AUTUmike 79 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I've never been on a cruise but I'm moving to Miami in August so I thought I should look into them since I will be able to find them for cheap. Anyway, I'd love to hear some basic opinions, thoughts, tips for cruises. Are the rooms just set up like a typical hotel? What all is included in the ticket price (booze, food?)? Any cruise lines to stay away from? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aujess07 4 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Bump My family has always been interested in cruising but haven't done much research. I'm interested in the answers you'll receive as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA 1 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 I have been on Carnival 3 times. It may be a while before I go on another one, at least Carnival. There was nothing wrong with it, but just ready to see something different If you have never been on one, you should definately consider it. It is IMO the cheapest vacation you can take. The only thing included in the price is the trip and the food. There is something available to eat 24 hrs a day. If you leave a cruise hungry then you laid in your room the whole time. Also pretty much every type of food you can imagine. You can eat in the main dining rooms where, especially for dinner, there are several options including different things that you normally wouldn't have the chance to eat. I have tried pretty much all of it. When at dinner in the dining room, you can order as much as you want. They normally have 6-7 different entrees on the menu each night. If 3 of them sound good, order all 3. One night they had lobster tail on the menu, I ordered 3 of those. There is no limit to the food you can order and its all free Alcohol is not included. As you can imagine its a little pricey. Luckily the cruise I took this year, we had just found out that my wife was pregnant, so that was one set of drinks that didn't happen. Wanna say beers are in the $4-5 range apiece and mixed drinks ranged from 8-12? If you are a big drinker, it can add up. You have to pay for soft drinks also. You can buy a coke card when you board which will give you cokes free. They have tea, lemonade, juice, water and coffee that there is no charge for As for the rooms, if they are set up like a hotel, then I would call it a Motel 6. You can get nicer rooms of course for a higher price, but personally I didn't go to lay in the room, so I have always gone with the cheaper, lower level rooms. Once again, all in what you wanna do..The room we had was 2 double beds that they push together for a king. We had a couch with a fold out, tv, bathroom, etc. The toilet will scare the crap out of you the first time you see and hear it, but that cruising You will have the same cabin steward all week long. He or she will know your name when you arrive and they have always done a great job for me. They come in your room 2x a day to freshen up, make beds, new towels, etc. Every night while you are at dinner, they leave the next days itenerary on the bed, and fold a towel into some kind of animal shape. Its actually pretty cool. Every day on board there are activities of some sort anywhere you want to go on the boat. you can either be lazy out by the pool, listening to music or there are always shows of some sort, a casino, or whatever you want. They have poolside waiters. When you get to each stop, you have the option of just getting off the ship and walking around to sightsee or paying for an excursion. If you decide on a certain cruise, you can actually get online and view all the excursions that there are, book them and pay for them. They do different things like dolphin swims, atv rides, ziplines, even private beaches where all food and alcohol is provided. An endless possibility. Guess its all depends on your budget. I would recommend nothing more than a 5 day cruise, especially for your first. We just took a 7 day this year, and even being my 3rd, it was too much for me. We prepaid for our gratuities also. Made it easier for me If you have any other questions let me know. My hands are cramping up from typing this much. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTUmike 79 Posted July 15, 2012 Author Share Posted July 15, 2012 Wow thanks for all that info, that's awesome. A couple other quick questions I just thought of: Does the crowd get to be too much to enjoy some of the events and areas of the ship? And if I did a cruise by myself would that be thoroughly lonely and depressing or no? Thanks again for all the comments AA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
around4ever 4,139 Posted July 15, 2012 Share Posted July 15, 2012 Wow thanks for all that info, that's awesome. A couple other quick questions I just thought of: Does the crowd get to be too much to enjoy some of the events and areas of the ship? And if I did a cruise by myself would that be thoroughly lonely and depressing or no? Thanks again for all the comments AA Not AA but, yes some events or activities do get crowded but nrmally not too bad. If you are going alone with a group, you'll be Ok. If just taking a cruise by yourself, find a friend or friends to go with you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA 1 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 It can be tough to do things at times. Lunch time food lines get long and things such as comedy shows can pack out quick. Best thing to do is be EARLY to everything. I always went down to the pool area early and laid our towels out on chairs so we would have a spot. I would go to the buffet 15 minutes before it opened. Same with shows. I would rather be first in line than wait in the middle of a bunch of stinky arm pit bammers. Yes you can't get away from them even in the Carribean. As for the by yourself thing, I have no idea, but we had more fun 2 years ago with 6 of us than this year with 2. Although my preg wife was miserable the whole time Another thing to know, you don't have to get a passport if you don't want. As long as you come back to the same city on the same boat that you left on then a birth certificate will suffice. Just don't miss your boat while drinking Red Stripes in Jamaica Any more questions you have, feel free to ask Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrdude 3 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 They're an amazing bargain, and can be great if you want to do a scenic trip (such as Alaska) or stop at multiple places (such as the carribean). Rooms are tiny, food is mediocre, and it can be crowded at times, but it's not too bad. I recently went on a cruise to Bermuda. I'll go to Bermuda again, but I'll fly. Two days at sea, 2.5 days on land, then another two days at sea; I'd rather spend more time in bermuda and less time on a boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegle777 78 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 They're an amazing bargain, and can be great if you want to do a scenic trip (such as Alaska) or stop at multiple places (such as the carribean). Rooms are tiny, food is mediocre, and it can be crowded at times, but it's not too bad. I recently went on a cruise to Bermuda. I'll go to Bermuda again, but I'll fly. Two days at sea, 2.5 days on land, then another two days at sea; I'd rather spend more time in bermuda and less time on a boat. Food is mediocre??? That was some of the best food I have ever eaten when I went on a cruise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrdude 3 Posted July 16, 2012 Share Posted July 16, 2012 They're an amazing bargain, and can be great if you want to do a scenic trip (such as Alaska) or stop at multiple places (such as the carribean). Rooms are tiny, food is mediocre, and it can be crowded at times, but it's not too bad. I recently went on a cruise to Bermuda. I'll go to Bermuda again, but I'll fly. Two days at sea, 2.5 days on land, then another two days at sea; I'd rather spend more time in bermuda and less time on a boat. Food is mediocre??? That was some of the best food I have ever eaten when I went on a cruise. What cruise line? Maybe I've been spoiled by some of the amazing restaurants in my town, but on Celebrity and Norwegian I found the food to be okay but nothing to rave about. You absolutely can't beat the combination of price, quantity, variety, and 24/7 availability, but you can definitely beat the quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegle777 78 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 They're an amazing bargain, and can be great if you want to do a scenic trip (such as Alaska) or stop at multiple places (such as the carribean). Rooms are tiny, food is mediocre, and it can be crowded at times, but it's not too bad. I recently went on a cruise to Bermuda. I'll go to Bermuda again, but I'll fly. Two days at sea, 2.5 days on land, then another two days at sea; I'd rather spend more time in bermuda and less time on a boat. Food is mediocre??? That was some of the best food I have ever eaten when I went on a cruise. What cruise line? Maybe I've been spoiled by some of the amazing restaurants in my town, but on Celebrity and Norwegian I found the food to be okay but nothing to rave about. You absolutely can't beat the combination of price, quantity, variety, and 24/7 availability, but you can definitely beat the quality. Royal Caribbean Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augolf1716 21,961 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 They're an amazing bargain, and can be great if you want to do a scenic trip (such as Alaska) or stop at multiple places (such as the carribean). Rooms are tiny, food is mediocre, and it can be crowded at times, but it's not too bad. I recently went on a cruise to Bermuda. I'll go to Bermuda again, but I'll fly. Two days at sea, 2.5 days on land, then another two days at sea; I'd rather spend more time in bermuda and less time on a boat. Food is mediocre??? That was some of the best food I have ever eaten when I went on a cruise. What cruise line? Maybe I've been spoiled by some of the amazing restaurants in my town, but on Celebrity and Norwegian I found the food to be okay but nothing to rave about. You absolutely can't beat the combination of price, quantity, variety, and 24/7 availability, but you can definitely beat the quality. Royal Caribbean What did Barry think of the food? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegle777 78 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 They're an amazing bargain, and can be great if you want to do a scenic trip (such as Alaska) or stop at multiple places (such as the carribean). Rooms are tiny, food is mediocre, and it can be crowded at times, but it's not too bad. I recently went on a cruise to Bermuda. I'll go to Bermuda again, but I'll fly. Two days at sea, 2.5 days on land, then another two days at sea; I'd rather spend more time in bermuda and less time on a boat. Food is mediocre??? That was some of the best food I have ever eaten when I went on a cruise. What cruise line? Maybe I've been spoiled by some of the amazing restaurants in my town, but on Celebrity and Norwegian I found the food to be okay but nothing to rave about. You absolutely can't beat the combination of price, quantity, variety, and 24/7 availability, but you can definitely beat the quality. Royal Caribbean What did Barry think of the food? He talked to Mandy about it, and they agreed that it was Somewhere in the Night, that the food was better at the Copacabana, but then they said that they just Can't Smile Without You Golf. How's that? Couldn't find the throw up smiley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
augolf1716 21,961 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weegle777 78 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTUmike 79 Posted July 17, 2012 Author Share Posted July 17, 2012 I didn't think a smiley could be so graphically disgusting. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANSBY 0 Posted July 17, 2012 Share Posted July 17, 2012 If you are thinking about taking kids...this will sound weird, but I highly recommend looking at a Disney Cruise. We went in early March and it was over the top. It's a little more expensive than RC or some of the others, but IMO worth it. They do a great job of entertaining kids of all ages (pools, day camps, Disney characters, etc...), food is great (free room service 24 hrs a day), the Disney Island is beautiful, they even let you bring your own alcohol on board (it has to stay in your room, but it really helped cut down on the alcohol bill). You might think it would be just overrun with kids everywhere, but there are adults only areas that are quiet and relaxing. There are 5 or 6 bars on board. It was a great vacation for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTUmike 79 Posted July 18, 2012 Author Share Posted July 18, 2012 If you are thinking about taking kids...this will sound weird, but I highly recommend looking at a Disney Cruise. We went in early March and it was over the top. It's a little more expensive than RC or some of the others, but IMO worth it. They do a great job of entertaining kids of all ages (pools, day camps, Disney characters, etc...), food is great (free room service 24 hrs a day), the Disney Island is beautiful, they even let you bring your own alcohol on board (it has to stay in your room, but it really helped cut down on the alcohol bill). You might think it would be just overrun with kids everywhere, but there are adults only areas that are quiet and relaxing. There are 5 or 6 bars on board. It was a great vacation for us. Nope, definitely not taking any kids. But you have my attention. I'm good with getting hammered drunk in my room and gorging on free room service and then stumbling around a big boat messing with Disney characters. Sounds like my average Saturday night . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rollsroyce5 0 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 It can be tough to do things at times. Lunch time food lines get long and things such as comedy shows can pack out quick. Best thing to do is be EARLY to everything. I always went down to the pool area early and laid our towels out on chairs so we would have a spot. I would go to the buffet 15 minutes before it opened. Same with shows. I would rather be first in line than wait in the middle of a bunch of stinky arm pit bammers. Yes you can't get away from them even in the Carribean. As for the by yourself thing, I have no idea, but we had more fun 2 years ago with 6 of us than this year with 2. Although my preg wife was miserable the whole time Another thing to know, you don't have to get a passport if you don't want. As long as you come back to the same city on the same boat that you left on then a birth certificate will suffice. Just don't miss your boat while drinking Red Stripes in Jamaica Any more questions you have, feel free to ask That's funny about the bammers, we just went on a cruise last October the week of the Ole Siss game and saw quite a few bammers even though we sailed from Charleston. Funny thing was hire dejected the Clempsum fans were that Sunday morning after their first loss to GaTech.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rockfordpi 91 Posted July 20, 2012 Share Posted July 20, 2012 They're an amazing bargain, and can be great if you want to do a scenic trip (such as Alaska) or stop at multiple places (such as the carribean). Rooms are tiny, food is mediocre, and it can be crowded at times, but it's not too bad. I recently went on a cruise to Bermuda. I'll go to Bermuda again, but I'll fly. Two days at sea, 2.5 days on land, then another two days at sea; I'd rather spend more time in bermuda and less time on a boat. Food is mediocre??? That was some of the best food I have ever eaten when I went on a cruise. Stop the presses! Weegs and I actually Agree on something! Well sort of, for me, the food was definitely above mediocre, some better than others. I would not rate all of it A+, but definitely good, I would say overall B to B+. One good thing, if you order something for dinner, say leg of lamb, and you don't like it, they will take it back and bring you the steak or lobster, no questions asked. If you like the lobster, tell them, and they will bring you another. I have been RC once and Carnival twice, with another scheduled in August. I always go in August to try to recover from the off season on AE and get rested for the start of the season. The food in the main rest. on RC was probably a tad more to the gourmet/exotic side, so I would give RC a slight edge there. The Pool side food and buffets on Carnival were slightly better to me. I know Room service is included in the carnival price, I don't recall if it is included on RC or not. Alcoholic beverages and soft drinks are not included in the price; ship prices are comparable to what you would pay at a downtown bar. One thing I really like about carnival is that each guest can bring one bottle of wine with them and up to 12 20 oz Soft drinks (they check pretty close, so be careful if you try to sneak liquor on board). The RC Ship was a bit more elegant than Carnival, but the rooms on Carnival were larger. Not really enough overall difference between those two to matter to me, so I go with the closest/cheapest option. I thought I would be bored and hate it. However, after the first one, I have gone every year. If you are flexible and shop around, you can go for under $100 per night including food, taxes, and tips. It is cheaper for me and less stressful than spending a week in a nice place in Destin. Sometimes there are crowds, but I have never found it to be a big issue and every boat I have been on has been full. We have never not be able to get a lounge chair on the pool deck, however, the pool itself will generally be crowded. Generally, it has not been a problem getting a spot in a hot tub. The ship is full of nice bars, with great views, comfortable chairs, and a good many of them are practically empty. In terms of the cabins, they are comfortable with comfortable beds and I have found that they have plenty of room for me (our next one has three closets). I have a balcony this time, in the past I have done the inside cabins. The ONLY problem I have with the inside Cabin is because there is no sunlight you can't tell when it is day or night and my internal clock and sleep patterns get off. When you wake up in the morning, you can't tell if it is 3 AM or 9 AM. I guess a digital clock might help with that issue. One good strategy, at least on carnival, is to book an inside cabin with an obstructed view. You get the price of an inside cabin but still get the benefit of the sunlight. I have found that there is generally not a lot to be saved by shopping around, pretty much all services have the same price. The best deal I have found is if you have a discover card, book through their website/rewards program and you can get 5% cash back (or better) on most cruise lines.You have to book via their website to get the 5% back. It is really a low stress way to vacation. You don't have to drive anywhere after you get on the boat, there is plenty to do and see, and a variety of food at ever turn. One final thought. If you are not sure you might want to consider trying Carnival first because they have a vacation Guarantee policy. If you are not enjoying the cruise, for any reason, let them know BEFORE they dock at the first non-US port and they will refund the balance of what you paid for the cruise AND pay for your flight back to the point of departure. Hope this helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AA 1 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 Good post rock. Agree with everything. I have never not enjoyed myself on a cruise and will "try" to do it every year. Although this new addtion to the family in December may make '13 not an option Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUMASTERS 555 Posted July 21, 2012 Share Posted July 21, 2012 I have cruised on Carnival 5 times and enjoyed each one of them. As Rockford said you better bring a clock if you are in an inside cabin. As for excursions I prefer not to use Carnival- I would rather book in Mexico,Bahamas, or wherever you might be. They offer whatever you want to do-we like to go to the beaches, so we booked a day at a beach resort all you could eat & drink for $25 per person (well worth it - we added a nice tip to the taxi driver/booking agent because we had such a good time). You also have a choice of early dinner or late dinner on Carnival ( early is 5:30), we prefer the early so you could eat and then get back to drinking. There are different types of clubs on the ship, so you can try them all ( country , rock, piano, disco, karyoke ). I have seen singles on every cruise I have been on and they didn't seem to be miserable- if you know what I meaan. Hope this helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerfangs 269 Posted July 25, 2012 Share Posted July 25, 2012 I found it very funny that royal caribbean played sweet home alabama in every club everyday. Then heard it twice at senor frogs in nassau. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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