Mum2Mercury

When the case is full of Cheddar, Gouda and other superior cheeses, why bother with any American cheese?

I'm echoing what others have said: I have a computer file in which I keep the details of my (multiple) upcoming cruises. Note: This is for upcoming cruises only, not memories of old trips. How I organize it: - I have a template at the end of file, which -- when I book a new cruise -- I copy and fill in with details. - The first page of the template is a calendar-type grid. At the top of this first page is the name of the ship /our room number /our night-before hotel info /phone numbers /confirmation numbers. - I type in the dates /what islands we'll visit /time, etc. On this grid I fill in dinner reservations, shore excursions, activities we want to enjoy (for example, we tend to sail in the fall, so I'd type in Monday Night Football at Playmakers for my husband). I print this page, and we take it with us. - The second page is my standard packing list. I might add to or subtract from this list based upon our plans: longer or shorter cruise, specific needs for shore excursions, etc. - This second page also includes a list of "must dos": reservations for the dog to go to the kennel, reserve shore excursions, make final payment, let the kids know our details. This list includes dates, and it helps me remember what I've done for which cruises.

Even if they don't want it themselves, I don't think anyone's upset by receiving "extra". No one has suggested candy bars in place of tips ... this is an "extra".

- All staff like tips. - It's hard to believe staff wouldn't like tips attached to a Hershey bar even more. - It's hard to believe staff would complain about the type of chocolate in a gift ... that requires a special kind of entitlement.

I was allowed to climb when we visited Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico City). That would've been in the 80s, as I was in high school.

Agree. I've seen cenotes as a part of another excursion, and they were a bit underwhelming. I mean, we have bodies of water where I live. Agree ... even if you have no problems on the big ship, these small ships can still do a number on you. I very much like to take Crystalized Ginger (I make it homemade, but you can buy it at Harris Teeter under the brand name Sweet Melissa's), which gives INSTANT, though short lived, relief. I like to chop it up into small bits and carry it in a little ziplock. Agree. As a general rule of thumb, I DO NOT take ship excursions (and cost is the least important of several reasons), but this is just too far /too many modes of transportation to DIY it. I wouldn't have thought, for example, about weather affecting things as the above poster mentioned.

I agree! This is not a place to scrimp. Noted. I'm wondering if Chops has grown kinda "stale". People don't seem excited about it in the same way they're excited about The Mason Jar and Hooked. My husband is insane for Playmakers, especially since we tend to sail in the fall during football season. I wish they'd add one to every ship. Let's be honest: Dessert has never been RC's greatest strength. We've had the same experience. Part of it is the new facial recognition software, which isn't an RC product, but -- yes -- disembarkation is so much faster than it used to be. Unless something's changed very recently, they don't serve breakfast on the island, and lunch doesn't open until ... 11:00ish? Thanks for a good review! I always like to hear plenty of details.

I'm all about making a reasonable complaint, but it must be directed to the right people. The wait staff has no authority to change the menus or the policies. Don't mess with them. This matters to me -- I like a lot of vegetables! How is the tiger shrimp? I've never ordered it. Eh, not a fair comment.

On the one hand, I like it because it's a space saver. If you're concerned about things getting "bunched up" and subsequently wrinkled, you could fill it with socks or pajamas. On the other hand, almost $50 is a lot of money for something that you're only going to use a few hours during transit.

Yes, all the RC ships I've sailed have had a library, but they are poorly stocked; I'm quite sure they're filled only with books left behind by previous passengers. However, I agree with the poster who says you should haul them to the library yourself. We have left sodas, etc. in the room. Winner of the most elitist thing said today. 1. Once we went on an ATV ride in super-muddy Cozumel (it had rained a solid week before our trip), and my tennis shoes were ruined /clearly would never be white again ... so I decided to throw them away mid-week. They weren't anywhere near new anyway. Our cabin steward very politely left them sitting beside the garbage can. 2. I'm not sure how reasonable it is to abandon clothing for the crew's children. They may not be returning home for months, and they'd need a place to store it for all that time. Nice thought though.

Definitely no Johnny Rockets' breakfast on Explorer.

I was just looking at shore excursions for our upcoming cruises ... I see that this Costa Maya Port Pass is $50 if you buy it through the cruise line (and that includes 1 cocktail) or $38 if you buy it from the port's website (and that includes 3 cocktails).

That sounds good! Sounds like something my vegetarian daughter would enjoy. I would be truly disappointed if we missed Coco I'm a life-long Southerner born into a family of life-long Southerners, and I have to say: Only a few things on this menu are actually Southern. Oh, the menu items look good, but they aren't things that originated /are super popular below the Mason-Dixon line. I always enjoy the ice show! I love thin crust! Pizza is all about the toppings. We were in Nassau in December, and Nassau was BAD. We actually felt unsafe in the crush of people squeezing through the bottleneck to enter the town, and we agreed that our family will never set foot in that town again. My husband makes this joke every cruise! Oh, what a nice tip! I think I'd enjoy this. Another nice tip! Thanks! Are the room service burgers the same as the Windjammer burgers?

I've never noted this option, or I saw it and ignored it because it doesn't look too attractive to me: - Essentially they're saying you can only stay in your stateroom. - Most ship's services will be closed; I'd expect you could eat breakfast and go to Guest Services. - 9:00 isn't all that late. - If you were doing self-disembarkation and wanted to wait 'til the last moment, couldn't you stay in the Windjammer or around the pool until about 9:00 anyway? We've found self-disembarkation to be fast: - With a long drive ahead of us, we like to get up and out kinda fast, so we get into line about 7:00 and we're typically in the car leaving the parking deck about 7:30. - This new facial recognition system makes exiting the terminal easier! The first time we used it, I genuinely didn't realize I was done! - We've self-disembarked in Orlando and Miami in the last six months.

I think "time" is a resource that ebbs and flows over the course of your life. - When we were young and just starting our careers, money was in short supply, as we were trying to put away money /let compound interest work for us while we still had many years ahead of us. - By the time our kids were in school, we were in a position much like yours. - Now we're retired and have more time than we had in the past, but we're young retirees and much of our savings is tied up in accounts we're too young to touch.

I have two cruises booked, and they're not treated the same: - Cruise 1 -- the price says BOBO-half off, but the actual numbers are about $5 less than they were a few days ago. - Cruise 2 -- no mention of this Beer Day price, and the cost is the same as it has been. Do they discount more heavily for the older /smaller ships and charge more for the larger /newer ships? Just wondering.

I think they are less fussy over water than over other beverages.

You don't wash your reusable water bottles every day?

Blue Lagoon island hosts multiple shore excursions. Your wife will be able to book something like a beach day excursion /ride the same boat over with you.

I've already made My Time Dining reservations for a November 2024 cruise, so I'm sure you can make dinner ressies now. You can always change your time, so it's smart to go ahead and claim your preferences now. Yes, you'll watch a safety video on the phone app, then go to your Muster Station once you board -- and that's it. Yes, an envelope containing your Ship ID will be waiting outside your door. You'll have a set-sail pass either on your phone or printed, and you'll use that if you want to purchase a drink (or whatever) before picking up your Ship ID. 45 days before you board (45 days?) you'll need to use the app (or your computer) to check in. You'll claim your boarding time then. If you really want to board early (and I always do), stay up until midnight the night before. You'll have no time claiming 10:30. I haven't tendered in years and can't help with that topic. Yes, we watched the 70s party from our Promenade View cabin in December -- loved it!

And for my Pitsky (Pitt Bull /Husky mix), though she's named for Freddie Mercury /not any god. Wait, maybe she was named for a god.

Sorry, can't answer your question, but those choices look pretty good.

A massage onboard is pretty expensive. If you're really looking for a bargain, look for a beach massage during an island stop.

I'm pretty sure I've read that -- in these circumstances -- you'd need the dad's permission to take the kids out of the country. I'd rather have a notarized letter from him rather than risk being turned away at the port.

I saw a chocolate fountain in the Windjammer at dinner at least once. I remember they had churros, bites of cake and fresh fruit along with it. I haven't seen the seafood buffet, but -- if I did -- I'd set up camp and stay a while. I do love seafood.