Cheap Caribbean Metal Detecting Cruise Anyone?

[Overkill Overkill]

Hello all,

The more I read and talk to folks, the more it seems that Caribbean-type locales are the place to find valuable stuff. After a quick 2-minute check, I found a last minute special on Royal Caribbean leaving June 28th out of Miami for $319. It's a four-night cruise to Nassau and back. If on the cruise, how much time do you think you might get to spend on the beach in the Bahamas? Maybe 18 total hours or so? Not bad. (Also, I've learned it's wise to check and maybe get permission in writing from the cruise line saying you can bring your metal detector on board.). But $400 sounds pretty reasonable to include 4 days of eating, living, electricity, water, etc., and did I mention you're in the freakin' Bahamas ("It's better in the Bahamas.")! Also, it seems that a cheap cruise is a good way to scout out target-rich areas that are more likely to be free of beach rangers (cops) and muggers, etc. Also, it seems people on cruises probably wear pretty nice jewelry. (I'm wondering also in anyone has any experience metal detecting, say, in the Rio de Janiero area?).

I'd be happy to organize a short (3-day or so) trip if some of us want to meet up in Miami in a month or so. This might be an especially good idea given the oil spill in the Gulf. Maybe we can even get a good group rate or something??

I had a nice conversation with a man the other day, and his family's business hosts metal detecting trips to the Bahamas every couple of months or so. From the pictures and from talking to the gentleman, it sure looks like they find some valuable stuff.

Another option is for a bunch of us to pool together and rent or charter a big boat out of Miami to go to the Bahamas - but the cost of this would probably be prohibitive.

Let me know of your interest, and any further cruise ship metal detecting experiences over and above what was posted recently about metal detecting from a cruise line. Thanks!

 

[Deepdiger60]

Sounds like fun and being its off season there you got a lot of open beach to hunt who knows you might get a few good scores Dd60

 

[Mitch1FL]

There are cheap 2 day cruises to the Bahamas from Palm beach.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Don't want to burst your bubble, but there are port charges on top of that price, plus gratuity for the meals and housekeeping that are automatically added on your bill, your looking at a bill closer to $500.

Don't think you are going to unhunted beaches either, they are hunted daily by other tourist, as well as local workers. There have been more then a few posts by members who went there, finds were slim.

 

[Sandman]

Treasure Hunter is right, there will be many fees tacked on to the bill. Don't think this idea hasn't been thought of before by many other guys an gals. There are many locals there that hit the beaches also and they have the connections with the hotels for searching their beaches all the time. Everyone knows the price of gold is high now and they are more familiar about metal detectors. If you are going just to enjoy the cruise, fine, but don't expect to find enough to pay for one meal. We do this for fun, not profit. If you just want a cruise without paying for it, join the Navy.

 

[sandnsea49]

I was on a 4 day cruise to the bahamas and hunted two days, found only one ring

it was fun but I should have enjoyed the beach, wife and pina coladas instead.

 

[Deepdiger60]

Overkill Overkill if i was you i would wait for the next big east coast hurricane from Florida to Maine 1 day after it dissipates start hitting the beaches you will be amazed and its a lot cheaper then a boring sea cruise even if you rent one of those mini trailer homes for a week .Just my opinion Dd60

 

[PettyOfficer]

We do this for fun, not profit. If you just want a cruise without paying for it, join the Navy.

There's a smart man!

 

[BareBones]

Well as an avid cruiser and one who has taken my detector along on cruises, I would never plan a vacation or take a cruise with the sole intent of just metal detecting.

I took a cruise just last month, a 7 day western Caribbean. You can read about it in this section of the forum. While I did not have a lot of completion and I did have some decent finds, but your not going to pay for your cruise. You would have better odds in the ships casino which are not very good odds at all.

Port charges and government fees are disclosed usually when you book your cruise. Most of the advertised pricing you see does not include those charges and is noted in the fine print of the sales ad. Typically figure $150-250 per person extra for those charges and ALL cabins are booked on a double occupancy minimum. So if you want to sail alone you will have to pay the booking stateroom passage for two persons excluding the per person taxes/fees.

Even for the savvy cruiser it is getting harder and harder to cruise on the cheap. The cruise lines are finding more ways to nickle and dime you to death just like at the theme parks and they make it very easy for you to always have access to your funds. Your room card/ship ID card is tied to your credit card for ship board purchases. Even sodas and juices have not been all inclusive for years now and I just paid $30 for unlimited sodas on this last cruise.

Also tipping varies from cruise line to cruise line. Generally on most cruise lines the practice has been you do not tip the ship staff until the last day of the cruise. The night before returning to your home port, envelopes are left in your cabin for you to tip out the staff that has taken care of you during your cruise. Usually but not limited to your cabin staff (2 people), head housekeeper, matradee, your waiter & assistant, chef and sometimes even the sommelier; I can't think of anyone else off the top of my head. Bar staff are usually tipped when you sign for your drink.

A general tipping guide is also provided, but you are free to tip more or less depending on how you felt the service provided was and to your expectations. Generally it has been my experience for ship board staff to fall over themselves to make your cruise an enjoyable one and to glean the largest tip from passengers.

This last cruise was my first experience of anytime dining. You could eat when you wanted and you were not assigned to a specific table or time to dine. At first I thought this was a wonderful idea, but I soon realized the pit falls of this type of dining experience.

I wondered how the tip out would work and after some reading on board I found out that instead of leaving the tipping up to you, a flat fee of $11 per person per day was to be added to my shipboard account at the end of the cruise. You were of course welcome and encouraged to tip anyone you liked above and beyond that and after the second day on board I found a waitress in the dining room I liked so we requested to be seated in her section from then on.

Well I almost immediately noticed the problem with this tipping method aside from the most obvious one of tipping who you felt deserved what. I did not have any staff person go out of there way to see to my needs on the entire cruise. There was none of what I would call above and beyond service I have come to enjoy as a part of cruising. While my cabin staff did keep the room clean, it was nothing more then I would have expected from any regular hotel. Keep in mind too that I had a suite on this cruise and I only saw my stateroom attendant once on the day we left port. We tipped our waitress $100 and her assistant $50 over and above the $154 flat tipping fee imposed by the cruise line that is to be shared by the staff. So not including the bar staff tips, I paid $304 in just tips alone.

I don't know, I'll have to think hard about cruising on Princess again. It was OK, but not what I have come to expect as a seasoned cruiser on other lines like Celebrity and Royal Caribbean.

One other thing I should point out about cruising is while I love the idea of waking up in a different port of call every day, there NEVER seems like there is enough time in port for you to really enjoy the local flavor and do anywhere close to a fraction of what you would like to do while you are there. It's what I call the double edge sword of cruising. You have no control over the times you are in port or how long you are there and it's not unheard of for your ship to change ports of call depending on the local climate (weather, natural disaster, war, etc.) passenger safety is paramount and your port of call could be switched or worst case you end up with another day at sea.

Also one other thing to look out for as is it has just about become an industry standard is to add a fuel surcharge if the price of oil goes above $79 a barrel. One way to avoid this charge if the surcharge is not already in effect is to pay the full passage price for your cruise up front. If you only pay a deposit and the price of oil increases, the cruise line can and probably will impose the additional fuel surcharge which is added per day.

Hope you found this information enlightening and informative.

Happy cruising!