AndrewJL Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 So I'm going on my first cruise ever aboard Radiance of the Seas on Jan 6th with my 16 year old niece (itll also be her sweet 16 cruise). I was a bit too excited and booked it, paid for it and everything, however, I forgot the most important things.. Refreshment/Drink Packages and excursions. I thought I would've had the money to buy these around this time of the year but some bills came first and I haven't been able to do so, so I'm not sure if it's gonna be as fun for my niece and I feel like an ultimate failure. Just felt like I had to say it some where. PPPJJ-GCVAB and Doug_Texas 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 You don't need to buy refreshment or drink packages. Depending on your itinerary you don't even need to buy excursions. Taxis or stuff within walking distance are common. Cactus527, AndrewJL, Neesa and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pattycruise Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 Looks like the stops are Cozumel and puerto costa naya I’m sure some people here can weigh in on what’s available to do at those ports that is relatively cheap there is still time to buy a beverage package, perhaps ask a relative to help out and buy the package? RCIfan1912, AndrewJL and KJ777 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanHardlyWait Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 1 hour ago, AndrewJL said: So I'm going on my first cruise ever aboard Radiance of the Seas on Jan 6th with my 16 year old niece (itll also be her sweet 16 cruise). I was a bit too excited and booked it, paid for it and everything, however, I forgot the most important things.. Refreshment/Drink Packages and excursions. I thought I would've had the money to buy these around this time of the year but some bills came first and I haven't been able to do so, so I'm not sure if it's gonna be as fun for my niece and I feel like an ultimate failure. Just felt like I had to say it some where. I had only one uncle (my mother's brother). I never received so much as a card on my birthday, let alone a cruise. You are not a failure! If you are paying for the cruise I don't think it would be unreasonable to ask her parents for help with the extras. Plenty to drink without a refreshment package. Also, remember the soda package is only about $8 per day right now on sale. Buy lemonade and ice tea is free. So is regular coffee and hot tea. As for excursions research the ports. Sometimes just a walk about window shopping in a new country and taking pictures is as adventurous as you want to get first time out. Your doing a nice thing. She is very lucky to have you in her life. Have a great time. AndrewJL, RCIfan1912, tingtang and 6 others 9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasingsunnybeaches Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 For first, congrats!! Your first cruise should be exciting and you shouldn't let not having a drink package or excursions get in the way. There are a bunch of free drink options onboard and you can bring cans of soft drinks onboard too. Try looking into local third-party shore excursion vendors. If not, the port area around Costa Maya is really nice. Hope you and your niece enjoy your cruise Cactus527, PPPJJ-GCVAB and RCIfan1912 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xaa Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 @AndrewJL, don't worry about it. It speaks volumes about you that you want it to be perfect in every way, but the cruise itself and what you do will be fantastic. You won't miss the things you don't have. I'm not sure whose quote this is, but it's one I love and I think it applies here. In your life people will forget the things you say and they will forget the things you do, but they'll never forget the way you make them feel You're going to make her feel like a million bucks. Have a great cruise! Eamon, aubtfan, PPPJJ-GCVAB and 4 others 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steverk Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 I think it's incredibly generous that you're doing this for your niece. I've never been that generous and I don't think you should feel bad at all. As far as excursions, both Cozumel and Costa Maya have large shopping areas at the head of the pier. Costa Maya even has a couple free pools and a flowrider (I don't know the cost). In Cozumel you can take a taxi in to town and explore on the cheap or go to a beach. I'm not a beach person, so maybe someone can give more specific advice. I wouldn't worry about a drink package. As many people have said, a lot is included. If your niece really wants a Coke, you can carry on 12 cans or 16.9 Oz. Bottles on your first day. A more important issue is paperwork. Make sure you have everything you need. Since your niece is a minor, you'll need documentation that you have permission from her parents. I also recommend passports for both of you. KJ777, AndrewJL, Cactus527 and 1 other 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrismelissa Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 You and her will have a great time, congrats on your first cruise , hope you have many more AndrewJL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PPPJJ-GCVAB Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 @AndrewJL just as everyone else has mentioned…no one here thinks you messed up…not at all! Your niece is one lucky young lady to have such a generous Uncle. You can always enjoy a mocktail or two while onboard…even if just to celebrate her turning 16! Payment takes place once your cruise ends, so perhaps you’ll have freed up a bit of extra cash by then. But as many have noted, you can carry on soda to drink throughout the cruise and there are included refreshing juices, coffee, tea, water onboard! As @steverk mentioned the paperwork is the most important thing to remember! We sailed this past summer with our kids and grandkids. Even though my husband’s sea pass had the same room number as our granddaughter (her last name is different), she wasn’t going to be allowed off the ship with us without our daughter’s ok! Luckily our daughter was nearby to vouch for us! So paperwork will be most important for sure! I hope you can relax and enjoy this wonderful gift you’ve given to her! AndrewJL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAAAYTOOO Posted November 25, 2023 Report Share Posted November 25, 2023 @AndrewJL, you are an awesome Uncle. Your niece is very, very lucky to have you ! The cruise is going to be awesome, Radiance is a beautiful ship and your itinerary is perfect. As luck would have it, you couldn't have chosen a better itin (IMO) for simply getting off the ship, wondering around and having a great time withOUT spending a bunch of extra $$. Since this is the first cruise for both of you, you will find yourselves so busy you will soon realize that you don't need any kind of drink package or excursions. Just enjoy ! Just make sure that you both have the proper documentation for boarding and the rest will take care of itself. The only thing that will stop you from getting on the ship is not having proper documentation. If you have different last names, make sure that you have authorization from her parents to take her out of the country. Even if your last names ARE the same then it is probably wise to have that authorization anyway. Once you are on the ship you will have a wonderful time. Enjoy it and let us know how it all goes ! AndrewJL, PPPJJ-GCVAB, RCIfan1912 and 2 others 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoomSlayer Posted November 26, 2023 Report Share Posted November 26, 2023 You don’t need the drink package to have fun. Spin it a little with your nice. Instead of feeling bad about not getting her the drink package, get her excited and tell her you got her the unlimited pizza package and she can have all the pizza she wants. Also, on the port days, you can stay close to the ship and enjoy things onboard without the crowds. Costa Maya and Cozumel both have swimming areas in the port, so you can still have a blast. Costa Maya is a pool at the port and Cozumel has access to the ocean swimming area. Have a blast on your trip! AndrewJL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smokeybandit Posted November 26, 2023 Report Share Posted November 26, 2023 7 minutes ago, DoomSlayer said: Instead of feeling bad about not getting her the drink package Don't even mention lack of a package. Just get drinks a la carte. teddy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F1guynz Posted November 26, 2023 Report Share Posted November 26, 2023 As well as the drinks available free on board (water, fruit punch, lemonade, iced tea, eta, coffee etc.) you can also bring 12 cans of soft drink with you and we normally bring a couple of small bottles of coke after port visits. BD1157 and WAAAYTOOO 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billdauterive Posted November 27, 2023 Report Share Posted November 27, 2023 Definitely didn't mess up. Here's a summary of some cheaper options you can do depending on your budget. Drinks on board: Carry on a 12 pack of soda (or one 12 pack each if you're feeling lucky ). Carry on 2 bottles of wine, although I'm not exactly sure how this would work since you're traveling with a minor they may limit you to just 1. And/or you can buy a soda package for 1 or both of you for about $8/day right now. You can buy alcoholic (or virgin) drinks a la carte as needed. If you're only going to have a couple a day, especially on port days, it always makes sense to buy a la carte. There's also plenty of cheaper drink options in and around the ports as well for non-sea days. Excursions: Here's a great list of options for Cozumel and Costa Maya - https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2022/09/26/best-shore-excursion-every-caribbean-cruise-port. Maya Chan at Costa Maya is $69/person and includes everything including taxi rides other than tipping the staff (and I would recommend not skipping the tip because the staff there is absolutely amazing). Cozumel has plenty of beaches to choose from and the taxi prices are reasonable, about $10-$20 each way depending on exactly where. If you want to go cheaper, you can get a $4 taxi each way in Costa May to take you to the "town" of Mahahaul. You can then just walk along the promenade and spend as little or as much money as you want at the places/beaches you come across. Same idea in Cozumel, take a $10 taxi each way into town and walk up and down the streets spending as much or as little as you want to along the way. If you want to go REALLY cheap, you can just walk in the ports for free. I would recommend not buying anything though as you'll find cheaper options outside the port that should more than offset the taxi fare. You could also walk to each town, but they are pretty long walks and I wouldn't recommend it if it's your first time at either place. There's also nothing wrong with just staying on the ship and enjoying the pool or other activities while in port. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ditchdoc Posted November 28, 2023 Report Share Posted November 28, 2023 Ditto on the "you do not have pay for extra packages to have fun", especially being your first cruise. The WOW factor of the ship and free activities will keep you entertained. Drinks and excursions will always be available, even without packages. It will be a great time and memory regardless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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