A few Questions- New to Cruising

[smythy21]

HI everyone we are going on the Liberty of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise in June 2010. Have a few questions to ask and hope people can help me out!!!

 

1. i hear a lot of tlk about a cruise compass. what is this???

 

2. do they tell you what night the formal nights are on?

 

3. we have book the my time dining how does this work?

 

4. there will be a group of us travelling can we request all to be sittin at the same table for dinner?

 

5. are all the beaches private in the ports or do we have to pay to use each beach in the ports?

 

6. how many activities should you do in each port and what ones have you done to recommend??

 

8. when we board the ship in miami do we have a lot of waitin around before we actually set sail??

 

9. what restaurants have free dining and what restaurants do you pay for?

 

sorry about all the questions and hope you can help me!!!!

[nanfromatlanta]

I will try to answer as best I can...

 

HI everyone we are going on the Liberty of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise in June 2010. Have a few questions to ask and hope people can help me out!!!

 

1. i hear a lot of tlk about a cruise compass. what is this???

The Compass is the daily newsletter which is deivered to your cabin every evening. It will list all of the activities and events for the following day.

 

2. do they tell you what night the formal nights are on?

When you get to your cabin, a copy of the Compass will be on your bed. On the back will be a high level listing, by day, of all of the highlights of the cruise. The days which are formal will be listed there.

 

3. we have book the my time dining how does this work?

You must contact whomever you booked your cruise with and tell them that you want My Time Dining. You will also need to pre-pay your tips/gratuities at that time.

 

4. there will be a group of us travelling can we request all to be sittin at the same table for dinner?

You must all be assigned to My Time Dining (see above). You will need to arrive at the dining room at the same time, and request that you all be seated together.

 

5. are all the beaches private in the ports or do we have to pay to use each beach in the ports?

There are public beaches in all of the Western Caribbean ports. I suggest that you visit the Ports of Call board for more information on the ports you will be visiting. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

 

6. how many activities should you do in each port and what ones have you done to recommend??

It depends on the port. Sometimes we do only one. Two at the most.

 

8. when we board the ship in miami do we have a lot of waitin around before we actually set sail??

We usually board as soon as the previous passengers have cleared customs and/or immigration. Usually we are on board between 11:30 and Noon. This gives us time to have lunch in the Windjammer, drop our carry on bags in the cabin, and explore the ship before it sets sail. Remember, boarding day is the first day of your cruise.

 

9. what restaurants have free dining and what restaurants do you pay for?

On the Liberty, the only restaurants which charge a fee are Johnny Rockets, Chops and Portofino.

 

sorry about all the questions and hope you can help me!!!!

 

Have fun!!

[gaiamother]

I'll answer what I can for you!

 

HI everyone we are going on the Liberty of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise in June 2010. Have a few questions to ask and hope people can help me out!!!

 

1. i hear a lot of tlk about a cruise compass. what is this???

 

This is like a daily ship's newletter that gives you all the details of what is going on everywhere on the ship all day. You will have one in your cabin when you board and then receive one every evening for the next day.

 

2. do they tell you what night the formal nights are on?

 

Yes, it's in the compass.

 

3. we have book the my time dining how does this work?

 

You can either make a standing reservation for every night, make a reservation for each individual night separately or just show up (you may have to wait a bit with this option)

 

4. there will be a group of us travelling can we request all to be sittin at the same table for dinner?

 

Yes, you should do this with your travel agent at time of booking, but once you board you can go into the dinning room and check your table assignment. If you need to be moved you'll need to talk to the matre' d. They usually have a set time around 1p, upon boarding when the matre'd is taking requests.

 

5. are all the beaches private in the ports or do we have to pay to use each beach in the ports? Depends on the port, but usually some of each.

 

6. how many activities should you do in each port and what ones have you done to recommend?? I haven't looked at your ports, so this depends.

 

8. when we board the ship in miami do we have a lot of waitin around before we actually set sail?? Oh, this is one of my favorite parts of the cruise and we always try to board as early as possible, it's the first day of your cruise and they serve lunch right away and drinks too:-) It gives you a chance to walk around and get aquainted with the ship and check your dinning arrangements/table, etc. Take a spa tour. Cabins are ready at 1p and most of the time your luggage arrives by 4p or sooner sometimes and sometimes later.

 

9. what restaurants have free dining and what restaurants do you pay for? On the Liberty you have an extra fee for Johnny Rockets (minimal) and Portifino and Chops (I think this is still $20/person. It may be more now.

 

sorry about all the questions and hope you can help me!!!!

 

 

Have fun!!

Tanya

[KuffMUp]

You really should follow Nanfromatlanta's advise on checking your ports of call on the "Ports" board. Our first cruise, I knew nothing about CC or cruising. I have to say we were rather bored in the ports as we just generally wandered about. The info on the boards are priceless as to what to avoid or what activities to do.

 

Just a tip about booking your excursions with RCCL. They are generally much more expensive than you can find on your own. That said though, you are guaranteed to get on the ship if you are tardy returning. Don't let that scare you off from trying the recommendations of fellow CC members as they can give you good info on reliable tour guides that will save you money and still get you to see the sights and back to the ship on time.

 

You can search the boards to see if someone has posted a Compass for your itinerary. That would give you an idea about what activities are going on.

 

In addition to Johnny Rocket's (hamburgers) $3.95 fee or Portofinos (Italian) and Chops (steak) $20 fee (I think), you must pay for soda pop and alcohol. You can find coffee, tea, lemonade, water in the Windjammer (buffet) for free. And Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and specialty coffee drinks (latte and mochas) have a price. There is a $3.95 fee for room service late night but includes the tip.

 

Hope you find all the answers you are looking for and I hope you have a pleasant cruise!!:D

[cb at sea]

You want to boards Asap---after all, boarding day IS day 1 of the cruise you've paid for...why wait til the last minute and waste 1/2 of your day waiting for the ship to sail? Get on that ship and start using it!!!!

 

You need to get a guidebook on the ports you'll visit---that way, you'll know what's at each port, and the book will tell you (or you'll surmise!!) how easy or hard it is to get to what interests you. Many, many things do NOT require an "excursion"...there are alot of things you can easily (and cheaply) do on your own. It's mainly the 1st time cruisers who don't know any better that spend all of their money on excursions! A little research can save you BIG bucks!

[John Henry on CC]

You really should follow Nanfromatlanta's advise on checking your ports of call on the "Ports" board. Our first cruise, I knew nothing about CC or cruising. I have to say we were rather bored in the ports as we just generally wandered about. The info on the boards are priceless as to what to avoid or what activities to do.

 

Just a tip about booking your excursions with RCCL. They are generally much more expensive than you can find on your own. That said though, you are guaranteed to get on the ship if you are tardy returning. Don't let that scare you off from trying the recommendations of fellow CC members as they can give you good info on reliable tour guides that will save you money and still get you to see the sights and back to the ship on time.

 

You can search the boards to see if someone has posted a Compass for your itinerary. That would give you an idea about what activities are going on.

 

In addition to Johnny Rocket's (hamburgers) $3.95 fee or Portofinos (Italian) and Chops (steak) $20 fee (I think), you must pay for soda pop and alcohol. You can find coffee, tea, lemonade, water in the Windjammer (buffet) for free. And Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream and specialty coffee drinks (latte and mochas) have a price. There is a $3.95 fee for room service late night but includes the tip.

 

Hope you find all the answers you are looking for and I hope you have a pleasant cruise!!:D

 

 

Portofino is $20 pp. Chops is $25.

 

Johnny Rocket's is $4.95.

[lovemylab]

HI everyone we are going on the Liberty of the Seas Western Caribbean Cruise in June 2010. Have a few questions to ask and hope people can help me out!!!

 

1. i hear a lot of tlk about a cruise compass. what is this???

 

A daily newsletter/itinerary for the cruise. It will have the schedule for entertainment & activities, hours for dining, etc.

 

2. do they tell you what night the formal nights are on?

 

This info will be found in the compass. You can also check out cruise reviews for previous sailings as they usually mention what nights were formal nights.

 

3. we have book the my time dining how does this work?

 

You get to choose when you want to dine. You can either make a reservation or you can just show up. From what I have read, some ships encourage reservations more than others.

 

4. there will be a group of us travelling can we request all to be sittin at the same table for dinner?

 

If using my time dining, that shouldn't be a problem.

 

5. are all the beaches private in the ports or do we have to pay to use each beach in the ports?

 

Depends on the port. I would suggest going to the Ports of Call board and doing some research there. Even when there is a fee it is normally only a few dollars.

 

6. how many activities should you do in each port and what ones have you done to recommend??

 

Depends on the port you are visiting and what activities interest you. For example, both times we have visited St. Thomas we have gone to a beach in the morning and done shopping in the afternoon. Meanwhile, in St. Lucia we had an all day tour booked. The ports of call board will provide you with lots of info on recommended tours and activities for each port.

 

Some of the best activities/excursions in each port are booked through independent tour providers, So while you can do excursions through the ship, most cruisers on these boards would agree that you will get better value by booking something on your own (or even hiring a taxi to take you there).

 

8. when we board the ship in miami do we have a lot of waitin around before we actually set sail??

 

The first day is actually my favorite. I LOVE being on the ship before it has sailed. The Windjammer is open for lunch, there is a poolside band to get you in the cruising spirit and it's a great chance to explore the ship before lots of people get onboard. So while it may be a few hours before the ship actually sails I certainly wouldn't refer to it as "waitin around" as there is plenty to do.

 

9. what restaurants have free dining and what restaurants do you pay for?

 

Portofino and Chops both have a surcharge. Johnny Rockets has a fee of $3.95

 

...

[aloha of the seas]

I am not going to attempt to try an answer all of your questions. I will try an offer a little advice when it comes to dining. As a large group you may feel comfortable dining with each other.One of the best parts of cruising is meeting new people; and one of the best locations to do that is in the dining room. If you split your group up into two tables, next to each other, you would have the benefit of dining with new people while still in earshot of your friends. Also I would recommend you request a round table. They are more conducive for conversation, especially with a large group. Good Sailing, Murf

[smythy21]

You want to boards Asap---after all, boarding day IS day 1 of the cruise you've paid for...why wait til the last minute and waste 1/2 of your day waiting for the ship to sail? Get on that ship and start using it!!!!

 

You need to get a guidebook on the ports you'll visit---that way, you'll know what's at each port, and the book will tell you (or you'll surmise!!) how easy or hard it is to get to what interests you. Many, many things do NOT require an "excursion"...there are alot of things you can easily (and cheaply) do on your own. It's mainly the 1st time cruisers who don't know any better that spend all of their money on excursions! A little research can save you BIG bucks!

 

we weill be stopping of in Cozumel, Haiti, Ocho Rios and George town. saw all the excursions on the RCI website for each port and couldnt get over the amount of them

[nanfromatlanta]

we weill be stopping of in Cozumel, Haiti, Ocho Rios and George town. saw all the excursions on the RCI website for each port and couldnt get over the amount of them

 

In Grand Cayman you MUST swim with the stingrays. It is a once in a lifetime thing. Since you are new to cruising, I suggest that you book your tour through the cruise line. If you are not a strong swimmer, I highly recommend the Stingray City Sandbar Swim & Snorkel - GC89 . It is one of my favorites. The water is only waist to chest deep.

[smythy21]

we swam with stingrays when we were in Discovery Cove in Florida last year but my girlfriend had a bit of a scare. after taking about an hr to put her face in the water a stingray swam underneath her and the screams from here. Being a good boyfriend i stood there and laughed my head off ;)

[nanfromatlanta]

Dunns River Falls in Ocho Rios is also a good tour. You will need water shoes to climb the falls. ;)

[kuddles14]

Cozumel has a nice National Park that you can go and relax all day. You can get a cab and pay a nominal fee for the ride and a small admission to the park (at least it was not expensive when we went years ago) My husband, children and I had a great time. Swam and relaxed. (Chankanaub Park) We also did the sting ray tour which I say is a must and of course being the kind gentlemen that my husband is had the same reaction as you did when I started screaming. But would do it all over again. I also agree with Dunns River Falls we had a great time. Whatever you decide have a great time.:)