Honeymoon: Cruise Advice/Tips?

[irish156]

Getting hitched in September of 2015.
I've never been on a cruise before and after talking it through with my partner we've decided to save up for it. We've really been looking at a 5-7 day cruise in the Carribean since it's cheap, but also looks like it has tons of fun involved. I've heard positive things about "Princess Cruises", they seem to be a tad more expensive, but supposedly every meal there(free) is 5 star cuisine.

I'm 100% naive on the topic so anything would be helpful. Any recommendations? Tips? Vendors to avoid?

[JasperST]

Partner? Is that the new fiancée? I'd rather go on a road trip than float around on a boat hoping I don't get sick.

[Retired96]

We have been on 10 cruises the last few years and have really enjoyed Princess as a cruise line....I would stay away from Carnival as they tend to have a much younger, party and stay drunk all the time type of guest.....

[Iowa #1603]

....I would stay away from Carnival as they tend to have a much younger, party and stay drink all the time type of guest.....

That might be an advantage on a honeymoon cruise

[Langford PR]

I've done the carrib and Alaska cruises for quite awhile and really enjoy them. Princess and Royal are nice and usually within a budget. Take hand sanitizer and use it liberally. EVERY CRUISE PORT is exactly the same at/near the pier. Look up the ports you will visit and check out the island AWAY from the port to enjoy it better. Trip advisor is a great resource and there are plenty of other sites and forums.

Btw, if you plan to bake on the deck go get your seats early or get what's left over. Have fun and hope your ship doesn't break down.

[EmmaPeel]

The only thing about a cruise is if for some reason you don't like or get sea sick, 7 days is a long time to be committed. Maybe do 3 or 4.

This is just me, but unless you've lived with your fiancée for a long time already, it could wind up being pretty stressful with you two in close quarters. I'm glad I didn't do a cruise way back when I got married. We woulda killed each other.

[ftttu]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. I've been on two cruises, and I will take more in the future. Next one may be Alaska or a Viking River Cruise in Europe.

I love the entire cruise experience. You get to live the highlife for a short time where you will experience great people, great food, great shore excursions, great tax free shopping and just an overall great time.

I've been on Princess and Royal Caribbean, and I likd them both. Whichever line you choose, research shore excursions beforehand, and be the first in line when booking them.

[EmmaPeel]

Firstly, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! It is good to see that everything is now straightened out with your girlfriend (ref. http://forums.officer.com/t191611/ ) or fiancée.

Secondly, many people really enjoy cruises. It is good way to travel and sightsee, especially if you are a newbie to travel. While I like cruises, I prefer independent travel.

Thirdly, although there are differences between cruise lines, in your case it is not a major concern. For a first-timer, someone for whom everything is new and exciting, there is very little difference between Princess, Royal Caribbean, Carnival, and most others. If there are, such as with Disney, Silversea, and like, you’ll know it by the high price.

Fourthly, if you are looking for a cruise in the Caribbean 5-7 nights (they count the nights to keep it clear) shortly after your wedding, you’ll have to go with some different line than Princess. In September, Princess has only Royal Princess in the Caribbean which is running much longer cruises. You’ll have to wait until late October in order to take a shorter cruise on Emerald Princess. I’d suggest not worrying too much about the line.

Fifthly, do not worry too much about being seasick. Unless the ship is in a major storm, you wont even know that you are on a ship.

Sixthly, do not worry about being in close quarters. Most of your waking hours are not spent being in your cabin. You’ll either be somewhere ashore, or somewhere else on the ship. But you certainly can rent (for free) movies, and spend a day snuggled with your wife in the cabin, ordering room service, if you really want to.

Seventhly, to familiarize yourself with the world of cruising, spend some time on cruisecritic.com . This is probably the best website for discussing cruising, but there are others.

Eighthly, get a passport for you and your fiancée as soon as you can, even if she is changing her name. Unless you can wait several months after your wedding, she should just get a passport in her name now. Her name on the plane tickets, cruise tickets, and other documents should match the name in the passport.

I know plenty of people that don't take well to being on boats/ships. Your advice on that seems a bit vacuous. As for not worrying about close quarters, you can't just get off the ship or drive home. And how do you know they don't want to spend most of their honeymoon in the sack

And finally, it's grammatically incorrect to say fourthly, fifthly, sixthly, seventhly......they're superfluous....just in case you weren't aware.

[RSGSRT]

I've been on one cruise many years ago when my wife was my girlfriend at the time.

We got the cheapest cabin below the water line (ie no window) and it provided the best/longest sleep since it was pitch dark for the limited time we did spend in the cabin.

Another plus we didn't know at the time was the fact that our ship was "small" compared to some of the beheamoth liners the companies like to show on TV, which allowed it to dock at the piers while the huge ships passengers had to take water taxies to shore and back.

Personally, I'd be just fine if I never set foot on a cruise ship again though. Aside from the casino, and gym I didn't see a great way to kill time while waiting to get to port.

The bang for the buck however can't be beat, and I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

[Shush]

About seasickness -- do yourself a huge favor. 2 weeks before the cruise, call your doc and say "we are going on a cruise and we want some transdermal scopolamine" (or say trans scope - he'll know what you mean). Its those tiny round patches you put behind your ear. Follow the instructions and you won't have to worry. It takes 24 hours to get into your system, so you put the first patch on the day before. They last about 3 days total per patch, so after 3 days, just replace the patch. Iif you just wing it, and find out you are like me and get extremely seasick, you have just lost a day waiting for the trans scope that the ship doc gives you to start working. It has zero side affects, so even if you don't get sea sick, it won't hurt anything.

And you will find that about 80% or greater of the people on the ship will all have these tiny round patches behind their ear.


Also, where ever you have your port of call, find a place that does swimming with trained dolphins. Treat your bride and yourself to it (its a little expensive), but it will be the most fun and the best memories. Dolphins are just amazing.

[Scott941]

Getting hitched in September of 2015.
I've never been on a cruise before and after talking it through with my partner we've decided to save up for it. We've really been looking at a 5-7 day cruise in the Carribean since it's cheap, but also looks like it has tons of fun involved. I've heard positive things about "Princess Cruises", they seem to be a tad more expensive, but supposedly every meal there(free) is 5 star cuisine.

I'm 100% naive on the topic so anything would be helpful. Any recommendations? Tips? Vendors to avoid?

Keep it to 5 days. Seven days makes a whole weak.

[So Fla Cop]

Royal Caribbean and get a balcony cabin....find a good travel agent that can hook you up.....since you will probably want to hang out together (in private)......at least for the first two years.. . Also you do not have to go ashore at all ports.

[codemanski]

While thinking about booking a cruise, try going on a two-week road trip to any destination. Nothing says "love" like being cramped up in a vehicle, staying in motels with lousy beds, and eating crappy food in restaurants you know nothing about! If you can go through all that without wanting to kill each other by the third day, I'd say your prospects for a happy marriage look mighty good.
It's not all bad though. On a trip from Colorado to Maine we found a really neat place on the coast that had a cheap rental overlooking the bay, and some of the best gourmet food, (lobster bisque), you could ever want. The accommodations and food in Portland on the other hand, not so good.

In any case, no matter what you decide best wishes for a long and happy life together!

Ski

[So Fla Cop]

Whose idea was this? Does your next ex like cruising?

[NYCDep]

I've been on many cruises. I recommend Norwegian, Princess or Holland America. Get a outside balcony cabin, it's worth it. I agree that cruisecritic.com is an excellent resource. If you book on a newer ship (built 2005 or later) you will not even know you are on a ship and the likeliness of sea sickness is low. A little tip if you find out you are one of the few that do: They give out free dramamine at the front desk if you need it.

If you do decide to go on a cruise I will give you the best insider tip I know. Bring a power strip. Most rooms on a cruise ship have only have one or two outlets.