plane2port

Exactly. Its time the USA adds another penalty... if your cruise line is found guilty of pollution discharge into the ocean, your line will be banned forever from doing business in the USA as well as banned from ALL US ports. Also step up funding for the Coast Guard to do more random inspections and surveillance. I would like to see part of the billions that go to drug interdiction be funneled to protecting the sea.

Exactly! Spend the money where it will do some good!

I'm hoping that Princess will lose their concession to visit Glacier Bay after this. Would serve them right!

I know that there is a big thread on this right now but I just couldn't let this go. The very same day that I posted this I find out that the Caribbean Princess has been illegally dumping oily bilge for YEARS! and not only that, other Princess ships have been doing it as well.

Since it was a cost-cutting measure, I'm wondering how far up the chain of command the order was given. Everyone involved in this should be FIRED! So disgusting!

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/12/01/503982205/princess-cruises-hit-with-largest-ever-criminal-penalty-for-deliberate-pollution

Back in March I started a series on how much it costs to live on cruise ships. I priced out how much it would cost to cruise for the month of January 2017 on Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Norwegian, and Princess. I was surprised that I got a lot of feedback, both positive and negative, on these posts!

Now that we've passed the final payment deadline on the longer cruises, I'm going back to see how much prices have changed. Here's the post with the details:

http://www.plane2port.com/living-on-the-caribbean-princess-last-minute-pricing/

For those that just want the bottom line--the price per day for 2 in an inside cabin has gone down to $218 (from $265 in March.)

If you're interested, here was our experience with a casino "comped" cruise with Norwegian.

http://www.plane2port.com/the-true-cost-of-a-free-cruise-with-norwegian-casinos-at-sea/

Notice that the unlimited drinks package was comped, but that we paid for the gratuity on the package, which worked out to $80 pp on a 7-night cruise.

Food for thought--the unlimited drinks package is comped, but so are all drinks in the casino, where no gratuity in charged. Perhaps on our next CAS cruise, we'll do all our drinking (which is mostly wine) in the casino?

Any hotels offer "just parking" rates? First time out of Mobile and we are looking for options besides just at the port. Parked off site for cruises out of Port Canaveral, Charleston and NO so wondering if anything like that is available yet here in Mobile?

Wondering this as well!

This is one of the ideas that I like to toy around with, along with the idea of living on cruise ships. These are things that I like to think about, but not necessarily things I want to do.

But suppose you were going to move to Florida for the purpose of being close to cruise ports, which area would you choose? Would you pick a place equidistant from Tampa, Port Canaveral, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale? Or would you just pick an area in Florida that you like.

Be aware that many locations in Florida, particularly in the Panhandle are still a long way from any of the cruise ports.

OP, thanks for bringing up this discussion!

Have a wonderful cruise.

Thanks! We always find a way to enjoy our cruises....no matter what!

In terms of year-round ports, Mobile is the closest in terms of driving distance for a large portion of the country - even for someone in Chicago, Mobile is a few miles closer than New Orleans.

 

 

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note7 using Tapatalk. Hey, do you smell anything burning?

Just a few hours drive closer to home makes a big difference. Our Dec. 3 cruise is sold out. Hoping that demand is sufficient to bring other ships to this port.

As we are going on the Fantasy in December, I read your review with interest. Thanks for giving an honest review. I'm a former teacher and can sympathize with your dilemma of being restricted to cruising during school vacations.

Your experience on board the Fantasy mirrors almost exactly our experience on the Sensation last December. This was a three-day cruise out of Port Canaveral, and while we didn't have the hoards of kids to deal with we did have a full ship in party mode.

The Sensation is an older ship that has gotten the 2.0 upgrades. I had no complaints with the ship itself, but we found crowding and long lines on all the buffets. Because we were cruising with a 4 year old, we had decided forego leisurely dinners in the dining room (mistake.) We never EVER got to eat at the Blue Iguana because the lines were horrendously long. Visits to the buffet had to be timed strategically to avoid crowds.

Our memory of the long lines on the Sensation has caused us to reserve early dining in the main dining room on board the Fantasy, even though we will be bringing 5- and 2-year-old grand kids.

Hope we will be avoiding some of the problems you encountered by sailing at a time when kids are in school.

My latest blog post is http://www.plane2port.com/like-carnival-right-now/.

Here's the bottom line for those that don't want to click through:

It's a short day's drive to several of Carnival's home ports. We're going on the Fantasy out of Mobile next week. It's a 4 1/2 hour drive for us!

We are taking two grand kids with us, and the youngest is 2, and Carnival allows kids as young as 2 into Camp Carnival! Hopefully he will warm up to and enjoy attending with his older brother, who is 5.

Looking forward to your semi-live review! When you return of course :D

I remember reading your blog when you first wrote about visiting Perce. Nice photos! Would you consider adding a "subscribe by email option?" I don't use my google email very often and would like to send it to my other email account. Thanks!

Call the Admiral Hotel in Mobile. 251–432–8000. They used to have an arrangement with the parking garage behind the hotel. They may still be able to help you out with reduced price parking. It's an easy 10 minute walk to the port from the parking garage.

Thanks I did give the Admiral a call. They said that they have a cruise package but didn't have a rate for parking only. They said that the Holiday Inn actually manages the garage and suggested that I call them. Holiday Inn said that the garage is actually owned by ParkFirst who owns and manages several garages in town including the new cruise terminal.

Looks like we'll have to wait and see what the November cruisers are coming up with as they make their way to Mobile. I nostalgically remember parking for free somewhere along Water Street when we cruised out of Mobile about 15 years ago.

Does anyone know of any offsite options other than the stay and cruise packages offered by the hotels?

The cruise port parking is $18/day, which is kind of expensive to me.

Does anyone fly non-rev?

 

 

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Actually I fly nonrev quite often. But I've only done it once to meet a cruise. It was in October and I got a great price on a Celebrity cruise from Bayonne to San Juan. I flew nonrev both ways! Usually if I have to be somewhere at a certain time I'll buy tickets or get an award ticket.

Yikes! Looks like they're coming home. Hard to know what to do in a situation like that. I wish they would stick it out but I can see just wanting to come home when you're frustrated and tired.

I was in the middle of writing my own blog post about my favorite cruising blog, which is of course Jeannie's (http://www.plane2port.com/favorite-cruise-blog-pescado-amarillo/) when I read her update about their problems.

Jeannie, if you're reading this please allow me to offer you some consolation and advice. You have been presented an opportunity, albeit in a backhanded way. If I were you, I would consider taking some cheap EasyJet or RyanAir flights to Sicily or Crete and rent a car. There is plenty to see on either island in your time frame, and you'll find the prices very affordable (especially Crete.)

Best of luck in whatever you decide to do. We are all waiting "with bated breath" so see what happens next!

Ok thanks. Ordering now.

Is this the guide book you're talking about?

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202591.Rome

I don't think that rule applies to recommendations for guide books, as the heading in which it appears says "Reviews/Recommendations of Tour Operators/Guides/Attractions". (And to me, "Guides" means an actual person, not a book in this case....)

 

At any rate, I cannot see it as a bad thing to recommend a book!

 

The Companion Guides are great for people (like me) who love having a lot of information. They are to the Rick Steves guides as the New Yorker is to USA Today. Not everyone's cup of tea, though.

 

I have for years complained that newer guidebooks have less and less actual textual information and more and more pictures, diagrams, maps, etc. I miss all the dense description that this type of guide provides. (I also collect the small official guidebooks that used to be published for Italian archaeological sites back in the 1950s and 1960s as they have far more detail about the sites than newer books include.)

Thanks for the support. I think one reason you don't see these kind of detailed guidebooks is that there is not a big market for them. A book like the one I mentioned is written as a labor of love, not for mass consumption. It won't be listed as the #1 seller on Amazon for Rome guidebooks.

Another reason is that many people are moving away from printed guides to wikis that they can access from their smartphones. I appreciate the space saving factor of only using electronic media, but I am of an age that I prefer to use a book. Also, I have trouble reading my IPhone screen in the sun!

So glad you've started up the blog again! Will be avidly following over the next few months. I'm also glad you're shaking things up again by cruising in Europe. Good for you!

Nice promo for your blog.

 

You might see this "Notice" at the top of each thread here:

 

** Please post your recommendations ONLY in response to request...do not start a new thread. Thanks!

Ouch! CruiserBruce! I've no need or desire to promo my blog. It's a personal blog and I just enjoy sharing my thoughts here. It's my little retirement project.

I see now the notice not to recommend anything unless in response to a request. In all my years here I had never noticed it. I will henceforth follow the rules.

Well, my favorite guidebook for Rome is one that you can't really use as a guidebook. No logistics, no opening hours, no costs, etc. It's kind of like the Green Michelin guides, except more literary.

If you are like me, and not only use guidebooks when you travel, but like to read them for entertainment at home, you will love Georgina Masson's The Companion Guide to Rome. I did a blog post about it.

http://www.plane2port.com/rome-guide-want-write/

Good job on the blog. I like the clean, journalistic layout on the landing pages.

I also like the way you use the black and white photos to frame the page, but then include the color photos further down in the blog entry.

Very artistic!

How about Premier casino Offers?

 

My cruise this December is a 6 day out of FLL. Total cost of Conquest inside cabin, 7th Deck is $1034. I get $300 cash when I check in at the Casino. Not plannng on spending much time in the Casino this cruise, as this one will be just a laid back cruise. That's a 29% discount.

 

I know, you are going to say "But how much did you lose in the casino to get that offer?"

Sure I have lost some and I have won some. I gamble, and never expect to win, but that is my fun money. I don't smoke or drink, so I am ahead of many of you that spend your money on that.

 

But with the Casino offers it is not how much you lose, it's how much you play. I one time came back from a 7 day with over $5,000 more than I took on the cruise. Have lost my allotment $1,000 before also. But as I said, that's my entertainment. I have taken 3 "free" cruises before through Carnival and this is my first Premier Cruise. So, I still think I am ahead of the game and have gotten great "discounts" from Carnival.

 

BTW, I always buy Carnival gift cards through Verizon (10% off) to pay for my cruise. Used 2 $500 cards for the December cruise, for an additional $100 savings, bringing it to actually 38% discount. $634 for 6 day cruise:eek:

I agree with you the casino discounts are the best. However most of us don't have access to them. I did get to go on a Norwegian cruise with my son which was comped by a land casino. I think we paid about $385 each for an outside cabin on a 7 day cruise. That included the taxes and port fees. Best of all we got free beverage packages! Wish I could could go on more of these cruises!

Let's see:

 

1. When I booked the cruise, there was a $75 credit for my credit card for spending $250. (Not really an OBC, but still a savings.)

 

2. When I booked the cruise with our TA, he gave us OBC.

 

3. When we booked our flight, there was a $100 use it or lose it credit for each of because on our flight home from Europe in the summer of 2015, the entertainment system went down a few hours into the flight. (Again not an OBC, but a savings that would have been lost forever.)

 

4. A price decrease came up when a senior saver rate appeared that we were able to get. This saved us nearly $300.

 

5. We got an OBC of $35 and change by using the 110% excursion guarantee.

 

6. And finally there was a small (about $9 and change) OBC for each of us that I think must have been a decrease in the port fees.

As they say , "Great minds think alike.";)