Ladydee

Can someone clarify this for me? I have heard so many different descriptions - from a) everyone wears white to b) it's 80s night to c) this is the night to dress formally (for those that are so inclined), etc. Then I heard they give you glo sticks, while others said to bring our own. Also, where does this take place and what time?

Nothing specific, and I don't remember the names of anything. I guess just hoping to find some quiet stretch of clean beach where he can be on the sand (in the shade) and relax.

My memory is a little hazy, and I'm confused because I think (in my FB group) that people call the whole port, "Mahahual." When I was there, we had the port - a big, constructed cement area with a fountain, Diamonds International, etc., and then we had to leave that area and "drive to" Mahahual (I thought). There was basically just a beach, some little hut-type place to get food, a guy walking up and down with an iguana for photos, and a girl giving massages. I think my dad would just like to have that unspoiled experience again. Chairs in the sand, cheap beer and tacos, not a care in the world for those few hours.

Regarding Mahahual in Costa Maya: I am confused how recent Trip Advisor reviews go from either 1-star to 5-stars. Yes, I know it depends on what peoples' expections are, but "nasty" to one person is still at least "bad," to another. Visiting there while in port is pretty much non-negotiable for my group. The backstory is that back in 2005, Costa Maya was a brand new port, and Mahahual was an unknown, unspoiled little gem of a town. The speed bump on the road there was some thick nautical rope laid across the dirt. We visited there while on the Grandeur of the Seas. In fact, we were the sailing that hit the pier and were "shipwrecked" there for 3 days. All other ships had left and we had the island to ourselves. Mahahual was a paradise. My dad really wants to return andsee it. We know its changed and been built up for tourists, so we understand it will be a very different experience. That's ok. But to see these awful reviews are another thing altogether. I don't care if I go or not, but I really don't want my dad to be disappointed 😞 I'd just like some input here from people I can have a conversation with, rather than just a written review, ESPECIALLY if you were there both back in the day, and more recently, to compare. Thank you.

Yes, they are, thank you!

Can anyone please post pics of the Dailies for this cruise? I deeply enjoyed and appreciated Hoosier's live reports, but I can't read the most of the text on the Dailies. I'm hoping someone has some clearer photos with better resolution. Thanks!

I know you "can," but I want to get a feel for how many people "do," and to what extent.

Thanks. That's pretty much the answer I expected. Sometimes I just get to feeling nostalgic I guess

I'm not sure where to post this question. Its been several years since I've signed in to Cruise Critic, but I remember there used to be like a home page where you just saw all the most recent questions from all the boards. Am I making that up? Is that feature gone, or how can I see it?

I'm excited to be taking my first cruise since 2016, and looking forward to trying Norwegian line for the first time. The ladies in my group are disappointed though that there is no formal night. I saw somewhere that they still have some kind of "dress up if you want" night, but my question is 1) How dressed up? i.e., are there still women who'd wear long gowns and men tuxes? or are we talking a basic out-to-dinner midi dress and sport coat for the guys? 2) If people DO dress to the nines ever, about what percentage? We will be sailing on the Breakaway if that matters

... where should I be looking? I want the formal nights with long gowns and tuxedos, the midnight buffet (if that even exists anymore), etc. I can appreciate all the modern marvels of floating at sea, and enjoy them, but I also would like to take a traditional voyage now and then.

I have one. Just trying to get people's opinions

Yes, I have read all that. But without "being" on the ship, its hard to anticipate every activity, outlet, venue and so on.

Trying to keep this short but factual, and I'd like input from regular cruisers of multiple lines. I'm planning a Caribbean cruise for early 2024 for family group of 14. We have all cruised before, but not since 2016. We're just about to pull the trigger on the Norwegian Breakaway. This is a big leap of faith for us because we enjoy and have the most experience with RCCL. We're open-minded in that we know its a different style of cruising for one, and we are all painfully aware of how "the Covid Effect" has left no industry unscathed. It seemed that NCL had the best prices for our budgets (mixed generations with some 20-somethings still building careers, and some retirees), and the Free at Sea promo is attractive. Personally, I would have loved to try Celebrity, but the quotes for ships I was looking at were too high. In any case, I keep hearing and reading how just about everything on board the Breakaway is an upcharge, and by the time the week is over, many are disheartened and/or surprised to realize the true cost of their cruise. I had assumed all cruise lines were doing this, following suit like the airlines and hotels, but it kind of seems that NCL gets singled out, so maybe my assumption was wrong. Maybe when all is said and done, NCL isn't the value cruise it appears to be, and I should go back and re-evaluate. This is a hard question to ask without a face to face conversation, but I'm hoping someone gets where I'm at and can offer some input here. Yes, I know its just personal opinions, but that is what I want. Thanks!

Thanks so much! I think we are looking at the Breakaway or the Joy