x lindsay x

I just checked and if you book parking online for your departure date, for the lot at the cruise port it is only $315 for the duration of the cruise. That is way less than the posted $45/day rate that is out there.

It depends on where you are and your access to Metro North. If I wanted to save some money I would park at my local Metro North Station that has $4 daily long term parking and jump on the train to Grand Central Terminal and then take a cab over to the pier from there. If money wasn't an issue I would call up a local car service and make arrangements with them for transportation. They will also be able to plan a pick up for you at the end of the trip. Most of my local car services won't go into the city for less than $175 because they can't necessarily pick someone up for the fare back. We will be driving and parking at the pier for our upcoming trip, the parking cost was less than the daily rate when I booked in advance making it cheaper than taking a car service. If you don't mind driving that might be a good option.

Don't worry too much - spring break in NYC is much later in April, more aligning with Passover then Easter. I do know those dates align with the spring breaks of some of the districts in the suburbs around the city.

Wow this is tough to hear as I will be traveling with my 6 year old on that ship in the coming months. We are on an 11 night cruise so hopefully a longer cruise will mean a less crowded ship. I've sailed out of NYC 3 times before and have never had any issues with the passengers, though the last time was 2018. I have had issues with embarkation and disembarkation taking forever once but at this point I kind of come to expect that with such a small port. @matymil - how was the kids club? We've got lots of sea days so I know my kid will be looking forward to spending a ton of time in the club.

West Bay Beach is worth the drive if you like snorkeling/scuba diving. The reef there is second to none and make it a true destination. Little French Key is a great place to spend the day, no great reef but lots of activities and one of the beaches is really accessible for kids.

I now wish this was a video review.

Do any of the lurkers call your husband "Mr. Megan" when they meet him?

You do it in the Hub App once you're onboard.

Its for everyone, not just drink packages.

Hi there! Most major cruise lines that you'd know from the US don't cruise Europe/Med until the late spring into the summer which makes your February goal even tighter, so before you go crazy trying to get something matched make sure you know what lines/itineraries are available to you.

I've been to Costa Maya more times than I'd like to admit since 2021 and I think the real value in that port is getting away from the port. The beaches are pretty mediocre especially if you're also going to Roatan on your trip - there are some excellent beaches there, not the one at the port. In Costa Maya going to the Chacchoben Ruins is a long bus ride but a great experience. I would go to Kohunlich ruins the next time I'm there but its even farther than Chacchoben.

Camp Stores offer some really cool interactive events for kids, they are $$ but a really nice thing to do in the middle of winter in NYC. Right next to the cruise port is the Intrepid air and space museum which is mostly indoors and good for adults and kids.

I've been to Chibang and Cucina on the Celebration and Mardi Gras with my 5 year old and was never given a kids menu. So be sure to ask for it. We didn't have any issues as she's not super picky.

The Serenity areas on the Spirit class ships are the entire back pool area. On Vista class ships the Serenity area only has hot tubs. The Excel ships have a pool in their Serenity area but it is quite small, and the Serenity area is crazy windy when the ship is moving, not my favorite.

Havana is exclusively for guests 13 years or older so kids running around shouldn't be an issue as long as you stay in the Havana area. There are generally more kids onboard during the summer months and school break times. If you avoid those times you will have fewer kids to contend with overall. I've had great experiences on Celebrity and great experiences on Carnival. They are certainly different but I think if you like peaceful pool lounging the Havana area will be ideal for your needs.

Some of those cruises with Celebration Key also have a stop at Half Moon Key. They have GOT to get the drinks package working on those private islands. Also these listings can not be right. There is no repo cruise from PC to NYC. There is a cruise ending in PC on May 22, and one starting in NYC on May 22.

iMessaging is not reliable without buying a package. I will always buy the WiFi package and my husband does not, he will usually get all my messages but they will be really delayed showing up several hours after sending them. Facetime works best with the highest level package.

No, its goes 2-5 and 6-8. But, I've heard of them making exceptions to allow siblings into the same group.

John Heald reported that it was delayed due to strong winds in the harbor. I wonder if they opened up Cheers on time this morning?

Maybe. There are a lot of parades/events in NY that can snarl traffic up pretty quickly. I would first do a search to see if there is anything happening in the city, even if its not in your direct path of travel, that might make things more difficult for you. If your ship is coming back in on the day of the 5 Boro Bike Tour or the NYC Marathon, forget it.

They do not, you will have different colored cards.

Duplicate post.

I have only done the Chef's Table on Carnival once, it was 6+ years ago and the wine was definitely the weakest point in evening. They had a red or white, nothing of note and the same two wines course after course, it was not a pairing event. If it's $150 and has a true pairing it *could* be worth it.

On my 11 day Venezia sailing the Chef's table appears to be available at the $150 price on 9 of the 11 nights, which also seems like a lot of availability. It used to be a tough ticket to book, they might have outpaced demand on this one. And as the above poster noted, at that price its $27 pp for gratuities which in my mind less than I would pay on land for a $150 meal. I will say since I know my DH won't attend I am somewhat tempted to book just to see what the upgraded experience entails.

Yes, I noticed that same pricing for my upcoming Venezia cruise. I also noticed the print at the bottom that read: "Sailing on Panorama, Firenze or Venezia? Your ship has an upgraded Chef’s Table experience! Enjoy an elevated menu with premium options for food and wine" Does anyone know what the "upgraded" experience entails vs. the other ships?