NotADopey1

All cruise lines have cut back on service except of course the premium lines like Seabourne and Oceania. If you want excellent service you now have to pay a premium. Celebrity cut back on their service so now we are choosing NCL. They don’t have better service but they do seem more fun and not so stuffy.

On what cruise line do you travel that would allow waiters and Maitre d scream at you? You should always feel safe in asking questions that pertain to enhancing your paid experience.

Find a reputable tour firm that picks you up and returns you to the ship. Also one that provides front of line and expert escorted tours. It will not be inexpensive but it may be your only time to see it all and do it right.

We do it for the convenience. We don’t have to think about it if something is over our budget. Just makes it more one-stop.

We live in Florida and take a fair amount of Caribbean cruises. We have had some itinerary changes but we trust the judgement of the cruise line and its captains. You always go home with a story of your adventure. Not everything is under our control.

We’ve traveled both with and without others. My husband and I enjoy each others company the most. We like the freedom of not having to plan where and when to meet for everything. We can also cancel excursions, activities and meals at a moments notice.

Cliche- you only have to unpack once. You can explore ships and ports. In the ports you can choose different experiences. For meals, you can eat a variety of cuisines. For beverages you don’t have to drive. You also get a sense of places you’d like to revisit for a longer stay or totally forget.

Many ships have some cigar lounge. You just need to research once you narrow down schedule, itinerary and cruise line.

We used to prefer the smaller ships, especially when there were better experiences. And of course less cruisers. In order to find space, we now choose to cruise on the larger ships. Kids can be in their own areas, us very matured can find other spaces. Specialty dining has improved in more choices but not necessarily in food quality and service. The sound proofing in the newer, larger ships seems better as do the bathroom facilities. Just our choice.

We live in Florida and have cruised in August several times. The weather is hot and humid in the Caribbean but it is the same in Florida. I would be more apt to avoid September and October. We were on a Celebrity cruise during Irene in 2023 in October and our itinerary was changed as we cruised to avoid the weather. We were the only ship out there. My advice is to make sure you purchase insurance and not through the cruise line. Some of our fellow Florida cruisers did get off at a port and flew home to prepare their properties.

Amazon carries some nice American Tourister. You didn’t mention if you were looking for soft or hard sided luggage

No sorry. Just go to their main page and should be on the site. If you booked through travel agent, they should know or at least be able to check the cruise line for you.

Have you checked the frequent Q & A page for the cruise line? There are probably others who asked the same thing .

We used a private tour in Rome. Paid cash by wiring money. Any questions I.e. cancellations, itinerary changes and refund were handled via emails. Ask for references prior to sending any payment. It was the best tour we ever had.

If you are really concerned, contact the Florida Department of Revenue and report a tax violation. They oversee the state. You can also look up the local departments to see what they say.

We did Princess once. Very mature crowd. Ship was leaking from ceiling pipes. Not a good experience. They didn’t care. We’re now booked with NCL and very happy. Good balance between mature and young. Lots to do on Joy and Bliss. Like their upgraded packages.

Have you tried calling RCL directly? Better to straighten out now than waiting to get on board.

You may want to think about what you’ll do if your luggage is lost, you miss the boarding time, you get sick or injured and need transportation home and many things other than a cancelation. We go through Trip Insurance Store, a broker for many companies. They can help you find the best match including budget. 1-888-407-3854. While we haven’t had to use the coverage a couple traveling with us have used it. Might be worth a call.

The advantage of not having the whole family with you is that you don’t need to carry all of their “stuff”. Pare it down to a minimum. There are good waterproof phone cases that can also hold credit card and cash. We found out that cash was most important after my husband blew out his shoes on a beach that didn’t take credit cards. He purchased a pair of water shoes, tipped the tour guide, and bought one beer for both of us to share.

If we have exceptional service from a bar server, wait person or housekeeper we will tip an extra $10 during the cruise and at the end, if the good service continues. No need to tip extra though as you’ve already prepaid the amount that in prior years were up to the passenger to decide. Some prior cruisers did not even pay a suggested minimum, forcing the cruise lines to implement a prepaid system.

We love staying in Condado and taking the bus to Old San Juan.

Thank you

Thank you.

Oh, we tried Princess which was a total disaster. Will not do that line again.

We were loyal to HAL for a long time. Travel agent suggested a Med cruise with Celebrity so we cruised with them for quite a few cruises. When they started cutting back on concierge amenities we decided on NCL. Had the best time on the Joy over Thanksgiving. Going on NCL again to Mexican Riviera and Hawaii.