amybear912

If you are sailing on a closed loop cruise from the US, you do NOT need a passport to cruise.

 

However, be warned that should something happen that requires you to return to the US before the end of your cruise or should you get left behind in port, without a passport, you are in for a bit of a hassle.

A 9:20 am flight out of FLL brings back fond memories of a cruise we did a few years ago where disembarkation didn't even start until 9:30 due to a customs issue... Doesn't happen often but that one time...

 

My hats off to those who take that chance... You are braver souls than I...

Don't rule out Chops OR Portofino with the kids and actually, Portofino is probably the better option...

 

Check the menus for both venues... I'm positive that you will find plenty that works for the kids... Starters and soups, sides served family style etc; without large portions meat...

 

We ate in Portofino twice and neither of us ever touched any pasta...

 

On our last cruise we did both restaurants twice... Saw plenty of kids enjoying dinners with family...

 

I will say this relating to the cover charge as it pertains to discouraging children... I think it's meant to cause parents to evaluate if their children on an individual basis if the venue is right for them... You know your children and what they will enjoy/appreciate... You also know if your children will be able to handle the venue... I prefer to trust parents to make the best decisions for their own families...

5... Hell to the yeah:)

We just booked Country Inn & Suites with a great rate through Hotwire... We had originally thought we would stay in Cocoa Beach, closer to more restaurants and shopping...

 

So now we are trying to decide on evening plans upon our arrival... We are considering Grills or Old Fish House for dinner... Other recommendations?

 

By the time we get to our hotel it will be pushing 6:30, 7 pm... Does Grills take reservations?

 

We will not have a car as we are taking a shuttle from the airport... Anyone know taxi rates or other transport options in the area for the evening?

Sure... Give it a try!

 

I am certain your luggage will make it through screening..

 

Would you mind posting "live" from the naughty room for us?

 

Just buy the drink package and be done with it...

Nellies looks crowded! Maybe it's just because there were 2 ships in that day..

 

Is there any recommendation for a bit of seclusion without renting a cabana or being in a suite??

 

One of the things we love about Coco Cay is how easy it is to find a place away from the masses...

 

Love the pics by the way...

Thanks again jamida... I found Hampton Inn also had the deal... Same price as Comfort Inn... Still not sure who we are going with, but I set myself a deadline for end of the week to book:) Keeps me from driving myself nuts for too long trying to make a decision...

I just noticed we are sailing the same weekend except you're on the Dream and we board Freedom the next day...

Preston... This thread was invaluable to me many years ago when we first sailed from PC... So I knew I had to check it out this time around... I was glad to see it was still going...

Can you give me an opinion on a restaurant called Old Fish House? And do you think walking is feasible if we choose a hotel near there? Or would the trolley jamida mentioned be a better option? I'm assuming the trolley has hours of operation that might not work with our dinner plans...

jamida...

Also, thanks for the info on the trolley... That opens up a few options for us... DH is already grumbling about a potential walk of a few blocks to grab dinner...don't know what he thinks will happen onboard...

The search continues...

Yep... Timeshare schpiel confirmed! :) I knew there had to be something...

Oddly enough, DH and I did this exact presentation about 7 years ago... We had a ton of time to kill before our return flight, they offered us a ride back to the airport, we knew we weren't buying so we did the tour, had lunch, just kept saying no, wore them down until they hauled us back to the airport...

To be honest, I'm sure this is the right deal for some but not us... We don't have that extra time this trip...

jamida...

I was just looking at that site and you're right... It does sound too good to be true... And you know what they say about something that sounds too good to be true;)

I'm going to call them today and ask a ton of questions... And hopefully, one of the regulars from this thread will post their knowledge...

From what I see they are about $100 less than the packages from the hotels themselves... But in all honesty, I'm surprised no one has jumped on this business idea before... At those rates, I'm wondering how thèy make a profit... Hence the "too good to be true" vibe...

I'll post back later tonight with what I find out when I call...

We are looking at hotels in Cocoa Beach that offer fly, snooze, cruise packages... So far, I've found 2: Hampton Inn and Comfort Inn... Does anyone have any experiences to share on these two places and their packages? Other hotels in that area that offer same?

We really like the idea of paying one price that includes shuttle to/from MCO, shuttle to port, and hotel stay... We also like the idea of staying in Cocoa Beach where a drugstore and restaurants are close by...

Specifically, I am looking for info about the return shuttle to MCO...how flexible is the timing? Our flight is late enough that we plan to be among the last off the ship... Thereby avoiding the most of the madness of debarkation...

Also, is it reasonable to walk to nearby restaurants and a drugstore if we pick Hampton or Comfort Inn? Restaurant recommendations (it's my birthday the day we arrive... Nothing fancy, just a nice meal/ambience)...

If there are other hotel chains in the area that also offer fly, snooze, cruise I'd appreciate pricing info...

Radisson is low on our list at this point because as we remember there wasn't much nearby last time we stayed there (5 years ago)... If that's changed, we may reconsider...

Thanks.

The only thing I disagree with is the MDR dress...

 

We DID see teenagers in cargo shorts who were told to change into long pants before they could be seated... This was on Elegant Night on Freedom a few weeks ago...

I wouldn't do it...

 

College coursework is more intense than grade school and that first semester is a huge time of adjustment... New study habits, time management, new social challenges... Freshman year can be a bit stressful...

 

Also, as mentioned, October is usually mid term exams... Often a grade for a class will depend on two things: mid term exams and finals... Frequently profs will also schedule major assignments due at this time also...

 

I would book for December... Usually college kids are done a bit earlier than grade school... And often there are some great deals on cruises in December before the holiday... How nice it would be for your daughter to wrap up her first semester and then get to spend a week on a relaxing cruise!!!

 

By the way, she may enjoy the teen club now, but after a semester in college, it may not be so exciting:)

We have encountered rudeness onboard but then again, DH and I work in industries where we literally encounter those types of people EVERY SINGLE DAY!!!

 

It sucks when we come across it while on vacation but them's the breaks and I guess we've built up a tolerance to it or maybe we are both such a couple of smartasses that we've built up an arsenal of witty comebacks for those situations...

 

But I have to say that the rudest encounter we have had onboard was while sitting in the solarium and a Blue Hair started dragging a lounger across the deck... the lounger got caught on my DH's foot (he's tall so his feet tend to hang over the edge a bit)... she literally kept pulling on her lounger (and subsequently, DH's foot) until he yelled quite loudly, "OUCH, DAMMIT B**** my foot's not coming with you"...

 

She actually had the nerve to be offended, offered NO apology... rolled her eyes, huffed and puffed and acted all irritated by the incident...

 

The least she could have done was offered to buy him a drink after trying to take off his foot with her stupid lounger... :rolleyes:

A bra's second most useful quality is for holding little things like cash, credit cards, sea pass cards and lighters!!!!

 

You got it sister.... those suckers make great storage... as long as you've got enough there to hold everything in place... :D

We were told that if you purchased a specialty coffee, the pastries were free...

One improvement I would suggest is...only staff handle the food in Windjammer! I hate buffets because I don't like lots of people handling the food with ungloved hands.

I think the staff should dish the food and wear gloves and hair nets.

WE hardly ever eat at Windjammer because of this.

 

That's probably my only suggestion..other than that..I love RCCL.

 

 

This cracks me up... You do realize how many people handle your food before you do, right???

 

Let's see... there's the butcher who slaughters the cow your steak came from... the meat handlers at the plant... the migrant workers who harvest the fruits and veggies... the staff of the produce distribution company... the kitchen staff... seriously... you aren't so naive to think that you and the server are the ONLY people who handle your food are you???

 

More people handle your food before the server gets to it than you would probably ever imagine...

 

If you don't like people to handle your food, then you should never ingest anything you have not grown and prepared yourself... sorry, that's what we call reality.

If you're going to offer Starbucks coffee in Pormenade Cafe then offer all they have.........

 

 

Their contract is to serve Seattle's Best coffee... not Starbucks

NO SPEEDOS.

There's nothing worse than seeing hairy middle aged men walking around with a skin tight banana hammock on.:eek: Nasty I tell you, just plain nasty.

 

 

Yes, there is...

 

Overweight women in tiny bikinis:eek:

we sailed Mariner the week after the OP (2/4-2/11) and saw The Quest... there was nothing out of the ordinary for ours... I'm sure it varies slightly by sailing, maybe??

 

there were children present and I was more appalled by the parents for bringing them but hey, to each his own... don't come crying to me when your Prosti-tot daughter becomes a pop star, shaves her head, and enters re-hab...;)

when you buy liquor duty free, they usually take it from you as you are getting back on the boat and they hold it until you debark... at which time you can take it home to enjoy...

 

but I've known people who took it right back to their cabins...

 

I think it all boils down to personal responsibility... if you take on a whole bunch and then proceed to act like an idiot... you're going to run into problems...

 

taking a bit on and then being discreet (not acting like a drunken idiot) seems to be perfectly acceptable to the cruiselines...

So bottle o' booze (don't forget some come in plastic too! less chance of damage:) goes into said container... Said container merely protects the contents of the suitcase...

 

For the record... I wouldn't even consider taking a glass bottle onboard... I'm a bit brighter than that but I have known people who did... and it ended in tragedy...

 

Seriously, you should see this product I looked at online earlier... It really does look like an IV bag... I think someone posted the link for this early on in this thread... comes with funnels and everything...

 

There's obviously a market for this stuff...

Bruin Steve...

 

I certainly appreciate your taking the time to post your opinion... even more so, I appreciate the respectable way that you presented it...

 

So far, I think this thread has maintained much more decency and respect than other threads I have seen on the topic... Which is what I was hoping for... a forum for people who can share their tips and tricks without the flood of "it's wrong" all over the place...

 

It's a touchy issue...

 

More and more, I think simply having a basket delivered to your stateroom is the best way to go... Buying camping flasks and other equipment just doesn't seem economical or efficient - to me... Sounds to me like I would have to take an extra day off just to set up the whole thing before I pack...

 

Besides, as I stated earlier, the ship allows the delivery of the baskets so somehow that must not violate their policy... Has anyone had problems with the delivery of said booze baskets??

 

What I don't want this thread to become is an argument over whether or not it is moral or 'right' or a violation of policy... That doesn't seem like the point... It obviously happens anyway. I want to know is what the best way is, how is it accomplished, what's the etiquette, what's the preferred method and why, what has worked and what hasn't... The details of the crime, if you will...

If you must smuggle on the plane and ship, please invest in the proper tools. A requirement is good packing material and the most important item the waterproof float bag. These are sold at REI, Dicks, Bass Pro Shops, or any local outdoor camping/canoeing store. They are rubberized bags that you roll up and make them waterproof. If you bottle breaks it will contain the contents. Open your bag in the shower just in case!

 

jc

 

Okay... but how does the container affect the product?? Do you know what I mean?? Sometimes the plastic or rubber smell of the container leaves a strange taste or smell to the product that you put into it... A good run through the dishwasher do the trick??

 

We have Dick's up here, so maybe I'll go check them out... But I do worry about that smell and taste issue... I don't want to lug this stuff onto the ship and then have it ruined because of the container it was packed in...

 

Thanks for the tip!