first tme cruiser questions RCI

[susiemcc]

Hi, we are first time cruisers on AOS Feb '13 and have a few questions - we had a look at the water packages and was wondering what size of bottle you get - is it the small 500ml? Noticed the Portofino was a Seafood restaurant - is this the case or is it like a traditional Italian?If pre-ordering drinks packages and excursions just now will our credit card be charged now or put onto our Account or at the end of the Cruise? Do you save money by pre-booking things ie wine packages? Has anyone been on the Horse Riding excursion in Aruba? Do shows have to be booked or can you just turn up to what you fancy going to? We have My Time Dining but have booked times for dining - will it be the same table and dining room each evening?

 

Whew - that's all for now! No doubt have loads more before Feb! :eek:

[39august]

Portofino is not a seafood restaurant; it is Italian, altho' there is a seafood skewer available. You don't save any money by prebooking anything and it will be charged to your credit card at the time of purchase. I believe the bottles of water are the small size, but there is no need to purchase water as the ship's water is very pure and tastes fine. Actually, it is probably purer than your bottled water. The ice in your drinks is made from the ship's water. Shows do not have to be prebooked on AOS. Aruba is kinown for its fine beaches and snorkeling. I wouldn't do a horseback ride there. BTW welcome to RCI and Cruise Critic! Keep asking questions. You'll get a lot of help here!

[susiemcc]

thanks for that, probs won't bother with the water package then - we do drink alot of it during the day. Have always fancied a go at horseriding and saw it was an excursion? Any particular reason why you wouldn't horseride there? Is it best to buy wine as you want it or best to go for a package do you think?

[cb at sea]

If horseriding is your thing....there's nothing wrong with doing it in Aruba....it's just that most folks go for some sort of "water" activity....for me, that's just being on a beach! I have no desire to snorkel...anywhere!

 

There is no price advantage to pre-booking anything....if you want it paid for before you leave, then pre-book. Payment is due upon booking.

 

If you REALLY want a specific excursion, then go ahead and book (and pay) in advance....if you aren't too concerned, you can wait to book, but it may not be available.

 

Will you be on Adventure or Allure? That will make a difference in the shows....on Adventure, there's no need to pre-book shows....the shows on that ship are scheduled around the 2 traditional dining times. You just go to the show that matches your dining time. Only those with My Time Dining will need to decide which show to see.

 

If you're on allure, there are so many options that pre-booking is a good idea. You should be able to do that about 60 days out or so!

[39august]

As I said, Aruba is known for beaches and water sports. I would chose an excursion of that type there. Nothing against horses...I love 'em. Aruba is mostly desert and not a particularly pretty island. That's why I would go to the beach there. Those beaches are really lovely! However, you will probably have plenty of beach time at other ports as well. So what the heck, if you want to go horseback riding, do it! I just noticed you are from Scotland. Wow, you are traveling a long way to cruise! Which other islands are you going to...Curacao probably? That's another island known for water sports and beaches and it is a prettier island than Aruba.

[susiemcc]

we are departing from San Juan and doing a back to back 16 day cruise, visiting Virgin Islands, St Maarten, Antigua, St Lucia, barbados, St Kitts, Curacao and Aruba. Looking forward to Aruba Barbados and St Lucia (never been before but these places look fab) on Adenture.

[jennmaybe]

The water bottles are the large bottles, not the small ones.

[39august]

I hope you plan to arrive at least one day prior to your sail date. San Juan is a lovely place to visit. With all that time and all those beautiful islands, I'd say now, go ahead with the horseback riding on Aruba!! You have plenty of other places for water activities. I recommend that you go to the Ports of Call boards here and look up information on all the islands you will visit. You will find more information about each island than you can imagine!

[poncho1973]

If you have any concerns about the water on the ship, buy one of those self-filtering re-usable bottles.

 

They are < $10 and you can use them over and over.

[bouhunter]

Portofino has seafood, Italian, and beef. The steak and filet have always been great, as has everything else. We book and pay for our nights there online in advance, but they also keep slots open so you can book onboard. The host will be there the first day when you board, I suggest reserving something that first afternoon if you don't do it in advance.

 

We've been on Adventure the past three years in February. You will enjoy!:)

 

Spend some time on each individual port board here, you'll learn LOTS about what there is to do on each island. In particular, I'd recommend:

 

Spencer Ambrose tours on St. Lucia.

Silver Moon catamaran (snorkling with turtles) on Barbados ( a class act, especially their smaller 12 person boat).

Shopping, Eating and Drinking on St. Martin(not particularly in that order:D).

 

Since I believe you said it's your first cruise, one suggestion: On port days, Windjammer buffet can be BUSY since more people are eating in a smaller time window (compared to sea days) because they all want to get off the ship. We almost always order room service breakfast on port days to avoid the chaos.

[KuffMUp]

You will save a little bit of money purchasing a wine package. It doesn't matter if you book it before hand or on board. It saves a few dollars a bottle and comes in various size packages and 3 different options as far as what types of wine are included in the package. If you search the boards you can find a lot of information regarding the wine package. If I remember correctly, there was a post that broke down the savings for each bottle. I will try to find it and post for you.

 

While you do get charged at the time you book an excursion or package, one advantage is that you don't get charged on your vacation. Over the months, I have purchased everything for my upcoming cruise. From the wine package, soda package, and excursions, everything is already paid for so I don't have to try to save up the money to do it all at once. While that allows RCCL to have "your money" in their pocket earlier, I find it is easier for me to pay a little at a time than try to save it.

 

And do visit the port boards. There is a lot of information regarding reliable tour operators that you can utilize that are many times a cheaper alternative to the cruise excursions. My first 3 cruises I stuck totally to the excursions from the ship. After getting information from Cruise Critic, I have branched out to get tours from independent operators. However, sometimes what the cruiseline offers is a better deal than you can get otherwise. For example, in Miami, RCCL offers a "hop on hop off" bus tour. You can also book a such a tour with the tour operator a little cheaper. However, the RCCL one gets us from the ship to the main terminal for the tour, takes our bags to the airport for us, and takes us from the bus terminal to the airport when finished.

 

Oh, welcome to CC and I hope you enjoy your cruise!

[stevea36]

If you are just going to the beach don't book an excursion. Just go across the street from the cruise port to the bus terminal and take the local bus to palm beach. It runs frequently and is VERY cheap (under$5 us round trip if memory serves). We got this tip from a crew member when we sailed on aos.

 

Steve

[138east]

This is a very port intensive cruise. One leg has 5 ports in 5 days. You have to pace yourself. Lay out the schedule and what excursions are appealing. Identify the do it yourself ports. I think St. Thomas, St. Martin, and Antigua are good on your own.

 

STT - cab to Magen's Bay or Sapphire Beach - you will see a bit of the island if you do this. There are also several very reasonable private tours that do shopping, beach, and touring.

 

STM - Orient Beach is popular. I like Karakter Beach which is by the airport and no beach vendors. Like STT there are reasonable private tours.

 

Antigua - Valley Church Beach - gorgeous! You can also pick up a tour at the dock to go to Nelson's Dockyard and Shirley Heights.

 

St. Kitts - look at Thenford Grey tours - Mr. Grey is wonderful. Beaches are only OK. I think you need a tour on this island - it's not very developed from a tourist standpoint and your choices are limited.

 

Islands to rent a car - STM, Aruba, and Curaçao because they drive on the right. Forget renting on all the other islands except possibly PR.

[susiemcc]

I am so glad I joined cruise critic - getting loads of useful info. Can you get towels from the ship to take off with you to use on the Beach or do you have to bring your own for this purpose.

[Clarea]

I am so glad I joined cruise critic - getting loads of useful info. Can you get towels from the ship to take off with you to use on the Beach or do you have to bring your own for this purpose.

You can get towels from the ship. There is usually a towel station on the pool deck. You can take as many towels as you like, and replace dirty towels for clean ones also. However, you must turn in the towels before the end of the cruise else you will be charged $25 per towel.

[Yuridog]

The towels will be provided for you. Be careful not to lose them, though, as they will charge you $25 per towel if you do not return them.

[susiemcc]

we have my time dining but have booked a set time for each night - will it be the same table each night in the same dining room?

[vicocala]

It has been awhile, but many people talk about the shopping in St. Thomas, but I found my best deals on St. Martin. Some of the shops would take dollars instead of Euros for the same priced items which saved me over 30%.

 

Orient beach is very scenic and I use a picture of my wife at that beach as my computer wallpaper!

 

St. Johns and Belize are probably my two favorite places to snorkel. I would love to visit all the islands you are going to in the future. St. Johns can be reached easily by excursions from St. Thomas, look for any going to honeymoon bay if they are available. St. Johns is mostly a marine protected area, both water and land.

 

Welcome to cruising and Cruise Critic!

[KuffMUp]

Here is the wine package breakdown!!

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1129043