Sigyn

I was given an upgrade offer on my last cruise, on the Vista, in 2016, and they called me. I took it. From an interior to a spa balcony for $400 total, on an 8-day Mediterranean cruise. 

On 1/4/2022 at 9:51 AM, PORT ROYAL said:

If one is wishing to be away from T’erds, then the Marriott with the TTE Protocol.

The only beach area being Towel free is Discovery Beach Bar, where the owner “actively” ensures Towels are moved 20 yards away from his bar, so as not to spoil his guests ambiance/view.

Let the owner “Big M” know you’re arriving for lunch etc so he can stock up.

What is TTE protocol?

I was considering a day pass at this Marriott, but I read you can't really use the beach due to all of the seaweed. The Caribbean side of the island has a much nicer beach.

https://www.cruisetimetables.com 

Put in your cruise details, and then each port for your cruise will show up, and you can click on each port's link and all the other ships there that day will show up in a list. 

I don't know why, but I'm really struggling figuring out island time with the hour difference in the winter. We arrive in port at 9 am EST ship time on Dec. 27. What time is that on the island of St. Maarten? I need to book a dive excursion and they keep saying it's the same time, but I feel like it's not. Maybe I'm wrong. 

Same with St. Kitts and San Juan and Amber Cove. What time is it on those islands when it's 9 am ship time in December, after daylight savings time ends?

Thanks!

I'm looking for a fun ATV tour of St. Kitts for myself and my 15 year old son. Any recommendations? Thanks!

Thanks...this sounds interesting.

We are doing a Caribbean cruise in December, over Christmas. How do I know what the time is in port, versus ship time? For instance, we arrive in St. Maarten at 9 am ship time. What time is that in St. Maarten so I know when to tell a tour operator to meet us? 

Thanks!

you'll love HMC. it was our absolute favorite beach port. a relaxing, beautiful day on the sand.

Does Carnival do a special dinner for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day in the MDR? We'll be doing our first-ever holiday cruise this year and I'm curious if there's anything different served those days. 

On 9/19/2022 at 4:30 AM, Sue Goodreds said:

Magic out of Port Canaveral, March 19, 2023

Spring break varies around the country. My son's high school is April 2-8, 2023.

Nice! On our Vista cruise to the Mediterranean on its inaugural year they offered us an upgrade from an interior room to a spa balcony for just $400. We took it!

Really interesting assessment. Thanks for sharing and welcome home!

What's the best port for a rum distillery tour? St. Maarten, San Juan or Amber Cove? Is a 15-year-old allowed to join his parents? 

We did a food tour in Rome a few years ago and it was one of the highlights of our trip. We had all three kids with us at that time and they really enjoyed it, too.

I'd like to find a walking food tour in San Juan for myself, my husband and our teenager. I see two companies that do them, Flavors Food Tour and Spoon, but I know nothing about either one. Has anyone done a tour with either, or another company? 

I was on vacation in Alaska once, when I was 31, and I took a day cruise to see the glaciers. It turned out to also be an excursion that was offered to Princess cruise passengers. I remember watching the bus unload and being shocked at how everyone was in their 60s and 70s. I decided I would never cruise with Princess until I was at least that age, since it was clearly an older crowd who opted for Princess, at least for Alaska. 

A friend of mine cruises quite a bit, having worked in the industry, and her favorite cruise lines are Celebrity, NCL and MSC. 

On 9/15/2022 at 8:16 AM, Schoifmom said:

If you are taking the Carnival shuttle, it really doesn't matter.  They will put you on the first available shuttle after you leave.  Once it is full, they will fill the second.

Perfect, thanks!

Thanks to both of you. My son and husband will be diving, so I'll research St. Maarten for them. We're also stopping in St. Kitts, but my husband already has a golf excursion for that port. 

On 9/16/2022 at 6:57 PM, omeinv said:

@njsmom

 

I haven't done the Carnival excursion, but I once did a shore dive at the Hilton, which is immediately next door.  $139.99 is a ridiculous amount for a dive at this site.  The dives would be off the beach, and the fish have all been acclimated to being fed.  I've never heard of any good diving in Puerto Rico within the immediate San Juan area, so when I've been there, I don't bother trying to dive.  However, San Juan makes a great embarkation ports for scuba cruises. 

 

Harris

Denver, Co

This is helpful, thank you!

There's a dive excursion on San Juan that is listed as "Certified One Tank Dive at Escambron Marine Park" for $139.99 pp. Has anyone done it? It seems awfully steep for just three hours, including travel time, and just a one tank dive. I'm wondering if there are better options. Or if someone has done this and loved it. 

Our ports for our holiday cruise include St. Maarten, San Juan and Amber Cove. Which of these three are the best for diving? My husband is a certified diver and our 15-year-old son will be certified by the time we travel. He completed six dives in a Try Dive course on Catalina Island this summer and will do his certification in a few weeks. (He won't know what to think with the warm water of the Caribbean after the chilly water of Catalina!)

My husband has a golf excursion at the Marriott on our port day in St. Kitts and I'm trying to figure out the best thing for my son and I to do while he's off on his excursion. My son will be 15 at the time of our cruise. I don't want to be crazy adventurous, but I don't want to be boring either. As in, I'd do a couple zip lines, but I don't want to hike up a mountain and wade through rivers and jump off 15 waterfalls. But I'm also down for a day of walking around and shopping. My son likes to shop. 

9 hours ago, wolft927 said:

Never stayed there but I will  be staying at town and country port Canaveral Wednesday the 28th for my 9 night cruise. 230 total including 10 days parking

that's a good deal

11 hours ago, SteerageJoe said:

I certainly cannot suggest who is best but I do like Uber/Lyft. 
 

Last time I was at the airport, Melbourne Express Shuttle had a counter there (makes things easier actually to talk to somebody) and I see their vans a lot in the area. Space Port is another one I see often. 
 

Hope this helps!

Thank you so much!!!! This is helpful. 

I'm a total idiot. I asked this last night and didn't realize. I did it right before bed. Whups. So sorry.