Todd W

great photo!   love the shirts !

when we took our 12 and 14yr old boys on their first cruise our initial rules we set for them was to check in with us every 2 hours, no question asked.   we always made sure they knew of the potential places where we would be.   if for some reason they couldn't meet up or couldn't find us, then they needed to swing by the cabin and leave us a sticky note on the mirror as to where they were and what time it was when they left the note.
  Some may think this was extreme but we just prefaced it to them with the understanding that if they missed any of our expected check-in's,  they would be glued to our hip the next day.   I'm very pleased to say that we never had any issues.  In fact,  they actually ran into us much more frequently than was expected.    as they showed the responsibility, we gave them longer windows of time in which they needed to check back with us.     i believe that they loved the freedom and wanted to prove to us that they could do it, which they did.      They had a blast and in turn, because of they behavior, we had a much more relaxed time knowing that they were being responsible.

sorry to hear about this, it sucks.   primarily why i put all of this in the hands of MEI because if there's something that can be forgotten, I'll forget it.      For what it's worth, i've never received notice for any other cruise line either.    It's always been on the paperwork they provide when you book as well,  X amount of days final payment is due.   best of luck on rebooking.   keep us posted.   

when we took our 12 and 14yr old boys on their first cruise our initial rules we set for them was to check in with us every 2 hours, no question asked.   we always made sure they knew of the potential places where we would be.   if for some reason they couldn't meet up or couldn't find us, then they needed to swing by the cabin and leave us a sticky note on the mirror as to where they were and what time it was when they left the note.
  Some may think this was extreme but we just prefaced it to them with the understanding that if they missed any of our expected check-in's,  they would be glued to our hip the next day.   I'm very pleased to say that we never had any issues.  In fact,  they actually ran into us much more frequently than was expected.    as they showed the responsibility, we gave them longer windows of time in which they needed to check back with us.     i believe that they loved the freedom and wanted to prove to us that they could do it, which they did.      They had a blast and in turn, because of they behavior, we had a much more relaxed time knowing that they were being responsible.

when we took our 12 and 14yr old boys on their first cruise our initial rules we set for them was to check in with us every 2 hours, no question asked.   we always made sure they knew of the potential places where we would be.   if for some reason they couldn't meet up or couldn't find us, then they needed to swing by the cabin and leave us a sticky note on the mirror as to where they were and what time it was when they left the note.
  Some may think this was extreme but we just prefaced it to them with the understanding that if they missed any of our expected check-in's,  they would be glued to our hip the next day.   I'm very pleased to say that we never had any issues.  In fact,  they actually ran into us much more frequently than was expected.    as they showed the responsibility, we gave them longer windows of time in which they needed to check back with us.     i believe that they loved the freedom and wanted to prove to us that they could do it, which they did.      They had a blast and in turn, because of they behavior, we had a much more relaxed time knowing that they were being responsible.

I second this.   doesn't have to be a big expensive one.   something to cover you just "in case".  bandaids, tweezers, antiseptic, a few motrin a few ibuprofin,  maybe $7.00 at walgreens.    will not only save you money, but will save you TIME running around on the ship to buy this stuff.      
we always take some downey wrinkle release spray for any wrinkled clothes.    works pretty good considering you cant have an iron or steamer
travel sunscreen
ziplock bags. -  great for wet clothes or carrying snacks out to port
and it may seem like overkill but i always take copies of all health insurance stuff as well as a list of any meds with mg descriptions that my wife and I are taking.   i barely remember my own meds but have no clue what the mg's are and even more clueless on her stuff.       we had an instance on our first cruise where i had to go down to the sickbay and was glad i had that information.   made it much easier for the medical team to assist us.

I second this.   doesn't have to be a big expensive one.   something to cover you just "in case".  bandaids, tweezers, antiseptic, a few motrin a few ibuprofin,  maybe $7.00 at walgreens.    will not only save you money, but will save you TIME running around on the ship to buy this stuff.      
we always take some downey wrinkle release spray for any wrinkled clothes.    works pretty good considering you cant have an iron or steamer
travel sunscreen
ziplock bags. -  great for wet clothes or carrying snacks out to port
and it may seem like overkill but i always take copies of all health insurance stuff as well as a list of any meds with mg descriptions that my wife and I are taking.   i barely remember my own meds but have no clue what the mg's are and even more clueless on her stuff.       we had an instance on our first cruise where i had to go down to the sickbay and was glad i had that information.   made it much easier for the medical team to assist us.

I second this.   doesn't have to be a big expensive one.   something to cover you just "in case".  bandaids, tweezers, antiseptic, a few motrin a few ibuprofin,  maybe $7.00 at walgreens.    will not only save you money, but will save you TIME running around on the ship to buy this stuff.      
we always take some downey wrinkle release spray for any wrinkled clothes.    works pretty good considering you cant have an iron or steamer
travel sunscreen
ziplock bags. -  great for wet clothes or carrying snacks out to port
and it may seem like overkill but i always take copies of all health insurance stuff as well as a list of any meds with mg descriptions that my wife and I are taking.   i barely remember my own meds but have no clue what the mg's are and even more clueless on her stuff.       we had an instance on our first cruise where i had to go down to the sickbay and was glad i had that information.   made it much easier for the medical team to assist us.

sorry to hear about this, it sucks.   primarily why i put all of this in the hands of MEI because if there's something that can be forgotten, I'll forget it.      For what it's worth, i've never received notice for any other cruise line either.    It's always been on the paperwork they provide when you book as well,  X amount of days final payment is due.   best of luck on rebooking.   keep us posted.   

sorry to hear about this, it sucks.   primarily why i put all of this in the hands of MEI because if there's something that can be forgotten, I'll forget it.      For what it's worth, i've never received notice for any other cruise line either.    It's always been on the paperwork they provide when you book as well,  X amount of days final payment is due.   best of luck on rebooking.   keep us posted.   

thanks for the awesome pics @twangster    had my wife sit down with me last night and showed her everything in this thread.    This live blog of your pretty much sealed the deal for her in wanting to cruise to Alaska now.    Thanks!!!

From the kids perspective, they're are going to have a blast on any of the ships you choose.  Independence and Mariner both just got updates they would love but obviously there will be more for everyone to do on an Oasis class.     When we took our kids on their first cruise they were 12 and 14 and absolutely loved it.   We started them out with tight restrictions (requiring them to check in with us every couple of hours or leaving notes on the mirror in the cabin as to where they were).  as they proved their level of responsibility, we loosened up their reigns.   We just set the expectation that if at any point they broke a rule (within reason) or missed a check in time, they would be glued to our hip for the next day.    Happy to say we never had any incidents.   It was a real pleasure to see them in their own element on the ship enjoying everything with other kids their age.   Surprisingly they checked in with us more frequently than either of us expected which was great!   Lots of tears from both of them at the end of the cruise but many of their friends they stil keep in contact 2 years later.        

From the kids perspective, they're are going to have a blast on any of the ships you choose.  Independence and Mariner both just got updates they would love but obviously there will be more for everyone to do on an Oasis class.     When we took our kids on their first cruise they were 12 and 14 and absolutely loved it.   We started them out with tight restrictions (requiring them to check in with us every couple of hours or leaving notes on the mirror in the cabin as to where they were).  as they proved their level of responsibility, we loosened up their reigns.   We just set the expectation that if at any point they broke a rule (within reason) or missed a check in time, they would be glued to our hip for the next day.    Happy to say we never had any incidents.   It was a real pleasure to see them in their own element on the ship enjoying everything with other kids their age.   Surprisingly they checked in with us more frequently than either of us expected which was great!   Lots of tears from both of them at the end of the cruise but many of their friends they stil keep in contact 2 years later.        

@JLMoran -- I thought of you when I saw this.

It never hurts to consider other options. 
My only NCL experience is so long ago it's not relevant any longer.  When I've looked at NCL in the past, before becoming Loyal2Royal, my research led me to a couple of conclusions. 
By and large the experience is more similar than not.  The devil is in the details.
Free at sea isn't really free, it's bundled into the cost.  Any time I narrowed it down to a specific ship and sailing then compared costs the age old proven rule came to light - nothing in life is free.  That's for me and my purchasing habits.  I'm sure for some people the bundles work out for them.  Once in a while you can find a deal that is an outlier.  It seems people point to these like they are rule but any time I priced out an exact sail date it was never one of those outliers. 
Mini-suites in my research led me to conclude it's just a slightly bigger balcony cabin.  Not really a suite and shouldn't be compared to a JS on Royal. 
When looking at NCL there are great variations from ship to ship.  You really need to focus on one ship and reviews for that ship.  While Royal's fleet has evolved and you can clearly see that evolution from class to class, NCL ships are more random.  In some cases they acquired a ship when another company went broke mid-construction so they started with someone else's design and adapted it to NCL on the fly.  They've also experimented more in design so it isn't an evolution so much as "... and now for something completely different" .   There is nothing wrong with that, but those experiments haven't always worked out so well.  Turns out there is a reason no other cruise line tried some of them.
NCL internet packages don't work for me.  There are many people who love to completely disconnect when cruising.  For those people the internet plans on any line are irrelevant.  I could never work from an NCL ship like I can on Royal.  Like the ship design, internet across the NCL fleet is wildly different from one ship to the next.  The newer ships have decent internet but the older ships have really bad internet.  250 free minutes of really bad internet is just really bad.  They've simply made no attempt to modernize internet across the fleet like Royal did in 2013. 
As far as loyalty programs, for my needs Royal is still tops but that is what I look for in a loyalty program.  I've sailed five lines.  I suppose had I never tried any other line I'd be further ahead compared to where I am now but I am where I am.  In the end it hasn't stunted my advancement in C&A that much.  Competition is a good thing.  It keep Royal in check.  Please sail other lines.  Every time someone doesn't book Royal it lowers demand and causes Royal to lower prices (or keep them from increasing).  That's a good thing and I thank you for taking one for the team.
A cruise is what you make it.  If someone gave me a free cruise on NCL's worst ship I'd still have a great time and not because it was free, rather because I don't do bad cruises.   

Great point!  Would never even have thought of it from that angle!

while we haven't cruised on NCL yet ( looking into it) , my humble opinion is your 50th birthday is a big deal man!    I'll hit that milestone this year myself.    With that in mind, i would tend to lean more towards having a great time on a familiar line that you're already comfortable with.  This helps to avoid any whoopsies in case NCL just isn't for you.    Save the NCL cruise for another time when it wouldn't be as big of a deal or tarnish the memories of your 50th if something was out of sorts.     

while we haven't cruised on NCL yet ( looking into it) , my humble opinion is your 50th birthday is a big deal man!    I'll hit that milestone this year myself.    With that in mind, i would tend to lean more towards having a great time on a familiar line that you're already comfortable with.  This helps to avoid any whoopsies in case NCL just isn't for you.    Save the NCL cruise for another time when it wouldn't be as big of a deal or tarnish the memories of your 50th if something was out of sorts.     

while we haven't cruised on NCL yet ( looking into it) , my humble opinion is your 50th birthday is a big deal man!    I'll hit that milestone this year myself.    With that in mind, i would tend to lean more towards having a great time on a familiar line that you're already comfortable with.  This helps to avoid any whoopsies in case NCL just isn't for you.    Save the NCL cruise for another time when it wouldn't be as big of a deal or tarnish the memories of your 50th if something was out of sorts.     

We LOVED the Jaguar Paw Cave Tubing while we there in January 2017. The walk to the cave entrance was not all that long and our guide was very informative about the section of jungle we were walking through. (the plants, wildlife, history, etc.)
To be able to take pictures I bought a pair of waterproof phone cases with lanyards and they worked great. The sights inside the cave were AMAZING! The waterfalls INSIDE the cave were breathtaking. The trip down the river was leisurely and quite relaxing and, once again, our guide was terrific.
Anything you don't want to get wet can be left at the facility in a rented locker. The after trip lunch was delicious, too. Caribbean style grilled chicken, rice & beans, salad, and soft drinks. (Alcoholic drinks available separately $$$)
We weren't all that interested in shopping at the port afterward, but, we had plenty of time to do so if we wanted.

We did the cave tubing YEARS ago.  I certainly cannot recall who did the excursion but it was through the cruise line.
All I remember is that it was a TOUGH walk, carrying your innertube and that the water was FREEZING ?  My daughter (who has NO insulation !) was completely blue head to toe by the time we got out of the water.
I am certain that I could not do this excursion today, given my deteriorated mobility from those days.  We completely enjoyed it (all but my daughter who nearly froze to death !) but would not consider doing it again.  Once was enough.

My wife and I did it through the ship in 2014 and what you write about is pretty much what we remember, it seemed like everything was a rush, we were there after Belize had a very significant rainy season, so the roads where terrible, my wife is a school bus driver and the guy that drove us scarred the crap out of her and the bus was basically a school bus type with no AC.
I will agree with @WAAAYTOOO, the water is cold, but it is very beautiful floating through the cave. I'm not mobility limited in any way, but it is a steep climb down to the river through the opening.
By the time we got back (Road re-construction delay, ie Rainy season) we were not pier runners but we were close to the last ones on the ship. yes, about a 45-1 hour drive.

Water shoes or gym shoes that can be discarded after the ride are an absolute must. Sandels, Crocs, or other loose fitting foot ware probably won't work out so well.
"Creek" is a much more accurate term than "river".
The  water is cool, but not freezing. Consider wearing something like a rash guard or long sleeved shirt for the trip. The life vest will also keep you pretty warm.
The water is seldom deeper than chest deep anywhere along the trip.
The bats are small and the headlights on the helmets are just enough to see them.
I don't remember any total blackout areas along the route. I'm certain there were none.
Beers are available for sale after the trip. Buy a couple extra for the bus ride back to the ship.
The inner tubes are not from vehicles, they are much lighter weight than that.
Everything you bring with you is going to get wet. This includes cameras, phones, wallets etc.  These items types of items you bring along should have a way of being clipped off to you. Meaning; having a caribeaner that can be hooked to a belt loop and the lanyard to a waterproof camera is a really good idea. Leaving a towel, change of clothes, change of shoes, seapass, and a photo ID was plenty safe left on your seat in a backpack or beach bag on the bus.
The walk from the bus to the creek was, I dunno if it was a mile; I don't think it was that long. It's along a trail in the jungle which is mostly gravel or mud. It's not a Tough Mudder, but being a rain forest you will walk in an occasional puddle.There were many stops along the way where the guide takes about specific trees or wildlife. 
Ther is some occasional faster current, not whitewater,  not rapids, but rather swift fun.
There are times during the float that are quiet, peaceful drifts through the rainforest. Listening to the jungle birds is wonderful and they don't know you are there.
 
 
 
 
 

while we haven't cruised on NCL yet ( looking into it) , my humble opinion is your 50th birthday is a big deal man!    I'll hit that milestone this year myself.    With that in mind, i would tend to lean more towards having a great time on a familiar line that you're already comfortable with.  This helps to avoid any whoopsies in case NCL just isn't for you.    Save the NCL cruise for another time when it wouldn't be as big of a deal or tarnish the memories of your 50th if something was out of sorts.     

And this is why I find the pizza onboard to be abominable -- After all, the best pizza on the planet comes from New York / New Jersey! Chicago's a close second. ?
And with that, we've met the requirement that "all conversations must eventually come back to the pizza."