khidhala

4 hours ago, kokopelli-az said:

Q about Uber:   do they drop you off at the port in the same location as a taxi would?   Or do they have another area where they have to drop passengers off?

Close enough as to make very little difference.

22 hours ago, kskelley40 said:

Can you elaborate on the Steakhouse?  I just submitted a request for a reservation on the first night.  Want to try it and figure the first night will be the best for us.  Was it worth the $38 a person?  Do you know if they still give a bottle of wine for people booking the first night?  Not a big deal if not, we will have the drink package.

Anything you recommend besides the bone marrow?  Not sure about that.

Any info will be greatly appreciated.

Yes- on the first night of the cruise, the Steakhouse gives either a complimentary bottle of table wine, or 50% off any bottle on their wine list.  As for appetizers, I'm a sucker for the lobster bisque, and the chocolate sphere is usually the go-to for dessert. 

Value is always relative, and I'd say if you're a vegetarian, it's not worth it.  And having the drink package may mean the wine isn't that much of an allure.  But they do steak well- the only place I've been able to get my steak "blue" and have it done perfectly.
 

10 hours ago, dramaqueenjan said:

We are in 12044 in Jan same itinerary..hows the privacy??

Hey there, dramaqueenjan!

We'll be just down the hall from you in 12030, so had the same question.  If you scroll back to post #38, you'll see that she responded, complete with photos.

How is the privacy and/or shade on the 12th floor balconies?  

What you don't say is whether a few hours of sleep before checking in for your cruise is necessary.  If a nap/shower/etc is required, then ignore this post, but...

If you're just looking for a place to spend the hours until the cruise, last time we sailed out of Miami, wife and I simply rented a car and drove down to News Cafe- a 24 hour cafe in South Beach.  We leisurely sipped our way through several delicious coffees, had a very tasty breakfast, and watched the sun slowly rise over the beach.  The cafe was very friendly and the area very safe.  We never felt like an imposition, and the people watching was worth it.  Afterwards, we returned the car to MIA (our rental agreement allows one-way trips at no extra charge), and then took the complimentary shuttle from MIA to the port.

That said, spending ~8 hours at a cafe is not for everyone, and we did spend the afternoon getting our catch-up zzz's on the ship.  But just wanted to offer another alternative.

Sorry to be "that guy", but your spreadsheet is calculating the sea days and ports days backwards...

If, for example, I put in a cruise length of 4, and 1 sea day... then enter 1 for "quantity per sea day" for any drink, the price per week calculates as if there were 3 purchased in the week. Conversely, if I put in 1 for "quantity per port day", the price per week calculates as if there was just 1 purchased all week (not 3).

Otherwise- really like the sheet! Should be an easy fix, too.

Hi, and thanks for all your information! I've tried to see if you've already answered this, but haven't seen one yet, so...

We've got a group of Boy Scouts coming next summer and spending a night in Ft.Lauderdale before heading down to Seabase in the Keys. Many have never seen the ocean before, so would like to get a room right on or near the beach. Any suggestions? And what's the shuttle situation like from the airport? With 15 coming, I don't want to try and line up a chain of taxi's.

Thanks!