I HIGHLY agree with Zero on this one... Cruising is the best vacation ever. I've been on three in my 24 years of life and I have two more planned over the next two years. they are nice because mostly everything is included and you get to see a bunch of places without having to worry about how to get there, what to eat, renting a car, etc. All you think about is having as much fun as possible. I should probably work for a cruiseline in the sales department...lol

I took a cruise on the SS Emerald Seas (Eastern Steamshp Lines) from Miami to Nassau in the Bahamas. Didn't like being required to wear a tie and jacket just to enter the dining room. The experience was anything but laid back.

I want to go on a cruise with Moofaga. To Jamaica, mon.

This may be too late to help but make sure you know exactly where your room is in relation to the rest of the ship. I took a cruise a few years ago out of Barcelona and let my friends handle the arrangements. The "great" room I got was located directly over the engine and I heard every thump of the motor all night long. The boat traveled at night so you would wake up to a new destination each day. There was NOTHING in the literature that could have warned me about the problem. I am a light sleeper. Someone else may not be bothered at all. Hope you have a blast.

I have been on over 20 cruises (I am a travel agent) and for the money cruises is worth it. NCL is good but I find Royal Caribbean better for kids and it goes out of Galveston

I have done a couple of 'booze cruises', but thats it. A booze cruise is a trip us brits go on to France, so we can pick up loads of tobacco and alcohol for cheap.

Been on two 7-night cruises (both on Disney). Fantastic! My girls LOVED it!

I recently too an 8 day cruise to the caibbean, Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and Haiti... It was incredible, beautiful places to visit. The ship was great, the food was far too good.

I have never been on a cruise and my brother his wife, sister her son, some of my nieces and their family's have all booked a cruise for September out of Galveston for 7 days we are going to be docking in Cozumel, Cayman Islands and Jamaica can't wait to go.

My brother and his wife have been several times in the last 10 years and love them. Also going to go Scuba Diving for the first time as well.

Jamaica has this great waterfall that you can climb over on the airport side. Everyone knows about it. It is a "must see". I rented a car and drove all over the island eating at all the roadside Jerk stands. I don't recommend this for women. Do try the jerk and breadfruit.

Cayman is a "way" better place to go diving for the first time. My first dive in the ocean was in Grand Cayman about thirty years ago. Check out "Bob Soto's" which is also fairly near the dock area of the cruise ships. Don't miss the turtle farm and eat lots of turtle (they are farm raised).

Cozumel was not a good experience for me since I got sick. I am sure it was the raw salad I ate but winning the Sangria drinking championship at "Carlos and Charlie's" might have had something to do with it too. I am sure you will have fun.

Me plus boats =
dozens of dramamine(sp) couldn't help. If I want to somewhere slowly, I'd train it. Although the thought of being able to shoot at pirates does sound very appealing.

I tried going on a cruise once, and it was the most BORING experience I've ever had. Nuthin' but families with screaming kids and octogenarians with their oxygen bottles crashing on my toes.

I'll take a road trip, thank you very much.

Hey thanks for the tips just called my brother and asked him if he had been to the waterfall in Jamaica come to find out he had not been there yet lol hehehe see he said this time he was not going to a bunch of places but now he said he would like to check out the waterfall as well.

Even though we are all going together we are going to go do what ever we want to and want always be as a group at times.

But I will make sure I see that. And told him about the turtle farm which he has not seen either and said yeah that would be different lol.

There are a few cruise lines that cater (slightly) to an older crowd, but most of them try to be very family-friendly, so that kids and "pre-middle-age" adults can enjoy them. If the age factor is what's keeping you off of cruises, then I'd say your experience has been VERY limited, and you really ought to check into it. Like Suz said, Carnival or Royal Carribean are two of the biggest, and they really try to appeal to all age groups. Royal Carribean has things like rock-climbing walls, ice skating rinks, and wave simulators for surfing on many of their ships. Cruising really is the most cost-effective way to vacation!

OK, just saw this one ...


To avoid "screaming kids and octogenarians ...", I recommend (if you ever do think you might try again) trying a cruise during the school year (fewer kids) on one of the cruise lines I suggested in my previous post (fewer "old folks"). Or get in on the cruise that SuzinVA is planning for Mingle folks in 2010 ... at least there, you'll already be familiar with some of the people on board!

So ... did you do it?

Been on three cruises so far, all with Carnival. I really enjoyed the first two, both were to the Eastern Caribbean. This past one to the Western Caribbean was just awful, I hurt my leg as I climbed up a Mayan temple (nearly fell back down), limped through out the rest of the cruise (5 days), got a very bad cold that gave me laryngtis for two days. I think it was caused by my near drowning. Plus the weather was only in the 60s and I packed for the 80s.

How is the Southern Caribbean?