OT: Carnival Cruises - Caribbean

[bronclvr]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

I pee on girls to mark my territory.

Ewwwww!



On our trip, we sailed out of Tampa-I sailed out of Miami once, but that was like, 10 Years ago so I can't help much-

[Requiem]

How many STDs does she have?

[Meck77]

I concur on the zip line recommendation.

This line was damn near a kilometer long. That's me in the yellow if you look closely.

Costa Rica!

[ak1971]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Hotels:

Okay, we're flying in a day early and grabbing a hotel for the night. Then after the cruise, we're staying 2 nights in South Beach.

Anyone have good hotel recommendations? I'm looking for something that's affordable so I can blow a few more grand on the cruise itself.

Also, logistically speaking, won't have a car. So any hotels with a shuttle service that first night we land from Airport and to Port the next day would be awesome.

And is cab fare standard?

It doesn't look like the airport, the port, and south beach are far away at all from yahoo maps, but I might be doing it wrong.

Worm and AK, you both sound like you've been there multiple times. Advise please, along with anyone else who has some input on this subject.

The Intercontinental is right on the bay and a lot cheaper than you think..also Kimpton Hotels have a new one there that I keep getting offers from. A cab from both of thos is like $5. (Ive always gone out of Miami, so outside of that I dont know) Also ignore what they say board time is (I have only been on Royal Carribean, so I assume this is the same on all) show up at like 10 am and you avoid all the lines. You will have to walk around the ship with your carry ons, and your room wont be ready till like 2, but I think its the way to go. Most the bars are already open and you can start getting loaded.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by ak1971

The Intercontinental is right on the bay and a lot cheaper than you think..also Kimpton Hotels have a new one there that I keep getting offers from. A cab from both of thos is like $5. (Ive always gone out of Miami, so outside of that I dont know) Also ignore what they say board time is (I have only been on Royal Carribean, so I assume this is the same on all) show up at like 10 am and you avoid all the lines. You will have to walk around the ship with your carry ons, and your room wont be ready till like 2, but I think its the way to go. Most the bars are already open and you can start getting loaded.

Awesome.

What about cab fare to airport? Or do they have a shuttle service?

[ak1971]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Awesome.

What about cab fare to airport? Or do they have a shuttle service?

I think the cab from the airport to the hotel was like $40 . Dont know if they have a shuttle. Just be a baller and get a helocopter over to Jay-Z's place

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by ak1971

I think the cab from the airport to the hotel was like $40 . Dont know if they have a shuttle. Just be a baller and get a helocopter over to Jay-Z's place

Not until the market finishes rebounding.

[Quoydogs]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Going on a cruise in mid July. Will be stopping in Caymans, Roatan, Belize, and Cozumel. Port is Miami.

Anyways, never been on a cruise before. It's on the Carnival Valor (4.5 stars on the web reviews).

Anyone been on cruises have advice and suggestions?

What's inclusive and what's not inclusive?

Also will be staying a few extra days in Miami, any great suggestions of things to do there?

And for those that want pics, this is who I'm going with:

Hey man I went on that same line up last year. Except we hit Guatamala also. Pm me and I can give you some great ideas on safaris. You have to do the cave tubing in Belize it rocked. You take a hike threw the jungle, were I got to eat live termites MMMM and then zip line down to the tubing, then you float threw 3/4 mile long caves pitch black. It was fricken great. Anyways talk at you later.

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by broncos0707

Hey man I went on that same line up last year. Except we hit Guatamala also. Pm me and I can give you some great ideas on safaris. You have to do the cave tubing in Belize it rocked. You take a hike threw the jungle, were I got to eat live termites MMMM and then zip line down to the tubing, then you float threw 3/4 mile long caves pitch black. It was fricken great. Anyways talk at you later.

Sounds amazing (sans termites). PM'd.

[lazarus4444]

I haven't been to Cozumel since 2003 but i'll be honest and say i LOVE Cozumel. I thought grand cayman was over commercialized honestly. You go far into it and you see kfc, pizza hut and ****, like you never left home which kind of not the point when your taking a vacation.

Watch those cruise cards. I'd check your balance every single day. If you are going to gamble do it early in the trip, the slots are looser and tighten up bigtime halfway through.

Like anything, you get out of it what you put into it. So, make sure you do the excursions or plan the excursions ahead of time with the non-cruise approved ones. oh yeah, i've been on two cruises with carnival and i don't like how they treat people like idiots and keep telling them to only goto the approved shops. Give me a break, the cruise director is obviously on the take with all these over-commercialized shops. Don't let them scare you and don't be afraid to explore a little.

EDIT: One of the best times of my life was a drunken night at the piano bar on my western caribbean cruise, holy **** that was good times. The guy we had was funny as hell and there was a bunch of us singing drunken funny ass songs till dawn, it was awesome.

Laz

p.s. make sure you take your watch with you and you know what time the boat is leaving because it'll cost you major $$$ to catch up with the boat at the next port.

[Beantown Bronco]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

I'm territorial. You'd die first. And, just like a tiger, I pee on girls to mark my territory.

What do tigers dream of when they take a little tiger snooze? Do they dream of mauling zebras or Halle Berry in her cat woman suit?

Don't you worry your pretty striped head were gonna get you back to Tyson and your cozy tiger bed. Then were gonna find our best friend Doug and then were gonna give him a best friend hug...

[Little44]

Been said already - SMUGGLE AS MUCH BOOZE AS POSSIBLE!

Our bar bill for a week on carnival was about $500.

Enjoy!

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by Little44

Been said already - SMUGGLE AS MUCH BOOZE AS POSSIBLE!

Our bar bill for a week on carnival was about $500.

Enjoy!

We're massive drinkers...

Do people think 2k will be enough for booze and excursions?

3?

[WoodMan]

Didn't mention Belize, but if you go take the snorkle trip to Amberguie Cay. Pretty cool swimming with big Rays and Nurse Sharks. Nice boat ride and lunch served up on the little island (name?). Nice little shopping area there too for the little lady.

Roatan, took the snorkle tour on the far side of the island from the Cruise dock. Really nice beach and good food at the grass roofed cabanas. Couldn't snorkle because it was too windy, but supposed to be some of the best in the world.

Cozumel is really just shopping and drinking establishments, but my son rented a small motor scooter and rode it all the way around the island. He had a great time doing that.

Enjoy yourselves and don't eat too much (hard not to do)

[smalltowngrll]

I did something similar to your cruise, but not Roatin.

Belize was my absolute favorite.

First, don't go with the tours through the ship. But, check out the reviews for the other tour companies. I got all my great information for joining www.cruisecritic.com. They have boards just like this one and you can join, find others that are going on the same cruise as you and find reviews on all sorts of cruise excursions.

In Belize, I hired a private trour guy that gave us the zip line and cave tubing. We got a tour of the city of Belize and still had time to do shopping. I loved getting out and meeting the locas. That's my favorite thing to do.

In Cozumel, well, lets just say I only remember arriving there. We took the booze cruise, went out and did snorkeling, went to a private club and then came back and got trashed at Senor Frogs. A day to forget! Very touristy so that's why we chose to do those 'touristy' things.

In the Caymans we took a tour on jet ski's out to the swim with the sting rays then out to a island area where we hung out on the beach and drank at the beach bar. It was a lot of fun!! Loved the Caymans but didn't have enough time there.

I also went Parasailing at Costa Maya. Didn't like the town (it's only a cruise ship town) but had a great time parasailing.

Again, my biggest suggestion is to go to cruisecritic.com and get all your info and reviews there. I'd be glad to pass along the information to the guy who gave us the private tours in Belize. Shoot me a pm if interested!!

Alcoholic beverages are NOT included with costs. We wrapped a couple of bottles of alcohol up in towels and shoved them in our suitecases. The require you to lock your suitcases before you check them with the port, so you shouldn't have a problem. But, again, that was a couple of years ago. Also, take a couple of larger cups to use on the ship and carry around with you. You can put your alcohol in your cups and fill them with whatever juices or sodas you want in the cafeterias.

Definitely plan to do at least one night of the formal dinner. It's great! Take time to get to know others at your table. It's fun to make friends on the ship. I still keep in touch with some of those we met on our cruise several years ago.

Make sure to check out the Carnival Capers each day. There's all sorts of fun events to do.

[smalltowngrll]

Oh, also check into hotels that offer free shuttles from the airport and also to the pier. We lucked out with that, but we cruised out of Tampa. But, you can check that info out at cruisecritic.com, too!

[BroncoBuff]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Funny ... she doesn't look like a "massive drinker."

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by smalltowngrll

Oh, also check into hotels that offer free shuttles from the airport and also to the pier. We lucked out with that, but we cruised out of Tampa. But, you can check that info out at cruisecritic.com, too!

Thanks so much for all the info! Consider yourself PMd!

[TheReverend]

Originally Posted by BroncoBuff

Funny ... she doesn't look like a "massive drinker."

Looks can be deceiving.

A couple months ago after hiking around Valley Forge, we hit up a Hibachi grill, put down 4 bottles of sake, then met friends out. I drank double jack and cokes, she drank double vodka and redbull or some ****. We did that for hours, then went to an after party with friends.

She was the one that drove us home

Parked like a crack head though.

[TheReverend]

Bump.

Time's getting closer.

Thinking about setting up from recommendations:

Sting Ray city at Caymans

Roatan blank at the moment

Belize zip line and tubing

Cozumel getting loaded

Things missing I'd like to do:
Snorkel with sharks
Swim with dolphins

Recommendations?

[Miss I.]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Bump.

Time's getting closer.

Thinking about setting up from recommendations:

Sting Ray city at Caymans

Roatan blank at the moment

Belize zip line and tubing

Cozumel getting loaded

Things missing I'd like to do:
Snorkel with sharks
Swim with dolphins

Recommendations?

personally I would love to get loaded and snorkel with sharks, but that would end badly for me I suspect...thoguh I have alwasy wanted to swim with sharks...my dream is Australia...right now my Norwegian Cruise to Russia will have to do...cool, but not as cool as yours sounds, especially since I am hanging with bunches of married couples...still..I vote sharks, but not because I wish you harm Reverand, just because it's what I have wanted to do ever since I saw Jaws....

[vancejohnson82]

swimming with dolphins was literally the weirdest thing that happened to me in my youth...it may be the reason I light dumpsters on fire and have imaginary friends who live in my closet today

First of all, they smell fear....i was ****ting a brick...so the first thing taht happens is two of these thigns comes up and **** with me. the trainer tells me to relax, they were only fooling around. Fooling around for them means putting their mouths around your feet and swimming at you very fast and turning at the last second...its the same way my creepy Uncle Joe used to fool around (although the dolphins werent drunk and they werent weilding kitchen knives)

Second, they are massive creatures....at 11 years old, I might have stood at about 4'9"...i was like the size of a baby hibiscus tree....these things are about 9 feet and i dont even know what they weigh...it would be like jumping in a pool with the Dolph Lundgren and Shaquille O'neal and then having somebody tell you to grab onto them when they swim by...terrifying

But, hey....go for it...I was a little Mangina at 11..I'm sure it would be fun now

[bronclvr]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

Bump.

Time's getting closer.

Thinking about setting up from recommendations:

Sting Ray city at Caymans

Roatan blank at the moment

Belize zip line and tubing

Cozumel getting loaded

Things missing I'd like to do:
Snorkel with sharks
Swim with dolphins

Recommendations?

You can swim with Dolphins at Cozumel-here is a Link, my Wife and her Grandmother did it-it's only about 10 minutes or so from the Pier-and don't forget Fat Tuesday's!

http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/cozu...n-overview.asp


btw, you will not be in open Ocean-it's within the Park-

[Irish Stout]

Originally Posted by TheReverend

We're massive drinkers...

Do people think 2k will be enough for booze and excursions?

3?

I went on a cruise in college that left a big gaping credit card bill I couldn't afford to pay off for several years. I also had a miserable time because I fought with my girlfriend at the time the whole trip. I wanted to get drunk and have lots of sex, she wanted to be real romantic and talk about the children we'd one day have. Had I gone with buddies or a non-crazy chick the trip would've been awesome.

A few things - Cozumel do a snorkel and booze trip, they are awesome! Grand Cayman is extremely expensive. Just ate fish and chips and had a few beers, bill was like $60 in Cayman money and used a credit card - turned out it was like $120. In Cozumel we did by rum and snuck it back on board simply by passing it through the security check point, and putting it directly back into a backpack without checking it in. I also had a pint of jim I carried in my back pocket when we boarded.

Finally, I can't remember the upgrade, but it wasn't much... we selected a honeymoon option and for a minimal fee there was champagne and chocolate covered strawberries in our room on arrival and we got to go to a free cake and champagne deal where we quickly realized we needed an explanation for lack of engagement ring and no set date. Maybe doing that deal is what got her all set for planning the future then. If you like having champagne hangovers, consider this stunt. Personally now, I would pass the champagne deal and just go buy some bourbon.

[broncsyanks]

if you scuba dive i can help with suggestions. but having just come back from that same exact cruise except they brought us to key west instead of cozumel cause of the swine flu. my advice is to take the sponsored tour of roatan. the beach is really nicethere. belize- wasnt to impressed