First Time Royal Caribbean Cruiser Looking for Help!!!

[Danna]

Hi, thanks in advance!!!

 

My husband and I have cruised many times but only on Carnival. We'll be sailing for the first time on Royal Caribbean on March 31st. I'm looking for someone to please help me with a few questions.

 

-Tips. I didn't do pre-paid tips so how does this work???

 

-The Smart Casual night does my husband wear a tie on this night?? On other nights can you do shorts in the dining room or is it dressy attire?

 

-In Falmouth we haven't booked an excursion. We'd like to travel from Falmouth to Montego Bay to go to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville...question is how can we get from Falmouth to there? Is it safe to take transportation and will it be offered once we get off the ship? And is it spendy?

 

-Any other suggestions on things to do in Falmouth. (we've looked what RC has to offer on their sites)

 

I'd love any feed back about RC that anyone can offer. THANK YOU SO much!

[Tyler80]

Tips: You can pay tips in cash at the end of your cruise or have them added onto your onboard account.

 

Smart Casual: First night onboard you can wear whatever you have on when you board the ship. Other nights shorts will probably not be allowed. The dining room is an upscale environment and you'll likely feel underdressed in shorts, if not cold.

 

Your husband can wear a button down dress shirt with or without a tie any day he wants. They won't not let you in because the tie is missing. Personally, I wear a button down dress shirt and dress slacks every night at dinner and add a tie and jacket for the formal nights normally. Last cruise I took I didn't bring any ties or jackets, just wore button downs to dinner each night. Skipped the main dining room on formal nights and went to the specialty restaurants.

 

Falmouth: Lots of transportation options are available to you once you dock in Falmouth. Chances are you can join a group of passengers from your ship all going to the same place you want to go. Transportation personnel will round you all up and provide round trip service.

 

Falmouth is a brand new port and kinks are still being worked out. There is shopping and some sight seeing at the port. More adventurist tourists choose to go to a neighboring city to do other things.

[Tapi]

Hi, thanks in advance!!!

 

My husband and I have cruised many times but only on Carnival.

 

I'd love any feed back about RC that anyone can offer. THANK YOU SO much!

 

I'm a Carnival Platinum cruisers, and I can tell you that you will have a wonderful time on Royal Caribbean! If you want to see how the two cruise lines compare to each other, feel free to click on the links below my signature. I reviewed our last cruise on Carnival as well as our last cruise on Royal Caribbean.

 

About Falmouth: Montego Bay is quite far (at least an hour drive each way). I would highly recommend taking pre-arranged transportation, either through the cruise line or through a reputable tour operator. Jamaica is not the place to try to "wing it" as it has its share of crime.

 

I've been to Margaritaville in several locations in the Caribbean and IMHO, it's not worth the long drive to Montego Bay. It's just another chain bar but in a tropical setting.

[Big_G]

Hi, thanks in advance!!!

 

My husband and I have cruised many times but only on Carnival. We'll be sailing for the first time on Royal Caribbean on March 31st. I'm looking for someone to please help me with a few questions.

 

-Tips. I didn't do pre-paid tips so how does this work???

 

** There are recommended tipping amounts on the website and in your cabin. You will be provided with envelopes to tip appropriately. We prepay the tips and then add more if we feel the deserve it at the end of the cruise.

-The Smart Casual night does my husband wear a tie on this night?? On other nights can you do shorts in the dining room or is it dressy attire?

 

**Smart casual includes a collared shirt (polo or button down) and and nice pants.

 

-In Falmouth we haven't booked an excursion. We'd like to travel from Falmouth to Montego Bay to go to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville...question is how can we get from Falmouth to there? Is it safe to take transportation and will it be offered once we get off the ship? And is it spendy?

 

**We did Margaritaville but be warned, another couple we met on the cruise used their credit card their and the number was stolen and used elsewwhere on the island.

-Any other suggestions on things to do in Falmouth. (we've looked what RC has to offer on their sites)

 

I'd love any feed back about RC that anyone can offer. THANK YOU SO much!

 

See above

[Danna]

We aren't really ones that do shorts at night, so that sounds great and what we're use to.

 

So in Falmouth it isn't something we have to set up in advance to get from Falmouth to Montego Bay, meaning we'll be able to once we're there?? Any idea on cost to travel? Is Margaritaville a place worth going?

I know in other ports and other cruises you can get off the ships and things are offered there as well if you didn't book through the cruise, is this kinda the same thing?

[aftop]

No shorts allowed in dinning room for dinner. Slacks and casual shirt OK. Smart casual sport coat, tie recommended but it's not enforced. In Falmouth I recommend the Taste of Jamaica tour of Good Hope Estate.

[Danna]

Any other suggestions on what to do in Falmouth?!?!

[bugger83]

We ae going on the Liberty of the seas on april 9th and there is a margarittaville in ocho rios way lot closer right by the port u dock at I just looked and it is not closer if u r going to cozumel there is one there to downtown

[Danna]

Is Ocho Rios closer to Falmouth than Montego Bay?

[bugger83]

no it is not becareful when u take a cab there we had them detour us to by there weed and we had kids with us so be careful

[Tapi]

Any other suggestions on what to do in Falmouth?!?!

 

As someone mentioned, Falmouth is a fairly new port, and they are still working out some issues. One drawback about this location is that it's far from some of the major attractions found near other ports of call, like Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, so once again, plan in advance.

 

When we sailed to Falmouth in May, we opted to skip a shore excursion and just do a bit of shopping locally. I would NOT recommend just staying there since Falmouth is a run down town (and when we were there, it had a heavy police presence to address a series of recent issues with crime, drugs and soliciting by prostitutes).

 

Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

[Tapi]

Is Ocho Rios closer to Falmouth than Montego Bay?

 

Ocho Rios is farther from Falmouth than Montego Bay.

[Danna]

My worry has been Falmouth won't be much fun and after reading I'm thinking my feeling may be right. AAhhh what to do, what to do.

[Tapi]

My worry has been Falmouth won't be much fun and after reading I'm thinking my feeling may be right. AAhhh what to do, what to do.

 

You will have fun as long as you plan in advance and NOT stay near the port area. Yes, the attractions are farther away and there's really nothing within walking distance or a short drive, but that doesn't mean it won't be fun. You'll just be riding to/from the attractions for a longer time.

 

Distance is the reason why I suggest booking an organized excursion (for the peace of mind). While it's true that you can do your own thing at other ports of call to save some money, this is one of those ports where it's in your best interest to book something through the cruise line, specially since you are not familiar with the surroundings. It will cost you more, but you'll be in safe hands.

[Danna]

Any idea if the tour that RC offers that goes to MB and OR is any good? I know its several hours.

[beachseeker]

I've been to Margaritaville in several locations in the Caribbean and IMHO, it's not worth the long drive to Montego Bay. It's just another chain bar but in a tropical setting.

 

Ditto. DH and I are big Jimmy Buffett fans and looked forward to visiting our first Margaritaville (Cozumel). We have visited several others in the Caribbean since then and none have been worth any extra effort to visit. If we are walking by, we will stop in, but that is it. More often than not the music playing is NOT Jimmy Buffett. We were terribly disappointed in Cozumel.

[KuffMUp]

We stopped by Margaritaville in Grand Cayman. Bought a few T shirts but to us it was like stopping by a Planet Hollywood or Hard Rock Cafe. Nothing great. Not sure I would go so far out of my way just to visit.

 

You do need to be somewhat careful in Jamaica. We travelled there for a 1 week AI. We only left the resort once on a resort sponsored bar hop. While our cab driver was good, he did offer to get us "anything" we wanted and gave us a business card. What an entrepreneur!:D We were also approached on the beach multiple times with the familiar "tst, tst". You look at them and they start playing charades pointing at their nose as if to suggest you would want to snort something besides sea water :eek: or the raise 2 fingers to your mouth and suck in. We politely said no. A friend said the year before she did try some local ganja but ended up for the next few hours chasing invisible geckos on the floor. We also heard on the radio a few youngsters that stopped there on the cruise ship tried to board with a little too much of the white stuff. Alas, the ship left without them. They should have taken the cruise ship's excursion and they may have made it safely on board. :cool:

[erbunny]

Check out the Jamaica section of the destination boards. Falmouth has been open for over a year now and lots of good advice is available there. We were on Voyager for the first ever visit to Falmouth and had a good time...took an RCCI shore excursion to Dunns Falls. We're looking forward to going back someday to see how this port has developed.

[Gloobnib]

My worry has been Falmouth won't be much fun and after reading I'm thinking my feeling may be right. AAhhh what to do, what to do.

 

We just did Falmouth in late February on VOS. After much research (and much hearsay warnings both online and from family), we decided to buy a day pass to an all inclusive resort. We got a package to the Hilton Rose Hall from Jamaica For A Day for a somewhat reasonable price (well under $100 pp, including transfers). IMHO, it was the best shore excursion of the entire trip. All the food, drinks, and alcohol you want in a lush tropical setting with a water park and lazy river for the kids.

 

I and DSIL got smashed, DS laughed and took photos, DW had great fun towing her inebriated husband to the float-up bar (and Wayne my personal bartender) for refills, and my kids (11 and 13) had a blast in the water park and playing in the surf.

 

So anyway, that is a potential alternative to margaritaville. Based on my research, a trip to MB is going to cost you north of $40 for round trip taxis if you go that route, plus you may have to deal with over-agressive vendors/taxis/etc.

 

My $.02

Gloob

[CruisingMachine]

Hi, thanks in advance!!!

 

My husband and I have cruised many times but only on Carnival. We'll be sailing for the first time on Royal Caribbean on March 31st. I'm looking for someone to please help me with a few questions.

 

-Tips. I didn't do pre-paid tips so how does this work???

 

-The Smart Casual night does my husband wear a tie on this night?? On other nights can you do shorts in the dining room or is it dressy attire?

 

-In Falmouth we haven't booked an excursion. We'd like to travel from Falmouth to Montego Bay to go to Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville...question is how can we get from Falmouth to there? Is it safe to take transportation and will it be offered once we get off the ship? And is it spendy?

 

-Any other suggestions on things to do in Falmouth. (we've looked what RC has to offer on their sites)

 

I'd love any feed back about RC that anyone can offer. THANK YOU SO much!

 

My wife & I and another couple had a great time there. We took a RC excursion that included a gondola ride up through a rain forest, great lunch at a cafe at the top of the mountain (spectacular views), a sled ride/gondola ride back down the mountain, then onto Dunns River, where we climbed up the waterfalls.

[Langley Cruisers]

-The Smart Casual night does my husband wear a tie on this night?? On other nights can you do shorts in the dining room or is it dressy attire?...

 

I know the website says you may have one or more SC nights but in our experience, they have pretty much done away with SC except on longer, and Med itineraries. Others have already given ideas for dinner attire, but just to let you know you may not even see a Smart Casual night - if your cruise is one week, then you will most likely have 2 formal nights, and the rest casual nights.

 

Welcome to Royal! Hope you love it. :)

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