katjoeus

PS: Just read through the terms of their Price Match Guarantee - what do they mean by "International bookings do not qualify for the Best Price Guarantee"

Aren't most shore excursions international???

I think I may try my luck, too! Spending a little extra to be one of the first off the ship AND having the ship waiting guarantee probably warrants the extra $20.

Thanks for everyone telling everyone else about this - i had no idea there even was a price match thing (since the ship tours always seem more expensive - I thought that was a given!!)

I understand there are a bunch of different locations, some closer to the port than others; as far as interestingness, if anyone has done them, I'd love to hear from you! We're trying to figure out what to do during our day in Belize (we'll be docked in Belize City on September 19).

I've seen some excursions that include a boat ride on a river, which I think we'd enjoy. Again, recommendations and information much appreciated!

Also if you could recommend tour operators.

Thanks in advance!

I'm looking for some inspiration on what to do in Belize, too! From what I've read, there are no easy beach options, and I wouldn't mind having a day of doing cultural sightseeing (ruins). I'd prefer to book with a local company, rather than Carnival. If anyone has recommendations, they are welcome!

not to forget Baltimore - 343 homicides in 2017. 55 killings per 100,000 people

This was all a couple of years ago - is everything still the same? Going in September

Do we know this for sure? I thought all of RC ships docked at the other one. Would be nice to be close to the Old Town!!

So this is the reply I received from RC:

The park will be available as the tour is active and available. The tour that is not available is the Hike, the trail was damage due to hurricane. The park is open and opened.

Not quite sure what they mean by "open and opened" LOL. Doesn't really answer my question whether everything that would normally be included in this excursion can be done - I knew that the park was open per se, just not how much can be done / seen. But I guess I'll roll with it - I would really like to see it as we didn't last time. Plus, I really wouldn't know what to do with this half day that we have in PR since it's only been a couple of years since we explored the old town and the forts etc.!

Oh no!! Boring what way?

So far, I've read that people were mostly still really enjoying their trip....ours is only half day anyway bc the ship departs at 2:30pm that day, so ont too many other options!!

OK, thanks for the answer - I was wondering/hoping that between May and now stuff would have progressed a little...I tried calling them directly but I can't get through to them, all I get is a fast beep-beep-beep.

I have a FB friend in PR so she's trying to find out more detailed information for me. Will come back here to post once I get something for reference!

But you're saying it was still worth it back in May?

We're stopping in SJ in mid-July, but it's only for a half day, and since we stayed in SJ for three nights after a cruise a couple of years ago, we've already seen pretty much everything there is to be seen in the (gorgeous) Old Town. So we decided to book the ship's excursion to El Yunque as we didn't get to see that last time, plus we wouldn't have to worry about timing.

However, I have now read repeatedly that most of El Yunque is still closed due to hurricane damage? I don't want to get bussed there if there isn't much to see (and pay lots of money for it!!).

I have contacted RC about this but not sure if I'll get a good answer from them. Has anyone been there recently?

Thanks for your help

Is the fort within walking distance to the cruise pier?

 

That depends on which pier - there are two in SJ, one is right by the old town, the other one is quite a distance away

You can also Uber - that's what we did when we were in PR. Cheaper than taxis, nicer drivers and MUCH nicer cars!!

To me, that is an odd question; it's like saying "I've been to one beach. Do I need to go to another?" or museum/church/you name it! ABSOLUTELY you should visit both forts, esp. considering there is nothing even remotely close to them on mainland USA. Hundreds of years old and gorgeous - GO!!! :hearteyes:

Those drinks menus seem to be super elusive - I've been trying for days to find comprehensive beer, wine by the glass and desert wine lists. We, too have been thinking a lot about whether to get the drinks package but then decided to go for it - I know I will stress over the prices again if we don't - and as others have said, it's our vacation. And this way, we probably wont be getting bottles of wine like we normally do with dinner (the past two RC ships we've been on had a pretty decent wine by the glass selection, and if I can get those for free (or rather included in the package), that'll be good enough for us, I think! Actually has the added bonus that if we don't care for it much, we don't have to finish it and can just get something else. No big bill waiting for us at the end of the trip, either :-)

I believe you can get hot chocolate at the specialty coffee places - not 100% sure though

I'd be very interested in this, too - going on Anthem this July

You can dress up any night. There is no rule you have to and no rule saying you can't. You can have formal but every night if you want. I hate it and I'm glad they don't in force it.

 

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Agree!! And why should we eat the inferior food at Windjammer - no way!! I mean, I'm all for certain restrictions - like no wife beater shirts etc. But this whole pomp and circumstance is not necessary and sometimes downright ridiculous. But as long as we're not forced to do it, it's all good - to each their own!

Very true!!

Thanks for being so respectful! And let me assure you, we non-smokers don't just make a big fuss, to us, it really is absolutely disgusting. I know smokers never understand this, because they also smell it differently. My sister and I had this ongoing struggle/discussion with our mother...

Anyway, maybe having fewer option to smake will make quitting easier for you - I wish you all the best of luck with that! You will NEVER regret it!!

He could have also just gone to a different hotel. I don't understand why he didn't. And I was just in Nassau, it's really not as uncivilized and scary as he makes it out to be - everybody speaks English and they are extremely used to tourists.

I do sympathize but I also feel he was rather naive...

You can get 10% off on viator.com when you sign up for their newsletter - I did it last year and I did it again this year (with a different email address). Then you can just unsubscribe.

Does anybody know if Celebrity allows you to bring on two bottles of wine each. Also can you bring a bottle of sherry instead of wine?

Last year, one of the bottles we brought was dessert wine - that wasn't an issue but that was in a normal looking wine bottle....I was considering bringing a bottle of Port this year but Sherry and Port bottles look a bit different and i'm not sure they'll let that through...

Are the chairs free or does one have to pay for them? I'm not quite clear on what's included there and what isn't..

Corkage fee is back, but several reports of people not being charged.

 

But to avoid being charged, open the bottle in your cabin, carry glass of wine to dinner.

What?? Really?? We didn't have that when we cruised on RC last September (2016)!! Will have to look into that....