Royal Caribbean Cruises

[b2tf]

Have just booked the wife and I on this cruise:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/fin...ager.offset=10

Curious to hear from anybody who may have done it, or done a similar one. Will be our first overseas trip and our first cruise, any advice or info would be great.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Parents just returned from their first cruise of 10 days a few weeks ago. Was my birthday present to them.

They LOVED it. Was a similar cruise to what I did a year ago for 7 days and we loved it.

Sent the in-laws the the same cruise that we did and they had bad weather and got very ill resulting in the MIL being quarantined!

Hmmm tips??? Book a few tours in advance, the popular ones are booked before departure.

Take a variety of travel sickness tablets and generic antibiotics. Dad got crook on their recent cruise and a course of antibiotics set em back almost $100 alone.

You will be tempted by food... LOTS and LOTS of food. I gained 5kg in 7 days. Yes, I'm a pig.... either restrain yourself or eat up and regret it afterwards.

Take a book or 2. Keep busy by attending the activities on the ship.

TIP your cabin guy! They get bugger all payment and they can be away from their family for months. I think $50 is fair if they really look after you. There was a whisper going around the boat we were on (Pacific Sun) that the workers were only on $50-$70 a MONTH. Probably BS, but then again, they were mostly from India, Pakistan and other 3rd world countries so that may be close.

My parents are already wanting to do another cruise.

Hopefully you have good weather ;) that is what makes or breaks the whole trip!

[Tokyo Geoff]

I've done two cruises this year and just got back last week from one. The first was Royal Caribbean's Voyager and the second was Celebrity's Solstice.

Solstice was a nicer and newer boat.
Voyager had nicer FREE i.e. buffet food.
Solstice had better extra fee restaurants:- Murano was possibly the best meal and service I've ever had.
Voyager's entertainment program was heaps better.

Both were terrible for the waistline.

Drink Ginger ale every day to avoid sea sickness if you don't want to take tablets. We had some big seas and a friend told us to try a some cotton wool in one ear for a day then swap to the other side (NEW PIECE OBVIOUSLY) and this seemed to work.

Don't get sucked in by the photographs every time you turn around, they are expensive and sometimes lacking in quality imo.

Take USA power plug adaptors!

Go to the nightly shows even if you don't think you'll like them. Some are great.

Participate in the free activities because nothing is really free on a boat.

Avoid the medical services unless you are loaded as stated above.

Relax and have fun. We had 14 family on Voyager and 9 on Solstice. Both lines are great and I'd do either again, happily!

Cheers
Geoff

[b2tf]

Thanks guys, we got travel insurance which we're told will cover any onboard doctor visits, medication etc. I dont usually get seasick so I am hoping we will be ok.

We did however get an unlimited drinks package so the last few days could be a bit hazy........

[Yellow_Festiva]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Thanks guys, we got travel insurance which we're told will cover any onboard doctor visits, medication etc. I dont usually get seasick so I am hoping we will be ok.

We did however get an unlimited drinks package so the last few days could be a bit hazy........

Just check your excess. The fee for my dads consultation came to around $260 and his excess was $250.

His fault for such a high fee. Had stomach cramps all day and tried to sleep it off till around 2am it was unbearable and had to be taken to sick bay by wheelchair.

Unlimited drinks! Oh mannnnnnn

[Matty4]

I've done NZ to Aus on a cruise ship 3 times (admittedly for work) and I couldn't think of anything worse for a holiday. I was only onboard for 4 days and wanted off after 1.

I feel like I'm stuck in the worlds largest hotel with no way to get out.

Just my opinion, of course.

[b2tf]

Originally Posted by Matty4

I've done NZ to Aus on a cruise ship 3 times (admittedly for work) and I couldn't think of anything worse for a holiday. I was only onboard for 4 days and wanted off after 1.

I feel like I'm stuck in the worlds largest hotel with no way to get out.

Just my opinion, of course.

I was worried about this too, not like you can just leave when you want. They reckon there's so much to do though that you won't get that feeling.

[Dusty1]

Originally Posted by Matty4

I've done NZ to Aus on a cruise ship 3 times (admittedly for work) and I couldn't think of anything worse for a holiday. I was only onboard for 4 days and wanted off after 1.

I feel like I'm stuck in the worlds largest hotel with no way to get out.

Just my opinion, of course.

If possible, I'd pay to get a balcony. That way if it was too much and the weather was ok, I'd sit on the balcony and read or look at the sea.

My parents came back from a trip on the Soltice. They loved it. But they are old. They didn't pay for many on shore tours, just booked a taxi or a trip once on shore.

Dad is (was) a fitter by trade and now regrets not paying the $150 or so for the trip to the bridge and engine room.
They also had a balcony room.

[RULE303]

I'm going on the voyager for the new years cruise around New Zealand and fiji. Havn't heard any bad reviews as of yet.

[duaned]

My wife and I went on a cruise with Royal Carribbean and were left quite disappointed. The entertainment was average and mostly catered for those 60 years and over, the coffee was absolute rubbish. It is expensive on-board (and American dollars only, but this can be exchanged on board) , and the food was good, but certainly not up to the level we expected, and were told about. We will stick to Carnival from now on.

[GasoLane]

Originally Posted by b2tf

Have just booked the wife and I on this cruise:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/fin...ager.offset=10

Curious to hear from anybody who may have done it, or done a similar one. Will be our first overseas trip and our first cruise, any advice or info would be great.

That link came up to their home page Aust, did you mean this one ?

http://www.royalcaribbean.com.au/sta...agename=barbie

[Jack960]

Yeah that link just went to home page, where are you going?

I'm going on a Royal Caribbean cruise around new Caledonia in two weeks.

[ford71V8]

I will add to think twice about the bits and pieces you buy on mainland stops.
Some of the stuff can't be brought back (wood items, etc).

I carefully looked after a small statue that the seller informed was carved from local volcanic rock.
Going through customs on the way back I was told I had to surrender it due to possible parasites within.
?
He explained by easily breaking the statue in half revealing it was made of mud and then coated He then chucked it in a bin. Which was half full of similar statues!

[Charliewool]

Don't listen to all the doomsayers.... Guarantee you'll have a ball! (besides coming home 10kgs heavier!)
Over the last 12 months, I've done Carnival Spirit, and Pacific Jewell.. Both great, but I hear from everyone that Royal Caribbean are heaps better, so they MUST be REALLY great!
Hope you've booked a balcony?
I'm booked on RC's Rhapsody of the Seas for "Rock the boat 4" http://rocktheboatcruise.com.au/2014/ next Oct. and can't wait!

[snowcone]

I have cruised with Royal Caribean, Celebrity, Carnival and P&O.
Pacific, Europe, Alaska and Australia.
Doing NZ this New Year.
Royal Caribean is the best if the lot.
The ships are classier, the food is glorious and the entertainment first class.
Drinks are expensive (as all cruise ships are).
Tipping is a pain in the **** at the end.
Royal Caribean do everything in US dollars and everything has an additional tax on it.
Side trips on all cruises are a rip-off. As you are going to New Caledonia save yourself some time and don't bother getting off the ship at all. Any French based port will try and rip you off with expensive trips and souvenirs. There's buggar all to see at any of the Pacific islands except natives in 3rd world countires. This goes for Fiji as well.
If you have to get off do your own thing as there will be free shuttle buses etc to get you into the local town/village/hovel/slum.
Enjoy the cruise ship experience and don't waste too much time on the destinations.
You need to travel further afield than Aus/Pacific for the great sea adventures.

[Giant Cranium]

Floating rsl is all they are. I hated the cruise I went on but then I can't sit still. Shore days are ok.