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monorailmedic

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Everything posted by monorailmedic

  1. Norway is my favorite destination. I've done Bergen, Tromso, Trondheim, Geiranger, Flamm, and Stavanger. Out of that it seems like the one crossover is Bergen, which was probably my favorite port. As mentioned, lunch at the fish market is a must, but also take time to just walk around the market as it's an interesting set up with a few things you may never have seen. The shops along the water are actually interesting (and I'm not a big shopper) as some (though not all) feel less touristy and have some unique offerings. For Stavanger, I remember the houses right next to where you doc (or just across the water from it, depending on which side you berth) being very neat, looking like something out of a movie...or the end of Maelstrom in Epcot. The people in Norway are amazing. I recall that once we asked for directions and the gentleman started to tell us, then turned around and told us to follow him. He guided us a good 5 mins out of his way. Much like Alaska, you'll spend hours on your verandah or on deck just watching the fjords go by. I'll have to dig up some dusty memories and pics and come up with some 'must do' attractions, but wow do I want to go back now.
  2. We did not. I'm not going to claim to have so much as Googled for this, but I'd suspect seeing them during a sailing could be challenging because they're generally visible during the winter months. It is also possible that I've destroyed all the brain cells that were previously responsible for this knowledge I absorbed in 8th grade and this is all incorrect.
  3. Sorry for the delayed response. By 1000 the morning rush hour is indeed over. Traffic can still be nutty, but not nearly as bad. I can't really make any recommendations for transfers except to say that Uber is available in South Florida (including to and from air and sea ports) and frequently when traveling, depending on the distance and number of passengers, it seems limo services can offer great value. BH (current 71F in South Florida)
  4. To Matt's point, it is nice when/if the cruise line does something, but if it is something out of their control then nothing is owed. That in mind, if it is something our of their control that ends up say, shortening a vacation, and reducing RCCL's cost of that sailing (for example, a 7 night sailing turned 5 night sailing) then I think there is a different ethical obligation - even though I recognize that the line(s) lose big in this b/c they have less satisfied customers, had to refund money, and were not able to generate revenue during this period. The Labadee issues aren't of this type. They can hit another port and adjust port fees accordingly, or skip it all together. The political situation is rough, because while it's easy to say that protesters are hurting their own economy, the level of corruption and graft is so great that I'm certain the citizens question how that $10-14 per pax actually impacts them, if at all. It's a delicate situation in a nation that has political and social problems far beyond what we might conceive of, so while any of us might be bummed to miss out on a port, these are true 'first world problems' for us. I truly hope, for their people, that they can work towards a better Haiti, without regard to the geographic location of my chair while I sip a mini-umbrella adorned iced drink.
  5. Atlantis, as Matt mentioned, is an impressive water park/resort. It's a neat place. That in mind, to me, it's not worth the price. If you could walk around without paying I might suggest checking it out just to see it, but if I recall you can't get much past the lobby, can't see the aquarium, etc (it's been a while, so someone let me know if I'm wrong). Not sure the demographics of the group, but I'm sure we can make some suggestions. Again, Atlantis may be a great option for your group, just pricey IMO.
  6. Well, yesterday wrote a reply to his, never hit 'reply' and then restarted my browser. Go me. I can't speak to Crystal as I haven't sailed them before. Cunard is a truly unique experience. I describe a Cunard sailing as the Titanic before the iceberg scene. It is a style of cruising that no longer exists. Things are quite formal, though less stuffy than you might expect. Service is top notch and will leave you wanting for nothing. Despite what we think of British food, you'll find their offering quite good. Oceania offers anticipatory service, less in your face, but ever-present. Some of the best food I've ever had has been on-board Oceania. The experience is very casual, you needn't bring a jacket on Oceania if you don't want. You'll find far fewer activities and such than on Cunard, sometimes because they're so port intensive, hitting smaller ports that larger ships can't. I can't pick a favorite cruise line, been on many, and I enjoy them for different reasons. What I will tell you is that if you're looking for top-notch experiences that make sure you're well taken care of, Oceania and Cunard are really great.
  7. One additional note, personal items with heating elements (aside from say, curling irons and such) are not permitted for safety reasons. Clothing irons, coffee makers, etc will be held by security until the end of the sailing if you put them in your bags.
  8. If you're not looking to do anything in Miami, I'd be inclined to stay in Fort Lauderdale. It's (generally speaking) a bit less hectic and has just as many hotel options at what you may find to be better prices (comparing apples to apples). That in mind, it looks like that sailing leaves on a Thursday, so the if you do stay in Fort Lauderdale just know that the traffic going to Port of Miami can get pretty insane during rush hour. Also know that it isn't a cheap cab ride from FLL to downtown/port area in Miami. I'd guess around $75.
  9. There are plenty of dumb questions, but that's not one of them :-) A "berth" can be where a ship docks, or where a sailor sleeps. The shelf style bunks on naval vessels are sometimes called berths, and b/c the 3rd and 4th in a stateroom are sometimes bunks, we get the term, "lower berths" for the first two.
  10. It seems all but 2 packages do include bottled water... http://media.royalcaribbean.com/content/shared_assets/pdf/menus/beverage_packages.pdf http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/royal-caribbean-beverage-packages
  11. To add to this, you'll sometimes see lines refer to the number as "lower berths". What they mean by 16 lower berths is that there have to be 16 1st or 2nd passengers. Passengers 3 and 4 don't count in this way.
  12. Shopping for said event, Matt, I found one of the more niche items I've seen on Amazon... http://goo.gl/Jkjcfo Great for all occasions! Or if your pants fall down at raves.
  13. The basic idea of the app is that it keeps you from having to complete a declaration form, and saves CBP from having to read it. The locations at which the Passport App (terrible name) are taken already support GE at the kiosks, so you don't need to complete a declaration form anyway. Do you have to enter the answers at a kiosk with GE? (I'm new to GE) If not, then it doesn't matter, if you do, then I guess this could represent a very small time savings, but probably not worth it for most.
  14. As of three weeks ago they did not. Sometime around the end of Nov or beginning of Dec they added marked GE lines to all passenger terminals at Port Everglades. There are no kiosks (so you must still complete a declaration from what I've been told), but the lines are marked and make for a much quicker process. We'll try it out in February.
  15. We will be there! We actually haven't booked anything yet. I plan on booking some specialty restaurants to take advantage of the 30% discount, but that's about it. We're experienced cruisers but RCCL is all new to us, so I don't even know where to start. In Cozumel we'll be roaming and eating, that's the main plan. There is a driver we've used in the past and I should probably see if he's available. We aren't huge beach people, so in Labadee I'd guess we'll do some brief exploring and then relax on-board. Finally, for Falmouth I'm very torn. I have great memories of MoBay, and would like to head there again, but it's a bit of a trek from Falmouth.
  16. Per other boards it seems the Royal Refreshment package is now the same price for adults and children.
  17. I see the same thing you do, Matt. A ~$42 increase for two people.
  18. You (or your travel agent) should contact RCCL. While I can't speak tot his situation, I've had several cruise lines make reasonable accommodations without much work at all. RCCL Access Department contact information is below. Be sure to mention anything and everything that might make your vacation safer or just more enjoyable (sharps container, special dietary requests, etc). For more information call our Access Department at (866) 592-7225 (voice), fax (954) 628-9622, send an e-mail to [email protected], or have your local travel agent or International Representative contact us. Read more at http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/accessibleseas/home.do#iDcYfmw1UhwBPspT.99
  19. I can't speak to RCCL specific options in Alaska, but I do have a few points to share based on our recent experience. We did Alaska on Oceania in May. SF, Astoria, Sitka, Hubbard Glacier, Ketchikan, Juneau, Victoria, Vancouver. Fantastic trip in every way. After many cruises this was our first time doing Alaska and we'll certainly go back. One consideration though is that many of the Alaskan ports of call are very small towns, so along with all the other things you account for in picking a ship/itinerary/schedule, I'd look at a site like www.cruisett.com and see how many passengers are scheduled to be in a port on a given day. Ketchikan may be a lovely stop to spend time in when there are 4k pax, but when there are 10k pax it could be like Main Street in the Magic Kingdom on Christmas day (or Times Square on New Year's Eve - as my wife points out this is a more universal reference to *insanely crowded*) Also, while I usually consider a verandah a 'nice to have' but make the decision based on price, for Alaska it should be a priority. If you're on a larger ship the open decks could get a bit busy when cruising past glaciers, fjords, and small towns. Even if on a smaller ship though there will be hours you'll just want to sit and relax as you watch the sights go by. We spent more time on our verandah on the Alaska trip than all of our other sailings combined.
  20. Say hi to my wife when you do this as I don't expect to find her elsewhere on the ship. "It goes between different parts of the ship AND it's a bar?!" Now I just have to worry about her getting lost. Entering on one deck in the morning then exiting on another 12 hours later could really confuse things.
  21. Hi Christie! I'm a WDW person as well, and Gold on DCL. The Allure sailing will be our first with RCCL but we've done many other lines - and your list largely holds up comparing to other mass-market and premium lines, actually. I will say that while DCL MDR experiences are meh (and seem to vary ship to ship for some reason) Palo and Remy have provided some of the best dining I've had at sea (outside of Oceania's offerings and Cunard's Princess and Queen's grills). As adults without kids, we always felt DCL had a decent amount going on as far as activities, but we're also pretty quiet in that regard - and shopping on-board is of no consequence to us (except for my addiction to DCL logo merch, ironically). All of that in mind, one big thing I'm wondering with RCCL is how the activities (especially the variety offered on the Allure) will sit with me. I'm confident they'll be no bother, but what are some of the activities you enjoy on RCCL that aren't readily available on DCL or others? I'm not suggesting there aren't any, I'm genuinely curious as to what I should expect. I'm perused cruise compasses, but I'm curious your take. For a quieter person, I've been told there are no lack of quiet spaces to enjoy a drink and a gaze at the sea.
  22. I'm sorry, you lost me with this, "cruised too much" concept. Does not compute.
  23. Perhaps that's why i can't find anything. I just saw some mention about it being different during lunch, but I thought they said buffet (which is a common format for Brazilian restaurants). I should probably take a pre-group cruise research cruise. Yeah, research.
  24. Does anyone know what the lunch buffet options are at Samba Grill? There is plenty of information on dinner but as vegetarians we're more interesting in what their daytime offerings might be. I'm curious to know if their lunch offering is similar to food by the pound shore-side Brazilian restaurants or if it's more generic.
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