Cruises

[AGDee]

Royal Caribbean added a gratuity for drinks automatically. One of the other women I was traveling with didn't realize that until the third night. She'd been giving them a full tip on top of the automatic gratuity every time!

[AUAZD2001]

I have cruised twice, both times on Royal Caribbean. Once was an eastern Caribbean in 2001 with a large group of extended family (11 adults and 5 children) in the summer. My second cruise was in 2009 on a New England and Canada trip. We sailed out of Boston in October. The Caribbean cruise was much more of a party atmosphere and the average age of the passengers seemed much younger than the New England cruise. It was during the school year so there were hardly any children. Many Baby Boomers and older on this cruise. Also the activities on board seemed to be more geared for the less active. These were both 7 night cruises. The food quality seems to have slipped a bit but the service is still nice better than if you go stay at most resort hotels.

I also just had the opportunity to tour the Disney Dream while it was in port at Port Canaveral this week. I have a good friend who is a manager on board and she was kind enough to spend about 2 hours of her free time showing me around the ship. The ship is only about a year old and everything is sooooooo wonderfully themed. Attention is paid to even the smallest of details. And the entire crew is focused on anticipating and serving the guests' every possible need. You can tell they are always prepared to serve. About halfway though out tour I was ready to put down a deposit for a cruise with Disney!

[christiangirl]

I went on a Carnival cruise for my senior trip. We had a blast--we thought the food was great, the activities (which I can't remember now) were fun, the staff were friendly, and the ports were awesome.

I say this in full recognition that, as college students, we were willing to eat anything, could make the most of boring activities, and weren't used to being waited on at all. I am not sure how much of this was attributed to the awesomeness of Carnival or just the fact we were a week away from graduation and no one could bring down that high. But honestly, the other people on the ship were all fun and friendly (probably because they were drunk most of the trip) and the boat had a mini golf course, water slides, and other fun things to do. We were also quite a large group and they accommodated us very well during our special activities together. I would definitely use them again but I've been dying to try a Disney cruise.

[AGDee]

I didn't mention that one thing I'll look at next time I book a cruise (the girls picked this itinerary) is that I would have liked the days at sea and the days in port to be spaced out better. Having essentially three days on the boat, then three at port then one at sea was an odd mix. The first days were so leisurely then it was "run, run, run" for three days. My ideal would be to alternate days at sea with days in port. We were really tired after the three days in port in a row.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I didn't mention that one thing I'll look at next time I book a cruise (the girls picked this itinerary) is that I would have liked the days at sea and the days in port to be spaced out better. Having essentially three days on the boat, then three at port then one at sea was an odd mix. The first days were so leisurely then it was "run, run, run" for three days. My ideal would be to alternate days at sea with days in port. We were really tired after the three days in port in a row.

I wondered about that from your first post. I wouldn't like that, either. If there's a "private island" stop, it's also nice to have that toward the end, I think. Those are very relaxing.

That reminds me of another caveat about the Disney cruises. Their private island, Castaway Cay, is wonderful...great amenities, great theming. And, our family LOVES Disney...we go every year, and my kids own stock, so I'm not bashing the Mouse. However, a somewhat little known fact is that the currents are very tricky and there are frequent problems with docking and water restrictions. On our first Disney cruise, we docked but we were not allowed in the water at all due to issues with the currents. Second cruise, after numerous docking attempts, the Captain gave up and we circled around for a day at sea. They said they'd try again the next day. Next day comes, he managed to dock us after several tries (finally going right over a huge buoy...hello Titanic!), but we could only wade and tube right by shore...no snorkeling or going in the deeper areas of the cove. I have since read that this is a common issue, but Disney tries to keep it quiet.

Has anyone else who's sailed on Disney had this problem? I'm still sad that I haven't been able to snorkel through the underwater Little Mermaid grotto.

[SWTXBelle]

I've been on 3 Disney cruises at different times of the year and never had a problem docking. I hadn't even heard of the problem - although I will admit I don't follow the Disney cruise lines in my Disney boards since we lost everything in 2008 and a Disney cruise is not very likely for the time being . . .

I should also note the Disney rooms are apparently larger than other lines - I always had an interior room and while hardly spacious it was not too crowded.

UNLIMITED MICKEY BARS AVAILABLE THROUGH ROOM SERVICE.

[Gusteau]

I've been on three Carnival cruises with my family and have enjoyed them all. I have heard a lot of the criticisms for Carnival, and though I don't disagree with them I feel that they are often exaggerated. The type of crowd is going to be younger and perhaps a bit rowdier because of the price, but if you don't allow that to bother you it won't. What I mean by that is if you're going to have a bad time on a cruise ship with everything you could ever want available to you, it's probably your attitude and not the fellow cruisegoers that's a problem.

Figure out if you mind sitting in a group or at a table by yourselves, and reserve early if you want to be alone! We were at a table by ourselves twice and with other groups once, and both were good experiences. When we were at a large table it was with one couple and four friends in their late twenties, we ended up hitting it off and having a great time. I will say that my parents, sister, and I all tend to be of the social butterfly variety, so we didn't mind being with other people, but some people might. I might even say we had more fun when it wasn't just a "family dinner."

I thought the food was very good, but not incredible. Some dishes were incredible, but in general I would call the food significantly better than your average catering hall, but not necessarily as good fine dining restaurant - probably just because of the sheer quantity they had to turn out. The ships we were on did not have any smaller dinner only places (I don't know if any Carnival ships do), so I would recommend the main dinning room for dinner. If you eat elsewhere for diner (and their are certainly many other options) it's going to be standard buffet fare - it's worth getting dressed up and going to dinner. I wished they had been more strict about enforcing their dinner dress code on all three occasions, but that's just because I'm a snob who likes getting dressed for dinner lol.

In general, I'm a fan of Carnival. I'd like to try other lines, but based just on my experience I think you could have a great trip with them.

[DubaiSis]

Gusteau mentioned something important. When you pay more you get a VERY different cruise experience. When you're ready to make a real leap, try SilverSea. They are 100% all inclusive on board. If you're big drinkers, their more expensive initial cost can end up being a bargain. There are other cruise lines (generally river cruises) where all of your shore exclusions are included. It's hard to calculate the value of that if you haven't cruised before but once you know your traveler style you can judge if that's a good deal for you.

Starting with a Carnival or Royal Caribbean is fine - they're a nice vacation. But after a couple or you've added a couple years to your driver's license, you might upgrade your line. Then if you really want a great experience, look at Seabourn or Windstar cruises. They're not anywhere near the most expensive cruise lines at sea but their on-board experience and access to much smaller ports make them a hot ticket for 40 somethings who are financially comfortable.

The nickel and diming thing is definitely new since I started cruising and it bugs the hell out of me. But the specialty restaurants are generally $20 per person, so it's not the worst ever. You DEFINITELY want to know about your ship's tipping procedure. A lot of them have gone to pre-set tipping. You can change that at the purser's desk to increase or decrease your tip, even down to zero if you're so inclined, although I don't think you can eliminate your drinks tips. If you're angry enough at the service, however, I'd go and bitch.

Regarding the days at sea versus days in port, the cruise lines don't have a whole lot of control over that because the ports are where they are and the ship can only go so fast. However, if you're going on a really intensive tour (my cruise going from Rome to Alexandria/Cairo, Kos, Athens, Ephesus, Istanbul and Naples for example), you definitely have to pace yourself. And yes, it would have been nice to have a break between Ephesus and Istanbul, but you're never going to get that. They're just too close together to justify. But more experienced cruisers want fewer days in port, so once you look a step up, you will have more days at sea, particularly in the Caribbean.

[AOIIalum]

I'm really enjoying this thread as we've always wanted to take a cruise and never been able to yet. We definitely wouldn't want the party atmosphere but with two in college and one almost there certainly aren't able to consider something such as SilverSea. I actually would love to go on a Disney cruise, even if we have to wait to be empty-nesters to do so!

DubaiSis and the other experienced cruisers, what are your thoughts on an Alaskan cruise? I'm not really interested in ports as much, would just love to see the coastline as we float on by. What would you tell a cruise newbie about planning such a cruise, knowing we don't want a party boat?

[IUHoosiergirl88]

I've cruised twice on Holland America, both times leaving the day after Christmas. I honestly love them, definitely higher end (so more senior citizens...) but there were more kids and younger couples on the second than the first. We've eaten in all the specialty restaurants on there, and if you could manage to snag the private chef's dinner, do it. It's amazing. 14 courses wine paired...*died again*

I've had friends who have done Carnival and only do it for the party atmosphere, and friends who have done RCL and liked that. It really depends what atmosphere you're looking for.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by DubaiSis

Regarding the days at sea versus days in port, the cruise lines don't have a whole lot of control over that because the ports are where they are and the ship can only go so fast. However, if you're going on a really intensive tour (my cruise going from Rome to Alexandria/Cairo, Kos, Athens, Ephesus, Istanbul and Naples for example), you definitely have to pace yourself. And yes, it would have been nice to have a break between Ephesus and Istanbul, but you're never going to get that. They're just too close together to justify. But more experienced cruisers want fewer days in port, so once you look a step up, you will have more days at sea, particularly in the Caribbean.

Yes, I know they don't have much control over that because of where the ports are. I would probably reconsider which ports I'd visit based on that though, in the future. So far, when I've cruised, it wasn't because my heart was set on seeing any one particular place.

I haven't been on an Alaskan cruise but one of the couples who went on the spring break cruise with us are frequent cruisers (2-3 a year!) and they did Alaska with Royal Caribbean. They absolutely loved it. They saw a whale jump out of the water right in front of them while they were eating breakfast one morning. They said it was beautiful.

What I think is great about cruises is that you can do as little or as much as you feel like doing on any given day. Lay at the pool all day? No problem. Shop, go to shows, gamble, rock wall climb, ice skate, work out, play mini-golf.. no problem. It's totally up to you!

[AGDLynn]

How sunburned did y 'all get?

I'd hate to get burned the first couple of days and miserable the rest of the time.

[kddani]

I've been on Carnival, NCL, RCL and Holland so far. We'd like to do a Disney once the girls are older (currently a 2 year old and a 17 day old- so we have a few years).

Carnival is the lowest price point. I went with some friends during spring break in law school. It is a party atmosphere, and does tend to attract the "rowdy NASCAR fans" types. I also found it annoying because they were constantly trying to sell extra stuff all of the time, including making a ton of announcements over the loudspeaker. The food was decent, but this was about 7 or 8 years ago and I think the quality has decreased since.

I went on NCL with my husband when we were engaged. I was not a fan of the freestyle dining. The flexibility was fine, but I prefer to sit at the same table every night and get to know our waitstaff. I thought it was classier than Carnival. I am ehhh on NCL. The food was pretty good.

We did a Royal Caribbean cruise to Alaska. This was my favorite. The food and service were excellent. Ships were in better shape and just overall better experience. If we don't do Disney we will do Royal Caribbean again.

We took a Holland cruise with my parents and our older daughter when she was 1. Holland caters to a much older clientele. There were only 12 kids on board the entire ship. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but that indicates the average age. My parents, who at the time were in their late 50's, were some of the younger people on the ship. We did not see many people in their 20-30-40's. The food was okay. I thought it was pretty bland. The service in the dining rooms was excellent. My parents had some big issues with their room (flooding, having to move rooms to a different floor when the point was to be a cabin near us). All of the staff treated our daughter like gold.

Cruising is something that people either like or don't - there's not too many people that are middling. Have fun!

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by AGDLynn

How sunburned did y 'all get?

I'd hate to get burned the first couple of days and miserable the rest of the time.

I had about 1/4" strip near the strap of my bathing suit that burned because I clearly missed that spot with the sunscreen. I don't generally burn easily in Michigan sun but I know Southern/Caribbean sun will burn me so I made sure I used at least an 8 SPF to avoid any ouchies.

[Sciencewoman]

Originally Posted by kddani

We took a Holland cruise with my parents and our older daughter when she was 1. Holland caters to a much older clientele. There were only 12 kids on board the entire ship. Not that that is necessarily a bad thing, but that indicates the average age. My parents, who at the time were in their late 50's, were some of the younger people on the ship. We did not see many people in their 20-30-40's. The food was okay. I thought it was pretty bland. The service in the dining rooms was excellent. My parents had some big issues with their room (flooding, having to move rooms to a different floor when the point was to be a cabin near us). All of the staff treated our daughter like gold.

We wondered about ages on Holland America, but we found the crowd on our Norwegian Fjords Princess cruise to be waaaayyy older...I believe I am now acquainted with every possible mobility assistance device. But, I swim laps and I had the pools all to myself no matter which one I went in! When we were disembarking, a young guy in front of us quietly said, "Bye, old people!" I think it can depend on your destination and port city, not just the line.

There were a lot of 3 generation families on our Alaska Holland America trip, so there was actually quite a mix of ages. Most people seemed to be pretty active, no matter what the age, and most of the excursions are more active/nature-oriented. We went on a whale-watching excursion in Juneau that was absolutely one of the highlights of my life...we saw the bubble-net feeding pod, which I've since seen twice the PBS Nature show; we watched them feeding for about a half hour and they kept getting closer and closer, and then they came up RIGHT NEXT TO THE BOAT...that's when the Coast Guard told our Captain he had to get out of there NOW! Sciencewoman loved that trip!!!

Both of these trips were on my "bucket list", and I do have to say that I thought Alaska was prettier than most of Norway. The inland passage through British Columbia is very pretty, with all the trees.