Cruises, Looking for some first hand experiences

[DnetMHZ]

Next year for our honeymoon, my fiance and I are going on a 12 day Caribbean cruise.
We will be on the Royal Caribbean ship "Explorer of the Seas" leaving out of Bayonne, NJ (we live in NJ)

We will have stops in the following ports:

San Juan, Puerto Rico
Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Roseau, Dominica
Bridgetown, Barbados
St. John's, Antigua
Tortola, British Virgin Islands

Having never been on a cruise, what I'm looking for are the lesser known tips, etc. that one may pick up having been there before.

I want to know what to do, what not to do, things to remember, things to avoid, etc.

To people who have been to these places before, what were your favorite things to do/see?

thanks
DnetMHZ

 

[m1ldslide1]

Well, from my experience I was going to suggest you eat buffet and pick up on the hundreds of gorgeous single women onboard who have suddenly lost all inhibition, but since it'll be your honeymoon, I got nothing besides 'eat'.

 

[Descartes]

iamwiz and LolaWiz are cruising veterans, so they will probably have a lot more input than me.

That said, the wife and I did recently take a Caribbean cruise. We went to many of the same ports you have listed. There are a ton of sites that will tell you all the basics of cruising, so let me add some personal experiences that you might not read about everywhere:

1) If you have dietary restrictions, make sure you ask first. Sometimes they'll even do something completely different. My wife is Indian, so we were actually able to get some of the Indian chefs on the ship to prepare dinners for us. This wasn't on the menu, so you just have to ask.

2) There's usually very little time to actually spend while at port. Try to maximize that time, but I wouldn't fill it completely with excursions. Check websites that review excursions to see which ones are best.

For San Juan, I would definitely do the bioluminescence kayak tour. That was pretty impressive.

3) Bring an underwater camera. We got some great pictures about 20' down in the Caribbean.

4) Bring more clothes than you think you'll need. Bring a nice suit for formal nights, business casual for informal nights and something comfortable during the day.

Well, I thought I had a lot more to say, but I guess I don't. Most importantly, just try to relax. I had one of the most relaxing times I've ever had, so bring a lot of books (or whatever), find a chair somewhere, order some drinks and just take it easy.

Have fun!

 

[blackdogdeek]

for our honeymoon we did the 7 night Caribbean with Royal Caribbean on the Adventure of the Seas i think. we abolutely loved it.

here are a couple of things to remember:

1. there is 1 dinner for which you will be requested to get dressed up (a nice suit is fine; evening dress for the ladies)
2. at the end of the cruise you will be asked to tip the following:
maid
waiter
maitre'd
you will be provided envelopes and general tipping guidelines
3. all the food is free, except for some theme restaurants
4. the buffet serves the exact same meals at the sit-down dinner/lunch starting at the first sit-down time until the end of the last sit-down time (this could be helpful if you have excursions that run into your sit-down meal time or if you want to sample what will be served during your sit-down meal)
5. the alcohol is not free but you can charge anything on your room card
6. you can rent tuxes on the boat
7. 24 hour free room service

we had a different itinerary than you did for the most part. we did visit st. maarten and st. thomas.

in st. maarten we took a cab to orient beach. it's nice because it's a nude beach. it's not so nice because a retirement community lives there. we also shopped.

in st. thomas we went to some beach famous for being so nice but i don't remember the name.

 

[spacejamz]

don't book a cabin at the back of the boat above the engines...nothing worse then being hung over in the morning as the ship is manueving in port...I think the newer boats have some new propulsion systems that might be quieter, but I wouldn't take any chances...

get the late seating option for dinner. don't be afraid to ask for more than what is being offered. for example, if you have the choice between steak or lobster, ask for both (surf n turf!!!)...just take care of the your waiter at the end of the cruise....

 

[DnetMHZ]

I believe we will have a balcony cabin on deck 9.

 

[MiataNC]

1. Don't plan too many excursions if you want to enjoy the places you stop, don't want to be exhausted, and don't always want on someone else's clock. Typical stop with excursions is getting off the ship, doing the excursion(s), then hurrying back to the ship.

2. Use any full days at sea to fully rest up and relax. Cruising can be exhausting if you push too hard. Nothing worse than getting/being sick on a cruise.

3. Don't try to do every activity/show/etc that is offered.

4. You can cruise as many times as you like, but you only get 1 honeymoon. Don't make it all about the cruise. Make it all about the two of you.

 

[zoiks]

Great tips. This will help me out too. I was planning on flying to Barcelona this summer from SF to take a Mediterranean cruise. I was going to book the rooms in the back of the ship in a couple of days but will avoid doing so per SpaceJamz advice.

 

[warmodder]

I was on the voyager of the seas--fantastic boat. See if you can pull some strings and eat dinner with the captain one night. We got to do that and we were also invited up to the bridge to check out all their fancy navigation equipment. (This was post 911/terrorism so I don't think there'll be a problem)

One other tip that I had read (but never tried) was to go to the bank and get a bunch of 2 dollar bills. Apparently it really impresses the staff and you'll get fantastic service.

 

[mikeyes]

TravelChannel did a really good show on how the cruise lines work. I would watch and see if you can catch that show between now and then. I took a cruise a few years ago and some things had changed already.

Some tips I can offer.
-Some cruise lines let you do your final tipping via credit card other require cash
-Know which restaurants are included in the price and which ones are extra cost
-When you dock there will be a list of activities on shore or you can go off on your own. If you go to a beach or something like that mention to the cab drive when to pick you up and they seemed to do a really good job of being on time.

 

[blackdogdeek]

ok here's an interesting tidbit. the pr0n is not censored like it is in hotels. maybe because you're in international waters the laws are more lax regarding this.

 

[djheater]

http://www.cruise-addicts.com/forums/index.php

http://www.cruisecritic.com/

 

[dbk]

Do a lot of excursions since you're going to be on your honeymoon and not on the cruise for other reasons (gambling, girls, drugs, etc etc)

 

[iamwiz82]

Originally posted by: spacejamz
don't book a cabin at the back of the boat above the engines...nothing worse then being hung over in the morning as the ship is manueving in port...I think the newer boats have some new propulsion systems that might be quieter, but I wouldn't take any chances...

get the late seating option for dinner. don't be afraid to ask for more than what is being offered. for example, if you have the choice between steak or lobster, ask for both (surf n turf!!!)...just take care of the your waiter at the end of the cruise....

Aft cabins aren't always noisy. We always get them because they have MASSIVE balconies on the ships we sail on. You can easily fit 25 people.

We usually tip our room steward and waiters at the beginning of the cruise. We heard about this once and tried it out and the service went through the roof. They will basically do anything for you.

Don't plan too many excursions if you want to enjoy the places you stop, don't want to be exhausted, and don't always want on someone else's clock. Typical stop with excursions is getting off the ship, doing the excursion(s), then hurrying back to the ship.

Generally excursions are 4 hours long, with a few longer ones thrown in here or there. Most stops are usually from early morning until around 5-6pm, depending on the next stop, so if you have a 4 hour morning excursion you will have at least another 4-5 hours to explore the port or island. Sometimes you get a short stop, like 9am-1pm, which definately isn't enough time to see the island/port.

We also very rarely go to the shows anymore, unless it's a comedian or a unique musical act. We don't often hit the events either, except for a rare few. I'd rather lounge by the pool with a bucket of beer

One other tip that I had read (but never tried) was to go to the bank and get a bunch of 2 dollar bills. Apparently it really impresses the staff and you'll get fantastic service.

No no no no.... Crew HATE that because they cannot spend them anywhere but in America. Everywhere else treats them as counterfeit. If you don't believe me, ask a crewmember.

 

[pontifex]

watch out for the pirates

 

[daveshel]

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek

5. the alcohol is not free but you can charge anything on your room card

Isn't alcohol free on some cruises?

 

[warmodder]

Originally posted by: iamwiz82

One other tip that I had read (but never tried) was to go to the bank and get a bunch of 2 dollar bills. Apparently it really impresses the staff and you'll get fantastic service.

No no no no.... Crew HATE that because they cannot spend them anywhere but in America. Everywhere else treats them as counterfeit. If you don't believe me, ask a crewmember.

Ooh, I've never tried it, but it was recommended by a couple frequent cruisers.

 

[Squisher]

Well, one thing right off the bat might I suggest that you don't embark from New Jersey.

Your first few days and last few days will be spent at sea with no ports of call.

I always like leaving from Puerto Rico that way you're already in the Caribbean and don't have to spent so much time at sea. Believe me you'll still have plenty of time to look for dolphins, stare at sunsets at sea, gamble in the casino, and eat.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

The beds suck for sex. I would recommend something other thab a cruise for a honeymoon. You're too trapped on a boat for half the time.

 

[Epic Fail]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
The beds suck for sex. I would recommend something other thab a cruise for a honeymoon. You're too trapped on a boat for half the time.

Do it at the pool.

 

[Epic Fail]

Originally posted by: daveshel

Originally posted by: blackdogdeek

5. the alcohol is not free but you can charge anything on your room card

Isn't alcohol free on some cruises?

Never heard of that, some even charge you for soft drink if you aren't at the buffet.

 

[BKLounger]

i went on a carribean cruise a couple of years back and it was frickin awesome. The dinners were very well done, if they offer it try the shot of the night (very delicious usually), gambling on the ship's casino at night was pretty cool (it paid for the trip). I only slept maybe 2 or 3 hours a night but it was great fun. When we got off the boat usually the ports had cool little shops and great beaches for swimming.

btw if you put your alcohol on your room card try to keep track. it can sneak up on you.

 

[MikeyLSU]

Here is my take.

I have been on 3 cruises(one was RC)

some tips...
-Don't overpack(you still will, lol)

-You can have as much of anything you want at dinner. On Filet or lobster night, if you want more, just ask for another one and they will gladly bring out another plate for you.

-Wear tons of sunscreen, because being burned can really ruin the rest of your cruise.

-Room Service is free(but you should tip a dollar or 2 to the person delivering)

-you can usually get away with putting alcohol in a water bottle or tea bottle to sneak it onboard. I have done this each time and have not been caught. If they do catch you they hold your luggage till you pick it up and just make you throw it away. So if you decide to do it, be prepared for the worst just in case. If that doesn't bother you, go ahead.

-You can bring water/sodas in your luggage. Great if you don't want to buy a soda card($40 or something like that) That way you can just be sitting in your room and have a quick drink.

-If you like rock climbing, dont' wait until day 3 like I did to do it. Do it right away, I loved it.

That is it for now, gotta get back to work, I'll try to put more later.

 

[DnetMHZ]

Originally posted by: Squisher
Well, one thing right off the bat might I suggest that you don't embark from New Jersey.

Your first few days and last few days will be spent at sea with no ports of call.

I always like leaving from Puerto Rico that way you're already in the Caribbean and don't have to spent so much time at sea. Believe me you'll still have plenty of time to look for dolphins, stare at sunsets at sea, gamble in the casino, and eat.

I think it will be nice to have the first few days to get our bearings on the ship and explore a bit. Also once we return and are exhausted, we'll be home in about an hour rather than having to get on a plane.

 

[Miramonti]

Where are the best sites to find cruise deals?