<p>So…DH and I, usually the planners and plodders, are spontaneously going on vacation in two weeks…probably a Caribbean cruise.</p>
<p>We’ve never done a cruise before. Any tips? Things to look out for? Ships you like or don’t like? Destinations you recommend?</p>
<p>This is sooooo far out of my comfort zone. I’ve done more planning for a work trip I’m taking next summer than this. I don’t even know if I can get a new swimsuit in time if it turns out the one in the attic doesn’t fit!</p>
<p>We have done 3 Caribbean cruises all on Royal Caribbean. </p>
<h1>1 - 5 day out of Fort Lauderdale, stopped at Key West (nice), Belize (horrible), Cozumel (okay). My opinions on the port are based on ability to visit without paying for an excursion.</h1>
<h1>2 - 5 day out of Baltimore to Bermuda only. Not the Caribbean but a great cruise. Bermuda is beautiful, very friendly, and plenty of beaches. Very scenic and clean. Two towns for sightseeing. You are in Bermuda for 2 days. That was nice for beach one day and shopping the next.</h1>
<h1>3 - 9 day out of Port Liberty, NJ. Stopped at Bermuda (great), St. Martin (great), St. Thomas (okay), and Puerto Rico (okay). This was the best cruise although there wasn’t much to do in Puerto Rico as we were only there from about 8am - 2 pm. The beaches were pretty far from the port. We just walked around the town, shopped and ate lunch. St. Martin had nice beaches, shopping, and the people were very friendly. We did a snorkeling trip in St. Thomas that was really nice (needed bug spray for the island we stopped at for lunch).</h1>
<p>We’re doing a nine day eastern carribean cruise out of baltimore
In January. It’s on royal carribean. I can’t wait!</p>
<p>also looking at cruises… posting so I can find this thread more easily. </p>
<p>Thinking for a 5 - 7 day cruise in late December it might be better to fly down to FL for departure, rather than leaving from MD, VA, NY, or Boston port (all of which are drivable from us…)</p>
<p>I have never been on a cruise, but I’ve heard Royal Caribbean is much better than Carnival, and you do want to consider what you like vs what ports the ship stops in. I remember envying people who went on a Southern Carr. Cruise because of the ports, but. Can’t remember where they were.</p>
<p>I would also suggest getting an outside balcony room or suite if you can. It was so relaxing to sit and watch the ocean in the early morning and evenings. Also, it makes the room seem bigger. If you get any suite, you have separate boarding. </p>
<p>If you are concerned about seasickness, get a room in the middle of the ship, horizontally and vertically. You won’t notice the movement as much. Also, get a prescription for the patch (I can’t remember the medicine, but your doctor would be familiar with it). </p>
<p>The bigger the boat, the more to do on board, more restaurants, more walking area, etc. Also, the bigger boats are usually newer.</p>
<p>Book as early as you can. If prices go down, you will get an adjustment. We got 2 adjustments to the price on the 9 day cruise. </p>
<p>Book your excursions as early as you can. The best ones fill up quickly. Only book excursions through the cruise line. If the excursion is late returning, the boat will wait for you. Also, in some countries you just don’t know what you are getting (safety, quality).</p>
<p>We sailed a few months ago for 1 week on the Holland America Eurodam to the Eastern Caribbean out of Ft. Lauderdale and loved it. It was our 7th cruise in as many years. If you don’t want to see lots of kids, this cruise line is for you.</p>
<p>My biggest complaint about Royal Caribbean is they tend to have lots of kids on board because of all the climbing walls, wave machines, and other various kiddie attractions. Carnival also has a lot of kids because of the lower cost and they tend to cater to families. I like both of these cruise lines, however.</p>
<p>When you book last minute, getting a cabin mid-ship will be difficult to get since these fill up first.</p>
<p>I like assigned seating for dinner, others don’t. The reason I like it is because getting the same two waiters each night is nice. The downside is you may be at a shared table with people you do not like. Open seating allows you to meet different people at dinner each night and likely is what you’ll get when booking at the last minute anyway. </p>
<p>Eat breakfast and lunch in the dining room, and not the Lido Cafe or equivalent, for a much more relaxing experience. First time cruisers are never used to the chaos that ensues in the buffet areas during peak dining times. I only gained 2 additional pounds on this cruise, because I wasn’t gorging myself at the buffet. </p>
<p>Don’t book a cabin below the Lido Deck to avoid hearing foot traffic and deck chairs movement when the crew is cleaning. </p>
<p>Eat at least one dinner in their specialty dining room. </p>
<p>Go to cruisecritic.com for details on ANY ship or destination. It is a wonderful resource.</p>
<p>Have a great trip!</p>
<p>One last thing. On the longer cruises you have more days at sea if you are sailing from up north. I thought this would be boring, but it was so relaxing after the whirlwind of visiting different ports. We had young teenagers and I made up some scavenger hunts in case they were bored. Didn’t need them. They loved roaming the ships on their own. </p>
<p>For younger kids, the kid clubs are great. Mine grew out of them too soon, but they still talk about the cruise counselors and all of the games they played. They weren’t really interested in the teen clubs. I have no idea why.</p>
<p>I have been on one cruise, to Alaska. Great trip but in honesty, I’m not the cruising type. </p>
<p>One thing we did which you might want to look into if you think you might get seasick is a Scopolamine patch. They stay on for 3 days, stuck behind your ear, and prevent sea sickness. There are a prescription item so you need to go to a doctor. You could always get them and not use them if you don’t have a problem.</p>
<p>We’ve done five in the Carribean since the eighties. They are alot of fun. We’ve gone out of Miami, Puerto Rico, Galveston and Ft. Lauderdale. I find them very relaxing as I don’t have to lift a finger…not a finger. The food is pretty good. We get a balcony so the cabins are fine. Carnival and NCL are very relaxed dress, you’ll see just about everything and they tend to be more active and party atmosphere. Princess and Celebrity are more country club like. Royal is somewhere in between (in our opinion). We also went on Disney with the kids, but wouldn’t do it again because it’s well, Disney and the kids are grown up. Disney is very well done,nice ship but too many kids. If you like Disney, however, the ship does have quite a few adult only areas. Have fun whatever you pick. Find an itinerary that you like and relax. That is what cruises are all about. People will feed you. People will clean your cabin. People will get you on and off the boat. You do nothing but do what you want. The nice thing about the Caribbean is that there is always some shopping if you want and there are always beaches to just lay in the warm sand if that is what you want. The cruise lines have excursions if you like doing things that are all organized and you are in a group. Something for everyone and a good value for the dollar as far as vacations go.</p>
<p>Biggest tip is to set yourself up on cruisecritic dot com - the best place to learn anything and everything about cruising. As soon as you pick your cruise, join the “roll call” thread for it. You can virtually get to know some fellow cruisers and probably meet them at least once on the cruise. If you’re not traveling in a group, it’s very nice to learn a few familiar faces.</p>
<p>Since you’re traveling in December, start as far south as you can afford. Bermuda is great but not the best time of year to be there. If you leave from Puerto Rico you can hit the southern islands.</p>
<p>Fly in the day before your cruise, not the morning of.
Take twice the money and half the clothes.</p>
<p>On Royal Caribbean, senior rates start at age 55 and there are sometimes discounts for residents of various states. On picking a cabin, check what is above and below your options - you don’t want to be right below an outdoor dining space or right above a nightclub, for instance.</p>
<p>We’ve only been on five cruises, three of them in the Caribbean. We did a three day Carnival cruise out of Tampa to Cozumel and back; OK but not something I would repeat. We also did a one week cruise with our son on RCI’s Mariner out of Port Canaveral with stops at the RCI private island, St. Thomas (good possibilities), and St. Martin (loved it). And we did a five day cruise by ourselves out of FLL on a relatively smaller ship, the RCI Enchantment with stops at Grand Cayman (loved it) and Cozumel (OK if you can find a beach and stay there - do NOT shop at the dock!). I liked both of them very much and would not hesitate to recommend those ships. We had a balcony cabin on the hump on the Mariner which was great for sitting outside. But they do cost a bit more and there are always quiet areas to sit away from the crowds.</p>
<p>Like MOTB says, you can make the cruise what you want it to be. We love beaches so made that a priority on our stops, with a bit of shopping for me. Get away from the port shops if possible. </p>
<p>And there will be swimsuits for sale on board, no worries!</p>
<p>This is what I posted as my final thoughts after our Mariner cruise - a bit long but to me it sums up cruising:
</p>
<p>I love cruises! I love not having to pull my wallet out to pay for the meals. I love that my teenage boys can roam the ship freely without concern. I love sleeping in the absolute dark of my inside cabin while the ship rocks me to sleep. </p>
<p>I don’t understand spending a lot of money on a pricey cabin when you are so rarely in them. I’d rather spend it on excursions! Cozumel is my favorite - swim with the dolphins at Chankanaab(?) National Park or visit Paradise Beach! My second favorite was Grand Cayman. We did a kayak excursion and had a blast.</p>
<p>I’ve never had the slightest twinge of sea-sickness. Enjoy!</p>
<p>Stradmom - I am glad you started this thread. We are considering a winter cruise but got distracted from planning by real life / work. </p>
<p>FYI - Cruise Critic is great, but a little overwhelming at first. I received some helpful intro advise in this thread - <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1348043-cruise-florida.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parent-cafe/1348043-cruise-florida.html</a></p>
<p>I think the most important thing to consider when deciding to cruise is ‘will it fit my idea of a great vacation?’.</p>
<p>Cruises are NOT like land-based vacations. You need to understand that your ‘hotel’ is a moving object in a body of water that is not at all predictable. You can have gorgeous warm weather and a choppy sea, or grey overcast and a sea like a mill pond. Your captain can do his best to steer around bad weather, but he remains at its mercy.</p>
<p>This means you might not get to the places you are expecting to get to. You can’t have your heart set on seeing Grand Cayman when there is a chance you might not be able to tender in because the sea is too rough. </p>
<p>You have to be able to ‘roll with the punches’ on a cruise. Managing expectations can make or break a cruise vacation more so than good or bad weather.</p>
<p>That being said, my husband and I have loved every one of our cruise vacations. We love being on the ship…and while its nice to visit the various ports we never worry about whether we make it to them or not. For us, the ship is the destination.</p>
<p>I am also happy to see this thread. My husband and I are married 25 years and want to go on a special vacation in Jan./Feb. We have been on three cruises before but wasn’t really thinking about a cruise. Now, I’m thinking that is what we should do. I live in the DC area so should be able to get to departure points pretty easily.</p>
<p>We are frequent cruisers - have about 25+ cruises under my belt (that includes many 3 day weekend cruises). Here are a few tips etc…</p>
<p>Favorite Cruise Line: Princess for Alaskan cruises. Princess knows how to do the Alsaka trips - simply fantastic! A balcony cabin is a must on an Alaskan cruise as the views are stunning/majestic/amazing!
Celebrity for Caribbean cruises. Celebrity has beautiful ships and their service is fabulous!</p>
<p>Least favorite Cruise Line:There is no price or deal that will lure us onto a Carnival ship again - ever! They tend to have deals that attract either large groups or novice travelers not exactly sure but have been on a few of their cruises and the other passengers have been a negative distraction. Final straw was when we arrived into Miami and nobody was allowed off the ship because a few passengers were not coming forward to settle their bills. The entire ship was out of their cabins and crowded into common areas as the same names were called over & over again. It was after noon before we were allowed to disembark. Also, I just find the Carnival ships to be too glitzy and cheesy!</p>
<p>Most Recent Cruise: Last month. Three day out of Miami on RCL’s Majesty of the Seas. It is an older ship but I love it because it is not too big! On the three day cruises we always get an inside cabin. We go on these for rest and to be where nobody can reach us. The inside cabin is like a cave - crank the AC, let the ship gently rock and I can sleep forever! RCL just changed up their menu’s so the food was amazing!</p>
<p>Intinerary: I love when the itinerary includes a stop in Key West. I love Key West but it is a pain to get to so if it is on the cruise itinerary it makes me very happy!</p>
<p>We never get off on the “private” island. We love to stay on the ship during those stops because the ship clears out so it is very tranquil on board. We enjoy being able to have our pick of chairs by the pool, eat lunch in dining room etc… We found that the “private” island is not fun - they bring the food over from the ship so it is limp & cold. They also use it as another revenue source so they are trying to sell you everything from drinks to trinkets to scuba gear.</p>
<p>Cozumel - one of our favorite excursions was that we rented our own car and drove to the other side of the island. It was beautiful and peaceful. We had lunch at a restaurant that was right on the beach - not beachside - on the beach. We ate lunch and watched & listened to the blue, blue surf. We found a small Mayan site. It was fun.</p>
<p>Chichen Itza - This was a memorable excursion. It involved a bit of a bus ride to the site but it was well worth the time & expense.</p>
<p>Cruise We Plan to do Again: Alaska!!! We plan to go with Princess again and want to go on one of their land/cruise tours.</p>
<p>Other: We like to eat breakfast & lunch in the dining room vs. the buffet. It is nice to be seated and served. The buffets can get a bit crazy w/ folks cutting in line, grabbing things, touching everything etc… The dining rooms are peaceful! Also, at breakfast (and sometimes at lunch) we ask for a table for 2 when we go to the dining room. They have always honored that request. Not to be anti-social but I do not like to make chit chat with strangers as I have my first cup of coffee!</p>
<p>This is terrific! Having read through this and the linked thread about cruising from Florida, I’m beginning to understand the different cruise lines and matching them up with what we might like. I stumbled on cruise critic last night and that’s really helpful, too. I just feel so rushed - if we want to leave in a couple of weeks, we really need to get moving on this NOW.</p>
<p>Agree about going on Royal Carribean or Princess over Carnival. If you do go I would try to get on the ship fairly early on day one. Take a good amount of time and explore the whole ship. You will find little corners that you will want to take advantage of later when you want to get away from the crowd. My DH who isn’t much for cruises found a comfy chair in a little coffee place that way and spent most of the cruise there with his book. Also the spas tend to book quickly on sailing days. On port days most people want to get off the ship and explore so if you want to use the spa call or go by early on the first day before it books up.</p>
<p>Has anyone done an eastern Canada cruise? If I do that cruise is it worth leaving from Boston or is leaving from NY okay?</p>
<p>Don’t walk on the ship’s rails, and don’t dilly dally getting back to ship at port stops–you don’t want to miss the boat.</p>