Firefly

My family loves playing games so we always bring chess as well as a few board/card games. We can usually find a quiet place such as Schooner Bar (when there isn’t trivia going on) or Viking Crown and will sit there for hours playing. We also spend a lot of time on our balcony if the sun isn’t shining down on it too strongly. 

11 hours ago, RCCruiser said:

So they are putting you in quarantine but was there any other accommodations (credit, refund for excursions or dining packages, etc) for cruise time lost? 

They refunded our Coco Cay Waterpark tickets and 2 days of internet that I had purchased. (We were in Quarantine for days 3 & 4 of a 4 night cruise.)  This was actually all done within a few hours of moving into quarantine. 

Interesting reading other experiences after testing positive on a ship. Our experience on Indy was handled very well. After notifying medical that all 3 of us were experiencing symptoms they did a PCR test on all of us. When we all tested positive they escorted us to medical for a check up and then placed us in our new rooms. They had originally said we could stay in our original stateroom but I requested to be moved because we were in an interior room. They moved us to 2 connecting ocean view rooms for the final two days of the cruise. I would have lost my mind stuck in that tiny room with 2 teenage boys!! We had great communication with medical, guest services and room service. A doctor even stopped by yesterday afternoon to check in on us. We disembarked this morning and within an hour our contact on the ship even called me to confirm I received the email she sent containing copies of our  positive test results that I requested. It was a disappointing way to end vacation, but for us, it was handled very well. We were on the 8 night Mariner ABC cruise last week so that is definitely we’re we picked up the crud. It was pretty mild for all of us - like a bad cold with a light fever for less than 24 hours. I am almost feeling back to normal this evening. 

Hope she feels better soon and you can avoid testing positive as well. My family all tested positive after disembarking Mariner on Sunday. Hubby tested positive Tuesday and my boys and I yesterday. Unfortunately, my kids and I are on a SBS on Independence and have been in the red zone since testing positive yesterday. 

We are on Mariner right now and we were  just in Curaçao 2 days ago. We had an amazing tour with Joey from Gone Caribe. https://www.gonecaribe.com/build-your-own-trip We saw flamingos, Visited Shete Boka National Park, swam with turtles and snorkeled at the most beautiful beach. Our boys (14 & 16) loved it as much as we did. Highly recommend a tour with Gone Caribe. Worth every dollar. 

I’ve experienced it in the past for 3-5 days after a cruise, so have my kids. I feel it most when I close my eyes or while taking a shower. Feels like I’m back on the ship. Hope yours goes away soon, it’s so annoying. 

6 weeks from today we make the drive down to FL to sail a Mariner 8 night to the ABC islands. It will be our first southern itinerary (been cancelled twice due to covid shutdown). I love sitting on the balcony watching the water, relaxing with my family playing card games and visiting new places. Super excited that this cruise will elevate us to Diamond status. 

I wish we could do the B2B, esp for the current prices. Our two teenage sons will be sailing with us in an adjacent balcony so talking my hubby into 2  cabins for both cruises wasn’t going to happen. I was just thrilled that he said “book it” when I showed him the prices for Christmas. We haven’t splurged on suites yet, but once it’s just hubby and I cruising without the boys in tow we might. We’ve done 2 early December cruises in the past and love sailing with the Christmas decorations on the ship. 

Strange. I cruised 3x on Mariner in the fall and it was open for dinner and those where pretty low occupancy cruises. My cruise on her next week shows open for all three meals on the app. 

Booked this cruise yesterday because of the incredible price and the eastern Caribbean itinerary. This will be our first Christmas at sea as well  because we usually refuse to pay the normal crazy holiday rates. 

Happed to us on our Feb 5 Brilliance sailing. We had booked 2 cabins side by side oceanview on deck 3, and got upgraded to side by side balconies on deck 7. 

No problems taking a white noise machine. My husband can’t sleep without one so ours goes on every cruise. 

No issues packing knitting needles, I have packed mine several times with no issues. 

Thanks to Matt and this blog we fell in love with Maya Chan too. Our upcoming cruise on Brilliance was booked because we wanted to return to Maya Chan! I am counting the days until we are relaxing at our palapa, enjoying good drinks and the most delicious tacos ever.  If you haven’t read it, Jane’s book on how Maya Chan came to be is a fun read. I think the title is It Helps to be Crazy: The Story of Maya Chan Beach by Jane Ostrow. 

On Mariner now and Voom has been spotty and drops randomly but hasn’t gone down for any length of time that we have noticed. 

On 11/8/2021 at 7:19 PM, Matt said:

Lava flow with kraken rum

This is my go to first drink thanks to your recommendation a while back. Sailing Mariner tomorrow and can’t wait to head up to the pool bar to get one.   My 13 year old loves the virgin Lava Flows so much we make them at home. 

When we sailed out of Tampa the first week of December 2019 it was warm enough to wear shorts and short sleeves at sail away. Then two months later in February 2020 it was quite chilly as we sailed out of Tampa Bay. My son actually went back to the stateroom to get his hoodie before we enjoyed sailing under the Skyway. It was very windy that evening so the wind chill was in full effect. The next morning we had sailed far enough south that it had warmed up enough for him to swim in the pool, and by that afternoon it was quite warm and tropical. 

I don’t have the option to upload our vax cards on my upcoming B2B, but not going to stress about it. They took pictures of it at the port when I sailed in September so I assume they will do so again on Thursday when we check in. I am more stressed about all of us receiving negative covid tests on Tuesday than I am with the actual check in at port. 

On 9/18/2021 at 12:25 PM, wannabecruiseexpert said:

When you were there last week, did you by chance notice any breakfast type food at the beach club? I read there were bakery items like muffins/croissants/fruits/etc but haven't seen anything like that posted recently 

When I was there on Sept 5 they did have croissants/muffins/danish along with coffee and water. There was someone there to serve the food similar to how it is currently done on the ship. 

Been to and loved both, but if I had to choose just one Maya Chan wins hands down. The food and service is incredible, no crowds at all, tropical garden atmosphere, everything is included in the price (transportation, water toys etc)

We just booked our first B2B - Mariner 11/11 & 11/16. In the past we just parked at the port for the convenience of walking off the ship and to our car. We also felt the extra $ was worth the security of our car. Now that we will be on the ship for 9 nights, how does parking at the port work for consecutive cruises? Or should we look at off site options? My husband is very particular about parking our car in a safe/ covered location. 

Great price these days. I was at CBC this past Sunday on Mariner that I snagged for $56 back on Black Friday 2020. I loved it and want to go again, but refuse to pay the $178pp for my future sailings there. Fingers crossed the price drops so I can go in March for my birthday cruise. Have a great day at CBC - lunch is amazing!

Mailed my kids passports to be renewed on July 20th. (Being minors under 16 we had to go in person to the post office ect like a new passport.) Paid for expedited and we recieved their new passports in the mail on Monday, just one day shy of 4 weeks. Of course, now that our late October cruise on Radiance is cancelled so we won’t need them until early next year…At least we are ready for the next 5 years now. 

Our 9 nt Southern Caribbean on Radiance was cancelled too. So sad to loose that itinerary. We actually made plan B vacation plans a few months ago so thankfully we still have something to look forward to. 

I just checked again and check in for September 3 Mariner isn’t available via the website or the app, so I will continue to wait. Doesn’t seem to be any pattern to check in these days. I am just happy that cruises have begun sailing again.