beachbum53

$85.00 for a $23.00 blanket on eBay? Yeah, sounds about right. That goes right along with items that were either given free, or were stolen from the ship, and are then sold on eBay for an inflated price.

Price aside, I'd take a look at where those two cove balconies on the August 24th sailing are located. They may be in undesirable locations, such as directly beneath the galley, or a public area that would very noisy overhead. Unless you're limited to only cruising in August, why not look at some dates before or after the peak summer months?

It's not an enforceable rule, merely a suggestion. Keep in mind, there's not a lot of storage space in each cabin for multiple bags, whether checked or carry on or whatever combination. Most people typically store their luggage under the bed. If you haven't already done so, go to Youtube and look for videos that show cabins on your ship. Those will give you some idea of how much room you'll have for storing your luggage.

Thanks for the info. I'm guessing whatever insurance the businesses along Orient Beach had probably wasn't enough to cover the costs of rebuilding after the hurricane damage. So, at least for now, they've raised prices to try to get enough money to rebuild. We're booked on a cruise that goes to St. Maarten in March of 2020. As it gets closer to our sail date, I'll try to get some updated information on the area. If things aren't much better by then, we may have to consider a different beach.

90 days prior to your departure date, you will be able to do your on line check-in. At that time, you can choose your CHECK-IN time for the cruise terminal, not your boarding time. You cannot choose a boarding time. Check-in times go in 1/2 hour increments, and may start at 12:00 p.m. or earlier. After you've chosen your check-in time, you'll be given a zone number for boarding that will appear on your boarding pass. You can arrive at the terminal as early as you'd like, but you won't be allowed to enter the cruise terminal before your check-in time, unless you have Priority boarding, such as Diamond, Platinum or FTTF. So, if you'll be arriving at the terminal at approximately 11:30, unless you have priority status, choose the check-in time of 11:30 - 12;00, if that time period is available.

Actually, the debate comes up far more frequently than you're probably aware of. If you were to check, not just on this board (Ask A Cruise Question), but on the individual cruise line boards, you'd see it discussed on an average of three (or more) times a month. It's at or very near the top of the list of "hot button" topics.

To begin with, the Breeze is barely seven years old, and was never launched as a non-smoking ship. Second, I have been tobacco free for over four years. Regardless, I am not defending either side of the smoking/non-smoking debate. I stand by my statement that it's an issue that will never be settled to everyone's satisfaction. I also firmly believe that none of the cruise lines will ever make their entire fleet smoke free because they don't want the loss of revenue that would occur as a result. I do believe it is important for smokers to respect the rights of non-smokers. At the same time, I wish non-smokers would stop beating this very dead horse and quit bringing up this issue over and over again.

I did a search to find the article. I don't remember if this was the article that I saw, but it's pretty close to what I read. http://www.nbcnews.com/id/16638233/ns/travel-cruise_travel/t/failure-launch/#.XK83otW6MnQ

It's based on something I read several years, but I don't remember the exact web site where I saw it. I have no reason to doubt the article, since it seems perfectly logical to me.

Smoking versus not smoking on cruise ships will never be settled to everyone's satisfaction. Health issues aside, I don't foresee any cruise line banning smoking on their entire fleet. That would mean eliminating a source of revenue, just as banning alcohol on all cruises would eliminate those who drink alcohol so as to make non-drinkers more comfortable, or eliminating casinos so that those with a gambling problem can enjoy cruising without being tempted. When Carnival's Paradise first started sailing, it was a smoke-free ship. But it didn't take long for Carnival to realize there weren't enough non-smokers to keep the ship filled to capacity week after week. Much to the chagrin of non-smokers, after Carnival realized they were losing money by excluding smokers from the Paradise, the decision was made to allow smoking on the ship.

Not quite sure what you're trying to convey here. Care to elaborate?

Thanks. I didn't think about doing a mock booking. $2500.00? I wasn't too far off from my guess. I didn't see the Excel Suites posted yet. Just the regular suites, which run anywhere from approximately $1400 - $1800.00, depending on time of year and itinerary.

I'm curious to know what the prices will be for the Excel Suites. Based on what's already been posted for the regular suites, I'm guessing the Excel Suites will be approximately $2000.00 pp., depending on the usual factors (time of year, length of cruise, itinerary).

Within every cruise line, there will be ships that some people really like, and ships that some don't care for. It's wrong to judge an entire cruise line, whether it's Carnival, RCI, Norwegian, or whichever, based on the experience of cruising on one ship. I suggest keeping an open mind and try a different ship (or two).

Is this your first time to go on a 4 day cruise? If so, you'll soon notice that it's a slightly different atmosphere than what you'd have on a 7 day. There will be some people trying to cram as much activity as they can into 4 days, and others that will want to just relax and enjoy 4 days off from their everyday lives. Don't try to participate in everything on board. Pick and choose carefully, or you'll wear yourselves out. Enjoy your cruise, and take a little time to relax. Hope you have a good cruise!