I promised I'd give you the update when I got back and I didn't want to forget.
We got back last night.
Our cruise was *AWESOME!!!* We had so much fun! I'm working on a FB album and I'll share some pics when it's done
Anyways, I know you wanted some tips in particular. We took a Southern Caribbean cruise, so these tips are based on my experiences there. The islands we went to were St. Thomas (USVI), St. Croix (USVI), Antigua (WI), St. Lucia (WI), Grenada (WI). We were on Royal Caribbean, Serenade of the Seas.
1.) Wear Sunscreen. I cannot stress this enough. Wake up, shower, cover your body in sunscreen (
do not forget the tops of your feet!!!), get dressed, then go outside. This should be your daily routine. Bring at least SPF 30. I brought 50, and I didn't get quite as tan as I wanted, but no sunburn so I cannot complain. DH forgot to put sunscreen on his legs when we went to Magen's Bay in St. Thomas. He got burned so badly that by day 5 it started blistering... Not pleasant. So, wear sunscreen!!
2.) Vendors & taxi cab drivers will HOUND you. Do not make eye contact, do not acknowledge their presence unless you really want to buy something. They will not leave you alone. They may even grab you to get your attention... Just keep walking.
3.) If you want to take a tour of the island, the taxi cab drivers are the best bet -- not the prepaid excursions. The pre-paid excursions are way expensive, you can get a taxi for a fraction of the cost and the driver knows just as much about the island as a hired tour guide.
4.) Also, if there is a particular place on the island that you want to see and nothing else (for instance, in St. Thomas, we wanted to go to Magen's Bay and nothing else), then just hire a taxi cab. It was only $8 pp. The excursion to Magen's Bay was $50 pp. The taxis will be lined up on the pier. Just go to them and ask how much it costs to go somewhere. Be weary about round trip prices unless they give you a coupon to prove you already paid.
5.) Drivers on these islands are insane. You will fear for your life. Maybe got to Cedar Point one day to prep yourself for the wild ride. Most taxis are not air conditioned and do not have seat belts. Yes, you will fear for your life, but it's part of the experience!
6.) Don't buy anything argricultural. They will try to sell you spices and have you bring some things back. You cannot enter into the United States with argriculture from another country. In Puerto Rico Airport, they make you go through a scanner to check for argriculture. If you don't have a green tag, you bag does not go back. So if they try to sell you spices, just ignore them. If your hubby tries to be romantic and get you flowers on the ship, have him get them like the first day. Because you cannot take them off the ship with you. Customs will get angry.
7.) If you can find an excursion like a booze cruise, or a pirate cruise, that was well worth the money. We bought one in Antigua called the Pirates of Antigua. All the rum punch we could possibly drink INCLUDED. Then we toured around the coast of the island on a "pirate" ship. We walked the plank, swang on the rope swing, and spent some time on the beach drinking more rum punch. Well worth the money.
8.) If you can afford it, upgrade to a balcony. It was so nice getting room service delivered and eating on our balcony every morning. I don't think I'll ever go on a cruise without balcony -- well worth the money IMO. But don't break the bank obviously.
9.) Budget for at least an additional $500 to be charged to your stateroom card for various things: alcohol, massages, tips, excursions, etc.
10.) If you can afford it, bring at LEAST $500 in cash. If not, bring what you can afford. Everyone accepted American currency and most places accepted American credit cards. The taxi cab drivers need cash. Bring more cash if you do not plan to charge your tips to your stateroom (you can buy pre-paid tips online or they give you a form to fill out midweek).
11.) Pack shorts in a carry-on bag. When you get on the ship, they take your big luggage and will not deliver it until sometime after dinner. We were looking pretty gross after 14 hours of straight traveling, so also carry-on stuff to freshen up.
12.) Buy pre-paid transfers from Airport to pier or be prepared to hire a taxi. We did the pre-paid transfers and it worked out really well.
That's all I have. Sorry for the quite lengthy post!! I hope you enjoy your cruise! It's not till May, right?