aknguyen

I have a set of microfiber towels that work well for this. They fold up into a pouch with a carabineer and are about 6" x 8" x 1". Sand doesn't stick and they dry very quickly. We use them for beach days, pool days, even if we pushed laundry day too far and are out of clean fluffy towels.

I don't see a need for booking in advance. The ticket booth is a few feet from the place where you get onto the chairs. We simply walked up, paid, and then immediately got onto the chairs.

My 7 year old always found something to eat in the MDR and he is super picky. As far as dress code, he wore jean shorts or khaki shorts on non-elegant night and khakis, a button down shirt, and a bow tie on elegant nights. 

He loved the kids program. We checked in on the first day and he got to look around. I think that helps get them mentally prepared for it. Once he was there and found out the activity schedule, he asked to go back for certain events.

OK, thanks. I'll do that.

The CDC lists a lot of diseases as concerns for most cruise ports. I don't think very many passengers take preventative medication.

I'd talk to your doctor and get a recommendation. I talked to mine and we concluded I didn't need to take anything or get any additional vaccinations. But I am up to date on my routine vaccinations, don't plan on getting pregnant, am not immuno-compromised in any way, and am generally healthy. Each person will have a different situation and a medical professional would give the best advice.

I'm a lurker so forgive me for bursting in unannounced. You ladies have brought me to tears this morning. Good tears. All of you have made very good points. There are so many emotions at this time of year. Thank you for letting me read along even though I don't have anything to contribute.

One thing to note is that the food items come with copious amounts of sugar and food coloring unless you specify otherwise. I didn't realize each square of my waffle would be filled with red or blue icing. I didn't care for that. Now I know to ask for my items as they are served on a non-Seuss day.

We tipped at the end. We were checked on very frequently...the service was great. Ask for Mateo.

22 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

Depends on number of ships anchored that day and how far way you are.  But count on 20 minutes.  Can be 15 or 30.  45 seems excessive.

 

 

I agree. It took us right at 20 minutes.

Do the shops and restaurants accept US cash? Some of the websites I've found only list prices in pesos so I'm wondering if I need to bring some with me.

The day varies by itinerary but definitely a sea day. You are correct that you cannot book before you board. You don't have to sign up for the parade but you do have to sign up for the brunch. There's supposedly a table set up somewhere for signing up but we missed it so I went to guest services. Took less than 2 minutes. 

I've been using an insulated metal tumbler with a silicone-tipped steel straw for several years now. I like to have a nice cold drink with me at all times; sometimes it's water, sometimes it's tea, sometimes it's an adult beverage. For me, cleaning it really isn't that big of a deal. I took it on my last cruise and didn't find it a burden... I did wash it in the cabin's bathroom sink. I don't understand how it's any more disgusting that using the water from the sink to rinse your mouth after brushing. I don't fill the sink and dunk the cup and straw. Instead, I put a bit of soap into it and use a washcloth and the tiny brush that came with the straw. Swirl and then rinse. It doesn't touch any surface in the bathroom.

I also have a set of silicone straws that fold up into a plastic holder similar to the Carnival one. Again, I don't find it to be a burden. If possible, I rinse it out before putting it back into the holder. If not, no big deal. That's what soap is for when I get to a sink. The little holder lives in my purse. It's small enough to keep in a wristlet or small cross-body purse so it's very mobile.

I guess my point is that for the most part it isn't a huge, life-altering thing to carry a reusable straw on a cruise or otherwise. Is it as convenient as disposable plastic? Of course not. However, I can still have a straw with minimal effort on my part. The same goes for the reusable tote bags that have replaced the single use bags as well as reusable utensils that replace the single use utensils that I use for lunch. It took a few days of adjustment and now it's not a big deal to me.

6 minutes ago, StolidCruiser said:

 

After you are done using your plastic straw brought from home, will you be putting it back in your neck-purse to carry off for disposal at the home from which you brought it?

The visual on this is hilarious!

As others have said, it's free to walk to the beach area and use a basic lounge chair. It costs money to ride the magical flying chairs and rent things like clamshells, floats, lockers, etc. You do not need an excursion to ride the magical flying chairs and rent additional equipment...you can do that simply by walking up to the booth. However, you can rent them as an excursion through the cruise line if you're worried about availability. We went in June and had no problem getting everything we wanted. I don't know what it's like during other times of the year.

No, you just walk up to the ticket booth, purchase, and get on.

10 hours ago, Don Kehote said:

I don't really like this.

 

I've enjoyed booking a cruise with a low deposit, and paying it off casually over time.  Our next cruise, in fact, was paid for a little bit at a time using the proceeds from quitting smoking.  It was a helpful tool as I could see something tangible - each time I had saved $100, I'd put it in the account.

 

I don't want to do that if I have to have a credit inquiry and interest.  It's difficult for me to justify the expense of a vacation.  This will just make it a little more difficult because, again, I do not want to pay interest.  If I find something else that I'd be better off spending a lump sum of money on (say, for instance, an extra mortgage payment, or car maintenance), that's going to take precedence over dropping $1500 at once on a cruise.  Hate it, but it's true.  

You don't have to use this service. This is an additional service and all others are still there to use.

On ‎11‎/‎14‎/‎2019 at 2:45 AM, SRF said:

 

It depends if it is a food borne illness (infection) or a food borne toxin from micro organisms.

 

Toxins act more quickly.  Some very quickly, but the more common ones are several hours, but not as long as 24 hours.

 

For illness versions, it also depends on the dose.  A very heavy dose will not require many multiplications to be an issue.

I didn't say all. I said most. We'll probably never find out for sure what she had since she wasn't tested and there aren't any other reports of illness. They may have occurred but those people didn't post here. It's all speculation, including my own comments. But you can continue to debate if it suits you.

As someone above mentioned, you can have a monkey placed in your arms but they much prefer to run and jump around so you probably won't be able to hold one for very long. The sloths don't move much so they snuggle much more.

Most food poisoning symptoms take at least 24 hours to start so it likely wasn't the beach club from Cozumel. If it was some type of foodborne illness, it was likely something else days (or even weeks in some cases) before. Or it could have been Noro. That can hit as little as 12 hours after exposure. Just my 2 cents.

I don't think it's reasonable to expect there not to be a line for food anywhere ever. Name a restaurant on land that doesn't have a line during peak hours. The lines I experienced on the Vista were short and moved quickly so I really did not see a problem with it. So I have to wait a whole 5 minutes to get to the start of the buffet line...big deal. I think the longest we ever waited was about 20 minutes for JiJi's at noon. That's in-line with places I'd visit at noon at home so I have no issue with it...I don't consider that a "long line." 

My 7 year old loved it. We were on the AI side but sat a little further out from the bar area. If there was anything raunchy going on, we were far enough away for it to be unseen.

I'm a born and raised Houstonian so I know how finicky the weather is in January!

I've only ever cruised in the summer. How long does it take to get to warmer weather (75+ degrees F) when leaving from Galveston in January?

I use this brand and I am very pale and needs lots of SPF. You can buy it direct or through Amazon.

https://mexitan.com/

They also have bug spray.

Thanks for all the input!