Mike C

The charge is listed as an entertainment charge

Not per person, but per night. For eleven nights it was about $ 870. This last time the Concierge told us that the room was vacant, but the person who had booked it was a no-show. He said there was a possibility the couple might meet the ship at our first port, Port Canaveral. If that was the case we would be moved back to YC interior. I waited until we left PC to completely unpack.

We have been able to upgrade from YC interior to YC Deluxe Balcony once on board for our last two cruises on the Meraviglia. Stop at the Concierge desk first thing and tell them you are interested. They will probably tell you to check back after sailaway. Both times the upgrade cost approx. $ 75 per night.

Leave your open suitcase under the bed. You can pull it out like another drawer to store your bulkier items such as your winter coats

We just got checked in. They are asking for paper copies of the boarding passes

I like the idea of waiting to see the YC dinner menu before booking the Diamond dinner. We did have a great meal in Ocean Cay last time. Mussels were excellent

One of the Diamond perks is a free specialty dinner. You can book it with the Concierge once on board. I would plan on having the rest of the dinners in the YC restaurant. once you hit warmer weather, lunch will be served at the grill on the pool deck which is very good.

In November on the Venezia, we stayed on ship time when we went to San Juan which was one hour ahead of ship time due to daylight savings time. We almost missed our excursion we booked with Flavors of San Juan due to the time difference

There is an area of the pool that gently slopes down

Yes, check out their website. They have a few different tours.

Whenever someone asks for a suggestion for the DR, I recommend Iguana Mama tours. We did the City Tour a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

We are driving down that morning. We are 1.5 - 2 hours north depending on traffic

Are you flying in early or the same day?

Just a heads-up, it might not be that easy to get a taxi near the cruise terminal, especially for a short trip to GCT. There is a taxi stand across the street, but the city doesn’t staff it. It’s chaotic. Someone will be screening the people looking for a cab, trying to find the airport fares. There will be a few fake “Uber” drivers looking to grab fares, telling you that their car is a down the block. If you take your time coming off the ship, it might be worth it to try and grab a cab outside the second floor of the terminal where the taxis are dropping off customers. Last time, we tried for a cab to GCT and then called an Uber. The driver told us he prefers to pick up on the second floor, since it’s less congested. Good luck, and have a great cruise.

You can check with the Concierge once you are in the YC to see if there is the possibility of an upgrade. We were able to do it in January from YCI to YC Deluxe for about $75 a night.

I just made my reservation for Sept 20. Arrival time is 8 AM

My last experience with the cab stand across the street wasn’t pleasant. A couple of “gentlemen” were acting as cab dispatchers screening people based on their destination. They were refusing people who were looking for short rides, such as Grand Central. Other drivers were haggling with fares as they loaded their luggage into their cabs. We wound up getting an Uber XL. The driver recommended that next time we should go to the 2 nd deck on the pier side and call for the Uber there.

As far as the ship having spots that are warm, or reports of the casino being smoky, those things will not change. As far as the reports of fights on the last cruise, those are not security issues, those are cruiser issues.

We’re booked on NCL in May, the Glory in October and then the Venezia

I don't remember the price, but it less expensive than going through Carnival. I saw the tour on a ParoDeeJay video. If you search Youtube for the ParoDeeJay channel and then search for Amber Cove, you should find it. We went up the mountain to the botanical garden, saw the statue of Jesus, visited a Rum factory, cigar shop, city center, fort, and had an authentic Dominican lunch. We were the only people signed up that day, so it was like a private tour. You do need to walk outside the port area to meet the tour. On the way back, there is a cab waiting that will drive you back into the port for a few dollars. Mike

In the DR, if you’ve never been there before, I would strongly recommend the City Tour through Iguana Mama. We did an excellent five hour tour a few years ago. Mike

I’m on the Prima now. On embarkation day the dining desk was in the theatre, deck 6

Please let us know how it goes. Mike

Is the YC sold out?

Parking in Brooklyn is in an open lot directly across from the cruise terminal. It is an industrial area, so a little tricky to find. I believe the new rates are $45 per day. What day of the week are you cruising? There will definitely be more traffic in the city if you’re leaving on a weekday.