We need an *official* cruising thread

[Chattyaholic]

Hate to rub it in guys but this time next week I'll be heading out on the Enchantment of the Seas.

Have a wonderful cruise!!

I didn't think I would be taking another cruise this year, until my Mom wanted to go. I'll be on the Mariner of the Seas with her October 25th.

Oh, someone mentioned the port parking charge going up, you should just stay at the Radisson. We stayed there in January and at that time you could get a room for $129 and that included cruise parking, and they have a shuttle to take you to the ship and back to the hotel afterward.

 

[kaseyC]

Hate to rub it in guys but this time next week I'll be heading out on the Enchantment of the Seas.

I'm green with envy!! Our next cruise will not be until March 2009. Have fun on your cruise. Oh yeah, drink a Mojito for me!

 

[supercarrie]

So happy this thread was started!!

I grew up cruising - doing the 3/4 night cruises out of LA to Ensenada on Royal Caribbean with my family. We did them once every couple of years, on the TINY Viking Serenade for those who remember that ship! I now have platinum status on RCCL solely based on those cruises. I have also done one Baja cruise on the Monarch of the Seas (last year, got my fiance hooked on cruising!) They were fabulous weekend getaways, so relaxing!

I have also been on 3 nights to the Bahamas on DCL (Disney Wonder) and RCCL (Sovereign of the Seas) which we combined with trips to WDW.

My fiance and I are trying a 7 night for the first time together - Carnival Pride, leaving August 10 on a Mexican Riviera cruise for our honeymoon! We decided to go with Carnival on this itinerary since they have a much newer ship vs RCCL, and we wanted to try to get the younger/party crowd.

I am trying to convince my family to join us for a 7 night Caribbean cruise over spring break next year. Since we have almost entirely only sailed on older ships, I would love to try a Freedom class or even a Voyager class...

 

[kaseyC]

MM27- I've sailed on both the Freedom and the Liberty, and the ships didn't feel as crowded as I expected, even on at sea days. The deck patrols have become very viligent about " chair hogs ". They come around and remove the towels, flip flops, books, etc. that people use to try and save deck chairs if the chairs are empty for 1/2 an hour or more.

That is my number one concern about the Freedom class ships, the crowds. We have never sailed on a ship that large before and we are booked on the Liberty of the Seas for Spring break 2009. It's good to know that RCI handles the crowds well.

 

[Jerseylicious]

YIKES!!!!

I had a wedding on Friday and things have been NUTS, and I come back to all these pages of thread! I'm only on page 7. Be back in a while...hehehe

 

[LovintheLodge]

Here are some pictures from my Explorer of the Seas cruise in August

This is in Bermuda at Horseshoe Bay

I just found this thread! Your pictures are beautiful. I haven't been to Horseshoe Bay since my honeymoon 22 years ago! My family is going on our first cruise this July - 9 nights Explorer of the Seas out of Cape Liberty, NJ. Our first stop is Bermuda. We are staying in the Promenade section.

I've only read the last few pages of the thread. I am worried about possible motion sickness. My friend took Bonine before departing, but her husband and kids never took anything and were fine. I read here about ginger pills or ginger candy chews.

 

[MO Disney cruiser]

Yes, I am aware that the Freedom is replacing the Mariner.

I just checked Freedom for June '09 and DCL for June '09 - both on a Western sailing and for the equivalent stateroom Freedom is about $1100 less.

Wow, guess I'm unlucky when we'd be going. It's only a $200 total difference for 3 people.

I'd love to go, but I guess it will have to wait a bit.

 

[Zandy595]

I think when people say that they mean the Mariner which is out of Port Canveral. The prices on the Mariner are significantly less. We saved $1000 for 2 people switching from DCL to Mariner last December on the equivalent category. Also, we had priced the same itinerary for this year and Mariner was more than $1K less again. For us, 2 adults with no children, the Mariner is a better bang for the buck.

For us to drive to Miami to get on Freedom/Liberty - the cost differential just isn't there. The prices are very similiar to DCL, at least from my research.

Don't get me wrong I love DCL. We have sailed with them several times. I even was married on Castaway Cay. However, we loved our Mariner cruise and for the time being we will stick with them.

We will have to wait and see what the prices are when RCL moves the Mariner out to LA and replaces her. Maybe the prices won't compare then! Who knows!

I'm just now hearing about how much everyone loves Mariner. I wish I would've known this before we all got our hearts set on another Disney cruise. Now she's leaving Port Canaveral and I won't get a chance. Darn! We live about an hour and a half from PC so it's very convenient for us to just drive there.

 

[JennyMominRI]

SO, lets get to the good stuff...Lets talk formal clothes...What do you ladies wear? I have 3 formal nights coming on my cruise and I need to shop..Luckly I still have some nice dresses from Feb..DO you like to dress up on cruises?
I wear a nice dress every night..I like having an excuse to dress up
Dh will wear a tux and I'm going to find a tux for DS who will be 14...They will look so handsome dressed up together.

 

[kaseyC]

SO, lets get to the good stuff...Lets talk formal clothes...What do you ladies wear? I have 3 formal nights coming on my cruise and I need to shop..Luckly I still have some nice dresses from Feb..DO you like to dress up on cruises?
I wear a nice dress every night..I like having an excuse to dress up
Dh will wear a tux and I'm going to find a tux for DS who will be 14...They will look so handsome dressed up together.

To control packing and limit the amount of shoes I need to bring, I usually carry quite a few interchangable black pieces. A very nice black dress, two black skirts in different legnths (ankle and knee). A variety of tops, shrugs and jewelry can "fancy" up everything. A cute pair of bejeweled black thong style sandals can be worn with all as well. I'm covered for formal and semi-formal nights.

For casual dining nights I usually wear capris, nice cotton skirts or comfy sundresses.

In Europe, since quite a few of the sites required shoulders and knees be covered. I brought a couple of longer broomstick style skirts that I paired with some simple JCrew Tees, I was comfortable and appropriate.

 

[JennyMominRI]

In Europe, since quite a few of the sites required shoulders and knees be covered. I brought a couple of longer broomstick style skirts that I paired with some simple JCrew Tees, I was comfortable and appropriate.

Thanks for this info...I know European aren't into shorts as much as Americans. At least that's what I've heard... I'll be wearing pants and jeans in port

 

[WeirdEyes]

I know that feeling..but this year, things actually worked out for me..im going on the cuirse in 3 weeks..then disney in july..so i get my 2 favorite vacations!

You are sooo lucky!

I found a webite where you send them the info on the cruise you want and they give you a bid...Royal Caribbean doesn't allows discounts so what they do is offer amenities..I got my tips prepaid by the TA...Some offer free travel insurance etc.

I've used this site before and it worked out great....free insurance!

SO, lets get to the good stuff...Lets talk formal clothes...What do you ladies wear? I have 3 formal nights coming on my cruise and I need to shop..Luckly I still have some nice dresses from Feb..DO you like to dress up on cruises?
I wear a nice dress every night..I like having an excuse to dress up
Dh will wear a tux and I'm going to find a tux for DS who will be 14...They will look so handsome dressed up together.

Here's one of the dresses I wore for formal night on the Mariner.

I like to wear sundresses, capris with nice tops, etc on casual night. On formal nights, I wear a long formal for the Captain's Dinner and then either another long dress or cocktail dress for the 2nd formal. I know that they dress more formal on European cruises. Your men are going to look so smart in their tuxes.

 

[WeirdEyes]

Mariner of the Seas in the Bahamas:

Magen's Bay view from Mountain Top:

 

[JennyMominRI]

Here's one of the dresses I wore for formal night on the Mariner.

I.

Beautiful dress

Mariner of the Seas in the Bahamas:

Magen's Bay view from Mountain Top:

Nice pics.. Is Magen's Bay in the Bahamas?
I hear that in 2009 the Radiance of the Seas is moving to San Diego to do Mexican Riviera cruises.

 

[MM27]

I just found this thread! Your pictures are beautiful. I haven't been to Horseshoe Bay since my honeymoon 22 years ago! My family is going on our first cruise this July - 9 nights Explorer of the Seas out of Cape Liberty, NJ. Our first stop is Bermuda. We are staying in the Promenade section.

I've only read the last few pages of the thread. I am worried about possible motion sickness. My friend took Bonine before departing, but her husband and kids never took anything and were fine. I read here about ginger pills or ginger candy chews.

I booked another promenade room for my next cruise. I had one on the Navigator and I loved it. I have always done oceanview/balcony/jr. suite and I was a little nervous about feeling claustrophobic, but it was great.

The higher you go the more you feel the movement of the ship. Also if you are in a cabin mid-ship you tend to feel less movement.

 

[Zandy595]

I booked another promenade room for my next cruise. I had one on the Navigator and I loved it. I have always done oceanview/balcony/jr. suite and I was a little nervous about feeling claustrophobic, but it was great.

The higher you go the more you feel the movement of the ship. Also if you are in a cabin mid-ship you tend to feel less movement.

Are the promenade cabins only for two people?

 

[MM27]

I believe they have some family promenade cabins with bunk beds.

I think you can fit up to 6 people in them. There is a description of them on the RCI homepage if you want more info.

 

[chisnpeke]

Are the promenade cabins only for two people?

I think on the Freedom class ships they have some for families.

 

[LindaM]

Hi All, just found this thread I'm going on my second cruise in August to Alaska, sailing with RCCL Serenade of the Seas, I'm so excited!! I have booked the White Pass Scenic Railway in Skagway and also the Salmon Bake and Gold Panning.

 

[Chattyaholic]

As far as formal clothes go, I usually take two separate outfits but with the airlines charging more for the garment bag I might pare it down a bit and just take a dressy skirt and a couple beaded/sequined tops and only one pair of shoes. I've heard others say they pack their formal wear in dry cleaning bags and put them in the suitcase at the last minute and they don't have a problem with wrinkling so I may do that this time instead of dragging the garment bag along, especially since DH isn't going on this cruise with me, and we won't have to be packing his suit, shirts and shoes as well.