scubaslayer

About $7 sounds right. If you really enjoy mocktails and want other drinks like lattes and sodas, look at the refreshment package. It might be a good deal for you. This is what we get because we won't drink enough alcoholic drinks to make up the price difference between the refreshment package and the deluxe. I do remember a mango mocktail that was good but can't remember what it was called. I usually tried the daily one because we had the package and if I didn't like it, it was no big deal. If I hadn't had the package, I would have stuck to my tried and true daiquiris and pina coladas.

Yes, young teen so I know about the limits. We haven't done the certification for them yet but hoping we can do that this summer. I am looking forward to finally having a dive buddy.

4 hours ago, Joseph2017China said:

The great debate.....but really, does it matter that much?  My phone, is my newspaper, my map, my info desk, sends me a beep when a show will start, that I asked it to, gets me awake when I take a nap.  It's my personal assistant in one little package.  Not to mention, my camera and video recorder. What's for dinner?  Oh, look, I don't have to walk to the dining room to see the menu on the wall.  What about in port, and I'm looking for a place, or want to see local restaurants?  

 

Being disconnected from work, does not mean you need to be disconnected from life.  Phones are a tool, to be used to simplify life.

Disconnecting from work really depends on what you do. Not everyone has it so easy and some are completely tense over phone notifications. I am glad it is an option but also glad it isn't completely necessary.

Can you no longer use the TV for a lot of these things? We haven't cruised in a few years and we always opted to not pay for internet. Are we going to have to pay for internet now to use our phone? I always loved that cruising meant we shut them off and the outside world couldn't bother us (no email or work calls/texts).

I know this has been asked time and time again but the pandemic has changed a lot of things and dive ops have closed. I will be in Cozumel October 4th from 7-4 (so 8-3ish). I will have a new junior diver with me so our depth would be slightly limited and I have not dove in Cozumel in over 15 years. I would like to find a dive op that can accommodate us and maybe do a drift dive to one of the walls. We will be limited to max depth for kid of 18m or 60ft. Looking for tips and recommendations and maybe even other people to book with in same situation.

How was your trip with Martin? I am considering getting my teen junior certified before our trip this fall. I haven't been diving in Cozumel since 2005 and would love to go for an easy drift dive with the kid. I am wanting to avoid the RC excursions due to how crowded they often are and with a new junior diver I would want a smaller group.

Actually the soft serve is soft serve, not yogurt at sprinkles. Technically not "real" ice cream but it isn't yogurt. It isn't the super cheap icy soft serve either. It was fairly good and they have strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate. Windjammer seemed to have 2 or 3 flavors each night with so many toppings to pick from. We never ordered ice cream in the dining room, though some of our desserts came with ice cream. It was available but no one in my family will pick just ice cream when there is cake or some other sugary confection.

If you are ok with that price, go ahead and book. You can always cancel and rebook at a lower price if the price drops. I think for our cruise it dropped to about $46 a day for deluxe $18 for refreshment (what we picked). It was a holiday cruise, so no specialty dining deals ever really showed up. That was ok with us. The dining room was perfect every night and was wonderful for breakfast and lunch.

We were on Liberty in December and there was ice cream in the windjammer every evening. Plus the soft serve on the pool deck. It seems like the kids always had an ice cream from somewhere.

Oh, but I'm sure NO ONE wants to see me before my first cup...:D

Lol, I sent my husband with the cards early to come back with drinks for the family each morning. Then we sat and enjoyed coffee on the balcony.

As a service member, sure is easier to take when duty calls, than when politicians can't/won't do their jobs...you are in our prayers.

 

Thanks for all of the well wishes everyone. I started this thread at a moment of weakness, sorry for that. The much much bigger issue is healing for our country and prayers for all that are in service of it.

Cujo out. (packs away soap box)

I don't think it was a moment of weakness. You had every right to your feelings, and asked if there was a way to at least get some of the money back if you had to cancel. I would have done the same and probably used some stronger language (at least at home). No one really counts on a government shutdown and how that will impact them until it happens. Just like I know my husband could not make it back from a deployment but don't expect it to happen. Are those that lose a spouse or child not allowed to have their feelings because they knew what they signed up for? Have all of the feelings you like, and hopefully this means you get to go enjoy your cruise.

If you have a drink package or coffee card, the "fancy" coffee at the cafe promenade is pretty decent on Liberty. My husband tried to say skip the refreshment package next time until I had him count his bottled waters and coffees for each day.

I was on Liberty for the past Christmas and it was wonderful. However we were a family and there were a lot of kids. The ship didn't seem too big for us either, but that would vary widely from person to person. If I had to base it off which port is more interesting or fun pre-cruise, I would go with New Orleans. Galveston is nice but in winter it doesn't beat New Orleans. I can say the Galveston port needs a better system for navigating passengers in vehicles. That part was a mess. I have never sailed from New Orleans though.

It sucks to think there is a chance that my husband's activity duty pay won't come. We are lucky to be in an area with grocery stores at least. I would be livid if the inability to do their job in DC was the reason my vacation was cancelled. It looks like we are in for a bumpy ride until they manage to do their job and get the government running. Maybe it will only be a day, and your cruise can still happen.

Is any soft serve machine real ice cream? We thought it was pretty good for soft serve. They had strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, and sometimes swirl. It was actually pretty creamy, and didn't have the icy texture that some soft serves have. They had scooped ice cream at the buffet every evening also. Because after dinner in the dining room, your kids need cookies and a sundae.

On liberty it seemed like at least one side of the machine was open from about 9am to at least 9pm on sea days. It was open in the evenings on port days, but may have been available earlier. I think my oldest ate her weight in ice cream during the week.

I am not sure of the cost. I don't remember it being horrible. My kids have outgrown the character dining, so I didn't pay much attention. I just remember the line for it 2 mornings when we were in the area.

Yes. Liberty has a dreamworks character breakfast. I don't remember if you could sign up before boarding. They did it 2 or 3 times on our cruise last month. It didn't seem to be super popular after the first time.

My 9 year old did the boogie board. When she lost the board she face planted into the padded back wall. She was ok, but shed a few tears and didn't want to try again. My take is it is padded, but if you slam into it, it is still going to sting. I can see with the force of water how more serious injuries can happen. Also, boogie boarding is not reserved for just the kids, but smaller kids are not allowed to surf. Surfing requires you to be taller.

Was (still am, if can confirm arrival time) trying to book Dive with Martin, since it'll probably be a smaller group and the shop is right at the Pier. I'm trying to ascertain time so I can get back to them. Know what you mean about diving, my wife doesn't so it's nice to travel with another couple/Friends that have a diver - hated dives when on my own.

Single Divers has been useful when I need a buddy, but I wish my husband was a diver. Of course him not diving means I can go and leave him with the kids. Good luck with the dive op. I don't know many of them, but Cozumel diving is incredible, or was a few years ago.

Where are you sailing from? That makes a difference as well. Out of EST ports it is the same as Grand Cayman, but if sailing from CST, they are an hour ahead of the ship. Meaning is last tender is 2:30 ship time, that is 3:30 Grand Cayman time, but expect a long line when you get back.

This is unusual, Most private excursions keep very close track of ship arrivals and know the schedule better than most others and will work with you. I am a diver, but haven't dove in Cozumel.

My experience with dive ops in Cozumel is cruisers are a small number of their customers. Most divers come to Cozumel on land vacations.

I am curious what dive op you booked with? Next time we cruise, at least one of my children will be old enough for a teen certification. She has already been begging to learn, but I wanted to wait until she was older. Plus we live in the desert and diving is an expensive travel hobby where I live. It will be nice to finally have a dive buddy as she gets older though.

Once upon a time there was an attire thread where one poster proudly and loudly said their entire family goes to dinner on the last night in their pajamas to allow them to pre-pack for the trip home. Now THAT was some inappropriate dining room attire.

Why didn't I think of that? My kids would have loved a pajamas at dinner night. Ok, not really, but why does everyone else care? Maybe it bothers me less because our table was just my family. If other people bother you, request a table for just your family.

[quote name=mollyeilis;54932401

I would be so irked to feel the need to dress for those women' date=' especially since the husbands are wearing the same thing each time. But I know that being a military wife isn’t easy, and you do get your picture taken. So that’s one exception. :)[/quote]

It isn't that bad. I don't dress for them as much as to avoid the comment of "couldn't he have bought her a dress" crap. As if my husband shops for me or has much of a say in what I wear. This is why I rotate dresses. I am actually down to 2 formal gown and one cocktail dress after the last move. I guess I will be watching for the sales. My most expensive dress was $70. It will never go on vacation, as it is too bulky to deal with packing. It is also sleeveless and less comfortable to do a lot of walking around. If it wasn't so pretty, I would get rid of it.

I don't understand why anyone would spend that much money (or any amount, for that matter) on an outfit that they only wear once. Why, ladies, is it that you would only wear an outfit one time?

I am going to give you your answer Ken. I don't hold to this rule entirely but I do have several dresses for this reason. My husband is military and has a formal once or twice (and if they are really obnoxious 3) times a year. The reason you don't wear the same dress to more than one is so that you are not going to a formal occasion, with the same people, dressed the same every time. They tend to be in the same unit for 2-3 years and there is always that group that looks down on you if they see you in the same dress more than twice over a few years. So we bargain shop. If I see a gown I like, at a great price, I grab it. Even if the last formal was a week ago and I may not wear it for a year or more. However, I am cheap and believe in rotating my gowns. I have had 6 or 7 that I wear until they are worn out, don't fit, or I just don't like the style anymore. The line of thought that you can only wear it once, makes no sense for cruising. What are the chances you would see these people often enough to care about wearing the same outfit again? That entire thing is about status and showing off anyway. For our cruise, I took one formal gown and a cocktail dress. Will I wear the same ones next time? Possibly, it will depend on my mood when packing.

As to the OP, if you want a gown, go for it. Ross, Amazon, and even thrift stores have great deals on formal wear if the full price is more than you wish to spend.