Babsy47

Traffic is too much of a wild card. I live about 35 minutes from LAX with no traffic. It can take me 2 hours. For a 10:00 flight, I would not leave my house later than 7:15 or so. Sometimes I get there and wait for two hours. Other times I do not have all that much time to spare. Moreover, I travel for work quite often and am very familiar with LAX. If you can fly out of LGB, you can cut it closer.

Last summer, we stayed at the NH Roma Palazzo Cinquecento in Rome. It is right outside the main train station in Rome. It is really easy to get the train from the airport direct to the main train station. Then there are trains in the morning direct to the port. We walked from the train station to the port, but it was a bit of a slog on the heat. On the return, we took a cab to the train station. We stayed in Rome a couple of days after the cruise at the same hotel. My sister stayed across the street at a Best Western that was less expensive, but fine for an overnight. The trains in Italy are very affordable and they do not need to deal with traffic. In the heat, Rome is best in the evening. The Metro (at the train station) is cool and goes directly to the Collisseum which is beautiful at night. If you take the train, I would take a cab to the port which is only about 5 minutes or so. The cab will drop you at a shuttle that takes you to the ship. You can walk to the shuttle, but if it is hot (highly likely), the walk is kind of miserable while rolling bags.

I had no problem boarding before my assigned time last month at PC. I think, however, that they can enforce if things get too backed up.

Also, Cozumel does not have a seaweed problem. Depending on time of year, Costa Maya beaches can be unusable because of seaweed; this does not happen in Cozumel.

We just went to Baha Mar in Nassau. We bought tickets directly from Baha Mar and cabbed there and back. It has a better area for kids not able to go in the big slides than Atlantis in my opinion. And the beach is far more accessible than the beach at Atlantis. They are different, and Atlantis is great too. Atlantis had an aquarium that Baha Mar does not have. But, with little kids not tall enough for big slides, I think I might go with Baha Mar.

If you are up for a bit of exercise, take the chairlift up to the top of the island and walk the old stairs down to the port. It is an amazing walk and provides a terrific overview of the island. We spend a day, and loved it. And, no need to pay for anything other than getting there and back and the chairlift.

I think Beach Club value depends on personality. To me, the party scene at the Oasis pool is unbearable. Thus, if your group is full of introverts who want a pool and calm, Beach Club is it unless you spend the day at the water park. The water park is great for kids and you can spend the day at the wave pool, but the price is high. If you want a beach experience without a pool, no need for the Beach Club. Nice beaches with abundant seating are everywhere, even with two bigger ships. If you are energized by a party, no need to go to the Beach Club. In the end, it really depends on what best suits your traveling party. On a recent trip, I just wanted a quiet, beautiful place to swim and relax. I paid 200 for the Beach Club and was happy because that was exactly the experience I wanted. But, if you want activity, music, just the beach or energy from lots of people, I don’t think I would pay the Beach Club price.

We used the train both for this transfer and to get from Rome to the port there. The trains are relatively easy and fast. Luggage is a bit of a pain, but not unmanageable.

Ship leaves LA at 4:00. Conference calls are supposed to end no later than 11:00am. They do not. Get in car and drive to port while finishing calls. Arrive!! Calls done!! Vacation with my family ahead (kids and grandkids waiting for me on the ship for lunch). I open the back of my car to get my bag and . . . No bag. It remains sitting by the garage door at home. What to do? Board with nothing but what I’m wearing? Try to make it home and back on time? I went with the dash for home praying for traffic cooperation. Traffic cooperated and I made it on the ship. I can now attest that if you arrive late, there are no lines and one boards very quickly (like less than 5 minutes).

A lazy river utilizing the space of the larger ships. They have the elevation differential. But, I don’t think the engineering will work because it requires too much water. Engineering impossibility aside . . . It would be popular! It is not impossible on Coco Cay, and every time I have been there, I have thought what a great addition it would be.

I find the beds perfectly comfortable. I love my bed at home, but I spent days trying mattresses to find the perfect fit. Mattress comfort is awfully personal. In purchasing one for our guest room, I consulted with many sources to find something comfortable to the largest percent of people. It was quite an eye-opening experience! Ad a person who does a great deal of work travel, my experience is that the RC beds are better than many.

I have, unfortunately, cut close the boarding time. You can find the planned departure on your cruise itinerary. You are supposed to be in the check-in line 90 minutes prior. I’ve been later than that a couple of times in LA and boarded with no issue. I would not, however, recommend the stress that accompanies not knowing whether they will actually allow you to board.

I just was on the Independence out of Port Canaveral in a JS. We were not permitted priority boarding (I asked). It was no big deal as we went right through onto the ship with no wait in the regular boarding queue. Also, we arrived a bit before our 1:00 pm start of our boarding window and boarded with no problem or issue.

My 17 year old loved the teen club up through our final pre-COVID cruise when he was 14. Since COVID, he has not participated. He just says now that he would prefer other activities. He has never had a bad cruise experience. I let him know spending expectations, and he always follows. He loves the freedom of being on a ship. We set meeting times for activities and meals we want to do together and we do great. Cruises have given me great appreciation for just enjoying his company and conversation without feeling pressure to be a parent. I just love that!

The Beach Club is a tough question. 290 is too much. I do not like crowds or noise, so the Oasis pool is a no go for me. The Beach Club is the only alternative for a quiet pool experience. The meal is fine, but not spectacular. If you like a party vibe, I cannot really see paying all that much for the Beach Club. Also, if you are fine with the beach rather than a pool, you can find lots of great beach and beach chairs without paying for the Beach Club.

I book one bigger suite and a bunch of nearby normal cabins for my family. I get everyone keys for the suite from the suite concierge on the first day. It always works out great.

On our last cruise a couple of weeks ago, door magnets multiplied on our door from some unknown source(s)? I just left them thinking that someone might eventually retrieve their property. They were happy magnets, so they were fine. No idea why and I’ve never had it happen before.

On Independence a couple of weeks ago in a JS. We had one every night without asking.

Look on Amazon for cruise approved, buy one without a cord, and put it in your carry on bag (your purse or backpack). You should be fine.

What is odd is that the super expensive ones do not sell out. On my last cruise a couple of weeks ago, fewer than half of the beach club cabanas were taken.

Two more work days until we leave! Grandson was born yesterday, and I get to meet him today! We are flying to MCO from LA on Friday and staying at Universal. DS loves Universal, so it should be fun. We plan to enjoy two days at the parks and then head to the ship on Monday. Renting a car for a week with my work discount ended up costing less than a shuttle or Uber from MCO to Universal to Port Canaveral and then back to MCO even with parking at the port. The car also makes logistics far more simple (we have found). We have had so much rain this month! And, for us, its been cold (weeks of days in the 50s). I know, many cannot relate. We are, however, looking forward to warmer weather. We are packed. I do not get home from work until late on Thursday, so advanced packing will make Friday morning less hectic. We managed everything for the trip in carry-ons so no need to worry about lost baggage (or waiting for said baggage). I'm hoping for the bag of laundry deal on the ship! The big carry-on issue for me involves shoes. I managed a different dress for each cruise night, but only one pair of dress sandals. The difficulties of vacation . . .

I have never had an issue with UDP dining reservations through the concierge. When I get the concierge email, I email back with everything that I would want to reserve once on the ship. The only thing the concierge has not been able to reserve are escape room times — that you need to do on the ship. On Odyssey, the concierge found helpful times for iFly and the thing that goes in the air as well. Given our great experiences with the concierge, Sky Class is a great option for a smaller group. For my whole extended family, Star is great, but without priority for activities, it loses much of its appeal.

I’ve booked three cruises for not yet born child. You just call after the birth and change the name and birthdate. I never had an issue.

We had this issue with my sister and her adopted son. She had the birth certificate, the adoption decree, and the name change document. It went smoothly.

If you have Diamond drinks, it’s hard to see why one would not just pay for extra drinks in my view. For me, I buy a soda package and use Diamond drinks. I have a tough time using all those Diamond coupons every day.