First time cruising, what to expect?

[bobdole369]

I’m looking for some advice as to how it all works.

You take a flight to Fort Lauderdale or Miami or whatever cruise port - you typically get a room for the night, but don't have to. You get a cab or a friend to take you to the cruise terminal and from there it is just like an airplane ride. There are folks there to grab your bags and you tip them. (Get used to that). You go through security and they x-ray your bags - then you stand in queue to check in. Then you sit and relax. When ready they start calling groups to get on the boat.

You are ushered onboard and someone points you generally to your room. Most of the time your luggage is not there yet - you go up top to the pool deck, grab a drink and chill. Within a couple hours the boat casts off and starts your journey.

The only thing I've heard is that alcohol is expensive

$5 - $8 drinks. If you and/or your wife drink soda - buy the "unlimited soda" card. You get a cup and can go to any bar/counter that serves soda and get your cup filled. Do this - as sodas are like $4 each.

Typically you will have set or are assigned a "dinner" time, and most dinners are fairly formal. They often have a VERY formal night (black tie). But usually slacks and a button down shirt - and a hot little black dress for the wife are acceptable. They don't inspect you unless its super formal night.
If its just you and your wife you will likely share a table with another couple - just some random people. We enjoyed our time with our table mates - but only went to "dinner" one time - the rest of the time we ate from the buffets upstairs.

That being said - there are nearly all cruises have just the buffet where you can go eat all you can.

We are not into snorkeling or swimming with turtles or anything

I suggest you go snorkeling - unless you are can't swim (fail at life) or both pasty white pink never going into the sun freaks. (Wait this is ATOT - of course you never see the sun lol J/K). The Carribean sun will burn the crap out of you too - slather on the waterproof sunscreen SPF30+ - and keep putting it on every hour. You WILL burn, but snorkeling is AWESOME!

Would it be just as fun to just wander around?

That depends. Don't do it in Jamaica, but definitely do it in Caymans/Cancun/Any of the other islands.

How does one pay for stuff by going to various countries like Jamaica, Caiman Islands, etc?

Bring US dollars, but I suggest getting local money - its more fun lol. As above - don't use your card in Jamaica - they literally steal it as soon as you walk out.


That note about not having change is absolutely true. HAVE SMALL BILLS! Or local money.

 

[Mxylplyx]

Our most recent carnival cruise will probably be our last, at least on carnival. Being on a carnival ship feels like being in a walmart. Seeing a bunch of overweight people in skimpy clothing stuff their face with cheap desserts and soft serve ice cream gets old pretty quick.

 

[Mixolydian]

Norovirus

 

[bignateyk]

Our most recent carnival cruise will probably be our last, at least on carnival. Being on a carnival ship feels like being in a walmart. Seeing a bunch of overweight people in skimpy clothing stuff their face with cheap desserts and soft serve ice cream gets old pretty quick.

This is pretty much how every cruise is. The only difference is the quality of food that the people are stuffing themselves with

 

[Exterous]

You can expect to get ill, and for the ship to crash from an incompetent captain. :thumbsup:

We didn't get sick on the ship but my wife did have some problems after we got home. It was bad enough she had to stop running for a couple of days. Apparenty its not all that uncommon either

CruiseCritic.com

Big time this! I learned a TON from this website. They give you lots of great information about excursions as well. We booked a tour of one of the Bahamas islands through here and not only was it 50% of the cruise line price and the driver took us to some amazing places off the beaten path

 

[Exterous]

Most cruise lines will let you bring soda on board for free. Check with the line for exact limits but IIRC NCL was a free 12 pack per person and a 'reasonable amount of water'. I saw someone bring a giant 48 pack of water on board without issue

Research getting to the port ahead of time. We booked at a hotel that offered free shuttle service from the airport and port. If you are flying through Ft. Lauderdale there is a train that runs to the Miami airport. We did opt for a shuttle back to the Lauderdale airport but negotiated a rate ahead of time ($35 for two IIRC). People were paying $60 when they got off the ship

If your ship has restaraunts with an additional charge - one or more will often be open for free for breakfast or lunch. We avoided long lines by looking for these early on the cruise. The first morning we had one of the dining rooms all to ourselves and 0 wait time for made to order waffles, omlets.

Depending on the number of people on your cruise and the number of buffet lines you may want to be careful about eating at peak times to avoid the rush (or use one of the other restaraunts)

Snorkeling can be a great time. You can rent a set there or pick on up ahead of time. My wife and I bought a pair to share but on the first day I found an abandoned set on the sea floor out in deeper water. We now have two sets

Parasailing was amazing too. The view is AMAZING and its incredible peaceful. I highly recommend it

5. room service 24/7 is free

Ah - no. Research your ship first. Some have restrictions of items - for example NCL charged for pizza room service after 10pm or something like that

Also, you get what you pay for. The cheaper cruise lines attract lots of college kids, couples with children, poor people, etc... The expensive cruises will generally be filled with people who are more well off, less kids, and you won't have to deal with as many "people of walmart" on a daily basis.

I think it has to do with the timing as well. We took a cheaper cruise during hurricane season and didn't really have big issues with college kids, children, poor people etc. There were some annoyances but TBH I am not sure yet if a more expensive cruise would get rid of them

 

[TXHokie]

I only remember being in a food coma throughout the cruise. Those themed midnight buffet was a killer. I gained 5 lbs on a 4 day cruise.

 

[rh71]

we've done quite a few cruises but our first was to the Caribbean via Princess. One of our favorites. The Caribbean is one of those places where you should be enjoying the water activities. There's not too much on land in my opinion. I'm not a swimmer but I still did snorkeling (you get a floatation device anyway). I recall there being an excursion where they bring us to a beach and just let us float in the shallow water most of the afternoon (or you can rent jetskis). Honestly, I don't know what you could do off the ship otherwise. Not sure if this has been mentioned, but also keep in mind you can also go to land and find tourist info places who will also sell you the excursion for cheaper. For instance, you could've gone to that beach on your own if you have the transportation.

In places like Alaska there's glaciers and helicopter rides, etc. We kayaked on a serene lake overlooking the Mendenhall Glacier and saw some bald eagles. The towns themselves sucked. Again, you do what the place is known for.

If it's just a time-off vacation, you're not taking full advantage of the price you're paying in my opinion... cruises are not cheap. I will also say that I'm a homebody most of the time, but you need to take advantage of what there is out there. The Caribbean is one of the nicest places to actually enjoy.

 

[Atty]

In my limited experience with the Caribbean on three cruises -

1) Bring cash. When I went I'd bring $500 in cash, even if I knew I'd only spent $200. You get a safe in your room for safe keeping.

2) As previously mentioned, never do anything through the cruise company. A $40 tour is $20 + tip on shore or less if you are in a big group. The shopping is great. Wandering around on your own is also fun. I found the tours in St. Thomas to be exciting, Megan's Bay is beautiful. The Dominican Republic is also phenomenal, if not depressing because it is basically a third world country, a real eye opener in some respects.

3) Prepare to eat. Throw diets out the window. Enjoy unlimited amounts of delicious food and 24/7 room service.

4) If you like to drink smuggle it on board. We used mouth wash containers or various other vessels to bring alcohol on board. I've had friends rack up a few thousand in bar tabs over a 7-day cruise.

5) Enjoy it. You have no responsibilities except to yourself. You are free to act like a care free child in your parents home, spoiled rotten, with beautiful scenery for the time you are cruising.

6) Topless deck means dick. Stay away. Unless you like that. D:

Ah - no. Research your ship first. Some have restrictions of items - for example NCL charged for pizza room service after 10pm or something like that



I think it has to do with the timing as well. We took a cheaper cruise during hurricane season and didn't really have big issues with college kids, children, poor people etc. There were some annoyances but TBH I am not sure yet if a more expensive cruise would get rid of them

When I went on NCL the only charge for food was covers on the premium restaurants. Might be different from ship to ship, we went on 7-day cruises through the Caribbean.

As far as timing goes, in my experience, if kids are out of school, its a busy ship. Christmas break, spring break, summer, thanksgiving, etc. You'll always find people who took vacations and brought their kids out of school for a week, or home schools, out of country, etc.

 

[rh71]

Our most recent carnival cruise will probably be our last, at least on carnival. Being on a carnival ship feels like being in a walmart. Seeing a bunch of overweight people in skimpy clothing stuff their face with cheap desserts and soft serve ice cream gets old pretty quick.

we did a Carnival to Alaska and it was actually on par with the rest (have done RCI & NCL too). It does depend on the specific ship though. I mean a party boat to a party place like Cancun will attract certain people.

And obviously some are, generally speaking, the geriatric cruise liners (Holland America). THe worst for us has been NCL in terms of ship quality.

 

[OutHouse]

really cool pool table
http://www.wimp.com/cruiseship/

how to sneak booze onboard and save a lot of money
http://youtu.be/24HlK6IXkoc

first time cruise tips
http://youtu.be/WkAQxOM_vkg

 

[OutHouse]

Book Oceania or better.

leave it to the trust fund baby to suggest a $10,000 cruise.

 

[Exterous]

When I went on NCL the only charge for food was covers on the premium restaurants. Might be different from ship to ship, we went on 7-day cruises through the Caribbean.

Its something they started last summer for all US based ships. Its actually a $4 charge for all food ordered between midnight and 5am

http://www.cruisecritic.com/news/news.cfm?ID=4536

 

[the DRIZZLE]

So I’m planning on going a Caribbean cruise with the wife. Never done the whole cruise thing so I’m looking for some advice as to how it all works. The only thing I've heard is that alcohol is expensive but we don't drink so no loss there.
1) We are not into snorkeling or swimming with turtles or anything so land-based activities are probably it. Are the tours OK or are they too rushed? Would it be just as fun to just wander around?
2) How does one pay for stuff by going to various countries like Jamaica, Caiman Islands, etc? Just bring cash or credit cards will do (Although I’m thinking there will be some international fee)
The whole vacation is just for chillin’ and seeing things but paying $80 at each destination for a tour seems a bit lame. Any experiences or advice you guys would like to share?

1. It depends. There are some excursions that are specific to individual islands and worth doing in an organized manner. For others, you can get just get off the boat and take a cab to town or the beach. You should do at least one organized excursion. If you are going to Jamiaca you should definitely do Duns River Falls. If you are hitting Cozumel you can do that on your own. The last time I went on a Caribbean cruise we missed the Caymans due to weather so I can't comment.

2. Everyone takes USD but you may not get the best exchange rate in local shops. If you are spending under $100 it's not really worth worrying about. If you use a credit card keep on eye on your bill for the next few months. It's not uncommon for the shops in these countries to steal your card number or try to put additional charges through later.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

This post is exactly why we opted for a 8 night vacation at an all inclusive adults only resort in Mexico.

No kids
No expensive drinks or "soda cups"
Plenty of room at the pools, hot tub & beach
No time constraints for excursions and lots of variety
No crammed room with zero view
Zero herd mentality
Much less risk of getting ill

The big negative is we will not see all the different islands and I'm sure the service & food will be better on the Cruise.

 

[gevorg]

If you drink, these will save you hundreds:
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Traveler-Rum-Runner-Cruise/dp/B000IUO3VE

 

[Wreckem]

This post is exactly why we opted for a 8 night vacation at an all inclusive adults only resort in Mexico.

No kids
No expensive drinks or "soda cups"
Plenty of room at the pools, hot tub & beach
No time constraints for excursions and lots of variety
No crammed room with zero view
Zero herd mentality
Much less risk of getting ill

The big negative is we will not see all the different islands and I'm sure the service & food will be better on the Cruise.

I went on a cruise on Jan 7-15, on Royal Caribbean. Of the 3600 passengers only 128 were kids. If you go during the school year, when school is in session, kids arent really an issue on Royal Caribbean or Carnival. If you don't like kids, Princess and Celebrity usually have few on their cruises unless its a holiday.

Adults beverages were cheaper than I could get locally. Soda was pricey, it was $2.59 a can, or $54 for unlimited coke products for the week. And you dont have to lug around a cup, you just go up to any bar or ask in any restaurant and then show your stateroom card.

We had 10 hours in each port. You cant see everything in most ports, but that is not expected on cruises.

How cramped the pool is depends on time of the day.

Aft and hump balconies have amazing views. And you can wander around the ships and find some amazing views as well.

Common sense prevails when it comes to getting sick. Wash your hands and don't eat at the buffet.


As for the OP. My tips

Take your passport. Don't rely on birth certificate and id.

Do NOT use a debit card for your onboard account. Use a CC or cash/travelers checks.

Also, make sure you alert your CC Company or Bank that you are going on a cruise and tell them the ports and days you will be there. We didn't and when Royal ran charges while docked in Jamaica Citi froze our card.

Don't take your credit cards/debit cards ashore. CASH ONLY.

Stay away from Bingo or tournaments(slots or blackjack, if you are good at poker that could be worthwhile, the other two are not).

For really long excursions, take the ships tour. Some long excursions, like ones to mayan ruins cut it extremely close, and if something goes wrong and you are on an independent tour the likelyhood of getting left behind is greater if its not back in time.

Buy everything you need before you go and make sure you have plenty of it. Take stuff such as, but not limited to:
Sunscreen
Sunburn lotion/aloe vera gel(unless you tan a lot, it is inevitable you are going to get burnt even if you use sunscreen and reapply it religiously).
Antacid
asprin/tylenol/advil
dramamine/motion sickness patches.
bug spray(if going to say Belize or Roatan)

 

[lupi]

Make sure to do it in a five point o.

 

[dr150]

First time cruising, what to expect?

 

[Wreckem]

Statistically you are more likely to die in an airplane crash than a cruise ship sinking.

But I hope everyone keeps posting stuff like this and scares people away. Just means cheaper cruises for me.

Although, that said I probably wouldn't sail with any of the Italian lines(Coasta, MSC, etc) they seem to have more problems than their American based counterparts. I saw an MSC ship crash into the pier in Jamaica. Put a cosmetic scratch on the ship well above the waterline. The week before the same ship grounded on a coral reef. Although to be fair it is MSC's first season in the Caribbean.

 

[Nintendesert]

You're going on a cruise (and with no turtles only barely...) cruising is driving slowly down main street.

 

[bobdole369]

The Dominican Republic is also phenomenal, if not depressing because it is basically a third world country, a real eye opener in some respects.

Not to threadjack - but I'm sure you mean "developing" or "poor". Third world means neither USA/NATO, nor USSR/Eastern Bloc/Cuba.

Just so you know, both North Korea, Cuba are 2nd world countries, while Kuwait and UAE are third world.

 

[bobdole369]

Make sure to do it in a five point o.

That's "rolling" in my 5.0. With my ragtop down so my hair can blow...

 

[BurnItDwn]

So I’m planning on going a Caribbean cruise with the wife. Never done the whole cruise thing so I’m looking for some advice as to how it all works. The only thing I've heard is that alcohol is expensive but we don't drink so no loss there.
1) We are not into snorkeling or swimming with turtles or anything so land-based activities are probably it. Are the tours OK or are they too rushed? Would it be just as fun to just wander around?
2) How does one pay for stuff by going to various countries like Jamaica, Caiman Islands, etc? Just bring cash or credit cards will do (Although I’m thinking there will be some international fee)
The whole vacation is just for chillin’ and seeing things but paying $80 at each destination for a tour seems a bit lame. Any experiences or advice you guys would like to share?

Have a fvcking awesome time!!!

1. I like wandering around and exploring ... unstructured, do what I want .... But some of the tours are cool. I would avoid booking through the cruise line, as they tend to charge about 200%-300% what the locals would charge. However, it depends on the port, if you go to a port like Cozumel, the infrastructure is built up and there's tons of tour places on the island. IF you go to a port in Jamaica, you may not have as many options. So, sorry to give such a grey answer, it really depends on the port IMO.

2. Some ports take US dollars, some you can use credit card, it's possible that at some you may be better off with local currency. There are ATMs on most of the ships, but they usually charge pretty bad fees.


Specific ports

Cayman Islands ... awesome to walk around and explore ... pretty much every place takes American Money or Credit Cards ... very much 1st world country ... Was only there once (Grand Cayman), it's pretty much at the top of the list of islands I'd like to visit again.

Cozumel ... awesome to walk around and explore ... you can also rent jeeps or dune buggys or scooters and ride around and explore, excellent for snorkeling/scuba due to all the natural reefs, but they get crowded (and I know you said not interested.) This is probably my favorite port, been there 3 times, and would love to go again.

Progreso ... I had fun there, took a $3 tour bus around the city, enjoyed the beach .... lots of crap peddlers to deal with, but overall a cool place, not really that built up ... has a rustic feel to it. Was only there once, would go again.

Jamaica ... Only was there once, with my grandma and brother and uncle and cousins ... went on a guided tour of the waterfalls ... was a good time, but the vendors are extremely pushy ... and I would consider going again, it's not my 1st choice destination. The ship we took docked at Falmouth


I've been on Carnival and Royal Caribbean lines as an adult, and I've traveled in the Summer and in the Winter. In the summer, it's extremely hot, but can still be very awesome (best to go in the water a bit to cool off.)
In the Winter, it can be in the 70s or lower 80s and is pretty much paradise to me.
Prices are usually MUCH lower in the Winter ... (GF and I went on 5 day cruise from New Orleans to Cozumel and Progreso In Jan, and it cost about $500 for the cruise, then like $80 for parking, and we spent about $250 on tips, trinkets, and drinks.)


One word of advice, pick up some Meclizine (Bonnine), bring it with just in case you or the Wife gets a bit sick .... Or, I've heard that there's a patch that people use....

 

[OutHouse]

I would love to take my wife on a cruise, there are some great deals out there. but what stopping me is the damn airfare.

airfare for 2 round trip from Denver to Miami including all taxes and fees is just about $800 bucks.

my favorite sites for shopping for cruises

http://www.cruises.com
and

http://www.cheapcaribbean.com