Anyone have cruise experiences to share?

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Bignuf

We are going on a week long Caribbean cruise in a week. We are very experienced travelers, but have never done a cruise! Anyone care to offer tidbits of advice? The kind of thing you wish you had known or someone had told you before you did your first cruise?

One specific question. Has anyone had problems with overcharged or scammed credit cards when visiting non U.S.A. island ports of call? I was thinking about getting a prepaid card just to not have any issues.

Also, has anyone used a satellite phone to stay in touch with the "outside world", rather then pay the $8 to $16 an hour that they want for "ship to shore" calls?

Again, any advice is very welcomed. Thanks.

01/26/2013

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Trysexual

I've never been on a cruise. Don't use your phone on the open sea or you will have an unwelcome surprise when you get your bill. My boss did this accessing internet (didn't make calls) and had two $500 bills for him and his wife.

01/26/2013

married with children

have never been on a cruise, but have always wanted to go. Let us know who it went when you get back.

01/26/2013

WhoopieDoo

I've only been on one cruise (which I lovingly refer to as the "food boat").

Had I known what it was going to be like, I would've dieted and exercised religiously beforehand, so as to lessen the need for the constant internal bargaining dialogue that went on (well, yeah, I can eat 5 pounds of salmon and eggs for breakfast, I need the protein and I need a full stomach since they have free champagne at that Faberge egg seminar and I have no alcohol tolerance).

I had no idea that a cruise was a fatty's paradise. All of the food was paid for with the price of the ticket. There was a huge dining hall (where we ate every night for dinner. Three courses of amazing food every night). There was a HUGE buffet that was open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner (like 10-12 hours a day in which you can stumble in and stuff your face with all manner of REALLY GOOD food). There was a small bar area by the family pool that served hamburgers, pizza, and such all day (in case you needed a meal between meals), and room service food was free until 2 am (in case you needed food delivered directly to your food-bloated carcass).

Actual conversation between me and my mom:

Me: I've been looking all over for you! They moved the Faberge egg seminar to the auditorium and I had to learn about fancy worthless eggs all by my self! (I had just returned from it and she had been planning on going too but wasn't there).

Mom: I'm sorry! I didn't hear the announcement and I couldn't find you so I ate at the Solaris instead (poolside bar)

Me: You just ate? But I was about to go to the Windjammer (the buffet)!

Mom: .....well.....I could eat again.

Me: Wait....dinner is like in two hours....

Mom: .....let's go to the Windjammer!

Me: Okay! *goes to Windjammer and channels my inner snake by unhinging jaw to achieve new levels of gluttony*

01/26/2013

Mwar

Quote:

Originally posted by WhoopieDoo

Good to know! Same goes for all-inclusive resorts. I like to lose about 10 pounds before going. Just in case...

01/27/2013

Bignuf

Quote:

Originally posted by married with children

have never been on a cruise, but have always wanted to go. Let us know who it went when you get back.

Will do. We are SO excited!!!

01/29/2013

Bignuf

Thanks everyone. It's been a fun week and we still have till early Sunday morning. Been a blast. Already planning our NEXT cruise!!!!

02/07/2013

Total posts: 7 Unique posters: 5

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