VACruiser

29 minutes ago, SMOKEY0202 said:

Had to explore other options minus whale tale (don't think could take those shenanigans) just to stay outta dry dock.  Then for ones who need airfare, it's clearly adding up QUICKLY.

 

 

 

@SMOKEY0202 I used to feel the same way until I took a cruise last year on one of their new Ships, the Celebration of the Seas in an Excel Suite (super nice suite I might add) and saw a very different clientele and restaurants. It is a much higher experience than their older ships or definitely their short cruises as they are very shenanigan driven. I have another cruise this year on the Celebration of the Seas to see if what I felt the first time is consistent. We shall see. But with Royal pricing it behooves me also check other options which I will.

I always wonder if the upside down pineapples are someone playing a joke or is it real? May be that is because I can't fathom that really occurs so it only enters my mind as a joke. I've seen them before on cruise doors and always walk faster past them as if someone is going to reach out and grab me and pull me in  ...

That would be from the same type person that would eat a half-eaten doughnut from the top of the receptacle.  Seinfeld reference  

^^^that about covers the situation but you can add in afternoon showers too.

@Stvr California did i miss which CLS you're in...inquiring minds want to know.

@Stvr California Let's see which CLS it is - 1730?

14 minutes ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Omg! This plane literally crapped out on the runway, in the middle of takeoff.

oh, the suspense. Your blogs are always so suspenseful!

11 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

You are correct. I had to scroll alllllll the way to the bottom and click on Travel Updates to get the latest..but I did find them! 

Thanks for that - I never knew that was there it may save me one day from fretting. 

17 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

I would say go for it.

They start you off easy first. If you are coming from no experience, you boogie board first. Each turn you have on the wave, they will give you little pointers and suggestions. If you feel comfortable, you can stand up. If you are good with that, you an then try to qualify for blue/white band (colour depends on ship) which will allow you to proceed directly to stand up. Even experienced people on the flowrider have to qualify for stand up each sailing. They don't just throw you in and hope for best.
 

I sound like I have so much experience lol, but I am just a flowrider widow haha

You're living vicariously through your husbands' triumphs on the flowrider. I love the term flowrider widow. 

On 6/23/2024 at 9:06 AM, smokeybandit said:

It's a US territory, but not the US. Still very different rules and expectations.

Agreed. I did a tour in Haiti with the U.S. Army in the mid-90's and St. Thomas has nothing on corruption as that country. That was a level I was not familiar with but quickly found out. Corruption is the national economy of Haiti.

On 6/22/2024 at 7:19 PM, Baked Alaska said:

And, the driver we had changed the price after we were outside of the gate. About a half mile outside of the port, he pulls over the truck and announces the new price. There were probably 20 of us and we all paid it. We took a regular taxi back from the pirate museum (great museum for history buffs). It was a Toyota sienna with air conditioning and a much MUCH nicer driver. We will not get off the ship going forward in St. Thomas because of the literal highway robbery. I was on crutches at the time, so I don't know if that influenced the very VERY nice people working the tram next to the museum (no, we didn't take the team due to the steps). They were the ones who called us the regular taxi. Oh, and it was $6 for my husband and I to ride back to the pier. We tipped him another $20. 

We had a similar type situation whereas the driver stops at the bottom of the hill coming back from Magens Bay and announces that some one asked him to stop in the shopping district and no one fessed up to it. He got exceedingly irate and started demanding money as he huffed and puffed. He said he wasn't going one more inch without money from all the group. We all paid him and he took us back to the port. After thinking about it that was probably a ruse to get money up front or at least during the travel. It's so Caribbean that you almost have to laugh.

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

I’m going to wind up never blogging b/c I’m too busy getting caught up… on MY blog!

Cruise update… we should probably pack later tiday.

or you are so busy blogging that you forget to pack your undies 

All I know is the price difference between the two are pretty steep on WOS. To pay the premium there would have to be a very defined difference between the two classes.  I just mocked up a cruise and saw the difference is north of $2500. That would have to be a lot of amenities at that value difference. 

@asquared17 Imagine how many Amazon accoutrements it would take to fill those 6 bags if they were yours  

26 minutes ago, Neesa said:

Not just you, I'm here for it!!!

Put me in the same category - I love the shenanigans stories. It keeps me going on cruises and wonder why I never see these things minus the skimpy bathing suits !

@Ampurp85 ^^^ now that's some serious sea shenanigans if that's the case. 

Normies can't understand this kind purchase . You have to be the kind of rich where 100k is like spending 100 dollars for us normies. It'll never make sense to people that have to pick and choose what excursions or what room to buy on the cruise due to limitations in money.

I have been on both lines equally and I can say that I really enjoyed my January 2024 cruise on the Carnival Celebration. It is a huge step up from the normal Carnival ships and I can say that I will cruise it again and in fact I will next year and then Symphony of the Seas the next year.  The food was not bad at all in the MDR - hit or miss on some items but I could always go away filled on something. There are plenty of specialty restaurants on the new ships too if that's your thing. 

I think that the new ships, Celebration, Mardi Gras and Jubilee are all competitive with Royal, Norwegian and others. If Carnival took their ships to more islands instead of the same ones over and over, I'd go more often.  I also will be interested when they open Celebration Key in 2025. I wonder if it will be like PDCC?

3 hours ago, Yesiamthere6 said:

I just booked a carnival offer.  I’ve only cruised with them a couple of times, so surprised to get a casino offer from them.  It was too good to past up.  It’s tied to some famous casino guy. I got a free balcony, free drinks in casino for two people, and a $1,000 free play in casino.  We own carnival stock, so $100 to spend onboard. It’s on the Carnival Celebration ship.  I’m not a fan of carnival or their food.  

I did that ride January 24 to Megan's Bay on an open air taxi. Just be prepared with all the correct money for the ride and also the entrance to Megan's Bay. The bus was $8 per person over the hill to the beach and then the entrance to the beach was $7 per person - they like exact numbers if you can.

The ride back over the hill was an adventure. The brakes were smoking and smelled like it on the way down. When we get down to the bottom the driver asked who wanted off at the shopping district and no one replied so he got angry and asked for money from everyone before he would take us back to the ship  . It seemed odd but we all payed up and he took us back to the port area.

2 hours ago, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

Pricey!  

or is it the new normal  

I just stayed in the Hampton Inn in the Brickel district in January 24. It is in a nice area with lots of restaurants, CVS, and grocery stores nearby. They also have a decent breakfast in the morning. And, they have a shuttle to the cruise port for $8 per person. The only drawback is that the street noise can be on the loud side. My last trip there were a lot of cars revving their engines in streets and it reverberates between the buildings. Not a big deal but just a distraction. 

The scary thing is may be these are the best prices and they will go up from here. 

These prices are insane...looked at an 8 day out of Fort Lauderdale on Oasis of the Seas to Aruba, Curacao, and Coco Cay in a Grand Suite and the price is $13,992 without insurance and $15,270 with insurance.  A Crown Loft is just barely under  $17,000 and with insurance $18,630.

I checked out a balcony with all the goodies, pre-pay gratuities, refundable deposit, and insurance $5693.

As the Brits say - I am gobsmacked!!!

I'm wondering why @Ampurp85 is awake and but now I understand. I would have a hard time sleeping on the train too. I can't even sleep much at home so add a train, not happening. As far as the 23 hour train ride - even I knew that from your writings so he has zero excuse.