lifes-a-beach

welcome to cruise critic. if it's any comfort, i can't ride in the back seat of a car without getting motion sick. in fact, i was recently in the front passenger seat with a driver that was stopping and going way too much and had to get out. i have never been sick on a spring or summer cruise. the ships today are so big that one rarely feels the motion. have fun.

its been 3 years since we were here but the cost of the taxi then was $25 one way. there were four of us and we had the van to ourselves. we each had beach bags and i also had a large backpack with full snorkel gear for 2. i dont remember there being room for more people. the drive there was stunningly beautiful as we topped the mountains. my daughter was just commenting that she considers it the most beautiful drives in the carribean. when we got there the cab driver asked about what time we wanted to be picked up. after the whole day there we walked over by the bar where there were 5 or 6 cabs waiting. one of the drivers asked if we needed a ride back to the ship. i told him our driver was supposed to meet us and called him by name. the driver immediately said "oh, he is right over here", and went and got him. brewers bay was one of the most enjoyable beach days we have ever been on. based on my experience i wouldn't even worry about getting a cab back to the ship.

first, wear a snorkle vest so you don't get tired so fast and can just float on the surface with your face in the water. second, cemetary beach is a great place to snorkel from the beach. cemetary reef is easy swimming distance from the beach and the water has always been fairly calm when we were there. take a cab from near the port and get the cell number of the driver so you can call for a ride back when you're done. there are no facilities there so take water with you and a towel. there's plenty of shade to rest in.

i'm never not planning on booking a cruise.

as someone else said, ever going on a criuse was way out of my comfort zone but in 1993 my wife talked me into it. we flew to orlando to board the carnavale. i had only flown about three times and that was way out of my comfort zone at the time. my wife was a couple of months pregnant with our second child. the stops were nassau and freeport. there was absolutely nothing in the bahamas back then except a casino on paradise island where i promptly lost $3,000.00 at the dice table. the return trip was so rough they were placing trash cans in the halls for folks to barf in. the return flight was the real scarey part though. as we approached houston the pilot announced our impending arrival. moments later we circled back out over the bay. after another announcement that we would be 5 more minutes in the pattern and again circling out over the bay the pilot announced that we had experienced a "hydrolic system failure" and would be landing with no steering or brakes. well needless to say everyone was thrilled. screaming and panic ensued, and that was just me. my wife, on the other hand, had flown all over the place by then as her father was an airline employee while she was growing up. they landed us on the far east (i think) runway and we hit the runway so hard that the overhead compartment lids were flying open and stuff was falling on people's heads. ambulances and firetrucks were running alongside the plane. when we finally came to a stop they hosed the plane with foam. i may had been more scared before but i surely couldn't remember when. i swore i would never fly or cruise again.

not Carnival.

The best cruise for your sons is the one you're paying for.

reasonable expectations and a cheerful disposition.

"foo foo drinks"!! Love it!! thanks for the chuckle.

but seriously, as this is the ask a cruise question subforum and that is a cruise question, in Cozumel we love Paradise Beach. no need to book anything just take a cab. in Jamaica we probably won't get off the ship again as there's really nothing there (for us) unless you want to buy drugs. Last time we booked the zip line with the ship and loved it. But that was the last time unless we decide to go ziplining again. Grand Cayman wee went to swim with the sting rays with captain marvin which I recommend. Another time we took a cab to cemetary beach to snorkel cemetary reef which I highly recommend.

someone will tell you to go to the respective ports of call boards in 3....2....1....

Perhaps you should them that you have made an effort to establish the security of the connectivity aboard ship and that your efforts have met with negative results. In the absence of verifiable encryption algorithms you consider the transfer of such data a security risk and as such must insist on completing the document before your departure.

You know, baffle them with bull.

i'm inclined to go with the longer cruise because of the ports of call. i absolutely love san juan and st. thomas. i think i would like turks and caicos and the bahamas are just a great stay on the ship stop. key west doesn't interest me, and jamaica is another stay on the ship stop for me. grand cayman is very fun. i'm with scrapnana though that a window is nice just not that nice to me. just my .02.

take a cab to cemetary beach. at the drop off walk down the path next to the cemetary to the beach. cemetary reef is swiming distance and is a great spot. no boatride needed. i got the cab drivers cell number and called her when we were ready to come back to town. she was there to pick us up in 15 minutes and took us to a great small local resturaunt for lunch.

http://www.snorkel-mart.com/

bought the combo several trips ago for my son and I. very satisfied. my mask is prescription as well. definitely get a vest. it allows me to stay in the water longer without getting so tired. its a snap to deflate for diving. i spent an hour on the reef in Roatan a month ago. after a rest i got in another hour. without the vest i would have been blown.

This is akin to my wife being concerned about carrying a handgun in her purse. If handguns went off randomly the companys would go out of business. If cruise ships were that easy to fall off of they would soon be both empty and out of business. We were on a cruise out of Galveston when a suicidal guy jumped to his death. I've been on lots of cruises and seen lots and lots of drunks but none have fallen overboard. Not one.

I have already asked this question but had as yet no reply can anyone please tell me what currency is acceptable in Tahiti & Bora Bora I am

from Australia ty in anticipation

 

Alex

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g311415-i869-k1445288-Currency-Bora_Bora_Society_Islands.html

http://www.thetahititraveler.com/tourist-information/money/

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my wife and i were there a couple of weeks ago. we have been there many times back to the time when it was just a beach and covered area for the bar and food. i had not been since they put in the pool area. i always liked it because it was a family environment and we could take our kids without worrying about encountering a bunch of drunks. we found the new setup to be absolutely outstanding. the whole place was immaculate.the staff was friendly and even though we don't drink alcohol we were never treated any differently. we both love their guacamole and had a couple of smoothies. i highly recommend it.

angel ccl website shows $90 pp for adults and $50 for children. my wife and i went and considered it well worth the cost the lunch was very good. the reef snorkeling there is easy and amazing.

I know it's been awhile on this thread, but I do have a question! Do we have to pay for the snorkeling equipment on Maya Key or is it included in the cost of the "ticket."

 

We've booked and are now trying to decide if we're bringing fins.

 

Many thanks!

 

Pam

the snorkeling equipment is included in the price of the excursion. i brought my own as i just don't like using someone else's but lots of the folks got theirs on site. if you have your own i suggest at least bringing your snorkel and mask.

Never heard of this concept. Where do you get a satellite phone?

I checked into onea few years ago when we needed to have constant contact with home. The entire deal was something like $200 including shipping both ways and what I remember being a sufficient block of minutes. They allowed a few days after getting home for return. Our situation changed so we didnt wind up getting one but it was definitely an option we would have used.

2 weeks!