I have never taken a cruise. They have always seemed appealing to me, but for someone who tends to get motion sick pretty easily (I can’t even watch a home video without becoming nauseous), the idea of paying all that money and potentially being sick the whole time has prevented me from going on one. However, I enjoy listening to other people’s experiences. If I can’t do a thing, living vicariously through stories of others, well, that is the next best thing. I had the opportunity to do that with my friend, Connie. She and her husband, Kirk, took at 7 day cruise to the Caribbean on a Carnival Cruise ship for their 30th anniversary.
Connie had never been on a cruise before, but Kirk surprised her with scheduling the cruise for the week of their anniversary in September. Their cruise had 4 ports of call. They would be visiting the Grand Cayman Island, Honduras, Belize and Cozumel. Because the internet makes purchasing a cruise package pretty easy, Kirk made all the arrangements before the couple ever left Ohio. They had the chance to choose from around 20-30 excursions at each port. The excursions range from the tame to the adventurous. Due physical limitations, Kirk and Connie choose excursions that were easy. There were some that were moderately challenging and some that were considered difficult, which require “physical exertion for an extended period of time; can involve swimming and/or rough, uneven or steep terrain” (based on Carnival’s website).
Here are some highlights from their visits to the islands
Grand Cayman Island
- Their first excursion was to take a submarine type tour. They were able to see several schools of fish as well as a ship wreck. She said they saw 5 different types of fish. I asked her what the ship wreck looked like and she said, “kind of hairy.” (I realize at this time that my frame of reference regarding sea life comes from movies like Finding Nemo, Little Mermaid and Pirates of the Caribbean!) Connie said that their tour guides were great. In fact, one of them got into the water and interacted with the group from outside of the vessel.
- They then took a tour of the island. The Grand Cayman Island is a 10 by 22 mile island, but it has 600 banks on it! It is a British Colony, which I didn’t realize. Along their tour they stopped at a few different gift shops. One was called “Hell.” The tour guide told them that they could say they had been to hell and back.
- The final excursion they took that day was to a turtle farm. Connie found it interesting, but she did not want to hold a turtle. Kirk didn’t mind.
It started raining while they were on their last excursion, so the group decided to cut short their visit. Apparently so did everyone else who had gotten off the ship. Because the bay is too shallow to dock the ship, they used “tinders” smaller boats to get from the ship to the island. With everyone wanting to return to the ship at the same time, there was quite a line waiting to get back. However, once they got back, Kirk had surprised Connie with getting their room decorated for their anniversary. There was also sparkling grape juice and chocolate covered strawberries for them to celebrate their 30th anniversary.
Honduras
- Kirk and Connie chose to do one excursion in Honduras. It was getting a clam-shell shade over two lounge chairs on a private beach. The way they got from the ship to the beach was on a chair lift (like you would have at a ski-resort). Because it ran continuously they could ride from the beach to the ship any time all day. They could go back to the ship to eat or get something from their room.
Belize
- Well, Connie and Kirk didn’t actually see Belize. Their excursion, which was to go snorkeling, got cancelled. They could have chosen to take a different excursion, but Connie explained that by this day (which was day 5 of their cruise), they were pretty tired. They decided to hang out on the boat and enjoy the amenities there. Connie read a book on their balcony. Kirk enjoyed their on-ship sports bar.
- Because they didn’t go on the excursion, their account was credited with the funds. Connie said they were able to do some shopping on the ship with those funds, which was fun.
Cozumel
- On Cozumel the couple did the Dolphin Experience. They got to learn about dolphins and do tricks with them. Each group had two dolphins. In Connie’s group, one of the dolphins was a baby. It takes 18 months to train a dolphin, they were told. The excursion also included a meal, which was a buffet. It had both American and Mexican cuisine. That is the best of both worlds for Kirk and Connie. Connie could get her chicken fajitas and Kirk could get his hamburger and fries.
- Connie also said that during their time in Cozumel, she left one of the painted rocks she had found so that it could be found. by someone else. She is an avid rock painter. The purpose, from what I understand, is to brighten someone else’s day when they find a painted rock. (If you want more information about this interesting hobby, you can check it out here.)
While Connie said the excursions were fun, she really enjoyed her time on the ship. Obviously there are days when the ship is cruising from one port of call to another. These are considered “sea days.” During those times, Kirk and Connie enjoyed the pool/whirlpool, their balcony, the Punchline comedy bar, watching movies by the pool and just hanging out in the atrium listening to the bands. The Atrium is the welcome center of the ship, but also seems to be the hub of much activity. Connie said that she and Kirk would get there early in the evening and stay until it closed just listening to the band.
Of course there was tons of food everywhere. Kirk and Connie had scheduled their dinners for the 6 p.m. seating. They chose to sit with other couples, which turned out to be a great idea for them. They got to meet two other couples who were, as Connie put it, seasoned cruisers. The one couple, a retired couple from Arizona, had already been on 9 cruises this year and had three more scheduled! The other had been on several cruises in their lives as well. She really enjoyed getting to know them and exchanged emails at the end of the cruise.
Also, while hanging out on the ship, they went to a question and answer session to learn more about the ship and the crew. They were told there were 3,000 guests on board and 1,200 employees. Each employee signs a contract to work 6-8 months. They work 7 days week during the time of their contract. Each ship has one doctor and several nurses (theirs had 5 nurses). She said that no ship can sail without a doctor — they can sail without a cruise director or even a captain, but not a doctor. (That is good to know!)
Connie was really impressed with the staff. She said that everyone who worked on the ship were so nice and super helpful. They also seemed to be having a lot of fun, themselves. There were two nights at dinner when the crew broke out into a song and dance (choreographed, of course). The seasoned cruising couples were expecting it — she and Kirk were not. She said it was obvious the crew enjoyed doing this.
She also shared that Dustin, the cruise director, was so much fun and full of energy. Every morning he would make a ship wide announce explaining the temperature of where they were, when things were happening off ship and on and where he would be, in case people needed him.
Now, when I think of cruises, my mind naturally goes to thinking about the 1970’s TV series, The Love Boat. I just can’t help it. So everything that Connie told me, I put into a frame of reference from that point of view. When Connie talked about Dustin, I kept thinking about Julie from The Love Boat. When I was a kid that job sounded like so much fun. From what Connie said, Dustin must be a lot like the bubbly Julie from the show. On a side note, Dustin is actually from a farm near Buckeye Lake, Ohio, which is in Licking County. Talk about a small world!
In addition to Dustin’s announcement, each day they received at the door a list of happenings on the ship. This included entertainment and activities that the guests could enjoy while on the ship. Connie showed us a couple of them. It was tri-fold brochure that was filled on all sides with things to do. I guess if you are bored on a cruise, it is your own fault!
After listening to Connie talk, I have to admit that I’m a little more interested in trying a cruise. I did ask her for any tips she might have for first time cruisers:
- If you are afraid of getting sick, she suggests getting medication before you leave and start it early. Don’t wait to feel sick. (Of course, you’ll want to confirm this with your own doctor before taking any medication.)
- Make your decisions on what you will do ahead of time online. Carnival’s website is easy to navigate and you can do much of your planning before you step on board. This includes planning your excursions and meal times. You can even pay for your tips ahead of time, so you won’t have to worry about that once on board.
- Choose the 8 p.m. dinner time. Connie and Kirk chose the 6 p.m. seating and they always felt rushed. By choosing 8 p.m. you have time to relax when you return from an excursion.
- Take a carry-on bag with you and don’t check it when you board the ship. This way you can have essentials with you when you get to your room, instead of having to wait for your luggage to be delivered. For example, if you have your bathing suit with you in your carry-on, then you can go to the pool right away.
- Get to know your statesman (the person in charge of your room). Connie said that it is interesting to hear their stories.
You can probably tell that our lunch went a little longer than we had expected, but it was so worth it. Whether I ever actually make it on a cruise or not, I kind of feel like I’ve been on one — and I didn’t even get nauseous once!
