What do I need to know about cruising

[ms.yt]

My husband and I are wanting to take a short (non-Disney) cruise in the next year. I've been doing some research on cruises from New Orleans or Mobile (driving distance for us), and I have a few questions for those that have cruised before.

From what I understand, having a passport isn't necessary, but recommended. We aren't big travelers and are unlikely to need a passport again anytime soon. Should we spend the $200 or so that it will cost us to get a passport?

Are the interior staterooms tiny? We're both pretty big people, so I don't want to feel cramped. Is it smaller than a standard hotel room?

What all is included in the cost of the cruise? There are good deals for around $200-300 per person, but how inclusive is that cost?

Finally, what are the options that you can do when you're in port other than the shore excursions? Can you just walk around and explore? Is it safe to do that?

I think that's all for now. Thanks for any advice!

 

[wdwmom2]

My husband and I are wanting to take a short (non-Disney) cruise in the next year. I've been doing some research on cruises from New Orleans or Mobile (driving distance for us), and I have a few questions for those that have cruised before.

From what I understand, having a passport isn't necessary, but recommended. We aren't big travelers and are unlikely to need a passport again anytime soon. Should we spend the $200 or so that it will cost us to get a passport?Highly recommended, but no, you can get by with a birth certificate.

Are the interior staterooms tiny? We're both pretty big people, so I don't want to feel cramped. Is it smaller than a standard hotel room?Yes, usually much smaller than your average hotel room.

What all is included in the cost of the cruise? There are good deals for around $200-300 per person, but how inclusive is that cost?Some of the extras are alcoholic drinks, sometimes sodas, specialty restaurants, spa services, photography services, and tips for your stateroom attendent, waiter, asst waiter, and headwaiter. Some cruiselines add the tips into the price of the cruise, others do not.

Finally, what are the options that you can do when you're in port other than the shore excursions? Can you just walk around and explore? Is it safe to do that?You can walk around or book independant excursions.

I think that's all for now. Thanks for any advice!

We LOVE to cruise. For us, it is the best value for the amount of money that we spend.

 

[portocall]

Staterooms are small. But for two people, it isn't bad. You really don't spend that much time in there. If you feel the need, get one with a balcony.

Going alone is usually fine (except Jamaica... that oneis a bit overwhelming unless you have been there before and know how to navigate it) Just do research so you know where you are going, what the usually charges are... that kind of thing. But thinking of going out of NOLA or Mobile... chances are you are going to Cozumel and that one is easily doable. There is only one road you need to travel (one way for shopping and dining the other way for the beaches.. I love Playa de Sol)

 

[usnuzuloose]

Well the first thing just enjoy the cruising and relax. All your questions depend upon what cruise line you use. I sail with carnival. If you pm me I will give you the website for there boards and you can ask all the questions you like. Most food is included in your cruise. There are specialty restaurants that charge.

Usually coffee, tea, and juices are free. You need to pay for alcohol, and there are soda cards as well. I usually tip beyond the standard as they work really hard on these ships.

My husband and I usually walk around the ports with no problem. No exucursions all the time. You just need to research where you want to go and the cruise line. Hope this answers some of your questions. Jo

 

[tommya60]

You need cruisecritic.com It's the cruise version of the disboards. We love to cruise! We usually do an interior stateroom for 2 adults and our daughter. Cruisecritic boards saved us a lot of money and hassle on our last cruise. You can find recommendations for vendors for shore excursions, etc. Generally, If we have to travel far away form the ship to do the excursion we book through the ship, if it's local we use independent vendors. So far, it's worked for us!
A clear plastic shoe bag (designed to hang on the back of the door) its very handy on a cruise. There isn't much counter space, and the pockets on the bag are the perfect for sunglasses, cameras, keys, sunblock, chapstick, etc etc

 

[S. C.]

We LOVE to cruise. For us, it is the best value for the amount of money that we spend.

I agree!


A good website to learn more, research all the different cruises, ports of call etc. cruisecritic.com

 

[crz4mm2]

www.cruisecritic.com
Excellent advise for all

Have a great time! We love cruising.

 

[bumbershoot]

The knowledge from cruisecritic is the website that MADE our honeymoon cruise.


Passport...the only hitch when you don't have a passport is that if something happens, and someone *has to* fly home for medical reasons, there are likely to be delays, at least with the family members of the sick/injured person. I actually do trust that the State Dept would do everything to make a flight happen fast in an emergency, but those are steps that you wouldn't have to take if you just had a p'port.

So that's the one problem.

 

[shortbun]

I've had many inside staterooms and hate them. You can't even tell when there is daylight because you have none. They are typically very small and would be uncomfortable for two large people in my opinion. I would shop for the cheapest cabin with a balcony if I were you. Also(and I really hate saying this because the tourism in that area will be destroyed) maybe consider cruising from somewhere other than the gulf of Mexico. I think that next year might be a pretty bad time for the gulf, oil spill and all.

I would personally never leave American soil without a passport. Get them this year; they are valid for 10 years.

 

[sunlver]

Yes Cruisecritic.com is to cruising as what the Dis boards are to Disney

We have always had inside rooms..It all depends on you, and what you and your spouse will be comfortable with. For us, its never a problem, I dont like to be in the cabin anyways and always up and about early. I go on an upperdeck and walk around outside in the morning. Some people though, would never cruise in an inside cabin. We each are different and have different needs and wants. Since we are a family of 5 , we have to do it with the less money as possible, and inside cabins for us are the best value

Now about pricing..the price you see on different websites never include the tipping. That is always a big chunk at the end. For example, Carnival recommends $10 per day per person.. Of course you can always give more, but that is what they recommend.

Some people book exursions through their ship, some book privately, and some people just walk around with nothing booked. On the cruise message board you can find out everything you always wanted to know about cruising.
Have fun

 

[bicker]

I think you're going to get a lot of positive comments. It is important that you see the other side of the coin as well.

We've been on a number of cruises, so it isn't something that I'm specifically averse to, but to be clearly, it was my wife's choice. I'd far prefer to stay on dry land, not necessarily just because of the movement of the ship but for a host of other reasons, some of which you've alluded to.

The staterooms are "tiny". I have a closet bigger than some of the staterooms. Some of the staterooms are so tiny that I felt "cramped". And this was back when I was pretty thin. It is not only that the rooms are tiny and cramped, but due to the fact that the rooms are "at sea" a lot of considerations went into the design of the rooms that facilitate their being maintained and that facilitate safety, things that wouldn't be needed on land, and as a result even most larger staterooms have the "cruise ship" feel. Some folks find that part of the mystique. I don't.

While there is some excitement value in casting away and leaving port and then arriving somewhere else, and then going to the next place, I find that it eats up a lot of vacation time with logistics. Many port calls end at 5pm, for example, which I find annoying. I would rather stay in port until I'm done enjoying the port. I suppose I would be happy with that aspect if the ship cast off just about bedtime, and we were unequivocally able to go ashore by 7am. Given some of the itineraries, that's actually not impossible, but it would be prohibitively expensive, given how much the ports charge cruise ships to stay docked that long.

So keep that in mind.

 

[MM27]

As several people have said, please visit cruisecritic.com. Some people over there are very loyal to their preferred cruiseline, but you can find some great information to help you plan.

I've cruised a lot and always in either a balcony, junior suite or oceanview stateroom. I swore I would never get an inside stateroom. On one cruise my sister wanted to try out a Promenade stateroom on Royal Caribbean and I loved it. I'm not in the room that much anyway and the inside facing window gives you that open feeling.

When you get to each port, plan to do something. I know someone that said they hated their Alaska cruise because "there was nothing to do" Turns out they never made it passed the t-shirt shops and other stores near the port.

 

[erincon23]

We've done three cruises for varying lengths. We've never had an inside cabin, because I can't imagine not even being able to look outside -- I would recommend getting one at least with a window. They're not that much more than an inside cabin, and I think it's well worth it. A balcony is really nice -- you can sit outside and watch the ocean go by, have a snack, order a room service (which doesn't cost any extra) snack or meal and eat it... You'll find that you don't spend much time in the room anyway, but it feels more like a vacation when you can at least look outside.

As to what to do when you get to a port if you dont' want to do an excursion -- there are some excursions that don't cost that much and are well worth doing. In Nassau, you can plan on not signing up for anything with the cruise line, but walking off teh ship and being able to get right on a van and take an island tour. I would do some research and find out what ports are considered "safe", and where the "walkabout" tourist can go.

Many cruise lines include a "private island" on their itinerary -- these can be a lot of fun -- beautiful beach, snorkeling, barbecue for lunch, bicycling, etc. Make the most of this day if it's on your itinerary.

We love cruising. In fact, my DS17 wants to work on a cruise ship as a musician during college -- he's starting to get some info about doing that. The food is usually great, the entertainment is fun, there's music and dancing, bingo, games (try the games even if you don't think you're a game person), spas, movies -- lots to do! Have a good time!

Erin

 

[webprinter]

If you leave from New Orleans you have the choice of the Carnival Triumph or the Norwegian Spirit. Both are older ships. The Triumph is going to have larger rooms. We have been in interior rooms and balcony rooms. We prefer the balcony but have absolutely no problem with the inside cabins. The only port I would worry about walking around in alone is Belize. They have some fun shore excursions there and if you were going to do a shore excursion, that is where I would do it. We have walked way off the beaten path in Cozumel without any problems. We have also walked around Roatan and Costa Maya. We have never been to Progresso, so I don't know about that one. The Eastern Car and the Bahamas are also safe to walk around. If it were me, I would get a passport just to be safe. Also, once you go on a cruise, most people are hooked. If we didn't own so many timeshares, we would cruise at least once per year. As it is, we try to take a cruise every other year or two. They are wonderful and very relaxing. I would recommend the 7 day. Your food and entertainment is included but as was said before, the specialty restaurants are not included. We very seldom ever spend much on the ship as we don't drink alcohol or go to the specialty restaurants. We feel the regular restaurants are good enough. I agree with reading cruise critic. They have all the information you could want.

 

[bookgirl]

Bring half the clothes and twice the money you think you'll need.


One skirt or slacks with a variety of shirts is fine for the dining room.

All inclusive cruise does not include bottled water, booze, pictures, soda or iced/frapped/mocha'd coffee.

Bring your own dramamine. In bad seas they do sell out, and there's no walgreens on the open water.

Internet connections suck at sea and cell phones using the boats connections are outrageously expensive. Plan to be able to be out of touch.

Don't go with the "oh I always tan" rationale with sunscreen. Sun is brutal down south of the US.

Loose your inhibitions. Dance contests by the pool, crazy games that make you look like a spastic octopus, and being involved in the general party atmosphere are part of the charm of cruising.

Be prepared for the smallest bathrooms you'll ever use, plus they use toliets with almost no water and vacumn flushing. I could put out my arms and touch opposite walls at once. It was the one thing on my cruise that I never got used to.

I've only been on one cruise so take my contributions with a grain of salt, I"m sure there are multiple cruise people who will have lots of great advice as well.

 

[Aimeedyan]

I've been on two cruises. One was RC with a porthole room. The other was Carnival with an inside room. Honestly, didnt make any difference to me either way. I wasn't in the room much and when I was, I was napping/sleeping and didn't need any sunlight. What was more important to me is being on a higher deck that didn't require waiting on the elevator. I like being on the floor where you can walk down the hall and into the grand lobby. It was worth saving the money on the window and having a better floor location.

I enjoy cruising, but I enjoy relaxing. DH was bored stiff. He hated the days at sea days. There wasn't much activity that he was interested in, he hates sitting in the sun, hates reading, etc. He wanted activity and there wasn't much. I enjoyed going to a wine tasting, reading a good book on the deck, listening to music, etc.

If we cruise again, we'll opt for one with lots of interesting ports and less time at sea.

Financially, we spent very little on board. It really was a very inexpensive vacation (last time, we did Disney for 2 days, boarded the cruise for 4 nights, came back and did another 3 days at Disney - it saved us a TON!)

 

[ksjayhawks]

I agree with another poster that I would not leave the US without a passport. Too much going on in the world anymore to be stuck in a country without one!

Inside cabins are sometimes smaller, but for two of you should be fine. It depends on how much time you plan to spend in your cabin.

Extras are alcoholic drinks, possibly sodas, pictures, excursions, shopping, some snacks; sometimes juice outside of breakfast; specialty dining. You will need money for room service tips. Sodas through room service usually cost, even with the soda package and sometimes there is a surcharge for room service after midnight.
Tips--most cruise lines now add them to your final bill.

Excursions--can book through ship and on your own. May want to consider a ship excursion your first time. Going on your own--depends on where you go. Some ports are safe, some aren't. In Cozumel, it depends on which pier you dock at. One is right by all the "good" shopping, the other isn't but you can take a cab there and back. In some ports you can walk to a beach, others take a cab ride. Grand Caymen, plenty of shopping right off the pier and plenty of cabs to take you places. If you strike out on your own watch your time, as the ship will not wait if you are late (if you are on one of their excursions and something happens, they do).

Pay attention to whether or not your ship stays on their own time or switches to local time. It is fun to watch all those who didn't pay attention come running down the pier to get back to the boat in time.

Go to cruisecritics.com as suggested and you will get a lot of good advice.

Not sure how cruisng out of ports on the Gulf will be in the near future.

 

[doxdogy]

As others have stated check out cruisecritic.com, there is a wealth of information. I went on my first cruise last year on the Carnival Fascination and fell in love with cruising. I believe the majority of the cabins on Carnival are around 185 sq ft. Planning on doing the Carnival Dream in 2011.

 

[mamamary]

My sister is starting her cruise today. The Oasis of the Seas. I can't wait to hear about it. I've never been on a cruise before.

 

[MrsPete]

From what I understand, having a passport isn't necessary, but recommended. We aren't big travelers and are unlikely to need a passport again anytime soon. Should we spend the $200 or so that it will cost us to get a passport? The passport faithful will point out that if you're left behind on an island, or if you're forced to fly home mid-trip for an emergency, you'll be in trouble without a passport. But is that really likely? You can board the ship /get off in port /reenter the USA with an OFFICIAL birth certificate and photo ID (driver's license). IF you were going to travel internationally more often, a passport would be a good idea, but I would not spend $200 just for one cruise's identification.

Are the interior staterooms tiny? We're both pretty big people, so I don't want to feel cramped. Is it smaller than a standard hotel room?Yes, an interior stateroom will be much smaller than a standard hotel room. Here's a description of a typical interior room -- visualize it with me: Open the door, you'll have a bathroom on one side and a closet on the other side. Past those spaces, you'll have a dresser on one side and a seating area. Straight ahead will be the bed. On each side of the bed will be a small nightstand. The nightstands will touch the walls. The room will be NARROW.

Realistically, though, if you go up one category to an outside room, it won't be signfiicantly larger. Unless you bump up to a suite, your room will be small. This is just part of cruising. I'm fine with it.

Room size is a good reason to pack light. You don't want to clutter up your space with stuff, stuff, stuff. You also don't need much. For example -- I'm assuming a 7-day cruise here -- I usually pack three dinner outfits, one formal outfit and two casual dresses. We use My Time Dining, so we don't eat with the same people every night; thus, it doesn't really matter if I re-wear a dress. After all, I probably only wore it 2-3 hours. Also, my family doesn't like to go to the main dining room every night for 7 nights in a row. Sometimes we'll just send the kids to pick up a pizza (free) from the Promenade, or we'll order room service (free) -- especially if we're worn out from walking around in a port all day.

Personally, I have never stayed in an interior. I have a thing about having some natural light -- but that's just me. If someone wasn't buying those interior rooms, the ship'd quit selling them. And plenty of people ALWAYS go with interiors, justifying it by saying that they're never in the room anyway except to sleep and shower.

What all is included in the cost of the cruise? There are good deals for around $200-300 per person, but how inclusive is that cost?Your cruise price will include your room, meals in the main dining room and/or the buffet, a live show every night, other entertainment around the ship, and use of the ship's facilities (pools, lounges, putt-putt, exercise areas), and island stops.

You should look into specifics about YOUR SHIP because things do vary, but in general, you should expect to pay extra for sodas, alcoholic beverages, specialty restaurants, spa treatments, the casino, and photographs -- all of which are CHOICES. If you're going to take part in a special activity during your island stops (swim with dolphins, go on a snorkeling trip, take a tour of the town, etc.) that'll cost extra. And you should plans for tips in your spending budget -- personally, I prefer to do the auto-tips thing and pay them before I ever board; if you do that, you'll still need SOME tip money for the porters who take your bags, room service, and the occasional waiter who'll go out of his way for you . . . but most of your tipping will be done. A 15% tip for the bartender is automatically included in every purchase. Oh, you'll likely tip some people in port too. Your mileage may vary, but I'd say that if you've auto-tipped, $15 in ones should be plenty for your tipping needs.

Also, don't neglect your pre-cruise expenses when you're budgeting. Most experienced cruisers -- and I'm with them! -- insist upon arriving a day ahead of the cruise. Too many things could happen to delay your arrival, and that could mean missing your cruise. So come in a day ahead, choose a budget hotel near the port, and you'll be able to sleep in (unless you're too excited!) and still be among the first to board the ship. Did you say you're driving? You'll have to pay to park at the port; it'll run $12-20, depending upon your port of embarkation. Some hotels allow you to park at their hotel for free, then you ride their shuttle to/from the port. Also, consider travel insurance; it'll pay if you should need to cancel your cruise at the last minute (which I have done), and it'll pay if you are injured or need to be med-evaced back to a US hospital. Look into online travel agencies; they cost less than the cruise line's offerings.

Finally, what are the options that you can do when you're in port other than the shore excursions? Can you just walk around and explore? Is it safe to do that?Yes, you can just get off the ship (for free) and walk around the port. Some ports are better than others, but in all of them you'll find shops, bars, restaurants, etc. near the port. Look into private excursions -- just google "shore excursions Cozumel" (or whatever's appropriate), and you'll find lots of choices. The ship-excursions-only folks will try to scare you saying, "If you're late back to the ship, they'll leave you". Really, though, you own a watch, right? If you know the ship's going to sail at 5:00, be back absolutely no later than 4:00. Know whether the ship sails on island time or ship time. Know your transportation plans. Have a couple dollars for a taxi in case anything goes wrong. Don't let your party split up on land. Even if Cornonas are only $1, don't get stinking drunk so that you can't find the ship again. Easy. Excursions are where we don't hesitate to splurge. We've done some wonderful things on the islands. This is an area where you really need to do your homework. Pay particular attention to the amount of time spent in transit on your excursions (I'm thinking of one popular excursion that includes about 5 hours of transportation and only 2 hours at the Tulum ruins).