|
|
Y&R Discussion Group
1. You are excited to bask in the sun on a deck lounge chair and.....they are all taken! Has that happenned to you? What do you do if all chairs are taken???
2. Is it true that you don't seat at the next table you find free at a restaurant? That you are seated at communal tables?
3. Do you feel ''rushed'' when the ship stops for only 9 hours (at most times) per port of call?
4. Have you gone on a cruise and felt that you have signed up on a 7-day ZOO??
5. Some ships have ''adults-only'' areas. I LOVE kids but planning to go solo, means a cruise that is not too ''Disney''.
6. What type of stateroom did you book? Is a room with balcony a MUST? If you spend much of your time on deck, would you need a room with a balcony?
7. Do you feel you got your money's worth out of your cruise vacation?
Replies: (list all replies)
I've been on two cruises and I loved them. One was a three day and the other four days. I think that four days was plenty for me but it was great fun! I too was worried about being stuck on a ship out in the middle of the ocean. I thought what happens if we get out there and I just have to get off!!!??? Relax about that because a cruise ship is literally a floating city. I never felt confined at all. I'll try to address your concerns as they pertained to my cruises (Carnival Cruiselines):
1. You are excited to bask in the sun on a deck lounge chair and.....they are all taken! Has that happenned to you? What do you do if all chairs are taken??? I never had that problem. Trust me, there are so many folks in the casinos and bars during the day that there is plenty of space on the decks.
2. Is it true that you don't seat at the next table you find free at a restaurant? That you are seated at communal tables? We did not have *communal* tables but we did have reserved seating. Usually there are two dinner services...early seating around 6:00 pm and late seating at around 8:00. You are assigned a table. But don't worry if you don't like the seating arrangements you can order room service 24/7!!
3. Do you feel ''rushed'' when the ship stops for only 9 hours (at most times) per port of call? I never felt rushed at all due to the fact that you walk most of the time and I was always tuckered out before time to embark. AND there is so much to do on the ship that I was always anxious to get back to the ship!
4. Have you gone on a cruise and felt that you have signed up on a 7-day ZOO??
5. Some ships have ''adults-only'' areas. I LOVE kids but planning to go solo, means a cruise that is not too ''Disney''. I don't think I would ever take a 7 day cruise. That's just me but 4 days was plenty for me. There weren't too many children that I can remember but I would definitely stay away from Disney since they are geared towards the kiddies. Also it depends on the time of year that you go. If you wait until fall, my guess would be that there would be fewer kids since they will be in school. I think this answers 4 & 5.
6. What type of stateroom did you book? Is a room with balcony a MUST? If you spend much of your time on deck, would you need a room with a balcony? The first cruise we took we were in the *belly* of the ship but did have a port hole to see out of. The second cruise we booked the same room (as we didn't do much more than sleep in the rooms) but since we booked so early we got bumped up to the most expensive room for the same price. Like I said, the room was a lot nicer with a balcony but we didn't spend any waking time in there so it really didn't matter. Tip: Book early and cheap...as they start filling up, the early birds usually get bumped up at least a level or two.
7. Do you feel you got your money's worth out of your cruise vacation? MOST DEFINITELY! Like I said, you really could take a cruise and never leave the ship. With the casino's, Vegas style shows, socials, BINGO!, and several bars with 24/7 entertainment, there is always something to do. All food is included, so is water, tea & coffee. Warning: Soft drinks cost a fortune! But we found a drink machine in the staff area! Much cheaper and nobody said anything to us for using it. Another tip...book early seating for dinner so you can also enjoy the midnight buffet. The first cruise we took we had late seating which lasted until around 10:00 and when they put the buffet out at 11:00 pm we were still full! My hubby laughs when I tell people this but that midnight buffet is excellent!
I hope you have a wonderful time. I want to cruise again. We went to the Bahamas on both cruises but I've heard the Alaskan cruise is wonderful!
Replies: (list all replies)
Replies: (list all replies)
1. You are excited to bask in the sun on a deck lounge chair and.....they are all taken! Has that happenned to you? What do you do if all chairs are taken??? We found that there were always a lot available. Or, stay on the boat when the others go into the port.
2. Is it true that you don't seat at the next table you find free at a restaurant? That you are seated at communal tables? We had plenty of fun meeting the people who were also assigned at our table, however, there were other dining options as well, we chose to dine with the rest. It was fun and the waiter was hilarious.
3. Do you feel ''rushed'' when the ship stops for only 9 hours (at most times) per port of call? We were on a cruise where some of the ports of call were familiar territory and I wish we would have stayed on the ship and enjoyed the pool more. We went with friends on this cruise and could have had more fun without them! We didn't feel rushed at all when we did go out.
4. Have you gone on a cruise and felt that you have signed up on a 7-day ZOO??
5. Some ships have ''adults-only'' areas. I LOVE kids but planning to go solo, means a cruise that is not too ''Disney''. We were on a Royal Carribean, don't remember any trouble at all.
6. What type of stateroom did you book? Is a room with balcony a MUST? If you spend much of your time on deck, would you need a room with a balcony? We had a small room, bottom deck of the ship, no window, no balcony, no seasickness! Our friends had a bigger room, higher up deck and windows, lots of seasickness. Seems the boat appears less rocky at the bottom. We weren't in the room much. The lack of room was incentive to get up, get dressed and get busy! Even woke up early one morning and went up top to watch the sunrise!
7. Do you feel you got your money's worth out of your cruise vacation? We totally feel we got our money's worth. We enjoyed it very much.
Replies: (list all replies)
i've taken a few cruises and have loved them. we like to take them and then plan vaca's to go where we liked. kind of like a "buffet" of travel.
here are some answers to your ??:
1. You are excited to bask in the sun on a deck lounge chair and.....they are all taken! Has that happenned to you? What do you do if all chairs are taken??? i can honestly say that has never happened. not all 2000 passengers are in the sun. also, it just maybe not the exact spot you want to be. but people go in shifts. early morning people will be done around noon or 1.
2. Is it true that you don't seat at the next table you find free at a restaurant? That you are seated at communal tables? sometimes that is part of the fun!!! meeting new people! and it's far from cafeteria style. and you don't HAVE to talk to other. but it is kind of neat.
3. Do you feel ''rushed'' when the ship stops for only 9 hours (at most times) per port of call?
no not really! but make sure you plan ahead. take a look at what you want to do and do it! but plan ahead so you don't waste time.
4. Have you gone on a cruise and felt that you have signed up on a 7-day ZOO?? not at all. it's a HUGE ship.
5. Some ships have ''adults-only'' areas. I LOVE kids but planning to go solo, means a cruise that is not too ''Disney''. carnival and royal carribean cater to more adults.
6. What type of stateroom did you book? Is a room with balcony a MUST? If you spend much of your time on deck, would you need a room with a balcony? outside cabin. didn't need the balcony. we would just go to the deck.
7. Do you feel you got your money's worth out of your cruise vacation? yes very much so! and like i said it gave us extra vacations to plan ahead. we didn't even get off one time in mexico. just sat on the ship and enjoyed the quiet and the pool to ourselves!!
have fun!
Replies: (list all replies)
I have no interest in a cruise simply because I want to be on my schedule and not someone else's and also because I want to spend my time in a destination, not stuck on a boat in the middle of nowhere. If I'm looking for a vacation where I'm ''taken care of'' and don't have to find restaurants and activities, etc. on my own, I'd much rather just go to an all-inclusive resort. That way I can either stay on the resort property with all the amenities and activities or I can venture out if I want to do a little exploring. It's sort of the best of both worlds.
However, my sister and BIL have taken many cruises and they enjoy it. The biggest piece of advice I've heard from them is spend the bucks to get the best stateroom you can. Do not skimp on the room! They made that mistake on their first cruise and my sister said it was absolutely claustrophobic. She felt like she was locked in a closet. If you can get a balcony, go for it. My sister said even if you do spend the majority of your time in the public areas, for those times that you need quiet and privacy the larger room is absolutely necessary. According to her, there are times when you just need to escape from all the people and the stimulation and having that little extra space to yourself can apparently make quite a big difference. And if you do end up not feeling well, you want to be in a comfortable room where you can rest and relax.
Have fun on your cruise! Where will you be going?
Replies: (list all replies)
1. You are excited to bask in the sun on a deck lounge chair and.....they are all taken! Has that happenned to you? What do you do if all chairs are taken???
On the days that the ship is not in port and you're at sea sailing to your next destination, I would suggest that you wake up early and get to the decks to get your lounge chairs. They do fill up very quick! And if you do get a chair, I wouldn't even think about putting a towel or something there to "save" it while you go get breakfast or a snack or something. I've seen people actually get into heated arguments over that!
2. Is it true that you don't seat at the next table you find free at a restaurant? That you are seated at communal tables?
It really depends on which cruiseline you are sailing with. Norweigan Cruise Line (NCL) has "freestyle" dining. You eat whenever you want. There is no set time and you are free to go to which ever diningroom you want. I went on a NCL cruise a few summers ago, and I really did NOT like the freestyle concept. Even though there is no "set" time for dining, there is still a schedule. The restaurants are not opened 24 hours (of course). There were long waiting times to get into the restaurant/dining room. Then once you're seated, sometimes it takes just as long to get the food. However, there are some people who love "freestyle" dining.
Most cruiselines have set times for dining -- an early seating and a late seating. You're assigned a table and you'll be at that table for the duration of the cruise. Most likely you will be seated with other people. Pros: you get to meet new people and sometimes even become friends! Also, it's the same waiters/waitresses that will be waiting on you. They get to know what you like. For example, I always order a side of orange sorbet with my dessert and have coffee after dinner. After the 2nd day, the waiter just brought it out without me even requesting it. Cons: if you don't like your tablemates, it's pretty uncomfortable. But you can always go to the buffet or request a change in tables with the maitre'd.
I prefer to book the late seating. I don't feel as rushed when I get back from the islands and going to shower and get ready for dinner. I can take my time to relax and unwind.
3. Do you feel ''rushed'' when the ship stops for only 9 hours (at most times) per port of call?
Before I cruise, I like to do a bit of research on the ports that I will be going to. That way I have a general idea as to what I would like to do before I get there. For example, last time I was in Barbados, I went kayaking in the morning and then just had fun swimming and tanning at the beach in the afternoon. In St.Thomas, I went shopping in the morning and then went parasailing in the afternoon. Sometimes it does feel a bit rushed. But just stop and think: I am on vacation!! If you don't fit everything in that you want to do, don't worry about it. Just do what you can and enjoy it.
4. Have you gone on a cruise and felt that you have signed up on a 7-day ZOO??
Definitely!!! ;-) But again, I think: "I'm on vacation!" and I just enjoy it every minute.
5. Some ships have ''adults-only'' areas. I LOVE kids but planning to go solo, means a cruise that is not too ''Disney''.
You may want to research on the different cruiselines. Carnival (aka. "Fun Ship") tends to have a lot of young people and families sailing with them. They have a wonderful Camp Carnival for the kids, so parents love that.
Cruiselines like Princess and Holland America cost more, but there's an older crowd.
6. What type of stateroom did you book? Is a room with balcony a MUST? If you spend much of your time on deck, would you need a room with a balcony?
When I booked my first cruise, I booked an Oceanview stateroom, thinking I would not be spending much time in it. Then when we checked in, we found out that we have been upgraded to a balcony. And I have NEVER booked anything but a balcony. Yes, you're not spending much time in the cabin because there is just so much to do (i.e., eating, the shows/entertainment, music bar, dancing, casino, swimming, etc...). But sometimes you just want some peace and quiet. And a balcony can provide that. What I loved most was sitting on my balcony at night, chatting away, having a nice glass of wine, looking at the stars and listening to the waves. It's so peaceful. And the balcony is kind of a saving grace on those "sea days" when you're not in port and you want to get away from the ZOO that are on the decks! The balcony is well worth the extra money, in my opinion.
One more thing: you may want to ask your travel agent to book a specific stateroom for you. That way you know what stateroom you will be in and won't be surprised with an obstructed view such as a lifeboat. I also prefer booking a stateroom that is located in the middle of the ship. I do tend to get motion sickness, but haven't on a cruise, with the exception on those days when the waves are pretty rough. The modern day ships are so big and they have great stabilizers.
7. Do you feel you got your money's worth out of your cruise vacation?
Definitely! I absolutely love cruising. I will be going on my 10th cruise pretty soon. I love the fact that the ship is like a floating hotel. I don't have to worry about packing and unpacking. I get to eat great meals each day (and little snacks in between!). There is entertainment all the time -- Broadway inspired shows, music, dancing, games, etc... It's just a lot of fun and that is how I love to travel.
Cruising gives you a a nice "taste" of each port you visit, so that if there is one particular place you like, you can always go back and stay longer. For example, two years ago, I went on a Hawaiian cruise. We went to Oahu, Kauai, Big Island (Hilo and Kona), and Maui. I absolutely LOVED Kauai and Maui. Those are the two islands I know I will want to go back to and spend at least a week there. I wouldn't go back to Honolulu (in Oahu) because it was just too touristy and busy for me.
Sorry to have rambled on and on, LOL! I just love cruising and that's my preferred method of travel most of the time.
Replies: (list all replies)
Replies: (list all replies)