TwinMamainMN

1 hour ago, PATRLR said:

Vibe, if you have access.

We do not. Not sure we would spend the $ either TBH.

Have sailed on RCL in the past, and several of their ships have "bridge wings" which is a great spot to enjoy a sail away, especially departing port on the embarkation day. We are sailing on Bliss in March and I'm curious if there are any "hidden gems" for sail away viewing. We have a standard balcony room, so that's one option.

We have never cruised from CA before. Sailing on NCL Bliss in March. I know the distance to LAX is approximately 18 miles, but have no idea how much time to allow for traffic on a Sunday morning or how busy LAX will be. We will probably book Uber/Lyft when we get off the ship. What is the earliest flight departure time AND what would a "comfortable" departure time be? We are thinking noon, but I wanted to ask the experts on CC before we book anything.

We are boarding the day you leave. Our first time in Miami so we are leaving Wednesday to explore the Keys, Everglades, and Miami before we board. We have 2 ocean facing balcony cabins as we are traveling with our 3 kids. We love South Beach at Coco Cay also. Calm and relaxing. Have a wonderful cruise!

"I would like to put it in the safe for the week and only take it out when I want to take a photo."

-- By the time you retrieve your cell phone to take the photo, the opportunity may be gone entirely. The sunset isn't going to wait.

To each their own. We carry our cell phones with us to take photos when we are on the ship. When we swim or sit in the jacuzzi, we leave it in a small tote bag along with sunscreen, etc. We still find plenty of time to relax, enjoy our vacation and talk to each other. Just because we use them doesn't mean we are ignoring each other or our kids. It's entirely possible to do both.

No, this is why we only book using a TA or book on board at the Next Cruise desk and then transfer it to our TA. We also have to book at least a year ahead to get an accessible room.

We had an amazing and memorable dinner at 150 Central Park on Harmony. Both the food and the service were impeccable. We also really enjoyed Jaime's Italian and Chops.

5 hours ago, Pellaz said:

 

The vendors along the "straw market" path were terrible.  I'd heard stories here on CruiseCritic about how pushy and aggressive they could be, but wow.   I noticed there were some ship's security officers posted along that stretch during our visit, too.  

I do not look forward to that part at all. It's one of the things I greatly dislike about Costa Maya and Cozumel. Asking if I want to browse is one thing, but being aggressive is another. Labadee will be a new port for us when we are there in two weeks, and I'm looking forward to it after seeing these photos and the RC blog video about it.

We did Alaska northbound on Radiance from Vancouver to Seward in August 2018.

My advice is consider what YOU a want to see, do and hear. Then ignore the people that say “you have to do X, Y and Z.” They aren’t you. They might not like or enjoy what you do, and that’s okay. Likewise, it’s okay for you to decide to make other choices.

We sailed with our 3 kids and my mom (young 70s at the time). We were not interested in listening to someone talk the whole time we were glacier watching. We did not do the train in Skagway because I knew our kids would be bored after 20 minutes and the wooden seats looked horribly uncomfortable. Also, our daughter uses a wheelchair and would have had to park on the train and been stuck where she was, no moving around the train to explore or walk.

We did Alaska in the way that worked for us, and had a fabulous time. Did we do what others said we “should” or “must?” No, but we had an amazing once-in-a-lifetime vacation anyway.

We like Lime and Coconut (if you are a ship with that pool bar). I also really like a Coconut Mojito made with Malibu coconut rum instead of white rum. First one I tried was made by our waiter/bartender in Playmakers on Harmony last March and I was hooked.

15 hours ago, MamaFej said:

Welcome, @TwinMamainMN! I'm so glad you have come to join us here.

 

You are creating wonderful memories for your children, and yourselves. 

So true. More memories less “stuff.”

We are a family of 5 plus one spoiled Dachshund named Zion (one of our favorite National Parks). We bought our first ever travel trailer in February 2021. It’s a Keystone Passport 221bh. Small but mighty. With our kids in school and hubby and I working FT  we camp on weekends and do some long weekend, or couple week trips in the summer. We live near St. Paul, MN so our camping season is basically late April to early October (if we are lucky). Since we’ve had our RV, we’ve been to 12 different states and one Canadian province.

Someday when the kids are grown up, moved out and we can retire, we dream of a 5th wheel and RVing FT.

This is “Dolly”. Our first long trip was to Pigeon Forge, TN. She’s not big or fancy, but she’s our second home. Pic taken at Myrtle Beach KOA in 2021.

I like the beach vibe for 3-4 hours max. After that, I need to DO something. Walk the town, shop, eat what the locals eat, see something historic, explore the landscape, etc. We did an AI once in Playa del Carmen, Mexico when our kids were little and although we had fun for the most part, we were bored a lot of the time.

For us, cruising is the best of both worlds. We can be as busy or as lazy as we want to be. Most days, it's a mix of activity. This is likely whey we prefer to road trip in a RV than return to the same stationary RV or campground/cabin every week. The world is big and amazing and beautiful. I want to see as much of it as possible.

“If you have a national park pass make sure you take it.“

GREAT tip! Our daughter has a disabled NP pass so I’m going to pack it in my tiny cruise wallet. Thank you for mentioning it @LeeW!

13 hours ago, soremekun said:

Throw this into the Google machine:

 

8 mocktails to try on your next Royal Caribbean cruise

 

A nice article from "the blog" will be search result #1.

GREAT article! Thanks for sharing!

I think your list is sufficient. We use packing cubes and some hooks but none of the other things and it works fine. Our packing cubes came with "shoe bags" which we use for dirty laundry. 

On our two cruises last year (Odyssey and Harmony) I rarely saw them being used, or even rented. Yes, you can come and go from them as you wish for however long you have it reserved. Have you seen photos of them? I personally don't think they look that comfortable, and they are not private or away from everyone else really. There are regular deck chairs nearby and they are not enclosed in any way.

I agree the price is hefty, especially for what you get.

2 hours ago, Luke gs Daddy said:

Has anyone taken a ship board excursion and after the excursion is over taken a taxi to do something else rather than go back immediatly to the ship? 

Some people we are traveling with will absoutly not take an excursion from that is not offered by RCI. 

This will be in Cozumel and the ATV tour through RCI. 

I hope this makes sence.

Thanks

 

Ship tours typically start and end at/near the cruise pier. I would bet you will get dropped off by transportation in the port area in Cozumel. Then you could taxi elsewhere, shop/eat/drink in the port area, or return to the ship. 

We ate at 150 CP on Harmony in September. It was amazing. The food was terrific and the service was impeccable. One of the best meals of our lives. Between hubby and I we had the pork belly, scallops, Sunchoke veloute, veal, lobster thermidor, duck duo and the cheesecake balls. I want to go back and order the tenderloin.

8 hours ago, Sand and Seas said:

Would it be difficult to drop a car at Enterprise (at the port) and then catch a bus to our hotel (Country Inn & Suites) at 9009 Astronaut Blvd?  

No, but with less hassle, you could just call an Uber/Lyft. If you check out the Uber website, you can type in the starting and ending address and get a price estimate. Not that what you find today won't be exactly the same as it will when you do it (dur to traffic, how many drivers are working, etc.), but it will be close.

55 minutes ago, FOPMan said:

Old Town is quite walkable but rollability is a whole other issue. 

 

To get into old town from where the ship’s dock, you have to go up a pretty steep hill that doesn’t have great sidewalks or curb cuts. Much of the street is cobblestone, with poor/no curb cuts in many places. 

 

The forts are actually pretty accessible.

That's just fine. Daddy can push the WC. 😂

Do you know about the City Wall?

I have read many places that San Juan is very walkable and easy to DIY. We will be traveling with our 3 kids (14, 14 and 10). Our 14-year-old daughter uses a wheelchair for long/community distances but can transfer and walk shorter distances with forearm crutches.

We would like to go to El Morro and San Cristobal, walk along the San Juan City Wall and wander the streets of Old Town and shop. I don't expect her to be able to explore either fort in depth.. She will be satisfied with seeing the buildings and enjoying the views.

Any tips or suggestions would be appreciated.

I think it's very pretty and will be comfortable. I like that it's not red since that's what your husband will be wearing.

Congratulations on your upcoming anniversary and your cancer free diagnosis. Lots to celebrate for both of you.

1 hour ago, beachcruiser2 said:

Thank you to all the responses.  I didn't know there is more than one port in Orlando.  The itinerary is showing we dock at Port Canaveral.  Would that be  the north or south terminal?

Port Canaveral is not Orlando. Orlando is in the center of the state from east to west. Port Canaveral is on the eastern coast of Florida, about 45ish minutes away.

What ship are you sailing on? 

If you have time and a rental vehicle, you could visit Ron Jon at Disney Springs after you arrive in Orlando. Then drive from there to wherever your cruise departs. Totally depends on how much time you have and where the ship departs.