Caribbean vacation in 2 days!

Linzyhop · 03-27-2008, 10:27 AM

going on a cruise in 2 days!!!! can't wait!

I leave tomorrow after work to fly down to Fort Lauderdale, spend the night, then board the Carnival Liberty on Sat for an 8 day cruise. we stop in San Juan, St. Thomas, Antigua, Tortola, and then the Bahamas.

two friends are getting married on St. Thomas next week, and there's about 40 of us going.

I finally get to try scuba diving (bringing a digital waterproof 7.1 px camera that i borrowed from a photography friend-can't wait to see those pics!) and we're going ziplining above the jungle too.

super sweet.

not to mention the 5 different ways I'm smuggling booze on board. yea Maalox, contact solution and listerine bottles!

7960 · 03-27-2008, 10:32 AM

Originally Posted by Linzyhop

(bringing a digital waterproof 7.1 px camera that i borrowed from a photography friend-can't wait to see those pics!)

neither can we.

1st post upon return must be a digital waterproof 7.1 px picture of a certain bikini-clad LLer.

Have fun. My advice, don't get off the boat in the Bahamas. Fighting off the beggers there was the worse day of my cruse.

Linzyhop · 03-27-2008, 11:04 AM

yeah, i'm not worried about beggars in the Bahamas. ever dealt with gypsies? those guys are brutal!

any cruise advice you can give me? my bf and i are bringing 2 bottles of wine each (cause we're allowed one bottle each) so i'm bringing on in my carry on onto the boat, and one in my checked. he's doing the same, except he has cheap screw cap wine that he dumped out and poured in good rum. i have actual wine in the wine bottles, but vodka in my listerine, contact solution and maalox bottles, plus a couple nips here and there.

i've heard horror stories about how much they charge for alcohol on cruises, so i'm not taking my chances....

Phantom · 03-27-2008, 11:07 AM

I've heard they have really jacked up security on the ships so you can't smuggle alcohol on as easily as before.

That's 3rd party info though. It's been 10 years since I've been on a ship.

Linzyhop · 03-27-2008, 11:10 AM

Originally Posted by Phantom

I've heard they have really jacked up security on the ships so you can't smuggle alcohol on as easily as before.

That's 3rd party info though. It's been 10 years since I've been on a ship.

my friend who's gone cruising like 10 times said they screen your luggage, so you can have one bottle in each piece. so if i carry on luggage, one bottle, and then one in my checked luggage (onto the boat, not the plane, where's its all going in checked luggage cause of TSA regulations)... then as far as maalox, contact solution and listerine goes, well thats just regular stuff.

Ardentfrost · 03-27-2008, 11:22 AM

Have fun diving! My wife (who has done over 200 dives, most of them science dives) convinced me to get certified a couple years ago and I've enjoyed every dive I've been on.

She bought an underwater housing for her camera. Here are a few of her pics (that I can find online):

Seahorse on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
saba 297 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
saba 292 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
saba 242 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
saba 236 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
saba 225 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I *think* these are from Australia
Picasa Web Albums - Melissa - A few more sc...

Here's quite a few shots from back when she was doing her science diving for her Master's:
Picasa Web Albums - Melissa - Key Largo

And just because it's funny, here's my wife and I on our honeymoon:

7960 · 03-27-2008, 11:25 AM

We got off the boat in ports and did stuff. We went to relax and should have just stayed on the boat. We ended up feeling like those were lost days. Since you're going with other people it'll be different for you.

Even if you don't get seasick, bring dramamine or bonine or whatever helps. Just my luck, we hit "the roughest seas we've ever seen!" on the cruise I took. The couple at our table said they'd taken that same cruise 20 times and had never seen it that bad. People were puking everywhere....it was nasty. I've never been seasick but even I felt queezy and took motion sick pills. The ship's store sold out immediately.

As soon as you can no longer see land, it's tradition in the Caribbean for all the women of a group to remove their tops. Not many people have heard of this and some women may balk so they need one strong-willed woman to start the process. You want to be first. The bartender always give drinks to the first one to toss her top over the nearest bar.

Dont' fuck around during the safety drill. They'll have you do a life vest / "go to your station" drill. We were delayed an hour because some asshole thought he could just stay in his room and wait until it was done. They went to get him, he was a dick about it, they basically dragged him from his room and it turned out his safety station was only a few from mine so about 100 people got to see who was the reason we were standing there for an hour. He got a lot of shit for it.

Bring cash. I saved money by paying for drinks with cash. If you charge them to your room you'll come home to a $2k bill. If you buy them you'll budget better.

Go for a full Brazilian today, or at least make sure you trim up. Underwater cameras magnify everything. You don't want to come back to pictures that look like you've got Buckwheat in a leg lock. BTW, that magnification thing is fantastic for guys, especially in the warm water.

IMO, stay on the boat. In port if someone says "I want to go see/buy/do........." (and names something specific) then do it. But if someone says "Hey, we should go walk around town!" then skip it. We stopped on 3 islands. Two sucked. It was like walking around the dollar store here, only with poor kids trying to shove their hands in your pockets. The third rocked, but that was their private island so it was filled with jet skis and kayaks and hammocks. Get off on their private island stop.

Don't drink too much on the first day/night. It's going to be tempting but you really should pace yourself, at least for the first day.

All 40 are going on the cruise? You're in a completely different situation than we were (went with 2 friends). You're going to have fun no matter what happens.

Linzyhop · 03-27-2008, 11:48 AM

wow ardent, those pics are amazing. I hope i can get some to compare!

7960, yeah. well the second night we're all going in port to San Juan to drink since its the night before the wedding.

I dont think we can pay for drinks on board, i think we HAVE to have the bill to your room thing, but i know what you mean. thats why i'm trying to smuggle alcohol since it's sooo $$$$.

nice try on the topless thing.

and i'm already doing the brazilian tonight. already planned on it, but thanks for the tip!

RMNIXON · 03-27-2008, 06:07 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

neither can we.

1st post upon return must be a digital waterproof 7.1 px picture of a certain bikini-clad LLer.

Roonie · 03-27-2008, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by 7960

neither can we.

1st post upon return must be a digital waterproof 7.1 px picture of a certain bikini-clad LLer.

I was going to say it but didn't want to sound like a sum-o-biatch. I even know what she looks like LOL.

7960 · 03-27-2008, 10:58 PM

Originally Posted by Roonie

I was going to say it but didn't want to sound like a sum-o-biatch. I even know what she looks like LOL.

I don't. Are you hinting that this isn't worth pursuing?

Roonie · 03-28-2008, 10:36 AM

Originally Posted by 7960

I don't. Are you hinting that this isn't worth pursuing?

No, I think Linzy is hot. Yes it is worth pursuing. People always look better in person too as you get to see their personality.

Linzyhop · 03-28-2008, 12:16 PM

why thank you roonie. i'll be sure to post some bikini pics you know where when i get back. although they wont be much different from the mexico ones last year i'm sure, so in the end, whatever. although i do have a new tattoo that can only be seen in a bikini to show off.

but i am putting up to two bachlorette party pics right now where its clear i'm pretty much a lush....

lol.

Thorgrim · 03-28-2008, 12:35 PM

arden how much is skuba diving in the caribbean? for 2

my fiance and i were talking about cutting expenses on our honeymoon because it can quickly go from $3000 to $30,000 if you're not careful, i think we settled on $6000 for now (we're just tossing ideas back and forth)

she loves sitting on the beach and doing nothing, i hate the beach during the day, she loves to just lay out all day on the beach, and im not a big fan of good food...so im a little unsure of how to make it different than other times i went to virginia beach and loved it when i was trying to get laid but hated it when i was tied down

Linzyhop · 03-28-2008, 12:38 PM

it's $118 for me to go scuba diving including everything, but we're going in a group of 20 people and i'm not certified.

Ardentfrost · 03-29-2008, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by Thorgrim

arden how much is skuba diving in the caribbean? for 2

my fiance and i were talking about cutting expenses on our honeymoon because it can quickly go from $3000 to $30,000 if you're not careful, i think we settled on $6000 for now (we're just tossing ideas back and forth)

she loves sitting on the beach and doing nothing, i hate the beach during the day, she loves to just lay out all day on the beach, and im not a big fan of good food...so im a little unsure of how to make it different than other times i went to virginia beach and loved it when i was trying to get laid but hated it when i was tied down

We paid $3300. That included getting to and from Saba (some of the best diving in the Caribbean), a week rental in a private cottage (with a pool even), and some 10 or 15 dives (I can't remember the exact number, but enough to spend the better part of the week diving).

I will say, though, do NOT go to Saba if getting pampered and having all your needs taken care of is your thing. That isn't mine or my wife's thing, we like seclusion. Saba certainly offered that. It also offered plenty of hiking trails, interesting scenery, and friendly people. Also a very interesting and unique history. Not to mention some of the best diving in the world.

Thorgrim · 03-29-2008, 01:36 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

We paid $3300. That included getting to and from Saba (some of the best diving in the Caribbean), a week rental in a private cottage (with a pool even), and some 10 or 15 dives (I can't remember the exact number, but enough to spend the better part of the week diving).

I will say, though, do NOT go to Saba if getting pampered and having all your needs taken care of is your thing. That isn't mine or my wife's thing, we like seclusion. Saba certainly offered that. It also offered plenty of hiking trails, interesting scenery, and friendly people. Also a very interesting and unique history. Not to mention some of the best diving in the world.

Well I know Linzy said like $120 a person, but my fiance would want to get trained (she's worried about her lungs exploding) i dont know where that can be done for a good price/good training

I guess what we're both worried about is that this is going to be "Virginia Beach v. Better Food and a Bigger Room"...we wanted to be doing things that you can only do in the caribbean...TBH we're not big on being "pampered" (we live in philly) or "secluded" (we live in philly)

Ardentfrost · 03-29-2008, 03:25 PM

On Saba, since just about everyone is master diver, you can get trained pretty cheap. I don't know about other places though =\

RMNIXON · 03-29-2008, 04:54 PM

Originally Posted by Linzyhop

I dont think we can pay for drinks on board, i think we HAVE to have the bill to your room thing, but i know what you mean. thats why i'm trying to smuggle alcohol since it's sooo $$$$.

nice try on the topless thing.

I spend time on Catalina Island, and durring the week the Cruise Ships dock offshore and they shuttle people to the Island for the day on smaller boats. First question by the tourists is either "Where can I buy booze" or "Where can I buy Bottled water?"

Now about those Topless Pics?

We are waiting..........................................: wavey:

Thorgrim · 03-29-2008, 10:41 PM

Originally Posted by Ardentfrost

On Saba, since just about everyone is master diver, you can get trained pretty cheap. I don't know about other places though =\

yeah yeah, but i mean what else is there to do besides skuba dive...i mean the waters and fish there are 100x better than anythig you find in florida...but a lot of people "enjoy" the bahamas because they go their and get drunk everynight and eat seafood while enjoying the beach...you could do that in Miami...

im starting to consider a Rome-Venice-Paris honeymoon instead...Caribbean seems kinda boring, i'd run out of stuff to do after 1-2 days