ALnAtlanta

1 hour ago, FionaMG said:

Delighted to have been of assistance.

I can't help with tour info, I'm afraid, but the local tourist information site might help: https://visitsouthampton.co.uk/

If you like Greek food, I can recommend The Real Greek, located just a few minutes walk from all three of the hotels I mentioned: https://www.therealgreek.com/restaurants/southampton/

Thanks so much. I do love Greek food and will certainly give them a visit. I'm travelng over from New York and have decided to take a day or two to sightsee in Southampton  before going on to London. 

13 hours ago, FionaMG said:

Hi Al,

I'm not Andonini but I can offer some suggestions.

I have stayed at the Holiday Inn, which is the closest hotel to the port, just a very short walk: https://www.ihg.com/holidayinn/hotels/us/en/southampton/soahp/hoteldetail

And also the Premier Inn Westquay, which is a couple of minutes farther: https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/hampshire/southampton/southampton-city-centre-west-quay.html

Both are fine. The HI is usually more expensive but I preferred it because it had a much better selection at breakfast.

If you fancy something with a bit more character, you could try Pig in the Wall, a boutique hotel built into the castle wall, which is also within easy walking distance of the port. Some Cruise Critic roll call buddies of ours stayed there and really liked it: https://www.thepighotel.com/in-the-wall/

 

Thank you, FionaMG

That's great info to have. I think it will be the HI for me - first because it's the closest and also because I know what I will get (worldwide standards). But I'll check out the Pig in the Wall, also. I really appreciate your help. Does Southampton have tours one can take around the city to landmarks? 

Al

On 4/19/2023 at 8:50 AM, Andonini842 said:

Patty, I'd be happy to help here - I used to work at both Gatwick and Heathrow and now live near Southampton. However, I note that your request is now quite old - please let me know if you still need help here.

.

Andonini842, 

Since you live in Southampton, I was hoping you might be able to tell me of a hotel within walking distance to the port. Is there such a one?

Thanks,

Al

.

On 9/7/2022 at 12:00 PM, Toby said:

For us (loyal Southwest Airline) we choose the airport based on port city as SW began service to MIA.  Before that we would fly into FLL and booked a shuttle from FLL to our Miami hotel.  I felt sorry for the shuttle driver as they had no passengers going back and the traffic from FLL to MIA in the afternoon was jammed up.   

While I've only ever flown on Delta, I'm a rewards member with both and just received over 50,000 free miles to fly with, with southwest. When I saw above that they fly into Ft Lauderdale, I thought it would be a great opportunity to use some of those miles. I'm happy, now, to know that they fly into Miami also. As Zacharias said, it doubles my choices!!

Thank y'all for your comments. They have been helpful. I'm liking Ft Lauderdale from what I've read but of course, if I get a good deal on a cruise in another port, I'm certainly not averse to booking it. I just thought I would ask. 

27 minutes ago, Jill said:

When we cruise out of Miami we stay in Fort Lauderdale. Hilton Garden Inn Fort Lauderdale has an airport shuttle and cruise port (Port Everglades) shuttle from the hotel. Restaurants within walking distance. Big “town center” area with lots to choose from. 

The shuttle would be a big help because I have no interest in driving to and fro, if possible, as well as parking etc. Thanks

I have a cruise in November leaving from New Orleans but I want to plan a second cruise in March of 2023. One leaves from Ft Lauderdale and the other leaves from Miami. Those of you that cruise alot, could you tell me which port is closest to that city's airport and which port has hotels within walking distance. In other words, I'm trying to create as stress free a sailing as I can. Which is the least stressful port to sail out of?  Thanks. 

On 2/12/2022 at 9:05 AM, PG Cruiser said:

Looks like there will be no Broadway-style musical on the Wonder for now.  I've read somewhere that the production show in the main theater will be an original Royal production called "Voices."  

I'm probably in the minority here, but I loved Cats on the Oasis... all three showings of it... including the one interrupted several times with the announcement on the PA system for those who haven't been tested yet.  They probably knew I was the only one who loved it so they let me take a picture with them! 

I liked it too!  We went to see it twice on board. And then, when we got home, it was playing at The Fox, downtown and we went and saw it there too. But I understand how it's not everyone's cup of tea. 

Thank you RockerDom31!

Besides enjoying the pictures and antedotes, this was invaluable to me for the info on "The Key", alone. 

I'm glad you had a great time 98% of the time. I guess you now have some lesson plans to prepare 

7 hours ago, Lovetocruise2002 said:

Yesterday, I stumbled upon a repositioning sailing for Serenade on September 12, 2023 (12 night sailing). It has been almost 20 years since I have done a 12 night but this seems like a great itinerary and great pricing.

Someone talk me out of this and tell me that it's not because I am on the verge of doing something that I probably shouldn't lol.....

Itinerary: Tampa-Georgetown-Aruba-Curacao-Bonaire-PDCC-Boston

Cost starting at (double occ): $728 (inside); $798 (outside); $948 (balcony); $1328 (suite)

I've seen that word before. For a relative newbie, could you tell me what it means AND do repositioning cruises automatically mean "discount" or no?  

As far as talking you out of it, whom am I to argue with Ol' Mark? He's down there in your signature giving you a shout out 

4 hours ago, MJC7018 said:

Anyone have any recommendations or thoughts for an easy day in Falmouth? Even just stuff to do at the port. We are mostly just looking to get off the ship for a few hours and then head back on board to relax.. Thanks in advance!

I was there 3 years ago so I don't know if they still offer this tour, but we boarded a bus and went up into the countryside for a tour of a 17th century sugar plantation. They also fed us lunch while we were out. I found it to be very informative and enjoyable. 

On 8/9/2022 at 7:33 PM, PPPJJ-GCVAB said:

I am totally following your blog!  I absolutely love your sense of humor/ writing style!  You had me giggling from the start and out-right laughing as I read along so I know I will appreciate this read.  
 

Me too!

On 8/12/2022 at 7:41 AM, RockerDom31 said:

Thanks! The 2pm arrival time wasn’t bad at all. We didn’t do any excursions. We literally just aimlessly walked around Old San Juan - doing some shopping and sightseeing some of the historical buildings.

It was neat seeing the city at night from the ship. Pictures coming soon!

(. . . . rubbing my hands anxiously)

3 hours ago, Matt said:

Sorry to hear about your experience and most importantly, hope your wife is better.

What did the hospital diagnose your wife with?

At the end of the day, getting your wife to medical attention is the first priority. I think you'd agree getting her the necessary medical care is more important than anything else.

One thing for the future, travel insurance would have likely covered a scenario like this to cover a refund of time lost.

I just recenty booked a cruise for November and I opted NOT to take the insurance. Last night, I watched your video on the top 15 things you weren't sorry you purchased on a cruise and insurance was one of them. After listening to that and especially, after reading the above, is it too late for me to opt in for insurance for my cruise and if not, how would I go about it? (by the way, I love this site: it's so helpful - like this gentleman's post) and to RJM: sure hope you and your wife are feeling better!!!

Al

On 7/12/2022 at 2:14 PM, SpeedNoodles said:

We'll never get off the ship in Costa Maya again unless we have an excursion that'll let us out without going through the shops.  That area was awful.

SpeedNoodles, I'm going to be at Costa Maya soon. I will remember that!

On 8/9/2022 at 6:12 PM, LeeReads said:

Taking the family on a Christmas cruise.  Husband and I have only done 1 cruise-- Alaska on Princess--- and it was Amazing!                   

This trip will have the 4 adult kids. Daughters 25, 24, 22 and son 20.  We are adventurous. (but as I've read about that horrible ferry ride in Cozumel-- I think that will be a pass for us). 

3 Port stops Cozumel, Roatan and Grand Cayman -------------Leaning toward a zip line type tour at Roatan, maybe beach/rest at Cozumel and maybe Stingray/ reef at Grand Cayman.  (but nothing is set)

I'd love your thoughts, opinions, suggestions!  I could go with RC book or other--- I am open to either.    So.... give me your best bets--- sure things, "we loved this one because"--- etc.  I need all the help/suggestions that you can throw at me.  

Thank you so much!

LeeReads, I hope that you have a GREAT time with your family on your cruise. 

19 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

Maya Key is in Roatan.

My preference for beaches in Cozumel is Paradise Beach, mainly because it's easy to DIY it there and you don't have to do an excursion or pay for an all inclusive that may not be a good value for you.

 

Thanks, Ashley. I was there once before but we didn't go off of the pier and just browsed the shops. This time, I want to "do something" while I'm there. It remains to be seen, what. 

2 hours ago, Everide said:

The excursion to the small island of Maya Key was excellent for our party of 10 family members ranging in ages from 2 - 55.  It's a 4-5 minute boat ride from the ship.  I don't recall the price, but very reasonable.  The island was very clean, good food included, excellent snorkeling, and a wildlife sanctuary with a good variety of animals.  Beach area was nice and there's also a pool.

Everide, 

Which of the three places that LeeReads mentioned is Maya Key a 5 minute ride to? I'll be visiting Cozumel soon and might be interested if it's near there. Thanks. 

10 minutes ago, twangster said:

It has to be in their name, they won't let you check in for two rooms and have someone else stay in it.  

The passenger manifest is created from the guests booked in each cabin.  That is used for immigration purposes with each country.  You can't swap in a name at the last second and you can't be listed twice on the manifest.     

Thanks, twangster. Good to know. 

Thank you WAAAYTOOO. While I don't like that answer, I appreiciate you. I've noticed you are very helpful to all of us. 

Hi folks, 

I recently booked a solo cruise for myself (because of the great deal I got). But now, reality is setting in that I will be all alone and I'm beginning to sort of dread it. THEREFORE, I am seriously thinking of booking a second room and having my friend from another city meet me on board. If I do that, do I book it in MY name (so I can get the points) or do I book it in his name (so he won't have any trouble). If I book it in HIS name, how can I get the points (since I will be paying for it)? Thanks,

Al

My friend that I was with had seen CATS before and like so many, did not understand what the play was about. Reazlizing that we would be seeing it again (Feb 2019) She researched the plot and that made a big difference for us. She told me what it was about and knowing the plot, along with the great music, I enjoyed it. 

That alley cat, Rum Tug Tugger (Dale Evans) was so funny and we went back twice just to see his performance. Also, "Grizabella's" performance of "Memory" was very good, although I can't remember the performer's name. But I was most pleased in having discovered Doug Eskew. He played "Old Deuteronomy". WHAT A VOICE! At the same time he was in CATS in the Opal Theatre, he also performed one night in the Jazz venue and this is him below. 

We did notice that the people just behind us, did not return after the intermission. But we, on the other hand, saw it twice on the ship and then when we got home, it was playing at The Fox in Atlanta and we went a third time. I think being prepared as to knowing the plot made a big difference for us. 

Thank you, PPPJJ-GCVAB! That's good to know 

15 hours ago, RockerDom31 said:

Sorry for the late start on this one! We are currently winding down Day 4 of 10 on this cruise. Here are some highlights:

*It’s my wife and I on this cruise celebrating our 5-year anniversary (which was actually June 2022 but we had 2 weddings to go to at that time). We both have The Key and DBP. We are in a 2D Oceanview Balcony Stateroom. This is our second cruise.

*Itinerary - Days 1, 2, 3 at sea…Day 4 Labadee…Day 5 San Juan, Puerto Rico…Day 6 Philippsburg, St. Marteen…Days 7, 8, 9 at sea. I believe this is a “one-off” sailing that only happens once this season on Oasis from Cape Liberty.

*Embarkation at Cape Liberty - we had arrived a little bit after 10am and there was already a very long line. We asked the port worker at the very front of the line where do Key members go and he let us in and we skipped the entire line! Inside, there was another section for Key members to check-in. Thanks to the excellent advice of @Matt and others, we had hard copies of everything - Seapass, Negative Test Results, and physical vax card - we spent less than 2 minutes at check-in (they verified docs and took pictures of our passports). Other families were struggling to pull things up on their phone - not a very good cell signal at Cape Liberty. We were on the ship by 11am, first drink in hand by 11:05am!

*We did not do the Key lunch - we were having way too much fun in the sun to have a sit down lunch. We just grabbed and go from Cafe Promenade.

*As expected, staterooms opened up at around 1pm.

*I am a diabetic and needed to have a legit mini-fridge and sharps container (I filled out a special needs form 2 weeks prior and our travel agent checked with Royal to make sure it was noted in the reservation). I was only put on insulin about a month ago. When we arrived, the mini-fridge and sharps container were not in the room. Called Guest Services and got “we will check on that for you”. Meanwhile, I ran into our stateroom attendant and he took care of it. The “mini-fridge” is actually like a cooler for the car that plugs into the cigarette lighter port that holds 6 cans. It was cold enough and it worked. By the way - the mini-fridge that is in the cabinet of the stateroom is more so a wine cooler. Kept drinks cold but not cold enough for insulin.

*Masks - people had them, most people did not. But absolutely nobody cared if you masked up or not. I put one on every so often. All crew still had them on though.

*Food - both my wife and I are vegetarian and we have MTD. We’ve only been to the MDR once and we probably won’t be again. As was the case on our last cruise, the vegetarian options were the exact same dishes served at the Windjammer (we left MDR and went to the Windjammer directly afterwards and found our dinner there!). Plus, my wife and I are quick eaters - the MDR just wasn’t for us. We did order off the Vegan menu at MDR and the food was okay - just wasn’t our style. As a matter of fact, our favorite place to eat as of now is El Loco Fresh. We made our own nachos with cheese, beans, salsa, guacamole, etc. Food at Labadee was a bust for vegetarian - just some salads and rice and beans. Moral of the story is that if you are vegetarian on a cruise, you will definitely eat and you will not go hungry. However, just like on land, your choices are not as varied and numerous. So temper your expectations! For breakfast and lunch, we had a much better time at Solarium Bistro. Not as busy, still had a freestyle machine, and anything vegetarian we would have eaten at the Windjammer was present at Solarium Bistro (one morning, we went to Windjammer, ate a small plate, got annoyed with the how busy it was, and then enjoyed a very quiet and peaceful meal at Solarium Bistro.)

*Labadee - wow the artisan market folks are insistent!! There are people there who are waiting just outside the market (by the amphitheater) who will take you back to your shop and carve your name on things so you are more likely to buy it. We did negotiate though and they accepted our offer. As far as the beach day itself, it was very nice and relaxing - even if 6000+ people are there with you. Plenty of chairs and umbrellas. There was a Royal Employee who saw us wandering around looking for chairs who set us up with 2 chairs under a tree. Tipped him a $5 as a thank you!

*6156 total passengers (2893 New, 1555 gold, 612 platinum, 310 emerald, 587 diamond, 254 diamond plus, 45 pinnacle). 

*The people at NextCruise was so helpful! Today, we booked a 9-nighter for June 2023 out of Cape Liberty on Liberty of the Seas that goes to Bermuda, Labadee, La Romana DR, and Puerto Plata DR. I have never seen this itinerary before so we just had to YOLO book it!

*A great big thank you to the MEI Travel team, especially our agent @Daniel W Daniel Wanderman!! Definitely the best travel agent we’ve ever had!

*A great big thank you to @Matt and to everyone else on this blog and forum! My wife complimented me about how much I know about Royal Caribbean. We did our best on Crown and Anchor trivia!

Days 5-10 are forthcoming.

Thanks for reading!

"We asked the port worker at the very front of the line where do Key members go"

RockerDom31,

I know this may sound funny but I'm new (relatively so) and I just want to know what a "Key" member is? How do I  become one?

Also, I hope you post something about San Juan. I'll be checking back. I have an interest in going there in the future and would be interested to know how you like it and what you did there. Have a GREAT rest of your trip!!

Thanks,

Al

On 8/6/2022 at 8:52 AM, berkeleykel said:

I would make up a tentative schedule and book your MTD slots as soon as the option opens in the cruise planner. That way when you show up for dinner your wait should be minimal and you’ll likely be given the same waitstaff and even same table throughout the cruise even if you don’t book at the same time each night. Then if you want to tip extra you can bring cash tips on the final night of dining for the waiter and assistant waiter who you’ll have gotten the chance to get to know throughout the cruise.  You can get envelopes from guest services for the tips or your steward may leave some in your cabin. 
 

 

One can't tip nightly?