kathiewe

Since you were booked on NCL, I assume you're familiar with the Haven. MSC's equivalent, the Yacht Club would be very appropriate for your anniversary. If money is an issue, they do have inside options besides balcony. And drinks are included over the entire ship as of last April. . Good luck.

 

 

 

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Thanks, we chose the July 28 sailing to the Western Caribbean in a Yacht Club Deluxe Suite. Since its our anniversary, we decided to spoil ourselves. Very excited!

Thanks everyone for this information.

Spent a quiet morning reading this entire thread. Very interesting and informative. Really excited about this ship, so much so that we are cancelling our trip on the NCL Gem to go on her for our 20th Anniversary celebration.

Now, just need to decide what cabin. Decisions, decisions.

Hi All!

Next summer we will be celebrating our 20th anniversary and are considering a sailing on the MSC Seaside, It will be three of us -- hubby, our 10 year old son, and I.

The question is which room? We have always sailed NCL and always book an aft cabin. However, on the MSC Seaside we are considering the Suite with the Whirlpool Tub or the Yacht Club Deluxe Suite -- would love an aft cabin but they seem to be sold out for all the summer sailings. Really like the idea of a private whirlpool tub on our balcony (had one at our suite on honeymoon so it would be nice to have again), but also love the idea of the attentive service and private dining of the Yacht Club. Price is pretty close, so that isn't a factor.

Suggestions? Please help me decide.

Thanks!

Kathie

We ate out at Ocean Blue on the Waterfront in March and it was simply one of the best meals we have ever had. Period. That rave review is coming from a pair of foodies including my DH who is director of dining services at a high end, luxury retirement community. The ocean setting, impeccable service, outstanding presentation and attention to detail, and perfectly cooked selections provided an evening that we will not soon forget and look forward to enjoying again next March.

My DH was, at first, put off by the additional change but after enjoying our meal decided the $15 upcharge was a value and definitely not nickle and diming. We look at it as way to manage a top end restaurant by providing a choice for those who want something special and different. Tip for those who will be dining at Ocean Blue in the future: The inside dining was nice, but unless the weather is not pleasant, absolutely recommend an outdoor table. Enjoy!

Yes, we are in an aft balcony on deck 9 (same cabin we had this year) and the price is up 600 from when we booked. Glad we are set.

So glad to hear you had a great trip. We love the Sky! Its a fun getaway. We had planned to use our Amex points for a quick September weekend on the Sky, but then we went and booked the Gem in June 18. Need to build up that bank of points....

Great report. Fun read. Thanks!

Just looked and March '18 is there. We are on the March 4 sailing. Repeat cruise from last year with a different group. Very excited!

We love the Sky and always do the upgraded dining. However, if I were to pick just one, then there is no doubt it would be Le Bistro. We love this restaurant on the Sky! Its romantic, great food, wonderful view, amazing service. If you want to treat yourself for one night, I highly recommend Le Bistro!

Enjoy!

Kathie

So sorry to hear of the loss your parents, Thanks for letting us know that your Mom got to see Hawaii. No doubt they are enjoying their forever cruise together.

That's what we did on the escape. But we prebooked our meals for 7 each night. I'm concerned that we won't be able to switch our 600pm reservation to 700 because that's prime time. [emoji4]

 

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We were late to our reservation time on a couple evenings because of issues getting everyone ready, DS fed at the Garden Cafe, and checked into kid's club. We apologized for being tardy and the host seemed to understand so we never had a problem being sat. Our son much prefers to eat at the buffet and play while we eat. He goes out all the time with us at home and would just as soon not do it on vacation.

We went sailing with Radical Adventures and it was awesome! The food was fantastic, snorkeling was very good, the crew welcoming, and hosts were the best. We will definitely go again. We have a full review with pics in our trip report...http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2474547

Since our son wants to see the shipwreck, next year we are going on the Roatan Shipwreck, Snorkeling, and Beach Break tour with Island Marketing. I am hoping it measures up because Radical Adventures was the best!

Enjoy!

We just changed our booking for next March and saved $200, even after we pay for the dining package. Our casino money is on NCL.

Such great news! Our son lost his favorite blanket and elephant on trips to Disney. While we never found the lost ones, my sister made another blanket (she made the first and luckily had just enough fabric for a second) and found a replacement Burton on Ebay.

Now if only he could keep track of his watches.....

I don't think teaching manners and courtesy actually requires discipline so much as it requires education. As I stated before, I believe that children want to do the right thing. They just need to be told what the right thing is.

 

As an example, I have two friends that both have 5 year old daughters. Last week while having lunch at one friend's house, her daughter came to the kitchen table while we were talking and stood silently until her mother finished her sentence and said "Excuse me Mommy, can I ask you a question please?" & then proceeded to ask if she could change the TV channel. Contrast this with my other friend who simply cannot spend even five minutes on the phone without her little one at her knee repeating mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy mommy continuously LOL So, you really can't tell me any of this is the kids' fault. ;)

Education sometimes requires discipline, In this example there are 2 kids from the same parents. I doubt that they are educated differently but respond so. You can educate everyone but some will learn the easy way and some won't.

Case in point my son who is a pretty good, responsible kid has problems with 1) eating a healthy diet with vegetables and different proteins as well as trying new foods and 2) back talking me... sometimes Dad never anyone else but me always. We educate him all the time about these issues but at times it requires discipline.

In fact during our recent cruise I took DS to Harvest Caye with the rest of our family but without DH who decided to chill on the ship. He was back talking to me on the walk over, which he had been doing for much of the trip until that point, and I had enough. Tried to explain to him what he was doing and why it needed to stop, yet he continued. He back talked about why he wasn't back talking. I grew more frustrated until finally,just before we got to the gate, I pulled him aside to explain, in a not to so pleasant voice, why this behavior needed to stop, no questions asked, immediately. Then explained what we would do if it didn't, namely return to the room where he could spend time, in quiet, doing nothing. Since we had walked out of Disney parks and other places for quiet time many times before, he knew Mommy was done and the behavior would not be tolerated. All the while people, including our family, were looking at me speak strongly to my son. It was uncomfortable and embarrassing, but necessary. Finally it was done and the security guy came over to try and ease the situation by saying something like,"come on guy, stop giving your mom trouble; you're a good kid you want to have fun-not get in trouble." Never again did he back talk that day, nor really the rest of the trip.

The problems are 1) often people don't back up the parents but rather sympathize with the kid, 2) kids see other adults or kids doing similar and don't understand why it's not acceptable for them, and 3) kids will play the parent against others. Even in the case above my MIL tried to help by suggesting she take my son to the beach while I get some Mommy time, which I refused because I didn't time out... DS needed to behave. All of this makes parents weary of disciplining, particularly in public.

Point is, it's easy to point fingers or complain about parents not educating their kids properly. It's hard to be a parent dealing with these situations. Been there, done that and my kid is pretty good. I have all the respect for parents of kids who are really a handful.

Great report Kathiewe :) We are also from Venice Florida and will be going on Getaway in less then 2 weeks (same ports). Thanks for sharing your trip report and maybe we shall see you one day by South Jetty ;)

:cool: Have a great trip! Hope you love her as much as we did! If you see us (not likely at the Jetty because we rarely go there, more likely downtown or Caspersen) say hi!

As the mom of a 9 year old, I can understand the frustration. We just started cruising because we felt our DS was too young until last year. Up until then we went on 1 camping and 1 Disney vacation a year. They were great places to let him run and jump and play like young kids do. That said we had rules -- no siting on the rope lines/chains, no running, watch where you are going, say "I am sorry" if something happens or "excuse me" if someone is in your path.

The problem was/is not all parents do so we were constantly telling our DS that we weren't worried about what other kids did, just ours. Worse yet was when we would travel we other families who didn't have the same standards as we do.

Last month we were on the Getaway when there were about 1,000 kids and 3,000 adult passengers on board. Honestly, we didn't see misbehaving kids. Yes, some of them were playing on the pool deck, where I am sorry but that is to be expected, but inside they were good. We were with two 60 somethings and two 30 somethings and even they said that while there were clearly a lot of kids, they weren't doing anything but enjoying their vacations in ways that kids do. We felt so comfortable with it that we are taking my inlaws, who expect kids to be on good behavior, on the Getaway for Spring Break next year.

I understand that pet peeves can ruin your vacation, but if this is something you are sensitive too, then maybe NCL, RC, Carnival, Disney are not the best lines for you. While I cannot imagine taking our son on Celebrity, Princess, or HA because they are geared to adults, I am not sure why if kids are a problem for you, you would look to Norwegian or the like. Someone mentioned they should have adults cruises and family cruises and they do -- you just need to make sure to go on a line tailored to your needs.

NCL and the like are tailored to and cater to families. Kids clubs, water slides, family pools and jacuzzis, family shows and games, rock climbing walls, mini golf courses, and water splash parks are designed with kids in mind. In fact, we originally were booked on RC's Jewel of the Seas until my DH and DS started looking at other ships and DS selected the Getaway. While that ship had some toys, the Getaway is a kid's playground and DS could not have been happier. He absolutely LOVED it. So much so he begged us to switch from the Dawn to the Getaway next year, which (after DH saw the size of her aft balcony) we did.

Ok, off my soap box. Oh but one more thing, if you catch my DS misbehaving, please say something to him. We appreciate when others notice things because it reinforces the lessons we are teaching. Oh and I read the title of this thread to my DS and he said that it was wrong to run in hallways and other indoor places. Great kid!

Thank you for sharing your vacation with us! We love the specialty dining on NCL too. It is interesting how you get to find different favourites of specialty restaurants, depending on the ship- we think that also! So your discussion on this will be very helpful on our future Getaway cruise!

Funny isn't it? Same menu, same tasting food, totally different experiences.

We absolutely LOVE Le Bistro and the Sky as it is sophisticated, romantic, and wonderful and found it boring and bland on the Getaway. On the contrary, we absolutely LOVE Cagney's on the Getaway as it has exception food, service, and a perfect steak house ambiance and think it is just standard steak fare on the Sky.

Who says you cannot taste ambiance?

Hi,

 

Interested in the Mayan Ruin tour in Costa Maya, Mexico. Did you go private or through NCL? Thank You in advance.

It is the Mayan Experience Tour from Native Choice Tours. https://thenativechoice.com The price was $75 for adults and $65 for kids 6-12.

One note about this tour, since it is an independent tour operator, you have to walk outside the shopping district to find their bus area. Its not far...about 5 blocks but it isn't right at the docks.

following closely...awesome reviews...glad you had a great time...

 

one thing though...I made...is that his real name or something he conjured up whenever he makes up a drink...lol

I made is his real name, or at least that was on his name tag. It is pronounced i-mahed-ee.

And finally, the meal...

Now, here are some pictures of the village.....

Costa Maya, Mexico

Last February my parents, who are avid cruisers who go on 2 NCL cruises a year, went on the Getaway. Since my Mom is wheelchair bound, they don’t often go on excursions. However, another cruiser offered my Dad the opportunity to go on Native Choice’s Mayan Experience excursion, which was great because he usually stays with Mom. After the trip he told stories about this visit to Mayan ruins and the most amazing meal prepared homemade for you in a Mayan Village. I kept thinking how cool that would be do to. So, when we booked the Getaway I knew exactly what I wanted to do in Costa Maya. When our traveling family heard about this trip they all got excited about it and agreed this would be an event for all of 7 of us. We all agreed it was amazing!

The Chacchoben ruins were very cool as was the story about their history. There is some walking but nothing too hard and even the two 60 something grandmas were able to get around most of it. There was one area that involved steps that they sat out. We had a great tour guide who really cared about the story of the Chaccoben community and clearly wanted to share the importance and reverence of this place with us, his guests. In the end, we were glad to have had the opportunity to experience this historical place.

As interesting as the ruins were, the most memorable part of this excursion was the visit to the village for a homemade Mayan meal. I am a city planner, so community building is my life. In fact, one of the reasons I love to travel is to see the places that people call home and to learn of their traditions, culture, and way of life. So,learning about how the Mayans lived and live was an amazing experience. I am also a foodie who thinks Mexican,Caribbean, and other tropical foods is among the most flavorful meals one can eat. So, eating a meal in a home handmade for a small gathering was just special.

First, they take through the garden and have you taste fresh herbs. Next, they show you where the people live. Then, they take to a traditional Mayan kitchen and teach you howto prepare homemade tortillas (I have since tried to make them at home and while they weren’t perfect they were much better than store bought). Finally, the treat you to a meal that is so perfect you are left wanting more. Ok, I like a little more spice in my food but they said that was my American pallet. All in all the meal was just amazing and such a memorable event that I really cannot say enough about it.

If you have the opportunity to go to Costa Maya, this is the excursion to go on. We are visiting my inlaws in Baltimore this weekend for Easter and know that MIL wants to discuss next year’s trip. We have been doing some research on other things to do in Costa Maya because we want a new experience. Unfortunately, so far nothing seems to compare to this special meal.Since we want my inlaws to have this experience, we are thinking we might go again, not for the ruins but for this meal.

Here are some pictures of our tour of the Mayan Experience with Native Choice…

First the Chaccoben ruins...

Since DH is a dining service director at a senior resort living community and a major foodie, great food and impeccable service are really important to him. So when he likes (or hates) a restaurant he really means it. Here is the review he wrote about the Thirsty Cougar...

“Ifyou can beat your way through the thousands of cologne drenched black pantwhite shirt men that want you to shop their store and make it to the ThirstyCougar than you will find one of the best dam lunches Cozumel has to offer.Manuel our server got us a prime table on the sidewalk and was quick to pointhis favorites and walk us threw the margarita bar offers. We settled on onecoconut and one coconut and ginger margarita and an order of Ceviche and housemade guacamole and pica de gallo. Wow the appetizers were incredible full offlavor and very tasty and the margaritas were a perfect accompaniment. The mainentrees, fish tacos for my wife and pork tacos for me, arrived and once againeverything had taste and bursting with flavor. We were too stuffed to eatdessert but will definitely go back and see Manuel who was awesome and theThirsty Cougar. Thanks Manuel for a great meal!”

Here are some pics of the Thirsty Cougar....

Thanks for your feedback, I appreciate that the story of our great vacation is being enjoyed. Also, sorry this is taking so long to write; unfortunately life is getting in the way..... Anyways back to the port reviews....

Cozumel, Mexico

I had been to Cozumel as a child (80s) and was looking forward to a return trip, particularly because I wanted to find a Mexican silver choker. DS had been earning money from chores and school work and was excited to finally be able to spend some. DH had never been but had heard that the salespeople were pushy and so he was not excited but wanted to spend time with us. So, while other members of our family decided to chill on the ship and others chose an excursion to an adventure park, we chose to do the shopper’s thing and went out to walk around town.

We walked Cozumel’s downtown and enjoyed looking at the places with the more unique selections – we skipped the many stores that hawk the same beachy items that can be found in our beach villages here in FL. While I didn’t find a silver choker, mostly because we didn’t know whether they were being offered at fair prices, I did get a large bottle of vanilla at a great price and nice ornament for my collection. However DS found the most unique treasure of our trip from a guy selling handmade wirecraft from his cart. This gentlemen had all sorts of cools items from marionettes to wire figures to jewelry. DS chose a pretty cool shark’s tooth necklace with a wire scorpion. Honestly, DH did find the sales people begging to come in the stores a bit too much and overbearing. However, he admitted they were far more aggressive at the beginning of the day than after lunch; so maybe we should have chilled on board and let the eagerness of the salespeople die down. Lesson learned.

We capped off our visit around town at Thirsty Cougar, which was one of the best Mexican meals of our lives--and living in FL we have lots of great Mexican places. This lunch was a highlight of a week of highlights—the food, the service, the view of the seaport, and even the price were all exceptional! If you are looking for a great Authentic Mexican meal made with the freshest ingredients in the most perfect waterfront location, check this place out! Promise you will not be disappointed!

After our great meal at Thirst Cougar we headed back to the Getaway and enjoyed a leisure afternoon of hot tubs, naps, and slides while the ship was pretty empty. Well that was after I tripped on a pothole in the middle of a street just after eating. Didn't hurt anything but my ego and my yummy Margarita. Guess I will have to take my MIL who loves to shop back to Cozumel next year so I can get another ginger-coconut margarita.

Here are some pics of our visit to Cozumel....