KWong

On 4/27/2021 at 11:58 AM, twangster said:

New revenue stream.  $5 per hour per chair.

Thanks.  

I can already hear folks on the DIS boards complain about more nickel and diming...

Of the two mainland tours, I've done Tulum (2014-ish). Chichen Itza (which is the more spectacular of the two ruins)  I did years ago (2003-ish), albeit when we were vacationing in Cancun, and when you could still climb the temple.

Tulum was pretty nice. Like @JRT we got a partially guided tour and more than enough time to explore the ruins and have some fun at the beach. We did have to spend 30-45 minutes at the midpoint souvenir shop though - I don't like it, but I get it. 

Meanwhile, my brother and his wife did Chichen Itza off the boat a few years ago. They got back to the ship late (probably 45 min) but since he booked through Royal, the ship waited for them.

I would say that if you do either of these two tours, you should book via the cruise line. Even though the Tulum tour will get you back to Playa del Carmen in plenty of time, the ferry adds an extra point of risk, so this is the one time where I'd say that it's worth paying the cruise premium for an excursion.

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Martin Cetron has been reprimanded and sent to count vials of vaccine at the outdoor vaccination tents in Nebraska. 

Reminds me of when I had a warehouse job where I spent 2 days straight sorting screws.

It's as exciting as it sounds.

"Baby, baby the love that we had was so strong
Don't leave me hangin' here forever
Oh baby, baby this is not right
Let's stop this tonight"

6 hours ago, Linda R said:

I am also booked in December B2B cruises and really hoping it is a go!

I have a Christmas cruise on Allure scheduled and would love for that to happen. 

I did notice that there was less cigarette smell on Harmony's non-smoking side.

Allure had more smell than Harmony, but it was manageable. 

On Indy, the smoke got pulled to the non-smoking side whenever the doors to Playmakers opened. 

Overall, none of the smells were strong, but it was noticeable. 

Hopefully 2022 is a return to some level of normalcy.

Would agree that Great Bay beach is a good place to go since you can get umbrellas and the like. My SiL is sensitive to the sun and hasn't had a problem there.

In Nassau, I would look at the Colonial Hilton as it's a short walk from the pier and they'll set you up on the beach or by the pool, and should be able to provide whatever shade you need.

Did this last year. Would agree that the class is worth it. It's a lot of fun, and it's a LOT of food (what you make can easily satisfy two people). Everything is set up for you, sure, but I feel like making the rice and frying the shrimp would be too hectic for the number of people they are teaching. Plus I'm likely to eat that freshly fried shrimp before it comes close to becoming maki.

On 3/14/2021 at 5:17 PM, twangster said:

One day soon.  

I hope so!

I think that is the key. No one knows how flights will work once cruises are back. 
 

So I'd say that this is the time to be a bit conservative and go with a later flight. 

On 2/18/2021 at 12:01 PM, SPS said:

I STILL WANT BMcBFOTS!!! 

I love this so much. 

On 1/29/2021 at 9:37 AM, mom2mybugs said:

I’m a fanatic and I just want to cruise it once.  Then I will say never again to the price and have warring obsessions agin...Disney parks vs cruising.  Jane

Don't get me wrong. They are fine ships and there are definitely some positives about them. But it definitely wasn't for me. 

I'll never say never... but I'm unlikely to sail DCL again. I like Disney but I'm not a fanatic, and I was pretty pumped to try out the Fantasy. I certainly enjoyed the cruise (it's a cruise, after all)... but I didn't feel that it met or exceeded what I experienced on Royal or Princess. And given the high cost, it makes it hard to justify going back on board.

Chichen Itza is my favourite but it's not one that I'd recommend going to off of a cruise, because you'll be quite rushed. Save that trip for if/when you go to a resort/hotel in Cancun.

From Cozumel, Tulum is much closer, but it's not as impressive as Chichen Itza. 

I wanted to see some ruins from Costa Maya, but at the time the kids weren't interested. Perhaps another time for me.

On 1/22/2021 at 3:16 PM, AlmondFarmer said:

The only good water that comes in a can is Coors Light. 

I'd still drink soda water over Coors Light

20 hours ago, MikeK said:

After spending 1000s on a cruise, how much can you save bringing your own water?   Spending a little extra for water isnt going to break ya.  Now I can see maybe bringing your own bottle of wine.

Well, a 12 pack of water will cost about the same as 1-2 bottles of Evian/whatever is on board now, so I get it from that perspective. Plus the money you save from not buying water on board can go towards buying alcoholic beverages.

I'd assume that ride shares will go MCO/Port Canaveral as well  

If you have time between disembarkation and your flight you could also do a one way car rental. 

I spent a week in Barcelona and I still didn't see everything I wanted to see!

8 hours ago, DD474 said:

Is there a Website showing the Info Board for Port Everglades ? 

You could try this: https://pevvesseltraffic.broward.org/webx/

No cruises right now, of course, so I can't confirm that it will have them when the time comes.

On 1/7/2021 at 9:40 AM, Pooch said:

And this is VERY common in retail - % off the suggested retail price - lowest price of the season.  If you are basing your purchases on wording, you are just the customer they’re looking for!!  Years ago in CT, Filene’s had the state Dept of Consumer Protection all over them because their linens were always on a percentage sale.  Deceptive advertising because the linens were never sold at FULL price.  So we learned never to buy towels on Monday or Tuesday when they were full price!

As others have pointed out, watch PRICE not SALES.

And recently the pillow guy has been under fire for something similar. 
 

anyway, as everyone said, it's best to simply look at the price. All the other numbers are just to entice you to buy. If you  think the cost is acceptable, get it. 

Depends on the ship. I believe that only Quantum and Oasis class do reservations, and they sort of pop up when they pop up, probably around the PIF date. 

That is the usual terminal for the Oasis Class. There is an info board telling you what ship is where when you enter the port, just in case. 

23 hours ago, monctonguy said:

I have a bunch of these PVR'd that I watch from time to time when I am missing cruising.....great shows!

I keep a whole bunch of travel shows on PVR for that reason. I like Mighty Cruise Ships, Samantha Brown's Places to Love and The Island Diaries (which is more informational than touristy). Bourdain's shows were great for this as well. 
 

My only gripe about the Mighty shows is that there is always a minor crisis where cruisers are late to get back to the ship - but make it back right before the ship casts off. 

46 minutes ago, Gears said:

Any and all 'Port Shopping' seminars...

One of our first cruises...naively thought this was a good idea. Ended up being "Make sure you visit the Diamonds International and pick yourself up some rare crap-o-lite jewelry!". Curious how there is a Diamonds International at every port of call...

Yeah this is something you learn after your first time going to one of their "seminars". Only reason to go is that they sometimes have giveaways. Personally, I'd rather do just about anything else. 

In the past I've read that the Port Shopping folk aren't a direct hire by the cruise lines but rather by a third party representing some of the onland shops. It seems to make sense given that I've seen the same stores pushed on Princess, DCL and Royal, but I wonder if anyone can confirm?

I won't sail through Port Everglades without having my NEXUS/Global Entry card. Similar to pp, it speeds everything up in the arrivals hall and allows you to book earlier flight times. You also get TSA precheck which, if I'm being honest, hasn't provided too much in terms of time savings at FLL. At YYZ I've saved over an hour versus my colleagues when we've flown out for business.

My Indy cruise was this time last year so it keeps popping up in my FB...