7 night Western Carribean Cruise

athlete010688

I thought I would ask you all, since everyone is seems to have good tips :-)  My DH and I are going on the Celebrity Solstice for a 7 night Western Carribean Cruise that leaves Fort Lauderdale on February 5th with his entire family!  We'll be stopping at Grand Cayman, Roatan, Cozumel, and Costa Maya.  We both have never been on a cruise before.  Do any of you have recommendations for first time cruise-goers, and what do at these ports of calls?  I've been looking, and right now we're thinking about doing the Rum Tour at Grand Cayman, and then booking one of Victor Bodden's private tours in Roatan and go zip-lining and have the tour guide show us around Roatan.  Any advice regarding the ship from people who have sailed Celebrity Solstice would be great too.  We're definently doing the drink packages - classic alcohol for him, and either the classic or premium non-alcoholic for me.  TIA!!

AllyG303

My advice would be to not go crazy booking excursions ahead of time unless you are wanting to do a long excursion (around 4-6 hours).

So many guides are waiting at the ports willing to take you on the EXACT SAME tours/excursions for a fraction of the price.  Do this if you are just wanting to go to a beach or something that would only take a few hours.  The benefit of booking through the cruiseline is that they will wait for you if your excursion runs over (like if you're going ziplining or seeing the ruins which are usually pretty long ones).

I personally wouldn't do a lot of tours, because the tour guides tend to take you to their friends' businesses and souvenir shops along the way, which I find annoying and kind of boring. 

I would, however suggest ziplining!  I didn't go at any of those ports, but it's fun at other ports, so I would imagine it'd be fun at the ones you're stopping at! 

I did a beginner scuba thing at Cozumel, which was a lot of fun.  We saw a bunch of fish and lobsters.  It's been so long since I was in Grand Cayman, but I remember going to a turtle farm and then a beach. 

Have so much fun on your first cruise! You'll love it. 

Also, just atip since you're a first timer--bring a jacket or sweater for the ship at night...they're all freezing inside!

SuMmErKuTiE

What a great ship and itinerary! I've been to all of those stops, and loved all of them!

My biggest advice is to not book an excursion in Costa Maya. Costa Maya is exclusively for cruise passengers, and when you get to the end of the pier there will be a little village with shops for souveniers, restaurants, and even a pool (free to cruise passengers) with a swim up bar to Senor Frogs. We loved just relaxing by the pool at our stop in Costa Maya. It honestly was one of our favorite stops.

We also zip lined in Roatan, and LOVED it! I highly suggest that excursion!

I've been to Cozumel twice, and the 1st time I did an adventure park and snorkel excursion which was just ok and the 2nd time I did the Playa Mia beach break which included open bar and use of the water trampolines and rafts. Perfect day!

When I was in Grand Cayman, I went parasailing and then the boat dropped us off on seven mile beach where there was a nice beach bar/restaurant. We also rented jet skis right there on the beach which was fun!

As for what to expect on the ship, there will be food everywhere! Don't over pack, as I've learned I live in bathing suits and coverups by day and a cocktail dress or a sundress at night for dinner and the show. There will be at least one formal night which I suggest bringing a cocktail dress for and a wrap if you tend to get chilly, and your DH should bring a suit or at least a shirt, tie, and dress pants. I usually wear sundresses or something along those lines for dinner on the "smart casual" nights. I also love the shows at night in the theatre, so try to catch a few of those as well. You also don't need to worry about packing towels, as they'll provide bath towels in your stateroom, and pool/beach towels that you can exchange as often as you need to for fresh ones. They also provide a hairdryer and toiletries such as body wash, shampoo, conditioner, etc.. in the bathrooms.

Have fun and definitely come back with pictures and reviews! You're going to love cruising! :0)

lopezalonso

I have a very brief piece of advice... bring a bottle of wine or two in your suitcase. Just in case you guys want to relax with a bottle on the deck one late night or in your room. Nice to have. 

They don't let you bring liquor into the ship. Well, they do but they hold it for you until the trip is over. 

[Deleted User]

I have to disagree with a few of these posters; if there is an excursion you really want, book it in advance.  We always saw huge lineups of people trying to sign up for an excursion the day before, and many of the popular ones sell out.  It was nice to not have to worry about anything once we were on board. I would also be careful about going with a tour operator 'on the pier' as they have no obligation getting you back to your ship on time.
Also, i would highly recommend seeing Chaccoben at Costa Maya - it is an amazing mayan ruins site, a quick 30 minute bus ride from Costa Maya. If you want to see some of the ancient mayan culture, this is a great tour.