bearette

I wore jeans, long sleeves, and a jacket or pull over. when I was cold I wore both the jacket and pullover. Unless you are doing snow activities the real winter items are not needed. I tend to be really cold too, but a winter base layer takes up little room and could be added or removed easily.  I took it and only wore the shirt. I also recommend short sleeves since walking around we got hot. I pack the most for Alaska for variety, but you can easily re-wear items. I wouldn't bother with shorts unless you are like my husband and wear shorts in winter or are from a place where it snows. Take one bathing suit to enjoy the hot tub or pool ( not all are heated).  Since you are inside a summer dress is fine, but if you walk out on deck it will be cold. I just kept it casual with nice sweaters and black pants.

Something similar happened to us.  A month before a planned trip to Ireland my husband broke his leg. He was in a cast and he bought one of those scooters just for the trip.  We ended up having a great time, my kids loved standing on the front and using it with him as a stroller.  There was some things he couldn't do, but for the most part it was fine.  He even managed to hobble, using me as a cane, into some of the  castles that didn't allow/ he couldn't use the scooter.  It was definitely memorable!  No vacation is perfect and since you already know what to expect I would go.  You can walk the towns, take on the views, hike, and drink in the brewery with only one good arm!

Just now, bearette said:

First, I wish you luck and good vibes on your health situation.

 

I appreciate all the time and effort that goes into your reviews. They are fun to read and assist us all in planning, or wishful planning, our cruises! (yes those $800 airfares to San Juan is a reality out of California!)

 

Watching your daughter grow up has been part of the fun since my kids are a few years behind her it gives me a preview of what is to come. I had a tear for you when she wouldn't go to the kids club!

 

Oh and the pop vs soda debate.  No matter what you order, it is a "coke" here in CA.

 

First, I wish you luck and good vibes on your health situation.

I appreciate all the time and effort that goes into your reviews. They are fun to read and assist us all in planning, or wishful planning, our cruises! (yes those $800 airfares to San Juan is a reality out of California!)

Watching your daughter grow up has been part of the fun since my kids are a few years behind her it gives me a preview of what is to come. I had a tear for you when she wouldn't go to the kids club!

Oh and the pop vs soda debate.  No matter what you order, it is a "coke" here in CA.

Just book all you dinners in the planner before hand, then no need to hard early for dinner reservations.

On the Vision in December,they punched one punch per size so you were better off getting two smalls, but it included all but the alcohol coffee.

Usually the $12 vs $13 is in the UK the tips are added because their tipping culture is different, so the beverage packages include $13 drinks there.

Check out the port of call boards- there is a section for Greece.  Also list specific ports as there are several in Greece, don't assume we know your itinerary.

I always do it myself, depending  on what you do it can be easier and cheaper, but longer tours you get piece of mind with ship sponsored excursions, so I will use RCL for longer day excursions.

They were together with my mom and uncle's room. ( my father is deceased). Just a polite please separate the beds and it was done. No need to worry.

Some places like shops, will take US dollars or Euros- but Euros are more accepted then dollars.

Check google flights and you can find options for the week you want to go.  The United Flight was just announced but those non-stop can be pricey so you may find the layover worth while.  

I did LAX to Cape Town then back from JoBurg in June.  We did Air France and now absorbed Joon with a day (noon to nine am)  layover.  You can also fly to JOBerg and take a quick in country flight, but leave 4 hours or more to connect or book it on the same ticket.  I found flights through the middle east and Europe so check out which have the best times and rates.

Enjoyed your family trip!

I have done both NCL and RCL. NCL does flexible seating and disembarkation better. I also prefer NC L kids clubs- at the toddler and 4-6 level my kids have been in.  RCL has a better environment and music on board (in my opinion). Food is pretty much the same and both have similar shows. Though NC L has a better Buffett and longer hours if you like to eat late. RCL has late food too, but it's more crowded and limited choices as it is a snack area, not the full buffet.  If you sail RcL enough (Diamond) you will get free drinks during happy hour which I think is the best benefit, as this lounge also has a fancy touch coffee machine that my caffeine obsessed husband find as the number one reason to sail RCL.  We interchange both due to location and price.

Congrats on the first toddler cruise! This was the most difficult age for me (twins) so if you can sail with a 2ish year old everything else will be easy!

I did the Jewel a few years ago in an inside.  I liked hanging out in OShennigans ( though it has a new name I believe now).  I could get snacks and food with large picture window views.  Plus it was inside so I could avoid the wind. They would open the front of the ship for glacier viewing, and while crowded you could look and snap a few photos.   otherwise you could always get a view from any of the decks. While it wasn't my favorite ship, it worked fine in Alaska.

Even streaming may not work, I have tried using Amazon out of country and it tells me most shows are not available due to licensing agreements. Stay of social media and watch it as soon as you get back.

RSF is correct- you can walk through the beach to view the other side,but once you see the waves on the other side, you will know why is is jokingly referred to as "Divorce Beach".

We took our kids on dune buggies in PV. They loved it but you will get wet and muddy if you drive fast through the river portions. Not for the faint of heart.

There are other tours such as horseback riding and boats ( almost all have a pirate boat). The four year old will limit many tours. Lovers beach is fun in Cano and typically gets a close up of the arch, but no amenities so only a quick tour I would recommend with kids. Medano beach has facilities but can get raunchy so look up more family oriented places. Mazatlan, we always go to the beach. Many will have parasailing and banana boats you can for you and the kids to do. We do more adventurous items as we cruise a lot. Check out your ship excursions which will give you an idea of what is available.

If you live near LA, then it is a cruise, but they rank as my worst. The ports are ok and easily have something to do for a visit or two. I only recommend them to people who want to try a cruise, since the money commitment is less.(if you can drive there). I will be on one next month because it still provides a cruise experience, but keep in mind they use the oldest ships and just okay ports. You are better off flying elsewhere or doing the week version further south into the Riveria ( vs Baja Mexico.)

We visit the area regularly- we have family just north in Rosarito so I have visited some of the wineries already so don’t need a tour. We just need a designated driver. If anyone is out that way I would appreciate if they would ask what a taxi would cost. 

Thanks

I looked into some wine tours for my Baja cruise in May in Enseneda. They were a little expensive- over $100. A few years ago I remember getting a cab for only $80 for the day. Does anyone know the going rate for a cab to the wineries now?

I did a week in Paris a few years ago and then did a layover for 22 hours on a flight recently. My first advice is to checkout your roll call.  To do a.place quickly you need someone who knows where they are going.  A small group tour will allow you to see more for less. someone on board has already set this up I  am sure. They don't make money if you are back late so pick a reputable operator and you will be ok. We hit a transportation strike so our best laid plans didn't work as the train didn't run on their normal schedule, which wasted our time.

 If you do the on your own route:

I recommend the Arch de Triumph and Chaless de Elysses(sorry spelling errors) area. Their stairs are shorter and will give you the great view that isn't as crowded as the Eiffel Tower, plus the tower will be in your photos. There is some main stream shopping there, too.  Following,  metro or uber to Notre Dame.  There is a famous park a short walk away from there and the Partheon, I would just look at the outside, or a small park behind Notre Dame, and many restaurants and bakeries around there. Walk across the river to avoid major tourist traps or eat in the park if you make it that far.

My picture is actually a view of my kids looking out over Paris from the top of Notre Dame (there is a fee). There is a wait, but I believe you can select a time online, too.

 If you have time sit at a cafe.  If not get a croissant/food to go at one of the many places. I recommend a baked good after a cafe visit regardless of whether you sit to eat, as nothing is better than French bakeries.

I'm my one day, we visited from 2pm until 6ish :Notre Dame , ate at a cafe across the bridge, walked by Pantheon down to the park, and walked through the park. This gives you an idea of how long it takes.

Have fun!

I did the Rabat tour you referred to several years ago with my young kids (18 months old at the time).  

Rabat was very nice and I enjoyed all the elements and sights. The palace is a working area so we were not allowed in, but the mosque and ruins we visited were beautiful.

The shopping stop in Casablanca was all the warnings say. Carpet shop people talk to you and try to lead you to their stores, when they talk about “practicing English” they are trying to sell you something.  This stop is one of those places where I wouldn’t be friendly and just say bye and no thank you.

My children are twins and very blonde ( so a novelty). I had a lot of problems here with people trying to hug and kiss my kids.  I ended up in a carpet retire to get away from it. Though most people don’t have that problem, I agree Rabat is a lot better than Casablanca. I am a huge fan of the movie, but I was not impressed with the tourist aspects of the town.

Though the lunch we had was better than basic style they describe here. Wine, meat, and tons more, plus some honey cookies for dessert my kids adored.

Some of the ships, on sea days will offer a dinner in the Windjammer with the kids club (Adventure Ocean for the trolls), you just have to sign them up.  It is during the normally closed evening hours of 5-7pm.

I have done both, and I will say, each line does certain things better. Personally, I thought NCL's buffet, shows, and the kids club was better, and you can get the drink package cheaper.  RCCL has better food/service in the dinning room, on board activities, and just had a nicer atmosphere.

These things are so subjective that you will find you don't agree with me (or others), but I don't think you will regret trying something different.  

Roatan port area

Wikked Divers’ resident humming birds

View from the catamaran 

Shopping for their favorite door- leopard and parrots were their favorites

One last look at the cruise port area

Roatan 

I haven’t been here in almost 20 years! It was just starting to become a cruise port back then and I was a teenager. We planned on hitting West End beach and touring  while my husband dived near there, so after going outside the port gates and finding a taxi and guide we told him my husband wanted to dive and our tour was shortened substantially because we ended up joining my husband on the dive boat as snorkelers, but a lot closer.

The dive shop and resort was called Wikkid Divers. My husband loved the dives and we loved the catamaran. It was a really nice catamaran with snacks and drinks, even local, beer after the diving/ snorkeling.  We left at about 10 and got back to the dock about 2pm. There were two sites we went to. They both weren’t great for snorkeling as the tide was strong and not many fish in either snorkeling location. The second site had a lot of trash at the surface, too. My husband’s dives were amazing according to him. A cave at the first location and many fish at the second.

  My kids undertook a real snorkel experience and while they loved it, they got tired and cold after a while and ended up back on the boat eating Doritos and fruit before long. The boat hands were excellent with helping me mind the children and allowed me to enjoy myself once the kids had enough.  Also, they provided some life rings so my kids held on to them (along with life vests) to get the hang of snorkeling which made things easier.

Because we had all aboard at 4:30pm we ended up doing a quick stop at the view point near the port. We did some quick shopping and back to the car for another stop, which was a shop selling the same tourist stuff, but for more money, including some very beautiful mahogany doors.  The view point had the same items so we were glad we did our shopping there.

We asked for what else we could see and got the run around so ended up back at the port. They wanted to make their money for the day so they tried to make the area more interesting, but we didn’t have times to go to the major tourist attractions at this point. We had a good time, but spend too much time on the water to see much of the island. We were back at the port with an hour left.

We had some time to shop at the port so we looked around, but prices were a lot more here so we didn’t buy much. The drink prices were pretty high too so after looking around we and headed back to the ship.