Cruise Vacations

[Kims Robot]

We have been on two cruises... Carnival (4 nights to the Bahamas) and Royal Carribean (7 nights to the Southern Carribean). We had a great time on both, but both cruises were very different.

Here are my takes on the two lines:

Carnival:
Less expensive, more all inclusive, cool little things like a free sushi bar, a younger crowd(but more children), more casual atmosphere, great shore excursions, cheaper onboard extras (spa, etc), more fun evening activities

Royal Carribean:
More expensive, much more elaborate ship, more sports onboard, less all-inclusive (we had to pay for soda, extra food places, etc), more couple/40-something crowd (fewer families), more elegant atmosphere, great shore excursions, more expensive onboard extras (spa, etc).

Those are my two takes. If you enjoy staying on the boat more, and dont mind spending the cash, Royal Carribean has nicer ships, but if you want a more fun atmosphere and better evening entertainment, go for Carnival. Personally I think my next cruise would be Carnival. Its a hard comparison, but after wandering around for 7 nights on the RC boat trying to find a place to go dancing, or some good entertainment, we were a bit disappointed.

[Carol]

Other expenses you may encounter. You are expected to tip most everyone at the end of the cruise. Some lines include a standard tip in your bill, which you can modify, other "highly" suggest certain levels. There are also shore excursions, such as snorkeling trips or tours. Unless all you do is get off and walk around the port you will have to pay. If for nothing else a taxi ride to the local beach. The cruise will gladly sell you excursions which you will know are reliable - and if there is a problem they will probably wait until your group is back before they leave port. You can also book at the port which is cheaper but you don't always know what you're getting.

The cruise line will also have shopping leactures as to where to buy certain types of items in port. I found these not that helpful except for general information as to what is available. The stores they push are usually the more expensive ones and I bet give a kickback to the cruise lines.

It is a great vacation though - make sure you take your sunscreen even in December! We went on a Western Caribbean cruise last Dec. and the weather was warm but not stifling. It did rain one day but not badly. And I still got sunburned.