First Cruise - Best Western Caribbean Excursions

[Ginny Favers]

So my parents just surprised us all by telling us they're taking us on a cruise this Thanksgiving.

We're all thrilled, except my stick-in-the-mud husband who's never wanted to cruise in his life. My parents are cruise-experts, but we've never been. I figure, don't knock it til you try it, you know? But all my husband is doing is freaking out. His complaints? Being on a ship is so constrictive. What if I get seasick?What if we get norovirus? What if we get kidnapped in Mexico? I hate buffets. I hate crowds of people. Blah, blah, blah.

So, I am looking for things to point out to him that might help ease his mind. He is a history buff. I was thinking maybe a historic or interesting excursion might interest him. What are the best ones? We are going to Labadee, Falmouth, and Cozumel on the Oasis of the Seas and will have our kids, ages 6 and 9, with us. Also, anything I can say to him to stop him from being so negative would be helpful! Thanks!

 

[alldiz]

Y

So my parents just surprised us all by telling us they're taking us on a cruise this Thanksgiving.

We're all thrilled, except my stick-in-the-mud husband who's never wanted to cruise in his life. My parents are cruise-experts, but we've never been. I figure, don't knock it til you try it, you know? But all my husband is doing is freaking out. His complaints? Being on a ship is so constrictive. What if I get seasick?What if we get norovirus? What if we get kidnapped in Mexico? I hate buffets. I hate crowds of people. Blah, blah, blah.

So, I am looking for things to point out to him that might help ease his mind. He is a history buff. I was thinking maybe a historic or interesting excursion might interest him. What are the best ones? We are going to Labadee, Falmouth, and Cozumel on the Oasis of the Seas and will have our kids, ages 6 and 9, with us. Also, anything I can say to him to stop him from being so negative would be helpful! Thanks!

Maybe the Mayan ruins at the Cozumel ?
Yikes seriously I would tell him it's a free vacation and he can stay home!
Cruising is awesome!!
Happy planning

 

[Ginny Favers]

I know, right? I have about a dozen other people who would gladly go in his place!

Thank you, I will definitely look into the ruins.

 

[sam_gordon]

Labadee doesn't give you any kind of historic excursions. It's primarily a beach day. There are 'adventure' excursions (zip lining, snorkling, jet skis, kayaks) and (the kids would probably love) an 'inflatable' waterpark.

We love Chakannaab and the Dolphin Swim in Cozumel (booked on our own).

Also, have you looked here: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/findacruise/experiencetypes/shoreExcursions/types.do

With the exception of Labadee, any excursion you find that interests you, there's probably a 3rd party vendor. I would use the Ship's excursion for the Mayan ruins (or anything that goes to the mainland) in Cozumel.

 

[bumbershoot]

Being on a ship is so constrictive. What if I get seasick?What if we get norovirus? What if we get kidnapped in Mexico? I hate buffets. I hate crowds of people.

Poor guy, he sounds so nervous.

Oasis isn't going to be constrictive.

Has he ever been on a ship or boat of any kind? Does he get carsick? Is there something behind this worry? He can take all sorts of things with him to help. Ginger pills, ginger candy (like REAL ginger, not just ginger flavor). Bonine, dramamine. Seabands. Once onboard if he gets ill, my mother in law discovered that slices of green apple dipped in salt worked perfectly. ALL sorts of things. Assuming you're leaving out of Port Canaveral, that first night through the Florida Straits can be really bumpy, and can make you feel like you'll be ill the rest of the trip. Not necessarily true. Don't get scared.

You can easily get noro on land; at school, at work, at the mall...anywhere with people who don't wash their hands, you can get it.

In Mexico do an official tour to reduce that fear. Or don't get off the ship.

The main dining rooms aren't buffets, and there's room service. He can likely find non-buffets all over the place, if he looks.

Oasis is so big I think he'll have to look for crowds.

Labadee doesn't give you any kind of historic excursions. It's primarily a beach day.

Agreed.

 

[Ginny Favers]

Thanks so much for the replies. I'm going to talk to him more to try to soothe his fears, and print out the different excursions so that he can pick one and hopefully be excited by it!

 

[Patience]

We just got back from a Royal Caribbean cruise to Labadee and Jamaica on the Liberty of the Seas. Tell your husband they really push the hand sanitizer. It's everywhere! There were people standing at the entrance to the dining room and the buffet making sure you used hand sanitizer before going in. They also had it at the entrance to the theaters, etc. None of us got sick. Just be sure to wash your hands a lot and use the sanitizer. Also, I discovered that they give out meclizine, a sea sickness medicine, in the medical facility on the ship for free.

I didn't know what to expect at Labadee but we loved it. Nellie's beach or Columbus Cove are the two best beaches. They are to the right as you come off the ship (not the beach right in front of you- that beach had rough waves and was rocky). The other two beaches have calm, beautiful water and perfect white sand and you can take great pictures there with the ship in the background. They have trolleys to take you to those beaches or you can walk. We used Labadee as our beach day and didn't do any excursions there. The zip line was popular but expensive. In Jamaica, we snorkeled and climbed the Dunn's River Falls. That was fabulous except for having to walk through the gauntlet of vendors after climbing the falls. I don't know anything about excursions in Mexico but I would book an excursion there and just relax and enjoy the beauty of the beach in Labadee unless you want to do the zip line.