What a Vacation

[OUHOMER]

What an awesome vacation. More food than I could possibly eat. The only exercise I got was going from one place to eat to the other. Key West was alright, Went up and down the main drag and tried to have a beer everywhere. Margaritaville sucked, only serving dinner NO PARTY there:mad: . Best place to party was Irish Kevin’s. Grand Caymans was cool went swimming with the Sting Rays, In light of current events some of the people on our boat were freaked out. But it was cool when about 4 of those rays would glide all over you. Than we went to have lunch at 7 Mile beach. It Sucked big time would never recommend it to anybody. Food was not good, you got a free drink, the worst I have ever had, Cozumel Mexico was cool we did the Passion Island tour. If you ever saw the commercials for Corona beer from the beach this is where they were filmed. Was very relaxing, all the drinks and food was included, great food, great beach, than had about 2 hours to shop. Ended up at Senior frogs. Thank god it was across the street from the ship. I think 5 shots of tequila (sp) at Passion Island, and I do not know how many at Frog place, but I know a brought home a bunch of empty shot glass. Don’t know how I got to the boat.

All and all it was great.

[Rogue]

Sounds like you took a cruise?
I've heard they are a great adult vacation, for some reason I've shied away and just gone to an island for an all-inclusive.
Was this your first cruise? Any tips/recommendations other than above?

[OUHOMER]

Yes my first cruise, and not my last. It will cost you more. Drinks are not free and they are not cheap.(beer $4.50 drinks from $5.00 to $10.00) They have a recommend tip sheet. Tips for head waiter, waiter, asst waiter, and stateroom asst. It was like $150.00 for the 7 day week. They give you an onboard credit card you charge everything to. My bill at the end of the week was over $600.00, but the wife went crazy with buying pictures and also had a massage and bought some other stuff. Also when you go on shore of course everything cost. So it will be a lot more expensive.

[Boomer.....]

I have been on the same cruise. I climbed the falls in Jamaica, swam with the sting rays in Montego Bay, and went to some secluded beach in Cozumel. We spent about $2000 on excursions and drinks.

[jk the sooner fan]

ahhhhhh yes, the Duval Crawl......i remember it well

[OUHOMER]

ahhhhhh yes, the Duval Crawl......i remember it well
The Duval Crawl, very appropriate name for that activity.:D

[Taxman71]

Dude, everybody knows you sneak your hootch on the boat inside your luggage (vodka looks exactly like water). Saved me about $500 last time I cruised.

[OUHOMER]

more tips. Shopping on the islands, GO DEEP, if you go about 2 bocks deep from the peer the deals are half of that right across the street.

Drinking tips- STOP at 5 Shots

[OUHOMER]

Dude, everybody knows you sneak your hootch on the boat inside your luggage (vodka looks exactly like water). Saved me about $500 last time I cruised.

Trust me next time I will be more prepared. We flew from OKC so we were concerned more about airport security than the boat security.

[HoserSooner]

Sounds like the same cruise we took a couple of years back.

The key is to get really stinking drunk one night, and then you are too hungover to drink too much more. Thankfully I pulled that one off on the Tuesday night, so my bar tab for the rest of the week was only $30-$40...at the rate I was going, it was going to be well over $600 in booze alone. Girlfriend was not too happy that I slept/threw up the whole day we were docked in Grand Cayman, but in hindsight it was the right thing to do.

Did anyone on your ship miss the boat on Cozumel? Two people from our ship got really sh*tfaced at Senor Frogs, and showed up on the dock just in time to see the ship sailing off in the distance.

[OUHOMER]

Sounds like the same cruise we took a couple of years back.

The key is to get really stinking drunk one night, and then you are too hungover to drink too much more. Thankfully I pulled that one off on the Tuesday night, so my bar tab for the rest of the week was only $30-$40...at the rate I was going, it was going to be well over $600 in booze alone. Girlfriend was not too happy that I slept/threw up the whole day we were docked in Grand Cayman, but in hindsight it was the right thing to do.

Did anyone on your ship miss the boat on Cozumel? Two people from our ship got really sh*tfaced at Senor Frogs, and showed up on the dock just in time to see the ship sailing off in the distance.

I don’t know, but I know we were close to missing it when we stumbled on. I was too close to drunky town to notice if anybody else missed it. I don’t even remember the ship leaving port after Kew West or Cozumel. Just remember being glad I was safely on board

[whatsername]

I would love to take a cruise. I'll probably be an old fogey before I ever get around to it.

[Taxman71]

I would love to take a cruise. I'll probably be an old fogey before I ever get around to it.
Start by taking a Carnival cruise one out of Galveston, TX. They are the lowest price you will find (look around on the web) and saves $$ by driving down instead of flying to Miami or somewhere. I have seen 4 and 5 day cruises for under $300/person.

[whatsername]

Thanks for the tip. That seems awful cheap... I guess that's why the booze is so expensive?

[Taxman71]

Thanks for the tip. That seems awful cheap... I guess that's why the booze is so expensive?
Booze is even expensive in Mexico these days. They have caught-on to the fact that Americanos have mucho denero to blow.

And never drink anything in Mexico that does not come in a bottle. The special "party punch" served on a booze cruise will nothing but take years off your life and days off your vacation.

[Soonrboy]

Are the side excursions worth it? We are taking the two kids at the end of this month..grand cayman, jamaica, cozumel, but we'll have to be very choosy about the excursions because of money.

I'm thinking you can stay busy in the ports of call without doing the excursions???

[Taxman71]

Have't done alot of excursions, but here's my experience:

1. Combo of snorkeling & beach party in Cozumel was great. Since you only have 1 day in port, got to snorkel, get drunky and play/swim on the beach all by noon or so. Went back to the ship, napped, showered, then hit the restaurants, shops, etc. in Cozumel.

2. Xcaret in Calica (south of Playa Del Carmen) is great (as of a few years ago), especially for kids. Lots of animals to see, fish to feed, private beach, private snorkeling cove, underground river to float through. Only bad thing is that one day is hardly enough here since you likely miss the night shows.

Didn't care much for the boozecruise except if you want to get just obnoxiously drunk and surround yourself around others doing the same.

I thought Tulum/Xel Ha took too much time for a day at port.

[OUHOMER]

Are the side excursions worth it? We are taking the two kids at the end of this month..grand cayman, jamaica, cozumel, but we'll have to be very choosy about the excursions because of money.

I'm thinking you can stay busy in the ports of call without doing the excursions???

How old are the kids? The swmming with the sting rays was cool, I would recommend it, But dont do the combo lunch at 7 mile beach.

[trwxxa]

Sounds like you were on the Rhapsody. It would have stunk if you were on the Conquest

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4228437.html

[trwxxa]

Trust me next time I will be more prepared. We flew from OKC so we were concerned more about airport security than the boat security.

Start with the fact you CAN buy booze in Galveston:D

[C&CDean]

Cruising is the biggest waste of time/money a human can do.

Fly to an island, spend a week or so and actually enjoy your time, eat, drink, be merry, for about half what a cruise costs. Enjoy the actual island, rather than the POS port where the cruise ships go. When you find the island/s you really like, go back.

Cruising is for old ladies and lazy guys who don't mind racking $2-4K on their ship bill for pretty much nothing.

[HoserSooner]

Cruising is the biggest waste of time/money a human can do.

Fly to an island, spend a week or so and actually enjoy your time, eat, drink, be merry, for about half what a cruise costs. Enjoy the actual island, rather than the POS port where the cruise ships go. When you find the island/s you really like, go back.

Cruising is for old ladies and lazy guys who don't mind racking $2-4K on their ship bill for pretty much nothing.

As much as I liked the cruise, I gotta' agree here.

We went to Punta Cana the next year all inclusive, and it was way cheaper and a hell of a lot more relaxing. Never have to worry about trying to keep track of how much you've had to drink, and you don't feel any pressure to do any excursions if you don't want to. You have to grab your ankles for the excursions ($150 US to golf on some crappy course in Cozumel for starters).

We're doing Mexico or Cuba this January, after being turned off of St. Martin. Get hammered and lie in the sun for a week. :D

[Taxman71]

I would go with the resort 3 times for every 1 cruise. But taking a cruise is good for something different. You can see several places on one trip, find one you like and book a whole week on that one place next time. Aside from paying for drinks on the ship, my cruises have been much less $$ than staying at resorts (I always go all-inclusive). The one thing a cruise has is being to see nothing but water all around you as far as you can see. That part is pretty cool when you have a Cuban cigar and a glass of Johnny Walker Black on the rocks.

[whatsername]

The one thing a cruise has is being to see nothing but water all around you as far as you can see.
I think this is the main thing that I want to experience. Seems like it would be really cool.

[OUHOMER]

Sounds like you were on the Rhapsody. It would have stunk if you were on the Conquest

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/4228437.html


WOW, the conquest left just few minutes before us, and arrived back just before us. That is weird