Samanthac25

We have a late (9:50pm) flight home from Miami on Sunday, 12/29 and are wondering what in the world to do all day between disembarking in Ft Lauderdale and boarding our flight home. The idea of having to deal with our luggage and boredom for 12 hours with a 14 year old is a little daunting. We ended up with this late flight due to the high prices around holiday travel and deciding on this particular cruise last minute (we will plan better next time!)... That said, we have never been to the Miami area and are wondering if anyone has any suggestions with how to spend the day and/or what to do about our luggage? Thanks!

We have a late (9:50pm) flight home from Miami on Sunday, 12/29 and are wondering what in the world to do all day between disembarking and boarding our flight home. The idea of having to deal with our luggage and boredom for 12 hours with a 14 year old is a little daunting. We ended up with this late flight due to the high prices around holiday travel and deciding on this particular cruise last minute (we will plan better next time!)... That said, we have never been to the Miami area and are wondering if anyone has any suggestions with how to spend the day and/or what to do about our luggage? Thanks!

Today's sale saved me $100 on my Christmas 2020 cruise! Check your bookings and reprice if you're before the final payment date 🙂 

3 minutes ago, John&LaLa said:

 

Harmony around 10 am

 

This is a beautiful sight. I can only hope we get so lucky on our next two RCI cruises that are booked (Spring break 2020 and Christmas 2020). 

1 hour ago, Friend100 said:

We like Royal Caribbean and Holland America for different reasons: entertainment and onboard activities on RCI mega ships; itinerary, service, relaxation and value for money on HAL ships.

Couldn’t agree more. We’ve only ever sailed on Royal Caribbean so far. We’ve loved some cruises with them and hates others (mostly the mega ships). But, the entertainment on every RCI Cruise has been amazing.  We opted for HAL over Christmas this year for so many reasons but the top of the list includes the more laid back experience, less bells & whistles, value, and smaller ship. We have RCI booked for spring break again next April but if we love HAL this December, we’ll look to book exclusively with them going forward. 

22 minutes ago, ronbe65 said:

Sorry to hear that.

It sounds to me like half of the ship was not explored and enjoyed.

The Independence of the Seas is the best ship ever built for RCI, and one of a few best mega ships at sea overall. By its original design, this was a magnificent ship with amazing open spaces and fantastic bow to stern full circle promenade deck. I can continue, but in one word: that was a wow ship. The ship has suffered some improvements recently, such as adding cabins and exterminating "nooks and crannies" this wonderful ship had.

Even wounded and covered with scars, the ship is still one of the best and most spacious at sea. 

 

 

 

Don't assume we didn't enjoy ourselves because we didn't explore the ship. We did explore it for 7 days - and hated it the crowds. It's a nice ship but very difficult to enjoy when there are so many people on it that you can hardly walk through the promenade without people bumping into you, lines for attractions that are longer than the attractions are even open for (i.e. Flow Rider was open for 2 hours at a time and they cut the line off because the wait exceeded that time frame), and there's not one pool chair available on any deck. We don't love the mega ships for these reasons. To each their own, not everyone is going to share your opinion. We don't love the mega ships for these reasons.

We had a terrible experience on Independence of the Seas in April. The ship was so unpleasantly crowded that we didn't get to do much and couldn't even get chairs at the pool or on the sundeck. I travel with my 13 year old daughter and she didn't even enjoy it. We are going on our first HAL cruise over Christmas this year and are excited for a more laid back experience (from what we've heard). 

On a side note, we like to watch movies in our room too, especially since we go to bed fairly early. We have always brought our Amazon Firestick on RCI ships to hookup to the stateroom TV and streamed Netflix from it. 

18 minutes ago, parsec0298 said:

To everyone else, the OP was just asking a question.  One, I might add, that someone who was knowledgeable would be able to answer with a simple yes or no.  She came here looking for answers.  Is that not what internet forums are for?  Instead of helpful answers she got bombarded with judgmentalism and opinions on her lifestyle that she did not ask for.  I really wish people were more capable of showing empathy and compassion for those who face challenges that they do not face themselves.  I thought this board was supposed to be a welcoming place where we could all discuss the fun times we have on our cruises, and help each other have as much fun as possible on our next cruise.  Instead this board drove away a new user for asking a perfectly legitimate question.  But this is the internet after all, so I guess I'm expecting too much. 

You said exactly what I was thinking! 

Chair hogs nearly ruined our last cruise on Independence of the Seas spring break week in April. It didn't matter how early we got to the pool, every chair was saved with hardly any people in sight. With kids that we have to keep an eye on in the pool, it made it very difficult. We ended up skipping the pool multiple days because of it (queue the kid meltdowns). The one day we did get a chair (not even a good one), I left it once for 5-10 minutes to use the rest room and when I came back my belongings were on the ground and my chair was GONE. Someone must have taken it as soon as I left. It was one of the rudest things I've experienced on a cruise... I personally hate the chair game and wish cruise lines would find a way to add more and/or do a good job of enforcing the 30 minute rule!

One last question, since we are on the topic of dinner - Is there any way to find out what the MDR menus are ahead of time , so we can plan which nights we make reservations at the specialty restaurants and which nights we spend in the MDR? 

I would try to get someone to go in his place before losing the fare. I believe you can change a passenger name (at least you can with other cruise lines). If that doesn't work, it's probably just a loss but definitely call HAL and ask for his gratuities to be waived if you end up cruising alone... Best of luck and I hope your partner is well enough to enjoy the cruise with you 🙂 

Thanks, everyone! I went over the sample menus with my kiddo and she agreed to be more adventurous and try "real" adult food in each restaurant! So we are going to book the dining package for each of us that includes PG, Tamarind, and Canaletto. I am excited to try all of them, since I travel alone with my daughter I rarely get to enjoy "grown up" dinners onboard 😜

3 hours ago, Jareds_mommytoo said:

 I dont think that is on HALs website at all, i think that is miss information from a third party site. I know we paid full price for our daughter 

It’s definitely on the website. When you go into the manage your booking section where you can purchase specialty dining and click details on the restaurant you want to purchase, that’s where it’s listed. 

Specifically:

”Pinnacle Grill is the center of all fine dining on board where great steak, seafood, wine and service make for an unforgettable experience. At our specialty restaurants, meals are half price for kids 12 years old or under, and free when you order from the kids’ menu” 

“Tamarind is one of Holland America Line’s most acclaimed restaurants, offering a flavor packed Asian menu which focuses on quality and variety. All complimented with a sweeping view of the ocean, warm service and signature cocktails curated by Dale Degroff. At our specialty restaurants, meals are half price for kids 12 years old or under, and free when you order from the kids’ menu.”

8 minutes ago, AncientWanderer said:

Bottom line, as in most things, it's every man for himself.  I'll be washing, sanitizing, using napkins on tongs and staying away from the showroom when there is a lot of coughing onboard.  Don't judge me.

THIS!!! Yes!!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

I’m right there with you!!!

We are new to HAL but not new to cruising. We will be on Nieuw Amsterdam for Christmas this year. I am traveling with my daughter and in all the years we've cruised, we have never had dinner in a specialty restaurant. After reading all of the great reviews of Tamarind and the Pinnacle Grill, I am tempted to try them since it will be a special week for us (Christmas and my daughter's 14th birthday). I believe she will be too old to count as a "kid" for kid pricing with the regular menu, but can anyone tell me if it's worth trying these two restaurants with a teenager that can be somewhat picky?

She frequently orders off the kids menu, even in the MDR (at least she could do this with RCL), so the second part of my question is if she orders a off of the kids menu at Tamarind or Pinnacle Grill, will I be charged a kids price (even though she's not under 12) or will she still be charged as an adult?

The website mentions that if kids under 12 order from the regular menus, they are half price and if they order from the kids menu, they are free. I know she will not be free because of her age but if she orders from the kids menu, do they make any kind of reduction? I don't mind paying the extra fee to eat in the specialty restaurants, but I would hate to pay $39/$25 for my daughter to eat chicken fingers 🙂

Thanks in advance!!

2 minutes ago, summer slope said:

Thank you for the links.  I'm going to be super pro-active on our next cruises.

You're very welcome! Ever since my entire family lost more than half of our vacation to norovirus on a cruise one year, we have been extra vigilant about staying healthy onboard. It only takes getting sick once to turn into a germophobe on a cruise ship, as it's one of the most unpleasant things anyone could ever experience. 

Will we have the same servers for dinner each night in the MDR with "As You Wish" dining and potentially dining at different times each night? Or will the servers vary?

I am a firm believer in hand washing to eliminate germs but also bring my own hand sanitizer that will kill norovirus (since the Purell offered on most ships does not kill viruses). I opt for Clorox Hand Sanitizing Spray for my hands and Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant wipes to wipe down surfaces. This is a good site to reference for your options for sanitiers that kill norovirus, it also includes links to the official testing http://www.stopthestomachflu.com/Home/which-hand-sanitizers-kill-stomach-flu-viruses

Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant Wipes: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078HRLXZ5/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_9?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Clorox Bleach-Free Hand Sanitizer: 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DDZMLLK/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_1?smid=A1EJK2H1BM60M5&psc=1

Can anyone tell me when Princess will open the schedules for Christmas 2021 Hawaii sailings? Thank you in advance!

2 hours ago, Rover8 said:

Wish I was back in the Windjammer of the Explorer right now.   

This looks fantastic! I wish my WJ plates looked that pretty 😜 

We will have one day in Nassau over Christmas week. What is a better use of our time - Atlantis is Blue Lagoon Island? I will be traveling with my 14 yr old daughter if that makes a difference 🙂 

We are new to HAL and have had a ton of questions that everyone has been so helpful with answering... So, here’s another one for you 😜

We've only ever sailed on RCL and they always allow you to select as many items from the dinner menu as you want to try... Does HAL allow this? Or do they limit you to one? Not that we plan to overindulge regularly but some nights the options look so good that it’s difficult to choose between them. 

Quick question - do you have to be connected to WiFi to message in the HAL app? Or can anyone onboard message each other without paying for WiFi? I’m traveling with my teenager and will need to be able to communicate with her onboard when she ditches me 😜. I purchased WiFi for myself so we’d have it just in case we need it but was trying to avoid having to purchase it for her because I don’t want her glued to the phone on vacation. 

Im new to HAL, can someone tell me if the laundry service includes pressing or if that’s an option to add extra? My only complaint about cruising is my wrinkled clothes and not being able to iron them 😩

I’ll definitely confirm onboard but it’s super frustrating that there isn’t clear documentation and answers around this topic. Thanks for all of the replies! I appreciate this group so much!