CRUISE VIRGIN- Need lots of help!

[Cruizeguru]

Sounds like a great investment for the Mayan Ruins. I would love to do that.

 

When we were in Cozumel it was about 6 months after it was hit by the hurricanes in 2005. Most of snorkeling places were closed because of the damage. We took our snorkel gear, got a cab and asked him to take to a place that we could snorkel and had a bar. It was one of our favorite days! We did some snorkeling and had a few cheap beers and were very welcomed. The locals told us how happy they were to see the ships coming back.

 

I drink beer or canned soft drink in Mexico. I would be careful of ice in mixed drinks if you have sensitive stomach.

 

Yes - fly in the night before a get a cheap hotel. No sense saving $60 bucks but the airline cancels your flight and you miss your cruise. Plus, you will be better rested to start your cruise.

 

We live in Seattle and we still fly in the night before if we are cruising out of LA. It is a 2 hours flight and there are a lot of flights during the day but I still don't trust the airlines.

 

Cruise Gypsy,

 

We were in Cozumel when "Wilma" hit in 2005 and I can honestly say I was scared!!:eek:

 

The Mayan ruins if its the same trip I remember then there is a very long bus ride to and from the ruins. I'm not trying to be a wet blanket but if I remember correctly it was like 2 hours each way with like 1.5 hours at the ruins or something like that, but this might be a different tour.

 

There is however a 5 hour open bar and buffet beach break that we did in 2007 when we went back to THE COZ. It was like $65 dollars and it included motor coach to the resort (15 min ride), open bar with a waiter for your table (they push the tequilla:D), huge buffet and they had a pool and a huge tent canopy thing that could hold about 500 people and the coolest massage on the beach cabanas that were $1 per minute.

 

Suggestion: pack half your clothes in one suitcase and therest in your carry-on/roller. Split up your blouses/shirts, pants and undergarments and one swimsuit per bag.

Reason: if your checked suitcase gets lost then you will only lose half of your clothes, but more importantly you will have something from each clothing category!:)

[Cruizeguru]

One thing I just remembered - when you book make sure your reservation notes that it is your honeymoon. Might help with an upgrade. :D

 

Very true, while on all my cruises I have seen newly weds being treated to all kinds of perks.

 

A lot of brides will wear their veil on the first day to get some attention:rolleyes:. I have seen many a drink bought for newlyweds.

[amocksun]

Aww, I'm not even sure I mentioned it was a honeymoon! Because I know in other areas of wedding planning (catering, etc) they charge you more if they know it's for a wedding.

 

And thanks for the heads up about the ruins-I've been looking into that as well. From what I gather so far, the largest on the island, Chichen Itza, is about 2.5 hours. But there is a smaller one which served as a watchpost called Tulum, and I *think* it's closer. Either way, I'd crawl through the jungle to see either! Lol.

[Proudmom1120]

If you have a travel agent, tell them it is your honeymoon, also.

They might send you a bottle of champagne.

[danacline]

I have pix of Tulum on my web site - it's the only Mayan city on the coast and very beautiful. If done from Cozumel, you have to take a ferry to Playa del Carmen then a bus an hour south to Tulum. It ends up being a full day but well worth doing once.

 

We've done the western route a number of times and enjoy all the stops, whether we do an excursion or not.

 

Alcohol. Instead of smuggling it on the ship, try smuggling it home! I see by your titlebar you're in the Southeastern US. OK, consider driving to your cruise, not flying. Then you can bring back as much alcohol as you want. If you fly, you have to put it in your checked bag, and I seldom risk more than one per suitcase. We brought back 9 liters on the last cruise...

 

The Caribbean is famous for rum - in fact, it's the economic lifeblood in many areas. And each rum is different. Most port liquor stores offer tastings so you can decide which to buy. You can bring 2 liters per person back (at least according to the customs agent in Port Canaveral) but you can bring more if you are willing to pay the duty (which isn't much, maybe 10%).

 

Similarly, Mexico is famous for tequila, and there are dozens of awesome ones to be had in Cozumel. Again, they have samples.

 

Then, when you get back, you'll have a little stash of exotic things you can't get in the US. Drink them while you save your bar money for the next cruise!

 

My web site has photos and commentary of all the good excursions for the Western route, as well as a section for first-time cruisers that may answer some of your remaining questions.

[elcuchio24]

Thanks everyone! I really appreciate all the advice. I've already learned A LOT in the past couple of days. I've been on the phone with Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Norwegian as well as one of the third-party sites.

 

We definitely want to to a cruise because it really seems to be the most affordable-a hotel room in FL would be at least $80 a night-so that's $320...you know now that I'm thinking about it, maybe you're right! I'll look into it. Though now we're all geared up to cruise! Also, I have the travel bug BAAADDDD and love the idea of visiting Mexico and the Bahamas.

 

We also definitely aren't doing it in October since our wedding is May 22nd and I think that kicking the marriage off by smuggling alcohol is a fun idea :)

 

Hey, I think you are right on track, don't let anyone scare you off. My wife and I cruised for our honey moon and it was awesome. It really is the most inexpensive way to vacation. All inclusives are nice, but very expensive. I assume you are younger, we are in our mid 20's and have cruised on NCL, HAL, CCL, RCL, and Princess. I would for sure steer you towards Carnival. They are the most fun, have the best food, and are cheap. Find an eastern or western itinerary if you want a 7 nighter, otherwise Bahamas are cool for a shorter 4-5 nighter. Find at least 1 or 2 ship sponsored shore excursions, you can find fairly priced ones. One suggestion, often you can find a decent 'beach break' type excursion that offers unlimited drinks. This can really be a cost saver and get some of that drinking out of your system without paying ship prices! Also, if you want to try to smuggle some alcohol on board go ahead, the worst that happens is they find it and hold it til the end of the cruise. Have fun, you'll be hooked!

[elcuchio24]

The only tone in a post is the tone you put in it when you read it. I personally could care less if you smuggle that whole liquor store. If you are willing to risk it knowing the consequences go for it. Just thought from your lack of $$ post that it was something you might not want to risk to that extent so you had a chance of actually having a decent honeymoon.

 

Oh boy. I remember a kid in my neiborhood when I was growing up, so scared of everything he kept training wheels on his bike til he was 12yo. Looks like he's posting on CC now!

 

If the shadiest thing you ever do is try to smuggle liquor onto a boat, I think you're living a pretty clean life.......

[amocksun]

Oh, awesome! I was wondering about Tulum or San Gervasio. We'll be at port from 1 PM till 10 PM, and the excursion to San Gervasio is 4 hours, $55. It's on Cozumel, and there is snorkeling afterwards.

 

Tulum, as you know, is stunning. That is 7 hours, $77. After the travel times, you have 3.5 hours there. It's so beautiful, we want to do it. We'd like to have time for other stuff, but seeing the ruins is the sole reason we chose a cruise that went to Cozumel.

 

We're really trying to decide which. Is the travel to Tulum enjoyable?

 

I have pix of Tulum on my web site - it's the only Mayan city on the coast and very beautiful. If done from Cozumel, you have to take a ferry to Playa del Carmen then a bus an hour south to Tulum. It ends up being a full day but well worth doing once.

 

We've done the western route a number of times and enjoy all the stops, whether we do an excursion or not.

 

Alcohol. Instead of smuggling it on the ship, try smuggling it home! I see by your titlebar you're in the Southeastern US. OK, consider driving to your cruise, not flying. Then you can bring back as much alcohol as you want. If you fly, you have to put it in your checked bag, and I seldom risk more than one per suitcase. We brought back 9 liters on the last cruise...

 

The Caribbean is famous for rum - in fact, it's the economic lifeblood in many areas. And each rum is different. Most port liquor stores offer tastings so you can decide which to buy. You can bring 2 liters per person back (at least according to the customs agent in Port Canaveral) but you can bring more if you are willing to pay the duty (which isn't much, maybe 10%).

 

Similarly, Mexico is famous for tequila, and there are dozens of awesome ones to be had in Cozumel. Again, they have samples.

 

Then, when you get back, you'll have a little stash of exotic things you can't get in the US. Drink them while you save your bar money for the next cruise!

 

My web site has photos and commentary of all the good excursions for the Western route, as well as a section for first-time cruisers that may answer some of your remaining questions.

[amocksun]

Yes, we are 24 and 28. We're so excited! It's good to know you think we're headed in the right direction. So far we've just paid a deposit, and I'm scared to pay the whole thing! Lol, I'm afraid we'll find something better, or won't be able to save enough spending money.

 

Hey, I think you are right on track, don't let anyone scare you off. My wife and I cruised for our honey moon and it was awesome. It really is the most inexpensive way to vacation. All inclusives are nice, but very expensive. I assume you are younger, we are in our mid 20's and have cruised on NCL, HAL, CCL, RCL, and Princess. I would for sure steer you towards Carnival. They are the most fun, have the best food, and are cheap. Find an eastern or western itinerary if you want a 7 nighter, otherwise Bahamas are cool for a shorter 4-5 nighter. Find at least 1 or 2 ship sponsored shore excursions, you can find fairly priced ones. One suggestion, often you can find a decent 'beach break' type excursion that offers unlimited drinks. This can really be a cost saver and get some of that drinking out of your system without paying ship prices! Also, if you want to try to smuggle some alcohol on board go ahead, the worst that happens is they find it and hold it til the end of the cruise. Have fun, you'll be hooked!

[elcuchio24]

Yes, we are 24 and 28. We're so excited! It's good to know you think we're headed in the right direction. So far we've just paid a deposit, and I'm scared to pay the whole thing! Lol, I'm afraid we'll find something better, or won't be able to save enough spending money.

 

Honestly, I think you will have a great time. I say pay the deposit, pay the balence, then see how much you can save for extras like drinks/escursions/keepsakes. I know right around when you get married money is mad tight. If you have $200 extra to spend, figure out whats going to be the most important thing to you guys on the cruise. If you have $1000 it just means that you'll get to do more cool stuff. Either way you will have a GREAT time!

[danacline]

Is the travel to Tulum enjoyable?

 

Depends on your definition, I guess. The ferry ride across wasn't bad but very rough seas and a number of people were sick. The bus ride was a little over an hour on a nice large bus. We made one stop in route for restroom/drinks/souvenirs.

[MrsPete]

With the bottles in the middle, I was going to empty Sprite bottles, fill them, and put those back in the middle then glue the case back up.

Oh, bottles . . . I was thinking cans. Yeah, you're good.

Don't forget that when they search your bags and find the "hooch" you then open yourself up for greater scrutiny. Also remember that they can refuse you boarding for trying to smuggle the stuff on and they would not have to refund your money. Also, you would have to hide it from your cabin steward who comes in 2 times a day to clean and straighten the room.

Since I don't have anything other than alcohol that anyone would care about, "greater scrutiny" doesn't really concern me. My shorts and swimsuits aren't that interesting.

 

Also, the cabin steward couldn't care less what you have; although, out of politeness, it is a good idea to store your alcohol in a drawer or your closet. The officers DO care whether you have alcohol, and there's a very remote chance that one of them could enter your cabin for some reason -- and you don't want your cabin steward to have to explain himself for not reporting your stash.

It sounds like you are wanting to take an excessive amount of alcohol on. You are setting yourself up for disaster. . . . Is it really worth risking losing your $$ and honeymoon vacation by taking smuggling to the extreme?

Unlike a couple other folks, I don't think you need counseling, but I am concerned that you may be over-doing a bit. The #1 rule is MODERATION.

 

You are in no danger of losing your honeymoon vacation because you bring onboard some alcohol.

I think it's totally irresponsible to encourage a new cruiser to do something like this knowing it's not you that is on the line for humiliation or $$ if they get busted. Then you sit back here and say oh wow I didn't think you'd really get caught, too bad.

OP, are you listening? You understand fully that you're breaking a rule. Would you consider it humiliating if you're caught? (I personally wouldn't.) Would you be devestated if they took your alcohol and you forgot to go pick it up, or it were misplaced somehow? If these things are unacceptable, then abandon your plans. Think about your choices and their consequences, and make up your own mind.

 

Poobears, are you satisifed now?

I think we're going to do Carnival's excursion to the Mayan ruins-that's the whole reason we chose Cozumel . . . My friend did say that she cruised to Cozumel before, and found a beach that was like $10 to get into and then all you can drink drinks . . .Also, why do we need to arrive in the port town the day before?

Cozumel is our favorite port. We really should plan a whole vacation there.

 

Before you decide to do the Tulum ruins excursion, check into the time you'll be on the bus. It's something like ride a bus to a ferry, then ride another bus to the ruins . . . you end up with about 2 hours at the ruins and 6 hours on the bus. I've visited (different) ruins, and they are incredible, but this is not your best excursion option. Although I am very interested in them, I would not make this choice during a cruise.

 

An option: http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/atvjungletour.htm

We LOVED this excursion. They pick you up near the port, and it's a 10 minute van ride to the excursion spot. Although they aren't anything wonderful like the ruins at Tulum, you'll see three sites connected to Mayan history. We had a total blast on this excursion! My husband says it's one of the best things he's done . . . EVER. Not on a cruise, but EVER.

 

Also, yes, you can find plenty of all-inclusive beaches. They're more expensive than $10/person though. $1 or $2 Coronas are easy to find in Cozumel.

 

Different subject: You must arrive a day ahead of time at your port city so that there's NO CHANCE that you'll miss your ship. Most people on this board consider this an absolute must (me included).

[elcuchio24]

OP, are you listening? You understand fully that you're breaking a rule. Would you consider it humiliating if you're caught? (I personally wouldn't.) Would you be devestated if they took your alcohol and you forgot to go pick it up, or it were misplaced somehow? If these things are unacceptable, then abandon your plans. Think about your choices and their consequences, and make up your own mind.

 

Wow, this poster is a first time cruiser, but that does not mean you should talk to her like she is 9 years old. Have a little respect. If you are here to dispense parental advise about the world and making decisions perhaps there is another venue you should be preaching at.

[poobears]

Oh the drama some will create when they don't even bother reading the posts, just picking what they want out of them. Had you read the actual posts and not cherry picked you'd see I don't care if she smuggles or not. If she gets too carried away and winds up with getting no booze on board I doubt if she'll be very happy with the advice to go whole hog and bring as much as she can especially if money is that tight and they can't buy any on board.

 

So silly

[amocksun]

@MrsPete- Were you telling me about moderation, or Poobears?

 

And I appreciate the input, but the whole reason we're going to Cozumel is the ruins. That's the only excursion we're definitely doing.

[poobears]

Cozumel is one of my fave ports. If you decide against the ruins for any reason check out the twister excursion to passion island. It's a thrill ride combined with a gorgeous private beach, with a nice buffet and an open bar included.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Jumping in here with my opinions.

 

You probably would have save on your cruise by booking last year (get an early fare discount), but too late now.

 

I hope you went with a TA who's a cruise specialist and could have guided you to the right cruise. There are online sites, but sometimes all the taxes and fees (port, gov't, etc) aren't always listed except in the fine print. A good TA would tell you upfront the total (aside from tips, onboard expenses, of course). And a good TA won't charge any fees to cancel or change your booking.

 

You probably won't need a passport (I would doublecheck with the US Passport Agency website that you can google), but if you need to fly home from a foreign port (for an emergency), you'll need a passport. The problem is that if you get it now, it'll be in your maiden name. If you find that you enjoy your cruise (which is very likely:)), strongly consider applying for a passport after you get your marriage certificate...it's good for ten years and will really simplify any travel from now on. You can bring your official birth certificate (as someone says, it needs to be the one with the raised seal...not a notice of birth) and your driver's license. Even my preteen has a passport (which I have to get renewed for the second time this summer).

 

Excursions:

1) You can just beach it. That's what we did years ago in Cozumel. Got a taxi to a state beach. In Key West, take the trolley tour -- pretty cheap and you can get on and off at different points. In Nassau, I guess you can find a beach (we just shopped).

 

2) Book an excursion when you get off the ship. There will be plenty of vendors trying to sell you excursions or tours. Problems: no quality control and if there's a problem with their transportation and you don't get back to the ship on time: you can get stranded.

 

3) book an excursion online independently. Get recs from people here on the destination board for that port.

 

4) book through the cruiseline. Advantages: if there's a problem with transportation, the ship generally will wait for you. If there's a problem with the quality, you can complain to the cruiseline (don't know about refunds, but if enough people complain, that company will be off their vendor list). We know just do ship's excursions, if we can go on any because we find them a better value.

 

Personally, I would check the websites for each port, discuss with my family what they want to do, and often we just go on our own to sightsee in most ports. But then we doublecheck our watches against the ship's time, bring the ship's newsletter with us (the Carnival Capers will have the time you need BACK on ship -- it's about an half hour before sailaway) and not go too far from the port.

 

(we went to Hawaii on our honeymoon and didn't make any plans in advance)

 

24 hour food? Many cruiselines have room service, but usually will be a limited menu like soup, sandwiches, that kind of thing. Mostly for free but it's nice to tip the server. Princess has a 24-hr buffet, so if one gets hungry in the middle of the night or early in the morning, you can go and grab a nosh.

 

You can stay in your cabin as much as you want, aside from the mandatory muster drill or be out of it as much as you want. We usually get an inside cabin to save money, but figure that gets us out and about.

 

Many people will be sociable, but occasionally you can run into a grouch or two. We often find people to share a table at the buffet if it's busy and have met people that way. You can also look for your roll call in the roll call section on these boards and "meet" some of your future fellow passengers.

 

Can't really answer you on alcohol as that gives me migraines. Hubby will bring wine -- not a problem on Princess, and he did that on Carnival too. I bring my own soft drinks as I must have my Dew, which most cruiselines don't have (Coke seems to have a monopoly).

[MrsPete]

OP, are you listening? You understand fully that you're breaking a rule. Would you consider it humiliating if you're caught? (I personally wouldn't.) Would you be devestated if they took your alcohol and you forgot to go pick it up, or it were misplaced somehow? If these things are unacceptable, then abandon your plans. Think about your choices and their consequences, and make up your own mind.

 

Wow, this poster is a first time cruiser, but that does not mean you should talk to her like she is 9 years old. Have a little respect. If you are here to dispense parental advise about the world and making decisions perhaps there is another venue you should be preaching at.

If you'll read again, you'll see that I was responding indirectly to another poster who said that people were encouraging her to do something foolish, essentially taking advantage of her inexperience, almost setting her up for trouble. It was sarcasm, and it was not aimed at the OP.

[MrsPete]

@MrsPete- Were you telling me about moderation, or Poobears?

 

And I appreciate the input, but the whole reason we're going to Cozumel is the ruins. That's the only excursion we're definitely doing.

I'm serious when I suggest moderation in packing alcohol. Going overboard is a sure-fire way to get caught.

 

About the ruins excursion: Just be sure you're clear on how much time you'll spend on the bus.

[amocksun]

OK, gotcha. I thought you meant drinking in general, like that other guy. I'm not apologizing for wanting to party on my honeymoon lol.

 

And I know. I appreciate the heads up, because I know a lot of people would think that wasn't worth it, but I can't stress how interested we are in the ruins. We were looking at other cruises that went to private islands, and Naussau and stuff, and we would've preferred those places except for the ruins. It's literally the only reason we wanted to visit Cozumel.

 

I'm serious when I suggest moderation in packing alcohol. Going overboard is a sure-fire way to get caught.

 

About the ruins excursion: Just be sure you're clear on how much time you'll spend on the bus.

[luddite]

Go to Tulum. Don't plan on having too much time in Coz, because you won't. Tulum is the only ruins on the coast. If you get a decent guide, you'll learn a lot and have a fine time. At your time frame, it will be SOME kinda hot.

On Carnival, you're not gonna have a BIG problem with smuggling your hootch. Pick something you can mix and don't go overboard ( I also mean that LITERALLY) with quantity. It isn't really necessary to stay hammered to enjoy a cruise.

[Cruisin' Chick]

Aww, I'm not even sure I mentioned it was a honeymoon! Because I know in other areas of wedding planning (catering, etc) they charge you more if they know it's for a wedding.

 

And thanks for the heads up about the ruins-I've been looking into that as well. From what I gather so far, the largest on the island, Chichen Itza, is about 2.5 hours. But there is a smaller one which served as a watchpost called Tulum, and I *think* it's closer. Either way, I'd crawl through the jungle to see either! Lol.

 

It probably won't help with some cruises as often there are several newlywed couples onboard.

 

We were upgraded to an amazing hotel room when we were on our honeymoon but there may have been more availabilities in a large hotel room compared to the number of November honeymooners.

[elcuchio24]

I will say this, do mention that it is your honeymoon. Don't get your hopes up, but we did get a free upgrade from a balcony to Suite. They were overbooked on balconies of course, but they did put us to the top of the list for a free upgrade because the PVP let them know it was our honeymoon. Can't hurt.