Hey everyone! I’m so sorry for the late blog post! Meant to post at the end of the month like usual but ya know, life happens and HOLY CRAP how is it already November?! This year has seriously flown by!! I am not ready for cold weather at all, but as I’m writing this, it’s literally snowing outside!
Unfortunately, no travel plans for the rest of 2019 (insert sad face emoji here!). I’ve got some fun stuff in the planning stage for 2020 however, so fingers crossed it works out! Comment on this blog post with your guesses of places I might be headed!
So since I’m not going anywhere, let’s talk about something else…cruise ships!! Be honest…how many of you have seen the movie Titanic, and now have an intense fear of being stranded on a sinking boat? I’m going to guess quite a few. I recently talked to someone who swore they would never, ever, EVER go on a cruise…when I asked why; they gave a multitude of reasons.
“Too expensive.”
“Afraid the boat will sink.”
“I get sea sick too easily.”
Well, I’m here to change your mind! Now, I am not a cruise expert. I’ve only been on two. But, I can tell you they were two of the most fun vacations I’ve ever been on!
My first cruise was when I was 15 years old, and we went with my brother’s girlfriend’s family (so we had a pretty big group!). Unfortunately for you, I refuse to share any pictures from this trip, simply because, well, I looked like most typical awkward fifteen year old girls did back then! But our last one was in March of 2018, with my boyfriend and my parents. Sooo, allow me to begin talking you into booking a cruise by covering a few of the major points of why I think they are so awesome!
PRICE
First, let’s look at the price. There are many different cruise lines to choose from, such as Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, etc. Personally, my last two cruises have been with Carnival, and I’ll probably continue to cruise with them for now, though I may try another line someday. You can book directly off carnival.com! I just typed in where I wanted to go, where I wanted to sail from, and what month I wanted to go. In February 2020, for roughly $545 a person, you can visit THREE different countries (Bahamas, Turks & Caicos, and Dominican Republic) on a six day cruise! A quick search on southwest.com shows me I can fly to Fort Lauderdale, which is a popular cruise port, for as low as $250! Right there you’re looking at $800 a person. Think that’s expensive?
I checked Expedia for all-inclusive resorts in Mexico. Some of the cheapest I found were $200 a night (I’m sure there are probably other options – this is just what a quick search showed). But, just resort ALONE, you’re already at $750. That’s not even including flights!! Granted, you would probably divide that price between multiple people, but you get my point of why I think cruises are so worth it. I can’t think of another way to visit multiple countries in a week for just $800!
I cannot vouch for other cruise lines, but I know at Carnival, your meals on the boat are free – including the fancy dinners at night! (Though there are some restaurants or certain entrees you have to pay for, I believe). There are also massive buffets, and 24/7 pizza and ice cream. You can also choose to get a “soda card”, which I believe was around maybe $50, that allows you to drink unlimited sodas, as well as an alcohol card, which is a bit pricier, but I don’t drink enough to ever think it’s worth it.
So at this point, you’re basically paying $800 a person, plus soda/alcohol, souvenirs, and any fun activities you do – which can be booked directly from the cruise line or you can book on your own. But do beware, most cruise lines urge you to book through them instead of on your own; the reasoning that if your activity is running late or if something happens, they will not wait at port for you to get back on the boat. If you book through them, they will not leave until you are back aboard!
So for price, I feel as though you get a lot for your money. Not to mention, you can get a “Carnival Card” (I think mine is a MasterCard), that allows you to build up points for your next cruise. My boyfriend and I both signed up back in 2018 (you get $200 FREE if you sign up while on a cruise, or at least we did when we went), and we can already both go on basically a free cruise just from using this credit card the last year and a half.
As for safety, I can tell you there’s dangers with literally anything you do; that’s unavoidable. But on both cruises, before the fun began, they performed a safety drill where we all have to go out on deck, stand in lines, and are informed of which lifeboat we are supposed to go on in case of emergency. They also scan everyone to make sure everyone attends this debriefing, and show you where to locate a lifejacket.
WHAT TO DO
Someone also told me, “I think I would get bored!”
Umm, no you won’t! There’s literally something there for everyone. Movie night on top deck? Comedy clubs? Karaoke? Live music? Shopping center? Bars? Spa? Arcade? Kids club? Shows? A gym? Tennis court? Pools? Hot tubs? Waterslide? Basketball court? I’m sure I’m forgetting something, but there’s literally something going on all the time! Not to mention, all the options for activities at all the different ports.
Cruises are literally designed to make sure everyone is having fun, and a lot of the time cruise directors are very active with guests! Our cruise director was Chloe Loddo – she was constantly on top deck with a microphone organizing fun contests for people to participate in, and at the end of the cruise there was a big show for two of the winners to have a “dance off” – it was a BLAST!
WHERE YOU CAN GO
Let’s talk about the places you can visit, too! So far I’ve been to Costa Maya (Mexico), Roatan (Honduras), Belize City (Belize) on one cruise, and Nassau and Half Moon Cay (Bahamas), Grand Turk (Turks & Caicos), and “Amber Cove”/Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic) on the second most recent cruise. But these cruises literally go everywheeeerrrreeee. Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, you name it. How else can you visit multiple countries or places in one week?! I love the idea of going to bed at night and waking up in a new place every morning!
I’ve been diving in Belize and Bahamas off of cruise ships – Bahamas was by far my favorite. We booked through the cruise ship with a company called Stuart’s Cove, and they were great! We saw tons of sharks and other cool sea life. (Fun fact: Belize was my very first ocean diving! I was only 15 and held my dad’s hand the majority of the time!)
As for best beaches, I would have to say Half Moon Cay and Grand Turk have the best in my opinion. Half Moon had more room to spread out, prettiest water and sand, and was really shallow. Plus Carnival provides a free lunch this day. The downfall to this spot was you have to take a “ferry” from the cruise ship to the beach, and if weather is rough, they aren’t able to go. We got lucky, even though the waves were a bit choppy. My dad actually almost lost the toes on one foot here because his sandal got caught under the “walkway” between the boats! Grand Turk is a bit more crowded, but still an awesome beach and has an awesome selection of gift shops/t-shirt stores, pluuus there’s a Margaritaville right on the beach, and ya girl LOVES her some volcano nachos and a strawberry daiquiri!
See those pictures above?? Guess what…that water is NOT edited! The Bahamas is just that beautiful!
We went fourwheeler riding in Costa Maya and the Dominican Republic. It was an absolute blast and a great way to get away from the “tourist areas” and see more of the country. In the DR, we even got to drive by places where part of the Jurassic Park movies were filmed!
FOOD
Speaking of food…did I mention how awesome food on the ships is?!
There are so many different options, it’s insane. And the best part is, you can order whatever you want, however much you want!
Want 3 lobster tails? Sure, go ahead. In fact, my boyfriend and dad did this one night! Can’t decide which dessert you want? Order them all! Your food is included when you book a cruise (except on certain occasions, like I mentioned before).
They also have a fun little section on the menu where you can try unusual foods…for instance; my dad and boyfriend ate OXE TONGUE one night. Whaaaaat? No thanks, I passed! They also sometimes have options like oysters, escargot (snails), and more!
Dessert is my favorite part – my top two are the Melting Cake and S-mores Parfait!
Dinner also often comes with a show, so don’t be surprised if the waiters start jumping up on tables and dancing!
SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
Have I convinced you yet? Hope so! Please let me know if you decide to go on a cruise; I’d love to hear how it went! If you have any questions leave them in the comments!
