klepton

Who does that? Probably John Heald poking around these forums to get content for his page and then pretending someone sent them in.

 

I've noticed that a lot of the messages he receives have a similar cadence and similar typos. I could be wrong, and I don't really care that much, but sometimes I do wonder...

I would agree with this. I definitely think John makes up half of the "comments" he posts.

It's worth clarifying Tom's update about Royal Caribbean. He did disclose that he was only sharing the top tier (star class), there are two other tiers in the royal suite class that pretty much offer what Royal has always offered for suites. Except JS is getting a slight bump with access to the Suite's-only restaurant for dinner.

Star class suites are very limited, only a few dozen on each ship, and from what I've seen are *very* pricey. I have a sky loft booked on the Harmony of the Seas for next April, and it's approaching $14k for a family of 4, on a 7 night cruise. A regular balcony cabin for the same cruise (4 people) was $4400 when I booked. So you're paying quite a premium.

Lastly, the Royal Suite Class is only going to be on Oasis and Quantum class ships (6 total when the Harmony and Ovation are completed). All other ships will still follow the old perks system.

All that said, I do agree that Carnival could make some small tweaks that would make suites much more appealing. Double VIFP points is a great idea, and other lines do this. Free steakhouse dinner, free "enhanced menu" room service, free Cheers, etc. When I priced out the Captain's Suite for our Christmas Vista cruise it came to just shy of $9k. That's a lot to shell out for just a bigger room.

On Liberty last year the hours were kind of erratic. My tip is to go early on in the cruise. We went out the last afternoon (sea day) and the line was about 60 deep; we didn't stay.

We had one session where they were open for one hour, 12-1, right before getting to St. Maarten at 1:00. By about 12:40 DD and I were the only ones left. We had the entire flowrider to ourselves for 20 minutes, it was awesome!

Surprisingly all the private lessons sold out on our sailing as well. I asked mid-cruise and was told they were 100% booked.

So I've read that Indy was going to San Juan, and now I'm reading maybe it's not and it's still the Jewel. Was there info besides the Eskimo site that placed Indy in San Juan? The TA ends in Fort Lauderdale, whereas the Jewel TA ends in San Juan.

Would love to sail the Jewel's itineraries on Indy!

Nice variety of future cruises in your signature. I'm currently booked on the Vista as well (for 3/17), but it's highly likely I'll cancel that one. I grabbed one of their best suites (GS), but more and more find it difficult to justify spending $ with them given what they give you in return. I understand John Heald is due to announce some changes to the suite perks (that wouldn't take much!) in the near future, though I'm not holding my breath./QUOTE]

 

Thanks! We like to jump around the different lines and try different things. As a result we'll probably never hit platinum/diamond on any of the lines. :D

 

I completely agree on the Carnival suites. We've done a GS on carnival before, but that was mainly because that class of ship didn't have balcony cabins and the JS balcony was too tiny. Other than that there isn't much reason to get a suite on Carnival. You can get priority embark/debark with FTTF for $60. Hopefully Carnival does up their suite offering at some point, we tend to book suites on lines where we get the extras.

 

I can't tell you how much anticipation I have for hearing experiences with the Star Class suites. I was pretty excited when I got it booked.

I got the Carnival Amex offer, but does anybody know if it works for shore excursions? I know that it has to show up as Carnival on your statement (and that Bon Voyage doesn't work because it shows up as Bon Voyage).

Here's what I can tell you:

An order from the fun shop (Bon Voyage) on 11/1/2015 shows as: "CARNIVAL- THE FUN SHOP"

An excursion purchase on 9/4/2015 shows as: "CARNIVAL CRUISE LINEMIAMI"

A payment applied to an existing booking on 2/29/2016 shows as: "CARNIVAL CRUISE LINEMIAMI"

So I can't guarantee anything, but the payee is the same between applied payments to booking and excursion. They could still be coded differently, but I think your chances are pretty good. Just make sure you spend at least $250 in one transaction.

On a related note, I made one payment of each Carnival and NCL on 2/29 with my Amex Biz Gold, as a test, and today the amex offers credit applied. So this is real! :D

Sounds exciting. We have Star class on Anthem in July and Allure in April 2017. Can't wait for the hand crafted in suite cocktails!

We have a star class suite on Harmony April 2017. I'm also very interested in what the hand crafted in-suite cocktails are and how that will work. Do we just call the royal genie every time we need a cocktail? Or is it more for parties?

I also saw the minibar is complimentary, I'm hoping for an expanded selection.

I'm amazed at how far out star class suites are sold out. When I booked in sept they were all sold out for my sailing on the Harmony, more than 18 months out. I got put on a waiting list for the sky loft, but they never called me. I watched the website every day and it finally became available, so I jumped on it. I'm looking forward to the reports when this starts.

Most of the nicer ships relocate to Alaska and Europe in Summer. But some of the more budget ones stay in FL and do short cruises. Like 4-5 nights. Do a search for them on line.

I guess that would depend on your definition of nicest. :D

Most of the biggest ships, with the most amenities (RCCL Allure, Oasis, Anthem; NCL Breakaway, Getaway, Escape, Epic) homeport in the same place year round, except for the occasional jaunt across the Atlantic by the Oasis of the Seas and Epic for Med cruises. The Getaway, Escape, Allure, and Oasis are all in Florida all summer.

I know bigger isn't better in everyone's mind, but there are still plenty of options in the summer out of Fl.

Exactly! I can see this being a train wreck. Muster at 6:00pm after the booze has been flowing since 11:30?

 

We have 7:00 PM reservations for Bayamo. Can't wait to see how this plays out.

While it's not ideal, this change doesn't impact me all that much. In fact my friends who are cruising with us might decide to fly in on Saturday now instead of Friday.

I feel bad for those who already made reservations though, those with May sailings. Mine is far enough out that I can adequately plan for it.

On the bright side, I've never done an after dark sailaway from Miami, so I have that to look forward to.

Generally speaking the earlier in May the cheaper, and the later in August the cheaper. July will likely be most expensive, especially the week of the 4th.

First weekend of College football is different than 1st weekend of NFL (9/3 for College, 9/10 for NFL). If either of those dates are viable, that might be some of the lowest prices for a Caribbean cruise you'll find all year. Keep in mind it will be smack dab in the middle of hurricane season.

Good luck! Hopefully 4th time is the charm for the groom-to-be! :D

Just wanted to share that this morning I notice I had an Amex offer for NCL (spend $500, get a $100 statement credit). After looking further I also saw one for Carnival (spend $250 get $75). I added these offers to all of mine and my wife's cards that I could (seems to only be available for cards which earn Membership Rewards (Amex Everyday, Amex Gold, Amex Platinum, etc). Since I have both a Carnival and NCL booking I can pay down, and 4 cards for each promotion, I'll save about $700 just making four $500 payments to NCL and four $250 payments to Carnival.

Just thought I'd pass this on. I think the offers just started today, and Amex offers are generally limited in quantity to the first x number who load it.

Good luck!

It seems quite the opposite to me. Most Facebook groups, one has to be approved and accepted by the group admin. Here on CC, anyone can join and post. I read about an equal amount of wrong info posted here as I do there.

Maybe you're in different groups than me. :D

I still think it's easier over there if you have a FB account. It's just a button click, then you get approved, then stuff starts showing up in your feed. DW is a member of a number of FB groups but calls CC a "hassle" so she never posts over here. She also receives, and gives, a lot of misinformation that I'm constantly correcting for her.

The groups I'm a part of just generally seem to have a lot more noise. A lot more conversation from people who don't know as much. If I'm cruising with my entire family, I can simply add them all to a fb group specific to our ship and suddenly there are 12 new members of the group, none of whom really know much about cruising. Whereas they would each need to sign up individually to join CC. That's why I said it requires more effort to join here.

Like I said, I'm not trying to bash FB groups, I know they make sense for some types of people. And I think there is a major advantage for getting to know people in roll call groups for your particular sailing, conversations are just much more alive and vibrant there than here. But I definitely see differences in the general ship/line/cruising groups and CC when it comes to cruising knowledge. It's not that there aren't knowledgeable people over there, it's that they are more drowned out by the sea of unknowledgeable people who would never bother to even join CC.

The one I found was run by extraordinarily arrogant people and was non-stop bickering amongst them. I opted out pretty quick.

 

There was some useful stuff... but here you get to choose what topics you read; on FB notices come about every piece of nonsense that comes up... and believe me, there was a LOT of that.

I would say this statement is generally correct.

One thing I'll add, FB groups are generally made up of a different kind of person than what you'll find here on CC. I don't want to be too hard on them, but it's a lot easier for just any average joe cruiser to join a group there. The CC members are people who generally put a lot more effort into cruising, and thus are a lot more knowledgeable. On FB you'll get loads of the same questions over and over again. Very broad questions like "is the all you can drink package worth it?". Then different people will answer each one with answers like "yes", "no", "it was for me", "it's not as good as Royal's", and other similar simple comments. Long threads ensue with a lot of "me too" responses.

Or, if a specific question is asked, people who have no clue will try to answer it. It's not uncommon to see the first 4 answers all saying completely different things, and each one incorrect.

Just my $.02. I am active here and in many groups on FB. Groups there might be easier to join, but there's no comparison to the knowledge you'll find here on CC.

Do you have to make reservations for the shows on NCL ahead of time? Are they all free or are any for an extra fee? From what Little I have read, it seems like you have to pre-plan a lot for NCL but maybe this is just for the newer larger ships? Also, on the NCL sun decks, do you have to get up and get your own drinks at the bar or do they have servers that come around to take orders for your chair? I too am curious about the differences but would like to know more of the intricate details, not just who has better food, entertainment, etc. TIA!

Depends on the ship, but yes, the most desirable times for dinner in the specialty restaurants book up well before the cruise. Shows are mostly free, except for dinner shows, and it's recommended you make reservations for headliner shows on the new ships ahead of time.

And yes, there are plenty of bar servers on deck to bring you drinks from bar. During the busiest times (afternoons on sea days) it can take awhile to get a drink even if you go to the pool deck bars.

What a load of rubbish. You never even looked at the departure time when booking. No one does. It's immaterial. Secondly, you'll not be on land any longer than with a 4pm sailing. You'll board at the same time.

 

But hey, don't let common sense get in the way of your right to needlessly complain.

I wouldn't call it rubbish, and I wouldn't call it a lack of common sense either. Different things are important to different people. As mentioned, if sailaway is at 7 instead of 4 some people will miss it because of dining reservations. Also, for those that do enjoy sailaway, it might make the difference of watching sailaway during the daytime or at night. For my particular sailing sunset will be at 5:33pm, so it will be pretty dark by the time we sail (assuming we do sail at 7:00).

And I actually do look at departure times pretty religiously, from homeports and each individual port. One of my favorite things about cruising is sitting on my balcony watching land disappear at sunset. I actually started paying attention to departure times and sunset times after my first cruise out of New Orleans. Believe it or not one of the things I was really looking forward to was sailing the Mississippi River for 8 hours and being able to see everything. I didn't even factor in that the sun would set within 45 minutes of shoving off the pier, thus the entire transit was at dark. :D Lesson learned! But I was bummed at the time.

I'm not saying I'm going to cancel my cruise or even that it will bring me down at all. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little disappointed at not getting to see Miami slip into the horizon while the sun was still shining. It's the little things... :) In fact I booked an Aft Haven Penthouse specifically so I could watch sailaways from there.

El Convento is a lovely hotel with a pretty courtyard café/bar and a rooftop pool.

If I didn't always use points for stays at the Sheraton I'd definitely give El Convento a try. Gorgeous property!

Really is this true? Can you provide a link? I'm kind of surprised they would take a copy now.

They'll take a copy of an original, official, birth certificate from your states office of vital statistics. The issue is that what many people consider their birth certificate is not actually official, it might be from the hospital or a church. These people are in for a heartbreak when they show up at the port. That's why I tell people to make sure their birth certificate is official (meaning, from Vital Statistics).

Hi Golf....I just want to point out that Klepton's information about refundable deposits doesn't necessarily apply to those of us who live in the UK and book through a UK travel agent or with a UK cruise line (P&O, Fred Olsen). Our laws are different and you generally lose your deposit at whatever point you cancel before your cruise. Also UK travellers are used to buying travel insurance at the same time as making a booking as, once again, it is law.

Good catch! I didn't pick up that Golf was from the UK, so you're absolutely correct!

By the time the tugs got to the Triumph she had drifted closer to the US so it would take less time to tow her there, the passengers not having passports did not influence the decision.

According to the Carnival spokesman it was a factor. Not the only factor, but a factor.

Carnival had originally announced Triumph would be towed to Progreso, Mexico but switched to Mobile after the ship drifted about 90 miles north due to strong currents, which put it nearly equidistant to Mobile as to Progreso. "Given the strength of the currents, it is preferable to head north to Mobile, rather than attempt to tow against them," a Carnival statement explained. "Mobile also provides simpler re-entry [than Mexico], particularly for the 900 passengers traveling without passports," the line added.

We cruise both Carnival and NCL (and Royal and DCL). Honestly the cruise line is the absolute lowest factor I use when choosing a cruise. I will look at Itinerary, ship, price, etc before caring about the line (except for maybe DCL).

I think most people who enjoy Carnival will also enjoy NCL, they're far more alike than different. Some differences have been noted (freestyle dining, lack of comedy shows, etc).

We also usually sail in the Haven or Suite with NCL, and regular balcony room with Carnival.

Some good answers here, here would be my recommendations for each island:

Aruba - Palm beach - take the local bus, super easy

Bonaire - Lac Bay - not a big beach at all, and some seaweed that's roped off you have to navigate around to get out to the deeper section. Decent beach though with facilities. Best reason to go here is to try out windsurfing.

Grenada - Grand Anse Beach, short water taxi ride

St. Lucia - It's more expensive, but I'd recommend going to Jalousie beach. Find a tour guide that can take you by boat each way for maximum beach time.

Barbados - Boatyard - lots of activities (water floats, rope swing, etc). Good for a day of fun activities.

Agree that the best snorkeling will be in Bonaire from a boat, and definitely agree that Woodwind Tours are the way to go! Jalousie beach in St. Lucia will also have good snorkeling.

There is something I don't understand.

Are the three couples driving or flying into Orlando?

It sounds like everyone is flying in.

So why not book a hotel in the area that will pick you up at the airport, and then drop you off at the ship the next day?:confused:

I'm not sure this exists for Canaveral. The port is 50 or so minutes away from Orlando airport (MCO).

Others have the right idea, if you don't want a car either:

1) Stay at an airport area hotel and shuttle to the port the next day (there's a Hyatt right inside the MCO terminal)

2) Shuttle to a hotel in the Canaveral area that also has a shuttle to the port.

I've only perosnally stayed at the Radisson, and I rented a car from Budget to get there. The Budget office in Canaveral is a short walk from the Radisson. There are plenty of hotel and car rental agencies near the port.

If you want a more convenient option, albeit more expensive, there are a bunch of car services in the Orlando area. We took a limo once from Port Canaveral to Disney World, it was about $240 all said and done.

I certainly wouldn't say you're limited to the Anthem and Breakaway. Look at the NCL Gem, Carnival Sunshine, Celebrity Summit, which all have spring/summer itineraries this year out of New York. Expand your search to include Boston and Baltimore and you get even more options.

When the Carnival Triumph had it's fire in 2013 Carnival stated that 900 (out of the 3000 passengers) used documents other than a passport to cruise. You can bet that factored into their decision to tow to Mobile instead of Progresso. :D So there are definitely a large number of cruisers who don't get passports.

As long as you know the risks, you're free to take whatever calculated risk you want to. I personally wouldn't travel without a passport, nor would I take my kids without one, but it's a personal decision everyone makes for themselves. If $80/$110 is too much to spend for piece of mind, roll the dice! :) Odds are you'll be just fine without one.

Make sure you have an official birth certificate though, people can and do get denied boarding because they have a copy of their birth certificate, not an official one.

As mentioned, the San Juan POC board is probably where you'll get the most help.

If you're in reasonable shape and mobile, pretty much the entire island of Old San Juan is walkable. There's also a free Trolley if you'd like to rest your feet. As such, staying anywhere on the island will allow you easy access to shops, restaurants, and sites.

If you're sailing Carnival, the Sheraton Old San Juan is popular because it's right across the street from the cruise terminal (literally cross the street and walk 100 yards to get on your cruise).

I would also say that a good travel agent would probably be worth their weight in gold for you, seeing as you're so timid about this first time. But also be aware that not all travel agents are "good". A good one will have experience cruising and be able to talk you through any questions you have, and then able to manage your reservation for you. Getting a referral from people you know is key, there are a number of travel agents that will just take your booking and be hard to get in touch with later on.

The other thing I'll say is to just relax. :D Booking a cruise isn't super complicated, and shouldn't be that nerve-racking (it's supposed to be fun!). In most cases the rate you book will be refundable if you're more than 3-4 months before sailing, so you can have some piece of mind if you have extreme buyer's remorse or something better comes along.

Just out of curiosity, what types of questions do you still hope to get answered? Do you have a particular cruise (ship/date/itinerary) already picked out? Or are you looking for someone to help you choose which cruise to even take? If you have specific questions about regions, ships, ports, room categories, etc; this is a good place to get answers. Feel free to ask here on this thread or the appropriate forum. If we think you'll get a better answer in a specific forum we will let you know.

Assuming your cruise is far out, once you book you'll want to decide if you're going to get travel insurance. Sometimes there's a benefit to purchasing that within 14-21 days of booking the cruise, because there will be more options for "cancel for any reason" and pre-existing conditions.

Good luck! :D