Why the fuck would you ever go on a Cruiseship? Ever.

I am sure many have been on cruises and had a good time

CRUISERS!!!

Last year wife's aunt and uncle (who don't have kids) wanted to observe a milestone anniversary by taking everyone on a week long Caribbean cruise. It sailed from New Orleans.

I had always said I would never go on a cruise, for all the reasons cited here. Plus I was afraid I would gain 20 pounds. Thus I had zero expectations.

WRONG!!

The experience exceeded every expectation.

Snorkeling in Belize: AWESOME!
All-inclusive beach day at Cozumel: AWESOME!
Sitting in a little bar drinking in Honduras (curing wife's sunburn): AWESOME!
2 days at sea: AWESOME!
2 days in New Orleans prior to sailing: AWESOME!
Waking up every morning in a different country: AWESOME!

It was great sleeping at night with the balcony door open, cocktail hour on our balcony (we brought nice speakers and tunes); plenty of bar options on the ship. And the running track, weight room and no second helpings kept me from blowing up.

I would absolutely do it again.

Planes get stuck on the tarmac for hours. That does not keep me from flying.

....and I am not being infected with a serious unknown disease.

The estimated likelihood of contracting gastroenteritis from any cause on an average 7-day cruise is less than 1%.[53] In 2009, during which more than 13 million people took a cruise,[54] there were nine reported norovirus outbreaks on cruise ships.[55]

From 2005 to the Costa Concordia disaster in 2012, out of more than 100,000,000 people worldwide who had taken cruises, there had been 16 fatalities.

Why anyone would want to visit the Caribbean is beyond me...

Why anyone would want to visit the Caribbean is beyond me...

Hello xxx,

We are looking forward to seeing you in Belize and providing a great excursion experience for you. This email is intended to offer instructions and advice to help you make the most of your Belize tour.

Your tour will be conducted by Coral Breeze Adventure Tours, the operations partner of Coral Breeze Tours. If you have any questions in Belize, just ask for Ivar or Star.

NORWEGIAN STAR PASSENGERS: Tendering operations on NCL ships tend to be a little slower than on other cruise lines. Please familiarize yourself with the tendering procedures of the Norwegian Star to minimize delays.

Below are the details of your reservation:
Reservation #: xxxxxx81966
Transaction Date: February 27, 2013
Tour: Shark/Ray Alley Snorkeling and Caye Caulker Exploration
Departure Date/Time: Wednesday, March 27, 2013 (10:00 a.m. local Belize time)
Balance Due at Departure: $123.00 -- payable in cash in US dollars
Number of Group Members: 2

Location of Tour Departure: Your tour departs from just outside the Tourism Village in Belize City (the dock area where the cruise ship tender boats drop off their passengers). As you disembark from your tender boat, go to Terminal 4 (aka the Pirate Terminal) and pass through the iron gates. Just outside the gates, you will see a sign for Coral Breeze Adventure Tours (our local operations partner) and will be met by your guide. Please ask for Ivar, Star, or Javier if you cannot find your guide.

Our tours are scheduled to fit within the port time of the cruise ships arriving in Belize City. We monitor the cruise ship tender schedules and plan our tour itineraries to give you plenty of time to return back to your ship.

What to Bring:
Sunscreen.
Beach towel.
Swimsuit and cover-up.
Water shoes or flip-flops.
Bug spray may be needed on some days.
Camera.
Cash for purchases.

For more information about preparing for your experience, including a diagram of Tourism Village in Belize, please click here.
If clicking the above link fails, please copy and paste the following URL into the location bar of your browser:
http://www.coralbreezetours.com/instructions.html

To review details of your tour, please click here or point your browser to:
http://www.coralbreezetours.com/current ... s_add.html

REFUNDS AND BALANCE PAYMENTS: Your deposit is fully refundable if you cancel your reservation at least 3 days before your tour. In addition, you will receive a full refund if your cruise ship does not stop in Belize for any reason, or if weather conditions or other factors force us to cancel your reservation. Balance payments in Belize must be paid in cash with U.S. dollars. If you wish to pay your balance in advance by credit card, a surcharge of 4 percent of the payment amount will be charged to your credit card.

Please remember that there may be a difference between cruise ship time and local Belize time. You should check with your cruise ship to verify the time zone your ship will be observing when it reaches Belize.

Also, please keep in mind that Belize is a tender port. In other words, cruise ships anchor offshore and transport their passengers to the Tourism Village on high-speed tender boats. The ride takes only about 15 minutes, but the wait to board a tender boat may be quite a bit longer. To minimize delays, please review your cruise ship's tendering guidelines.

Rain showers in Belize tend to pass fairly quickly. In some cases, we may be able to conduct your tour even if your cruise ship cancels its own shore excursions. If you have any doubts, please call our Belize office at 501-667-1481.

In Belize, U.S. currency is widely accepted. It's often wise to carry a few U.S. dollars in small denominations for tips, souvenirs, and other small purchases. (Our tour prices do not include gratuities for the crew.) U.S. currency is not readily available in Belize so breaking a US$20 bill for a small purchase may leave you with more Belize dollars than you would like.

If you have any questions, please reply to this email or call our U.S. office (401-946-4544). In Belize, you may call us at 501-667-1481. Our crew is looking forward to providing you with a great vacation experience in our tropical paradise.

Best Wishes,
Coral Breeze Tours
Belize, Central America

St. John is great. It's only slightly worse than Hawaii but easier and cheaper to get to.

No sarcasm. I went to St Martin and disliked every second of it. Maybe St Martin just sucks but I have no desire to head somewhere else and check it out.

Nothing like Northwest Indiana is there Hank.

It was like I was home in NWI but with a better beach. If I wanted to see shantys and poverty, I dont need to travel that far.

I would have to be on the off-ramp of life and wearing Cruisers before I would consider something like this.