kayjo

Thanks for the link. Very interesting article. I would like to know who the CEO interviewed when he justified that the changes were made in response to what the customer wanted. Too bad I live close to an American Hub, but I will be doing more research on future flights.

Not sure about all American Airlines Airbus flights, but we were on a A321 in first class and there are no longer any charger/power outlets or in seat entertainment. When asked the flight attendant said they were taken out for weight, though not sure if that is true or not. Anyway, if you are on one of those planes, make sure you have a full charge and backup for a long flight.

I love them, also love packing cubes. My TJ Maxx always has a decent selection.

I hope this gets back on track. Also interested in the original questions, the restaurant/food discussion has taken this thread in another direction.

As the OP mentioned, we can read the website, but the actual trip reports are more interesting.

We had it last week on Jewel of the Seas and a lot of wine was extra. Prosecco was $14 a glass. All of the mixed drinks we ordered fell within the limits of the package and we were very happy with it. We also used it a lot to get bottles of water and specialty coffees.

Oops- I meant that the beaches all were under a "no swimming"/red flag type of warning because of high swells caused by all of the storms in the U.S. the prior week. They were beautiful to look at and hopefully when you go you can swim!

Just visited Martinique last week and wanted to go to the beach, but the water was very rough and all water excursions were cancelled. We ended up walking around the town and then tried to figure out the ferry boat schedule, but gave up since we speak and read limited French and the water was so rough decided to just get back on the boat. I am not sure anyone was allowed to swim at any of the beaches, we were told they were all closed, so I hope you have better weather and an understanding of French. It is very expensive place, so you should eat a big breakfast on the boat.

Took the water taxi last week- it was a little time consuming since they do not leave until they are full, and we had to sit at the dock for about 30 minutes until they got enough people to make the 10-15 minute trip. The "taxi" had seen better days and DID NOT have any life jackets, and although you are never out of sight of the shore I was a little nervous- they packed the boat as full as they could. We did take the water taxi back as well since they sold us round trip tickets, so do not know how the land taxi is. They charged $10 per person to get a chair with shared umbrella and the water was very swimmable it you went away from the taxis. The $15 was supposed to include bathroom facilities, but they were very primitive and the attendant charged $1 to use it. It was about a 10 minute walk back to the ship. Grenada was a very easy and friendly port.

Did a tour with this company last week and it was excellent.

https://www.grenadaculinarytour.com

The guides were very informative and truly loved their job! We had several tastings which started with a full breakfast at the local market. All of the tours that day started together and then broke off after breakfast. We had 6 on ours. One group did a longer tour and took a van into the country for a more extensive experience. Another couple did a private cooking class in someone's home. We did run into them later that day back on the ship and they said it was incredible. The guides took a lot of pictures which they emailed to us which is a nice touch.

We had time after the tour to go to the beach.

We just got back and had a day in Barbados- booked Glory Tours and did a 1/2 day private tour. It was very good- our guide was Charles and we went to Harrison's Cave, St. Nicolas Abbey and The George Washington House- had planned to do a beach stop but the beaches all had warnings and our guide did not recommend going there. The tour we did was way longer than the 3.5 hour that was advertised, so a very good value. You do pay entrance fees to the attractions.

Several years ago we had "Shorty" on the Fantasy. She was my favorite of all time, followed her on FB after the cruise and she got a huge promotion and is no longer a CD.

Really struggling with what to do in Martinique. Ports of Call board isn't too helpful- what Rainforest Trip did you do?

We did a bike tour which also included some beach time. It was a lot of fun and there is only one very tiny hill. It was good to get some exercise.

FWIW Carnival is the parent company of both Costa and Holland, so if you are a stockholder in Carnival, you do get Shareholder benefits on either cruise.

I have been on both Costa (Fortuna) and Holland (Veendam). I liked them both. Costa is more known to Europeans, and had a more international vibe- we thought the food was very good, some people do not like it because it is not always what they are used to. There was a lot more smoking on Costa and the ship had the same basic experience as Carnival or RCCL. Holland had a much older feel- we were in our mid-fifties and were among the youngest people on the ship. The food was good, but bland- probably due to the age of the crowd. They had a lot of nice activities during the day- cooking demos, craft activities, etc, but relatively nothing to do after 9 pm. Costa had a really fun toga party the last night and provided "togas" in your cabin with instructions on how to wear them- though a lot of people came prepared with costumes from home. It was one of the most fun activities we have ever done on a cruise ship, but I don't know if that is something they still do. Guest services on Holland was far superior to Costa- theirs were actually rude and difficult to deal with. Also, the port times on Costa were very short compared to HAL. You will have fun whichever way you decide!

We took a cruise once with a huge group chartered by Mayberry fans. Even though we weren't part of it we saw them a lot on the ship, and they were a fun, (older) group, and even had some of the former stars with them. I actually wished I had been part of their group- they took over a couple of venues, but in out of the way places, and didn't negative impact my trip. Another time we were on a cruise with over 500 ballroom dancers- they were pretty visible in some of the venues, but it was fun to watch them dance- like dancing with the stars! They also dressed very formally for dinner which was nice! I think there must be charter groups on most ships, the cruise line probably makes more money by selling them a block of cabins at a higher rate. If you find a large group on your ship and then try to do a mock booking, (if you can) the rate is usually higher and they don't seem to be offered the same OBC, etc.

I assume you did the math on the drink package. We get by with one or 2 drinks during the day on a sea day, and usually a glass of wine with dinner, maybe one more after. Don't bother with the pictures, and stay away from the casino and spa. You will have a great time just enjoying all there is to do and in the ports you are going to you can just get off the ship and walk to everything, including a public beach.

Whatever you do, don't skimp on the tips. I have seen on here where sometimes people "adjust" their tips down from the suggested amount- I think that is a terrible thing to do- the crew members rely on that money and they work very hard.

I promise you will have a great time!

Maybe consider NCL Pride of America Hawaiian cruise. Weather will be great and lots to do. Bahamas are still chilly in January and Feb. To get really warm water and weather, you will need to do Southern Caribbean. Also, not sure what condition those islands are in due to latest hurricane season.

We enjoyed the singer in the Atrium before dinner. There was a small band set up outside of the casino, but it was very smoky there. Other times it was just Karaoke.

Our steward was great and serviced the room twice a day without being asked.

Have a great cruise!

Thanks- I didn't think the information was correct, but you never know!

Does anyone know if the Sunshine docked at Amber Cove on Feb. 15? I was on the Valor and we came close to docking, but at the last minute pulled away- big disappointment. Some people on the ship said that the Sunshine docked right after we left.

Also, they have a new cruise director. Her name is Cassie and she wants to go by "Classy Cassie" which makes no sense considering her behavior at the Love and Marriage show. I heard a lot of people complaining about how annoying she was and I agree.

I just got off the Valor yesterday (Feb. 20) and there are hairdryers in the rooms, but they are very weak.

The piano bar singer was TERRIBLE. TJ Carter was very good.

I booked with Marysol Tours. Unfortunately we were unable to dock because of wind (Carnival Valor), so while I can't vouch for the actual excursion, it does get great reviews on trip advisor, and the owner of the company reached out to me immediately and refunded my entire purchase price that day.

The Southern itinerary is good, but if I were flying all the way to San Juan, I would take a better ship than the Fascination. I took it several years ago from Jacksonville, and it was okay, but no bells and whistles.