Is it a good time to book a cruise?

[Snake]

2 minutes ago, f7ben said:

I could bankrupt a ship in 6 days if all I had to pay was $300 for beer

I had the tip slip to prove I averages over 8 mudslides a day while onboard.

Put on 14 pounds in a week.

[f7ben]

1 minute ago, 1jkw said:

Whatever line you choose plan on being in the port city you are leaving from a day ahead, you can get a good nights sleep and not have to rush to board the ship.

I guess if we do Florida I’d prefer Tampa as my uncles place is under an hour from there

[Snake]

4 minutes ago, f7ben said:

I could bankrupt a ship in 6 days if all I had to pay was $300 for beer

I literally would go on a cruise with you. The environment would force you to have a good time.

Edited April 15, 2020 by Snake

[AKIQPilot]

2 minutes ago, Snake said:

Have on done RC. Heard stories about all the others.

Also left out of Miami and Ft Lauderdale. Piece of cake when you think about what is going on.

Suites (or mini-suites) gets you line jumping privileges on check in, which was worth the price of admission in and of it's self.

I always arrive the day before. Stay the day of debarkment as well when I can swing it. Last year we rented a car outta Miami and drove to Key West and back.

Try to swing Monday off. Coming back on Sunday with all the flying and bullshit... you ain't worth a fuck the next day.

Oh, online prices don't look like bargains that I have seen yet....

Good points.  We always show up at least 2 days before the cruise to check out the local scenery before going on the ship.  All these cruise lines have scheduled arrivals for passengers these days.  I went on 3 cruises in the last year and there was never a line getting on any ship.  We typically schedule My Time dining for the evening meal.  We like to be seated by 5:30 and finished up by 6:30 or so.  Even with completely full ships there was almost never a wait for our table.  

Suites or mini suites are also good values because they offer an extra bed for a child and sometimes even an extra sleeping area like the TV room, while mom and dad are in the bedroom.  

[f7ben]

Just now, Snake said:

I literally would go on a cruise with you.

 I’m all talk

[1jkw]

Just now, f7ben said:

I guess if we do Florida I’d prefer Tampa as my uncles place is under an hour from there

Just so you don't have hours of flight and airport bs. to contend with, nothing worse than getting on the ship dead ass tired.

[AKIQPilot]

5 minutes ago, f7ben said:

I could bankrupt a ship in 6 days if all I had to pay was $300 for beer

My buddy Billy and I each drank $200-$300 worth of alcohol every day for a week.  We got our $350 worth by the second day of a 7 day cruise.  Some of the better drinks are $18+ gratuity.  With a drink package the gratuity is included.  The servers know this so the more drinks they serve you the more tip they are guaranteed to receive.  

[Snake]

4 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

Good points.  We always show up at least 2 days before the cruise to check out the local scenery before going on the ship.  All these cruise lines have scheduled arrivals for passengers these days.  I went on 3 cruises in the last year and there was never a line getting on any ship.  We typically schedule My Time dining for the evening meal.  We like to be seated by 5:30 and finished up by 6:30 or so.  Even with completely full ships there was almost never a wait for our table.  

Suites or mini suites are also good values because they offer an extra bed for a child and sometimes even an extra sleeping area like the TV room, while mom and dad are in the bedroom.  

Same ourtime. If we were traveling with others that's when we would meet up to talk about the day then go out drinking.

We got spoiled and need a mini suite at a minimum. No kids, just love the little bit extra. Especially on the balcony.

 

Edited April 15, 2020 by Snake

[Snake]

1 minute ago, AKIQPilot said:

My buddy Billy and I each drank $200-$300 worth of alcohol every day for a week.  We got our $350 worth by the second day of a 7 day cruise.  Some of the better drinks are $18+ gratuity.  With a drink package the gratuity is included.  The servers know this so the more drinks they serve you the more tip they are guaranteed to receive.  

Sucks when the last place selling booze is the gay bar down stairs.

[DriftBusta]

1 hour ago, f7ben said:

We’d like to take a cruise next January. Are there deals out there right now and what’s the best way to go about this? 
 

I know a lot of you cruise and I have no experience. I owe the family a vacation and this seems like it would be ok. 
 

I briefly looked around Expedia and it’s confusing. Maybe a travel agent would be best

Get on a big new boat.  RCL, NCL, Princess,.  the end.

1 hour ago, Zambroski said:

I bought some NCL for cheap cheap a couple weeks ago.  It will come back and I'll double or triple my investment.

1 hour ago, spin_dry said:

Woolie or Tom are the guys to talk with. The COVID twins. 

Not even sure what that means.  I like a big new cruise ship, good times.  You like mosh pitting with kids younger than your own.   

20 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

PS.  A drink package makes sense if you are going to have 6 adult beverages or more.  Most drink packages run about $50/day+/-.  Both adults in the cabin are required to  purchase a drink package even if the other adult doesnt want alcohol.  There are exceptions to this but generally both adults in the cabin need to buy an alcohol package.  A soda/juice/bottled water  package can be bought for about $10/person.  You are allowed to bring on 2 bottle of wine or a 12 pack of beer per cabin.  Hard Alcohol can not be brought on the ship unless you declare it and have the ship hold it for you until your get off the ship on the final day.  

A typical beer on the ship is $6-8 plus 18% gratuity.  A typical mixed drink is $10-14 plus 18% gratuity. So as you see if you plan on more than 5 beers per day you need a drink package.  

Typically they expect you to wait 15 minutes between alcoholic beverages........

If memory serves it was over 7 hunj for wife and I to get the drink package.  When you can order pretty much whatever you want during your cruise, its worth every nickel

15 minutes ago, Snake said:

I had the tip slip to prove I averages over 8 mudslides a day while onboard.

Put on 14 pounds in a week.

Atta boy.  I think I put on 8-10.   

 

[Kivalo]

Charter a yacht in January and I'll drive it for you. You can pay me with hookers and beer!!!

[Mainecat]

Get a outside room with a balcony.

[AKIQPilot]

Wollie and I think alike.  I love the big new ships.  Royal Caribbean has 5 new Oasis class ships.  These are the biggest cruise ships in the world.  RC also has fantastic entertainment.  You would pay $50-$150 per person per show if you tried to see these types of shows in Vegas.  

An RC Oasis Class ship.  

 

[BOHICA]

My boss got back from Fiji a few weeks ago....  you can buy like a boat pass for a month....  or maybe was a week for like $300 USD.  Then you hop from island to island and stay as long as you want or go.

 

[spin_dry]

7 minutes ago, AKIQPilot said:

Wollie and I think alike.  I love the big new ships.  Royal Caribbean has 5 new Oasis class ships.  These are the biggest cruise ships in the world.  RC also has fantastic entertainment.  You would pay $50-$150 per person per show if you tried to see these types of shows in Vegas.  

An RC Oasis Class ship.  

 

You and wolfie will be the old fucks stealing frenchy’s shopping cart during the 2040 pandemic 

[Big Crappie]

2 hours ago, AKIQPilot said:

We have always booked our own cruises without a travel agent but there is no question sitting down with a travel agent is a great way to book a cruise.  Most agents have been on many cruises so they know all the details on which is the best kind of room to get and which side of the ship you want to be on to see the port upon arrival.  They can give you great advice on the types of excursions you might want to take in each port.  Traditionally, travel agents can get the very best deals on cruise packages.  That may not be true right now because of CV but under normal circumstances a travel agent can get you a great deal.  

We have sailed out of Longbeach, Galveston, Ft Lauderdale many times and a few European cruises. 

Ft Lauderdale is bad ass because of Miami.  The Eastern Caribbean is cool but a bit hammered from recent hurricanes.  Most cruise lines will avoid a torn up place for a few years until the area is rebuilt some.  

Galveston is cool because it's a cool old seaside city that was wiped completely off the map from a Hurricane around 1900.  The western Caribbean is very cool with classic Mayan ruins and incredible weather.  

Longbeach is cool because it's SoCal and SoCal is bad ass but your destinations are the Mexican Riviera, Ensenada and Catalina Island.  

Carnival Cruise is a budget cruise line but their ships are fun and they go to many cool destinations.  

Royal Caribbean is a good cruise line and they have incredible ships with fantastic destinations.  Food is great.  You pay a little more but you get what you pay for.  RC also has CocoCay on their list of destinations.  

 

Wow has that place changed. We were on CocoCay on a RC cruise in 1987. Back then it was a nice easy going place to sit on the beach, drink, snorkel, swim and just take it easy. There was no dock so you went to shore in a tender. I'd hate it now. LOL

Edited April 15, 2020 by Big Crappie

[DriftBusta]

1 hour ago, Mainecat said:

Get a outside room with a balcony.

THIS

1 hour ago, AKIQPilot said:

Wollie and I think alike.  I love the big new ships.  Royal Caribbean has 5 new Oasis class ships.  These are the biggest cruise ships in the world.  RC also has fantastic entertainment.  You would pay $50-$150 per person per show if you tried to see these types of shows in Vegas.  

An RC Oasis Class ship.  

 

Looks terrible.  Just an awful way to spend a week   

[Guest]

6 hours ago, f7ben said:

We’d like to take a cruise next January. Are there deals out there right now and what’s the best way to go about this? 
 

I know a lot of you cruise and I have no experience. I owe the family a vacation and this seems like it would be ok. 
 

I briefly looked around Expedia and it’s confusing. Maybe a travel agent would be best

Yeah Benny, book a cruise. I'm sure some Jamaican 10 decks below in the kitchen, will be wiping his ass,

then wiping your salad with wet Rastafarian shit. You won't know it 'til you're back home and shitting your guts out from fecal contamination. 

[steve from amherst]

Take the family to Yellowstone and Jackson hole. THey will all enjoy it. Try to go off peak. nut not December.

[Highmark]

9 hours ago, f7ben said:

I guess if we do Florida I’d prefer Tampa as my uncles place is under an hour from there

Thought you were never going to Florida again? 

[Highmark]

[Frostynuts]

Ben, in all honesty, you cann,t be serious. In another thread, you mentioned you were worried about getting laid off. Now you are talking about blowing thousands of dollars on a fukking cruise. Sober up and get your head on strait. Mortgage payments, and car and truck payments need to come first. Why you are even thinking of blowing cash on a fukking cruise these days says a lot about how you manage finances. 

[jammin]

A fucking cruise?  A fucking cruise?  Judas priest.......  

[Zambroski]

3 minutes ago, jammin said:

A fucking cruise?  A fucking cruise?  Judas priest.......  

I have never had any interest, but, there’s a few select and small charter type cruises I’d consider for a few days.  I was reading about one that travels the Great Lakes chain.  I think that might be ok.  I hate hot weather...and people in numbers so....locking me on a boat with both is sure to make headlines.

[Zambroski]

21 minutes ago, Frostynuts said:

Ben, in all honesty, you cann,t be serious. In another thread, you mentioned you were worried about getting laid off. Now you are talking about blowing thousands of dollars on a fukking cruise. Sober up and get your head on strait. Mortgage payments, and car and truck payments need to come first. Why you are even thinking of blowing cash on a fukking cruise these days says a lot about how you manage finances. 

He’s got some Trump “fuck you” money coming!