jaymcc

Hi, I’m looking to hire a scooter/moped in St Marten for the day when we visit in January. Has anyone done this and can make a recommendation?

According to a post I found on a blog site, there's a screenshot of an email between a guest and web_reservations at rccl dot com with the following exceptions (as at Oct 2017):

- Pregnancy

- Recovering alcoholic

- Medical reasons

- Religious reasons

- Does not consume alcohol due to personal preference

It also states that no documentation is needed and no alternative drink package is required to be purchased.

I think it is crazy for them to give a boarding time. It makes me angry. I had a great price for a direct flight landing 12:40 into Tampa for a 4 pm sailing. RC said, that’s no good when I did my online docs. They said arrive by 12. So, I rebook to arrive the night before and book a hotel. Now, you better believe I’ll be on that ship early. Sorry to whine. With flights landing at various times, how can they do that?

Are you talking about the online checkin where it asks for your connections/transfers?

If so, unless you've booked those through RC I'm not sure they're really doing anything but suggesting you leave more time. My flights out of Seattle at the end of the next cruise are not within RC's recommended times so I just changed the time on the checkin form to later the same day. It's my fault and my fault alone if I don't make the connection.

Having said all that - 12:40 landing for 4pm departure seems to be cutting it fine so perhaps you're better off on the day before anyway.

He told us he was trying to get it organized on the Allure, however was doubtful he would get permission because of the potential liability.

I have nothing against the show, we actually did the Amazing Race Cozumel excursion back in 2013 and had a tremendous time. But that was on shore. Knowing how overzealous competitive people can get I see innocent bystanders on board get in the way and possibly hurt as these teams go running around the ship. Bad idea

This is biggest concern - thanks to you both for your feedback. I've been trying to figure out a way to do it without the risk. I was thinking that perhaps people get timed only on task completion - rather than the time taken to get from one task to the next.

Will have a think.

We were on the Serenade of the Seas for Christmas so I incorporated the Christmas theme into the race. It was only our family so I had to set up the game so DH and I did not have to do too much running or the kids would get to the next stop before we did! If the instructions below are confusing just ask for clarification. It was great fun!

Start at stateroom and give-

 

Envelope # 1 - Locate dad at the shuffleboard game, score 14 points and he will give you your next clue.

 

Envelope # 2-Locate the scrabble board in the card room. Spell "MERRY CHRISTMAS" on the board and you will receive your next clue.

 

Envelope # 3-Time to grab a coffee at the Diamond Lounge and receive your next task.

 

Upon arrival at the D Lounge provide Envelope # 4a (which contained a sheet of paper with Christmas words that needed to be unscrambled.) After you successfully unscramble all of these words you will be given your next instructions.

 

Envelope 4b-Take a photo of 1) Statue of the man with an inner tube at the pool,2)Godmother of the Serenade of the Seas, 3) A slot machine then check a book out of the library to get your next clue.

 

Envelope # 5-Head to the Sports Deck, locate dad and he will give you your next set of instructions

 

Envelope # 6a- DETOUR Choice of 2 tasks: 1) Sink a hole-in-one at the Fairways of the Serenade" OR 2) Successfully sink 4 basketballs. Once you have completed one of the tasks you will be given your next clue

 

Envelope # 6b-Your next activity awaits you in the Schooner bar

 

Envelope # 7a-Time to puzzle..when you have put together the puzzles you will receive your next clue. (I made puzzles from cutting old Christmas cards into pieces and mixed them all together in one envelope.)

 

Envelope # 7b- Your next set of instructions can be found were you sleep

 

Envelope 8- Mom and Dad are waiting for you on the bridge in the solarium ...the

final pit stop of the Christmas 2015 Amazing Race!!

Excellent - thanks so much for sharing.

Since we do mainly RCCL cruises I would also use the free links when researching our next cruise when onboard thus there was no need to log on if our friends needed the internet.

Just wanted to confirm - you’re saying that I can connect to the wifi, not buy internet access, but get access to some Royal Carib content/sites?

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I know this is going to sound weird, but there’s a good reason for it.

Does anyone know Explorer of the Seas well enough to tell me if there’s a publicly visible guide to semaphore anywhere on board?

ah shoot, didn't realize that. I'll keep looking. Maybe there is an API I can attach to with RCCL that I can search by hand. heh.

 

thanks for the info everyone.

In the short amount of research I did I couldn’t find an api that’s wasn’t wrapped up in a complicated agency product offering, so expensive that pricing wasn’t displayed online.

Hi Everyone, l am wondering what the cost is of a refreshment package on the Explorer of the Seas while she's cruising around Australia?

From what I’ve figured out, it was about AUD$27 a couple of weeks ago, then went up to $38. Right now it’s on sale until tomorrow for about AUD$27. So the price was artificially inflated so as it can be discounted again.

I organized one a few years ago. It was great fun. I did not include anything that required interaction or involvement of the crew. We had no issues.

Would you mind sharing some of the activities you included?

Has anyone ever organized, or been involved in, an Amazing Race style scavenger hunt onbaord?

I’m interested in creating something for our next cruise on Explorer but just want to know if the crew have any problems with something like this? Or what challenges I might expect.

If anyone has any advice or experience please let me know.

Hi Jay!

 

 

 

Wow! Your reply was so fast! I forget the time difference. I have a few friends down in NZ right now for the Atlantis charter.

 

 

 

I can do the pool time and sun time while on the ship. I like to see culture and history of places since I've never been to these places and likely won't be making a return within my lifetime. I want to maximize the stops in each place.

 

 

 

I think Noumea has a hop on, hop off bus if I recall correctly. I don't have anything booked with the cruise line except in Fiji and Hawaii with Lahaina being open. I'm doing the luau you've seen in the other site's group.

 

 

 

I have five days in Sydney pre-cruise I'm still trying to get sorted as well. Never done a trip of this magnitude or been this disorganized for one either!

 

 

 

Thank you!

Noumea

The hop on bus (they call it a train) is good. They take you up to the lookout so you can see the surrounding area which is spectacular. Last two times we rented a car and did our own thing. Found a really quiet beach that the locals use and an amazing patisserie. We’re thinking of doing a day trip to one of the islands that someone on Facebook is arranging. Looks spectacular.

Lifou

There is a local market just off the tender but it’s small. There are a couple of tours organised by the ship. A friend went to the vanilla plantation and said that it was a great day.

Maui

We have two mopeds booked for the day so we can travel around on our own a little and then have a dinner booked seaside somewhere.

Oahu

We are renting a car there also to meet up with some old friends.

I think if anything we try to avoid the touristy things. Are you travelling alone?

I know what you mean about disorganised - we spent the whole weekend last weekend looking at tours alone trying to see what we might find interesting.

This is our first cruise of this length and first without kids/family too.

Sydney

There’s just so much to do. I’d suggest trying to get to the Blue Mountains if you can. Bondi is also a great place to spend some time. The zoo in Sydney is spectacular - right on the harbour. Sydney Harbour Bridge climb would be awesome if you have the nerve.

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Any tips you can provide, especially on the earlier ports if you've been before would be greatly appreciated! :D

 

 

 

~Jake

Hi

I’ve been following the FB group and the roll call thread also. I’ve done Mystery Island, Noumea and Lifou a couple of times.

Lifou and Mystery Island are good beach days if that’s what you’re into.

Noumea I find a bit boring, this will be my fourth time there. Is there anything specific you’d like to know?

Jay

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I have only docked at the centre twice while being out at the outer dock the other times.

Was it walk on/off the ship or still a bus to the town?

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Been to Noumea three times and never docked where this ship was docked (from the photo). We always end up in the industrial area and have to get buses back and forth from the ship to the market area.

If you've still got that spreadsheet I'd really appreciate a copy too.

j@jaym.cc

Thank you in advance.

Jay

Hi All

My partner, David, and I are booked onto this cruise. We booked back in August 2016 and all of a sudden it's around the corner. Both really excited as it's our first cruise without kids/family.

Anyone else on this cruise?

Jay

I'm on a cruise in April for the first time without the whole family... just the two of us.

I'm wondering what the chances are of being on our own table, rather than grouped with other couples. I think my preference is to join a bigger table to meet more people and share the experience as each day goes by.

Anyone have any stories to share, good or bad, of being a couple on a table of strangers for a 20+ day cruise?

Jay

That looks like a cool place. Something different too for a cruise. Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks - I'm thinking that as a half way point in a 23 day cruise it'll be good to just see trees and mountains and no people for a change. A bit of a reset before the final leg.

I'm assuming they still do this tour - a few years ago we did a Blue Lagoon tour. Was a long day and a few hours on a mini-bus but we got to spend some time in a local village, then got paddled up the river in some canoes to swim in the blue lagoon. Then we came back down the river to a lunch at a different village. Really enjoyed it and had a 5yo and 9yo with us for the day.

Zip-lock baggies (3-gal size) from the dollar store. I get a few snacks, slide plate and all into the zip lock baggie.

Genius!

I've travelled with a vegetarian a couple of times, once on Explorer OTS.

Yes - pasta is always an option but they normally will have variation throughout the cruise. I don't remember them ever being disappointed with the options. I also remember one time they got a veg-burger from Johnny Rockets brought down to the MDR for them!

Have been to Noumea three times now and am going again in April on Explorer of the Seas with RCL.

If you haven't done the HoHo bus then you should do it.

Generally though we find Noumea to be a relatively boring port so the last two times we did a bunch of research and did our own thing.

Most recently:

- Hired a care for the day from RedSpot (they were one of the few English speaking agents) and they met us at the drop off point in Noumea so getting the car was super easy.

- We went to the revolving restaurant at L'Entrecote Au 360 for lunch. The food was ok, the price was ok, the view was excellent.

- We found a patisserie that we wanted to go to which was L' Atelier Gourmand. It doesn't look like much from the outside but the cakes were incredible.

- We found a really quiet beach to go to also. On our first visit there was a run down resort nearby but on our last visit it had been done up and there's now a cafe at the resort. It's the beach the locals go to - quiet water and virtually no-one around. It's called Kuendu Bay and is about a 10 min drive from Noumea.

Like most ports - you get out of it what you put into it. There's some shops around the drop off point in Noumea but haven't generally found much of interest without heading away from the town.

Hope that helps.

I remember going into the WJ on my last cruise to organise a plate of cookies for the poolside movie. As I was walking out I was told I wasn't allowed to do that. I joked and said "sure sure" thinking they were being funny, but they were serious. I ended up just walking away with my plate of cookies to share with the family.

Is this considered the same thing as taking food back to your suite? Or is there something special about a plate of cookies that's different?

Maybe the OP is an optimistic single guy (or gal) looking to mingle at a few luaus . . .

Ha! Single? no.

We have plans to actually rent some camping gear and stay overnight at Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden. It's away from the crowds and sits at the base of the mountains on the east side of Oahu.