dreday3

BUSY? Not so much. Prices HIGHER? Probably.

Actually the prices weren't bad. That's why we are flying out on the Friday instead of the Saturday - cheaper to pay for two nights hotel in CoCo Beach than to fly out on Saturday!

We have flown the day after Thanksgiving -- it wasn't too bad.

We got to the airport 2 hours early. It was the first and only time that the plane was not completely filled.

Day after was fine. Wednesday, Sunday afternoon and Monday morning are brutal!

Thanks to you both!

I would arrive to the airport 2 1/2 hours before your flight.

 

I am the type who doesn't like stress so I just think that getting there earlier than normal would be good to allow for check in and to get through security.

 

While Friday will be a busy day, it won't be like Sunday after Thanksgiving.

 

Keith

thanks! We should be there about 2 hours early, I think that will be good.

Att cruise package, we checked and our ship is included - bit different than the passport package. We chose $60 for one line, 50 free minutes ($1 per minute overage) and 100 free texts. Costs more if you include data. Since we didn't choose to include data, I was instructed to turn off cellular data while on the ship. Otherwise leave phone as is. (Don't need to turn off roaming, etc.) :)

Call AT&T directly...they'll explain how easy it works and add it to your cell phone account with them during the time you will be cruising.

Just got off phone with them! I did the minutes, text package. I want to text my dad some pictures of the water. And our cat is 17 so I want to check in with the vet every couple days. :)

We will pay for Internet package on cruise ship for our tablet.

Fly on TG and have some sort of TG dinner at your hotel or in port town. No crowds at airport and even perhaps better fares or upgrades.

OR how about Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill at O'Hare for TG? A TG you'll never forget!

We can't fly day of thanksgiving unfortunately, we have to drop our cat Phil at the vet Friday morning for his vacation. :D

Friday after Thanksgiving will not be as busy as Wed, Sat or Sun...but it is still going to be a pretty busy day. Not sure you would get more then usual out of O'Hare since there will be near zero business travelers that day. That time of year the real issue is always the weather! If you want to worry about anything, then think about an early snowstorm! Hard to even think about it since it was 92 here today :)

 

Hank

I'm choosing not to worry about an early snowstorm but thanks for the suggestion. :D

I don't turn mine off...just cellular/data roaming...I have AT&T and opt for their cruise package...this has worked easily for us...my family can get ahold of us if/when necessary...I'm not going dark just because I'm sailing. JMHO and what works for us.

We are interested in this, can you tell me how it works?

Our cruise leaves the Sunday after Thanksgiving, but we are flying in Friday to have two days bumper before the cruise.

I never travel over the holiday, so not sure what to expect. We use O'hare.

I know it shouldn't be as crowded as day before Thanksgiving, but should we be prepared for more crowds than normal? Normally get there about 1.5 hours before flight, but we usually fly early morning on Tuesday or Wednesday. This flight isn't until about noon. 1.5 hours still good?

Thanks for any tips!

Wow! Freedom is huge!

How the heck do these things float? :D:p

Thanks everyone!

Thanks. I don't know why it was tripping me up, maybe because you actually meet them?

I've seen this term a few times on here. What exactly is a stateroom attendant? Do you meet them personally? Or is it like housekeeping? Is this who you would ask for extra towels or call front desk? We just have a regular balcony room, does that make a difference?

First cruise and I want to make sure we don't accidentally insult someone! :p

I use the cruise critic ones and then use cable ties to attach them JOB DONE

We bought those for this upcoming cruise. I figured we would keep them in our carry on and just put them on luggage when we are ready to board? Using zip ties?

Can I ask a question? Posts keep mentioning there used to be live bands on the pool deck, steel drums, etc....does Royal Caribbean not have these types of things anymore?

thanks!

Ah yes - to correct myself: it's the Pacific Northwest that will be experiencing yet another warmer dryer winter. California should be nice and wet this winter.

OP, I guess nobody can really answer your question on what it's like to cruise during an El Nino year, especially one this severe. The good news is that there will be less hurricanes in the Caribbean this season!

:D It was a shot in the dark!

Hurricanes were never really my worry, traveling so late in the year. I was just trying to find out if the weather was rainier than normal during the El Nino years.

Thanks for taking the time to answer!

Actually (at least for Southern California) -- but don't quote me on this -- is that "La Nina" (insert a tilde there) years mean drought conditions and "El Nino" years mean very wet weather here. This morning the expert interviewed on the morning news here said that the most severe El Nino condition in recent history was forecasted in August 1997 (I probably didn't pay much attention as my daughter was born that month and I was going through the new mom fog) and the rainy season started in the late fall of 1997.

 

We don't need a El Nino condition to have a lot of rain. Back in December 2010' date=' we started a cruise from San Pedro during a week of rain. But I don't remember the weather for other parts of the country. I do remember that London had a massive snowstorm....and many of the passengers on our cruise never made it on board as they were coming from the UK. The Brits I did meet on the ship all came to the US days ahead of the cruise or flew out of Paris instead.

 

I wouldn't necessarily worry about getting caught in a hurricane in the middle of the Caribbean as the captain will be getting weather reports, and if it looks like there's a hurricane forming in the Western Caribbean, all scheduled sailings will be switched to the Eastern Caribbean. The cruise line won't want to lose a ship.

 

A bigger concern for when the weather is bad is traveling to your embarkation port. It's always best to get there at least a day ahead of time, but when there's the possibility of bad weather, it may be smarter to get there even sooner.[/quote']

 

Thank you!! :)

Remember, there is no other occupation where you can be wrong so often and still keep your job.

Thank you for your answers, I appreciate it! :)

Any weather prediction more "sophisticated" or for longer term than sticking your hand out the window to see if it is raining right now, is simply an estimate based on previous experiences and knowing what is currently going on upwind of where you happen to be.

 

An unexpected wind shift changes everything: the more into the future a prediction covers, the less it should be taken seriously. We have all experienced one day predictions which have turned out wrong - but trying to figure what will happen in the Caribbean four months from now because past experience has told us to expect warmer water in the eastern Pacific about that time ????????

I read your first answer but thanks for coming back again to point out the foolishness of my questions. Technically, I didn't ask for the future forecast, but rather if anyone had experience from past trips during an El Nino.... :p :D

You understand that this won't be the 1st El Nino...nor will it be the last! It's the way the jet stream moves...that's all. It's not a "Sharknado" or something like in a movie!

I see you have 68000 posts, i hope I'm your first el nino! :p

Is this really a strange question? El Nino is a real weather phenomenon and this coming one is supposed to be the strongest since 1997. It does cause issues of drought or massive flooding and I was just asking if anyone knew how it had effected the Caribbean in the past.

I'm not cancelling, life goes on, roll with the punches, yes I get that.

This board is called ask a cruise question, so I did.:D

Thanks everyone for answering, I appreciate it and will put it out of my mind)

"El Nino" is called that because it is an unusually warm water pattern in the eastern Pacific off the west coast of South America first noticeable around December - the time of the traditional birth of Jesus - El Niño. It's primary effects (aside from a bountiful anchovy catch) is heavier than normal rainfall along the west coasts of North and South America - and, supposedly, a stronger than usual Atlantic hurricane season the following year. Meaning that the Caribbean might see more hurricane action in late 2016 (as happened in 1999 after the 1998 El Niño).

 

There is no reason to think that there will be any effect in the Caribbean in December of this year of this year's El Niño.

thanks!

I'm just a bit nervous about cruising in general, so when I hear of potential weather makers, my best line of defense is to inform myself about the topic the best I can - then I usually calm myself down. :p :D

Usually during an El Nino year, the east coast has a milder winter-so I am thinking that the chance of hurricanes is actually less than a non el nino year.

 

El Nino was last strong in 98. Per NOAA, so you need to find out who cruised in 1998.

:D Thanks!

I'm going to bet the answer is "yes"

Yes - more rain than usual?

Yes - people have cruised during an El Nino year? Probably, that's why I'm asking. Although every year is not an El Nino year.

Today on the news, they mentioned the strong chance that this winter we will see the strongest El Nino yet - hopefully bringing rain to California.

So this being our first cruise and we travel first week of December, does anyone know if this typically means more rain for an Eatern Caribbean route? I read it creates a strong wind shear, which lessen the chances of a hurricane, but does it increase wet, windy, choppy water weather?

Just curious, I also wish I didn't watch the news today! :p

I realize no one can predict weather, it can rain/be sunny, yada yada yada, but I'm just wondering if anyone knows about El Nino effects. :)

So if I'm on FOS sailing 11/29, that means my cruise director is Casey Peltier?

Is he/she a good one? :D