KWong

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...

14 hours ago, cruisellama said:

Good for a quick nap..

Power nap or "American Adventure at Epcot" nap?

For one of our cruises we had way too much OBC so used it for an "island tour" in Roatan. The tour was fine, but it wasn't worth the cost. So I'll be making better use of my OBC from now on. 

13 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I used to do the shot glasses and then they became a nuisance with where to put them; they were no more than dust collectors.  They went bye-bye with the move.

I keep saying that I'd try a DIY display. Clearly, that has yet to happen. 

7 hours ago, CrimsonCruiser said:

I want  to start collecting magnets or ornaments or something of the like for each new ship...but honestly they never quite scream to me when I'm on board.

BUT...I do always buy photos and somehow end up always buying something from the "street" sales.

I actually started my shot glass collection based on trying to find the cheesiest landmark image I could find (at an agreeable price). But the important thing was that I didn't overthink my purchases. And I think that if you're going to dive into the collecting hobby, that might help you get started. 

Ooops, double post.

31 minutes ago, Joe01 said:

Do Royal actually expect anyone (other than the most ardent cruisers - and let's be real, the majority who post on cruise forums fall into this category) to dish out thousands of pounds/dollars/whatever other currency to go on a cruise where they can't explore ports on their own, have to distance from other guests, have to wear face coverings everywhere on the ship and risk being imprisoned in a cabin if someone even tests positive for a virus?

I know it sucks for the industry big time but let's be realistic.

It's a good question. I would say "no, they are not." The casual cruiser will come back. It just won't be during this point where we're just starting to see vaccines being delivered, and probably won't be until we start being able to walk around without masks on. 

14 hours ago, princevaliantus said:

Question: What indicators give thought to RCG being a Zombie?

It's in your head. In your head...

3 hours ago, RickinSTL said:

For us.. we have to buy a ship magnet.. I know its dumb.. but we have to litter the Fridge with them lol 

 

I don't buy magnets, but I've been collecting shot glasses of destinations for years now. And a cruise ship certainly qualifies. 

If I'm being honest I don't like wearing masks. 
 

However it's something I've gotten used to doing. Even when I'm at the gym I wear one unless I'm doing cardio on the elliptical. 
 

So if I need to wear one whilst on vacation, so be it. 

This is why I sport a "We The North" lanyard and Jays/Expos/Texans caps. People can see that I have my teams - no need to ask about the Leafs. 
 

They do ask how someone from Toronto is a fan of the Texans though.