elliotterae

Thanks for all the pointers and help.

I wont "quote" everyone but there was a ton of great things to think about. I hadn't considered needing to worry that if we bought from one hawker that the others would all start flocking. I will be cautions now and appreciate the tip.

We do take a lot of pictures and I know we dont "need" the junk and trinkets but it makes my kids so happy to pick out that stuff. They have a whole organizer system under the bed that keeps so many trinkets and they can tell you exactly where each thing came from. I somehow have the most grateful kids and it makes me glad to let them have stuff if it is in the budget. They are as grateful for a pack of gum as they are a trip to the American Girl Doll store.

I was thinking about those silly little turtles with bobbing heads, getting their hair wrapped, key chains, ornaments, painted conk shells...etc Im thrilled to hear they can probably pick that stuff up for a few bucks.

We are going to Costa Maya, Cozumel, Roatan and Belize. They will want something from the ship as well, I'm sure. They get $30 each a month for chores and they have around $350 and $200 already in savings with 5 months to go (one saves and one spends) so they will be paying for their own stuff, but Id like to have an idea how much cash to take ashore. Also, we have 5 days in Universal before we deport where they will likely be spending some money.

We are a family of 4 (girls will be 13 and 11).

We won't buy expensive items like jewelry or other big ticket items. The girls will want some trinkets and tokens from each port I'm sure but I really have no idea what is good amount to budget.

Of course we could set the budget and make sure to stick to it. Past family vacations to Disney or touristy places I usually give them a budget that way and when it is gone it is gone.

I would like to buy some items from the people on the beach and in port who are selling their wares but I have no idea what kind of prices or items they have to offer.

For example I read that at Tropicante in Costa Maya, there are people on the beach trying to sell stuff. Is this small items for $3-4 or larger items for $30-40 or a little bit of everything?

If we do not have any major wants going in (other than some Vanilla in Mexico at some point), would $100 per port total or around $25 a person per port, be sufficient? Or should we budget more?

So I've seen pictures and read about the horrible box dryers on many ships. I know I read somewhere that some ships had normal dryers but I can't find it and don't remember which one.

What type of hair dryer is on Getaway (family suites if it matters)

Will my hair dryer work if I bring it? I've read of needing an adapter, of being confiscated, etc but everything I've read has ran together and I can't remember what applied.

My daughters and I all have thick, thick hair and lots of it. We won't blow dry every day but if we do want to look nice for dinner I don't want to spend 3 hours with a joke of a dryer.

And a flat iron? Does this pull too much voltage?

When we go to a hotel with a hot tub my children know they play in the pool, swim in the pool, splash in the pool. They also know if there is room, they may sit quietly next to me in the hot tub and share in my coversation. They are humans with the same feelings as you and me. Maybe they don't like the freezing cold water, maybe they are tired.

If a hot tub is marked "adult only" we comply. If it isn't marked that way, why on earth should I feel they are less important than you or me. Why would you feel you are more important than them?

If you are going with the argument that hot tubs are for adults and there is plenty for the kids, then I certainly hope you don't ever take up a child's place in line for a water slide, ropes course or putt putt. Those are just as much child oriented as a hot tub is for adults. Yet adults still enjoy it.

I would agree whole heartedly if the thread was started about rowdy, splashing, misbehaving people in the hot tubs. That does get me right irritated. However, in my experience, that's just as often young adults as it is children. Either one of my children would be as good a hot tub companion as nearly anyone on that ship. Guaranteed.

That's how you raise good adults, teach them. You can't send them to a kid zone for 18 years and then toss them in the "hot tub" and expect respectful grown up behavior based on a specific age.

Honestly, I don't think the tongs are better. Possibly worse if you think about. Dont flame me, I do use them but think of this....

If each person grabbed their croissant, most could do it without touching any of the others. A few may touch a couple on accident but only the one right next to the one they grabbed. No one croissant would likely be touched by more than one , maybe two, other people. However, if everyone uses the tongs, then you use the tongs, then you go back to your table and eat your croissant, you have everyone's germs. Many more people's grubby hands have touched those tongs you just used then would have touched the croissant you ended up with. I've not known many people to go wash their wands each time they fill their plate. That's what would help most I bet.

Buffets are just germy, it doesn't matter what you do.

For 8 years we spent 2 weeks in Disney every year. Always on property, always with a dining plan, always with magical express, not even venturing out of Disney's bubble the whole time in Orlando.

I could give you 100 reasons why we never tried Universal , or other vacations during that time. From little things like the way I feel on main street, being able to not drive a car the whole trip, knowing my way like the back of my hand, to more emotional things like being there for our honeymoon, memories of Eeyore and Chip holding our 5 Month old, the way they let us stay 3 days for free (plus park tickets) when we were stranded there Sept 11 and flights were canceled and rental cars were all gone in a matter of hours.

We Loved Disney so much nothing could charm us away. Last year we didn't go. We took the kids to Rocky Mountain national park for a week and Williamsburg/ Jamestown another. I realized I could love Disney most and still love other vacations. We have our first cruise with kids this year ( and 3 days at Universal)

So, I see both sides. I've lived both sides, and both ways are right. Loyalty to one, or trying them all. It's all wonderful.

I'm sure our situation differs, I don't sail till Oct. However, I booked with a NCL personal cruise consultant. We had 1 perk plus 3rd and 4th cruise free. When the promo came out I called her and she quickly and easily attached the seconded perk. It cost us about $20 to add but we picked Specialty dining and had to pay the additional gratuities.

Congrats, how exciting!

Since this is a current thread, and I havent found a way to private message other forum members, Im going to ask this here.

Mitsugirly, I have read pages and pages of your reviews. They are amazingly detailed, thanks for all the time you put in them. Somewhere, in my hours of pouring over them, I have read others ask what waterproof camera you use. I remember reading you have two and liked one more than the other, and I think they are both olympus. But I cant find it again and am shopping for one.

Could you remind me of your answer or point me to the right away to find your comments?

Your children CAN dine in the specialty restaurants with NO FEE if they order off the kid's menu.

Really? Hmmm. One that will work with. The other will be 13 so would probably be too old to order from it.

There used to be a thing called UDP which had different rules than the SDP, which is what you have. Under the old UDP, there used to be discounted rates for Illusionarium. Under the SDP, you can go to Illusionarium by using one of your SDP meals plus paying the upcharge. Or you can save that SDP meal, and just pay the regular rate. Those are your only 2 choices now.

 

Regarding the kids club, it is closed from 5pm to 7pm, so you will want to feed the kids during that time, then send them to the club if you want to dine without them. If you take them along to specialties, people are often reporting that apps and desserts are being "charged" to those who have the dining plans, meaning yes, you could share with your kids. This is by no means a policy though. .

Thank you! This sums it up for me better much better than what I could figure out from various postings and trip reports.

Technically the kids should have to pay for whatever they eat, but no one will stop you from sharing dessert, etc. if you do your plan (buying them each an entree)

I would not even think of trying to just share our entrees and whole meal with them, without them paying for their main food. (although I am sure some try that). But I was thinking that since when we usually go out to dine with them, we get a couple apps to share, all get our own entree, then get a couple desserts to share, so it makes since to follow that protocol if possible. I really cant imagine they would need their own 3 course meal, but I also dont want to get apps and desserts for DH and I and eat in front of them without sharing.

We just added the choose two promo to our reservation, so now we have UBP and SDP.....it's that the right abbreviation? Anyway, liquor and food, lol.

Everything I read seems to contradict each other, probably due to changes.

We get 4 speciality dining meals for guests 1 and 2.

Can we pay a discounted upcharge on one night to do illusinarium? I've read yes, I've read no.

Secondly, if we choose to not take our kids to Cagneys or Ocean Blue, can we take them to the buffet then drop then off at the kids club while we eat?

Lastly, it seems the process has changed from a set per guest charge to a la cart for the specialty places. I fact find much confirmed info on this being fleetwide. If we took them, could DH and I share our app and dessert with them and just buy them entrees?

I'm afraid adding this "free" promotion is going to end up costing us a choke hundred dollars.:cool:

Has anyone on these boards spent the day at Bacalar? I actually met a man from the Costa Maya area this week. We discussed the area and he said that in his opinion Bacalar is the most beautiful spot to visit in the Costa Maya area and not as touristy or crowded as other areas.

Oddly, I have seen little mention of it on these boards.

Any feedback?

Perfume, skin care, cars, soft drinks, alcohol, every thing that is sold, that I can think of, uses young attractive women in their advertising.

I ready dont understand the problem. Old women use wrinkle cream but 20 yr old are in the commercial. Old men buy cars , but nut usually in the commercials. Screaming, crying kids and fighting parents fill main street in Disney but young attractive happy family's are the only ones in the commercials.

Every company wants to seem young and fun. Sex sells.

You don't like it? Get in to advertising and change the world. Complaining about NCL for doing the same thing every other company in the world does is just silly.

I plan all our family's vacations. Dats, location, package, travel arrangements. I'll ask for my husband opinion at times, he could rarely care less and has realized that my constant research gets us good deals and great trips. If I left it to him we would never go anywhere. Not that he don't want to go, but he would never actually plan it.

I have violent sleepers, one 11 and one 13 , they burg fall out of bed...our perhaps lurch out if bed, at least once a month or so. Crazy but, I'm not sure those little rails are going to cut it.

Imo, you could do all the things you asked about yourself....search multiple date prices for comparing, check daily for price changes, and get an answer from the company direct in minutes every time.

So, if you can't ask it of your TA, then I wouldn't dream of using that TA.

I've had some bad experiences with TAs, I'm trying to learn to trust again, if nothing else just because I want to feed the family with a woring mom rather than feed the corporate jet. That being said, if I'm giving up control of my vacation and letting someone else "own" that trip, it has to be because they can give me better service than I can get on my own.

If they don't have time to compare 3-4 trips, won't let me know when a promo comes out, don't respond within 72 hours...why on earth am I using them? $25 OBC or a free umbrella is hardy worth the headache.

Maybe that's too demanding of an attitude but imo the only thing they bring to the table is service, I can get the travel myself, so the service they bring should be above what I can do myself. I dont mean they should be on constant call or spend 20 hours comparing every trip I can think of but goodness your requests seem pretty inline to me.

After reading mitsugirly's review on Blue Kay, I am not only sold on going there, but Im looking forward to it more than anything else on our trip.

There's is tons of info and posts about Cozumel. I'd suggest starting with the Cozumel board. Look under ports of call, Caribbean, cozumel

As a follow-up question: (we'll be on NCL) say I taste towels to the beach for the day and one gets picked up by someone else or taken. What would the ship charge us for a list/stolen towel? Anyone have experience with this?

A cocktail on most cruise lines runs $8-$9. (I checked 3 lines to confirm this).

A cocktail at Applebee's , Olive Garden or Outback is $8-10.

At St. Elmo in Indy, (a Real steakhouse), a signature cocktail is $14-18.

The cruise line price point is well aligned. If it's expensive to you, you aren't drinking out much anywhere I suspect.

That's why I wouldn't move stuff myself, but I assume the crew members working in the area keep at least a rough eye on which chairs have been unoccupied for extended time.

Of course there is no making everyone happy.

From my understanding the practice of saving a chair all day is not allowed and you can simply ask a crew member to clear one for you.

Cutting it close would be awful to me. I'm one of those who is 20 min early for a haircut, 30 min early for the Dr and at least 20 min early for work daily.

My philosophy: if you aren't 15 min early, you're late.

So yeah, we are in the early to the boat group.

Let's think about possible outcomes.

A. She stays home, misses the trip, wishes she had went, has to wait and go in a year or two.

B. She goes, and while docked a mosquito flys aboard, she gets a bite , has a child with life long handicaps and spends the rest of her life thinking "if I'd have only cared less about that 1 week of vacation".

C. She goes and everything is fine.

If it were me or my family, I'd be a whole lot less concerned about how high the chances are and a lot more focused on what's more important, and what end result would be worse to live with.

I couldn't live with myself knowing a vacation I was warned about was so important to me that I'd caused my child a life sentence.

My point is I wouldn't want to PAY for a guidebook that may or may not have the answer to my very specific questions when I can post it on here and get the answer in a few mins for free vs 3-4 days for a book to be delivered.

Well unlike here, guidebooks won't argue with you, give feedback on your opinions and why you must be wrong if you don't agree with them, or make snarky comments if you ask a question they don't like.

Definitely something to be said for that. Plus when you forgot something and are on the ship, that guide book doesn't cost $2 a minute for internet time while you're trying to look it up again.