jean87510

42 minutes ago, time4u2go said:

Not sure about the gratuities, but that steak does NOT look appetizing, at least to me! In particular, the layer of fat on the side closest to the camera.

Yes, Chops isn't my favorite.  Unfortunately this is the Grandeur so restaurants are limited.  We may use all 3 at Izumi.

37 minutes ago, Tree_skier said:

I noticed a couple of weeks ago that the price of various packages had the gratuity already added in and nothing was added at check out.  It started with my Icon booking a couple of weeks ago and has moved on to all the future booking that I have.

 

This should please all the "I hate gratuities" crowd.  

Well they are still there.  

I actually like it.  

On 5/7/2024 at 5:30 PM, lwid77 said:

Hello everyone!

 

I have a questions about gratuities and understand it can be a hot button topic for some.  This is our first cruise and we are booking on the Constellation going from Rome to Venice and our fare included gratuities.  

What is the expectation for gratuities over and above that?  Particularly for the room steward and restaurant waiters.  

Do you tip waiters every time you dine?

 

Thank you!

No.

Gratuities are included.

Normally when I purchase this I notice the gratuities are added once I check out.  Here, the price says it's already included.  This is for a 9 day Grandeur cruise next April.  Price looks within reason for a 3 night package.  Has anyone seen this?  Something new for the latest 35% "sale"?

1 hour ago, bajathree said:

Cause the food on Coco Cay like Labadee sucks. I was actually happy to see better choices at Hideaway.

Have to agree with the overall estimation re food.  Probably a 3 out of 5.  We eat a decent breakfast and dinner and usually don't drink a lot on island.

It is nice when crowds do leave.  We find it much more pleasant.  I personally think it's just nap time for some.

20 hours ago, ISHOULDABENAPIRATE said:

 

Coastal areas in the Bahamas experience two high tides and two low tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes, or every lunar day. High tides occur about 12 hours and 25 minutes apart, and it takes about 6 hours and 12.5 minutes for the water to change from high to low, or vice versa. 

Google is indeed a friend.  

5 hours ago, ReneeFLL said:

Where’s the rest of the picture? 🤔

 

Well it was a selfie but here he is in Eleuthera.  

4 hours ago, doghog said:

I'll bet your husband was thankful you didn't report him. 😂

Lol, sorry, I'm picky.  I prefer muscular in shape triathletes.  

12 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

I'm just trying to wrap my mind around the frequently stated "snacks before dinner".

 

SNACKS BEFORE DINNER?  How about just GOING TO DINNER?!?!??!

lol, it sounds like my kids when they were in their pre teens.  

Isn't there pizza available and soft serve ice cream at that time?

I once saw a very hairy animal getting out of the hottub with a large stomach, a mankini and a drink.  Forgot to report it.

9 hours ago, joyandjerry said:

Be nice to meet someone from our "tribe" on a cruise someday! I swam quite a bit many years ago, so it is no problem. We never pack dressy clotin, as we are there for the ports not to eat in the dining room, which is generally very slow service. The cruise lines have your age on record with your booking, so one cannot lie about it to them.

We sometimes book through chase travel points and they have our ages.  

Yes, it's definitely nice to meet a port person who age is a number!

13 minutes ago, joyandjerry said:

 

Thanks for the info. We never got our own equipment, as it is rather bulky to pack. Apparently the four of us are atypical cruise ship pax. Jerry and I both exercise daily. I run and lift weights, plus stair walk. Jerry is exceptionally fit at 70 and rides an exercise bike at a high intensity daily, plus lifts weights.  (We have a gym a True bike and treadmill.) I am 64 and many of the cruise ship excursions cap age participation. We did the Mt Pimard  hike in St Lucia several weeks ago, and others much younger than us in another group had to drop out halfway. Booking was through SEG. RCCL capped the age limit at 63, and the hike actually fell on my 64th birthday! On the ships we use the gym regularly and never the elevators. Daily we start at deck one and got to the top deck continuously four or five times. Use it or lose it!

you will have no issues then.

We have 1 checked suitcase devoted to our snorkeling stuff including a weight belt, tent, free diving fins...  It really is not that much extra room if just mask, pipe and fins.  We use dish detergent in a small bottle to defog.  It is so much nicer to have your own.  I gave up nice shoes and nice clothes years ago to make room.

Yes, age thing is started to affect some bookings so we just lie now.

15 hours ago, revjamesl said:

I’ve asked a similar question before regarding different ports, but what are some really nice non-RC excursions/things to do that you’ve booked while in Puerto Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Roatan?

 

Please and thank you in advance.

There are quite a few factors. My suggestion is to research each place and find things you may like.  Then find ways to do them either a tour or on your own.  Your request is really broad as I don't know if you like beaches, party catamarans, snorkeling, diving, tour buses.  We can all give you suggestions but not knowing what you like makes it difficult.

On 4/8/2024 at 7:25 PM, Tigergenesis said:

Anyone planning on, been to or able to answer questions about Pinel Island (St. Maarten)? I'm looking at booking the kayaking excursion to Pinel Island through Caribbean Paddling. I thought that would be a different and fun way to get to the island. You can either ferry, kayak or paddleboard. However, I'd like to have the option to ferry back if we are too tired. Anyone know if you can book the ferry that day/last minute while on Pinel? Anyone done this kayaking adventure? I'm also curious about how long the trip takes via kayak, any tips on where to go on the island, food recommendations, etc. TIA 🙂 https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/shore-excursions 

Yes, we have done it 2x with Caribbean Paddling.  There is no option to ferry back.  Trip takes about 30 minutes without stopping.  But you may want to stop in a couple of spots to snorkel.  We hiked all around Pinel island.  Food and drink were good.  

1 hour ago, joyandjerry said:

Could you please tell me how you did this, if you remember? Where did you go and was there equipment available for rent? TY.

 

Jerry and I were very disappointed with the snorkeling on Silver Moon. Here is a copy of the review I posted on Trip Advisor:

 

 

Catamaran 5 stars, Snorkeling 1 star

Mar 2024 • Couples

This tour on the Silver Moon 3 is geared towards those that want a relaxed catamaran trip with minimal snorkeling. The captain stated he was taking us a place that would not be as crowded with the cruise ship excursions, but it was crowded with private vessels, so much so we were bumping into others and saw just a few stingray. The stop was very brief, and we had to get back on the boat as it was getting too crowded. Those that took the cruise ship excursion stated they saw a lot of fish. We were told we would go to another stop with a shipwreck, and sat there for a while with our vests still on, waiting. After about 30 minutes, a fellow passenger got back on the boat, stating she had to swim back a distance to get there. Apparently she was dropped off at the shipwreck, which she said was unbelievably crowded. We were incredibly disappointed, as the snorkeling was the main reason we took the trip. The captain said he made an announcement when we were at the shipwreck, but the others did not hear him. No other beach or snorkel stops were made (it did rain a short time), so before 11:00 AM, we were done for the day and had hours to spend sitting around on the boat. We were told there would be two snorkeling stops of about 25 minutes each, and we were very disappointed. So basically, we had an expensive boat ride. Lunch was great, but so is the food on our ship.

On the positive side, it was not crowded, service was impeccable, and the meal was very good. It is a beautiful catamaran, very clean and comfortable. But if you want to do more than lay around, this may not be the trip for you.

We were at the beach club next to the Boatyard.  Someone at the beach club told us where to swim out to.  We have our own equipment.  

We just swam 3/4 mile in Bora Bora against a strong current to snorkel in the Aquarium and Husband is 60 while I'm 59.  The Barbados swim is nothing compared to that.  Really easy.  Just have a buoy!  And make sure if you are not in shape or not a strong swimmer to wear a snorkeling vest or maybe not do it.  Husband is a free diver and a triathlete.  I am a long distance swimmer and run every day and hike.  

3 hours ago, Smiley_Man said:

My experience of The Key:

 

- The Voom internet you can obviously buy for less money, but sometimes the prices are quite close. The caveat is that even if you buy The Key for two people in a cabin, you only get the internet for one device

 

- The reserved seating for shows is nice if you're the sort of person who likes to get to the show with the minimum of time. The caveat here is that the seating is "reserved" not "premium". For Royal Theater it's at the front of the balcony, and for Studio B it's a little section high and to the side of the rink - not very good seats actually. But for the Aqua Theater (on SY at least) the Key seats were fantastic - right in the middle of the action. Sitting in your premium seat relaxing with your cocktail, while the "plebs" (jk!) are stuck queueing behind the chains makes you feel special.

 

- The little plate of fruit in your room is nice, but on our last sailing it was not as fresh as it could be...

 

- The early check in is good, especially for people like me who aren't the sort to hang around on the website hitting refresh on the first day that checkin opens.

 

- Similarly, you get "any time" disembarkation with checked baggage, which is nice if you're not the sort of person who likes to hit refresh and book the first possible slot.

 

- The embarkation lunch and disembarkation breakfast are the best thing about it by far - the lunch is a Chops selection and there's nothing better to kick your holiday off than a luxury meal. Of course, since you pay per day for The Key, the value goes down when you are on a more extended cruise, as you'll only get two meals.

 

- Delivering your carry-ons to your room might be nice if you are keen to hit the pool deck as soon as possible. Personally, I prefer to take mine to the room so we can change out of travel clothes into something nicer.

 

Quite a few of these are similar to suite benefits, so having the Key with a suite booking may be a waste of money.

 

We've had The Key on our two cruises so far (SY and AN) and have been pleased. We're doing the Anthem 2-day without it next week, so I'll be able to provide a compare-and-contrast.

 

If you're first-time cruisers looking to make the trip as special as possible, it's worth it.

 

If you're experienced cruisers who know precisely where, when and how to maximise your value, it's probably not going to give you much that you can't achieve with careful planning and some ninja website refreshing!

We personally could care less when we board now and usually pick later times.  I remember last year prior to sailing on the Vision I happened to be awake at 1130pm and decided to just watch tv until midnight and check in.  I don't remember hitting refresh at all or having problems.  This is definitely something new as I was even able to check in for a Celebrity cruise during a sea day last month somewhere between Fiji and American samoa using NCL wifi.

1 hour ago, varpinater said:

Would you recommend and could you

share the e bike company you used?

We used Klondike electric bicycles in Skagway and yes, highly recommend them.  I have my own and am a little picky and these were well maintained and fat tired ones which were a plus for us.  Here are some pictures from May 2022.

Just now, xyzcruiser said:

I have read about Rose Island but every time I contact them, they say our time in port does not coincide with their tours. Arrival too late, departure too early. I had hoped one day for a ships excursion to go there but no luck so far.

I actually look for vendors going there.  There are a few 4 hr tours that don't do the pigs which I despise.

17 hours ago, Cherful59 said:

@deltahog We get several pool towels, hand wash undergarments and socks, squeeze and roll them in the towels to get additional water out, then hang them dry.  You can also washout many other items, roll in towels and hang dry them. 

It's what we do.  And why I have 20 magnetic hooks all over the ceiling.  Got the roll tip from cruise critic and it works like a charm even in an inside cabin.

8 minutes ago, Smiley_Man said:

Definitely only one device per stateroom.

1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

Is this true ?  I thought everyone who purchases the Key (which is everyone in the cabin) gets a 1 device plan.  I have never used the Key so I don't know, but that's what I thought....

My husband and I both got it the one time we bought the key.

43 minutes ago, Tim Cruise said:

We get one complimentary phone internet access. How do we chose what phone gets it and what do we do to get it on that one phone. Also how to we NOT get it on the other 2 phones. Lol

you just sign in on the device you want.  It doesn't have option to switch around like other cruise lines.

On 4/11/2024 at 7:51 AM, craigtompkins said:

I know St. Croix is not visited as frequently as other islands in the area and as such there are fewer posts here and fewer 3rd party options so I'm starting my search early.  We will be visiting St. Croix for the first time in October.  Normally I like to do an island tour the first time I visit an island, but I honestly don't know if I'll ever visit St. Croix a 2nd time, so I'm looking for what might be considered a must do excursion/activity.  Our trip has plenty of beach days, so unless the beach is better than St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Barbados it does not need to have beach time.  Royal Caribbean does offer an excursion over to Buck Island if that's a better option that staying on St. Croix as I have not been there before either.  If an island tour is the right option, does anyone have recent experience with local tour guides?

Thanks in advance

We like hiking and snorkeling.  We rented a car at the airport and did both.  St. Croix is really easy to navigate.  Probably my favorite of the USVI.  We looked at tours but then just decided to research places of interest and go on our own.  Absolutely beautiful island.

On 1/7/2024 at 4:45 PM, joyandjerry said:

Jerry and I are going March 28, and have done a tour of the island on a previous visit. Does anyone have experience with snorkeling on your own, ship's excursion (RCCL), or other private tours for this? We are interested in the turtles and the shipwreck. TIA.

I know you have gone already but husband and I did this on our own in dec 2021.  We were in our late 50s and are both strong swimmers.  Had zero issues doing this.  We also snorkel with buoys.

On 4/29/2024 at 1:11 PM, xyzcruiser said:

Years ago I bought a beach pass for Melia on Cable beach and the resort was great and the snorkeling from the beach decent. I know Melia is no more but trying to find something similar. I have been to Nassau 25+ times, taken every boat snorkel excursion (only so-so). The only ones I actually found worth it was the Stuarts Cove snuba. But on my next cruise the timing doesn't work for that. I usually do cruiseline excursions since I'm solo but not exclusively. So I'm looking for suggestions of a beach snorkel, that is easy and safe for a solo traveler to get to and from port. I have no interest in just lying on the beach, so none of the 6 hour, lunch included ones will work for me. I really just want to snorkel, maybe take a walk and then snorkel again, then head back to the ship. I am okay with the resort for a day passes but they have gotten expensive, so I want to make sure there is actually decent snorkeling off the beach before I waste my money. Thanks for any info.

We have taken boat tours to Rose Island for 4 hours where I thought snorkeling was pretty good for Bahamas.  We are also booked to do a snorkeling tour with Clifton Heritage which appears to have good snorkeling from the shore but you do need to pay.  Shore snorkeling wise, no, not much and not worth it on your own.