tropicqueen

On 12/31/2018 at 7:20 PM, GTO-Girl said:

 

 Check out some of the hotels in the Rocky Point area

Beer? How are you getting beer on board?

All you are allowed is 1 bottle of wine

for each person.

I think they even stoped allowing water

and soda a couple of yeats ago.

Tropicqueen 

Regarding safety for your

phone and money.

I bought a water proof pouch on amazon.

There are different sizes and colors. Mine is pink

and my Husbands is black.

Has a adjustable strap that

fits around your waist.

Totally waterproof. Holds

my Samsung 7 active phone, wallet And ID.

My Husband has an apple

6 which is a smaller size.

However, the pouch I bought would hold the new

Apple 8 phones too.

No worries about things

disappearing while we snorkle.

Tropicqueen

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We were just there in July

and were told by a local,

that they had just opened

a new beach right by the

cruise port.

Most the ships dock along

The new docks down past

the old Fort.

We had docked in the river

before by the swinging bridge. I don't think they

do that any more.

It is somewhat of a walk into the city center.

Unfortunately, I did not

see where exactly the new

Beach is.

My son and family did go

to Blue beach.

It is nice, but quite a drive

and taxis are not cheap.

Hopefully, this new beach

will be a nice addition to

a already friendly port.

Tropicqueen

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For Embassy personnel?

I would be nervous dining

with u. LOL!

We are off topic now, big

brother might get us.

Tropicqueen

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Awhfy,

Sorry, forgot to sign.

Tropicqueen

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Tropicqueen. I know what you mean. I was an AF protocol officer for 30 years

 

 

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30 years? That's amazing.

H was one for a short while at

Vandenberg in the 70ies.

Wouldn't say it was his favorite

assignment.

Thank you for your service[emoji631][emoji106]

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Thank you for all of the replies.

 

Thank you especially to Nelie, for understanding what I was trying to ask.

Regarding all the different how's and

why's of packing, how about bringing

stuff you don't really get to wear in

your none cruise life.

My Husband is retired Air Force and

We had many functions of different

types that we had to attend.

Everything from picnics to long dress

with gloves formals. I had wives

luncheons every week. Not any more.

Now that he is retired our social life

is vastly different.

So, going on a cruise is the only way

I get to wear a variety of different

clothes.

Fortunately, he enjoys dressing up

in suits or a tux. So, a formal night for

us is a nice change, and we enjoy it.

I don't think I over pack but I do not

repeat evening attire. For days it is

the usual swimsuit, cover up or shorts. That is for a Caribbean cruise

We did a British Isle cruise last summer with 3 days in London.

Having done research on different

sites, Pinterest being the best, I had

A good idea what to pack and wear.

The weather was wet just about

every day. So, I wore jeans & leggins

just about every day.

Packed everything in a backpack

& carryon. Worked out perfectly.

So, we all have different reasons

for how and what we pack.

No 1 way works for everyone.

Tropicqueen ☺

However

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No!

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The Company Store.com has the cutest pjs and nightshirts in nautical prints: fish, sailboats, crabs, flamingos, seagulls. They are made from a quality cotton poplin, with piping edges and feel crisp and comfy. Got 2 pairs of the short pjs because I like to be decently dressed when room service, etc, is coming in the room. They are sea-worthy!

 

 

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buying a pair. On sale but still kind

of expensive.

I usually just sleep in a t-shirt, undies

and footies. MY feet are always cold!

This time we are traveling with other

family, so need to be able to answer

the door and look decent.

Hope they come in time, as we leave

to go to Fl first before the cruise in

July.

Being shipped FedEx ground from

NJ to here in Va.

Have 3 more days before we leave.

As far as wearing PJ's out side of your

house is ridiculous!!

I don't spend money on cute clothes

and plan my wardrobe for a cruise to

then wear PJ's out in public.

The trend of teen girls wearing them

on planes is sad. They look awful and

It's too bad the airlines don't set some

basic rules for attire. During the winter

I think 1 AL did refuse to let some

Teen girls fly in leggings.

They looked fine! Had on long sweaters that covered their back sides. That was over kill.

We have a aft balcony on the Sunshine going down to Aruba and

2 other places. I will wear these out

On the balcony as it will be like shorts

& A shirt. Nothing personal to see.

I also saw a cut dog pattern one I

would have ordered if they had my

size in.

Thanks for posting as I never go to

that site.

Tropicqueen

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Best place to park?

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Hey K,

We have been their 4 times.

Have gone snorkeling twice.

Usually pretty choppy because of the wind.

Last time we did an off road

excursion and went to the

other side of the island.

Totally different and interesting.

We will be there in July with

family. We are doing Jolly

Pirates for the Grand Kids.

Just read thru the post to

get an idea of what people

like.

Also, don't forget jewelry

shopping. That is always fun.

Tropicqueen

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I just bought a pair of slides like

my Grand Son's put on after their

Soccer game is over.

black with silver trim. Has enhanced

arch support and cushioning down

the center. The right foot says Tommy,

the left Hilfiger. Very cute and

comfortable.

These are for women and came from

One of the well known chain stores,

not Wal-Mart.

They were $12 and are by the shoe

Department but usually found up

against the wall or on a rack.

They had other styles and colors.

Also, you might try Fit flops on

Amazon. They are very comfortable

too. A bit more pricy but hold up

For a good while. I have 1 pair that

Are 3 years old.

I just bought a new pair of closed toe

Wedges for our Med cruise in Sept.

Will be perfect for all the cobble

stone streets.

Hope this helps.

Tropicqueen

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Doing 2 cruises, July in

the Caribbean and a Sept

Med.

Should have some tan by

July, but by Sept. It will be

fading.

Fine gage toeless hose look

very natural.

Unless someone feels your

legs not really noticeable.

I have had squamous cell

cancer and my son has had

Melanoma.

So am very conscious of

how much sun I get.

If your Mom has never seen

or worn toeless hose maybe

You could get her some.

Then she would not have

to be relegated to such a limited selection

of clothes.

Tropicqueen

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Does anyone have any recommendations for getting wrinkles out after unpacking onboard?

the shower on hot.

Turn it off and hang things on the

clothes Line in the shower.

Works on every thing.

Tropicqueen

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Perhaps I should also put this out on the Viking Ocean main board since this is our line of choice in the near future?

I enjoyed your comments about

your friends are too old for you

now.

My Husband and I have the same

problem. Not all our friends, we are

retired Air Force and our friends from

the military are still doing and going

all the time.

We are 75, LOL!

We did a British Isle cruise last Aug.

We spent 3 days in London first.

We walked miles sight seeing and

going up and down the tube stairs.

Then the same thing in Scotland.

I have been an equestrian my whole

life. I have ridden on every Caribbean

Island that I had the opportunity to.

I only gave up my leased horse a few

years ago.As we were traveling too much.

We feel 75 is the new 50!

Check out my profile and see if you

would think my Husband and I

would pass for 75.

Safe travels,

Tropicqueen

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I have to vote for toeless

Panty hose 100%.

They work for not just

sandals but evening heels

also.

You just need to make sure

the shoe had some sort of

band or strap to hide the seam in the hose.

I Don't have 21 year old legs

any more and Can't really

acquire a nice looking tan.

Toeless hose are a life saver

for me.

I do go with naked legs during the day if my gradual

natural tanner worked out

ok.

Tropicqueen

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Regarding food allergies on Carnival.

My Husband is a Celiac, and

gluten is any many forms and many different things.

Carnival has always been

great in dealing with his menu.

When he informs them about the problem they have a special person assigned for just this kind of issue.

Usually, a She, would bring the menu for the following

night. That would give him

A chance to pick out safe food ahead of time. This would also include them

fixing and changing a recipe

to be safe for him to eat.

Also, when you fill out the

boarding information there

is a place to put that kind

of information.

We also did not have to always have the same waiters. Just tell them you

have already ordered.

They can also send the

special needs person so

You again order for the next

night.

With nut allergies and the

buffet, you can ask to speak

to the person directly in charge of fixing that food in

question.

Not 1 person does all the food.

We have only had a problem

1 time and that was on Princess.

Hope you have a great time

With no problems!

Tropicqueen

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Thanks so much for all your wonderful, comprehensive replies! Everything I've read seems to be overwhelmingly in favour of Southern, with Eastern second and Western last. That narrows things down a lot.

I am definitely doing lots of research about each port, but it's the combinations offered that are difficult.

 

The ABC ports on Southern itineraries seem to be a favourite - would you say these are preferable to the Eastern ports of St Maarten, St Thomas, St Kitts etc?

Based on all your advice I'm leaning towards either a 7 day out of San Juan, depending on flight cost, or a slightly longer cruise from Florida. We'd also like to spend a bit of time in the Miami area before, maybe drive down to Key West, so that option may work well.

 

If we leave from Florida, a few options I've seen are: 1) 8 day cruise on Adventure of the seas that goes from Fort Lauderdale to Labadee, San Juan, St Maarten and St Kitts. 3 sea days 2) 10 day on Navigator that goes from Miami to Labadee, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire. 4 sea days 3) 7 nights on Carnival Breeze (never done Carnival before so not sure...) Going from Port Canaveral to Dominican Republic, St Thomas, San Juan and Grand Turk, although this one has shorter port days than the others. 2 sea days

 

I'd love your opinions on those if possible . All have 4 ports so the longer cruises just have more sea days which is fine, so it's more about the combination of ports. By the sound of things if there was a cruise that goes to the ABC islands, as well as San Juan and Grand Cayman that would be perfect. But of course, this doesn't exist.

 

Thanks so much again:D

Hey Cassicruiser,

I have read all these answers and find

It surprising that no one mentioned

St. Lucia as a stop.

We are approaching our 20th cruise,

and have been to St Lucia 4 times.

Yes, it is a very poor, but a very Beautiful Island.

It has adventure, we have zip lined

through the jungle, ridden horse's on

A beach and into the surf, snorkeled

off a catamaran, and sailed by the

beautiful Pitions at sunset.

For culture you can visit where Empress Josephine came to take

( The Baths ) climb up to see the bubbling mud pots and take a mud

bath.

Oh, or go to a quiet cove and enjoy

A beautiful beach.

The islanders are poor but very friendly and have never bothered

us.

I Don't think the last hurricanes did

any damage there as it is very far

south.

St. Lucia is called the " Tahiti " of

The Caribbean and lives up to that

image.

I think your family could all find something that would interest them.

You are coming a very long way, so

I hope you find the perfect itinerary.

Tropicqueen

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Did you do the 12 or 8 day cruise?

We did the 8 day on Pacific

Princess. We missed our first

stop as we were late leaving

Dover. There was a electrical

problem on the ship.

They reimbursed us $150.

Quite a few folks had booked

this cruise to get to go to Gernsie. So, we're not happy about that.

Still had a wonderful time

Tropicqueen

I honestly wouldn't expect the price to go down this close to cruising and especially not in August as summer cruises are more popular!

Regarding cruise price going down, you never

know.

We took a British Isle cruise last Aug and had

the Beverage package. We decided to trade it

in and get the difference back and apply it to

the fare.

This was on Princess and was after the final

payment.

When I called to do this they were so nice and

helpful. I ended up getting over $1000 as the

price of the cruise had dropped also.

As we had made the final payment, they just

credited our account.

Then the funny thing is they had over booked

and offered us a good deal to not take that cruise. If we had still been in the U.S. we probably would have taken the deal.

However, we were already in the U.K. and just

wanted to go on the cruise.

Had the best time, even though it rained every

day. But, not all day most days.

Was fun going to Ireland & Scotland where

our ancestors migrated from.

One other tip, to get to the Port, Dover in our case, we took BlackBerry car service.

At our age 74 we Didn't want the Hassel of the train or bus. They picked us up on time and delivered us to the ship.

Was about $100 or less for 2 people. Pleasent

drive with a very nice young man from Poland.

Well worth the money to us.

On the travel insurance, look into ( cancel for any reason ). That would give you piece of mind

to enjoy your trip.

Who knows if you will have another chance.

Tropicqueen

,

Do not read this as it is just my opinion about

the Epic, and is not good.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, But---

This was our 19th cruise and out of 8 different

lines this ship was my least favorite ship.

The food was good and all the service was fine.

I hated the way it was layed out, especially

how the MDR was open and was so noisy.

I HATED the BR situation in our cabin. Having a separate, sink, shower, and toilet.

Our lighting was so dim I had to put on my makeup by using my cell phone light.

We were told it was a cost saving measure. HUH? The least storage of any ship, including

the smallest Carnival that we have ever been on.

I know many people love it. I Didn't find it a very

attractive ship inside either. Way too dark in

the public areas.

I hope you do have a wonder cruise and love every minute. It is really just a case of different strokes for different folks.

Tropicqueen

I've done a good bit of shopping damage while in Florida. Even had a new suitcase shipped home.

Once I'm finally in Indiana I'll start the sorting and trying on. Since the second TA is Carnivals new Horizon, I expect there to be a couple of dressier options than the first on Norwegian. I intend to have a packing cube just for carnival dress clothes and not even unpack it.

 

I'm sure I'll not get it all right, or be able to take as much as I want, but looking forward to the adventure! What I wear in NY for a few days after, will just have to come from cruise clothes!

 

I am excited to have found this. A helpful solution to hand washing things that can't be dryed.

 

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We have been on quite a few Carnival cruises, Grand Son's

love all the water works stuff.

I'll be interested to hear how the new ship is. Carnival has

been cutting back on so many things, pretty soon we will have to bus our on tables.

One thing is good, you should be able to wash clothes if

the new ship is like the others.

Norwegian does not have a laundry, other than send it out

and pay.

Yes, I like planning my clothes also. However, I don't plan

for a certain day because who knows what the weather will be like.

I just take clothes for whatever excursion we plan to do,

something for night time, swim suit and just hanging around the ship on sea days.

We have been on 19 cruises so have sorta learned what

works for me.

Still always are excited and look forward to our next adventure[emoji41]

Tropicqueen

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Here are links to the shorts and capris that I've already purchased

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0799XCC1M/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B075CY7LHN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hey new cruiser,

That sounds like a really fun trip.

My Husband and I went on a Princes British Isles trip last

Aug. We spent 3 days in London and then left for the 8 day

cruise around Ireland and Scotland.

It literally rained every day. We both had prepared well as we knew that might be the case.

My Husband had brought waterproof boots several months earlier.

I had found on Amazon, some knee high black leather boots. They had waterproofing built into the leather

And looked like regular dress boots.

I also had my ankle riding boots that were also water proof.

My feet stayed warm and dry and I looked like all the other

women. Jeans and boots is just about all they wear.

I took 3 pair of jeans and 1 pair of Calvin Klien black leggings. The other thing they all wear.

We were able to wash our things on the ship so that was

a help.

Since your on cruise you will need more summery things, I

Would look at all the cute polyester blend sun dresses

That are out now for spring. For the hiking part, Colombia

pants and shirts can be washed out at night and are dry

usually by morning.

I took just about all Colombia clothes on our trip to Africa.

The great boots I had were from Canada, called La Canadian. Were worth every cent, & never were uncomfortable. I walked miles but not off road hiking.

Also, check Pinterest for lots of info on what to pack

for a MED cruise. Shows whole packing wardrobe for

a carry on.

Hope you have a wonderful trip, we love cruising.

Our next cruise is also a MED cruise, with 3 days in Rome

first. It will be our 20th.

Tropicqueen

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Regarding dressing for the different countries, I have found

googling (Street Style ) and checking on Pinterest gives you pretty

up to date looks. They show photos of real people and what they

wear out and around.

A lot is younger women but not all. That way you get a real time look at what is trending in the country you are going to.

I also enjoy seeing how people put 12 pieces of clothing into a

wardrobe for a month, and get in all in a carry on.

I do try and dress similar to the locals as much as possible.

One thing I won't give up is my security backpack. They say don't

carry a back pack, however I have seen first hand from living in

Europe, many people loose things to pickpockets.

They are so smooth and tricky. One friend had a check stolen out

of her zipped purse on a elevator. Didn't take the check book, just

a check from the middle.

I will carry a cross body bag, smaller size out to dinner. It has to have a chain so it Can't be cut.

A shame that things are like that. You really Can't be too careful!

Tropicqueen

Hey Meg,

When we leave from Canaveral we drive from

our house near Disney.

It is a easy drive and have

never had any traffic issues.

Although, if there is a bad

wreck on 4 that could be a

Problem.

We have always parked at the Radisson. It is run very

afficently.

You drive in drop your bags,

I stay with them, Hubby parks. You get on the shuttle, 10 minutes to the

ship.

When you get back you just

go to where you were dropped off to get back to the Radisson.

It has gone up to $8 from the $5 when they first started.

Make sure you have your bags tagged that will be delivered to your cabin.

So, I would figure in the parking cost as opposed to

staying the night before.

There is some cute stores

around the area, also seafood restaurants.

There is even a cannal or

Cove really close by where

Manatees hang out.

Would have to check the time of year for when they

are there.

There are other cheaper long term parking lots a little further away.

The Radisson is the closes.

So, up this helps.

Tropicqueen

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