FlaGirl13

They do have shuttles from the parking garages to the terminals. Park and Go was the easiest service I have ever used. They load your luggage on the shuttle and drive to dropoff at terminal. They were at the dock when we returned and they drop you off right where your car is parked. Port parking is $15/day. Park and Go can be reserved online for $8.99/day if you pay ahead. Price difference for us will be $60 in March. No aggravation there!

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Made the mistake of doing the double decker bus RCI excursion. What a waste. Took a cab back to ship and driver had just finished a 3 hour tour with two couples. He took them where THEY wanted to go at half the price we paid for a crowded, hot bus. Lesson learned. Regardless, St. Maarten is very beautiful.

I pack our clothes in packing cubes, typically fitting 8 folded shirts/tops/tees per large cube. I fold my husband's suit jacket in half with a clean unfolded large trash bag between the folds, and place it on the very top of the suitcase. Long pants are folded under the cubes, and almost never, in nearly 30 years of traveling have I had a problem with wrinkled clothes:)

 

 

 

http://www.ebags.com/category/travel-accessories/packing-aids/packing-cubes?lastsearchterm=packing+cubes

Rolling my clothes and using packing cubes has completely changed the way I pack. So easy and convenient. For the stray wrinkle, Downy Wrinkle Release works great.

As I recall, none of the specialty restaurants or the MDR are open for lunch on embarkation day.

1. When I can talk DH into it.

2. When schools are in session.

3. When it's not hurricane season.

4. When the price is right.

5. When the ship leaves from a Fla. port.

I love RCL but one of my bucket list destinations is the Panama Canal and they don't go there so I foresee Princess in our near future. Thanks for your review.

There is also a non-drowsy Dramamine formula for children. My son used it the first night on his 5 yr old and 3 yr old on our Disney cruise . Worked like a charm. As long as Meclizine is the main ingredient you should be fine. Happy, healthy cruising.

We are platinum Disney cruisers who canceled our b2b on the Fantasy this summer and switched to Freedom. It was a hard sell to the family, but we are saving over half off the Disney price. Are there any must see/do's on Freedom?

 

Is there anything to avoid? Anything that I should prepare the group for to avoid disappointment? Thank you all in advance for any insight.

On FOS you will only have one bathroom, not split. You don't have the dining rotation with waiters following you, however you can still have the same servers with both traditional and MTD. The ice show is very entertaining and the family will love the Flowrider and rock wall. If you can have just as much fun for half the price, what's not to love? Have a great trip.

Recently put on meds that preclude alcohol, yikes. Still love that frozen mojito/margarita but don't drink enough to justify a package. How much do they charge for a non-alcoholic frozen drink? Thanks.

The aft balcony looks amazing. How far in advance do you need to book before those spaces are sold out?

Insect repellent, now more than ever.

Dee were just there and If I didn't have an excursion planned I would stay on the ship. Other than the ports shops at the pier I would never step food in Falmouth ever again. How anyone can enjoy that place is beyond me.

That is exactly how I feel about Nassau.

We did the tour of the Good Hope Plantation and High Tea. Beautiful views, good food, and amazing history of the place. I'm sure it's not for everyone but it was one of our favorite excursions.

Be aware at the heavily visited tourist areas in Barcelona. My son was pickpocketed at La Sagrada Familia by a group of gypsies. They specialize in the distraction technique.

Have tried a number of meds for motion sickness and found Meclizine (Bonine,

Dramamine II) to work the best for me. On our Disney cruise my son even used some made specifically for his children. I've used ginger as well but had to go on a blood thinner (Coumadin, Warfarin) and ginger is a HUGE no-no. Smooth travels with whatever you choose.

Had MTD on Freedom. Made reservation times before we sailed but it is easy enough to change on board. You can also make a reservation each day if you want different times. First night had a table for two and amazing servers so we're able to keep that the rest of the trip. You can "just show up" at different times but you will wait a bit. MTD is a slight misnomer but it worked for us. Enjoy.

It's hard to justify that $100+ park ticket for a few hours of standing in long lines even with FP, whether you are familiar or not. Kennedy Space Center is an excellent option if it is offered. Cocoa Pier is a fun place to hang out too. Enjoy whatever you choose.

Also did Jose Cuervo tequila tasting in Cozumel. Educational AND fun. We were given some good margaritas and a Mexican lunch. In Falmouth did the Good Hope Plantation tour which included a high tea that was excellent. High on a hill and the views were fantastic.

I have considered this option but wondered about wait time for shuttle upon return. Do you need to be at pick-up site at a particular time?

On the Port map it looks like Midport garage is some distance from terminal 29. Is there a shuttle or do you walk? Also, how hard is it to find a spot when you sail on a Saturday and most ships return on a Sunday? Thanks, to the many experienced cruisers on here.

Good Hope Plantation tour in Falmouth.

Jose Cuervo Tequila tour in Cozumel. Interesting, informative and fun.

Is there a pro and/or con to the bump out balconies on the RCCI ships that have them? We are booked in one on Navigator.

I was referring to RCI policy.

If you book excursions ahead of time you will be charged for them immediately. Onboard credit means just that, can't use it till you are on board. We waited and used our credit after boarding and had no trouble getting the excursions we wanted.

Did the Jose Cuervo tour a few weeks ago. Lots of fun and very informative. Lots of margaritas too! I never knew there was so much to tequila tasting. Our guide, Martin, was fantastic. Would definitely recommend it. Enjoy your trip.