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I just want to chime in for the person(s) who are skeptical about private tour companies guaranteeing that you'll get back to the ship on time or they'll get you to the next port on their dime. It happens. Good tour companies know their area, know the travel, and have sufficient staff to assist them in case anything goes awry, as @European_CruiseGirl demonstrated. We had a private tour in Rome and there was a huge accident between Rome and the port and our driver was constantly in contact with his dispatcher to find the best route and to get us to the ship on time. We made it, barely, but actually beat all the ship's busses by a long while. But, he was very clear that if we hadn't made it, he was driving us to the next port himself. That was doable in Italy, of course, but the point is the company stands by that guarantee. Any reputable company would. Also, thank you so much @Ashlynkat for all of the "on the spot" information. This is really interesting and made me more aware about bringing medication with us as we usually don't have our daily meds with us. Other than that, we're well prepared with CCs, passports, etc.

Thanks for all of that, especially what is casual dining. That $40/day for both of us might be too much. Since it seems like it's not a time based thing where we cannot upgrade if we wait, I'll deal with that math once we're closer to the day.

Thanks! Now I have to do the math to see if it is actually worth an extra $480. Ouch. Maybe not.

I'm glad I read these boards as I wasn't aware that the "casual" dining now included a fee. We've only been on one Princess cruise and I just booked a cruise on Enchanted Princess for November 2025 and only got the Plus package because I didn't think the Premier made sense, but now I might be re-thinking that since we loved Gigi's and ate there more than a few times. Can I still upgrade to Premier? Any idea what that costs? Our cruise will be 12 nights so the unlimited "casual" dining and a couple of specialty dining nights might make a lot of sense for us. I also like fine wine and that was the one place where Discovery Princess let me down. Last question, is there a list somewhere of what is included dining, what is "casual", and what is considered specialty? Since things have changed it would be good to know what's what. Thanks.

Find local talent. Absolutely. Still by far the best music we've ever had on a cruise was on the Serenade of the Seas way back in 2014. It was out of New Orleans and was just after Mardi Gras. So we got all of the talent that had just finished. Absolutely amazing. I also agree that there is no need for "branding". Fabulous musicians are everywhere and most would love to have a steady gig on a cruise ship. There was a cellist from Ukraine (I think) when we were on Beyond back in December 2022. She joined the other musicians for group sets, but she also played solo. Incredibly talented. And on the Discovery Princess, they have a dedicated jazz lounge. We spent every night there. Hubby and I love live music. And, to be honest, our Alaska cruise on Nieuw Amsterdam disappointed on that front. We still enjoyed the cruise and the ship so we're giving HAL another try (especially because the itinerary is fabulous). But, you're right HAL is losing out by not taking advantage of the talent that is out there and making sure there's live music all around the ship at all times of the day.

Our favorite was Cyprus. When we were on the Beyond we had a terrible experience in Tuscan, but Cyprus was fabulous. We enjoyed both Cosmopolitan and Normandie equally, which I was surprised as I fully expected Normandie to be my favorite. Actually, I expected Tuscan to be my favorite as Italian food is my favorite foods, but it didn't work out. For our upcoming cruise, I booked all of the dining rooms, including Tuscan once. But now I'm learning that I can go to the same one every night and order from any of the menus specific to the other 3 restaurants? If that's the case, then I'm tempted to pick Cyprus and shift all our reservations to that one so that I can have the same staff. It's almost like fixed dining, except at a reasonable 6:30pm instead of earlier than 6pm.

We're flying out of MIA, not FLL, and now our departure is 11:20am. It's not a direct flight back, but there was a direct going so that's why MIA. And we're flying AA, not AC, so I think that makes a world of difference with how many flights. But, it's Spring Break and the fares are astronomical and most flights are full. So many variables to consider. For myself, I hired a car to make sure we get to MIA on time, just because it's a Friday during rush hour. If we're delayed, I hope hubby's status will help us change things if necessary. Again, everyone's comfort level and stress tolerance is different. I do wish the airlines were better about keeping their schedules consistent, but I guess the flux is something we have to live with now.

We did that tour back in December 2022 after getting off the Beyond. It was on a large bus and toured us around a few sites mostly waiting for our time to board the boat to cruise the canals and see all the mansions. We were the only ones on the tour going to MIA so they dropped everyone off at FLL and then took us to MIA. Pretty funny to have this giant coach for two people, but that's how it worked out. We enjoyed it, but I wouldn't do it again. The double decker boat wasn't anything special (you're sitting on folding chairs) and it's a good idea to make sure you get under the shade on the top deck. Also, once I've seen the mansions and the ostentatious displays of wealth I don't need to see them again. It was not that much more than regular transportation so worth it. We did the Everglades tour once and enjoyed that more. For our upcoming cruise on the Beyond I hired a car to get to MIA since this time our flight leaves at 11:20 am. We could probably make it with an Uber, but I didn't want to chance it since we disembark on a Friday morning. I hope that helps!

I thought it was just my particular cruise for this August on the Volendam. I assumed it was sold out but they weren't saying it was. I was just trying to price check, but obviously a sold out cruise is not going to be cheaper than it was a year and a half ago.

Thank you so much! That sounds perfect!

Bonaire is one of our ports for our March cruise and we've also rented golf carts. Do you mind sharing what beach that was? I've heard there's great snorkeling, but didn't have any idea where to stop. Thanks!

Thank you so much for such a wonderful review! Work keeps me from CC, so I don't always get to read on here, but your reviews are always such a delight! We may not be able to control everything, but a positive attitude always helps when things go awry and you have the best attitude and a great smile! Also a great husband! What a trooper to stay with the animals so that you could get the break you needed.

Perfect! Thank you again!

Thank you so much for the information! Our plans for Curacao have fallen through and this looks like a perfect option, but I am a bit confused because there were two emails floating around this thread. Can you confirm which email you used to reserve your spot? We'll be there on March 18th.

We like them but we know what we're getting. We had a large balcony on our HAL cruise in Alaska and honestly it was too cold, too windy, and too wet the vast majority of our cruise to enjoy that space. The IV would have been wonderful for that. The big drawback for me is that it isn't a truly separate space. I cannot get up early, grab my macchiato, a pastry, and settle in to read while hubby sleeps. But, the Beyond (I haven't done any other E class) was such a beautiful ship with so many public spaces that I didn't miss reading on my balcony. Especially in the Caribbean, it can be too hot and humid to sit for long past sun rise. I think it entirely depends on each individual's preference. And clearly they must have been popular enough that RCG added them to the Icon of the Seas. As long as Celebrity doesn't get rid of the S and M class ships, there's something for everyone.