FLSteve11

You sound like a good parent!:)

Thank you, we've been lucky to be on many cruises, so we've tried to teach her through the years the right way to behave, not just on cruises, but in any public place. Sadly it's generally the kids who misbehave on cruises that are those who aren't taught that at home as well (and those parents are probably some of the adults who misbehave as well. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, unfortunately)

No one who knows me would call me self involved, we have two children and three grandchildren, and are definitely NOT party poopers. Who are you talking about?

 

I'm sure any adult cruiser would agree with me on the above if it's happened to them. The cruise lines are not baby sitters unless they are enrolled in Adventure Ocean etc, and at a certain age they are allowed to leave on their own.

 

We have met many wonderful decent polite kids through the years, it's that bad apple kid who's parents are too busy chair hogging, I guess.;)

The person wanted advice on when it would be ok to let their kids have some freedom on a cruise, and you went off on some diatribe about what a few bad kids do in response. Yes, a few kids do those things on cruises, quite a few adults do them as well. Not sure what the point was to the Ops question, outside of you not being happy with kids on a cruise. We get it, there are some bad people on cruises , kids, adults, seniors. But to go off on a rant about what a few of the bad ones do, was nothing more then exactly what it sounded like. Self-involved, anti-kids.

Yes, they're not baby sitters, and at 9 is when they're allowed on their own. So apparently that's when cruise lines feel they're allowed out on their own.

I'm sure you're NOT that way in person, or in reality, but that post just comes across as that. We don't need EVERY single post about kids, or parents seeking advice on them, to be adults/seniors complaining about some bad kids. You really don't see parents starting, and continuing posts about the horrible way seniors treat others on cruises, though I'm sure every adult, and kid, has seen it. I know it was an unfair response to you, and I apologize for it, but it's just tiring.

San Gervasio on Coz is NOTHING compared to Tulum, much less CI. One way to see some of Chichen Itza is to watch the movie "Against All Odds" with Jeff Bridges. Also an interesting look at Cozumel before cruise ships overran the island.

Agreed, I think my garage is bigger then the ruins on Cozumel itself. It's old, but it's not impressive.

We've been letting our 12yo have freedom for about 2 years now. It was restricted quite a bit in the beginning (she could leave us, go get a drink or ice cream, and come back), but loosened up soon enough. Granted she's been on plenty of cruises, knows what you should and should not do, and knows if I catch her doing anything wrong that will be it for that. She has charging privileges, but again knows how to handle it.

You'll know your kids, and what they're capable of. I think we short-shift our kids in what they're capable of overall. In days past, and in many parts of the world, kids are out working by the time they hit their teens. If you raise them right, give them direction, give them a set of rules and boundaries, then they will be fine. Stick with the basics as most have said on here (no going in cabins, set a reasonable curfew for what your kids are used to, with a little extra vacation time in it, etc).

I have NOT read this whole thread, so please bear with me if this has been repeated.

 

We are frequent cruisers on many lines. Some parents feel that THEY are on vacation, so that means their parenting ends when boarding.

 

Your children are running around all night pushing elevator buttons to stop at each floor.

 

Your children are knocking on all the doors, especially the doors that have "Do not disturb" signs.

 

Your children are stealing breakfast menus and putting them elsewhere.

 

Your children are touching each and every roll/ donut and not taking anything.

 

Your children are outside our cabin door at 2am talking quite loudly.

 

Your children are your responsibility and does not stop with vacations.

 

If you take a family vacation with your children, please remember that they are still your children and your responsibility.

 

Thank you.:)

Wow, we made it all the way to 3rd page before the self-involved, anti-kid party pooper showed up. That's gotta be a record! :)

So.. our family is trying to choose ONE excursion only between the ports of Cozumel, Mexico and Costa Maya, Mexico.

 

Our main goal is to explore and visit the Mayan ruins!

 

After lots of searching, we found three major spots that could be visited: Tulum Ruins, Coba Ruins, and Chichen Itza. We really have never been to any of these places before so we were wondering if anyone that has been there could tell us a bit about each place and the differences and Pros/Cons?

 

Which ruin is the best experience? Most suitable for a family of four? Most worth your money (very important because they are very expensive!!) ?

 

If anyone wants to go even further, it would be a big help if anyone would recommend a Royal Caribbean excursion to these places that they enjoyed!

 

Thanks guys!

I've done the 3. I would go between Chichen Itza or Coba. Tulum is nice, and it's on the coast, and it's closer, but it's basically Chichen Itza's little sister in terms of experience there.

For Chichen Itza, you need to get a tour that's long though. I finally did it just this year off Empress, and we got a full 2 hours at the ruins (9 hour tour) A lot of the tours do under an hour there, and it's just not enough time. They give you a 45-minute walk through with headphones to hear the tour guide (a nice touch, you can look around and still hear them), and then we got over an hour to explore on our own. It's obviously the most famous ruin so everyone will know what you're talking about when you tell them where you went. (Bucket list...check)

Coba, it's pretty far as well, but you can climb it. And who doesn't want to climb the ruins. It's also really tall, taller then Chichen Itza. It's in a much more run down state though, so it's not as pretty (and it's about a mile walk through the woods to get to it. Nice walk, and shaded, on dirt path. Though you can rent bikes and a driver if it's too far).

I also agree, look at the Costa Maya ruins. Dzibanche is really cool, as well as the others.

Reading back what I missed...I hadn't thought about it being caused by a GTY situation. But as a party of three I've only seen a W GTY (is that the right letter for a jr suite or above?)

 

 

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Same here, never seen a GTY for 3-people on a regular cabin either

Cruises are no longer the "grand experience" it used to be. The whole thing has been "dumbed down". Yes, airlines and ridiculous fees have put a stop to the "formal" nights, for the most part. But, the dining experience has taken a BIG hit, too...used to be a full 5 course meal, with real silverware and crystal/china. Now, it's pretty close to Applebees....3 courses, stainless and everyday dishes. Some lines don't even use a tablecloth...or placemats....the selections are less and the presentation...well, WHAT presentation?

I understand they try to keep the costs down, because they want to make it seem as cheap as possible....but cheap is cheap....

If you want a cruise getaway...you'll still get that...but don't expect what you had even 10 years ago....those days are gone.

That's not completely true. Cruises on the mainstream lines are no longer those grand experiences. Of course, the prices of those cruises are no longer "grand experiences" either. You can still get those experiences, you just need to pay for them. Either with specialty restaurants are more upscale, luxury lines. You will pay for them, but you paid for them in the past as well. You can't expect to get the same level of service and benefits at a smaller fraction of the cost it used to be. You want them, you pay the extra for them like you used to do for a cruise.

Interesting points, missgwen. After 40+ cruises and 30 years as a (now retired) travel agent, never, ever, EVER did I look at occupancy possibility when booking a cabin, nor did any cruise line ever warn me that my or my clients' cabins could be whisked away from them to satisfy a guarantee. This still smacks to me of something more - will we someday be booking "deluxe balcony" as in a hotel booking, with no specific cabin? I don't like it.

Linda

 

 

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I find it interesting, because in the past there was NEVER a 3-person GTY option. We sail 3 people (me, DW, DD) 75% of the time, and I've never had the opportunity to sail in a GTY, because it wasn't available for 3-people. Is this something new that RCCL is doing recently? I know Carnival allowed it, and NCL sometimes, but it was never done on any of our RCCL sailings before.

Payroll is typically about 11% of a cruise's operating cost:

 

http://www.cruisemarketwatch.com/home/financial-breakdown-of-typical-cruiser/

 

Keep in mind that if a cruise ship were US-flagged, it would have to pay and withhold both employer-paid and employee-paid taxes such as Social Security and Medicare. Most shipboard employees would take about a 15%-20% pay cut just from having to cough up Social Security, Medicare, Federal, and in some cases, State taxes as well.

 

That said, the one US-flagged ocean cruise ship currently in operation, Norwegian's Pride of America, really doesn't have outrageous fares compared to say Carnival's 7-day Southern Caribbean cruises out of San Juan, especially since there is no casino aboard the Pride of America.

 

 

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I would never pay for a Carnival 7-day southern Caribbean cruise at the prices that Pride of America charges.

1. Do Americans refrain from eating at a restaurant in the USA knowing that the waitresses make $2 per hour and have to make a living on tips?

2. Would those same Americans still eat out if prices doubled so waitresses could make a more normal wage?

2. Would the same Americans tip at the same amount if they were making a normal wage as well?

I know what the minimum heights are on the slides however I am wondering if anyone has noticed or had success taking their younger children on the slides with them (two riders at once)?

 

Thanks!

 

 

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I can't think of any cruise ship, on any line, that allows 2 people on a slide at the same time.

Nassau is EST anyway so if it's a cruise from Florida it's likely to be the same anyway

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I will say I avoided PC because of "the pain". Now I have had two good cruises out of there. The only thing I don't like about PC is you get to Labadee a couple hours later and Royal doesn't like burning extra fuel these days. I think on Freedom our stay was 10-3.

That sea distance will certainly be something in a cruise lines thinking of PC in general, though for new vs old it might not matter. Still, that's 200 or so miles they need to make up somewhere, each way, to get to the Caribbean over MIA/FLL ports. Both in time and fuel.

Beg to differ with many of you. We are tired of driving to Ft. L and paying to stay in a hotel overnight to make certain we don't miss the ship. We can drive to PC in about 2+ hours and no overnight costs.

 

If coming from out of state or out of US would much rather fly into Orlando than Ft. L or Miami. Have you all forgotten about Disney and Universal and not to mention Kennedy Space Center. For those who enjoy shopping until you drop, Orlando offers superior shopping opportunities.

 

Lived in Miami for 26 years and in Orlando for 10 years so know both areas well. Don't know the economics of the deal for RCCL but for the consumer, I vote for PC.

 

Thankfully we have choices to suit our personal needs.

I don't know anyone who would rather fly into Orlando for a 7-night cruise, unless they were planning to extend their trip for a number of days before or after to go to the theme parks. I'm sure they're out there, but I would say most people prefer flying into FLL or MIA for a week cruise. They're much closer to the port, and you have more options to choose from in terms of flights (since you can fly into either airport for either port). For those who are just coming in to take a week off for a cruise (most cruisers) it's just easier to do MIA & FLL.

I don't think Orlando has better shopping opportunities either, considering the Aventura and Sawgrass Mills malls are the 2nd and 5th most visited malls in the country. Let alone the Miami Beach and Las Olas areas.

It IS more convenient for people in Northern Florida or southern states to drive to, which is why it's one of the "big 3" cruise ports (with Everglades and Miami). Throw in the theme parks, and it's own beach area (Cocoa Beach) it certainly gets a lot of cruise passengers, which it should. That haul, and expense, of traveling to/from Orlando though takes a bit of luster off of the "wow" of a new cruiser going on a new ship, which is why the newer ships might not be there.

Sit in the first few rows and participate.....makes it much more enjoyable.

Unfortunately the last couple of Quests I've been to, the first few rows are taken by a lot of older people who get there really early and just want to watch.

But it IS a fun show!

Don't get me wrong. Allure was a very nice ship and the cruise overall was pleasant. It was a goal of ours to go on an Oasis class ship. Now that we have reached that goal and seeing all the pushes away from what it was to specialty up-charge dining for the great food it once was, I don't see any reason to be loyal to the cruise line anymore.

 

I am a cruise or two away from Diamond and the C&A benefits are really not very attractive to me to be an incentive to reach Diamond.

 

When we first started cruising back in 2009 we heard so many things about the food from the other lines that didn't come close to the quality of food Royal provided. In my opinion that is no longer the case during our past three years that it once was.

 

We love cruising and that won't stop, but I will look at the best prices, value, entertainment, and itineraries for my future cruises from all the cruise lines.

There isn't a real reason to be loyal, unless you like the product and benefits you get for sailing them.

The problem is...where are you going to go? All the mass market lines are going in the same general direction, maybe at different speeds. Unless you go up into the luxury lines (which you pay more to get that extra), you're going to find things are similar. They're all cutting down on the base prices (and what you get) and including add-on services. Mainly because that's what people want for the most part (otherwise they wouldn't be doing it).

Leaving Wednesday and there is chance final World Series game will be that night. Anywhere to watch?

 

 

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Just got off the Fantasy this morning. They were showing the World Series on TV's in the casino, by the Café Bistro (midway down the promenade where they serve the pay coffee) and on TV's in the rear bar in front of the Punchliners comedy club on Deck 9 (Majesty Bar on Fantasy). Might have even been more places but that's where I mainly saw it.

Was on in the rooms too.

Each person has (should have) his or her own C&A number and thus his or her own membership information and C&A page.

Kids are different though. They do get a C&A number, but they don't get their own page or sign-on (have to be 18). You can add their account number as "other family" on yours, but you still can't look up any information about them. You need to call to get most info (like how many points they have, for example)

Why didn't you just cancel this cruise and sail Breakaway as you told everyone you were going to do months ago?

Maybe because Breakaway cut so much of their stuff as well :)

But that takes a whole week of vacation. Might as well do a 7 day leaving on Saturday or Sunday

 

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That's pretty much why we never do those 4-day cruises leaving Monday. It's not worth the vacation time, even if the price is really cheap.

Um, yea. ;)

 

Who wants to fly down for a 3 day cruise. :eek:

 

Or take a 3 day and a 4 day instead of a 7 day. :eek::eek:

 

Like Bill said, back in the day, you got close to the same credit no matter how long the voyage. I think there was a second point for 12 day and longer.

 

A few of our extra points were on weekend Sovereign and Monarch sailings, but I lived in Orlando at the time. It was just easy with no vacation needed. Didn't really think to mutch about points back then.

 

FWIW, today's Pinnacle makers are the Solo Cruisers. I know a couple. ;)

I remember during the DiD days there were people who did B2B2B2B2B cruises over 2 weeks (3 weekends) in Jr suites and rack up 15 points in the old system. That translated into 105 points when they converted the system to points.

Even outside those, the short cruises definitely helped, being in South Florida.

Basic internet should be free like most hotels,

where most people only need to check emails etc,

 

i can understand the charge for users wishing to use large amounts of data.

 

no way would i pay for this on a ship,

 

i'll make sure i use my diamond benefit though,

 

Celebrity benefit is much better, with a number of minutes over the course of the cruise.

 

last time i did not use up all my minutes

 

with Royal can only use on one day :-(

 

what is the need for that?

maybe i should setup my device to stream 24 hours to make sure i use up all my free allocation :-)

 

BTW, unless you are under 20 years there are much better things to get upto.

 

ooh i'm getting old

There is a difference between a hotel getting a subscription to the local internet provider with a cable and needing to get satellite service on a cruise ship.

Also, don't be surprised if Celebrity switches theirs in the future. Seems the lines are slowly heading to this type of business model for internet.

Now you guys are making me rethink everything. I live in Central Florida and cruising out of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday, 11/20. It's a 4 hour drive and was going to leave early Sunday morning, but these posts are making me question that decision.

I think from Central Florida you should be fine. I would check traffic reports the morning of. You have 2 major ways to get there (Turnpike and I-95) so if one is blocked you can go down the other. Heck, you could even go down 27 if you had to and catch I-75/595 to go in from the west if need be. I would just leave eeeearly though, to make sure.

This is presuming no major issues going on, like a big forest fire or tropical storm, in which case you know the day ahead and can head down early if need be to get in the area.

Thanks for the confirmation that its not worth my time to continue fighting and that its new for this past summer. I moved on and booked Celebrity without any problem - balcony and an inside. It will be a great trip too.

I don't blame you. I'm sure it would have been a great trip, but so will the one you will be on. Maybe if more parents do this, and it starts actually affecting NCL where it counts to them, they will loosen it back up to what the other lines are doing.

The other aspect of it then is, should NCL not allow bookings initially into staterooms with connecting doors if the person is only booking one room? I know that will cause controversy to people who want those rooms, but if all the connecting rooms go then they will start loosing families (similar in how some lines are not allowing 2 people to book into a 3/4 person room in early bookings)