1st time on a cruisre-need advice

[foreverhis_mdh]

This will be my first time going on a cruise. My family and I will be traveling to Key West, Caymans, and Cozumel in March on RCI. I would greatly appreciate any advice you could give. I'm needing help on knowing how much time to plan for getting off the ship and to the activity and getting back to the ship when it is thru. If an activity is listed as starting at 3 pm on the cruise line website but we get into dock at 3 pm is it safe to sign up for it? Or would it be better to not even sign up for activities through the cruise line but instead do my own research and create my own itinerary?

Lastly, I would really like to learn how to snorkel or Snuba and be able to spend a good amount of time doing it. While reading various posts on this site it seems that Eagle Ray Divers is great. My question is... would it be better to go to Chaakanaub Park or sign up with Eagle Ray Divers. Also, any advice on the Catch the Wave Undersea Bond Adventure?

Any help, advice or warnings is greatly appreciated! Thanks!!

[kujobie]

First thing is to cut and paste this post on the RCI board. You'll get more responses to general cruising questions. I always recommend booking excursions thru the cruise line on a first cruise. It will be a little more $$ but less worry when in a foreign country you have never been to. If the tour is offered thru the ship, it will not leave without you. So, if they are giving you an option of doing a 3 pm tour thru the ship and the ship arrives at 3 pm, you're ok. The tour probably won't actually start til 3:30 or so. They'll get the people with early tours off the ship first. Booking a tour on your own is a little more complicated. You must research time zones, get maps, arrange transportation to the tour's starting point, etc. Bottom line, you gotta do your homework if going with an independant tour. As for snorkelling, Chankanaab will be cheaper, but were gonna try the boat based snorkelling this time, probably with eagle ray. The shore snorkelling in Cozumel has not been the best I've seen. If you have never snorkelled/dived, you'll be pleased with Chankanaab but we have seen MUCH better in the Keys. BTW, Chankanaab is an easy trip to do on your own. $6 for a cab each way and $10 or so p/p to enter. It is a very nice park/beach. Oh, and, welcome to the boards. There is a wealth of info here. You are at THE best source of info about cruising. Have fun!

[clackey]

First, let me congratulate you on making the decision to go on a cruise. You are about to embark on an adventure to be remembered and savored for the rest of your life, or lives as the case may be. We leave in 12 days for our third trip and have another booked for 2006.

 

I must concur with Kujobie. Since this is your first time out, you might be ahead to book with the cruise line. Their trips are more costly but they are planned around the boats time schedule. Most trips are too short, however. My wife likes to swim and a 3 hour snorkel trip is not enough time for her. Once you get a trip or two under your belt, you may want to book through an independant guide service. Just be sure to research the message boards here on Cruisecritic. If anyone has a gripe it will show up here.

 

As for beaches to snorkel. There is a number of good ones, Dzul Ha and Chankanaab to name a couple. If you want to lay back and get pampered you might try Paradise Beach. The snorkeling isn't that great but it is a fun place. And these places are not hard to get to. Just say, "Chankanaab por favor". :D

 

Hope this helps and have a GREAT TRIP!

 

Clackey

[Boo's Mom]

foreverhis mdh.....

 

Are you on the Rhapsody of the Seas?

 

If so, what week?

 

I will be sailing on the Rhapsody....on the same itinerary as you...during the week of March 13th!

 

Maybe we are on the same cruise....

[foreverhis_mdh]

Thanks for all y'alls advice! I really appreciate it!

 

Kujobie, Thanks for the advice. I'll cut and paste it into the RCI board. Based on what you and clackey wrote I think I might look into snuba diving in Key West in addition to checking out Chankanaab. I've traveled to Honduras, Siberia, Japan, and China before but there I didn't have to worry about getting left behind, so it was okay to get lost but it sounds like unless I'm positive about timing I should stick with the ship's excursions.

 

Boo's Mom, you're guess was right...we are on the same ship! It looks like you've done the cruise thing before so any advice you have about this particular itinerary would be wonderful! Maybe we'll run into eachother aboard the ship!

 

Thanks again!

foreverhis_mdh

[friisc1]

Hi everyone,

 

I'm booked on Dawn Princess to Cozumel in February. Have been looking at Eagle Ray trip, also Mystic Snorkel tour with Rosi Flury at www.islacozumel.com

Is anyone familiar with either one of these? Have snorkeled before quite a bit and prefer to be in shallower water so can dive down and actually get closer to things. Eagle Ray says they go to the Palancar Reef and Mystic Tour goes to the Columbia Shallow so I'm leaning towards the second one but I would appreciate any info on either tour.

 

Thanks,

Carol

[Boo's Mom]

foreverhis_mdh....

 

Yeah ! We're on the same cruise!

 

We have a RCI Roll Call (Meet and Mingle) started for this cruise. There are only two of us so far....three with you!

 

It is a thread where people from the same cruise can write....and then if they want to, they can meet when they are on the ship.

 

If I was a computer techie....I could give you a direct link. That's not going to happen, however.

 

Go to the RCI Roll Call Boards......then do a search for a thread called:

 

Rhapsody of the Seas: March 13, 2005

 

Hope to see you over there...... :D

[PINKY&THE BRAIN]

Foreverhis-

Everyone Who's Already Replied Is Right, We Just Signed Up For Our Second Cruise- Our First (last Oct)stopped In Cozumel And We Decided To Do The Tulum/xel-ha Combo Through The Ship. (this Is One Of The Tours That Takes A Ferry To The Mainland) As We Were On The 1/2 Hour To Get Back Ferry I Realized That It Was Already Past The Time The Ship Had Been Scheduled To Leave. Boy I Was Grateful For Cruise Critic At That Point In Time- I Just Kept Telling Myself And My Nervous Dh That Everyone Says If You Booked Through The Ship They'll Wait. And They Did :)

 

The Only Exception To This Is Also Info From Cc Boards- If You Go To Beleize And Want To Cave Tube- I Would Highly Recommend Going With One Of The Private Outfitters (we Used Reggie Tours) The Much Smaller Group Allowed For Extended River Time, Time To Go To The Crft Market, And Still Get Back To The Ship Way Before The Cruise Tour.

 

Overall, I Hope You Have Even Half As Wonderful Of A Cruise As We Did- If You Do -you'll Be Hokked (i'm Going On One This Month That Was Picked Partly Because It Included Cozumel Again-and Am Looking At Another One After That Already.)