Expert: Linda - 4/23/2008

Question
Hi, my wife and I are fairly certain we are going to go on a cruise for our one year anniversary.  Since we can't go on our exact anniversary, we're leaning towards the Royal Caribbean's 5 night Western Caribbean cruise on the Enchantment of the Seas.  The stops are Key West, Cozumel, and Belize City.  We're planning on doing excursions on at least one, but probably two of the stops, and then just walking around on our own for the other stop.  Which of these stops would be best to just do things on our own?  Do you have any recommendations as to excursions for the others?  We aren't super brave, but enjoy sightseeing, snorkeling, etc.  We've never been to any of the stops before -- We went to Cancun on our honeymoon (all inclusive resort), but we never made it to Cozumel.

Thanks for any suggestions you may have!  

PS - Any thoughts on the Enchantment of the Seas?  I've only been one one cruise (3 night Bahamas with my family on the Sovereign of the Seas) and she's never been on one.  FINALLY, she's a bit nervous that she'll get sea-sick - are the lower decks better for a first time cruiser?  

Answer
Justin, get a beer and get your wife a glass of wine...then sit and read.  I can't give you what you MUST do, but will give you lots to think about.
Royal Caribbean is my favorite line, depending on when you're going, you can still find deals out there.  Could you afford to do an inside room maybe on a 7 day cruise?  There is a bit more time on those, if you can afford.  To find deals go to crucon.com, or cruisebrothers.com, also check out cruisecritic.com, you'll need to join (free),that site has more info than you could ever see in a month!  You can look at cruises by port you can find out who's paying what, best buys, ask questions of cruisers and ALL are helpful.  OK, lets go with the 5 day.  I don't know how old you are, but I'm going to figure between 25-40, my remarks will be based on that assumption.  Key West, you'll be there all day.  Do this ON YOUR OWN.  you'll dock at Malory Square, get off the ship and head for the Old Town trolley, you can buy your tickets right there.  Get on the trolley which leaves every 15 min.  This will give you a tour of Key West...make note of what you liked, then when you get back to Malory square, head out to what excited you.  If it's close...walk, if not, you'll see on the tour places you can rent motor bikes.  It's OK down there, everyone is used to the crazy tourists. I would NOT recommend this in any other port, but Key Westers are pretty neat people.   After you visit what you want, return to Malory square and look across the street, you'll see Sloppy Joe's a must see, open air bar, gotta have a drink and send your wife to the ladies room and ask her what's for sale in there. (you'll get a kick out of it).  You CAN do other trips like snorkel etc, but if its your first time to Key West, you really need to see the town.  If you wear leather flip flops, visit KENO's, leather flip flops are $8 and last a lifetime...still wearing mine from the early 90's!  T shirts are really inexpensive and you'll enjoy reading all the "stuff" on them.  To to the Pier House and have a drink outside on the back deck and feed the fish, you'll be amazed at how LARGE they are!  

Next, onto coumel, go to Xel-Ha, go with the ship, great place to snorkel, watch fish, float in a tube underground river, some small ruins.  Or go to.....forget name, long, but also has same thing as Xel Hal.  You go by catamaran for the most part over to Playa Del Carmen, that's where the best is in Cancun.  You CAN go downtown, nice bars on the beach side, maybe ride the banana boat, but for an all over country experience, go to Playa Del Carmen.
Belize, oh boy....you can go to the ruins if the trip os offered, it's about 2 hours drive out of town, but the ruins are incredible.  Bring water,,,it's HOT, but if you're into this kind of thins (hubby is), it's worth the heat and sweat.  If not into that kind of thing, then go snorkel, good snorkel areas in Belize.  Don't bother going on your own, belize is a very poor country.  Understand that the Western ports are more of a culture shock then the Eastern, but both have their own special things going.
I haven't been on Enchantment, so can't speak from a personal view, but we've never been disappointed with RCCL.  OK, lets get to the sea sick....I never say never....and I've been on 27 cruises, but IF you think and believe you WILL get sick...yeah, you will.  You know the old girl scout saying.."be prepared".  When you are, you don't need the stuff, but what I recommend is to get your Dr to write an Rx for the patch.  You put it behind your ear 1 hr before sailing and change every 24 hours.  Start with that just so you absolutely KNOW you will NOT get sea sick.  If after the second day you are OK, then don't put another one on.  The whole idea is to enjoy your vacation, but if you keep worrying about something, it takes away from that, so put on the patch and forget about it.  I don't like Dramamine because it makes you too sleepy, there are other meds you can take, or the accupressure sea bands, but if you're really afraid you'll be seasick, then beat it to the punch and go for the patches.  they say you should not drink with the patch....bull honkey, watch the people on the ship with patches behind the ear and drink in the hand.

If you are flying in to Miami, consider coming in the day ahead of time to have a chance to rest and relax.  For a room, go to priceline.com, choose "miami downtown" for an area.  depending on when you're arriving,  (winter or summer) you can get a room under $100, if summer, close to $65 or $70.  Remember with priceline, you cannot change your mind, change the date etc, once booked, that's it, but, we've saved LOTS of money when we go to visit friends going on a cruise and we want to drink and not drive.  we use priceline for the room.  Cheap dates for fla are after Easter to Thanksgiving.  Of course prices higher during holidays.

OK, your wine is finished and your beer also....ask away if you have more questions.  Enjoy your cruise and Happy 'anniversary, wish you many many more.