30 year cruise

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:02 pm

OK, I need some advice from you world travelers. The wife and I hit our 30th anniversary this July and we’ve decided to take a cruise. We’ve signed up for the royal caribbean western caribbean tour. Anyone have any do’s or don’ts for taking advantage of stuff offered on the cruise? How to pack and how to maximize what the ship has to offer? We're on the newer Freedom Of The Seas ship. If you have any insider information you want to share, I’d appreciate the insight.

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 12:54 pm

We took a Carnival Cruise a few years ago around the Western Caribbean. You can see photos on my webpage from our stops if you are interested. I don't know how much is different with Royal Caribbean, but here are my thoughts:

-If you want to do cruise sponsored excursions, book them early or on the boat if need be. Passengers with sponsored events, get off the boat first. If the ship leaves without you on a sponsored event, they will wait or fly you to the next stop. If you are not on a sponsored event, you are SOL.

-Bring some alcohol if you can. Carnival only allows one bottle of wine to be brought on board. They may search your luggage. We brought a bottle of wine and a bottle of Baileys. Drinks on board are expensive for what they are. If you buy alcohol on the islands, they won't let you take it with you. It will be sent on the ship for you to get when you leave. I'm not sure they actually move it to the ship or just give you something from storage already on the ship.

-Be prepared to gain about 1lb for every day you are on the cruise. We gained about 4lbs for a 7 day cruise. We vowed to not take the elevators after the first day. We also did a lot of snorkeling and hiking to try to stay fit.

-Most of the nightly shows are a bit cheesy. We went to about half of them.

-There are plenty of opportunities to gamble if that is your sort of thing.

-You will be expected to 'tip' the staff before you leave the last day. It's my understanding that that is their income. I can't remember the total, but I think it was 10% of your whole bill. I could be wrong.

-You might consider bringing some movies and a laptop if you want a quiet night in. Pay-per-view are a bit expensive. Also for internet service, you can just go to cafe at a stop. On the boat internet is very expensive $1/minute.

That's all I can think of now.

jakepressley · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 4:17 pm

I've done the Royal Caribean Trip through the bahama's and didn't have very much fun. The drinks were expensive, bottom of the barrel rum and the islands were extremely dirty and run down. Lots of sickly dogs running around and tons of onshore scams run by the locals. The average age on the boat seemed to be about 79... lots of blue hair

If I had to do it again I would look into a cruise of the Western Coast, up the BC coast to Sarah Palin Land...

I hope you have a better time than I did...

jake...

p.s Congrats on 30 years... A 30 year marriage is rare as a 1995 M3 lightweight.....wait a minute there is one for sale on eBay right now.

Frank Catena · **Joined:** Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:08 pm **Posts:** 418

Rodney,

We've done a number of cruises. Personally we avoid the cruise provided shore excursions at all costs.
You might want to check here:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/

get a lay of the land from folks that were on the ship you're on and from folks who have sailed the initinerary/ports.
If you decide to explore we've found it a lot more fun to find another couple on your cruise at the above website. Rent a car or a car and a guide and distance yourself from the crowds. We typically save up to 50% off the cruise sponsored excursions and get a far better experience.
If you strike out on your own, a cheap hand held GPS can be your friend. Last time I was in the Western Carib the road signs were few and far between. A phone that works "in country" is goodness too.
Everyone's different ... some folks like just hitting the beach.
Congrats on the anniversary ....

Frank

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:15 pm

Chris Halweg wrote:

You will be expected to 'tip' the staff before you leave the last day. It's my understanding that that is their income. I can't remember the total, but I think it was 10% of your whole bill. I could be wrong.

They now include that for all the staff except the head waiter on Carnival. We went on a 7-day this past May.

One piece of advice about on-shore excursions...if you don't book them thru the cruise lines and you get hurt you are SOL. Sure the ship's doctor will attend to you...for cash. Ask me how I know.

clinehall · **Posted:** Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:41 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

Chris Halweg wrote:

You will be expected to 'tip' the staff before you leave the last day. It's my understanding that that is their income. I can't remember the total, but I think it was 10% of your whole bill. I could be wrong.

They now include that for all the staff except the head waiter on Carnival. We went on a 7-day this past May.

One piece of advice about on-shore excursions...if you don't book them thru the cruise lines and you get hurt you are SOL. Sure the ship's doctor will attend to you...for cash. Ask me how I know.

I thought they charged you no matter what, when, or where.

Ive been on several cruises. I agree with not booking through the cruise line. Fodor's cruise guides are good to get ideas of what is the best thing at each port.

Yep drinking is expensive!!! Even soft drinks, I know people who packed soft drinks.

I have always over packed, I never seem to need a many cloths as I think. And no, it is not because It was a clothing optional cruise!

Speaking of, find out where the nude beaches are and stay far far away. If you go next to one of them they wander into your area and I have yet to see anybody that I was glad I did!

Be disciplined and don't buy stuff unless you have already researched the value before you go. Yes there are some good buys and duty free but there are also some things that you will be screwed on. I have bought watches at good deals and my wife thinks she has made good deals on jewelry.

Frank Catena · **Joined:** Wed Aug 27, 2003 1:08 pm **Posts:** 418

Without making this into a bummer, you should probably check what if any medical coverage you have while gone. You will be surprised at the number of injuries ... A number of online places offer trip insurance with various amounts of coverage (trip cancellation, bankruptcy, medical, medical evacuation, etc). Typically for less than the cruise line charges and you get better coverage.

This is a good site for info:

http://www.insuremytrip.com/

Also - passports valid for at least six months after your return date?

Frank

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Sat Jan 24, 2009 12:33 pm

Wow, this all over the board with good to bad experiences. Lots of info to take in. I'll explore the listed sites for advice and medical. Thanks for the heads up on everything.

As for tipping, there is a daily tip fee that's added to the bill of about $10 per day that covers everyone according to the AAA travel guide. I can include extra if I want.

Since this is my first time on a cruise and I'm NOT the adventurous type in respect to traveling, I'll probably go w/ the ship sponsored outings. My first time out I don't want to get left behind. As Vincent mentioned, if the sponsored outing is late, the ship will wait.

Thanks all for the advice. And to Jake's "blue hair" comment, I'm gray haired now, so that's getting me pretty close to that age!!

BTW, Vincent, what happened to you in your misadventures?

jakepressley · **Posted:** Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:53 pm

I'm 29 and change and the skunk spots are starting to connect!!!!! I meant no disrespect from my original comment...

Have Fun on your trip and congrats again

Jake

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Sun Jan 25, 2009 1:17 pm

Funny this post should come up now. I’m just reading all the posts we’ve missed-having just returned today from our 10 day Panama Canal Cruise on the Island Princess, Princess Cruise Line. We had a ball, by the way. We’ve been on several cruises but this was the first one we’ve taken with friends. Having another couple with you that you enjoy made a great cruise even better. Our friends were actually celebrating their 40th Anniversary.

Here’s my take: I think booking shore excursions with the cruise line is a good thing, especially if you don’t already know the area. Some places are safer than others, many places in the Caribbean have very bad sections that should be avoided. Also, what someone else said, if you’re on a tour sponsored by the cruise lines and you’re waylaid, we were told the ship will not leave you. If you’re on your own, good luck if you get lost and don’t get back. Our ship was on time to the minute with departures. We had a couple of really great adventures on shore. We took ATV’s in Aruba and spent several hours in the National park on the backside of the island, and up to the top of the highest point. We passed several bus tours, including the one our friends were on, and felt sorry for them. They couldn’t possibly have been having as much fun as we were! Granted, some tours funnel you into “approved” shopping areas, but-you don’t have to buy, and you can usually avoid the tours that say “shopping included”. Anything really neat like the ATV Adventures, rafting, etc, should be booked on line way ahead of time. You won’t be(shouldn’t be) charged until you’re on board. The good tours fill up fast. (On a personal note- I’ve been to Jamaica 3 times. I swore after the first time that I’d never leave the ship again while there. I lied. We all took off to Dunn’s River Falls. Bad move. I say again-if I ever go back to Jamaica, I’ll stay on board that day! However, I’ve talked to others who had a ball rafting on the Dunn River.)

You can probably pack about ½ of what you think you’ll need. I did laundry once-one morning-and realized we could have done with MUCH less. Also, if you have a bag that you can flatten and packed in your suitcase, take it. It will come in handy if you buy much, and can also be used that last night to hold what you’ll need the last morning. (You’ll have to pack and put your luggage in the hall before dinner your last night.)

Tipping: I used to hate the last night of the curise-trying to figure out how much to put in all those little envelopes. Princess has done away with that. It’s all included in your on board account now. Of course you’re allowed to give extra to anyone, Room Stewart, etc, who you felt went above and beyond to make your stay a great one. (They are not afraid of dirty old American $$$! Also, there’s precious little need for $$ (the green stuff) on board. Everything is done with your keycard, at least on Princess. Princess also had a deal that allowed you to pay a fee for unlimited soft drinks. They put a sticker on your keycard and you were good to go for the entire trip. On our ship the shops wouldn’t accept cash.

Dining: You’re gonna fatten up! Get used to it!

Shows: We only did some of the shows, dinner usually got in the way-but the shows we saw were very good, and worth seeing.

Drinks are a little pricey. (not like years ago when they were .75 ea, and you could sip all day.) But, it’s a VACATION, Dude! Drink up, and HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.

Rodney, we were docked next to Freedom of the Seas in Jamaica. Big ship, pretty too. I think that’s the one we saw with a climbing wall. We’ll want a report back on that climb! Have a great time. Wish we were going again soon.

clinehall · **Posted:** Mon Jan 26, 2009 12:34 pm

The only time we were in Aruba we rented a beach and went to several beaches, and could just walk out and start snorkeling at the same places others had paid big bucks to take a snorkeling excursion by boat. We ended up getting lost and got to see alot of the island!

Chris Landi · **Joined:** Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:31 pm **Posts:** 579

I learned early into my first cruise that you can order a small amount of each entree at dinner. Since everything looked good that is exactly what I did and I was not disappointed!

There is some good duty-free shopping on certain islands. If you have had your eye on an heirloom watch or piece of jewelry check out some of the deals in the shops on the Islands. The people on the ship can make recommendations for where to shop but I suspect that they are kick-back based. Do some googling in advance and scope things out on your own.

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2009 2:40 pm

Three of the biggest scams:
"recommended" shopping, where you are told to show some form of ship ID to the shop owner. The cruise director gets a 10% kickback from each sale. Guess who gets charged that kickback?

"Duty Free" shops. Duty free means that no duty was collected by the government of that country when the goods were brought in since they were certified that they were just a waystation and the goods would be shipped out rather than remain in country. That's why you can't take them with you, the shop must have proof they left the country. If the US has duty or restrictions for importing the aformentioned goods, you are liable for that duty or forfiture of the goods when you clear customs on your return. There is a relatively small "tourist allowance" on certain goods (liquor, tobacco products mainly) for personal use or consumption. Find out what the limits are and what cannot be imported (products made from endangered species, products of Cuban origin even if purchased elswhere[read cigars], live plants and foodstuff are at the top of the list) before leaving or you could be in for an expensive surprise when you get back to FL. The shops are not responsible for telling you you cannot bring back the goods or the quantities you purchased from them.

Jewelry/watches are a bargain in other countries. The biggest lie of all, take it from a jeweler and extensive traveler. First, jewelry materials and components are a worldwide market. Jewelry manufacturers pay the same daily price for precious metals whether they are in Raleigh, Cancun, Isreal, or East Overshoe. Same thing goes for gemstones, no shop owner is going to sell a tourist a single gemstone "at or below wholesale" price! Rather, anything you buy is going to sell at high retail or outright fraud prices, no matter what the "original price tag" says. I've seen with my own eyes tourists being sold pure junk at exorbinent prices, and being lied to over and over in some of the biggest fanciest looking shops on "Tourist Row", and being offered cut glass out of a tin box on the street corners. Do you REALLY KNOW what constitutes a "good deal" on jewelry, or are you being sucked in by a fast talking sales person that knows they will never see you again looking to make a big fast buck? The self proclaimed "experts" are the easiest to suck in and manipulate to help sell their friends, or the stranger shopper in the store willing to advise you, is very likely to be a shill planted there. Nothing helps sell others than a crowd of excited customers, check out HSN sometime. In 30 years of being in business I never appraised a single piece of jewelry or gemstone bought by a tourist on a trip for more than they had paid for it, and often for many times less.
The bargain watch you bought may likely be counterfit which you may not discover until it quits working, or even if genuine be considered by the manufacturer to be grey marketed goods and deny any warantee or refuse to repair it even on your nickle (Rolex immediately comes to mind for having these type policies).
When people would ask me what jewelry or gemstones they should buy when traveling abroad to XYZ country my standard answer was always buy only what you would spend on any other souvenir, not because you think you might be getting a bargain, because you're not!

Chris Landi · **Joined:** Mon Mar 08, 2004 6:31 pm **Posts:** 579

Chuck, I'm not sure if you're ranting at me, common misconceptions, or if it's just a tinge of trade protectionalism that I'm sensing ?

I agree with your post but note that I stated that research had to be done. The islands do in fact have authorized dealers for watches. Anyone out for their oyster perpetual would best be served by shopping at an AD due to the amount of replicas of it and many other watches. Researching, identfying, and contacting an island source prior to leaving gives you some pricing to bounce of of your local AD. I recommend that. Plus, you may find a style not sold in the US or a discontinued item offshore.

Gems: you're spot on. I don't even trust the mall stores in the US, let alone a foreign country. You may find good values on things made of gold that involve labor where the labor content may be cheaper than what you'd find here. The key is to do your homework before you go and scout for potential bargains.

Chuck Frank · **Posted:** Sat Jan 31, 2009 9:01 pm

Not ranting at anyone in particular, nor commenting out of protectionism of my trade, since I retired from the business 9 months ago. Protectionism of someone I know who might be ripped off by these misconceptions or outright fraud? Then guilty as charged!
If you are buying from an AD of a brand like Rolex then you aren't getting any bargain, since ADs are required to sell at the factory set list price or will have their dealership revoked. You're reaching on the discontinued or not offered styles, there is no such things in the high end watch trade.
90% of the commercial jewelry is manufactured in 3rd world countries already, and the island stores buy from the same sources as your local big box mall store. I've seen their buyers at the trade shows, and know people who work for these companies and even employed a former cruise director for a while until it became apparent how little he actually knew about jewelry. I was approached more than once to manage stores for them myself, but I had too much integrity to be interested. I'm quite sure that a jeweler in the Carribean will not work cheaper than the Asians or Indians, so why make something they can buy cheaper without putting out any labor? There is no serious jewelry manufacturing going on there. I have no vested interested in providing false information, but it's your money, you can believe what you'd like.

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