NEWBIE family of 5 cruiser...liberty of seas spring break 2016...lots of questions.

[TnTWalter]

I have a courtesy hold on connecting inside rooms Liberty of the Sea [we are family of 5].

 

My goal was to be as close to $3k as possible for the cruise part; it's around $3700. This includes only $26 in ship board credit.

 

We like to drink on vacation probably 1-2 drinks in the evening. We are bringing 3 kids 17 15 13. 1 likes soda the other 2 mostly drink water but might want fake foo foo drinks on occasion. I don't want to be nickle and dimed to death. My fear is it will end up outrageous or we will always be saying no to things. etc.

 

So how much should I plan on spending on 7 night cruise? on ship. [obviously I need to take tips into account].

 

What about excursions? we have 3 ports. Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

 

I'm just trying to decide if this is going to be too expensive for one week.

 

Any tips to make it less expensive? how to get onboard credit? prepaid tips etc. Thanks.

 

Trish

Edited August 28, 2015 by TnTWalter

[Clarea]

With regard to getting on board credit, you can shop around with travel agents. Some will give on board credit and/or free gratuities.

 

Figure cocktails at $14 each, including tip. The non-alcoholic cocktails are around $5. Soda is around $2.50 per can. If the one child is going to drink more than 2 cans per day, it would be better to get them the soda package at $4.50 per day plus 18%.

[wolfganghowell]

If you are wine drinkers, you and spouse can bring 2 bottles apiece.

 

Ports - Jamaica. Falmouth is pretty simple. You can pay for a ship excursion $$$ or just wander around the port itself. No one advises to go outside that area without being on a ship excursion. So it can easily be a low cost port. Cozumel - you can do a fun economical beach day at Paradise Beach. The taxi is a flat fare and Paradise is jsut $3 apiece. They prefer you spend at least $10 on food and drink. Grand Cayman- lots to do but it's an expensive port.

[bubba83]

If you are wine drinkers, you and spouse can bring 2 bottles apiece.

 

Ports - Jamaica. Falmouth is pretty simple. You can pay for a ship excursion $$$ or just wander around the port itself. No one advises to go outside that area without being on a ship excursion. So it can easily be a low cost port. Cozumel - you can do a fun economical beach day at Paradise Beach. The taxi is a flat fare and Paradise is jsut $3 apiece. They prefer you spend at least $10 on food and drink. Grand Cayman- lots to do but it's an expensive port.

 

 

2 bottles of wine per stateroom, so one spouse would have to be booked in the other room, which isn't that big of a deal because you can still sleep together in the same room.

[39august]

I agree no excursion is necessary at Falmouth. Kids would probably enjoy the pool at Margaritaville there. Just take a taxi to the beach at Cozumel. Paradise and Mr. Sanchos are popular. Grand Cayman is only expensive if you choose to shop there. However, taxis to the beach are inexpensive. You can rent chairs at Royal Palms hotel, a short ride from the pier. Or you can taxi to Tiki beach or Seagrape beach, all thise on the strech called 7 Mile Beach. Tours to see the stingrays are very popular, also. I suggest you take a look at the ports of call boards for tons of information about your ports.

[newbiecruiser09]

TO get some on board credit, you may want to look into the RCI Visa card. They usually have promotions for points for just signing up and using it once. If you put your cruise balance on it you get double points too. Just make sure you pay it off each month! We put as much as we can on ours when we are planning a cruise. The points add up and it's like free OBC (as longs you pay it off and don't incur credit card fees)

Edited August 28, 2015 by newbiecruiser09

[mil76]

Grand Cayman you can take a bus (more like a minivan) from town to beaches or the Turtle Farm. Costs about $2 pp each way. My boys are 13 and 16 now, but they still love going to the Turtle Farm. The Turtle farm has different packages based on what you want to do. If you just want to see the turtles it's cheaper, but they have packages where you can snorkel with the turtles or use their pool which cost more.

[JMS113]

Hi Trish,

We have cruised a few times with our two children and have spent differently each time depending on our budget situation :rolleyes:.

As noted above if you are wine drinkers you can bring two bottles of wine per cabin at embarkation only. Note: someone registered in the cabin must be over 21 so I was registered in one and my husband in the other. It worked fine having connecting rooms and we were permitted 4 bottles.

 

Water (tap), lemonade, ice tea (I believe unsweetened), regular coffee & tea is free. My daughter added lemonade to her ice tea to sweeten it :D. The soda package was the most economical option for my son.

 

Food wise: we find the food in the main dining room very acceptable. Our budget determines if we stick to the main dining room or buffet (Windjammer) or we pay for a night in one of the fee options (typically $25-40/person depending on the restaurant). For things like the cupcake cupboard, Ben and Jerry's, and Johnny Rockets- we discussed budget ahead of time with the kids and they knew if they need to bring money for these expenses or if we would cover a set amount. Pizza, sandwiches, cookies etc are available at the Cafe Promenade for free all the time so our kids certainly weren't hungry :p.

 

Entertainment- pool, ice rink, wall climbing, flow rider, gym, and evening shows are free and certainly kept us busy. There is a fee for the spa, many exercise classes, casino, bingo, wine tasting sessions etc. If you get an opportunity to search for and review a cruise compass from Navigator of the Seas (currently out of Galveston) it may give you an idea of some of the entertainment with fees as they are noted on the compass.

 

Ports- we have done almost free days (taken the bus to a beach) and more expensive with excursions (Jetski and stingrays in Grand Cayman). If you are doing excursions I suggest anticipate spending about ~$100.00 (+ or - $50.00) per person at the three ports you mentioned, but there are certainly excellent non-excursion low cost options at these three ports as well. If you haven't already done so, check out the forum for each port on the main page Message Board>Ports of Call> Caribbean. We have also saved money by doing a 1/2 day excursion and returning to the ship for lunch and afternoon pool time :-). If we decide to do an expensive excursion on a tight budget cruise we have given certificates for the excursions to the kids at Christmas and tucked the money we would have spent on something else away.

 

Gratuities do add up for a family of 5. $13/person per day for a non-suite room is automatically applied to your account by RC. We typically search for a TA where the gratuities for the first two are included (usually only found it on balcony or higher) or negotiate a room credit. We often pre-pay the gratuities b/c its easier to pay them off before and forget about the expense while on the cruise.

 

IMHO I believe it is certainly feasible to keep the on-ship expenses relatively low. Alcohol on the ship is expensive but if you enjoy it, plan for it, then have it- its a vacation! Be well informed, discuss limitations and spending boundaries with your kids, plan, and accept what a great holiday/opportunity it is- then you won't feel like you are missing out if you don't succumb to the upsell options :D

 

Sorry for the long post- but hope its informative :-)

Edited August 28, 2015 by JMS113

[tropiclvrs]

Hi Trish,

We have cruised a few times with our two children and have spent differently each time depending on our budget situation :rolleyes:.

As noted above if you are wine drinkers you can bring two bottles of wine per cabin at embarkation only. Note: someone registered in the cabin must be over 21 so I was registered in one and my husband in the other. It worked fine having connecting rooms and we were permitted 4 bottles.

 

Water (tap), lemonade, ice tea (I believe unsweetened), regular coffee & tea is free. My daughter added lemonade to her ice tea to sweeten it :D. The soda package was the most economical option for my son.

 

Food wise: we find the food in the main dining room very acceptable. Our budget determines if we stick to the main dining room or buffet (Windjammer) or we pay for a night in one of the fee options (typically $25-40/person depending on the restaurant). For things like the cupcake cupboard, Ben and Jerry's, and Johnny Rockets- we discussed budget ahead of time with the kids and they knew if they need to bring money for these expenses or if we would cover a set amount. Pizza, sandwiches, cookies etc are available at the Cafe Promenade for free all the time so our kids certainly weren't hungry :p.

 

Entertainment- pool, ice rink, wall climbing, flow rider, gym, and evening shows are free and certainly kept us busy. There is a fee for the spa, many exercise classes, casino, bingo, wine tasting sessions etc. If you get an opportunity to search for and review a cruise compass from Navigator of the Seas (currently out of Galveston) it may give you an idea of some of the entertainment with fees as they are noted on the compass.

 

Ports- we have done almost free days (taken the bus to a beach) and more expensive with excursions (Jetski and stingrays in Grand Cayman). If you are doing excursions I suggest anticipate spending about ~$100.00 (+ or - $50.00) per person at the three ports you mentioned, but there are certainly excellent non-excursion low cost options at these three ports as well. If you haven't already done so, check out the forum for each port on the main page Message Board>Ports of Call> Caribbean. We have also saved money by doing a 1/2 day excursion and returning to the ship for lunch and afternoon pool time :-). If we decide to do an expensive excursion on a tight budget cruise we have given certificates for the excursions to the kids at Christmas and tucked the money we would have spent on something else away.

 

Gratuities do add up for a family of 5. $13/person per day for a non-suite room is automatically applied to your account by RC. We typically search for a TA where the gratuities for the first two are included (usually only found it on balcony or higher) or negotiate a room credit. We often pre-pay the gratuities b/c its easier to pay them off before and forget about the expense while on the cruise.

 

IMHO I believe it is certainly feasible to keep the on-ship expenses relatively low. Alcohol on the ship is expensive but if you enjoy it, plan for it, then have it- its a vacation! Be well informed, discuss limitations and spending boundaries with your kids, plan, and accept what a great holiday/opportunity it is- then you won't feel like you are missing out if you don't succumb to the upsell options :D

 

Sorry for the long post- but hope its informative :-)

 

Just wanted to comment that you provided a very thorough and informative post! Not many people go to the level of detail that you went into and I'm sure it will provide the OP a lot of benefit.

[bubba83]

Also the arcade on the ship isn't free, just and FYI

[TnTWalter]

THANKS FOR GREAT INFORMATION EVERYONE!!!

 

So...Ports. An example question...

 

In Grand Cayman, I'm avoiding the cruise excursions. I'd rather book a smaller catamaran tour to stingray and snorkeling.

 

Found one that's 8:30-noon. And $40 per person. He picks you up at dock. We are docked 7am-4pm. Would this work?

 

Also, would we have time to enjoy 7 mile beach before heading back on board? If I can figure out how to get there from the excursion and then arrange a taxi or something ?

 

Hubby and I have been to GC twice and it is so amazing.

Edited August 28, 2015 by TnTWalter

[MNfamilycruiser]

THANKS FOR GREAT INFORMATION EVERYONE!!!

 

So...Ports. An example question...

 

In Grand Cayman, I'm avoiding the cruise excursions. I'd rather book a smaller catamaran tour to stingray and snorkeling.

 

Found one that's 8:30-noon. And $40 per person. He picks you up at dock. We are docked 7am-4pm. Would this work?

 

Also, would we have time to enjoy 7 mile beach before heading back on board? If I can figure out how to get there from the excursion and then arrange a taxi or something ?

 

Hubby and I have been to GC twice and it is so amazing.

 

You will definitely have more luck getting answers to specific port/excursion questions by asking on those boards. You will also find lots of good ideas and information there as well as on trip advisor.

Here for example is the board for the Cayman Islands: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=147

Edited August 28, 2015 by MNfamilycruiser

[Grandma Dazzles]

THANKS FOR GREAT INFORMATION EVERYONE!!!

 

So...Ports. An example question...

 

In Grand Cayman, I'm avoiding the cruise excursions. I'd rather book a smaller catamaran tour to stingray and snorkeling.

 

Found one that's 8:30-noon. And $40 per person. He picks you up at dock. We are docked 7am-4pm. Would this work?

 

Also, would we have time to enjoy 7 mile beach before heading back on board? If I can figure out how to get there from the excursion and then arrange a taxi or something ?

 

Hubby and I have been to GC twice and it is so amazing.

 

 

No one has mentioned, but assuming you know the GC are a tender port. You will need to keep that in mind if planning a private excursion.

 

You mention 7:00 to 4:00. You may dock at 7:00 but will not be off the ship that early.

Edited August 28, 2015 by Grandma Dazzles

[searoses]

Trip advisor is a great place to look for private excursions.....then check any you find on the boards here.....stingray city is not to be missed and can be done on really any kind of boat.....bring your own mask and snorkels....you should all practice before you come....getting a taxi back to the ship should be pretty easy.... ..cozumel has a beautiful public park.... chancanaub (no way I spelled that correctly!)... with recreated ruins on a nice nature walk,food and wonderful snorkeling right from the beach....easy to get cabs back and forth.....you pay a premium for trips through the ship but the itinerary you have chosen is easily and quickly accessible on your own. .....make sure your watch....not your phone....matches the ship time and make sure you know when to be back....that last tender in gc will be pretty full and have a long line....you might want to be back a little earlier...you will have a great time!....maybe the kids can earn some money for the extras they will want....

[TnTWalter]

regarding excursions...I was asking more of a timing question as I've no idea how long it takes to actually get off a ship...and get back on...

 

if you have an excursion booked early do you get to leave ship in a first group?

or not if book privately?

 

and then if it ends at noon and he drops off at 7 mi beach would we be able to hang for a bit before going back to board ship....ship leaves at 4...that kind of thing.

 

tender means you take boats right? that probably causes timing issues too.

[Clarea]

r...if you have an excursion booked early do you get to leave ship in a first group?

or not if book privately?...

You get priority if you book a cruise line excursion, but no priority if you book a private excursion. However, if you are in a full suite (GS or better), then you get priority in any case.

Edited August 29, 2015 by clarea

[ronandannette]

No one has mentioned, but assuming you know the GC are a tender port. You will need to keep that in mind if planning a private excursion.

 

You mention 7:00 to 4:00. You may dock at 7:00 but will not be off the ship that early.

 

You get priority if you book a cruise line excursion, but no priority if you book a private excursion. However, if you are in a full suite (GS or better), then you get priority in any case.

 

It's REALLY important to be prepared for this. Tendering such a large number of people takes a very long time. We booked a private excursion last fall in Belize and it was almost noon before we got off, even though we were in line for our tender tickets 10 minutes after they started handing them out. Don't book the 8:30 private tour unless there is an agreement beforehand that the vendor will wait for you. (We got really lucky - our vendor in Belize knew better than we did how long it would take us to make it to the pier. We were beside ourselves upset and never dreamed they'd still be there waiting.)

Edited August 29, 2015 by ronandannette

[cant_w8_2_cruise]

We are looking at Liberty for our spring break this year too! Maybe we'll see you there! ;)

 

We planned 2 excursions out of 3 ports, and enjoyed the day that we didn't plan one by only getting off and walking around the port for a bit and taking advantage of the almost empty ship! :)

 

There are lots of great free things to do and plenty of treats that my kids didn't ask for bonus treats like Ben & Jerrys or cupcakes.

 

My only additional advice is that if you do book, keep checking prices over the next few months because if prices go down, you can call RCCL and they will adjust your cruise price. You may even get more OBC. That was the greatest advice I learned on CC after booking our first cruise and we ended up lowering our total price (for 7 people) over $1600 and getting $400 in OBC! :D

[whitshel]

I'm assuming your looking at the March 6th cruise. The website I always check 1st is giving $125 obc per inside room, so it really does pay to shop around online. There are quite a few websites out there that are cruise specific that will give you a lot of perks.

 

In Falmouth, if you can afford $29 a person red stripe beach was really nice, we did that this past March, its really just a bus ride to a private beach but its really nice, with nice facilities.

 

 

 

 

Also check out Nativeway Water sports for Grand Cayman. They have awesome tours. We Always do the Rays, Reef and Rum Point tour which gives you snorkeling on a reef, stingray city and Lunch on beautiful Rum Point. I think its about $60 a person but they do have cheaper tours available.

 

Pulling up to Rum Point

 

[cb at sea]

Tendering doesn't take THAT long! You should have ample time to make an 8:30 excursion if you anchor at 7am.....tenders hold a LOT of people....and it's about a 5-6 min. trip to dock.

[ronandannette]

Have you tendered off the Liberty lately? You don't list your cruise history but if you've never had the experience off a ship this size, it takes very much longer than smaller vessels. I stand by my advice to the OP that an 8:30 private excursion is a bad idea.

[TnTWalter]

I've never been on a cruise before at all. thus the NEWBIE CRUISER in my title. :O) I have ZERO idea. Thanks.

[Grandma Dazzles]

Tendering doesn't take THAT long! You should have ample time to make an 8:30 excursion if you anchor at 7am.....tenders hold a LOT of people....and it's about a 5-6 min. trip to dock.

 

 

Some tenders are much longer than 5-6 minutes. I know that Belize is a pretty good distance. I think last time I did it was about a 15 minute ride, not counting getting everyone on board.

 

Even the Cayman's a few months ago by the time we loaded etc. was at least 15-20 minutes. I agree with the other poster who thought 8:30 for a private excursion might be tight.

[ronandannette]

double post

Edited August 29, 2015 by ronandannette

[MrsPete]

$3700 sounds pretty high for two interior rooms, but you're talking about traveling at one of the busiest, most expensive times of year. I'm just brainstorming all possibilities here: Do you have to travel that week? I traveled during a holiday week once, and I said never again. The ship was packed at over 100% capacity, and it definitely felt more crowded than other cruises. While we DID have fun, I felt it wasn't as good a value as other cruises we've taken.

 

In the past I wasn't a fan of the alcohol packages, but now that they've raised the price of individual drinks, they're really organizing things so that you're pushed towards the package. You'll probably want to get it for the adults. Note that the package is available in several levels; you'll have to judge what's best for you.

 

In the past, I have chosen to get the soda package for my girls. Given that you're allowed to bring your own soda, it's not even close to being a bargain, but I did it for safety reasons. Again, note, I have girls. Before any cruise, I've always lectured them on NEVER drinking anything that didn't come straight from the hand of a bartender or family member, and I didn't want to put them in a position where they'd have to choose between being wasteful and being safe.

 

Once you're onboard, if your intention is to cruise frugally, it's not too hard -- essentially everything you NEED is already paid. You can happily eat all week without paying a cent, and you won't feel deprived. You can go to the gym without paying. The casino, bingo, and the spa will cost extra. Calculate your tips, figure out what you'll do during island stops, and you're pretty much done. When we're cruising as a family, we take $100 in singles and fives for bar tips, room service tips, and incidentals ... and we almost always bring some back. We don't really buy tee-shirts and such onboard.

 

Something you should definitely do to save: Pack carefully! If you forget razors or your husband's dark socks, you'll probably end up at the ship's store -- and I promise you'll be sorry then! Start your packing early, and go over your list carefully. Don't neglect over-the-counter meds like Tylenol or Sudafed; that type of thing is very expensive onboard.

 

As for shore excursions, private tours are the way to go. The ship's tours are large groups, and you're herded from place to place, stopping at their choice of shops, passing by the places that might interest you. Private tours allow you more freedom, and they're less expensive. I suggest you check out the threads on the places you'll visit, and you'll begin to form opinions on what suits your family.

 

Once I know the cost of a private excursion, I make up an envelope with cash enough to pay for the excursion AND a tip. If we'll need to take a taxi, I put that money into the envelope too. On the outside, I write the name of the tour operator, along with his phone number and the time /meeting place. Having these envelopes ready means that everything in my wallet is "available" to spend, and I don't have to search around for small bills for tips.

 

Tendering isn't fun, but it also isn't that big a deal. Be downstairs 30 minutes ahead of schedule, and wait with the hoards of people. You'll be on a small ship (a tender) headed to shore quickly. The private tour operators are familiar with this system, and if they have your name, they'll be looking for you.

 

This isn't a shore excursion, but consider buying your teens private Flowrider lessons on the very first day of the cruise. Yes, they're pricey, but in a small group your kids'll get more turns, and they'll become good at it. During spring break, the wait to get another turn will be LONG, so they'll appreciate this. Note that you have to go with them the first time and sign a waiver /get them a wristband.

 

Now, for something you may not've asked because -- as a newbie -- you don't know what you don't know! Do include a night-before hotel room in your budget. We usually do a Priceline hotel, and it's the cheapest insurance you can get. Travel the day ahead, sleep in the next morning, have breakfast, and then board rested and ready for your vacation -- not tired from the road or your flight. This may be especially important during one of the busiest times of year.

Edited August 29, 2015 by MrsPete