cruisincuzz

Wow. I never expected such condescension and rudeness to a simple question. Maybe you're all right, I shouldn't take another cruise. Always got polite replies as a newbie on land-based travel boards. I know I've asked my last question on here.

Perhaps I overstated my desire to swim. I read a review on here of a Carnival cruise and the reviewer said that the pools on Carnival are a joke. Several other posters agreed with her, and since I had been leaning towards a Carnival cruise, I am now rethinking my choice. Of all the recreation on board a cruise, the pool(s) would be the most important to me, but I am by no means a lap swimmer. I would just like to be able to swim across the pool a couple of times without getting kicked, elbowed or splashed. I thought the Solarium on our cruise would allow a peaceful retreat, but it was Spring break and it was just as bad as the main pool. And I would like not to be hypothermic afterward. Our previous cruise was at the end of February; we are looking at September or October this time (western Caribbean). My understanding is that these cruise ships fill their pools directly from the ocean, so my assumption is that the pool water should be a bit warmer in the Fall. Is this correct? And if the pools on Carnival are a joke, which cruise line has the best pools?

We are contemplating only our second ever cruise. Our first was on RCI Independence, and while we enjoyed it, I was disappointed in the pools. I like to actually swim, not just dip myself in the water and bake in a lounge chair. The pools on the Indy were freezing cold, at least at the end of February. And from what I've seen in my research, they are not very big or numerous on any line. We are budget travelers, so staying in a suite with access to a private/restricted pool is out of the question. Can you experts tell me which of the more budget-friendly cruise lines generally has the most/biggest pools, and are any of them heated? TIA.

We just got off the Indy on Thursday. This was our first ever cruise, so obviously I have nothing to compare it with. However, even as a newbie there were things I liked and things I was disappointed in. The comedian was amusing. Not hilarious, not even particularly funny. Just amusing. And the "adult" show really wasn't very adult at all. The ice show was, as others have said, wonderful. The dancing production show (Invitation to Dance?) was really bad, IMHO. The dancing was very good, but the singing was like fingernails on a blackboard. We didn't get to see "The Quest" because there were no seats. The "Love and Marriage" show was hilarious, and I thought Casey Pelter did a great job. The food was plentiful and some of it was really good, but most of it was just mediocre. I was particularly disappointed in the desserts. The service was great, both our wait staff and our steward were very attentive. The pools could barely be used as they were absolutely freezing. Embarkation and disembarkation seemed to go fairly smoothly, but RCI sent us messages a couple of days before asking us not to arrive at the pier before noon. I'm guessing this is to try to avoid making people wait in line for hours. All in all, we had a very good time, but it wasn't quite the "vacation of a lifetime" that I was hoping for.

Thank you all. I went back to the original email I got from the Travel Agency and it lists the $150 OBC per cabin, so I printed out the invoices for both cabins and will be taking that with me. There are so many details to try and remember! I'm trying to cover all the bases, but I almost left without making sure I had documentation of the OBC. What do first-time cruisers do who don't haunt Cruise Critic like I do?:D

Our first cruise leaves Saturday, 2/27, from Fort Lauderdale. We are supposed to have $150 per cabin OBC - $125 per cabin from RCI and $25 per cabin from the online travel agency. How do I double-check that we will indeed be given this credit, and how do you use it to pay for things? TIA.

This is scaring me. This is our first cruise and my husband didn't want to go in the first place. If we have to wait in line for hours just to get on the ship, he's liable to throw me overboard. If you hear that a woman "fell off" of the Independence, you'll know it was me!:eek:

Thanks for the info, ABQrobin. I know I would never get DH to snorkel in 40-foot deep water...come to think of it, I'm not even sure I would be comfortable. So you helped me make up my mind....I'm back to Chankanaab! And yes, we are going to Belize, but I've already booked a trip to Lamanai while there. Guess I'll just have take another trip if I want to see coral!:D

:confused:Oh wow, now I'm really confused. I had just decided on Chankanaab as it is the closest and the cheapest. I was ready to book our dolphin swims and everything, but I really want to see coral! Plus, DH is not really comfortable in the water, so I figured at Chankanaab he could take in the sea lion show, the tequila factory, etc., while the rest of us enjoyed the water. However, it seems like a crime to go so near one of the world's great coral reefs and not see any coral! Now I am back to square one.

Thanks for the info, guys. I can't wait!:D

We are sailing on IOS on 2/27. My son's girlfriend would like to take the Pathway to Yoga class, but I see from looking at the Cruise Compass that there is a charge for this. She is on a very tight budget. Can someone give me an idea what the charge for this type of class would be? TIA!

I asked this in a separate thread but no one has answered my question, so I will try again here. Is there coral in the snorkeling area at Chankanaab? Fish are nice, but I really want to see coral and if there isn't any here, we will have to go somewhere else. Can someone enlighten me?

Will be in Cozumel 3/2 on IOS. We would really like to swim with dolphins, but we also want to snorkel. We are thinking of one of these parks, but aren't sure which one. I want to be sure the snorkeling is on a coral reef, I don't want to see just fish. Chankanaab seems to be a lot cheaper and it's also a lot closer to the pier. Is there any compelling reason that anyone can give me for going to one of the other parks? I know they are bigger, but since we will have a limited amount of time, that is not necessarily better. Does anyone know how the dolphin swims measure up between these parks? How about the snorkeling? Or would we be better off to scrap the idea of the parks, book a snorkeling tour and hope and pray to see a dolphin? I'm so confused!:confused:

I must say I'm really disappointed to find out that the iced tea is not brewed, but it's better to know now. I think I will follow the suggestion of taking tea bags from home with me. I probably won't use them if we find the iced tea tolerable, as having to brew my own is kind of a PITA, but better safe than sorry. Thanks all for the info!

I am cruising for the first time on IOS sailing 2/27/16 to Cozumel and Belize. I was following the B2B thread on this ship and found I had several unanswered questions. She (Ckrobyn) posted a room service menu, but it was for lunch/dinner. I assume there is a different menu for breakfast? Also, does the room service menu change from day to day like the MDR menu, or does it stay the same every day? My family are big iced tea drinkers and I know we can get iced tea in the MDR, Windjammer or from room service, but what about other places? Can we walk into a bar and order an iced tea? And please, please tell me the iced tea is brewed and not out of a bottle! I am also wondering about housekeeping practices - are bed sheets changed every day or not until the end of the cruise? And finally, I am curious about the spa. Is there anything to do in there that is not an extra charge, i.e., saunas or hot tubs? I'm sure I'll think of many other questions before February, but I think that covers it for now. TIA!