Anyone gone on a cruise?

[skinfan2k]

multiple flipflops for when u walk around just the ship and when you walk on the beach and if you are a germophob, one for the shower

[PleaseBlitz]

Sounds like you got norovirus. It's not uncommon on cruise ships due to the close quarters and large numbers of people, although the incidence really isn't any higher than on land. You just hear about it more on cruise ships because they're required to report all instances of gastrointestinal illness.

You can check the history or recent outbreaks on cruise ships at the CDC:

Outbreak Updates for International Cruise Ships

I don't see any outbreaks on the Allure of the Sea listed. Just make sure to wash your hands frequently.

I will check that out. I would think the instances on a cruise ship would be the same as on land EXCEPT once you are at sea, now everyone is in close proximity and it spreads fast? I have no idea, I will just make sure I wash my hands and stiff arm anyone that looks sickly.

---------- Post added December-21st-2012 at 05:53 PM ----------

Here is the back of the thing. You can see the 2 surfing things, bball court, and mini golf. Below you can see one of the rock climbing walls and the amphitheater.

[Special K]

Yeah, to be honest, I hated it (went because it was my boyfriend's dream vacay). But those types of vacations (highly structured and being around 1000's of American tourists ) aren't my style. If I remember correctly, I dealt with my claustrophobia by getting drunk and gambling in the ship's casino the whole time

BUT, everyone else I know who've gone on cruises have had a blast and tend to go on one every year or two, so I'm sure your wife and you will enjoy it

I recommend getting off the ship as much as possible. I typically enjoyed the cruise's tours (swimming with sharks, off road 4x4ing, etc.) than getting off at the pier and having to barter with locals who would rip you off anyway to go on a tour that was overpacked with annoying tourists... However, if you do get off the ship and decide to go into town, the farther away from the pier you get, the less inflated prices will be. That being said, you will be sacrificing the safety and security of the tourist zone, so I don't really highly recommend that unless you know the area or have a local connection.

If you're inclined to get motion sick, get some anti-nausea med Rx's from your doc prior to the trip. I also recommend bringing a broad-spectrum antibiotic anytime I go out of the country, just in case. The ship has doctors, but, well, I prefer to read webMD and diagnose myself, haha, ok jk.

Oh yeah, and your days at sea, get up at the butt crack of dawn to get a lawn chair if you want to lay out. And I mean BUTT CRACK. I think there are about 15 people for every lawn chair, so the fighting can get pretty vicious. Oh yeah, and try to get a chair on an "adult" deck. Kids tend to get a little out of control around the pools and my book got soaked and unfortunately I was forced to dunk about 20 toddlers in front of their parents.

Anyway, hope you and the wife have a blast! If I think of any other tidbits, I'll make sure to share!

[PleaseBlitz]

Thanks for the advice SK. I typically hate being around 1000's of American tourists too, especially kids. We picked the ship and week we did specifically because it would have less kids (most get out of school the NEXT week). I don't have claustrohphobia or get motion sickness typically, but again, never been on a boat like this before so we'll see. And if i have to get drunk and gamble, well I'll try to make the best of it.

And this thing is supposed to have a lot more chairs than is typical, just because of the size of the thing, and they have several adults-only areas as well as a kids only area, so I am all for the segregation. I seriously have ZIPPY PROBLEMS with dunking the **** out of an unruly kid.

[Skinsfan1311]

We've been on 5 cruises...all to the Caribbean....all of them kicked ass.

In no specific order....pack everything that you think that you'll need, then take out half.....wash your hands a lot....be nice to the staff......don't buy drinks in the souvenir glasses.....do the late dinner seating.....ships photographers will take lots of pictures of you, let 'em, you don't have to buy them, and they're fun to look at....

If you're going to take home booze, the best deals are almost always in the duty-free store on the ship,(it wasn't always this way, but it pretty much is now), pack everything that you think that you'll need, then take out half, to stave off sea-sickness buy the generic bonine, which is called "meclizine hcl" you get a big bottle of them for a few bucks. We get them from the pharmacy at Costco or WalMart..you do not need a prescription, they are the non-drowsy formula and we start taking them the day prior.....

Dinner menus are posted outside of the dining room during the day and a little known secret is that you can have anything off of that menu delivered to your room during dining hours, so if you have a late-seating, you can order whatever they're serving during the early seating, and have it delivered to your room. Try to eat breakfast in the dining room, the menu is much better than the buffets....Eggs Benedict with a side of smoked salmon and extra bacon! MMMmmm!!!!!

Go to the shows, they're all pretty good. Since this is your first cruise, towards the end of the sailing, they will have a "debarkation" talk in one of the theaters, MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND IT, it's not long, it's very imformative and they provide some important information on the debarkation process, filling out customs forms, when you can leave, how to find your luggage, etc. The presentation isn't long and it's worth it for first time cruisers.

MARK YOUR LUGGAGE VERY CLEARLY!!! You have to claim it yourself before clearing customs and they stick it all on the floor of a huge Customs warehouse. We went to a local craft store, and bought 2 different colors of fluorescent felt, cut it in strips, and tied both colors to all of the handles of our luggage. That sounds like overkill, but it's not...the majority of people have black luggage that looks the same...the fluorescent colors really stick out. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this.

Periodically check your bill with the purser...once mid-week, and once in the afternoon of the last day, don't wait until the last minute, as the lines can be long. Make sure all of your charges are legit.

Cruise Critic is the best on-line resource, bar none, but some of them are pretty fanatical and there are a lot of anal planners who will make spread-sheets, download planning apps, schedule tons of activities, etc.

Don't go crazy scheduling too much.....relax and take the time to smell the roses and have a great time. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to shoot me a PM.

[PleaseBlitz]

Holy smokes let me digest all of this in little chunks.

#1, thanks for the input.

We've been on 5 cruises...all to the Caribbean....all of them kicked ass.

In no specific order....pack everything that you think that you'll need, then take out half.....wash your hands a lot....be nice to the staff......don't buy drinks in the souvenir glasses.....do the late dinner seating.....ships photographers will take lots of pictures of you, let 'em, you don't have to buy them, and they're fun to look at....

Can you explain the first one and the last 2? Especially the late dinner seating.

Dinner menus are posted outside of the dining room during the day and a little known secret is that you can have anything off of that menu delivered to your room during dining hours, so if you have a late-seating, you can order whatever they're serving during the early seating, and have it delivered to your room. Try to eat breakfast in the dining room, the menu is much better than the buffets....Eggs Benedict with a side of smoked salmon and extra bacon! MMMmmm!!!!!

Isnt one of the big draws about cruises eating in the dining room with other folks? Oh, what is the deal with formal night? I don't own a tux and have no intentions of renting one.

Go to the shows, they're all pretty good.

You're going to have to sell me on this. Like i said, not a Broadway guy.

Since this is your first cruise, towards the end of the sailing, they will have a "debarkation" talk in one of the theaters, MAKE PLANS TO ATTEND IT, it's not long, it's very imformative and they provide some important information on the debarkation process, filling out customs forms, when you can leave, how to find your luggage, etc. The presentation isn't long and it's worth it for first time cruisers.

Are they going to try to sell me another cruise? Sales tactics don't work on me.

MARK YOUR LUGGAGE VERY CLEARLY!!! You have to claim it yourself before clearing customs and they stick it all on the floor of a huge Customs warehouse. We went to a local craft store, and bought 2 different colors of fluorescent felt, cut it in strips, and tied both colors to all of the handles of our luggage. That sounds like overkill, but it's not...the majority of people have black luggage that looks the same...the fluorescent colors really stick out. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this.

I will do that. Great idea. This boat has like 5000 people, I'm not trying to root though all that luggage.

Periodically check your bill with the purser...once mid-week, and once in the afternoon of the last day, don't wait until the last minute, as the lines can be long. Make sure all of your charges are legit.

Purser? This thing?:

Cruise Critic is the best on-line resource, bar none, but some of them are pretty fanatical and there are a lot of anal planners who will make spread-sheets, download planning apps, schedule tons of activities, etc.

Don't go crazy scheduling too much.....relax and take the time to smell the roses and have a great time. If you have any specific questions, please feel free to shoot me a PM.

Yea, I already made a spreadsheet. Planning APP?????

[skinfan2k]

not broadway shows, some nights they are things like comedy shows, audience participation shows, things like that.

[Jumbo]

I know Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes have.

[mboyd784]

I went on this cruise last year and it was the greatest thing ever!
http://www.70000tons.com

[Corcaigh]

I went on this cruise last year and it was the greatest thing ever!
http://www.70000tons.com

70000 tons of metal?

My first thought was that the pool scene was probably pretty nasty.

And then this actual image was part of their rotation:

[PleaseBlitz]

Wow.








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[MissU28]

I went on this cruise last year and it was the greatest thing ever!
http://www.70000tons.com

That looks like the worst thing ever, you couldn't pay me to go on that cruise.

I went on a Royal Caribbean cruise when I was 18. (Sovereign of the Seas). It was so much fun. I remember meeting and hanging out with the members of the reggae band and going to the nightclub every night. The shows were fun- gameshow type stuff. You can win prizes and bond with other travelers. Our boat wasn't at crazy as yours seems to be, but I was never bored. And I wasn't even allowed to gamble or drink at the time...but it's my type of vacation. I love the all-inclusive resort type of atmosphere. I didn't even need to leave the boat.

We did go snorkeling in the Bahamas off Nassau, but I hated it. Fish swimming close to me grosses me out. The water was beautiful, though.

I didn't have any sort of seasickness...I think the boat is too big to feel woozy. You can't even feel you are on the water. Nothing like going into the bottom part of a sailboat (ughhhh).[COLOR="Gold"]

---------- Post added December-21st-2012 at 08:08 PM ----------

[Corcaigh]

Wow.








...

Just an awesome photo.

[chipwhich]

For the most part people either lover or hate cruises. I have been on 2.

What I like, the casino. I don't care about the odds, I liked putting my kids to bed and heading to the casino at night.

The shows, meh. I wasn't a fan. I also went on the largest cruise ship at the time, the Norwegian Epic. It too had an ice rink, which really wasn't ice but a faux rink with a wax surface. Mine had Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil. I found all of the shows to be too broadway. I am not into broadway. Wife loved it.

The pools tend to be crowded and the chairs on deck on sunny days are crowded in the most desired areas. No matter how big the ship. Bigger ship just mens lots more people. My other cruise was on a small ship. Small ship, less people

You definitely need to do an excursion at every port whether you do the cruise excursion, or wander out on your own. The bad part of each port is you have a small window of time. So unless you are familiar or research ahead of time you are stuck doing the cruise excursions which are more expensive.

Plan your shows and schedule at the beginning of the week, shows sell out.

Book your excursions as soon as you can on the cruise website prior to departure. They sell out.

When I go on a cruise, I drink and play hard without regard to "watching the bill". Drinks and excursions are going to be expensive so plan on a big bill at the end. As someone else mentioned, let them take your picture at every moment. They are fun to look at in the end, they charge you an arm and a leg for the pics but some of them are worth it. Your cruise bill for the week will be $1000, $2000, whatever depending on how much you drink, excursions, photos, etc. Be prepared for it.

I never got sick or felt motion sickness on the cruise, but my equilibrium was jacked up for a week after both cruises, my body was still rocking once I came home.

Dressing up for dinner after a day on the beach, drinking and sunning is like, for me, awful. I don't want to dress up while on vacation, some people love it. No tuxedo or suit for me, I am in the Caribbean :-)

The food for me is probably a little over sold. There is lots of food, and lots of great dinners, but you aren't getting Ruth's Chris or insert your favorite steak house. I had visions of filet and lobster tails unlimited. Not so. Some meals were great some meals were just ok.

Days in port are on a pretty strict schedule, base on my vacation schedule. You have to be at breakfast at X, meet your excursion at Y, be back at the ship at Z, be in the shower and dressed for dinner by Q. I stress out over the timing of days at port, some are more carefree.

Have fun, drink heartily and don't worry about the bill and you will have a great time.

[Skinsfan1311]

Holy smokes let me digest all of this in little chunks.

#1, thanks for the input.



Can you explain the first one and the last 2? Especially the late dinner seating.

We travel, a lot, and we used to end up not wearing, or using, a lot of the stuff that we pack...it's just wasted space.

Late dinner seating is nice because if you're out having fun in port, or on the ship, you don't have to rush back to get ready for dinner. If you're on a beach, and dinner is generally around 6:00 - 6:30, you have to allow time to get transportation back to the ship in time to get ready for dinner....it doesn't take me long, but it takes my wife forever! .

As for the pics, the ships photographers take them everywhere, and then they're put on display, (usually in a hallway near the shops),you can look at them and, if you want, you can purchase them. You're under no obligation to buy any, so let 'em snap away!


Isnt one of the big draws about cruises eating in the dining room with other folks? Oh, what is the deal with formal night? I don't own a tux and have no intentions of renting one.

Absolutely. We've always enjoyed our table mates. Getting room service off of the dining room menu doesn't mean that you skip dinner.

As far as the room service, what I meant, (and explained it poorly), is that if you happen to be in your cabin, during the time that they're serving the early seating, you can order whatever they're serving for dinner, and are not limited to the room service menu. If you check out the dinner menu earlier in the day, you may see an appetizer that you'd like, and can have it delivered to your cabin for a snack. It's a great snack to hold you until you go to the late seating dinner.

No need for a tux, on formal night, a sport coat and tie will suffice. I've rented tuxes on a couple of cruises but, on the last two, I wore a dark sport coat and tie. We enjoy dressing up.



You're going to have to sell me on this. Like i said, not a Broadway guy.

There's nothing to sell here...if you like shows, they put on pretty good ones..I like the comedy shows....if you don't like the show, walk out. The R-rated comedy shows have always been good on the cruises that we've been on

Are they going to try to sell me another cruise? Sales tactics don't work on me.

No..they're don't try to sell anything....the talks are purely informative. If you've never cruised, it's a lot of helpful information. If memory serves, they only last about an hour or so. The info that they provide can save you time and trouble.



I will do that. Great idea. This boat has like 5000 people, I'm not trying to root though all that luggage.



Purser? This thing?:

http://www.answeritroyally.com/blog/...2/img_0493.jpg



Yea, I already made a spreadsheet. Planning APP?????