Linda87

Hi, 

      We arrive  at the Fort Lauderdale (FLL) airport at noon the day of our cruise and our ship's boarding time has been postponed due to scheduled maintenance until 5-8 pm with 9pm sailing. 

I have heard that the cruise line (Royal Caribbean) will take our luggage earlier, but I'm not sure about that.  

What are your suggestions for things to do with our time while we wait for boarding?  There are 4 of us.  Parents and 19 and 22 year old kids.  

Thanks in advance, 

Thank you Drake for your reply. I read many of your posts in this thread prior to our cruise and found them very helpful.

I took your advice and we booked the Big Beards half day cruise. It was last week. We had a great time. The staff was very courteous, helpful and fun. Buck Island is breathtakingly beautiful. And we were indeed ready to return to the cruise ship after the half day.

We did have some trouble getting a taxi back however. It was at least partially our fault. At the end of the snorkeling cruise Big Beards told us we could either take a taxi back immediately (about 12:30 pm) or return with the full day cruise at 3:30 pm.

Mistake # 1. I had forgotten to pack a razor. I decide someone in Christiansted must sell razors. We ask the Big Beards representative about getting a slightly later taxi. I'm told no problem, you just have to walk to their taxi stand about 2 blocks away instead of right in front of Big Beards. 10 minutes later I have the troublesome razor and we walk to the taxi stand. A taxi driver tells us they need a full cab, to walk around and he will find us when they have a full group.

Mistake #2. We listen to the taxi driver and walk around. Visit the scale house, read the sign about Alexander Hamilton, look at the chickens, etc. Then we notice a cab is filling up with people. We go over and they tell us they already have a cab full and to wait for the next one. We were there before everyone actually leaving. Guy who promised to "find us" has disappeared. This time we're going to wait right under the taxi drivers noses so they don't skip us again. Gradually 8 other people show up waiting for a taxi (they won't leave without 12). At this point it's been over an hour since we tried to get a taxi to Fredricksted. I have to use the restroom. I figure by the time 2 more people show up and the taxi loads I will be back.

Mistake #3. I leave husband at the taxi stand and go to the restroom. After received a frantic text from my husband, I run back just in time to see the taxi leave. We plop down and wait again for 10 more people. Finally get to board a taxi back where we had a very late lunch on the cruise ship.

If I had it to do again, I would have left with the main group right after completing the half day snorkel trip. I would have asked the cruise ship staff for a razor or looked near the port.

I am taking 6 for a 7 night Caribbean cruise. 2 formal, 2 semi-formal and 2 casual. The 2 semi-formal are because my husband is old school and wants to dress up for dinner most nights.

The casual ones are knit and easy to pack. Could wear for a casual night or on a shore excursion.

i am sure we're overpacking but it fits into a carryon bag each and 1 checked bag for two of us. I leave Sunday.

I know we have 2 formal nights, but have been all over the Royal Caribbean website looking for whether the other nights are casual, semi-formal whatever.

Thanks in advance

We sail on Jewel of the Seas April 15. :D

We booked guarantee ocean view on Jewel of the Seas and have been assigned deck 2. I'm content with the money saved. We sail in April.

Thank you all for the sweet words of encouragement. I went with the 2nd dress. Everyone called it black, but in real life it's called smoke and is a gray with some dark blue tones. Actually that's another thing I like about it. I don't wear much pure black and this will go with the shoes I already have. The dress is getting shortened at the alterations place now. Being 5 feet even is a trial. This dress was a petite and I still have to have it hemmed.

I wish I could have gotten them both, but it's not in the budget. I already have a short formal dress that I plan to wear for the 2nd formal night.

I cannot wait to go on this cruise and wear this dress!!!

Please help.

My husband and I want to snorkel at Buck Island. One option is to take a half day day with either Big Beard's or Caribbean Sea Adventures. If we take a taxi to the Christiansted dock how doable would it be to take a taxi or just walk around Christiansten for awhile before returning to the ship? My husband would like to see the fort. Is this cramming too much in after snorkeling? Would getting taxi back to the ship from the town of Christiansted be a problem?

Caribbean Sea Adventures offers an extra two hours excursion time for the same price as their half day Buck Island trip ($75 pp). They don't include a lunch. I'm afraid I would be starving after 6 hours in the sun. They say you can bring a packed lunch, but where would we get a packed lunch from a cruise ship? Are there any vendors near the docks selling pack-able food? The size of their boats and the price is very appealing.

From the reviews everyone seems to love Big Beard's full day excursion, but at $105 pp is the extra $30 pp more than Caribbean Sea adventures worth it?

I really enjoy sun and snorkeling, and my husband likes it but not as much. He also sunburns easily. I don't want him to feel trapped, but on the the other hand this is our only planned sail and snorkel out of 5 ports of call. We're seeing forts, etc at other locations.

Any thoughts, especially from people who have been to St. Croix.

Please help me choose which dress for formal night. It's our 30th anniversary. My husband will wear a tux. He's a formal kind of person. I have taken my fat body all over my small town and this is the best of my options.