nolatravelgirl

I think it is possible to do carry on only but you have to be selective in what you pack. You sound more like you are worried about lost/delayed bags. It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Think strategically about what you wear on the plane and make sure it is versatile. Even when checking a bag I will still have a carry on bag with one bathing suit, a good nude bra, one pair of black flats, one khaki shorts, a few thin knit shirts and a black dress that can be dressed up or dressed down. My favorite black dress looks great with sandals and a cardigan for daytime touring but can also be worn in the evening with dressy heels and a big statement necklace or scarf. My carry on will also have all the usual stuff passports, medication, contacts, etc. I could make it on these items till my bags are found. Since you are traveling with a group it is good to cross pack with other people in your party. You reduce the risk of them losing all the bags. I figure I can always pick up other things to supplement my wardrobe as long as I have those basics in my carryon. I hope to never have to use the worst case scenario but at least I will be prepared.

Airlines have gotten much better about tracking bags. All the major airlines also have a place on the app where you can track where your bag. I always have a little sigh of relief when I check the app during boarding and see that my bag was loaded on the flight. Bags are almost never lost for good and most are only delayed by an hour or two. I would have no hesitation with checking a bag a US domestic route.

15 hours ago, ElizaSTN said:

 

I’ll be having Veuve with breakfast…if they insist on bringing it glass by glass it’s just more work for them! 

If you are a party of two and both order champagne, they will very likely just bring you the bottle but as you said, just order it glass by glass. I tend to find service for alcoholic beverages to be rather slow in the dining room so always stop at the bar before entering. 

16 hours ago, Summerstravel said:

I don't like the really dry wines. I know nothing about wines lol but wanted to try some on vacation. 

Take the cruise as an opportunity to try different wines since they are included in your package. Most bartenders will also pour you a sample before pouring the full glass. 

Uber is requiring all riders to ride in the back seat so with three people you could theoretically be stuck riding 3 in the back seat of a 4 door Toyota Corolla. That is definitely not something I want to do for 100 miles. Also, you may have issues finding an Uber driver willing to drive that far.

I think you could be the "belle of the ball" as a single male. There will be single parents on the cruise and being a single male you may have plenty of lady suitors looking for your attention. Just don't be a creepy guy and you should have a great time.

I think there is a big difference where in the past you were assigned a table and time where you were stuck with that table for the remainder of the cruise. I have cruised on some of the luxury lines where they will ask if you want to sit with others. That didn't mean you were stuck with that group for the whole cruise nor was it always huge tables. I have been seated with just one other couple or maybe a 6 top. It was interesting to meet other people and learn about their travels. These were also on longer cruises and it was fun to mix it up a bit. 

check out this video and you can see the salad bar in action.

You can always send documents to a Kinkos/Staples/Office Depot type place in Europe and they will print them. You didn't give more details on your location but these types of places are plentiful in any downtown city.

I have been looking for similar information. The closest I could find was this set of 2019 cruise dailies. It would be nice if you could post when you return as I will be embarking on Dec 26.

https://online.anyflip.com/njuhv/zvyz/mobile/index.html

If you get your meds delivered by mail then it comes with one of the disposable freezer packs. I like to eat healthy when traveling for work and have frequently taken one of those freezer packs in a soft sided cooler onto the plane. It will keep items well within that temp as long as you keep the bag outside of the direct sun. I couldn't imagine it being in direct sun but that is beside the point. 🙂 Assuming your hotel has a fridge just put the whole cooler with ice pack in the mini fridge. the mini fridge will slow the melting on the pack to get you onto the ship. If you happen to be on a really long flight then you can always make an impromptu ice pack from the hotel ice machine. Once you are on the ship just store in the mini fridge. You can just toss the gel freezer pack as you won't need it for the way back. 

On 9/22/2021 at 6:55 AM, ArthurUSCG said:

Nope, but DCL designed the bed so the suitcases can fit underneath. We use a suitcase as a laundry hamper.

Luggage storage under bed is not unique to Disney cruise ships. Every cruise ship I have been on has space under the bed for luggage storage.

8 hours ago, craig01020 said:

US dollars. In fact, before I leave home, I visit my bank and get fifty $2 bills. It makes for a unique tip.

$2 bills while unique could be a major PITA. Yes they are legal US tender but a lot of people are not familiar with them and they aren't accepted in vending machines. While plenty of Caribbean ports will accept USD, they will probably not be familiar with them and could have challenges spending them. One thing I would consider is getting new/crisp money. Lots of foreign exchange booths will give you hassle/refuse to exchange old/tattered money. Before a cruise I try to go by the bank and get new bank notes for tips which mitigates issues with spending. 

I would just tough it out at this point. There is only two more days left and it is just going to make things harder if you bring it up. Keep yourself busy with activities. Go for a run on the track, book a spa treatment, go to the cheesy art show, just come up with activities that he is not interested in attending. Mention that you are tired/have a headache and just go to bed early. Deal with this when you get home. As others have mentioned, you should have defined your relationship  before embarking on a trip together.  You don't have all the facts at this point and just try to enjoy yourself and deal with this later. 

On 8/31/2021 at 7:50 PM, Whirled Peas said:

I enjoy having the same servers so I can get to know them and they know me and my preferences.  I have cruised with some of the same Cunard wait staff several times, and they remember what I like from one cruise to the next.

While you won't have an assigned waiter or table you will start to gravitate towards certain staff and you can always be asked to be seated in a specific waiter's section. I don't know all the Seabourn behind the scenes magic but they definitely know you and your likes. There is definitely has to be a database that has your preferences because there is no way they remember that I like Nutella for my bread in the morning as well as a Diet Ginger Ale but yet every morning regardless of where I choose to dine they both magically appear at my table. 😄

I would just take an Uber from the airport to the terminal. It should be less than $20 (before tip) from Miami International Airport to the cruise terminal. I don't like waiting on others and would much rather avoid the shuttle buses. Buses are slow and you then arrive with a pack of people at the same time all wanting to check in. 

On 9/12/2021 at 2:17 PM, Susan in Maine said:

It may not be absolutely necessary to have a passport. BUT if anything happens so they are not on the ship when it comes back, they won't be able to get back into the US without one.

 

For example: they get sick and get left behind in a port for medical treatment and need to fly home. Or there is an emergency back home and they have to leave the cruise and fly home. 

 

You can get back into the US from a cruise ship without a passport, but any other way requires a passport.

 

Just sayin'

 

Have you checked with Carnival to see if you can change the name on the reservation?

While I agree that having a passport is better that is not a reason to not cruise. The OP is making a generous offer to a friend and/or relative and hopefully one of them will be able to join on the cruise last minute. I wouldn't let a lack of passport stop me from taking you up on your offer. If any of your potential invitees have a serious health issue who may have a higher than likely need of medical evacuation then maybe consider not inviting them.  

If by chance you end up stranded in a foreign port whether due to medical emergency or due to your own forgetfulness you can always head to the local embassy and they will help get you sorted. Is it a headache? Yes but it isn't like you are stranded forever and will be relegated to panhandling in a foreign country for survival for the remainder of your life.

To the OP, since it sounds like they just have expired passports I would recommend that they go ahead and bring those along with the birth certificate and state issued ID. Having an expired passport should help expedite the process if by the chance the worst were to happen. 

6 hours ago, BoozinCroozin said:

Getting TSA PreCheck will help with it all as well. We just received one of the medical approved travel coolers. It is nice and compact, 4 small freezer packs that last about 12 hours in it (at least that is what the site said). People that have it say it is good for insulin for about 8-10 hours. 

 

We are flying domestic. By the time we leave the house and should arrive at our hotel, it would be 6-7 hours.

You should be fine. I would also put a few ziploc baggies in your cooler if you are worried about delays. You can always ask them to fill the baggie with ice to tide you over. Once you are thru TSA security there should be no other security check and nobody will care if your ice packs are slushy or partially frozen. The packs just have to be rock solid when passing thru the initial security check point.

As long as it is frozen solid then it is allowed through TSA. I travel a lot for work and like to bring some healthy foods to stock at the hotel and pack my soft sided lunch box with food. If you get your insulin delivered it probably comes in a cooler with the freezer pack. My mom get medications delivered all the time so has loads of the freezer packs and that is what I use. My one suggestion if you use one of those larger freezer packs is to just take it out and put it in the bin separately as it always seems weird on the x-ray. I prefer that TSA not touch my stuff so pulling the freezer pack out and putting in the bin separately greatly speeds up the process. Your other option is to bring solid type foods and just freeze them and make them your freezer pack. Bonus is you can eat the pack as a snack. 🙂 there are loads of things you can freeze like cooked boneless chicken breasts. They work great as makeshift freezer packs.

TSA has no interest in your doctor's note and it would be an invasion of privacy for them to ask you for it. You don't mention if you are traveling to a foreign airport but assuming you are just flying within the US then no documentation is needed. It seems like half the country has diabetes (type 2) and if the TSA had to check documentation for insulin the security lines would grind to a halt.

Agree with others that if you pack a 22inch airline approved rollaboard along with a "personal item" you could theoretically have everything you need for an entire week cruise, especially if a warm weather cruise. It may not have all your assortment of choices but you could certainly dress for most occasions. I am a female and will wear my heaviest shoes and clothes on the plane. If you are packing a light jacket or sweater just tie it over your shoulders for the plane. If you are a guy and packing a sport coat for a dress up evening then wear it on the plane. This also helps keep it from getting too wrinkled. 

I typically have a soft knit black dress that I could easily dress up with costume jewelry I pick up in port for a fancy look but can also just throw on flip flops and wear it as a casual dress during the day. Think about what would be the hardest to replace in a foreign port. I am very picky about swimsuits and while I like to have more than one on vacation, I can always make due with just one that was packed in my carryon. I also don't need PJs as I could always just sleep in a t-shirt or just au natural. I am sure if you explained to your room steward that your luggage was lost that they could probably round up a robe for you even if your room category doesn't include one. Just try to think of the most versatile items you own and pack those in your carryon. 

As far as toiletries, pack the basics in as small of container as you can for carry on and pack anything else that is "nice to have" in your checked bag. You can also pick up other toiletry type items like extra sunscreen in port. Assuming you aren't doing a Galapagos Island cruise then most common ports have plenty of convenience/drug stores near port.

On 8/28/2021 at 12:38 PM, cardiackev said:

I appreciate your feedback.  I had looked at seabourn a bit.    Big question , is it stuffy?  I just don’t want to go on a cruise to dress up.  I wear suits at work , don’t want to on vacation.  I refuse to make vacationing about figuring out how to pack too much stuff.  
 

thanks 

 

 

kevin

I didn't find it to be stuffy at all. The Med is casual. You certainly don't need a suit and tie. If you want to wear gym shorts, plastic flip flops and rock band  t-shirts 24/7 then Seabourn isn't for you but most evenings you will be fine in khakis and a polo for men and sundress for women. I would consider the ship to be mostly smart casual. Below is a video I found online of the "Rock the Boat" party which I think shows how most people dress in the evening on the non-formal night. The other video shows folks during the day.

On 8/22/2021 at 9:18 PM, CRUISER94044 said:

Thanks to all for your help.  I will probably pack my hair dryer if there is anyway I can fit it in.    

I would rather take another pair of shoes than a hairdryer. 😄 

If I have two cabins booked will they assign them near each other? I don't necessarily need connecting (though it would be nice) but would at least like to have them near each other. It would be almost a $1k more to select our own cabins. 

All the mass market lines (NCL, Carnival, RCCL, Disney) are very relaxed on embarkation day. However, I still think it is appropriate to wear presentable clothing in the MDR. I would suggest wearing a sundress (ladies)  and knit collared polo shirt and khaki pants/shorts (men) on embarkation day so you at least won't feel weird or out of place. I would stay away from gym shorts, tank tops, graphic print t-shirts so if your luggage is delayed you won't feel out of place even if you officially are allowed in the MDR dressed in such.

I think it would help if you list out what excursions/ports you are looking at doing. There is no blanket statement that is going to answer your question.

Has anyone been on both of these ships? We currently have the Breakaway booked for New Year's but they have extended the vaccine requirements till Dec 31. All the adults are vaccinated but the 11 year old is not. We hope kids are allowed vaccines soon but looking at contingencies. This seems like an older ship so not sure what to think. The Liberty would be more expensive since it doesn't have the included beverage package. 

I am really hoping that they open up vaccines to kids under 12 soon. We will be the first in line when available.