rjrpar

Please be advised/warned......the Shops on Board do not belong to RC! This was the first time we ever purchased an expensive piece of Jewelry while on board...a Diamond Bracelet to be exact...we were never given our "Certificate of Authenticity". Now we are home and just realized it...Called RC and they basically can do nothing since this is an outside company. Well I had to call them-now I am the one jumping thru all the hoops to get what I should have been given when we paid for it. This I feel is the responsibility of RC to get this right-since the sales people in the shops all had RC name badges on....who would have known this? We've been cruising for 15 years with RC and never knew this. It also was the first time we have ever bought a piece of fine Jewelry while on the ship....never again! Buyer beware!

Why is it always another’s responsibility. Aren’t you the one that forgot to request the certificate.

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You will absolutely get in. There is no dress code. Just got off the Anthem and the guy next to us had on a t-shirt and and a Yankee cap, turned backwards. Yes, on formal night.

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That happened to me as well last cruise..didn't post till on board 2 days. I have 150 OBC I would like to see post to my acct. before our sailing next month. I redeemed the in January.

Why? It will show up in a day or two once onboard

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Just a warning-if you are not a good swimmer they do not watch! DH had a very bad experience. When I told the head office they did say they gave the crew their walking papers because it was unacceptable. But DH will no longer go on a cat. I told the crew he needed to be watched, and we have swim all over the world but this time the crew was not what we had hoped for. just saying.

Not to start an argument but it sounds like you and hubby share the blame.

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Calabaza is 1st class, great food and crew.

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We have just concluded our day with Calabaza and I must say, after many cruises and tour excursions over the years, Calabaza was the best we have ever experienced. The service, hospitality, friendship, information, care and concern, and attention to every detail was simply remarkable. Every good thing you read about this tour is spot on! We spent the day with Gina, Aaron and Chris and will gladly return to do it all again on a future visit. It was phenomenal!

 

Kris and Jim from Colorado

We just got off Calabaza II on Sunday and had a great time. Crew, food, drinks were all 1st class, what a nice day.

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Ultimate Dining Package. Lets you dine in specialty all week for one price. For ours it is $168. Much cheaper than the difference to switch to a suite or an expensive line. We don't do it because we are fine with the included options, but if better service and better food is the main gripe (not sure it is), then that might be a great way to get at least closer to what you were missing.

This is an excellent point. Cruise fares are pretty cheap nowadays and the cost to eat in specialty restaurants still makes the total cost a good value. And the food is better than the

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We were in Puerto Rico in Jan, and just in San Juan last weekend- Sprint has good service in San Juan and Ponce.

Thanks, we will be there next week

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Any of the licensed taxi drivers will do a good job as a tourist guide. If you head to the cruise port taxi stand you will see a sign that outlines various tour options. If you want something different just talk it over with the dispatcher.

Any idea of price. We have 4 people and would like a 2-3hr circle tour going from the cruise port to Orient, Grand Case, Marigot, and ending in Phillipsburg. Not interested in long stops, just want to see the progress of recovery. Thanks

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We have left over Euros from last summer in Europe. Will we be able to use them on the Dutch side for taxis or at the restaurants?

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I just hope Carnival doesn't use the Security personnel as scapegoats. It was Carnival's ( the Captain's) decision NOT to nip it in the bud earlier by off loading them. By allowing them to remain on board it put the under-trained Security staff in a very awkward position and they dealt with the gradually escalating situation in the only way they knew. Carnival....it's your fault. Yes, improve the Security training but first, accept the blame.

Totally agree, thanks

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This has nothing to do with cutbacks and all to do with the people who were fighting.

Correct but the super cheap fares are attracting certain types of people.

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We did the "Tour 2", which is the longer of the two provided.

 

 

 

We made extended stops at the lookout point by Oyster Pond, Orient Beach (about 10-15 minutes), made an extended swim/beach stop at Friars Bay Beach (about 90 minutes), Marigot market (30 minutes), Maho Beach/airport (30-40 minutes, my wife and I had a quick lunch here) and then a 10-15 minute stop at a French bakery in Cole Bay I believe, because quite a few people wanted to stop and grab some pastries.. I think that was it for the major stops, there were a few other very quick stops for viewpoints and guide information.

 

 

 

Not much flexibility as far as where the tour went...the itinerary was pretty set out. We made a stop at the temporary iguana farm but no one really wanted to get out for pictures so we just left.

 

 

 

We got lots of information about the island itself, the history, and of course what has happened since Irma.

 

 

 

I would say that if you think you'll be at all uncomfortable with scenes of destruction, a full island tour where you witness a lot of it first hand may not be for you.

 

 

 

I love St Maarten, it's one of my favorite places I've been (if not my #1). The resilience of its people made me love it even more.

 

 

 

We are going back in November on Adventure, and we decided that we want to do the Bernard's tour again.

Thanks. We love staying at Anse Marcel and eating in Grand Case. I wanted to view them firsthand to assess when they may reopen the hotels, hoping for next year. It is difficult to find someone to drive us to these locations (and a few more) at a fair price. We are only interested in a driving tour with very short stops. Thought about renting a car but want to stop in Phillipsburg for lunch and didn’t want to deal with parking and driving back to pier after “a few” drinks. Hoping to find something at the taxi stand upon arrival in 2 weeks.

Thanks again

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Did Bernard’s about two weeks ago....great tour.

 

SXM not in great shape, but they did a really good job showing the island, explaining what happened and the recovery efforts, and didn’t hide anything. Worth every penny.

Can you list some of the sights you saw and if there was any flexibility in the itinerary. Thanks in advance

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We had a significant problem with Spencer a couple years ago. A busy day in port and he over scheduled. When people got upset with his poor service he lost his cool and started yelling at some folks. Never again for us

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I have been scouring CC for months looking for an answer to my question about the Fitness Facility onboard, but haven't been able to find one - does the Fitness Facility have a locker room/changing area with shower's for use after working out? I'm not booked until 1/18/2019, but I LOVE reading the "live" reviews from Anthem. Gives me ideas and things I can dream about until I finally make the trip. Have a great time.

No

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I think the deposit needed for that was $25pp. Which then goes towards the costs of chairs, umbrellas, drinks, food, etc.....

$25 is correct. Just reserved thru Gail for March 2.

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We're cruising in Alaska in August. A Premium Beverage Package costs $68.99 per day. For us, that seems really steep. Princess says it includes 15 alcoholic drinks per day plus unlimited sodas, bottled water, fancy coffees, etc. Fifteen alcoholic drinks is way too much for us. In fact, 15 drinks a day is more than enough for both of us together.

 

 

 

Here's my question: If we buy one of these packages, can we share it? In other words, could hubby buy the package and then head to a bar on the ship and order one beer (for him) AND one glass of wine (for me) at the same time? Or could he go to a coffee place and order 2 lattes and use his package for both - as long as we don't go over the 15 drinks per day max? If this is allowed, then we'd consider buying one Premium Package for him and one of the soda packages for me.

Please tell me you are not serious

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Highly recommend Bernard's Tours on St. Maarten if you're looking for an island tour. $40/pp and was excellent when I used them. I was a solo cruiser that trip, and only shared the tour with a couple from Germany, so it was practically a private tour. http://www.bernardstours.com/

They just quoted me $300 for 4 people for 3 hours.

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There are many cruise lines providing this type of experience. It sounds like your tastes and checkbook are in conflict

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Has anyone used them for island tours since the hurricane? The tours described on their website are what we want at a fair price but they are not responding to emails. I’m wondering if they are back in business.

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It was a taxi but I requested a private van because I didn’t want to share.

 

So it wasn’t necessarily a tour company, but in reality it did the same thing.

 

 

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Thanks for the the clarification. One more question- how long did you use the taxi for the $30pp? We have only 4 people, guess that would add to the cost/person

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In St. Maarten there was no negotiation with the taxi prices. The prices are printed on the board. As you walk up the operators are there and the taxis are lined up in the curb. And they pull up in order.

 

I found one at the pier/port.

 

When I walked out of the ship, the only people i saw were pre booked tours with signs.

 

Once I walked inside the port, there were no one hanging around like most ports. Very very quiet... then I walked to the side and I found the taxi set up.

 

I asked the taxi why is it set up this way, he mentioned that is set up this way to protect the tourist from being scammed etc.

 

 

 

 

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Sorry, I misunderstood your post. Thought you used a private van for your tour and paid $30pp . I guess you used a “public” taxi for your tour

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The taxi are all regulated and they have buses and cars.

 

We did the taxi and we did want to share because it was 6 of us and the bus was closed in. Therefore, we paid $30 instead of $25 per person for a private van.

 

They can take you to all of the stops you mentioned in 2.5 hours.

 

 

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Did you prearranged the private van or find one at the pier and negotiate the price?

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We were hoping to take a tour, either public taxi or private van, to see the beaches on the French side. Would like to see Orient, Anse Marcel, Grand Case, Marigot and then get dropped off in Phillipsburg to shop and have lunch - maybe 2-3 hours. Any advice how to arrange this?

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