Cruise Trip Review with Photos: Majesty of the Seas - March 11-15, 2013

[kingsgirl]

I'm going to include a little pre and post cruise information in this cruise review. I hope you enjoy the review and photos!

 

We are two Canadians who drove from Ontario to Miami for the cruise. We tried very hard not to overpack for this cruise! We live in the London, Ontario area and drove to Detroit and took I75 for most of the way to Miami. We left at 3:45am on March 9 and arrived in Dalton, Georgia at about 7pm. We stayed at Country Inn and Suites by Carlson, which was right off the highway and a very good hotel with a great price of $97.00. We stayed here on our last cruising trip 5 years ago and were very happy with our repeat visit. Free wifi and hot breakfast were included in the price. When we booked the room, it indicated that we would be charged immediately, but we weren't actually charged until we checked out of the hotel. We ate at the local Applebee's and filled up with very cheap gas across the road.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kingsgirl]

We left early the next morning at about 7 to get through Atlanta early and did not have any problems with traffic. We continued on I75 until transferring to the Florida Turnpike (highway 91) which we continued on until Fort Pierce, FL. We stayed at the Hampton Inn and Suites which was another wonderful hotel. It was a bit more expensive than we usually spend on hotels at $130 but we wanted to stay somewhere we knew that was a good hotel. This hotel also included a hot breakfast and free wifi. We utilized Siri to help us find a restaurant here and decided on Cracker Barrel. We don't have this restaurant in Canada and it was the closest meal to home cooking that we felt we could get.

 

 

 

 

We left in the morning at about 8:30am. We couldn't figure out how to get back on the turnpike, so we took I95 instead. This wasn't an issue in the slightest since these two highways run parallel to each other and then cross right before Miami. Both of these highways are within sight of the hotel, too, so finding either isn't an issue. Last time we got turned around on the turnpike so we didn't want to take that risk again.

 

We followed the suggestion of the Port of Miami by taking I95 south and taking the 3B-Bayside exit. It really comes up on you quickly as we didn't even realize we were in Miami when the exit came up. For those of you who use Google/Apple maps, they try to tell you to get into the Express Lanes before taking this exit (which would cause you to have to cross like 8 lanes of traffic very quickly) but you can't do this unless you have the SunPass card. The express lanes are only accessible with those cards (unless you want a $100 fine!). Taking I95 south and the 3B-Bayside exit route was very easy to follow and we did not get lost (like last time!) and I would definitely suggest it for fellow cruisers who drive to port.

 

We arrived at the parking garage by 11:15am and were onboard in the WJ by 11:45. Surprisingly, there were a lot of people getting onboard at this time. Thankfully, there was a line for Crown and Anchor Members that was empty and we bypassed so many people. This C&A line was even for us lowly Gold members.

 

Right before we boarded there were two photographers with different backgrounds, wanting you to get a picture. One background was of a sunset and we thought that we'd rather have a real sunset, so we passed. We were disappointed we passed on this photo because when we saw them out for display, they looked absolutely fantastic.

 

We went straight to the WJ, where people were actually running to get food. It was a bit crazy, but also funny. I asked a waiter where I could get a Coke and he got one for me. This cruise was the first where I was actually served in the WJ. I'd never been asked or approached before, on any cruise.

 

The captain was fantastic on our cruise. Before we left Miami, he gave the whole ship a lecture about how we had strict rules about behaviour onboard, and that he had no problem kicking people off the ship for drunken behaviour, corridor running, sitting on stairs, or plain unruly behaviour. He also said that the schedule of leaving port on time was very important and that he would leave people behind if necessary. He was a big talker, often talking to the whole ship for extended periods of time. He talked about how old Majesty is, but how she has the best heart of the fleet, the best crew - you can tell he loves the ship!

 

When we arrived at our room, a little after 1pm, we were pleased with what we found. Our excursion tickets were there, along with the RCI towel I purchased pre-cruise. I had specifically booked cabin 8538 because it was labelled as a less obstructed view among the obstructed rooms on deck 8. The obstruction did not bother us in the slightest as you're looking past the obstructions, not at them, when you look out the window. We met Claudia, our stateroom attendant, who was great. This stateroom is also the first on the corridor of rooms, putting it very close to the elevators. Despite this being a spring break cruise, we were never disturbed by noise in this room by people on the Promenade, by people in the hallway or near the elevators. The only "problem" we had with the room was that we were a little tentative about using the toilet for any number 2 business as it didn't like to suck toilet paper out during a regular number 1 use. You had to be super careful not to use a lot of toilet paper and then strategically put it at the back of the toilet near the hole, or, use the glasses to add water to the toilet before flushing. We utilized the public bathrooms near the Spectrum lounge, which is on the same floor, when needed.

 

 

 

 

[kingsgirl]

Also in our room, were a few invitations, one of which was for being a "top tier" cruiser on this particular cruise. We did not attend the event, but I was surprised to receive an invitation since this was my 4th and my mother's 3rd cruise. Perhaps it is because so many people take this cruise as their first cruise, rather than as a repeat cruise. Has anyone attended this event? What was it like/for?

 

 

We had MTD and received a letter in our stateroom encouraging us to book a specific time for dining. The whole point in booking MTD was so we didn't need to book a specific time, so we didn't. We didn't have a problem being seated right away. I was too shy to ask for a table for two the first night and we ended up being at a table with 3 other groups of two. It was the best group of people we've ever met on a cruise! We ate with them again on the second night, too. I felt the service in the MDR was very good and did not notice any difference having pre-paid our gratuities. We only ate in the dining room on the first and second night of the cruise. We ate at the WJ/Sorrentos/Johnny Rockets/Compass Deli the rest of the time. A word of warning about MTD though. Lots of people pre-book a time to come and they just walk straight in. Do not simply walk into the dining room. You have to wait and talk to the hostess behind a desk outside the dining room, who will give a waiter your table number. We didn't know this and just walked in and got a lecture about it. Eek.

 

 

 

These kids were climbing up and sliding down....nearly killing themselves as they flew under the bar. The only disturbing thing I saw on the ship!

 

[kingsgirl]

Our first port was Nassau. We had an excursion booked through RCI called the Paradise Island and Sightseeing Tour. The description of the tour is as follows: This tour will take you along Bay Street, the heart of Nassau's shopping district, to the Queen's Staircase. Built in the days of England's Queen Victoria, the staircase consists of over 65 steps hewn out of solid coral rock.* Fort Fincastle is your next stop. Built in 1793, the structure was designed in the shape of a paddle wheel steamer. Next, you will have an exterior visit of Fort Charlotte. Built in the Napoleonic era to defend the island against marauding pirates, Fort Charlotte offers you a historic peek into the past. Before returning to your ship, there will be a brief photo stop at the famous Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island.

 

The vans that drove us around were air conditioned and the seats were plenty large enough for overweight people. I say this because I am overweight and I often worry about whether or not I will be uncomfortable or make others uncomfortable when it comes to seating arrangements. I am also tall at 6 feet 1 inch and I had enough leg room on this excursion.

 

We first went to Fort Fincastle and the Queen's Staircase. On the way there, we nearly were in a head on collision! When we were right next to the hospital, there was a lot of traffic congestion and instead of waiting, our driver went to the wrong side of the road even though he couldn't make it through due to oncoming traffic. Pretty brazen considering a cop car was there and saw it all, but we got through. This probably isn't shocking to those who know what drivers are like in Nassau, but it did put my heart in my throat temporarily.

 

We were only given 20 minutes to tour the fort (and additional $1.00 charge to go inside) and to come down the staircase, which required us to really rush through. We didn't stay for the whole tour of the fort and moved onto the staircase. At the top, there was a man in a wheelchair who was seeking a gratuity. Flame me or not, I didn't give him a gratuity for simply sitting there. The area of the staircase was incredibly beautiful. I expected the stairs to actually be rock, but it looked like they'd been re-done with bricks. Our guide talked about how they'd been carved out of rock, so I guess I just expected a more raw version of the steps, which is probably unrealistic considering the amount of traffic it gets. It was beautiful and the best part of the excursion.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kingsgirl]

Next, we were taken to Greycliff, which is a hotel/restaurant and where they make/sell cigars. We walked through the grounds, which I'm sure was uncomfortable for the people staying at the hotel who were lounging by the pool, by having a whole slew of strangers looking at you. After, we went to a chocolate shop at a different location. While I understand why they would want to help their economy by taking us to the cigar and chocolate shop, I felt uncomfortable at both places as I felt like I was being pushed into buying something. This continued at Fort Charlotte where we were to have an exterior view. The driver pulled into the parking lot and said, "There's Fort Charlotte but it takes hours to go through it so we aren't going there." He then encouraged to get out and look at the shops (much like at the Straw Market). Most of the bus did not get off, unless they went to use the washrooms. We then went to Atlantis to see the outside of the hotel, before being taking back to the ship. I'm glad we took the tour, because we weren't comfortable going to the forts on our own, but I wish we'd had more time at the actual forts vs. the other side tours they took us on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kingsgirl]

 

Here is a video of the cigar making, if you are interested:

 

We had lunch back on the ship before browsing the shops on foot and taking some pictures of some of the other ships in port. The large white yacht, I found out, costs 1,000,000 euro for a week charter! Wowzers! I loved the other ship that looked like a miniature tall ship. I hadn't seen anything like that before - it was beautiful!

 

 

 

 

 

[kingsgirl]

 

Later on, we watched some late cruisers run to their Carnival ship, to the cheers of their shipmates, before she left port. We stayed up to watch Majesty leave Nassau just before midnight. It was a fantastic experience as I've not been awake to see the ship turn around or leave a port before due to the late hour or having to be at dinner during that time.

 

We were experiencing quite a bit of movement on the ship and I really didn't think we'd be able to tender at Coco Cay, but we were able to. It was dreadfully overcast and windy, but I'm glad I didn't wait for it to clear up to head over. I picked up my snorkel equipment and headed out, though the water was chilly. I'm glad I went out when I did because when I came back in, it started to pour! We took shelter at a picnic table in a hut. It was almost lunch time so we hung around to eat lunch, but then were asked a staff member when lunch would be served and they said they cancelled the BBQ :( . We were super disappointed. Since there was no food on the island, I went and asked if I could go back to the ship to eat and then come back to snorkel more, but was told that I couldn't hand in my snorkel equipment and come back for it later, even though I still had another receipt to prove I'd purchased the equipment.

 

We didn't know what to do. It was still overcast but it did stop raining. We decided to just go back to the ship so I handed in my snorkel gear and as we were passing by the front of the snorkel shop, the lady called me over and gave me my ticket back and told me I could get a refund when I went back to the ship. They weren't letting anyone get in the water to snorkel anymore because it started to get too rough out there. From what we saw, they pulled a lot of people in on the jet-skis.

 

I took the following photo while out in the water snorkelling. You can see the threatening skies heading toward the island. The water was a bit rough at this time and they restricted the area we could be in.

 

 

If you're interested in seeing some snorkel video, you can use the following links. They turned out pretty good, in my opinion, since it was very overcast which made it more difficult to see underwater.

 

Sunken ship:

 

Heading back to shore/fooling around with the camera:

 

I used an Olympus Tough TG-620 iHS 12 MP Digital Camera to record the video and take the photo of the ship. The video is actually quite amazing, but YouTube seems to reduce the quality of the video, unfortunately. This camera was hard to find. I ultimately found it at Costco for $150, which included a 4GB memory card and float-strap. I bought an additional batter from an Amazon seller as I'd read the battery life could be poor, but I never needed the second battery.

 

There was a lot of miscommunication between the ship and the island, as people were still going to the snorkel shop to rent out equipment they'd just signed up for on the boat, when they were no longer letting people go out. When we got back to the ship, they started telling everyone lunch WOULD be served on the island, even though our tender back was bringing back drinks intended for the lunch. It was a big mess. We didn't travel back to the beach for the lunch.

 

There were issues with there being enough prepared food onboard to serve everyone as they announced that no one else was to to go the dining room for lunch, that they would open the WJ shortly and said that JR's and Sorrento's were open as well.

 

It finally cleared up around 2pm, but then the seas continued to be rough and they had to stop tendering between island and ship. Having shared the story about the stranded passengers on Coco Cay with our tablemates, I was kicking myself for not staying on the island. Everyone made it back though. We would have been prepared, if we'd been stuck on the island. The weather was poor when we went so we'd packed extra clothes and towels, just in case!! Ahh... a girl can dream right?

 

Having a blah day because of everything, we decided to go to Johnny Rockets instead of dressing formal for dinner. Our tablemates said they wouldn't be coming in formal wear, so we would have been fine in regular clothes, but we didn't feel up to the whole hoopla of the MDR.

[kingsgirl]

Our last port was Key West. We love Key West! We didn't book any tour (we did two tours last time) and we enjoyed just walking around to view the area. We came across the Audubon House and took the tour (after a brief introduction) on our own. The cost, I believe, was $12pp. When we first entered, the woman was quite frazzled as they'd had a break-in the night before. I asked if they had stolen anything and she said that they didn't think so, but that they'd found the culprit naked in the koi pond in the back. CRAZY and hilarious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[kingsgirl]

We did some light shopping for ourselves and family, as well. One bit of shopping advice to those of you heading down to the Bahamas, is that if you want to purchase an over-the-shoulder bag, buy it in Key West. They sell knock-offs in Nassau. We didn't realize this and bought a bag in Nassau, only to find the exact same looking bags in Key West, except they had a nice inner lining and magnetic snaps. I was glad I haggled a cheap price for the Nassau bag, but I wanted to let everyone else know. You can talk down the prices in Key West, too. We talked them down $5 per bag.

 

Two other fun things were did were getting eaten by a shark (so scary!) and snuggling up with a parrot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We lounged around the town for awhile before heading back to the ship for an early WJ supper. Not surprisingly, when it came time to leave port, we were short three people. Two people boarded about 5 minutes late, but we were still waiting for one more person.

 

And......I got to see my first ever runner! She was 20 minutes late, people were cheering for her (along with some snide remarks), but she made it. It was quite the entertainment! You can check her last minute run out at the link below, if you're interested. And no, I didn't take the video with a toaster. It's an older camera and the only thing that had battery power left!

 

[kingsgirl]

Back in Miami, we opted to self-disembark, but it didn't go as smoothly as we would have liked as my SeaPass was not credited the amount of the snorkelling. I'd already been to the Guest Relations desk twice about this (including the night before at Key West), but I was assured it would be looked after by the morning. Instead, I had to wait in a very long line to get it sorted out in the morning and we were not able to get off as quickly as we would have liked. The woman at the desk said that a lot of people were in the same situation. I was calm and collected about having to wait, but she kept apologizing, which I appreciated.

 

We got off the boat for about 8:30 I believe. A LOT of people chose to self-disembark. The line was never ending, it seemed!

 

Once off the ship, everything went smoothly through customs and we were on the road quickly. For those of you driving, when we followed the signs to get on I95, you briefly go under and overpass and you have to exit onto the ramp to your LEFT to get on the highway. There is no sign telling you to get off, so make sure you either have a GPS or very good written directions or you will miss the exit.

 

We drove to Walterboro, South Carolina and stayed at the Holiday Inn Express for the night. It was $118 for the night and it is was worth it. Make sure that you ask for a room with the "new beds" when you stay. They are in the process of switching over all their beds (so said Trip Advisor). We were very happy with our room. There is a Cracker Barrel right across the road from the hotel and a gas station right next door. There isn't much else to this town, but it's a good place to stay that is right off the highway.

 

The hotels look so much the same, but here's a picture of the room anyway.

 

 

From here, we drove all the way home the next day/night/early morning. We crossed the US to Canada bridge (NY) around midnight and it was an hour wait, so be prepared for that. We were happily home by 2:30 AM.

 

Other tidbits & thoughts about the cruise:

 

Shows: The Captains Welcome Aboard reception had a lot of free alcoholic drinks flowing. My experience before has been that you get one free drink (rum punch or champagne) but they kept it flowing over and over! What a treat :)

 

Boogie Nights was actually pretty good. We'd never watched any production on a cruise ship yet, and I at least knew some of the songs. I'm impressed the dancers could sing and dance for such an extended period of time.

 

Love & Marriage:A great show as usual. This is always a guaranteed good time!

 

We didn't go to the comedian or juggling act on this cruise, as the one we attended last time was pretty sad. The comedian had recently been in a relationship breakup and the sad comedy around it was pretty awkward to listen to.

 

Cruising on Spring Break: There were a rowdy bunch of University kids on the cruise, but really, they were only a negative part of the vacation if you let them be. With being so port intensive, they were easily avoidable. The only area that they caused any "disturbance" might have been on the pool deck, and by "disturbance" I mean that they were a little loud. I heard more than one time that this was the "booze cruise" but, like I said, it really wasn't a problem. When there were activities on the pool deck, the booze-cruise kids were respectful towards a handful of young children who wanted to dance and do the same activities they were, which I thought was great! There were also a lot of older women who were swooning from some attention to these hunky university kids.

 

Soda Package: For those of you who are on the fence about buying the soda package, let me encourage you to get it. This is the first time I have got it, and it was so worth it. The freestyle machines were so much fun! I didn't get super creative, but it was fun to go and look at all the options. Others have mentioned that there is a 15 minute waiting time between filling up your cup, but on Majesty, there was no waiting period. Several times I filled up twice within 15 minutes. I really enjoyed being able to get flavoured water, too, to keep in the cabin overnight. I thought that carrying around the cup would be a hassle, but it wasn't. It was really nice not to have to take it to the dining room though. I often drank 4 glasses of soda a night in the MDR (they put a lot of ice in the glass). I did notice that by the end of the cruise, some options had run out on the machines, but they were some of the more obscure choices.

 

Prepaid Gratuities/Changes to Gratuity: We prepaid our gratuities for MTD a long time ago and so we weren't affected by the increase in charge. I wanted to show the letter in our stateroom about the changes. The tone of the letter is very different than the tone of the expectations that I have read elsewhere (RCI website and here on the forums). It seems to be much more forgiving of those who do not wish to have their accounts charged with this fee, or to handle it in another manner (eg. cash). I wanted to share that the morning of disembarking, there was a family at the guest services desks who were quite livid about the charges on their account. They repeatedly said that they did not sign anything to allow such a charge to occur on their account, and showed their receipts for charges that they did okay to be on their account. The person serving them at the desk tried to explain it to them, but they didn't want to hear about it. The family continued on saying that it isn't right that they were charged and it shouldn't be allowed to happen.

 

 

It was well stated through in-cabin memos and on the television about the charges, so I'm not sure how the family missed the info, but I suppose it is possible - especially if this was their first cruise. The man helping them apologized but looked very perplexed about the whole situation as well. I was embarrassed to have witnessed the interaction.

 

One thing I didn't like, was that we were told if we wanted to give EXTRA tips, we could ask for envelopes. Our stateroom attendant left an envelope with her name on it in our stateroom on the last night. I didn't really like this. If it was blank envelopes, then I wouldn't care, but I found this to be rude, in my humble opinion.

[kingsgirl]

MDR food: We only ate in the MDR the first two nights. I had the prime rib the first night and enjoyed it. I'd never had prime rib before, so I was expecting more of a steak taste, but it was still enjoyable. The second night, I had the lamb, which was very tender. It had a unique taste, but was also enjoyable. I would probably not order either again though. I'd probably order a steak! :) The meals look better than the pictures, as I started eating before thinking about taking a picture. My apologies!

 

 

 

Food Elsewhere: We had the crepes & paninis in the Compass Deli - very good. Johnny Rockets was good, but I don't think it's worth the $5 charge. I'd still eat there again, simply for something different. The WJ was decent. After the second morning eating there for breakfast, I wanted to barf because it was just the same stuff everyday. We wanted to go to the MDR for breakfast but it never worked out. I did love the mud-slide cookies in the WJ though. I could have eaten those all day long!

 

The WJ had sweet tea, lemonade, and peach juice as their free all-the-time juices. The peach juice was watered down but still good.

 

Hot Chocolate: Looking for hot chocolate? We finally found it on the main floor of the WJ where you get your coffee. This is the only place where it is. It is not in the front part of the WJ, only in the back (the part where you enter through from). Sometimes only the front is open or only the back.

 

Canadians wanting to charge their credit cards in US: The only way to make sure your choice is adhered to is to go to the Guest Relations desk on the second day of the cruise. They won't have set up your charging choice before the second day so don't waste your time (like we did) by checking in. It also helps if you've bought something first.

 

Time: Don't let time get away from you. We did this on the last night of the cruise and it left us with few choices of things to eat around 7pm. We'd had a late lunch/early dinner and weren't thinking. My supper was a roll and a banana! Just a warning :)

 

Showering: Be strategic about the times that you shower. The water pressure is better if you shower at off times. At night, the water pressure was significantly less - probably from everyone getting ready for dinner. I have long, curly, medium-thick hair, but found I could still get a good clean with low pressure.

Movie Theater: The is no longer a movie theatre on Majesty, but they do show movies in the Spectrum lounge on deck 8. This was a much asked question before I left. You can also watch movies in your room for no extra charge.

[kingsgirl]

Gifts & Gear: I pre-purchased a plate of 4 chocolate covered strawberries and they arrived on the day that I requested. They were very good. The strawberries had wonderful flavour and we devoured them quickly! The RCI beach towel that I purchased was AWESOME! It was absolutely huge and thick, and came with an insert to create a pillow. I just wish I'd had a real opportunity to use it while at Coco Cay. Maybe next time!

 

Weather: We had good weather for the most part, but we are definitely glad we were prepared with long-sleeve and pants for the cooler parts of the cruise. At night, you really needed something to be out on deck, or during cloudy periods when it was windy. Be prepared! We didn't overpack and were able to bring enough things to stay cool and warm.

 

Ship Overall: She is still beautiful. We'd forgotten the little things about her. Her carpets are different than we remember, and the WJ is different from our memory. The outdoor decks are lovely. The rooms are still small, but to us, she's still a gem. We will miss her, but also look forward to what is to come!

 

I think that is about it. If you have any questions, please let me know and I'll do my best to answer them!

[chipq]

What a drive to get to your cruise! Very much enjoyed your review, thanks for sharing.

 

http://luv2cruise.blogspot.com

[gooloobie]

MDR food: We only ate in the MDR the first two nights. I had the prime rib the first night and enjoyed it. I'd never had prime rib before, so I was expecting more of a steak taste, but it was still enjoyable. The second night, I had the lamb, which was very tender. It had a unique taste, but was also enjoyable. I would probably not order either again though. I'd probably order a steak! :) The meals look better than the pictures, as I started eating before thinking about taking a picture. My apologies!

 

 

 

Food Elsewhere: We had the crepes & paninis in the Compass Deli - very good. Johnny Rockets was good, but I don't think it's worth the $5 charge. I'd still eat there again, simply for something different. The WJ was decent. After the second morning eating there for breakfast, I wanted to barf because it was just the same stuff everyday. We wanted to go to the MDR for breakfast but it never worked out. I did love the mud-slide cookies in the WJ though. I could have eaten those all day long!

 

The WJ had sweet tea, lemonade, and peach juice as their free all-the-time juices. The peach juice was watered down but still good.

 

Hot Chocolate: Looking for hot chocolate? We finally found it on the main floor of the WJ where you get your coffee. This is the only place where it is. It is not in the front part of the WJ, only in the back (the part where you enter through from). Sometimes only the front is open or only the back.

 

Canadians wanting to charge their credit cards in US: The only way to make sure your choice is adhered to is to go to the Guest Relations desk on the second day of the cruise. They won't have set up your charging choice before the second day so don't waste your time (like we did) by checking in. It also helps if you've bought something first.

 

Time: Don't let time get away from you. We did this on the last night of the cruise and it left us with few choices of things to eat around 7pm. We'd had a late lunch/early dinner and weren't thinking. My supper was a roll and a banana! Just a warning :)

 

Showering: Be strategic about the times that you shower. The water pressure is better if you shower at off times. At night, the water pressure was significantly less - probably from everyone getting ready for dinner. I have long, curly, medium-thick hair, but found I could still get a good clean with low pressure.

Movie Theater: The is no longer a movie theatre on Majesty, but they do show movies in the Spectrum lounge on deck 8. This was a much asked question before I left. You can also watch movies in your room for no extra charge.

 

 

A bit curious (and picky) about the hot chocolate, is it those made with chocolate powder?

Is the one offered in MDR richer and more chocolatey?? :p

[SeminoleFan]

Enjoyed your review and pictures. Thank you!

[kingsgirl]

A bit curious (and picky) about the hot chocolate, is it those made with chocolate powder?

Is the one offered in MDR richer and more chocolatey?? :p

 

 

I haven't had the one in the MDR, but we used two packets per cup in the WJ and it was super good :)

[kingsgirl]

Oh I also wanted to comment about the Cabana's on Coco Cay.

 

They face out towards the ship (I think that is west) and they are really not THAT far from the snorkel area. I thought it was further away but actually, the distance isn't far. The only concern with the distance would be if you had kids and you wanted to physically watch them from shore.

[Cupcrazy]

I've enjoyed your review. Thanks for posting it and your pictures. I am from Ontario as well (Toronto), but have never driven down to Florida. I do want to one day when I have the time to be able to do it. My parents have done the drive down I-75 a few times and said its really nice. For now I'll just keep flying

[alexkrn46]

Very nice review, nice pictures. Thanks for posting

[kingsgirl]

I've enjoyed your review. Thanks for posting it and your pictures. I am from Ontario as well (Toronto), but have never driven down to Florida. I do want to one day when I have the time to be able to do it. My parents have done the drive down I-75 a few times and said its really nice. For now I'll just keep flying

 

The I75 drive is soooo long. Ohio is a ***** to get through. You feel like you're never going to make it. Going through the mountains is awesome though :)

[Coralc]

Very nice review and photos. Thanks for sharing. :D:):D

[cathykb]

Great review -thanks for sharing your thoughts and pictures.

 

Cathy

[farmgirl44]

I truly enjoyed viewing your photos. May I ask the type of camera you used? The pictures are so clear and bright. So glad you enjoyed yourself.

[kingsgirl]

I truly enjoyed viewing your photos. May I ask the type of camera you used? The pictures are so clear and bright. So glad you enjoyed yourself.

 

A couple of different cameras but the best pictures came from iPhone5 (all panoramic ones came from this camera as well) and a Canon Rebel XS.

 

The Coco Cay pictures were from the Olympus Tough TG-620 iHS 12 MP camera which I was only really going to use for snorkelling but worked well otherwise, too!

 

We also used a Kodak camera, but it's old and only takes decent pictures in bright light, so I won't go to the hassle of searching for what camera that one is exactly.

[lookaftrmyhrt]

Canadians wanting to charge their credit cards in US: The only way to make sure your choice is adhered to is to go to the Guest Relations desk on the second day of the cruise. They won't have set up your charging choice before the second day so don't waste your time (like we did) by checking in. It also helps if you've bought something first.

 

Are the rates better if you ask to be charged in USD?