Cruising.... Where to?

[LongBeachCoupe]

Most of the time when I think of Cruising... its in a Nissan...

This summer (late aug) I will be celebrating my one yr anniversary with my wife! She hasnt gotten rid of me yet so I figure I should take the lady somewhere!

7-12 days is ok, and we were considering South Beach (loews), Aruba (xyz all inclusive), Hawaii....

Now we are looking at a cruise option, any insight from you guys would be appreciated as I have never been and when my wife went she was half in the bag most of the trip!

Leaving from ny/fl is ok...
Line? Ship? Destination... thoughts?

[Bubba1]

Most of the time when I think of Cruising... its in a Nissan...

This summer (late aug) I will be celebrating my one yr anniversary with my wife! She hasnt gotten rid of me yet so I figure I should take the lady somewhere!

7-12 days is ok, and we were considering South Beach (loews), Aruba (xyz all inclusive), Hawaii....

Now we are looking at a cruise option, any insight from you guys would be appreciated as I have never been and when my wife went she was half in the bag most of the trip!

Leaving from ny/fl is ok...
Line? Ship? Destination... thoughts?

I stayed at the Loews South Beach prior to our cruise a few years ago. Nice place w/ great pool, but we only stayed one night. I would have liked to stay an extra day to explore South Beach right. We did a 4-5 day cruise on Carnival's Imagination with stops at Ocho Rios and Grand Cayman. Wonderful trip.

[skydragoness]

I've been to Aruba and although it's touristy (not hard to explore off the beaten path though); the best thing about it is the weather. Outside of the hurricane belt so an arid type climate = less chance of a vacation ruined by rain. Congrats!

[LongBeachCoupe]

Ive stayed at the lowes a few times and i know southbeach like the back of my hand... we are set on a xruise and now im just trying to figure out the details.. im first learning about cruises now room placement etc. There are some real deals out there!

[AppleBonker]

Some cruise lines cater more to kids (Disney/Carnival/etc). If you want a more grown-up experience, it may be best to avoid them (though all cruises will have some kids). I've done Carnival and Holland America. And the Holland cruise was definitely an older crowd on average (and by that I don't mean geriatric).

Rooms aren't quite as important. You're not going to be in there very often. I've done both a suite with a private balcony as well as an interior room with no windows. I can say they only perk to the suite (besides having a bit more room to move around in, and a larger bathroom area) was being able to order food for breakfast to the room and eating it out on the private balcony (which can be a bit more romantic). However, I'm not sure if that is worth the premium in price. Suite rooms may allow you to have first choice on dinner time as well. Most ships serve dinner at two different times (say 7 PM and 9 PM). Definitely go with the later seating. It will give you more time at port. And once the ship sets sail you'll have access to whatever you want on board, so you wont want a rush to get back to hit your dinner seating. Finally, again with dinner, you may get to choose if you want to have just a two-person table. If all the two-seat tables are spoken for on your dinner seating time, they may pair you with another couple at a table. So outside of the larger room, you get access to these choices first (they generally cater more to the higher-paying customers).

The other minor benefits to a suite room are you generally get first crack on board/disembark times which may be helpful when trying to schedule flights. And you may also get first dibs on choices for excursions when in a port. While there are multiple cool things to do in any port, the high demand ones might fill up faster. I've never had an issue with scheduling excursions, so that may not be a benefit to a more expensive room. And if you're worried about flights (and more importantly flight delays screwing up your boarding), I would plan on possibly flying into port the evening/afternoon before the ship sets sail (IE fly in on Friday for a Saturday to Saturday cruise). This will more-or-less guarantee you are on-time for boarding.

Finally, be prepared for the cost of alcohol. While food is included in the price, alcohol and drinks are not. When I went with my extended family, each family of 3-4 spent close to $2k on booze alone. While I know we're not the norm (heavy-drinking Irish bastards), it isn't that hard to rack up a huge tab. You can try to smuggle bottles on board when you are in port, but the don't actually allow it. If you get caught, they'll take the booze and give it back to you once the cruise is over.

Both of my cruises have been an absolute blast. And I am planning on going again. I highly recommend it for a relaxing vacation. If you go, I'm sure you wont regret it.

[LongBeachCoupe]

Thats one good thing we have going for us.. i drink coke. She will have A glass of wine.
Whered you go bonk?

[AppleBonker]

I've done both eastern and western Caribbean. Can't say I'd really be able to recommend one over the other. I enjoyed both.

[mmkeller]

St Lucia was an island my wife and I enjoyed.

[Bubba1]

Ive stayed at the lowes a few times and i know southbeach like the back of my hand... we are set on a xruise and now im just trying to figure out the details.. im first learning about cruises now room placement etc. There are some real deals out there!

So you stayed at Lowes, huh? In the hardware section? (j/k). If you're looking at where on the ship to stay, stay toward the middle of the ship (less motion). I'd also advise an outside stateroom with balcony. Yes, they're more expensive than an inside one, and you spend a lotta time outside the room, but small windowless rooms ain't exactly romantic, and not for anyone remotely claustrophic.

Once you choose a ship and package. Some will allow you to book popular excursions and activities in advance of arriving on the ship. Take advantage of it. Massages, for example, tend to fill up quickly, so you might end up with a bad time/day if you wait until the ship departs. A little advance planning can make a big difference.

I agree with AppleBonker, you want to arrive the day BEFORE the cruise departs. Peace of mind for severely delayed flights or lost luggage. The ship does not wait for you.

Our last cruise out of Miami, we had priority booking which was awesome. Gets you some very nice perks, like bypassing the 1-2 hour line in the hot non-airconditioned terminal getting thru customs and check in. We were directed to an airconditioned private office where it took 5 minutes, then escorted directly onto the ship. Also got 1st choice of dinner seating and location.

Another cost you need to be prepared for besides booze and excursions are TIPS. You're gonna have a lotta folks to tip, from chambermaids, matre' di, waiters/waittresses, (not just dinner), concierge, bartenders, etc. You;ll be given envelopes the last evening of the cruise. You can always look on-line for suggested amounts and would recommend setting aside the cash.

[frapjap]

Everyone has really nailed the basics.
A couple notes, since you only drink Coke, most lines have a "coke card" where you can get unlimited non water/fruit beverages for a flat rate.

I've never seen excursions fill up completely on any cruise line I've been on, so I wouldn't sweat it. Like Bubba said, if you want a massage in the first 3 days, it will be booked solid, but if you wait til 4-7days in, they'll start running/announcing special deals.

When you go to board the ship, do yourself a favor (unless you paid for it) and don't show up til about an hour before the ship departs. You'll miss the stinky, smelly, screaming child lines and breeze right through.

Most cruise companies also allow 1-2 bottles of wine per person, so your wife may be set. Check with the company.


Also- I sent you a PM regarding travel. Hit me up.

[Jesda]

I've always found this mode of travel to be bizarre, like staying at a hotel just for the hotel rather than the place it's at.


Perhaps I'm a control freak who hates the idea of restraint and not being captain of the ship.

[Bubba1]

I've always found this mode of travel to be bizarre, like staying at a hotel just for the hotel rather than the place it's at.


Perhaps I'm a control freak who hates the idea of restraint and not being captain of the ship.

well, not that bizarre if you think about it. many folks stay at all inclusive tropical resorts full of activities and leave the resort maybe once to explore the area.

I'm not a fan of the mega ships due to the huge crowds. The last two cruises we took were on comparatively small ships, which I thought were easier to get around and find things + a tad more intimate.