Did you manage to have any fun?
Gruvin said:
We thought of it as a floating hotel and travel system Go to sleep after watchng a comedy act or dance show and wake up the next day in a different port.
Ditto the balcony room.BaylorOkie said:
It's my favorite way to travel. IMO, all of the cruise lines are excellent. Choosing the right ship and itinerary is important. I have a Carnival points card and we have used it to take our family on cruises the past couple of years. We went on the two newest ships and they were great. We've also liked RCC and Norwegian.
One thing we learned this past summer is it makes a big difference which departing port you choose. We sailed out of New York City and being on a ship with a few thousend east coast people is much different then a few thousand people sailing out of a southern US port. We won't do New York again for that reason.
I agree that the food on Carnival is good, not great. But it's certainly good enough and the specialty restaurants are excellent. But I don't really cruise for the food so that's not important to me.
Get a balcony room, worth the extra money over a window room.
Brian Ethridge said:
If you have a family, grab a suite. We've done that and enjoyed the extra room. Last one we took had our nanny and three kids in it and never felt cramped.
Royal and Disney are our favorites and the food is better on Disney, plus they lo-jack your kids so you know where they are on the boat.
El Rio de los Brazos de Dios is a few miles from Bremond, but it's quite a portage.william said:
is there a body of water that connect huaco to bremond?
PA.
- UL
... and, as always, TIA.
BID.
{ sipping coffee }
{ eating donut }
TellMeYouLoveMe said:
I'll never get on a cruise ship again in my life. My last cruise experience was Royal Caribbean. I wouldn't go cheaper than that. But that's my preference.
If I want to be locked on a boat with drunk people, I can do that for free. Cruises favor the passenger who wants to sit. Sit and eat. Sit and gamble. Sit and watch a play. So if you're older, don't like to have to walk a lot of change beds, then a cruise is for you. I don't want to discourage anyone that wants that, just saying cruise ships aren't a good mix for hyper active types.
I'm trying not to say elderly, but some people won't ever see certainly places, ie. Europe unless they are carted around. Boats can make that in leisurely, luxury time. So I do understand the appeal. You can see the top part of a handful of places quickly without having to invest too much effort. That fits a certain person, for sure. The food is always, and the service is usually..good.Mr Tulip said:TellMeYouLoveMe said:
I'll never get on a cruise ship again in my life. My last cruise experience was Royal Caribbean. I wouldn't go cheaper than that. But that's my preference.
If I want to be locked on a boat with drunk people, I can do that for free. Cruises favor the passenger who wants to sit. Sit and eat. Sit and gamble. Sit and watch a play. So if you're older, don't like to have to walk a lot of change beds, then a cruise is for you. I don't want to discourage anyone that wants that, just saying cruise ships aren't a good mix for hyper active types.
That's the main point, either good or bad, of the cruise I've been on. The boat is the thing. Yes, you'll be in port three or so days, but you won't get far. The boat will be there in the morning, you can do what you will, but need to be back by the evening. If you don't enjoy the boat, you won't enjoy the cruise.
Consider aNatGeo cruise. They combine short cruise segments with a lot of activity. Hikes, bikes, scuba, snorkel, kayaking are generally good. We did this to Alaska and the Galapagos. They also have their photographers and naturalists on board.TellMeYouLoveMe said:
I'll never get on a cruise ship again in my life. My last cruise experience was Royal Caribbean. I wouldn't go cheaper than that. But that's my preference.
If I want to be locked on a boat with drunk people, I can do that for free. Cruises favor the passenger who wants to sit. Sit and eat. Sit and gamble. Sit and watch a play. So if you're older, don't like to have to walk a lot of change beds, then a cruise is for you. I don't want to discourage anyone that wants that, just saying cruise ships aren't a good mix for hyper active types.
Royal Caribbean had plenty of dining options. You didn't have to ever darken the door of the main dining hall if you didn't want to. I did most nights because (a) it was a good change of pace from the swimwear/bumwear I'd been in all day and (b) they served the top end stuff there that I'd usually never actually order (I'm a picky eater and don't tend towards adventure when I'm out).fadskier said:
My family is going on our first cruise this summer. I have to admit, I am not adventurous and therefore, not too excited. I don't want to take "nice clothes" to dress up for dinner. Do I have to? Can I not eat somewhere in shorts? We are only stopping at Cozumel and it looks like shopping is a big deal. Meh.
Help me to be more positive...
I've never had a massage and it's 20% off on port day so maybe...Mr Tulip said:Royal Caribbean had plenty of dining options. You didn't have to ever darken the door of the main dining hall if you didn't want to. I did most nights because (a) it was a good change of pace from the swimwear/bumwear I'd been in all day and (b) they served the top end stuff there that I'd usually never actually order (I'm a picky eater and don't tend towards adventure when I'm out).fadskier said:
My family is going on our first cruise this summer. I have to admit, I am not adventurous and therefore, not too excited. I don't want to take "nice clothes" to dress up for dinner. Do I have to? Can I not eat somewhere in shorts? We are only stopping at Cozumel and it looks like shopping is a big deal. Meh.
Help me to be more positive...
Otherwise, I was eating in the "Windjammer" - a buffet style restaurant. They had all the standard "Golden Corral" stuff. As relaxed as it gets.
I went snorkeling in Cozumel sort of as the obligatory family thing to do. I can give you the name of a great operation that's treated us right two years' running. The upshot is that they're really fond of tequila and salsa! Cozumel is essentially a beach tourist paradise with sun, the ocean, shopping, drinking and partying. You can mix and match depending on your needs/wants, or stay on the boat and hit the gym or casino again as your tastes desire.
That does sound adventurous and a great idea. I could be tricked into that.beardoc said:Consider aNatGeo cruise. They combine short cruise segments with a lot of activity. Hikes, bikes, scuba, snorkel, kayaking are generally good. We did this to Alaska and the Galapagos. They also have their photographers and naturalists on board.TellMeYouLoveMe said:
I'll never get on a cruise ship again in my life. My last cruise experience was Royal Caribbean. I wouldn't go cheaper than that. But that's my preference.
If I want to be locked on a boat with drunk people, I can do that for free. Cruises favor the passenger who wants to sit. Sit and eat. Sit and gamble. Sit and watch a play. So if you're older, don't like to have to walk a lot of change beds, then a cruise is for you. I don't want to discourage anyone that wants that, just saying cruise ships aren't a good mix for hyper active types.
I've been on two and this was the main reason I hated it. All this money for a few hours in a destination that used to be a foreign country, but now is just a few guys getting by taking overweight tourists to Senor Frogs. Give me a direct flight any day of the week and even then I'm going to stay far away from the cruise port.syme said:
Only cruise if you're not too concerned with immersing yourself and really experiencing the destination. It's a low-impact, all inclusive, and as tulip said "superficial" way to travel. That said, you can still enjoy yourself if your expectations are set accordingly. You can do as much or as little as you want on the boat.
The area in Cozumel has changed a ton as the new port is away from town a bit and just a mass of touristy trinkets. I love that island, but I don't go there to shop. Find the excursion to Punta Sur, which is an Eco Park, but there is a great beach bar inside by a cove that is calm, shallow, perfect sand, and nobody else will be there. If not an excursion, get a taxi there and then tell them to pick you up later. They will.fadskier said:I've never had a massage and it's 20% off on port day so maybe...Mr Tulip said:Royal Caribbean had plenty of dining options. You didn't have to ever darken the door of the main dining hall if you didn't want to. I did most nights because (a) it was a good change of pace from the swimwear/bumwear I'd been in all day and (b) they served the top end stuff there that I'd usually never actually order (I'm a picky eater and don't tend towards adventure when I'm out).fadskier said:
My family is going on our first cruise this summer. I have to admit, I am not adventurous and therefore, not too excited. I don't want to take "nice clothes" to dress up for dinner. Do I have to? Can I not eat somewhere in shorts? We are only stopping at Cozumel and it looks like shopping is a big deal. Meh.
Help me to be more positive...
Otherwise, I was eating in the "Windjammer" - a buffet style restaurant. They had all the standard "Golden Corral" stuff. As relaxed as it gets.
I went snorkeling in Cozumel sort of as the obligatory family thing to do. I can give you the name of a great operation that's treated us right two years' running. The upshot is that they're really fond of tequila and salsa! Cozumel is essentially a beach tourist paradise with sun, the ocean, shopping, drinking and partying. You can mix and match depending on your needs/wants, or stay on the boat and hit the gym or casino again as your tastes desire.
and I'll get off the boat and walk around. We're just not big shoppers.