April-in-NC

Unless the price has changed since last summer it is either $20 or $25 per person. I signed up the day I boarded. I think you can cancel 24 hours in advance if you change your mind about participating.

I did it and really enjoyed it. I have no artistic talent but my puppy cupcake looked just like the sample in the display case... I was pretty proud of myself!

Thanks for the updated pictures. We will most likely be sailing on Vision in January...

We aren't worried, just curious what the logical options would be. :)

We aren't planning any excursions to keep the costs low and maximize relaxing time so two days at sea would be okay with us (but I love Coco Cay and would rather go there).

Would the cruise ship be penalized if they don't visit a foreign port due to a hurricane or tropical storm? It obviously wasn't the intent to violate the Jones Act (or whatever it is called).

We are getting ready to book a Majesty cruise for a weekend get away before our next big vacation in January.

We will be purchasing cruise insurance since it will be during hurricane season... If they reroute Majesty from the normal Bahamas route any idea where they would go?

Since they would have to have a foreign port I would think St. Thomas would not work. Maybe St. Martin?

Would it totally depend on what ports have berths open or do they have "go to" ports for this situation. Is it possible to just have two sea days?

We aren't planning any excursions, just get off and wander around Nassau for a few hours before going back for lunch and the pool so I'm not overly concerned, just curious.

Thank you both!

This is a quick get-away for us and this might be something we will splurge on (normally I'm not a big drinker) but the cost for 3-nights isn't as eye popping as a 7-night cruise.

Since Coco-Cay beverages count and we most likely won't be off the ship long in Nassau this might work to our advantage.

I'm seeing some conflicting information could someone help me out? Are the beverage packages available on 3 night cruises? RCI website says no (minimum 4 nights) but I think I've read some reviews where they had it available.

Thanks!

PS-Yes, I tried search. :D

Has anyone heard of problems using these tour operators not affiliated with the cruise lines? Nothing RCCL is offering appeals to us, thought of trying an independent, but I'm concerned about missing the cutoff time or being ripped off.

As long as you do your research (I use Cruise Critic and Trip Advisor) you should be fine. I go independent 99% of the time because it is usually cheaper and will provide a better experience (smaller groups and less wait time).

I'd call C&A and get the NC changed to whatever name you like. It's transferable once to anyone, as long as it has not been assigned to a cruise.

 

The Next Cruise OBC is combinable with Visa points OBC.

 

You can do money off the cruise with Next Cruise OBC, but there are other conditions on money off redemptions now. I'll leave those for Ellen to describe.

Thanks! It is nice to know that the name change is no big deal... Hopefully Ellen (or someone else) can chime in on the conditions for the money off redemption rules.

We bought two Next Cruise certificates (one for me and one for DH) on our last cruise. This was before our wedding so mine was purchased in my maiden name. Is changing it in my married (now legal) name going to be an issue? I still have my passport in my maiden name so if push comes to shove I can book the cruise under that name.

Next, is the OBC from Next Cruise able to be combined with the RCI Visa rewards OBC?

Can we still do money off a cruise with Next Cruise using Visa points?

It has been a year since our last trip and I'm sure things have changed since then. A search didn't yield answers for me...

Thanks!

When considering the ships...Navigator wins hands down. She's beautiful after the dry dock earlier this year and the only ship with the new Sabor restaurant, which is outstanding. The Navigator cons listed by the OP are right on...mainly the transportation from Houston airports and the risk of fog, which is quite high in January.

 

Personally, if I was going to fly to a port anyway, I would choose one of the nicer ships out of Florida. The ONLY reason I sail from Galveston or Houston is the ease of driving to the port from my home in Dallas.

I thought about trying Oasis/Allure, but this will hopefully be our last vacation before starting a family so I wanted to do an itinerary that was a little more "exotic" and adventurous before settling in for (God willing) more family oriented vacations for years to come.

DH and I want to take a vacation for our first anniversary in January and I found two itineraries that are almost the same... Can anyone chime in?

Vision Ports: Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel and Costa Maya with two sea days.

Navigator Ports: Roatan, Belize City, Cozumel and three sea days.

My price spreadsheet (including cost estimates for everything I can possibly think about) has these coming in within $300 of each other so really not worth that being the deciding factor.

Our first vacation together was on Freedom (western) and that was his first cruise so he will likely compare anything to Freedom. As long as we have the ocean/pool and a bar he is happy though... :)

Vision Pros: one more port, easier to get to the port, non-stop flight available on Southwest, less likely to be delayed by fog

Vision Cons: Older & smaller ship (no Flo-Rider), one less sea day

Navigator Pros: Newer/bigger ship, slightly less expensive cabin, one more sea day (DH likes sea days)

Navigator Cons: getting to the pier isn't cheap or easy, possible issues with fog, inefficient embarkation/debarkation process.

I've wanted to visit Roatan and Belize City for several years now, so the itinerary is the primary concern. I'm thrilled that there is another option than Galveston out there that still gets us to both ports without going on Carnival.

Please let me know if there is anything else I should consider in making our decisions. We aren't too picky overall, we will just be happy to escape the snow and cold in Ohio while we celebrate our anniversary.

Ship - Freedom of the Seas

Deck - Six

Stateroom # - 6246

Stateroom Category –

Starboard or Port Side - Starboard

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Very quiet, no noise from Sorrento's or the Promenade as long as the cabin door was closed. This cabin had a full size sofa (not a loveseat).

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – No Obstructions, the view changed daily. :p

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal size balcony, but it seemed large to me. Balcony had two chairs and a small table.

Was wind a problem? - No, you could feel the wind blowing but it was pretty gentle as long as you didn't stick your head out past the railing.

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? - N/A

Any other comments? - This was a very convenient cabin location. One deck up from the Promenade and right above Sorrento's. We were behend the elevator lobby so it was easy to get to the upper or lower decks when you wanted to.

My fiance enjoyed the cigar bar last week on Freedom. He took the Cigar and Scotch pairing class and liked it a lot more than he thought he would.

For those who have been wondering, here is the current (as of the June 9, 2013 sailing) cigar menu.

How much time do I have to apply the coupon after points are redeemed? That is, could I hold onto the coupon for a few months before deciding which cruise I want to apply it to? I just want to get the most bang for the buck. Thanks to all!

You get the coupon online now and it is applied directly to your account within a few days. It is very easy.

I'm due to hit 125,000 points on my RCCL VISA soon. I plan to redeem the points for a cruise on Freedom of the Seas and pay the difference for an upgrade to a balcony cabin. But I've noticed there are Category X - Balcony Guarantees that are offered now for about $500 less. To make the most of my points, should I book a D or E assigned balcony now or take my chances with a guaranteed balcony?

You want to make sure you apply your coupon when the OV cabins are at a high value (ignore the cost of the balcony). The coupon doesn't care if you pay to upgrade or how much a balcony costs, it only matters what the LOWEST OV cabin costs at the time you apply the coupon, not the time you book.

I'm pretty sure we are doing Alaska next year. I would love to do a longer land tour as well, but we don't get enough vacation time to comfortably spend 10 days of it on one trip. Plus my client frowns upon taking more than 5 days off at a time. I will have to work some magic to extend it by a day or two.

I can't wait to see more!

Subscribing. Less than a month until our Western cruise!

In the hopes that someone from corporate is reading this... ;)

I'm not a big drinker but I would be interesting in a combined soda/mocktail package. I love virgin frozen drinks, usually more so than the alcoholic versions. I just don't like the taste of alcohol, so it needs to be heavily disguised for me to really enjoy it.

Ughh... It looks like I'm one of the unlucky ones! We received letters in the mail Monday night from the Passport Center in Tucson for both of our daughters requesting additional information. The information they are asking for is nearly impossible to get. I called the 800 number, and they are no help. The response was, "if they ask for the information you have no choice but to provide it, or you won't get a passport". They also mentioned that I won't be getting any fees back regardless.

 

I asked to talk to someone at the actual passport center to explain to them that according to their own website, I had already submitted the required documents, and find out why they wanted a document that may be impossible to obtain. They told me I can't talk to anyone in Tucson... but could write a letter of appeal. Finally at the end of the conversation Monday night the guy said he would put in a message to have someone in Tucson call me, but it was at their discretion whether or not they would. I haven't heard anything yet.

 

Great... government bureacracy. The odds of this getting resolved in just over 2 months is slim to none. I talked to my Senator's office yesterday, and they are going to look into it for me.

What kind of document were they requesting?

I have had my RCI Visa since a year before my first cruise (originally booked on RCI but switched to Carnival). I put EVERYTHING on that card, including work expenses for several years before they forced me to use a corporate card. I pay my balance in full, on time every month.

I have gotten:

• Various amount of on board credit
  
• One free companion fare on a 4-night cruise
  
• One free cruise for two (7 night, oceanview)
  
• And I just cashed in more points for another free cruise for two for my Freedom cruise in June
  

With RCI the points are very easy to cash in. They now have a website you can request the rewards and it goes straight to the cruise line. Before it was a lot more complicated (but not hard). They have very few sailings that the rewards are blocked out of, mainly Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's sailings.

No Cubans on board. He can but them in certian ports. We always bring our own stash and love the cc. We meet the best people there.

Do you know what kinds are available on board?

If you're on the western itinerary, only buy your Cubans from La Casa del Habano. There's one in Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Falmouth. The Falmouth store is right at the pier and brand new. Anywhere else chances are high they could be fakes. On the eastern, there's one in Marigold.

Thanks! We will be on the western route, so there will be lots of places for him to pick them up.

My BF is a cigar smoker and it looks like we will be on the June 9th sailing of Freedom. What kind of cigars are available for purchase? Can he buy Cubans on board?

Just under two weeks before our Victory cruise! This isn't my first time on the Victory or in the Southern Caribbean (but I will visit some new islands) and I can't wait!