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Savoy cruisers know this. It's the new cruisers who fall into buying stuff they don't need. You know cruise ships have a library and you can get drinks delivered or bring your own.
Early or late season cruises are usually less crowded. Typically the weather is what makes the cruise less expensive and less crowded.
Agreed.
The cost of OUR cruises is the sum of the cruise fare plus taxes and port fees plus gratuities plus travel insurance. We do not buy beverages as we don't drink alcohol. We don't do specialty dining as the included food is generally excellent. We do NOT buy excursions as we can get them through a third party at 50% of the cost or we travel on our own. If we need something while we are gone, we head to a local supermarket where items are priced more in line with what the locals pay.
Personally, I prefer to take a 10-21 day cruise all things being equal. I also like to start on a cruise, take a week off in a port, and then get on a second cruise.
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The cost that is often ignored is all of the costs getting from your home to the cruise port - airport parking, air fare, hotel the night before the cruise, transfers from the hotel to the cruise port, etc.
I'm taking my first every cruise in April 2024. We cruise out of Miami, head to Nassau, then to Cozumel. We are on a celebrity cruise. This was all organized by someone else, as this is a 'working' cruise for hubby (and I get to tag along).
5 days: Sea, Nassau, sea, Cozumel, sea ending back to port.
We chose a room with a balcony, concierge class stateroom. Meals, wifi, drinks and tips included.
Looking for general tips - especially packing, what to avoid taking, best things to do on ship (I will be on my own on sea days, as hubby has conferences those days), what not to waste time doing. Just, how to make the most of this short trip.
I won't be bothering with pools, as I live in FL and have my own pool so sharing with 2,000+ other people doesn't appeal. I'm also not a gambler and find casinos to be sad, dreary places. All the 'spa' stuff is way over priced, so skipping that too.
Someone already mentioned it: CruiseCritic.com.
They have a Celebrity cruise line forum, they also have a forum on the Caribbean places you will visit. Personally, a Caribbean cruise is my idea of hell, but some like it and you stated that for you it's free.
You should probably find out first of all what ship you are sailing on, then go to CruiseCritic and look at postings and reviews to tell you what the best restaurants are and so forth. Make sure also that everything is free as Cruise lines have a way to Nickle and dime you for everything. The ship will likely be very crowded, be prepared for that. The port stops you are going to are very touristy, be aware of that.
Book them NOW, don't try to do it on your own, because if something happens and they bring you back late, the ship will not wait for you. The ship will wait for an excursion booked through them.
When in Cozumel, don't take any excursions off-island, like visiting Tulum. You won't have time to do anything because you will be traveling on the ferry or in a bus the entire time, except for the ~45 mins you will be allowed to see the ruins.
However, Cozumel so far is the most beautiful place we've ever been to snorkel. If they offer that excursion, take it.
In Nassau, we took a taxi to Atlantis and enjoyed walking through the aquarium. Inside, they have a few Chihuly glass sculptures and light installations. They have a huge pool which we did check out. The beach is just beyond the pool, and it's situated into a little cove or lagoon which is picturesque but it was crowded. (We also own a pool but we go to every pool we can when on vacation. We just love the water.)
We have been in Cozumel three times in the past fifteen months.
On the first, we took a basic "Welcome to Cozumel" type tour of Cozumel arranged by the cruise ship. It was mediocre and very expensive.
On the second, we took a ten minute taxi ride to Downtown Cozumel and visited the Museum of Cozumel on our own. Then we spent a couple of hours walking around town and walked through a couple of excellent supermarket. Then, we walked the two miles back to the ship arriving a full three hours before the ship sailing time.
On the third, we booked an inexpensive Luche Libre Wrestling tour that included a "meet and greet" with the wrestlers. In addition, there was a tequila tasting and a taco truck. This was booked through "Getyourguide.com" a third party provider that we have used in BOTH Cozumel and Roatan, Honduras. The location was 1 km from the port. After that was done, I walked downtown, met the rest of our group of friends at a local supermarket and then took a cab back to the ship.
In every Mexican port, there are several HUNDRED cabs that are on nearly every corner. The chances of missing a ship is almost NIL. It is a way of the cruise line to scare people to take their own tours which are at a 30-40% premium.
Book them NOW, don't try to do it on your own, because if something happens and they bring you back late, the ship will not wait for you. The ship will wait for an excursion booked through them.
Ship excursions are very expensive and like a "cattle call" roundup. The cost savings and the flexibility of seeing what you want without a busload of tourists far outweighs the risk of getting back late. Obviously you have to plan it well and include a time buffer for any contingencies for arriving back at your ship ahead of time.
Since this is my very first cruise, and my first time to both Nassau and Cozumel, I took the safe (more expensive) route of booking excursions through the cruise line. Nothing like being a nervous newbie. I've no idea if we will even like taking cruises - so I'll leave making my own plans to future cruises - or not, if we hate it, lol.
I booked a historical tour of Nassau, with a visit to a rum distillery. I like history and hubby will enjoy the distillery.
For Cozumel, I booked a ruins tour which includes a lunch and a tour of a tequila distillery.
Sensing a theme? I like history, hubby likes booze - lol!
The Nassau tour is short and in the morning, leaving the afternoon free for something else.
The Cosumel tour is longer, but part of that is because we do a lunch. We plan to sleep in that day, light late breakfast, then tour with lunch, getting back shortly before we leave port.
I keep getting suggestions (elsewhere than here) to go snorkeling - I hate putting my face in water like that. Even in my personal pool I don't like going under. I know, I'm weird. But the idea of snorkeling (and don't even talk about scuba diving) makes me shudder.
A real tequila distillery in Cozumel? Let us know how that was. I wouldn't get your hopes up.
Have a great time on the cruise.
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