newbe dave

I do get where you are coming from but deaths of children effect so many more people than the poor child themself and the parents. There are siblings, grandparents, friends, classmates and the folks that wittness the tragedy and try and help out just for starters. My daughters lost 3 friends by the time they were 16. Two were close friends. One of those was an accident. That one was the hardest on them.

Agree 100%. All the more reason parents should be ever vigilant, especially when traveling.

Truth is, I am so excited about this upcoming cruise! Haven't sailed NCL in many years. So not sure what to expect.

 

It is fun researching a newer line. CC not working correctly has certainly hindered my research. I guess CC sucks too!!

I hope you enjoy your cruise. My experiences with booking cruises and multiple cabins have been great with NCL. No issues and I have not found anything of concern.

Parents parenting would be a great goal. Suggestions???

I appreciate your concern for safety. But my opinion is that if the parents are not concerned about safety as shown by them not watching their children, why should I be? Or anyone else.

I know it sounds heartless and I don't mean it to be. But I will follow the lead of the parents. If they don't care, ...

An army of guards ?

Just on NCL Dawn .

Main pool .

The little pool behind the main pool .

4 hot tubs in that area.

Forward hot tub on deck 13.

Vista Garden Villa hot tub.

Horizon Garden Villa hot tub.

Spa pool.

Spa hot tub.

Splash down kids pool.

The 2 water feature in the atrium.

And the pier at most ports .

 

All or none ??

Excellent point!!!! How many guards would concurrently be needed to be paid on most ships? 5? 8? Or should we just have the parents actually parent?

Disney cruiselines has hired Lifeguards. The gate has been opened.

Then cruise with them and pay for the lifeguards in your fare.

That's a start. How do you propose to keep them out of the main pool / deck ? ( very ambitious IMO)

My opinion? If parents cannot be parents (and the facts seem to suggest that) do not permit children under age 10 on the cruise. Or require them to be part of the kids club. That will keep them out of the main pool / deck. That is a far better alternative than having lifeguards.

And on my future cruises, I will be telling kids to get out of the adult areas and, if needed, informing their parents in pointed words that they are being negligent. I would rather be the "get off my grass" man than have someone die.

And so you know. I raised 4 kids and two were certified lifeguard instructors. They trained people to become lifeguards for both Ellis and Red Cross. My opinion is having life guards on cruise ships is a huge mistake.

So it's better to let kids drown on cruiseships because their parents are bullies who believe the rules don't apply to them?

Interesting wording. You could also word this as "So it's better to let kids drown on cruiseships because their parents choose not to watch them".

Lets stop the emotional lying. What is needed is for cruise lines to require parents to read and sign a form clearly stating their responsibilities for watching their children. It should state that there is no lifeguard present, that alcohol is not for minors and that aggressive/disruptive behavior will cause punishments of some kind to both minors and parents. Make it clear (keep the lawyers away) and concise so that all parents on the ship must know and accept their responsibilities for their children.

I am sure all this is in the legal forms that is part of the ticketing process. But it needs to be restated clearly.

I pack my wine in a rolling "carry on" suitcase and wheel it onto the ship with me. I also pack it in bubble wrap (clothing works too) because we usually purchase something on a cruise that needs bubble wrap. Just be ready to unload all the bottles for them (or have them do it) to inspect. Once on the ship, you can ask for a wine glass (red or white) at any bar and take it to your cabin.

Finally, the corkage stickers that are put on each bottle are of some value to the Bar staff. So if you find a certain Bar Staff person that you like (say the person that hands your wine glasses), be sure to take your empty bottles to them for "disposal". My understanding is that they get something when they turn in the corkage sticker.

Enjoy your wine!!!

We've used magnetic whiteboards on the cabin door in the past, but we were just a few rooms and we were adjacent to each other. Your best bet for a larger group is probably to use the phones in the staterooms and leave each other messages.

We have had groups with up to 16 cabins and I always just update a magnetic whiteboard on my cabin door. This is the easiest way to get a message out. I tell everyone to look for my cabin something each day if they want to know any plans. But the main point is to do what you want and enjoy.

The situation would be coming back onto the ship after a wonderful day at port. I would sit a Blue Lagoon enjoying a snack and some drinks to relax and recall the great day. Nothing can beat that for me.

I watched a new episode on Island Hunters on HgTV last night. It follows the same format as House Hunters with the people looking at three islands to buy and end up buying one of them. This episode was in Belize and the couple bought Bannister Cay (Island). The video showed exactly what I remember from a Snorkel and Beach excursion I took in 2013 on NCL. I have no idea when this purchase happened (they did not say) but it was interesting seeing an island I have been too sell.

The buyer stated that they had a snorkel business and wanted to buy an island for customers to use and for their personal house. It sounded like the day trips would not be part of this person's business plan. But it was fun to see the island and hear that a true Caribbean beach (lots of sand flowing into the water, etc) is not really found in Belize.

Mahogany and coffee are the main things. But just get the coffee from the grocery store, not the port.

I have been ordering and drinking Copan coffee that I bought in Roatan on my first cruise in 2005. It was in a touristy burlap bag and I loved it. So now I order it and have it delivered to my house.

I found and tried several other types of coffee when I was in Roatan this year. So try something new and you might find you will like it.

We are going there in March as well, and were there last April...I think we will sleep in a bit , have a leisurely breakfast, wait for the tender mob line to clear, tender to BC, and have a few Belikins, maybe a bite to eat, then go back on a tender before the last minute return mob..

We are doing our third Western Caribbean cruise in 2014 (and the fourth in 2015). We previously have done Belize ship excursions to Lamanai and to snorkel. Both were excellent. But next time we will do exactly what you mention.

Belize just is not a good port to get off the ship and arrange your private (i.e. less costly) excursion. So it seems to be the perfect place to either take that special "ship" excursion or to use the day for relaxation on the ship and at the pier.

I would never wear my "sleep clothes" to the buffet. But I have been known to wear the first thing I can find to Blue Lagoon to get coffee.

My biggest issue with this thread is the number of people that want to whine about people's clothing. If you don't like or agree with what I am wearing, tell me to my face. That lets me properly address you and your noisy behavior. But to let your dislike fester and then discuss it on an anonymous blog is gutless. I also agree that this is freestyle. If you enjoy all of the worries about clothing, chairs and the actions of others, a cruise is perfect for you.

Do I wear PJ's to the buffet? No. Can people wear them? Sure. What other people are wearing in no way impacts my cruising experience.