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R has nicer decor, better suites and more bells and whistles. R ships are also more stable as they tend to be heavier and wider than C ships.

C has better food and (for the most part) cheaper price. The pizza on R is horrible, and there is little if anything open late night. I also find R main dining room food to be mediocre and uninspired. R has more variety for specialty dining, but both Chops and Izumi pale in comparison to steakhouse and Bonsai on C.

Service is about same on both lines. Daytime activity is a draw in my opinion, but R has better stage production.

If you think Hyatt Pier 66 is dated, chances are you will find the Hilton Marina just as bad, if not worse.

I have a family of 4. I always fly in the day before cruise, but even that may not be enough in the Delta fiasco as there is no guarantee you will be able to get 4 seats on an alternate flight with another airline. Maybe I should arrive 2 days prior, that way if the flight gets cancelled I have a little more time to work with, and can even drive down to Florida as a last resort.

For 7 people and six bags, you need at least 2 taxis. Each taxi will cost about 15 to 17 bucks depending on traffic, so you are looking at 30 to 35 plus tips. I would budget 45 dollars just to be safe.

Don't even bother with a shared shuttle service. More expensive and takes longer, you may even need to wait for the shuttle to fill up before leaving.

Is $420 round trip per person from Cleveland to Ft. Lauderdale ( Miami Cruise Port ) for our cruise in April 2017 too much or is this a good price? Should we wait to book airfare 3 months out.

 

Thanks for all advice.

Don't know which day you intend to fly, but after Easter weekend you should be able to fly nonstop Detroit to Fort Lauderdale for about $220 round trip on Spirit.

We thought about getting a Central Park balcony cabin as it was almost $400.00 cheaper than an ocean view balcony, but decided against it. I don't like the fact that people across the park can look into my cabin, and I miss being able to watch the ocean and the ship coming (and leaving) from port.

The dining package should be available on all sailings.

 

However, if you mean the 20% beverage package, that is only on specific sailings.

The first post referenced a 20 percent discount to the specialty dining package, hence the question. When I go to RCCL, it is still showing 80 dollars for a 3 night package.

I can't find this 20 percent discount referenced in some posts. Is it only for specific sailings or packages?

Reminds me of the story a while back about some guy who missed the ship after getting lost in the mountains due to an earthquake. He ended up spending the night in a hotel before flying out to Haiti and board the ship in Labadee.

The Best Western at 5625 O'Donnell offers shuttle to port, but the hotel itself is mediocre and surrounded by cemetery and industrial warehouse. Nothing to do at night but to stay in room.

Admiral Fell Inn is in the middle of Fells Point, with plenty of restaurants, bars and hip stores. Not as busy as inner harbor, but better ambiance. Just note it is supposedly one of the most haunted hotel in Baltimore.

My wife breastfeeds. When on the ship, she will go back to our cabin or find a quiet spot away from the hustle and bustle, such as the top level of the theater (when show is not on) or the children's playroom.

If we are on the beach and it takes too long to get back to the ship (such as HMC), she covers herself with a blanket. No Carnival employee has ever voiced any objection, and a few female employees even came over and ask if she needs anything else to be more comfortable.

So I don't think you have anything to worry about from Carnival. Some uptight passengers, however, will look away in shame or disgust. My wife did not expose her breast at any point, so it is not the sight but the mere thought of an exposed breast and intimate contact that these people find off putting.

My elder daughter first cruised when she was 7 months old. We didn't get to enjoy the adult activities such as bars, casino, shows, disco or pool. We spent more than half the cruise inside our cabin as the baby naps, breastfeeds or needs diaper change. That being said, it is still an enjoyable cruise that I will remember for the rest of my life. Just being with your family and away from the stress of work is relief enough for me.

I would avoid Chops. The steak is decent, but the shrimp cocktail is highly disappointing. I like my shrimp cocktail crunchy and sweet. The ones served at Chops is chewy and has minimal flavor.

Sabor is excellent. Izumi is good too if you stay with sushi and hot stone. Didn't try Giovanni's so can't comment.

Thanks for your opinion.

Yes I agree that NYE cruises are fantastic...as I am a teacher, it is the only time that we can sail. We have enjoyed many Christamas/NYE cruises.

I vote for the Magic, as it has a waterpark and sports square which Conquest lacks.

I avoid holiday sailings because they are just too expensive. Can't you sail during summer break when school is out?

Glad everything worked out for you. I am sure you will have a blast on the Harmony.

Good thing your daughter is too young to remember what happened with the Oasis. I had two daughters aged 2 and 5, and I once missed a 6 a.m. flight because of traffic jam from accident. We got to the gate just as the plane closes its door, and to this date my elder daughter would keep asking me "Daddy, will we make the flight" every time we go on vacation.

Are these panramic rooms only the "family" catagory, or do they also have some regular occupancy?

There are 3 types of panoramic oceanview cabins. The regular, large and family.

Regular panoramic oceanview is identical to a balcony cabin except you get a floor to ceiling window instead of balcony. They average around 185 sq.ft.

Large panoramic oceanview is pie shaped and substantially larger than a regular cabin at 280 sq.ft. The only downside is there are only 2 such cabins, and one of them is handicapped accessible, so the odds of snatching one is extremely slim.

A family panoramic oceanview is the largest of the three at 400 plus sq.ft. There are only 2 such cabins, and you need at least 5 person to book.

Thank u so much for all your input. Unfortunately we can not stay another day. Work always gets in the way :) I live 45 min from Atlantic city airport. Spirit is the only ones that fly in there so the other airports are no option since those airlines probably fly to Philly or Newark. Too far. I rather drive in Florida to another's airport then in New Jersey. Lol. I'll keep knocking the idea around. Thanks again

I strongly advise against flying out of FLL if you are taking Spirit. FLL is a major hub for Spirit, and the line for check-in and bag drop is ungodly long (sometimes the line would go all the way out the terminal building). You can expect to spend 30 to 45 minutes just to drop off your checked bags. Factor in security clearance and the whole check-in process balloons to 1.5 hours.

Of the three options you listed, I would go with TPA and PBI before FLL. Traffic is much lighetr from either of those airports, which makes check in and security clearance much quicker.

Baltimore Inner Harbor with all its attractions and restaurants is 10 minutes away from the cruise terminal. If I had received notice that boarding will be delayed, I would have turned my car around and go get some Faidleys crab cake.

I'm a NJ / NY pizza guy. I'm fine with the size of it. But I don't need it to be make to order. They should operate it like a traditional pizzeria, and have it ready for you, just heat it up if need be. The lines back up otherwise

They try to have ready made pizzas available, but supply just could not keep up with demand when you have people walking away with 3 whole pies at once (saw this on my Conquest sailing last December).

Had them on Conquest. They are decent, but nothing to write home about. You can definitely tell the oysters are pre-packaged and not freshly shucked (not that I expect them to be).

Did they separate between the 6-8 and 9-11 age group? One thing I don't like about my recent sailing on the Navigator was that the staff lumped everyone from ages 6 through 11 into one big group, which doesn't bode well with me as some of the older kids sometimes play rough.

I feel the same way. I don't pledge allegiance to any cruise company and just go with the best deal available. My last cruise was on the Navigator of the Seas, and the cruise before that was on Carnival Conquest. My next two cruises are on RCCL, but that is purely due to economics.

RCCL ships definitely got more bells and whistles, and the décor is more refined and classy. RCCL ship also feels more stable in my opinion. Not sure if that is due to good weather, but I hardly ever feel the sway of the boat during my entire 6 day cruise.

The complimentary food on RCCL, however, is a major disappointment. I get the feeling the chefs are trying hard not to offend, which means the dishes are bland with little spice or flavor (compared with CCL). The only dish I like from the MDR is the lobster, and only because lobsters are best eaten fresh without any seasoning. Specialty dining on RCCL, however, is pretty good, and I will get the dining package just so I don't have to put up with the boring dishes at MDR.

I had both on the Navigator. Sabor is excellent. Loved the spicy fresh made guacamole.

Izumi is more hit and miss. The eel dynamite roll is pretty good, and the hot stone dishes look interesting. The miso soup and nabeyaki udon, however, just doesn't taste right.

I see your cruise goes from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Langkawi and Phuket before returning to Singapore. There is a 5 night cruise on the Ovation leaving same day that goes to Penang and Phuket.

If you really want to go to KL and Langkawi, you can fly from SG to both destinations after the cruise on Air Asia for less than 50 bucks easy.

They can't do anything with the pre-paid charges, but they could have removed the on board daily gratuities. I don't think the OP wanted to take those off (and basically give the service staff the shaft), if the pre-paid grats had already been refunded to his credit card.

I was under impression that guest services can adjust the gratuities to any number you want. Are you saying it is either pay the higher gratuity amount in full, or pay nothing at all?