650cs

I wanted to let you know that paradise beach is almost handicapped accessible. The walkways are smooth and no steps from taxi area to pool to restroom. There is one step to the changing area but you could just use the handicapped bathroom stall. My 88 year old Mom stayed on the ship because I didn’t know. She uses a walker and totally could have come. Maybe not in the sand to the beach but she could have gotten in the pool with no problem. Plenty of shade! Great food, we did the pay as you go. 

I don't remember the name of the bar.

I was in Costa Maya in November 2021 and the taxi situation was terrible. They started out with $5 pp but we were able to get it down a bit. The worse was at the beach. The restaurant/club started out trying to charge us $5 per chair and when we said we would just leave they dropped it. They gave us a menu with prices and we started a tab. When the bill came, all the prices were almost doubled. When I showed him the price on the menu, he said that we got the extra large size (not even listed on the menu). They didn't accept credit cards and he ended up having to take the cash I had on hand, which was much closer to what the bill should have been based on the menu prices. I would not recommend running a tab. Pay as you go to avoid unpleasant surprises. 

I am still a bit confused about the Copenhagen Card. If I purchase it online before my trip, I would still need to redeem it for a card once I got in town, correct? It looks like there are only 4 places to redeem it, the airport and 3 places all near Tivoli. I will be docking at Langelinie and none of those locations are nearby, not to mention that I would not have access to the card to pay for the transportation to those places. Am I missing something?

We just got off the Harmony and there are so many loungers all over the ship, I can't imagine not being able to find one in the sun. It will be so hot in July, I think it will be super easy to find one in the sun. Even if you want one in the shade, they are everywhere.

I'm curious about what different demographic you refer to here. We are going on our first cruise next month. I figured a 5 day cruise was a better "first time" than a 7 day. We aren't big drinkers and will have our 3 teenage sons with us. What are we in for?

I'm sure you will have a great time. 3 and 5 day cruises appeal to people that are still working because it requires less time off from work. Those people tend to be younger and have children traveling with them. We are older and have found that longer cruises have more retirees and less children. As such, the population is more sedate and less wild. Of course, there are always exceptions.

An intoxicated woman in the casino kept taking her top off, she ended up in the ships brig! On that same cruise, a young woman, trying to get back on the ship in Cozumel, was incensed that she couldn't place her yard long drink down on the conveyor belt or go through security with it. She then yelled that she would just take everything off, which she proceeded to do.We never went on another 5 day cruise, its a different demographic.

Is this Tuesday the 30th or Wednesday the 31st? (Post references Wednesday the 30th, but 30th is a Tuesday)...

 

Thanks!

If you will be in St Maarten on Wed. January 30, there are some openings left on Spellbound Too. The boat holds 25 but the captain doesn't like to book more than 16 and there are only 7 confirmed so far. The price is only $100pp. He said it is about a 5 minute walk to the marina from outside the port.

The sailboat, Spellbound TOO is 45 feet long and 23 feet wide with a large sun tanning area on the nets forward and shade covering the entire aft section. It also has a large salon and galley and two washrooms that are available for day cruises. He said that they use the sails but have large motors available, if needed.

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If you are interested, contact him at stmaartencharters dot com. This is only for Jan. 30th, normally, only private charters are available for cruisers and that price starts at $1500. You can read reviews at trip advisor under --adventure sports sailing- things to do in SXM.

We will be on the Harmony at the end of January and I went to the online cruise planner to book this attraction. It was easy to find, under "onboard activities" (where you can also book the All Access Tour, Flow Rider lessons...).

The price is now $19.99 per adult! I think that is a bit much. I was ok with an additional charge when it was under $10, less than a drink and lasted longer, but almost $40 for the two of us? No way....

I am trying to find a catamaran trip for our day in St Maarten, January 30, 2018. I found one operator from Adventure Sports Sailing but he only does private charters for cruise passengers. He does offer individual booking at $125pp but there are none scheduled for the day we will be in port. I wrote him and he said he had quite a few inquires for individual bookings for that day and was thinking of offering one. There will be 4 ships in port that day, which probably has something to do with the inquires.

He has great reviews on TripAdvisor and his website stmaartencharters dot com says:

Experience some of the finest sailing and snorkeling in the turquoise waters of St. Maarten. Our 45 foot catamaran offers scheduled and customized private charters. The open plan configuration, large deck and trampoline areas provide expansive space and seating for a number of guests. All of our full day sailing charters include scrumptious hot lunch with salads, drinks, fishing rods, snorkel equipment and great music.

If you are interested, check out the website and reviews for Adventure Sports Sailing on TripAdvisor and then contact him. I'm hoping we could get enough people to bring the price down to the individual pricing. There are four of us that want to go, only 8 more would make it $125pp.

I just got back from a month in Australia. We had a great time and I loved being able to use my phone. I had a hard time finding out what to do before I left, so I hope this will help someone else.

I went directly to the Vodafone counter in the airport to get a local SIM card. Vodafone has the best coverage in Australia. The price is the same no matter where you purchase a card. You are not paying more because it is at the airport and the airport location has the most experience with travelers. It took about 10 minutes from start to finish. I handed them my phone and they put in a new SIM card and made sure that it worked.

You must have an unlocked phone. The easiest way to determine if you have an unlocked phone is by putting in a SIM card from a different carrier. If you use Verizon, try putting in a SIM card from, say ATT. If it doesn’t work, your phone is locked. It would be nice to know this before you arrived. If you purchased your phone directly from your carrier, it is likely that it will be locked.I don't have any ideas about getting it unlocked, you would have to talk to your carrier.

They also secured my original SIM card so that I would not lose it. I purchased a plan that included 2gig of data, unlimited text and calls within Australia, 35 international texts and about 30 minutes of international calls for $20AUD. That is about $14 in USD and a terrific bargain. I loved having the use of my phone during the trip. The SIM card allowed me to use the internet over their cellular system.

A text sent to multiple recipients, with multiple pictures and a long message, only counted as one text. I set up a group, Family, that included about 6 people and sent about one text a day to them. I could check my usage as often as I wanted by phone. I used my phone for email, texting, Google, GPS and Maps, just as I do at home. At home, I rarely use more than 1 gig of data a month, and after a month, I had not run out of data on the plan. You might want to look at your statement to see how much data you normally use to see if 2gig will work for you. Of course, I used wifi when it was available.

I also downloaded the Opal app before I left home. Of course, the app is only usable if you have a phone. Opal is the name of the NSW public transit company and it is used for buses, trains and ferries. Using the app, it already knew my location and would ask me where I wanted to go and when I wanted to leave. After filling in the information, it would show the different ways to get there and the cost of each, and the time required for each, including how much walking was required. After selecting the option I wanted, it would show on the map how to walk to the bus, train or ferry stop, when to get off and how to walk to my final destination. It was incredible.

If you are going to be in Sydney or NSW on a Sunday, you can travel as much as you want for $2.50AUD. We saved our most expensive travel day for Sunday and saved quite a bit.

I can't find anything from anyone that has taken Royal Caribbean's ships tour to the Great Barrier Reef from Cairns. Even the RC website didn't have any reviews available. Everything I have read indicates that there is not enough time to book this tour independently even though Cairns is the closest point to the reef.

If you have taken this $299 tour, was it worth it?

Thanks

If you need a code for a free ride on Uber; this one doesn't expire

katherynm38ue

I just called and they said this offer was not good for cruise ship passengers. You had to be staying in a hotel.

Bummer

You can ask for a clean, empty wine glass (specify red or white) at any bar, at any time to take to your room for the wine you brought onboard.

We also ask our room steward to provide a fresh wine glass every day. I usually give him a nice tip when asking the first time. The wine glasses are not on the carts and it is extra trouble for them.

We usually have a drink while getting dressed for dinner. We top them off and take the wine with us into the dining room. No one knows that you didn't buy a drink and just didn't finish while waiting for the dining room to open.

You don't have to use the water glasses that come in the bathroom for your wine!

I just received this reply regarding the 5 hour tour for ships arriving late in the day:

We created this 5 hour, shorter version of the west beach especially for the cruise ships arriving in the afternoon. It gets dark between 6:30 - 7:00 pm. So you will have enough time to do this tour if you want.

The West Side Tour starts at 2:00 pm or if you can meet us before this time the tour will leave earlier.

First we drive straight to National Park Shete Boka, we stay here for approximately 40 minutes. After this stop we go to Playa Forti to enjoy the beautiful view and some picture taking. Now we drive to Knip Beach for a 1-hour swim stop with the option to cliff jump! After this beach stop we head to Porto Marie Beach for another hour of relaxation. After this stop we drive by the salt lake at St. Willibrodus to see the Flamingo's.

Duration: 5 hours

The price for this trip is $75 and includes:

*Beer, soft drinks & bottled water (no lunch)

*Entrance fee at Porto Marie beach & the National park

Aisha

Irie Tours

You can Google the tour name to get the website

This is what we did last week. We did not feel rushed and we weren't off the ship until after 9am. We prefer to go on our own at our own pace.

We picked up our Dollar rental car from King Kamehameha Hotel; located directly across the street from the pier. This was the easiest rental of the entire trip. Our first stop was to pick up rental gear at Snorkel Bobs; 75-5831 Kahakai St, Kailua-Kona, (808) 329-0770. They give you three options for renting equipment, good, better, best system. You can rent equipment here and then return it on any other island, saving time to re-rig. The also have an after hours 24-Hour Express Gear Return drop off at all islands. You get a free Fish I.D. card that identifies the fish, free anti-fog solution and a Snorkel Map 'n Tips guide as well. Mid-range equipment is $25 for the week or rent daily from $7-9 per day.

Next we went to Pu'uhonua o Honaunau and went on a self guided tour of the National Park area. You can pick the guide up at the office. This took about 30 minutes or so.

Next we went snorkeling at Two Steps located immediately adjacent to the park. (you can park at one place and see both without moving your car) There is a lava shelf that is one of the most popular places to step off to snorkel and scuba dive. The coral formations are amazing and there is so much life in the water! Hands down, this was the best snorkeling of the entire trip. You can see Capt Cook's from Two Steps and it isn't that far if you wanted to swim over there. I didn't because there was plenty to see at Two Steps.

To get to Two Step, drive south of Kona past Captain Cook and take the well-marked turnoff to Pu'uhonua O Honaunau (Place of Refuge). Turn at the sign to the Place of Refuge, and then take the first narrow road on the right. It's one-way, so you'll come out back on the main road when you leave. You can park along the road if there's a space, or pay $3 to park in the lot.

After snorkeling; we stopped to see the Painted Church; 84-5140 Painted Church Road

This small Catholic wooden church is very near Puuhonua o Honauhau National Historic Park. It was okay, very small. I wouldn’t make a special trip out to see it but we were going by it anyway.

Our next stop was the Kailua Farmer’s Market, open Wednesday through Sunday, in the parking lot at the corner of Ali’i Drive and Hualalai Road between the Public Library and Hale Halawai Park. The market offers a wide and intriguing variety of fresh produce, hand-made local arts and crafts, Hawai’iana and other types of souvenirs. The prices were really good. We bought leis for $4.50 (!) and the woman was making them right there. It was not as big as the one in Hilo but worth the stop.

We returned the car and got back on the ship. This was one of our better stops for the trip.