18 to 25 please read

[niceguy02_06]

I was looking for the opinion of people in this age range as I will be 22 on my first cruise next may. Navigator of Seas is all but confirmed. I posted this on Carnival board , but wanted to post here to get the opinion of people that have sailed on Royal Caribbean. Just your opinion on Navigator of Seas, cruising in general, things you find most fun to do on a cruise.

[USAFcouple]

Hi there :) Well, I was 22 when I took my first cruise as well and I had a blast! DH and I chose RCI because we had heard it's a bit of a "step-up" in comparison with Carnival (I've heard better food, nicer ships, not so much rowdiness) and we wanted something like that as it was our honeymoon! We weren't on your ship so I can't comment on that. But the ship we were on, Sovereign, was one of their older ships and I was still in awe of everything. My advice to you:

 

*Don't over-pack! I brought so much and didn't even wear half of it! Most of the time I was in my swimsuit or comfy shorts and shirt on deck and I only "dressed up" if we were going to go walking around the ship or to dinner, of course.

 

*DO* take every oppertunity to get your pic taken by the camera guys they hire on board. Don't worry, you only pay for the pics you want. We had some pics that turned out so nice and it sure beats our little 2.1 mega pixel camera.

 

*Try to make all the shows, they were a really great way to relax at the end of a busy day. They have comedians and singers/dancers, lots of fun.

 

*Do check out the mid-night buffets, if not for your stomach, at least for your eyes! The displays are lovely, bring your camera! Also, for the midnight buffett in the dining rooms, try and arrive EARLY so you're not standing in line for 30+ minutes.

 

*Lastly, enjoy! Don't feel like you have to tackle every event on board. Rather- relax a little and play a little. Cruises are so great! It only took one cruise and now DH and I will be going on one every year as our vacation :)

[niceguy02_06]

Opinions?

[Next]

I saw alot of older teens and twenty-somethings on the sports deck. There seem to be non-stop basketball, half court and full court.

 

The sports bar is also popular at night. Can be a slightly rowdy crowd if the right game is on TV.

[Dave85]

Go to the dance club around when it opens on the first night if you're looking to meet people on board to hang out with for the week. Has always worked for me.

[skyking]

When I was 22 and single I never had a problem finding a nice woman my age to spend the 7 days with:)

 

Tim

[KillaFee]

I'm 23. I started cruising when I was 12 with my parents and they paid for me until I was 18 and started bringing friends along and now I havent been able to go a year without cruising since!! You're on a stallion of a ship with 3500 people, sun, tropical drinks....yeh it's a good time. The club is usually open till 4am or later so meeting people isn't a problem...hehe

have fun!

Laura

[Thrawny]

hey there, well I plan on leavign in a week with 2 of my best friends and 3 cousins all 17-21.

 

I myself am 20, lets jsut say there will be a big 4 days party on the Soverign of the Seas :)

[KillaFee]

As far a tips go....(for people between 18-25)

-Make sure to choose FUN excursions like parasailing or jet skiing or hitting up Carlos n' Charlies or the local places. Anything with the word "air conditioned motor coach" actually means "bring yo fanny pack and get ready to sit all day." No offense to people that like these...they ARE informative I suppose.

-An inside room is good if you like to party because if you happen to get in at 5am and the sun comes up an hour later you'll NEVER know it because you have no windows! Otherwise good luck trying to get any sleep.

-Can't remember if they leave the pools open at night on the Navigator & Voyager but on the Rhapsody you could swim whenever and after the club closed at least 20 of us always ended up chillin' by the pool till the sun came up...just a cool thing to check out.

-Have fun!!

Laura

[CruiserErin]

I am 24 and have been cruising since I was about 11. You are at the perfect age for a cruise. You can be as busy or as laid back as you want to be. I always saw alot of young 20 something people at the casino and in the club. Just be prepared to spend alot of money on drinks, if you are there to party.

[gradcruiser]

I will be cruising next May with a bunch of my girls as a graduation from college present to myself! :) I have cruised with the family before (Disney), but this is my first with friends, so any and all tips are welcome!!! It looks like we will be on Rhapsody Of The Seas if that means anything to anyone!

[srq2003]

24 here, I always travel with a group (usually around 10 of us) ranging in age from 17 to 28, we've always had the most fun on Royal Caribbean, have tried a few different lines and this one is the best for our age. Havent been on Navigator but have friends who work onboard and they love it! You'll have a great time! We are all going on the Explorer in October and cant wait!

[niceguy02_06]

Any other opinions?

[Cruiser-T]

What exactley are you looking for and to do? I have heard that Carnival attracts more of the Wal-Mart crowd, that alone was enough to make me not even consider CCL. I do not like wal-mart or the type of people it attracts.

[RCCL Fan]

I went on my first cruise back in high school with my parents and have been going ever sense. at about 23yr old i took my girlfriend on the monarch, she got tired of hearing me talk about how awesome cruising was and agreed to go even though she was very skeptical. She kinda groaned her way onto the ship... and her attitude changed instantly after stepping onboard. We've gone every year since. I even tried to talk her out of one this year, but yet we're still going. Crusing has a higher approval rating than chocolate! It's awesome and you'll have tons of fun, don't worry.

 

Yes, i suggest the cool excursians -- spend the extra cash, how often can you swim with dolphins, and do deep sea fishing, scuba diving, parasailing. Leave the bus tours/city tours for the older crowds.

 

Yes the bars will be open, the games and activities though are where much of the fun is.... from the sexy legs contest to the adult scavenger hunt. you'll have a blast.

 

Navigator is one of my alltime favorite ships.

 

Don't worry, it'll be alll good.

 

WC

[TrinaLC]

What exactley are you looking for and to do? I have heard that Carnival attracts more of the Wal-Mart crowd, that alone was enough to make me not even consider CCL. I do not like wal-mart or the type of people it attracts.

 

Gimme a break.

 

First of all Wal-Mart attracts people from all walks of life. In many communities, it is the only venue where you can buy some of the offerings, and in most, it is certainly the best price, so why woudn't most people shop there?

 

Secondly, why don't you be more specific about the type of people you don't like? It will say alot more about you then about them.

 

Glad I won't run into you on my next carnival cruise.

[PhinsAndGills]

Was 21 and single on my first cruise.

 

HIT the dance spots. I met SO many people there. We met on the first night and met up each night after that.

 

The upper deck pool crowd is lively, too. Didn't buy a drink the whole night there! :) I went for the dance clubs usually when the deck party was dying down.

 

My only not so hot experience as a young single cruiser was the Singles mixer. Having been in a sorority, I had a COMPLETELY different idea of a "mixer". I showed up in my best "steppin out" gear ready to meet other my aged, single people who were interested in a lively fun evening. What I got was 6 desperate men ages 40 - 60 (not an ideal age range for this 21 year old) all hoping to hook up for a night. :( NOT what I was expecting. The staff member running the mixer (female about age 28) really felt sorry for me and tried to keep things fun, but it just didn't work and ended up breaking the party up when I got (said in a very sleazy tone) "Hey baby, what's YOUR sign" for the 12th time.

 

Hope this helps. :D Have fun and ENJOY. Although I wouldn't trade being married to my best friend of 16 years (keep in mind I'm only 26) I DO kind of miss the fun and excitement of single cruising. (SHH don't tell....)

[niceguy02_06]

Anyone else?

[taffy12]

I'm 20 and just finished a cruise on Mariner, one of Navigator's sisters. I will say that I didn't see a whole lot of people my age - there were a lot of younger teens - but there were some and I'm sure that just depends on the sailing, as the Carnival cruise I went on was packed with the older teens/lower 20s crowd. You'll still be able to find people your age though, and regardless, you'll have a blast. The Voyager-class ships are fabulous, with every activity and ammenity imagineable - there's always something to do! Definitely make time to try all the stuff on the sports deck - inline skating, putt-putt, the rock-climbing wall, basketball - and to hit the ice rink. Try to go to the shows at night and check out some of the contests and such, usually on the pool deck, as they can be quite amusing. If you walk along the outdoor promenade on deck 4, you'll find some stairs leading up. Climb them, and you'll easily find your way to the very front of the ship, a pretty cool place to check out at least once. As someone else said, the buffets are always worth hitting up as well!

[jeeppartsman]

thanks for starting this thread. I am 24 and going to be cruising on the enchantment in nov. the week of my bday. I will actually be in Jamacia the day of it. If others have advice please add it.

[niceguy02_06]

bump

[Ramtuff]

I'm 25 and just got back from a trip on Voyager. This was my first cruise, and I didn't really expect to have a good time. Boy was I wrong. I had a blast. If you're into partying, there's plenty to do...the dance club from 11-4, various other bars until 1 or so, a big bash on the pool deck one night until 1 or so, etc., etc. I can't wait until my next cruise.

[Pragmatic666]

On a slightly different track, and if it's in your interests, don't dismiss the possibilities to hook up with attractive women in their 30's or even early 40's. To put it simply, they know what they want, there is no messing around getting there, and they can be very appreciative of the attention. I cruised for free during college, at a time when cruising was not within the reach of many people. You would be surprised how many women give up their personal lives for the sake of their careers, and need little encouragement to let their hair down while on vacation. They aren't looking for relationships, just some fun and adventure. What more could a boy want?

[herecomesthesun]

On a slightly different track, and if it's in your interests, don't dismiss the possibilities to hook up with attractive women in their 30's or even early 40's. To put it simply, they know what they want, there is no messing around getting there, and they can be very appreciative of the attention. I cruised for free during college, at a time when cruising was not within the reach of many people. You would be surprised how many women give up their personal lives for the sake of their careers, and need little encouragement to let their hair down while on vacation. They aren't looking for relationships, just some fun and adventure. What more could a boy want?

 

Be careful. All you have to do is check out the Shipboard Love Stories forum to see dozens of women in their 30s and 40s who had flings on a cruise and found themselves with their hearts broken. Some women can do the no-strings thing, but others can't handle it. You wouldn't want to be involved in hurting someone like that, even if it was unintentional. :cool:

[niceguy02_06]

Did you think I was looking for sex or something. I'm not for totally using women.