77sue

We were on the conquest this year for st, Patrick’s day. Lots of people wearing green, beads, hats, some had green hair. At sail away, weird leprechaun dancing in costume, a lot of staff in costume, large hats etc. that’s all I remember. Have a great time!

I use a small collapsible cooler, and a small plastic tray from the dollar store. That way I don’t have to worry about the cooler leaking.

Thanks for the info. Just what I was looking for.

We have cruised many times. This time we have a noon flight from tampa airport and are considering taking our own luggage off. We are 62 and 71 and will have two large rolling suitcases. How hard is this? We would have a problem going down stairs with the luggage. Never flew home the day cruise ends so I’m a little paranoid.

We were on the conquest in March. We went on a carnival excursion of best of st. Maarten. It was probably our best excursion ever. You get a tour all over the island and can see the devistation of the island. Our tour guide was a native of the Dutch side and told us all about living on the island. I would highly recommend.

Don’t try to do everything! There is so much going on, you will be exhausted if you try to do everything. Relax, you can do the things you missed on your next cruise!

Our last cruise in March on the conquest the couple in front of us had such a huge stash it was ridiculous. They had their two bottles of wine, then 6 or 8 loose different bottles of pop, 2 or 3 various bottles of juice AND a half gallon of orange juice. They certainly stopped the line, arguing with security etc. everything except the wine was taken away. It filled two security tubs. We were finally able to get around them, they were still arguing with security. Saying someone should have told us we can’t bring this on. This is why there are so many rules.

Our last cruise in March we had a lido balcony. Absolutely loved it. It was so convenient, will book another one if available.

We love the cheesecake and the carrot cake. I think they were $2.95 or 3.95. And the pieces were huge, plenty enough for two people. We get them on every cruise.

It’s a good idea to let your credit card company know you are traveling. We had never done this, then went on an Alaska cruise a couple of years ago and a week in Portland after. Day after we checked in, I got a call from hotel-my card was frozen. No big deal to straighten out. But now I call and let them know.

I know we are in the minority, but I like once a day service. There are only two of us and we prefer the nighttime service. Sometimes we stay on the ship while in port, sitting on our balcony and we are in the room stewards way. Traveling with kids, I could definitely see needing service twice a day. I just like the option.

We always tip $1 a bag. Most of the time we don’t see anyone else tipping.

They did a balloon drop on the conquest in March. First time we had seen it.

I think that the grills on the buffet were replaced by guys burgers. I don’t know if that’s on all the ships. But we did notice that at lunch on the last sea day they had the american menu and they had the chicken tenders. You can also order (and pay) from room service.

They make a lot of noise, but don’t work very good.

Body wash and shampoo in shower. No conditioner. Need to bring your own conditioner and lotion. Hair dryer is usually in desk. You can bring any combo of sodas in cans. Bring some kind of a bag to carry them in, sometimes they open the 12 packs to inspect, then the box is ruined.

We were there in March. Went on a carnival excursion of top 10 of st. Martin. Best excursion we have ever been on. So much of the island has to be rebuilt. Our tour included Maho beach. We saw 2 big planes and a couple of small ones. It made our cruise! So glad we actually got to see the planes land. One of our best cruise memories! We were on a tour, but there were a lot of taxis right at the parking lot by the beach. However I would say it took us at least an hour to get back to the port. They have two lane roads and shut down one side for utility work. Where we live, they would let one side thru for a few minutes, then the other side. In st. Martin we waited at least a half an hour or more. It was like a parking lot. According to our tour guide, that’s how they do it. So if you are going by taxi, leave plenty of time to get back to the ship.

Did you feel a vibration on the pride? We sailed on it a few years ago and we could really feel the vibration especially on lido. Even while we were in port. We would love to go on the pride again since we can drive to Baltimore. What is your experience?

We've only been on one b2b, but pretty much everything was closed before everyone boards. No bars, no pools, just a huge flurry of cleaning and maintenance.

If you find a good deal that works for you—don’t wait. We never book onboard anymore, they give you up to two weeks for a discount, so we much prefer to do it at home. No pressure that way.

I agree. I’ve only ever used my passport. That’s all you need. Although on a recent trip we were on st. Kitts, port security asked for a picture Id along with your sail and sign card. We didn’t bring our passports off the ship. Luckily I had my license in my purse. That’s the first time it’s ever happened.

I recommend the sea bands too. You can get them at any drug store, or I bought mine online. I like the Velcro adjustable ones I can find online. I was very skeptical about them, but I have never had a problem in 11 cruises AND I can get an upset stomach very easily. We were on the fascination during Sandy and we didn’t have any seasickness. They work!

They are called bio bands.

The cheesecake or the carrot cake from the coffee shop. It’s around $4 but worth every penny AND the piece is plenty for two people.

You can bring juice boxes and juice pouches on for the kids, when you board the ship. Milk is available from room service, just call before 10pm. my husband orders milk every night before bed.

We were on the conquest in March and we loved the new sandwiches. We ate there most days for lunch. We liked the grilled sandwiches much better than the panini press. All the sandwiches did not have any condiments, you had to add your own. Apparently we are in the minority.