billdauterive

1 minute ago, Ampurp85 said:

I don't think that 200pts is correct....... or at least tried and true. My bff mom hasn't cruise since 2023 and has 8 offers. She gets 2-3 every month and never even made prime. Has been on exactly 3 cruises. 

I consistently get more than 500pts a cruise and barely get offers. 

 

Remember offers are based on THEO, not points.  This is what trips up most people.  You can have a very high THEO and very low points, or vis a versa depending on your luck that day.
So 200 points is not the level to start getting offers, it's the level to continue getting offers on a comped cruise. 
And if I remember correctly the wording I found wasn't that you're guaranteed not to get future offers, it's that they may stop sending offers.  Reading between the lines I took it to mean you can't book several comp cruises, not gamble on any and expect to continue getting offers in the future.  In fact I've had a few comped cruises where I didn't gamble at all and still received offers after, but at the same time I already had several comps booked and gambled normally on the next ones.

I know you've already booked your excursions but I always recommend renting a car at most of these New England stops.  It's way cheaper and you have more freedom to stay as long (or short) as you want at each place.  You can also call an audible at any point to go somewhere different or even back to the ship which you can't do on an excursion.

Boston: You don't even need a car, just take an uber or the silver line bus to downtown and walk the Freedom Trail.  From the description I assume your excursion will just be a guide taking you to the Revere house, North Church, and Granary Burial ground.  There are plenty of free audio tours of the entire Freedom (like from the national parks service) or you can book a tour guide day of in Boston Common.  You can EASILY spend all day on the Freedom Trail and still not see it all.

Portland: I've never done the railroad so can't speak to it.  I recommend renting a car from Enterprise downtown and then going to Portland Head (the famous lighthouse) and/or Kennebunkport.  The enterprise can be walk-able from the port but I recommend getting a cheap uber there as its about a mile uphill.  Plenty to do just around downtown too.

Saint John:  There is an Avis across the street from the pier.  I would recommend renting a car and just driving to St Martins.  Then you can also drive up the coast as far (or short) as you want for the Bay of Fundy.  I HIGHLY recommend going to the reversing rapids near low tide, and then going back 6 hours later near high tide (or vis a versa).  The reversing rapids are a must see and just a few miles from the pier.  You obviously wont have a tour guide if you have your own transportation though which could be useful for the Bay of Fundy.

Halifax:  There is an Enterprise across the road from the pier.  You really should rent a car here as Peggy's Cove can get really crowded when a tour bus pulls up  If you have your own car you can stay as long (or short) as you want to explore the area.  It's really nice there between buses when it's not crowded.  The citadel is within walking distance to the port but is way uphill so having a car is nice.  Once again I would recommend your own transportation there so you can stay longer (or shorter).  Both places have plenty of signage so I think a tour guide is unnecessary.  You could also fit in a stop to the Titanic burial ground if so desired.

Sydney:  The enterprise is a couple of miles from the port, but they will pick you up and drop you off at the port (or pay for a taxi if they're busy).  Fortress Louisburg is another great location to visit and having your own transportation makes it as long or short as you want.  Definitely don't need a tour guide here as it's a national monument and more than enough signage.  I haven't done any lighthouses here so I'm not exactly sure what that excursion is talking about, but obviously your own vehicle can take you there.
 

1 hour ago, Ampurp85 said:

I believe someone, possibly @WAAAYTOOO told me it was 200points.

Yep, it's 200.  I found it in some documentation somewhere but don't remember where now.

18 hours ago, alan g said:

how much do you have to play at the black jack tables to get that many points??

Well at an approximate average of 1 point per dollar per hour for blackjack, $10 bets would take 2500 hours of play.  Or at table max of $500 it would only take 50 hours of play! And that's assuming you're getting rated properly...

1 hour ago, Matt said:

 

Looks like same as Baltimore. Nothing

11 hours ago, alan g said:

Hideaway beach is listed at 105pp. Unless that comes with a massage and free drinks. Seems to be crazy to pay that 

Yeah, that price is beyond crazy!  105 around the top of what I'd pay for the beach club, no way I'd come anywhere near that number for hideaway beach.

On 3/3/2025 at 3:54 PM, RCIfan1912 said:

Liberty from NJ to Halifax 4 days then Bermuda 5 days.

I've actually been eyeing those 2 itineraries as a B2B next year as well.  I love the idea of 2 completely different types of cruises as a B2B.  As everyone else mentions, B2Bs are awesome!

Portland locals swear by Luke's Lobster.  It has a HUGE area of fresh lobster tanks and can make basically any lobster dish you want.  Personally I'm not enough of a lobster snob to have noticed a difference from other lobster places, other than maybe the freshness.  Just be aware the wait times for a table can get long.
https://lukeslobster.com/pages/portland-pier
Yes you can smoke in the casino when you're actively playing.

I'm not saying it's not true, but the letter is dated Jan 24th (not March 1st) and I can't find any additional information about this anywhere.  I'll be in Roatan in a few weeks and have an excursion involving sloths and monkeys booked so I'll report back with my personal experience then.

I noticed it went up on every ship I've been on the past several months.  Not sure if it's actually fleet-wide or if it just so happened to be the ships (or classes) I was on.  I've only been on Oasis-class and Voyager-class since I noticed.

9 hours ago, nemrac917 said:

It'll be nice to see what they've done with CocoCay, too, as the last time I went there was when it was just beaches and hammocks, way back in 2003.

To say it's different now than 20 years ago would be the understatement of the year...

Stayed in one for the first time on Wonder a few weeks ago, about mid way aft deck 10.  No noise issues, other than the carousel bell and during the aqua shows.  The aqua shows were really loud to the point sleep was a no go unless you're a pretty deep sleeper.  Carousel bell wasn't too bad, but it was definitely there.  Didn't notice noise from anything else like Playmakers or after the aqua shows.  Also it was a pretty long walk to/from the lobby. 
I think the people watching from these rooms is a little overrated too.  I didn't notice a whole lot of activity outside of the shows or events being held.  I did feel a little on display from the wrap around windjammer that ship has since so many of the tables face out those windows and it's so busy during breakfast/lunch.
Personally I wasn't a fan, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to avoid it in the future.  I definitely preferred central park balconies if there was a choice.
My personal Oasis-class non-suite room ranking:
1. ocean balcony
...
...
2. central park balcony
3. boardwalk balcony
...
4. oceanview
5. interior

On 2/21/2025 at 11:37 AM, CHart said:

Just spend some money today.

Brillance 7 night
Sep 21, 2025
 z
 

See you then!
Brilliance 9/21 - today's price

I don't know if this helps your situation, but you can book the lower level cruise list with the higher level offer so that the cruises overlap exactly (i.e. you can book the 3000 level cruise list with the 4000 level certificate).

14 hours ago, Brine said:

Resurrecting an old topic, but random thought:

I typically only gamble to get the 200 points per cruise I need to keep getting offers.

I have to run $1000 through the machine to get to 200 points. Could I simply charge $2000 to my room, bet $1000 (assuming to lose about $200)  of that and just take the rest (let's say $1800) of the cash home? The total withdrawal gets charged to my credit card with the rest of my onboard charges, and I'd just deposit the cash when I got back home.  I'd get $60 ($2000x3%) in credit card cash back, which is almost a third of my $200 predicted losses.

Would this get me in trouble?

Just be aware the machines only allow up to $500 to be charged at a time and then you need to play through 50% before you can charge more.  I don't play machines, but I'll usually charge the machine the first night and immediately cash out and then go to the cashier.  I found this is much quicker than waiting for the pit boss to charge at the table (at least initially).  You could also charge at a table (if you're prime) for way more than you're actually going to play and pocket the rest.

But the 2nd part is correct.  Anything you charge to the account will be treated as one large credit card charge at the end of the cruise.  I do this strategy a lot as well for the same reason so it definitely works without issue.  In fact I charged several thousand over what I actually gambled on my last cruise of the year as I was very close to hitting a large credit card reward tier.  Took the large amount of excess cash (for me) and deposited when I got home to pay off that excess credit card spend.  No issues to worry about other than declaring more than $10k, depositing more than $10k, or losing the cash in transit home.

12 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

You can try this from home, too.

Yep.  Test at your house first by turning on airplane mode and then turning on just wifi.  If it works, you're all set, just remember to keep your phone in airplane mode abroad.  If not, you can try the phone settings suggested above and then try again.  Some carriers also require you to enable wifi calling through them (usually in an app), but it's carrier dependent.

On 2/23/2025 at 3:57 PM, tonyfsu21 said:

What do you use the casino host for? I have been playing for years and can’t recall anything more than a question here or there that I needed them for. I have had instances where they seek me out in the casino a couple times but for the most part, no contact. What do you personally use them for? 

Nowadays, nothing. 

In the past, only to keep track of my table points total.  Oh and the sticker for the first time I reached prime.

11 hours ago, Pattycruise said:

Host has no power over tables.  Speak with the pit boss.  I recall asking for a review of my play from a pit boss. I don’t think he had to go to a manager (not host), it took a few hours for them to get back to me.  It was favor and the adjustment submitted.

Not completely accurate.  I had a host who had my points adjusted properly when it was obvious they didnt rate me at all for a few hours of play (back in the dark ages of having to ask the host for your table points total).  Took her a few hours and I think she had to have security review tape of my play, but she did get it done in the end.
But I do agree, the pit boss is the one with the power at the tables.  Especially to fix things immediately.

Option 2 or 4.
If you plan on cruising more often, I'd pick option 4 as WAY more itineraries and ships go to St Maarten than St Kitts so you have a good chance of going in the future.
If you're one and done for a while, option 2 for all the reasons already stated above.

And for completeness definitely option 3 over option 1.  Nassau is a dump and is on basically 90% of the itineraries out of Florida.

17 hours ago, GatorCruiser said:

Who does everyone use for travel insurance and who has the best? (Subjective I know)

Allianz yearly.  Only had 1 claim for a suitcase that was DESTROYED on a flight home.  Quick payment, but I think it was an easy call on their part with the pictures I sent in and online checkout price of the exact same suitcase.

1 hour ago, Matt said:

Harmony and Oasis doing short cruises. Lots of others too

Ugh!  Personally I'm not liking the trend of more and more short duration cruises.  I get they're trying to dominate the new to cruise market but it doesn't mean I have to like the direction.

On 2/25/2025 at 10:12 AM, smokeybandit said:

It's a microbrewery in the Caribbean. The fact you can get a local beer that isn't some light lager makes the beer taste a lot better than it'd be stateside.

On 2/17/2025 at 8:12 PM, smokeybandit said:

If you don't find anything about the tour, just head Swinging Old Lady brewery you'll have a good time there.

I second this.  The beer itself is just ok, but the location and building/grounds are fantastic.  Easy walk to/from anywhere in town.

On 2/23/2025 at 6:23 AM, tonyfsu21 said:

Never ever pass up a Southern Caribbean route, especially on the latest and greatest! 

This

On 2/23/2025 at 1:44 PM, tonyfsu21 said:

Legend>Star

Fort Lauderdale>Port Canaveral

Southern Caribbean>Eastern Caribbean

The math says Legend

And this

On 2/22/2025 at 4:46 PM, GatorCruiser said:

Balconies are good for hanging wet bathing suits on the magnetic hooks. #airdry

Absolutely!  But fyi the hooks do get very rusty very quickly from the sea air so I wouldn't air dry any clean laundry.