cruise_control

6 minutes ago, wrk2cruise said:

Oh never do something like this online!  Unfortunately they are very busy for obvious reasons plus it’s Sunday.

id wait until Monday maybe be early afternoon.   Or possibly use the chat option where you could capture the conversation for future reference if required 

That's quickly shaping up to be sound advice.  Thank you!

1 minute ago, wrk2cruise said:

Who ever told you that you would owe additional was uninformed.  If you are in North America and  you cancel before final payment you lose $100 pp.

That's exactly what I thought as well.  I attempted to cancel the booking online and a message popped up stating that $900 would be owed to cancel.  I have called Celebrity but have been on hold for over two hours now.

We were on a cruise in November 2019 and booked another for November 2020 while on the ship.  We were specifically told that if we cancelled for any reason in the first few months we would lose our $200 deposit.  I just now tried to cancel and was told I would owe an additional $900.  This is the first cruise we've ever had to cancel but I'm certain no other cruise line would attempt to charge me that much to cancel within the first three months of booking.

I believe the Barbados Sandals resorts are next to each other.  They're about a 20-25 minute taxi ride from the cruise port.

The Sandals resorts in Barbados are next to each other but I think the Royal is the newest one.  They would be located close to Dover Beach which is probably a 20-minute cab ride from Bridgetown.  We've been to many Sandals resorts but not those.

We thought breakfast at the Lido Marketplace was fine but lunch/dinner was not good at all. Lots of other options, though. We didn't like the design of the Liquid Lounge at all, too many bad seats! The comedy was great.

The Alchemy Bar was awesome! We ventured there almost daily just before dinner. Dining room food was on par with others we've been on, very good. We wanted to eat at the steak house but our reservation (which we made a month prior to the cruise) got messed up and we were unable to get another.

Lastly, I'll just share our experience with our balcony cabin. We've always booked balcony staterooms because we enjoy them during mornings and late evenings. The only thing we were able to experience this time was cigar and cigarette smoke from other staterooms. I even witnessed someone below us put his cigar out on the wooden balcony railing. We won't stop cruising but we may have booked our last balcony stateroom and that's unfortunate.

I know my thoughts are not well organized here but just wanted to give our impressions. Overall our cruise on Vista was nice but we enjoy smaller ships.

We were told that at least 17 passengers who booked air through Carnival had delayed flights.

No issues.

When we cruised, Dr. Strange came out the weekend before we left. I was SO excited to watch that on an IMAX on a cruise ship. Imagine my excitement when our choices where Inferno and Jack Reacher 2.

I can imagine your disappointment, but Jack Reacher 2 would've been good. :D

Justice League comes out Nov 17th

You're right. My bad. Thor is out November 2, though.

Thor Ragnorak and Justice League come out this week. Hopefully they're showing!

I have to say I'm confused by the different responses. We've been on at least 6 different cruises and the only time I ever needed my passport was for checking in for the cruise and re-entry into the U.S. I would think that I cannot be denied re-entry as long as my passport hasn't expired. After all, what's the point of having an expiration date if it's not going to be honored? We leave November 4 and my passport expires December 5 so I'm not sure I have time to get it renewed at this point.

Hi all,

My passport expires in December and I'm booked for a November cruise. I didn't see any reason to rush the renewal since we'll be on a closed loop cruise departing from Miami. My wife suggested I double check so I thought I'd throw the question out to you all. Thanks in advance!

We were there this past May. If it were damaged by a hurricane this season, I wouldn't have any info on that. If that's the case, what a shame. It had to be one of the most beautiful beaches we'd ever seen.

Check Bernard's tours St. Maarten. We did tour 2 and went to orient beach, maho beach where the planes are and did a little shopping. We are not big shoppers so we had just enough time to get a few trinkets which was fine with us. We swam at orient beach for about I think an hour or so. They also do private tours. They have beer, water and their special rum punch included with the price. 40 person. Just be careful at orient beach one side is a nude beach. There will be signs posted where it starts. Mailman was our guide and was THE BEST!!

 

 

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Great advice! We did this tour once. It gives you lots of stops all over the island for a great price. The drinks were good, too! :D

We've had lunch many times at Sarafina's Bakery in Marigot, I'm thinking their breakfast should be just as good. We've tasted delicious quiches, pastries, sandwiches, chocolate croissants, macaroons, etc.

 

 

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g147348-d1754928-Reviews-Sarafina_s-Marigot_Saint_Martin_St_Maarten_St_Martin.html

Sarafina's is a must if you travel to the French side of the island.

We really enjoyed the French side of the island. We did a bit of shopping, but the highlight was the pastries at Sarafina's. That's a must do.

Thanks as that's what I've read. I read through countless threads the other day and only ran across one somewhat negative review--all of the others were great. So, we're looking forward to a good tour with them.

 

 

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By the way, we used to have relatives in Cheyenne, and we love Fort Collins. How lucky you are to live in such a great place and still get to cruise. ;)

I literally just now booked with Bernard's. I have never used them, but they do come highly recommended here on Cruise Critic and also has good overall online ratings. Only have to put down a $5.00 pp deposit. He does not accept full payment upfront, and according to his website, will not accept walkups on arrival day. We'll be in Sint Maarten April 23, 2015 on Freedom of the Seas.

I'm sure you've already heard this, but you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended.

You might want to check to see how many ships are visiting St. Maarten on that day. We only had one other ship there on our last cruise and Orient Beach wasn't busy at all.

Early or late are the best times if you are wanting to avoid the crowd. We didn't think it was a great beach for relaxing. If you want that, either Mullet Beach or a bit farther is Orient Beach, which IMO is amazing.

I agree with the other posters. A lido deck cabin is extremely convenient and is not noisy at all. Enjoy!:D

My favorite ship is the next one I'm on! :D

Good info to know. Ready to book the Libertyand St Marteen is on of the stops. Hoping to go to the beach that is near the airport where the planes fly right over the beachas landing

I think that's Maho Beach. It's great for about an hour or two, but it's usually very crowded.

First time to St. Marteen and we just want that to be a beach day. Has anyone rented an umbrella or small tiki hut on the beach near where the Liberty docks? Name of place? Price range? Thanks!

Sorry, I don't know the answers to your questions, but we've been to St. Maarten a few times and feel that the cab ride to Orient Beach is well worth the expense. It's probably a 20-30 minute cab ride, but it's one of the most beautiful beaches we've ever seen. You won't be sorry.