cruise advice

[Buzzard]

Well, Mr. & Mrs. Buzzard figure next winter is the time to try out a cruise. We've never been, but it sounds pretty cool. I know there's lot's of travel enthusists here, so advice is appreciated.

Now, like everyone, we'd like to get the best deal possible probably for sometime in the new year. I've read a lot of cruise stuff the last few days and kind of leaning toward princess, if for no other reason that their website seems more user friendly. I'm also going on the assumption that the major cruiselines are pretty competitive, that for the most part the more you pay for either of them the more you get?? It'd just be the two of us...so we're not going for the party cruise, just a cool relaxing holiday. So far it looks simple enough to book right through the line itself online. Is there any advantages to booking this way, as opposed to travel agent? Other than short notice trips, would booking right through the line be cheapest? For those that have been on cruises, what did you like or not like?

[Deelow]

I did Mexican Riviera on Carnival a few years ago. It was OK. I would much rather make my own schedule on vacation. It felt like I was a slave to departure times and things like that. The prices on the boat were inflated too. $6US for a beer, obviously on the beach that same beer is $2 at the most. I guess you could probably get an all-inclusive package. I was 26 at the time, maybe that's a little young to go on cruise because for the most part it was boring for me. If you like to gamble and do things like Karaoke you will probably enjoy. Typically I found most people onboard to be retired or even eldery. People that want a lot of structure to their vacation. At times you feel like a sheep.
That said, parts of it were cool. I guess it just isn't what I was looking for in a vacation.

[Nufy]

The wife has us booked on a Mexican Cruise next feb.

Book ASAP is what we were told to get best selection of cabins and pricing.

[killer_carlson]

I've never had the level of service I had on our cruise. It was crazy. they really did cater to our needs.

I wasn't a big fan of the shore excursions as it was quite expensive to do what they had lined up.

I also was surprised by the level of smoking which I am not used to any more.

For pure R&R it's good. If you aren't a big drinker then it is probably superior to an all inclusive. If you are a big drinker, you're probably better served by an all inclusive.

If you're looking to "travel" as opposed to vacation, then a cruise probably isn't for you.

I'll do another one some day, but not for a while, or not of a traditional cruise ship variety.

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by killer_carlson

I wasn't a big fan of the shore excursions as it was quite expensive to do what they had lined up.

That's the part I'm unsure about right now. When ashore, can you pretty much bugger off and do your own thing, as long as your back when it leaves?

[chris lindberg]

I watched the National one night and they did a story on unsolved crimes on cruise ships, the ratio of sexual assults on cruise ships is very high and the local authorities of wherever you happen to be rarely do anything to help the victims of crimes on cruise ships.

[Barnes]

I just got back from one in February. It was my sixth but first as an adult. I didn't think I would enjoy it as I didn't want to be on someone else's schedule but you really aren't. You look forward to getting back to the ship and having a nice dinner. The wait staff are fantastic and you'll be sad to leave them.

What are some of the stops you are considering?

On another note, when I got the cruise mentioned above, I realized there was not a single, complete website that focuses on ships both past and present.

So........

my new project a friend and I are developing.

http://www.nauticalcities.com/

It's still got a long way to go but hopefully someone may find it useful.

[Buzzard]

Originally Posted by Barnes

What are some of the stops you are considering?

Well, the one I kind of had in mind was Ft Laud rd trip East Carib. Not really to fussy about where, as your only in each stop a for a day. I'd kind of like to do a rd trip out of Ft Laud, as we could fly there with air miles.

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Well, the one I kind of had in mind was Ft Laud rd trip East Carib. Not really to fussy about where, as your only in each stop a for a day. I'd kind of like to do a rd trip out of Ft Laud, as we could fly there with air miles.

Gottcha..

The Eastern is a good choice for a first cruise.

Some advice:

I assume you're trying to get a flight through Westjet. Ft Lauderdale books up quick but West Palm Beach is less than an hour north and West Jet flies there as well.

The tours booked on the ship can be pricey. If there is something you really want to do, than do it. If all you want to do is go for a quick tour and then hit a beach, hire your own cab and tell the driver to pick you up at a certain time. Make sure to pay only when you get back to the ship.

[Deelow]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

That's the part I'm unsure about right now. When ashore, can you pretty much bugger off and do your own thing, as long as your back when it leaves?

Yes. At some stops you have very limited time. The best part of my cruise was renting a car ine Puerta Vallarta and driving up the coast and hour. Whale watching and beers on the beach the beach for a fraction of what the tourist companies charge you when you step off the boat.

Also, someone in my group got a parasite on the boat. Probably from a door handle in a bathroom or something. Illness sometimes spreads on cruise ships and a more rapid pace.

[Locke]

Watch for pirates...

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Locke

dude thats a ninja not a pirate.

[return to the red]

Originally Posted by Buzzard

Well, the one I kind of had in mind was Ft Laud rd trip East Carib. Not really to fussy about where, as your only in each stop a for a day. I'd kind of like to do a rd trip out of Ft Laud, as we could fly there with air miles.

did the eastern Carib cruise before leaving from Ft. Laud with Royal Caribbean. Awesome time and would do it again in a second. I was a little younger but still have nothing but good things to say about Royal Caribbean and the cruise itself

[someguy51]

I just got back from a princess cruise last week. I had a great time but that was mostly due to all my friends being there. I'm glad I went on it but I'll never go on another cruise.

Things I didn't like:
- Beer way too expensive (bar prices)
- Excursions are expensive
- They automatically add 15% tip on everything you buy.
- You are charged 10.50 a day per person to tip the person that cleans your room. So my wife and I stayed in ONE room and had to pay $21 a day in tipping.
- Port visits are too short. 4 hours is not enough time to explore Cabo San Lucas!
- I didn't realize that you didn't have to use the cruise airline. So we took Alaska air from Calgary to Seattle, with a few hours delay in Seattle, then finally a flight to Los Angeles. Same thing on the way back. Take a direct flight on Westjet or Air Canada if you can.
- There is intrusive advertising everywhere. They are always trying to up sell you on something. They take your picture every time you get on or off the boat and try to sell it to you for $25. During dinner with my friends we were in a deep conversation when someone interrupted it and gave us a sales pitch on buying 3 bottles of cruise wine (at reduced prices! ... but still more then at your liquor store). That really annoyed us.
- They won't let you use cash. You have to use your cruise card, which will be charged to your credit card later.
- The last couple of days the seas were rough and my wife got sea sick. Didn't have any fun on those days.
- Using the Internet is super expensive. Its 90 cents a minute. It cost us 12 dollars to send an email!
- You have to bring a suit or two to go on vacation! I'm on vacation, I want to wear shorts and a t-shirt, not a suit!
- No way to get hockey news, unless you a willing to spend the big bucks for Internet access.

Things I liked
- Being on vacation with all our friends. We are going to do it again, but at an all inclusive resort next time.
- There are some good comedy/magic shows in the theater.
- The food is excellent (and actually included in the price). They say that the average person gains 7 pounds per cruise, so beware! (I only gained 2 - We mitigated it by never taking the elevator)

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Dan02

dude thats a ninja not a pirate.

There is no pirate emoticon, and everyone knows that the only thing that can defeat a pirate is a ninja.

[Deelow]

Originally Posted by someguy51

I just got back from a princess cruise last week. I had a great time but that was mostly due to all my friends being there. I'm glad I went on it but I'll never go on another cruise.

Things I didn't like:
- Beer way too expensive (bar prices)
- Excursions are expensive
- They automatically add 15% tip on everything you buy.
- You are charged 10.50 a day per person to tip the person that cleans your room. So my wife and I stayed in ONE room and had to pay $21 a day in tipping.
- Port visits are too short. 4 hours is not enough time to explore Cabo San Lucas!
- I didn't realize that you didn't have to use the cruise airline. So we took Alaska air from Calgary to Seattle, with a few hours delay in Seattle, then finally a flight to Los Angeles. Same thing on the way back. Take a direct flight on Westjet or Air Canada if you can.
- There is intrusive advertising everywhere. They are always trying to up sell you on something. They take your picture every time you get on or off the boat and try to sell it to you for $25. During dinner with my friends we were in a deep conversation when someone interrupted it and gave us a sales pitch on buying 3 bottles of cruise wine (at reduced prices! ... but still more then at your liquor store). That really annoyed us.
- They won't let you use cash. You have to use your cruise card, which will be charged to your credit card later.
- The last couple of days the seas were rough and my wife got sea sick. Didn't have any fun on those days.
- Using the Internet is super expensive. Its 90 cents a minute. It cost us 12 dollars to send an email!
- You have to bring a suit or two to go on vacation! I'm on vacation, I want to wear shorts and a t-shirt, not a suit!
- No way to get hockey news, unless you a willing to spend the big bucks for Internet access.

Things I liked
- Being on vacation with all our friends. We are going to do it again, but at an all inclusive resort next time.
- There are some good comedy/magic shows in the theater.
- The food is excellent (and actually included in the price). They say that the average person gains 7 pounds per cruise, so beware! (I only gained 2 - We mitigated it by never taking the elevator)

This sums it up perfectly.

[FlamesKickAss]

i went on a Carnival cruise to western Caribbean over new years. It was a blast.

Drinks were 5 bucks with tip if you drank beer or highballs. plus they had daily specials every day.
entertainment was fantastic. they have formal dining but they also have a buffet that starts around dinner time so you don't have to dress up.
food is awesome.
You don't really feel the boat unless you get into some bad weather i found.
The no cash I found to be a great idea, you could go to the front desk before you disembarked and pay your debt down with cash. (i won my expenses in the casino and kept going to pay some off every day)
Excursions can be pricey but you call also do what you want and walk around as long as you are back in line in time.
liquor store on board was ridiculously cheap (I bought a 3L of crown for 60 bucks) and even better off shore (7.50 for a 1 litre of rum in bahamas)

I would definitely recommend a cruise, I cant wait to go on my next one!

[Jonrox]

I went on a Princess cruise in February and really enjoyed it. If you are looking for a relaxing vacation, this is definitely the way to go. The ship (Crown Princess) was their newest ship at the time and was amazing... spotless and modern.

The Princess "Movies Under the Stars" is phenomenal - they show 3 movies during the day and 2 at night on a huge screen at one of the pools... great way to spend an afternoon relaxing by/in the pool. They show a good variety of movies - we didn't get one repeat after 14 days onboard (plus they showed Superbowl). At night, they give you blankets and popcorn.

The food was fantastic (way better than what you get at most all-inclusive resorts - I've stayed at 5-star resorts that don't even come close to what the dining rooms served). If there's something you want but it's not on the menu, don't be afraid to ask for it - they will do their best to get you whatever you want. Every Princess boat has a Sabattini's restaurant - for the extra money they charge, it's not worth it. We went but didn't find it any better than what we got at the regular dining rooms.

The gym was excellent - they have a lot of equipment and it was all brand new. There's yoga, spin, and stretching classes as well.

I went to relax so didn't bother getting off at all of the ports - you will quickly realize that unless there is something specific you want to do, the ports are all very similar. I came back feeling incredibly refreshed. I will cruise again, but will likely do a few land vacations before I go again.

One quick tip for Princess boats that they don't usually tell you - you can tell what side of the boat you are on by the trim color on the carpet on the stateroom floors... red = port, blue = starboard. Makes it a lot easier to remember which way to turn when you get off the elevator/stairs.