Diver2014

Sounds like us living on the West Coast.....went thru the SF earthquake in 1989 and lived in Seattle when Mt St Helens blew its top. Don't think anyone would consider messing with a cruise ship until I remembered the Achille Laurel. I guess if anyone is freaked out, staying home would be the best option. Not me.

The Intercontinental would be my choice but you have to request a bayside room, which will cost more than a city view.

I worked in the Blue Lagoon area and find it's much nicer and (used to be anyway) safer than the north side. There are plenty of hotels right around Perimeter/Red Road. That would be my choice.

Each terminal has parking available in a covered garage and some also have outside parking but all are very accessible to the ships. Port Canaveral is our 'go to' port because of the convenience of parking and getting in and out without a lot of hassles, such as traffic in Port Everglades and Miami.

You need to remember MCO is a good 48 mile drive from the port. Yes, there are taxis always lined up at every ship but it's going to cost you a bundle to take a taxi.

If you are only doing one dive, rental gear is the way to go. I used to drag all my dive gear along on cruises but I did more than one dive. I've concluded that using rental gear (but my own mask, snorkel, fins and maybe regulator) is the way to go. The HAL sponsored dives that i've been on included all gear and transportation to/from the dive shop. Take some cash for tips and after dive drinks.

Give me a Holland America ship with an 'older' clientele vs a ship full of families with little kids anytime! I don't enjoy having someone's kids running up and down hallways or hogging the hot tubs and pools or dipping their fingers into the food at the buffet. But that's just me and yes, I guess I'm a senior since I'm 72. Our first HAL cruise was 1996 and we've been on at least a dozen since then. I love seeing people enjoying themselves on a cruise even if they have to use scooters, walkers or have mobility issues. They are enjoying their lives, bless them.

Exactly! Too many 'cruise critics' use this as a forum to moan and groan about how they were mistreated by the cruise line or had to wait in a line for a drink or had to actually make a reservation for dinner, as if they should be welcomed at the head of the line just because. Seriously, the only reason I read CC is to catch up on current news. I skip over the comments by the people who think they've been ripped off on a cruise somehow. How anyone can complain about a cruise is beyond me. I actually stopped ready CC for a long time because of all the complaining. Poor things.

Some people want everything (and beyond) on the ship to be 'free' thus the nickel and dime complaints. Those people need to go on an all inclusive cruise and they can pay the fares for their 'free' stuff. Most people who complain about nickel and diming just enjoy complaining. No one is forced to purchase items that are charged separately from the base fare and especially now when the cruise lines had no income for two years. Pay no attention to the complainers.

We loved sailitng on Queen Mary 2. It's such a cut above other cruise lines, in our opinion. It brings back the classy days of sailing that so many cruise lines have dropped in order to attract the current generation of cruisers. We loved the elegance and beauty of the ship and the lovely British atmosphere. I don't think Cunard is geared towards younger passengers but that's the draw for us. And we love dressing up for dinner. Most everyone onboard enjoyed it also. We didn't see anyone in their play clothes in the MDR's but the maitre'd wouldn't have allowed anyone in without proper dinner attire while we were onboard anyway. Some people, like us, just enjoy the Cunard style of ships. But we also sail on NCL at least once a year just because it's a fun atmosphere with little or no restrictions.

Our room steward filled our ice bucket daily and told us to keep it in the 'refrigerator' so it would last longer. He was right.

I had my knee replaced in April 2022. I'm now in my third session of physical therapy, 16 months later and I can barely walk a half block. Sure, lots of people just get up and go but then there are us who just don't recover like we're 'supposed' to. Give yourself a break and cruise some other time.

Sorry, there are no beaches in Miami. You might want to check out Coconut Grove for hotels.

Good luck with that. Just because the price dropped doesn't mean you should or would get FCC. Hope you have a good TA.

While not required, we always purchase insurance. If you can afford to lose all the money you paid for your cruise, then insurance is optional but it's your decision.