NorthCarolinaBelle

Watermelon and Feta Salad at Aqua Spa Cafe only the 1st or 2nd day, can't remember which. (All the salads are great!)

Desserts at Aqua Spa Cafe are wonderful and light!

Croissants, coffee, fruit, and bacon on my balcony via room service!

Banana and Nutella crepe in Bistro on 5. (Upcharge)

Hamburger at Mast Grill with mushrooms and grilled onions.

Hotdog at Mast Grill with sauerkraut and grilled onions (keep the TUMS handy)

Creme brulee in MDR.

We stayed there two years ago and loved it! We were in the room right beside the lobby where you check in. It's not as private as the other rooms, or as quiet during the daytime, but it's one of the biggest, and no stairs!

We've stayed in Old San Juan twice for under $200 a night. There are many boutique hotels (not chains) right in the middle of Old San Juan that are charming and unique, and cheaper than the chains. We stayed at CasaBlanca and Villa Herencia, but there are others, too. Go to the San Juan section under the Ports of Call boards for more suggestions.

I would highly recommend sailing out of San Juan if you can, but Florida is okay, too. Just be sure and go on Southern route, as mentioned before. We cruised to Western Caribbean one time and it was too cold to swim. Likewise, the Bahamas are very iffy, weather-wise, and not nearly as beautiful.

Bermuda! Clean, beautiful, safe. Love the overnights there - gives you more time to explore or simply lie on a beautiful beach without worrying about being left behind. Check out the ports of call board for specific things to do and places to visit!

Summit is our favorite X ship, and Enchantment is our favorite RC ship. We tend to like the smaller ships. We have taken both the SJ cruise and the Bermuda cruise, and loved both. Would like to take the repositioning cruise someday.

If you like RC, you should LOVE Celebrity. NO SMOKE. Clean, fun casino. Very few announcements interrupting your day or your nap. NO SMOKE.

We were also Diamond on RC before trying Celebrity. You will love the perks.

Have you thought about doing the vow renewal in San Juan? It is a beautiful, romantic city!

We stayed at the LaQuinta that is on the ocean (there is another one that is not oceanfront) a couple of years ago, and would definitely stay again. It is not fancy, but is just steps from the beach, has a nice pool, and had a nice breakfast. Sorry, I can't help with the transportation issue.

We've been twice: once in late May and again September on Labor Day weekend. Weather was lovely both times. Love, love, love Bermuda. Clean, safe, and beautiful.

Unfortunately, we had the same experience as Essiesmom. I asked ever so nicely, and the steward said it was not allowed. Believe me, you'll enjoy that balcony anyway!:)

And don't be shy about asking if you are unsure as to whether there is a charge for something! My first couple of cruises, I missed out on many wonderful foods because I was afraid to ask! Enjoy!!

If you are arriving a day early and want to be on the beach, the LaQuinta "Herndon" or something close to that was good when I stayed there two years ago. That is not the correct spelling, so look for something close to that. there is another LaQuinta that is NOT OCEANFRONT, so be careful not to confuse the two.

Last Christmas, we stayed at a Holiday Inn that was a few exits north of Port Canaveral. If you are driving and don't have time to enjoy Port Canveral, this is a cheaper option.

We also stayed in Villa Herencia and loved its charm! This past February it was all booked up, so we stayed at Casablanca, another very old, very charming boutique hotel. Loved it even more than VA, as it had a bar and restaurant. It's right across the street from Marmalade, in a very convenient location.

Check out Celebrity Summit, which leaves from San Juan in the winter months. We've sailed on Summit three times! San Juan is a really cool place to visit.

I also loved the Flirtini, but my favorite was the Lychee martini. There was also one made with Fresca that I loved, but can't remember the name. Anybody know?

Ditto to what the others said, but the main reason we switched to Celebrity after cruising many times on Royal is the stricter smoking policy. Royal ships smell like an ashtray, even in the areas that are non smoking. Once we stepped onto our first clean-smelling Celebrity ship, they won us over.

Yes, each of you gets a coupon for 30 pieces! We couldn't even come up with 30 pieces to send, but we used one coupon the day we got on the ship for the clothes we had worn the 2 days prior, then we used the other coupon 4 days before the end. We also used the pressing service, and it's a great way to get men's shirts pressed, especially those pesky pleats on tux shirts!

You'll also EACH get 90 minutes of free internet. We don't use the computer much while on a cruise, because we like to disconnect as much as possible, but it's a great way to stay in touch with family if you need to.

First of all, you're going to love the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains! Avoid the tourist traps like Gatlinburg and go to Cades Cove, Julian Price, Elkmont, Smokemont, or just hike the trails. Beautiful!!:D

You shouldn't have any trouble getting a taxi or a town car from your hotel to the port the day of your cruise. I wouldn't bother with the shuttle. As for the day you get off the ship, I would also just get a taxi to the airport. We took the shuttle in September from the ship to the airport, and you will have to be off the ship fairly early if you take it. Or, since you have plenty of time, maybe there is an excursion you could take to kill time, and also see some sites? I don 't know about a day room, but maybe somebody else would have advice on that.

Haven't been on Sky, or any other NCL ship, but I've sailed on the beautiful Enchantment 5 times. Great ship, not too big or too small. The smoking policy recently got more strict, with smoking banned on balconies and most indoor venues, except the Casino:rolleyes: Elegant ship, and the climbing wall and bungee trampoline are cool. Just a warning, though: The bungee trampoline is often closed because of the wind being too strong.

Heather,

 

Celebrity doesn't have any self service laundry or ironing services. I am so used to this on Carnival as I like to iron my clothes before dinner. How did you manage to have or keep your clothes pressed? Did you pay?

We send my husband's shirts out to be pressed if they need it. It doesn't cost much and they look so good! As for me, I try to bring things that are made of non wrinkle fabric, and hang everything up the first afternoon.

What excursion should I do in Nassau that is under 150$ each?

Browse the crafts in the building you walk through to get from the ship to the port. Lots of interesting artisans. FREE

If you like history, google a walking tour. See all the government buildings, the fort, and the Queen's Staircase. $1 for fort, FREE for the rest.

If you like beaches, go to Junkanoo Beach. We went there in December and just plopped down on the beach. Nothing special, but it did have a local flavor. You can walk there and it's FREE.

Rum Distillery: information on getting there is on the Nassau board. FREE

Straw Market: lots of vendors selling things. FREE

Roam the different shops around the port: FREE

There are lots of other things to do that cost a lot of money, but if you just get out and walk around, you'll see a beautiful city with mostly kind and friendly people!:)

Celebrity Summit repositions from Bayonne, NJ to San Juan, Puerto Rico in October. Goes to Bermuda on the way to the Southern Caribbean. Friends have done this cruise and loved it.

We've taken the Summit on its round trip San Juan Southern Caribbean and loved it so much we're doing it again. Also love the Western Caribbean, but Southern is warmer in the winter, when we like to cruise.

And yes, the water really is that blue!!!:D

We did this once, and the company gave us the cell phone number of the driver and told us to call him when we got off the ship. The driver and I then communicated about where to pick up. They do this all the time, so it was easy-peasy.:) I think we used Larry's Limos in Ft. Lauderdale, but can't remember for sure.

I just did a walking tour in Fredriksted.

join me in the short video:

Wonderful!! The late father of a dear friend was named Mogens. He was 1st generation American from Denmark.

When you board, there will be champagne waiting for you (or fruit punch if you prefer!) Since this is your first cruise, it might be fun for you to go to the buffet, just to experience it once. If not, I agree that the Bistro on 5 is wonderful.

Definitely bring your swimsuit in a carry-on if you want to soak up some sun, and also pack your prescription meds and any valuables you don't want to leave in your luggage.

For sailaway, the outside bar on the back of the ship is my favorite public place on Summit, but your very own balcony with a bottle of champagne really can't be beat, either!

Hope you have a wonderful cruise!

My family and i went to Junkanoo Beach in Nassau a few weeks ago, and it was fine! A little busy, and no chairs, but it was FREE and you could walk to it from the cruiseport. Just turn right when you come out of the building at the port, go around Senor Frogs, stay to the right, and you'll see the signs.:D