TwoTexans

Sitting in Central Park, listening to the brass quartet while drinking a favorite beverage and breathing the fresh sea air.

Reason #1 to bring your passport book rather than just a passport card when cruising. 

Because you might disembark in a foreign country and be forced to take an international flight to get home. 

Thanks for sharing this helpful reminder!

https://issuu.com/hochmania/docs/2022-02-26_20-40

You'll see the classes offered each day. No pricing, but it'll be a good way to determine if it'll be right for y'all.

Omg stop you're killing me!!!! 

Now I'm even more excited. THANKS.

Definitely echo buying your own gear. Pack it and keep it and you'll save tons over time. No fins needed, just mask and snorkel.

Recommend searching for anti-fog, fog resistance, etc.

Following, we sail on SATURDAY!!!

I'm most excited for the running track and the solarium.

I recommend watching Matt's vlogs on YouTube 

The classes vary in price actually. I looked into both options and it seems that it's only worth it if you know for sure that she'll be doing the expensive workout classes. I do not know which ones are more expensive than others.

My reasoning against it was that I would rather pay per class and potentially save money without the risk of being tied to a package. 

Check out a past cruise compass for class pricing and for scheduling. You may find out that the classes she's prefer conflict with other things going on!

I think best practice is to check with the sports bar when you board.

As a backup, bring an HDMI cable so you can easily stream it on a TV, be it in your room or in a common area?

This is a great idea!!! I hadn't thought of this. Definitely going to add the app to my iPad right now. Thanks!

Read the room, don't be selfish, and have a plan B.

All very helpful advice! Thanks y'all!

So from what I've learned, my plan is to bring my speaker and play it as loud as possible, at all times, everywhere, always. Cool? Cool.

Jk jk jk

8 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

That's the area behind the living wall in Central Park. There are some crew areas back there. 

The rooms ending in 229 and 629 have larger balconies. I have stayed in one of these before and would not hesitate to stay in one again.  I did hear sound from that gray area in the mornings, but I was awake already. 

Thanks for this. Do you recall what time that sound was going on? I'm up at 5:30.

What are the gray areas of the ship map? I'm thinking of booking the room next to the gray, but I don't want to share a wall with a mechanical room or some other active area that will be heard in the room.

This is Allure.

Who am I? I've lived in Italy on two occasions, once in Genoa for 5 months, and another for a year in a small town near Taranto. I speak the language and know the culture at a functional level.

Portofino: I recommend exploring on your own, or booking a walking tour of the city. You can expect to pay for an umbrella at a beach club, as the public beaches are small and uncomfortable. Definitely worth it. Eat pesto, and focaccia. The Cinque terra is the home of legit focaccia, don't let anyone tell you otherwise!

Rome: buy your museum or historical sites ASAP. If you're limited on time, choose between Vatican or the Forum. The port is far from the city center, so check for transportation between the two. If you're comfortable going on your own, Rome is navigable, but it's a tourist city so you'll be surrounded by tour groups. The cobblestone roads are no joke, so wear good walking shoes. Also, the churches usually have modesty dress codes.

Vatican advice: the earlier you get in, the better. My wife and I paid extra for early admission to the museum and had the opportunity to see the the Sistine chapel empty. That was incredible.

Forum advice: getting inside the colosseum is maddening. Do your homework with entry and know who your contact is. It's a real hub for tourist traps. Don't your dare eat at any of the restaurants nearby, unless you want overpriced, low quality "Italian" food.

Sicily: similar to portofino, pay for transport but a lot can be seen on your own. Hiking in Messina was great. There's also lot of Roman sites as well. If you go hard in Rome, you may be burned out by Sicily. Eat red sauces, stuffed breads, and salami.

Unsolicited advice: spaghetti and meatballs is not Italian, pepperoni is Italian for bell pepper (salami piccante or pizza diabolo is what you want), and carry plenty of single or two euro coins because exact change is part of the culture. In the South, paying with a credit card may be met with resistance, possibly refusal. Finally, be prepared for slow and absent service, no free refills, and pet droppings in the streets.

All that said, I love this country and love its people. Bene viagio!

Eastern Caribbean itinerary: PR, St. M, St. K, and Coco Cay.

I have a Bluetooth speaker that I usually travel with, but I'm conscious of the line between enjoying my music and noise pollution. I don't want to be "that guy" but I also love listening to summer beach music while on a beach! I'm torn.

Thoughts? Are there areas in Coco Cay that would warrant the speaker? Does Coco Cay pump music throughout the island, making it pointless to bring something to compete with the island music? I know the obvious: bring it, and keep the volume at a level that respects those around me. I'm asking about the presence of competing with other music, or breaking an unspoken rule such as "this beach area is supposed to be the quiet area, that beach area is for the speaker people"

How about at the other ports? Will this just be additional weight and a liability in my bag? Plans to beach it up at St. Maarten, and to hike in St. Kitts.

Speaker: altec Lansing boom jacket, approx. 6*2*2, 5lbs, waterproof, exclusively plays Zak Brown, Morgan Wallen, and assoc.s

n.b. I'm just excited for my cruise and looking for a way to help pass the time before departure

Thanks for sharing your story!

Love this idea. They could partner with Twitch and have a streaming lounge. It would be so awesome to watch live tournies (#Apex) with fellow fans.

Or as live entertainment have speed runners. Start an SGDQ at Sea 

I can't comment on concierge services, however there are plenty on online brackets that you could fill out online and then email to your friends digitally. I use CBS sports, others use fantasy sites like ESPN.

If printing is essential, check for a business suite on your ship? Best of luck!

Yes, I'm sure there's a thread somewhere. Any advice on locating old threads is appreciated, because I'm having trouble searching the site...

While you're here, what are the table minimums for roulette and craps? We're sailing Allure 3/19. Disclosure: I'm not a big gambler but I want to play an hour or so a couple times throughout the cruise. I'm thinking of budgeting $300 and want to figure out how long that'll last me if I play the minimums.

Thanks!

I've read previous posts that say that running isn't ideal at Coco Cay. Options are running the coastline or the tram path or the nature trail. I saw that the distance is minimal as well.

That said, is it possible to run the entirety of the island, going past the guest areas and around the coastline? I think the answer is know, but I'm curious if anyone has tried.

Thanks!