MammaHomie recently came into some money and she’s wanting to take me and Mrs. Homie on a Carnival Cruise with her and my stepdad. Mrs. Homie and I are both pretty excited about it. She’s never been on a cruise, and I went on one (Carnival to Cozumel/Playa del Carmen, Grand Cayman, and Ocho Rios) back in 1995 - it was a college graduation gift.
I had a great time on the 1995 cruise and I’ve been itching to go on a cruise ever since. Having said that, however, there were some aspects of the cruise that I didn’t fully enjoy. That, and I feel like I missed out on some things simply for not knowing about all that was available to me.
I didn’t enjoy:
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[li]The ship smelled terrible. Just about everywhere I went reeked of stale cigarette smoke, and there wasn’t a bar, lounge, or dance club anywhere on the ship where there weren’t people smoking. I understand that cruise lines are tightening up on where they allow smoking on-board, but Carnival’s website is vague about their smoking policy. Does anyone here know specifics of Carnival’s current smoking policy? And didn’t I read somewhere that a couple of their ships are entirely non-smoking?[/li][li]Ocho Rios, Jamaica. While I thought Dunn’s River Falls was beautiful, if our itinerary this time calls for a stop at Ocho Rios, I won’t even be getting off the ship. From the moment I stepped off the ship last time, I was constantly swarmed with people aggressively trying to sell me things. It got so bad that at one point I thought I was going to get into a fistfight with a local when he tried to grab me and pull me into his shop. Is Jamaica still like this?[/li][li]I was actually kind of bored when the ship was at sea. Other than the casino and the library, there wasn’t really much in the way of shipboard activities. Everything seemed to be kind-of at my leisure, and there was nothing scheduled (that I was aware of).[/li][/ul]
I did enjoy:
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[li]I’ll never forget the ancient Mayan ruins of Tulum for as long as I live. Definitely a highlight not only of my cruise, but of my life in general.[/li][li]The food was exquisite. Can’t wait to get me some more![/li][li]Renting a waverunner at Seven Mile Beach in Georgetown, Grand Cayman.[/li][/ul]
Othere than the questions posted above, here are some more specific questions for the veteran cruisers amongst the Teeming Millions™:
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[li]What have Carnival curises been like recently? Are there more scheduled daytime activities and things to do on-board the ship than just the casino and lounging by the pool?[/li][li]Is there any particular island, destination or shore excursion in the Caribbean that is an abosultely must-see?[/li][li]Are The Baths at Virgin Gorda worth the 40-minute trip from Tortola? I see a few Carnival itineraries that go to Tortola and offer The Baths as a shore excursion, and I must say it looks pretty cool.[/li][li]Any other advice for someone who is relatively new to cruising?[/li][/ul]
Thanks!