watertraveler
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Posts posted by watertraveler
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You'll have a great cruise! Loved Alaska! There's so much to do. Are you sailing from Seward back to Vancouver or vice versa? The year we went it was remarkably warm. Watch the weather! The only time we had to bundle up was when the ship went in to see the glacier.
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Bo Peep ~ If you are doing MTD, and have made reservations, you are pretty much guaranteed to be seated at your time. You do not have to wait in line with others who have not made a reservation.
I love the Radiance class of ships - it has a great flow. There is a frozen yogurt station in the Windjammer but I don't believe there is a cupcake place.
Hope you have a great cruise!
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RCCL offers an excursion to Anguilla that includes interactions with dolphins. Does anyone know of simply a day trip to Anguilla that would be possible within the time constraints of our time in port? I have seen fast ferries that leave from Marigot? Does anything leave directly from Philipsburg?
Thank you for any input.
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I am trying to find out when the Dawn sails from the Caribbean to reposition in New England for the Bermuda runs in 2019. I can't seem to find out any info and, when looking at NCL's website, they don't show anything for the Dawn during the month of April. Does anyone know if she is in drydock? Or am I just missing something?
Thank you.
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I would get there about 20-30 minutes ahead of time. We got there about 1/2 hour ahead and we had plenty of choices for seats but once the theater started filling up, it filled up fast.
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Thanks for the tip about pictures!
Just to finish - We spent the day at Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. I had read about Playa Mia and Mr. Sanchos but liked the idea that Nachi limited the amount of people and it seemed like a more quiet atmosphere. So, we made our reservations before leaving and just had to pay a deposit.
On the way out to the beach, we passed both Playa Mia and Mr. Sanchos. I was beginning to get a little worried because we were going to Nachi on my recommendation. We were not disappointed. The pool area was built up away from the beach and had a large whirlpool. There was a tiny gift shop, a massage tent, bathrooms and loungers with palapa umbrellas along the beach. The beach itself was clean and pretty clear although it dropped off pretty quickly which made getting out a little tricky. The people there were very friendly and had been there on previous visits. The biggest selling point was the waitstaff and the food. For $55.00, you received all of the above plus unlimited drinks and food. Manuel, who was our waiter, hussled all day long to bring us anything we wanted from mixed drinks or water to shrimp or chicken sandwiches. It was a truly relaxing day and I would recommend it.
Now, where to go next?
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We were at Nachi, too! I loved the quiet atmosphere and the food!
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Costa Maya - A word of advice. The new terminal that has been built for the cruise ships is beautiful with shops, a pool, restaurants, etc. - Everything to keep you from leaving the area and exploring. It is like a maze trying to find your way out to the taxis and shuttles!
We chose to do our own thing and, after reading some posts on Cruise Critic, decided we would try Tropicante.
The shuttle is $3.00pp one way with the return by taxi. It is the 2nd stop on the shuttle and as soon as it stops, there are the hawkers trying to get you to go to their spot. As soon as we said Tropicante, there was a gentleman ready to walk us down to the beach. I had forgotten that we could have made reservations so we really didn't have the best location on the beach, but no matter. It was a beautiful day and for the price of a drink and some munchies we had loungers for as long as we wanted to stay.
Each restaurant along the Malecon has a section of beach to call their own and it works the same way no matter where you go. Free beach chairs and umbrellas in exchange for purchasing food and drink.
It was a great day. No let me see if I can upload some pictures.
A section of the beach on Costa Maya.
The Independence in the distance seems to float on top of the waves.
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Does anyone know the story behind the statue of the red dog that is peeking out from a balcony overlooking the Promenade? (I tired posting a picture, but not sure it worked).
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The entertainment for the 5nt cruise was as follows:
nt1 - the welcome aboard show and 'Strings', the ice show
nt2 - (day at sea) "Strings" had 2 performances in the afternoon
Production show, Invitation to Dand
nt3 - Headliner, Jason Bishop, illusionist
Love and Marriage Game
Late night adult comedy with Steve Couette (don't miss it!)
nt4 - Comedy with Steve Banks and the Quest Show
nt5 - Grease and the '70's street party
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I can second that. The bed is closest to the balcony with the bath closest to the hallway door. The sitting area is inbetween. Have fun, it's a great ship!
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Some more random thoughts:
Our captain was Iv (pronounced Eve) Vidos. I found him to be very personable.
Our Cruise Director was John Blair. I wasn't wowed by him but that's just my personal take.
Entertainment onboard had some real high points but there were also some lows. The welcome aboard show highlighted the Orchestra (terrific), Steve Caouette (a comedian that did the late night adult show) - we couldn't wait to see his full routine and he didn't disappoint! The Ice Show Strings and Grease were unbelievably terrific. It's hard to understand how they are able to produce such intricate numbers on a ship. The illusionist, Jason Bishop, and Carl Banks, another comedian, were just okay. We passed on an Invitation to Dance.
I have read that, to save money on drinks, always go for the 'drink of the day'. I have to say that, for me, this didn't hold true. On our first day, I ordered a mixed drink and was charged $7.00 while my friend ordered the drink of the day(no fancy glass) and was charged $10.95. I'd check pricing before ordering.
In the past, we have purchased a water package when we boarded the ship. We did so again this time and were charged $39.00 for 6 bottles. Once inside our cabin, we discovered that part of our amenity package included small bottles of water and we had the option of purchasing more through room service. My husband likes seltzer water and he was able to get 4 small bottles for $10.00 for the convenience of having some in the room. Something to consider maybe.
I haven't downloaded any pictures yet and may try to do some later. Also, I'll include some thoughts about our choices for Costa Maya and Cozumel.
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I'd definitely give it a try.
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The luggage valet service was wonderful and worth every penny! It seemed just after we had boarded, we were presented with a new option of paying a$25.00 fee per person to get your luggage off the ship! It was hard to think about because we had to have the paperwork in by Tuesday but here's how it worked -
Each person is charged a $25.00 service fee by the cruise line plus the fee that the airline charges for checked baggage. Jet Blue did not charge anything extra. Our friends were on Delta and I think they had to pay an additional $25.00/bag.
Our accounts were charged and once our bags were out in the hall that final night, we didn't see them again until we arrived at our home destination. We also got our boarding passes on the ship and were able to proceed right to the gate, saving us extra minutes in line at the airport. Since we didn't have to look for our luggage in the cruise terminal, we were able to go directly to the line (which was horrible) to wait for customs.
For me, it was worth it and, given the opportunity, would do it again.
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We just finished our first trip on the Independence of the Seas and thought I would pass along a few things that I enjoyed. We have sailed on the Adventure several times and the Independence is very similar. It was easy to maneuver around and you areable to avoid traffic jams simply by walking outside on deck 5 and walking to the other end of the ship.
My biggest complaint is the Windjammer. Unlike the Radiance class of ships, it has no outside seating and it is strictly 'buffet' style. I much prefer the 'stations' set up of some of the other ships. Food was just 'ok' and I had an issue with the temperature of the food both in the Windjammer and the main dining room.
Having said that, there were so many other things that I enjoyed. The staff, from our cabin steward to the dining staff, were terrific. Our cabin steward was efficient and followed through with our requests for extra towels and ice. If you are entitled to one, make sure you ask for the bathrobe. Unlike previous cruises, they are no longer waiting for you upon arrival. If it is important to you, ask.
We had 'My Time Dining' and had made reservations for the 5 nights at 6:30. However when we checked with the desk the first night, we were told that, if we wanted a table by the window, it would be better to come at 5:45. We changed our reservations for the first night and were glad that we did. We had a great table for 4 by the window and our wait staff couldn't have been better. So much so that we changed our reservations to 5:45 for the rest of the cruise and had the same table and waiter for the whole time.
Traditionally, we like to be among the first to get on the ship but didn't get to the terminal until almost noon. Check-in was a breeze and we were onboard in less than 1/2 hour. It must all be in the timing though. We were told that just a short time before, the terminal was jammed with people waiting to get onboard and I read another post where lines were long at 1:00PM. Rooms were ready by 1:00. I am amazed at how short the turn-around time is.
I know my thoughts are very random and following any pattern but I have some thoughts on RCCL's luggage valet service, water in the cabin, disembarkation and ports of call and will try to post toomorrow.
5 nights was just not long enough. Time to plan another!
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Not sure what RCCL offers for shore excursions from LaSpezia but, if you have the opportunity to go to the Cinque Terre, you should go! Lucca is also a great walled city (just not sure of the distance)and home to Puccini.
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Can anyone tell me what the current shows are on the Independence? We are sailing January 28th. I just saw a mention about Grease, will that still be one of the shows?
Thank you.
Nancy
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Thanks for all the info. I am booked into 9404 on January 28th. This was a last minute decision on our part and very little research went into the choice of our cabin. I have always wanted to try an 'aft' cabin but, if I read all of your posts correctly, there is a door not a slider to the balcony and the balcony itself is somewhat smaller? How about the cabin itself?
It really doesn't matter in the long run. I am going on a cruise in less than 2 months!:D
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Does anyone know when RCCL will receive approval from the Cuban government to begin sailing to Cuba? Any idea of which ship they might use?
Thank you.
Nancy
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I have been on both and loved them both for very different reasons!
Serenade (and all the Brilliance of the Seas class of ships) is just right - size wise. It is easy to maneuver and is known for the amount of glass throughout the ship. It is older but has gone through several refurbishments. We love all of them!
Adventure of the Seas is larger and I love the promenade through the middle of the ship. It has inside rooms that overlook the promenade and you have sit yourself down, have a drink and watch the world walk by. Literally. We were on her once when 2 gentlemen dressed in middle eastern garb created quite a stir strolling along. Unlike the Serenade, the Windjammer buffet area is not open in the back so you can not grab your lunch and go to sit outside.
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When is it likely that RCCL will receive approval from Cuba to start sailing there? Does anyone know what ship might be used?
Thank you.
Nancy
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Mek ~ JimAOK mentioned that he like the Radiance. I was in agreement with him.
Are you a repeat Princess passenger? What do you like about them? I haven't traveled with Princess (RCCL, Celebrity, NCL and a small ship experience). One of our friends who was with us had been on Princess but really liked her experience with RCCL.
We have a tentative booking for 2016, a repositioning cruise from Boston to FLL on the Serenade but not sure if that will happen. In the meantime, I have to find someplace else to plan to go to!
I'm going back to my pictures to organize them for a photo book.
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When we were there 2 weeks ago, the fires caused road closures. As we were on the train going up to Talkeetna, we were okay but it did get very close and we went through a lot of smoky areas. There was some discussion about whether we would have to take evasive action for our bus ride back to Seward.
Our guide told us they had to put a group going back to Anchorage on small planes along with their baggage because the road going south was closed.
We were fine on that end but be mindful of the construction going on just about everywhere. The road goes down to 1 lane while the other has to wait. You could be delayed for quite some time. There is a web site you can go to (which of course I can't remember!) that will show you where they are doing construction. That might help with your planning.
Good luck!
Harbor Nights in Hamilton - anything at the Dockyards?
in Bermuda
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I'm pretty sure that Wednesday night in Hamilton is when they celebrate Harbor Nights but does anyone know if there is something similar at the Dockyards? We will be there Wednesday and Thursday night and would be interested in seeing something closer to the ship.
Thank you!