Pros and Cons of a Cruise
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Everyone in the world except me enjoys cruises, and that includes the kids and young people I know. The one I went on was Carnival over spring break, and there were a million children/teens on board, all seemed to be having a blast.
I'm betting you all would have a great time.
I'm betting you all would have a great time.
I'm a big fan of a cruise. I've done several, up to a couple of 14 days trips. I find a lot of value to a cruise. It's your hotel, transportation, restaurant, entertainment and gym all rolled into 1. You can find some real deals if you are flexible and can leave at a moments notice. So far I've sailed to Canada and the Caribbean. Heading south in the winter is a magnificent way to warm up. Personally I avoid any dates that would line up with spring break or a similar time when school might be out. I've been on a cruise with a lot of kids and also on a cruise with very few children. Less kids is more to my preference but since you said family vacation that isn't relevant here.
I like the shows especially the comedians and hypnotists. I'll spring a few bucks for the upgraded restaurants when available. When in port I like to take the van tours of the island. They drive you to all the must see places plus give you a lot of local trivia and information about the area.
I've bought the unlimited drink cards a few times. They offer both alcoholic & non alcoholic options. Watch for the nickel & dime charges. I've never bought an excursion offered by the ship. I feel you can get a better deal at the port. Make sure you are back to the ship with plenty of time. They WILL leave without you. Don't overpack as there isn't much storage space in the room. Read the daily schedule the day before to see where and when things that might interest you take place. Then get there early to ensure you get a seat.
IHTH.
I like the shows especially the comedians and hypnotists. I'll spring a few bucks for the upgraded restaurants when available. When in port I like to take the van tours of the island. They drive you to all the must see places plus give you a lot of local trivia and information about the area.
I've bought the unlimited drink cards a few times. They offer both alcoholic & non alcoholic options. Watch for the nickel & dime charges. I've never bought an excursion offered by the ship. I feel you can get a better deal at the port. Make sure you are back to the ship with plenty of time. They WILL leave without you. Don't overpack as there isn't much storage space in the room. Read the daily schedule the day before to see where and when things that might interest you take place. Then get there early to ensure you get a seat.
IHTH.
LostNFound
Member
Been on several and highly recommend them. I like going out of Baltimore to save not just money on plane fare but my sanity. I personally hate flying and with kids in tow- thats up to each individual. NYC isnt too far to drive to either to take the air fare out of the equation. I could go on and on about how great they are - but heres a quick pro/con list for you.
Pro -- all inclusive and dont need a DD all week. Party like a rock star enjoying long dinners, fun shows, gambling, comics, people watching, pool parties or nothing at all- sit and stare out at the sea.
Room service is included.
See several ports in one trip.
Whole family can spend time together or apart - always something for everyone from adult entertainment to family games.
Sun rises over the ocean.
Meeting new people.
Set sets on the ocean.
No packing and unpacking or living out of a bag- for a 1 week cruise we unpack, store the luggage and LIVE on board.
ALWAYS can find something to do- from simple games to lectures, tea time, parties at the pool deck, DJs, shows, and of course making your own fun is very easy on board too.
Can book 2 years out (give or take) for a small down payment and slowly pay it off so you are able to stretch the price out over time.
Cons- most people rave about the food- Ive only been on the mass lines (carnival, ncl and royal) but the food is mediocre at best. Some meals are really good. Salads are fresh, the pay-for meal venues are a notch above for sure. Buffet - always available and always a ... buffet (nuf said?) I have a huge sugar tooth and find their desserts to be bland and boring- and there are miles of them each day. I always eat a lot of fruit and try to find things made to order.
Not everything is actually included and some of that can sneak up. Tips for the staff for a family of 4 is around $280 (ish) for the week. (give or take- it changes with the times) Fancier dining can cost up to $50 per person. Booze not included. Gambling, bingo, shore excursions - it all can add up. I always keep extras in mind when booking- keeps sticker shock in check.
You're trapped. - many like the rocking of the boat for a week- some get sick- again- milage may vary by individual- know your family and plan accordingly with sea sick bands or meds.
The day you leave- the fun stops on a dime and getting off the boat is far from fun. I recommend carrying your luggage off yourself and avoid the wait and lines. When my kids were small that wasnt feasible but now we do it and are in our home laundry from a week done and put away by noon! (they start letting you off around 7 or 8am)
My kids never wanted to stay in the camps. While I did see many happy kids playing nicely- it bored mine and they wanted to be together (they separate by ages and will NOT put siblings together for any reason if their ages arent close) So we did family things and kept the kids close- didnt bother us but you mentioned alone adult time. May work out- may have a kid freaking out for mom- individual results may vary again.
Con list seem long? - just being realistic and probably left some stuff out.
I cant cover it all but would be happy to answer any other questions- send a private message if wanted. Im booked now and am counting the days til I sail away ~~~~~
Two things:
What Monello and Lost said about drink charges - heed that. At the end of a 10 day cruise, I was confronted with an $800 tab. The drinks - even the soft drinks - are notoriously expensive, and you don't pay as you go. Instead you give them your cabin key when you order and they put it on your account. This will rack up way faster than you realize. Typically they'll have at least a soft drink package you can buy for the kids, so they can have unlimited beverages without breaking the bank. If there's a package that includes alcohol, definitely get it.
Second, get a balcony room even if you have to eat ramen for a month to save the money for it. It's absolutely worth the extra $$ to have that feeling of personal space, plus having morning coffee on your balcony overlooking the ocean is wonderful.
What Monello and Lost said about drink charges - heed that. At the end of a 10 day cruise, I was confronted with an $800 tab. The drinks - even the soft drinks - are notoriously expensive, and you don't pay as you go. Instead you give them your cabin key when you order and they put it on your account. This will rack up way faster than you realize. Typically they'll have at least a soft drink package you can buy for the kids, so they can have unlimited beverages without breaking the bank. If there's a package that includes alcohol, definitely get it.
Second, get a balcony room even if you have to eat ramen for a month to save the money for it. It's absolutely worth the extra $$ to have that feeling of personal space, plus having morning coffee on your balcony overlooking the ocean is wonderful.
Wife and I just got back Thursday from the 5 day cruise to Bermuda, left from Baltimore Saturday afternoon.
First cruise for me and all I can say is WOW.
We had a blast.
We purchased the ultimate drink package, so we did not have any ridiculous charge at the end.
Shore excursion in Bermuda we did the Segway tour of part of the island.
What a blast!!!!!! Awesome and I highly recommend it to anybody. If you have never been on a Segway, you need to try it.
Next day we hit the beach for about 4 hours before the ship pulled out.
Beautiful sand and the water was crystal clear.
We are already scheduled for an 8 day cruise to the Caribbean leaving from Fort Lauderdale.
LostNFounds review is spot on.
First cruise for me and all I can say is WOW.
We had a blast.
We purchased the ultimate drink package, so we did not have any ridiculous charge at the end.
Shore excursion in Bermuda we did the Segway tour of part of the island.
What a blast!!!!!! Awesome and I highly recommend it to anybody. If you have never been on a Segway, you need to try it.
Next day we hit the beach for about 4 hours before the ship pulled out.
Beautiful sand and the water was crystal clear.
We are already scheduled for an 8 day cruise to the Caribbean leaving from Fort Lauderdale.
LostNFounds review is spot on.
Patch
The Pirate
Thanks for all the comments. Very helpful. I've had an unbalanced share of negative comments from people I've spoken to so far, so it is very good to hear from those who really enjoyed it, as well as, the cautions.
Thanks also for the info on the buffets. One of my hangups with a cruise was that I've been told you have to eat when they tell you to eat, and sit where they tell you to sit. That's a negative for me.
Thanks also for the info on the buffets. One of my hangups with a cruise was that I've been told you have to eat when they tell you to eat, and sit where they tell you to sit. That's a negative for me.
Wife and I went on our first cruise in June to Alaska, out of Seattle, was a blast, and the only thing I can say about the tiny sliver of SE Alaska we saw was MAJESTIC.Take some extra days before and after, and your trip really becomes worthwhile.We are not really cruisers, and the only other we plan to do is a Panama Canal trip.
We had an outside balcony cabin, and it was well worth the extra cost. Just looking at the inside cabins seemed claustrophic to us.I had enough of that in the Navy, thank you..
Don't really know if a family cruise would be anything other than, errrr.....stressful with the grand kids. Not saying anything against it - it will be a personal decision.
Enjoy. We don't really drink, and the only closout costs were for a few beers and glasses of wine, along with the required gratuity.
We had an outside balcony cabin, and it was well worth the extra cost. Just looking at the inside cabins seemed claustrophic to us.I had enough of that in the Navy, thank you..
Don't really know if a family cruise would be anything other than, errrr.....stressful with the grand kids. Not saying anything against it - it will be a personal decision.
Enjoy. We don't really drink, and the only closout costs were for a few beers and glasses of wine, along with the required gratuity.
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itsbob
I bowl overhand
We did a Transatlantic to Europe. 17 days overall.. Dirt cheap as its a ship relocation from the US to the MED and they just want people onboard spending money.
We had a blast. It was cheap enough that we could afford to upgrade to a Penthouse suite with Private Concierge, Private Butler and Private Dining Room.. Concierge set us up with reservations in every top tier restaurant onboard (normally you have to wait until 2PM, then it's first come first serve for that nights reservations)
We were totally spoiled for the entire 16 days.
We even had a private debarkation and embarkation door when we were in port.
We spent a day in the Azores and a private tour of the island (instead of a bus) and went places the busses couldn't.. awesome experience.
That cruise I would do again in a second.. the entire experience was dream like..
Basically, you can have a great time in an inside cabin, but if you can afford it. Upgrade.. Upgrade... upgrade.. and spoil yourself.
Go to CruiseCritic.com and learn how to do it cheaply.. we started in one of the cheapest cabins on the boat, and upgraded a couple times before we left.. each upgrade cost a little more but significantly less than if we had booked the Penthouse on day one.
We met people onboard that had the Owners Suite.. two floors, three bedrooms.. full kitchen, living room... etc... etc.. and they paid the same that we did, they just knew what they were doing and how to negotiate
We had a blast. It was cheap enough that we could afford to upgrade to a Penthouse suite with Private Concierge, Private Butler and Private Dining Room.. Concierge set us up with reservations in every top tier restaurant onboard (normally you have to wait until 2PM, then it's first come first serve for that nights reservations)
We were totally spoiled for the entire 16 days.
We even had a private debarkation and embarkation door when we were in port.
We spent a day in the Azores and a private tour of the island (instead of a bus) and went places the busses couldn't.. awesome experience.
That cruise I would do again in a second.. the entire experience was dream like..
Basically, you can have a great time in an inside cabin, but if you can afford it. Upgrade.. Upgrade... upgrade.. and spoil yourself.
Go to CruiseCritic.com and learn how to do it cheaply.. we started in one of the cheapest cabins on the boat, and upgraded a couple times before we left.. each upgrade cost a little more but significantly less than if we had booked the Penthouse on day one.
We met people onboard that had the Owners Suite.. two floors, three bedrooms.. full kitchen, living room... etc... etc.. and they paid the same that we did, they just knew what they were doing and how to negotiate
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itsbob
I bowl overhand
If a cruise was perfect there would be nothing to talk about. Think of the lifetime stories some of those people have.
General Lee
Well-Known Member
Amen to that
That was a negative for me, too, so I only ate in the dining room once. The rest of the time I did buffets or the sandwich shop. The food in the dining room wasn't good enough to worry about anyway, and some of it was downright yuck. They promote that you can have as much as you want of what you want - six lobsters if that's your thing! But if the lobsters are overcooked and rubbery, you're not going to want even one of them. The buffets were fine, and they had a bunch of different themes, depending on the time of day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were standard fare, but they also had a midnight burger bar and a mid-afternoon Mexican bar, etc.
Nobody goes on a cruise for the food, for sure, but you won't starve.
itsbob
I bowl overhand
Not so on Norwegian.
Larry Gude
Strung Out
Near as I can tell, the problem with cruises is you're on a cruise ship. Experiencing...cruise ship. There's a lot of places I'd like to see and experience. Cruise ship isn't one of them. That said, most people really seem to love and enjoy Cruise Ship. If I ever went and I got off 'cruise ship' and found that I liked the place, say, a beach or town or, I dunno, a place, I'm not sure I'd be wanting to get back on cruise ship to...enjoy...more of the wonders and joys of...cruise ship.
This was exactly why I wouldn't do another one. Cruise ships have a ton of entertainment options, just none of it is stuff I like to do. I like to see new things and experience new cultures, explore an area and learn about its history. The best part about the cruise, for me, was getting off the boat in our ports. The worst part was having to cut your fun short to get back on the boat. In Cozumel I thought seriously about getting my luggage off the ship, finding a hotel room, and staying there until I had to fly back home.
But some people do like to be pampered a bit and catered to, not have to worry about transportation or food or what have you, just get a taste of a foreign country with a safety net and no commitment. For them a cruise is perfect, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Well I like cruise ships, but every cruise line is different. Carnival is more for the younger, party set.
I've done the Caribbean and the Alaska cruise.
I'm perfectly fine sitting on a deck watching icebergs float by. Then evening, sit and be waited on with drinks and some really good food.
Then go blow some bucks in the casino.
One thing I always prefer to do - plan ahead. If you're in a port for a while - and none of the cruise excursions are your thing - you may find a way to do one yourself.
When we went to St Maarten and later to St Thomas - we were with some experienced cruisers who knew the best places already.
I really hope to one day do a river cruise when the kids are grown.
I've done the Caribbean and the Alaska cruise.
I'm perfectly fine sitting on a deck watching icebergs float by. Then evening, sit and be waited on with drinks and some really good food.
Then go blow some bucks in the casino.
One thing I always prefer to do - plan ahead. If you're in a port for a while - and none of the cruise excursions are your thing - you may find a way to do one yourself.
When we went to St Maarten and later to St Thomas - we were with some experienced cruisers who knew the best places already.
I really hope to one day do a river cruise when the kids are grown.
Yeah, buddy. Norwegian Jewel was our boat, and it was eat when and where you please. There were a number of very nice restaurants where about half the fare was included in the cruise, but you could order the other items at what I thought was a reasonable, comparable cost to similar restaurants that we have dined at. I thought the food was excellent overall, and they were very serious about sanitation in the buffets, and the entire ship as well.
"Washee, Washee!" (from a hand sanitizer dispenser, always manned by a staff member) every time upon boarding the ship and entering any of the buffets.
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