I'm so super duper excited I can barely stand myself right now! My mom, sister, aunt, cousin, cousin's best friend & I are going on a girls-only vacation this January. We're all flying down to Miami & going on a 3-day cruise to the Bahamas, then spending 1 full day & night in Miami before flying home. Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!!!
As some of you know, I've gone pretty much nowhere & almost never do stuff without my husband &/or kids because it causes a lot of friction at my house. When this opportunity came up I just told DH that I was going, it's not expensive & he has plenty of time to prepare himself for the days he'll be on his own with the kids.
Since this is the very first time I'll ever have done anything like this at all, I want to make sure we don't miss out on any "must-sees" while we're away. I've never been on a cruise at all, and certainly never been out of the country so this is all new to me. Is there any advice or activities I should absolutely know about before we go? Will I still be able to get cell phone service in the Bahamas? Are the daily excursions really worth the fortune they charge for them or does it make more sense to just hang out on the beach & eat good food?
Any advice, tips or tricks you guys have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!!
*ETA* I'm pretty sure the actual itinerary is to leave Miami on Friday night, be in the Bahamas Saturday morning. Spend the entire day there, then leave there Saturday night & be in Cocoa Cay (sp?) Sunday morning. Depart from there Sunday night & back in Miami Monday morning. We'll be spending the entire day & night of Monday in Miami & flying home Tuesday.
While in Miami you must have dinner on the sidewalk in South Beach. I forget what the street is called right along the beach but you can't miss it. You will have a ton of fun people watching!
Pack me in your suitcase!! :)
First, don't forget your passport. You will need it. Also, I've never been to the Bahamas, but I do love cruises and most have so much to offer, that you will have no trouble finding something fun to do on board. As for the excursions, it all depends on your taste. I don't do a lot of excursions, but I did take a helicopter tour around St. Thomas and loved it and thought it was worth all that money, but other than that, I went to the beach all day. Which we had to pay a small excursion fee to get transportation to the beach. I didn't sign up for any excursions until we were on the boat. Unless it is something you really want to do and are afraid it will fill up, I wouldn't sign up until you get there and figure out just what you want to do.
I would research reviews on the cruise you are going on. See what others had to say. I've never been on one. Don't drink too much. You'll be out of U.S. jurisdiction. Keep that in mind. If it doesn't fit your budget, don't do it. Don't forget your camera. Label your possessions with your name and phone number in case you lose them.
Have fun! : )
Have a great time! Yes, you will get cell service, but it may be spotty on the water. We cruised to Mexico a few years ago and got service well past Key West.
Must see/do in Miami... South Beach at night! It's an adventure, but it's a blast. Just walk along A1A and check out the restaurants and clubs.
The Bahamas are fun too and yes, I think the excursions are worth it. The Bahamas can be a little sketchy, so stay on the "beaten path" so to speak. Check out the daily agenda the cruise will put under your door each morning and pick things that look like fun. For most cruise ships, they do not charge for their on-ship activities so take advantage!
If you are actually going to be in the Bahamas for two full days, do an excursion one day and just chill on their beautiful beaches the other day! Have fun!!
Call the cruise line and ask as many questions as you can. Also look up online what things they suggest and see if they have a place where passangers commented on there experiences.
* when i first read this i was really bummed as i was thinking ugh another momma that is "girls night out" with a vacation. shocked and touched your going with family. i hope you have some good healthy fun momma time! :D
Don't know if you've booked your flights yet. If not, fly down on Thurs. and spend the night in Miami so that you are already there on Friday. My inlaws did a similar cruise and that's what they did. They had some friends that had flight delays and missed the cruise because their plane was late landing in Miami. The board times are VERY exact.
Cocoa Cay is AWESOME!! It is just an island owned by Royal Caribbean Cruise line and it is one of my favorite places to go when I take a cruise! You can just lay on the beach in the deck chairs provided and snorkel in the little cove that is right there. There is usually lunch provided and the sound of the caribbean music playing in the back ground. Soooo Relaxing! I would honestly not do too many excursions, if any, other than visit Cocoa Cay. The boat is a great place to be when everyone else is off of it! If you are looking for some time to relax by the pool, then that is the time to do it! Plenty of deck chairs available when the rest of the passengers are off swimming with the dolphins! Plus, excursions can be very pricey, so if you are looking to not spend a lot of $$, just relaxing on board is the way to go. And you are probably going to Nassau, which by all accounts is quite dirty and not much to see. If you are desperate to go on an excursion, there will be lots to choose from I'm sure. The one piece of advice I would give is to make sure that any excursion you take is one that is provided by the cruise line, for safety reasons mainly. There are always lots of local tourist excursion companies sitting at the port saying they will take you where you want to go for much less $$, but you really have no idea who they are and where they are taking you. Some may be perfectly legit, but you have no way to make sure of this. Also, with the excursions run by the cruise line, you are guaranteed to make it back to the ship before it departs. Not so if you go on a "rogue" excursion. Also, if you really want to get off the ship, there are usually some tourist shopping areas and restaurants near the port that you can get off the boat and walk to. A cruise is the absolute best vacation I have ever taken!! I love them. They are sooo relaxing and you get treated like royalty onboard. Oh! If you are looking for something to do in Miami, the cruise line usually has an excursion to the Everglades that you can take when you get off the boat when you get back to port. It is a wonderful opportunity to see the everglades in an Air boat and see the wildlife, A.K.A. alligators, that abound there. I have done this twice and it was really fun both times! Enjoy your girl tme!!
Get Passports if you don't have them already.
This weekend cruise to the Bahamas was our first cruise back in 1980. We had a blast. You don't say which cruise line and where you are going in the Bahamas. If you are going to Nassau, be sure and go to the flea/straw market on the pier. Lots of fun stuff.
If I had 6 going, I wouldn't book a shore excursion on the ship. I'd wait to get to shore and book one there. It will be at least a 25% discount over what you will get on the ship. You could save 50% if you are a good negotiator. Have each person pack a quart bottle of water in your checked bag and a bottle of sun screen. If you buy a bottle of water from the ship, it will cost you about $5. Sun screen will cost you about twice what it is in Walmart.
If you go to the beach and like to watch the fish, take some bread and a plastic bag from the ship. Or bring a gallon or larger plastic baggie from home. The water will be very clear. If you put a small piece of bread in the water, fish will appear from no where. Take a camera or an underwater camera if you want to take photos of the fish. I brought my own mask and snorkel. Renting a mask and snorkel can cost you $29.95 which is much more than you can BUY one stateside.
If anyone is a soft drink person, buy the ships soft drink program. It gives you unlimited soft drinks and fruit juice while on board. Buy it after you have cleared Florida waters so you won't have to pay Florida sales tax.
I hope you have a wonderful time. Our first cruise made us believers. We have taken 17 cruises since then. Our next one is in January 2012. AND, I have been hired to be Santa on Princess Cruise lines this year.
Good luck to you and yours.
