RuskiTrombone Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Just went on our first cruise ever and really enjoyed it. We went on the Carnival Imagination out of Miami, Florida. It was a weekend cruise that left at 4pm on a Friday and came back to port at 8am on a Monday. We only visited one destination, Nassau, Bahamas at 8am on Saturday morning and the cruise debarked at 6am the following morning. On the cruise ship we played miniature golf, watched two adult comedy shows, partied and danced at the night clubs and on the lido deck, enjoyed the hot tubs and played at the casino. In other words we were never bored and had plenty of activities to do. I highly recommend a cruise for someone that has never been on one. All the food was included. They charge your room some daily gratuity rate at the end of the trip. Ours was something like $32 per person for the entire weekend trip. In addition to that we had to pay for our liquor and they automatically charged a 15% gratuity on the liquor. Whatever I spent on the liquor I made back at the casinos, so it was a great trip. We also took advantage of the duty free zone and stocked up on some liquor to take back with us. The food was okay. They had numerous stations set up for breakfast and lunch. You can eat anytime, but some of the buffet food was either cold or just not tasty. Carnival Imagination had a thai station set up for lunch where they would cook up a bowl of Szechuan beef, green BBQ chicken or something else and that was delicious. The dinners were better where we sat at an actual white cloth table and ordered things off the menu like lobster and shrimp dinner, rib eye steak or mahi mahi. We didn't really pack any formal attire so I had to wear jeans, shoes and a tucked in polo shirt on formal day. Whoops! But it wasn't a big deal and I didn't feel out of place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 Yeah Carnival is for the heathens. Nobody will berate you if go casual on formal night. We just sailed on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas in December, and every night people were dressed up in formal attire. On the official formal nights, many men were wearing tuxes, which you can rent right on board for $100 for the duration of the cruise. Not a bad deal if you don't feel like packing a suit. It looks like my wife and I along with 8 or so friends are going to sail on the Carnival Liberty in May. It's on an itinerary we've done before, but our first choice on Royal was shot down because one of my friends couldn't get off from work. Norwegian has a new ship called the Breakaway that sails to Bermuda from NYC. It looks awesome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuskiTrombone Posted January 17, 2013 Author Share Posted January 17, 2013 Oasis is really nice. One of my friends worked on that ship and during its debut was out at sea for 45 days, all expenses paid, to make sure all IT systems functioned properly. You'll have to tell me how you like Carnival Pride. It sails out of Baltimore and I want to take it to the Carribean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted January 17, 2013 Share Posted January 17, 2013 You'll have to tell me how you like Carnival Pride. It sails out of Baltimore and I want to take it to the Carribean. We're sailing on the Liberty which is a Conquest Class ship. The Pride is a Spirit Class ship. I was on a a Spirit Class ship 2 years ago, the Legend. It was nice. Nothing spectacular. I think mostly smaller ships sail out of Baltimore. And usually smaller means older, although Carnival is going through the fleet and giving them overhauls. The Liberty was just given an overhaul, and it has some cool new restaurants and bars on board. You can also sail out of Norfolk. Carnival sails out of there a few times each year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuskiTrombone Posted January 18, 2013 Author Share Posted January 18, 2013 I don't know why, you clearly said you are sailing on the Liberty and I read that you are sailing on Pride. I want to sail again, it was fun. What class ship is the Imagination? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 My wife, my brother, his wife, and my mom did an eastern Caribbean cruise through Carnival (Carnival Liberty). Despite my skepticism I had a really good time. Ours was a 7 day cruise, and my mom insisted on footing the bill. We had port side staterooms on deck 7 with balconies, all three staterooms in a row so we had the stewards open up "our" deck space which was nice because of extra space and eliminating the need to knock on passageway doors to get into each other's room of an evening. Along with the staterooms we opted for priority or first class boarding, which is the shit. Instead of milling around in a throng of people for an hour or two you go to the club room drink cool beverages and wait to be boarded while sitting on your ass. Then you get to board while all the other suckers are milling around in line. You also get priority debarkation which is also nice. As Ruski found out the buffet is for suckers, it's fine for lunch and breakfast but dinner is best enjoyed in the dinning room. Pack appropriate clothing. Also very good was the onboard (extra cost reservations needed) steak house, about $35/plate before drinks but the food was quite good. You'll also need clothing here that is not something a bum or small child would wear. Wine selection here was very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 I don't know why, you clearly said you are sailing on the Liberty and I read that you are sailing on Pride. I want to sail again, it was fun. What class ship is the Imagination? The Imagination is a Fantasy Class ship. I sailed on that a while ago, pre-furbishment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 If I had the money and the time, I would sail Cunard from New York to Southhampton on the Queen Mary 2. It would be a great way to get to Europe without needing to put up with flying, which I hate, plus it would be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 Cunard is way too heightsy for me. I'd rather blow snot rockets and crush beer cans on my head with the rest of the passengers on Carnival. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted January 18, 2013 Share Posted January 18, 2013 This is true. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberwagon Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 <<no cruising for this guy... Nuff said... http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/471/cache/costa-concordia-off-coast_47180_600x450.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Oh please. You're more than likely to die from the flesh eating bacteria than you are to die of a cruise ship sinking. And out of 4000+ people on the Concordia, only 32 people died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stoltz Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 My girlfriend and I have been going with Carnival for the past 6 years and have never had any problems. We have taken the Sensation or Ecstasy for the 3 and 4 day cruises, and the Dream for the 7 or 8 day ones. Our first cruise was the 4 day to the Bahamas and we could wait to go again. We decided to go on the 7 day Mexico cruise for our second and it was just as beautiful. Then After that we just did one then the other, Bahamas Mexico Bahamas Mexico. We usually take the 3 or 4 day cruise for Easter break, spring break, and the 7 or 8 day for summer. I'm still going to school so when ever I'm not in the books we are in the Bahamas!! Lol We have always left from Port Canaveral so our opinion is just based on the ships that depart from there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 <<no cruising for this guy... Nuff said... http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/471/cache/costa-concordia-off-coast_47180_600x450.jpg Learn how to swim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 ^ My wife ordered some info from Viking on their European River cruises. We're actually leaning more toward this than an ocean cruise since you get to see more and to visit the local stops along the river. That said, both Celebrity and Carnival embark from Charleston for both Florida and Bahama cruises. - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Unless you have a fancy palette, like to play bridge to pass the time with Flo and Gertie, and drink wine all day, a river cruise is not for you. I'd say skip the river cruise and just travel by train around Europe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Discriminating palette perhaps, but not interested in onboard entertainment (with Flo or Gertie). We love the water and being on the water, and stopping to sightsee, so this is the best of both for us. Besides my wife has a "Poseidon Adventure" phobia about capsizing at sea, so this is the lesser of two evils in her mind... - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evak Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 My Wife and I are very avid Princess cruisers, I have been on over ten. We always have a great time and never had a serious problem. The only reason things like Concordia and Triumph make such big news is because it rarely happens. I have no problem taking another cruise, I think its one of the best ways to travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuskiTrombone Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 ^ My wife ordered some info from Viking on their European River cruises. We're actually leaning more toward this than an ocean cruise since you get to see more and to visit the local stops along the river. That said, both Celebrity and Carnival embark from Charleston for both Florida and Bahama cruises. My parents in law went on the European River Cruise through Viking last year and are going on a Russian one through Viking next year. They had nothing but great things to say about the experience. I prefer to have activities, but they are the kind of people that would like to listen to history and visit museums. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SBT Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 RT - Very cool thanks! We definitely are at the stage where walking/visiting sites and museums and soaking up other cultures works for us. Viking has certainly garnered some great awards for their river cruise operations. - Pro amore Dei et patriam et populum - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 I'm not saying they aren't nice, because they are. The crowd is just more....experienced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 I'm still upset the Luxury Pirate Hunting Cruise is not in fact real. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 You could go on a theme cruise. How about one to the Monaco GP? http://themecruisefinder.com/CruiseAds/item/4225 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StoplightAssassin Posted April 5, 2013 Share Posted April 5, 2013 Well if anyone ever wanted to try a cruise, now is the time to do it. The fares for our May 4 Carnival cruise to the western Caribbean have been significantly reduced. Prices start at 299 for a interior cabin. This is a 7 night cruise lol. I've never seen fare this cheap...obviously I know why. This ship, the liberty, had a complete overhaul last year, so I'm not worried about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penguin Posted April 6, 2013 Share Posted April 6, 2013 I was just on the Liberty last fall, and we had propulsion issues. Missed our port of call at St. Thomas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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