Can you help with some cruise advice?

i don't have an infinite amount of money but i have a little bit. what would be the best cruise for not a ton of money? i would really like to go to the Caribbean or Jamaica and i am a thrill seeker and VERY active, i would love one of those cruises with rock climbing and a flow rider, i also love shore excursions to the beach and am looking for lots of activities. can you give some suggestions with price ranges?Can you help with some cruise advice?
You either want Carnival or Royal Caribbean. They both have a younger range of passengers and therefore offer more active shore excursions.





My husband and I usually get an ocean view b/c he has motion sickness and we like the bigger room. They are often about $100 a night on Carnival and about $150 on Royal. However there are cheaper interior rooms which means you won't have a window at all. But you aren't in your room often so as long as you don't get motion sick, it's really not a big deal. A 7 day can be as low as $350. When you search by what month you wish to go, you can sort the options by price. Remember everyone on board gets the same great food no matter what cabin you've booked.





Go on one of the newer larger ships. Don't do any shore excursions to the beach. Take a cab to the beach if you wish to go but the excursions are a waste of money.





As for the price, you'll need to factor in at least a couple hundred extra for your budget. The price is per person with 2 people per cabin. Shore excursions are roughly about $100 each. Tips which are automatically added on your card to cover your room steward and waiters are about $100 for a week. Alcohol is not included so you probably want to have a couple hundred aside for that. What most people say $100 per day on the cruise is about what you budget.Can you help with some cruise advice?
Carnival Cruise-line is pretty fun.


I am a runner, and the on-board fitness center was amazing!


And depending on what cruise ship you take, it may have rock climbing, and other fun stuff like that!
Any criuse line except Carnival!!!
The best for value is Carnival. There are nicer cruise lines, but Carnival has the best dollar for dollar value. Believe me, there is nothing wrong with Carnival, in particular for a novice cruiser.





The shore excursions you mention all cost money. Every time the ship stops it is like an attack on your wallet! So plan ahead and figure out some things you can do in each port without booking shore excursions on the ship. Every dock will have vendors trying to sell you something, so do your homework and find out what is important to you before you go.





Look around for some groups that are going and you can join them. Clubs and organizations have group tours and they love it when someone joins in with them... helps them meet their goal. But groups get better deals and more on-board amenities. And you are not wedded to the group... once you are on-board, you can do your own thing. I bet some of the sports businesses or clubs in your area are good prospects.





Go for the inside rooms. You are only there to sleep anyway... so go for the cheapest room and spend the rest on shore excursions or drinks. Book early and pay early. You are likely to get an upgrade these days and get a better room than you pay for!





Try to find a cruise that departs from a city closer to you. That way you avoid paying airfare (which can sometimes cost as much as the cruise) and a hotel room (because the arrival times often won't get you there early enough in the morning before disembarkation.) Find a city where you can take public transportation, and avoid parking fees for your car while you are gone.





Look at some cruise specific sites for more information and to make contacts:





www.cruisecritic.com


www.cruisemates.com





Bon Voyage!