gmerick

Just a bit of google-ing, CruiseCritic is part of The Independent Traveler, Inc. (look at the bottom of the web page here) owned by tripadvisor.com.  The Wikipedia page for TripAdvisor will list a whole boatload of travel sites.

It's all about name-dropping.  Go to a top-tier event, shake hands with Capt, CD.  When some travel agent or blog site mentions a name, folks can chime in with "CD Incognito is a good friend of mine" because they've shaken hands.  Nahhh, let me touch the forward bearing block of a Wartsilla 16V46D.

Balcony cabin, Anthem, 17 Jan 2024.  I repriced 17 Mar @ $217/day.  Now it is $851/day.  

Don't even need to buy something.  Simply make My-Time Dining reservations.  The reservation is done through Cruise Planner.  If you reserve for all 11 evenings on a Southern Caribbean, when it's cancelled you get a whole InBox full of warnings.

1 hour ago, Tree_skier said:

How in the world are you paying $500 for a single device voom service.  I can buy a 4 device package for less than that on my next Harmony cruise and it isn't even a particularly good price right now.

My Jan 2024 Anthem -- 11 days, internet for 2 (they need two devices, as I'm fairly sure hubby and spouse aren't sharing the same phone to leave voice mail for each other) is $518 at the non-discounted rate.  Today's 30% off sale is $362.89 .

BTW: VOIP is the industry name for Wi-Fi calling.  That protocol is standard on iPhone, and most newer Android devices.  If not provided, there are many free alternatives; I use Google Voice.

No cost option:  When you leave port, put phone on Airplane Mode (this turns off cell phone service, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth).  Turn on Wi-Fi, and connect to the "guest" network.  If you want to use earbuds to listen to music / games, turn Bluetooth back on.  This texting option is using messages in the RCI app.  This is not normal text messages.

$500 option:  I need to receive phone calls and e-mail while on vacation, so I buy the internet package.  I use a cell phone feature called "VOIP" which lets me make voice calls using internet instead of cell service.  As such, making and receiving calls is not affected even when hundreds of miles from land.  I have even called people on board the ship using our cell phones.  (this option also lets me send normal text messages, and e-mail to those I'm traveling with)

Please don't leave us hanging -- what does AOS mean??  Anthem, Alure, Adventure?

smokeybandit

• •  6.3k
• January 1, 2015

On 9/4/2023 at 9:01 AM, renysmom said:

We have had The Key in the past but it’s been awhile. Do you still get priority boarding ( after the suites, pinnacle) guests or do you just get to enter port easier?  We are sailing out of Port Canaveral.  Thanks

The sign for Cape Liberty's priority lane lists Pins, Suites, and Keys.  One line, no waiting.  3 years running hotel shuttle left for the port at 10:30, and was in the MDR eating salad at 11:30.  I've had boarding reservations for the early afternoon on each sailing, but that Key thing apparently means "Advance Token to GO!".

carciofo, aglio, acciughi

Cruise prices are way to high on my sailing, but Anthem is offering TWO Discover scuba excursions on the 18 Jan 2024 sailing - St Thomas and San Juan Puerto Rico.  This also was offered Jan 2023 in San Juan (Escambron Marine Park).  I didn't do the discover, I rented two tanks and went solo, but I did get to watch the three Discover groups get going.  The excursion stayed inside the reef, but apparently had a good time.  Plenty of placed features, maybe 15 ft visibility due to left-over storm surge.  I'd call Escambron more of a bucket list item, not a great dive site, but more to check off one more cruise port where I used up 2 tanks of air.

23 hours ago, omeinv said:

St. Thomas currently has no dive operators close to the port, and you're dealing with a very expensive cab ride.  Otherwise, the sites there would be OK for a Discover Dive, but you can find better many other places. 

 

Harris

Denver, CO

My upcoming Anthem sailing has a "Discover" shore excursion on St Thomas.  I have booked the 2-tank excursion there.  That usually indicates that even though the LDS may not be close to the port, the operator does pier-side pickup of Cruise guests.

Looking at google maps, there are 5 operators with shops on the cruise pier.

Why are you set on a "Discover" package as a teenager's introduction to diving?  That program delivers minimal training, just enough to somewhat mitigate the risk of a fatal accident.  Almost nothing to address pressure equalization in ears and sinuses.  

A much more rewarding experience would be to visit a local dive shop.  If your son remains interested, he could still complete the full Open Water Diver course before any likely sail date, then could go on a two-tank boat dive with you.

Fortunately, there is a NJ that can help with recommending a local dive shop.  https://njscuba.net/

Labor day sale -- same prices as @GimmeOcean said.  (Anthem 18 Jan for me).  I bought it.  I'm traveling Solo, work requires me to have Voom.  so for $100 I get early embarkation, MDR Lunch day 1, MDR Breakfast departure, leisurely debarkation, good seats, no lines for theater, private flowrider.  Yes, I was waiting for the sale, I knew it would come eventually.  

What are your needs?  Full prescription masks are very expensive, an optician will create optical lenses using the supplied blanks, and install them in your mask.  

Somewhat less expensive are bonded prescription lenses that can be attached to an existing mask.

An economy solution are "Gauge Readers"; essentially reading glasses lenses attatched to the lower part of a standard dive mask.  

Still less expensive are stick on reading lenses that can be added to an existing mask.

If your vision is not adequate for distance vision, unfortunately the only real option is the expensive one.  If instead you only need reading glasses for day-to-day use, either of the less expensive options will be more than adequate.

And if you reserve an interior guarantee as a solo, you could end up in 2W; and no double points for you.  Same goes for balcony guarantee and 2F.  Fortunately most times guarantees are not shown as available for single guests.

I've switched to using Pelican cases for cruise travel.  The cases are almost indestructible, waterproof (they even publish buoyancy figures, if you wanted to use it as a buoy), and most have wheels.  I can leave them on the balcony with no worries.  Even pressure washing has no effect.  Several cases are perfect size for carry-on, and 3 others are exactly sized to slide in under the max size for checked baggage.  Packing for one -- a backpack (3 computers, plus accessories), a 1535 case (about 65 lbs, because it contains SCUBA and photography gear), two 1626 checked cases (right at 50lbs).  Flying first class to the port, there are no baggage charges.

Two I've dived with, and can recommend.  

Barbados Blue.

Antigua Scuba School.

Eat after the show.  What is so pressing that you need to get to bed early for?  

Done enough cruises so the wonder of the first few cruises has aged (rather well).  Not every meal on my last cruise hit the same high notes as the highlights I best remember from my first few cruises.  I have a few favorite menus, and some have exceeded expectations, some haven't.  There have been some new highlights that do get up to that initial level of awesomeness.  

Overall, MDR meals are still much better than I would cook for myself, and also better than my favorite restaurants at home.  

The expectations bar does get set rather high, because I have such good remembrance of the truely exceptional meals.  I'm happy with the MDR, the menus, the service, the cuisine.  If I ever reach the point where I want more High Notes, I still haven't tried the Specialty dining venues yet.

Best Way:  Call you TA, say money no concern, I want a suite.

Best Time:  When the sailing is first released, second best time: NOW.

History and experience show prices have only gone up since the shutdown.

1.  I bring a hammock.  I've never been asked to take it down except for days when the balcony is power-washed.  On sea days I spend hours during the day reading, watching, chilling. On nights warmer than 72 degrees I grab the duvet off the bed, and sleep on the balcony.  Set your hammock up at home, and measure distance between the end loops, then check your balcony size -- a standard 55 sq ft balcony is only 10 feet wide and 5.5 deep.  Diagonally, the longest distance between hanging anchors is 11.5 feet.  My habit is to attach one end to the balcony door sliding track, and the other to the divider panel lock, as that gets me the longest diagonal distance, and elevates the "head" end of the hammock.

2.  Don't know -- I never shut the curtains.  I tie a string arround the curtains on day 1 as a holdback, and the steward lets them remain open.

3.  If you listen to Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, and Lester Flatt, reasonable volume is OK.  Academy of St Martin in the Fields, quiet background music would be pleasant.  Something else -- I'll vote with my SuperSoaker.

I am SO going to do this!  I have an upcoming Odyssey cruise with 6 sea days.  Do I log this as a Liveaboard dive?  After all I'm living on the "boat" I'm diving "from".  Do you think the DM will boot me from the class when I show up with my own gear?  Will the DM let me do sidemount?

No time like the present.  My Anthem Jan 2024 and my Odyssey Jan 25 bookings have both more than doubled in price in the past 6 months.  Even if you have to forfeit a deposit, prices may easily  rise to the point where you save significant money booking early.

Your cabin will above and two cabins forward of the bus stop.

I've had 7648 on 3 previous sailings.  This is 5 cabins forward of yours.   

On port days the smoke would drift to my balcony.  On sea days with a following breeze I would occasionally have smoke.  

Move your first leg to Quantum 

Keep your second leg on Ovation