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#11
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
Tom K wrote: If you look at Celebrity, the advantages it has over Royal Caribbean are the better food and more relaxing type experience. More elegant. More chic. More pampering. Tom, This past year I've done a crossing on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas and Alaska on Celebrity's Mercury. This was my re-introduction to both lines after 10 and 7 years respectively. The two products - at least on these two similarly sized and vintaged ships - are, IMHO, completely indistinguishable down to the china and flatware used in the dining room. Warren |
#12
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
ZombyWoof wrote:
I've been to Haiti and there is a real good reason people risk their lives at sea trying to get here. Labadee is RCI's private enclave in a remote corner of Haiti. It's mainly tropical beaches surrounded by mountains. Most people have no idea they are even in Haiti when they stop at Labadee. Warren |
#14
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
In article , ZombyWoof
wrote: I've been to Haiti and there is a real good reason people risk their lives at sea trying to get here. Not something you want to see while on a romantic getaway, pretty much samething can be said about the poverty of Jamaica as well. Labadee is RCI's "private island" (okay it is not an island) but it is a walled off from Haiti so don't see anything of Haiti except for a craft market. It is a beach day with beautiful beaches and scenery and a BBQ supplied by RCI. -- Charles |
#15
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
Hi Eve, I would suggest Royal C. over Celebrity. Many reasons but
mostly being your first cruise Voyager and Radiance class ships are very very smooth. You will hardly ever feel the ship move. The Zenith is a very old ship. Nothing wrong with older ships its just you will enjoy Voyager or Radiance more. If you can swing it get a balcony cabin. Be warned: YOU WILL BE SPOILED AFTER THIS. You will want nothing else in the future. But it is your Honeymoon. Any other cabin you get will be fine. You have nothing else to compare it to so you'll be happy. I've taken 20 cruises and 10 nights is just about the perfect length for a cruise. 1 week flys by and 8 days is nice but 10 is best. I would suggest if you take the 7 or 8 day cruise and you have the time take a few extra days on your return to spend in florida. You will be so happy you did. While your going to enjoy your cruise you will be exhausted when you get off the ship. Being this is your first cruise you will try to do everything thats offered. You will be up early in the morning for your arrival into each port and you will be up late at night (casino, disco, hanging with new friends). The day you get off the ship is also a very early morning so no sleeping in. Trust me....take the extra time to just sleep and relax after your cruise. As far as ships tours I never take them. I always do my own thing. But my comfort level is high because I've been to all the ports many times. The average snorkelling price on a ships tour is between $25-$35 (and up) per person. So you and your new husband will pay between $50-$75 (and up) just for a 3 hour snorkel tour. Where you can do snorkelling yourself for $0 to $10 (taxi) for both of you for example. The ships tours are very expensive but they lead you by the hand. So its really all about your comfort level and expendable money. Extra $$ costs: Tipping, Mixed Drinks (wine & beer packages), Casino, Spa, Bingo, Photos, Ships Stores (Duty Free Shopping), Ships Tours, Extra Charge Dining, Laundry, Room Service Tippin Dollars, Art Auction. It can get pretty expensive if you want to do it all. Have I forgotten anything? Anymore questions just ask. Rick |
#16
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
It won't really matter which one you go on. All these ports are overcrowded
when the cruise ships arrive, all sell cheap t-shirts, etc. You won't be able to tell which island you are visiting. Too touristy. G wrote in message oups.com... We decided to buy our first cruise: place - Caribbean, time - December, we found too many nice cruises and now we are confused what is the best for us? We need some help.... We have three types: 1) 7-night Caribbean-Western - from Miami with Royal Caribbean - Voyager of the Seas - Labadee, Haiti - Ocho Rios, Jamaica - Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - Cozumel 2) 8-night Caribbean-Eastern - from Fort Lauderdale with Royal Caribbean - Radiance of the Seas - San Juan, Puerto Rico - St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda - Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands - St. Martin - Sint Maarten - Nassau, Bahamas 3) 10-night Caribbean-Ultimate - from Tampa with Celebrity Cruises - Zenith - George Town, Grand Cayman - Puerto Limon, Costa Rica - Colon, Panama - Roatan (Isla Roatan), Bay Islands, Honduras - Cozumel, Mexico We have a lot of questions, we are under 30, we would like to see a lot, we like snorkeling, exotic places, good fun etc. It will be our honeymoon, but we want to spend it in active way. We don't want to spend all day on the beach. Do You think 1st cruise for 10 nights isn't too long for first timers?? Is it better to take 7 nights? Is it big diffrence between these lines ( royal and celebrity ) ? Is it really bad to stay at interior room or it's better to pay a little bit more for oceanview? what we should know about additional charges? Is some lines better for "young" people? ( beside disney's ship )? What about shore excursions? Have You tried something? What can You recomend? Is it better to organize our time by ourselves or buy some excursions? We would love to hear everything what You know, every suggestion, specialy from people who tried one of those cruises. It's our first time and we would like to know everything before we book the cruise Thank You soooooo much Eve |
#17
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
RICK DAVIS wrote: The Zenith is a very old ship. Nothing wrong with older ships its just you will enjoy Voyager or Radiance more. Voyager's construction started roughly only 5 years after Zenith's debut. If Zenith is "very old" then Voyager must be considered "old." just saying... (I agree about the OP probably enjoying Voyager or Radiance more) Warren |
#18
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
Warren, Zenith is 14.5 years old. I consider that old.
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#19
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
wrote in message oups.com... We decided to buy our first cruise: place - Caribbean, time - December, we found too many nice cruises and now we are confused what is the best for us? We need some help.... There's no doubt that BIG ships are in flavor. You can't go wrong on a Voyager class ship. I was on a seven nighter on the Mariner of the Seas, a sister ship of the Voyager. Mariner was amazing. As others have said, a ten nighter may attract an older crowd. Seven nights sound perfect, especially since this is your first cruise. As for balcony/window/inside cabin. When I was planning to go on my first cruise (the Mariner of the Seas) I asked if I should get a balcony or not. The best advice I got here was - there is so much to do on these big ships that you don't really spend much time in your cabin, so you probably wont miss a balcony. However, since this was my first cruise I decided to get the balcony. I will say it was nice having the balcony. But we did not spend much time out on it. Since this is your honeymoon and first cruise I was say shoot for the balcony but you really wont miss it if you get a window only room. |
#20
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First cruise - CARIBBEAN - questions
"Warren" wrote in message ups.com... Tom K wrote: If you look at Celebrity, the advantages it has over Royal Caribbean are the better food and more relaxing type experience. More elegant. More chic. More pampering. Tom, This past year I've done a crossing on Royal Caribbean's Legend of the Seas and Alaska on Celebrity's Mercury. This was my re-introduction to both lines after 10 and 7 years respectively. The two products - at least on these two similarly sized and vintaged ships - are, IMHO, completely indistinguishable down to the china and flatware used in the dining room. Warren Having done Navigator, Jewel and Mariner OTS the past 3 Decembers with the Viking gang, I can honestly say that RCI food is pretty much below my minimum level. Your Legend sailing may be an exception... but to me, RCI food isn't close to Celebrity food, other than the night that Celebrity has the stupid lamb shank. Over that same period that I've gone with the Viking gang, I've done 3 Connie sailings, 4 Zenith sailings and 1 Century sailing. So I think I have a decent point of comparison. I've simply nibbled-without finishing too many RCI dinners over the past 3 years to consider the food up to Celebrity's standards. It gets to the point where I don't even bother asking the waiter for something different... And I won't even bother with RCI's fish of any kind. The hake and congrio fish on Celebrity are excellent. Salmon is lousy (over cooked and bone dry) on both. And the desserts on RCI are so bad. The only good dessert I've had on RCI the past 3 years was the exceptional apple pie that they serve in Johnny Rockets. Now I'm not saying all the Celebrity meals are top notch. They're not. But I get a lot more good meals on Celebrity than on RCI. Though it may help that I know what to pick on Celebrity based on experience. To me, Celebrity and RCI aren't even remotely close in terms of food. Though maybe I'm just pickier than other. I know that a lot of the RCI meals that I just picked at, others at the table devoured to the last drop. They're sending back clean plates, and I'm sending back most of the meal. So maybe I'm more fussy. --Tom |
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