First cruise & first post

[worldpas]

Hi All:

I am a single father taking my 2 children (age11&15) on our first cruise. I am so excited. We are going on the Voyager leaving 2/10/06. The ship visits Cozumel, Och Rios, Grand Cayman, and the private island in Haiti.

I have read all the FAQ and found them very informative. I have a few questions and would appreciate any advice coming from you seasoned criusers.

Here goes.

> I have booked a superior balcony on deck 10. Should I upgrade, about $400, to junior suite since there are 3 of us in the cabin?

> My oldest wants to "swim with dolphins" I did not see this on the shore excursions. Any ideas?

> I would like to do a canopy tour but again I could not find it in the listed excursions.

> It it safe to get a RAC in Cozumel and do some exploring on our own?

> I would appreciate any input on the shore excusions for me and the kids. I there is something that you think is "not to be missed" please let me know.

 

That is it for now and I appreciate your input.

John

http://www.incomelounge.com

[Deborito]

You may want to go to the link below for forum jump. It will take you to the ports of call and to roll calls, where you will find all kinds of info about excusions ect. Sign up for roll call and you will make friends before you even go. Hope you enjoy your cruise.

Debbie

[Hypo]

You may already know this, but you will need passports for all of you. Also, you will need a notarized letter from their mother allowing you to take your children out of the country for the cruise.

 

If you can afford it, go for the JS. it will have more room, larger balcony, and a bathtub in the bath.

I wouldn't do a Rental car in Cozumel, taxis are very reasonable and have fixed prices by the taxi, not the number of persons. Their used to be a dolphin swim in Cozumel, but after the hurricante they moved it to the mainland, and you have to take a ferry ride over there and back, not very convenient. I understand there are plans to return the dolphin swim to Chankanab park in Cozumel and I would suggest you check out the various Cozumel websites on the net to check on the status of this. If you find dolphin programs offered, I would book the "Swim" as opposed to the "Encounter". In the swim, you are in the water with them and are able to interact with them, such as being pushed by them through the water. In the encounter you usually stand on a submerged platform and they swim by and you can touch them. Either excursion they will film it and you can purchase the tape afterwards.

 

Have fun and welcome to the CC boards.

Hypo

[cruisecrazymama]

Congratulations on booking your first cruise! I'm sure you will all enjoy it very much.

Do use jump forum link below, Go to the Roll calls for your ship and see if thre is a rolcall posted, then post there. If there isn't, make one so others on the cruise will gett o know you.

The Dolphin swim is back in Cozumel, we are booked for it on our Thanksgiving cruise. The link is posted on the Cozumel board. Have fun researching these boards they are full of info!

Happy Sailings!

[torpeedo]

I would definitely recommend upgrading to the JS. You will be very happy you did with one teenage and another nearly teenage kids..

Hypo's advise re your parental letters is very good. Be sure you have all that done and check to be sure you have it worded correctly before you go to the ship..

OK swim with dolphins. We have done the Stingray city Sandbar on Grand Cayman and loved it.. Not so sure we would do again after Steve Irwin's death..we just were not as informed as we are now. It was great though!

We enjoyed Dunns Falls in Ocho Rios. I think your kids would love that too. Cold water though!

You will enjoy your cruise. Good itinerary for the Western Caribbean.

[Arizona Cruz Chic]

Welcome to CC ;)

Fair warning...cruising is very addicting! :D :D Have fun planning and enjoy your cruise!!!

 

***

[rpita4]

Congrats on your first cruise! You are going to have a GREAT time.

 

When we cruised with our 2 children we only booked one interior room. We found we were only in it for 4-6 hour a night and didn't need the room. Too much to do to stay in the room! Of course, room choice is a personal choice. We never had a problem with space if everyone put there things away.

 

I recently learned that RCCL's excursion contracts expire on Sept. 30 and many may still be being negotiated. Be patient, the excursions you want may still come.

 

You have booked a GREAT itinerary! Enjoy! Be sure to wath your cruise compas for daily activities. Many you won't want to miss!

[vmom]

If you want to go to several areas in Cozumel definately rent a car or jeep. If you are just going to go to one spot, then take a taxi. Taxi prices tend to be about $10-$14 one way to most beaches and about $6 to the town area one way. We rented a jeep the 2nd time we were there and explored the island. I think it was about $90 or so (we used a discount). A car may be cheaper. It's safe and impossible to get lost. There is a road that goes around the perimeter of the island and then 2 other major roads that cross the island in both directions.

 

If you decide to rent a vehicle, all the major rental car companies are there such as Avis, Hertz, Budget, etc. and they accept discount cards. If you belong to any organizations or have credit cards that issue discounts for car rentals bring them with.

 

In Grand Caymen, make sure a go on an excursion to Sting Ray City. At Ocho Rios definately consider Dunn's River Falls and River Tubing. The river tubing was great. Go to the port section of these boards for more detailed info on both.

 

Make sure an bring water shoes (aqua shoes).

[cb at sea]

Labadee in Haiti isn't an island, it's on the northern coast--a penninsula beach area that is leased by RCI. It's great! It's a beach day--and you will charge everything there to your seapass acct. (Not that you need to spend any money at all!) Have fun!

[bigsky]

Congrats on your first cruise. Your kids will have a ball on the voyager...a good choice for kids.

IF you can get it, cabin 1388 and 1688 are larger aft cabins...the sz of j. suites, but the price of a D1 balcony catagory. We're taking our two kids next yr. in it..1688..they're corner aft cabins...huge balcony..lgr cabin.

I will only cruise in a balcony and once u have one, you'll prob. never go back to an inside or ocean view. Everyone is different though.

 

In Cozumel, we like Chankanaab Park. You can swim with the dolphins there. Many cabs waiting to take u anywhere and they'll be many there to take u back to the ship or shopping downtown. We usually do things on our own.

You can find it online and see the place. The ports of call boards will give u tons of info. on each port as well.

 

GC...swim with the sting rays!! Go with Captain Marvins. He's a local guy everyone uses. Book him online. Much cheaper and less people on your boat. VERY easy to find him once u get off the tender in GC. Walk left a few blocks...VERY reasonable.

This is a must do IMHO...you walk around in 3 ft of water...they swim up against you looking for food...very cool..

What happened to S. Irwin was very rare. Don't let that scare u away.

I would do it again in a heart beat.

 

Ochos Rios... We've done a few things there. You can go with someone that many recommend on the boards. Do a tour and they'll take u to the falls and other places for much less money. I forgot who we used, but very well known..Pete Taylor??

 

Private island...just relax ...rent some floats. We went to the very back corner...much less people.

 

If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jlsbfam@centurytel.net

cancuntravel.com/chankanaabpark.com I think might work..tried to link it to this, but wouldn't work...

 

Have a great time!!

[bigsky]

http://www.cancuntravel.com/chankanaab.asp

 

Here's the link...great place to go. Go to Pancho's Backyard for good mexican food...a great shopping store connected to it. Everyone knows where it is..

[DonnaK]

We are a family of 4, with two teenaged daughters, and we have always been fine in a D1. To me, it's not necessary to have a larger cabin - I could never justify the cost and the additional money can be put towards other expenses.

 

River tubing in Ocho Rios is one of the best excursions we've ever been on. I'd consider it a "don't miss" Although Dunns River Falls and Stingray City on Grand Cayman are "favorites", we weren't impressed with either one.

 

In Labadee, we rode the banana boats (it's an RCI excursion that was not available ahead of time but rather onboard and on the island itself.) We also did waverunners in CocoCay (RCI's other private island), and it's also offered on Labadee - we had an awesome time and I'd consider waverunners another "don't miss".

 

Once onboard, make sure you pick up free tickets to the ice show. This is a "don't miss". As well, your children might want to take advantage of rock climbing, ice skating and other activities . It took us 3 Voyager-class cruises before my kids, who are about the same ages as yours, got around to doing all of these.

 

I echo everyone else's welcome, and wish you a great cruise!

[Lovincruisin1321]

Hi All:

I am a single father taking my 2 children (age11&15) on our first cruise. I am so excited. We are going on the Voyager leaving 2/10/06. The ship visits Cozumel, Och Rios, Grand Cayman, and the private island in Haiti.

I have read all the FAQ and found them very informative. I have a few questions and would appreciate any advice coming from you seasoned criusers.

Here goes.

> I have booked a superior balcony on deck 10. Should I upgrade, about $400, to junior suite since there are 3 of us in the cabin?

> My oldest wants to "swim with dolphins" I did not see this on the shore excursions. Any ideas?

> I would like to do a canopy tour but again I could not find it in the listed excursions.

> It it safe to get a RAC in Cozumel and do some exploring on our own?

> I would appreciate any input on the shore excusions for me and the kids. I there is something that you think is "not to be missed" please let me know.

 

That is it for now and I appreciate your input.

John

http://www.incomelounge.com

My family did this cruise a few years ago and had a fantastic time. In Ochos Rios, my husband and son did the canopy tour and me and my daughter did the dolphin encounter/Dunns River Falls. Great memories!

 

I did a little research for you:

The dolphin encounter is offered. It was on page 31-40 in the shore excursions tab of your itinerary for Feb 10. Here it is:

 

Dolphin Encounter Swim & Dunn's River Falls

 

Port/City: Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Activity Type: Sightseeing & City Tours | Beach & Water-Related Activities | Adventure Tours | Wilderness & Wildlife Tours

Approximate Duration: 3 hour(s)

Prices starting from:

*138.00 USD (Adult)

*138.00 USD (Child)

*0.00 USD (Infant)

Dates Offered: 13-Feb-2007

---------------------------------------

The canopy tour is also offered on the same day. Perhaps you can find that at another port if you ran out of time.

 

 

 

The Original Canopy Tour®

 

Port/City: Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Activity Type: Wilderness & Wildlife Tours | Adventure Tours

Approximate Duration: 4 hour(s) 15 minute(s)

Prices starting from:

*92.00 USD (Adult)

*92.00 USD (Child)

*0.00 USD (Infant)

Dates Offered: 13-Feb-2007

 

Hope this helps. It's a blast!

[ranger-red]

A lot of folks will tell you that you don't spend much time in your cabin. I think the smaller your cabin, the more likely that is. If you can upgrade for 400 total ( it may be per person?), do it. BUT, be forwarned, it will spoil you for anything smaller. The inside cabins are sort of small but with no light from outside, they're a great place to catch up on some sleep. Seruisly though, you will enjoy the room that you have allready booked. If money is at all tight, you can finance a lot of excursion with that $400:D

 

When we went to Grand Cayman in May of this year, we booked a horseback ride ith Honeysuckle Stables. We own horses and my wife and daughter ride, but they have always wanted to ride on a beach. They rode for like 2 1/2 - 3 hours and absolutely loved it. I don't usually book outside the cruiseline for excursions, but this guy comes highly recommended. You can just Google the name and Grand Cayman. You end up booking with a third party that they have do it for them.

 

Good luck and have fun.

[Esmerelda]

Welcome to CC! :)

 

I too took my first cruise as a single mom in 2002 with my two boys (whom are 11 and 15 now). We did a 4 day Carnival Cruise. We totally had a blast! Our second cruise in 2003 was a 7 day and it was even better. We had a balcony cabin the second time and we so enjoyed it! My youngest son loved to sit on our balcony...we even saw dolphins one day early in the morning :) I did have a signed letter both times from my boys father but no one wanted to see it (I even asked)? I had lots of paperwork that no one wanted to see oddly enough.(??) My last cruise was May of 05 for my honeymoon (yes, I found my prince...wow!) and we had a great time.

 

As far as swimming with the dolphins....we did this in Cozumel on our 2nd cruise...it was the highlight of our trip! We went thru http://www.shoretrips.com and made our reservation. We still talk about it...it was the absolute best! My hubby and I also swam with them on our honeymoon. I made both of my reservations thru Shore trips...both times with NO problem.

 

My next time out is the Freedom in Aug of 07 and my boys know nothing about this trip. It will be a total surprise to them. We are getting passports here very soon and this will be easier as I have full custody so I do not have to get father's permission to get a passport.

 

 

have a great cruise with your kids!

Esmerelda

[Lovincruisin1321]

Worldpas: nice webpage ;)

[WECoyote]

Hi All:

> I have booked a superior balcony on deck 10. Should I upgrade, about $400, to junior suite since there are 3 of us in the cabin?

> My oldest wants to "swim with dolphins" I did not see this on the shore excursions. Any ideas?

> I would like to do a canopy tour but again I could not find it in the listed excursions.

> It it safe to get a RAC in Cozumel and do some exploring on our own?

> I would appreciate any input on the shore excusions for me and the kids. I there is something that you think is "not to be missed" please let me know.

 

That is it for now and I appreciate your input.

John

http://www.incomelounge.com

Welcome John,

 

You know your pocket book, so I have no comment on the suite. It is highly unlikely you are going to spend much time there. But, you know your habits better than I.

 

Don't bother with the rental car in Cozumel, a taxi can take you around the entire perimeter in less than an hour... As a matter of fact I would do the dolphin swim here. The park on Cozumel has re-opened. I just booked the dolphin swim for my wife and I for our Freedom sailing next month. If you are having problems with the RCI site and seeing the excursions, e-mail me at rwiley2647@mail.com and I will try to help you through it. I am on that site virtually everyday and have been fairly successful figuring out the new site format. It has changed significantly since last spring.

 

I have seen the canopy tour for our sailing, so I'm sure it will be available to you on yours. It is $89 a person and available at the Montego Bay stop.

 

For Grand Cayman, I highly recommend the StingRay City tour. It is one of those "gotta do it once" (at the very least...we are going for our third time)

 

While there are a lot of good tour companies out there, for your first trip I would stay with the ship excursions. If anything were to go wrong and you have trouble getting back to the ship, the ship will wait for people booked on their own excursions. They don't wait for people who are late getting back from private excursions. Yes, I do book with local companies, but I didn't start until our fourth cruise and I had picked a lot of the "old timers" brains for tips to keep me out of trouble and to keep me from getting ripped off. If the excursions you are looking for have been sold out online, RCI keeps a percentage held back for people who book while on board. Just know what excursions you want, get to the ship as early as possible, and go to the excursion desk and fill out the excursion sheet. They process the sheets in the order they were received.

 

Good luck, enjoy, and be prepared to be hooked for life...

[Esmerelda]

WECoyota....regarding your comment about ship's excursions vs doing them on your own...

 

I have always booked my own excursions from day 1 and NEVER had any trouble with making it back to the ship...ever. I have done some great things with my boys as a single mom and on my honeymoon. All of our outings were great with no complaints.

 

I just don't want the OP to think that booking on your own is something bad...because it isn't. Also there are many more things on the island than the ship offers too. Just an FYI...

 

good day,

Esmerelda

[Sheffie]

I agree that swimming with the dolphins in GC is fabulous. I put it in the top 5 things I have done in my life. If you think you would like to do this on a catamaran, Captain Bryan's Buccaneer is a great excursion. There were only about 20 - 25 people on the boat. You stop at 3 places - the sandbar, the reef, and a more open area. The timing of this excursion was wonderful. We had plenty of time to get off the ship, and got back w/ enough time to eat lunch and do shopping before tendering back to the ship. Here are some pictures from that day.

[samtig]

Been to Cozumel numerous times & have taken excursions. Now we have a favorite routine. We take a cab to Paradise Beach for around $12 each way. Paradise has a web site for more information. It's a great beach that has been rebuilt since Wilma. Plenty of chair & umbrellas, facilities, restaurant & waiter service at the chairs. No entrance fee and for $8 you can do other beach things. Plenty of cabs are available for the return trip. We then take a cab to Cinco Sole - a great store with reasonable prices, and then to Panchos Backyard which is in an attached courtyard. Great food and drinks with small Mexican band. Then we head back toward the ship shopping & when we're tired, take a cab back to the ship. This is our perfect day in Cozumel.

 

Dunns River Falls is a don't miss in Ocho Rios. Kids will really enjoy it.

 

Sting Ray City is by far the favorite excursion in Grand Cayman.

 

Have a great cruise!

[glndr]

We did the Dunns River Falls/Dolphin swim. My kids said it was the best part of their cruise. They got some great pictures too.

[Nurse Daybreak]

We did the Dolphin Swim in Cozumel. It is different than a dolphin encounter. This was the best shore excursion we have ever done. It was pricey on the ship but when I saw the prices there you would be able to do it for alot less by taking a cab and paying seperately. An "encounter" is usually in standable water where the dolphins come up and interact with you. The "swim" you are in the lagoon with them, swimming alongside of them. They show you how to make them spin, kiss, and give you a ride. We were a bit skeptical at first due to the price when we booked, but we would spend it again. I thought "Yeah, they'll let you in for 5 minutes, take your picture and kick you out," but that was not the case. We swam with them a full 30 minutes. One couple to one dolphin so you weren't competing for their attention. Both DH and I walked around saying "WOW" for the neat several days. The Dolphin is about a 15 minute ride from the pier in Cozumel. when we came back several friends said they had looked at the type of "encounter" in Florida and it was well over $400. We paid $209 each including transportation and after your swim you can go around and see the dolphin and sea lion shows. They also take numerous opictures of you which you can have printed or on a CD(extra cost) and they make a video of you swimming with them.Truly the best money I have ever spent on a cruise excursion. This is the web site.

http://www.dolphin-academy.com/index.htm

I'll put a couple of pictures up for you to see here

 

In Grand Caymen we used Native Way for our excursion to Stingray City. These guys were great and I would highly reccomend them again over the cruise charter. They picked us up and took us to a private yacht club where we got on the boat. I thought we were going to be waiting for more people but it was just us 4. We went snorkeling first and one of the young guys dived for conch which he the cleaned a gave us each one as a souvenier. At Stingray City it was him and us (1:4). There is only one sandbar and many, many boats there. We were so pleased. Most of the other boats were packed with people, room to sit only and 2-3 guides with 30 people. The day we went the water was very rough (I was knocked over several times and chest high for me (5'4") and I don't think I would not have been as comfortable handling the rays if I had not had the individual attention that we got. On the way back to the yacht club we had the boat to ourselves and I went to the upper deck and laid out in the sun for the ride, something that would have been impossible on the other boats we saw as there were too many people on them. Soft drinks and snack were provided on the trip back. I think they were only $30-$35/person but were so happy we gave the $100/couple.

 

http://www.nativewaywatersports.com/shiptours.html

 

REVIEW

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147365-d148308-r5036109-Stingray_City-Grand_Cayman_Cayman_Islands.html

 

If you have the chance to do either of these two excursions I would do them again in a heart beat. If you can afford only one, the Dolphin Swim is a once in a lifetime experience. I still get chills when I think about it 9 months later. Not many things do that to me at 50 years old.

 

Have a fanstatic trip and post pictures when you get back.

Dawn

[WECoyote]

WECoyota....regarding your comment about ship's excursions vs doing them on your own...

 

I have always booked my own excursions from day 1 and NEVER had any trouble with making it back to the ship...ever. I have done some great things with my boys as a single mom and on my honeymoon. All of our outings were great with no complaints.

 

I just don't want the OP to think that booking on your own is something bad...because it isn't. Also there are many more things on the island than the ship offers too. Just an FYI...

 

good day,

Esmerelda

 

No argument with anything you have said. It is just that I have seen some people get "occupied" and lose situational awareness. I have had tablemates on two cruises that ended up paying to catch up with the ship at the next port. Both couples were on their first cruise. So I advise a little caution until the individuals get the "feel" of popping in and out of foreign ports.

 

Of course a lot of this caution comes frm dealing with young GIs in foreign countries. Seems like I have spent more and more of my time babysitting than doing my job. (At least that part of my career is over...whew:p)

[Lovincruisin1321]

....where are you? You must be away for the weekend! Lots of info waiting for you! :)

[worldpas]

Wow:

I am overwelmed. The information recieved from my first post is a gold mine. Yes, I was away for the weekend but never expected such a wealth of information. I want to thank everyone for their input and advice. It is truly appreciated.

John

http://www.incomelounge.com