Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    
    I was on the tropical in feb. it was their first run to the caribbean. 
    We went to St. Thomas, Grenda, Caracas, Venz., and Aruba.
    We were suppose to go to St. Croix, but went to St. Thomas instead,
    due to the hurricane damage.
    
    I don't think the re-furbishing is anything to write home about. I
    felt it was real bright, splashy, tacky colors. The piano bar was
    real uncomfortable to sit - only 2 people to a table and then
    your legs were at an angle. there was piano key boards running all
    up and down the walls and ceilings and the lights in them would
    change colors.
    
    the entertainment left alot to be desired. one night bingo was the
    high-light. they had a hamonic player for 2 nights. 
    
    people were casually dresses ----- they would wear shorts and muscle
    shirts to the dinning room for dinner. i have never seen this before
    and i have been on 19 cruises.
    
    i was on the tropical in '82 - when it was new. went to alaska then.
    if its the ports you're out for, then this is a good trip. you are
    only in port 1 day - fri. that's why we went on this. my husband
    was not impressed at all. the only other line he has been on is
    royal caribbean and that's a tough line to compare with.
    
    When we got back to San Juan on sat. we had to hang around till
    5:30 for our flight back to n.y. and then on to boston. the
    cruise line did not set any thing up with a local hotel. we were
    all on our own to find something to do for the day. they didn't
    even have any suggestions.
    

    
    Hey all you cruise fanatics!!  I'm in the process of planning my next
    CARNIVAL CRUISE (March '92) and am very curious about this Tropicale
    ship.
    
    See... I went on the Jubilee in April of '90 and LOVED IT!  I picked
    myself up a 1991-brochure and find the itinerary of the Tropicale very
    impressive (St.Thomas/Grenada/Caracas/Aruba --> not necessarily in that
    order!!), but fear that I'll be disappointed with the ship itself where 
    it's so old (and having read the previous note about the less-than-
    impressive restoration...).
    
    What can you tell me that will convince me that this is a good cruise
    to take??  Anyone been on it lately??  Was it the time of your life??
    
    Thanks!!
    --Stephanie
    
    

    I cruised on the Tropicale from June 19 - 26. We went to St. Thomas,
    Gaudeloupe, Grenada, Venezuela and Aruba. We flew from Boston to San Juan. 
    Our flight was at 6:00am, I had to get up at 3:00 since I live ~1 hr from
    the airport.  We arrive in San Juan around 2:30(changed planes at JFK which
    when I call the airline(TWA) they said we stopped but did not have to
    change; but what they do is switch to a larger aircraft with the same
    flight number).  The ship sailed at 10:00pm.  It was raining when we
    arrived so we did not explore San Juan.  There was some confusion when
    checking in about the "sail and sign". They do not accept cash on the ship
    for tours, drinks, etc.  So you either have to leave an imprint of your
    credit card of leave a $100 deposit at the purser office.  This was not
    clearing explained in the literature.

    The entertainment was pretty good.  They had a different show every night.
    Some of the entertainers flew in to the island we were on and got off on
    our next stop.  There was a comedian who has appeared on HBO that was good.
    Also Duke Daniels from the original Platters performed.  Then there was the
    Tropicale Express which did Las Vegas type shows.  Overall not bad.

    The cabins have music that plays 24 hr(I guess you would call it top40). 
    They also have tv which they show movies(2 per day).  Such as "The Last of
    the Mohicain", "Home Alone 2". And they show Video diary, they tape the
    activities tours, games, etc. and play the video all day.  I would say they
    had some activity to suit everyone's interest.  The ship was extremely
    clean.  Someone was constantly cleaning.

    Stopping at St. Thomas on a Sunday isn't the best if you are interested
    in shopping.  Only some of the shops open on Sunday and those that do
    close at noon.  Carnival recommends shops at each island. At these
    shops Carnival guarantee the merchandise so that if you are not
    satisfied once you return home they will see that it's exchange or you
    get a refund.  The prices can be better at the non-recommended stores.
    If you are going to buy Baccardi Rum it cheapest from the store at the
    Baccardi Distillery in San Juan.

    Gaudeloupe and Grenada I could have skipped.  We didn't take tours on
    either of these islands; we just walked around on our own.  Grenada is a
    very poor country and we were constantly harassed to hire a taxi or buy
    spices and stuff.  Another couple in our group hired a guide from inside the
    terminal who took them on a walking tour of the town and they said she was
    very pleasant and knowledgeable and it only cost them about $10.  On
    Gaudeloupe the cruise director told us the they want your money but they
    don't want you which bias your opinion of a place before you even get there.

    Venezuela, the ship docks at La Guidas(sp) which is about 45 miles from
    Caracas.   Caracas is ~3000 feet above sea level.  All tours are 8hrs and
    we brought bottle water with us from the ship.  The tour guide was just OK
    not great.  You spend most of you time riding the bus since there is lots
    of traffic.  They provide lunch at a local hotel which wasn't that good.
    Caracas reminded me of New York with mountains. We were warned before we
    left the ship that Caracas is famous for it's pickpockets. And we were
    easily identified as tourist since we all had on shorts and had cameras. 
    Remember the air is cooler at higher altitudes but the sun is hot.

    Aruba was beautiful.  We went shopping in the morning and to Palm Beach in
    the afternoon.  The beach had white sand and blue blue water.  A very
    relaxing way to spend the afternoon.  My brother and his wife are planning
    on taking their next vacation in Aruba.  If you like to shop Aruba was
    probably the most expensive of the places we stopped.  I would definitely
    like to have spent more time there.

    Next we were all day on very rough seas.  Half the ship was seasick.  The
    seas did not calm down until about 5:00pm.  When we returned to San Juan 
    where we took a tour of old San Juan and the Baccardi Distillery since our
    flight wasn't until 5:00.  They took care of our luggage right at the pier
    and dropped us off at the airport.

    This was my 2nd cruise but here are some helpful hints that you might find
    useful:

    Do not bring a travel iron.  We had a laundry room on our floor complete
    with coin operated washer/dryers and iron.

    Definitely bring a carryon bag since the last night you must put your
    luggage out and anything that's not packed by midnight you must carry. Plus 
    you will need something for those souvenirs.

    If on one of your stops you see something you like buy it because you
    probably will not see it on another island.

    I bought one of those Kodak Panoramic camera and got some great pictures.

    I suffer from motion sickness and tried Dramamine II.  It did not work on
    me.  I switched to original Dramamine.

    I saw one group bring a case of sodas on with them.  If you drink a lot of
    soda this is cheaper.  The only place to get a soda on ship is from a
    waiter or bar and they add the gratuity in.  I think it was about $1.60 for
    a soda.

    We had a very good time rough seas and all.  Personally I found 7 days a
    little to long since ships don't agree with me.  I will probably take
    another cruise but a shorter one.
    
    
    Donna
    

   Can anyone offer any recent information about the TROPICALE.  

   We've booked a 7 day cruise out of Tampa leaving Feb 26, which will take in
Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, Grand Cayman & New Orleans.  We've got a mixed group
of 11 adults from ages 19 thru 66 and one 3 year old.  Price-wise it's a great
deal coming in at $310/person quad-occupancy. 5 of us live about 130 miles from
Tampa and the rest are coming in from central MA, some driving down, some 
flying.

   The notes I've read in here so far (notes>search TROPICALE) have been mixed,
but that was other itineraries and the TROPICALE was refurbished a couple years
ago... 

   I've done the American Hawaii 7 day cruise on the S.S. Constitution and 
absolutely loved it. I would do that one again in a heartbeat.

    I expect to do some skin diving in Grand Cayman and Cozumel, but am not
expecting much from Playa del Carmen or New Orleans.  I like shows, don't care
for bingo, don't drink much, but like to eat. 

    What should I expect???  Should I plan on cozying up a good book for 7 days
away from the office? or what? 

Al

	If you like to eat, New Orleans is the place to go. The food is
	really incredible. Just be open to trying new things.

	There is a fairly new aquarium (2-3 years old) in New Orleans.
	All within walking distance of the French Quarter.

	Make sure you know where your wallet is at all times. It's a 
	really fun place but the crime is kinda high.

								mike

<	If you like to eat, New Orleans is the place to go. The food is
<	really incredible. Just be open to trying new things.
			   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

   I'll try almost anything once. Tried 'snake-soup' while in Hong Kong about
15 years ago.  The theory was the more venomous the snake, the better the soup
was supposed to be for your spirit, sort of like caster oil. My host tried
some, made with Asian Krate (sp?) I think, so I did too. It was rather
non-descript. We didn't eat much... 

   Thanks for the tip about the pickpockets...

Al

   Can someone give me an idea as to how much the shore excursions are along
Cranival's Western Caribbean ports of call.  We've got stops in Grand Cayman,
Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and New Orleans.  I'm specifically interested in
prices for SCUBA trips, snorkel trips, and bus tours but welcome any and all
suggestions.

   Along with prices, does anyone have recommendations (or warnings)
regarding the Shore Excursions in these ports.


thanks,

Al
...only 10 more days...

	Scuba is around $50 for 1 tank and $75 for 2.
	Shore excursions can vary from $35 to $50 but closer to the 30-40 range.
	

    The snorkeling and diving in Cozumel is simply fantastic!  If I were
    you I would not even worry about booking an excursion in Cozumel.  We
    just got back from our third trip to the island Saturday, 18th.  Your
    ship docks right by hotel Sol Caribe.  The snorkeling is very good
    right off of their beach.  A sunken plane lies about 200 yds off shore
    and the abundance of fish there off the shore is great.
    
    Or... hop in a cab to Chan-ka-nab.  Should not cost more than 25 pesos
    or about $5.  There is a $5 entrance fee.  Beach has palapas for shade,
    beach chairs, restaurant and bar.  It is situated on one of the best
    snorkeling spots on the island.  Tons of fish, a floating raft anchor
    off shore, botancial gardens, museum etc.  I would imagine the shore
    excursion offered by the ship would be more than $15.00 which is what
    it will cost you if you do it on your own.  Or better yet, share a cab
    with another couple.  There are lockers and changing rooms there if you
    prefer.
    
    There are also catamaran trips offered that take you further out to
    reefs for both snorekling and diving.  They should be in the $30 to $40
    range as mentioned in previous note.  Have a great time, you're going
    to my absolute favorite island in the world.
    
    Mary

Accomodations:

	Our room was an outside cabin on the MAIN deck, near the lobby. The
room was adequate for the 4 people we had in the cabin. The roll-away bed was
strageically positioned to be out of the way, unless you wanted to use the
little desk.  The bathroom was about the size of many 1/2 baths in homes, but
had an adjacent shower that was adequate for my 250 pounds. I was pleasantly
surprised.  The bunks were standard twin size and firm. Overall I'd give the
cabin an A- rating.

Food:

	Dining room - Inconsistent.  Some entrees were great, most were good,
some were lousy. You never new what you were going to get. The beef seemed to
be the best bet most nights, the fish was a crap-shoot. They had a seafood
mixture they used in a couple different dishes that was "out of this world",
the baked halibut was overcooked and very dry. Breakfast was a waste of time. 

	The "Boilerroom", a cafeteria affair, was always crowded, but the
selection was poor, unless you craved hamburgers all the time. This was,
however, the place to eat breakfast, not as fancy as the dining room, but the
food was better. 

	Room-service (no charge) - food was good, but the wait was typically 
over an hour.

	Late-night Buffet -  didn't partake, cannot comment. The Grand buffet
was pretty, but I didn't try anything.

overall rating "B+"

Service:

	Room - excellent. No complaints. Rating "A"
	Dining Room - Our waiter was consistently excellent, the busboy started
		slow, but had recovered by the end of the week. The Maiter-d
		and headwaiter were a waste of space.  We had a 3 year old with
		our party of 12 and they could not/would not accomodate our
		need for an early seating. By the time the main course arrived
		the baby was either crabby or sleeping. It was not until the
		last night of the cruise were we were told ordering from the 
		children's menu got her food to us with our appetizers. No 
		excuse for this oversite (she paid the same fare as the rest of 
		us.) Rating "B"
	bar waiters - very pleasant people, but nothing spectacular, no 
		complaints. Rating "B"

Itinerary:

	We left Tampa Sunday around dusk.  Our lifeboat drill (lecture) was
timed to exactly coincide with the ship passing under the Skyline Bridge, a
spectacular sight no-one should have had to miss. The first day was a run 
around the west end of Cuba on our way to Grand Cayman. It would have been nice
to have the Captain announce that we were in sight of Cuba, but they did not.
Seas were a little choppy and many folks had a touch of seasickness. We arrived
in Grand Cayman early on Tuesday morning. We only had the morning to go
snorkeling and do a bit of shopping before we had to get back to the ship. It
would have been great to be able to spend a bit more time there. It sounded
like the excursion to Stingray City was the best of the tours offered there. We
just did a bit of snorkeling within a 1/4 mile or so of the terminal. The diving
there was okay, but nothing to write home about.
	The next morning we were in Cozumel and those in our party who went to
see the Tulume Ruins were overwhelmed with that tour. The rest of us took a
cab to Chan-ke-naab Park and got in some fantastic snorkeling in as well as 
time to do some shopping (next year a whole week in Cozumel maybe). Left the
island around dusk and headed for New Orleans.  Took a bus tour of the city 
in the morning and then wandered around the French Quarter all afternoon. A very
nice day all in all.
	With only the end of the trip to look forward to, the "sea day" between
New Orleans and Tampa was something of a let-down.

Processing:

	I found the processing both on and off the ship in Tampa to be a piece
of cake. Few delays, very little "hurry-up-and-wait", and no hassles. I was 
impressed.

Entertainement:

	Mixed.  Some of the shows were excellent, others mediocre. The juggler,
who also doubled up on many other activities, couldn't deal with kids. His
intolerance and annoyance of children and particularly the ill-mannered ones
was a big distraction. Some of the games needed some technology improvements,
but overall they seemed to do allright. Rating "B-"

Casino:
	I didn't win anything so they get an "F";-);-)

	Blackjack, Poker, Roullete, Craps and slot machines ($1, $.25, & $.05)

Other:
	The ship seemed well maintained, and clean. It was reasonably well
layed out and easy to find your way around.

Overall rating "B".  For the money we paid ($485/per person plus drinks, 
excursions and gratuities) we got a tremendous trip.