Cruisin2success

No one?

We have a group of 36 people going on a cruise and we'll be in Cozumel on February 7, 2024.  We are looking for a catamaran for ourselves to go sailing and  snorkeling. A light lunch would be good and an open bar is a must.  I've found a few but the limit is 30 people, does anyone have a recommendation for one that holds a little more? 

We have been to Nachi Cocum Beach Club quite a few times but it has been about 5-6 years since our last visit.  I have heard some not-so-nice opinions about the club lately?  If you've been there recently, what do you think?  Is it still up to par?  Was the pool clean? Was the food still delicious? 

We have a group of 25-30 people that would like to take a sunset cruise out of old San Juan on February 1st.  Does anyone know of a catamaran or sailboat that would accommodate us?

Sorry.  I'm looking for a catamaran in Nassau for 15 people.

We are a group of 15 adults that would like to go on a catamaran excursion for 3-4 hours. Lunch and an open bar is a must. Any recommendations?

Does anyone have any information on Little French Key?  We arrive in Coxen Hole, hoe far away is it from that port?

We are a group of about 30 people and I am looking for a recommendation for a nice All Inclusive beach club.  Preferably one that the cruise lines don't sell and as few kids as possible.  I would like to book directly with the resort/club if possible. 

Thanks in advance.

Any recommendations for a private catamaran excursion for 30-40 people in Cozumel?  I tried the Fury but they won't let me book it privately plus there's just too many people on there.  Any suggestions are welcome.

Thank you in advance.

Can I ask you what catamaran you originally booked in Cozumel?  We are looking for a private one for 36 of us.  Thanks in advance.

I’m aware of that but I’m looking for a Caymus wine tasting and that isn’t on the app until we board. 

Thank you!

Does anyone have the Symphony of the Seas Eastern Caribbean Cruise Compass that they would like to share ?

Thank you in advance!

Other than Blue Water Safaris, can anyone recommend a catamaran to do a private charter for about 40-46 people? The reviews on BWS are not the greatest lately so I need an alternative.

Thanks in advance

Care to share where the accidental discovery occurred? Thanks so much!

By just signing in to her Cruise Planner. But I believe it was also on the main page of RCI's website.

O3B, the internet provider does not have designated sat for RCCL.

 

The D+ discount is $40.

 

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I was told they leased a satellite and that they are the only ones that had this option for a limited time (Not sure when the lease ends).

Also, I called the Crown & Anchor Desk because I have 3 cruises coming up and I couldn't remember the discount. I thought it was 2 free days but they told me the dollar amount was $59.90. Now that I think about it, I have no idea where that number would come from :rolleyes:.

So I just called again and of course I got a different answer. For Diamond + members it is either 2 free days or 30% off. That applies to any cruise length and either the Surf package or the Surf and Stream package. Pinnacle members get 40% off.

Unfortunately, RCI does not email you if there is a special - at least they didn't last year. One of my fellow cruisers found it by accident AFTER we all had paid for a Drink Package. But it was easy enough to cancel, get a refund, and rebook with the new promo.

Hope this helps.

The price you see on your Cruise Planner reflects a 20% discount if you buy it in advance. If you wait to get in on board, you will pay 20% more. Note that each ship has different prices for the Beverage Package.

That being said, we sailed on the Harmony this past February and they had a "Black Friday" sale last year and our group jumped on the price. It was offering the Drink Package and the Voom together for the price of the discounted drink package.

If you're a Diamond Plus member, wait till you get onboard and you will get 30% off. If not, get it in advance and save money.

Exorbitant!! I don't know why anyone bothers paying that much for a below average service...Just my opinion;p

 

Simon

First, it is not below average service. It is truly high speed and RCI is the only cruise line that has it through it's own designated satellite. You can Face time, Skype, watch movies, stream music, VOIP calls, etc.

Second, it is very important to some people to be able to be in contact with loved ones back home or sometimes it's a matter of not being able to take a week long vacation without being able to check in to work. In our case, we travel with a group of people and it is very helpful keeping in touch with each other - we can text and call each other for meet-ups and coordinating our time.

Third, while I agree it could be priced better for all passengers, as Diamond Plus members we get 2 free days of internet or $59.90 off of the price- that's for all cruise lengths.

I know that some people like not being able to be contacted while on a cruise but that's not me. My husband and I both had/have elderly parents and it was always my fear that something would happen while we were gone. Calling ship-to-shore was always very expensive and not practical.

I love having the option of having the high speed internet and I use it. It was long over due in the cruise industry and I think the other cruise lines need to get onboard - pun intended!

I'm anxiously awaiting pictures of the Jr Suites and Owner suites.

The very first revenue sailing from Miami they gave the best crew 3 days off.

 

Sure.

 

Okay.

That's what I said. BUT, I was told that the company that staff's the NCL ships, Prestige, screwed up.

Either way it's not good. They were definitely understaffed and inexperienced so I'm not sure what other explanation there is. Are they just inept? Or is there a reason for it? 40 of us didn't imagine it nor did the people that I spoke to while I was in line for 45 minutes at the Information Desk.

What do YOU think the reason it was such a mess? And trust me, it was a mess.

Nothing in your "review" says that all the staff were turned-over. Also, I wouldn't trust a District Sales Rep to have any clue what happened with the staffing of a particular ship.

 

If you had said that the Hotel Director themselves told you, I might find it more credible. I'm not saying you weren't told this....I'm just saying I don't think that it's true.

 

 

Stephen

 

 

.

Again, I don't particularly care if you believe it or not. And the reason it wasn't in my review is because I didn't know WHY there were so many problems until after I wrote it. It was a quickly thrown together review and believe me, I left out quite a few details.

In the mean time, I had put a call in to my BDM, (she was with me on the 2 night pre-inaugural but got off of the ship before the 3 night) I left her a message briefly telling her what happened. Before she called me back, she called her boss to find out what happened and to be prepared with an explanation for me.

I'm curious (just a little) as to why this is so hard for you to believe. It's an odd thing to be in denial about. It is what it is. I was on that cruise and it was a cluster f*&k. I'm VERY HAPPY that there WAS an explanation, otherwise I would wonder what the hell was wrong and would be waiting for the ball to drop again. But as I said, I am confident that it was a 1 time occurrence and that it won't happen again. I am partial to RCI but I have no problem going on NCL again. In fact, I have a few more groups coming up within the next year and I don't expect any problems.

how did you find out? I don't think it happened in the first place.

 

 

.

Yeah, I don't particularly care if you believe it or not. I experienced it so I know it's true. My review is a few posts up. Regardless, this information came directly from an NCL district sales rep along with apologies and a promise that it won't happen again.

It was a dumb move on their part but like I said, the good news is it was a 1 time thing and we don't have to worry about it for future cruises. With that knowledge, I will definitely be sailing NCL again.

I found out that they gave a large majority of their EXERIENCED crew the 3 days off and brought in a bunch of temporary help. That explains it. They know they screwed up and they have received an enormous amount of complaints. I don't think that will ever happen again.

The good news is that it won't effect any other sailing other than that 3 night.

First let me say that I was on the 2 night pre-inaugural from Nov 9-11. It was fantastic, great service, food etc. However, it was a totally different cruise than the 3 night that I just got off of.

Note: This was my 46th cruise and my 12th time escorting our annual J.U.G.S (Just us Girls) cruise. We've only done NCL one other time - the Sky last November, which we loved. Most of the other times it was on Royal Caribbean ships with a Carnival sprinkled in.

The Good:

• Great cabins - large bathrooms, comfy beds, DND and "make up room" buttons are a great idea
  
• Lots of options & venues
  
• Open air casino
  
• Food was better than average
  
• Great shows and especially loved Howl at the Moon.
  
• Loved the Mojito Bar
  

The Bad:

• Drink service was horrible. Most of the time there weren't any servers walking around the pool or H20.
  
• Every bar was short handed and was at least 2-3 people deep.
  
• There was always a 2-3 hour wait at Margaritaville yet there were always open tables. WTH!?
  
• The pool area is WAY TOO SMALL for 4,000 + passengers. It's more for a 70,000 ton ship, not a 160,000+ one. Very bad design on NCL's part
  
• Venues such as O'sheans weren't open when they said they would be. And when we went there for lunch, we waited way too long for our food and then it was cold.
  
• Any type of Guest Services issues required waiting in very long lines. I needed 3 different keys before I received one that would open my cabin yet my cabin mate's worked fine.
  
• Our last night at Taste took forever to get our food and we went early enough and the dining room was only half full. We couldn't get bar service other than wine at dinner. My friend ordered Surf and Turf but 15 minutes later she was told that they ran out of lobster. So they gave her 2 steaks and still charged her $25. What?
  

The bottom line, they were not prepared for this sailing. I don't know if the 2 day pre-inaugural sailed at less than full capacity or if they brought on extra crew members for the Agents and VIP's. But the 3 night was severely lacking in many areas. The crew always looked frazzled or overwhelmed and although I felt bad for them, it made for a less than desirable cruise.

I had many seasoned cruisers with me and they were also disappointed. But more importantly, I also had many first time cruisers with me - even tho they had nothing to compare it with, they were very unhappy with the service. All I can say is, thank God we had GREAT weather because I think I would have had a mutiny on my hands.