Cruising the Caribbean

I just got back from a cruise through the Caribbean -- it was my first cruise and a lot of fun. Here are my tips and observations about it.

The ship was the Carnival Conquest, and it was a 7-day tour from Galveston through Montego Bay, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. The ship is large, with a few pools, a casino, many restaurants, music and entertainment venus, etc. and over 3,000 passengers.

First, it's convenient, and easy. Almost everything available on the ship is low-key, which enforces that you relax, at least until port. Swimming, sunbathing and eating seem the main activities. Gambling, drinking, trivia and some festive adult games (diving for toys in the pool, etc.) are also set up.

Kids
The kids were adequately taken care of at the "Camp Carnival" which is basically a pair of festive play rooms for younger and older kids, respectively. After being dropped off in the 2-5 year old room for a few hours a couple times, my girls, 2 and 4, started to ask to stay with us instead, and near the end we kept them with us almost all the time. My older daughter would go if the schedule had something really appealing (anything involving candy, teddy bears or dancing was a sure winner for her). I also saw a few teary-eyed kids there almost every time I went, so I assume they didn't' all want to be there.

Money Thresher
One thing that was a disappointment was the extent to which Carnival and the port visits in particular form an unstoppable machine to separate us guests from our money. A few fees I incurred:

Tips: $280 (included in your bill unless you decide to adjust it)
Internet: $0.75/minute, which quickly adds up
Soda, alcohol, juice
Spa services (they market this heavily, including phone calls and fliers)

I don't gamble, but there's also a Casino ('nuff said)

The excursions were also pricey (locals were selling tours and activities for much less) and once in port the locals were working every angle to get some cash. Taxis and shops are expensive hard sells, and I have a feeling that taxi drivers are paid to deliver cruisers to specific shops, beaches and the like. Perhaps it's the weak dollar or simply that cruise passengers are easy marks found in such huge concentrations around the ship terminals.

Culture
A pleasant surprise about the cruise is that while it is marketed and branded in the US, the ship is fundamentally an international operation. The staff was from Indonesia, India, Central America, Belarus, Russia and other places, and the culture was very personable; warm though a bit less efficient than you might expect in the US. The ship itself is flagged out of Panama.