Mum2Mercury

Wow, no one was hurt? Did they send cruisers to their muster stations?

My ideas: - I keep comparison-pricing flying with driving, and -- for us, living in NC -- it's not even close. Driving is cheaper by a long shot; yes, that includes all the little extras that come with each choice. - Definitely avoid summer and holidays. - We've recently decided to become loyal to Royal Caribbean. Why? Because if we stick to that one company, we'll reach Diamond status, and that'll give us free drinks. Also, we bought stock in Royal Caribbean, so we get $100 OBC for every trip. - I have the Royal Caribbean credit card, but my Discover card pays a higher rewards, so that's my go-to -- except for when I'm spending on an actual cruise. - We book onboard to get a Next Cruise credit. - We definitely watch for price drops. We only booked two weeks ago, but we've already received two price drops. - We are happy with food that's included in the ticket price -- even for celebrations. - We brought two bottles of wine each -- no problem. And we drink ashore. - I definitely don't shop onboard; honestly, I didn't even see anything I wanted. - Pack plenty of sunscreen, Tylenol, cold medicines, etc. These things are quite expensive to buy onboard. - Last one: Don't skip cruise insurance. Emergency evacuation is incredibly expensive, even if it is unlikely.

I, too, was thinking the same thing.

Agree completely -- lanyards say "work day" to me, and I don't want that. I only bring shorts that have pockets. You can buy those clear plastic carriers at Walmart -- they're sold to carry fishing licenses and cost only a dollar or two. Amazon has them too. I bring a small wristlet purse, which pretty much just goes to dinner and evening shows -- and not my whole wallet. It's enough to carry my Sea Pass as well as a chapstick and a couple dollars for bar tips, and it's enough to hold the readers my husband needs to read the dinner menu. Sometimes I want to carry my phone or camera.

You've received good information already. I'd like to add some thoughts about things you may not know to expect. What's good about your plan: - Taking a short cruise first is a good plan because you'll learn whether you personally like it -- everyone here, of course, enjoys cruising, but I do know people who wouldn't be caught dead on a ship. We did a 4-night first to "test the waters", and we weren't sorry! - A cruise has a lot of "moving parts" -- booking, boarding, excursions, etc. -- and you'll learn your way without involving the kids. - Once you've cruised, you'll be a member of Crown & Anchor, and that'll qualify you for some discounts for your longer, "real cruise". What's bad about your plan /what you can't know yet: - Boarding the ship isn't such a great experience. About 45 days out, you'll need to sign up for a boarding time -- everyone wants the earliest time slot. The waiting in line, the going through security. It's tedious, and not everyone is on his or her best behavior. Then once you're on the ship, your room won't be ready until 1:00-2:00 (the cabin stewards have to turn over ALL the rooms in one day AND get the luggage delivered to your hallway -- I have no idea how they do it), so people are all congregating in the public areas -- with their carry ons. Those first few hours give you the false impression that the cruise will be packed every minute. - Likewise, the last day isn't so great. As soon as the ship docks, they start pushing you off -- they're all about getting ready for the next cruise, and you'll have the return trip ahead of you. - If you're doing a full week, you can deal with the first day being a pain and the last day being so short /rushed. But if you do 4-5 days, your proportion of fun, relaxing days will be smaller. This is one reason people do Back-to-Back cruises; it means they only need to embark /disembark once, but they get two weeks of cruising. - Knowing this ahead of time and going in with the idea that you're "testing the waters" to see if it's right for a full-fledged family vacation, you'll understand what you're getting into.

Would you go Cave Tubing in Belize in October? I mean, would the water still be warm?

I don't usually use ship excursions, but I know this excursion is lengthy and holds potential for transportation problems, so I'm breaking my own rule. Thing is, Royal Caribbean offers THREE VERSIONS of this excursion: - Tulum Mayan Ruins & Beach Time - Tulum Mayan Ruins & Playa Del Carmen Experience - Tulum Mayan Ruins & Cenote Experience These all go to the same ruins, right? Any suggestions on which one is best? I'm leaning towards the beach option -- is the beach near the ruins? Do you just walk over? Only the beach option mentions lunch -- what lunch options exist for the other two excursions? What should I know about the transportation? I am a little nervous about this excursion, even though I really want to do it. Any other tips? Thanks.

We just returned from a wonderful trip on Explorer, and we've booked another cruise on Grandeur -- a ship that doesn't get so much chatter on this board. I'd like to ask a couple questions about Grandeur. We chose this cruise for a couple reasons: the island stops, the price and because it doesn't sail out of Miami. Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some advice. - I know Grandeur is older and much smaller than the other ships on which I've sailed. How does this change the experience? - Grandeur's Solarium has a glassed-in roof. What's this like? Do they open it up, or does it inhibit air movement? - How's boarding in Tampa? (We had an insane experience in Miami, and I don't mean insanely good.) - Are MDR menus standard across Royal's ships? - How does the Park Cafe compare to Promenade Cafe? - Looks like Windjammer has a beverage center outside the venue -- does this stay open even when Windjammer is closed? I ask because many times we ran up to Windjammer just for a drink or cup of ice, and this would be very nice. - After our last-week cruise, we are inside-stateroom lovers! The room for which we've signed up on Grandeur is a "sideways" room -- Grandeur seems to have a lot of these. How do they compare to a standard inside? - I see that Grandeur's interior rooms are a little smaller than Explorer's. 136 square feet vs. 160 square feet. How does this feel in real life? - How's the gym? Thanks again to anyone who can share any information.

My husband has been ill recently, and I'm a bit concerned about him in the buffet. Sometimes he is fine, but when he's tired /at the end of the day, he isn't so able to walk while carrying things. Said differently, sometimes walking alone is enough for him. I was thinking I'd get a tray and load up two plates and our drinks ... but now I see in You Tube videos that they don't have trays any more. I see that they have a lot of things pre-portioned (which I think I'd like), but that means several little plates. What I'm thinking -- and this is where I'm open to ideas: - Don't say "Always eat in the MDR". We like to mix it up between the two. - I'm thinking of bringing a small tote bag (which I will bring for the pool anyway), and I'll drop silverware and things like milk or yogurt into that bag for ease of carrying. Would people think I'm a thief or something? - I'm thinking of bringing two large Yeti cups /filling them halfway, then dropping them into the tote bag -- they won't spill if they're only half full. - Or would it be totally weird to order room service /keep the tray for the week. I'd feel kinda odd carrying a tray into the buffet, but if it's the most functional idea, I'll do it. Thoughts? Thanks for any ideas you can share.