beachgirl674479

Slightly different question about gratuities - our cruise departs San Juan at 10pm, then at the end we get back to San Juan at 7am. Will we pay gratuities for those days?

Ex techie, clearly you've never had to write a lengthy research paper!

We are first time cruisers (to be 100% accurate, I did go on a Disney cruise in 1994, when I was 18 & with a large group from school, which to me is totally different from cruising with my husband at age 39) & have found two itineraries we like. The first is on the Liberty & we like the ports of call *SLIGHTLY* better. The second is on the Breeze & has ports of call we really like, with 3 of them being the same as the Liberty cruise. The price difference isn't significant & our travel dates are flexible since we're going in Nov/Dec. We would appreciate your thoughts!

DH & I are planning on cruising for the first time Nov/Dec 2015 & our main interest is to sit & relax on as many beaches as possible. Days at sea would ideally be spent poolside/on deck. We're not opposed to activities/shows/etc but looking to leave packed schedules at home. Onboard, do deck chairs fill up fast & does that depend on which ship or cruise line you're on? Our only reason for getting a room with a balcony would be to ensure we have a place to sit outside. Is going to beaches at the different ports something we need to sign up for ahead of time? Any other advice for first time cruisers?