suzinva

I got terribly sick on my last cruise and went to guest services the morning of the cruise to cancel.  I didn't expect or ask for a refund but they must have taken pity on me (or just wanted me away from them asap) and they gave me a full refund.  It was much appreciated.

I didn't do Daniel Johnson but took a tour with Victor Bodden that went to the sanctuary (they didn't have sloths then). Honestly, it was definitely a highlight, getting to play with the monkeys. My son was probably 16 at the time and even he liked it :) I would think you will enjoy it.

I haven't been to Roatan for a number of years and just booked a 2020 cruise going there. Last time, we used Victor Bodden for a private tour and had to hike a god-awful hill from the port to where we met our tour guide. Is this still the case? They dropped us off at the top of the hill on the way back, I believe. Thanks!

No, you're totally right ... No internet package needed to use hub app and the chat option, the $5 per device is all :)

Sorry about the confusion, just thinking since people would be using their phones more, they may be more tempted to get internet packages :)

Stupid question I'm about to ask but I usually put my phone in airplane mode. Does the app work when your phone is in airplane?

Could it be the Mongolian Steak Salad? It's on the first lunch menu in longer cruises. It was disappointing when we had it on the Miracle in February.

 

The watermelon soup is very good.

 

 

 

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Hmmm, maybe they changed the name of it? I don't know but they served it at dinner, both as an appetizer and an entrée, I guess it was probably 7 or 8 years ago. It was sort of like Dan Dan noodles. Soooo good!

My faves: Carnival used to have a beef noodle salad with peanut sauce, probably my favorite thing ever on Carnival. I think I ate 3 orders of it one night. I also love the crab cakes in the Steakhouse and the huevos rancheros at brunch. And, oddly, I LOVE the chicken fingers and hot dogs at the grill, normally I don't much like either.

Worst thing: meatloaf. And the frog legs were highly disappointing. I love frog legs but these were as bland and tasteless as boiled chicken. Also, the desserts in the Lido buffet are disappointing as well. No matter what you get, it all tastes the same and I'm not even sure what the flavor is :D

No?! You rebel you, actually paying for your booze, unheard of lol :D:p

I don't play but I'm watching this phenomenon with utter fascination lol I think a ship would be a great place to play! Go catch 'em all :)

have leukemia and have been on oral chemotherapy for 15 years. I would definitely take some Lysol wipes (you can get travel size for port days). But, one thing I didn't see mentioned was sunscreen, hats and cover ups. Chemo can make your skin highly sensitive to the sun (burns, rashes, blisters, etc). This can last for months after treatment. Whatever your normal sunscreen level, double it. Put it on 15 -20 minutes before going outside, then reapply often, especially after swimming/sweating. Wear a hat, always. Wear a non-white shirt. And stay super-hydrated.

You'll have a wonderful time and I wish you all well :)

I pre-pay as much as possible and I have a reason, I'm really, really bad at saving money :o Really bad. So, for me and for that reason alone, I like to pre-pay gratuities, the bottomless bubble, and most shore excursions. That way, I don't have to worry about onboard spending and over-spending my budget. Since we don't drink or gamble much, and I'm not a buyer of "things," for the most part, my final bill is minimal. Which is what I'm most comfortable with.

I don't really see either way as better than another, nor do I really see any sense of smugness or superiority from either camp. We all do what works best for us, given our own financial circumstances and, in my case, a really, really bad head for finances :):)

One thing I get is a very cheap watch to take onshore with me. Since cell phones will always change time to match your time zone and the ship may or may not do that, I take a watch onshore set to whatever time the ship is using that way we always know. I think the last one I bought was less than $10 at Walmart.

Faster to the Fun. It's about $50/per cabin, gets you perks such as priority boarding, priority at the guest service desk, priority on tender ports, your cabin will be ready upon boarding, you get to choose your disembarkation time, things like that. IMO, it's well worth the money but I have a lot of stuff I have to carry on (medications, etc) so having my cabin ready when I board is worth it so I don't have to lug it all around for a couple of hours. Also, since we usually drive to the port (and I live in Virginia), getting off the ship early works for us so we can get on the road that much quicker. But, they are perks that aren't for everyone. You just have to judge how well it would work for you. There are limited FFTF spots available on most sailings.

Now that was funny, wish I could write a review like that :)

Long story short, I traveled in February, stayed in 3 different hotels and came home with exactly ONE bedbug in my son's luggage. Ironically, when we returned home, we found a notice from our management office saying they were checking for bedbugs in our entire community and we were scheduled for the day after we returned (thankfully). They found the one bug, and since it was only one, they opted to come back again in a couple of weeks to re-check. And I'm thankful there were no further signs. However, my luggage is still in the backyard wrapped in garbage bags, it's getting thrown out eventually. If they had found any more bed bugs, it would have cost me $600 for a chemical treatment or almost $1500 for a steam treatment. Plus, getting ridding of anything with an infestation. So, yeah. I called all 3 hotels, like you, just to let them know there was a possibility and 2 never returned my phone calls. One place panicked and checked immediately (at least so he said but he seemed genuinely concerned). I'm amazed at the absolute indifference to something potentially very expensive. I would call them to report it. At least then you know you've done what you could. It may or may not be bed bugs but if there's any chance, reporting it is the right thing to do. Good luck!

I miss the porterhouse! wish they would bring it back. the cowboy steak (?) replacement is not quite on the same level

I love a good porterhouse but there's no way I could eat that. About 6 oz of red meat is my limit. I tried my son's and it was excellent. I think he got the cowboy last time and liked it but no raves like the porterhouse. I usually get either the lamb or the surf and turf. The steakhouse, for us, is a can't miss :)

My son's first cruise was when he was 9 and we did the steak house thing. Never occurred to me not to take him. He got a little antsy (it is a LONG meal) but other than that, it was fine. He ordered off the adult menu, we paid the adult price and had a great time. Never even gave it a thought. Some of his fondest cruise memories involve eating there, especially when he was finally big enough to order (and finish) the 24 oz porterhouse they used to have :) Good times!

I was wondering the same thing, we are booked first week of February and nothing. I've booked further out than that before and have been able to look for excursions. It's been a few years since I've cruised, though, so maybe this is something newish? Hopefully soon :)

I've rented a cabana at HMC twice, wouldn't have it any other way. I didn't experience the issues a previous poster did, we were on the first tender both times and our cabana was completely set up. I would love to rent one of the villas but it's definitely out of my price range, unless I were sharing it with a bunch of people.

We did the power snorkeling in GT and it was so awesome, we did it again on our next cruise. Highly recommend it, so much fun. If we get back there, we're considering booking it twice so we have more time in the water, that's how much fun we had :)

Hilarious, thanks!

Packing rule #1, do not do laundry and pack the morning you are going to leave. Because you (oh, yes you will) wash, dry and fold your son's underwear and socks, put them on top of the dryer to grab on your way out of the laundry room and forget them. And your 10 year old son will be going commando and sockless for an entire cruise. Pack ahead, people, pack ahead!

Thanks for such a great review. Ongoing debate between the Sunshine and the Magic for my 50th birthday cruise.

I called special needs back in Feb 2014 on the Victory. When I arrived, room service brought me 2 gallons (way more than I needed) and charged me $3 or $4 per gallon.

I usually leave it in my cabin however, on numerous occasions, the dishes would stay there way too long, in which case, I'd put them in the hallway. I'll admit, I'm pretty self-centered and it never occurred to me that doing so would impede progress (yeah, duh moment, sorry), especially those in wheelchairs, etc. I've had my AHA moment, apologize and won't be doing that again :(

I don't feel obligated to tip any more than what I've pre-paid. I have tipped extra to those went above and beyond. And I have not tipped extra when the service was within expectations. But, I don't feel that I have a moral obligation to tip extra or even at all.