Ocean Air

Looking at the possible ATV tours available while in port at St Kitts. Royal Caribbean offers one and I have found a private tour company that offers one. Anybody done either? What were your thoughts?

 

 

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What did you bring along on the tour? Obviously a beach bag etc..did you just leave it in the van? Did you bring a cooler? ..was there lunch available to purchase at the beach? Did you bring clean clothes to change into after swimming? ...so many questions LOL Any help would be appreciated.

BillyMetz - We did the Royal Caribbean ATV tour in December of 2013. We really enjoyed it and I would recommend. We saw a lot of areas on the ATVs, rode a bit into the rain forest and had a blast. Our guides were wonderful.

Mncruisin - We didn't bring a beach bag because the day started off overcast and drizzly (turned out to be a beautiful day though). I don't think you can leave things on the van, I remember another couple had a backpack on. The small items we brought we put in the ATV "glove compartment". Water and light snacks was provided during the tour at the plantation we visited.

The beach they dropped us off at had not much to offer. Basically empty.

We use the wash and fold every cruise with Royal. We send anything we normally wash and dry at home. Anything I would hang dry or wash on delicate we use dry cleaning or wait till we get home. Never had anything ruined.

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Enjoying your review, pictures and fun spin on everything you write. We board the Grandeur next.

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I don't know why but when someone asks how to get automatic tips off their account for any reason it translates to me as they don't want to pay tips and are using these boards to figure out how to do it. Just my humble opinion.

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There was no pullman bed and I did not notice if the sofa was a fold out. If it is a fold out, the room will be tight when it is made up as a bed. However, the sofa was very long and the seat deep so someone could sleep on the sofa without it being folded out. The sofa was also very comfortable.

 

The window is located at the head of the bed and the ledge is wide enough to sit on.

Thank you. Now I am wondering if I can convince our son to sleep on the sofa without opening it. Not too sure how they expect us to get from the bed to the bathroom without crawling over the open sofa bed or breaking a toe.

Anyone have experience with the POV and the sofabed being open in the middle of the room? I am wondering if the bed only opens up once and you sleep longways because you are right it is a long couch.

Slyster: Thanks for posting the pictures. We'll be in 7582, one of the end cabins, so I guess we'll have an unobstructed view. It will be nice to have the extra room versus a "regular" OV cabin.

We were in 7582 to Bermuda October 11. The room is large with the bed next to the window. The window is located in the corner of the room and does not take up the entire wall. The room door is visible to the centrum at all times and you can hear whatever is going on in the centrum until 11 pm or midnight. The entertainment late into the evening did not affect us as we go to bed late. We would book this room again.

We will be in room 7582 in December. There will be three of us. Kennedysa do you remember if the sofa bed folded out or if there was a pullman bed in this room? Reason I ask is some of the pictures posted on this board makes it look like there isn't enough room to open the sofa bed because of the desk right in front of it.

Noise stops by 11 pm? Good news, it will force me to stay up and out :D and enjoy the cruise ship. You said the window is located in the corner of the room is it the corner nearest the head of the bed?

It looks like there is a decent sized ledge to sit on in front of the window.

Thanks for your input.

Ok I just can't resist.

 

If you take a COPY of your passport it will not do anything for you if you need to fly or are outside of the Caribbean . You still have to find a US government facility that is open. They have to cancel your existing passport and issue a new one. This all takes time. If you take your passport with you all you have to do is be careful to keep it in a safe place on your body. Do you leave all your credit cards in the safe?

 

Sorry but taking a copy is just ridiculous.

I wondered about that, it makes sense that all the copy would do is provides numbers for reference not passage.

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Before I pose this question, I know everyone has there own opinions, but this is important to me. I am coming up on my 5 year anniversary of being Cancer free and I want to celebrate by going to Bermuda. So my question is Royal or Norwegian line? My DH and I have only cruised Carnival but there are not a lot of times that they go. Thanks!

Happyville - Congratulations on your milestone and may you be blessed with a long, healthy and happy life. Happy sailing whichever cruise line you choose. As you can see I am a Royal fan :). I like their main dining option (where the waiters have you every night and cater to you likes). I also thought the crew was friendlier. The reward program for being loyal to royal is also great. I agree with the previous poster, go on the reviews and read what they liked and didn't like.

Either way - it's a pricey and/or frustrating position to be in. We learned our lesson this time, but actually had one other incident. We got stuck in Jamaica on a Carnival ship-sponsored tour some years back as the bus broke in the middle of nowhere. Ended up getting into police cars and sped to the ship about 45 mins late. As we were running (about 14 of us) up to the ship people were actually yelling rather nasty stuff down at us from their balconies. Was not a fun event, but in this instance the ship arranged the police car ride and held the ship since it was their excursion. It was very stressful. But, these things happen I guess.

 

ALWAYS - and I mean ALWAYS have a copy of your passport, a credit card, and a calling card or cell phone with a sim card that will work in the country you are in when leaving the ship. We have been sailing Oceania quite a bit lately and they provide a local agent phone number for each port in the daily program - can't remember if other lines do that - but either way, if they do - write it down and take it. We didn't in Stockholm (where we almost took the ferry to Helsinki) and regretted it immensely.

Corpkid - Sorry to hear people were yelling nasty comments as you came in late. I can imagine how stressful this would be.

I never thought about bringing a copy of our passports with us but it is something to consider.

I remember when we docked in Labadee, on of RCI's ports, the captain told us to be on the ship by a certain time and over an hour later people were still moseying down the dock. We all thought it was because it was the ships private island, their dock. Otherwise those people may have been left behind.

 

Nuff said. :eek:

So sad....

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I believe most cruise lines will go to missing passengers safes and get passports etc to be left with the ports representative. That way when they get to port to find no ship they can attempt to catch the ship at the next port.

 

Ps. I love the twain quote in your sig.

Thanks PAPCX.

I couldn't imagine what it would cost to hire someone to catch the ship at the next port..... Thinking I will keep booking my excursions through the ship.

Same here. I think of the extra cost as "travel insurance." Anything can happen when you're on your own - vehicle breakdown, accident that causes a traffic jam, etc., possibly causing you to miss your ship.

Iuki so true, peace of mind also comes to mind.

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It amazes me how many people arrive at the dock late running because they thought when the captain said arrive at the dock at 4:30 it applied to everyone but them.

Has this ever happened to you? Only on one cruise have I heard that a couple missed the ship. Do you know how people get home if all their identification is on the ship that sailed away?

Curious. I like ship excursions for convenience and also if something goes wrong the ship has to wait for us to get back. Twice we have walked off the ship with no plans and then decided to hire a van to do sightseeing and enjoyed that just as much.

The ships excursions are the same things over and over again and I am thinking of looking going on another website for recommendations and booking that way.

Curious what others have to say.

Everyone on these boards are right, it is important to skimp on what isn't important to you but to enjoy what you do enjoy. Everyone is different.

Things I wouldn't skimp on:

1) The cabin (OV, POV, balcony - love a balcony but sometimes price is a factor). I work in a windowless office, a vacation without a window isn't a vacation to me.

2) Room service for breakfast. Tipping for that luxury is worth it.

3) Excursions - I am there to see something new and to enjoy it.

Moderation:

1) Drinks. But I don't need to purchase a drink in a blinking light cup :eek:

2) Casino. $20 in those silly coin dozers is entertaining to me.

Things I don't splurge on:

1) Specialty restaurants.

2) Over-the-top priced excursions.

3) Shopping onboard or on the islands.

4) Pictures onboard.

5) Spa treatments

6) Internet onboard.

7) Art auctions.

8) Bingo.

Things that make me groan, lol. Forgetting something like suntan lotion and having to purchase a $20 bottle that I could have gotten at home for $8

I left a full bottle of champagne in a hotel 'fridge once. :(

 

I found a bottle of MadDog in a ship's 'fridge once. {shudder} We also found black lace underwear under a bed on a different ship.

I think the MadDog and lace underwear gives a whole new meaning to "rocking the boat" :eek:

Have you gotten home and realized you forgot something on a cruise or found something that another cruiser forgot?

I have left behind:

• a coffee travel mug
  
• a suction magnifying make up mirror.
  

I have found:

• a childs rain slicker (on top of the closet - we left in the room)
  
• a (huge - wasn't mine, lol) bra (couldn't close our draw all the way because it was jammed behind it - we left it in the room)
  

There is way too much food on a cruise. We order room service for breakfast (because I don't want to start my day over eating). Keep fruit in the room for midmorning snack and afternoon snack. Eat what we want for lunch and dinner. No elevators, walk everywhere we can and visit the gym. I have lost weight on cruises and I have gained weight on cruises..... have to say it is way easier to gain, then to lose :)

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I have just read reviews of the first 2 sailings of Grandeur out of Baltimore and found out that there were no non smoking nights on formal nights. Is this new? Is it because Grandeur just came back from cruises out of Panama? Has RCCL stopped the non smoking nights on formal nights? For many years, this has been the policy for formal nights. I was really hoping to have a few nights without the awful smell as well as not having to breathe in the second hand smoke.

 

Mary Anne

MAHA, I hope that it changes before we go on our cruise in December. I thought all RCI ships had no smoking on their formal nights.

OK... I'll stick my neck out there....:eek:

It will be nice if they followed Celebrity's lead on the whole balcony smoking policy too.... It'd be nice to relax out there with a glass of wine smoke-free! ;)

I am glad you stuck your neck out there :). A couple we met two cruises ago had their curtains catch on fire thanks to a smoker not being careful.