dolfan1980
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Posts posted by dolfan1980
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That skyrocketing of Summer rates really makes the decision difficult: what it seems to me is that while these hotels are expensive, the second-tier hotels are almost as expensive. Specifically, they're all simply raising their price by the same amount, the summer premium. That ends up making the difference between them a smaller percentage of the whole. When we looked at our options, we found it really hard to choose a second-rate hotel for just a few percentage points less expensive then a truly premium hotel.
This post may have been entered by voice recognition. Please excuse any typographical errors.
As someone who travels to Vancouver monthly for work and pay ~$100-129/night government rate most of the year and get quoted $400/night in the summer I feel your pain. Of course depending on your budget, there is a difference between $400/night for second tier and $600+/night for the premium hotels.
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Thanks all to the feedback, we're pretty seasoned travelers and in our sons' quirks, we'll be sure to have fun!
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My son wore shorts in the MDR, even on formal night (he also has autism). I got him in a polo shirt, but he chose the color. It was the only time he wore a polo all year I think!
Aside from dress code, if you let RC know ahead of time, they can assist you with priority boarding, a private muster drill and a separate, quiet dining table if you need them. They have always been great with our son.
Thanks a lot, this is good to hear. He is mild/moderate so ranges from seeming like every other kid to having the worst day ever, sometimes with the snap of a fingers it can change so quickly.
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officially, the suggested attire is for everyone out of diapers. unofficially, what you may experience could be different. I know our recent cruise( Rhapsody out of Tampa) flip flops in the dining room at dinner were expressly prohibited.. first time I had seen that. usually it just says no shorts at dinner.
I also know that for the most part.. all the kids were nicely dressed in at least khakis and polo short, with most of the pre teen and teen girls in modest sundresses. so if 'conforming' and fitting is is important to him, that is something to think about.
Conforming is unfortunately the least important thing to him. Thanks for the feedback, perhaps we'll try shoes, pants and plain no designs t-shirt the first night and see if he looks like he's really going to stick out. In hindsight, we probably should have stuck with NCL w/ the kids!
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It has been quite a while since we've sailed with RCCL and our kids were 2 the last time and wore whatever we put on them :)
They are now 9 and I'm wondering the daily expectations in terms of the MDR. One of our boys is autistic and hates clothes generally, meaning a collared shirt will be hard and he will likely want his t-shirt and shorts 24/7. Outside of the formal nights, is it fairly standard for kids to not be in collared shirts or pants in the MDR?
We've been working on him for weeks to wear a golf shirt for us one night for a picture and sadly it is making him not want to go on the cruise at all.
Any advice is welcomed. I am aware that staying away from the MDR is an option, as is medication for his anxiety, but we'd prefer to avoid both those options.
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I'm a little confused about the issue here. A credit card is pretty much an absolute requirement to travel these days and anyone that doesn't have sufficient credit to weather a hold for a few days shouldn't be on vacation at all IMO.
Generally speaking it is hard to book a cruise or to stay in a hotel or rent a car without one. I do agree that holds should be removed after final payment and no damage or purchases were made (e.g. From mini bar), and this should realistically be cleared by the night after departure or shortly thereafter.
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Obviously everyone's priorities are different, however I think you'd be far better off with a dt hotel vs Richmond. At least dt you can walk the sea wall, grab a coffee/breakfast, etc dt before boarding. There's nothing much to do around Richmond airport hotels.
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How far in advance does Disney usually release their schedule? I see many of the other lines already have itineraries available for this timeframe, but Disney haven't released beyond spring 2019. When can I expect a release to facilitate some family planning? Thanks!
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On your same itinerary on March 4th I believe, post your cruise compasses and dining room menus if you can.
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I suggest booking your hotel now before you can't get a good rate any longer. I would go with the Pinnacle, it's better located for walking dt Vancouver. If you're able bodied and don't have a lot to carry (e.g. You can roll your suitcases), then it is walkable from the pier just a few blocks.
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Drinking age is 21 on Royal ships for cruises based out of the US. No waivers.
With so many Canadians and Europeans sailing I'm surprised they stick with this. there must be many families who take their last family vacations elsewhere because 18-20 yr old kids would rather go elsewhere in order to be able to enjoy a drink.
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That's the norm in summer around big cruise days sadly. If you want to stay by the airport there are many options in Richmond. Dt you can get cheaper and still close, but most everything will be $200 and up dt that time of year.
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Do understand that a 12:10 flight means you have to be at EWR by 10:10. EWR has some of the longest TSA lines in the country. If you have time before you sail, consider enrolling in TSA pre-check to shorten your time in the AP, just in case. I would not rely on a cruise ship sponsored bus to get me to the AP on time.
Even with a long line, 90 mins ahead is more than plenty for a domestic or transborder flight.
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I did this drive in a snow storm this year xmas week. It wasn't that bad and only added about an hour to the trip. I say go for it if it makes sense for you.
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I would fly united or air canada who have the most flights especially if you get a cancellation. Easy to get a one-stop flight via Toronto, Ottawa or Montreal on Air Canada and I believe United still flies into Quebec from Dulles or Newark (or perhaps both)
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We also have a family of five. You're not necessarily limited to two rooms or a suite. We are sailing in March in Royal Caribbean in a regular balcony with five. You cannot see rooms for five online for NCL/Royal but they have them. You can book for five online with Carnival. My kids are 9, 9 and 4, so we'll see how this goes. Our previous cruises have been just the two of us since my 4 yr old was born, but we did do two with the twins previously without much trouble.
I should mention that kids sale free is offered from time to time. We just booked for a week on Jewel of the Seas, 5 in a balcony for $2250 Canadian taxes and port fees included.
Good luck!
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cost of taxi from port of Miami to MIA and how long of a ride time wise?
It's not far or expensive really. I took an Uber to dt from an airport hotel recently and I recall it was under $20 and about 20 mins (little traffic though at the time). A taxi would be a bit more.
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Fairmont, Westin and Hyatt are great if budget is no concern. If budget matters, the Marriott Pinnacle, Metropolitan, Coast and Holiday Inn are also viable options in on the action. In summer rates really skyrocket.
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I'm in Vancouver regularly for business and am actually at the Fairmont Waterfront now. If you want a little more affordable than the Fairmont/Hyatt/Westin offerings, check out the Listel, Metropolitan, Holiday Inn on Howe, Coast and Sutton Place.
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Yes, 11am should be fine, but I would not arrive much earlier. For whatever reason, porters in San Juan don't take luggage much earlier, so you would have to stand in a luggage line if you arrived too early.
Perfect, thanks for the intel!
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Thanks for the list, very happy to see Oban on there!
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I'll also hijack the thread, how about Jewel with an 8:30pm departure from San Juan? She arrives early in the morning, so I'm assuming we can show up around 11, but would like to hear from others.
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Anyone have a recent Compass for the 7 day out of San Juan?
We are sailing March 4th and this will be our first time with Royal Caribbean and our first time doing a Southern Caribbean itinerary.
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We're on the same sailing. I'd also like to see it. I looked at the ones on the recent Brilliance post, but a completely different itinerary.
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April 2017 we were on the Jewel and had MTD at 5:30 each evening. That was the earliest. When I made the reservations online 6:00 PM was the earliest I could reserve for. Once I was onboard the Jewel I went up to the MTD podium and asked about a certain table for two (location) and at that time I was advised of the 5:30 time. We had the same table and time for both legs of our B2B cruise.
Perfect will check onboard, thanks!
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Hotel stay in Vancouver pre-cruise
in Canada (Alaska/Pacific Coastal)
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I take Richmond taxis frequently and I have never seen their vans with six seats because they have always in those I've been in had the wheelchair ramp replacing the third row of seats. This is anecdotal, but based on dozens of trips the past 5+ years I tend to agree with the other poster about them being hard to find. I also note that the faq mentions that drivers aren't permitted their phones, yet they always are on them with the Bluetooth earpiece.
Two taxis or the train are your most likely scenario and nothing wrong with either option aside from being a little more than the single taxi option. Never know maybe you'll get lucky.
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