OT: Cruises

[Dawgology]

I've never been on a cruise. Always wanted to just never really got around to it. I'm thinking of suprising the wife with a cruise next summer but I have no idea where to begin, which cruise line is best, which is the best bang for the buck, etc. I know she is interested in the Caribbean and I know that I want to visit some of the big Mayan ruin temples. I'm looking for advise. It would be very welcome from some of you frequent cruise folks and world travelers.

[DawgNamedScuba]

Took a cruise for my sister's wedding. If you do Carnival and you drink a lot get the drinks package, $59 a day per person, limit 15 drinks a day.

[Gutter Cobreh]

Depends on your price point, but I would definitely recommend doing it.

Going to sound weird without having kids in tow, but I'd recommend Disney. There are adult-only areas of the boat to get your drink on, fantastic shows, and even Castaway Cay (their private island) has a completely separate beach on the other side of the island just for adults.

If that doesn't sound appealing, I've heard good things about Norwegian Cruise line; just haven't experienced one of their cruises for myself.

[fader2103]

I will never go back to Cozumel. Worst area for a tourist. Now Belize is amazing especially snorkeling around the reef.

[HeCannotGo]

I've been on a few cruises over the years. I'm sure others have more experience but here are a few thoughts/suggestions:

1. There's a massive amount of information out there. To avoid being overwhelmed, I suggest that you decide what you want out of your cruise first. To me, this falls into two main categories: spending the bulk of your time on the ship (all-you can eat food, lounging by pool, shows, casino, etc.), or taking advantage of the ports of call to see things like the Mayan ruins you mentioned. If you care a lot about the ports, then you can focus your search on where you want to go and the amount of time you want to spend there. If you never plan to leave the ship, focus on the ship's amenities.

2. I've been on what I would consider the lower-end and middle-of-the-road cruise lines. While they were fine, you can get better value and/or nicer amenities at an upscale resort or hotel. I'm sure the nicer cruise lines have better food and swankier rooms but that comes at a cost. To me, the advantage of a cruise is that you can see multiple destinations in the same trip, which comes in handy if you want one destination and the wife wants another. Just my opinion, but if you only care about one destination or just the food/room, skip the cruise altogether and find a nice resort instead.

3. Getting on and off a cruise ship is a huge pain. The check-in at the beginning and the disembarkation at then end are usually a long process and not much fun. Same is often true for getting off the ship at a port of call.

4. Once you have an idea of where you'd like to go and what time of year, check out www.vacationstogo.com. This site lets you search for cruises using all sorts of different criteria, such as date, region, and departure port. We've sailed out of New Orleans and Port Canaveral. I suggest picking a departure port that's within driving distance if you can so that you don't have airfare on top of your cruise cost. If you're flying, be sure to give yourself several hours of cushion at the beginning and end of your trip to account for the embarkation and disembarkation process.

5. Some folks get seasick, but most don't. Your doctor can suggest something just in case.

6. Cruise prices are all over the place, starting around $500 per person for a four-day cruise. These purport to be all-inclusive but that's not the case. You'll be expected to tip about $15 per person per day. There are also numerous surcharges for excursions, certain restaurants on the ship, certain types of drinks at the bar, Wi-Fi, and whatever else the cruise line can think of to stick you with. This is all conveniently billed to your credit card, and I've seen folks who were shocked to find that they'd run up $400 or more of extras a few dollars at a time. This also makes it hard to compare prices across cruise lines, because they all charge different amounts for different categories.

7. All but the most expensive staterooms on a cruise ship are small. Very small. You can get a few extra square feet by paying more.

8. Food is good but not great. They provide nice quantity but not much in the way of quality, unless you want to pay extra for one of the premium restaurants on the ship.

[Tbonewannabe]

We are going to the Yucatan and Cozumel on Carnival in October. My parents go about every 3-6 months on Carnival. They love it but have never really vacationed before he retired so it isn't like they can compare the experience to a nice resort. We have an excursion planned for the Yucatan - visiting Mayan pyramid and swimming in a cenote. My parents love shopping in Cozumel, I have a feeling I will hate it.

I will give a report on what I like and don't like when we get back.

[Liverpooldawg]

I've done some cruising, but never in the Caribbean. We have been to Alaska, Norway, the Western Med, New England and the Canadian Maritimes, the Baltic, the British Isles, the Inner Hebrides, and the Rhine River.

[Bothrops]

Don't get drunk, climb over the rail and you won't end up in the Gulf. I guarantee it.

[MagicDawg]

I perform magic on one or two cruises per year (sometimes more) and have passenger status (i.e., a passenger stateroom, not a crew cabin). I perform on Crystal Cruises, which is an upscale but truly all-inclusive line. Put your credit card away -- you won't need it unless you start buying extras, but all food and drinks are included for the whole cruise. Unless you buy connoisseur liquor, you're not paying for food or alcohol.

Cruising has taken me all over the world. I think cruising is easily the best kind of vacation -- unpack once, see a new city every couple of days because your hotel changes locations at night! Love it. We did Auckland to Tahiti this year; in the past I've done a lot around the Mediterranean, Scandinavia, Australia/Bali, and next year Perth to Cape Town.

The cheaper the line, the more nickel-and-dime stuff you'll have to pay for (drink plans, etc.) and the younger, louder, and rowdier the crowd will be. I would not want to travel on a line where I couldn't enjoy my down-time due to Honey Boo Boo's posse having a meltdown in the dining room and an out-of-control frat party at the pool. It's like shopping, frankly -- some cruise lines are Wal Mart, some are JCPenney, McRae's (which I really miss, come to think of it), and some are Neiman-Marcus. The things you have to deal with when shopping in each store are going to be different. Sometimes Wal Mart is fine. Sometimes you know you need something else.

I have not traveled on Celebrity, but I hear good things from my friends who have. Seems like a nice compromise between amenities and price. Not as rowdy as Carnival, not as expensive as Crystal.

I have lots of friends who perform on Disney and Norwegian, so if you end up on one of them let me know. Actually, once you know which ship you're on, let me check and see if I know any entertainers and I'll try to arrange something special -- if that's the sort of thing that interests you.

Safe travels.

[Liverpooldawg]

I've done some cruising, but never in the Caribbean. We have been to Alaska, Norway, the Western Med, New England and the Canadian Maritimes, the Baltic, the British Isles, the Inner Hebrides, and the Rhine River.

Lines: Princess, Holland America, Cunard, The Majestic Line (Scotland), and Viking River.

[Martianlander]

Cunard is really nice. We went on one of their short hop cruises this summer. But it's a lot more expensive than Carnival.

[Martianlander]

I will never go back to Cozumel. Worst area for a tourist. Now Belize is amazing especially snorkeling around the reef.

I agree. Cozumel is a tourist trap. Although next year we are going on a Disney cruise with the kids and grandkids which will go to Castaway Cay and Cozumel so I guess I have to keep an open mind. Was thinking about renting one of the 4 seat dune buggy type things and traveling around the island.

[Tbonewannabe]

I agree. Cozumel is a tourist trap. Although next year we are going on a Disney cruise with the kids and grandkids which will go to Castaway Cay and Cozumel so I guess I have to keep an open mind. Was thinking about renting one of the 4 seat dune buggy type things and traveling around the island.

We are going in October to the Yucatan and Cozumel. My parents go on a cruise a lot. They like to shop in Cozumel because my dad thinks he gets "great deals" because he gets to haggle. We are going to a Mayan pyramid in the Yucatan along with swimming in a cenote. My parents didn't want to do that so it will be just my wife and I. I actually kind of dread Cozumel.

Anyone have any interesting tips for Cozumel?