Cruise ship?

[mwood65]

Well, I never have good luck but maybe did this time.



Will let ya know afterwards.


My wife is the Manager at our Pizza Hut and she won "Best manager" in our Southwest area which is 300+ stores.



Her prize is an all paid 7 day cruise on the Carnival Vista ship to the Caribbean.



We will be going to Montego Bay Jamaica, The Grand Cayman Island & Cozumel Mexico.


Never done anything like this and when ever I have been on a boat I was driving but I don't think the Captain will turn it over to me this time....


I am not used to putting my life in other people's hands especially for 7 days.....


Anyone here been on a cruise and do you have any tips..... Other than don't fall overboard & don't try bringing any ganja back from Jamaica.

[Ristow]

You couldn’t pay me to step onto a cruise ship right now, lol!


Wear a gas mask would be about it for tips.

[mwood65]

That is a worry I have also, I am keeping a close watch on the virus and where it progresses to. Don't seem to be an issue yet in that area of the world.


Maybe the world will die off and I will be isolated on the ship.


Just watched the series called " The last ship".



The world will be wiped out except me and a few hundred hot women...lmao


Somebody has to repopulate!


Or it will just be me alone with my damn old Cherokee which just won't die!

[wiley-moeracing]

Been on that cruise before, make sure you bring enough money ahead of time for tips, booze and extras you will buy onboard and put it away before the ship leaves. If you drink a lot see about alcohol package, soft drink package ahead of time, excursion trips at each destination and bring a set of really nice dinner clothes. Be careful in Jamaca and stay with the tour groups(not safe there), same with generally the same with the other stops also. Remember everything will be charged to your room on the ship and at the end you need to pay up, our bar bill was $2000 alone. Have fun but pay attention.

[SOLSAKS]

Wiley mo nailed it,.......all he said.

I went on one in 2000
carnival from Florida to Cozumel, it was fun. that have great banana daiquiris !!!

you can have a lot of fun but use your street smarts.

tons of food and booze in store for those who are game.

Congrats to your wife for being a Great manager and for winning the trip !!!
have fun and fill us in when you return.

dave in NC

[mwood65]

Been on that cruise before, make sure you bring enough money ahead of time for tips, booze and extras you will buy onboard and put it away before the ship leaves. If you drink a lot see about alcohol package, soft drink package ahead of time, excursion trips at each destination and bring a set of really nice dinner clothes. Be careful in Jamaca and stay with the tour groups(not safe there), same with generally the same with the other stops also. Remember everything will be charged to your room on the ship and at the end you need to pay up, our bar bill was $2000 alone. Have fun but pay attention.

Yeah, We won't drink alcohol drinks. The Tea, water & juices are free.
We can carry on a 12 pack of soda each and pick up a 12 pack at each port so we don't have to worry about drinks too much.
Will be eating only whats included with the tickets (no specialty shops) so that will be ok.


All We should have to pay outta pocket is the mandatory gratuities for the room and whatever we buy when in ports & maybe the port fee but that may be covered in the winnings.



Waddya mean it's not safe?!?!?! I ain't afraid to hit ya with my cane!!!

[mwood65]

Wiley mo nailed it,.......all he said.

I went on one in 2000
carnival from Florida to Cozumel, it was fun. that have great banana daiquiris !!!

you can have a lot of fun but use your street smarts.

tons of food and booze in store for those who are game.

Congrats to your wife for being a Great manager and for winning the trip !!!
have fun and fill us in when you return.

dave in NC

Great, thanks.


Don't know if I got street smarts but I grew up in a predominately black area (90%) in Michigan and ran the streets where I was vastly the minority and fought about everyday to stay in one piece......
Lived in the bad parts of Phoenix for 5 years.....
And survived 3 black Friday sales here in town now....
Of course I'm to crippled up to fight anymore or run.

Here at home I usually just plan to shoot trouble makers but they won't let me take my gun on the boat.



(Won't let me drive it either..... I'm starting not to like the Captain already and haven't even seen him yet!!)



So I guess I will just have to use better than good sense.

[bufurd]

If ya get the Corona v.... Find someone with limes d..... And find your beach

[rang-a-stang]

It will be fun! Reveille is usually 6am, chow from 6:15-7, then quarters at 7:15. Usually sweepers will be right after quarters as long as you do not have watch. Bring a jacket, it can get cold in the radar rooms because the equipment needs to be chilled. I usually bring my own sheets cuz, well, you know know how sailors are.... ooooh wait.... probably not the cruise you speak of...

[johnsonic]

I worked on a cruise ship as a Printer for a while in my 20s. Was amazing, we had an actual Heidelberg GTO on-board for the bigger stuff, and a Ryobi 2800 for smaller jobs, along with the darkroom and chemistry and vacuum frames to make plates & negatives. Because of the motion of the ship, the fixer / stop bath / developer would always be mixing and we got no longevity out of it.

Also, in offset printing you have a long tray full of water (water fountain) to wet the plates. Doesn't do so well on a rocking ship, so made baffles out of acetate. Got really good at bailing wire & matchbook repairs, because real repairs were not happening until you are in port. Now you don't need to be a craftsman to print and copiers have automated that job away.

The Crew bars belowdeck were really, really fun, especially as a youngster. Hung out mainly with the entertainers and shot a lot of darts. Really cheap booze & smokes with tax-free money you had nowhere to spend anyway. Perfect place for a 20 year old.

We did Transatlantics, Southhampton to NYC with tours of the European coast. Spent lots of time thinking about my ancestors who made the same journey on a worse ship, with no entertainment, but the trip was just as exciting.


So, advice:

Not sure about the seas in the Caribbean, but we had some rough ones with mainly transatlantics and the European coast.
- They had a shot we could get to avoid seasickness. I resisted for about 24 hours. Sea sickness can be a thing in rough waters, get stuff to cope.
- Bread helped me a bunch. Liquids sloshing in the stomach didn't help.

- The sky. You don't often get to be that far from land or humans. Would suggest getting as high up and as far away from people as possible and looking up. It's pretty peaceful. Spent a lot of time on funnel deck.

- Bring something besides looking at a screen if you want to pass time without the titillation of dancers & bands & organized activities. Solitaire can be awesome. Or something to pass time with your lady.

- Ports are the same crap as any other port, just the words on the T Shirts change. Basically worthless. If the cruise line has tours to get away from that, do it. If you're adventurous, do it yourself. Just make sure you're back in time - that gangplank will be coming up at the specified hour.

- I know you were joking about the ganja, but they do sometimes have dogs take a tour.

- At least on my line (Cunard) if you hear 'Starlight' over the PA, someone died. There is a morgue on-board.

If you can, make friends with the crew. For my line anyway, front-of-house was English speaking and tends to be younger people looking for fun, and are super interesting. That ship is their home for a three or six month rotation, they know it inside and out, and they might have some favorite things about it to share.

You'll have fun! Post pics!

[UnkleMunky]

I worked on a cruise ship as a Printer for a while in my 20s. Was amazing, we had an actual Heidelberg GTO on-board for the bigger stuff, and a Ryobi 2800 for smaller jobs, along with the darkroom and chemistry and vacuum frames to make plates & negatives.

What the hell were you doing with a printing press on a cruise ship? Not the first place I'd think of seeing one!

- At least on my line (Cunard) if you hear 'Starlight' over the PA, someone died. There is a morgue on-board.

If you can, make friends with the crew. For my line anyway, front-of-house was English speaking and tends to be younger people looking for fun, and are super interesting. That ship is their home for a three or six month rotation, they know it inside and out, and they might have some favorite things about it to share.

You'll have fun! Post pics!

Sheesh....now hearing *starlight* over a PA will never be the same to me. Thanks!

But good advice on making friends with the crew.

[UnkleMunky]

Or it will just be me alone with my damn old Cherokee which just won't die!

That is the perfect definition of Heaven AND Hell.

[rang-a-stang]

That is the perfect definition of Heaven AND Hell.

BBBWWWWAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

[MReese Wagonner]

Congrats on your wife

[mwood65]

Well, the cruise has been cancelled. Carnival Cruise lines have suspended all cruises so I guess we won't be going.



We can go in August they say, I guess is where it is at this point?


I don't do so well in the heat because of my medications so I don't know if we will go at all.


I personally am not sure this will all blow over in 6 months, we shall see.