Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Need a little vitamin sea?
I sure do! I have not forgotten about you all and I promise to start posting again soon now that the holidays are over!!
Tuesday, November 11, 2014
Grand Cayman - A beach guide
For Grand Cayman day we will be in port from 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. We will be tendered to shore. This means that you will not be able to just get on and off the boat at port. There will be tender boats to take us from the ship to the dock. So keep that in mind as well. It is not a difficult process to tender but you just want to be sure you leave enough time to return to the ship before the last tender heads out from port.
Here is a website I found that has some good beach information on Grand Cayman:
http://www.caymanislands.ky/activities/beaches.aspx?gclid=CjwKEAiAhIejBRCKm_fTxIWyyXcSJABXY0XYy9dnrVK7tb6GXe-gsX8V8MSQHropntiuuNPqsus2WBoCGXPw_wcB
The "most popular" beach (or the one I hear mentioned most) is Seven Mile Beach. You can get here by bus (public transportation). Actually, I think you can get to a lot of beaches by bus instead of taxi.
Another popular beach I have read about is Rum Point but be aware that this beach is a good 50 minutes away from the cruise port. So if you go there, be sure you leave plenty of time to get back in time for departure.
Most of these beaches will have nearby hotels or restaurants that rent out beach chairs and umbrellas. So be prepared for that as well. The up side to renting a chair and/or umbrella is that this usually entitles you to use their restrooms. Bonus!
I have heard that the following places all cater to cruise ships as well - Royal Palms, Calico Jack's, or Tiki Beach. They have chair/umbrella rentals, restaurants, restrooms and showers, watersports rentals, etc.
Enjoy!
Here is a website I found that has some good beach information on Grand Cayman:
http://www.caymanislands.ky/activities/beaches.aspx?gclid=CjwKEAiAhIejBRCKm_fTxIWyyXcSJABXY0XYy9dnrVK7tb6GXe-gsX8V8MSQHropntiuuNPqsus2WBoCGXPw_wcB
The "most popular" beach (or the one I hear mentioned most) is Seven Mile Beach. You can get here by bus (public transportation). Actually, I think you can get to a lot of beaches by bus instead of taxi.
Another popular beach I have read about is Rum Point but be aware that this beach is a good 50 minutes away from the cruise port. So if you go there, be sure you leave plenty of time to get back in time for departure.
Most of these beaches will have nearby hotels or restaurants that rent out beach chairs and umbrellas. So be prepared for that as well. The up side to renting a chair and/or umbrella is that this usually entitles you to use their restrooms. Bonus!
I have heard that the following places all cater to cruise ships as well - Royal Palms, Calico Jack's, or Tiki Beach. They have chair/umbrella rentals, restaurants, restrooms and showers, watersports rentals, etc.
Enjoy!
Monday, November 10, 2014
Do a little dance. Shhh. Get down tonight. Shhh.
I mean it! Shhhh!
I heard about a unique party on the Freedom that you might like to go to. It is the "silent" disco party. I am not sure what day it is held but it sounds like it could possibly be fun. From what I have read when you enter the party room you are handed a pair of headphones and pretty soon there is a whole dance floor filled with people dancing to their favorite music that only they can hear.
Sounds weird. Sounds different. Sounds like something I might have to check out for myself to see!
See you there!
I heard about a unique party on the Freedom that you might like to go to. It is the "silent" disco party. I am not sure what day it is held but it sounds like it could possibly be fun. From what I have read when you enter the party room you are handed a pair of headphones and pretty soon there is a whole dance floor filled with people dancing to their favorite music that only they can hear.
Sounds weird. Sounds different. Sounds like something I might have to check out for myself to see!
See you there!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
The Quest
We have cruised Royal Caribbean many times but had never been to The Quest game show until our Alaska cruise. Let me tell you... I think everyone in our group can attest to the fact that this was a TON of fun!
And we participated so it made it that much more fun!!!
I am not going to say very much more about it other than to encourage you to attend this show. From what I have heard it is held the evening we are in port in Grand Cayman. So once back on board from your afternoon of sunning and funning in Grand Cayman, eat your dinner, grab a nap and then meet us at this show!
It is an adult scavenger hunt. Adults 18 years old and older can attend. So our two younger cruisers can hang out at the teen club or something for the hour or so we are there. No worries. They will find something to do!
Enjoy and we will see you there! (Eric are you ready to run again?!?!?!!)
And we participated so it made it that much more fun!!!
I am not going to say very much more about it other than to encourage you to attend this show. From what I have heard it is held the evening we are in port in Grand Cayman. So once back on board from your afternoon of sunning and funning in Grand Cayman, eat your dinner, grab a nap and then meet us at this show!
It is an adult scavenger hunt. Adults 18 years old and older can attend. So our two younger cruisers can hang out at the teen club or something for the hour or so we are there. No worries. They will find something to do!
Enjoy and we will see you there! (Eric are you ready to run again?!?!?!!)
Grand Cayman - our next port of call - and one important (funny) tip
It has been a LONG time since we have been to Grand Cayman. So let me start off with kind of a funny story.
John and I went years ago and spent some time shopping in town. (I did get a nice ring from my hubby so heads up on that ladies!)
We were told after shopping that it would be a few hours before my ring was sized and cleaned so we went beach-hopping. Let me start off by saying that I have no idea what beach we went to but we got there by cab. We had a nice day. Rented a sea-do and just chilled out. At some time or another we decided we should probably head back. We could see the port area so we thought "what the heck... Let's walk down the beach. It doesn't seem to be that far." And so we started.
Needless to say, that ship was further away than what we thought. Have I mentioned that walking down the beach gets REALLY hot?
At one point one of us said "maybe we should go and walk along the street and see if we can find a cab?" And so we did.
We walked and walked and never saw one cab. We kept getting honked at by passing cars so we would temporarily move away from the side of the road so we didn't get hit. After a VERY long walk we made it back to the jewelry store, got our purchase and headed back to the boat.
At dinner that night everyone at our table was talking about their days and so we told them about our day too and the fact that it was so odd that there were no cabs by us. Someone immediately asked "So no cabs honked at you as they passed to see if you needed a ride?"
John and I immediately looked at each other and knew to say nothing of our ignorance that all of those mini vans and cars that passed us were in fact cabs that would have picked us up!!! Our original cab out to the beach area was an actual cab and that is why we didn't realize!
Anyway... You are now more informed than we were!!!
Lesson learned: honking cars are cabs in Grand Cayman. And although something seems like a pain in the butt at the time, it will be something that will become a life-long memory that you will still laugh about 10-20 years later!
Oh... And since it has been a week since I posted I MUST ask?!?!
Can we go yet?!?!?!?
John and I went years ago and spent some time shopping in town. (I did get a nice ring from my hubby so heads up on that ladies!)
We were told after shopping that it would be a few hours before my ring was sized and cleaned so we went beach-hopping. Let me start off by saying that I have no idea what beach we went to but we got there by cab. We had a nice day. Rented a sea-do and just chilled out. At some time or another we decided we should probably head back. We could see the port area so we thought "what the heck... Let's walk down the beach. It doesn't seem to be that far." And so we started.
Needless to say, that ship was further away than what we thought. Have I mentioned that walking down the beach gets REALLY hot?
At one point one of us said "maybe we should go and walk along the street and see if we can find a cab?" And so we did.
We walked and walked and never saw one cab. We kept getting honked at by passing cars so we would temporarily move away from the side of the road so we didn't get hit. After a VERY long walk we made it back to the jewelry store, got our purchase and headed back to the boat.
At dinner that night everyone at our table was talking about their days and so we told them about our day too and the fact that it was so odd that there were no cabs by us. Someone immediately asked "So no cabs honked at you as they passed to see if you needed a ride?"
John and I immediately looked at each other and knew to say nothing of our ignorance that all of those mini vans and cars that passed us were in fact cabs that would have picked us up!!! Our original cab out to the beach area was an actual cab and that is why we didn't realize!
Anyway... You are now more informed than we were!!!
Lesson learned: honking cars are cabs in Grand Cayman. And although something seems like a pain in the butt at the time, it will be something that will become a life-long memory that you will still laugh about 10-20 years later!
Oh... And since it has been a week since I posted I MUST ask?!?!
Can we go yet?!?!?!?
More Falmouth information - Good website for tours
I promise I will get to the other ports soon but thought I would send a link to another great tour guide website that I have read good things about:
http://www.knowjamaica.com/en/
From what I understand this is a mother/son tour group agency. They do a lot of the same tours that I have mentioned previously.
I just want to give you plenty of options. A lot of people complain that Falmouth is not their favorite port because vendors and such are pushy. So I did want to warn you about that as well.
In all honesty, have we run into pushy vendors while cruising? Yes.
Has our family let it negatively affect us? No
Have we run into many friendly locals that were willing to help us or give us a great tour? ABSOLUTELY
So all I can say is do your research and I hope my research helps you too. Or book through the cruise line on Falmouth day if you would like. But most of all... Enjoy yourself! Although Falmouth is a small port and maybe not the rickets of places, I have heard there is so many cool, beautiful things to see!
I apologize for not posting for a week!!!! What have you all done without me?!?!?
http://www.knowjamaica.com/en/
From what I understand this is a mother/son tour group agency. They do a lot of the same tours that I have mentioned previously.
I just want to give you plenty of options. A lot of people complain that Falmouth is not their favorite port because vendors and such are pushy. So I did want to warn you about that as well.
In all honesty, have we run into pushy vendors while cruising? Yes.
Has our family let it negatively affect us? No
Have we run into many friendly locals that were willing to help us or give us a great tour? ABSOLUTELY
So all I can say is do your research and I hope my research helps you too. Or book through the cruise line on Falmouth day if you would like. But most of all... Enjoy yourself! Although Falmouth is a small port and maybe not the rickets of places, I have heard there is so many cool, beautiful things to see!
I apologize for not posting for a week!!!! What have you all done without me?!?!?
Saturday, November 1, 2014
What are you packing?
These are just a few things I have read about over the years. Pick and choose what items you need to bring:
Clothes:
Athletic clothing/workout wear
Bathing suit - at least 2 is best
Dress/Pantsuit
Baseball or other type of hat
Hiking shoes - if you are going on an excursion that might need them
Pants - jeans
Pants - khakis
Raincoat/poncho
Shirts - dress shirts
Shirts - golf shirts
Shirts - t-shirts or long-sleeve
beach footwear/sandals
formal shoes for dinner (nothing real fancy but something nice than tennis shoes)
non-skid or athletic
slippers
water shoes
Shorts
Socks
Suit
Sweaters or Sweatshirts (for restaurants onboard or theaters)
Ties
Tuxedo or formal wear - we have never gotten this dressed up
Underwear
Windsuit/Lined and-or Waterproof Jacket
Other Items we have brought in the past:
Watch - recommend waterproof
Ziploc Bags - we NEVER leave home without these!!! We store cookies, sandwiches to bring onshore to save some $$$. Teenagers always "snacky"!
Cooler (soft-sided) - To store sandwiches for shore excursions and airplane ride
Larger Cooler (soft-sided) for in room. We ask room steward to fill with ice because the ice buckets are so small!
Extension Cord or Power Strip- there are only a few outlets in the cabin (possibly only one).
$1 or $ 2 bills (room service grat) - Room service gratuities are not included in your cruise gratuities paid.; be sure to have lots for ports as well
Backpack - May come in handy off-ship
Cameras Digital, waterproof, and/or disposables. Buy waterproof before leaving - they're expensive on board!
Binoculars - Do not leave home without these - you never know what you'll see from deck/verandah
Dry erase board - to communicate with your family
Band-aids
Batteries (camera batteries also)
Books - If you think you'll have time to read (I usually bring 2!)
Candy - Bring your own for the shows or movies
Carry-on with wheels is easier if you board before staterooms open (rooms open around 1 p.m. on most ships)
CD player/CDs/iPod
Night Light - Plug this in your cabin bathroom
Snorkeling Gear Including prescription goggles - many places do not have these available; and I like to have my own mouthpiece
Corkscrew - If you bring on your own wine
Fanny pack
Sunglasses - Don't forget these…the glare off the ocean can be strong.
Sunscreen/Sunscreen spray - Spray for the scalp
Feminine needs
Hairdryer - Cabin hairdryers are weak if you are particular about this.
Hamper - collapsable
Highlighters - Have a different color for each family member (we use these to mark the daily activities log for things we do not want to miss)
Film/Memory Card (spare)
Deodorant
Shampoo
Shaving Kit
Makeup
Hairbrush/Comb
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Tote Bag/Beach Bag/Day Bag
Travel clock/alarm clock
Two-way Radios
Pens
Dishwash Detergent or Cloths (if you bring your own cup like we do)
Bonine or Dramamine - Or get the patch from your doctor before the trip
Over-the-door Shoe Holder - we used this once to store items and it was nice to have
Glow necklaces - we brought these once for the boys and they were fun at night for them
Folder or Large Envelope - Store the daily newsletters and other papers
Aspirin or other medicine
Beach toys
Aloe
Other items we have not brought but you might consider:
Address Labels-Luggage Tags - Pre-addressed labels with your name and address for disembarkation tags
Address Labels-Postcards - Save time addressing postcards for family & friends
Air Freshner/Room Scent/Pillow scent
Antacid or Papaya Enzyme Tablet or Beano
Benadryl
Bubblewrap - For breakables purchased
Bungee cord/rope - For connecting cabins
Business Cards
Button Hole Extenders
Clothspins & clothesline - You may be able to hang a clothesline on your verandah
Cutting knife - For fruit you bring back to the room
Dryer Sheets - Multiple uses
Duffle bag (spare) - For space for your souvenirs and purchases
Fan - hand-held Be sure to have batteries that fit the fan
Flashlight
ID holder/dry box
Insect Repellent packets Surprisingly necessary if going on some shore excursions.
Keep cool or "migraine ice" strips Cool down instantly
Laptop & cords
Laxative, correctal/gentle
Lotion
Luggage Bag - Pack a foldable extra luggage bag for the souvenirs and laundry.
Moisturizer/Lotion - Be prepared for dry atmosphere.
Notebook/Journal, Pens - Be sure to record all of your fabulous memories on a daily basis in a journal or on a laptop
Permanent Marker (Sharpie)
Post-it Pad - Good for leaving notes for one another or your cabin steward.
Powder
Prescriptions/medicines
Reading Glasses
Safety Pins
Sewing Kit
Sports bottle/water bottle/mug
Straws
Suction cups/hooks - Use for hanging wet suits
Swiss Army knife - Do not put this in your carry-on - must be in your checked luggage.
Enjoy!
Clothes:
Athletic clothing/workout wear
Bathing suit - at least 2 is best
Dress/Pantsuit
Baseball or other type of hat
Hiking shoes - if you are going on an excursion that might need them
Pants - jeans
Pants - khakis
Raincoat/poncho
Shirts - dress shirts
Shirts - golf shirts
Shirts - t-shirts or long-sleeve
beach footwear/sandals
formal shoes for dinner (nothing real fancy but something nice than tennis shoes)
non-skid or athletic
slippers
water shoes
Shorts
Socks
Suit
Sweaters or Sweatshirts (for restaurants onboard or theaters)
Ties
Tuxedo or formal wear - we have never gotten this dressed up
Underwear
Windsuit/Lined and-or Waterproof Jacket
Other Items we have brought in the past:
Watch - recommend waterproof
Ziploc Bags - we NEVER leave home without these!!! We store cookies, sandwiches to bring onshore to save some $$$. Teenagers always "snacky"!
Cooler (soft-sided) - To store sandwiches for shore excursions and airplane ride
Larger Cooler (soft-sided) for in room. We ask room steward to fill with ice because the ice buckets are so small!
Extension Cord or Power Strip- there are only a few outlets in the cabin (possibly only one).
$1 or $ 2 bills (room service grat) - Room service gratuities are not included in your cruise gratuities paid.; be sure to have lots for ports as well
Backpack - May come in handy off-ship
Cameras Digital, waterproof, and/or disposables. Buy waterproof before leaving - they're expensive on board!
Binoculars - Do not leave home without these - you never know what you'll see from deck/verandah
Dry erase board - to communicate with your family
Band-aids
Batteries (camera batteries also)
Books - If you think you'll have time to read (I usually bring 2!)
Candy - Bring your own for the shows or movies
Carry-on with wheels is easier if you board before staterooms open (rooms open around 1 p.m. on most ships)
CD player/CDs/iPod
Night Light - Plug this in your cabin bathroom
Snorkeling Gear Including prescription goggles - many places do not have these available; and I like to have my own mouthpiece
Corkscrew - If you bring on your own wine
Fanny pack
Sunglasses - Don't forget these…the glare off the ocean can be strong.
Sunscreen/Sunscreen spray - Spray for the scalp
Feminine needs
Hairdryer - Cabin hairdryers are weak if you are particular about this.
Hamper - collapsable
Highlighters - Have a different color for each family member (we use these to mark the daily activities log for things we do not want to miss)
Film/Memory Card (spare)
Deodorant
Shampoo
Shaving Kit
Makeup
Hairbrush/Comb
Toothbrush/toothpaste
Tote Bag/Beach Bag/Day Bag
Travel clock/alarm clock
Two-way Radios
Pens
Dishwash Detergent or Cloths (if you bring your own cup like we do)
Bonine or Dramamine - Or get the patch from your doctor before the trip
Over-the-door Shoe Holder - we used this once to store items and it was nice to have
Glow necklaces - we brought these once for the boys and they were fun at night for them
Folder or Large Envelope - Store the daily newsletters and other papers
Aspirin or other medicine
Beach toys
Aloe
Other items we have not brought but you might consider:
Address Labels-Luggage Tags - Pre-addressed labels with your name and address for disembarkation tags
Address Labels-Postcards - Save time addressing postcards for family & friends
Air Freshner/Room Scent/Pillow scent
Antacid or Papaya Enzyme Tablet or Beano
Benadryl
Bubblewrap - For breakables purchased
Bungee cord/rope - For connecting cabins
Business Cards
Button Hole Extenders
Clothspins & clothesline - You may be able to hang a clothesline on your verandah
Cutting knife - For fruit you bring back to the room
Dryer Sheets - Multiple uses
Duffle bag (spare) - For space for your souvenirs and purchases
Fan - hand-held Be sure to have batteries that fit the fan
Flashlight
ID holder/dry box
Insect Repellent packets Surprisingly necessary if going on some shore excursions.
Keep cool or "migraine ice" strips Cool down instantly
Laptop & cords
Laxative, correctal/gentle
Lotion
Luggage Bag - Pack a foldable extra luggage bag for the souvenirs and laundry.
Moisturizer/Lotion - Be prepared for dry atmosphere.
Notebook/Journal, Pens - Be sure to record all of your fabulous memories on a daily basis in a journal or on a laptop
Permanent Marker (Sharpie)
Post-it Pad - Good for leaving notes for one another or your cabin steward.
Powder
Prescriptions/medicines
Reading Glasses
Safety Pins
Sewing Kit
Sports bottle/water bottle/mug
Straws
Suction cups/hooks - Use for hanging wet suits
Swiss Army knife - Do not put this in your carry-on - must be in your checked luggage.
Enjoy!
Cruise tips for you
Activities: Don't try to do everything - you'll wear yourself out.
Activities: Participate in at least one activity a day.
Activities: Play or attend the last jackpot bingo.
Activities: Return cruisers cocktail party - arrive early to get a comfortable seat
Activities: The pool is generally least crowded while the ship is at port, especially upon arrival.
Clothing: On first day either wear swimwear under boarding clothes or bring in your carry on. (We carry ours on as you will not see your luggage until about 1:30 or so!)
Clothing: Get extra use out of polo you wear to dinner, wear it the next day if it's still clean
Clothing: Make a spreadsheet of your daily clothing plans so you don't overpack and also know what was in your luggage in case it's lost
Clothing: Pack clothes you don't want to iron on hangers and in dry cleaning bags.
Clothing: Pack kids clothing by day in ziplock bags.
Clothing: Pack underwear and socks in ziplocs to avoid TSA from getting their hands all over your delicates
Clothing: Pack what you think you will need, then reduce your clothing by 25-50%. This is stressed by most experienced cruisers.
Clothing: Save packing some t-shirts and beach towels by buying them at the ports.
Clothing: Take your old socks, underwear, etc. and have them make a one-way trip with you. Saves room for souvenirs. (My husband does this. Tosses after using them! LOL)
Clothing: The space bags really save space when packing
Clothing: Use black slacks; they will go with most tops or shirts and you will only need one pair of black shoes.
Departure: Have the post office hold your mail or find a neighbor to take care of it for you!
Departure: Stop your newspaper deliveries or have a neighbor take care of it!
Disembarkation: Be sure to leave a set of clothes out for disembarking. The rest of your luggage will be taken the night before and you do not want to walk out in your PJs!
Disembarkation: Bring pre-addressed labels with your stateroom number to stick on your assigned luggage tags.
Disembarkation: If you need a porter, stand by the doors where they come back in so you can get one without having to chase them down.
Disembarkation: If you're not in a hurry, don't rush off the ship - enjoy your last few moments aboard
Disembarkation: Make sure your party's luggage all has the same distinctive ribbons etc.; your luggage will probably not be located together
Disembarkation: The instructions will replay on your stateroom TV constantly; skip the live talk but do pay attention at some point.
Entertainment: Get your seats early so you're not disappointed with location.
Excursions: If you are comfortable with it, book your excursions on your own; you'll save money
Excursions: Locate the free coupon books at the pier for discounts you can use in the ports
Excursions: Sign up online as soon as you can if you plan to book through the cruise line
Excursions: Wear a t-shirt while snorkeling to reduce sunburn
Meals: Ask your server for dessert to go if you're too full to eat there
Meals: Beware of Bon Voyage drinks and Hot Chocolate Liquer drinks…can be very expensive (as much as $9)
Meals: Bring back fruit and cereal boxes to snack on throughout the day.
Meals: Don't be afraid to ask for more than one item per course; mix and match from other entrees as you like
Meals: Even if you can't eat the dessert/late-night buffet, make a plate and put it in your refrigerator for the next day
Meals: If you buy a rum cake, don't break the seal or eat all of it on board.
Meals: Make sure your waiter puts your room number on unfinished bottles of wine so you get the remainder at your next meal.
Meals: Make your own free iced mocha: mix one pack hot choc w/ coffee, pour over two cups filled 2/3 with ice and milk.
Meals: Order room service as a wakeup in case you're in an inside stateroom where it can get very dark so you don't oversleep
Meals: Order room service coffee the night before. It may still be hot in the carafe in the morning.
Meals: Order sandwiches the day before and take them ashore in your cooler. Some ports may not allow this.
Misc.: Aft elevators tend to be the lightest used. Avoid mid-ship.
Misc.: Arrive to the port city or transfer location at least the day or night before the cruise departs
Misc.: Buy when you see something you like or you may regret it later.
Misc.: Get extra copies of the daily newsletters for scrapbooking or collections.
Misc.: If you know you're going to use a lot of the internet, buy an unlimited package rather than pay by minute.
Misc.: Pack nailclipper or pocket knife on the outside of your suitcase to clip zip strips
Misc.: Save everything and make a scrapbook upon return.
Misc.: Treat sunburns and jellyfish bites with vinegar (order from room service)
Misc.: Use a label-maker to tag everything that may leave the room that needs to come back.
Misc.: Use the same distinctive ribbons on your family's luggage so it's easy to spot upon disembarkation.
Photo: Ask the photographers to take photographs rather than waiting for them to ask you.
Photo: Give each child his/her own disposable camera to use as they please and create their own memories.
Photo: Take photos of the luggage before turning them over to the airline or cruise ship; have a list of each's contents and notate usage for future planning.
Photo: Take pictures of everything so you don't regret it later.
Stateroom: Ask your attendant for a feather pillow if this is the kind of pillow you prefer
Stateroom: Don't be afraid to ask your cabin steward for extras you need…blankets, pillows, ice, extra Compass
Stateroom: Post a magnetic door sign to help find your cabin easily (especially good for kids)
Stateroom: Rather than bringing extra hangers, ask your attendant for them on the first day; or pack items on hangers then in luggage.
Stateroom: Store luggage under your bed if it will fit.
Stateroom: Store your life vest under your bed to give more shelf space.
Hope these help!
Activities: Participate in at least one activity a day.
Activities: Play or attend the last jackpot bingo.
Activities: Return cruisers cocktail party - arrive early to get a comfortable seat
Activities: The pool is generally least crowded while the ship is at port, especially upon arrival.
Clothing: On first day either wear swimwear under boarding clothes or bring in your carry on. (We carry ours on as you will not see your luggage until about 1:30 or so!)
Clothing: Get extra use out of polo you wear to dinner, wear it the next day if it's still clean
Clothing: Make a spreadsheet of your daily clothing plans so you don't overpack and also know what was in your luggage in case it's lost
Clothing: Pack clothes you don't want to iron on hangers and in dry cleaning bags.
Clothing: Pack kids clothing by day in ziplock bags.
Clothing: Pack underwear and socks in ziplocs to avoid TSA from getting their hands all over your delicates
Clothing: Pack what you think you will need, then reduce your clothing by 25-50%. This is stressed by most experienced cruisers.
Clothing: Save packing some t-shirts and beach towels by buying them at the ports.
Clothing: Take your old socks, underwear, etc. and have them make a one-way trip with you. Saves room for souvenirs. (My husband does this. Tosses after using them! LOL)
Clothing: The space bags really save space when packing
Clothing: Use black slacks; they will go with most tops or shirts and you will only need one pair of black shoes.
Departure: Have the post office hold your mail or find a neighbor to take care of it for you!
Departure: Stop your newspaper deliveries or have a neighbor take care of it!
Disembarkation: Be sure to leave a set of clothes out for disembarking. The rest of your luggage will be taken the night before and you do not want to walk out in your PJs!
Disembarkation: Bring pre-addressed labels with your stateroom number to stick on your assigned luggage tags.
Disembarkation: If you need a porter, stand by the doors where they come back in so you can get one without having to chase them down.
Disembarkation: If you're not in a hurry, don't rush off the ship - enjoy your last few moments aboard
Disembarkation: Make sure your party's luggage all has the same distinctive ribbons etc.; your luggage will probably not be located together
Disembarkation: The instructions will replay on your stateroom TV constantly; skip the live talk but do pay attention at some point.
Entertainment: Get your seats early so you're not disappointed with location.
Excursions: If you are comfortable with it, book your excursions on your own; you'll save money
Excursions: Locate the free coupon books at the pier for discounts you can use in the ports
Excursions: Sign up online as soon as you can if you plan to book through the cruise line
Excursions: Wear a t-shirt while snorkeling to reduce sunburn
Meals: Ask your server for dessert to go if you're too full to eat there
Meals: Beware of Bon Voyage drinks and Hot Chocolate Liquer drinks…can be very expensive (as much as $9)
Meals: Bring back fruit and cereal boxes to snack on throughout the day.
Meals: Don't be afraid to ask for more than one item per course; mix and match from other entrees as you like
Meals: Even if you can't eat the dessert/late-night buffet, make a plate and put it in your refrigerator for the next day
Meals: If you buy a rum cake, don't break the seal or eat all of it on board.
Meals: Make sure your waiter puts your room number on unfinished bottles of wine so you get the remainder at your next meal.
Meals: Make your own free iced mocha: mix one pack hot choc w/ coffee, pour over two cups filled 2/3 with ice and milk.
Meals: Order room service as a wakeup in case you're in an inside stateroom where it can get very dark so you don't oversleep
Meals: Order room service coffee the night before. It may still be hot in the carafe in the morning.
Meals: Order sandwiches the day before and take them ashore in your cooler. Some ports may not allow this.
Misc.: Aft elevators tend to be the lightest used. Avoid mid-ship.
Misc.: Arrive to the port city or transfer location at least the day or night before the cruise departs
Misc.: Buy when you see something you like or you may regret it later.
Misc.: Get extra copies of the daily newsletters for scrapbooking or collections.
Misc.: If you know you're going to use a lot of the internet, buy an unlimited package rather than pay by minute.
Misc.: Pack nailclipper or pocket knife on the outside of your suitcase to clip zip strips
Misc.: Save everything and make a scrapbook upon return.
Misc.: Treat sunburns and jellyfish bites with vinegar (order from room service)
Misc.: Use a label-maker to tag everything that may leave the room that needs to come back.
Misc.: Use the same distinctive ribbons on your family's luggage so it's easy to spot upon disembarkation.
Photo: Ask the photographers to take photographs rather than waiting for them to ask you.
Photo: Give each child his/her own disposable camera to use as they please and create their own memories.
Photo: Take photos of the luggage before turning them over to the airline or cruise ship; have a list of each's contents and notate usage for future planning.
Photo: Take pictures of everything so you don't regret it later.
Stateroom: Ask your attendant for a feather pillow if this is the kind of pillow you prefer
Stateroom: Don't be afraid to ask your cabin steward for extras you need…blankets, pillows, ice, extra Compass
Stateroom: Post a magnetic door sign to help find your cabin easily (especially good for kids)
Stateroom: Rather than bringing extra hangers, ask your attendant for them on the first day; or pack items on hangers then in luggage.
Stateroom: Store luggage under your bed if it will fit.
Stateroom: Store your life vest under your bed to give more shelf space.
Hope these help!
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Have a Coke and a smile...
I gave some misinformation in a previous post about drink packages. Royal Caribbean has created more drink packages since the last time we personally have cruised. I think I told you all that they eliminated the soda only package. That was incorrect information. The soda only package is available and costs $6.95/day for adults and $4.95/day for children. I am not sure what they consider a "child" though.
I think I might have mentioned that we will try to carry on some bottled waters and sodas ourselves to save some money. If they make it on like they have in the past, great! If not, we will make do without them and either just drink the free drinks onboard or buy a drink package of some sort.
Talk to you later!
I think I might have mentioned that we will try to carry on some bottled waters and sodas ourselves to save some money. If they make it on like they have in the past, great! If not, we will make do without them and either just drink the free drinks onboard or buy a drink package of some sort.
Talk to you later!
Looking for a hot tub baby this evening...
So, first let me start off by saying that as I type some of my posts I wonder if anyone in our group recognizes my references to songs or whatever. If you recognize what song I was referring to in my subject above, you will now be singing that song the rest of the day. You're welcome! Ha ha!
Anyway...
If you are looking for a little rest and relaxation while cruising, check out the four pools onboard. One of the pools is in the Solarium which is an adults only area. So enjoy!
Or after a long day, We like to take a dip in one of the hot tubs. The Freedom has 6 hot tubs and 2 are cantilever hot tubs. They are really cool. These 2 hot tubs extend out over the side of the ship a bit and provide a unique way to view the ocean from onboard.
Check them out!
Anyway...
If you are looking for a little rest and relaxation while cruising, check out the four pools onboard. One of the pools is in the Solarium which is an adults only area. So enjoy!
Or after a long day, We like to take a dip in one of the hot tubs. The Freedom has 6 hot tubs and 2 are cantilever hot tubs. They are really cool. These 2 hot tubs extend out over the side of the ship a bit and provide a unique way to view the ocean from onboard.
Check them out!
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Mystery Dinner Theater
I found out about something kinda neat. Apparently on the first night on the cruise, there is a Mystery Dinner Theater that passengers can sign up to attend. There is a cost associated with it. From what I have read the cost is $55/person. Apparently you start at a bar for drinks and appetizers. Then the "show" moves to one of the specialty restaurants where you get dinner and unlimited house wine.
The show is supposedly really "cheesy" but that adds to the fun.
This is one of the special things done on the Freedom of the Seas.
When we sailed the Allure years ago they hosted a prohibition party for a small number of people for a nominal fee. 4 of us attended that and dressed up in clothes from the 1920's. It was a lot of fun.
Enjoy!
The show is supposedly really "cheesy" but that adds to the fun.
This is one of the special things done on the Freedom of the Seas.
When we sailed the Allure years ago they hosted a prohibition party for a small number of people for a nominal fee. 4 of us attended that and dressed up in clothes from the 1920's. It was a lot of fun.
Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Everybody do the waive!
Want to be able to get on the Flowrider, rock wall, or go ice skating as soon as you get onboard? Then sign your waivers (and ones for minors in your charge) electronically now!
I seriously hate getting all excited and ready to go do an activity and then having to fill out paperwork!
Remember how I mentioned that you should check in online for your cruise with your MyCruises account on www.royalcaribbean.com? Well, you can also sign your waivers there too. Once you click on online check in and do that, a link right below the names of the people in your cabin should show up. Click on that to sign your waivers!
I just did ours tonight!
Can we go yet?
Enjoy!
I seriously hate getting all excited and ready to go do an activity and then having to fill out paperwork!
Remember how I mentioned that you should check in online for your cruise with your MyCruises account on www.royalcaribbean.com? Well, you can also sign your waivers there too. Once you click on online check in and do that, a link right below the names of the people in your cabin should show up. Click on that to sign your waivers!
I just did ours tonight!
Can we go yet?
Enjoy!
Friday, October 24, 2014
Nah, nah, nah, nah. Hey, hey, hey... Goodbye
Ok, if I saw this happening to someone that would be the first song to pop into my head.
As you all have probably gathered, John and I often book independent excursions. With that said, we always book with companies that I have only read good reviews about and we only book things that will get us back to the ship with plenty of time to spare. Why do we make sure of these things? Because the boat WILL leave you if you are not back by the right time.
Check out these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-yrsXsJmbw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEXE9Dk4Y0M
And here is a recent post by someone on cruise critic that has left me with some good information/tips to give you.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118638
For this guy, a group of them went to Atlantis in Nassau on their own. They were all supposed to meet at a set time. One part of the group did not meet at specified time and location and went back to the boat on their own. Well they had the son of the group they were supposed to meet with them and so the dad of that son panicked and looked all over Atlantis for them. He did send his older son and wife back to the ship so they would get back on. He did not realize though that his younger son and friend were also already on the ship. By the time he got back to the pier he said the ship was pulling away. He said he could have swam to it because it was so close but nonetheless there was nothing to be done at that point.
I tell you this not to scare anyone. We have done independent excursions for all but 1 of our cruises and have never had anything bad happen. We will continue to do things on our own. But we will also always continue to leave ourselves plenty of wiggle room with getting back to the ship!
So here are my tips:
1. Wear a watch. Do not depend on your cell phone to give you the time. You need to go by the ships time and not the local time. I heard of a couple possibly using their cell phone in St. Maarten and the cell phone did not account for daylight savings time like the ship did and they were late for the ship.
2. If doing an excursion with a group, establish a meet time and a backup plan. And BE COURTEOUS and sensible and follow the meet times.
3. I thought this was good information. If something as dire as being left behind were to happen, the port agent's name and phone information are on the bottom of your Daily Cruise Compass. Keep a copy with you and call that number as soon as an emergency occurs!
4. If you get separated, check the ship and see if any of your party has already boarded the boat. They should be able to tell you that right at the pier.
5. Have a good time... But not too good of a time if you know what I mean. Do not drink too much as the heat will make it catch up with you even faster!
6. Being back on the ship a little early is not a bad thing at all. You will have the pool deck mostly to yourself and/or a hot tub. On the Disney cruise I remember a group of us getting back to the ship early and about 8 or so of us having a big ol' time hanging out and chatting in the hot tub.
7. Always carry a little cash or credit card with you. And although they always say you only need your SeaPass card at port, we always carry our ID just in case.
8. I seriously do not advise going anywhere by yourself. But that is just me.
That is all I can think of right now.
Enjoy! And please do not let me scare you. Seriously, it just pays to plan ahead and that is why I am telling you all. (Oh and the videos are sometimes fun to watch!)
As you all have probably gathered, John and I often book independent excursions. With that said, we always book with companies that I have only read good reviews about and we only book things that will get us back to the ship with plenty of time to spare. Why do we make sure of these things? Because the boat WILL leave you if you are not back by the right time.
Check out these videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-yrsXsJmbw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEXE9Dk4Y0M
And here is a recent post by someone on cruise critic that has left me with some good information/tips to give you.
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2118638
For this guy, a group of them went to Atlantis in Nassau on their own. They were all supposed to meet at a set time. One part of the group did not meet at specified time and location and went back to the boat on their own. Well they had the son of the group they were supposed to meet with them and so the dad of that son panicked and looked all over Atlantis for them. He did send his older son and wife back to the ship so they would get back on. He did not realize though that his younger son and friend were also already on the ship. By the time he got back to the pier he said the ship was pulling away. He said he could have swam to it because it was so close but nonetheless there was nothing to be done at that point.
I tell you this not to scare anyone. We have done independent excursions for all but 1 of our cruises and have never had anything bad happen. We will continue to do things on our own. But we will also always continue to leave ourselves plenty of wiggle room with getting back to the ship!
So here are my tips:
1. Wear a watch. Do not depend on your cell phone to give you the time. You need to go by the ships time and not the local time. I heard of a couple possibly using their cell phone in St. Maarten and the cell phone did not account for daylight savings time like the ship did and they were late for the ship.
2. If doing an excursion with a group, establish a meet time and a backup plan. And BE COURTEOUS and sensible and follow the meet times.
3. I thought this was good information. If something as dire as being left behind were to happen, the port agent's name and phone information are on the bottom of your Daily Cruise Compass. Keep a copy with you and call that number as soon as an emergency occurs!
4. If you get separated, check the ship and see if any of your party has already boarded the boat. They should be able to tell you that right at the pier.
5. Have a good time... But not too good of a time if you know what I mean. Do not drink too much as the heat will make it catch up with you even faster!
6. Being back on the ship a little early is not a bad thing at all. You will have the pool deck mostly to yourself and/or a hot tub. On the Disney cruise I remember a group of us getting back to the ship early and about 8 or so of us having a big ol' time hanging out and chatting in the hot tub.
7. Always carry a little cash or credit card with you. And although they always say you only need your SeaPass card at port, we always carry our ID just in case.
8. I seriously do not advise going anywhere by yourself. But that is just me.
That is all I can think of right now.
Enjoy! And please do not let me scare you. Seriously, it just pays to plan ahead and that is why I am telling you all. (Oh and the videos are sometimes fun to watch!)
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
Falmouth – Irie Blue Hole
This is
another place I have recently read about in Ocho Rios. Here is a link to tell you a bit more about
it:
I am
personally going back and forth between this place and Dunn’s River. I am a little more inclined to go here
because I hear it is less “touristy”. I have seen a lot of pictures and it definitely looks rustic to me. So it may not e for everyone.
The tour
guide company I mentioned in my last post offers a tour here but there are
other tour companies that I have heard good things about as well:
Tony
O’Reilly tours
Jamaica
tours
I have heard
that the legend at Irie Blue Hole is that the water will make you look 10 years
younger! So with that said, I may just
go for that reason alone! Haha!
Can we go
yet? (Had to say that since I hadn’t said it in a while!)
Falmouth – Dunn’s River Falls
I have
recently heard a lot about this natural attraction in Falmouth, Jamaica. We will be docked in Falmouth from 10:00 a.m.
– 7:00 p.m. The cruise port itself is
supposed to be nice but I have heard that there are more things to do in
Montego Bay (30 minutes in one direction from Falmouth) or Ocho Rios (1 hour
from Falmouth in the opposite direction than Montego Bay).
Here is a
link to Dunn’s River Falls. It looks
pretty neat.
You
literally walk up the falls here so bring water shoes as I have heard it can
get a little slippery. Stay on the path
that they are telling you to walk on o it gets REALLY slippery. One smart guy that I was reading about said
he got tired of slow people in front of him so he went a different route,
slipped and took a little ride down the falls and dislocated his shoulder. Now that is not the usual experience I have
read about though so do not let that scare you if you are interested in this.
I guess you
could rent a car to get yourself there or do an excursion through the cruise
line or book one on your own. If booking
on your own, here is a company that I have read about that has gotten good
reviews:
From all
accounts this spot is getting more and more popular so it may be crowded. If climbing the actual falls is “not your
thing” it is my understanding that there are steps alongside the falls that you
could walk up to meet the rest in your group.
Enjoy!
Monday, October 20, 2014
Shower to shower each day helps keep odor away...
Who remembers that old commercial jingle ? Ok... It is late in the evening and I thought of that jingle when I saw this tip.
Tired of that small shower in your stateroom? Then go take a shower in one of the showers in the men's or women's locker room by the gym. I have never tried it but I hear the showers are larger and you could shower and get in the steam room and relax. Free of charge!
Enjoy!
Tired of that small shower in your stateroom? Then go take a shower in one of the showers in the men's or women's locker room by the gym. I have never tried it but I hear the showers are larger and you could shower and get in the steam room and relax. Free of charge!
Enjoy!
More pre-cruise hotel choices
I decided to do a search on all hotels near Port Canaveral and came across this website:
http://bookings.hotelguides.com/zcom/hotelZest/SortBucket.do?compid=2000&sortType=lowprice&title=Hotels near Port Canaveral Cruise Ship Terminals - Cape Canaveral FL
I hope the link above works when you click on it. If not, cut/paste the entire thing above into your internet browser so you can view. There are other hotels out there that are lower priced but still look nice. They do not offer the stay and park option but it might be cheaper and less hassle to just drive to a parking garage near the port and pay to park there.
Sorry if I am confusing anyone today. Just trying to weigh all of our options and save $$ where we can!
Enjoy!
http://bookings.hotelguides.com/zcom/hotelZest/SortBucket.do?compid=2000&sortType=lowprice&title=Hotels near Port Canaveral Cruise Ship Terminals - Cape Canaveral FL
I hope the link above works when you click on it. If not, cut/paste the entire thing above into your internet browser so you can view. There are other hotels out there that are lower priced but still look nice. They do not offer the stay and park option but it might be cheaper and less hassle to just drive to a parking garage near the port and pay to park there.
Sorry if I am confusing anyone today. Just trying to weigh all of our options and save $$ where we can!
Enjoy!
Hotel Options for before the cruise
Hey everyone! As promised here are some hotel options for before the cruise. These hotels offer cruise "packages" that allow you to leave your car at their parking lot for the duration of the cruise. This would save you money on parking at the port.
The hotels have a shuttle that would take everyone to the Port on the day of embarkation. However, I think our plan would be to drop as many people off at port with the luggage as possible and then drive back to park at the hotel and then just have the driver grab the shuttle back to port. I have heard rumors that some hotel shuttles can be slow so we just thought it would be faster to drop off as many people as possible from our group at the port and just have to worry about one person grabbing the hotel shuttle. More to come on that as I find out if the port will let me do a drop off like that.
Anyway... Here is what I have been told are the 3 closest hotels to the port:
Radisson (I did a search on rates from 7/3 - 7/5 using AAA rates):
http://www.radisson.com/reservation/rateSearch.do?checkinDate=07%2F03%2F2015&checkoutDate=07%2F05%2F2015&cityId=266&hotelCode=FLCOCOA&hotelName=&attractionId=761&sortBy=brand&sortRatesBy=1&corporateAccountID=&goldRewardsNumber=&agentMasterId=&promotionalCode=&rateType=&rmcCode=AAA&travelAgencyId=&ecertCode=&ecertCodeForNonEligibleRate=&numberRooms=1¤cyCode=&crossBrandSearch=thisBrandOnly&viewAllHotelRates=true&searchType=1&rateName=&prefBedType=&prefSmoking=&cacheKey=7510794628760&clearRateRangeAvailCache=false&forcedCitySearch=false&forcedHotelSearch=false&displayNearbyHotelsSearchedMsg=false&rateSortFilter=&hotelSortFilter=%28sort%28brand%2C761%29%2Cbrand%28RAD%2CQCN%29%29&latitude=28.381089&longitude=-80.666678&rateSearchForm.redemptionSearch=false&rateSearchForm.showRedemptionOption=false&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=RAD&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=PKP&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=CHI&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=PII&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=QCN&occupancyForm%5B0%5D.numberAdults=1&occupancyForm%5B0%5D.numberChildren=0&origBrandCode=ALL&redemptionCalSearch=false
Country Inn & Suites (same date range as above. did not give me the option to look for AAA rates):
http://www.countryinns.com/reservation/rateSearch.do;jsessionid=P8nmJF1JnD6GxGQ1Ll19yQGXzGNYp3Qbmv8pLFXhWQWG9BDyDdpx!-303758660?rateSearchForm.crossBrandSearch=&rateSearchForm.redemptionSearch=false&rateSearchForm.checkinDate=07%2F03%2F2015&rateSearchForm.checkoutDate=07%2F05%2F2015&rateSearchForm.viewAllRates=true&rateSearchForm.forcedHotelSearch=true&rateSearchForm.hotelCode=FLCAPE&rateSearchForm.numberRooms=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B0%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B0%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B1%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B1%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B2%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B2%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B3%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B3%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B4%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B4%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B5%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B5%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B6%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B6%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B7%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B7%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B8%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B8%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.rmcCode=&rateSearchForm.smartBox=
Residence Inn (same dates as above. This link represents AAA rates):
http://www.marriott.com/reservation/rateListMenu.mi
There are of course other hotels in the general area. The 3 above are just ones that offer a cruise package to park there at the hotel. Here is a link to TripAdvisor that lists some other hotels in the area:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g34574-Port_Canaveral_Florida-Hotels.html
Enjoy!
The hotels have a shuttle that would take everyone to the Port on the day of embarkation. However, I think our plan would be to drop as many people off at port with the luggage as possible and then drive back to park at the hotel and then just have the driver grab the shuttle back to port. I have heard rumors that some hotel shuttles can be slow so we just thought it would be faster to drop off as many people as possible from our group at the port and just have to worry about one person grabbing the hotel shuttle. More to come on that as I find out if the port will let me do a drop off like that.
Anyway... Here is what I have been told are the 3 closest hotels to the port:
Radisson (I did a search on rates from 7/3 - 7/5 using AAA rates):
http://www.radisson.com/reservation/rateSearch.do?checkinDate=07%2F03%2F2015&checkoutDate=07%2F05%2F2015&cityId=266&hotelCode=FLCOCOA&hotelName=&attractionId=761&sortBy=brand&sortRatesBy=1&corporateAccountID=&goldRewardsNumber=&agentMasterId=&promotionalCode=&rateType=&rmcCode=AAA&travelAgencyId=&ecertCode=&ecertCodeForNonEligibleRate=&numberRooms=1¤cyCode=&crossBrandSearch=thisBrandOnly&viewAllHotelRates=true&searchType=1&rateName=&prefBedType=&prefSmoking=&cacheKey=7510794628760&clearRateRangeAvailCache=false&forcedCitySearch=false&forcedHotelSearch=false&displayNearbyHotelsSearchedMsg=false&rateSortFilter=&hotelSortFilter=%28sort%28brand%2C761%29%2Cbrand%28RAD%2CQCN%29%29&latitude=28.381089&longitude=-80.666678&rateSearchForm.redemptionSearch=false&rateSearchForm.showRedemptionOption=false&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=RAD&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=PKP&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=CHI&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=PII&selectedCrossBrandSearchCodes=QCN&occupancyForm%5B0%5D.numberAdults=1&occupancyForm%5B0%5D.numberChildren=0&origBrandCode=ALL&redemptionCalSearch=false
Country Inn & Suites (same date range as above. did not give me the option to look for AAA rates):
http://www.countryinns.com/reservation/rateSearch.do;jsessionid=P8nmJF1JnD6GxGQ1Ll19yQGXzGNYp3Qbmv8pLFXhWQWG9BDyDdpx!-303758660?rateSearchForm.crossBrandSearch=&rateSearchForm.redemptionSearch=false&rateSearchForm.checkinDate=07%2F03%2F2015&rateSearchForm.checkoutDate=07%2F05%2F2015&rateSearchForm.viewAllRates=true&rateSearchForm.forcedHotelSearch=true&rateSearchForm.hotelCode=FLCAPE&rateSearchForm.numberRooms=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B0%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B0%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B1%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B1%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B2%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B2%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B3%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B3%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B4%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B4%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B5%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B5%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B6%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B6%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B7%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B7%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.o%5B8%5D.a=1&rateSearchForm.o%5B8%5D.c=0&rateSearchForm.rmcCode=&rateSearchForm.smartBox=
Residence Inn (same dates as above. This link represents AAA rates):
http://www.marriott.com/reservation/rateListMenu.mi
There are of course other hotels in the general area. The 3 above are just ones that offer a cruise package to park there at the hotel. Here is a link to TripAdvisor that lists some other hotels in the area:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g34574-Port_Canaveral_Florida-Hotels.html
Enjoy!
Thursday, October 16, 2014
"Sorry. I do not have any change!"
and other useful tips...
You might hear that a lot while we travel. Just a tip. Be sure to carry currency in smaller dollar amounts. That way when you take a taxi, or buy something from a vendor, or any other time you need to use cash you do not hear the person you are paying say they do not have any change. It avoids you paying more for your item than you originally planned to do!
Also, beware of nice street vendors offering for you to take a picture with their parrot, donkey, or anything else. After they make this nice offer and you snap a picture with your own camera, they then tell you that you owe them $20 or some other monetary amount for the picture.
And if you are not a great "barterer" (is that a word? And I am a non-barter person), then hang out with John or Kelley. I have cruised with both and when shopping they know how to talk to the vendors and get a deal! They rock!
Hope this helps!
You might hear that a lot while we travel. Just a tip. Be sure to carry currency in smaller dollar amounts. That way when you take a taxi, or buy something from a vendor, or any other time you need to use cash you do not hear the person you are paying say they do not have any change. It avoids you paying more for your item than you originally planned to do!
Also, beware of nice street vendors offering for you to take a picture with their parrot, donkey, or anything else. After they make this nice offer and you snap a picture with your own camera, they then tell you that you owe them $20 or some other monetary amount for the picture.
And if you are not a great "barterer" (is that a word? And I am a non-barter person), then hang out with John or Kelley. I have cruised with both and when shopping they know how to talk to the vendors and get a deal! They rock!
Hope this helps!
Scuba Diving - Cozumel
I know we have a few scuba divers in our group and I have heard that Cozumel has some of the most beautiful waters to dive in. I have researched a little and there are basically a TON of dive shops in Cozumel. The one that the cruise ships use is supposed to be a company called SandDollar and so I would probably say to try to find some other company that might be better.
Here are some that I saw that were recommended:
Scuba with Allison - http://www.scubawithalison.com/
Papa Hogs - http://www.papahogs.com/site/index2.php
Dive Paradise - http://www.diveparadise.com/
Aqua Safari - http://www.aquasafari.com/
Dive with Martin - http://www.divewithmartin.com/
Scuba Club Cozumel - http://www.scubaclubcozumel.com/
Now... Because our boat doesn't get in until 10:00 a.m. and a lot of dive boats head out earlier in the morning, we would want to look around to find one that would accommodate our cruise ship schedule.
Anyone thinking of diving on this trip? I know my youngest would jump at the chance!
Enjoy!
Here are some that I saw that were recommended:
Scuba with Allison - http://www.scubawithalison.com/
Papa Hogs - http://www.papahogs.com/site/index2.php
Dive Paradise - http://www.diveparadise.com/
Aqua Safari - http://www.aquasafari.com/
Dive with Martin - http://www.divewithmartin.com/
Scuba Club Cozumel - http://www.scubaclubcozumel.com/
Now... Because our boat doesn't get in until 10:00 a.m. and a lot of dive boats head out earlier in the morning, we would want to look around to find one that would accommodate our cruise ship schedule.
Anyone thinking of diving on this trip? I know my youngest would jump at the chance!
Enjoy!
Chankanaab - Cozumel
I will get to the other ports and activities soon but my focus so far has been on Cozumel and the different offerings that are in this port. Do not worry! I have already started scouting some other ports too!
Anyway... Chankanaab is a Mexican National Park. It looks like there are a ton of things to do there!
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/chankanaab-park-in-cozumel-quintana-roo-mexico
I do believe there is an entrance fee to get in to the park and depending on what you do there, you might encounter an additional fee(s). From everything I have read, others say to just grab a taxi once you are off the boat and go there for yourself.
We plan to bring our own snorkel gear for the ports and this would be a great place to use it! Snorkeling doesn't cost anything extra (unless of course you rent their equipment)!
They also have dolphin encounters and other activities. Here is a link for some of that:
http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/cozumel/chankanaab-national-park.asp
Enjoy!
Anyway... Chankanaab is a Mexican National Park. It looks like there are a ton of things to do there!
http://www.visitmexico.com/en/chankanaab-park-in-cozumel-quintana-roo-mexico
I do believe there is an entrance fee to get in to the park and depending on what you do there, you might encounter an additional fee(s). From everything I have read, others say to just grab a taxi once you are off the boat and go there for yourself.
We plan to bring our own snorkel gear for the ports and this would be a great place to use it! Snorkeling doesn't cost anything extra (unless of course you rent their equipment)!
They also have dolphin encounters and other activities. Here is a link for some of that:
http://www.dolphindiscovery.com/cozumel/chankanaab-national-park.asp
Enjoy!
Cozumel to Chichen Itza
For those of you wondering what Chichen Itza is, here is a link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza
They are Mayan ruins. Some of the people in our group debated on going here when we are in Cozumel. Our ship will dock in Cozumel at 10 a.m. and leave at 7:00 p.m.
From all that I have read in discussion forums, a trip from Cozumel to Chichen Itza is a full day trip ad is not really recommended as a "do on your own" type of trip. If you were to be late getting back to port, the boat would leave without you.
After many cruises, John and I are fans of saving a little bit of money and booking our own excursions, but in this case if Royal Caribbean offers a Chichen Itza excursion for our cruise, then I would book it through the cruise ship. That way if you are running late, the boat would wait for you.
Anyway...
I hope those of you interested in this are not too disappointed.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chichen_Itza
They are Mayan ruins. Some of the people in our group debated on going here when we are in Cozumel. Our ship will dock in Cozumel at 10 a.m. and leave at 7:00 p.m.
From all that I have read in discussion forums, a trip from Cozumel to Chichen Itza is a full day trip ad is not really recommended as a "do on your own" type of trip. If you were to be late getting back to port, the boat would leave without you.
After many cruises, John and I are fans of saving a little bit of money and booking our own excursions, but in this case if Royal Caribbean offers a Chichen Itza excursion for our cruise, then I would book it through the cruise ship. That way if you are running late, the boat would wait for you.
Anyway...
I hope those of you interested in this are not too disappointed.
Wednesday, October 15, 2014
Nachi Cochum - Cozumel
John and I love Cozumel for the beaches, shopping, Mexican food, and margaritas. So, while we are visiting, we usually just rent a jeep (or 2 or 3 depending on the group size) as soon as we get off the boat and drive around the island until we have sampled a little bit of all of it.
So if we decide to do the same old thing again, we already know how to make that happen.
For another alternative though, there is a private, all-inclusive resort that is on the island. They promise to allow a maximum of 100 guests per day so that the crowd stays low. I have read good reviews about it online. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/eng/rates.cfm
Enjoy!
So if we decide to do the same old thing again, we already know how to make that happen.
For another alternative though, there is a private, all-inclusive resort that is on the island. They promise to allow a maximum of 100 guests per day so that the crowd stays low. I have read good reviews about it online. Here is a link to their website:
http://www.cozumelnachicocom.com/eng/rates.cfm
Enjoy!
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Tipping - Something to think about
It is usually customary on a cruise to tip certain people on the cruise. In the past we have done the standard tips that Royal Caribbean recommends. And we have tipped a little more for service above and beyond. When our boys have ordered a room service snack, we leave some extra $1's in the room so that they remember to tip the person delivering the item(s).
This is the first time I have run in to this article and I think it is a much more excellent guide to help you all with tipping while onboard. For example, he gives a good explanation about the Maitre d's and head waiters and such. I like this guideline a little better than what the cruise lines tell you is standard:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132
From what I am reading on Royal Caribbean's site, the gratuity is automatically charged to your SeaPass card every day. So, if you want to change it any way, you would need to go down to the Guest Relations desk to do so.
With all of this said, however, I know that the last time we cruised we switched our reservation from traditional dining to MyTime Dining. In order to do that and have more flexibility, RCCL makes you pay your tips before you board. We didn't mind because in all honesty these kids working on these ships bust their behinds working to make everyone's cruise very special. And on our Disney and Allure cruise for example, our waiters were really great at dinner but also great with our kids anytime they saw them around the ship. So we really liked them a lot.
So, tipping is a personal preference, but I did want to get some information out to you regarding it so you could chew on it for a while.
Enjoy!
This is the first time I have run in to this article and I think it is a much more excellent guide to help you all with tipping while onboard. For example, he gives a good explanation about the Maitre d's and head waiters and such. I like this guideline a little better than what the cruise lines tell you is standard:
http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=132
From what I am reading on Royal Caribbean's site, the gratuity is automatically charged to your SeaPass card every day. So, if you want to change it any way, you would need to go down to the Guest Relations desk to do so.
With all of this said, however, I know that the last time we cruised we switched our reservation from traditional dining to MyTime Dining. In order to do that and have more flexibility, RCCL makes you pay your tips before you board. We didn't mind because in all honesty these kids working on these ships bust their behinds working to make everyone's cruise very special. And on our Disney and Allure cruise for example, our waiters were really great at dinner but also great with our kids anytime they saw them around the ship. So we really liked them a lot.
So, tipping is a personal preference, but I did want to get some information out to you regarding it so you could chew on it for a while.
Enjoy!
I scream. You scream. We all scream for ice cream!
I know there is at least one ice cream enthusiast in our group. So, to satisfy that sweet tooth, I have done a little research about all of the ice cream "opportunities" that we will have while on board the Freedom of the Seas.
Here is what I have found :
Soft serve ice cream machines in or near Windjammer or pools on top deck
Ben & Jerry's (fee charged)
Johnny Rockets for ice cream sundaes and shakes (cover charge for meal or just order a shake and they "shouldn't charge you the cover)
Main dining room (I believe on past cruises you could get a scoop (or more) of ice cream for dessert)
I have heard that Johnny Rockets possibly has a day where the milkshakes are sold at reduced prices. That may be on one of our "at sea" days. So check that out. They may even list that in your Cruise Compass (the paper that lists the daily activities). I also heard a rumor (but check for yourself once onboard) that the Oreo Sundae is included in the cover charge for a meal at Johnny Rockets. (I will post more about the restaurant opportunity at Johnny Rockets later today.)
Check out the Windjammer for scooped ice cream as well because once in a while they serve bananas foster or some other special dessert that would be "lost" without a scoop of ice cream on the side.
Ben & Jerry's as noted above does have a cost associated with it. Here is a recent cost list (subject to change):
Cups and sugar cones:
small - $2.50
Medium - $3.25
Large - $4.00
Waffle cone
Waffle Cone - $0.75
small - $3.25
medium - $4.00
large - $4.75
Toppings - $0.50
Sundaes
hot fudge - $5.25
core sundae - $5.25 (I have no idea what this is. lol!)
caramel sundae - $5.25
waffle cone sundae - $5.50
Sorbet splash - $3.75
Float - $3.75
Yum! I am hungry now!
Here is what I have found :
Soft serve ice cream machines in or near Windjammer or pools on top deck
Ben & Jerry's (fee charged)
Johnny Rockets for ice cream sundaes and shakes (cover charge for meal or just order a shake and they "shouldn't charge you the cover)
Main dining room (I believe on past cruises you could get a scoop (or more) of ice cream for dessert)
I have heard that Johnny Rockets possibly has a day where the milkshakes are sold at reduced prices. That may be on one of our "at sea" days. So check that out. They may even list that in your Cruise Compass (the paper that lists the daily activities). I also heard a rumor (but check for yourself once onboard) that the Oreo Sundae is included in the cover charge for a meal at Johnny Rockets. (I will post more about the restaurant opportunity at Johnny Rockets later today.)
Check out the Windjammer for scooped ice cream as well because once in a while they serve bananas foster or some other special dessert that would be "lost" without a scoop of ice cream on the side.
Ben & Jerry's as noted above does have a cost associated with it. Here is a recent cost list (subject to change):
Cups and sugar cones:
small - $2.50
Medium - $3.25
Large - $4.00
Waffle cone
Waffle Cone - $0.75
small - $3.25
medium - $4.00
large - $4.75
Toppings - $0.50
Sundaes
hot fudge - $5.25
core sundae - $5.25 (I have no idea what this is. lol!)
caramel sundae - $5.25
waffle cone sundae - $5.50
Sorbet splash - $3.75
Float - $3.75
Yum! I am hungry now!
Monday, October 13, 2014
Labadee, RCCL private island, private cabana.... need I say more?
Years ago we sailed on Disney and visited Disney's private island - Castaway Cay. I must say that for me, that was one of the best stops on the cruise. It was only our ship in port, we had the beach to ourselves (relatively speaking as we had to share with our ship passengers). The day was just one of our best I thought.
So, when I heard that RCCL had a private island now as well, I have wanted to book a cruise that passes through that port. Their private island is located on Labadee, Haiti. One of the things that you can book while there is a cabana. This is what John and I are thinking of doing while we are there.
There are cabanas on Barefoot Beach as well as Nellie's Beach. The Barefoot Beach cabanas are offered to suite guests first. If any of those are left, then they open those up for others to book. The cabanas on Nellie's beach are open to any guests and can be booked when the reservations for other excursions open (usually after final payment). Believe me, John and I were already looking to book one of these yesterday but the reservation system did not allow us to.
There are over-the-water cabanas, beach cabanas, and hillside cabanas. We are most interested in the over-the-water one. They accommodate 2-6 people. (Russell family, if you and your family decide to get one, I have read one family's review to say they had 6 adults and 4 children and they were actually allowed all 10 people in their cabana since the kids were small. So, it would be worth your while to ask about that if these interest you at all.)
If you all are interested in booking one, let me know. I kind of wondered if we all booked together under one reservation then maybe our cabanas would be right next to each other. (Unless you need/want some private time, then you can get a cabana off by yourself.)
Here is a link that gives you a little more information on the Nellie's Beach over-the-water cabanas:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?ProductCode=ZL88&DestinationCode=
Here is a link to information about the hillside cabanas:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?ProductCode=ZL89&DestinationCode=
And finally here is a link to the ones that are right on the beach:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=ZLA6&DestinationCode=
Enjoy. Can we go yet?!?!?
So, when I heard that RCCL had a private island now as well, I have wanted to book a cruise that passes through that port. Their private island is located on Labadee, Haiti. One of the things that you can book while there is a cabana. This is what John and I are thinking of doing while we are there.
There are cabanas on Barefoot Beach as well as Nellie's Beach. The Barefoot Beach cabanas are offered to suite guests first. If any of those are left, then they open those up for others to book. The cabanas on Nellie's beach are open to any guests and can be booked when the reservations for other excursions open (usually after final payment). Believe me, John and I were already looking to book one of these yesterday but the reservation system did not allow us to.
There are over-the-water cabanas, beach cabanas, and hillside cabanas. We are most interested in the over-the-water one. They accommodate 2-6 people. (Russell family, if you and your family decide to get one, I have read one family's review to say they had 6 adults and 4 children and they were actually allowed all 10 people in their cabana since the kids were small. So, it would be worth your while to ask about that if these interest you at all.)
If you all are interested in booking one, let me know. I kind of wondered if we all booked together under one reservation then maybe our cabanas would be right next to each other. (Unless you need/want some private time, then you can get a cabana off by yourself.)
Here is a link that gives you a little more information on the Nellie's Beach over-the-water cabanas:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?ProductCode=ZL88&DestinationCode=
Here is a link to information about the hillside cabanas:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?ProductCode=ZL89&DestinationCode=
And finally here is a link to the ones that are right on the beach:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=ZLA6&DestinationCode=
Enjoy. Can we go yet?!?!?
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Scooting around the boat.
Good afternoon everyone!
It is my understanding that some of you may be interested in renting a scooter to make it easier to get around the ship. When we sailed on the Allure back in 2012, my mom rented from the following website:
http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/
Another website that Royal Caribbean recommends is:
http://www.carevacations.com/
I can tell you that if you have mobility issues, you will not regret renting a scooter. I know my mom was definitely satisfied with hers!
It is my understanding that some of you may be interested in renting a scooter to make it easier to get around the ship. When we sailed on the Allure back in 2012, my mom rented from the following website:
http://www.specialneedsatsea.com/
Another website that Royal Caribbean recommends is:
http://www.carevacations.com/
I can tell you that if you have mobility issues, you will not regret renting a scooter. I know my mom was definitely satisfied with hers!
What other ships will be in port with us?
Well... I am so glad you asked. Here are the other ships that will be in each port with us next summer:
July 5th – Port Canaveral, Florida – Disney Dream, Carnival Sunshine
July 7th – Labadee, Haiti - We have their private island all to ourselves!
July 8th – Falmouth, Jamaica – We will be the only cruise ship in Falmouth.
July 9th – Georgetown, Grand Cayman – Carnival Glory
July 10th – Cozumel, Mexico – Carnival Dream
July 12th – Port Canaveral, Florida – Grandeur of the Seas
And here is where I found that info:
http://ports.cruisett.com/
Enjoy!
July 5th – Port Canaveral, Florida – Disney Dream, Carnival Sunshine
July 7th – Labadee, Haiti - We have their private island all to ourselves!
July 8th – Falmouth, Jamaica – We will be the only cruise ship in Falmouth.
July 9th – Georgetown, Grand Cayman – Carnival Glory
July 10th – Cozumel, Mexico – Carnival Dream
July 12th – Port Canaveral, Florida – Grandeur of the Seas
And here is where I found that info:
http://ports.cruisett.com/
Enjoy!
Wanna be a peeping tom?
Well, you can at least sneak some peaks at cruise ships that are docked at Port Canaveral. Here is a link to the Port Canaveral camera:
http://www.portcanaveralwebcam.com/
Today a Royal Caribbean ship, a Disney ship and 2 Carnival ships are in port!
Enjoy!
http://www.portcanaveralwebcam.com/
Today a Royal Caribbean ship, a Disney ship and 2 Carnival ships are in port!
Enjoy!
Saturday, October 11, 2014
Cruise, have fun, repeat...
and repeat, and repeat, and repeat...
We love to cruise and there are perks for returning to Royal Caribbean and continuing to cruise with them. If this is your second or more cruise with Royal Caribbean you get a few onboard benefits. Return cruisers used to get a coupon book in their rooms when they boarded. Well, RCCL has now made it a tad easier to use your benefits.
There were so many times on recent cruises were I accidentally left my coupon book back in my room or just lost it all together. Now all of the "extras" are attached to your SeaPass card (your room key). Here are a list of some of the recent perks I have heard about I listed only the perks for return cruiser levels that I was aware of that our group is a part of):
1. Choose your offer! A full list of your offers can be found below.
2. Visit various participating venues throughout the ship to enjoy great spa treatments, sip on a cocktail by the pool, experience ultimate shopping and much, much more!
3. At the time of purchase, simply provide your SeaPass Card and your exclusive offers will automatically be applied by the staff. Then it's time to ENJOY!
4. Each of the offers listed below are valid for a one-time use on your eligible purchases.
Helpful Vacation Tip: Please inform the staff at the time of purchase if you would like to redeem your member offer for that particular purchase.
Gold Member Onboard Offers:
We love to cruise and there are perks for returning to Royal Caribbean and continuing to cruise with them. If this is your second or more cruise with Royal Caribbean you get a few onboard benefits. Return cruisers used to get a coupon book in their rooms when they boarded. Well, RCCL has now made it a tad easier to use your benefits.
There were so many times on recent cruises were I accidentally left my coupon book back in my room or just lost it all together. Now all of the "extras" are attached to your SeaPass card (your room key). Here are a list of some of the recent perks I have heard about I listed only the perks for return cruiser levels that I was aware of that our group is a part of):
How to Redeem your
exclusive onboard offers:
1. Choose your offer! A full list of your offers can be found below.
2. Visit various participating venues throughout the ship to enjoy great spa treatments, sip on a cocktail by the pool, experience ultimate shopping and much, much more!
3. At the time of purchase, simply provide your SeaPass Card and your exclusive offers will automatically be applied by the staff. Then it's time to ENJOY!
4. Each of the offers listed below are valid for a one-time use on your eligible purchases.
Helpful Vacation Tip: Please inform the staff at the time of purchase if you would like to redeem your member offer for that particular purchase.
Crown & Anchor Society Member offers are
applicable to select merchandise and services and
cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounts or promotional programs.
Offers are valid for the duration of this voyage for a one-time use per member
cannot be used in conjunction with any other discounts or promotional programs.
Offers are valid for the duration of this voyage for a one-time use per member
Gold Member Onboard Offers:
- (1101) Buy any
Wine, Beer or Soda by the glass and get a second (of equal or lesser
value) FREE
- (1102) Purchase
any glass of Wine, Beer or Soda and receive a 10% discount
- (1106) Receive
25% off any Coffee Beverage (Valid for use at Cafe Latte-tudes and
Specialty Restaurants)
- (1151) 25% off
the purchase of Royal Caribbean International Cookbooks
- (1701) $3.00 off
your Pets at Sea Package
- (1301) 10% off
Tuxedo Rental Package (Offer applies to only one tuxedo rental package.
Discount does not apply to shoe rental. Subject to availability)
- (1901) Spend
$25.00 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off
(Excludes: fine jewelry brands, trunk show merchandise and best buys and
one day specials)
- (2001) Buy One
Photo and receive a 50% off discount on a second Photo (of equal or lesser
value)
- (2101) Buy a
Bingo Package, and get 1 FREE Jackpot Card (Offer not available at
"Win A Cruise", "Win A Suite" or "Final Jackpot
Session")
- (2201) Get 10%
off any Spa or Salon service (Not applicable to media-spa services)
- (2501) Buy an
Internet Package and receive $5.00 or 10% off (Discounts are not
combinable. (The greater discount will be applied to the guest folio after
the package is purchased)
- (2301) One FREE
Spin to Win at the Casino (Redeem this offer in the Casino and we will
give you 1 (one) free handle pull on one of our dedicated slot machines)
- (2356) 20% off
Casino Tournament Entrance Fee (Excluding Poker Tournaments)
Platinum Member Onboard Offers:
- (1101) Buy any
Wine, Beer or Soda by the glass and get a second (of equal or lesser
value) FREE
- (1102) Purchase
any glass of Wine, Beer or Soda and receive a 10% discount
- (1107) Buy any
coffee beverage and get a second FREE (Valid for use at Cafe Latte-tudes
and Specialty Restaurants)
- (1108) One
complimentary non-alcoholic specialty coffee with the purchase of dinner
in any Specialty Restaurant)
- (1151) 25% off
the purchase of Royal Caribbean International Cookbooks
- (1201) Receive
$5.00 off a $30.00 bag of Wash & Fold Laundry (Only valid on the day
of the ship's Wash & Fold laundry promotion. Not valid for any
pressing or dry cleaning services)
- (1204) $5.00 off
$25.00 or more Dry Cleaning or Pressing services (Cannot be applied to any
laundry special promotions)
- (1301) 10% off
Tuxedo Rental Package (Offer applies to only one tuxedo rental package.
Discount does not apply to shoe rental.)
- (1701) $3.00 off
your Pets at Sea Package
- (1901) Spend
$25.00 or more on Royal Caribbean logo products and receive 10% off
(Excludes: fine jewelry brands, trunk show merchandise and best buys and
one day specials)
- (2001) Buy One
Photo and receive a 50% off discount on a second Photo (of equal or lesser
value)
- (2102) Buy a
Bingo Package and get 3 FREE Jackpot Cards. (Offer not available "Win
A Cruise", "Win A Suite" or "Final Jackpot
Session")
- (2202) Receive
15% off any Spa or Salon service (Not applicable to media-spa services)
- (2502) Buy an
Internet Package and receive $7.50 or 15% off (The greater discount will
be applied to the guest folio after the package is purchased)
- (2302) Two FREE
Spin to Win at the Casino (Redeem this offer in the Casino and we will
give you 2 (two) free handle pull on one of our dedicated slot machines)
- (2356) 20% off
Casino Tournament Entrance Fee (Excluding Poker Tournaments)
Friday, October 10, 2014
1 if by land, 2 if by sea...
And in our case, 3 if by car...
I am referring to the trip down to Florida before the cruise (Yay!) and the trip back from Florida after the cruise (Boo!).
I just thought I would address this now since we already have our plans on how we will get back and forth. We plan to drive. This cruise departs Florida on Sunday, July 5th. Since July 4th lands on a weekend, my work will most likely give us Friday July 3rd as a Holiday. So, John and I will most likely start the drive down to Florida after work on Thursday, July 2nd. John and Quentin are fans of driving straight through to the final destination so I would almost bet we will do that.
You all can fly down if you would like, drive, take more days than us to drive (like my parents plan to), walk, run, take a train, or whatever you want. I just want to see all of your happy, smiling faces on the morning of Sunday, 7/5 as we board the ship!!
What will we do for Saturday? We will either rent a hotel near the port (I love seeing the ships) or at Cocoa Beach (Can anyone say Motel 6, Schmelz family? That is where we stayed in the Cocoa Beach area prior to the Disney cruise in 2006! LOL). I will post more about hotels soon enough.
Where will we leave our car? Well... I will be posting about that soon too. You can park at the port. Or there is another parking garage supposedly right across the street from port. Or some hotels offer a cruise package and you can leave your car at the hotel and they will shuttle you to port. We like to get to the port as early as is reasonable on sailing day so we can board the earliest. You paid for that first day onboard, why not soak up every last minute?
Ahoy matey's! This was just a little food for thought on transportation to the port. More information to come soon on hotels and parking.
We are all adults and can get ourselves down there, but I am curious what others are doing. So, if you want to share with me, I would love to listen!
Can we go yet? (I am starting to wonder if I will make that my last sentence on all of my posts!)
I am referring to the trip down to Florida before the cruise (Yay!) and the trip back from Florida after the cruise (Boo!).
I just thought I would address this now since we already have our plans on how we will get back and forth. We plan to drive. This cruise departs Florida on Sunday, July 5th. Since July 4th lands on a weekend, my work will most likely give us Friday July 3rd as a Holiday. So, John and I will most likely start the drive down to Florida after work on Thursday, July 2nd. John and Quentin are fans of driving straight through to the final destination so I would almost bet we will do that.
You all can fly down if you would like, drive, take more days than us to drive (like my parents plan to), walk, run, take a train, or whatever you want. I just want to see all of your happy, smiling faces on the morning of Sunday, 7/5 as we board the ship!!
What will we do for Saturday? We will either rent a hotel near the port (I love seeing the ships) or at Cocoa Beach (Can anyone say Motel 6, Schmelz family? That is where we stayed in the Cocoa Beach area prior to the Disney cruise in 2006! LOL). I will post more about hotels soon enough.
Where will we leave our car? Well... I will be posting about that soon too. You can park at the port. Or there is another parking garage supposedly right across the street from port. Or some hotels offer a cruise package and you can leave your car at the hotel and they will shuttle you to port. We like to get to the port as early as is reasonable on sailing day so we can board the earliest. You paid for that first day onboard, why not soak up every last minute?
Ahoy matey's! This was just a little food for thought on transportation to the port. More information to come soon on hotels and parking.
We are all adults and can get ourselves down there, but I am curious what others are doing. So, if you want to share with me, I would love to listen!
Can we go yet? (I am starting to wonder if I will make that my last sentence on all of my posts!)
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Is anyone thirsty?
I had heard that Royal Caribbean re-vamped their drink packages a bit. So I was doing a little research tonight.
It does appear that the basic soft drink package has been changed and they now call it the "Replenish Package". It include sodas, premium coffees, fresh squeezed orange juice (I noted that for Jordan and Eric's benefit. Think Alaska cruise last year and the orange juice lady), specialty teas, and more. It now costs $20 / day versus the flat rate that they used to charge.
Along with this package, there are a couple of other packages that include alcoholic drinks that you can purchase as a package. Someone with more time on their hands than me has created a nice chart to kind of give you an idea of how the Premium package breaks down:
http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/royal-caribbean-drink-package/
With all of this talk of drinks, I wanted to mention what John and I have done in the past. We usually bring 2 bottles of wine with us when we board. That is allowed per the Royal Caribbean policies:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&faqId=260&faqSubjectId=333
We also have tagged a case of bottled water and a couple 12 packs of sodas with our room tags and they have successfully made it up to our rooms on the last couple of cruises. Technically the rules say not to carry waters or sodas on board but we take our chances. A 24-pack of waters is usually only about $3 and a 12-pack of sodas is not that much either. So we would rather see if that makes it onboard before paying for the soda package.
And last but not least... You will not be thirsty on the ship. At breakfast there is milk and non-fresh-squeezed orange juice available (beware of the ship personnel peddling the fresh-squeezed orange juice as that does cost extra!). At lunch there is usually tea (non premium), coffee (non premium), and some of the restaurants offer flavored waters! I do not drink coffee or tea so I have no idea what the difference is between premium and non-premium, but there you have it.
So... Bottom's up!
It does appear that the basic soft drink package has been changed and they now call it the "Replenish Package". It include sodas, premium coffees, fresh squeezed orange juice (I noted that for Jordan and Eric's benefit. Think Alaska cruise last year and the orange juice lady), specialty teas, and more. It now costs $20 / day versus the flat rate that they used to charge.
Along with this package, there are a couple of other packages that include alcoholic drinks that you can purchase as a package. Someone with more time on their hands than me has created a nice chart to kind of give you an idea of how the Premium package breaks down:
http://www.cruisewithgambee.com/royal-caribbean-drink-package/
With all of this talk of drinks, I wanted to mention what John and I have done in the past. We usually bring 2 bottles of wine with us when we board. That is allowed per the Royal Caribbean policies:
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/customersupport/faq/details.do?pagename=frequently_asked_questions&faqId=260&faqSubjectId=333
We also have tagged a case of bottled water and a couple 12 packs of sodas with our room tags and they have successfully made it up to our rooms on the last couple of cruises. Technically the rules say not to carry waters or sodas on board but we take our chances. A 24-pack of waters is usually only about $3 and a 12-pack of sodas is not that much either. So we would rather see if that makes it onboard before paying for the soda package.
And last but not least... You will not be thirsty on the ship. At breakfast there is milk and non-fresh-squeezed orange juice available (beware of the ship personnel peddling the fresh-squeezed orange juice as that does cost extra!). At lunch there is usually tea (non premium), coffee (non premium), and some of the restaurants offer flavored waters! I do not drink coffee or tea so I have no idea what the difference is between premium and non-premium, but there you have it.
So... Bottom's up!
Passport versus birth certificate - what should you use?
For a lot of you that have traveled with us previously, you can ignore this post as this is probably old news. I do believe there are some in this group though that do not have passports. So I wanted to give you a link to the current information surrounding what type of documentation you need for cruising.
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/
That link above will tell you the type of documentation you need to have on you. It appears hat birth certificates are still accepted.
We personally all have Passports. They cost us about $100 and last for 10 years for adults and 5 years for children under 18. So, they seemed "worth it" to us.
You decide what works for you and your family!
Oh and one more thing... Is it time to go yet??!?!
http://www.royalcaribbean.com/
That link above will tell you the type of documentation you need to have on you. It appears hat birth certificates are still accepted.
We personally all have Passports. They cost us about $100 and last for 10 years for adults and 5 years for children under 18. So, they seemed "worth it" to us.
You decide what works for you and your family!
Oh and one more thing... Is it time to go yet??!?!
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Trip insurance - a little investment that can save you big $$$
Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! John and I have been thinking about cruise insurance. For a trip with this price tag, it is really a good thing to consider. You can buy trip insurance directly through Royal Caribbean. They offer insurance through CruiseCare. We find them to be a little expensive.
The last time we cruised, we used Travel Guard (www.travelguard.com).
You can also go to www.insuremytrip.com and enter your information and get quotes from several different companies.
We find the insurance offered by both of these websites to be more reasonably priced and still offer great coverage.
This is a small additional cost that could save you alot of money in case of trip cancellation or a medical emergency or missed flight connection, etc. Let us know if you decide to get insurance and what you get.
Technically up until the time of final payment next April, your down payment can be refunded to you 100%. The time when insurance comes in handy is when you get closer to the trip and something comes up which causes you to have to cancel. This is when you would want to have trip insurance to be sure you can get refunded 100%. There are also plans that cover unforeseen expenses (like if you had to be helicoptered off the ship or anything like that).
I am NOT trying to scare anyone. John and I have cruised 10 times and have NEVER had to use the insurance. And there have been times on shorter/cheaper cruises when we didn't even buy insurance. However, with this trip we will probably invest the $100 or so to be on the safe side.
The last time we cruised, we used Travel Guard (www.travelguard.com).
You can also go to www.insuremytrip.com and enter your information and get quotes from several different companies.
We find the insurance offered by both of these websites to be more reasonably priced and still offer great coverage.
This is a small additional cost that could save you alot of money in case of trip cancellation or a medical emergency or missed flight connection, etc. Let us know if you decide to get insurance and what you get.
Technically up until the time of final payment next April, your down payment can be refunded to you 100%. The time when insurance comes in handy is when you get closer to the trip and something comes up which causes you to have to cancel. This is when you would want to have trip insurance to be sure you can get refunded 100%. There are also plans that cover unforeseen expenses (like if you had to be helicoptered off the ship or anything like that).
I am NOT trying to scare anyone. John and I have cruised 10 times and have NEVER had to use the insurance. And there have been times on shorter/cheaper cruises when we didn't even buy insurance. However, with this trip we will probably invest the $100 or so to be on the safe side.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Check this out! Time to Check-in?!?!
Ok... For a lot of you that are receiving these messages, you already KNOW that I am a vacation FANATIC! And when it comes to cruising.... Well, there are just no words for how much I enjoy this type of vacation. It is a chance to vacation with friends and family but still be an individual and do the things that you like to do. We will get to more of that later though....
For now... Do you all want to know how excited I am?!?! I am so excited that I have already done the online check-in for our balcony room and our interior room.
Do you have to check in now? Short answer : No.
Would I recommend that you do it now? Short answer : But of course!
Here is my reasoning...
Everyone's life is busy. And everyone forgets (at least I do). So, do it now while you are thinking of it. That way, when final payment comes around next year and the reservations open up for all of the things on the ship needing reservations (like shows, specialty dining, shore excursions, etc.), you are all checked in and ready to go. It will also make you go find that birth certificate or passport now to make sure you have all of that kind of documentation to take with you on the cruise next year.
How do you do online check-in? - go to www.royalcaribbean.com and click on My Cruises towards the top of the page. If you do not have a My Cruises, create one. If you have a My Cruises account, then login. Next, you will search for your cruise and pull it in to your login. You will need your confirmation # to do that. Then after you have done that, you can click on check-in Online and the website will step you through the rest.
So... Who else is a freak and is going to check in tonight?!?!?!
For now... Do you all want to know how excited I am?!?! I am so excited that I have already done the online check-in for our balcony room and our interior room.
Do you have to check in now? Short answer : No.
Would I recommend that you do it now? Short answer : But of course!
Here is my reasoning...
Everyone's life is busy. And everyone forgets (at least I do). So, do it now while you are thinking of it. That way, when final payment comes around next year and the reservations open up for all of the things on the ship needing reservations (like shows, specialty dining, shore excursions, etc.), you are all checked in and ready to go. It will also make you go find that birth certificate or passport now to make sure you have all of that kind of documentation to take with you on the cruise next year.
How do you do online check-in? - go to www.royalcaribbean.com and click on My Cruises towards the top of the page. If you do not have a My Cruises, create one. If you have a My Cruises account, then login. Next, you will search for your cruise and pull it in to your login. You will need your confirmation # to do that. Then after you have done that, you can click on check-in Online and the website will step you through the rest.
So... Who else is a freak and is going to check in tonight?!?!?!
Welcome one and all!!!
Hi everyone.
For our last 2 group cruises, I have added useful info/fun facts/sill items to keep us excited to a blog for our group that went cruising with us. I figured that I could do the same thing for our upcoming 2015 cruise. Our reservations are made and so the first big step has been done! Yee Haw!
We are planning this trip with our friends & family and if you want to let anyone else know in case they would like to come along, please feel free to do so. Get the word out now to anyone else that wants to come with us before the ship fills up completely!
I enjoy planning these things and making sure everyone has good information to make their vacation the best it can be, so we can place everything we learn out on this blog! If you find anything interesting that you want me to post about please send it my way and I can get the information out to everyone!
You can read from the blog directly from the website or just read the automated emails that will generate and be sent to you each time I make a post. For this first post, please let me know if you received the email by dropping me a quick note at Leanne@gleitzfamily.com. Hopefully this will make it easy to distribute information. You can post questions, comments, etc. And you can forward the link to others that might be interested.
John and I are really looking forward to next summer and we hope you find the information posted here useful!
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