MamaToMany

Fair point, @Essiesmom. Thank you for the shift in thought process. 

Thanks, @canderson. That helps.

55 minutes ago, canderson said:

Both WiFi calling (using your regular phone number, not a separate app) and phone number based texting are unlikely to work on the basic package.  I have seen exceptions, but I believe these were due to mis-configuration by shipboard IT.

 

Really? I’m new to Celebrity and trying to figure out what to do about WiFi. I can’t text my hubby at home with the basic package?

I’ll be sailing solo and have never done a B2B before. I feel pretty good about the logistics of the actual B2B piece, I think.

I’m planning to hop off the ship with a carryon full of laundry on turnaround day, as I have no laundry perks on Celebrity. I’m guessing I’ll need to Uber to a laundromat near port. Hoping there’s one close to Port Everglades. 
 

Can anyone speak to the entertainment/enrichment offered onboard during the day? I love to read and will come loaded with books, but with no ship library I am worried I’ll run out of reading material. (Hoping hubby will get me a kindle for Christmas) While I don’t fear boredom, I’d love to know what I can plan on during the day. Is it comparable to Royal Caribbean or NCL, or should I expect something completely different? 
 

Also, are folks pretty friendly to solo cruisers? I love to chat!

Thanks in advance! 

Hello! Has anyone recently sailed Bliss who might be willing to upload dailies? Can you tell me who is onboard right now as far as musicians and comedians go? We will be on the 3/20 sailing, and would love to have some idea of what we should be sure to check out!  

I sailed Encore two weeks ago and got great info about this here on CC. Definitely found a couple of people I might have overlooked but really ended up enjoying, so I'm hoping someone might be able to help a gal out! Thanks in advance!

Was just onboard two weeks ago, and KInky Boots was most definitely on!  It was WONDERFUL!!  Don't miss Choir of Man either - a blast!

I was just on Encore last week, and I can give a little information. Splash Academy was definitely still closed. Teen club is running and has events daily. There is “family free play” in the teen club and in SA,  but it’s not a drop off program. They simply have the space open and available for kids and parents to come play. There was plenty of youth staff on the ship, but they were filling different roles. I spoke with one of the youth staff and she said she had no idea when SA wound reopen, but they were hoping for some word about it soon. 
 

We are cruising with 3 teens and our 10yo on Bliss next month, and I REALLY hope there will be some mention of SA reopening before that. I’ll admit it doesn’t look likely though. 

Just decided to L&S our 11/15 Oasis cruise to next year. New sail date will be 11/7/21. So incredibly bummed, but also want to make it a special experience, as it’s a mother/son cruise for me and my youngest boy. The plus side is that he will be old enough for the teen club, and tall enough to ride stand up on the Flowrider by next year. (He’s a short fellow at present.). 

We would love to keep our 3/15 sailing on Joy, but our school district is implementing a policy that will not allow certain students to return to school if they have traveled during spring break.  We are waiting to hear exact what that policy entails before we make our final decision, but our drop dead date is tomorrow to cancel. There is no way we can travel and then keep kids home for a 2-week self imposed quarantine.  If that’s what the policy ends up stating, we will have no choice but to cancel.

I’m sitting at the Comfort Suites in Miami right now, and will depart on NCL Sky for a B2B tomorrow.  While this is perfectly serviceable for a pre-cruise night, I know I don’t want to come back after the cruise.  If very much like to be somewhere that has lots of dining options nearby and perhaps is close to the beach. I’m a solo 39yo woman, and while I can handle myself, I’d like to stay somewhere that feels safe for a day of exploration and hanging out after I get off the ship.  What would you recommend? An airport shuttle would be a big bonus, but isn’t required!

I’m sitting in my room at the Comfort Suites right now. While it is a perfectly passable hotel for a pre-cruise overnight, no way would I leave a car parked here.  Not in a million years. 

I’ll be on Sky next week for a B2B.  Can anyone let me know what to expect from turnaround day in Mimi? I will be changing cabins, so I know I’ll need to pack up everything to be moved.  What should I expect as far as clearing customs, needing to leave the ship and reboard, etc? I’ve never done a B2B before, and it’s super exciting!

I wonder if they would make a small exception for our family? Our 7yo is legally blind, and I was hoping to tie a bright ribbon to the door handle or place a single brightly colored magnet on our foot at her viewing level.  The room numbers are too high for her to be able to read, and I’d love to give her the confidence to find our room on her own. (Not that she will EVER be left solo at any point during the cruise. It’s just an independence thing...)

That’s true- we are paying $199 for our 3 youngest kids. Thanks for the link- I’ll give them a call.

***I’ll preface this with the disclaimer that I have searched the boards and read the other threads about this topic.***

Our family (2 parents, 5 kids) just booked a sailing on Joy for spring break next year.  Free air was an offer, and we took it.  It is truly free if we fly out of Albuquerque, which is 3 hours from us.  

What I can’t decide is whether we want to gamble on everything working out if we fly out the same day as the ship leaves. I understand that we can pay a $25 deviation fee and opt to fly out the day before sailing? Is this true? If so, how do we set that up? 

I’d lean towards flying out the day before sailing, simply because weather can be quite touch and go at that time of year, even though it is generally very nice and should be easy for traveling. 

We should have enough CC points to completely cover plane tickets if we want to purchase them separately, so that could be an option too.  

Or or we could drive 15 hours to the port. 

What would you do? Why? (This is our first cruise as an entire family, and I so badly want it to go well!!)

Thanks in advance for all of your input!

Having cruised both an Oasis class RCI ship, and one of the largest NCL ships (Bliss), I would have to say that I prefer NCL.  It’s not by a huge margin, and we’ve got a cruise booked with both lines again in 2020.  For me, the biggest draw on NCL is the Waterfront.  There is so much lovely outdoor space to enjoy and just watch the ocean go by.  It was easy to feel more connected to the sea on NCL.  The mojito bar being just steps away also was a plus... Of course YMMV, but I can’t wait to be on the Waterfront again!  We have 5 kiddos, and I’m confident that they will find plenty to do to keep themselves entertained on Joy when we go next spring break.

We have a pair of connecting Family Oceanview rooms on deck 5 forward on a 24 hour hold. We got a pretty good deal, I think.  I just can’t decide if it will be worth it? We can’t swing this on a yearly basis, so this is a big deal. 

Our kids are 15, 13, 11, 9, and 7.  We don’t need all the bells and whistles, but will there be enough to do to keep them occupied and happy? How are the kids clubs? Teen clubs? General activities?

Will we regret spending the money? 

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We board Bliss in 5 days. Reviews like yours make me even more excited than I already was, and that's hard to do!

5 days to Bliss!!!!!:cool:

I told my hubby we need to do Wal Mart in PV, just to say we’ve done it! I’ve been to Wal Mart in China too, so this will make country number 3. It’s always an interesting experience!

Okay, seasoned cruisers. The hubby and I will be leaving on Friday for our 10/13 Bliss sailing out of LA. We can’t wait! Here’s what we’ve done so far:

- Dinner reservations are made (need to change up times a bit once on board.)

- Jersey boys reservation is made.

- e-docs and bag tags printed, passports ready to go

- We’ve got a loose schedule of what/when we’d like to book onboard, like comedy, go-karts, and laser tag.

- Shore excursions are reserved. (Holy cow, cannot WAIT a for our Vallarta Eats tour in PV!)

- Clothing and shoes have been decided on and washed. Wrinkle spray is packed.

What else? What is something you’d never want to live without? What is your best cruise tip to share? What is something you’d want new cruisers to know in order to make the list cruise awesome? I’d love your input!

I’m enjoying your updates! Thank you! When you get time, please keep them coming. :cool:

I’m a non drinker at the moment as well. I’m looking forward to all of the mojitos from Sugarcanes, but in virgin form! I’m also looking for recommendations for other virgin drinks to try!

10 days left until our 15th anniversary cruise, and I want to get even more excited than I already am!

Tell me about your favorite cruise tradition. How did it start?

My first (and only other cruise so far) Cruise was with my 12 year old son. Our favorite thing was getting little sandwiches from the Cafe Promenade (on Allure) and going back to our balcony to play dice and cards until late at night. It was just lovely listening to the ocean go by, nibbling yummy sandwiches, and spending quality one-on-one time with my boy.

I’m sure it’ll be a bit different, but I’m looking forward to doing the same thing with my hubby- simply chilling on the balcony, having treats, and watching the ocean go by. Can’t wait!!!

I can’t wait to hear what each of you loves and has made into a tradition!

Have fun! Take good care of Bliss- we will be boarding on the 13th! Save me some pretzel rolls! ;p