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Truffle TUG Member Posts: 354 From: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada Owner Pueblo Bonito Rose in Cabo St. Lucas, Mexico and the Imperial in Waikiki, Hawaii Registered: Jan 2002	posted 09-17-2003 07:46 How many cruises have you done? What have been your favorite Cruise Lines? Favorite ships? Favorite destinations? How do you perceive the value of cruising? What have been some of the funniest stories that you have encountered re cruising? Last year we were intrigued to hear of the family that were trying to decide on how to best deal with their elderly mother. Rather than a retirement home, they purchased her a "home" on a cruise ship! She is never bored. She is able to socialize well. Eats well. Lots of staff to assist her. etc. etc. ------------------ Owner Pueblo Bonito Rose(Gold Crown) Cabo St. Lucas Mexico and Imperial In Waikiki Hawaii. Both floating studios [This message has been edited by Truffle (edited 09-17-2003).] IP: Logged
GinGin TUG Member Posts: 8680 From: Registered: Apr 2002	posted 09-17-2003 08:17 In December we will be going on our 4th cruise. My favorite destinations were St. Maarten (when it was quaint and before so much commericalism) and Grand Caymen, a very upscale island. My least favorite was Jamaica (this was a while back so maybe it has changed if police have stepped in to stop shop owners and vendors from screaming at you to buy their wares constantly in the marketplace, which spoiled the entire trip to that island for us). I remember when Playa Del Carmen was just a sleepy one horse hole in the road. We could not believe it when we saw it on our cruise last December. The transformation was amazing with door to door resorts, shops and restaurants. Cruising is a great all inclusive vacation value. All food and beverages are included except for liquor and canned soft drinks. ------------------ www.picturetrail.com password:gingin (see 13 timeshares we've visited, please lighten screen before viewing) [This message has been edited by GinGin (edited 09-17-2003).] IP: Logged
Karen G Moderator TUG Volunteer Posts: 2928 From: Bellevue, WA; own in New York, Hawaii, Mexico, South Africa, Texas (RCI Pts.) Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-17-2003 08:19 quote: Originally posted by Truffle: Rather than a retirement home, they purchased her a "home" on a cruise ship! That's a very cool idea! I think I'd enjoy a retirement home like that. We've been on only one cruise--7-day Carnival Elation from Los Angeles to Mexican Riviera (Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, & Cabo). I thought it was a good value for a family vacation and we and our three kids had a great time. There was something for everyone and no one was bored. The ship & everything on it was the vacation--not the ports of call on this particular trip as we go to Mexico frequently. If I had it to do over again, I'd think I'd go to the Caribbean since we haven't been there before. IP: Logged
Sandy Lovell TUG Member Posts: 1476 From: Dallas, TX, VIP Gold Fairfield Points(4 units), HGVC Elite (Bay Club, Seaworld), Tradewinds Cruise Club + 4 others Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-17-2003 08:47 Been on Carnival, Star Clipper, Windjammer, Norwegian, Disney, Celebrity, Discover (day trips to Bahamas), and Premier (no longer with us). Also crused on Scuba Dive Livaboards Mike Ball (Australia) and Blackbeard's Cruise (Bahamas). Have done ship inspections (travel agents only, not open to general public) on Princess, Holland America, Costa, and Royal Carribean. I am missing Windstar, and the real Luxury group (Seaborne, Silversea, Crytal, Radisson Seven Seas, and Cunard). I am also missing some of the smaller river and european cruise lines. I am also missing some Dive Liveaboards the have fleets with boats in many destinations, Aggressor and Peter Hughes. These are also on my list to experience. I think I've done a good job. Obtaining my Master Cruise Counsellor Certification was the bonus for having to take all those cruises and inspecting all those ships. IP: Logged
danb TUG Member Posts: 143 From: Oxford,Ct. USA Owner HGVC (2 Br)Oahu & Hilton Tuscany (3Br) FL Registered: Nov 2002	posted 09-17-2003 09:00 Cruised once out of Tampa to Caymen, Cozumel,and New Orleans on the Carnival Senasation. Had a good time. We traded some bonus points for a cruise next March out of Tampa to Caymen, Costa Maya, Belize, and Cozumel. IP: Logged
Fern Modena TUG Member Posts: 7601 From: Southern Nevada Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-17-2003 09:51 We've done the Caribbean, Eastern, Western, and Southern, and cruised the Panama Canal (to Gatun Lake) RT from Galveston. We've been to Alaska twice, once RT from San Francisco, and we've done the Mexican Riviera. and we did a Mediterranean/Western Europe cruise. All of our cruises have been with Princess, Holland America, or Royal Caribbean except the Med, which was Costa. Of all of them, Princess and Costa were my favorites. We'll probably do the Mexican Riviera next, on the fairly new Carnival Pride. While we've liked some cruises and some ships better than others, Jerry likes to remind me "there's no such thing as a bad cruise." We cruised with friends last time. It was a riot. He wore a rubber ducky to the lifeboat drill. Fern ------------------ Fern Modena Timeshare-guru.com �My words are my own, please don't use them without my permission. IP: Logged
Dave M Administrator TUG Member Posts: 6257 From: Boston, MA Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-17-2003 10:14 quote: Originally posted by Truffle: How many cruises have you done? About 20. Every one has been fantastic. I am probably as prone to motion sickness as anyone, but the modern stabilizers on the current generation of ships, combined with various medical solutions, work magic for a smooth ride, even in rough weather. quote: What have been your favorite Cruise Lines? Favorite ships? Easily, Holland America and all of its ships. Upscale, just a tad more expensive than some other lines, but not so upscale that it's stuffy. We have also enjoyed each of the other five cruise lines we have sailed on. quote: Favorite destinations? Another easy one: Alaska. In our view, it beats all of the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Scandinavian, New England/Canada, and Bermuda cruises we have taken. The Alaska scenery and overall experiences are breathtaking and unforgettable. quote: How do you perceive the value of cruising? Incredibly high. One can cruise for as little as about $70 per day per person, including lodging, all meals, most entertainment, a nice gym, transportation from port to port, great scenery, etc. And that $70 per day buys the same benefits as for the person that pays $700 per day on the same ship, except for a difference in lodging. [This message has been edited by Dave M (edited 09-17-2003).] IP: Logged
Kay H TUG Member Posts: 1184 From: Mayslanding,NJ USA owner 1/4 share Killington Grand Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-17-2003 11:43 I've cruised about 6 times. Most recent was Disney Wonder with grandkids and think it was my favorite (also most expensive). Most scenic was Alaska on Holland America. Least enjoyable was Bahamas on Carnival. Lots of drunken new high school graduates for whom they had a counsellor on board because of their obnoxious behavior. Carnival handled it well but it sure made for some uncomfortable elevator rides for the passengers. I do love cruising, though. ------------------ Kay H IP: Logged
jmatias TUG Member Posts: 477 From: Honolulu, HI Own: Marriott CV and HP Registered: Oct 2001	posted 09-17-2003 12:01 First cruise was 10 years ago for our honeymoon. Went to Eastern Caribbean on Royal Caribbean. Second cruise was this year for 10 year anniversary! Went to Western Caribbean on Norwegian Dawn. Had a blast both times and will not wait 10 years to go on next cruise. Hoping to take kids on Disney in 2 years Also planning to go on Norwegian Hawaii cruise maybe next year since its in our backyard. ------------------ Aloha! Jen IP: Logged
azsunluvr TUG Member Posts: 812 From: Mesa, AZ USA, Owner: Sheraton's Desert Oasis, Scottsdale Registered: Feb 2003	posted 09-17-2003 14:04 3,4 & 7-day Mexico cruises and 2 Caribbean cruises. LOVE it! All have been on RCCL or Carnival. Have been on older and newer boats on each. Newer boats were better, but no complaints on the older ones either. GinGin, you're still right about Jamaica. A stop in Ocho Rios 18 years ago led me to swear I'd never go back to Jamaica. I chose my last cruise specifically because it did NOT go to Jamaica. When we checked in, we received word that the captain had changed the itinerary and we were going to Montego Bay instead of Costa Maya. Arrrggghhhh! Montego Bay was better than Ocho Rios, but I still don't ever need to return. ------------------ Kepi IP: Logged
Delexed TUG Member Posts: 64 From: Oswego, IL; Own: Marcus VC @ Grand Geneva (WI), Shawnee RVII (PA) Registered: Dec 2001	posted 09-17-2003 15:04 I have been on four cruises, two with Royal Caribbean and two with Princess. Have not been on these lines' newest and largest ships (seems they're always one-upping each other every year), but I think most would agree that Princess is the more upscale of the two. Favorite destination would have to be the lines' personal islands! Try to go on a line/itinerary that has one. Always seem to have the most fun those days. Cruising is an incredible value when you consider all the things you'd have to pay extra for on a land vacation - food, entertainment, car rental, etc. IP: Logged
JoAnn TUG Member Posts: 1843 From: Lehigh Acres FL Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-17-2003 15:52 Alaska in 1990 on a Princess ship. The only cruise we ever wanted to go on. Maybe, sometime, we'll find another one we'd like to go on. ------------------ JoAnn www.giveaminute.org you only need to click on this site to help the Tarahumara Children's Hospital in Creel MX IP: Logged
bhurley902 TUG Member Posts: 820 From: hoboken, nj, usa Registered: May 2003	posted 09-17-2003 17:02 I've been on two Carnival cruises, one Celebrity, and one on the dearly departed Premier line. Oddly enough, my favorite was the Premier. We left NY, stopped in Bar Harbor and Halifax (not the prettiest city I've ever seen, but it has a fascinating history and we thoroughly enjoyed our day there). We then cruised down the St. Lawrence river (beautiful) to Montreal, with a full day in Quebec on the way. It was a great cruise, and I'd love to do it again. I think the Celebrity cruise (from San Francisco to Cabo) was the nicest -- best accomodations, best service, etc. We LOVE to cruise, and are looking forward to planning next April's. I think they're very economical when you consider all you get for the price. I'm looking forward to the 2005 TUG cruise too! IP: Logged
frenchieinme TUG Member Posts: 1838 From: Biddeford,ME,USA; Owner :Orlando,FL,, USA Registered: Jun 2002	posted 09-17-2003 18:17 We have done several. Started with a 4 day Bahama one to Freeport & Nassau with Carnival on the Carnival (small ship). Then we did the eastern caribean with stops at St. Thomas (where my wife got her surprise of a lifetime---a 3 carat diamond), St. Martean, Dominica, Martinique & Barbados. Wife loved it because she could shop in every port except Dominica which was dirt poor but very beautiful. I believe we did close to $1000 worth of shore excursions. We signed up for darn near everything they would allow us on. This past April we did a 7 day Hawaii cruise with NCL which touts open seating. We loved the open seating concept. As far as cruising around hawaii, who in their right mind would not LOVE such a breath taking experience. On this last cruise, we had a catergory 10 cabin with a balcony. WE WILL NEVER CRUISE AGAIN WITHOUT THE BALCONY FEATURE. It is worth every penny spent on it. Because we live in maine and Hawaii is so far from us, we decided to have a 2 day pre & post cruise layover at the Waikiki hawaiian Village which is situated right on the beach. DEFINITELY AN EXPERIENCE WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO RE-EXPERIENCING IN THE FUTURE. Love cruising!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [This message has been edited by frenchieinme (edited 09-17-2003).] IP: Logged
jberndt10 TUG Member Posts: 64 From: muskego,wi,usa Own 203,000 Fairfild points. Registered: Oct 2002	posted 09-17-2003 19:15 First cruise was Royal Carribean to the Western Carribean. 7 days, very relaxing and again except for shore excursions, drinks and gambling everythings inculded. That was our honeymoon and we planned on doing it again at 5 years. Well instead built a house and had 2 kids. Our next cruise was the Disney Wonder 4 nights after 4 days at Disney, we loved it, our kids didn't want to be with us, (what a shame) and it was just as relaxing as the first one. I would love to do Alaska. IP: Logged
vettebuf TUG Member Posts: 339 From: Sicklerville, NJ, USA Own: River Village II, Shawnee and RHC Brigantine Beach Club Registered: Apr 2002	posted 09-17-2003 19:38 I'll answer the last question first. You can get a lot for your money on a cruise. You can cruise for a week for under $500 plus airfare. That includes your cabin, food, tons of entertainment, and transportation. The only extras are tips and land tours or taxis. We prefer taxis because I don't like being in a large group. We've been on 12 cruises since 1993... all on Carnival. We're planning our next cruise for next March on Royal Caribbean. Obviously, we've been satisfied with Carnival but we're more than ready for a change. Our favorite ships were the newer ones. We've sailed on a number of ships that were less than a year old and a number of older ones around 5 years old. It seemed to me that Carnival puts their waiter trainees and steward trainees on the older, more discounted ships. My favorite destinations are Miami Beach/Bal Harbour, Trunk Bay in St. John, Stingray City at Grand Cayman, the casinos and Dawn Beach in St. Maarten, Old San Juan, the Christiansted harbour stores and Cane Bay in St. Croix, the historical homes, RC church, and synagog in Curacao, Reduit beach in St. Lucia, Magen's Bay in St. Thomas, shopping and Palm beach in Aruba, and Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios, Jamaica in that order. Interesting to read that Alaska was very appealing. But I know I'll never get there. I need a fix of turquoise water and palm trees at least twice (preferably three times) a year! ------------------ Elaine http://community.webshots.com/user/vettebuf IP: Logged
grest TUG Member Posts: 1570 From: Ocala, FL;, Mt. Amanzi, Place on the Bay, Seapointer, Strand Pavilion Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-18-2003 03:46 We've been on 6, all to the Caribbean during the cold Maine winters. Have been on Holland American, Celebrity, Costa, Norwegian. Especially loved the Westerdam (HAL) and Zenith (Celebrity). Prefer not to be on the megamega ships. Enjoyed every cruise and find them very relaxing. hm...time to think of another one! Connie IP: Logged
fnewman TUG Member Posts: 1163 From: Dublin, GA USA Owner: Cypress Pointe I (floating), CP II (UDI), Sunterra Powhatan (52) Registered: May 2002	posted 09-18-2003 05:10 We have taken 5 cruises and that experience, combined with what reading I have done, talking with others, etc. I would rate Celebrity (best food) as my #1 choice, but Princess is very close. The newer ships seem to be a lot alike in layout, features, etc. so service and price are key factors today. Having said all that, every cruise line has its features and appeal, so you just have to choose based on what you like. For example, in my opinion and experience, Carnival tends to cater to the very young adult crowd while Holland America tends to attract the older set. Celeberity and Princess seem to 'split the difference'. Of course, I am not considering the very high-end cruise lines like Crystal, etc. simply because I don't think their very high cost is worth the extra money (unless, of course, you have enough money that it doesn't matter). ------------------ Frank Newman IP: Logged
Fern Modena TUG Member Posts: 7601 From: Southern Nevada Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-18-2003 09:01 About the "Mega Ships." I've always liked the ships that were in the range of 900--1200 people...then we went on Star Princess. I thought it would be horrible, with its 2400 +/- passengers. But you know what? It was so well managed that we rarely found ourselves in a crowd. There were two shows going at once each night, a comedian and a production show in different lounges, three dining rooms plus the "caf�" and the specialty restaurants, plenty of lounges, etc. And the larger, newer ships have many more balconies, so they are more reasonably priced. You still make friends, because you see the same people many places...the ones you see have the same interests you do, so they are where you are Fern ------------------ Fern Modena Timeshare-guru.com �My words are my own, please don't use them without my permission. IP: Logged
Art TUG Member Posts: 988 From: Grand Island, NY Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-18-2003 09:43 Already identified myself as a Celebrity fan. We've been on the Infinity to Alaska and the Century to the Western Caribbean. Next Friday we leave San Diego on the Summit for a 14 day trip to Ft Lauderdale thru the Panama Canal. Late next year, there is a San Diego to Hawaii RT on the Infinity on the schedule. Simply because it's so different, Alaska is my first choice as a cruise destination. One can go to lots of places that have beaches, but Alaska is one of the few places with glaciers. We're putting our money where our mouth is; we'll be booking an Alaska cruise mostly likely on the Infinity while we are on the Summit. As Dave M. pointed out, the big attraction of cruises is that the price is right. The only catch there is that over capacity has forced prices down to such a degree that the cruise lines work hard to get you to buy the "extras" such as drinks, shore excursions, etc., while you are on board. Art [This message has been edited by Art (edited 09-18-2003).] IP: Logged
Judy TUG Member Posts: 1810 From: Melbourne Beach, FL & Steamboat Springs CO. owner: Celebrity Resort World of Orlando; The Ridge Tahoe; Hatteras High; Worldmark. member:II,RCI,DAE,SFX Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-18-2003 09:56 [QUOTE]Originally posted by Truffle: How many cruises have you done? 16 What have been your favorite Cruise Lines? Chandris (former parent of Celebrity)and NCL before it was bought out by Star Cruises Favorite ships? Windward (before it was stretched) Favorite destinations?Bay Islands of Honduras (for the diving) How do you perceive the value of cruising? Excellent, but not as outstanding as it used to be before the cruise lines began charging extra for many ammenities. Cruises are not really all-inclusive anymore. What have been some of the funniest stories that you have encountered re cruising?On our South American cruise, our food got stuck in customs in Brazil and the ship's chef had to go out on the economy in Uruguay to buy more. Last year we were intrigued to hear of the family that were trying to decide on how to best deal with their elderly mother. Rather than a retirement home, they purchased her a "home" on a cruise ship! She is never bored. She is able to socialize well. Eats well. Lots of staff to assist her.Can you tell me where and how they purchased her floating retirement home? What a great idea [This message has been edited by Judy (edited 09-18-2003).] IP: Logged
hvsteve1 TUG Member Posts: 395 From: Hyde Park, NY,USA Powhatan Plantation Registered: Aug 2002	posted 09-18-2003 17:37 For some reason,we've never been interested in spending a week on floating city. We did one cruise which we really enjoyed on the Mississippi Queen,one of the three boats plying American rivers for the Delta Queen Steamship Company. The great thing about these trips is you wake up most mornings in port or "tied to a stump" in some out-of-the way spot along the river to spend the day visiting the local sites. You get to meet the local people who are great. In Baton Rouge,I ran into one of the top local public officials who proceeded to escort me on a private walking tour of the capitol area. We did the 8-day New Orleans round trip which included stops in Baton Rouge,Natchez,Vicksburg and a few other smaller towns. The company also cruises other rivers such as the Cumberland and Ohio. Life on board was similar to what most cruises sound like,with the difference that you were on a huge paddlewheeler. The food was great and there was plenty of entertainment. Leaving port late every day was one of my favorite vacation memories..the steam whistle blowing,the huge bell clanging and the steam calliope pumping out music as crowds came to the shoreline to wave to the boat as it disappeared down the river. The website is www.deltaqueen.com The only other cruise that interests us would be a smaller boat in Alaska. IP: Logged
Kay H TUG Member Posts: 1184 From: Mayslanding,NJ USA owner 1/4 share Killington Grand Registered: Dec 2000	posted 09-18-2003 19:24 The Queen Mary II is sailing for the 1st time in Jan 04. I would love to do the NY to England in July. That would be a glorious cruise. ------------------ Kay H IP: Logged
muranojo TUG Member Posts: 1155 From: ID Registered: Jul 2002	posted 09-18-2003 20:45 Two, both NCL, Eastern and Western Caribbean. Our first was the Seaward (?), with about 700 people--loved it. The second was the Norway, with probably 2000 (?), not as nice as the smaller boat, but still a lot of fun. In fact, cruising introduced us to several areas we later went back to on our own, before t/s: St. Croix, St. John, Cozumel, Caymen. And, these trips in a way introduced us to t/s via people who were there on t/s. I think they're great fun and so relaxing, yet you can go all the time, if that's what you want. I'd love to be able to afford a balconey room...we just never thought it was worth the extra $$. May need to re-think that. Agree with previous posts about Jamaica. And, I'd love to do the Southern Caribbean and maybe even Alaska, as everyone seems to love it! IP: Logged
SW4035LM unregistered	posted 09-18-2003 21:19 We have been on 2 cruises, the first was a 7 day Mexican Riviera on Princess and the second a 10 day Western Caribbean on Royal Caribbean but this was before we got involved in timesharing. We did enjoy cruising but hubby decided there was many places he wanted to travel with the timeshares before we went on another cruise. He said we could do cruises when we got older. Well I've decided I feel old enough to go on a cruise! Now we just have to make the time. I don't know how all you timeshare people find the time for all these cruises. I do have to agree with all the negative posts about Jamaica. When we arrived in Ocho Rios I had a cousin who was living and working there at the time so he picked us up at the ship and took us on a tour. When we returned to the ship we did here some stories from others who felt very uncomfortable there. About a month later a doctor friend of ours was mugged right after he got off the ship. But with all this talk about cruises I'm ready to go. Lynn IP: Logged

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