Caribbean cruise

Questions and Answers

round-trip caribbean cruise from miami?

Q) okay, forgive me for being brief-am planning a 1 month first time trip to the States *live in UK* hoping to do both coasts- NY, Florida,Vegas, California....if budget permits-probably biting off more than I can chew, if so forgive my ignorance... Would like to go to florida,miami for maybe 7-10 days and am considering a caribbean cruise, seeing as theyre so geographically close. 1/ could only really go to states between July 1st-end of August, how "real"/or should I say avoidable is the hurricane problem-is it enough to discount florida completely whilst I'm there? 2/ Ive only got 7-10 days to do miami florida area, is it going to be a squeeze to fit a cruise in? is it worth it? if so, 3a/ What can two ppl expect to pay?...the cheapest I could cruise for say 4-5 days is? 3b/ Which part of the caribbean should I *we* go to? many many thanks in advance to any lovely person that answers a question : )

A) Man I just sold out this cruise. This would be right up your alley and at an unreal price. http://www.worldventures.com/dreamtrips/dec_cruise.html Good luck in searching. May I suggest this website when looking at travel. http://utopia.worldventures.com It searches 200+ websites for their lowest published rates.

Caribbean cruise excursions?

Q) im going on a cruise in a few weeks and im not a millionair and have just received the excursion book does anybody no if i would be better booking with the cruise or booking with the locals when i get to each port of call . any other advice would be appreciated

A) Go with the locals - there will be plenty of taxis at the port, the drivers are great, they know the best places to go and they are all really proud of where they live and what they show you. They will drop you at the beach and pick you up at an arranged time. I was there with a girl friend and we had no problems at all, and saved a lot of money!

Has anyone 'won' a Caribbean Cruise from Promo World Travel?

Q) I 'won' a holiday from this company...three years ago! Their telephone is still being answered and they say that people will hear eventually..just that because it's a free holiday, you have to wait until places become available. Has anyone actually been on a cruise with this company, either paid for or 'won', or does anyone here know anything about Promo World Travel?

A) I got something similar, but they said they needed a credit card number for administration charges that may be incurred. Needless to say I turned down my free prize.

Any one under been on a cruise with the royal Caribbean cruise ships?

Q) Iam going on a med cruise in the end of october, and wanted a little info. I am 26 and my boyfriend is 30 and we wanted to know what to pack for the week, I dont have a clue what the weather will be like, cold? hot? inbetween? We are starting of in Barcelona, then florance, rome, montecarlo, cannes. any Idea what to wear? Olso there are two formal dinners and havent ot a clue what to wear for those! any ideas? sensible answers please! x

A) We did the Med on a Royal Caribbean ship a couple years ago, the Brilliance of the Seas. We also departed from and returned to Barcelona, Spain. Our cruise dates were October 5th through 17 and the weather was great. We had a few rain showers a couple days but not enough to stop or really interfere with our tours. The weather was in the 70's during the day and 60's at night. But it was nice enough to sit on the balcony at night and not be cold. Here's what to expect. The standard cabin that most people get (inside/outside/balcony) is generally between 175 and 200 Square feet, about the size of a 9 by 12 ft home bedroom (balconies are about 45 to 55 sq ft). Each cabin has a two beds which can be made into a queen, a bathroom with a shower stall, a closet and some drawer space, a TV and telephone, a mini-refrigerator, a safe for valuables, and a life jacket for each passenger. The dress on ship is casual all day until 6:00PM. SO take swim wear, shorts, sandals, beach shoes, sun glasses and sun screen, lotions, a cap or big hat for the sun, a book if you are a reader, your music player, sneakers and clothes to workout in if you like to use the gym, your camera, and other personal toiletries. After 6:00 PM they request that you wear "sports casual" attire. That's attire that you would expect a person to wear in a business office, shirt with a collar, slacks, skirt, blouse, etc. You can still wear shorts and swim wear in the pools and spas but not in public areas like dining rooms and restaurants, show rooms, bars, casino, etc. If you go to the pool in swim wear cover yourself while in the hallway with a wrap or towel. Your cruise will have two formal nights when you can wear your best stuff and get pictures taken, and maybe meet the ship’s Captain. The formal nights are REQUESTED not required attire. But most people do dress up in a tux for men and a long dress (any color) for women. Some men just wear a suit and tie and some women wear a nice dress but not a gown. You will not be denied access to the dining room or anything else if you choose not to dress up. (we usually take off the formal stuff after dinner and pictures anyway). Take a light jacket for when its breezy on deck and/or if there are rain showers. Be careful of pickpockets and Gypsies in Barcelona, Rome and Florence. Your tour guides will likely tell you this. What i recommend is going to Target or Brookstones and getting a money belt/pouch which you can then wear under your clothes. I would keep my Passport, credit cards and money in it under my shirt and my jacket so there was no chance of a pickpocket getting anything. I would only keep a few Euros, mainly coins, in my pocket for buying souvenirs. Spain, France, Italy and Greece all use the Euro and you can get them from your bank before you go, in the airport, or at the purser's desk on ship. Its best to pack using soft-sided luggage because with space limited in your cabin it fits under the beds better if its not hard sided luggage. Take a small carry-on bag for the last night of the cruise. On the last evening you will be required to put your luggage outside your cabin by about 2:00 AM so that they can start taking it down to the lower deck for offloading the next morning. So you will need a small bag for your toiletries and and your clothes that you sleep in. If you have access to a grocery or convenience store prior to boarding the ship, or if you drive to the port, take a 6-pack of bottled water and a 6-pack of your favorite soft drink in 16 oz bottles. Soft drinks are not included in the price of your tour and I find that its nice to have my own soft drink in my cabin, same with bottle water which they also sell on ship.

How much does it cost to hire a tuxedo with the royal Caribbean cruise ships?

Q) I would love to see my boyfriend dressed in a tux and I know he wants to just for one night on our first ever cruise, but we were wondering if it is expensive to hire one. sensible answers please. xxxx

A) it is $100 to rent the Tux for the evening.

Doing a Caribbean cruise,any tips when ashore , is it cheaper to book with Ship or on land independaley ?

A) My husband and I have found that its cheaper not to book with the ships travel shop. (They can be very expensive) Especially on the Caribbean Cruise, on most of the islands, there are friendly and helpful guys waiting outside the dock with big people carriers to couples or groups, you discuss the cost before you get in the vehicle, we never had any problems, not sure about Jamaica, did not go there.

anyone been on a caribbean cruise before?

Q) do they stop off at different islands thoughout the stay and how many stops does it do for say a 2week hols. any sites recommened so i can check where they stop off. how long is each stay or is it on the ship the whole time and just a short stop. i've never been before.

A) no 2 points

Summer ball based on theme caribbean cruise?

Q) Any ideas what colours I should wear? It has to be a full length ball or cocktail dress. I was thinking of wearing my red satin dress from thialand. Do you think that would be okay> Or shoul i get a ball gown> i am size 12 with blonde hair if that helps.

A) Orange looks great with blonde hair but red would be really good too. Get some caribbean accesorize to spice it up a little too!

Can you use the internet on a royal caribbean cruise?

A) Royal Caribbean does have internet access onboard all of their ships. They have public internet cafes with several terminals you can use as well as WiFi hotspots scattered throughout the ship. However, internet access is not free. Pricing runs in the area of $50 for an hour of usage, plus the connections are not fast. Internet access is via satellite and as a result pages can take a while to load.

does anyone know what the uniform looks like for royal caribbean cruise lines?

A) are you a terrorist?

caribbean cruise?

Q) Im looking at takeing a trip i neaver been on a cruise im looking for all the help i can get im going by myself also dont want to be around a lot of kids something for Adults dont really care about port calls may do 1 or 2 should i book my trip way a head of time what to ask when i bbok my trip any all help please and THANK you

A) RESEARCH HEAVILY FIRST....If you go Caribbean, go southern or eastern, I hear western not that exciting. Take 7 dys if possible, at least 3-4 ports. Try to book at least 6 mos. in advance, more time to plan and pay for it. Check all itineraries, see which ports have what you may like. Definitely look into land excursions (activities while at port). Get your passport now, may not be necessary, but will speed up process of checking in (especially with our sec. issues). Kids will be on the boat, but will not see them much, they have many planned activities. I went by myself and had a ball and met a lot of nice people that I still keep in touch with. Lots to do and PLENTY TO EAT. Decide where you want to go and again RESEARCH all cruise lines and itineraries. Compare peak and off peak seasons. Also if you don't live near the departing port, look into booking flight with the cruise, it is like insurance. If you flight is delayed, the boat won't leave without you, book the flight on your own(separate from the cruise), the boat will set sail and you'll have to get to the 1st port on your own. Telephone calls are EXPENSIVE from the boat, seek cheaper options. I hope this helps

Cruise to Western Caribbean?

Q) I've been on an Eastern Caribbean and Mexican Riviera cruise. The Caribbean cruise stopped in the Bahamas, St Thomas and St Maarten and the MExican cruise in Cabo, Mazatlan and Puerto vallarta. I much prefered the Caribbean. So I am thinking of going on a cruise in the western caribbean, stops in Jamaica, cayman island and cozumel. My Question is, is the western caribbean more like the eastern caribbean or mexico?? thanks very much!

A) I have been to both Eastern and Western Caribbean and the Mexico cruises. It was my experience that the beaches on the Caribbean side of Mexico are much prettier than those on the Pacific side. And the port stops in the Western Caribbean in my opinion are much better. Cozumel is a rather small island with not much to do other than beach stuff. Its the place for swim, snorkel and scuba, plus para-sail, jet ski, etc. There is some shopping, but not like you will find in St Thomas. Grand Cayman has that 7-mile beach which is lovely and prettier than any beach on the Pacific side of Mexico. Jamaica is not a stop that I care for in the Western Caribbean, but I did enjoy the river raft trip and the Dunn's Falls excursions on my stops there. Yes go to the Western Caribbean as its a different experience.

Princess Cruise Line Caribbean Cruise--Need help?!?!?

Q) I am planning to go on a cruise late next year with my boyfriend and I have been hearing that the Princess Cruise Lines are better than Carnival and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines. Is this true? I'm not yet 21 and he's in his late 20's so would this be the best option for us? We realize that it is more expensive. Is it cheaper later in the year (fall)? Will we be bored or better served to go one of the other cruise lines? We don't want tons of kids running around us but we also don't want all old people either. We also don't want a bunch of drunk young people. I am sure since the ship holds 3,000+ that you will get a good variety of ages. Please help!!!!

A) I have been on Princess cruises three times. Also been on Norwegian, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean many times. In my opinion Princess, RC and Celebrity have the best ships, food and service. Norwegian is close but I do not care for their "freestyle" dining. I prefer the more traditional dinner seating where you have a table and waiter assigned for the duration of the cruise. You will have to be 21 years old before you can book a cruise. They will ask for passenger birth dates, and passport information. So wait until one of you is 21 to book. All of these cruise lines will have guests in a variety of age groups. The line which has the history of having mainly OLD people is Holland America. Its a great line but that's where the old folks go most often. If you want to stay away from kids, stay away from Disney. Its been my experience that the passengers on these lines are between the ages of 35 and 65 mainly. Another important factor to consider is, cruises going to the Caribbean tend to have more young folks than those going to Alaska, Panama, the Mediterranean, the Baltic, or South America. People who go to the Caribbean are looking for fun things like beaches, jet skiing, snorkeling and scuba diving, para-sailing, and a lot of other activities related to water and beaches. On the other hand, people who go to Alaska, Panama, the Mediterranean, etc., are looking for cultural and historic activities. These cruisers tend to be the older people (40+). That does not mean these cruises are dull, it just means that the passengers are more mature and reserved. You will find the 40+ crowd in the bars and disco and having as good a time as the youngsters, but you may not hear them across the room or deck. The best way to get the best deal, price and cabin wise is to book early. The cruise lines have their cruise schedules online for this year and next. The prices for any particular cruise can change by hundreds of dollars depending upon which week you go. You can see the different prices for a cruise itinerary by just picking a cruise itinerary and then look at the differences in price for each date that cruise is available. For example, the Alaska cruise season is May to September, but the cruise is cheaper during May and September. My suggestion to you is go on a Princess cruise to Alaska and pick a May or September date which will be cheaper. OR, go on one of the new Royal Caribbean ships, Freedom of the Seas or Liberty of the seas. Both ships are brand new, hold about 4,000 passengers and have a great variety of activities. They also have an adults only pool and hot tub area called the Solarium. Both of these ships do the Caribbean in different itineraries, Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean.

Anyone been on a Caribbean Cruise??

Q) For my husband and I's 5th wedding anniversary (which isn't until 2009) we are thinking of going on a cruise in the Caribbean. We were thinking of going with Princess Cruise's because a while back they were offering a special celebratory package if you were celebrating a major anniversary while on the cruise. I don't know if they are doing this anymore so I don't know if we will actually book with them. Has anyone ever actually been on a Princess Cruise?? What can you tell me about it?? What are some other good cruise lines that cruise the Caribbean??

A) We just returned Wednesday from an 11 day Caribbean Cruise out of NYC to St. Thomas, San Juan, St. Maartin, Domenico. We were supposed to go to Tortola, but got caught in hurricane winds of about 100 miles per hour so had to skip that port. We have been on almost every cruise line. This May we return to Caribbean on Royal Caribbean for nine days. We travel on cruises four times a year. If you tell them its your anniversary, Royal Caribbean decorates your door, invites you to a special party and of all the cruise lines except Celebrity I give them five stars! For us, going on Celebrity or Royal Caribbean is being treated like family. Last year we were on Celebrity Infinity to Caribbean in January and to Hawaii in October. We took Royal Caribbean in March to Panama Canal. Can you tell we love the company? If you contact 'vacationstogo.com' they have all kinds of specials. We booked a trip to St. Kitts for January 2008 in 2006. You asked about Princess, so I'll tell you. We were supposed to go to St. Kitts in 2005 on Princess. This was my Christmas present to my husband as he is a railroad buff and wanted to ride their sugar train. Unfortunately, we were one of 86 cabins quarantined with Norovirus, so were unable to go anywhere the entire trip. Princess did nothing for us, neither did cruise insurance. However, Prime Minister of St. Kitts learned about our disappointment when I posted on internet and give interviews to Miami TV. People of St. Kitts paid for us to come down for a whole week. Royal Caribbean has ice skating, wave surfing, basketball, golf, rock climbing, etc. You'll never want for activities on board! The entertainment is top notch and the food is to die for! Happy anniversary!

western caribbean cruise: royal caribbbean Freedom of the Seas VS Princess Cruises: Caribbean Princess?

Q) Which cruise liner would you suggest as part of a honeymoon to Western Caribbean? Please no direct answers but state how they compare with each other. THANKS A LOT FOR THE INFO.

A) I loved the Princess Cruise. I did not care for Holland America the food was a lot like the college commons.

Which caribbean cruise is better?

Q) I am having trouble deciding between two cruises. One (with carnival) leaves Ft Lauderdale and travels to Key West, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios Jamaica. The other (with Royal Caribbean) also leaves Ft Lauderdale and travels to Key West, Belize, and Cozumel Mexico. I'm open for any suggestions & input from anyone who has been on either of these cruises or to any of these destinations. I have never been on a cruise so this is all new to me. Any info will be greatly appreciated.

A) my wife and i have done 15 cruises with all the major lines so we do have a little experience. both of your cruises are good but alot has to do with the cruise line. rccl is a little more upscale but we found the dinning experience disappointing. (very little variety in the dinning room).the newer ships are beautiful but the cabins are still pretty small. carnival has put alot of effort into overcoming the party barge image and it is beginning to show. the food in the main dinning room has improved 1000 % in the last 10 years. the shows on carnival are second to none but the ships still tend to be loud and full of sales pitches for spa products and other cha-ching things. carnival staterooms are much larger. as for the itenteraries, i prefer grand cayman to belize (unless you are divers) but i like cozumel better than ocho rios. jamaica is not very safe at all,if you choose this cruise DO NOT WALK ANYWHERE, take a taxi and make damn sure it has a taxi licence plate. the shopping plazas are gated to keep the cruise passengers in and the local thugs and assorted bad guys out! we were there in 1996 on the inagural cruise of the carnival destiny and the day before cruise ship passengers had been robbed on a shore excursion. if you use common sense you will be fine. belize isnt a great port of call yet. it is new to the cruise industry and unless your a diver there isnt alot to do. each cruise has one so-so port but if it was my choice my love for cozumel would probably beat out the negative for rccl and i would do key west,belize and cozumel.

First cruise to the Western Caribbean ADVICE PLEASE?!?

Q) This is my first cruise. I'm going with Royal Caribbean on the Western Caribbean cruise April 9th.Its ports are Key West, Cozumel, MX and Belize City.The ship is Enchantment of the Seas. Has anyone been on this cruise?Do you have any advice on what to bring, what to do, or just any advice at all?I like all kinds of things.

A) Perfect cruise. Wish I was going with you. Key West-I would just walk around and see the town. It's rather quaint and the excursions there seem to be very expensive. But if you have money, I might take a tour excursion there but the town itself is so cute with hundreds of stores so you might just wander around. Buy a pie and some limeade, eat some cronch fritters, walk the dock. They have tons of street vendors--selling pictures, painted christmas ornaments, performing acrobats and magicians. If you can, get a seat for the sunset. You can either be in a big group right on the pier or you can go back on your ship and have a drink, but Key West sunsets are amazing. Cozumel is my favorite cruise destination. I could spend a week there. If you bring snorkel stuff with you, take a cab to the National Park. It's called Chankanaab National Park. It's just a few miles away from the port and has some of the best snorkeling on the isle. I took a shore excursion to the park (my husband left his snorkel stuff at home) and we did a clear bottom kayaking and snorkel tour, then had a margarita. thought it was the best shore excursion and had chairs right on the shoreline. it looked just like the Corona commercials. Belize is a very poor area and if you can only afford to go on one shore excursion do it here. Near the port is like a flea market, and nothing much else. The area is so poor they swarm you when you get off the boat. I took a shore excursion to the Xunantunich Mayan Ruins. They are the best preserved Mayan ruins so if you are going to see any of them, see these. It took the whole day to do it, as its on the border overlooking Guatemala and Honduras. But it was awesome. Advice on what to bring: lots of one dollar bills. if you buy anything from Belize, it will be cheap and they won't have change. Bring something with sleeves since you may get burned at the ruins (no shade). Underwater camera of course for snorkeling. Go to the art auction. Wait til the last day to go to the ship spa as often you can get good deals. Go to all the buffets and try to eat at more than just the dining room and Lido deck (there are probably 20 places to eat on the ship and I never make it to more than just the Lido deck for lunch). Is it your first cruise or just your first cruise to Western Caribbean? Email me if you have any questions on what to bring. No real advice, just enjoy yourself. Relax. Tour the ship first thing. Book your shore excursions first thing or online. During those first few hours (if you can board at noon, between noon and 2), a lot of the best shore excursions will fill up so if there is a great one that you are really into book it first. You can always book other ones later if you want. Never be late--the ship will leave you. I love this cruise and you will have a blast. Happy Cruising!

Royal Caribbean Cruise, best deck?

Q) Ok, so I am going on a Royal Caribbean cruise next month to the Caribbean and was wondering, what is the best deck to be on? I am on deck two but is deck three better than deck two? I noticed the price goes up as you get higher, but don't know if there is any difference or why they would be better. Thanks! Also, does the view make much of a difference and I know it is lower but if I take the elevator does it make that much of a difference? If you know what I mean ... just wondering if it is worth the extra money. :)

A) As far as i remember, decks 2 and 3 are the same. Onlydiferrence is that you are a bit higher, thats why 3 is a little more expensive. Since most of the community areas in the boat are located floors 5 or 6 and up, well, the closer the better. Cabins start being diffrent at deck 5, more or less. Then they keep getting bigger, and more expensive... balconies, 2 rooms, 3 rooms nd living rooms, etc. Visit the royal caribbean page and check the deck prints... depending on the ship, they have them all there. Have nice trip!

Caribbean Cruise Excursion Tips?

Q) My husband & I are leaving June 1 for our first cruise. We're going to the following Caribbean ports and are wondering if anyone has any suggestions of what to do or not do at any of them (excursion wise or any thing else). San Juan/Puerto Rico Barbados/Bridgetown St. Lucia/Castries St. John's/Antigua Philipsburg/St. Maarten Saint Thomas Thanks! We are planning to book the excursions through RC... but because there are so many choices thought we'd get advice from some people who've actually been there (BTW... the answers so far have been terrific!)

A) I have been to St. John, St. Maarten, and St. Thomas. Trunk Bay on St. John is a must see... beautiful snorkeling and just an incredible beach experience. Pinel Island on St. Maarten was nice, some good snorkeling There is another beach on St. Maarten that was nice (some nice waves) I think it was called Orient Beach or something - careful its a topless permitted beach St. Thomas - Meghans Bay is incredbly beautiful. Have a great time!

Royal Caribbean Cruise in March...?

Q) Does anyone know if college kids take cruises this time of year? We want to take a Southern Caribbean cruise March 11 and don't want the ship overrun with college kids. I would think if any that Carnival is the party ship over Royal. Any thoughts or experiences?

A) I was told that Royal Caribbean would be the quieter of the two. You would be cruising right in the middle of Spring Break so I am sure there will be college kids on the ship. Have you thought about Princess? Carnival is definitely out of the question, I think they are a party ship.