CaribbeanCrush

Only pretentious people who think they are better than others worry about pointing this out.

Exactly! We all knew what the poster meant. Nice way to be welcomed to CC... :rolleyes:

Really helpful!! Thank you all!

Think in Falmouth we will now book an excursion!

Really tempted by the beach club day in Cozumel so will see if places available!

I guess nachi cozum (spelling?!) is booked privately and not through royal Carribean?

Many thanks guys! X

On our visit to Falmouth we did the Bamboo Beach excursion through RCCL. If you are looking for a nice beach day with local cuisine and plenty of rum punch you might enjoy that one. We'd do it again for sure!

Ok. I just read about Falmouth being unsafe but never really first hand accounts as to why. I summered in a Mexican town one year and never felt unsafe. It was different and more poor than I was used to, but I didn't see crime. Just makes me wonder.

We have ventured off on our own in Ocho Rios and Montego Bay. We stayed on the main route to the shopping/dining area and felt save because there were other cruiser doing the same. I didn't get that impression in Falmouth. Didn't see people leaving the gated area on foot.

I love St Kitts! We did a Southern last year that included it and it was beautiful. One of my favorites.

 

I think my choice would be easier if it was either Liberty or Independence and not Freedom for the eight night... Then I would at least get to experience a new ship. Right now I am leaning towards Freedom because I don't think the waterslides are worth $400.

I'm pretty excited about the 'extra' day too!

That's the one I'm looking at too.

I'm excited because we've never been to St. Kitts!

That's just it. For all the people on board, it varies greatly how they've all arrived. So, given that variation, it's interesting that such a majority would then follow the same pattern after boarding.

We have been fortunate enough to be able to fly in a day or two before the cruise. We usually get up early, workout and have breakfast at the hotel. We aren't usually in a rush to get on board, but on several occasions we have boarded before our cabin was ready. Quite frankly there isn't much to do if you don't care to hang out at the pool and you know the layout of the ship. We like to get a bite to eat before the adult beverages start and our long wait for late seating in the MDR, even with lunch I'm usually more than ready for dinner by then. But, I would guess that a fair amount of cruiser either avoid the WJ or don't know that it's available on the boarding day... We honestly didn't know about it 'til our 3rd cruise. :)

My vote is for the extra day for less money! :) We have been looking at the Freedom Jan. 21, 2017 sailing. Your question has actually nudged me closer to booking it! Love the Freedom

Several of you suggested not walking around in Falmouth. Just curious, have any of you done it? It seems a lot of people recommend not doing it, but I haven't read any bad stories of people who actually do. There used to be several people who encouraged it and one who even created a self-guided tour. What have you experienced that would discourage others?

We have only had one experience with Falmouth. We did some shopping at the port, but also had booked an excursion. I had really wanted to stay close to the ship (I wasn't up for a long bus/van ride), but had read some negative comments about walk around. I was on the lookout for stuff outside the port area for planning future visits. I can't say that there wasn't anything to do or see, but I didn't see anything from my vantage point on the van leaving or returning to the port.

Chankanaab!! And do the dolphin encounter which is at Chankanaab. Love that place.

Agreed! We have a great time at Chankanaab. Good place for snorkeling!

Depends what you want to do in Cozumel- wander around downtown, shopping, eat at Pancho ' s Backyard. Get a taXi to Mr Sancho ' s beach club ( have a look at it on You tube) all inclusive for $50 per day is a good deal. Take a tour to the Mayan ruins if that's your interest.... The best excursion we ever did in Cozumel was the Royal Swim with Dolphins - book direct with http://www.dolphindiscovery.com. Go over to the Ports of Call board, there are pages of information about each port.

As for Falmouth- do some reading about it before deciding to go walkabout. For myself I would go to the new Margaritaville there, and have a lazy day in the pool.....

I also recommend Pancho's!

It was a frozen piece of Tyson chicken "pattie" :D How impressive could that be? :cool: I found it to be ok if you got a fresh piece but not good at all after it sits a while.

 

I think the main reason people raved about it was the fact that in the past, it was only served on boarding day for lunch in the Windjammer. I guess it signified the start of their cruise? :)

 

A frozen lava flow from the Pool bar signifies the start of mine :D

 

Nice way to start a cruise!

In Cozumel we usually do half a beach day and then run into today for some lunch and shopping.

You might consider an excursion in Falmouth as well. There is some shopping at the port, but it's nothing special. Not much else. I am not sure, but I don't think there is anything within walking distance. I'm sure someone else could chime in on that.

The WJ on embarkation day is the traditional start to a cruise......along with paella and strawberry melon drink. Then sitting on the pool deck watching all the cruisers arrive and their looks of amazement. We are in our bathing suits and relaxing as we 'people watch'.

Love watching the new cruisers!

When we've gone to the WJ it's been pretty early, before the rush, but I have to admit that part of the enjoyment for me is seeing the new cruisers sorting out their first meal on board the ship. You can still see the amazement in their eyes.

No, if I post a review, I don't expect a debate about my experience or opinion. If I disagree with someone who has posted a review, I don't think that I'm going to sway their opinion (besides, they might be right!) :) On the other hand, when someone is asking for your opinion it's time to chime in!

Haven't purchased a formal night photo since our first cruise.

We've been to JR's on the Liberty and most recently the Freedom. We've always enjoyed it, but then again, maybe it was the view. Love to sit outside eating and watching the ocean good by. Can't do that at home! :)

We usually have to be at or near the rail to get any sun.

August 28,2016...talk about a wait:eek:

Oh well at least it's something fun to look forward to!! :D

Plenty of time to plan! :D

We booked Freedom for December of this year. I think we are crazy for going between Thanksgiving and Christmas, it's already a very busy time of the year. We are know that we'll need to have all our Christmas shopping done before we leave town.

We love the MD too. We tend to make it fun, even when our table mates are a little more reserved than us. My wife is really good at getting people to open up. I always enjoy meeting our table mates. Most of the experiences have been very good. Alot of times we end up planning to meet outside of the MD, for a show, drink or even excursion. By the end of the cruise we usually exchange contact info (i.e. email addresses) and have kept in contact with a few couples.

We've been in one on decks 6-9. Didn't seem to make a big difference for us. The elevators are close. We love the hump cabin for the view.

1. My balcony

2. Solarium

3. The Windjammer :D

Couldn't agree more! I'm loving this and agreeing with most of the replies! :)

 

We sleep with the curtains wide open on vacation (and closed tight at home, weird huh?). We love that first glimpse of dawn - the moment the sky changes color from black and we are up. I will usually work out in the gym while hubby takes pictures on the balcony and stays behind with a coffee and his donuts. :p

 

Never gets old.

Love workouts on the ship thinking about he breakfast to follow in the Windjammer!

We do love our balcony cabins.:) Great at night before going to bed to sit and have that final drink listening to the waves, watching for other ships on the horizon, and looking at he stars.:) In the morning; juice, coffee, fruit and bread(s) delivered by room service and sitting on the balcony as we pull into port.:) All is great until it's that last morning. Don't enjoy pulling into our debarkation port.:(

I agree! Love waking up that first morning and stepping out onto the balcony. We usually order room service and have breakfast out there at least once during the cruise.