MississippiMom

Since you canceled your beach day, what did you wind up doing?

What are table games? We have never been on a ship with a Red Frog Pub, but are currently scheduled to sail Valor this summer.

First of all, we have never had the opportunity to sail in Europe, so don't have personal opinion with that. But, we do have three young twenty-somethings and I can 100% guarantee that the port destinations and the activities on the ship are going to be way more important to them than the cabin size or the restaurants. I would recommend that you NOT focus on the brand of ship just yet. Focus on the dates of travel and preferred ports, first. Then, figure out which ships will be there. Then, let the birthday folks read about the options to help narrow down what sounds more enjoyable.

I think this just depends on what you think is more convenient for your group. Personally, I prefer the excursions that include transfers, so I don't even have to think about that part of the back/forth. However, do your research on if the included transfer gives you more than one allotted time or if you are limited to "x" number of hours at the Playa Mia.

They need some kind of guideline in hopes that people above that weight will consider whether or not they will actually fit in the twister boat. I have a tall and heavy spouse and it was a tough squeeze many years ago.

I really appreciate you sharing your link. I learned a whole lot.

Love the idea of this thread. I sure wish my memory was better, so I could present a really nice comparison of that first cruise (in 1992) to more recents ones. - Back then, all we could hope was that our travel agent was guiding us correctly, since all we had was a brochure that we could glance at; no constant internet searching about ships/ports/etc - Walking on to a CCL Fantasy for the very first time was NOT like being greeted on the TV show, The Love Boat 😂 (the only reference most of us had) - There were very few U.S. cruise ports to choose from, which meant the added expense of flying (typically to Miami) - We took crowded shuttle buses to/from the cruise port/airport, because transportation options were limited and/or expensive - Shore excursions through the cruise line seemed to be the only options, unless you just walked around the cruise port - Limited photo options, since we didn’t walk around with cell phones back then - Required formal nights. (I think everyone looked incredibly elegant, which was lovely, however, what a waste of luggage space AND weight.) - Cash tips for the staff were the norm, which meant you needed to take travelers checks (remember those?) with you and have them cashed, so you could distribute your tips in the provided envelopes. - Travelers Checks (hadn’t thought about those in YEARS) had to be prepurchased, in person, and then you had to keep up with the identifying numbers in case they got lost/stolen. - I don’t recall having shampoos, soap, conditioner, etc. included in our tiny cabin restroom - Smoking EVERYWHERE. (Sorry to those of you who are addicted, but GROSS.) The crew would sit around in the empty lounges during the day, using them as their own personal smoke rooms. I do miss the ridiculous over-the-top midnight buffets, especially, all of the amazing ice & food sculptures. It wasn’t about eating at that time for me, but seeing all the talent. I also miss the free alcohol that would randomly pop up on trays that were carried around by the cruise wait staff. (Yes, free.)

Glad you mentioned that clarification, as it’s the non-alcoholic additions that make the Cheers package worth it for me. Yes, I do have some alcoholic drinks during the afternoon & evening, but I think I’m “spending” most of my Cheers dollars on the included Frappuccinos, bottled waters, bottled teas, juices and morning specialty coffees.

Scootaround does NOT deliver the scooters inside the ships at Port Canaveral.

I did not read the entire thread, so I might be repeating the replies that you have already received. The rules that you should be following are the ones from the specific cruise line you are sailing. Period. Just because you may not like those rules, doesn’t mean that you should be searching for different answers. You risk getting removed from the ship for jeopardizing the safety of ALL of the other passengers and the crew. We went through the whole scooter situation last summer with my elderly mother. It was on RCCL, so I am very familiar with their rules. Check to see if Carnival has a Special Needs department, and they can assist you with the correct guidelines you need to follow, including completing the necessary registration for any special needs equipment, which includes the scooter. They should know the dimensions of all of their doorways. In theory, the cruise line should, automatically, move you into a handicapped cabin, whether you want to be in one or not.

We have 22 family members, ages 7 - 60, cruising in the summer. Some of us have been to that Cozumel cruise port LOTS of times, but for others it will be their first time. We envision that a very small handful may do their own walking-around-the-town thing, but most will want to attempt to hang out at a beach together. We are currently considering one of the two parks, Chankanaab or Punta Sur, since each family can have more control over their expenses than going to a pricey AI. The third option might be the less expensive Playa Palancar, but we would prefer to be able to purchase entry in advance to our destination, since we would hate to show up somewhere and not all be able to get in. What did you love or hate when you spent your port day at Punta Sur? (If we choose Punta Sur, we, definitely CANNOT go via jeeps, so we will reach out to ToursPlaza or Black Hat Tours to arrange travel to/from.)

Other than booking directly through Carnival, how have you booked Passion Island? Many years ago, we were able to book it directly, but it was too long ago for me to still have that information.

Any more recent experiences with the later Costa Maya port times? Some in our group might be interested in the ruins, but it just doesn’t seem like sufficient daytime for the cost.

I keep seeing Playa Palancar pop up when I’m researching on the boards. Any idea if they take reservations? I would hate to show up and them not have space for our multigenerational (family) group.

I am really leaning toward Cabana Beach, since I would like to be able to walk around Chankanaab and look around.

Completely fine of waiters are covering several cabanas. I would be fine with loungers under umbrellas, but I think the hubby wants something fancier. We have been to Paradise Beach, when it was all PAYG, and really enjoyed it. But we aren’t convinced it’s worth the AI price, since we aren’t interested in the inflatables. Hate the idea of Playa Mia or Mr Sanchos, as neither sounds relaxing. Nachi Cocum sounds very promising. We have never been to Half Moon Cay, but have experienced private cabana life at CocoCay and Labadee, and those are the experiences my husband is searching for. He wants to be able to sit in the shade and have drinks and food brought to him. Maybe take a nap in there or on a nearby hammock. I JUST realized I had never answered. And I still need some recommendations.

Where will you go in August, since Maya Chan will be closed then? We haven’t been to Costa Maya since 2007 and we really hope to leave the port area, however, a crowded place to drink sounds stressful to me. I would prefer relaxing.

Regardless of the age, PLEASE, on the very first day, show your child where to go or who to talk to, if they are lost. Do not assume that they will know how to get to guest services. Do not assume that they will understand that the crew might all have name tags, but that they could be dressed differently than expected. For the very first time on our last cruise, I found a lost child. A very sad little guy by the elevator. I talked to him from far away, and asked if he needed some help finding his family. It broke my momma-heart to watch him cry and to hear him tell me that he and his older brother had been playing on the elevators and stairs and had gotten separated. I had him look over the (indoor) railing at the guest services desk two floors down and explained that they would be able to help him. I then offered to walk down the stairs with him in that direction and I told him that I was traveling with family and he might meet one of my nephews at a kids’ event during the week. I jumped ahead of everyone in the guest services line (because it was obvious there was an issue) and explained that he had gotten separated from his family. It took a minute for the crew member to think about what she needed to do, but they took care of him. That experience made me realize that we had always pointed out “the helpers” when traveling, but, for whatever reason, had never spent too much time on it when cruising. Our kids knew a few spots on the ship to look for us and for us to look for them, but I can’t recall ever walking them to the actual guest services desk. (Mine are all 20-somethings now.)

Pre-pandemic cruise mess, there was a table set up right as you boarded and you signed up then for the Dr Seuss Breakfast. Do we really need to book that in advance? Dang! It is not showing up as a specialty restaurant option for our July '23 cruise. I only see the Steakhouse and the Chef's Table options.

What a shame, Saint Greg. I was hoping for some insight from you. We have become accustomed to staying at Hilton or Marriott properties, but in NOLA there are so many boutique hotels to choose from, so we might branch out of our comfort zone.

Here I am, again, Saint Greg, hoping you might revisit this thread and share your thoughts on the following three Valentino Group Hotels: Hotel St. Marie, Prince Conti, and Place D’Armes. (There will be five adults, so two rooms needed.) We have now decided to stay post-cruise, since those pre-cruise hotel rates are pretty outrageous due to Essence Festival ‘23. We expect to spend most of our time at the many adult touristy spots.

Reminder that if you were lucky enough to receive one of these AmEx offers, it expires on 11/07/2022. I purchased our two Cheers Packages online, and, quickly, received an email from American Express congratulating me for using one of their offers.

To the OP - Sorry you are having such a challenge with your travel claims. I think it is ALL insurance, though. Just, yesterday, we, finally, got our last payment for a homeowner's (Farmers) claim from six months ago, and I had to chase it down. Last week, I contacted our medical insurance (BCBS) because THEY processed our daughter's claim under my husband, and they were not interested in reprocessing. And we have two separate outstanding travel insurance claims related to our oldest having covid and not being able to cruise AND having a flight canceled for four of us. Global Generali keeps asking for the same things over and over, and we keep telling them we have already submitted the proof of covid positive test, flight cancellation email from the carrier, etc. It's frustrating and EXHAUSTING to deal with them all.

I edited my original post to say Costa Maya. You are too fast. But I did also ask on the Cozumel board.

We have been to the Cozumel port before, so we understand that it won’t be like a cruise line private island situation, but is there anywhere to go that will give us that exclusive cabana experience Chaankanab appears to have cabanas now, but food & drink are extra. Plus there’s only that rocky beach option and not something you actually walk into.