jbarker1414

Getting my open water certification in a couple of weeks and would love to dive this area. Anyone out there have a recommendation for a safe and reliable dive boat?

We did a tour with Spencer Ambrose, and loved it! He is the former police chief of Castries, and knows everyone. He modified our tour when we "happened" upon a rum factory at 8:45 in the morning, and convinced the owner to open the tasting room for us. We met up with some of Cosol's groups along the way, and honestly, the experiences sounded very similar. Couldn't go wrong with either one.

Not sure what a "tight" budget is. We haven't been to Falmouth but based on a lot of research we've decided to do the culinary tour in a few weeks. $49 ea, about 3 hours of walking, learning, and eating. Gets rave reviews all over the place and seems like an easy and safe way to experience Falmouth our first time in port. Google "Jamaica Culinary Tour".

So glad I tagged in. This sounds fantastic, as water-based activities are out for us. Thanks for the information!:)

Would love to do a bike tour of Grand Cayman. Has anyone used West Bay Loop? They seem to be the only game in town.

I've been out many times with Captain Marvin's, always with a great time. They have been known to customize a tour with a large enough group; bear in mind, his boats carry around 12-15 people. To be fair, I've never heard of the other group...

For the Turtle Farm and Hell, West Bay Loop offers bicycle rentals by the hour and will do pick up/drop off at the terminal. The Turtle Farm is actually walking distance from their shop.

We were on Navigator in February and used Nativeway to see the rays, reef, and Rum Point and in June on the Navigator we used Captain Marvin's for just the reef and rays. Both were great excursions with plenty of time to see everything and do some shopping at the end.

I'm also a HUGE fan of Captain Marvin's...smaller boat, great crew. Have been out with them about half-dozen times.

i think you just sold me on the drink package:d

me, too!!

Ship - Liberty of the Seas

Deck - 10

Stateroom # - 1230

Stateroom Category – D1

Starboard or Port Side - starboard

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – the quietest ever; last stateroom forward

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? -no

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – great view, no obstuctions; located right behind the flying bridge.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - slightly larger; forward wall is curved to accommodate ship design

Was wind a problem? - surprisingly, no worse than any other balcony

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? -

Any specific problems with this cabin? - none

Any other comments? - by far our favorite stateroom thus far--private, no noise. Would greet the bridge staff every morning with our "coffee cup salute." Most importantly--no drifting tobacco smoke from inconsiderate neighbors.

Don't know if these have been posted already, but...

-bring your own shampoo/conditioner if you are picky--RC has a "one-dispenser-fits-all" in the shower that you use to wash everything.

-take a backpack for shore excursions to keep your gear and purchases secure and hands free. Add a water bottle to bring your own water into the port.

-speaking of water, don't buy bottled water. The ship's water is purified.

-consider an overdoor shoe organizer to store toiletries; keeps the small countertops clear and your cabin steward happy.

-nothing dries quickly in the cabin, so bring a "sham-wow" to wring your swimsuit in so it's completely dry for the next day.

-take the spa tour and register for the spa credit drawing--THEN GO BACK FOR IT! Most people don't return because they get lost at the bar/pool/buffet. Only 10 people or so came back. We've won twice, and the credit will typically cover two services.

Have a great time!!!

This may not be a secret but it was great nevertheless.

 

On sailings where we have been lucky enough to have a balcony, in foreign ports and when your balcony is on the docked side of the ship, when the ship is close to sailing time, instead of going up to a deck or lounge for sailaway, just hang out on the balcony - Then as you see all the folks running for all glory be down the dock so as to make the ship on time start cheering and hootin' & hollerin' (you won't be alone) - it was hilarious! This was one of our favorite activities on more than one ship.

The other half of this secret is that a ship's photographer is taking pictures of the "runners" (what the crew calls them), which are posted on a billboard in the crew area of the ship. The banner on top of the board read "Did ya buy a frickin' watch? Guess not!!" Learned about it on the Carnival Victory and confirmed on the Emerald Princess and SOS.