jstcruizin

I found a monarch one at a thrift shop for a buck last week . The monarch was our first cruise on Royal.  

On 4/18/2020 at 10:34 AM, zitsky said:

 

Sounds like a typical roll call.  Lots of activity but once on ship you meet just a few.

True,  but every once in awhile you meet someone who becomes your cruise bestie.  We did 3 yrs ago on Harmony and still talk,  text, Facebook or send each other goodies all the time. We were finally supposed to be on the equinox  together  on march 21st.  We were so excited to be seeing each other and then this happened.  Hopeing their September cruise still comes here for a stop at port Canaveral because we live about 10 minutes from there and can't to spend the day with them.

Our March 21st cruise was canceled and I had bought some cute cover up/sun  dresses  so I'm either lounging around the pool or house in those, hair usually up in a pony , no makeup unless running to the store.  Some days I just put on  pajamas (I'm a pajama freak)  and do nothing,  lol.

  I'm probably going to have to get new cruise clothes that fit me before our next cruise whenever that might be.

I heard it was key west and 2 sea days.

34 minutes ago, MrMike45 said:

So with the cancellation and full refund option OR the massive credit/50% discount, etc. option...safe to say NCL has the best policy? 

Not my favorite cruise line ( did the awesome  Cuba and Star Trek one)  but i would have to say GOOD JOB NORWEGIAN!!!

24 minutes ago, Phaedrus78 said:

Seems like there's going to be some half-empty boats that were originally going to Cuba in the next couple of months.  Could be a good time for anyone flexible enough to feast on some super-cheap last minute fares.

Not to sound like a vulture but thats what we're hoping.  with hubs retired our cruise budget is more tight until hes old enough  to collect his pension. 

1 hour ago, PTC DAWG said:

The quotes I was looking at for the July 15th 4 day Cuba cruise on the Sun were $2100 or so for two in a Balcony Cabin...mid ship.  Take all 5 offers, which included the Ultra Premium Drink Upgrade because the ship is already an all inclusive as far as Alcohol goes.  

That was a good deal compared compared to ours.  but i guess the consolation is we at least got to go. I Feel For those who didn't

2 hours ago, thetaro said:

To be fair. NCL has been profiting on these Cuba cruises for years and they can absorb the loss if people want to cancel.

Cuba cruises are priced higher and on an old ship that people don't care. 

 

Haven't they all? Lol.  We like the newer , bigger ships but had to go on a smaller, older one and paid alot to sail to the Panama canal last month but it was all about the destination so we had to pay the price if we wanted to go.

1 hour ago, MrMike45 said:

FWIW - it seems as if MSC is living by the law of the contract, that any port can be changed.  And are offering ZERO compensation.  No refund policy.  No OBC or credit.  No future cruise credit.  

 

So to those who feel shafted....imagine what those booked on MSC Cuba cruises are feeling.  

Wow!! 

Im curious what everyone actually paid for your cruise.  we went last May on the first cruise to Cuba  out of port Canaveral and paid 2400 dollars for an inside  , ( some in our group payed almost twice that for balconies) it stopped in Key West which is only a 6 hr drive from us not to mention we've been there many times so it was definitely about the destination for us to pay that much for just a 4 night. If this had happened to us we would of cancelled IF it was an option but since its not what else can ya do but just go and try to have fun. I can see both sides and really feel bad for all involved. 

6 hours ago, tinkr2 said:

 This compensation is crap. This is not a missed port. This is a destination cruise. All the lines used their oldest and smallest ships.The reason people paid a bunch on an old ship ,is solely bacon Cuba.

Royal is giving 50 back off fare. NCL is giving 50 % off fare. And Carnival ... a crap 100. 4 cabins, what a joke. And you can not cancel if you have airfare and hotels booked.

I agree. When we sailed to Cuba last year we paid double of what we would of paid if we were just sailing to the Bahamas and THAT was for an inside .  we normally do Ocean view or balcony if we can but knew we  weren't gonna be in our room much so we just did the "Cheapest" cabin.

8 hours ago, LMaxwell said:

This does present the opportunity for many discount bookings on Majesty; possible to have a 4 night cruise to key west and nassau with only 2 days off of work, last minute, firesale deals.  Who lives 45 minutes from FLL with "unlimited" PTO?  Lmaxwell does.  Silver lining 

We do !!!!!and im hoping to see if theres a discount on the  August 19th cruise.  Friends from upstate  NY booked it for Cuba but we did Cuba last year and paid a premium so didn't want to do it again. 

16 hours ago, Almagetty said:

 

I’m heartbroken for all of you onboard the Sun right now. We were onboard last week and I can only imagine your disappointment.

Thats how i feel for those ones that cant go. Went to cuba last may and hoped to go back since the price went down. We loved it!!!

I just saw on the morning news that they ARE allowing thos that have already paid to still go so now I would imagine its up to the cruise lines but i dont see them sailing if the ships are not full, i hope so for all those involved. 

Best stuff is Neutrogena spray on and they have it in different shades. I use the dark because I'm Olive complexion, only complaint is that people think I'm always in the sun since I live in Florida, lol

"How is the food"? Depends on who you talk to. Food is so subjective that it is almost impossible to get a answer that might satisfy your tastes.:) We have sailed Equinox and we don't eat in the MDR, too many other venues for us that we like.:)

This is exactly my thoughts , if I cruised solely based on food I would never cruise. I've had bad dishes on all the cruise lines I've sailed on either in the mdr, buffet and specialty restaurants but I've never starved lol

We just booked 3 weeksa ago for our cruise on Saturday and got guarantee Bella balconies because of the price per couple, (there are 3 couples) and we got upgraded to Aurea balconies on deck 9 (bigger balconies) still Bella experience but we're all happy with bigger balconies as well as being close to each other. This is our first time on MSC and have never been upgraded on any other line we've sailed.

From one soon to be Bella experience thank you so much for the review. We cruise a few times a year so I'm always looking for a good bargain without skimping too much on quality and it sounds like the Bella experience was a good one. Aside from getting a 5:15 dining time which I guess we'll have to make the best of I'm looking forward to our first time on MSC. one good thing so far is our group of 3 couples all got upgraded to Aurea balconies which I always book a balcony on 6 or more days cruises.

Hubs and I were wondering what on earth happened because we were sitting on the beach at jetty park when it came in.

Does anyone know any JW's in Antigua that we could pay to drive us around for the day checking out some sights and maybe some shopping?

I see your going on oasis, great ship! Are you coming to port Canaveral before the cruise?

http://yulcigars.blogspot.com This is the best place to get a feel for pricing on every brand, size and quantity in cuban cigars along with rums, and other items sold at LCDH locations. IT is VERY RARE for a shop to give deals when purchasing cigars from official locations. IF a shop is eager to negotiate on prices I would take that as a sign to walk away and buy elsewhere in Havana as the cigars would be suspect to me.

Lol, happened to my husband . He went shopping without me because he's impatient and thought he got a great deal on his Cohibas even laughing at his friend for paying more and getting less. Lessons learned....

1, Don't buy from flea markets

2, Be patient

3, Don't go shopping without your wife!! Lol

The look on his face when I told him they were fakes was priceless, nevertheless he gave some to coworkers one of which is a big time cigar collector /smoker and he told my husband they were pretty good

It seems that about half the companies use separate guides, and about half let the driver be the guide. It mostly seems to come down to the driver's (often car's owner) English proficiency. I prefer to have the driver be the guide since I have done a ton of research and I speak a little Spanish. You would have to ask this particular company what they do and ask if they'd be open to your preference if it is different. There are several reputable companies on these boards if they can't offer what you're looking for.

we had a driver and a guide for both our tours we did. The tour guide in the Chevy we took said that drivers are not allowed to talk and drive or they can get ticketed. Not sure how true that is though but both tours we did had drivers, ( who didn't say a word while driving) and a guide.

I was on the cruise to Cuba last week on the Sun. I loved the ship as it has all new carpet and lots of new furniture in public areas. The bad thing about the Sun is the buffet is super tiny and the choices not so great. My comparison was Getaway which has an awesome buffet. The Spinnaker lounge is awesome. The pool area is nice and wasn't too crowded. The "open bar" feature is great and runs very smoothly. They had to dock at the navy pier in Key West and this was a hassle getting off the ship as they have to bring trolleys and busses for everyone.

Probably the smallest buffet I've ever seen but then I discovered the other side, lol. Also dining room was open for breakfast and lunch

We just went on her inaugural cruise to Cuba from port Canaveral , we live close so as soon as we heard about the Sun cruising from here we booked. Its a small but really nice ship, easy to get around and enjoyed the dining package and all inclusive liquor. Loved Cuba and would like to go back but gonna try to find a cruise that stays a little longer, like 2 full days and doesn't include key west, we can drive to key West anytime so paying to cruise there is kind of a waste for us but we got a good deal on the cruise so it was worth it.

Anyone know why the gratuities on the Sun are 19.99(more for suite and above) per day pp ONLY out of Port Canaveral ?