Anyone gone on a Caribbean cruise? (1 Viewer)

[Bob Loblaw]

My family (me, wife, daughter - 14, son - 12, and daughter - 9) will be on RC's Adventure of the Seas.  Because there are 5 of us, we had to do an Ultra-Spacious Oceanview cabin.  We're traveling with another 5-person family, and our cabins are right next to each other.  It's a 6-day Western Caribbean cruise. 

Day 1 Departure out of Ft. Lauderdale.

Day 2 Cruising

Day 3 George Town, Grand Cayman.  We decided to do the Stingray City & Calico Jack's Beach Break excursion.

Day 4 Costa Maya.  No excursion booked.  Gonna walk around for a bit, then head back onto ship to do things that are usually crowded.

Day 5 Cozumel.  Doing the Beach Break at Playa Mia which is a waterpark.

Day 6 Cruising

Day 7 Back to Ft. Lauderdale

Really looking forward to this.  It'll be our first cruise.

I can't seem to find out anything about onboard entertainment (music, comedy, magic, etc.).  Where is that info?

 

[Doug B]

I thought this thread was going to be like 50 consecutive posts about "We cancelled our cruise."

 

[Bob Loblaw]

I thought this thread was going to be like 50 consecutive posts about "We cancelled our cruise."

We did purchase travel insurance

 

[Doug B]

We did purchase travel insurance

Check out the Wuhan coronavirus thread -- supposedly, a lot of travel insurance is not paying out for coronavirus concerns. From me, it's third-hand info, though -- others in that thread know more.

 

[El Floppo]

My family (me, wife, daughter - 14, son - 12, and daughter - 9) will be on RC's Adventure of the Seas.  Because there are 5 of us, we had to do an Ultra-Spacious Oceanview cabin.  We're traveling with another 5-person family, and our cabins are right next to each other.  It's a 6-day Western Caribbean cruise. 

Day 1 Departure out of Ft. Lauderdale.

Day 2 Cruising

Day 3 George Town, Grand Cayman.  We decided to do the Stingray City & Calico Jack's Beach Break excursion.

Day 4 Costa Maya.  No excursion booked.  Gonna walk around for a bit, then head back onto ship to do things that are usually crowded.

Day 5 Cozumel.  Doing the Beach Break at Playa Mia which is a waterpark.

Day 6 Cruising

Day 7 Back to Ft. Lauderdale

Really looking forward to this.  It'll be our first cruise.

I can't seem to find out anything about onboard entertainment (music, comedy, magic, etc.).  Where is that info?

Hated this, fwiw. 

 

[Jobber]

Are you "Rfschulze94" on Cruise Critic?...

I had to re-read this post. Initially it read to me as splitting a cabana boy. 

 

[NutterButter]

My family (me, wife, daughter - 14, son - 12, and daughter - 9) will be on RC's Adventure of the Seas.  Because there are 5 of us, we had to do an Ultra-Spacious Oceanview cabin.  We're traveling with another 5-person family, and our cabins are right next to each other.  It's a 6-day Western Caribbean cruise. 

Day 1 Departure out of Ft. Lauderdale.

Day 2 Cruising

Day 3 George Town, Grand Cayman.  We decided to do the Stingray City & Calico Jack's Beach Break excursion.

Day 4 Costa Maya.  No excursion booked.  Gonna walk around for a bit, then head back onto ship to do things that are usually crowded.

Day 5 Cozumel.  Doing the Beach Break at Playa Mia which is a waterpark.

Day 6 Cruising

Day 7 Back to Ft. Lauderdale

Really looking forward to this.  It'll be our first cruise.

I can't seem to find out anything about onboard entertainment (music, comedy, magic, etc.).  Where is that info?

Nothing on the cruise website?   I'm taking Anthem of the Seas, but you go here and once you log in with your cruise info, there's a tab for Onboard Activities which lists the various activities you can book.  Some like the shows you still click to Add to cart even though they're free and once you complete the checkout, you'll be able to schedule them on the My Calendar tab.   If its not exactly like that, its pretty close.

 

[Lehigh98]

Just booked a short trip on Royal Caribbean Navigator of the Seas in April.  We were looking for something to do with our boys (13 & 11) over their spring break and thought this could be a good new experience for them. We were checking out a travel expo and they seemed interested in the big ships and CocoCay.  Cruising out of Miami with stops in CocoCay, Nassau, and CocoCay again.  

The ship had already hit the 3/4(?) limit so we couldn't get one room for the four of us.  Turns out getting two rooms next to each other was the same price as squeezing 4 into one room so that was a pleasant surprise.

My wife and I got engaged on a Caribbean cruise in 2001 while getting chased / rerouted by hurricane Michelle and tried again in 2005 but haven't gone since then.  Booked this one without too much research yet since it fit our window, time to start figuring out what to do.  Anyone have experience with CocoCay / Nassau and have suggestions for activities / excursions?

Got caught up in booking with limited availability and forgot about the whole Coronavirus thing, hopefully we don't bring that home with us.

Viking and Princess just suspended operations, the pressure will be on the other cruise lines to do the same.  Looking like we're going to go from Caribbean cruise to sitting at home and staring at each other in isolation during the school break.  

 

[Gilroy34]

Looks like we are doing a Western Caribbean cruise in August.  

 

[eoMMan]

Looks like we are doing a Western Caribbean cruise in August.  

We booked the Mardi Gras for next year (Carnival's newer ship).

Anxious to read some reviews. 

 

[Gilroy34]

We booked the Mardi Gras for next year (Carnival's newer ship).

Anxious to read some reviews. 

Looks like Carnival Horizon for us

 

[the moops]

Bumping this - is there a better all cruise thread I am missing?

I am likely going in February. Cruises are not my thing, but my wife is out of town, and my bro and his family, and my mom and dad are doing a Ft Lauderdale thing in February. 6 nights - Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Jamaica thing.

Would be me and my two boys. Age 9 and 11. Good dudes who get along great. Their cousins will be there, 14 and 16 year old girls. Then me, my bro, his wife, and my mom and dad.

Not worried about the solo parenting thing at all. Teenage girls can hang with them and my folks can whenever I am too drunk to properly supervise them But seriously, I enjoy my kiddos as do my parents, so I would gladly take them sans wife for a week and thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

More just a general, good idea? I imagine my kids would have a blast. Worth it to get a balcony room? We would likely spend almost all the days off the ship when we are docked. So wondering if a balcony is really a thing we would need/want? Although, now looking, a balcony room for the three of us would be 2800 for the 6 nights. An interior room would be 3900?? Damn that seems pricey. All seems sort of pricey. Why is a balcony room cheaper than an interior? That seems odd to me.

And I have seen the all inclusive drink thing, but doubt that is worth it. I can drink, but it appears I would need to have 9 beers a day to break even? Certainly not a problem, but with being off the ship for two whole days I would need to make up ground those nights or other days. Probably just mooch off my mom and dad, for they like to drink too.

Other advice?

 

[Lehigh98]

Would be me and my two boys. Age 9 and 11. Good dudes who get along great.

Too bad your wife can't make it but it will probably be a good bonding experience.
Personally, for me and my boys its a different dynamic when mom's not around.

Not worried about the solo parenting thing at all. Teenage girls can hang with them and my folks can whenever I am too drunk to properly supervise them But seriously, I enjoy my kiddos as do my parents, so I would gladly take them sans wife for a week and thoroughly enjoy ourselves.

More just a general, good idea? I imagine my kids would have a blast.

Most cruise ships have kids clubs and activities so depending on what they have and how outgoing your kids are they may be able to have some fun on their own.

Worth it to get a balcony room? We would likely spend almost all the days off the ship when we are docked. So wondering if a balcony is really a thing we would need/want? Although, now looking, a balcony room for the three of us would be 2800 for the 6 nights. An interior room would be 3900?? Damn that seems pricey. All seems sort of pricey. Why is a balcony room cheaper than an interior? That seems odd to me.

Yes. I'm not a huge cruise fan but being able to open a door/window and get some air or just leave open at night while you're sleeping is a big plus. (Take a magnet to fool the sensor into keeping the AC on... it that still works anyway) You can't do that with an interior room and there must be something wrong with the pricing if a balcony room is cheaper.

And I have seen the all inclusive drink thing, but doubt that is worth it. I can drink, but it appears I would need to have 9 beers a day to break even? Certainly not a problem, but with being off the ship for two whole days I would need to make up ground those nights or other days. Probably just mooch off my mom and dad, for they like to drink too.

You can add the drink package on after the initial booking and the price can fluctuate as the cruise gets closer. I'd say do some research on cruise message boards to see what pricing to look for and swoop in on. It's not essential but its definitely less of a hassle when all the drinks are "free". The drinks can be pretty expensive, especially if you get anything other than beer which I tend to do in tropical settings. The first time I cruised our (charged to the room) alcohol bill at the end of the trip was outrageous. I'd definitely get it if you can at a "reasonable" price and then not have to worry about it.

 

[waiver wire]

I am a Travel Agent so you can reach out to me if you need help
Drink and wifi packages do go on sale , you need to be watching for it and jump on the deal

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

I am a Travel Agent so you can reach out to me if you need help
Drink and wifi packages do go on sale , you need to be watching for it and jump on the deal

Or just go with Norwegian Cruise Line because the drink package is included (along with specialty dining, wifi, shore-ex credit, airfare for 2nd guest...)

 

[Lehigh98]

I am a Travel Agent so you can reach out to me if you need help
Drink and wifi packages do go on sale , you need to be watching for it and jump on the deal

I have a buddy that got his TA license and told me to let him know if I was looking at a cruise so he could see if he could get a better price. How does that work, if you don't mind me asking? Do you guys have access to lower rates and then markup for your clients? Or do you get a commission from the cruise line on trips you book for your clients? TIA!

For example, I was toying with the idea of something like THIS from THIS THREAD to take a holiday trip but avoid flying.

 

[Galileo]

More just a general, good idea? I imagine my kids would have a blast. Worth it to get a balcony room? We would likely spend almost all the days off the ship when we are docked. So wondering if a balcony is really a thing we would need/want? Although, now looking, a balcony room for the three of us would be 2800 for the 6 nights. An interior room would be 3900?? Damn that seems pricey. All seems sort of pricey. Why is a balcony room cheaper than an interior? That seems odd to me.

And I have seen the all inclusive drink thing, but doubt that is worth it. I can drink, but it appears I would need to have 9 beers a day to break even? Certainly not a problem, but with being off the ship for two whole days I would need to make up ground those nights or other days. Probably just mooch off my mom and dad, for they like to drink too.

Other advice?

That does not seem right with the pricing. I have never seen a balcony go for less than an interior...Are they comparable rooms or is the interior one much larger? Something seems like it must be different if those are truly the prices.

With regard to the inclusive drinks, if you are just drinking a couple beers per day, you are right. Not worth it. If you are going to drink a bunch of fancy, fruity tropical stuff, then it may be worth it. They can add up quick and you get hit with the bill at the end of the trip not even realizing what you have spent. I am guessing you already have the cruise line decided based on your description, but I will throw some props to @Senor Schmutzig who treated me right with Norwegian a couple years ago on my Alaskan cruise.

As far as other advice...try to do some planning ahead. If the ship has special features (activities, restaurants, shore excursions, etc...) you are interested in, see if you can make reservations ahead of time or as soon as you can when you get on the ship. Things can fill up fast.

 

[waiver wire]

Travel Agents can get paid 2 ways
1. we get commission from the supplier , this comes out of their end so it doesn't cost you anymore . We don't get paid until the trip is completed
2. some travel agents have a consultation fee that is paid at the beginning of the process .
I will add the agency gets a cut of your commission and fee -- it ranges from 60-90% depending on your sales

If you are part agency and a consortium , they can pay for blocks on cruises, tours , hotels in advance so we can offer them lower then the advertised price and also have perks added into the trip that don't cost you more.
an example of this , I was just at the Fairmount in Vancouver yesterday doing a hotel inspection and since I am part of a consortium ,when i book through them you automatically get upgraded room for no extra cost

Do we mark up , sometimes yes . if i see the advertised rate is 2000 more then what i can get , I may mark mine up 500-1000 .I wouldn't do this if i charged you a fee up front . I think that is double dipping and I just don't operate that way

There are multiple benefits of using a TA
we can save you money as we see the inventory live and what deals are offered all at once
if you agency and consortium is big , perks can be added into your trip for free or we have lower prices because we put money down a long time ago .
-- an example of this , I have 5 cabins on hold for a wine lovers river cruise in Europe for April , if you put a deposit down by sept 30 , I can offer you a 1600pp savings
when there is an issue , we do the fighting and long hold times to get it corrected
We can match the right company/cruise for you from what type of trip you are looking for

That is some of the reasons to use a TA

 

[Joe Mammy]

I do use a TA sometimes on cruises but not always. I have a regular guy that once I have solid quotes I'll give him a shot to beat it with greater OBC or other spiffs.
We prefer aft suites and always go with sky suites on Celebrity or the Haven on NCL for the cruise within the cruise and all drinks, tips, wifi, some excursions included.

I will start by finding an interesting cruise where I can get an aft suite, they usually sell out quick as they are popular and then book it directly with the cruiseline always with 100% refund option with timelines.

Then it is off to Cruise Compete (free). I will put in the cruise I have already booked, explain that I'm looking for the best deal on my aft suite #XXXX and will transfer the booking from the cruise line to the highest bidding TA. The bids will pour in for 24 hours or so.

Then I contact my TA I occasionally use. I tell him the best deal I have received from Cruise Compete and give him the chance to beat it. He usually does by a considerable margin with OBC.
I have had TA's screw me on the OBC while on board and have to get the refund after we've returned. I don't use them again.

 

[the moops]

I am a Travel Agent so you can reach out to me if you need help
Drink and wifi packages do go on sale , you need to be watching for it and jump on the deal

Damn. I gotta worry paying for wifi too? What other things am I not thinking of that I will be charged for?

 

[waiver wire]

I am a Travel Agent so you can reach out to me if you need help
Drink and wifi packages do go on sale , you need to be watching for it and jump on the deal

Damn. I gotta worry paying for wifi too? What other things am I not thinking of that I will be charged for?

the big ones are
drinks
wifi
excursions
specialty restaurants
bottled water -- bring a refillable bottle
specialty coffees
--- coffee , juices and water can be had for free in the main dining areas
room service is a possibility
spas and treatments

some of these are included depending on the cruise line , cabin you book and if you buy a package

 

[Schmeabs]

I am a Travel Agent so you can reach out to me if you need help
Drink and wifi packages do go on sale , you need to be watching for it and jump on the deal

Damn. I gotta worry paying for wifi too? What other things am I not thinking of that I will be charged for?

the big ones are
drinks
wifi
excursions
specialty restaurants
bottled water -- bring a refillable bottle
specialty coffees
--- coffee , juices and water can be had for free in the main dining areas
room service is a possibility
spas and treatments

some of these are included depending on the cruise line , cabin you book and if you buy a package

Gratuities as well

 

[Cjw_55106]

19 of us heading out of Miami in June. Stopping in St Thomas and St Kitts as well as Royal's island, CocoCay. Not the ideal time to go, but kids/school are involved so it is what it is.
Anyone been on a cruise to either Kitts or Thomas? Any excursion ideas?

 

[eoMMan]

19 of us heading out of Miami in June. Stopping in St Thomas and St Kitts as well as Royal's island, CocoCay. Not the ideal time to go, but kids/school are involved so it is what it is.
Anyone been on a cruise to either Kitts or Thomas? Any excursion ideas?

I think St. Thomas is where we did a snorkeling excursion and saw turtles. The tour might be called turtle snorkeling or something. Good time and recommended.

 

[PlayaHata]

19 of us heading out of Miami in June. Stopping in St Thomas and St Kitts as well as Royal's island, CocoCay. Not the ideal time to go, but kids/school are involved so it is what it is.
Anyone been on a cruise to either Kitts or Thomas? Any excursion ideas?

I think St. Thomas is where we did a snorkeling excursion and saw turtles. The tour might be called turtle snorkeling or something. Good time and recommended.

We've done snorkeling in St. Thomas several times and it's generally pretty good. The other thing that is nice to do if you can swing it time-wise is to take the quick ferry over to St. John and spend the day there.

 

[eoMMan]

I have a cruise coming up and the high temperature on departure day will be around 52.

 

[Orange&Blue]

Went on a carnival cruise (Vista) early fall 2022 with the kids. We've done a lot of cruises before and always liked carnival the most. But this left us thinking we may be done.

The on board entertainment was rather poor (the highlight was trivia if that gives you an idea), our kids were bored after the first day, carnival has gone cheap, and we had several instances of maintenance or cleanliness issues.

The best parts were the ports, our diner host, and the magician who entertained my kids nightly.

Guess it's 2023 now.

 

[Senor Schmutzig]

I have a cruise coming up and the high temperature on departure day will be around 52.

Leaving from Fort Lauderdale or Miami this weekend?

It will warm up quickly once you get out to the Caribbean/Bahamas.

 

[eoMMan]

I have a cruise coming up and the high temperature on departure day will be around 52.

Leaving from Fort Lauderdale or Miami this weekend?

It will warm up quickly once you get out to the Caribbean/Bahamas.

Port Canaveral.

It'll be funny to see how many people are in the pool when the air temp is in the 50s.

 

[Northern Voice]

We did a week on Oasis of the Seas in December, it was great. Tons to do on the ship, between the top deck sun/water activities, boardwalk with Playmakers Sports Bar, then at night the Schooner (Piano) Bar and the Irish Pub, we were never wanting. Food was good, probably not quite as good as our last couple, but totally fine. Stops were Coco Cay, Cozumel, Roatan and Costa Maya, we had been to all but CocoCay before but it was essentially a beach day. Cozumel we did a glass bottom/snorkeling tour in the AM and crawled around downtown in the afternoon. Roatan we hired a driver for the day and did the sloth exhibit, the beach, rum/chocolate factories and a local pub. Costa Maya, we went into Bacalar and did the 7 Colours Lagoon and a bunch of swimming.