Quiltin"Mom

So, I haven't booked this excursion yet. I think I am ready to book it.

Can anyone recommend a time to book it? I have heard there is sometimes confusion of "ship time" vs the local time.

I want to make sure we have enough time to get there and arrive early for the safety training, but don't want to be too late in the afternoon.

THANKS!!!

Looks like your spending limit question has been addressed so I will address your other question. The cruise line is very flexible with special needs kids. They will allow you to put her in a younger group if you feel she would do better there. Since she is 8, 6-8 group is probably a better fit than the 3-5 but once she is 9, you can have her still attend the 6-8 group if that works better. Here is a link that describes what they offer.

 

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/accessibleseas/otherNeeds.do

 

You might want to contact the special needs department if you have further questions or need to arrange early boarding.

THANKS!!! I didn't even know there was a special needs department. I will be researching it. THANKS again.

You will have a wonderful time. Why don't you get your special needs child a lanyard...chances are it will never get lost. :)

Yes, I am planning on doing lanyards for both kids. 12 year old son would still manage to lose his. :) My 8 year old special needs child doesn't lose anything. I am more concerned about her being generous with hers and letting anyone take it and use it. She wouldn't comprehend the fact that it is money being spent. I think she will have a hard time with that concept.

I don't know if we will give her her own card or not. I just didn't know if she had to have one when she is in the kids club areas or not. How do they identify the kids or know who they belong to? She is very trusting and would possibly go with anyone.

Thank you for all of the replies. I like the idea of being able to set a limit. Not too concerned about the arcade, but will make sure 12 year old is aware.

I also like the photo being associated with the card. I like that safety feature.

I am sure it will be fine, but wanted to be aware of any options that we have.

We will be on the Independence of the Seas in late April. I have searched, but can't find an answer to my question.

Is there a way to put a dollar limit on the on board charge card? We will be traveling with our two kids, 12 and 8. We will be explaining to them that they will have a daily spending limit and that we can check it each evening. Our concern is more if they lose their card. 12 year old tends to lose everything. What happens if he loses it and someone else picks it up and charges on it?

Also, our 8 year old is special needs and I don't know that we will give her her own card. She wouldn't lose it, but wouldn't understand to not let anyone else use it.

Is there a way to put limits on their cards or what is the best way to handle this situation?

Also, does anyone know if there are restrictions for special needs kids going to the kids club activities? Her main issue is speech and communication. She also has learning delays, but nothing health or medical related.

THANKS!!!

$25-30 each location, so really doesn't ,make a difference. I am hoping NOT to get the rental car anyway.

I have no place to be giving advice because I have never been to Ft Lauderdale, but will be doing an overnight there prior to our cruise in April 2016.

Have you heard of the Sun Trolley? it looks like a little trolley that has specific routes around Ft Lauderdale. Most of it is free, but they charge a couple dollars for a ride over to the beach.

Yes, by all means, SPEAK with him or one of the others.

 

Email can be so slow, and there is also a lot of "back and forth" sort of brainstorming during an actual conversation (where you hear something they say, and ask, "hey, what is that for", or such, or they hear something you say, and suggest a different type of policy if "x" is a concern, etc.)

 

We learned an invaluable amount through quite a few early phone calls.

THANKS!!!! DONE, one more thing off my checklist. I called and spoke with DeAnna and she was super helpful. She was able to help me understand why one plan was better for our situation. It was so much easier to talk on the phone and ask questions.

THANKS for the help!!!

For clarification purposes only.

 

Last minute 1 way fares from Belize or Cozumel will be quit pricey.

However, travel insurance doesn't pick up the cost for these tickets. You must pay for the tickets out of your pocket, then when you get back home, you file a claim for reimbursement. Same with medical emergencies

 

I only bring this up because when I first began traveling, I thought travel insurance was like my BC/BS at home. Just hand over the insurance card and off you go.

THANKS!!! Yes, I know I pay up front, then settle when we get home. I really thought having to take a last minute flight from one of the ports would be really expensive. That is where my concern is primarily.

I have contacted Steve through e-mail only, so maybe I need to pick up the phone and get this clarified and done. I just want to make sure I get the correct coverages.

THANKS!!!

I have been researching and trying to figure out what to purchase for trip insurance. I have been in contact with Steve at Trip Insurance Store and we have been e-mailing back and forth.

I don't believe we need a pre-existing condition waiver. We are all healthy and don't anticipate any upcoming issues.

Where I am running in to questions is purchasing the policy within 21 days of the initial trip deposit. I told out travel agent on January 21st to go ahead and book our cabin on the cruise. My deposit did not hit my bank account until January 25th. So, today will be 21 days!!!!!

The main coverage I would be interested in would be coverage for me to be able to return home in the event of an emergency for my Dad. I am his only surviving family member here in the US. I would need to return if something were to happen. Dad is healthy and active and I don't anticipate anything happening, however, I need to know that I can get back quickly if needed. I am concerned that flights out of Belize or Cozumel would be quite pricey.

So, would this be trip interruption? Is there coverage for the illness or injury of a non-traveling family member?

Advise would be appreciated. THANKS!!!

We will be in Cozumel the end of April. We would love to do the dolphin swim. We are considering booking direct with Dolphin Discovery. They have 3 choices of swimming with the dolphins. I don't see a lot of difference except you get pushed on a boogie board vs. getting pushed on your feet. I really don't believe my daughter will be able to do the push on her feet. She is special needs and I don't think she would understand to keep her knees locked (I am assuming this is how it will work).

Maybe more time in the water with the dolphins on some of the packages? Any other big differences?

Anyway, can anyone tell me if the Royal swim package includes the food and drink?

I know we will have to arrange our own transportation to get there. What time would be a good time to book the swim for? I believe I have read that there has been some confusion on the time change? We would love to have some time before or after to enjoy the rest of the park.

Right now it looks like there is a 25% discount on their website. Does anyone know if there is a pattern to their sales. Will there be a better offer before April, or just take this discount?

THANKS!!!

You picked the perfect hotel for your plans. Enjoy!:)

THANKS!!!! I am a planner and researcher and want to make sure we have the best vacation possible!!!

We have the night before our cruise in April booked at the Holiday Inn Express on 17th Street. Would love to hear if this is a good choice or not. We would want to be able to walk to food or I believe the "Sun Trolley" runs right by our hotel.

We will have some time on our day of arrival and are planning on using the Sun Trolley as a way to get around. The water taxi also looks like fun, but I need to research it more to see where all it goes.

Any info would be appreciated!!!

THANKS!!!

Family of 4 for us, so we will probably do a cab and not have to wait for a full shuttle to go to the port.

THANKS for the replys!!!

Well, two issues with the drink package. We don't typically drink alcohol. I know there is a non alcohol drink package, but hubby is a Pepsi guy not Coke. Also, he would only drink 2 or 3 cans a day. Just don't think it makes sense. Kids don't drink pop either. They will be happy with water, lemonade juice or milk. I will be fine with those as well. Throw in some ice tea and I am set. So if we can just get one 12pk of Pepsi on board everyone will be happy. :)

I have been researching Belize on here, but haven't seen anyone say if.there is an all inclusive resort in Belize that we can buy for the day. That would be ideal. Don't think I want to be on an island all day if is crowded.

I have requested info.from Ft Lauderdale, but is there a specific "guide book" you are referring to?

THANKS so much!!!

We have booked the independence of the Seas for the last part of April 2016. We are very excited. Our first cruise was a disaster and it was 15 years ago, so we are considering ourselves as new cruisers. We are a family of 4, kids are ages 12 and 8.

Some of our questions coming to mind are.....

1) Can we bring our own soda pop on? If so, is there a limit?

2) We arrive in Ft Lauderdale the day before our cruise. We have our hotel booked. We will not be getting a rental car, but relying on the Sun Trolley for transportation. What kind of family fun stuff should we do? I would love to find a place to rent one of those 4 wheel bicycles that seats 4 people. Like a car, but pedal power. What about the water taxi? Is there a lot to see on the water taxi?

3) Our ports of call are Belize City and Cozumel. I think in Cozumel we want to do the Chankanaab Park with the dolphin and sea lion interactions. We are struggling with finding something to do in Belize City. I have see some ports of call have all inclusive resorts that you can purchase a one day pass. Is there anything like that in Belize? If so, how do I find it? We don't like the idea of the long travel times to most of the excursions, so would love to just have some beach time or snorkeling on our own. Any information would be appreciated.

4) When we return from the cruise our flight leaves at 2:15ish in the afternoon. Would we have time to do anything fun before having to report to the airport? If so, what do we do with our luggage? What is the best way to get back to the airport? Just a taxi?

5) If we board the cruise as early as possible and get on the ship, what kinds of things are available to do? Are the pools open? Rock wall, surf thing? Or do those not open until the ship actually starts sailing. How about food? Is food available right away?

6) How warm are the pools on the ship?

I am sure I will have plenty more questions before we sail. I truly appreciate all of the information on this website. It makes planning and making the best of our vacation possible.

THANKS!!!

If your staying in a hotel in FLL the night before your cruise the hotels have companies that do the shuttle to the ship and for the trip to the airport after the cruise. We stay at the Holiday inn express and they have a great set up to get us to the cruise port and back to the airport afterward.

 

JoeRum

We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express (the one on 17th Street) 1 night prior to our cruise. I think they only have an airport shuttle and not a shuttle to the cruise port. But will they still pick you up after the cruise and take you to the airport? THANKS!!!

 

 

 

I was able to fit twelve small bottles and two larger ones as well as some bandaids in the 3x4x1.5 inch box. It worked well. Filling and labeling those tiny bottles was tricky though. :)

 

 

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I know this is an older thread, but do you care to share what oils you take on a cruise with you?

Also, I love your monogram on your nail polish. How in the world did you manage to do that? I have never seen it before.

THANK you for your replies. I am trying to work with a travel agent, but I am ready to give up on her. She is an independent agent and works from her home. She is good at answering my questions, but I don't know what questions to ask. I feel like she needs to kind of "interview" me and see what we are looking for. So far I am stabbing in the dark and changing my mind frequently because I keep discovering other options. I don't know how to find a helpful agent.

Frustrated at this point and willing to do it on my own, but I feel like there is so much more I don't know.

I will try and call RC tomorrow and see if they are more helpful.

THANKS again!!!!

Another question - does anyone know if the 2016 Entertainment book has any sort of discount for an RC cruise in it?

Hello all,

We are looking at booking a cruise on RCI, Independence, for late April 2016. We have only cruised one time before and it was a disaster. It was also 15 years ago. I have been reading everything I can on here, but still have some specific questions.

First and foremost, we have not chosen a cabin yet. We would like to do a small balcony (category D1). We are a family of 4, two adults, a 12 year old and an 8 year old. I have looked over the deck plans and I can't figure out which cabins will hold all four of us. Can someone help me? We would like to be on deck 8 and not anywhere noisy.

Which leads to question #2.....is there somewhere I can go and look to see how full the ship is for our sail date or which cabins are still available?

What drinks are complimentary and included with the cruise? I know alcohol is not inculded, but what about Coke/Pepsi? Is milk or juice available all day?

And then I keep seeing people talking about other restaurants on the ship and they are an additional fee. What meals are available that are included in the cruise? Is it just the main dining or are there other options. We are not formal people and would prefer to not have to dress up for dinner. So, is there other food available that is included?

Our ports are Cozumel and Belize City. What excursions would you recommend? We are going to try and schedule the Chankanaab Park and swim with the dolphins, manatees and sea lions. What should we do in Belize? We would love to find another wildlife/animal encounter.

THANKS so much. I am sure I will have many, many more questions.

Those are wonderful photos. That is what we want to experience. Are you saying that you can go to that place and do all of the swimming and activities with out booking an excursion through the ship? Is there a way to save money and get our own transportation and purchase tickets to get to do all of the swimming with critters? One of your comments said "You don't have to take a ship excursion to get there. It is close by. This picture was taken from Chankanaab Park ..."

We have just started to mention to our kids that we are looking at going on vacation. It has been 4 years since we have gone on a vacation so they were excited with just that. We are thinking about telling them we are going to Florida and not mention the cruise part to them until we get to Florida and see all the cruise ships. I really don't know if we will be able to keep it a secret though. :)

The first thing my daughter asked was "will there be animals in Florida"

THANK YOU so much for sharing your photos. I have changed our plans and am looking at different cruise options now.

Unfortunately that is a problem on Royal Caribbean also.

It wouldn't have been a big deal, but we were already shorted out of so much of our time at port. Now you want me to wait in line for 45 minutes or more for a photo that I am not going to purchase anyway? Nope.

I know how to say no and just keep walking.

Can anyone recommend a mid-priced hotel in Ft Lauderdale for the night before? Something with a view of the port would be lovely, but also have something to do with in walking distance prior to getting on the ship.

THANK YOU for all of your posts and information. It is all very helpful. I seem to be having a hard time making up my mind. Every time I look at the RCI website then I find something that might be a bit better.

I am starting to think the Empress is not a good idea. I am glancing at the Independence of the Seas now with stops in Cozumel and Belize. The ship looks like more fun and the excursions look to have good options as well.

Now back to square one to find an airline that maybe flies in to Ft Lauderdale. Or possibly fly in to Ft Myers and have a 2 1/2 hour drive to Ft Lauderdale. Looking for input if anyone can help out. We would have to rent a car. Seems like a waste to have to pay for a rented vehicle to sit on the dock while we are on the ship. Is there any other options? Somewhere to turn it in in Ft Lauderdale then pick one up when we return?

I am looking for any suggestions you all have to offer.

Our first cruise was a disaster for many reasons. The first night, some time in the middle of the night the ship turned around and headed back to Miami. We apparently had a very ill person on board. I have no idea why a helicopter was not used. So that shortened all of our ports of calls. We arrived late and hardly had time for the excursions we had planned.

Many of the activities on the ship were a no show by the crew. There was supposed to be this game or a contest or whatever on deck X at whatever time. We would go to check it out and there was no one there.

And to top it all off. The cruise that we were on was primarily filled with employees of one company. It was an employee reward that was given to them. This was not the executives of the company if you know what I mean. These people received a free cruise and the only thing they had to spend there money on was alcohol. They drank the boat dry. Literally. Carnival had to re-stock alcohol at one of the ports of call. You could hear the employees bragging that this was the second time they had drank a boat dry. So most of our cruise was a drunken tattoo show. We don't drink.

Just not a good experience for our first cruise. We really felt trapped. Arriving late at the ports and not being able to have our full day there to do excursions. Plus when you are getting off the boat they want you to stand in line and wait to get your photo taken. Uh, no. We broke out of the line and they quickly tried to herd us back in line. We just kept going and were quickly followed by several other people who didn't want to waste their time in line either.

Another question - has anyone ever sailed on the Empress of the Seas? I can't tell for sure how much fun stuff there is to do on the ship for the kids.

Also, how about the water temperatures in the latter part of April or beginning of May? Will the water be comfortable enough for swimming in Cozumel and wherever else we stop?

THANKS so much!!!

Cuizer2,

I have just fallen in love with Cozumel. That is EXACTLY the kinds of experiences we are looking for!!!

I think you are correct about the sting rays as well. We did that on our cruise and I remember being a little aprehensive. I bet my 8 year old would not enjoy it at all.

Hmmmmm..........have to re-think this, but I do want to skip Key West.

THANKS!!!

 

5 Day is a good way to get you feet wet...but I'm not sure Key West is the best choice for children. I was a bit concerned about taking 3 teens there. We opted for parasailing & it was a big hit. But Key West doesn't have good beaches...not sure about the wildlife experiences there. Perhaps go check the Key West thread.

 

Grand Cayman is terrific--beaches, sting rays, sure to be a hit.

 

Key West has some large living coral. That would probably be the only thing we would do. Not much in to shopping and we don't drink so I am afraid it would be a very long, wasted day.

We went to Grand Cayman on our previous cruise and we did the swim wth the sting rays. That was 10 years ago, but it was THE highlight of our cruise. Those are the kinds of experiences we want to give our kids, not a bunch of material things.