Any cruise aficionados here?

[pasty]

Mrs P and I thinking about a Caribbean cruise in a couple of months time but have never been on one before. Any tips, ideas, do's or don'ts?

Are inside cabins okay or should we pay the extra for a seaview?
Should I get a tux/dj for any posh dinners?
Can we come and go off the ship as you please when in port?
Do you have to get off when in port?

etc etc.....

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Mrs P and I thinking about a Caribbean cruise in a couple of months time but have never been on one before. Any tips, ideas, do's or don'ts?

Are inside cabins okay or should we pay the extra for a seaview?
Should I get a tux/dj for any posh dinners?
Can we come and go off the ship as you please when in port?
Do you have to get off when in port?

etc etc.....

Jon, i think DtG - Granny Weatherwax - is yer man, he's done a few, including the Carribean.

 

[Bozza]

[MENTION=20]granny weatherwax[/MENTION] is a big cruise fan, I believe.

We're big Disney fans and took our first cruise, with Disney, last year. We were hesitant about cruising, not knowing if it was for us or not, but it turns out we loved it. Our cruise was a Bahamian one. We went for an outside state room with a balcony. Some people dress up for dinner on Disney but you certainly don't have to - we didn't. I think there's been a shift towards informality on a lot of cruise lines - eat when and where you want, wear what you want (within reason). We could come and go in port, and you could stay on board too. The ship is obviously a lot quieter when in port so it can be nice to enjoy that if you're not too bothered about any particular destination.

We'll definitely do it again, almost certainly with Disney.

(There is a significant 'Disney tax' on going with Disney compared to all the other cruiselines, but for us it was worth it. If you haven't got kids, I guess you'd choose someone else, although plenty of adults only and couples do go on Disney cruises)

 

[Beach Hut]

Yep, Dave is the big (well not so big) cruiser these days

 

[pasty]

I think there's been a shift towards informality on a lot of cruise lines - eat when and where you want, wear what you want (within reason). We could come and go in port, and you could stay on board too. The ship is obviously a lot quieter when in port so it can be nice to enjoy that if you're not too bothered about any particular destination.

Cheers so far guys. That bit is definitely good to know. We were having nightmares thinking about being stuck with a bunch of morons on the basis of "your room number eat at this table every night" and being herded around ports like lemmings!

 

[Bozza]

Cheers so far guys. That bit is definitely good to know. We were having nightmares thinking about being stuck with a bunch of morons on the basis of "your room number eat at this table every night" and being herded around ports like lemmings!

There will be a variety of port excursions available at extra cost. You can either take one of these, arrange your own or, depending where you are, just go off for a wander.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

We did one round the Med when we were kids and i loved it. Long time ago though, '77, so things will be better now. Certainly something i might condider doing, even on my own.

 

[skipper734]

1. I prefer to see outside.
2. A Tux ( Americorn) or Dinner Jacket is usually not necessary. On most Cruise Lines there is an option if you like that sort of thing.
3. Yes.
4. No.
I'm not a great fan of the " everybody back on the coach " type of Cruising. Much prefer the Trans Atlantic Voyage to the Islands, where you get an uninterrupted six days at sea. A proper Cruise!

 

[smudge]

Coming to you live from Norwegian Sun in the Baltic, last couple of weeks here before heading back over to Miami for the Caribbean season.
I'm a Safety Officer for Norwegian Cruise Line, not a salesman. However our big selling point is "Freestyle", meaning you can eat where you want in a variety of restaurants; no real formal dining. However, if you want to get dressed up, of course you can, especially for the speciality restaurants which have a cover charge, but in my opinion offer great value.
I think the biggest surprise for most people is the fact that shore excursions are not part of the "all in" package. All lines make money on this. If you want to do your own thing & you know where you're going, it can work out cheaper.
Guests have to be back on board 30 minutes before departure but are free to come & go as soon as we dock & are cleared by the local authorities.
Any oher questions just give me a shout.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

We have don't around 10 cruises now and really it is horses for courses and what you are looking to get out of one. If you are after a family cruise, then you can't go wrong with royal carribean as they are what we term as " party ships" and being mainly american, they demand a service that a lot of cruise lines fail to attain.

We cruise Celebrity as they are a 5 star line. the food is fantastic and the ships very well run. There are kids clubs on board with plenty of kids clubs etc for all ages and are very popular.

If it is just you two, the we would recommend celebrity or holland america, although as smudge says, NCL are great. P and o are geared for the uk market, so if you want a totally British experience they are your company. Cunard are a bit " up their arses" we have found and the European lines, msc, costa etc are good but the experience can be alarming, especially when trying to queue for anything....

If your budget stretches, a balcony is recommended, but inside cabins are absolutely fine and spacious.
On celeb there are formal nights and it is great to put the James bond gear on, tux etc, but I would recommend a tux orbcertainlyna suit...but it is not obligatory.
Excursions are the best way to see stuff, and the proviso is cost. Be wary though...if you get a private tour, the ship will NOT wait for you if you are not back in time...ship excursions will cause the ship to wait.
You don't have to get off...we don't sometimes as the ship is quiet and you can enjoy a relaxed time.

If you want to check out

Www.cruise.co.uk
Www.cruisecritic.com

They will give you the best advice.

I'll pm my phone number, give me a shout if you want a chat

Dave

 

[Ludensian Gull]

Have done 3 P&O cruises and as Smudge has said , many now have an option for formal dinner wear , depending on the company. The first 2 we did , we had an outside cabin with sea views , the 3rd was an inside . Personally i prefered the outside , but to be honest you spend very little time in them , i just liked the idea of waking up in the morning pulling back the curtains and taking in a diffrent place everyday. You can spend all day on the ship when you are in port , there is know need to go ashore.And yes you can come and go as you please, if you want whilst in port , just make sure you are back in plenty of time as they will leave you behind ! The shore excursions are a little pricey , but in many places you can find your own way around. Enjoy , and if you need anymore imfo will be happy to share .

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Guests have to be back on board 30 minutes before departure but are free to come & go as soon as we dock & are cleared by the local authorities.

Not having ever been on a cruise, gotta ask out of curiosity: does anybody ever get left behind? Is it like on a plane where their baggage gets unloaded and its tough titties? Or does the ship wait for them and the whole schedule gets knocked out of kilter? Or does the ship just leave on time and the latecomers have to make their own way at their own expense to the next port of call?

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Not having ever been on a cruise, gotta ask out of curiosity: does anybody ever get left behind? Is it like on a plane where their baggage gets unloaded and its tough titties? Or does the ship wait for them and the whole schedule gets knocked out of kilter? Or does the ship just leave on time and the latecomers have to make their own way at their own expense to the next port of call?

Yes there are stories of this happening all the time on cruisecritic. We were close when doing the Amalfi coast two years ago and on the return journey after meandering through the pretty villages, the motorway the driver was taking was closed and he had to batter through the little villages....we made it with 15 minutes to spare....if we had not made it we would have had to make our way to santorinin....without passports etc

 

[Tom Hark Preston Park]

Yes there are stories of this happening all the time on cruisecritic. We were close when doing the Amalfi coast two years ago and on the return journey after meandering through the pretty villages, the motorway the driver was taking was closed and he had to batter through the little villages....we made it with 15 minutes to spare....if we had not made it we would have had to make our way to santorinin....without passports etc

Nightmare! I'd be too paranoid to ever get off the boat!

 

[marcos3263]

I did my first cruise a couple of years ago - deffo. do it again. I was on a very new ship and it was beautiful. We had an inside cabin as the ones with a view or balcony where a lot more expensive and we chose to spend the money on booze and upgrades (food was all inclusive but for a surcharge you can eat in one of 5 fancier eateries eg. £8 extra for a steak dinner, there was also a spar deck which was plusher, private pool, no kids, robes etc).

If you have lots of money, then do it all!

You dont have to get off the boat but that is kind of the idea really, seeing different places. However we thought Casablanca was horrid so got back on the boat after about 2 hours!

Two nights were formal with tuxs which was really nice but you could swerve it and go the the top restuarants which were more buffet/canteen/24 hours dining anyway so no dress code.

Have fun!

 

[Rugrat]

I've done about 7 cruises, all with Royal Caribbean (RCI) except one which was Celebrity, but it's owned by RCI and ostensibly the same. I enjoy it but if you go RCI don't go on one of their Western Caribbean trips. Those destinations are complete khazis

Other thoughts inside and outside cabins are the same except balcony. Depends on your budget but if you can save a few hundred I would. Be prepared for a fairly hefty bill at end, drinks are pretty pricey. Shore excursions in Caribb are pretty pointless imo and expensive. I've found European cruises far more interesting, much more to see and a lot of variety

 

[pasty]

Cheers everyone (esp Dave)

The one we are looking at is with P&O on The Ventura

Dep Southampton
3 days at sea to Madeira, Portugal
5 days at sea to Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Then one day each to
Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda
St. Lucia
Grenada
and finally Barbados from where we fly home

(maybe)

 

[Rugrat]

Cheers everyone (esp Dave)

The one we are looking at is with P&O on The Ventura

Dep Southampton
3 days at sea to Madeira, Portugal
5 days at sea to Tortola, British Virgin Islands
Then one day each to
Antigua, Antigua & Barbuda
St. Lucia
Grenada
and finally Barbados from where we fly home

(maybe)

Looks like a nice one, enjoy

 

[Alex Alex Dawson oo! oo!]

We have don't around 10 cruises now and really it is horses for courses and what you are looking to get out of one. If you are after a family cruise, then you can't go wrong with royal carribean as they are what we term as " party ships" and being mainly american, they demand a service that a lot of cruise lines fail to attain.

We cruise Celebrity as they are a 5 star line. the food is fantastic and the ships very well run. There are kids clubs on board with plenty of kids clubs etc for all ages and are very popular.

If it is just you two, the we would recommend celebrity or holland america, although as smudge says, NCL are great. P and o are geared for the uk market, so if you want a totally British experience they are your company. Cunard are a bit " up their arses" we have found and the European lines, msc, costa etc are good but the experience can be alarming, especially when trying to queue for anything....

If your budget stretches, a balcony is recommended, but inside cabins are absolutely fine and spacious.
On celeb there are formal nights and it is great to put the James bond gear on, tux etc, but I would recommend a tux orbcertainlyna suit...but it is not obligatory.
Excursions are the best way to see stuff, and the proviso is cost. Be wary though...if you get a private tour, the ship will NOT wait for you if you are not back in time...ship excursions will cause the ship to wait.
You don't have to get off...we don't sometimes as the ship is quiet and you can enjoy a relaxed time.

If you want to check out

Www.cruise.co.uk
Www.cruisecritic.com

They will give you the best advice.

I'll pm my phone number, give me a shout if you want a chat

Dave

Surprised you've not mentioned the dance classes DtG?
We've been with Celebrity a couple of times recently to Aus/NZ and South America (Buenos Aires to Valpariso) and it was fine. We had a balcony suite both times, perhaps the only minor gripe would be some of the daytime entertainment during the SA trip which was a bit underwhelming. Still there's always NSC?

 

[Gazwag]

We have done two, both with Thompson and really enjoyed both. They were both Med cruises one week each. Personally a two week cross Atlantic cruise is brave for a first cruise. Our last night on our second cruise was a short trip from Turkey to Cyprus in rough seas and I spent the evening throwing up. We had a rough time on the first night on the first cruise but we were all fine, the difference could have been the boat was going up and down rather than side to side, so not sure if it was that, or it could have been too long out in the sun with AI drinks during the day.

Make sure you think about your budget as well, we got AI for about £50pp for the week the second time but the first time we watched what we were drinking as its easy to rack up a big drinks bill especially when soft drinks and water have to be paid for. Likewise don't forget all the trips as well which most a lot of cruise companies can be very expensive. You can almost certainly download a bar price list from cruisecritic to help you budget.

We are definitely going to cruise again and do fancy a caribbean one, but would probably fly there and back