Digmenow

Kidding, you've been a huge help already! That said, embarking in 10 days...

Any chance that you can post the manufacturer and model number? My tech loving son in law wants to look into this further before we sail. Thanks!

This thread may turn out to be like a "Which Motor Oil Is Best?" thread on a Car forum but I will forge ahead, regardless. TIL that I need little clips to secure my towel to my poolside (relatively speaking) lounge chair. I had never heard of a Boca Clip before but I now MUST have some. With 10 days left until embarkation, I'm on a mission to secure (pun intended) some. Here are my requirements: Cheap because thieves Sturdy enough to last at least throughout the cruise but hopefully longer. Plastic or Stainless? Different enough to easily identify from others nearby (is this even an issue?) Fast shipping since it's a bit early to see them on local store shelves. I'd imagine that several of you have tried a number of these things and have developed an unnatural attachment to them. Links to whatever style or brand you may prefer would be appreciated. Time is of the essence here so, CHOP CHOP! Please?

Just to be clear about the BOGO deal, the following from the Cruise Planner means that if I book the deal, then after boarding, I should swing by Chops and GT to reserve time and table for nights one and two? Also, do I need to visit both venues or can I do it all from either?

...said no woman, ever!

Indeed! I'll check with the rest of our party to see how they feel about not using the MDR until day 3. Thanks for the tip!

@KarenPinNC Out of curiosity, I called the Hyatt Regency which is just across the (very wide) street from the Inner Harbor to see if their bellhop would hold luggage even if one was not a guest at the hotel but no dice. You might try some of the others with the same request, perhaps for a small 'parking' fee. Edit: Google is our friend! Read the suggestions at the link below. Luggage storage for 12 hours This is the place that is mentioned in the link above and is a few blocks from the Inner Harbor but is a pretty safe walk or catch a cab/Uber. HI Baltimore Hostel 17 W Mulberry Street Baltimore, Maryland 21201 Call 1 (410) [email protected] The train station is a novel idea as well since you can catch the train to BWI pretty cheaply as long as you don't mind schlepping your bags.

This option does not appear in my Cruise Planner. Based on recommendations here, we were thinking of avoiding the madding crowd in the MDR on the first evening by indulging our inner carnivore at Chops. I guess we'll just have to kick in the extra $15/per?

Click on the link below the picture. I wouldn't leave you hanging!

Buy a small roll of adhesive magnetic tape. Cut a couple of strips to length, peel and stick to the sign. Put it on your cabin door like a fridge magnet. The local WalMart has it in the stationery aisle, IIRC. Or maybe it was in hardware with the picture hanging supplies. Just in case the magnets fail for any reason, we have some of these types of nonmarking poster adhesive. Yes I'm obsessive. Don't harsh my buzz! I had planned to buy one of these for our cabin door but at 20 bucks, I was afraid that it would disappear before the second day and show up on some other deck! Mr. Fridge Smiley Face Refrigerator Magnet Set

Thanks to all for your thoughts and responses! We've prepaid gratuities, Voom and drinks and will bring singles for additional tipping. When in port, we plan to hit nearby beaches or find local excursions at the ports instead of booking RC excursions. I WILL be on the lookout for a reduced coffee pass so that's a few bucks and maybe a hundred for the casino. There's talk of First night at Chops. Not too much else to speak of. SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed) is loyal to Southwest and we are avoiding credit cards, as previously mentioned but it sounds like a good plan. And they say it's a just an old stereotype but we know better, don't we?

We worked long and hard to eliminate all credit cards from our lives and now pay with cash (rarely) or debit card only (mostly). After reading the above post, I started thinking about ways around the "really screw up your account" part of using our debit card. The 'all cash' option involves bringing a fairly large amount of dosh with us while we travel ("No, Mr. TSA agent, we are NOT drug mules!") plus I'm not even sure of how much we'd need at this time. It's been a while since we've cruised and back then, we still used credit cards. I don't know if Traveler's Checks would be accepted but then again, how much to bring is the question. I am thinking that if we open a second "primary" account at our bank (if possible, I need to stop by and ask), I can get a different debit card for THAT account and then link our REAL account as a secondary. That way, we can deposit only enough in the new account to cover on board spending and still have the option to move more from the real account if one of us simply HAS to kiss a dolphin or something. So, does this make sense and just how much is enough on a 7 night cruise these days.? We only play penny slots whenever we're in the casinos, BTW.

^^^

My son in law is pretty set on wearing his newest suit to formal nights. I was just going to go with a sport coat and tie but in deference to him, I decided to bring a suit as well. After reading this thread, I went looking in my closet and my eye stopped at my tux. Yeah, I may be the only passenger there in black tie but I don't care. Imma do it!

What are the chances that it would stay there all week?

It's been a while since our last cruise and I can't quite recall what some things were like (or perhaps I do but maybe it's changed since then!). Back story. As the years have passed, I've become an early riser. Three or Four AM is not out of the question for me. Whenever we travel, rather than wake MsDig (who can saw logs until a more respectable 6 or 7), I usually leave our room/cabin/tent/etc. and make my way to wherever an all night coffee pot is waiting and sit and sip until she wakes up. I like to bring a cup back for her and if there are breakfasty type nosh foods/pastries available, I'll tote some of her favs along with the coffee to tide us over before our whole party of 5 is ready to shove off for the real breakfast. I realize that Room Service is always an option but given the uncertainty of when she'll awaken combined with any potential wait time, I wanted an easy alternative. As our sailing date approaches, it occurred to me that I could not recall if there were any trays on which to carry the above mentioned items in any useful quantity, My recollection of the Windjammer was that there are plates only and getting food back to one's table looked a lot like this. I'd much prefer to go from food source to cabin with everything safely arranged on a tray. Loosely held cups of coffee and napkin wrapped muffins never seem to survive the elevator portion of the journey. We have some of these fast food size (NOT cafeteria full size!) plastic trays that we use when we go camping. They weigh less than half a pound and will slide into one of the outside zippered pockets of the luggage. I was thinking that I might bring one along for this early morning task. If anyone can tell me that I shouldn't because RC has thoughtfully provided this item, then I'll leave it home. Otherwise, what do you think? tldr; Does RC provide food trays in the Windjammer?

I'd suggest you add it to your list... Favorite Pre-cruise music

This makes sense. I've passed this advice along to them. Making it...almost JUST LIKE A CRIB! Oh, I'm on it!

We're just over two weeks away from our 7 night Southern Caribbean jaunt on Jewel leaving out of San Juan in early March. MsDig and I will be traveling with our daughter, son in law and 22 month old grandson (currently competently walking and venturing into running). We are in a Superior Ocean View Stateroom with Balcony on deck 9 while they are just the other side of the elevators in a Standard Balcony with an additional Pullman and a pack n play (pnp) has been requested. Little Man currently sleeps in a regular crib and is fairly 'migratory' when he sleeps. The concern that has been voiced is that the pnp might be too confining for him. I called ahead and was told the mattress size in the pnp is just under 36" in length (about 24" wide) while he is a nominal 30" tall. Granted, no one sleeps fully stretched out but given his penchant for wandering in his crib while sleeping, we are concerned that he will be uncomfortably confined, at the minimum and worst case, will have a severe headache! He's tall enough now to climb out of his crib but it hasn't occurred to him yet to try it. I can't come up with a safe way to put a near 2 year old into the upper Pullman berth as he would surely tumble out at some point. I'm wondering if anyone has some insight and/or previous experiences that they or other parents may have had when kids are at the age when a pnp is a bit too confining. Thanks!

The question was always, "Ginger or Mary Ann?" Then one day you suddenly realize there was a third choice and now it looks pretty good!

Well, I probably misspoke a bit. Southwest doesn't give the cash back but it goes as a credit toward future SW flights. We fly enough for various reasons that it will be spent before the end of the year.

Our nonstop Southwest flights out of BWI to SJU dropped from $303 pp/rt to $200 pp/rt on sale last week. My wife gets emails from Southwest that notify her of sales and when she checked, we were pleasantly surprised with the C-note savings for each of us. That's over $500 for our family group. Maybe now we can afford to kiss a dolphin after all!

We will be doing the same since we arrive at SJU after 8 PM. We will be a party of four adults and one 2 year old. I figured that it would be easier to roll our bags down the concourse to a hotel with an attached restaurant (free breakfast!) than to struggle with a late night taxi and finally get to bed near midnight, only to have to get up early and catch a cab (or walk) to the terminal. The only issue is that I wanted to have the opportunity to stop by the WalMart on the way to the cruise terminal. I figured that we would catch a cab at the airport after breakfast and swing by the store to pick up any last minute items that we might have forgotten or didn't want to carry on the flight (2 bottles of wine?). I am wondering if the cabbie will wait and how much extra he might charge while we wander the aisles. Conversely, if we cut the cab loose at the store, what are the chances of getting another to pick us up at the store on Sunday morning? Any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.

Not to be too much of an alarmist but a SCUBA diving Hawaiian poster on another (non-related) forum that I frequent advises strongly against the full face snorkel masks. He posted this link and has this to say. “Unprecedented Spike in Ocean Drowning Incidents,” 9 Deaths in 13 Days January 29, 2018 The build up of carbon dioxide inside mask that can lead to blackout.When using traditional 2 piece, newer snorkel designs (dry and semi-dry) create too much breathing resistance due to the stopper unlike the old J type purge style which I suspect is what does these guys in. Rare occasions I go to resorts where tourist are to dive and the breathing noise and rhythm coming out their snorkels is insane. Relax and breathe through snorkel like you do the air on land and you'll be fine.Also keeping a snorkel in your mouth when diving is a recipe for a lung full of water. If you pass out, your tongue can't stop the water from entering. Cressi, Mares, ScubaPro, Oceanic, Omer and Riffe, in order of cost lowest to highest. I'd recommend a full foot fin that wears like a shoe. If you're going to go out there a long time, get some fin socks so you don't wear the skin on top of your foot raw. Avoid the heel strap style unless in shallow water so it will be easy to retrieve if it falls off.I prefer all black color for all my gear so as to not attract sharks. Colors, especially those that create contrast raises the odds you'll have an encounter.