Izzybeff

I just booked our Valentines reservation this morning on the Dawn. We are trying out La Cucina for the first time.

Thanks this helps a lot! Which cruise are you on? When are you leaving! I would like to meet some fellow plus size women going in cruises and the excursions they are doing?! Hopefully it would help any of us with body issues feel a little more comfortable!

We are doing an NCL cruise out of Tampa in February. I've not had a problem with any other excursions I've done on previous cruises, but I wasn't sure about this one.

I was just wondering if anyone has gone tubing and been overweight. I don't mean just a little overweight, I'm specifically looking for anyone over 300 lbs that might have gone and your review of it.

Were you able to do the walk into the tubing area, did your butt drag the ground, etc. etc.

I would really appreciate any information. I am cruising with a group of friends and this is the only excursion I don't know if i'm going to be able to do because of my weight.

Of the 6 cruises I've taken, 3 were balconies, 2 were OV's and 1 was an inside.

I thought I needed a balcony to enjoy my cruise and this past January I found out I did not. I wanted to cruise, but Dh wanted to visit his brother. We agreed to spend a few days of vacation together, then he would go to his brothers and I would leave on a cruise. His one caveat, was that I needed to book an inside room because the balcony as a solo was crazy expensive. So I did. I figured if I freaked out, it would only be me that had to deal with it. I'm claustrophobic, afraid of heights, hate large groups of people, etc. etc.

You know what.. I LOVED it! I came home and change my booking for my next February cruise from an AFT balcony to an inside. When I booked our Alaskan cruise for next May, I booked an inside. If I go on a cruise this Nov. like i'm thinking about, it will be an inside.

I just loved that it felt like a little nest. I'm a fairly organized person so the space wasn't an issue. I'm sure my cabin steward loved me because I was rarely in my cabin and all he really needed to do was make up the half the bed I slept on and give me fresh towels.

Dh had been trying to tell me from the beginning that if we booked insides we can cruise more.. And I refused to listen.. But now, we will stick with our insides and you guys can have the balconies.

Thank you so much for this! You helped me make the decision to go with Lamanai and I'm really looking forward to it!

Sorry for the re-post, but it seems relevant:

 

This question about which ruins to see in Belize comes up frequently, thus it might be appropriate to settle this question. I have been studying Maya archeology, history, and culture off and on for about 20 years (just as an enthusiast, not as a professional) and have travelled to various Mayan sites many times, including the three sites in Belize to which the cruise lines sent their passengers. We have visited these three sites in November 2011. Several notes:

 

(1) The Ancient Maya have lived throughout the entire area of what is now Belize, and one can find archeological evidence everywhere. There are hundreds of sites of various archeological quality and significance throughout the whole country. Of these hundreds of sites, there are about 5 major sites in Belize: Altun Ha, Lamanai, Xunantunich, Caracol, and Lubaantun.

 

(2) When it comes to picking Ancient Maya sites for Belize, the cruise lines did an excellent jobs in selecting the appropriate ones. All three sites (i.e., Altun Ha, Lamanai, and Xunantunich) that the cruise ships picked are major sites for Belize. There are dozens of smaller sites that are just as close or closer to the ship, that the cruise lines have correctly ignored. This can’t be said for site selections in, for example, Cozumel, where the cruise lines offer excursions to even some third rate archeological sites, from which cruise passengers invariably come back disappointed.

 

(3) All three sites that cruise ship excursions visit in Belize have been partially excavated, and pyramids have been consolidated (i.e., rebuilt by archeologists). You and your kids are able to climb pyramids and other structures on all three sites. A few portions of pyramids are off limits, but generally there are no official restrictions on climbing on structures. This is not like Chichen Itza where climbing is forbidden, or Tulum, where everything is roped off and people are herded on crushed gravel walkways. Whether the excursion guides will allow you to do so (for liability reasons) is another question.

 

(4) The sizes of the three sites are comparable. All have multiple pyramids to climb. None of them are huge (like Chichen Itza or Copan or Tikal), and within a few hours you will see pretty much the whole site. It is also not so small like so many of the sites in Puuc Hills. I have no idea how long the excursion last, but guidebooks that specialize in visiting Mayan sites, and which I have found to have good estimates, recommend spending 1.5 hrs in Altun Ha, 2 hrs in Xunantunich, and 3 hrs in Lamanai.

 

(5) If you are looking to take photos of your family members or friends each standing on a different distant pyramid, then go to Altun Ha or Xunantunich. Specifically, if you are looking to put your friends on different pyramids across a wide field of view, then Altun Ha is best; if you are looking to put your friends on different structures in a row, then Xunantunich is best.

 

(6) If you are looking for an overgrowth of a jungle, then Lamanai is the best. The pyramids in Altun Ha and Xunantunich are around plazas of lawn. On the other hand walking between structures in Lamanai the paths generally wind through a jungle (except for one open plaza, P2). The nice thing about walking in a jungle is that you are walking in a shade. If you are visiting from a cruise ship, you will be visiting the site during the hottest part of the day, thus walking in a shade does make a big difference.

 

(7) If you are looking to climb a tall pyramid, go to Xunantunich or Lamanai. El Castillo (structure A-6) in Xunantunich measures 127 feet. El Castillo (structure N10-43) in Lamanai measures 108 feet. Though the Lamanai’s El Castillo is a little bit shorter than the one in Xunantunich, it appears higher from the ground, because you have to climb is straight up holding onto a chain as you climb. El Castillo in Xunantunich is easier to climb for people who are afraid of heights. However, because of the vast grassy plaza in front of El Castillo in Xunantunich, when you are at the top, it does appear that you are significantly higher than from El Castillo in Lamanai which is most surrounded by treetops. (The tallest pyramid in Altun Ha is Temple of the Masonry Altars with 59 feet).

 

(8) If you want to include in your excursion a visit to unconsolidated and overgrown structures where tourists generally do not wander, where your kids can feel like Indiana Jones, and where you can see how the structures looked like before archeologists consolidated them, then go to Xunantunich or Lamanai. In Xunantunich there is a path leading westward from the southern edge of the ball court for about 500 feet to about 7 structure of “middle class residences” called “Group B”. In Lamanai there is a path heading further north from the Mask Temple looping around a huge unexcavated, unconsolidated “Structure P9-25” (it is about 90x110 meters, reaching heights of 28 meters, making the most massive structure in Lamanai). Note that P9-25 is not on most tour books (except for Lonely Planet) and not on maps posted on the bulletin boards at the entrance to the site. It will take more time to go off to hike to P9-25 in Lamanai, then to hike to Group B in Xunantunich.

 

(9) If you are looking for the best way of getting to the site, go to Lamanai. All or a portion of the trip to Lamanai is on a speedboat on a river. This is generally the preferred way of getting to Lamanai. You’ll see monkeys getting into the boat, and you’ll see crocodiles, etc.

 

(10) If you are looking for the closest site to Belize City, go to Altun Ha. However, about half of the road from Belize City to the turn off to Altun Ha is on an old potholed road.

 

(11) The road from Belize City to Xunantunich, is fast, goes through a picturesque country, but it is a long drive. You are essentially going across the whole country, almost into Guatemala.

 

(12) If you want to visit a site on your own, and want to rent a car to get there, then go to Altun Ha. This is the easiest of the three to drive to and see.

 

(13) If you want to rent a car to visit Xunantunich on your own, the drive is long (130 km or so) but the road is in a relatively good condition. The trickiest part is getting though Santa Elana/San Ignacio; you should study maps of this twin town to save yourself the time.

 

(14) If you want to rent a car to visit Lamanai, then you need to be early enough to make it to the bridge across the New River from underneath which speed boats take off for Lamanai. There is usually someone hanging around the bridge who could take you to Lamanai for a reasonable fee if you miss the boat. It is also possible to drive all the way to Lamanai, going across the bridge crossing the New River, and then turning south on a packed gravel, unmarked, road through Mennonite farming communities. Note that both ITM maps (250K Belize and 500K Yucatan) differ from each other and from reality, thus you should rely on Google Earth. If you get lost, try out your German language skills.

 

(15) At the entrance to any of these sites will be locals who you can hire to be your guide.

 

(16) If you want to visit Caracol, which is a little bit more impressive Mayan site than Altun Ha, Xunantunich, or Lamanai, then it will be very difficult to do it on a daytrip from a cruise ship. To get there, you’ll need to drive on Western Highway almost to Xunantunich, then head off south into jungle covered mountains for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours on a deeply rutted jungle tracks (4WD drive is preferred, but we did it during dry season in a front wheel drive car), and then you will need to report by 9:15 to the military outpost in Douglas da Silva, from which you will join a convoy of cars protected by military escorts for about another hour to reach Caracol. At 14:00 you will head back, and reverse to process.

 

 

In summary, I don’t think that you can go wrong with either Lamanai, or Xunantunich, or Altun Ha; all have plusses and minuses, all are very good sites, but none is a world-class site. I hope that this has helped.

This is a great source of information. I'm a heavy person, 5'5 on a good day and have weighed everything between 260 & 375. Around the 340 mark right now. I've been on 6 cruises and I have to say the majority of the time I don't have a problem. My only issue so far really was the theatre seats on the NCL cruise ships and that can be alleviated by sitting in the balcony where they have bench seating.

I prefer NCL, but I have to say Carnival ships so far have been the easiest. The 4 I have been on all had bench seating in the theatre's and in the buffer area. I can't remember about the dining room. If they had arms on the chairs, they must have been large enough to fit me. I've even sat in the booth's and been ok.

My DH is normal sized and he's very used to making sure i'm comfortable. The poor man tends to wait on me a lot which is nice and when I travel without him I miss it.

I have one cruise booked on the NCL Dawn for next February and I'm looking at a NCL cruise for this November and also next May to Alaska again. The last two will depend on how busy we are at work.

It's really nice to know that other people understand. Oh and the biggest cruise ship shower I've seen in a regular cabin was on the Carnival Elation. The shower was huge as was the rest of the bathroom. Too bad they don't build the new ships like that.

If your still sending it, I'd love to have a copy. The PDFs looked fabulous. Pfohlsmarketing@fbx.com

Thank you!!!

We had one of these rooms in January of 2012 and it was fabulous. As big as a mini suite, but with a regular balcony cabin bathroom. The balcony is very large and you can see a lot. We regularly had 6 people on our balcony and never felt crowded. Because our room was larger than most it ended up being the meeting point. Plus it was very convenient to be on the same deck as the pool and buffet. My husband was very happy with that.

With NCL boats, you need to check and make sure they haven't been remodeled. Some of them have taken that lounge area at the very top and made it into suites unfortunately. I truly enjoyed my trip on the Sun last year because of the lounge area on the top deck.

I'm cruising on the Miracle on June 4th. You went to Juneau first? I had to quick check our itinerary, we sail to Skagway first and then Juneau.

It's been 32 days since I got off my last cruise.. (but who's counting) and another 102 days till my next one. The best way to get over it is to start planning another immediately. Even if you can't book it yet.

I always have one booked and one in the plans. Right now I have 2 booked and one in the plans, plus a quick weekend trip to Vegas, another week trip with my husband to a reunion and another long weekend trip to visit friends in the fall.

I find I constantly have to have a trip to plan.

Wow,

 

Thanks for the reply Ron.

I guess the reason I cant find it is it seems to not be offered on the Jan 13 cruise date.

 

I used you link, it asked if I wanted to find a cruise for this tour and I looked but my date was not there. The Cruise before and after my week were there but not the 13th.

BUMMER!!!!!:(

It must be booked solid. I'm on the same cruise and it doesn't come up for me either.

My cruises have been solo as well and I have to say I have never even felt a little bit anxious or nervous. While I've never been in any kind of uncomfortable situations I spoke once with a lady who had a fella being a little pushy in the disco one night. She stopped at the bar before she was going to leave and asked the bartender if they could call and have a staff member escort to her cabin. That was done and she was grateful.

 

I have to admit that I was nervous about this too before I took my first solo cruise. No longer. As the last poster said, use your common sense and this is probably the safest way for a solo female to travel.

That is a great idea about asking staff to walk you to your room. I hope I never need to use it. Thanks. Just last minute jitters I guess.

My only concern with cruising solo is safety. Normally when I cruise I'm sharing a room with someone, but since I'm not this time I'm a little uneasy.

For the women, have you ever had an issue with someone following you to your room or bothering you at all? And if you did, what did you do?

I redeemed 20,000 points for $200 onboard credit last week and it was easy peasy!

I'm so sorry for your loss.

My step dad passed away when I was 15. I was the youngest and the only child left at home so it was just my mother and I. We planned a trip in the first year after he passed and sometimes I think that is the only thing that got us thru those first few months.

I would say go ahead and take the cruise and have the best time you can. It won't make the pain go away, but it will give you something else to think about.

Totally love your post! DH & I always pick times when there will be the least amount of kids on the cruise. We avoid all other times..

I've found that the third & fourth week of January are great. The kids are back in school and most likely won't be out again till the end of February beginning of March for spring break.

End of April till the first week of May, but anything after that till the middle of September is worthless as all the college kids are off and then all the other kids.

We also won't cruise around Thanksgiving or Christmas either. We would probably do the 1st or 2nd week of December because I think most parents would wait till Christmas break to cruise.

By staying within these times and always doing a 7 day cruise or longer, we've managed to have trips where I've seen less than 10 children on the entire boat.. It's been awesome!!

Hello! I've been reading about you on here and wondered if you are still doing tours. Can you please email me at pfohlsmarketing at fbx.com Thanks! We will be in Progresso the beginning of May.

You guys are getting me so excited for this cabin! Can't wait to see it. I will try to remember to take lots of pictures and post them when we get back in January.

We have 1002 on our cruise in January and I'm so excited!! We've only had mid ship balconies before so i'm looking forward to the extra space in the room and on the balcony. I plan to take plenty of pictures!

We've gone to it on both of our cruises and will on the next two cruises we have planned. However, I have panic attacks in large groups of people and last time we got there right after they called it. I was in the row right against the wall with a ton of people in front of me. I started freaking out a bit and hyperventilating. Next time will wait till the majority of people go in so I can be in the front. Really started my cruise off badly. I just couldn't believe how many people they packed into such a small place. My poor DH. He knew what was going to happen when they kept putting people in front of us.:(