Ironworker808

I asked my Texas Hold 'Em dealer if 'chip tips' were kept by the dealer they were given to or pooled. She told me they were pooled, which disappointed me. I wanted her to have them as she was the person dealing me good hands.

If tips given directly to a dealer are pooled, I would think that the 18% added gratuity is pooled also.

You can bring honey, but any excess cannot be removed from the ship.

 

Check with CBP for more information.

Makes sense that it wouldn't be able to come off ship. Food product and all.

I will check with CBP. Thank you for the reply!

I'm new to cruising, but I would think that while the number of people on a ship wouldn't fluctuate greatly, the number of children might depending on the time of year.

I was wondering about this, only I want to bring my own honey for coffee and tea.

Yes, I know honey is provided, but I'm wanting to use honey from my bees, in my backyard. Think a one pound squeeze bottle would be okay? Or maybe several 2oz. 'Baby Bears'?

Welcome to CC. That is not correct.

Thanks! Glad to be here!

You may be right.

We're (DW & I) booked in the haven for December 2-9 and am taking two friends with us for free. I've yet to do a mock booking with four guests in the Haven and be charged for the 3rd/4th guest. No matter when I do the booking, (and I've been doing mock bookings since April) nor which dates I book, the 3rd/4th guest option is available. I assumed that it was available all the time. Apologies.

Also depends upon how cozy the family is. Do they spend much time in the cabin? Can the teens share a bed? I would vote for the 2 bedroom H4 in the Haven. Room to breathe. Two restrooms. Balcony. Pricey, though. Check differences in prices for 2 vs. 4. I'm not sure if the 3/4 guest free promotion applies to the Haven, or if the cabins are normally much cheaper for the 3/4th guest when you are in the Haven. The Escape Haven has the dedicated restaurant and bar area, lower level has courtyard with hot tubs, saunas, pool (think sunning, not swimming), and the upper level has loungers to lay out and a hot tub, so even if you are not in the room, you have amenities that are nice and relaxing.

If everyone is okay with being close together and wants to be out and about amid the crowds, and you would rather save the $$ for shore excursions, etc., then check out the staterooms based upon the ship deck plans. (Look on deck 8 first....) The first time we sailed, we (parents) got a balcony room, with the kids across the hall in an inside cabin. That way, they could come use our balcony, but we weren't all crammed into one cabin.

The 3/4th guest free does apply to the Haven.

We stayed in 17004 for our honeymoon and it was amazing. This is a forward facing DOS with a balcony on the side (17007 is opposite but the same layout). The bedroom and master bathroom had forward wall to ceiling windows. It was the most beautiful room we've ever stayed in. I did a lot of research prior to picking which DOS, and chose this one based on the balcony privacy and the quietness of the suite. The other suites have much larger balconies, and I believe a bit more square footage, but they are not private, as they face the pool deck, so they can also be very loud.

 

It really comes down to preference. If you want to be near the party at all times, go for one facing the pool deck. If you want a quiet, private balcony, go for one of the forward suites. For the record, the balcony in the forward suite was not small by any means; we had 2 chairs, 2 loungers, and a small table and still plenty of room to move around.

Wife and I stayed in 17007 back in March for our honeymoon. I will second everything in the above quoted post. Large, quiet, & secluded. Loved loved loved it! So much so that we booked the same room for a longer cruise in December. (Only 166 days to go!)

We only took advantage of in suite dining once, for breakfast our second to last morning. Won't be making that mistake again! Will be having breakfast in suite at least three or four mornings.

We're also bringing a couple of friends, but we figured the room was big enough that we all won't be in each other's way. Guess we'll find out!