RCVoyager

I have cruised with the Barenaked Ladies twice. Both were chartered cruises through a company called Sixth Man. While these two cruises, when only considering the ship and itinerary weren't the best of the cruises I've been on, when combined with the entertainment, they remain the best cruises I've experienced. On both trips, the band set the tone at the outset. They were there with their families, and so if seen with family, they wanted privacy. Other than that, they wanted to meet the passengers and talk to them. They had many more events than were promised in the schedule, and they signed and talked to passengers constantly. It really was an up close experience. On top of that there was the now famous "Barenaked at Sea" photo and we met the band Gaelic Storm which is without a doubt, the most entertaining and fan friendly band there is right now. So, no it's not really a random famous person sighting, but it was an up close experience for sure.

Hi Breezy. I have no problem with Hawaii. If do prefer the Caribbean. My comment about the long tour was exactly that. I was a poor tour. Too much time on the bus. It had nothing to do with the beautiful state.

I agree with this. We had a great time, but we felt rushed almost every day. At that time, in order to get to Pearl Harbor, we had a book an all day tour through Carnival. Pearl Harbor was awesome, but the rest of the tour was not so great. If we did it again, we would book the tour again so we could see Pearl Harbor, but then grab a cab at the end of Pearl Harbor and skip the bus and the rest of the tour.

Hey Tiny. I'm always interested in what happened to the old ships I have been on, and I look at cruise history in the profile of other posters on the forum. The old NCL Seaward is alive and well and still serving her owners. She is now the SuperStar Libra sailing for Star Cruises. Pretty cool.

It sounds like a repositioning cruise. They are generally in April and October as the ships reposition seasonally. We did one a few years ago on Carnival. They are generally a good value, and we did note a few things not timed out perfectly by the cruise line... I think due to the fact they don't do these cruises every week. We would do one again in a second it the opportunity arose.

I never miss a chance to talk about Gaelic Storm because I think the plastic world of today's entertainment is missing out on the absolute best. If you get a chance to spend 15 minutes check out the songs 'Damn Near Died in Killaloe' and 'Raised on Black and Tans'. Fans also love 'Don't Go For the One' and 'The Night I Punched Russell Crowe in the Head' which is billed as a true story. Here's another great story abut them. One night in Indy they did an all ages show (many of their shows are 21 and up). My friend's son was about 11 and LOVES Gaelic Storm. Pat saw us in the crowd and saw the boy with his 'Designated Driver' shirt on. Pat called the boy up onto the stage and had him play the symbol in the song 'What's the Rumpus' which has a heavy symbol. By the end of the song, Pat had Michael running across the stage jumping in the air and coming down hard on the symbol. The kid will never forget it. Additonally after every show, they come out and do a meet great until every fan has gone. No other band would dare do such a thing. That's Gaelic Storm.

It really was a lot of fun, and something none of us will forget. I have a copy of the photo that was given to everyone who did it by the Barenaked Ladies. They were amazing hosts. Totally accessable and did more appearances than advertised. I also have an 8 X 10 portrait that was also a gift from the band. It is the 5 of them and the 4 of us in our travel party. Not only that, but that was the cruise were we discovered Gaelic Storm which has become the favorite band of virtually everyone in my family and many of our friends. Great music, an unmatched stage presence, so entertaining, and the most fan friendly band you will ever meet. A couple of years later my brother became ill with ALS. The last time he saw Gaelic Storm he had a cane. Patrick, one of the two front men, asked him about it. He was visibly shaken as he had gotten to know us. We lost my brother 5 years ago, and Pat still asks me about him and his family every time I see the band. Even dedicated a song to him last Spring in Indy.

One of the coolest things I've done on a ship involves the bathrobes. January of 2007 on the Carnival Legend was Ships and Dips 1 which was the Barenaked Ladies Cruise. One morning an announcement came as an invitation to go to our staterooms, remove all clothing, put on the robe, and report to the Lido Deck. With robes on, 700 of us were staged for a photo. the band was there too. After about 10 minutes to set the whole thing up, we were told on the count of 3, drop the robes. You can still find the "Barenaked as Sea" photo on the internet. We were naked for about 5 seconds, and now 700 people I will never see again were part of one of the coolest things ever. You can check it out.

If you love beer, you must check out 'The Beer Song' by Gaelic Storm.

Thanks Pete. This is helpful. I'm interested in anyone's else's informed input

Thanks Waaytoo. I hadn't thought about the Ritz. We'll be going 4 days early for our cruise, so it may be a little too spendy. However, I'm going to take a good look at it. I'm interested in opinions on both hotels... particularly my original question about room type.

Has anyone stayed here? Thinking of treating the wife on our trip next year. So, here's the question: Which is better (King Heritage or King Tower City View). Is one newer or more updated than the other? Are the views that much better in one rather than the other? These are the things that impress the lady of my house. Thanks.

I haven't been there for a few years, but we really liked Grenada, and as mentioned is easy and safe to walk around. They are very pro American which is good in my opinion.

Any thought as to why RCCL doesn't visit Grand Turk? Is there any known movement toward stopping there? My wife wants to go, and I want to take her. I would rather book RCCL than Carnvial, but my hand may be forced in this situation.

St. Croix has become one of my favorite places in the Caribbean. It's mostly because there is a fantastic beach right off the ship. If you bring a baggie, you can fill it with sea glass, some of it very old, on that beach and in the water there. Additionally, Fort Frederic, some shopping, and some dining are all right there. No need for any kind of transportation.