trixiegal

Very cute clothes, especially for a cruise! May be a little sexy for the office but nice for after work events. Price point is higher than I thought but will work with coupons and specials, especially with free shipping.

I remember getting getting their catalogs years ago and thinking the styles were too "old" for me. Well, thanks to the OP for bringing them up again because I'm definitely going to go on their website. I like White House Black Market, Banana Republic and some Ann Taylor dresses and I remember BP giving me a similar vibe. Just got a new job and think it's more of biz casual environment with room for fashionable flair, so BP may be my new favorite. Good sales don't hurt, either.

I just wanted to come in a comment for those that followed this report, we are getting married 1 month from today :D Hard to believe when I was writing this report we just got engaged, time goes by so fast!

 

Our honeymoon will be on the Equinox, I plan to do a report for our honeymoon cruise as well. Stay tuned!

 

Now time to get my but to the gym! Crunch time- no pun intended :rolleyes:

 

Smiles,

Ashley

Congratulations! I can't wait to see some pictures of your wedding and your dress! I'm still making my way through your wonderful cruise review. My hope is to take my two children on a Celebrity Med cruise celebrating DD's high school graduation next year. I still haven't booked but I'm living vicariously through your review in the meantime.

I love Sangria. I'm totally stealing this idea for my upcoming cruise!

I plan on renting a car from FLL and need to drop it off in Miami. Is the only return location located at the MIA airport? Do they have a free shuttle to POM?

 

Thanks

I'm doing the opposite itinerary but need to know if they have a shuttle to pick me up at POM after disembarkation and take me to their Miami Beach location. Anyone?

The public buses start at the terminal near the Public Library, a short walk inland from the port. I believe it is approximately $2.50 per person. Just ask the driver if it goes to the turtle farm, they are very helpful.

On the way back from the turtle farm, cross the street and there will be a bus stop near the dolphin place. You can also walk along the sidewalk and the buses will honk and slow down to see if you want a ride.

 

I know it sounds a little hairy, but it was a pretty easy experience, cheaper than a taxi and more flexible than the free shuttles.

Thanks, we will try this out because I also want to do some shopping if we have time.

off topic, but if we are using free wi-fi while in port in the Bahamas will we not be charged anything? I'm still so confused on how international calling etc works. Thanks!

No, you won't be charged if you leave the phone in airplane mode and only use wifi. You may have to ask for a password in order to access the business' wifi network. And some public wifi networks are super slow because of all the cruisers accessing it at the same time. At some ports we hopped around until we found a place that had the fastest wifi.

Did you leave the Mahogany Bay area or stay right there where the chairlift takers you?

We stayed in the Mahogany Bay Beach area to board the water buggies with the 3 inflatable tires. Can't remember their name. They were near the walkway bridge and under the chair lifts. Anyway, the sea turtles are across the waterway. I don't know how you access it by foot. We saw people on ATVs there so I don't know if you can walk there easily. It's not really a tourist attraction because he only asked for tips. Very nice gentlemen who loves taking care of those turtles.

Yes, this is where DD really wants to go. Will we have enough time to see it all if we only spend 2-3 hours at the farm? And will the free transportation only bring you back to the pier or to the nearest beach?

I've been to Plato's closet-I thought they were a little on the high end and saw things that were from Target, etc.

 

Sadly even on the designer stuff you can get ripped off on the quality if your not careful. One of the reasons why I do like the Thrift route is that I have found some very well made designer and high end stuff-but then I've seen some of the cheap "designer" threads (like Vera Wang from Kohl's-she should be ashamed of herself for that garbage)

 

Next week I am going to London for business and already have my afternoon planned for Nottinghill gate-all kinds of second hand shops there and I've had some fabulous finds. It's kinda cool to bring back some real classy things not seen in this country, pay little for it,and then say "oh, this thing? Nothing special, really, got it in London" :D

Plato's Closet is definitely for the younger set, like teens and college-aged. I'd never buy anything there, except sandals if I just needed something cheap for the beach. And ITA about some so-called designer labels sold today. I can't believe the price point of some of that stuff in Kohl's. Even with 50% off, it's a total rip-off! The key to successful shopping, thrifting or otherwise, is knowing quality versus trends or labels. My point was in the DC area the "vintage" stores price many of their designer items from many seasons ago at almost the same price you could buy a new item at a good sale or online. You just have to know the line and not get ripped off.

I hope to get to Europe next year for DD's grad trip. I will definitely be hitting the stores for some cool buys. Have fun in London!

It's possible you might see some sea turtles while snorkeling.

 

There are no interactive tours like "Swimming with the Sea Turtles" in Barbados or "Swimming with Stingrays" in Grand Cayman.

 

LuLu

~~~~

Not true. My family was there in August and my kids swam with several turtles in an area right off Mahogany Beach. It's right next to the dolphin area and across from the big 3-wheeled paddle water cycles. We passed the area on the cycles and were called over by other tourists on 4-wheelers. A man pulled us over to the area(covered by a small wooden dock) and tied up the water cycles. All he was asking for was tips and happily displayed the huge sea turtles he apparently takes care of of there. My kids swam in the water and rode on the back of a turtle. That was the highlight of their day! He said he goes by the Turtle Man.

I have no idea how to get there by land. I'd ask when you get to the port.

I just started using Smashbox's BB cream, and so far I love it.

I don't feel like driving to Nordstrom to buy Laura Mercier so I may buy this from Ulta today. They also released a CC cream. Will update after I try it out.

Most of the negativity I've observed in the short time I've been a member came from posters who displayed some sense of entitlement because they've frequented this board for 20 years and have gazillion posts. WHO CARES? It come across as very insecure. If the barometer of your happiness in life is proudly displaying you are the King or Queen of CC, that's kind of sad IMO. I love the seasoned posters who happily share info and wish cruisers well without the flaming or shaming. I'm so not afraid of confronting those who engage in that kind of behavior, especially acting like some kind of keyboard thug. I don't care who you are in your daily life and who you boss around. Don't come to an Internet forum and try that with me. Sometimes ignoring people equates to enabling them and their inappropriate behavior. The moderators are here for a reason. I'd never in a million years allow anyone to chase me off a forum because they can't play nice on the playground. They'd leave before I do!

My daughter loves Plato's Closet. They have them all across the US. I've found some nice items for my teen son there, too. It's hit or miss what you may find in each store but they are bright and well laid-out, staffed with trendy college kids. They also have lots of bags, sunglasses and jewelry.

http://www.platoscloset.com/

I don't shop second hand in my area, the area I live in just doesn't support the labels I like. I love shopping second hand online. My favorite site is Twice clothing. I bought a pair of J. Crew wool work pants with the tags still on them for $15. The quality is great. Name-brand and designer brands for a fraction of their original price, plus they have free returns if you buy something and don't like it when you get it. (the link is a referral link, but if you sign up through it you will receive $10 in store credit. Hopefully, that is ok. If it is a problem, I will be happy to delete the link. :o )

Thanks for the link! I found another thrift website last night-http://www.thredup.com/ that also had some good buys.

In my area, there are tons of thrift and consignment stores but many of them are overpriced. If you are a savvy shopper, you will quickly realize you can get brand new clothing ON SALE via designer sample sale websites like ideeli.com or hautelook.com OR at outlet stores that are having a big weekend sale. There are several outlet malls nearby and I use coupons or go during a holiday sale and will get items 60-95% off the original price. I frequent Kenneth Cole, Banana Republic & Gap, BCBG, Off 5th Saks, White House Black Market and J Crew.

Another vote for Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer. Been using it for years and haven't found anything else that works as well with my skin. Keep trying to find less expensive ones, but haven't found anything comparable. :o

My favorite, too! I love the illuminating aspect and I mix shades depending on the season. I have also tried Garnier's BB cream but the texture is fairly thick and I have to blend it onto my skin with a sponge. Better in the winter months. I'm interested in trying Clinique's CC Cream.

Don't know about this post, just signed up yesterday and touts a ride, first post.

I've seen several first time posters gushing profusely about jiffy Jeff. Makes me suspicious:mad:

Me, too. I don't get why they keep posting these confusing, grammatically challenged messages. They are spamming this thread. I have no desire to use a company that unprofessional.

I agree. We used them last year. I confirmed 2 days prior. We waited outside our hotel and after waiting 20 minutes I called them. They had no record of us. They did swing by and picked us up. I reconfirmed our pu after our cruise. Again we were told t hey had no record.

 

Will not use them in the future.

Hmmmm....

I had planned on using SAS in November because their pricing is great. But after reading these type of posts, maybe I'll go with Limos of Miami or QLS instead. I do not have the temperament to deal with unreliable shuttle transportation.

New Horseshoe Casino is being built next door. Opening in late 2014.

I have the same problem. Fortunately, I didn't have much major swelling until I got off the cruise but I did notice some of my heels were really snug by dinner time. I'm a vitamin fanatic, so I popped my B12, Magnesium and Apple Cider Vinegar pills 3x a day. Helps with circulation and sluggishness of digestive system. I also drank A TON of water and walked instead of using the elevators all the time. I really enjoyed the filtered water on the Carnival Dream. Kept my reusable water bottle at home filled with water throughout the day.

I love Elemis and all of their products but they are pricey. Thanks for reminding me about the skin brush sitting beside my tub. I've had great results in the past. Can't remember where I bought it or how much I paid. Here's a link to the website-

http://us.espaskincare.com/product-finder/skin-brush

Right now, the only port staterooms available are under the galley and the thought of the noise makes me very leary to move. I'll wait it out for a while to see if a port cabin not under the galley becomes available. Is it port side toward the pier at all stops or just Cozumel?

We were port side(forward) on the Dream in August and we always docked on that side, so we had a great view. Especially in Honduras!

I'd take some time and research the potential cabin for more info. Search via Google and Cruise Critic. I've found lots of handy tips and info that way. Good luck!

Can you recommend reputable tours to do a city of Mayan ruins tour?

We were planning to do Tulum in Cozumel, is it worthwhile doing Mayan ruins in Belize?

I don't really remember the tour company's name but I think it was Belize Tours. The guides had on company logo polo shirts and khaki pants or skirts and were standing on the pier when we got off the tender. I thnk they also had a kiosk stand near the Belize Information Desk.

We ended up not going with them because it was so late, around 10 am, and we had to be back at the boat in a few hours. I'm not sure how similar they are to the ruins in Mexico because I haven't been there either. DD wanted to go but it didn't work out that trip. Good luck!

Are you going to the Costa Maya port? They have a few tequila shops that are willing to bargain. Not sure if they have that label, though.

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You aren't being judgmental? Okayyyy

We could go back and forth all night but not worth my time. Moving on.

You made it clear it's not worth it TO YOU. But it's worth it to many other people, which is why these passes sell out on the sail day. It's not just a giant hot tub and, honestly, there were no other hot tubs available in the spa on the Dream. That sounds like misinformation to me BTW. So, the thalassotherapy pool was it in Cloud 9. And the pass ALSO INCLUDES entrance to the other VIP spa areas like the heated thermal rooms. So saying it's a lot of $ is very subjective. To you, maybe, but to me and others it's worth the price of the experience and then some.

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I don't doubt the allure. I've been there. But the privacy exists in the hot tubs in the spa on other ships as well. And the built in reclining seating and jets are there, too. And on the other ships, it's free to use. That's the only difference. It's simply a large hot tub. Don't let Carnival make you think there's a difference.

You're being very presumptuous about why I made the decision to buy a spa pass. NOBODY is making me think anything. I enjoy the spa experience and no one will ever convince me I can get the same experience in one of the public pools or hot tubs that usually have kids in them. Anyway, do you and stick to the mediocre. I prefer to use the VIP spa area, including the thermal rooms, and I paid to do so. Please refrain from telling others to do what you do and using misinformation to support your assumptions. Especially in a judgmental tone. I'm not listening anyway.

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