candydane

We used Pereira last week and would not recommend!

It would be helpful if you'll share why you wouldn't recommend Pereira. I've read the positive things but always interested in what didn't work right for others.

We'll be in a suite on our next cruise and NCL furnishes us a portable phone we can take with us anywhere on the ship.

We're traveling with friends who will not have a NCL phone.

Does anyone know if we'll be able to communicate if they get the iconcierge app and we use our NCL phone?

Yes. Links to my port webpages are listed across the top of my home page: Cruise.

There are also webpages about Florida and hotels that may be of interest to you.

I see you're a first-time poster -- welcome to cruise critic.

I have made a website about our cruise, which includes St. Thomas. I've "accumulated" the information from various online sources.

Here are links to my webpages about St. Thomas and beaches we are considering:

St. Thomas

Sapphire Beach

Secret Harbor

Hope they help you decide on a great day in St. Thomas.

Now that they're available again, does anyone know the current cost for chairs at Sapphire Beach? How about an umbrella?

Is an umbrella necessary or is the plenty of natural shade?

I personally would plan for the 12:30 pm train. You can probably change your ticket at the station if you do get to the train station early enough for the 10:30 am train.

Unless you're both physically fit and traveling light, I would not recommend planning to do "walk off" for debarkation. There are no porters so you'd need to handle your bags yourselves. It can be really crowded and trying to maneuver your suitcases through the crowds and up/down packed elevators or stairs is not for the faint of heart!!

It's much easier to just put your bags outside your door the night before and not have to claim them until you're off the ship and in the terminal.

Virginia is awesome!!! Best concierge we have had yet. She is very sweet and professional.

We agree!!!

Here's a link to the beach day we're planning on St. Kitts: S. Friars Beach. It's a compilation of information I've found on the internet.

It seems that the Carambola will work perfectly for us (4 adults - 1 swimmer/snorkeler, 2 swimmers, and 1 non-swimmer. All of us love to relax on chaises in the shade on a beautiful beach with drinks, snacks, and restrooms available.

If you are talking about me, then yes, I have 2 cruises booked for November. However, this will not work for me either because on NCL the jeweler they have a contract with is only on the newer ships (Epic, Getaway and Breakaway). The other ships are with someone else.

I didn't know that. Bummer!

Jewelry problems sounds like a good excuse to book another cruise on the same cruise ship where you bought it :D

Do you have a cruise in the near future on the same cruise line where you made your purchases?

You should take your problem jewelry/receipts/appraisals you've purchased onboard to the ship's store on your next cruise. Talk to the manager and try to get a satisfactory resolution.

Of course this won't work with port purchases unless you bought them at a "ship-approved" store.

I've also created a website for our April NCL Pearl cruise with a webpage for each port: Martinique. It's a compilation of things I've found online.

There's also a link to NCL Excursions. All cruise lines probably offer similar tours. Like on other islands, I'm sure there are non-ship excursions you can book but so far I haven't really found anything that looks like it'd work for us.

Thanks for the map. I've added it to my webpage: Martinique

We have the same situation with 4 adults looking for a beach for swimming and snorkeling while being a relaxing beach day for non-swimmer. We are planning to go to Secret Harbor. Here's a link to my webpage for our day: Secret Harbor.

We've been in the adjacent Dawn Owners Suite which had 2 hull balconies. Our friends had "your" connecting cabin with a hull balcony. We all LOVED the hull balconies much more than regular ones.

The "hull" does not block the view and provided some shelter from the sun and wind. I'm sure it also works very well in the rain.

There is no overhang blocking the view and the balcony below the rail is clear glass with a little over 12" solid metal along the bottom. Your son should be able to see out just fine.

The picture above shows the balcony very well.

That said, only you know what you want. If you don't think you'll like your balcony then you should go ahead and upgrade to what you do want.

I found a "My Sisters Tour" in Dominica but not one in Martinique. Maybe posted for wrong island?

The Hyatt House in Diana has a free airport shuttle from FLL and a small fee shuttle to POM according to the call made a couple of months ago. It is a little more upscale, but has some great summer prices.

Do you remember how much the "small fee shuttle to POM" was? Is it less than $15 pp charged by the shared ride shuttles?

Oh, and we are bringing my mom this time, to thank her for our fabulous time in the Getaway Haven (she paid). I sure hope the couch bed is good enough for her! I do not want her to be uncomfortable.

If you can afford it, you should consider getting the connecting balcony room for your mom. The connecting door opens to the opposite side of living from your bedroom so it's like having a two bedroom suite. That would give your mom more privacy, a real bed, her own balcony and, most importantly, her own bathroom.

She wouldn't be able to join you for breakfast or lunch at Cagney's but you can always have your Butler deliver Cagney meals to your cabin where she could join you. The owner's suite has a regular table and chairs so eating room service meals are easy.

We've had friends stay in that room and it was just perfect!

There are no day passes for Carambola. When you email them, request them to reserve chairs and an umbrella for you, cost is $10 for each which you pay the day you arrive no money upfront, Cabanas were $40.

I've read "somewhere" that it was $10 for 2 chairs + $10 for an umbrella, which is $20 a couple. So you're saying it will be $20 ($10 each) for 2 chairs + $10 for an umbrella, which is $30 a couple?

Also, am I correct that the Cabanas would hold 2 people so it's be $40 for a couple?

Thanks.

Do a search on YouTube for NCL Garden Villa and check out all the videos to see which look the best to you.

Also check the videos for sister ships. The Gem, Jade, Jewel and Pearl are sister ships. The Dawn and Star are sister ships. The suites will be very similar on sister ships, mostly just decorated differently.

You'd call NCL about the excursion you booked with them. Or you can should be able to cancel the excursion online if that's what you want to do. You payment would then be applied to your credit card.

Check the weather report for coastal Alaska -- I use weather.com and wunderground.com -- starting about a week before your cruise. Alaska weather is changeable but usually 7- to 10-day predictions are mostly correct. That way you can pack mostly things that "should" be ok. Of course you should still take layers & at least a lightweight rain jacket/hood just in case.

I've been to Alaska during a heat wave (shorts/t-shirts), cool but sunny weather (crop pants/t-shirts/light sweater) and cold, foggy, rainy weather (long pants/sweatshirts/jackets). Each time the weather was correctly "predicted" about a week out.

We just returned from a B2B cruise on the Jewel of the Seas. we were lucky to have St. Kitts on both weeks of the cruise. On week one we spent a day at Carambola. Lovely! You can read the entire review here. Carambola review begins with post #48.

Awesome pictorial review of Carambola Beach Club as well as many other islands we'll be visiting!

Thanks so much!

Just received free cruise offer , anybody else get one? Is it a scam as I think it is? The offer came from a third party.

I got one yesterday for a 7 night / 8 day NCL cruise and here's a link to the cruise critic forum comments about the free offer I got: NCL "Cruise Advisor" Offer.

I also "googled" and found a trip advisor thread too but can't get the link to work.

My offer is in my shredder.

If you'd prefer a less "lively" vibe look at the Secret Harbour Resort in Secret Harbor. The dive center rents chairs and snorkel gear, and there is a real restaurant with the condo resort. Very, very calm water and good snorkeling with a quieter vibe.

Secret Harbor looks like a really good option to Coki Beach. The snorkeling at Coki looks awesome but I think we'd enjoy Secret Harbor more. It has snorkeling, chairs, shade, food, and drinks but doesn't seem like it'll be crowded and less of a party beach.

I'd also looked at Megans Bay but seems like Secret Harbor would be better for what we want???

Thanks for the reviews of Coki Beach. It sounds like exactly what our group will love. We are 4 "older" adults -- 1 avid snorkeler, 2 so-so swimmers, and 1 no-swimmer. We would need chairs/umbrellas, snorkel rental, restrooms, and drinks. Plus, of course, a beautiful view!

I was a little nervous about the bad reviews on Trip Advisor about drug activities and other negative things so it's good to hear the good things from recent cruisers.

Now we just have to decide if we want to also do Coral World. There will be 3 cruise ships in port so we may want to go straight to Coki before the crowds arrive.