Funny story: I got an email from Royal Caribbean the other day, letting me know that they found my debit card. The best part is that I didn’t even realize it was missing as I’ve been using cash since we’ve been back. Anyway, I’m sharing some details from my experience and a few things I wish I had known. Enjoy!
The Basics.
So, my boyfriend pretty much handled the planning process of the trip. We booked our cruise through Vacations To Go for a great price. Our travel counselor was very helpful to us throughout the entire process. I think we put the deposit down for the trip in August of last year and finalized everything in January. During the 7 days, we visited Labadee, Haiti, Falmouth, Jamaica, and Cozumel, Mexico.
I reserved excursions for each of the ports: parasailing in Haiti; a beach club in Jamaica (my absolute favorite); and a water park in Mexico. For each excursion, I tried to make sure they were all inclusive. Labadee, Haiti is pretty much owned by the cruise line so we didn’t have to worry about dining. I liked that they had residents selling their work at the markets. I didn’t like to hear that the cruise line makes them pay a tax in exchange. As I said, Jamaica was my favorite. We took a bus ride to the Bamboo Beach Club; our hostess basically gave us a rundown of the history of Jamaica. We had unlimited rum punch and tapas. The Red Stripe beer was amazing too. Cozumel, Mexico was probably my least favorite, mostly because the port consisted of shops and that’s it. Some people rented scooters/mopeds and rode out into the city. We went to a water park. If I had to do it again, I would definitely pick a more adventurous excursion. At least they had an open bar, right?
Things that shocked me during the cruise
- The prices of the drinks onboard were outrageous. I got a pina colada that cost me $13! It was really just a frozen drink with a shot of alcohol– all of the mixed drinks were. Many people opted for just beer to get their money’s worth. The rum punch and open bar in Mexico made up for it though.
- The WiFi was terrible! We spent most of the cruise unplugged, but I really needed to check my email for work-related reasons. I paid $22 for a single day WiFi pass; you’d think for the price I’d have a better connection–nope! But then again, we were in the middle of the ocean.
- Food! There was so much food! The ship had several upscale-type restaurants. The quality of the food at these restaurants often fell short compared to the food at the buffet-style dining room.
Related: Girls Trip: Washington DC
All in all, I had an incredible time. Part of me wishes that we scheduled the trip after my MCAT date, but after the semester I just had, I needed to get away.
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