Stevesan

I don't know about Samur, but if you want puretee snorkeling with first class operators try DiveInn Bonaire or Sea & Discover.

Here are their web sites:

 

http://www.diveinnbonaire.com/index.htm

 

http://www.bonairenature.com/seandiscover/#Bonaire%20Marine%20Education%20Center

 

It's not mentioned on their web site, but Sea & Discover has a special trip for cruise ship pax. This is from their e-mail:

 

Hi Steve,

 

We have a special program for cruiseship visitors. It's a 2 site guided

snorkeltrip that starts at 1.30 PM. I pick you up at the boat dock and

take you to two different snorkel sites where we'll go snorkeling. At

around 5 pm I return you to the dock again. The program costs $42.- p.p.

This also includes the marine park fee. I take a minimum of 2 and

maximum of 6 people with me. If you're interested in this program you

can make reservation through e-mail.

Thanks,

Wanda

Sea & Discover

Fuggedabout Sea & Discover. I just received a cancellation notice from them. They are suspending snorkel trips due to personnel relocations.

Ah well, there are lots of other good operators. Woodwind and and Renee, to mention two more.

The best place to buy top quality vanilla is at your local Williams Sonoma store.

They carry Madagascar Bourbon, reputedly the best quality available anywhere.

A bonus: you can be assured you're buying a genuine, not pirated, brand.

Shop Mexico for silver, shop at home for pure vanilla extract.:)

Anybody do this tour? If so what is the boat like, don't want to go on a piece of junk. If this tour is a joke, anything better?

I don't know about Samur, but if you want puretee snorkeling with first class operators try DiveInn Bonaire or Sea & Discover.

Here are their web sites:

http://www.diveinnbonaire.com/index.htm

http://www.bonairenature.com/seandiscover/#Bonaire%20Marine%20Education%20Center

It's not mentioned on their web site, but Sea & Discover has a special trip for cruise ship pax. This is from their e-mail:

Hi Steve,

We have a special program for cruiseship visitors. It's a 2 site guided

snorkeltrip that starts at 1.30 PM. I pick you up at the boat dock and

take you to two different snorkel sites where we'll go snorkeling. At

around 5 pm I return you to the dock again. The program costs $42.- p.p.

This also includes the marine park fee. I take a minimum of 2 and

maximum of 6 people with me. If you're interested in this program you

can make reservation through e-mail.

Thanks,

Wanda

Sea & Discover

I am female so my mustache isn't that that bushy yet! LOL I know not to have it too tight.

I wondered about vaseline...thank you, both good suggestions.:)

 

It is a comfortable $50.00 mask, I hate to scrap it just yet.:(

If it seals on dry land, it'll seal in the water. You must be doing something wrong. Heck, you see kids slap on a mask from a tour boat and snorkel away.

Are you absolutely, 100%, sure there wasn't some hair blocking the seal? It doesn't take much. You say you have a good seal without the snorkel, but for how long is your face in the water sans snorkel???

When I say hair, I'm not alluding to your shapely moustache.:p

What Tallens said, in spades!!

Stuart's Cove is a great snorkel experience:

Nassau: “Snorkel Bahamas Adventure” is a 5-½ hour trip operated by Stuart’s Cove. The boat trip is @ three hours, and visits Schoolhouse Reef, the spectacular Golden Key Reef and finally a “swim with the sharks” at ‘The Wreck of the Bahama Mama’. I have never before witnessed such a number and variety of fish as at Golden Key. There are never-ending fish, large and small, singly and in large schools. The floor is decorated with huge, magnificent coral formations of all shapes and sizes. While there, a shark cruised past our group. He obviously thought this was his ocean and didn’t know, nor care, that we weren’t scheduled for a shark encounter until after Golden Key. Surprisingly, getting in with a dozen or so sharks is not frightening. I suspect we were too caught up with their grace and magnificence to be scared. The fact that the boat captain hadn’t lost a diver in twelve years was also encouraging. This is a five star, gold medallion, prime trip, not to be missed!

http://www.snorkelbahamas.com/

Stevesan:

What do you mean by "prepaying?"

I'm thinking about buying myself some onboard credit.

Same as what you said.:)

You can go to the purser's desk and make a cash deposit to your onboard account.

Due to the ship's size, the casino is relatively small, populated primarily by slot machines (not unlike land casinos).

There are a "few" blackjack tables, though.

Your best bet:p is BYO cash, travelers checks or prepaying. There's a 3% service fee for cash advances.

I apologize if this subject has been discussed around before.

 

Thanks

Don't apologize. It would be a miracle if someone actually had a question that hadn't been discussed before. :)

Why not post a thread asking about dress codes? That's always fun.:rolleyes:

I did not know that Princess offers "inside" or "outside" guarantees. Having said that, the guarantee, which is usually by category, simply means you will be assigned a cabin either in the category selected or better.

I once booked an outside guarantee on Holland America's Volendam and ended up with an excellent location in the highest "outside" cabin category (C for those who know HAL).

When booking guarantee, you do not have a cabin choice. You usually learn of your cabin assignment shortly before sailing. Periodically check your Cruise Personalizer on Princess' web site. Your cabin number eventually appears there. In very rare instances, you may not be assigned a cabin until check in at the port. Don't sweat it. That's often good news.

Upgrades are a complete mystery. being a first time cruiser, you're more likely receive one. They haven't "hooked" you yet.:p

No one has good 'ole sweet "suthern" tea

With all due respect, Caroline: YUCK!

Tex-Mex food. If you have ever been to Texas, there is NOTHING better than tex-mex food. I stop to eat it after every vacation. I haven't finished vacationing, until I complete it with good tex-mex food. I even start my vacations by eating it the night before I leave. It's so good, it would be worth vacationing here just to eat it.

Except New Mexico. I'm speaking from six years experience in Albuquerque and thirty-three years in Texas. Most of the time, New Mexico Mexican is better than Mexico!

Oh, I forgot once in awhile I like a good old fashioned peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

 

Marilyn

 

P.S. Good topic, Irish

You can get a PBJ in the ship's dining room (Kids Menu), but you can't get good NY style cheesecake like Kenny & Ziggy's!!!!:D

Here's Cavender's home page - includes prices:

http://www.cavenders.com/

And Baskin's:

http://www.baskins.com/

Really clever URL names, huh?