Honeymoon on RCI

[ejohnny]

Hi everyone, I realize that this might be a place where i am gonna get a little bit of a biased opionion since everyone here loves cruising, but i guess its still the best place to pose some question i have.

 

My fiancee and i are getting married in Nov in Toronto. She wants to do a one week land and one week cruise. She also prefers to do the cruise first, so i looked it up and this one works best with the our schedule.

 

Carnival Victory

7 Night Southern Caribbean

Departing from San Juan, Puerto Rico

Ports of Call: San Juan, Puerto Rico | St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | Dominica, Caribbean | Bridgetown, Barbados | St. Lucia, Caribbean | St. Kitts, St. Kitts and Nevis | St. Maarten The actual Ports of Call visited are dependent on the selected itinerary and may NOT include all ports listed.

 

 

OR

 

hip Name: Serenade Of The Seas

Departure Port: San Juan, Puerto Rico

Ports of Call: San Juan, Puerto Rico; Bridgetown, Barbados; Castries, St. Lucia; St. John's, Antigua; Philipsburg, St. Maarten; St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; San Juan, Puerto Rico

 

So here are my question if anyone can be kind enough to provide some insight.

 

We are both in our mid 20s and looking to relax a bit but also do some day trips. We are gonna fly into Sandles Antigua for 6 nights right after so we can do the heavy relaxing job there. However, this is the first time we really go away together so we do want some privacy and alone time. Neither on us have been on a cruise before.

 

1. Which is a better iten and/or ship for a honemoon.

2. Whats included on these cruises? I know that liquor is not, but are all meals included? Are some meals (or special meals extra)?

3. I keep reading that you can only get shared seating in the restaurants. Is that true, you can not get a table for two? Not that we are antisocial but we probably want to have dinner just the two of us some of the time.

4. Any other necessities extra? What do you think our set budget should be on the ship. I know that all depends on personal budget, but just a estimate or a ball park figure.

5. Also how much are the average day excursions go for?

6. Not that i am planning this (yet) but how strict are they when it comes to taking liquor on board. I heard a few people putting the stuff into water bottles and such. Is security that particular?

 

Anyway, i am sorry for the long post, but i am so trying to decide whether this whole thing is worth it or should i just stay 2 weeks on land. Any help will be much appreciated.

[LilBlackDress]

With either itinerary you will have plenty of shore excursions available with a variety of things to do. You will get some people who prefer Royal Caribbean over Carnival or visa versa.

 

Since you have time to book I would look at the different shore excursions at the different ports each cruise goes to. ... go to Carnivals website (shore excursions) and Royal Caribbeans (shore excursions)website and see if that helps you pick between the two. Sometimes that can be a deciding factor....

 

 

1. Which is a better iten and/or ship for a honemoon. (see above)

 

2. Whats included on these cruises? I know that liquor is not, but are all meals included? Are some meals (or special meals extra)?

Main dining room and the Buffet - breakfast, lunch and dinner, Room Service (some ships are now charging a surcharge for after hours 2 am to 6 am) I know Royal Caribbean also has a late night snack bar of pizza - burgers - hot dogs (carnival might too) plus some other free foods on the promenade during normal hours as well as a deli or specialty coffee shop and an Ice Cream shop that is normally extra. (most have a self serve frozen yogurt or ice cream on the pool deck that is free)you will NOT go hungry LOL

Both cruise lines do offer specialty restaurants that normally run about 25.00 per person

3. I keep reading that you can only get shared seating in the restaurants.

Is that true, you can not get a table for two? Not that we are antisocial but we probably want to have dinner just the two of us some of the time.

 

I believe you can book a table for 2 for dinner but you have to talk to them directly or a TA not booking online. Depending where you have breakfast or lunch its normally a shared setting. The My Time Dining for dinner (on Royal Caribbean) you could request private or shared during reservations. I am not sure if Carnival offers a my time

 

4. Any other necessities extra? What do you think our set budget should be on the ship. I know that all depends on personal budget, but just a estimate or a ball park figure.

The normal extras are the tips (there is a guide for this on both websites) if you wanted to buy the unlimited soda package. gambling up to you (I always bring home a dollar chip from every casino as a souvenir) any other onboard or shore souvenirs. If you are smokers tobacco is really cheap as is some of the bottled alcohol (check with customs as to how much you can carry per person) Shipboard pictures

 

5. Also how much are the average day excursions go for?

depends on what you want to do... some ports you can just walk around or go to a beach too but as I said look up the excursions you don't have to take one at every port.

 

 

6. Not that i am planning this (yet) but how strict are they when it comes to taking liquor on board. I heard a few people putting the stuff into water bottles and such. Is security that particular?

Some lines allow you to bring on wine others don't but they are getting more strict with security and will confiscate it so check with the cruise line. Some people say the Rum Runners still work others say they don't. It is like a rubberized plastic pouch thing that you can fill with alcohol.

 

 

Hope this helps

Best Wishes

[ejohnny]

it does help, thank you so much

[ejohnny]

upon further research i was told that carnival might be not the best of ideas because in november, depending on the occupancy, they might drop their price low enough to attract too wild of a crowd. any thoughts??

[LilBlackDress]

My sister has been on both cruise lines (I have only been on RCI) In her opinion Carnival is more of a party ship and RCI is more laid back but there is still plenty of fun/partying in the night clubs, casino and late night on the pool deck.

[Rachel302]

upon further research i was told that carnival might be not the best of ideas because in november, depending on the occupancy, they might drop their price low enough to attract too wild of a crowd. any thoughts??

 

 

I heard this too, but have no personal experience. The poor reviews of passenger behavior on Carnival Victory led me to choose the Royal Caribbean trip you mentioned for our honeymoon next May. We really enjoyed our Carnival cruises but just couldn't get past the reviews and wanted something different for our honeymoon!

[seaweavers]

I have looked at both of these cruises and normally would pick RC over Carnival; however, we are all about the ports. Since we were married in St. Thomas, we always try to get back when we can. That being said, these trips have an excursion almost everyday, right? So, you may not feel like dressing up for dinner every night. While you can request a private table for two, you may opt for the buffet or room service. You will have plenty of privacy, you just have to look for it on the ships. Have a great time and congrats!! Heidi