staying onboard

[happytexasmom]

Has anyone stayed on the ship instead of going on an excursion? Do You recommend it? why or why not? What is there to do?

We are going on a 7day caribbean and are thinking about skipping Costa Maya. Doesn't seem like there is much to do and thought it might be relaxing to spend a day on the boat while everyone is at port.

 

[webzila]

Costa Maya is one of my favorite stops. We have been there several times and there are a lot of interesting excursions there. If you dont see anything you like then yes you might as well stay on board since its not a city/town adn there is nothing to do or go other than the shops on the pier once you get off.

 

[mdvlprof]

I've stayed onboard numerous times.

Pools almost to yourself. Buffet not crowded.
Few planned activities.

A great time to relax, read a book in the sun, and have a drink.

 

[April1971]

Webzilla - do you have any suggestions for favorite excursion in Costa Maya? We have found several that sounds interesting, but haven't been able to find any personal reviews. Would love to have some recommendations. Thanks!

 

[AnnaS]

I would love some recommendations too. Thanks!

 

[Makayna]

Whether there are a lot of people on board the ship or not depends on the port. When we stayed on the ship in Ensenada, the pools were PACKED, as was the rain forest room. But then again, that was Ensenada, and I don't think most ports are that way. You'll probably have a lot of relaxation time if you stay on the ship.

 

[lilbug13]

When we took our MR cruise last spring break, we didn't do any excursions. It was nice to just stay on the boat and relax. We had great weather & the ship was not busy.

 

[Jodijo]

We never book excursions! With a family of 4 (both kids pay the adult price) we just can't afford any. So, we walk around the ports or pay for a taxi to go to a beach to snorkel. We bring our own snorkel gear so that we don't have to pay for that either. If we don't know the port that well, we stay on the ship and enjoy all it has to offer. Trust me, they keep you busy with activities even while at the different ports!

 

[aan1701]

I love staying on in port. Sometimes it's like having the whole ship to myself. It's a great time to relax and not have a care in the world. I have had some great conversations with CM's that where working while in port. I highly recommend it. As a matter of fact on the 15 night 08 WBPC cruise I was off the ship a total if 6 hours. So I enjoy the ship a lot and can not feel bad about not getting off in port. Now my next cruise is in 5 weeks to Hawaii. I will be getting off there so that is the exception to my rule I guess.

 

[scrapbookingpro]

We loved staying on the ship for our last Western Caribbean cruise! My son spent ages in the mickey pool with only 1 or 2 other kids. The ship feels like it's all yours, and we had some great one-on-one time with the cast. For example, my son (4) was the only one who showed up to play Wii, so he had a grand time playing bowling with CM Hillary. Also, we went to the lounge, planning to play some board games and instead one of the CM's spent 45 minutes teaching my son how to fly paper airplanes. It was one of his favorite days.

 

[hasabigrock]

Earlier this month (March) we went on our first Disney cruise aboard the Dream. The experience really was about the boat more than the ports of call. One of our ports was in Nassau, Bahamas. We had been to Atlantis before on a previous vacation and really didn't want to spend hundreds of $$$ just to walk around. The other excursions were either full or sounded like a way to shake money out of tourists. As far as shopping goes, well we realized we had plenty of crap a long time ago.

So we decided to stay on the boat and explore the Disney Dream. It was our first day on the boat and the kids enjoyed the Kid Zone while my wife and I played shuffleboard, explored the ship, and played Bingo.

BTW, Bingo is about the closest thing you get to gambling on a Disney Cruise. Turns out we had never really played before and we had a good time with it.

We also did a few laps on deck 4. It was also fun to watch the various ships in port working on their safety training. BTW, Carnival Cruise line dropped on of their life rafts a few stories into the water by mistake.

It was nice not having all the crowds around and hanging out on deck for a bit.

 

[happytexasmom]

thanks everyone for your comments, I think exploring the boat sounds nice. It will be our 1st cruise so I bet there will be a lot to see

 

[yarlenna]

thanks everyone for your comments, I think exploring the boat sounds nice. It will be our 1st cruise so I bet there will be a lot to see

I remember my first cruise - - 35 years ago! Enjoy it. There is nothing like a first cruise. Sigh

 

[debd72]

My DD slept through Cozumel (we had already been there).

Going on the Dream in May & plan on staying on the ship at Nassau. We have been there before too. I heard they do champagne tasting!

 

[Anal Annie]

Personally, we cruise for the ports & the itinerary so we always get off and do something. For our Med cruise last summer we planned each port on our own and booked nothing through DCL. It was a great adventure and so much cheaper on our own.