Carlys_chaos

13 minutes ago, c-leg5 said:

Did you cancel after arriving at Almaplena or did they send you photos in advance?

They emailed saying there was sargassum they were trying to clean it up and offered that we cancel. There’s a $15 fee to cancel. We opted to get a taxi over and hope for the best, but it was too bad to stay. The taxi ($70 round trip) was deducted from our refund. They processed the refund within a day, no issues. I’ll be honest that the property was not what I was expecting and we wouldn’t go back if we were in Costa Maya again. Also, be advised there are no toys for kids. One family opted to stay so we gave them our beach toys to use. 

10 hours ago, MississippiMom said:

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

My stepdad and I last-minute booked Aldea Mahahua. It was a little cheesy, but we had a great time. It’s a newer excursion, and they tried really hard to make it fun. It would have been better with a different group of people, but still fun. It was $79 then we got a $50 credit each from NCL. Can’t beat $30! We got four margaritas (I couldn’t finish mine, lightweight, haha) and a small lunch of local food. They did four dances, a purification ritual, some education on Mexico, and played a game. I don’t recommend it for little kids, but it’s fun for adults. 

I was in Costa Maya on Friday (3/17). We cancelled our beach day at Almaplena because it was covered in sargassum. They were using a wheelbarrow and pitchfork to clean it, but it was bad. I live in FL and I’ve never seen so much sargassum. 

We were on the Dawn 3/12-3/19. My husband, son & stepdad took the BTS tour for $99. They thought it was a great experience. It took 2 hours and they received a photo. 

I haven’t been, but our port stops are the same.  We are a multigenerational group of four, ages 10 to 77. Here’s what I’ve found:

Tracy Arm Fjord: Make sure it’s actually sold out. The excursion is listed for sale under Seattle, not Tracy Arm. If it’s actually sold out, join a Wait List. Fingers crossed you get in! 

Icy Strait Point: Not a chance I’m zip lining and my son wouldn’t either. We are doing Carnival’s Whales, Wildlife & Bear search. I’m nervous we’re too early for bears (June 1 departure), but it’s my son’s dream so we’re going to try. It looks like they’re opening a gondola that you can ride. The Mountain Top Gondola should open in May. Tickets are $50 and include the tribal dance show. 
 

Juneau: There’s so much to do here. We’re doing a helicopter/dog sled ride, then taking the tram to Mendenhall Glacier. You could do a summer dog camp & Mendenhall Glacier if you don’t want the helicopter. 
 

Ketchikan: We had it narrowed to the Lumberjack show or Deadliest Catch tour. We don’t get much time here. We booked Deadliest Catch and I recommend booking ASAP for that one. It’s not sold out for our dates. 
 

Victoria: We are barely there and it’s at night. I think we are staying on the ship. 
 

Good luck!! I was completely overwhelmed too, but once I just booked something I felt better. 

Thank you all for the feedback! 
 Between those two options, we’ve decided on HAL. 

Follow on question though: the other option is Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas. Seward, Hubbard Glacier, Juneau, Skagway, Haines, Icy Strait Point, Ketchikan, Inside Passage, Vancouver. Would this itinerary be better for two people that have never cruised? My stepdad gets restless sitting around, so would it be better to have more stops? Or are the glaciers more important? 

I’m taking a multi-generational trip to Alaska this May- my husband, 10 year old, 77 year old stepdad, and myself. I’m currently deciding between two itineraries.

1. HAL Zuiderdam Inside Passage: Depart Vancouver, Inside Passage, Tracy Arm Inlet, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, Ketchikan, Inside Passage, Arrive Vancouver 

2. Princess Royal Princess Voyage of the Glaciers Northbound: Depart Vancouver, Sea Day, Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway, Glacier Bay, College Fjord, Arrive Anchorage.

Thoughts on the two itineraries and lines? HAL would save us $200/each. My son is most interested in learning about the wildlife and nature, not so much on-ship entertainment and shows. My stepdad is just along for the ride, haha!! I’m leaning towards HAL, but this will probably be a one-time thing for us so I want to make sure I’m choosing wisely. I appreciate your input! 

Follow Up: We ruled out NCL. We are now between Carnivals Eastern and Royal Caribbean's Eastern on the Harmony of the Seas. I've never sailed Royal Caribbean or a ship that big. Thoughts? 

Search Carnival Cruise the Vineyard.

Not sure I can link it?

It's overpriced wine, but still a lot more reasonable than Cheers for us!

I agree with this! We went on a NCL all inclusive and I felt gross from alcohol after the first day. Lol. I had to hit the gym and do a detox. 

Pro though: no surprise bill and it was fun to try new drinks. 

We skip Cheers. We would never make up for the drinks "lost" on Port Days. We don't drink soda and always leave the ship on port days. We might get 1 or 2 coffees a day, but I've always felt their coffee prices are very reasonable. We don't do milkshakes. What we will purchase for our anniversary cruise is the wine package. The wine package, the 2 bottles you can bring on board, and the misc cocktails/coffee will still come way under for us. 

Eastern: Amber Cove, San Juan, Grand Turk, St Thomas

Western: Great Stirrup Cay, Ocho Rios, Cozumel, Georgetown 

Hello! 

My husband and I will be celebrating our 10 year anniversary next February and are booking a cruise. We can't decide between 7 Day Eastern Carribean on the Carnival Breeze or 7 Day Western Caribbean on NCL Breakaway. Thoughts? We've been on both cruise lines, but only a short 3 day cruise on the Norwegian Sun. Advice? Both seem great and we want to book this week! 

The Pirate Museum is walking distance. That would be good to explore if the beach gets rowdy or crowded.

We went in January and it was much more of a party atmosphere at Tiki Bikini Hut. Maybe because school was in session? There was a twerking contest for the females. Lol. Maybe the atmosphere is seasonal, but I don't think I would have brought my kids there.

I am not sure about distilleries, but we did this rum tour and had a great time! The guide was extremely knowledgeable and everyone on the tour was fun.

https://m.viator.com/tours/Nassau/Nassau-Rum-and-Food-Walking-Tour/d420-6558RUM

Bumping this to see if anyone's been and has a review?