Cruise

We went on a cruise for our honeymoon in October. I had a great time. The different ports were a lot of fun. We did the eastern Carribean, St. Martaan, St. Tomas and Nassau, on the Norwegian Epic (their newest ship, it was humongous). We did a 7-day cruise, had the first 2 days at sea, the next 3 were ports…so the second day was a bit boring, you can only wander the ship so many times (we don’t drink, I can’t swim and hubby doesn’t like just sitting around). 😀 But they had the Blue Man Group, the Second City Troupe, and a Cirque de Soleil dinner. Not to mention an ice bar, casino, 2 story giant big screen for movies…and that is just the indoor stuff. It was “freestyle” dining so they had a buffet going all day the was included and then there were 6 other restaurants you could try (the restaurants cost a little extra, $5-10). We did an excursion in each port, a nature one in St. Martaan, a shopping and beach one for St. Tomas and a private beach at Nassau. If you want to do excursions, I suggest you book early…they fill up quick.

I have to say that the shopping was amazing in the ports, the cruise did a seminar before the ports to tell you which shops were “approved” meaning if you had a problem with a purchase when you got home, they would help you fix it with the company if you couldn’t contact the company itself for some reason. Otherwise, you took a risk that what you bought wasn’t worth what you paid. Our shopping consultant was even in the ports on the day of, going from store to store to make sure we all had a good time shopping. And the tax and duty free definitely made it worth it. 😀

Have a great time looking, I soooooo want to do it again soon!!

I’ve been on two cruises, and I will do so again when I can afford the time and money! My first one was a Carnival western Caribbean cruise. It was great fun. Yes, there is a “formal” dinner (or two, depending on the length of your itinerary), but you are not required to go to it. The way dining works on those ships is that you have a dinner time scheduled where you are seated at the same table every night. The scheduled dinner is semi-formal–that is, you cannot wear shorts or jeans or swimsuits to dinner. And 1 or 2 nights, you can dress up fancier (or not, but a lot of people do). The food is typically pretty high end and fantastic. However, you don’t HAVE to attend your scheduled dinners. These ships also have food available pretty much 24-7 elsewhere on the ship, and with the exception of a steak and lobster type restaurant, they’re all included in the price of your cruise. On both of my cruises, I always attended the regular dining time. We got to meet other people on the ship and since it’s the same table every night, you can actually get to know them.
My second cruise was a southern Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean. Similar set up as far as the boat goes and the meal times/arrangements go. But, I think that pretty much all cruise boats are built in the same shipyards, so you’re not going to see a totally unique layout. But they do come either smaller or larger, and the decorations are beautiful! I highly recommend Royal Caribbean for the overal feel of the cruise, though, if you want a more adult experience (no, I’m not talking nude decks–though the Carnival ship had a top-optional deck). Carnival tended to feel more “party-ish,” while Royal Caribbean felt like they had done this forever–just felt more professional.
As far as WHERE to go, I recommend the southern Caribbean. You can get fairly inexpensive rates during hurricane season, yet the southern Caribbean rarely has hurricanes. Otherwise, western Caribbean was very fun, and fairly inexpensive, too. I don’t think it matters too much. Go on one you can afford, it’s going to be a blast. And definitely get off the ship and do some excursions. I shopped at one stop on the western Caribbean cruise…it was ok. The excursions, though, are something you can’t really do at home. I also recommend booking your excursions as soon as possible, and not waiting until you’re on the ship. The most popular ones fill up fast.
Finally, some warnings: Everything except food will cost you extra. Often, tea and coffee (and water, of course) are also free. But soda and alcohol are not. If you drink soda, and expect to drink more than a couple of sodas, purchase a soda pass at the beginning of the cruise if they offer them. It will save you money and it will not be available to purchase after the first day. Alcohol is EXPENSIVE. I don’t drink much, and it’s fun to have a drink here and there on the ship, but unless you have lots of spending money, be aware that it is expensive. However, if you do buy a bottle of wine for dinner, they will bring it to your table each night until you finish it. The excursions all cost some amount of money, and quite frankly, unless you are savvy to each port’s locations and culture and know who to trust on shore, they are worth the money as they guarantee that you get what you paid for and you will get back to the boat on time (yes, the ship will leave you). Note, tips on the ship are included in a final bill that will cost you a few extra dollars per day. Totally reasonable. Tips off the boat (like on an excursion) are not included. Make sure you bring a few dollars for your tour guides.
Finally, splurge a little bit. A room with a balcony is totally worth it. You can sit out there, order room service (free), and watch the water and islands roll by as the tropical breeze floats past. Beautiful! Of course, if you can’t handle tropical breezes, a Caribbean cruise is not for you.

Darjeb, I am so totally jealous of you. 😉