Luvsnorkeling

No way, man! DO NOT stay on the ship if you love to snorkel or dive! Bonaire is a snorkeler's and diver's paradise!! At least 40 places where you can just wade in from shore and see some of the best reef and fish in the Caribbean!! Take the Sea Cow water taxi out to Klein Bonaire. If they still do it, ask them to drop you offshore. Then swim in close, and the easy current will float you down to the little beach area. Then wait for the water taxi to come back and pick you up and take you back to town. You'll be amazed at the beauty and may get lucky and see some turtles!

West Bay and West End are two different places. We got confused on our first trip to Roatan and went to West End by mistake. We wanted to snorkel and were very disappointed. Nothing there but a bunch of sea grass.

But West Bay is fabulous snorkeling. If you are a decent swimmer, there is no need to take a snorkeling excursion. A huge reef lies about 50 yards off a sandy beach. Very easy access and much to see on the reef. It's well worth the 45 minutes or so that it takes to get there from the cruise ship. Many places up and down the beach offer food and drinks for sale as well as chairs and umbrellas for rent. When on the beach and facing the water, walk left past the area where boats are anchored and the water toys are and go toward the cliffs at the end of the beach. Not necessary to go all the way to the cliffs to enter the water.

heelthatpain dot com heel inserts for shoes. I had plantar fascitis so bad I could not walk from the front to the back of the grocery store. Was even considering surgery. Then I found these online. They were cheap enough (like $24.95 a pair), so I thought I'd give them a try. 

I experienced instant relief the moment I put them in my shoes. And as you wear them over time, they actually fix the problem. After about a year of wearing them, I could wear normal shoes and sandals again without pain. However, I still put them in my regular shoes from time to time just to "maintain." I do not work for this company. Just trying to help as I know how painful and miserable PF can be... 

#1 15 day cruise to Hawaii for our 25th wedding anniversary. The descriptions of the islands do not do justice to their lushness and beauty.

#2 Cruise to Alaska. Seeing eagles, seals, orcas, humpback whales and a bear in the wild, along with the gorgeous snow covered mountains and glaciers...breathtaking!

We'd love to do both cruises again...

Thanks, everyone, for all of your responses. With not being able to cruise right now, it's kind of fun to live vicariously through the experiences of others and anticipate having some of the same experiences when I finally get to cruise again.

I don't know about you, but I have read tons of trip reports in the last few weeks and enjoyed following different ones throughout their cruise--from leaving home until their return. Seeing it through their eyes and looking at all their photos makes me feel in some small way like I've made the trip myself. And it does help to scratch the cruising "itch." 😎

Yeah, my cruise was not yet fully paid for. I guess that's why I got the price reduction on final payment.

Well, I gave it my best shot at completing the online form on Carnival's website. And Carnival got right back with me via email, saying that since I had booked through a travel agency, that agency would have to submit the price drop request. 

So I called the agency, thinking I had about a $100 reduction coming to me. I was surprised when, after a short wait, the agent got back to me and told me I had a $280 reduction in price. Awesome! And I got to keep my same cabin and all the onboard credit I already had! A win-win!

Saint Greg had it right! My ship will not have JiJi's. But thanks for the input! Maybe I'll get to try it on another ship.

Everyone's recommendations sound delish. Keep 'em coming! Thanks!!

Thanks everyone!! I'll give it a go!

When completing a price drop form on the Carnival website and requesting onboard credit for the difference in original and new pricing, could I possibly lose my cabin assignment and onboard credit from the original booking? No offense to anyone, but please only post if you've had experience in requesting price drops. Thanks!

Have never dined there from the $15 paid menu. What are some of your favorite appetizers, entrees or desserts? Thanks!

I saw a sign that said $20 taxi to Ocean World. Not sure if that was per person or for the entire taxi. Sorry on that point...

I just bought a Cancel for Any Reason policy for an upcoming cruise. I booked the cruise through an online agency, not Carnival. The TA from that agency said the agency has stopped selling Cancel for Any Reason insurance (I'm guessing because of COVID-19, because they sold it as recently as December of last year). But I found a policy through an online travel insurance broker where you can compare different companies and their policies. Just do a search on travel insurance and a few such brokers' websites will turn up.

The policy was not cheap. But it does cover cancelling for COVID-19 as well as a host of other reasons, including storms. It does not refund 100% of non-refundable charges; only 75%. Not sure any travel insurance will cover 100%. But that beats losing everything you've paid. It pays to cover charges for reinstating airline miles used for travel which is important to me. It also has better medical and medical evacuation coverage than cruise line policies have, and if you buy it within 14 days of making the first payment toward your cruise and/or travel expenses, it also covers pre-existing medical conditions, if that's an issue for anyone.

Hope you find what you're looking for...and happy cruising!! 😎

So if you wanted a table for just 2 persons, could you get it using the app? Or might you be seated at a larger table with others that happened to have 2 open seats? We will be celebrating an anniversary on this cruise and really don't want to share a table.

Thanks to those who have previously answered and thanks in advance to those who can answer this most recent question.

For those in Your Time Dining, can you request a table for a specific number of people on the HUB app? Say like a table for 2? or for 4? Or do you just have to take the next table that becomes available? Thanks!

When using the Carnival HUB app to reserve a table in Your Time Dining, can you specify a table for 2 or 4?

Thanks everyone!  

Twas the night before cruising

And all through the house

Not a creature was sleeping,

Not husband, not spouse

The cases were packed

And by the front door with care

Waiting for Uber to soon show up there.

And I in excitement was lying awake

Thinking of the trip we were soon going to take.

The sailing, the ship, and the food on my mind,

All we’d been waiting for soon we would find.

When suddenly horrified out of bed I did climb.

The passports! How could I? Almost both left behind!

The wife by me blissfully snoring away

Was dreaming of beaches and bright sunny days.

Soon we’d walk up the gangway excited to see

A beautiful atrium filled with laughter and glee.

Sniffing the air we’d head up to the buffet

What a wonderful start to our first cruising day!

The party now on! Faces all full of cheer.

Our shipboard vacation is finally here!

Grab the swimsuits, a towel, and get to the pool

Be the first to get there and the chair hogs you’ll rule!

Island music is playing, I feel like a dance

Time for movies and bingo and a bit of romance.

Six lobster tails, seven, let’s eat all we can,

They’ll bring you whatever, much more than on land.

Off to the show, who is starring tonight?

And tomorrow in port we’ll see even more sights!

Ah cruising, how relaxing, it’s the best vacay deal,

Can’t wait until morning to start it for real.

So with a wink of my eye, and a nod of my head

I’m finally and actually going to bed.

But before I roll over and turn out the light,

Happy cruising to all, and to all a good night!

Thanks, everyone, for the encouragement. We're going to give it a whirl...😎

Have never used Uber before.

Yikes!! $40!! OK, thanks for your input. Was hoping I could contact a cab company like the one we use in Ft. Lauderdale that will allow you to call the night before and schedule a pick up time for the next day. But if not, we will check with the hotel desk staff.

Thanks for your reply. We need to get from our hotel to the cruise port. It's out in Doral so don't think there will be taxis lined up there. 😊

From past experience, we don't want to use the hotel's shuttle service as it stops at every ship and you have to wait for everyone's luggage to be unloaded before moving on to the next ship. Prefer a straight shot taxi ride.  Hopefully, a local or someone who's used taxi service in Miami can help.

Hi, just wondering what is the most reliable taxi service in Miami? Not interested in a limo or any private type of transport service...just a plain old cab.

Also, is there one that you can call the night before to schedule a time for pick up? Thanks all!

Thank you to those who responded giving helpful information from their experiences similar to mine. I believe I now have the answers I was looking for. Heading out to sea soon...!!!