Mariner Review 1/16/05-1/23/05

[iswimlikearock]

Let me add that, before we left hom, I had gone to the Margaritaville website. There is a contest on there that you can play. You have to find Jimmy's lost salt shaker. If you find it, you get a coupon for a free Margarita or soda. I got 7 of them. So, we ordered our free drinks. Man, that Margarita was killer! A couple of those and I would have been done!

 

Where did you find that on the webiste??? I looked everywhere and dont see it at all. Thanks.

[Jacquelyn11]

http://www.margaritavillecaribbean.com/index.php

 

I found it a couple of months ago in the shop section. Found it again under the mugs. Went again and found it in the Extras section, so it changes with each visit. Good luck!

 

Jacquelyn :D

[iswimlikearock]

Thanks, I was looking in the Key West location, they dont have the contest there... oh well!!

[officeher]

I am loving your emails we leave in 1 week to spend some time with the mouse before we board. could you send the scavenger list, Thanks so much in advance. cota@charter.net

Michelle

[SherryMac]

We are leaving on the Mariner on Mar. 13. Could you please tell me how many formal, dress casual, and casual nights there are? Thanks for the info.

[Sea Island Lady]

There are two formal nights and the rest were dressy causual for us. I think there were actually more causual than dressy casual, but we like to look a little nicer and most everyone else did also. I saw some jeans.

[laurieny]

Loved your review and was hoping that I too could get a copy of the scavenger hunt. My email is laurien@earthlink.net

 

Thanks,

Laurie

[Jghendrick24]

Sorry I didn't post over the weekend. I got tied up and just couldn't find the time.

 

 

The weather was beautiful today. We anchored at Grand Cayman. There were four other ships there with us: Carnival Fanasy, Carnival(I can't remember the name of the second one), Princess' Star Princess, and Holland America's Westerdam. Let me just say that this Holland America ship was at Jamaica with us. It is an ugly ship! It is so black! We started to make jokes about the "Ghost Ship" following us! That's what it looked like.

 

Anyway, none of us had any excursions booked here. We had just decided to get off the ship and wander on our own. I felt comfortable doing this as the people here are not like some of the other islands. I didn't feel like I was taking my life in my hands here. I had done the stingray excursion the last time I came here and it was wonderful, but no one wanted to do that. Buzz and Nicole took off on their own. David was tired from his late night the previous night, so he asked if he could stay on board and I let him.

 

There was a delay in letting people off the ship. Apparently, this was happening on all the ships that were there. Port Authority was taking a long time clearing everyone. The rumor was that it was because of people getting sick, but no crew member confirmed that.

 

After waiting in line on Deck 1 for about 45 minutes, they let us off. The tenders are 2 decks. A crew member wheeled Michael on board for us to the top deck. There was another woman on there who was on a scooter. We could see the lift from here that would allow us to get off the tender at the dock. When we got to the dock, there was a problem. An RCI crew member came on board to ask the tender people to get the lift ready for us. That's when they told us that it didn't work. Now, these tender people didn't even try the lift, so it was broken before we even boarded. They saw us get on and didn't say a word about it. How exactly did they think we were going to get off? Did they think we were there to enjoy the tender ride?

 

The RCI man came over to me and the lady on the scooter to tell us the problem. Unfortunately, the lady was unable to walk down the steps to get off and her scooter was way too heavy for anyone to lift. She had to go back to the ship. The RCI man called one of the port authority guys that was on the dock to come aboard, then told the two tender guys to come over. He made all of them assist in lifting Michael down the steps. High points to RCI for this. He wasn't happy that the lift was broken. I felt really bad for the lady who had to go back.

 

We got off the tender and wandered around town for a little bit. There are so many jewelry stores here! None of us are big into buying jewelry, so they didn't interest us at all. So, we decided to walk out of town and see if we could find a beach to hang out on. We walked for a while before we came to a beach that wasn't occupied. Then, it wasn't very nice.

 

When I was there last time, I remember the island being a very clean place. Since Hurricane Ivan, it is worse. there was a lot of debris on this beach, stuff that you could tell had been blown there by the wind. None of this looked like people just throwing stuff down. There were many buildings with a lot of damage still. It was sad to see. Apparently, the problem is that they have nowhere on the island to dispose of trash and debris. So, it has to be shipped out. This is why the process has taken so long.

 

Buzz and Nicole told us later that they had taken a cab to Seven Mile Beach. While the beach was clean there, you could still see the devastation with the trees and foliage. They still enjoyed themselves.

 

After spending only a few minutes at this beach, we decided to walk back to town and get something to eat. On the way, we found a small place called "Ye Olde English Bakery". Mom is from England, so we decided to stop here. For those of you that know English food, we had cornish pasties and sauage rolls that were wonderful. It reminded us of being back in England, especially since almost everyone in there had a British accent. We really enjoyed that.

 

After lunch, we kept heading back towards town. We stopped in a couple of places to browse, but I didn't buy one thing here. I was proud of my restraint. Around 1 p.m., we decided to go back to the ship and enjoy the pool deck with hardly anyone there. When we got back to the tender, I asked one of the guys on the tender that was there about another tender with a lift. I was told that the tender with the lift that was broken was the only one! I couldn't believe it. Only one tender with a lift? Well, these guys were a lot nicer and immediately offered to lift Michael up the stairs so we could get back on. We managed to get back on board the ship without incident.

 

We got back on board and went to our cabins to get our bathing suits on. David was still in there playing his gameboy. I made him shut it off and put it away so he could come to the pool with us. We went up there and almost had the whole place to ourselves. We claimed a hot tub and again stayed in there for about an hour. They did the line dancing up there again and Michael enjoyed listening to the music.

 

After the ship left GC, I took Michael back to the cabin so he could rest a bit. I managed to doze off myself. I had Lydia coming again tonight as we were going to Portofino's. David was backing out of Portofino's so he could go to the teen dinner in the Windjammer. Lydia came and I showed her the "Jolly Mon" book I had bought for Michael in Jamaica. She said that she would read it to him. I really liked her.

 

Portofino's was wonderful. I had Risotto with shrimp in a saffron sauce, Pasta with prosciutto in a red sauce with plum tomatoes, Beef Tenderloin that was out of this world, and Tiramisu. There is a $20 charge per person for dining in Portofino's. But, for what it would cost me to eat at a local Applebee's, I got a four course meal with food that was the equivalent of food served in a 5 star restaurant on land. Don't get me wrong. The food is the dining room is outstanding. But, this was above and beyond. Mom had picked one thing from the first course, but she had wanted something else, too. So, Buzz, who wasn't having anything from the first course, ordered what she wanted. So, Mom got two of those. Then, for dessert, she asked how the meringue dessert was. The waiter told her that it wasn't very good as the meringue was hard and she recommended that she get something else. So, Mom ordered the Tiramisu as well. When the desserts came, The waiter brought Mom the Tiramisu and the meringue. I don't remember what the meringue dessert was, but, Mom said it was good. The problem is that most people think of the meringue on lemon meringue pie. Most meringue is hard. It's supposed to be that way. So, Mom enjoyed her SIX course meal!

 

I have to give some personal background about the Tiramisu here. A few years ago, we vacationed in Provincetown on Cape Cod. I had Tiramisu there one night and absolutely fell in love with this dessert. I can't begin to tell you what is in it. I am no baker. But, there is chocolate and, I believe, Amaretto. Anyway, I was never able to find another Tiramisu that equaled that Cape Cod one. Until I went on the Voyager two years ago. We went to Portofino's on that ship and I found it. It was unbelieveable. So, I was really looking forward to it on this cruise. I was not disappointed. It was served in a chocolate teacup. On the side was a shooter of Bailey's and Kahlua. I sucked down mine and Mom's. Dad took a while to drink his! I would have gladly paid the $20 just for this dessert. If you go on one of these ships, take the time and money to eat here. It is well worth it. Unfortunately, we did not eat at Chops, so I can't tell you how the food was there.

 

After dinner, Buzz and Nicole took off to I don't know where. I think they went to see a show or something. Mom, Dad, and I went out on Deck Four. This deck is very quiet. There is hardly anyone ever out there. We hung out there for a little while. I was exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open. It was 11:15 and I had Lydia till 12, but I couldn't wait that long to go to bed. So, I went back to the cabin and let Lydia go early. I still paid her what I would have. I don't know if I mentioned this before. It costs $8 an hour for a sitter for one child. The price changes for more than one, but I'm not sure what it is. I had Lydia from 8 to 12 each of the three nights. You have to pay the sitter at the end of each evening. I paid her for the four hours and then an additional hour's tip. I figure that anyone who could put up with Michael for that long deserved an extra hour! Really, though, she was very good. I would not hesitate in the future in getting a sitter.

 

After she left, I couldn't even stay awake long enough to write in my journal, so I went straight to bed. I guess I'm getting old. I just can't stay awake as late anymore!

 

Next up.....Cozumel

[Jghendrick24]

There is a reason that I am combining these two days. You will find out why.

 

 

We docked at Cozumel this morning to beautiful clear blue skies. Buzz and Nicole had an excursion, so they got off the ship before us. We ordered room service today for breakfast. It wasn't bad.

 

When we got off the ship, we saw that the Rhapsody of the Seas was next to us. This is where you can really see the size of the Mariner. Also in port was one of the Carnival ships that was in GC and, that dang Holland America ship! That one was right outside my cabin! It followed us again! It was starting to give me the creeps!

 

We walked through the shopping area to where the taxis were. Someone had told us that Chankanaab park was about 3 miles away, so we decided to walk there on our own. Big Mistake! It's more like 4 miles I think. One sign that we saw after we had walked for about 15 minutes said that it was 6 kilometers away. I'm not sure what the conversion to miles is. Does anyone know?

 

Anyway, it was hot. But, we did it. It took us about an hour or a little more to get there on foot. We had Mike in the stroller today in case we needed to take a taxi. Halfway there, I informed everyone that we would be taking a taxi back to the ship! We passed some lovely little beaches on the way. When we got there, I bought our tickets to get in. I was bad here. It costs $12 for an adult and $6 for a child under 12. I lied and said that Mike was 11 years old. With his size, he looks it. Since he is blind and his CP prevents him from taking part in a lot of things, I didn't feel that he should have to pay full price. After paying, there was a little store right there where I went to buy some cold drinks. We all needed something badly after that walk. We had had bottled water with us, but, it was warm. While I was giving Mike a drink, one of the men who works there came over to me and handed me $6 and told me that there was no charge for Mike. I was very impressed. I didn't expect this. A lot of places here in the US don't even do that, so, I certainly didn't expect it in Mexico.

 

We went in and headed over to where the dolphins were and watched them for a bit. This is where David said that this one was better than his. Next, we headed to the beach. There is a little beach with shallow water for kids. This is where we went. On the beach, there are these weird chairs. They look like lounge chairs without legs. I brought one of these over to the water and put Mike in one. I sat next to him in the water and we just hung out there. It was so nice.

 

After spending time on the beach, we went to get something to eat at an outdoor restaurant there. We had burgers and fries. Mom and Dad had tacos. While we were waiting for our food, there wasn't a fly around. As soon as he set down our food, they swarmed us. It was kind of gross. We had to cover our food with napkins while we ate. The food was good, but, the flies were an extra ingredient that I could have done without.

 

After we were done eating, we went for a walk through the botanical gardens on the property. It was cool and shaded here. It was a nice walk. We met some iguanas that were lazing in the sun. One was waiting for food and was a little aggressive, so we didn't hang around there for long. It is a long and winding walk and easy to get lost. We made our way to where the "ruins" were. There were people getting their picture taken. I went up to one of the ruins and banged on it and said,"Oh, look! It's plastic!" I think I ruined it for the other people! We came upon a Mayan hut. There was a man outside weaving a blanket and a woman inside making tortillas. It was nice.

 

When we were almost out of the gardens, something happened. Mike's stroller broke. The frame came apart from one of the back wheels. The screw was still in there, but we had no tools to get it back in. Luckily, it stayed together as long as we didn't back up. So, we went directly to the entrance to the park and hailed a taxi to take us back to the ship. When we got back to the pier, the stroller was still holding together, so I shopped. I had been waiting for this port so I could get more blankets. I ended up buying 8 blankets. I also bought a colorful tote bag, a t-shirt for one of my son's friends, some Jose Cuervo filled chocolates for Steph, and a t-shirt for my mom that she wanted.

 

After shopping, Mom and Dad went to Senor Frog's while me and the kids went back to the ship. I was hot and tired and was not in the mood for a party. So, we hung out in the cabin. Buzz and Nicole met up with Mom and Dad. Buzz had a shot and got felt up! They had thoroughly enjoyed their excusion. They did the dune buggy excusrion. It was Buzz and Nicole and another couple that shared the dune buggy. The two guys took turns driving. They went to a beach for snorkeling and lunch. They said it was a really nice and relaxing time and that they would do that excursion again.

 

Dinner that night was supposed to be lobster. We all got ready, but, just before we were ready to leave the cabin, Michael threw up. He now had the bug. At least, I think it was the bug. There was no diarrhea. But, he ended up throwing up a total of about 7 or 8 times. He was sick. So, I didn't go to dinner. Karla, our waiter, had food sent up to me from the dining room and called me to see if I had received it and how Michael was. She was so very nice. I had to sit out on that balcony and watch that ugly ship as she left port.

 

Michael stayed sick all night and the next day. On saturday, I stayed in the cabin with him for almost the whole day. Every now and again, someone would come relieve me so I could get out a bit. I didn't eat the dinner the night before. You know, when you watch someone throw up, it kind of disintigrates your appetite. Saturday, I got food from the Cafe Promenade and Johnny Rockets. Mike was in good spirits, just kept throwing up. He was finally able to hold down some pepto bismol in late afternoon and he didn't get sick again after that.

 

So, I watched movies all day. If I ever see Starsky and Hutch or Law of Attraction ever again, I will scream. I did watch some of the shows on board on the tv as well as a nice piece about the captain. Let me say this, for those of you who are afraid of getting sick, get a balcony cabin. I don't know what I would have done without it on this day. The cabin smelled, so opening the balcony door helped a lot. Not to mention that I was able to get some sun that way.

 

Finally, the proposal. Up to this point, Buzz had yet to ask Nicole. He was driving us all crazy! He finally did it on Saturday night, after they were done packing, on the balcony in their cabin, at around midnight. She said yes. Needless to say, we were all ticked. He could have done this during the week and we could have celebrated it. No, he waits until the last night. That's my brother for you! They came knocking on our cabins to tell us the good news and then they went down to the disco for a while.

 

Tipping: It cost me a little over $200 for tips. I had to tip for me and both of the kids each. I gave a little extra to Karla and Nicolina as they were exceptional. We also had a couple of bottles of champagne that we had brought on board and never drank, so we gave them each a bottle. Our cabin steward and the head waiter got the required amount.

 

All in all, our cruise was a good one. Despite two of us getting sick, we all had a great time.

 

Next.... leaving the ship

[Jghendrick24]

Sunday morning, we woke to cold and rainy weather in Port Canaveral. We got dressed, checked the cabin for any stuff left behind, and headed to the main dining room for breakfast. Breakfast here is ok, but you don't get much on your plate. Michael was feeling much better, but still didn't want to eat. He was drinking, so I was ok with the not eating yet.

 

After breakfast, we went to wait for our color to be called in Studio B. We watched the cruise in review video, which I had purchased the day before. Buzz, Dad, and David were all on it. So was Kim, numerous times!!! :)

 

Our color was called around 9 a.m. We headed out and me and the kids managed to get out fairly quickly. Buzz and Nicole followed shortly behind. Mom and Dad took a little longer as Mom is not a US citizen, so she had to go through that line. We had all of our luggage pulled of the belts by the time Mom and Dad got there. A porter managed to fit all of our luggage on his dolly. He brought us to the edge of the parking lot where everyone waited while I went to get the van.

 

Let me add here that my van is a 1994 GMC conversion van with a lot of rust. There are actually holes as well. The body is completely shot, but the engine is still sweet. She has taken us on many road trips to Florida and back, but this may have been the last one. When I pulled up to where everyone was waiting, the back doors wouldn't open. Buzz had to climb over the back seat and use a crowbar for about 15 minutes to get it to open.

 

We were dropping Buzz and Nicole off at the airport. So, we had a ton of luggage to put in here as well as both a wheelchair and stroller. The only place the wheelchair will fit is in the back. Buzz got it packed tight and we managed to shut the doors. We refused to open them till we pulled in our driveway, so we used the broken stroller that night. We dropped those two off and got on the road about 11 a.m. We were again going to stop in Fayetteville overnight. We made pretty good time getting there and arrived around 8 p.m. But, man, was it cold! We had called home and were told that we had gotten 9 inches of snow the previous night. We were not looking forward to going home!

 

On Monday morning, we headed out around 6:30 a.m. We got to the Delaware Memorial Bridge around 2p.m. And, guess what? Another accident! An oil tanker had flipped and they closed all four lanes. Stopped in traffic again. We were stuck for 3 hours! While we were waiting, it started to snow. No offense to anyone, but I'm sure most people have heard the reputation of Jersey drivers. I was not looking forward to driving in the snow with them! :) Once we crossed the bridge, which we couldn't even see until it was right there, it was snowing harder. The speed limit on I-95 was down to 45 mph. It was awful. To top it off, the window washer fluid on the driver's side decided not to work. So, I was looking for tractor trailers to get behind so I could use their backsplash to clean my window. Several times, I had to ask Dad, whose window was fine, if I was between the lines because I couldn't see them.

 

Once I got onto the NYS Thruway, the roads were dry. I stopped to clean the windows and we were fine from then on. We didn't get home till about midnight that night. It was awful. The plus was that the back door opened fine when we got home!

 

I have decided next time that we will fly. Even though we used the stroller, we would have been fine without it. Also, the pool ring we brought for Mike was never used. So, I think we will be fine flying.

 

There have been a lot of comments made on these boards about RCI and people getting sick on the ship. A lot of people on board were blaming RCI. I couldn't disagree more. Once people started getting sick, the crew members stepped up their efforts in cleaning. Everyone I saw wore gloves and I personally witnessed several waitstaff and bartenders repeatedly washing their hands. I do not blame them one bit and I would never ask for any compensation. Even though I would never want anyone to get sick on their cruise, I was kind of glad to see other cruise lines getting it as well. That proves that it wasn't RCI's fault. A word to passengers: please, if you are sick before you get on board, please don't go. I know it means a loss of money, but think about your fellow passengers. There were over two hundred REPORTED people sick on our ship. Not to mention the many that didn't go to the infirmary and just stayed in their cabins. How fair is it that their cruise is ruined because of one person? I would be willing to chip in for the money that you would lose if you would just stay home. Also, please wash your hands as often as possible.

 

On RCI: We only had the two mishaps with accessibility. Neither of these were RCI's fault as they were done by independent companies. RCI helps whenever possible. The crew members were wonderful and very helpful to us. Two suggestions I have would be to put on your excursion lists specifically whether or not it is wheelchair accessible. Also, when we were in GC, I noticed that the "Ghost Ship" had their own tenders. Maybe RCI could do this so it wouldn't be a problem with wheelchair users.

 

Other than that, the food was outstanding, the entertainment was great, the ship itself was beautiful, and the crew was wonderful. What more can I say? We are already starting to plan our next cruise in two years.

 

I hope you all enjoyed this review and I thank everyone for their wonderful comments. If you have any questions, please feel free to e-mail me at Jghendrick24@aol.com.

[nanner10]

JG, thanks for taking the time to review this cruise. Since we were on this sailing it was like a trip down memory lane! Loved your review, loved your attitude!!!!! :D

[Jghendrick24]

Thanks Nanner! I have posted this review in the review section of this website. It said that it may take up to five days for it to be on there.

 

I am really ready to go back now! This weather up here is too darn cold for me!

 

julie

[Jacquelyn11]

Lots of great info in an unbiased format!

 

You had talked about flying on your next trip. I'm not sure where it picks up or ends but there is something called the AutoTrain that will take you and your vehicle down to Florida. You might ask Radio about it, as he mentioned he took that to get back home.

 

Again, great review! :)

 

Jacquelyn :D

[Sea Island Lady]

Holland America's Westerdam. Let me just say that this Holland America ship was at Jamaica with us. It is an ugly ship! It is so black! We started to make jokes about the "Ghost Ship" following us! That's what it looked like.

Hey watch it! I am going to be on that dam ship in a few weeks...the 'O' Dam and looking forward to it. :) Remember that an object should not be judge from the outside, but the inner beauty. I think the ship is very pretty with the all wicker and wood deck furniture and teak decking. Plus...it has it's own tenders. :D We have a great deal on a suite that is the same size as the JS on the Mariner, but with a much larger bath for $1000 - 7 day cruise to the Mexican Riviera.

 

Anyway, it was hot. But, we did it. It took us about an hour or a little more to get there on foot. We had Mike in the stroller today in case we needed to take a taxi. Halfway there, I informed everyone that we would be taking a taxi back to the ship! We passed some lovely little beaches on the way. When we got there, I bought our tickets to get in. I was bad here. It costs $12 for an adult and $6 for a child under 12. I lied and said that Mike was 11 years old. With his size, he looks it. Since he is blind and his CP prevents him from taking part in a lot of things, I didn't feel that he should have to pay full price. After paying, there was a little store right there where I went to buy some cold drinks. We all needed something badly after that walk. We had had bottled water with us, but, it was warm. While I was giving Mike a drink, one of the men who works there came over to me and handed me $6 and told me that there was no charge for Mike. I was very impressed. I didn't expect this. A lot of places here in the US don't even do that, so, I certainly didn't expect it in Mexico.

I cannot believe you walked to the park! :eek: That road is so busy and such a long walk in the heat. Before I read the end of this paragraph, I was thinking to myself that you didn't need to fib as HC persons are admitted free of charge. Glad the park returned your money. ;)

 

Finally, the proposal. Up to this point, Buzz had yet to ask Nicole. He was driving us all crazy! He finally did it on Saturday night, after they were done packing, on the balcony in their cabin, at around midnight. She said yes. Needless to say, we were all ticked. He could have done this during the week and we could have celebrated it. No, he waits until the last night. That's my brother for you! They came knocking on our cabins to tell us the good news and then they went down to the disco for a while.

:eek: That's it?

 

So glad that Mike didn't get any sicker than he was. Could have been the bug, but could have been something he ate...perhaps in Cozumel?

 

Once again...great review!

[Jghendrick24]

Sorry about the comments on the Ghost Ship! :P It just looked so out of place with the rest of the pristine white ships.

 

Yes, we really walked. It was horrible, but the traffic wasn't too bad.

 

I know. How lame was that proposal? We finally celebrated this past Saturday night.

 

We also had the judging for our scavenger hunt. Mom and Dad won. Now, the rest of us have to take them out to dinner. :O

[Adventure Girl]

Hi Jules:

 

I loved your review. You guys did a lot! Wow! I just loved reading about your family and all of the fun you had together. I can't believe you walked to the beach in Cozumel. We took a taxi to Paradise Beach...which is right next door to the beach you went to....you walked a long way!

 

Don't you wish we were back on the Mariner! It is so cold up here. Actually, this past weekend was great...sunny and 30 degrees...it was like a heat wave!

 

I can't believe your brother waited until Sat. night to propose. With all of the romantic spots along the route...he waits for the balcony at midnight on the last night? Men! LOL

 

 

Yes, you have probably noticed that one of my goals with every cruise is to make it on the cruise in review video as much as possible! I think I did a good job this time! Actually, the video guy remembered me from my November sailing on the Mariner. (I was on that video a lot too....mainly because I chased the camera down every time I saw him in November...that's probably why he remembered me! I think I frightened him!)

 

I agree completely with everything you said about the Norwalk outbreak. I'm sorry to hear that two members of your family were sick. One woman in my group was sick as well...from Monday night until Friday morning. She is 71 years old and this was her first cruise. And you know what? She is ready to go again and she will tell you she had a great time while on the Mariner. I think it is all in your personal attitude. You have to be able to make the best of a bad situation.

 

Hey, anytime you want to join my "ladies" group for a cruise...just let me know!

[Jghendrick24]

Yes, it's dang cold up here. I can't stand it. My skin has been so dry since we came back!

 

We are talking about our next cruise, which unfortunately isn't for two more years. We have to do a Nascar vacation next year. I really need my fix for that one.

 

Well, you fulfilled your objective with the video! My mom told me to tell you that her and my dad were sitting next to you guys at the bar(pool bar?) when the bartender was trying to do some sort of puzzle with straws.

 

I have to wait 3 more years for my girls only trip, but thanks for the invite!

 

I just got out of work. It's time for bed.

 

jules

[jimheslin]

Loved your review. It was alot of fun reading it. Will be on Mariner in April. Hope I have as good of a time as you seem to. Thanks for writing and sharing your family with us.

Jim

[Adventure Girl]

Hi Jules: Please tell your parents that I said hello....I remember them well now that you mentioned the "straw trick". (they probably had an ear full from me at that point...I think I had been sitting at the Pool Bar for quite a while that day!)

 

Take care!

[LauraS]

While we realize that the entire focus of our community is for members to "share" their experiences, remember folks that there are thousands of people reading these threads. And many first time cruisers. It has always been a tradition on Cruise Critic for those returning from their cruise to keep the specifics Of "The Quest" to themselves.

 

Sharing the "scavenger hunt list" online only ruins the experience for other cruisers. Let's keep that long time tradition intact....

 

Laura

[Keishaw]

I was just trying to do a search on the CruiseCritic site to see if my forward balcony cabin on the 8th deck of the Mariner was a good choice. We will be first time cruisers and all of our info is coming from online searches!

For whatever reason, I stumbled on this incredible thread.

Jules, you've put a LOT into perspective for me, and I truly thank you. Although we don't travel until December, I know I will be remembering your story then. If something is not going "perfectly", I will think of you pushing Michael 4 miles to the beach, or the woman who couldn't get off the tender, or Adventure Girl's story of the 71-year-old first-timer that got sick for most of her cruise and wants to go back anyway.

I'm thinking any cabin is a good cabin, and if we can maintain our health and mobility, that's a bonus!

We are also booked at the RonJon in PC, and I'm glad to hear it was enjoyed.

I'm going to request that my 15 and 12-year-old sons read this before we go too. My older son will be thrilled to read of the 2am curfew:rolleyes:, but I know that he will pick up so much more than that from this review. Although our ports are different (we're doing Eastern), your experiences still have a lot of relevance to us.

Keep on journalling and writing reviews!! Please!

Karen

[cathyf12]

Sailing with four six teenagers on July 31. would love to have a copy of the scavenger hunt:)

[cathyf12]

Any one else leaving 31st?

[SoPreppyPinky]

Cathy, I am!

 

Jg, your review was FABULOUS! One of the best I've read, and so detailed.

 

I'm glad you enjoyed your trip!