Hooray! Dell and I are booked for our cruise, leaving the first week of May. We're going to Key West and Cozumel. Yes, off to Margaritaville!
We love cruising, highly recommend it. Some people list pros and cons about it, and yes there are. Seeing how this is our 4th cruise though, we think the pros definately outweigh the cons.
So, here are my two bits about it....
Cons - Timetable; you are on the ship's timetable as far as being on shore. Case in point; when we are in Key West we are there from 7 am to 2 pm. Do I want to stay for the Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square? Oh do I ever! But, I'll be back on the boat by then.
Pros about this (Yes there is a pro) - You get a taste of everything so you can decide where you want to actually STAY. We've gone to the Bahamas twice - and have definately decided that after visiting a couple islands that Nassau is THE place to stay. So, Dell and I decided that the next time we go to the Bahamas, we are not going to cruise, we are just going to park it in Nassau and play. Same with Hawaii...the cruise let us sample all of the islands, and while each one was unique and fun in its own way, we really decided that if we go back that North Shore is our destination and we'll just park our fannies on a beach there, Oahu had everything we wanted.
Pros - Room and board. No need to worry about finding a hotel room, there is one waiting for you every night. No need to pack up your stuff all the time when you arrive at a new place, you just grab your swimsuit, your camera, some sunscreen and go. Room stewards are the BEST!!! You don't get that kind of service at a hotel, NO WAY! Dell and I have had some awesome room stewards! Even in the bowels of the ship in the cheap rooms, they go out of their way to serve. One time Dell lost a button on his pants, and he asked our room steward, Antonio, if he had a safety pin. Antonio said, "Just a moment, " and he held out his jacket like one of those illegal watch salesman, and there were 50 safety pins on the inside of his jacket! Needless to say, we were impressed.
Food - When they say you'll gain about 5 pounds on a cruise, they are not kidding. There is always food. 24 -7 there is food. You are surrounded by food. Good food! From 6 to 9 that sushi bar is open, and that's where you'll find me...snarfing down sushi. (Note, drinks are extra, including soda. Dell buys an all you can drink soda card for the week.)
Con - I know I know, how can there be a con about food. Well there is. You can miss out on lovely local dining experiences... like CONCH! I like conch, kinda chewy, but good. Heh heh, and ask Dell about his Mountain Dew in Nassau sometime...hilarious! But be sure to sample the local cuisine wherever you are, don't just rely on the cruise for all your comfort zone foods, branch out and take the plung...try the conch.
Shore excursions - ah yeah, well, not too many pros here...
We love cruising, highly recommend it. Some people list pros and cons about it, and yes there are. Seeing how this is our 4th cruise though, we think the pros definately outweigh the cons.
So, here are my two bits about it....
Cons - Timetable; you are on the ship's timetable as far as being on shore. Case in point; when we are in Key West we are there from 7 am to 2 pm. Do I want to stay for the Sunset Celebration in Mallory Square? Oh do I ever! But, I'll be back on the boat by then.
Pros about this (Yes there is a pro) - You get a taste of everything so you can decide where you want to actually STAY. We've gone to the Bahamas twice - and have definately decided that after visiting a couple islands that Nassau is THE place to stay. So, Dell and I decided that the next time we go to the Bahamas, we are not going to cruise, we are just going to park it in Nassau and play. Same with Hawaii...the cruise let us sample all of the islands, and while each one was unique and fun in its own way, we really decided that if we go back that North Shore is our destination and we'll just park our fannies on a beach there, Oahu had everything we wanted.
Pros - Room and board. No need to worry about finding a hotel room, there is one waiting for you every night. No need to pack up your stuff all the time when you arrive at a new place, you just grab your swimsuit, your camera, some sunscreen and go. Room stewards are the BEST!!! You don't get that kind of service at a hotel, NO WAY! Dell and I have had some awesome room stewards! Even in the bowels of the ship in the cheap rooms, they go out of their way to serve. One time Dell lost a button on his pants, and he asked our room steward, Antonio, if he had a safety pin. Antonio said, "Just a moment, " and he held out his jacket like one of those illegal watch salesman, and there were 50 safety pins on the inside of his jacket! Needless to say, we were impressed.
Food - When they say you'll gain about 5 pounds on a cruise, they are not kidding. There is always food. 24 -7 there is food. You are surrounded by food. Good food! From 6 to 9 that sushi bar is open, and that's where you'll find me...snarfing down sushi. (Note, drinks are extra, including soda. Dell buys an all you can drink soda card for the week.)
Con - I know I know, how can there be a con about food. Well there is. You can miss out on lovely local dining experiences... like CONCH! I like conch, kinda chewy, but good. Heh heh, and ask Dell about his Mountain Dew in Nassau sometime...hilarious! But be sure to sample the local cuisine wherever you are, don't just rely on the cruise for all your comfort zone foods, branch out and take the plung...try the conch.
Shore excursions - ah yeah, well, not too many pros here...
Pros - They get you back to the boat on time. That's about it!
Cons - Ok, so you're spending the money to go somewhere, you probably should spend the time researching it too. There are less expensive ways to see your destination. Cruise ship excursions are very touristy, (aka TRAP!) Do some searching, see what the locals say to do. You'll find the beaches less crowded and the food much more yummy. Trip Advisor is a GREAT place to start, they give you actual reviews from travelers on what they did and what they found was fun for them. Given the fact that you have little time at your destination, it's a good idea to have it all planned out. (I found this GREAT site for Cozumel - http://www.cozumelmycozumel.com/ - written by Americans who live there to help people out with their vacation - THANKS GUYS!)
Anyways, point being, cruising is way fun! I'll be sure to take lots of pictures to post when I get back!
(I posted a pic of AJ and I in Hawaii! That's Kap with us - he walks on fire...)
