they hold it for you until the end of the cruise) and they don't tell you that you can't take off more that 2 liters of alcohol with you when you disembark from the ship when your cruise is over...however if customs does not go through your bag they won't know..LOL.

The spa services are not that great, and they are very overpriced and they try to sell you stuff that you don't really need!!! The aerobic and spinning classes all cost money($10.00 a class, if I remember right)..I did a lot of running on the top deck in the early am 5-6 am..very early..if you wait till later in the morning the deck is super crowded and it is hard to keep a good run going, as you have to keep stopping for the people that are walking..etc....Of course you can always use their Treadmills and Elliptical machines that over look the ocean..I loved running on the treadmills...so beautiful!!

You can order room service any time, and it is free..this is esp nice for breakfast..as you won't have to fight and push to get your food and find a place to sit down to eat. We figured this out about 1/2 way through our cruise...breakfast in our room was so nice!! Plus we got our own little coffee pot, and pitcher of water.

Take a small container of laundry detergent with you and you can wash out your suits and workout clothes and let them dry out in your bathroom, or out on your balcony if you got one..the laundry service is kinda pricey...then you don't have to pack as many workout outfits and bathing suits..When you get off at the ports there will be so many cute suits and outfits that you will want to buy..make sure you buy something from each port of call with the name on it..that way you will have something from each place..we did not do this and I wish we would have.

Take along several different water cameras and a regular camera as you will want to take a lot of pictures on your vacation. Every night at dinner they have a professional photographer taking photos of everyone...the pictures are wonderful..they are about $20.00 each..we bought several pictures and I am so glad that we did!! They also offer a cruise in review video and that is a nice thing to purchase as well. Make sure you read through all the events for the day, that way you can plan your evening events..the ice shows and comedy shows are very nice.they have a lot of stuff going on in the evening. There are a few times you can get some free jewelry..read that events for the day every day..it will be on there!! They also have lots of opportunities to win free cruises and money..so pay attention!!

Make sure that you eat at the restaurants on board (you have to pay $20.00 a person, but it is well worth it)..we ate at Portifno the first night on board and it was wonderful...incredible!! I would not suggest eating at the restaurant the first night on board..you will miss out on a lot with your dinner table mates...when we went to dinner the second night we felt lost with everyone as they all knew each other already...if your ship has a Johnny Rockets..I would plan at least one meal there..their burgers and french fries and onion rings are great, and the only thing you have pay for is any ice cream drinks(shakes) that you might want with your meal..t

If you have an early flight booked to go home you will be one of the first ones off the ship..which is nice..because you have to sit in the dinning room and wait for your color to be called to disembark from the ship.
The earlier you get to the ship the sooner you can get settled in your room, and possibly upgrade your cabin...esp if you don't have a cabin assignment made in advance..The early bird always gets the worm..LOL!! Make sure you sign up for the Crown & Anchor club to get additional discounts!!

I would not waste packing space for sunscreen and such,,the ship has it for a reasonable price..plus you will want to buy some of the those water proof containers you wear around your neck to put your ID card and cash in..as you have to have your ID card every time you get on and off the ship..they sell these on the ship, in the gift shop for a reasonable price as well. The ID card is also how you purchase drinks at the bar..unless you make your own in your room and bring them with you. You have to pay for pop, but you can purchase a pop card for like $24.00...It seems like a lot but if you like mixed drinks you will spend that or more...Their tropical drinks are a rip off, as they have very little alcohol content..plus they are expensive..if you buy them..buy the ones that come in the nice glasses, as you can keep the glasses and bring them home with you...I love my glasses!!! and they will give you nice boxes for your glasses..and you can get some nice sets..many people throw their cups away or leave them sitting out around the pool.

If you are a sunbather..get to the pool ASAP in the morning as the chairs fill up quickly.. and it is hard to get a good spot in the sun. This is mostly a problem on the days that the ship is at sea..as there is nobuddy leaving the ship so everyone is at the pool.

I hope that helps..sorry so long..


:)
 
The only cruise we loved was our honeymoon mediterranian cruise because we were off the ship more than on the ship. Also, each port of call was a different country...Egypt, Beruit, Greece, Cyprus, Italy. A cruise can cost you a ton of money with excursions and such. IMHO, totally overpriced. Also, if you don't mind being part of a herd...a cruise is perfect. On our medetteranian cruise, DH and I rented a scooter and went off on adventures by ourselves. We've went on carribean cruises but IMHO, if you don't want to invest big $$$ on excursions, there's really not that much to do. We rented a car in St. Thomas and St. Marteen and that was fun. Problem is...most caribbean islands are pretty much the same. The cruise ships let you off near shopping and that's what you're expected to do. I'm not much of a jewelry shopper.

As far as alcohol, DH would buy his beer at ports of call and bring it on the ship in a shopping bag. We brought a foldable cooler with us. He would just continue to replace ice. Alcohol can really be costly on a cruise.

As far as food...I am very disciplined so if I ate more than I wanted the evening before, I just worked out harder the next day. We always took the steps...never rode the elevators unless we had to. I let myself have little treats but did not overdo. I've never gained wait on a cruise because of that.

Now, Nancy's cruise to Alaska sounds thrilling. If we ever cruise again it will be Alaska and Northern Europe.

This is all just MHO.
 
I am so jealous, My cousin is going on a cruise for her wedding at the end of the month. My DH and I have discussed it, but life seems to get so hectic. The cruises sound like alot of fun.

kim
 
WOW, thank you guys for all the advice!

Denise, we are also going to the West Caribbean, maybe on the very same ship.
Thank you for your long reply, it is really very informative. If you remember anything else, please let me know! Mari
 
Mari,

Hey, no problem

Our ship was Explorer of the seas, 7 day Western Caribbean cruise

We went to:

Belize: The Barrier reef snorkel&beach Redezvous caye sucked big time!!!
Costa Maya:
Our shore excursion was cancelled due to high winds..the shopping place is very nice..the beach was cool!!
Cozumel:
Go to Senior Frogs..it is fun!!! We did the Catamaran sail, snorkel & beach party..that was fun and a good deal!! plus they take your pictures under water with the fish..very cool!!!
George Town:
The Snorkling & Sting Ray city combo & beach experience was the best shore excursion that we had! Well worth the cash!! The food on the beach was great!!! This is a great place to shop!!!

:)
 
Hi,
Ex-travel agent here for what it's worth.
Royal Caribbean is the best out there in it's price range, imo. I would say 99 % of my "cruiser"s always came back to book their next cruise on RCI.

I always stressed a few things, some of which have already been mentioned here -

Book excursions as far ahead as possible.

Fill out your paperwork ahead of time, you would not believe how many people do this at the embarkation point.

Request late dining unless you have small children and need to eat early. You will not have to rush when you get back to the ship after excursions.

There is alot of food, but I actually ate better on cruises, there was so much fresh fish, fruit and veggies to offset the decadent desserts!

When in doubt, work out! There are state of the art exercise equipment on all the ships now.

Have a great time, the service is fantastic and you will be pampered beyond belief!

Bon Voyage!
 
You're right, Candi. I am going on a fabulous vacation. I just read my post and can't believe how negative I sound. I think I'm just stressed out by work and secretly wish I had more time to prepare and get into shape before the cruise. But you know I'm going to have a good time when I actually get there. From what I've seen on TV, Alaska looks like one of the most beautiful places on earth!

-Nancy
 
Nancy,

I'm going on an Alaskan cruise on 6/25 less than 2 weeks away. I'm so excited. You're right the excursions are adding up. It's going to be my husband & 2 sons 14 & 16 so we tried to pick exciting trips with them so they won't be bored. We're going on the Island Princess I heard that the average age is 50 on the Alaskan cruise. I hope the boys have some teens on the ship, that's one of the reasons we picked Princess because they offered a teen center. We're not doing Denali Park and I think we're going to regret it.

Debbie
 
Nancy,

I've had friends who have went to Alaska and by all accounts the scenery is fantastic.
 
Denise, our ship is the Voyager.
Just one more question: how do you communicate with your kids on the boat? Can you rent some sort of walkie-talkie, because cell phones are way too expensive, I assume. Mari
 
Sounds great, Debbie. I'm also going on a Princess ship, the Coral. I am going with a large group of family and friends (like 25 of us) and we have lots of kids. I'm surprised that the average age is so high. We have several teens in my group alone, and even some toddlers. My thirteen-yr. old niece is looking forward to the disco. I'm sure your boys will meet other teens.

Our smaller group (8 of us) are going to Denali at the end of the cruise. There is an all-day tour of Denali Park and we'll stay overnight (I think it's 2 nights) in cabins before heading back to Anchorage.

Did you sign up for the hike of the glaciers? Friends of ours told us it was the highlight of the trip, so we booked the excursion as soon as we could. What other excursions should we sign up for?

-Nancy
 
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