Itchy&Scratchy

who titles their story "get ready to laugh" and then proceeds to post a story that isn't funny at all...

And when my husband came down with Bell's Palsy for the second time in his life, this "doctor" had no idea what was wrong with him.

my dad came down with Bell's Palsy last year. We thought it was a stroke, because it sure looks like one. At the ER the doctor still ordered a CT scan, even though he said that symptomatically it looked like Bell's Palsy.

go for a 5-7 day cruise for spring break. That's what we are doing with our 7 yo DS.

Right now RCI is running a Kids Sail Free campaign - with lots of blackout dates and still kind of expensive, but doesn't hurt to look.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=587

you have plenty of time to go through your particular port of call boards and seek out the best beaches, activities, excursions, etc.

Thanks for your reply...I understand this thread is old but was interested if anyone had encountered any recent price drops.

I just did on my Thanksgiving cruise. I booked it last week (past the final payment day) and yesterday the price dropped by $200 for 3 people for inside and by $400 total for 3 people for a balcony.

Did you take a cab/bus to the "butterfly place," or walk?

oh, it was definitely not a walking distance, but it was a very quick ride.

 

We liked the butterflies and the lecture, although it may not have been worth the price. But we enjoyed it. DS also enjoyed the koi/tilapia fish pond, and we got several great photo opportunities.

The hotel across it was very nice, but we didn't use it for anything. Just walked through it and to a gorgeous beach.

what about the soda package alone for only 1 person out of 3?

Changing a baby on a tray table.....that's just outrageous. Manners have gone by the wayside for some.

well, I don't know. If it's a little baby and only a pee diaper, it takes 30 seconds to change the kiddo, so doing it in a much nastier bathroom is probably something I'd skip.

The peed on diaper is not going to get you sick with the flu.

If you're paying more money for your cabin vs sail away, the "perks" are anything but "free." ;)

It's just a marketing gimmick.

I agree.

I priced the inside cabin and a balcony cabin for 3 people and 4 people, at both perk-free and "with perks - 3rd and 4th person free", and the lowest guarantee perk-free category IX/BX total was cheaper than the one with the perk of having the 3rd and 4th person "free".

This is on Jade, Thanksgiving cruise.

 

P.S. Well, doodie, the price just dropped by $200 from last week's prices for inside and by $400 for balcony. I could have saved $$....

We are going to Aruba in a month. I've started researching options and there is a cool site "Resort for a Day" that you can buy day passes to resorts with nice beaches and amenities. Kind of pricey, but they look nice.

if you are going to the beach, you don't need Resort for a Day. If you are going to use the hotel facilities, like the pool - yes, you need one.

Like I said - we just walked through the hotel to the beach and the beach and loungers were free.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=168

 

when we were in Aruba, we went to the butterfly place and then just crossed the street to some hotel (it's on Eagle beach) - the loungers were free, lots of palm trees and shade, the water was great, the beach was great, bathrooms were available, everything was clean and shiny. The hotel personnel told us that all the beaches in Aruba are public and free to use, including the lounge chairs.

1. cleaning/antibacterial wipes - before take-off, wipe down your head rest, your tray table, the arm rests, and the back of the seat in front of you. (you can get a pack of 10 of these individually wrapped at the dollar store for, um, a dollar) - I never do this, and fly a LOT, never had problems. But if it makes you happy

when we traveled alone as adults, we never cared to either. But now that we travel with a kid, the entire area on the plane gets a good wipe down with Lysol wipes. The tables, the window, the tops of the seats in front of us, the arm rests, etc. Kids aren't as good as adults at remembering not to touch stuff and then stick their hands in the mouth, nose, eyes, etc.

 

When we arrive in our stateroom, every surface gets wiped down with them as well. On Caribbean Princess the wipes were black after wiping the room.

Any other tips for cruising with a toddler?

please check out Family Cruising board on cruisecritic and Traveling with Children board on babycenter.com (https://community.babycenter.com/groups/a10635/traveling-with-children) for additional tips. :)

Did you find it easy to store your car seat in your stateroom?

yes, the Britax Frontier fit in the closet.

Very much appreciate the input. This cruise is about the interiary. Not the cabin selection. And I have noticed there are some Oceanview cabins still avaliable. So a,free upgrade would be ok also. I'll know more tomorrow when my wife pulls into ketichan if we are cancelling our princess booking for same time frame

which Princess are they on now and which Princess ship would you be on on your next trip?

They are hating the food. The entertainment and the long lines getting back onto the ship after excursions.

they are hating PRINCESS FOOD?

If there is anything not to hate about Princess - it's usually food. :

I purchased a Sail Away inside last week on Jade (November cruise), and just got an assignment today. I think we'll hate it - it's on deck 11 right under the buffet on deck 12.

 

What could they possible HATE about Princess? Or did you mean - they hate the cabin placement?

Minimum height is only 48 inches, but you also need to be over 99 pounds.

well, that's never gonna happen. My kid was 48" on his 6th birthday, but 51#, and he is on a hefty side. :)

where do you see a $15pp package, because all I see is either $8pp or $25pp packages?

 

 

 

That's the ship we're booked on. That's what I'm worried about that we'll find it too long and wish we were back on land by the end of it.

that's the ship we are also booked on, and I look forward to 10 days in a Caribbean paradise as opposed to cold, windy and rainy weather back home.

I don't see a "view vacation' anywhere. I see banners are after hitting "View Reservation" thou, should this be "view reservation" instead?

 

There is a "Vacation Summary" but there is not banners on that page.

besides the banner, it was one of the messages in the Inbox on NCL, once you log in.

The agency I use does not participate! Therefore, when sailing on NCL I book direct. I really do loVe Them Greatly as far as their service, amenities and group discounts.;)

they never offered us anything more than a $25 OBC, and their Princess prices are actually higher than the actual princess.com prices. So, no. Now I book directly.

Oh, and it's good to know they don't participate - I've made the right decision to book our first NCL cruise directly.

We've done 5-8 night cruises, and we can't wait for our 10-night cruise coming up in a couple of months.

Breathe, OP. Stressing over the length of an 11 day cruise is unnecessary. A cruise is a fun vacation, not a reason to stress over.

thick potato pancakes

just wondering if that's a code word for hash browns.

Interesting; we don't have that option where I live, but it's great to know that's a thing in Fort Lauderdale as it gives us more options for getting around instead of having to bring a carseat or rely on vans/shuttles which don't require them.

We brought our carseat a few times. No biggie. You just bingee cord them to a stroller or a magna cart and use them on the plane.

Ubers with car seats usually have only forward facing car seats (ImmiGo), so if you are in a state where it's illegal to forward face before 2 years of age or you choose to rear face your child longer than 12 months (as one should), then you are better off bringing your own car seat, like a very light and easy to use/travel with Cosco Scenera NEXT ($40).

 

This is discussed a lot on the Family Cruising board.