NGKUR: TTMA Cruising

[lgraceh]

H and I are planning a cruise for my 30th birthday in February. Right now we are looking at a week long one in Mexico. Ports are Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Neither one of us have been to those places or on a cruise so we need some tips. Where are the best rooms? Upper or lower decks? Front, middle, or back of the boat? We are definitely getting a balcony room because I hear it helps w/ not getting sick, is this true? Are the "excursions" worth buying? We are open to other itineraries too, if you have some great ports to recommend. Please bestow upon me your wisdom! Thanks! 

[Cythe]

My family goes on a cruise just about every other year, we really enjoy it. I have never done Mexico, so I cannot help there, but I can on the rest.

Best rooms: IMO, ocean view rooms are a waste of money. For us, its either interior or splurge on the balcony. I've never had any motion sickness issues so idk about the balcony reducing that. Cruise ships by design, are not prone to as much motion sickness because of their size. If you have relatively calm seas, your ship won't list too much.

Front, middle, back? Up to you, look at your floor plan and pick your room based off of what is nearby. There are usually at least 2 elevators on each floor, and being close to that is handy, but keep in mind everyone will be coming and going all day.

Upper or Lower decks: Lower decks = less movement and motion sickness but louder noises (closer to the engines). Lower decks also mean you can usually take the stairs during port days to avoid the elevator wait. I like to shoot for deck 3 at the lowest.

Excursions: Hit or miss. Do some research from your cruise line and see what other people have to say. The benefit of ship excursions is if anything happens (truck break down, accident, traffic) and you do not get back in time, the ship will wait for you. If you book privately, they will not. That said, private excursions are going to be better but probably more expensive. Ship excursions are designed to get as many people in and out. Look for max smaller groups and splurge a bit if you go that route.

As for extra tips: keep in mind that the number 1 source of revenue for almost all of the Caribbean islands is tourism. If you choose to just relax on a (public) beach, be prepared for people trying to sell you their wares. Some ports were better than others, I think the worst I've experienced was St. Maarten. Lovely place, but about every 5-10 mins someone was bugging you.

Have fun!

[sleepymonkey]

I have gone on several cruises. I'm not familiar with the ports you're looking at because I'm on the east coast so I have only done Caribbean cruises. The best rooms are really dependent on what you're looking for. The best thing to do is find a map of the ship you're looking to go on and see the location of the room, paying careful attention to what is on the floor above and below it. I am very prone to seasickness (I actually flew home from one cruise because I got so seasick) and the best rooms for that are inside cabins, mid-ship, on the lower decks. Balcony cabins are usually on upper decks and can feel more motion, though my mom gets as sick as me and has not had much of a problem with balcony cabins. I actually like inside cabins because we generally don't spend much time in the room and they get so dark, which is awesome for sleeping. While you can book excursions outside of the cruise line for less money, I think the excursions offered through the cruise can be good if you're not experienced with cruising because they're easy and they always make sure you're back to the ship on time.

[requiressnacks]

Hi! I like cruising, I don't love cruising. But it is a great way to see a bunch of places at once so I keep on cruising.

Like PP's have said - balcony rooms are great. I often feel like cattle on the big ships so I like to have a balcony to have a quiet drink or read my book away from crowds.

Buying your excursions on the ship will at least guarantee that you will be safe and the boat will not leave without you. If you do an excursion through an outside company, there is always that slight possibility that something happens and the ship leaves without you. I've never personally seen/heard of this happening, but it's always a possibility! The cruise ship excursions guarantee that they will wait.

My advice to you would be to choose your cruise based on the ports. If you are interested in Cabo, Mazatlan and PV - then great! If not, then choose another itinerary. I personally love southern and eastern caribbean because you get that beautiful blue water and white sandy beaches.

Oh, and if you are a big drinker - there are some cruise lines that offer an all-inclusive drink package.

have fun!!

[aprilz81]

Sept 29, 2015 10:09:41 GMT -5 lgraceh said:

H and I are planning a cruise for my 30th birthday in February. Right now we are looking at a week long one in Mexico. Ports are Cabo, Mazatlan, and Puerto Vallarta. Neither one of us have been to those places or on a cruise so we need some tips. Where are the best rooms? Upper or lower decks? Front, middle, or back of the boat? We are definitely getting a balcony room because I hear it helps w/ not getting sick, is this true? Are the "excursions" worth buying? We are open to other itineraries too, if you have some great ports to recommend. Please bestow upon me your wisdom! Thanks! 

I've not been to those specific ports, but...

The "best" rooms depends on what you want.  Generally speaking the lower cabins are less expensive.  If you are prone to motion sickness your best best (but no guarantee) to avoid getting sick is a cabin in the middle of the ship and on a lower floor.  A balcony can help with the seasickness because you can get fresh air and see the horizon, but take medicine with you just in case.  

When you pick your room make sure to look at the deck plan and make sure you aren't below the pool or above a dance club.  The best cabin location will have cabins above and below (less noise).

Excursions are cheaper to get on your own 99% of the time.  Use Travelocity and CruiseCritic.com to research options, a reputable third party excursion will be less expensive, a smaller group, and you get to see/do more because you are in a smaller group.  Most of the time you won't need an excursion if you are just going to the beach.  You can take a taxi in most places for just a few dollars a person and rent a chair and umbrella at a local beach bar.

Be sure to turn your phone into airplane mode when you get on the ship.  Ship's wifi is slow and expensive and international data charges will bankrupt you.  You can usually find free wifi at the pier or you can get a wifi password if you buy a drink at a bar.  That will let you check in with people via text/email without running up your phone bill.

Be prepared for your on board spending amounts.  Drinks are pricey ($4 for a soda, $8-10 for a cocktail, $4-8 for beer, $8+ for wine), some food costs extra (easy enough to avoid), the spa, casino, and shops all do their best to draw you in.

If you have any specific questions let me know!  I love to cruise!