FIRST CRUISE!!! - Carnival Fantasy - June 23 - Tips? Advice?

[SirDomino]

Well guys, this will be my wife and I's first cruise. I am a little anxious, as I don't know as much as you guys. I have also spent hours pouring through the forums in order to try and educate myself on the ship and cruises.

 

My wife would like to go site-seeing when we stop in Cozamel, and I have heard the best way is to rent the Jeep and go to the parks.

 

Also, snorkling gear, is it better to bring your own or rent it?

 

Are there any bag limitations or weight limits?

 

Can we bring a few six packs of Sprite and water without any issues in our suitcases?

 

And finally, IS ANYONE ELSE GOING ON THIS CRUISE!?! :):D

 

Thanks guys!

[floatingaway2525]

Well guys, this will be my wife and I's first cruise. I am a little anxious, as I don't know as much as you guys. I have also spent hours pouring through the forums in order to try and educate myself on the ship and cruises.

 

My wife would like to go site-seeing when we stop in Cozamel, and I have heard the best way is to rent the Jeep and go to the parks.

 

Also, snorkling gear, is it better to bring your own or rent it?

 

Are there any bag limitations or weight limits?

 

Can we bring a few six packs of Sprite and water without any issues in our suitcases?

 

And finally, IS ANYONE ELSE GOING ON THIS CRUISE!?! :):D

 

Thanks guys!

 

Hi and welcome to CC!! Fantasy is my favorite ship ever, you will love her!! I don't have answers for much of this, when I went snorkeling they provided gear, I never have room for carrying water onboard:rolleyes:

In Cozumel, I feel it's better to avoid renting a vehicle, JMO, many do with no problem, but Coz is so easy to get around with an abundance of taxis for hire. Takes the hassle out of it, again JMO:D LOVE Cozumel!! You can walk as well, but do try to get over to the other side of the island by car or taxi, it is beautiful!

Make sure you visit the roll call area for your sail, you will find out who is going with you. ALso the ports of call area is great.

Most of all, relax and have a blast!! Make sure you come beck and tell us all about it, we love to hear it!!:D

[DarthGrady]

Here is a link you your Roll Call thread, there are other on there going on your cruise:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=742249

[Wennfred]

Also here is a link to your first Thread, most people answered on that one:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=794105

 

 

Fred

[dna1990]

My advice - skip the snorkle gear, unless you already know you will use it again. There was a time when rented equipment thru the excursion was pretty hit/miss, but lately I think the quality is fine for a one time deal. If you do buy - get the middle to high end stuff. Getting a cheap set at Walm* and then lugging it to the ship, to the excursion, and back - not any better than what you could have rented and never had to carry. And cost breaks are not as significant as they once were to bring your own.

 

My advice - as others have and will say, do NOT rent a jeep in Coz. Not for the first timer cruise pax. Maybe if staying on the island for a few days. There are some great excursions that have transportation and taxis are everywhere. One of the easiest islands to navigate. Read more on the Ports of Call section for Coz. If into sight-seeing over beach stuff, then certainly look into the various ways to drive the East Side.

 

If flying, then I would think the airlines rules will be be much more restrictive anyway. A 12pck of soda has never been an issue with us. Don't put it in checked luggage (esp if flying lol). If flying in, buy it somewhere before boarding. If you have a specific luggage restriction in mind, post more detail.

 

I think there are about 2054 other people on this cruise with you...<grin>. Yes, there is rollcall already for your date...

[SirDomino]

Also here is a link to your first Thread, most people answered on that one:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=794105

 

 

Fred

 

Thanks, I already have that bookmarked, unfortunately the agent was unable to get me on that particular cruise and I couldn't found a way to delete the thread. :)

 

I appreciate all the advice, I suppose I will just be using taxis then.

 

One of my biggest concerns is Cash vs Credit, as I have heard you should carry cash on you. I wonder what your techniques are and how much one should carry and in what denominations?

 

Also, the other port of call, Progresso or whatever, do you guys have any advice on what to do there?

 

Also, is there wireless Internet on these boats? And I'm guessing cell phone use is outrageous. So what means of contacting folks back at home would you suggest? Should we leave the cell phones off?

 

Thanks again for all the advice!

[sappygirl]

We just came back from our first cruise on Fantasy. It was great. I did see someone carrying a case of water on board so I guess it's ok. My husband brought his own snorkle gear because of safety issues which I don't blame him. You can get a nice setup at Academy for about 40 bucks and it's easy to pack. i wouldn't rent a vehicle there, several people I've read have had problems when they bring it back. There is a nice beach there called Paradise beach. It's free but if you want to use their chairs, umbrellas and such you pay only 10 bucks which is a steal. A little tip, don't leave right when you done with dinner the staff will put on a little show for you. We really enjoyed that part of the cruise. Also if you go to the art auction in the Forum bring a jacket itwas freezing in there. Don't miss the Gala Buffet it's gorgeous and take pictures. If you get a little motion sickness like I did I found that going up to Lido deck and getting a little something in my stomach and some fresh air helped alot. Don't concern yourself to much about what to wear at dinner it is pretty much cruise casual except for formal night which is more dressier. I know you all will have a great time. Just relax and enjoy. The crew on this ship are great. Wish I was going too.

[Wennfred]

Thanks, I already have that bookmarked, unfortunately the agent was unable to get me on that particular cruise and I couldn't found a way to delete the thread. :)

 

I appreciate all the advice, I suppose I will just be using taxis then.

 

One of my biggest concerns is Cash vs Credit, as I have heard you should carry cash on you. I wonder what your techniques are and how much one should carry and in what denominations?

 

Also, the other port of call, Progresso or whatever, do you guys have any advice on what to do there?

 

Also, is there wireless Internet on these boats? And I'm guessing cell phone use is outrageous. So what means of contacting folks back at home would you suggest?

 

Thanks again for all the advice!

 

We take around 800.00 Cash with us, the break down would be like 30.00 in ones and 20 in Fives, 20 in Tens, a few 50'S etc. Lots of ones for Tipping as you have to tip everyone like the porters on the pier, room service etc. Your account will be settled with a Credit Card that you give them on day one. The cash is mostly used for Casino, Bingo and Ports of Calls to buy gifts or to tip the Excursion Tour guides etc. Dealing with a Credit Card is the way to go because you dont have to do anything on the last day. Make sure you check your account or go to the Pursers Deck and have them give you a print out of your spendings on Day 4 because everything adds up quickly and you can start setting a budget or have a Invoice Shock when you get it on the last day. Most people look like this when they get their invoice :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

All ships now have an Internet Cafe and the price ranges depending on the length of your cruise. On a 7 DAY Cruise a package can cost 55.00 for 100 minutes or 250 Minutes for 100.00. The shipboard internet system is extremely slow, something like 300baud system. So you have to have alot of patients for it to catch up to what ever you are doing. You can take your own laptop and log on from your cabin on most ships. Its still the same rate. I highly recommend you disable your Pop-up blocker as you will need the Small Pop-up box to open, this is the box that allows you to log off when you are done. I also recommend that you type what ever that needs to be sent via email first on WorldPad, then copy/paste and log on and send it. If you have a Laptop, leave it on plugged in with the Website like Hotmail.com or what ever Email server you will be using so that when you log back on, that page will already be open and you can just refresh to see your incoming mail.. Not doing this will cause you to waste valuable minutes as you have to find those email sites and this cost money.

[SirDomino]

We just came back from our first cruise on Fantasy. It was great. I did see someone carrying a case of water on board so I guess it's ok. My husband brought his own snorkle gear because of safety issues which I don't blame him. You can get a nice setup at Academy for about 40 bucks and it's easy to pack. i wouldn't rent a vehicle there, several people I've read have had problems when they bring it back. There is a nice beach there called Paradise beach. It's free but if you want to use their chairs, umbrellas and such you pay only 10 bucks which is a steal. A little tip, don't leave right when you done with dinner the staff will put on a little show for you. We really enjoyed that part of the cruise. Also if you go to the art auction in the Forum bring a jacket itwas freezing in there. Don't miss the Gala Buffet it's gorgeous and take pictures. If you get a little motion sickness like I did I found that going up to Lido deck and getting a little something in my stomach and some fresh air helped alot. Don't concern yourself to much about what to wear at dinner it is pretty much cruise casual except for formal night which is more dressier. I know you all will have a great time. Just relax and enjoy. The crew on this ship are great. Wish I was going too.

 

Any idea how much the taxis cost one way? And I'm curious, what kind of problems did they have when they returned the cars?

 

I do tend to get motion sickness so I will be brining the dramamine.

[LSUcajunmom]

This is either a 5 day or 4 day cruise, right? We went in April. Cash was used just like others have said. We used the credit card for S&S. We did Uxmal in Progresso. Wonderful tour of the ruins. We did not go thru the ship for the excursion. We waited unitl we got to the port and went thru Autoprogresso. No crowd at all. Great tour and cheaper than Carnival.

[SirDomino]

This is either a 5 day or 4 day cruise, right? We went in April. Cash was used just like others have said. We used the credit card for S&S. We did Uxmal in Progresso. Wonderful tour of the ruins. We did not go thru the ship for the excursion. We waited unitl we got to the port and went thru Autoprogresso. No crowd at all. Great tour and cheaper than Carnival.

 

Where can I find AutoProgresso? And how much did it end up costing per adult?

 

And yes, this is a 5-day cruise.

 

Thanks so much for the info!

[Rowan555]

Any idea how much the taxis cost one way? And I'm curious, what kind of problems did they have when they returned the cars?

 

I do tend to get motion sickness so I will be brining the dramamine.

 

It's $13 to $15 for a cab to Paradise Beach, depending on where you dock. This is each way.

 

I wouldn't recommend renting a car because if you get into an accident they will most likely put you in jail, or otherwise hold you, which puts you at risk of missing the ship. You can have a perfect day in Cozumel by simply walking all around downtown when you dock, shopping, having lunch, etc, then taking a taxi to Paradise Beach. I also want to clarify that it's not $10 to use the chairs and umbrellas there - they simply ask that you spend at least $10 pp on food and drinks in order to use the chairs, umbrella, restrooms, etc. They also have laptops with free internet access at the bar, a great gift shop, and water toys which you can use for a $10 writsband purchase - these include floats, iceberg, trampolines, and kayaks. Snorkel gear is available with a deposit.

[Rowan555]

Where can I find AutoProgresso? And how much did it end up costing per adult?

 

And yes, this is a 5-day cruise.

 

Thanks so much for the info!

 

 

You can book with Autoprogreso when you dock, there is a little tour station after you walk through the small duty free shopping complex. The ruins tour is $29. Here is their site, but more tours may be available than what they list here - it hasn't been updated in a long time:

 

http://www.autoprogreso.com/trips.html.htm

[LSUcajunmom]

I never did find on the internet a site for Autoprogresso. I had read and read the "ports of call" forums and thru that had found out about Autoprogresso. We just walked off of the ship and went thru the enclosed shopping center to the outside shopping center. Autoprogresso was all the way at the end on the left. I want to say the it was $55 or $65 per person. I don't remember because DH paid for it and I didn't really pay attention. I just know it was $10 to $20 less per person than the ship's excursion. Hope this helps. Have fun!

 

On the above link to Autoprogresso, our tour was not on there. They have about 10 different tours they offer, all very different and great combinations. We just did the tour to Uxmal and really enjoyed it. I can think of not one bad thing to say about our tour. You can email them with your questions and they do respond rather quickly.

[SirDomino]

I heard folks talking about Chichen Itza In Progresso, and how its one of the 7 wonders of the world.

 

Is it best to just book the tour with the cruise? I hear its a 2 hour bus ride one way, and if you don't book with the ship, and something goes wrong (bus breaks down) and you miss the boat that it will not be their responsibility.

[LSUcajunmom]

I heard folks talking about Chichen Itza In Progresso, and how its one of the 7 wonders of the world.

 

Is it best to just book the tour with the cruise? I hear its a 2 hour bus ride one way, and if you don't book with the ship, and something goes wrong (bus breaks down) and you miss the boat that it will not be their responsibility.

Know that the ship will leave you no matter who you have booked your cruise with. That is a false sense of security that people have and it is just not true. If you are late when it is time for the ship to leave you will probably watch the ship sail away without you. On our tour, we were fortunate to have just myself and my DH on this tour so we had our own taxi with our own driver and our own tour guide. He was very aware of what time we had to be back. He was absolutely wonderful with how he treated us and handled the time. He even brought us to a wonderful restuarant down the road fromthe ruins for authtentic Mayan food. We did have to pay for lunch but it was so worth it. It took us close to 2 hrs to get to Uxmal but only about an hour and 15 mins. on the way back. He took us through a more scenic route on the way there and a more direct route back to the ship. Tour guide's name was Manuel Polo. Ask for him and you will have no problems or regrets, but then again I think this is how most if not all of the tour guides are trained to treat the "paying" tourist.

[SirDomino]

So if you miss the ship what happens? what do you do?

[LSUcajunmom]

You are responsible for any expense to catch up to the ship in the next port. But don't worry. This so very rarely happens. Usually persons partying and drinking are the ones that this happens to. The tour persons are so good about getting their customers back to the ship on time. Autoprogresso is one of the best. If you go to the the ports of call forum for Progresso, there are alot of threads about Autoprogresso. I can't remember one bad post. I'm sure there are exceptions, but that will be with all tour groups. Email them and ask them specific questions and give them your concerns. I know they will reply to you. The best advice I can give you is research, research, research. That is what I did and that is why I chose Uxmal and Autoprogresso. Let me know what you decide.

[SirDomino]

Wow! Uxmal looks awesome! How much did the tour cost? And how far is it from the port?

 

Will I have to make a reservation with autoprogresso? Or do I just walk off the ship to them and sign up?

 

Thanks so much for the advice!

[SirDomino]

I just received this response from AutoProgreso. They say they do not have a tour to UxMal, unless there is at least 8 people I believe.

 

Hello,

 

We dont have now the tour to Uxmal, we need at leat 8 people, sorry but

there other tours we have, you might be interested, Dzibilchaltun ruins and

Merida city $40 USD, or just the ruins $29 USD, combo last 5 hours, and

just one 3, Dzibilchaltun is located 25 minutes from Progreso. prices

includes transportation, guide and entrance fees. hope this helps!

 

Regards

Jerry

[LSUcajunmom]

Probably not enough people to keep it. Like I said before, there was just the 2 of for our tour. It was a great tour. Sorry they discontinued it.:(