SeymourKopath

We always lock our passports in the stateroom's safe as soon as we're on board, and don't take them out until we're ready to leave the ship at the end of our cruise. I've read on these forums that its a good idea to take your passport with you when you go ashore at a port stop, just in case something happens and you need it. I've also read posts that some people just take a photocopy of the information pages when going ashore.

We'll be on a Caribbean cruise soon. None of the ports requires a visa. None of the ports requires passengers to carry their passports ashore. Nonetheless, I like the idea of carrying it "just in case."

Suppose the worst happens and we miss the ship for whatever reason. Would a photocopy of our passports' information pages suffice for getting us through the formalities of catching up with the ship (or flying home)? Well, that and a bit of cash! ;)

We are US citizens.

Roosevelt Park is tiny by stateside standards so really not much green space.

 

There really isn't much green space within walking distance of either cruise dock. Magens Bay Beach has a great nature trail. Hassel Island has great hiking trails but no way to get there now since the storms.

 

Phantasea Botanical Garden is a great green space but not walking distance.

 

St John is mostly National Park so lots of green space.

Thanks for the ideas. Phantasea Botanical Gardens looks very nice. Might be worth the cab ride there. Walk to Roosevelt Park for an hour or so, then grab a cab to the Gardens. We'll be there on one of the days they're open.

Can you explain why Hassel Island is not accessible? A shame, since it's right in the harbor. So close to the dock!

I checked the ship USB they gave with the package and it iis 8GB.

Thanks.

What is the capacity in GB (gigabytes) of the USB drive you get with the photo package?

We'll be visiting St. Thomas soon for a day. We are not beach people. We prefer green spaces such as parks and easy walks. A quick search on Google Maps shows that Franklin Roosevelt Park is about a mile and a half walk from the pier at Havensight. That's the kind of place we'd be interested in spending a bit of time at. Can anyone tell us how the park is doing after last year's storms? Is it a safe walk to get there?

Are there any other similar green spaces within reasonable walking distance of Havensight? We could probably do about 2-3 miles each way.

I'm guessing that is your personal recipe rather than the ship's. Because last time one of my companions ordered the chocolate banana it was 95% ice with just a squirt of cream, chocolate (I doubt actual Hershey's) and banana flavor. No way in heck there was any fresh banana, I don't know that I have ever seen one at a bar on a Princess ship.

No, this is the exact recipe used at both the Outrigger Bar and Crooners on the Royal a couple of weeks ago. Another bar (I forget which) used Half & Half instead of Heavy Cream. All used Hershey's chocolate syrup and all used 1/2 of a fresh banana. After watching the bartenders make a couple of them, I began asking for extra heavy cream and they happily complied. Don't forget to ask for whipped cream on top, and maybe a cherry!

Did you actually bother to read the last few posts in this tread.

Perhaps one should not post in a public Internet forum unless he has the cognitive ability to realize that one message is directly related to one or more messages posted earlier, lest he give the appearance of being an ignorant fool.

For example, message #17 above appears to be related to messages #9, 12 and 14. It is giving an example of a tasty alternative to a chocolate milkshake, as well as anecdotal evidence in support of the fact that tumblers are given with the Soda & More package.

My apologies to those community members who don't need pictures drawn for them.

The Soda & More package includes mocktails. Our favorite is the chocolate banana. It's just like a chocolate milkshake with a bit of banana too. Ice, fresh cream, Hershey's chocolate syrup and 1/2 a banana. Throw it all in a blender for a minute or so, pour and enjoy.

On each of our last 2 journeys on the Royal, in December 2017 and January 2018, we received the insulated 16-ounce plastic tumbler with the Soda & More package.

Just to follow up on my OP. We invited our daughter and son-in-law to join us on a BVE before we sailed on the Royal out of Ft. Lauderdale. Since the Regal was also in port that day at Terminal 2, we had to go to the alternate Terminal (I think #26). By the time we parked and walked to the entrance, it was probably 10:15-10:30 and the doors to the terminal were already open. We showed our Preferred boarding passes and got right in. After going through security and filling out the health forms (BVE passengers also have to fill out the health forms), we went to check in. There was some confusion at the check-in desk and the first agent ended up having a supervisor show her how to handle BVE check-ins. It took a little longer than it could have, but we were quite early, so no big deal. Once we were checked-in, we were shown to the Platinum/Elite/Suite waiting area, where they had pastries and beverages set out for us. On the way to the waiting area our BVE guests stopped to have their complimentary photo taken. There was a bit of delay in clearing the ship for boarding, but we were the first 4 guests to board the ship at about 11:45. Our BVE guests picked up their included photos at the photo gallery, and left the ship at around 2:30, a bit before they were required to leave at 3:00. A very pleasant time was had by all.

To clear up a common misconception, Princess Cays is not an island, although it is on an island. It is at the southern end of the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas.

Also, Costa Maya is not an island, nor is it on an island. It is in the municipality of Othón P. Blanco in the state of Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Edit: always a minute late! :)

There is no fee for using the Retreat pool area. There are quite a few loungers in the area. Grabbing some shade may be a bit problematic though, and you'll probably have to move around during the day to chase what shade you can find, as the sun and ship move. I like that area a lot. It's quiet, the pool is nice, there are two hot tubs, and there is a bar with excellent service right there. The only downside I noticed was that it closed at around 6pm every evening I was there. Deck attendants come and remove the loungers and stack them up in a corner. I wonder what would happen if you asked them to let you keep your lounger past closing time?

I found the Promenade deck to be in the sun all the time unless it is blocked by the ship. It was not used much on the cruise I did back in Nov. The Horizon Terrace on deck 16 at the rear of the ship is a nice area to relax and read. It has shade and you can get a table next to the rail to look out from. I found that is was not that busy.

Shhhhh. Don't tell everyone. :evilsmile:

The most important thing is to meet where you are told ON TIME. No one goes anywhere until every in-transit passenger is accounted for---either present at the meeting or scanned off the ship to go into town or on an excursion.

I couldn't agree with you more. I did a B2B on the Caribbean Princess out of Ft. Lauderdale a few years ago. We all had to cool our jets in the terminal for at least an extra 45-60 minutes before the final butt head got off the ship. That's 45-60 minutes of stuffing my face in the Horizon Court that I'll never get back again. :) When he finally came down the escalator into the main waiting area, a large group of us gave him a rousing Bronx cheer.

If you go to the Captains Circle Party you can ask for a Chairman of the Board when they offer you the rum punch or cheap ship champagne. It might take 5 minutes, but they will bring it. Worth the wait.

This seems to be one of those little-known secrets. I believe you can order just about any drink at the Captains Circle Party. The last time I went to one, a few years ago, I had a couple of SeaWitch beers. So much better than the punch or champagne they carry around on the trays. Just politely ask the server, and a few minutes later, you'll have your drink of choice.

I wouldn't say we are ready to jump ship, but it would be very appreciated if they had more beer options. I don't mind New Castle but I don't like drinking out of a plastic cup and it's only available up deck.

We were on the Royal January 9-19. The casino bar was serving Newcastle Ale draft in a glass stein.

We were on the Regal Empress (not a typo) out of Tampa back in 2003 when the Tampa Bay Bucs played the Oakland Raiders in the Super Bowl. The ship's crew set up the largest public room for a Super Bowl party. Game time was around 4pm and we got there around noon to claim decent seats. During the pre-game shows and the game itself, they served typical stadium fare: hot dogs, chips, pizza, etc. It was a great time. More so because it was mostly a Tampa Bay crowd and they won the game!

When we were on the Royal Princess a couple of weeks ago, they showed the playoff games in several public areas. I specifically remember the casino and Club 6. Don't know about MUTS -- I didn't check it out. They also showed them on the stateroom TVs.

We were on the January 9-19 sailing of the Royal. There was a hypnotist show one night in the theater. Her show was pretty lame, IMHO. Would much rather see a good comedian.

Thanks to all for your ideas.

Is it still possible to get cash at the casino cashier against your onboard account? I know it could be done several years ago, albeit with a 3% charge tacked on. I play craps, blackjack and maybe a little roulette. No slots.

I like to set a gambling budget for the week. I would prefer to take out my budgeted amount at the start of the cruise, rather than charge $100 at the craps table on day 1, then $50 at a blackjack table and another $50 at the craps table on day 2, etc. Just a lot easier doing it in one transaction than multiple smaller ones. If I have chips left at the end of a night, I take them back to the room and use them the next night. Then, if I have any chips left at the end of the cruise, I'll cash them in.

Not only would the crew notice but you might well be put off at the next port as throwing anything overboard can have that result. I'm totally amazed by people who have a Facebook account and then complain about being "tracked" by the medallion.

I don't have a Facebook account. But thank you for playing our game anyway.

I am totally opposed to this invasive use of technology. As if our daily movements aren't already tracked enough by our cell phones and credit card purchases. If I am ever unlucky enough to get one of these Medallions, will I have the option to opt out of the program? Just give me an old fashioned cruise card.

What would happen if someone threw their Medallion overboard as an act of protest? I can't imagine it would cause the crew to think that a live person has gone overboard. Or would it?

In Ft. Lauderdale, what time do they begin to let Bon Voyage Experience guests into the terminal building to begin the check-in process? I know boarding can't begin until the ship is cleared by the authorities. I just want to know what time we should be at the terminal to begin checking in. The boarding pass says 12:30-3:00pm, but I know this is wrong. Naturally, we want to spend as much time as possible enjoying the BVE. Information from CC members who have actually done the BVE in Ft. Lauderdale would be appreciated. Thanks.

For me, part of the pleasure of cruising is in the food. I'm not a foodie, but I love to eat. Royal has more choices for dining and noshing than Caribbean. And similar venues, such as the Horizon Court buffet area are better on the Royal than on the Caribbean (all in my humble opinion, of course).

Another major part of cruising is the ports. If you haven't already, check out the destinations' threads for tons of helpful info on each port.

Why has your DH been apprehensive about cruising?

I'm sure others will come on hear to help you make your decision. Right now, I've gotta run. There's a cruise ship out there calling me. I'll be off the boards for 9 days, but can't wait to come back and see how you're doing with your decision. I'm sure you'll have fun, no matter what.

DH also thinks that would be the perfect solution!

There ya go! Welcome to Princess!

Speaking of insanity, some of those deals are insane. If you're seriously thinking of doing this, you as a single can get an inside cabin for $398 with a $400 onboard credit on some of those cruises. If you have time, and can afford it, you might want to consider grabbing 100 shares of Carnival Cruise Line stock for your IRA to get another $50 onboard credit for being a shareholder. As many have said, at these prices, you can't afford to stay home.

To answer your original question, I would pick the 5-nighter on the Royal. With the understanding that different people go on cruises for different reasons, the Royal is my favorite ship in the Princess fleet (I've been on both the Caribbean and the Royal). I've also been to all 3 ports you mentioned and they all have something for just about everyone. What do you guys look forward to on your upcoming cruise?

DH goes hunting. You go cruising on one (or more) of those great October/November deals. Problem solved! Insanity avoided. :o