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wolfen · Mar 28, 2005, 02:04 PM

So it's been a rough year. Job stuff, marriage stuff, health stuff...all kinds of stuff. Rough stuff.

I decided to do a cruise. The lovely wife doesn't know exactly where and when, so I can't divulge it all here other than to say it's a Caribbean cruise. We leave in May.

Anyone have some cruise experiences and/or pics they'd like to share? Any advice?

wolfen

xi_hyperon · 02:40 PM

I've been on two week-long cruises: Royal Caribbean and Carnival. My wife and I enjoyed the Royal Caribbean cruise much more - the ship was nicer and in much better condition, and there was more to do (if you want more to do, that is). The food was better as well.

I don't have any photos from the Carnival cruise, but have quite a few from our time on RC, and I can post a few this evening if you like. Do you have any specific questions?

[edit] did a quick look around and found someone's gallery of the RC Mariner of the Seas, which is the sister ship of the one on which we traveled. Some interior shots of the ship give you an idea of its size [15 decks IIRC].

cjrivera · Mar 28, 2005, 02:24 PM

I would also 2nd Royal Carribean. It is a much better experience than a Carnival cruise.

residentEvil · Mar 28, 2005, 02:33 PM

Took one in November of 2004.

7-Day Western Caribbean, from Miami, FL
http://www.carnival.com/Itinerary.as...bRegionCode=CW

First time on Carnival; won't do them again. I took mine via the Detroit Tigers Fantasy camps. 35 of us and 4 members of the 1984 Tigers (got to party with 4 Tigers for 7 days, man was that a blast). Great time. The ship though, was full. Waits for meals was terrible. The ship linked above, just came out of drydock/repairs. Do you think they finished? Nope. 3 of the 4 pools didn't work. The one that did had it's plumbing go out the 2nd day and flooded 12 cabins pretty bad. Being completely full, there was no place to put them (I'm sure they got a refund/free 5-day out of it). As for the experience/ships go, Royal Caribbean cruise line is much better.

The ports were great and the people were nice. We were the first cruise ship to go through after the hurricanes, so Grand Cayman was a mess. Not much open, lots of damage, but still fun. The first stop, Cozumel, was the best. Lots of time there, so could do many activies/site see. Best part was that night on the sunset lobster pirate cruise. Good food, good drinks, good times! Many others chose a couple of the 'booze cruises' that night, but the pirate one seemed more fun to me. Jamaica was a dissapointment, to me anyway. I had booked a champagne catamaran morning cruise to the James Bond lagoon, etc. Well, that night the captain and several of the crew were lost at sea (the catamaran was in drydock too, from the hurricanes. first tour of that, too). That morning, nobody on land or our cruise director knew what was going on. Just over 3 hours of waiting until we go the word. Well, we were only at the port 7 hours and all the other tours i would have wanted left already. While not Carnival's fault, all we got was a sorry. Not even a gift or a freebee on board.

Took lots of photos (took a submarine down to 105 feet in Cozumel and saw sharks even!) but none are online. Made a DVD out of it though.

People: +
Ports: +
Ship: - (too long of waits, too crowded, no pools open)

(i've cruised before, Royal Caribbean is the winner so far)

Severed Hand of Skywalker · Mar 28, 2005, 02:39 PM

I just got back a week ago from a trip to the Dominican. I don't care for cruises as they are not really relaxing.

ManOfSteal · Mar 28, 2005, 02:41 PM

My wife just got back from a 2-week cruise throughout the Caribbean/Panama Canal and had an absolutely wonderful time. She went on Celebrity Cruises though...

wolfen · Mar 28, 2005, 02:58 PM

Originally posted by ManOfSteal:
My wife just got back from a 2-week cruise throughout the Caribbean/Panama Canal and had an absolutely wonderful time. She went on Celebrity Cruises though...

Were you uninvited, disinterested, or unavailable?

ManOfSteal · Mar 28, 2005, 03:37 PM

Originally posted by wolfen:
Were you uninvited, disinterested, or unavailable?

Uninvited!

A best friend of hers had an extra ticket through the family travel business and couldn't get rid of it. So my wifes friend called and asked her to go for basically FREE. She couldn't pass it up to say the least.

discotronic · Mar 28, 2005, 03:53 PM

I did a 40 day cruise in the Caribbean once and it didn't cost me a dime. Unfortunately it was given to me by the US Navy

The only stop we made was in San Juan. We got there Thanksgiving Day and from what I remember it was a very nice climate. I was 19 y/o at the time and the legal drinking age was 18 so I couldn't complain. When we where out to sea I think I was in heaven. The water was the most blue I think I had ever seen.

el chupacabra · Mar 28, 2005, 04:21 PM

ive been on carnival. Not something I'd do again. Was just a vegas hotel on water. the swimming pools were always filled with tons of kids. There wasnt really anything to do on the boat itself other than drink, eat, gamble, sun baith etc.. There were a few broadway shows.

cruises seem like old people things to me. For the money you might as well just plan your own trip to the exciting places the cruise might go and find your own way there. I'd rather jut island hop where I want to go at my convience. then you don't waist time on the boat. Islands are where the action is at not the boat.

wolfen · Mar 28, 2005, 04:31 PM

Originally posted by el chupacabra:
Islands are where the action is at not the boat.

That's my expectation. There are some cool shore excursions on our cruise that I think I'll enjoy. The boat, for me, will be about lounging, walking around, people watching, playing with my camera, etc. LOW STRESS. I've had a lot of stress this past year and although a cruise isn't my ideal vacation, it is a "fire and forget" vacation. I don't have to do nuthin. I don't have to plan nuthin. And if the wife isn't having a good time she can go to some other part of the boat, read some other book, or whatever. I am clearly not in a position to say "OK, let's go somewhere else," -- we're stuck on the boat either way, so there's no pressure.

So I'm going into it with low expectations, and I expect that will mean I will enjoy it more.

Irony is cool.

JFischel · Mar 29, 2005, 10:30 AM

I just got back from a Western Caribbean cruise on an Italian Cruise liner. The company is called Costa. It was great! The food was incredible, and the ship was perfect. Very clean, such a great vacation. I'd highly recommend them!

Josh

SeSawaya · Mar 29, 2005, 11:33 AM

oooo, sounds liked I need to be in this discussion, if for nothing else, to be the sound track. (CLICK MY LINK below!!!!)

Millennium · Mar 29, 2005, 12:33 PM

Royal Caribbean is awesome. Not much more needs to be said as far as that goes.

One of the things I would suggest is that if you swing by the Grand Cayman Islands, they are likely to have a basic scuba course as one of the activities. Do this unless you've done diving before (in which case do one of the more advanced dives). Seriously.

wdlove · Mar 29, 2005, 12:37 PM

I don't really have any interest in a cruise. Have thought of it as an extended plane flight.

xi_hyperon · Mar 29, 2005, 12:48 PM

Originally posted by wdlove:
I don't really have any interest in a cruise. Have thought of it as an extended plane flight.

I'd suggest you look into it. Quite different, and a little more fun than a flight.

ghporter · Mar 29, 2005, 09:25 PM

My family has sailed on Royal Caribbean to the Western Caribbean twice, both times on the Rhapsody of the Seas out of Galveston. Itinerary was Galveston-Key West-George Town, Grand Cayman-Cozumel, though in January we actually went to Cozumel and then Costa Maya, since Grand Cayman is still recovering from a bunch of hurricanes last year. Service was outstanding, accomodations were great (we had a very small Ocean View room on the first cruise, but we splurged on a Deck 8 rear balcony cabin last time-highly recommended!).

I can honestly say that these vacations were the only ones I can ever recall that were actually relaxing-and we did a whole lot on each cruise. Enjoy!