Shan..I can only speak for the "Fun Ships" I've been on for extra's.

The ONLY thing you can use cold hard cash for on the boat is in the Casino. Other then that you use a sail and sign card which could be dangerous. You do not realize how much you are spending.

All of our meals are covered 100% including room service. You are charged to your s&s card 10 dollars a day pp for tips. The matre dee is not included in your tips. If you get a beverage from the bar.. either alcholic or not.. they add an automatic gratuity. What happens is..people start ordering drink after drink..bottles of wine.. and at the end of a cruise.. they are hit with a HUGE unexpected bill.

All your shore excursions get charged to your s & s card. Now..here is the kicker.. they promote all these tours.. but if all you want is a beach day... you don't have to go to the beach they tell you to go to. If you do your research ahead of time.. you can jump in a cab and off you go. Certain islands though.. it is better to go as a "group." There is safety in numbers. In Grand Cayman.. 7 mile beach.. ask any cab driver.. it's a beautiful beach.. Cozumel.. beaches galore.. no sense spending 50 dollars a person for the ships excursions.

On many ships there is now a "supper club." You make a reservation for their "special" dining room. There is an additional charge for this. You know..your already spending a lot of money for wonderful experiences in the dining room already.. I don't think the extra 25-30 dollars is worth it.. In our case.. X's 5 people.. My husband and I did it once for a romantic dinner.. wasn't worth the hoopla in our case.

If you want a "spa" experience.. that too can be pricey. My husband and I did the couples massage last year. It was about $200..maybe a little more. It was Okay.. but I did not like the sales pitch at the end..telling me how dry our skin was and we should buy the cremes and lotions they were selling at the tune of 50-60 dollars a bottle. I'm told this happens on ALL ships. However, when you are on vacation, most people have a different mind set on spending.

This trip.. I did buy one t-shirt in the ships shop.. for $10.00.
We bought soda cards for my husband and my youngest son. This give you unlimited soda. I think it was about 30 for my son and 50 for my husband.
Our tips for the 8 days were 400 dollars (8 days x's 5 people). My youngest son spent 150 in the arcade (also goes on the sale and sign card..though there is a spending limit for children) We went to the beach in Cozumel.. I think the taxi was 50 dollars for the 5 of us round trip.. Admission to the beach was about 50 dollars too. If we booked an excursion it would of been 250 for the beach trip. So we saved 150 doing it ourselves. Costa Rica.. we did not do an excursion. Panama we did a pricey excursion. The 8 hour tour.. that was about 400 for the 5 of us too. I know our cabin charges came out slightly over 1,000.

You do see people with sheets that you can roll from one end of the ship to the other and they are in a panic..

Shan..any more info?? Just ask

I want to take our kids on a Disney cruise! A whole week with the mouse would be WONDERFUL!!!!!!! lol

--
~*~Angela~*~

Mom- the Titanic, that's funny! "Steerage"
Thanks for sharing your trip, I felt more relaxed just reading about it-lol! I want to go on one.....someday! Glad to know I wouldn't be considered steerage!
How did your daughter do in her competition? I hope very well!
Can't wait to see your pics!

--
Jennifer


When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste.- Laiko Bahrs

--
Edited by 2864590 at 01/11/2008 3:26 AM

Woohoo! Sounds like you had a great time!!! I can't wait to go on a cruise one day!

--
MM MM Good!

Welcome back Mom. Your cruise sounds absolutely wonderful. I'm glad that you got to relax. You have really tempted me to book a cruise! LOL I do think I'll wait til some of the kids are out of the house. I think paying for a cruise for 7 would be really expensive. LOL

~Shan

Mom, I loved reading about your trip. I wish you could have been brave enough to just taste their grits. At least I was thought of.

Thanks for sharing and I truly look forward to the pictures.

Back from the cruise..it was wonderful.. where I got Belize from in my original posts..is beyond me..we only booked this trip Last Feb... lol..

We boarded the ship on Saturday.. I have to say.. the port in Ft. Lauderdale was nice an organized... The ship was very nice.. it is a sister ship to the Triumph and Glory which we have sailed on too.

We got to our cabin... we laid down on the bed.. and promptly FELL asleep... we were awaken when they announced the life boat drill.

5 out of 7 suitcases were at our cabin when we got back from the drill. I unpacked our stuff and the kids stuff in their cabin..

We had our first day at sea.. it was beautiful outside.. I sat and read a book.. we walked around the ship.. My oldest son slept.. his goal on the trip was to sleep 16 hours a day.. lol.. my daughter..her only requirement was.. she would need to eat dinner with us..and check in with us at midnight.. needless to say..other then shore days..I saw her about 1.5 hours at most each day.. My youngest you would find in the arcade. We did limit him to $20 a day.

First port of call.. Cozumel. It was supposed to be Costa Maya but that port was ravaged by the hurricane they had this year. We have been to Cozumel many many times and we love the beach. So.. off to Playa Mia (I thinkt hat is the spelling.) I did what you are supposed to do.. lay on a chair with a drink with an umbrella in your hand My boys rented a jet ski for the first time..it was pretty fun.. My daughter slept. The water was crystal clear. Fun time was had by all.

Next day was a sea day.. I played a little at the casino..I'm a big gambler.. I get as far as the 2 penny option on the machine. This was Christmas day.. we did go to the Christmas show.. they did sing the obligatory Hannukah song

Next day we went to Costa Rico (not Belize) now... this island IS a rain forest.. the entire island is a rain forest.. All but 4 tours were cancelled.. why you ask...well.. the previous 2 days they had rain..and everything was flooded. So, unless you were taking a "canopy" jungle tour of sorts.. you were out of luck. I was NOT going to leave the island without local coffee. We did get off the ship and walk around the little area.. and I got my coffee!! I have made it since coming home.. it was wonderful. I bought 2 kinds.. one is mild..the other is bolder.. The person I bought the coffee from explained that the higher up on the mountain a coffee bean is harvested from..the less bitter the coffee.

Next day was Panama.. AMAZING place. We took an 8 hour city tour. First stop was the Canal!! wow... wow wow wow.. if you ever have a chance to see it.. go for it!! The area where the canal is.. is very industrial and poor/middle class. We did go to the old city and went inside the presidental palace. Then we went to the Pacific side of Panama (the Atlantic and Pacific are about 1.5 hours apart) the "modern" Panama. Wow.. what a beautiful city. The buildings are amazing even for this displaced NYer!

Next 2 days were at sea days. Had a wonderful relaxing time. We were in the hot tub a lot.. relaxing relaxing.. I so needed that.

We disembarked on Sunday. 8 wonderful days.

I did take a lot of pictures.. I have to get to my husbands computer and post them from there.

Funny thing.. in the breakfast buffet.. I thought of Viv each time..when I came upon the Grits... They have a fish and chips restaurant on the ship.. My oldest and I tried it one day.. it was very good.. I did go out on a limb and tried the boulabaise.. interesting flavor.

Unfortunatly, in the deli area.. I ordered lox on a bagel.. with creamcheese, tomato and onion.. I took a bite.. I spit it out.. the guy put mayo on it..not cream cheese.. Kinda lost my appetite for this the rest of the trip.

The lobster during formal night was wonderful. Not a fresh Maine lobster which I do prefer..there is no sweeter seafood IMHO.. but it was very good. I did not have many desserts.. but my husband had a warm chocolate meltingcake each night. The best way to describe it.. It's a chocolate souffleISH like cake..with a chocolate liquid center and it is served with vanilla ice cream.

One of my favorite things to do on the ship in the evening.. they have a HUGE TV screen on the Lido deck.. and they showed movies some nights.. we would sit on a lounge chair.. sip hot chocolate get a blanket and watch the movie.

We really didn't do many of the activities on the boat this time.. Our main goal was just to relax.. After 7 cruises there is only so many hairy chest competitions or ice carving demonstrations you can watch.

On that note.. Happy New Year to all my friends.. May everyone have a Happy and Healthy New Year.. and may we all share friendship and good recipes!!

Think Gold for my daughter who left for Lowell, Mass tonight.. this is the first competition I am NOT going to.

Have fun on the cruise -- I hope they have good eats!