mellygo

We are sailing on Luminosa for the first time in October - Greek Isles.  First time on Costa (or any Carnival line)  We have sailed RCCI, Celebrity and we are Platinum Plus on NCL.  But, in my opinion, any cruise is a good cruise.  Those who sail looking for negatives will find them.  And, I'm tired of complainers!!

Mellygo

OK, I'm not quite sure of what I'm reading.

 

In Costa Maya, Is Native Choice a tour agency, or Taxi or what?

 

Where is the best place to do "local shopping?"

Native Choice handles tours to the Mayan ruins, and if you use Mr. Villagomez, he is Mayan, and I believe his family lived at Chacchoben before the archeological dig began in 1994. The site was opened to the public in 2002. Besides Chacchoben, Native Choice will take you to Dzibanche, and Kohunlich. They are professional and knowledgeable! We have gone to a couple of Mayan sites with them, and are never disappointed!!.

Green Jello with Cottage Cheese

Over-cooked, slimy zucchini

Peanut Butter and Mayonnaise sandwiches

We have been to Lamanai, and to Tulum, but our favorite tour was Chacchoben. It is a fairly recent dig - and we went with a man who was Mayan, and actually lived on the site until I think he said 1991? He was able to show us things that you wouldn't learn, unless you went with a Mayan. He showed us a plant they used as bug repellent, a plant they used as a spice like garlic, and an Allspice plant. He also gave us a realistic idea of what life was like there. I would highly recommend his tour!

We sailed on the Sun in October, and are booked to sail again. We loved the fact that there were not the crowds on the other mega-ships. Crowds can be overwhelming to kids - especially if they have any issues with anxiety or autism. I don't know your son, but I am a therapist and children make up 80% of my practice, and that is what I have seen. Hope you find the right cruise for all of you:)

We had a private guide who took us to Mako Beach to watch a KLM flight come in directly over our heads. Then she took us around the island, and we ended up in Orient Beach. Lovely day!

We will be in Puerto Chiapas in October on the NCL Sun. We are interested in visiting the Izapa ancient Olmec ruins. Anyone who can recommend a good guide?

Not sure if yours is a very old post - but I will tell you that we used David Villagomez - I think his tour company is something like Native Choice?? He was extremely knowledgeable about Chacchoben, even showing us what plant the Mayans used for insect repellant, antibiotic, spice, etc. This is a fairly new dig - just started in the 1990s I think, and we had a very enjoyable day. We want to take all our kids with us the next time!

Just wondering if October is too early to see whales on this tour? Vallarta tours offers a boat ride out to the Island, and says you may see whales - but I know they spend the summer in Hawaii? So wondering if anyone has any experience with this?

Hi

 

When we stopped in Puerto Chiapas in Dec (aboard NCL Star) we booked a private tour, at the pier. I think there were only 1 or 2 companies there, booking tours. I am trying to fidn the name of the company we used.

 

They had a still stand / kiosk just outside the building with all the shops. The kiosk was to the right, as you stepped out of that building.

 

Does anyone happen to know the name of the company? I would love to get I touch with them. We had such a great day there, and our guides were amazing.

 

Thanks in advance.

Hi cjcruises - We will be in Puerto Chiapas in October, 2014, and I am having a lot of difficulty finding a guide. The only thing I have found is Macaw tours. We would love to go out to Izapa, and I can't find out if they go out there, so if you find out who your guide was, PLEASE let me know?? marilyn@anewleaf.info Thanks!!

Has anyone recently taken this harbor cruise? Is it still in operation? I've tried to find information about it but have been unable to access anything on the internet.

Thank you.

We are also interested in doing this. It is listed by cruiseportinsider.com

We are doing the West to East on the Norwegian Sun in October. We are SOOOO looking forward to this! We love NCL Sun because it is a smaller ship. The crew seemed so attentive on our last cruise, that we decided we wouldn't do the transit on any other ship!! When you are on a cruise that has a lot of sea days, you really want to choose the ship/activities/ratio of crew members to passengers, etc.

Oh - and I am reading David McCullough's book (Not McCullum).

Can anyone tell me who the Concierge is on the Sun? I have read Leah but the pre concierge desk just said it would be Patrick.

Got off the Sun on 10/31, and Leah was also leaving on vacation. She was our concierge and did a great job for us!

Wow - tough decision!!! A year ago I would have told you the Jewel - but we got off the Sun last month and she is our new fave! We have booked her for the Panama Canal cruise next Oct. We just enjoyed the smaller ship because it seemed that the crew was able to get to know us and the things we enjoyed. . . . . we got more personalized attention. The Jewel is also a great ship, and we took her to Belize, as you are considering doing. Whichever you choose, I'm sure you will have a marvelous cruise!!

Had mononeucleosis (sp??) when I was a kid, and had to drink Chelated liver for a year. You think I even want to SMELL liver?? No way.

Canned peas - peas out of the pod? yum. frozen? tolerable. Canned? Come on - even the color looks like diarrhea!

Giblets - they taste like liver, need I say more?

This is a really odd situation. I booked our airfare from Boise to Miami round trip through Hotwire - booked it in March. Sunday, I decided to check to see what time I had to be to the airport, just to be sure. Keep in mind that Hotwire has not communicated with me regarding any changes, etc. When I happen to use the Delta site to check sky miles, etc., I see that there has been an itinerary change - and I will miss a connecting flight in Minneapolis/St Paul. My flight from Miami now arrives in St. Paul 48 minutes AFTER the flight to Boise has already left. So - I call Delta and ask what to do? She is very helpful and says that since their schedule changed, she can route me through Dallas Ft. Worth, or through Atlanta. She makes the changes on her computer, but tells me that I need to finalize with another agent. When I get transferred, the new agent tells me that they are not allowed to make changes to any Hotwire tickets, and she is sorry - but I need to contact Hotwire. I start calling Hotwire Monday a.m., and get a recording that due to an emergency, they cannot help me. I get that message every time I call, (which I do in between every client!), so finally, in frustration, I choose the option for a new ticket purchase, and magically, someone answers. She says that they can't make changes, but when I point out that on the Delta website, I will miss a connecting flight - she asks for my Delta confirmation number, and she tells me - "I don't see the problem". So - I look on the Delta site while she is on the phone with me, and I see that they DID change my itinerary. I'm scheduled to leave Miami at 11:57 a.m., routed through DTW. So - I tell the Hotwire clerk - "Oh! She DID fix it." (In fact, she had given us the assigned seats that we prefer, etc.) The Hotwire clerk says that she is going to send me a new ticket/purchase confirmation anyway, which she does. The only problem is that when I get the new itinerary from Hotwire, they have me leaving Miami at 7:50 a.m., routed through St. Paul (just an earlier flight than the original one that would have missed the connection). I have emailed Hotwire and explained the difference to them every way I know how - but they keep insisting that they cannot make any changes, and I don't have to confirm my flight with the airline! REALLY?? I'm supposed to trust that Hotwire knows better than the airline?

So - whom do I believe?? Anyone have that kind of experience that could help me? I have continued to check the Delta website, and there have been no changes made to the new itinerary. When I try to check the Hotwire site, it tells me that the email address I put in is not the email address that matches that itinerary. Hmmmm. I think I know my own email address - the one to which they originally sent the itinerary!!!

Ok - we shall "wing it". I usually have a tour booked prior to arrival, but I think there will be plenty of drivers available. Thanks for your advice :)

Thank you SOOOO much for the answers, and the beautiful pics!! When you say a tour costs $25 - is that pre-booked, or do we just hope to find a great guide/driver when we get off at the port? Any recommendations about good companies?

Thank you so much for the beautiful pictures! That clinches it - we will definitely be going to this beach!! Thanks everyone!

We will be in Barbados Oct 25 of this year. Would like to go to Bathsheba Beach - not to swim, but just to "see the power of the Atlantic" as one poster on Trip Advisor said. Also to see world class surfers, if there are any that day. Just wondering how far this is from the cruise port - and if we would be better off taking a taxi or renting a car? I have heard that the drivers here are much worse than on St. Thomas, etc. Is there a bus? Any information would be much appreciated!!

Thank you for the quick response! Since we don't care about a place to eat or drink right there, this beach sounds perfect for us :)

I have read (Frommer's) that Lindquist Beach is close to Sapphire Beach, but is less crowded because it is much less well known. Has anyone visited this beach, and if so - how easy was it to find a taxi that would know how to get us there? Also, would it be a problem to find a taxi to bring us back to the port?

First cruise, Explorer of the Seas, 2002. Now have been on lots, and that cruise definitely "hooked" us - line and sinker!

223 :( Not breezing by!

I took Phentermine for about 18 months. I lost some, but my blood pressure went sky high, and I had to quit taking it. THEN, I gained back all the weight and then some. Now, I am on a clinical trial, and I am steadily losing (lost 30 lb). Of course, the clinical trial also involves using Weight Mate, so I get nutrition advice as well as the advice of a personal trainer. . . . that helps. They don't want me to lose too quickly, because they say, "The faster you take it off, the faster you put it back on." I have found that to be sadly true. With HCG, Phentermine - whatever. The trick is to eat healthier, and move more - sadly. This is a 4 year clinical trial, so I think I will keep the weight off!