SG65CB

2 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

What is so meaningful about reaching Diamond status?

Maybe he was being sarcastic, but it is the first level that has a very real financial impact because you get four free drinks a day.

On my Jewel sailing in February the Maracas Beach Break excursion from RC is $79 per person. I'm guessing you paid a similar amount. But you still  had to pay for chairs and umbrellas. It seems like this excursion is just a round trip bus ride. Any idea what is the cost of a taxi to Maracas and back?

26 minutes ago, looking4info said:

Quick question. When looking at the MDR menu options on the app. I do not see a night where lobster does not have a charge. My guess app not accurate. Can anyone advise which night it is on 7 night? Thanks. Sorry for hijacking.

It is on the second formal night, usually night 6. Listed as "Dress your Best" night. 

2 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

2 vouchers left = room beers

Barbados plus Concierge Lounge doesn't leave enough time to use up your vouchers. We find ourselves stopping at a bar to get bottles of water to take on the excursion the next day. 

Maybe it would be better to pay RC again and then work on fixing this problem.

You could spend a lot of time trying to get this resolved between the bank and RC, and end up with your cruise canceled for non-payment. 

Not commenting on crowds but on possible Memorial Day sailing. I didn't realize I booked a cruise that departs President's Day weekend - I found airfares are insane compared to prior weeks. If you are flying keep in mind flights on holiday weekends can be more expensive. 

16 hours ago, countess5 said:

Here’s my Piton shot from last winter! 😂

 

 

Cheers! 

I had the same idea!

One Piton lost in the clouds...

Voyager of the Seas has several two-bedroom grand suites. These suites have two bathrooms (including one en suite bathroom in the master bedroom). They are aft cabins. See 8694, 8394 9694, 9394.

The cabin sleeps up to 8. You can put the two younger kids on the foldout couch and the older kids in the second bedroom, or put all four in the second bedroom (two twin beds plus two pullman beds create double bunk beds. 

You'd need to compare pricing vs. two cabins. You can book the cabin online yourself for four people but you need to call to get the fifth and sixth person added - online booking maxes out at 4 passengers per reservation. 

11 hours ago, Hoopster95 said:

Tobago is another story. Lots and lots of private tour guides wanting your business at the port gate. Lots to see (island tour), Argyle waterfall is a great little hike/walk and swim/climb. Buccoo Reef snorkelling and Pigeon Point Beach are highlights, however all tourists go there. I thought Buccoo Reef was over-stated... snorkelling was underwhelming, but the beach is gorgeous (but far from port 50min). knowing both options I really enjoyed the island tour... driving, scenery, lunch at a beach, photo ops, hike/swim waterfall.... great day!

Do you remember who you used for the Tobago island tour? Did you arrange in advance or find a guide at the port?

If you don't have access to a color printer you can put your luggage tag document on a USB stick and take it to Fedex or Staples or anywhere there are self-service Xerox machines and print in color there. 

Yes it is good to visit the dining room and tell the head waiter that you won't be dining there. If you don't let them know they are likely to start calling your cabin asking if they have done something wrong (very worried about their survey rating), and will request you to come eat in the MDR.

Also, if you tell them in advance the waiter won't be left waiting for you and they can release your table to My Time diners. 

And?? What did you get?

Is this "beach escape" simply transportation to the beach, plus a lounge chair and umbrella? If so you can do this for a much lower price if you go there on your own by taxi. Taxi fare is about $6 per person each way. You can rent lounge chairs and umbrellas on your own and there are taxis waiting to take you back to the ship. How much does the excursion cost?

Plus you can go when you want and return to the ship when you want. You could even take a taxi to Blackbeard Castle and from there go straight to the beach. 

Sounds like your grandson will be all cheeseburgered out by the end of that cruise! He'll never eat another cheeseburger again. 

Looks like you got lucky on 15 cruises booked with a name that doesn't match the birth certificate.

6 hours ago, crazyfrazee said:

I can't imagine paying for the cruise, planning everything, getting excited, driving 10 hours to port, paying for motel the night before, only to have to miss the ship.

Possibly the expense of a passport would be worthwhile. 

Book the cruise with the name that appears on your passport, then there is no issue boarding the ship.

Did they ask for a marriage license, or a marriage certificate? A license doesn't prove you are married. 

You don't always get the warning about bumping another device off. If you don't get the warning it will still bump another device off if two are already logged in.  People say it is the device that has been on the longest that gets bumped, but who knows if that is true or is anecdotal.

Each person gets their own 1-device Wi-Fi package. 

Some information, hopefully helpful:

Many phones require you to be connected to your cellular network to set up Wi-Fi calling. This means you cannot set it up when you are out at sea. Set it up at home before you leave.  Once it is set up you can turn it on and leave it on. (For example, iPhones on Verizon MUST be connected to the Verizon network to set up Wi-Fi calling.)

When you are at home you can turn on airplane mode and turn on Wi-Fi to test your Wi-Fi calling. This forces your calls to go through Wi-Fi. If it doesn't work you can get it fixed now instead of trying to fix it on the ship.

For a good test of your phone's functionality on a ship turn on airplane mode and turn on Wi-Fi at home - anything that works will work on the ship with a Voom Internet package and anything that doesn't work will not work on the ship. Calling, texting, apps, etc.

Edited to add: Wi-Fi calling means you are making calls through a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet, instead of making calls through the cellular network. Your call travels over the Internet and gets connected into the cellular network at some point. 

We always gravitated to Old San Juan pre-cruise, but last year we stayed in Condado. The main street is great, tons of restaurants, bars, and shops and lots of people out and about, everything is walking distance. We ate at Orozco's, the place to go if you want traditional PR food. 

I agree about the drink package, with D+ and suite lounge it's not needed, and especially when there are 5 port days. 

When it was time to go to the ship we asked the hotel desk clerk to call a cab and the taxi arrived pretty quickly. One thing about taxis is they add $1 per bag. Not sure if Uber does this too, probably not.

Following... I'm also interested in your Trinidad and Tobago experience.

There are tons of free lounge chairs with umbrellas. 

15 hours ago, SteelCityCruiser10 said:

I board Jewel on Saturday in a GS.  Keep an eye out… i will probably start a live report soon.

I'm on in February and I would be most interested in your experiences and opinions regarding Trinidad and Tobago. There's not a lot of information available since cruises were not going there until November. 

17 hours ago, ALTravelGal said:

And cheap carbs to pour the concoction over

Cheap carbs such as rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes? What better carbs are there to serve with stew, that are also more expensive?

Once you figure out the touchscreen slot machines see if you can figure out the convoluted process to use Crown & Anchor free spins. I'm surprised you couldn't find help, we get help from a casino host usually they're standing around waiting to assist people.

2 hours ago, Cigar King said:

It looks like this must be a picture taken in Australia...

 

😉

No, they were sailing on the SS Poseidon.