First Time Cruiser Review (dinner, hotel, sailing, wear)
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I wanted to thank the board for allowing me to ask so many questions before I cruised since it was to be my first. Thanks for all your help and info- it heped out a lot so I'm hoping my review may help some other first timer.
Just got back from a 5 day Carnival cruise on the Victory that sailed to Grand Turks, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. First impression is that there are definitely pro's and con's to cruising as opposed to staying at an all inclusive resort.
Arrived in Miami in plenty of time before the 2:30 check in- if at all possible check in at the airport it will save you from checking in at the port. Catch a taxi rather then paying the $16.00 per person shuttle as for 2 people the taxi ride is only $25.00.
There is a lot of hurry up and wait situations. As soon as you board you will be offered a drink which could be good depending on your day but be aware this is not a complimentary drink, you are billed for it right away and if you do not accept then a credit will be applied to your account. Once on board we were able to go to our room which was an interior room which I found was great as it was so dark in the room- made for great sleeping and since that is all the room was used for it would not be worth the extra price in my opinion for a room with a balcony or view but to each their own. It is required to attend a safety instruction before the ship leaves port so be prepared to stand for quit a while waiting for all to be accounted for- my suggestion is do not rush to this unless you want to stand behind three rows of people on a hot, humid deck.
Once we set out it was nice to see Miami and some of Miami beach as we sailed past so then the party begins. We mostly ate dinners in the main dinning room which was nice but the food was OK- not great but not bad either although the service seemed pretty slow. By the last night we just ate in the buffet to save the theatrics and slow service. One night after waiting so long and we wanted to see a show that we just got up and left before our desert arrived. We heard from others in our group they had some issues and did not care for the response received by the head waiter etc. Be prepared for dinner to take at least 2 hours in the main dinning room.
We had one full day at sea which was good and a chance to learn your way around the ship and relax- catch some sun etc. The following day we arrived in Grand Turks which is beautiful on the shore line but a typical poverty stricten area in the main land. We took the $19 per person tour of the island which I'm glad I did but it was not worth the price- if it were cut in half then I would recommend it. Kinda of interesting is that there is tribute to John Glenn and the space program as that is where the pod splashed down at.
The third day we landed in Half Moon Cay- Wow! What an absolutely beautiful island. I told my wife if the ship left without us I would not be too upset. It is a private island owned by Carnival. The only issue with this island is that smaller boats have to pick up groups as the water is not deep enough to port off of. If you ever go here- take a lot more pictures than we did. I was kicking myself for not taking a picture from the top of the fort entrance. Hated to leave this place- this is where a cruising con comes into play, we were here for one day then gone.
The final leg of our cruise took us to Nassau- talk about annoying when you get off the dock, be prepared to be bombarded by natives offering tours, pictures and other excersions. It was like walking thru a gauntlet. Once you get past that then you can walk around downtown area which is a lot of shopping etc., the straw market is something to see but in all reality it is many vendors selling the same exact crap as the next and it is all really just cheap trinkets-shirts etc. We tried to buy some t-shirts but the vendors would not budge on price so we found and even better deal at a store further into downtown.
We did go and take a $4.00 per person water taxi to Paradise island which was well worth the price. We did not go to the Atlantis- we went to the public beach which on the way you walk thru a little area of higher end stores and resturants. It was very pretty there and the beach was full but you did not feel cramped and the bonus about the beach is there are trees that provide shade spots so you do not have to rent an umbrella of anything of such.
My overall impression is that we had a great time and would go on another cruise but realize there are real differences in the experience as opposed to going to an all inclusive resort. I felt rushed when we ported as you had to remain conscience of the time since the ship would leave without you and that being on a cruise ship- they are there to make money off of you unlike an all inclusive were you pay your fee and the only expense you may have is wanting to tip the staff. Tips are billed automatically per day on a cruise but you will be inclined to tip further once you see how hard some of the staff work.
I hope this helps and again thanks to all the experienced cruisers for their help!
One thing that I would suggest you consider when you look at booking your next cruise: The itinerary IS important. From your comments, I suspect a different itinerary would be more appealing. And your choice of cruise line is crucial. If you found Carnival to be satisfactory, you will totally enjoy nearly every other cruise line. You might be thrilled with some of the mass market cruise lines (Celebrity, for example).
I wanted to thank the board for allowing me to ask so many questions before I cruised since it was to be my first. Thanks for all your help and info- it heped out a lot so I'm hoping my review may help some other first timer.
Just got back from a 5 day Carnival cruise on the Victory that sailed to Grand Turks, Half Moon Cay and Nassau. First impression is that there are definitely pro's and con's to cruising as opposed to staying at an all inclusive resort.
Arrived in Miami in plenty of time before the 2:30 check in- if at all possible check in at the airport it will save you from checking in at the port. Catch a taxi rather then paying the $16.00 per person shuttle as for 2 people the taxi ride is only $25.00.
There is a lot of hurry up and wait situations. As soon as you board you will be offered a drink which could be good depending on your day but be aware this is not a complimentary drink, you are billed for it right away and if you do not accept then a credit will be applied to your account. Once on board we were able to go to our room which was an interior room which I found was great as it was so dark in the room- made for great sleeping and since that is all the room was used for it would not be worth the extra price in my opinion for a room with a balcony or view but to each their own. It is required to attend a safety instruction before the ship leaves port so be prepared to stand for quit a while waiting for all to be accounted for- my suggestion is do not rush to this unless you want to stand behind three rows of people on a hot, humid deck.
Once we set out it was nice to see Miami and some of Miami beach as we sailed past so then the party begins. We mostly ate dinners in the main dinning room which was nice but the food was OK- not great but not bad either although the service seemed pretty slow. By the last night we just ate in the buffet to save the theatrics and slow service. One night after waiting so long and we wanted to see a show that we just got up and left before our desert arrived. We heard from others in our group they had some issues and did not care for the response received by the head waiter etc. Be prepared for dinner to take at least 2 hours in the main dinning room.
We had one full day at sea which was good and a chance to learn your way around the ship and relax- catch some sun etc. The following day we arrived in Grand Turks which is beautiful on the shore line but a typical poverty stricten area in the main land. We took the $19 per person tour of the island which I'm glad I did but it was not worth the price- if it were cut in half then I would recommend it. Kinda of interesting is that there is tribute to John Glenn and the space program as that is where the pod splashed down at.
The third day we landed in Half Moon Cay- Wow! What an absolutely beautiful island. I told my wife if the ship left without us I would not be too upset. It is a private island owned by Carnival. The only issue with this island is that smaller boats have to pick up groups as the water is not deep enough to port off of. If you ever go here- take a lot more pictures than we did. I was kicking myself for not taking a picture from the top of the fort entrance. Hated to leave this place- this is where a cruising con comes into play, we were here for one day then gone.
The final leg of our cruise took us to Nassau- talk about annoying when you get off the dock, be prepared to be bombarded by natives offering tours, pictures and other excersions. It was like walking thru a gauntlet. Once you get past that then you can walk around downtown area which is a lot of shopping etc., the straw market is something to see but in all reality it is many vendors selling the same exact crap as the next and it is all really just cheap trinkets-shirts etc. We tried to buy some t-shirts but the vendors would not budge on price so we found and even better deal at a store further into downtown.
We did go and take a $4.00 per person water taxi to Paradise island which was well worth the price. We did not go to the Atlantis- we went to the public beach which on the way you walk thru a little area of higher end stores and resturants. It was very pretty there and the beach was full but you did not feel cramped and the bonus about the beach is there are trees that provide shade spots so you do not have to rent an umbrella of anything of such.
My overall impression is that we had a great time and would go on another cruise but realize there are real differences in the experience as opposed to going to an all inclusive resort. I felt rushed when we ported as you had to remain conscience of the time since the ship would leave without you and that being on a cruise ship- they are there to make money off of you unlike an all inclusive were you pay your fee and the only expense you may have is wanting to tip the staff. Tips are billed automatically per day on a cruise but you will be inclined to tip further once you see how hard some of the staff work.
I hope this helps and again thanks to all the experienced cruisers for their help!
thanks for telling us how your cruise vacation went and giving us an honest overall idea of your feeling about cruising. I will add a couple of things, one, like jkgourmet said, if you liked Carnival, probably any mass marketed line would make you happy. I would suggest you try a little longer cruise next time and yes, a different itinerary. Very few people put Nassau at the top of their "I want to see" ports.
AI are very different as you found out: they offer some positive features you don't get on a cruise ship, one being, like it says :all inclusive including the drinks. The disadvantage compared to cruising, you do not get all the choices like good entertainment, casinos, different ports, etc. at an AI.
I don't have the actually stats, but I would say, 70% of those who cruise will choose cruising as their favorite form of vacation and will be hooked: 20% will say, cruising is fun, but there are other forms of travel we also enjoy and 10% will never cruise again. You seem to fall into the 20% group.
nmnita- you are correct, I would definitely fall into the 20% that would say cruising is fun but there are other forms of travel as well.
No doubt- I would suggest to take a 7 day cruise as opposed to the 5 day and choose a more exotic itinerary to cover more stops or longer stays.
I was telling my group that I should open my own cruise line that would take as many of the cons out of the equation as possible such as creating a true all inclusive environment. I found it very frustrating to continually feel that everyone is out to keep their hand in my back pocket. I guess if I had an unlimited budget then it would be fine but I still crave value and do not appreciate paying excessive amounts for items. A beer was close to $8. which is obnoxious just like the ballpark, I hate being raped over prices.
It sounds to me like the ideal situation is if you can leave on a dime that one should wait a few days before a cruise sets sale to book as I met several people that do this and their savings were 50% cheaper than what we paid booking further out. Then maybe you woud not mind overpaying for other items.
One other comment- I was initially concerned about sea sickness and did notice several people with the patch behind their ears. I suppose if it were rough seas it would be more of an issue but my experience was that I barely noticed any movement other than occasionally feeling like I was drunk, this was only occasionally. One thing that I did experience was that same sensation when the cruise was over and I was at the airport waiting- kinda weird and kinda cool so just go with it and enjoy it as it wears off by the next day.
nmnita- you are correct, I would definitely fall into the 20% that would say cruising is fun but there are other forms of travel as well.
No doubt- I would suggest to take a 7 day cruise as opposed to the 5 day and choose a more exotic itinerary to cover more stops or longer stays.
I was telling my group that I should open my own cruise line that would take as many of the cons out of the equation as possible such as creating a true all inclusive environment. I found it very frustrating to continually feel that everyone is out to keep their hand in my back pocket. I guess if I had an unlimited budget then it would be fine but I still crave value and do not appreciate paying excessive amounts for items. A beer was close to $8. which is obnoxious just like the ballpark, I hate being raped over prices.
It sounds to me like the ideal situation is if you can leave on a dime that one should wait a few days before a cruise sets sale to book as I met several people that do this and their savings were 50% cheaper than what we paid booking further out. Then maybe you woud not mind overpaying for other items.
One other comment- I was initially concerned about sea sickness and did notice several people with the patch behind their ears. I suppose if it were rough seas it would be more of an issue but my experience was that I barely noticed any movement other than occasionally feeling like I was drunk, this was only occasionally. One thing that I did experience was that same sensation when the cruise was over and I was at the airport waiting- kinda weird and kinda cool so just go with it and enjoy it as it wears off by the next day.
oh, the after swaying when the cruise is over. For some reason when you cruise often enough this no longer happens. You are right, it is kind of a neat feeling.
The nickel and diming can be a shock to a lot of people, most of us have learned to budget just so much extra and yes, the cost of drinks can be pricey, but $8 for a beer: wow...Most lines beer will run more like $5.00. We have pretty much discovered drinks a ships run similar to most bars on land, the difference, you drink more on a ship. We usually buy a wine package and maybe order a bottle of booze ahead of time for our cabin. Even that runs more than it should and not all lines have that option. I don't think nay have beer packages, other than the beer helmets or buckets were you get 6 bottles for the price of 5.
You mention booking the last couple of weeks prior to sailing, that is a great idea, but the problem, many popular cruises are sold out or what is available are less desirable cabins and you might end up paying twice as much for air fare. People love to talk about the great deals they get, don't believe everything they tell you.
You mention booking the last couple of weeks prior to sailing, that is a great idea, but the problem, many popular cruises are sold out or what is available are less desirable cabins and you might end up paying twice as much for air fare. People love to talk about the great deals they get, don't believe everything they tell you.
But SOMETIMES those people with their bargains are telling the truth, right?
But - nearly always - those are the folks that are happy with the inside guarantee cabins, not necessarily the 'best' ships, inseason travel, 'perfect' itinerary, favorite cruise line etc. Those bargains ARE out there, but not always worth the compromise,.
one slip, some cruise lines are more geared to AI, but they tend to be the luxury end or river cruises. However, nearly all cruiselines have some kind of AI or reduced price prepaid alcohol/wine scheme. Celebrity regularly runs a promo called 123Go or Pick Your Perk where you can choose an AI alcohol package thst is included in your cruuse fare. Most experienced cruisers rarely book ship excursions finding better/cheaper tours on theur own. And shios with speciality restaurants often have prepaid or inboard packages to reduce that reduce the added cist of dining in specialties (which we rarely do).
There are definitely bargains to be had. We have cruised twice with Carnival, and have our next one booked for this coming May. We are hooked!
The first trip (Carnival Holiday, no longer in service) out of Mobile, was to Cozumel. Booked 6 months in advance. The entire trip including tickets and our drinks cost us $750 for myself, my wife, and my son.
Our trip last year was just myself and my wife. Booked 5 months in advance. We took the Carnival Fascination to Nassau. Total trip cost us about $950 (tickets were $250 each for a room with a window), one night in a hotel, fuel to drive from N Alabama to Jacksonville, FL round trip (making a long detour to Mobile, AL to drop the kids with my parents), and a few odds and ends we bought on the island.
The next trip was booked last month. It is the Carnival Elation (sister ship to Fascination) to Cozumel, leaving from New Orleans. The tickets for 2 adults and 2 kids were almost $2,400 this time..... So this trip will be a little more expensive.
All in all, for us it's a great value. A lot of our bill is drinks, since we do intend on having a good amount while on board and I always buy as much as they will let me bring home. But our condo in Florida typically costs us $1,400-$1,700 per week, plus food, drinks, etc.... So we find that the cruise is much cheaper and we don't actually have to do anything.
I sailed on the Carnival Dream the last week of August and domestic 16oz cans of beer were $5.75 plus gratuity. Thats not bad considering. Carnival is the least expensive of the cruise lines but there is great value there. I like the other cruise lines better but one must consider $$$$
There are definitely bargains to be had. We have cruised twice with Carnival, and have our next one booked for this coming May. We are hooked!
The first trip (Carnival Holiday, no longer in service) out of Mobile, was to Cozumel. Booked 6 months in advance. The entire trip including tickets and our drinks cost us $750 for myself, my wife, and my son.
Our trip last year was just myself and my wife. Booked 5 months in advance. We took the Carnival Fascination to Nassau. Total trip cost us about $950 (tickets were $250 each for a room with a window), one night in a hotel, fuel to drive from N Alabama to Jacksonville, FL round trip (making a long detour to Mobile, AL to drop the kids with my parents), and a few odds and ends we bought on the island.
The next trip was booked last month. It is the Carnival Elation (sister ship to Fascination) to Cozumel, leaving from New Orleans. The tickets for 2 adults and 2 kids were almost $2,400 this time..... So this trip will be a little more expensive.
All in all, for us it's a great value. A lot of our bill is drinks, since we do intend on having a good amount while on board and I always buy as much as they will let me bring home. But our condo in Florida typically costs us $1,400-$1,700 per week, plus food, drinks, etc.... So we find that the cruise is much cheaper and we don't actually have to do anything.
Wait a minute; I am confused, are you saying you book these cruises and alcohol is included or are you saying, without alcohol? yes, there are booze packages now and yes, there are occasional packages that include booze, but they are few and far between. I will add, there are great deals out there, but as I mentioned, it has to do with both the time of year you are cruising, and certainly the ship. For those who just want to cruise and do not care at all about what ship they sail, you are living proof there are deals to be had. For many, the ships you have sailed might be a disappointment. It does depend on what is important when planning a vacation. I just think it is important for people to realize, these great deals you are talking about may have strings attacked and do not come along every day. You also neglected to mention the cruises you have taken were very short.
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