Mandylouwho

Exuma pigs found dead. Someone fed them beer and rum...

 

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/Famous-Exuma-Swimming-Pigs-Found-Dead-414920373.html

Well that's infuriating. :mad:

My son and I are going on our 3rd NCL cruise this September and are flying in the day before instead of driving. Been thinking about booking the Homewood Suites this time. Did you stay at the one downtown (Brickell area) or by the airport? If Brickell, how did you like it?

We did not stay at the one in Brickell, we stayed at the one across from the Dolphin Mall, we thought it was perfect for a family.

Thank you so much for your review! We leave in less than 3 weeks on the Escape and are traveling with our 2 boys-12(turning 13 on the cruise) and 14. Hoping they enjoy Entourage! Many reviews mention the ropes course being closed due to wind. Did you feel the kids had plenty of opportunities to enjoy the ropes course? Any other advice for a great family cruise? Thinking about spa pass, but if our boys don't like hanging out in the Entourage teen club, not sure we would use the pass very much.

Did your kids go to Howl at the Moon with you? Really looking forward to that and the District!

Entourage has both wii and Xbox, plus air hockey and foosball for free, our 11 year olds got to use the room for two hours one day as part of the splash academy program and they had a great time. I did notice one night entourage group had an organized dodgeball game and there was 20+ kids playing. Although the ropes course was closed for wind several times, our kids got on it more than enough times. The best time is during port days usually no lines. My wife used the Spa pass ever day and said it was worth it. We did not bring our kids to Howl at the Moon as they always wanted to go to the splash academy. However, we did see kids at Howl at the moon, after 11:00pm the show changes to an adult show. The District is awesome, I highly recommended spending time on the waterfront on deck 8, it is usually really quiet with plenty of seating. I recommend going there when leaving all the ports, great view plus it is close to the district. Our favorite show was the Brat Pack because we grew up watching all those movies.

Thanks for your review! My dh and I are sailing Escape next July for my 50th birthday and our anniversary and leaving our kids (23 and 19) at home...Yikes [emoji33]

 

Where did you and your dh relax at night? Did you have a favorite bar? Did you see any comedians or shows?

 

What time was your flight back home and if early did you have time to spare?

 

Thanks.

 

 

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Hello!

The waterfront area is very relaxing on deck 8, especially at night. We loved walking around the ship on this deck any time of day, though. They had ample seating, views, and a wine bar as well as a bakery with coffee too. We loved this deck for when we left ports...the views were incredible. Specifically from the Virgin Islands.

We did see one comedy show, and a magic show, both were good. After Midnight was great. It was about music from 1940's harlem. The Brat Pack show was our fav, and highly recommended as well as Howl at the Moon at Headliners.

We flew into FLL so we had to take a cab back, which was cheaper than NCL's busses. Don't book your flight any earlier than 1 just in case, but we were off the ship by 8. We flew in a day early, btw, and it was a big help not having to rush to the port. We rented a car for 70 bucks and stayed in the Homewood suites in Miami. Easy drop off at Hertz and free shuttle. I hope this helps.

You will have a great time. :)

6) The ship definitely has a bit of an odd shimmy. Reflection felt more solid, but I think we also had smoother seas on that trip, so not a totally fair comparison. Ship looks and feels a bit top heavy. Weather is a bit windy and waves seem to be coming from all directions, so ship is bobbing around a bit more than we'd like. Nothing major, just a slight annoyance. I would not enjoy hitting 15-20' seas in this thing.

 

Yes, and wow. it took some getting used to. I have to say it rocked me to sleep at night...

More please...

I hit send too early....added more :)

This is not my first cruise, I had only been on 2 others, but this is the first with kids. We sailed last week and I have to admit, I'm going through some withdrawal. It's nice having thousands of employees picking up your crap, offering assistance and feeding you 24/7. Let me break it down.

The room-- We had a family ocean view state room. There was ample room for 5 of us, two 12-year-olds, a 9-year-old and 2 adults. We had plenty of space for clothes (one closet was strictly for dirty clothes) and storage of suitcases. I cannot comment on it with regards to babies and things they carry, although there were plenty of strollers in the hallways, so I assume that is where you store them. I was quite impressed with the bathroom size, with an ample tub, trough-like sink with 2 faucets, and cabinet storage. Like most have done, we bought a shoe, over the door type organizer. really awesome....do that. I got it at Wal-Mart for like, 5 bucks. If you are tall, however, you will have to crouch a little. I'm 5'6, so, I'm thinking a 6-foot ceiling.

There are 2 tvs, although, the one by the main bed is oddly placed and I never used it. The bed was large, us having a queen at home, this is a king. Comfortable, for sure. The kids had a full-size bed and a pull-down bunk. The window was large enough to sit in it, and sit they did.

The Pool-- I am torn on this, because, I am not a huge sun goddess. We sat in the shade most days and out of the way. I don't need to be in the middle of things. That being said, the slides didn't have more than a 10-minute wait on busy days, and the kids pool and aqua park were never crowded. The main adult pool was always crowded. I do think it's too small for the amount of people on board. The bar at the pool, Waves, was efficient. I always got served regardless. There is plenty of room for sunbathing all over the ship though, so if you want to just lay in the sun, that's not an issue.

Sports Complex -- Was fabulous. When the ropes course was open (it was windy A LOT), my boys did this and loved it. They had a large chess board, Bocce Ball, mini golf, and the huge basketball court. Always fun. My boys spend a lot of time up here.

Splash Academy -- Wow, and OMG. My kids had so much fun doing this program, and it lent for us to have some time alone, see shows and eat when we wanted. I have a son with anxiety issues, and they gave us a pager, which made me and him feel better. They are great with children, and my boys made a ton of friends. They do all kinds of things with them, from Survivor night, Pirate nights, Glow parties, and Pajamas. The last day at sea, they even do a circus show at the main stage.

Shows -- Amazing talent. We saw the magic show, a comedy show, After Midnight, and For the Record, The Brat Pack. The former being my fav. I saw it twice. Shows you can get into easy, comedy, not so much. The talent is insane. All over, from the little bands at the pool, to Howl at the Moon, dueling pianos. (please, please, please, go to this...they take requests, it's hilarious).

Food -- I'm not much of a foodie, so we ate at the basic places. The Garden cafe is a lifesaver with kids...food whenever, and you are connected to the main pool, so you can bring the food out. My kids were old enough to go in and get food alone, which is wonderful. Taste was great as well. O'Sheehans was our favorite though. Breakfast here is awesome. I hear Cagney's was awesome, but I never got there.

Booze -- Get the UBP if you are a drinker. Top notch service and beer/liquor. Get the Rebellious Fish, and The Bushwacker. You are welcome. The brewhouse is an awesome place to hang out. FYI.

Spa -- If you have the 199, go to the thermal suite. Just....omg. I relaxed for at least an hour a day alone. Big pools of warm water, several therapy rooms, from salt rooms, to snow rooms, etc. Heated loungers with a great view. Great work out area too, if that's your thing.

Ports of call were nice, although, I think they need to get rid of Nassau. My kids loved the beach there, we just went public. They romped in the sand...had a great time at little cost. (Cabbage beach). We headed to St. John to snorkel at Trunk Bay. This beach was on my bucket list. Go see it...please. Tortola we shopped and generally walked around.

We simply cannot wait to book another cruise with NCL. The staff was amazing, embarkation and debarkation super easy and organized.

We had Tyler as a cruise director, and he was cool, just a little over the top....I kind of wanted to turn down his "Are you having fun?" button.

Motion was a little rough, like others say. We needed Dramamine the first night. I've been off for 2 days and I still feel it....for reals.

Kids are welcome, revered and treated with the same respect as adults, much to the dismay of some grumps. :) My kids cried when we left. Great time!!

FYI-- I tried to add more photos on the attachment area, but it would not let me...

Yeah but then how do you feel if they serve roast suckling pig on the buffet that night?

I don't eat suckling pig.:D

WHY? I mean, I really want to know...why?

Because. It's ridiculous and makes no sense.

As for someone who grew up raising pigs and hogs, this does not sound at all appealing to me. When you've "wrastled" pigs to castrate them, paying money to swim with them seems ridiculous.

I'm sure it does for someone who raised them. I grew up in the beach. So for me I don't get why people would spend thousands to hang out on a dirty beach. I guess I get that.

This is more of a ridiculous thing that my personality requires. I used to have a specialty travel book when I was an agent. This had the same kind of stuff in there. I mean. Pigs in the water. In the Bahamas. So stupid it's cool.

And no. I don't want to castrate them. I draw the line somewhere.

Yeah, anything on or to Exuma has always been expensive. These pigs were left on the island decades ago and procreated. The Bahamian government cares for them, and with the influx of tourists they are well fed.

I don't know if we will be able to do this....it looks like it would just be too far. i was wondering if anyone tried tho.;)

Bring a water bottle and fill it on the Lido deck. If you don't like the taste bring a water bottle that includes a Brita filter. It is a lot less expensive than anything you buy, and avoids all that extra plastic that has to be disposed of by someone.

This is a great idea. I will bring a water bottle for the kids...:)

When I was a travel agent, this became a bucket list item. We dock for 7 whole hours at Nassau, and to be honest, I'm not a fan of nassau. If I cant find anything to do (Besides show my kids a straw market), we will stay on the ship.

But....pigs in Exuma. I mean...:D:D:D

Has anyone used a private charter to do this?

Based on what I am seeing online, and the amenities, I can't tell what is in the actual room as far as mini fridges and or coffee makers. I keep hearing that the water is super expensive and the coffee sucks. We will be on the Escape.(I would have posted in there, but it won't let me start a thread in there?)

i would like to know what my options are...keeping water cold in the room, and or making my own coffee in the morning (bringing my own grounds/creamer/sugar).

If anyone knows of anything, or has exp in this room cat, can you fill us in? Thanks!

IN your case Mandylouwho, the most important thing is finding a cabin large enough to hold your family of 5. There appears to be only one type of cabin that fits that bill and it's a 2BR with a tag price of over 5000/pp.

 

There's still hope for you, there seem to be quite a few available.

 

PS. It has nothing to do with the number of cruises you've done, you're still in the running.

 

Good luck,

That's what I figured. We are in the ocean view family, which is fine, but I wasn't sure there was a possibility.

I haven't received an email to bid up, however our only option would be to bid on a haven. (We have 5). I'm leaving in 2 weeks. What are the chances we would get this email?

We have a stateroom assignment too, so is that why? This is also our first NCL cruise, do they only offer these to latitude members?

we can not talk about travel agents on this forum.

You're the only one that used that term. So in that case, stop using that term. It's not allowed. Apparently.:p

As a rule of thumb, when I was an agent, I never booked a flight before 1pm. I think you will be ok, but when i was booking for others, I did not want to be responsible for them missing their flight.

The Baths or the Virgin Gordas ( same place ). On 11 cruises this has been my favorite. The kids will love. You have to maneuver through "caves" - actually a collection of rock formations- to get to the beach. It is a beautiful beach surrounded by rock formations. The water is warm, good snorkeling, and beautiful scenery.

 

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I was going to do this, but I kept seeing posts about how over rated it was. I appreciate this feed back though, as I think this is what we will end up doing....was it crowded.

We'll have three boys with us, 11, 11 and 9. I don't really like any of the excursions NCL is offering.

Whats the easiest thing to do there? Which beach would you recommend?

Shopping here good? We will be fairly busy in St. Thomas so there will be no shopping done there.

Our time there is short....11 to 3.

TIA!

Iv'e started my packing journey with three kids and two adults. Lord help me.

I'm curious about the shampoo/soaps they have on board. I saw they don't have conditioner (I need it, everyone else is male and don't know what that is), so I would need to bring that.

But what about the quality of the other things? Just curious...I'll probably bring my things, but will this stuff be ok for general use?

Thanks!

*Continues packing and crying on the inside...*

I am heading out in 29 days on the Escape to the EC. We have three boys, 11,11 and 9. We got a family OV. From what people tell me this will be plenty big. Bathtub and all for the little ones who bathe instead of shower. Ample closet space and 2 tv's. I have only ever stayed in an inside cabin, so this is a step up. Even though the balconies are high, as a mom too, I would be constantly worried with a 2 year old. This would be my suggestion. Of someone else gets a balcony then the little ones can go on it to see and have a thrill. Then back to the window enclosed in. :p from what I understand the Windows have ledges the kids can sit in. My boys can't wait to do this. On will post a review on the room upon my return though.

Nassau is not just a port call on "lame" East Coast and Florida sailings. Some cruise lines have started adding Nassau as a port call on transatlantics, hardly what one would want. But if you want to take an otherwise great TA, you may find yourself stuck with that port, and it has nothing to do with money.

I agree. I have never seen Tortola or St. Thomas, so this is why we chose it. Plus, my kids have never been out of the US or have seen caribbean waters yet. My choices would have been relagated to the southern caribbean, but with 5 that was a bit expensive.

Last year I lost my favorite headband I ever owned in Nassau.

I got it at Charming Charlie in NYC. It was blue and sparkly.

If found, please return to meatball_nyc@Best Things to do in Nassau.com

That's the best thing I can think of to do in Nassau. Sorry.

If I find that, I may keep it. :D

I believe a recent Ncl policy change would prevent it from being booked that way (although you could shift people around once on board). They made me place someone over 21 in our adjoining cabin. They wouldn't allow us to book it as a 19, 16 and 15 year old in one room, even though we were next door in connected rooms.

As a travel agent, I used to do this all the time. One adult in each cabin then do the ol' switcheroo. It does feel good to break the rules and feel like a real outsider. Paging pony boy!

Stay gold.