Caribbean Cruise Vacation: scam or deal?

us arriving in Bahamas

Amy at the bottom of the Abyss water slide

Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island

Promo photo: float through the shark tank

Promo photo: Shoot through the shark tank

I did it! (Amy did too! but "once is enough".)

Our cabin

At dinner (yum)

At Epcot
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A co-worker wanted to know the details and ACTUAL price of our cruise...
My conclusion: cheap way to spend

• 1 day of fun in Bahamas
• 1 day at Disney world
• get a taste of cruising
• and 1 week away from work
  
• while getting a lot of laughs about the "cheapness"
  

Our Bahama Cruise information (video) if you're interested:
We took this trip last week (Sep 2009) and some people asked about the price, details and, "if it's a scam?".

Package Includes:

• 3nights cruise to Nassau Bahamas on the Bahamas Celebration from imperial majesty
  
• 4 nights in Orlando and/or Ft. Lauderdale Ramada Inn (welcome center)- Orlando (actually Kissamee is the nicer but the ship ports in Ft. Lauderdale
• AND 1week Budget car rental OR $100 for gas OR Universal Studios Hollywood tickets)
• All Meals included (at hotels and on cruise ship)

The Honest Costs:

• $398 per couple (we opted to upgrade that to a top deck window cabin)
• $258 Ship porting fees + taxes
• Upon arrival guests pay only Florida taxes on the hotel stay (~$15 p/night)
  
• 1 week car rental (~$65 if you claim 1 driver)
  
• Hotel buffets (~$2.50 p/person)
• Sit through your standard "low-pressure" time share presentation on one of the mornings on land (we really want to buy one eventually, but said "not now, thank you" and they presented very tempting foreclosure deals thereafter)
  
• On the cruise is where you can decide your Bahama Excursion: We chose the ATLANTIS AQUAVENTURE and tour. A waterside park merged with spectacular aquariums = By far the best part of our trip. There are watersides through shark tanks and into piranha aquarium surrounded caves. (awesome and worth the admittance price of $150ea)
• The beds on cruises are bunk-style so we put the mattresses together on the floor
• must book your reservations within a year of purchase
• we spread out the cost by purchasing in spring, buying our plane tickets in fall and traveling in late summer
• must love buffets (the cruise food was actually really good)
  
• must have the ability to have fun laughing at hokey decor, accommodations, salesmen and while waiting in porting lines
  

We purchased from Imperial Majesty:
Direct line to "Opal": 1-954-630-9449 dial 0 for operator and extension 4134 for Opal
Use our reference number: RI 101 708-071 OV (under your "friend's friend" Amy P.) for an additional discount