New to Cruising

[TrinaBird]

Hi Everybody....first time Cruiser here.

Hubby and I are going on our very first cruise on the Monarch of the Seas this November to celebrate a combination milestone anniversary/birthday. I was hoping to get some advice, tips, tricks to help make our trip go smoothly. I don't really know what to ask as I've never done this before. We chose a Junior Suite w/ balcony and My Time Dining.

I would appreciate any advice you all can give. This is the first time we've done anything without our kids and we're really excited.

 

[Mbandy]

Ahoy Trina and welcome to Cruise @ddicts :spyglass:

A little Bahamas cruise is a great way to start your cruise career. I'm sure you'll have a great time.

My time dining is not really my cup of tea. We like a large table with late seating. We enjoy visiting with our table mates and having the same wait staff every night.

Coco Cay is a great beach day. Try the wave runners, really fun.

Nassau is nice too. Check out the Straw Market for some shopping. Some people like to go to the Atlantis on Paradise Island. IMHO, over priced and over rated. Some people like to swim with the dolphins. I like Cable Beach. We have done the day trip to Breezes all-inclusive resort a few times and like that a lot.

Have a great time on your first cruise! :banana:

 

[Jeanie]

We just got off the Monarch two weeks ago. It was a wonderful short cruise. The food and service was excellent.

We took the water taxi to Atlantis on Paradise Island. Visit the Aquarium and explore the beautiful hotel. The water taxi cost $3.00 PP each way. Food and drinks are pricey. Went to the Straw market and Senior Frogs for a few beers. had a ball.

Coco Cay, we enjoy the beach

Also, we like late dining at a large table. Enjoy meeting people hearing about the day

Since the Monarch is an old ship, the rooms are very small compare to other cruises we were on.

Have a great cruise.:banana::banana::banana:

 

[Cruizer]

The best advise I can give you is to go with a positive attitude. Go expecting to have fun and you will. Go expecting to find problems and you will.

 

[Romana]

I have never been on that ship but I went with RCCL 2 times and totally enjoyed both experiences. I went on Enchantment of the Seas & Majesty of the Seas.

You will come back addicted to cruising - I didn't know what to expect and am totally hooked. I liked the 2nd dinner seating because I didn't have to shorten my island time. The disadvantage is you are too stuffed to go to any mid-night buffets, good news you eat less so you might gain only 10 pounds vs. 20.

Be sure to share your story when you get back!

 

[kasey]

Welcome Trina & congrats on the Anniversary & birthday..you will find a cruise is a great way to Celebrate all those wonderful events!

I have not sailed on the Monarch yet, but have sailed her sister ship the Sovereign many times...

Choosing a JS was a VERY good choice as the regular rooms are extremly small!

For your 1st cruise I would have suggested sharing a large table in the dining room...unless you really want the alone time.. most fellow cruisers are quite friendly & can share tips on things to see & do in port...

The biggest tip I can give...Don't OVERPACK!! It's only a 4 night cruise.. you really don't need to change clothes 3 times a day..or have shoes to match EVERY outfit lol.. bring things that can mix/match...you want to have room in your suitcase for all the bargains you are going to find in Nassau..oh and another tip.. if you can..get to the port early...you can usually start boarding the ship about 11:30...your room won't be ready till 1, but they will be serving lunch in the Windjammer..and if you bring your swimsuit in your carry on you can start working on your tan right away...

 

[cruisingator]

The first thing to remember, leave all worries behind and a fair warning. You will be hooked for life. It's an addiction.

The Junior Suites are nice. Plenty of room and the balcony is a great place to just relax and read a book or take in the calm sight of the seas.

My Time Dining is great. We never made a reservation or had to wait. The great thing about MTD is that you are not held to a set schedule and eliminate the feel to rush around in the evening to make dinner.

Have a great cruise.

 

[verosnowbird]

New to cruising:

Relax and enjoy. I only have a few things to add to the above posters helpful hints.

1. Don't take the water taxi if you go to Atlantis. It drops you off a considerable distance from the hotel, and it's a long, hot walk. Besides, the water taxis are old and scary looking.....if you take it, make sure you know where the lifejackets are. Seriously, the regular taxi costs about the same and will drop you off at the front door of the hotel.

2. Remember to tip the staff. In case your TA didn't tell you, tips for the staff are expected, and not included in your cruise fare. The going rate is $9.75 per person per day for your cabin steward, waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter.......so add about $60-80 (depending on whether you are going for 3 or 4 nights) to your budget for the cruise. All drinks will have a 15% service charge automatically added to the bill. You can, if you wish, increase this tip when you sign the slip.

3. Your ticket book will say boarding begins at 2. You can probably get onboard around 11 or 11:30, so plan on getting to the pier by 11 and starting your vacation.

4. Relax and enjoy. Be prepared to be WOWED! Also, be prepared to plan another cruise, as cruising may become an obsession!

Rita

 

[Breeze]

Trina - Welcome to the wonderful world of cruising! You are about to get hooked on the least stressful vacation imaginable.

Everyone has given you great suggestions and tips. I too agree that, if you're going to Atlantis, don't take the water taxi. We made that mistake once. It's a long walk and by the time we got to Atlantis, we were too hot to enjoy our time there.
Another Atlantis tip - Unless you have an unlimited budget, don't plan on eating there. It's super expensive. Last time we were there a slice of pizza was $7.00!

The Monarch is a great little ship with a terrific staff. The Schooner Bar is a great place to hang out in the evening, especially if there is someone good playing at the piano bar.

Enjoy your cruise and bake sure you come back here and tell us all about it.

 

[PH8]

You got a lot of good advice on here.............I love the Monarch and the crew/staff is one of the best...........

The 3/4 nighters are a great way to see if you like cruising............and if you do,just wait till you see all the bells and whistles on the larger ships! Not saying you wont have a good time on the MN!!

 

[cruisingator]

New to cruising:

Relax and enjoy. I only have a few things to add to the above posters helpful hints.

1. Don't take the water taxi if you go to Atlantis. It drops you off a considerable distance from the hotel, and it's a long, hot walk. Besides, the water taxis are old and scary looking.....if you take it, make sure you know where the lifejackets are. Seriously, the regular taxi costs about the same and will drop you off at the front door of the hotel.

Rita

Very good advice Rita and I agree 100% about those water taxi's. Very scary looking.

 

[TrinaBird]

Thanks for all of the great advice! Since this is our very first cruise, we have NO grand expectations other than to relax and have fun. I don't really know what to expect so whatever happens will be a fun surprise.

We debated about whether to do my time dining or main seating. We ended up choosing the MTD since this is our first time and we have no idea what to expect in time frames for doing things, off or on ship, so we didn't want to be held back by a specific dinner time. From what I've been reading, if (or should I say WHEN ) we book our next cruise, we'll definitely try the main dining for the experience. My hope is that with the MTD, we'll still get to meet some great people.

For the ports, do you all recommend taking the land excursion packages through Royal Caribbean? Nassau has so many things to do, and since I've never been there before, I have no idea what to choose. Atlantis sounds interesting. Is it better to take the excursion package or try to get there ourselves? I'm worried about getting lost.

Tipping....since we chose my time dining, we were required to pay the gratuities that would cover the cabin steward, waiter, assistant waiter and head waiter in advance. Are we required to pay additional on top of that? I understand that if we are very pleased with the service, we can always give additional, but are there any more "hidden" fees associated with this?

Beverages....what exactly is included and what is not? I was surprised to find that soda was not included in the package? We considered buying the soda package, but it seems like we would have to drink ALOT of soda each day for the package price to be worth it. Is it true that drinks like iced tea, lemonade, coffee (specifically the coffee, LOL), tea are unlimited and included in the package? I can get by without much soda, but coffee is a must!!

Overpacking, LOL!! I'm trying not to, but my husband might be difficult. He's the one that needs a certain pair of shoes/boots for every possible scenario. Dinners...just how "dressy" do you have to be? Is it different with main seating than MTD? I don't dress like a slob but I want to be relaxed. I'm not a big "dress up" kind of person and I really don't want to pack to dress up every night. What is considered appropriate?

I'm sure I'll have more questions. Only three weeks to go and I'm getting so excited! Thanks to all for all of your advice. It's truly appreciated.

 

[verosnowbird]

TrinaBird,

I posted a long post a few hours ago and it went POOF! I hate when that happens!

Re ship excursions vs. on your own. If you are uncomfortable in a strange place, its' better to book the ship excursion. However, they are more expensive and may take you places you don't want to go to. If you are interested in Atlantis, it is very easy to do that on your own, and you shouldn't get lost. it's a short taxi ride from the pier to Atlantis, and the charge should be $4-$5 pp. There will be lots of taxis at the pier and you can arrange the price beforehand. You can see Atlantis from the pier, so don't worry about getting lost.

Tipping - Since you have selected My Time Dining, your tips for your waiter, assistant waiter, room steward, and head waiter have been prepaid. You will be charged a 15% gratuity for every drink you purchase.
It's up to you to increase that tip if you feel you got extra special service.
You will be given vouchers for the rest of the tips you prepaid. If you feel you want to, you can add extra cash to the envelopes, but it isn't necessary or expected......it's entirely up to you.

I don't know of any "drink" package except the soda package, and you would have to drink about 5 sodas a day to make it worthwhile. These are fountain sodas, not cans. Ice tea, coffee, tea, water and lemonade are available without charge, pretty much all day long in the Windjammer area (buffet area). Ice tea, coffee, water are available during meal times for no charge in the Main Dining Room.

Regarding dressing up for dinner. Even though you have My Time Dining, it is held in the main dining room and the dress code applies to MTD also.
However, on shorter cruises we've noticed a tendency for more casual dress than on longer cruises.......slacks, skirt and nice top would be appropriate in the DR. For formal night you may want to bring a sparkly top (or not) and your DH can wear a jacket and tie (or not). Dress code is a suggestion rather than a demand, and you will see most people dressed neatly. Tank tops t-shirts and shorts are not appropriate for the MTD, but pretty much everything else goes. There have been many discussions here and elsewhere about the dress code, but we've been cruising 30 years and times have changed. When we first started dressing up for dinner was a REQUIREMENT every night (not formal dress, just nylons, heels, nice dresses, and men mostly wore a collared shirt and tie, and mostly a jacket. Now you will see all manner of dress, and I won't even comment on whether or not I think it's appropriate......not my business. You will see lots of collared golf shirts on men, with khaki's or Dockers.
Wear what you feel is neat and comfortable. The Main Dining room (where you will be having dinner) is a nicely appointed room, with table linens and lots of silver and nice dishes. Wear whatever you feel would fit in those surroundings (or not).

Don't stress....enjoy your cruise......and be prepared......you will most likely become addicted.......just like the rest of us:clap:

Rita

 

[TrinaBird]

Thanks for the tips. You have all been very helpful.

I'm now torn between going to Atlantis and doing the all inclusive Cable Beach day. What types of food and drinks do they serve? Royal Caribbean is offering an excursion package. Is there another way to reserve this or do we have to go through RC?

This trip is intended to be relaxing for us and by the looks of Atlantis, it seems like it will be a lot of walking and my husband thinks it probably won't be worth it. The Cable Beach thing looks more like a relaxing day for us.


ritag, I've had my very long posts go poof myself so I know how you feel. So frustrating!! Thanks for taking the time to repost, it's very much appreciated.

 

[PH8]

You dont have to use RCCL to go to Cable Beach.....you can take a taxi or take the local bus for $1.25.........

which hotel are you going to?? The Sheraton or the Wyndham? I have never done a day pass to either,so really dont know whats included.......

I have done Breezes and wouldnt recommend it............wasnt for me.........

 

[TrinaBird]

I'm not sure the hotel? Here is what RCCL lists for the excursion...

Nassau Super All Inclusive Beach Getaway

Guests will enjoy the short scenic drive along the coast to Cable Beach the home of Breezes Resort. Enjoy the facilities and services available at this beach resort! Includes beach/pool lounge chairs, non-motorized beach water sports, lunch and unlimited beverages from the bar!

 

[PH8]

Says you're going to Breezes..........not sure how much RCCL charges,but bet you could go cheaper...........we went for about $60 each..

 

[Mbandy]

Breezes is a great day trip. You can eat at the regular restaurant and they have a grill at the pool bar with burgers etc and the conch fritters are to die for. We like to take a Hobie Catermeran sailboat out for a sail when we go to Breezes. All included in the price.