Cruise Advice

I was very happy with my Royal Caribbean cruise. There were many food choices in different areas of the ship and it seemed like there was food available any time .. even a late night chocolate buffet and pizza at a sportbar area.

We are going on our 5th cruise this summer through Regent Cruise Lines. They are more expensive than the other lines but they are much smaller and when they say 'all inclusive' they mean it. There are NO extra charges for gratuities. ALL drinks, including alcohol are included. There is a mini-fridge in each cabin refreshed daily. And almost every cabin on every ship has a balcony.

I've heard that most of the other cruise lines give you assigned meal times unless they advertise otherwise. Regent eating areas are just like restaurants where you walk in and are shown to a table. And the food is amazing. There usually is 1 very nice restaurant where we do have to have reservations, 1-2 others that are very nice then 1 where you can get burgers and such.

My brother has been able to compare Regent to a couple of other lines. He said the one thing that really stood out was when he left the ship with Regent he was handed a bottle of water where the others he could 'buy' a bottle if he wanted one.

I think the whole travel industry is hurting right now, and I'm not sure what other lines are doing, but I noticed that many excursions or tours with Regent this summer are free. Your off ship tours can be expensive and add up quick. *Those are not part of Regent's normal 'all inclusive' because those are usually tours booked with locals in the different ports so you are paying for their time.

I'm sure you will have a wonderful time no matter which one you choose. Just relax and enjoy!

Royal Carribbean is a sure bet. The food is great and the service is spectacular. You can't go wrong. Have fun!!

A.,
My family and I took our first cruise last June. We went on Carnival and we had a blast. The food was awsome and all you can eat. My advice, loose a little weight before the cruise if not you will definately need to after the cruise. The entertainment was also great. We had so much fun, we did not want it to end. If you have children, the clubs that they offer kept them busy throughout the whole cruise. We are planning another cruise this year going further away. Let me know if you have any specific questions and I will be more than glad to answer my experience.

We have only traveled on Carnival and have had really great experiences. I have heard wonderful things about Royal Ca. too. Cruises are AWESOME because they offer lots to do (shows, casino's, games, spas & workout facilities) or you can just sit and relax doing nothing at all. There is food around the clock. You can go to "fancy" dinners which will last close to 2 hours, or you can serve up your own decent food in a buffet line and then move on.

A few things to note....

A Balcony cabin is a MUST...it's a little more, but it is so, so, so worth it!

You are charged Tips for people like the cabin steward (this person makes up your room daily and they are usually awesome), waiter & matrade (dining room). When we do not use the dining room, or only go there once, we do not tip them the full amount. We'd rather give a little extra to someone like the cabin steward or to the Kids Camp workers who we actually used versus the guy that did nothing because we did not show up.

You can each take a bottle of wine on the boat with you. If you do, be sure to bring a wine opener...they may charge you to un-cork the wine which is a rip off.

If you plan to bring kids (or you may want to do this for yourselves), we always take a few snacks for the cabin. Yes, there is non stop food and room service is free, but sometimes you just just want something like Cheez-Its or Gold Fish to munch on when you are getting ready or come in for the night.

If you have an iPod & docking station, nice to have in the cabin for some music

Ships have laundry (you can send it out or get quarters to do it yourself) and ironing for you. We bring detergent and do a load or 2 on the boat. Allows you to pack a little less (maybe) and you don't take a bunch of dirty laundry home.

The ships normally get back to final port around 6:00am and you can start getting off the ship shortly there after...don't make your return flight too late or it will make for a long day at the airport. If you can carry your luggage off the ship yourself-do it!!! Saves a lot of time doing Express Checkout. You can walk off as soon as you are ready rather than being sent down to a large warehouse type ara to find your luggage.

Have a BLAST!! It's soooooo much fun!!

I have been on Princess and Holland America. The food was great on both, but I loved the Princess cruise better. Princess you could get food 24 hours a day, where as Holland America had limitations. Also, on Holland America the staff spend 10 months at sea and 2 months at home. I think it takes a toll on them because they were grumpy and not nice, and gave the passengers the impression that we were an inconvenience for them. On Princess, the staff was on for 2 months, then off for 2 weeks, so they were much more social and pleasant. I would try to find out how long the staff is on board without seeing their families. I think it does make a difference in the way they treat you. My sister has been on Carnival, and she said it was great as well. I don't know anyone that has done Royal Carribean, but I do hear good things about it.

I have been on cruises with Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and Norwegian and all cruise ship food is wonderful, but I might say that the food was slightly more "royal" (lobster!) on Royal : ). Norwegian is freestyle dining which means you do not have a set dinner time and can eat when you want by showing up at whatever restaurants are open when you are ready to dine so you don't feel as scheduled. A couple cruising tips I would add here are to pack a couple of plastic travel cups/mugs that seal so you can take drinks with you on excursions. They are also handy to keep a drink cold and iced while on deck or to take back to your room - saves steps! Also, throw in a soft folding cooler, fill with ice before leaving ship for an excursion in case you want to pick up a six pack of something to go to a beach. You can also throw in some yogurt or other snacks from the ship. With a little planning, you can often save money by doing many excursions yourself rather than paying for the tours. Taxis and other cheaper tour operators are available at most any port. Arrange with your driver to pick you up to get you back to ship in time! I have witnessed many people's flights being delayed and they missed setting sail on the cruise and had to catch up with the ship at another port - a real pain! I suggest flying to your port city a day early or at least many hours in advance of setting sail. Enjoy!

I have not been on that ship, but every cruise I have been on has been outstanding, with the exception of Norwegian Cruise line. The food is always outstanding (quality, not just quantity). Go to cruisemates.com or cruisecritics.com or google cruise advice.

Bon voyage!
K.
http://K..myshaklee.com

I've been on Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian. Royal Caribbean was our favorite. The food was EXCELLENT! I wouldn't recommend Norwegian. We didn't like the food. Carnival was pretty good and we are actually going on Carnival again soon. I don't think you can go wrong with Royal Caribbean though.

I have only been on Disney Cruise line. It has the reputation of being one of the best lines. I love it! It's not just for kids. The adults have a wonderful time too! They just lauched their third ship the Disney Dream. You can find more about it by going to the Disboards.com. There is also info there on other cruise lines like RCI and comparisons between the two. It is a bit more in price but well worth the experience. As with most cruises it's all inclusive which means you pay for your tips and alcoholic beverages, and excursions.

We have not been on that specific ship, BUT have sailed with both Royal Caribbean and Carnival.
-The fine dining restaurants were great on both.

-Carnival's reg dining room and buffets seemed to have better food than RC. Surprisingly to us seeing as it was less expensive and an older ship.

-RC had more activities and more to choose from for dining and entertainment (newer & larger ship).

-Beds were way more comfortable and had laundry rooms available for own ironing etc.. on Carnival.

- Don't book a room near elevators or engines (noisy)

- Opt for dining at own chosen times in formal dining rooms (certain ports or excursions may cause you to want flexibility

Have a blast! We will definitely cruise again. We have also flown in a few days before sailing out for mini vacations before cruises leaving Puerto Rico or far away locations etc.. 2 vacations in one! :)