Damikaan

I paid extra to do the official port covered parking garage. I got put on the third floor with no cover, so it was not worth paying extra for the garage.

Just off the Ruby Princess. We left out of Pier 1 and returned to Pier 2. Both departing and arriving, I left my parents and luggage at the pier and quickly and easily walked to the parking garage. We were the first group off the ship so there wasn't much traffic. So it all worked out really  well.

Thanks for the replies! I was hoping to avoid dealing with traffic to get back to the terminal, but I guess that is my only option. 

It is the official Port of Galveston covered Parking garage. It is listed on the map above in a Green Rectangle as SMP Garage. Google maps showed it as a .2 mile walk to Cruise terminal 28. I know porters will take luggage to where you meet shuttles, but there is no shuttle for the garage so I wondered if they would take us all the way to the garage. 

Ruby Princess. Terminal 2, not Port 2.

We are set to park in the covered parking at the Galveston port. At the time I booked it, my dock was just across the street. Since then, they moved us to the next dock. I have elderly parents with me. Does anyone know if a porter would be willing to take our luggage all the way from port 2 to the covered parking garage?

Thanks!

Thanks for the replies. I sure hope they still have the hazelnut dessert on the Ruby. I have been craving it for the last 3 years!

It's been a while since I've been on a Princess Cruise. One of my favorite things on Princess was the Normal Love Chocolate Journey desserts. I know they aren't affiliated with Normal Love anymore, and they don't label the desserts as a Chocolate Journey on the current menus.  I have seen they still have the hazelnut dessert and the pistachio dome. Does anyone know the names of any others that are still offered? I don't want to miss any on my upcoming cruise on the Ruby. Thanks!

I haven't been on a Princess cruise in many years so I don't know what has changed, but overall it has been my favorite. Lately I have done mainly Carnival cruises because I can drive to the ports and the post covid prices have been amazing. But until 6 or 7 years ago I mainly sailed on Princess (I would have been in my forties at the time.)

A few of the things that I love about Princess are on embarkation day you can eat lunch in the dining room which is so much more relaxing than the buffet after a day or two of traveling and the process of getting on board. I find the entertainment to be more varied on Princess than on Carnival. I've seen some great comedians on Princess that are hilarious without being raunchy. They have a lot of fun games scheduled during the daytime such as majority rules, family feud, etc. On some Princess ships, when the horn blows leaving port, they play The Love Boat theme song on the horn. The food in the dining room is excellent on Princess. A few times a week, they have different desserts they call "chocolate journey" which are incredible!!!!!

My husband and I also enjoy the Oasis class ships on Royal Caribbean. We didn't care for the food as much, but the shows are  unique and entertaining. We saw full Broadway type productions of Cats and Mamma Mia, shows similar to Cirque du Soleil, high dive shows, and ice skating shows. We also loved the Central Park area. The one drawback to the Oasis class ships are that there's not a lot of places overlooking the ocean, it is more inward focused, but I recommend trying it at least once.

My sister and I are traveling with our parents. They are platinum level but we are not. When they check in online 16 days in advance, can they  reserve the same check-in time for us as their travel companions or do they need to wait to check in with us on day 14 so we all get the same time? We are driving in together and they are older and use walkers and need our help. 

We loved our California coast cruise! We did the one with Canada rather than Ensenada. Our favorite activity was going to Alcatraz in San Francisco. It was easy to rent a car in Santa Barbara and spend the day exploring the area and enjoying the amazing weather. I am happy to go on any cruise but not a huge beach person, so my favorites have been Alaska, New England, and the California coast.

Any more info on the medical emergency? My elderly parents are on this cruise. I assume I would have been notified if it was them. 

20 hours ago, thymcruisers said:

 

 

 

JUST WONDERING IF THE 10 MIN WALK WAS FROM Puerto May dock or International dock. Was the $29 all inclusive  day posted or did you have to ask? What did the "all inclusive " include? We will be in Cozumel in Jan and again in Feb and this is exactly what we'd like to do.

We walked from the Puerto Maya dock. Go out of the shopping area and turn left, you will pass the other dock on the way there. It is an easy walk on a sidewalk (we are 50 somethings with assorted bad knees and ankles and we managed fine).  The $29 is a current special but the website says that price is good through Dec. 20, 2022. They are currently limiting guests to 30 per day. You can make reservations in advance on their website, although we just showed up and paid that day. There were only a few other people there besides us.  It included chairs, pool, wifi, bathrooms, all food and beverages. (Bring your own towel.) Their website shows the menus. It isn't a great area for swimming and there is no real beach, but it was a great relaxing day.

Just back from a cruise there. We got off and walked to Del Mar Latino Beach club. An easy 10-15 minute walk from the Carnival port.  $29 all inclusive day pass. They did not require us to wear masks there.

Just got off the Glory yesterday. Our ship was at 60% capacity and everyone we talked to paid very little for their room. We had a balcony cabin for $169 per person for the week but some people got their rooms for free if they have a history of spending a lot in the casinos.  It was a fantastic cruise, no waiting for anything except pizza. 

How does tipping work at an all-inclusive place like Del Mar? Do you tip every time you get a new food or drink item or do you tip at the end of the day?

8 hours ago, UniPac said:

I am also researching Beach Club options for our Cozumel visit. May I ask why Mr Sanchos, Paradise Beach or Nachi Cocum are not on your list?

3 hours ago, c-leg5 said:

Probably wanting the convenience of no transport time and cost if docking at International or Puerta Maya.

 

Del Mar and El Cid are a totally different experience to the three you mention with regards size and amenities.

Yes,  I just want a place close to port so we can walk there. I am definitely leaning towards Del Mar, it is nice that they have their menus on their website. The El Cid resort looks really nice but for unlimited food it is quite a bit more expensive than Del Mar and I really haven't been able to see their food options.  I saw a youtube video about El Cid and the people were eating burgers, I would definitely prefer some Mexican food or seafood. 

I am trying to decide between El Cid and Del Mar Latina Beach Club. Does anyone have a photo of the menu or remember what kind of food options are available on at El Cid Resort? Any other comments or opinions on these 2 options? Thanks!

That is disappointing about the shrimp. Hopefully they will still give you 2 lobster tails if you ask for it.

All the threads on covid testing are important, but I need some fun posts to help me pass time before I leave next week on my first post covid cruise. I would love to hear what foods people love in the main dining room. Any pictures are appreciated, especially of items on the current menus.

25 minutes ago, CTKaren said:

Karen, you should be able to do it on your cell phone. You probably need a way to either prop it up or have someone else hold the camera for you.

I am just off of the Sunshine. The best time to go to JiJis for lunch is embarkation day when there are only a few people in line, before everyone discovers it. The last sea day I was craving it and waited in line for 50 minutes. (And I did go to the line opposite the entrance.)

It was a fun excursion. Unfortunately, our ship left port early afternoon so we didn't have time to have the lobster cooked fresh for us, but others on the excursion got to purchase the lobster for a very reasonable price.

Even if it isn't high tide, thunder hole is a pretty area and I would still recommend seeing it.

Been reading your posts...fantastic review. We will be on Adventure 09/28. Couple questions.... How smooth are the seas this week? Do you know where muster station D18 is located?

We were on the 9/7 sailing, our muster station D22 was in the dining room. There were several other groups that were also in the dining room, but I don't know if D22 was one of them.