courtsavvy

My husband and I just did a RCI cruise that included Barbados, St Lucia, Antigua, and St Maarten.

Barbados we did Silvermoon catamaran (we couldn't get in to Calabaza) and LOVED it...highlight of the trip! Definitely recommend a catamaran day.

St Lucia we did Cosol tours which was awesome but I did get carsick. Also, note that I've never gotten carsick EVER before, so you might want to take preventative measures or have some with you even if you aren't prone to motion sickness. The tour was so worth it though, we had a great time.

St. Maarten my husband wanted to see the planes so we went to Maho beach which was a fun day.

Antigua we went to Coconut Beach club for the day. Not crowded, beautiful water, had access to pool and beach plus lunch included in day fee and unlimited drinks. It was a great day!

Loving your review...making me feel like I'm back on vacation! I wish! (although we did end up booking another cruise haha :) )

We loved Lattitudes throughout the trip...I would go there to get some Ranger cookies!

To the people posting about the catamaran tours upthread...if Calabaza is booked, i would 100% recommend Silvermoon (even though the Calabaza people will point out their boat run the race, boo!!). We couldn't get into Calabaza so Gina recommended Silvermoon to us, and we also had a great day! :)

Love the review so far...almost like being back on the ship! We had a great time meeting you all! :)

While returning to the port, we were in a race with Kaitlyn & Griffin's sailboat. We were winning I might add.

 

Here is Kaitlyn (Courtsavvy) in the blue in front right waving to us:

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Haha I love this!! I prefer to think that we just took the leisurely way home ;)

It's too bad you guys didn't join us at Coconut Beach Club. For $45/pp we had use of the pool, beach chairs with palm umbrellas, all you can eat lunch buffet which was really good food I might add and all you can drink from the bar. We drank tons of margaritas. It was a good day. Perfect ocean with very little waves to swim & soak in with beautiful white sand. I guarantee you would have had a better time than that RCI excursion. Next time.:)

We loved our day (and the company!) there. Fun times :)

We bought our wine at Duty free after checkin. We almost forgot, as we made it all the way to the ship before my husband asked about the wine...turned around and got our 2 bottles no problem.

Is this your pink shoe?

 

 

It was a pleasure meeting both of you at the meet and miingle and in the roll call the 400 days leading up to the cruise.

Yes it is! :) We really enjoyed meeting everyone!

My time dining is Deck 5

Love your review so far!!!

We loved the Solarium on this ship and really enjoyed it the last few days. Getting up early allows you to get both a treadmill and a pool chair after! ;)

Very fun to read your review. My water shoe snuck its way into one of the corners of your maho pictures. We did My Time dining this cruise and had the best dining service I've ever had at a cruise or all inclusive. We were very surprised in a good way! :)

I have sensitive skin. Is there a possible allergic reaction to DEET?

Some people are allergic to ingredients. It might be a good idea for you to do a patch test on a small area of your skin first to test it out. If there's any reaction immediately wash the area with soap and water and evaluate if you need to take further medical steps :)

We went on a cruise with friends last year and they got engaged. He proposed on one of the decks and we took photos and then went to have drinks to celebrate :)

I use 30% Deet which is effective for 4 to 5 hours and then needs to be reapplied. From what I've read on Deet's website a higher percentage lasts for a longer period of time i.e. 100% - 8-10 hours (ADULTS ONLY). Less than 30%, less time. Other than that the effectiveness is the same. I'm not so keen about using 100% of the chemical on me, so I reapply it when necessary (up to 2 -3 times a day for adults). Also, the CDC's website contradicts the time frame on 100% Deet. They note that studies suggest that above 50% does not improve time effectiveness. That being said, DEET SHOULD NOT BE APPLIED MORE THAN ONCE A DAY ON CHILDREN.

You're correct...higher concentrations do not work better but they do last longer. 30% DEET should last ~6 hours. 10% DEET lasts 2-3 hours. Obviously the high concentrations will last even longer. A MAX of 30% DEET is labeled for use in kids 2 months and older. Remember Sunscreen goes on first, then DEET. Avoid combo products because sunscreen requires more application :)

I haven't taken this cruise, but I grew up in Nova Scotia. I second the post from above about varying weather. Bring layers!!! And a rain jacket...the maritimes are prone to rain. That sounds like a beautiful cruise!

You might want to look at the Olympus TG-830. Similar specs to the TG-2, but discontinued. I picked up one at B&H for $200. Frankly, I'd not spend a lot on a camera I'm likely to drown.

Thank you everyone! We are going to give the TG-830 a shot...it's in the mail now so we will see when we get it! Couldn't beat the price at just under $200 to give it a shot! :)

Hi all,

My husband and I are going on a cruise early May and I'd like to purchase a waterproof camera to use while snorkeling. We live in Colorado so I would also like a 'rugged' camera that can take good photos OUT of the water, since we will use it hiking and camping after the cruise.

I've searched the forums and have read the many waterproof camera threads but am still left with not a lot of clarity. Same for internet reviews. I am curious to hear any personal experiences of the following cameras....especially if you have owned more than one or have any huge pros cons.

Here are ones I've been researching:

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS5

Olympus Stylus TG-830

Nikon Coolpix AW110

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX30

Fujifilm FinePix XP200W

Olympus Stylus TG-2

Canon PowerShot D20 (cruise leaves before D30 comes out) (I have seen a TON of posts about loving the D10 but not so many about the D20)

Ideally we would like to spend ~$300 or so. I know the Olympus TG2 is more, so if for some reason it's THAT much better we may be open to considering it.

We would like a camera that takes good photos under water and good photos as a point and shoot normally (I know I'm not going to get the same level as a regular point and shoot but some good quality would be nice!). Also, one that you've used several times if possible and have had no leaking issues.

Any feedback is much appreciated!!! THANKS :)