I. Fisher

Producer/Singer/Programmer

Well, I must say it's been 2 years since my first cruise and I have learned a lot. Royal Caribbean has a very impressive fleet. Travelling on the Voyager of the Seas has definitely inspired me to take more cruises, BUT NOT WITH ROYAL CARIBBEAN!!! On this special, personal trip for me, due to misplaced equipment by the crew, I was injured abord the ship. Not only did I have to basically beg for help, after I finally did get help, they wanted to charge me for medical service. The Nurse and her assistant acted like they couldn't be bothered and no one would help me until the "doctor" came out. In any event, chocolate covered strawberries and a sorry note was all I got. My clothes were ruined, I have a scar for life and they have never contacted me again, where I have contaced them several times.

Carnival Cruise lines on the other hand, bends over backwards to insure safety and satisfaction of their cusotmers. I have travelled with them exclusively since my first cruise with Royal Caribbean and will continue to do so. I don't think Royal Caribbean puts their customers first. Safety and satisfaction are secondary I guess. I really did think the cruise was nice, but the treatment was awful. At this point I have taken my entire extended family twice on Carnival. Pretty nice to have a dining room table of 20 people set up for you.

Both ships did however travel to wonderful ports. If you do get bored easily, try not to take a cruise that is at sea for more than one day. If you plan to take a lot of pictures, don't forget your camera and plenty of film. In the caribbean, you can get great deals on electronics, but film is pricey. Nassau, Freeport, and St. Maarten are by far the best places I have seen to get discounted jewelry. Carry money with you, you will get deals you won't believe. I saw guys that wanted to buy Seiko watches in the states for $540 and bought two of the same watch for $260 each. That's just about half. By the way, the rocking everyone talks about is very minimal. You will hardly notice it, in most cases. All in all cruises are the best value for your dollar, especially with the fact that the ships almost all have casino's and #1 entertainment aboard. Particularly the Carnival Triumph I might add. I hope this helps in all your cruise endeavors, and be careful to choose your cruise line wisely.

Sincerely,

I.F.