addicted2

We will be on the cruise with you, leaving in the morning for Ft. Lauderdale so save us some sunshine and warm weather. Hopefully we will so you onboard!!!

I had the same problem for several days. I finally callled and they weren't able to fix it. They did however show me a kind of back door way of retrieving my reservation. If you go to the tab at the top of the page that says "Before You Board" (after you are logged in). Click on on online check-in. If you fill out the reservation information at the right side with your name, reservation number, date of departure and ship name it will pull up the online check in page of your reservation. Then you can click on the exit and view your reservation at the top of the page to see the main reservation page. Make sure you do not just click on the "log in to online check in" or you will get the same message that they are unable to view your reservation. You need to fill out the part that says "Check-in for someone else". Hope this helps, I was on the phone for quite awhile with the Crown and Anchor help line and this was the only way we could pull up my reservation, so hope it works for you too. Happy Cruising!!

Have a great time. We are close to single digits so I know how excited you are.

When we cruised the Oasis in Oct 2010 my hubby and two sons signed up for boot cmp classes. We did this on the first day and I told the instructor that the youngest was only 15. He said it wasn't a problem because he was taking the class with his stepdad and brother.

Was on the Jewel last week and we had the automatic coupons on the card. It was so much more convenient!!

We received both of our blocks onboard. I knew they should be coming and didn't have to ask for them. They were waiting in our stateroom during the cruises. We missed out on the 140 point one, it was before they changed the cruise points.

We just received our second crystal block last week on the Jewel. We now have two, our 210 point one from the Freedom last year and our 280 point one last week. I was just wondering who else has them and from what ships?

"Cruise life is so much better than real life!"

I am going to make that my new motto...Thanks for such a great review. Iope you don't mind that I copied a few of your pictures, loved the ones of the ship in Labadee. Cruising is very addicting as I'm sure you have found out.

We were on the cruise with you, but your pictures are way better. Hope you don't mind if I save some of your photos to go with mine. Keep the picTres coming!!

We saw it on the 7th at St Maarten. What island did you see it at? It is really neat looking isn't it?

It was at St Maarten too. My husband was fascinated by it and took lots of pictures.

YES! It had a A on the back, exactly like that! Wow cool! I thought maybe it was some Asian billionaire bc I saw a bunch of Asian guys standing guard LOL.

 

At first I couldn't figure out if it was a submarine or what. Never seen anything like that before.

We saw this yacht too on the 5th of March while on our Indy cruise. It was incredible, looked like something from a James Bond movie. We had heard that there had been a yacht regada over the previous weekend so figured it was leftover from that. Glad someone knew more about it. Thanks. Enjoying your review, keep it coming.

I'm really looking forward to your review especially the pictures. We sail on the Vision when you get off and have never been on this class of ship. Hope you have a great time and post lots of pictures please!!

We are D+ and am really surprised that our numbers are that low. Guess we shoukd start attending more of those special events that we keep getting invitations to. We hope to reach Pinnacle some time in the next decade.

We have had both aft and hump balconies. It all depends on how far you want to walk when returning to your room. The aft balconies are a long walk while the hump ones are close to elevators. The views of the wake of the ship are great however you don't get much direct sunlight on the aft balconies. The humps have great views and get more sun. You also don't have as much privacy on the aft balconies unless you are on deck ten. Otherwise the decks higher than you can view about half of your balcony and you can view the parts of the balconies below you.

Have to relate my story on how a pedicure turned into a free cruise. Two days before our first big cruise back on 2007 I went to have my first ever pedicure. During the pedicure the gentleman doing applied something in an unmarked bottle all over my legs and massaged it in. My legs started burning and the gloves he was wearing ended up with a hole eaten through them. Turns out he used callous remover instead of massage oil on my legs. I was left with chemical buens on both my legs. Where every pore is I had a scab. I took pictures every day while on the cruise and went to a lawyer when we returned. It took over a year but with the money we won we went on a wonderful cruise in a suite on the Liberty Of the Seas. I don't do pedicures any more, I paint them myself. Please make sure the salons you are going to have marked bottles.

Here are a couple pictures of my do it myself nails.

I hate it when my husband is asleep in the bed on the last night of the cruise while I am the one packing and filling out luggage tags and custom forms. (I'm really going to try and chage that one!)

I also hate those that pass gas in the elevators and while walking up the stairs. Leaving their fumes behind for the rest of us to deal with.

Thank you for taking the time to write such an excellent, informative and humorous review. You made my day!!

basically the room (and food) is free but taxes and gratuities and port charges are my responsiblilty...so it is still great!:) my same son also won $500 playing the same game of Bingo! They don't give you cash they apply it to your onboard expenses...

Have one many Bingo games onboard and you can have them give you cash if you want. The most embarrassing was winning three games in one bingo session on the Liberty a couple years ago. I think I ended up with seven bingo shirts. I also won the jackpot of $2300.00 on our first cruise on the Monarch back in 2006. Never one the free cruise but I haven't given up trying.

We stayed in an Owners suite on the hump, the balcony was awesome!!! If I remember correctly the square footage of both the room and the balcony was bigger than the loft suite (not the royal loft just the regular lofts).

I scanned through the pages and don't think I saw these tips so here goes. We always take at least one (two if the kids are with) pop up hamper. They fold flat for packing and weigh almost nothing. When it fills up with dirty clothes I pack them away in one of the suitcases. It helps keep the room organized and makes less work the last day of the cruise when you have to have your bags out.

My other tip is to make sure you have a swimsuit either on or in your carry-on so you can enjoy the pools and hot tubs on embark day. It is the only time the pools and hot tubs are almost empty. Just make sure to have flip-flops or sandals, I forgot mine once and had my running shoes on, I almost burned my feet on the hot pool deck getting into the pool.

We also take the plug-in air freshener, we also take a small can of febreeze we spray the curtains, couches etc. and sometimes have to spray the hallway to clear the air from others.

On our Mariner cruise Feb 2010 there was a group of real bearded Santas onboard. There had to be at least 70 of them. they were always dressed in every kind of santa print imaginable. And on formal nights in full Santa mode, hats and all. It was great fun and they were the happiest people you could ever meet. Must have been real confusing to all the kids onboard.

Great review..thank you for taking the time to share with the rest of us. We did the same cruise in Sept. 2009 and absolutely loved it. Barbados wasn't our favorite place, but we absolutely loved St. Lucia and the rest of the itinerary. Have to agree with the windjammer dinners. We have been bypassing the MDR for the windjammer for the last couple of years. Tired of the same menus and forced converstaions with strangers and would rather eat in the quiet atmosphere of the windjammer alone with my hubby, can even wear shorts (thats how we got started eating there, my hubby kept getting kicked out of the MDR on the Explorer because he was wearing shorts.. nice shorts with a button down shirt).

We will be doing this cruise again with our two teenage boys over Thanksgiving this year. Booked it because it does not have Barbados on the itinerary. The whole itinerary is a different one than the usual ones offered (St. Thomas, St. Maarten, St. Croix, St. Johns Antigua and St. Kitts).

Question about your pre-cruise hotel stay, did it have a view of the ocean?