TexanTwoStep

On 5/1/2024 at 1:21 PM, tonyfsu21 said:

this was booked through RC. Hold off a couple days for the site to populate the excursions after itinerary change. 

It's looking like there won't be many options because a Carnival ship will also be in port with us

EDIT:  Decided to check one more time and this excursion was available!  Booked!

3 hours ago, Matt said:

Since they fixed it so you pay to park when you enter (instead of after the cruise), I don't think there's much of a traffic situation to contend with.

Hey Matt,

We're staying at the Hampton Inn across from the port.  Is it feasible to walk from there or do we need to set up transportation?  We're able-bodied people

Who did you book this through?  We just got changed to Grand Turk and there are no excursions listed in the cruise planner

I got 1030 last night!  Only 1.5 months away!

3 hours ago, Butters530 said:

Good rules. Most apply to adults too. Notice I said most. Lol

check in is now 32 hours away….or 1920 minutes. 

Not for the People of the Pineapple Clan bwhaha

2 hours ago, smokeybandit said:

And no one comes in your stateroom, either.

Yes, I should probably clarify that since he's a snarky 15 year old who would eloquently argue that point.

Check-in is less than 48 hours away! 

22 hours ago, last_rule said:

Hi all first cruise ever! My wife and and with our 4 kids are super excited. Any advice for large families other than to be courteous of others? Lol

Hopefully you have 2-3 rooms, because the rooms are very small!  The main answer you'll get from this is to just be a parent to your kids.  If they're being rowdy/disruptive, do something, especially if you're at a large event like dinner or a show.

We will be cruising with our 15 year old and my rules to him are:

1. Don't be an ass to anyone for any reason.  Full stop.  He's a good kid and already does this anyway.

2. Don't go into anyone's stateroom or any deck that are staterooms only for any reason. 

3. No running/horseplaying on deck or in public areas.

4. No drinking/drugs

5. Don't fall off the ship. 

6. Be in the room 15 minutes prior to curfew (early is on time, on time is late).

He's of the age now to where I feel comfortable with him "doing his own thing", but we have multiple check ins a day (usually 6) and also do a lot of activities together.  

12 hours ago, Atlantix2000 said:

You do realize you will be on security cameras at almost all times when you are out of your stateroom?

And sometimes *in* your stateroom depending on your stateroom attendant!

Note:  To anyone at RCCL that sees this, feel free to DM me regarding being your headliner comedian.  I'll be here all week

I hope it's free cookies for everyone!

Seriously though, I think Royal's loyalty program is kind of weak and needs some updating.  It would be nice if they revamped it and added way better benefits for those "loyal to Royal" (free DBP for top tiers would be cool)

Our Alaska Cruise in 2025 has a few excursions and all the "usual" stuff (drink packages, dining etc.).  Waiting until they go on sale to book for sure 

I can't find any Labadee updates past March.

I know that they have suspended stops there until May 24th, but did they give a date to re-evaluate and announce new itineraries past that date?

We're sailing June 1st and would like to be able to schedule some excursions in advance if we're NOT going to Labadee..

Perfect.  Thanks for the quick response!

I feel like I should know this by now...

Our check-in for our June cruise is in two weeks.  I really don't want to stay up until 11pm to get an early check-in time.  We've purchased The Key (we enjoy having a set lunch and I got it dirt cheap), so do we automatically get an early check-in time regardless of when I actually check-in online?

2 hours ago, OCSC Mike said:

Yes.

Ugh, I hope it's better when we are there.  We'll be on Adventure and the Granduer will be there with us in June.  Hopefully it wont be too crowded and they're able to keep up better.

Are you all talking about the Coco Beach Club?

Because I just paid a good amount of money for the club and if I'm waiting that long for a drink, I won't be happy.

Just throwing it out there because I've stayed in an aft JS (not on Adventure, but they're all basically the same layout).

You're going cramped with four people to a junior suite -- the mattress is going to take up most of the space on the floor.  Is it doable?  Yes.  Are you going to get tired of shuffling things around after the 2nd day?  Probably.  Also, it's gonna suck for the kid sleeping on an air mattress for a week.

I'd consider getting an interior room for the aunt so she can have her own space to sleep.

On 3/24/2024 at 7:17 AM, Neesa said:

@TexanTwoStep we are sailing the week after you, I just cancelled out jet ski  excursions for the same reason. I hope beyond measure that the Island calms and peace is restored but I can't fathom Royal visiting again until there is resolution AND the stigma of the unrest has gone. I believe that may take some time. I love Labadee but having Royal hold my monies to just return later, no thanks...fingers crossed the Island heals soon.

NOTE: I just realized my sailing to Haiti is on my Adventure August 16th sailing not the 7th of June...I still cancelled.

Honestly, it's probably for the best!  I hate that I cancelled my day bed at Labadee because I basically stole it (Got it for less than $200...).  If we do happen to go to Labadee, I'm sure the prices will spike.

1 hour ago, DoomSlayer said:

I was on her when she was in Galveston.  Yes they had $5 craps right after the covid lull.  That craps table on Grandeur was the only time I saw Security have to arrest someone.  The shooter was cut off because he was sliding the dice and they asked him to leave the casino area.  He refused and started making a scene.  Security circled him and, well, let's just say he ate from "room service" the rest of the trip, had a "private bodyguard" posted at his door, and was escorted off the ship with a new pair of shiny bracelets.

He got the true VIP treatment.

I suck at throwing the dice.  it never fails I either hit someone's chips, miss the back wall, or throw one (or both!) over the wall.  Surprised I haven't been arrested yet!

Grandeur had $5 craps when we sailed her in 2022!

On 3/21/2024 at 2:33 PM, AshleyDillo said:

If the cancelation doesn't happen in enough time before the Cruise Planner closes, the refund will appear as OBC on the ship. The most recent announcements of port changes have been well in advance of the Cruise Planner closure for their respective sailings, but the refund process could take weeks. You can jump start the process of the refund by proactively canceling your Labadee excursions if you have any booked.

Thanks, you explained it a lot more eloquently than I did

I just cancelled all of my excursions at Labadee for our cruise in June so I wont get stuck with OBC.  I really doubt that there will be ships going to Labadee any time soon.

I just cancelled our beach bed and coaster ride at Labadee to get the refund -- didn't want to be stuck with OBC that I won't use if Labadee cancels (and it looks like it's going to cancel, to be honest).

2 hours ago, DunkelBierJay said:

Brightline has been pretty good at cutting through the red tape...how they do it, only they and the bureaucrat$ know...I bet it happens fairly quickly from land acquisition if they don't already have it to the time needed for construction. The line is already there, and that was the biggest hurdle.

Looking further in the future, I would love to see hotel/train packages like GoPort offers....it would be great to have more hotel options pop up in Port Canaveral, or even a hotel attached to the Brightline station at MCO, which is another discussion.

There are 5-6 hotels that are walkable to Terminal 1, but I'd love to see a couple more that are closer. The only drawback is how long you have to sweat. I've made the walk from the Residence Inn in 15 minutes and was soaking wet, so I dry off at the bar at Grills prior to boarding.

We're arriving there May 31st and staying in the Hampton Inn -- is that close enough to walk to port or do I need to get an Uber?  

56 minutes ago, Geezer Of The Seas said:

Not political, just an observation. Since before I was born, Haiti has known nothing but turmoil. I was 4 (1957) when' Papa Doc' Duvalier came to power............and the state of affairs of the country have deteriorated further since; if that's even possible. 

Oh I know.  I worked extensively down there when they had the earthquake/hurricane combo in 2010.  They country is worse off than Cuba in my opinion.