Anyone gone on a cruise?

[Kosher Ham]

I know Nicole Kidman and Katie Holmes have.

And none of you got this one ?

Sad day indeed...I survived, but is it really any better ?


Nice one Jumbo.

Never been on a cruise, no interest in it for me. I research the places I am interested in and go there. And I do swim very well.

[PleaseBlitz]

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 expect our bar bill alone to be well into the 4 figures. I'm not going to all this expense and trouble to be on the boat and not do what I want to do.

[KingGibbs]

Went about ten years ago. We were in 25 foot seas for two days. Good times.

[deejaydana]

Pack a couple bottles of your fave booze becuz the cruise line will bend you over the ship's railing on anything you buy while on board. Bring a couple large plastic cups also.

[S.T.real,lights,out]

I went two years ago and it was the best vacation i have ever been on. Take advantage of all the great things to do on the ship. Our favorite days were the days we were at sea. So much to do some much to see. Just an amazing time. Have fun.

We just booked our second one. Leaving this Feb cant wait.

Just make sure you pack everything b/c buying stuff like shirts, flip flops can get expenisve. Wait till the last day to buy stuff from the shops on board....they are usually 60-70% off.

[Koolblue13]

the best thing about the carib is the lime. don't make a plan, chill and relax.

[Skinsfan1311]

Pack a couple bottles of your fave booze becuz the cruise line will bend you over the ship's railing on anything you buy while on board. Bring a couple large plastic cups also.

Nowadays, that's easier said than done.

I used to bring a suitcase filled with beer and a bottle of Maker's, (we would bring a collapsible cooler, stick the beer in it, and tip the cabin steward $10.00 to keep it on ice) It worked for 4 out of 5 cruises. On the last cruise out of the ****ty of Baltimore, I stuck a bottle of Maker's in a checked bag. Well...they deliver luggage throughout the day and, after they're done, they made an announcement that "all luggage has been delivered, if you don't have all of your luggage, please report to the Crown lounge", (or something to that affect.) All of our luggage had been delivered to the cabin, except for one piece.

Sure enough, I showed up at the Crown lounge, and there were a bunch of pissed off passengers, carts full of confiscated booze, and cruise personnel. They had me open my luggage and they took my Maker's and had me sign a form, with the promise that I could get it back on the last night of the cruise. That sucked.

I wasn't too pissed, since I had planned a couple of days of diving, and wasn't going to drink much anyway, but it was the point. I don't care about the money, but I like the convenience of enjoying a cocktail in the room while getting dressed for the evening. It's easier to pour your own, than to run to a ship's bar in a bathrobe.

On Royal Caribbean, you could buy a bottle of booze in the duty free store, and pay a surcharge, and they would let you take the bottle right away, (otherwise, they hold your purchases until the last night, and then they have it delivered to your stateroom)

You should note that they can kick you off the cruise ship, with no refund, if you're caught smuggling booze on the ship. Definitely not worth it to save a couple of hundred dollars.

---------- Post added December-24th-2012 at 09:41 AM ----------

the best thing about the carib is the lime. don't make a plan, chill and relax.

Wow....they must have very good limes if that's the best thing about the caribbean

[B&GVol24]

Have been on several cruises and I sneak in booze every time.

Do yourself a favor and save ~$1000

[Koolblue13]

Don't bring booze on a ship, buy it here. A bottle of Johny Blue is well under $200 here and $500 in the states. It's super cheap here.

Buy single barrel Cruzain rum if you're a whiskey drinker and then thank me later, it's delicious.

[Skinsfan1311]

Don't bring booze on a ship, buy it here. A bottle of Johny Blue is well under $200 here and $500 in the states. It's super cheap here.

Buy single barrel Cruzain rum if you're a whiskey drinker and then thank me later, it's delicious.

Have been on several cruises and I sneak in booze every time.

Do yourself a favor and save ~$1000

Why bother? Just pay the $9.00 surcharge and take it back to your cabin....it's duty-free and you don't have to lug it onboard.

[deejaydana]

Well, my experience hasn't been that restrictive bringing booze on board but I'm also only talking about a big bottle per bag. It's not the focal point of the trip anyway but it's also not that hard to do. Of course, that's just my experience.

[JOSH8572]

have been on a bunch of cruises if you have any questions please feel free to email me. a couple easy point to remember

bring half the clothes you think you'll need and twice the money.
book all your excursions thur private companys the cruise line makes 40 percent per tickets.
book all your activitys before you go as far as shows. once on board they wil be full very fast.

if you got any questions please ask

[renaissance]

Don't be afraid to research your ports of call and find your own stuff to do. Most of the excursions sound cool but aren't so much when you're there with 20 families and screaming kids.

[China]

Passengers describe harsh conditions on Carnival ship

The 102,000-ton Carnival Triumph remains dead in the water off the coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula in the wake of Sunday's fire, which broke out in an engine room. Carnival says no one was injured in the blaze, which was extinguished with the help of the ship's fire suppression system.

Carnival says tugboats are en route to the Carnival Triumph to tow it to Progreso, Mexico so that passengers can get off, but the process will take three days. The vessel is expected to arrive in Progreso on Wednesday afternoon, the line says.

There are 3,143 passengers and 1,086 crew onboard the ship.

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(8:10 am ET) -- Passengers on the fire-damaged Carnival Triumph are reporting uncomfortable conditions that include a lack of running water and few functional toilets, according to friends and relatives who have received brief texts and phone calls from the ship.

"We have no power AT ALL, which means we can't use the toilets, wash our hands, or take a shower," one passenger texted from the vessel, according to a relative who posted the text on cruise fan site CruiseCritic.com.

Other relatives of passengers, posting comments at usatoday.com, say loved ones spent the night sleeping on deck and are low on water and food.

Click on the link for more

[twa]

my bro-in-law is scheduled to sail on that ship in 2 weeks