Maryscooking

Well shoot.  Guess I'm bringing a door jamb with me on my next trip.

Very sorry for the loss of your wife.

We did it, thought it was fun, but not worth the money spent.

Contact them directly

 

http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/contact/

 

They will answer all your questions.

Thanks, I saw the contact info on their website as well. Have you worked with them before? Was hoping for some personal experience, since we all know that it is possible to be told one thing and have a very different experience once in port.

I am celebrating my 40th birthday with a cruise in December, and my nearest and dearest are coming with me. There are 14 of us total, including two young boys, two tween/teenage girls, and 10 adults. To thank everyone for choosing to spend their vacation time and money with me on this cruise, my husband and I were thinking of hosting them at Paradise Beach. But I'm not sure of the logistics.

It seems relatively straightforward to pay the $3 entrance fee, and buy the $18 funpass for everyone who wants one. But how can I cover food and beverage for all of us, if some people may be at the pool and some people may be on the beach when they want to eat/drink? I do plan on having a lunch together and so that will be easy to pay for. But I also want everyone to be able to order snacks and drinks at their leisure during the day. Can I run a tab that anyone from our group can use? Has anyone done something similar before?

I know an AI would be more simple, but I like that at Paradise Beach we aren't paying the high AI fee when most of us aren't going to eat/drink enough to make it worth that cost. And Paradise Beach is overall more appealing to me than Mr. Sanchos.

And on a different note - can you just pay for a float for the ocean without paying the $18 funpass fee?

As Scott said above, NCL does not but in some ports they have private companies that will do that for you. I believe Seattle has that, for one, also Barcelona. Apologies but I don't know what port that is you are leaving from. Others will chime in with good knowledge. :)

 

Enjoy your cruise.

Thank you :)

We are cruising out of New Orleans. It looks like our flight back will be in the evening, so I'm investigating the best options for dealing with our luggage while we sight see a bit.

Sorry if this has been asked a bunch before, but I couldn't find the answer searching. I've seen other cruise lines offer a service where they will check your bags onto your flight for you, so you don't have to handle them from the time you put them out in the hallway to when you pick them up at your home airport. We will be on the Breakaway in December, does NCL offer this service?

Yes. If it’s your package, you or your cabin mate must be in the picture. You could purchase the picture of them separately.

 

 

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That's good to know, as I wouldn't have thought it would be a problem when buying the package online. It really affects the value of getting a package for me if I have to buy those prints separately.

In order to use the photo in the package, a member of the stateroom must be in each photo.

 

If it’s your package then you or your spouse have to be in the picture. Pictures with all 4 of you work, but not ones with just them.

So to clarify, if I buy the package and want to include a picture of my parents (staying in their own stateroom) in my package for my scrapbook, they will tell me no?

I understand not splitting a package 50/50 or something, but I'm taking a lot of family on my 40th birthday trip and I'd like to be able to have a picture of each family group for myself. How strict are they about this policy?

My bet is it's too early. It looks like you have to wait about 2 more weeks just to see what hotwire has to offer. If anything bumps up the prices that week it will be some big convention...and if that were the case a hotel like Hampton which is right across from the Convention Center would be more than what it is right now. If it were me, I'd wait a couple weeks and check back.

 

As for the Hampton itself it's close to the port. Close to the WWII Museum and Mardi Gras World. Not so close to the French Quarter but you could walk a few blocks up to Julia Street and take the streetcar. All depends on what you want to do.

Thanks for the feedback :). I booked a room there with no cancellation fee, just in case, but will look again when we are a bit closer. I'd like to stay closer to the French Quarter I think.

We will be staying in New Orleans Dec 14-16, 2018 prior to our cruise. My in laws, who are cruising with us, noticed that Expedia says rooms are 90% booked for that weekend. Hotwire isn't even booking out that far yet, so I am wondering - is it a busy weekend because of an event and everything *really* is booked up already? Or are we just too far out at this point for good availability and rates?

They booked the Hampton Convention Center and I just made a no penalty cancellation reservation there as well to be on the safe side, but I don't really know if this is a good choice for pre-cruise sightseeing, or if we should keep looking? I wouldn't normally even be thinking about the hotel yet.

Any thoughts are appreciated!

Skip TA, way too many fake reviews. People earn money posting them.

Interesting. I also use TA extensively, for hotels, restaurants, tours, activities, and locations. And it has never let me down.

My kids are 15+, for a year or two I had five teens. The older teens do no want to hang out with the younger teens, they will group themselves. On one cruise I had a 17 and 15 year old, their groups rarely mingled.

That is good to know for when she turns 13 and the teen clubs can't be avoided, thank you!

The older teens rarely spend time in the "clubs"...they use it as a "meet up" place, then go off and do their own thing...so I don't believe you would have to worry overmuch about if and when they "combine" the age groups.

My main worry would be the nighttime teen parties. But I don't really want to spend the cruise worrying about who she is meeting up with and what they are talking about or doing. I need another year or two to mentally prepare for that lol.

On our next cruise (next year over New Years Eve), my daughter will be 12 and in 6th grade. We are trying to pick the ship/itinerary now. Carnival Breeze or Horizon vs NCL Getaway or Bliss.

On Carnival, she would be in the 12-14 teen age group, with the possibility of nighttime parties for the 12-17 yr olds (at least according to the website, I don't have first hand experience). I get anxious just thinking about this. She is tall and already at age 11 looks older than she is, and I don't want her to be approached or involved with older kids.

On NCL, she would still be in the traditional kid's club (Splash Academy) 10-12 yr old age group, with more supervision. I feel more comfortable here, but worry that she will be bored and won't want to go.

Does anyone have experience with cruising with this awkward age child (lol) that can give me some input? To be honest, I'm really hoping to hear that your 12 yr old was just fine in the 10-12 yr old age group, but I am open to all feedback!

We have access to the same tools you do. According to TX DOT there are options for those going East on I-10 to bypass closures and Houston. For now.

And this is exactly why putting all these people on port now would be dangerous. If you haven't had access to the news and video, this might actually sound like a realistic idea. And then lives are at risk for no reason.

Coming into port does not necessarily mean debarking. I believe this gives people options. If they want to venture out and try to make it home they can. If they want to stay on the ship they can. People living in Galveston and Houston have the option now to travel if they want so the cruise passengers should be able to do the same. I don't believe for one minute that RCCL will force passengers off of the ship until they can safely reach their destination.

People living in Houston have no option for travel right now. And people who've been on a cruise ship shouldn't be given the option to disrupt emergency services or clog the roadways while trying to navigate through the city.

This situation is nowhere near resolving, and if RCI puts the ship in port, there will undoubtedly be people who want to push the limits to get home, or don't understand what they are venturing into. They need to stay away right now.

We (Liberty) are offshore outside the port waiting for them to clear us in. The port was doing an inspection this morning at 6:00AM and our ability to dock is being discussed on a conference call at 9:00AM.

 

Here are the conditions we're in. It looks worse than it is the ship has remained incredibly smooth.

 

 

They told us to put our luggage out last night and then told us to bring it back in. Assuming we dock today anyone who wants to can use the ship as a hotel for Sunday night. They expect to sail a shortened cruise departing Monday afternoon.

 

People with RCI air/transfers have to stay on the ship tonight becaue no motorcoaches are available as they are being used by emergency services.

 

Good times.

I'd love to know 1) Where RCI thinks everyone is going to go on Monday, and how they'll get home, and 2) Where exactly the new passengers are coming from when Houston is basically underwater? It's like they're living in some alternate reality.

BarryH best wishes to you as you ride out this experience.

As the wife of a first responder, it is just unconscionable to me that RCI would in any way at all encourage people to come into the middle of an ongoing disaster zone. It makes me SO angry!

There should be zero uncertainty about this. Sure, they could have good luck and get into port. But is it worth even one lost life if someone drowns trying to drive in to make their cruise???

Honestly, my family has enjoyed RCI in the past. But we won't be booking with them again anytime soon. Too many other vacation choices these days to spend money with a company so clearly putting profits ahead of its customers' welfare.

Is there any chance that they just hadn't arrived at the time this picture was taken?

Maybe a long shot, but as someone who values shade a great deal :D I'm trying to be optimistic!

I agree you should spend your money however you see fit. BUT you need to understand that bringing water or soda on RCCL is prohibited by the rules posted ... Now... clearly many ports dont seem to care and many people have been succesful in bringing it on board, HOWEVER that doesnt mean that the day you sail they wont take your water away ( and they would be within their right to do so).... So...... if you are planning your cruise solely on the opportunity to bring water on board, just know you might end up in the same scenerio

oh no, I have zero intention of carrying water on board. Never have. That's because it is included in my drink package, or available at a reasonable per bottle price. True of RCCL, Celebrity and Carnival.

Thanks for your review! This comparison is so helpful for me right now because I'm trying to decide if we should change our Escape booking to a Harmony booking.

Well I don't know that I would count as jumping cruise lines over this, since I've never actually sailed NCL, and just have a deposit placed so far. We've spent our time on RCCL, Celebrity, and Carnival. But I am definitely looking at moving my deposit from Escape to a sailing on Harmony.

Its not about the money, because the change would probably cost over $1k more once we add in the premium beverage package. Like someone else said, its about choosing how I spend that money, and I don't want to feel ripped off. I can just see my husband's face looking at a $70 bottled water charge on our bill.

We've never cruised NCL because of all the talk of nickel and diming while on the ship, and for me, this just confirms that it will be a problem on board. The upcharge on NCL's bottled water package is INSANE. Someone mentioned the increased cost of transport and disposal, but this doesn't pan out if you it to compare alcohol upcharges. And it isn't included in the drink package.

And no, the ship's water is not equivalent. I will admit to being a water snob. We have a good filter at home. I've never carried bottled water on board, I just buy it as we need it (or lately, get it as part of the drink package).

I don't know that we'll switch because Escape is interesting to me. But Harmony has a ton to offer as well, and I am spending my time this morning reading reviews before I make my decision.

How can you possibly know this? I don't care what this other drink is, but so far she has only said water which is available. If he could only drink meal replacement shakes or something and they denied that would be a VERY different situation.

The OP has said that they did not ask and did not care what the drink was. The answer was "no medical waivers for liquids," period, end of story. So it is not a different situation, it is the same one.

It is just so asinine that NCL is forcing guests to pay huge upcharges for their preferred water. Can you even imagine a land hotel searching your bag and confiscating your water???

The fact that they are now forcing people who need bottled water to pay exorbitant prices for it or go without says to me that they are anything but the high class exclusive cruise line they aspire to be. A company with any kind of class would not be nickel and diming customers over water.

Norwegian's Ultimate Beverage Package includes a variety of spirits, cocktails, wines by the glass and bottled or draft beer up to and including $15 USD and unlimited fountain soda and juices at all bars, lounges, restaurants and the Great Stirrup Cay. A 20% discount will be applied to all bottles of wine purchased on board.

Sorry, I guess I should have specified that it doesn't include canned soda. And it's still Pepsi, so the can vs fountain issue is moot - gross either way. That said, Pepsi from the fountain alone wouldn't tip me over the edge, but add in a $80+ bottled water charge, plus all the other little charges I've read about all over the ship, and it starts to feel a little ridiculous.