jp1

Just returned from our cruise that included a stop in St. Maarten. It was a 10-15 minute walk to get our passports stamped. Here's the path we took... And here's the building and door you're looking for... They were very friendly.

$70k is what I paid for my first house.

Good point. Yes, US passport. I’ll ask in St. Maarten.

We’re currently cruising the Caribbean and I have a potentially stupid question. When we get to St. Thomas and St. Maarten is there a relatively easy way to get our passports stamped? Trying to fill it up before it expires.

This is how I'm envisioning my upcoming Spring Break cruise.

Are these the robes? I can get two of these for no charge using points...

I’ve been waiting on Jet Ski slots to open for my stop for over a month. I initially booked a driver (me) and a passenger (my wife) during the Black Friday sale. I picked a 2pm slot. Later I decided that 2pm was late if we decide that we’ve had enough by noon and didn’t want to wait around for the Jet Ski. I also decided to get two drivers so we could both have our own, but all I could get was one at 10am. The time was perfect. I grabbed that and when I tried to book my wife as a passenger (in case another Jet Ski didn’t become available) it only offered 9am and 2pm. No 10am, which is odd. I called RCI and was told I’ll be able to book the passenger while on the ship even though it’s not available now. I’m skeptical of course. I’m hoping another 10am driver opens up, but I’m not holding my breath. If they won’t open a 10am passenger for the Mrs. we’ll probably cancel the Jet Ski completely. Can you cancel an RCI excursion the day before?

I need to try it first.

Yes, thanks.

Certainly conflicting, or at least confusing information. Whatever it is, it's free money. If I lost out it's no big sweat.

Could be.

This is what pops up when you click the Terms and Conditions link above.

Here's the fine print: These terms and conditions relate only to the use of promotional on-board credit (OBC) that you may have received as a benefit under a promotion ("Promotional OBC"). Promotional OBC is issued in US$. Guests that have been awarded Promotional OBC will be able to log in to Cruise Planner prior to the sail date of their booked cruise and see their available Promotional OBC in US$ where the booking was priced in US$. For all other currency bookings, Promotional OBC will be converted from US$ into the same currency as the cruise booking that gave rise to the award of Promotional OBC ("Available Spend"). Available Spend may be redeemed via Cruise Planner for individual bookings and for group bookings where Promotional OBC was allocated at an individual level. Available Spend may be used to purchase shore excursions, dining, beverage packages, internet packages, spa & fitness services, entertainment activities and any future ancillary products / services available for purchase in advance of your cruise via Cruise Planner for your benefit or that of any other booking subject to such bookings relating to the same cruise sailing as your booking and such bookings being in the same currency. Not all OBC is eligible for purchases through Cruise Planner. Promotional OBC excludes OBC you may have received as a gift, from your travel agent, Customer Service, or any OBC awarded through a group booking. Making a Purchase via the Pre Cruise Planner Subject to availability, guests may make purchases via Cruise Planner utilizing their Available Spend. Where the value of Available Spend is less than the cost of any purchase(s), you may apply the Available Spend to the purchase(s) and pay any shortfall utilizing a credit or debit card. Where the value of Available Spend exceeds the cost of any purchase(s) to be made, any balance will remain available to use on purchase(s) via Cruise Planner until the cut - off date for making purchases utilizing Cruise Planner (usually 48 hours prior to the sail date) after which any unused residual balance will be converted back to US$ on the sailing date and added to the guest's on-board account for spend onboard. Please note that the value of Available Spend in your Cruise Planner account is subject to exchange rate fluctuation between the US$ and your cruise booking currency so your Available Spend will vary between visits to Cruise Planner. When however a purchase is made via Cruise Planner utilizing Available Spend, at the time of that purchase the exchange rate will become fixed for the purchase and will also be applied to the balance of any residual Available Spend (where applicable). As such, any residual balance of Available Spend will no longer be subject to exchange rate fluctuations. Change(s) to Cruise Booking Should you make a purchase in Cruise Planner that utilizes Available Spend and then subsequently change your cruise booking in any way so that it is no longer eligible for any portion of the Promotional OBC, then the amount of Available Spend will be adjusted accordingly in Cruise Planner. Please note that in the event that you have made purchases utilizing Available Spend that you are no longer entitled due to such a change of booking, then to retain those purchases you will need to pay those elements of your purchases no longer covered by such Available Spend. In such circumstances, we will promptly advise you by email of the amount payable by you and the deadline to make such payment. Cancellation of Cruise Booking In the event that your cruise booking is cancelled for any reason, any purchases made using Available Spend will be automatically cancelled and forfeited. Where any cash payment was made in full or in part for any purchase made via Cruise Planner using a credit card, debit card, or other form of cash equivalent payments the amount of such cash payment will be refunded back in the original form of payment within 30 days. Cancellation of Purchases In the event that you wish to cancel any purchase(s) made via Cruise Planner prior to the sail date of your cruise, you may do so via Cruise Planner up to the cut off date. Where you do cancel any purchase made via Cruise Planner, any relevant amount of Promotional OBC released by such cancellation will be credited back to your Cruise Planner account to be used as Available Spend. In the event the purchase was in part funded by cash (via a credit card, debit card, or other form of cash equivalent payments then the applicable amount will be credited back to the original form of payment within 30 days. Balance Due Notification & Cancellation of Cruise Planner Purchase PLEASE NOTE THAT SHOULD YOU FAIL TO PAY THE FULL AMOUNT OF ANY SUM DUE BY THE DEADLINE COMMUNICATED TO YOU BY US FOLLOWING A CHANGE OF BOOKING, THEN THE RELEVANT PURCHASE(S) MADE VIA CRUISE PLANNER WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY CANCELLED WITHOUT ANY LIABILITY ON OUR PART TO YOU OR ANY OTHER BENEFICIARY OF SUCH PURCHASES. In the above circumstances, where we are forced to cancel any purchase, where any cash payment was made in full or in part for any purchase made via Cruise Planner using a credit card, debit card, or other form of cash equivalent payments the amount of such cash payment will be refunded back in the original form of payment within 30 days. Transfer of Available Spend for use onboard the Ship Should you have any residual Available Spend at the cut-off date for making purchases utilizing Cruise Planner, such Available Spend will be automatically converted back to US$ for spend onboard your booked cruise. The rate of exchange applied will be the same rate that applied to your original purchase utilizing Onboard Spend. Where however no purchase has been made utilizing your Available Spend, the original amount of Promotional OBC awarded to you in US$ shall be transferred to your onboard account to spend onboard. Please note that Promotional OBC is non-transferable, not redeemable for cash, and will expire if not used by 10:00 PM on the final night of your cruise. Last Minute Changes to Cruise Booking Be advised that last minute changes to a cruise booking within 3 days of sailing and after final notification of Cruise Planner Credit Balance Summary has been sent to you where you are no longer eligible to receive Promotional OBC will have an impact on your final Cruise Planner Credit Summary and available onboard credit spend. Additionally, this will make it impossible to organize the collection and processing of payments via Cruise Planner and thus owe us money to pay for any existing purchases made via Cruise Planner prior to any change utilizing Cruise Planner credit. We must reserve the right to simply cancel any purchases made via Cruise Planner where Promotional OBC was applied. In these circumstances we will advise you by email that your purchase(s) are cancelled and credit any cash payments (as applicable) back to the original form of payment within 30 days. We recommend that where your change of booking is within 3 days of your sailing date, that at the time of changing your booking you ask your travel agent or our call center if any change is likely to affect any Promotional OBC.

I added the banner that pops up above.