Cruising in the Carribean

We took a cruise to the Caribbean on the cruise line called The Royal Caribbean, Liberty of the Seas. The ports of call included: Labadee, Haiti; Ocho Rios, Jamaica; Grand Cayman; and Cozumel, Mexico. The ship was quite impressive. The ship featured amenities such an ice skating rink, theaters, a rock climbing wall, a wave machine, multiple pools and jacuzzi, a casino, an arcade, wine bars, an English pub, etc.

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While the staterooms are relatively small in size (but well kept and clean), we found ourselves not spending much time in the room as there was so much to see and do on the ship. Here’s a picture of our stateroom (it was a room with a balcony). Don’t be afraid when you see the life jackets, we did not need to use them! Everyone has to do a practice drill at the beginning of the cruise for safety.

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The food was amazing in the formal dining room. The buffet areas of the ship were decent (in as much as buffet style restaurants can be given the quantity of food they produce and having to try to keep it warm). The ship’s crew provided constant entertainment to include ice shows, a pirate parade, game shows, plays, movies, bingo, games for children, art auctions, and much more. I think that one would have to not get off at the ports of call to be able to do about 3/4’s of what is offered! Here’s a couple pictures of one of the entertainment acts, a Pirate Parade!

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Many people wonder, “What are the extra costs of cruising, aside from just the cruise ticket?” Well, here’s a VERY brief overview of what is and is not including in a ticket price with this cruise line:

Included:

• Access to basic entertainment: pools, hot tubs, saunas, ping pong, all shows (ice and theatre), various competitions ( like belly flop competition, best-legs competition, etc).
• Access to main dining areas to include main dining room (assigned seating) and buffet (help yourself and sit where you want), room service (yes, room service was free, but you should have a couple singles for tips), ice cream poolside, and various snack restaurants (such as a pizza place, cafe, etc).

NOT Included:

• Excursions (these rage in price anywhere from $20-$200+ depending upon what you choose. Our excursions averaged $40-$80/person for each excursion)
• Beverages: This means that soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are NOT included. You can purchase a soda package and a wine package that will cover you for the whole trip. I highly recommend this as it helps you get an idea of what your final bill will be and will stop you from overspending. Be warned of the frosty beverages that staff will come around with and offer to you, they are NOT free!
• A select few restaurants (there is a cover charge for the Ben and Jerry’s store, a steakhouse, and Johnny Rockets).
• Tips: You will need to tip the following people: waiter, assistant waiter, room attendant, and headwaiter. The cruise provides you with a guideline for how much you should each provider on a per day per person basis. You can pay this in cash or put it on your sea pass (which will be added to your final bill).
• Parking at the pier (the pier is located right in front of the ship embarkation. You do have to pay for this).