Thursday, February 9, 2012

How Much Money Is This Going To Cost Me?

That is a good question and one that doesn't have a definitive answer. If you won the cruise the then the following is included:
Cruise for Two that includes taxes and gratuties
Airfare for two (you will have to pay for extra bags beyond what is included)
Cricut Classes
Motel Room night before the cruise
Transportation from the hotel to the port, from the port to the airport upon return

You will likely be responsible for your transportation from the airport to the hotel. I will see if I can find out about shuttle service availability or taxi fares. I believe last year it was about $20 in a taxi from the airport to the hotel, but I am not sure how far it is this year since we will be leaving out of Galveston and last year we were in Ft. Lauderdale.

While on the ship anything you buy in the stores, any drinks (sodas and alcohol) than the ones that come with meals (tea, coffee, milk, juice), any amenities such as spa service are charged to your room and then charged to your credit card at the end of the cruise. You are responsible for those charges.


Any shore excursions are your responsibility. There are some listed on the Royal Carribean site, LAND SHORE EXCURSIONS, if you would like to check them out. There are a total of 171 excursions to choose from on the list so make sure you click "next page" to see them all. Last year we didn't do any excursions but there were plenty of people that did and enjoyed them. Sandie, Karen, Sandy and I all preferred to do our own thing and explore on our own. There are some suggestions on the 2012 Cricut Cruise from members who are doing the Dunn's Falls or the Mayan Ruins.

There is always plenty to do on the ship. There are 4 pools on the ship, one being an adult only, which is what I prefer since I will not be taking any children with me. There are also a total of 6 whirlpools on the ship so there are plenty of places to soak up the sun. Last year we were given a list of available activities every day so we could choose what we might like to do. Several people enjoyed the nightly entertainment in the live theater, that included magic shows, dancing, etc. There is a cinema on board where you can go watch a movie. There are night clubs available if you want to dance the night away. The Mariner of the Seas also includes a Rock Climbing Wall, Miniature Golf and an Ice Rink. I know there are a lot of things I am not mentioning but I just wanted to provide some highlights. At this time I do not know which of these might cost extra.

If you choose you can leave extra money for a tip at the end of the trip and an envelope will be provided for this. Karen and I each left extra in the envelope because our stewards were so awesome!

Anything you buy while on shore is at your own expense, such as eating, shopping, excursions, etc.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Upgrading Your Package

Last year a few of the winners upgraded their packages to either window rooms or balcony rooms. If you are a winner and would like to upgrade your package you will need to contact Toby at Travel Masters.


You can contact Toby by calling (800)264-0557 , or emailing her at
























Tuesday, February 7, 2012

CONGRATS TO 2012 CRUISE WINNERS

I bet you all are full of questions, well to start out Congrats to you all. You are about to take the trip of a lifetime. Since you won the cruise you will not pay one dime for you and your guest, everything is paid for. The only expection is if you and your guest book any excrusions.
Another thing you want to consider is if your guest wants to be included in the classes they will have to purchase the upgrade at cricut.com, otherwise they will not be able to attend any of the classes. You do not need a passport to take the cruise, your official birth certificate with the raise seal will be enough. Since we are leaving from the US and coming back to the US thats all you will need. But if you feel better getting a passport, I would do that. Passports can take up to 6 weeks to process, so I would start the paperwork now. Last year we were flown down a day before the cruise and stayed at a hotel(which is paid for) and transported all together to the dock.

If there is something I did not cover please feel free to leave a comment and I will try and answer all your questions.

It's Time To Pick Up the Pace!!

The winners for the 2012 cruise have been chosen and are being contacted! I have already heard from one winner via Facebook and she is so excited! If you are a winner and would like to join our group on Facebook you can search for 2012 Cricut Cruise. I have been trying to add those that have already purchased their cruises but will be adding winners as we find out and if they want to join.

Sandie and I will be available to answer any questions people might have concerning the cruise and what you can expect. I would first like to say that ProvoCraft treats all their cruisers like royalty and everyone will have a fabulous time! Dan Larsen puts in a lot of hard work to make sure it all goes smoothly and he is an awesome guy with a fabulous sense of humor!!

Congrats to the winners!!!