rm1247

We will be flying home from Barcelona after our cruise, and it is an 8 hour day time flight. I'm trying to plan what I'm going to do with my 4yo for 8 hours during the day! She has flown this long before, but always overnight and she slept most of the time.

 

It is a United Airlines flight. Am I correct that there won't be outlets to recharge my tablet/laptop? My tablet will keep her occupied for quite awhile, and i can load it with some videos, but I don't think the battery will last for more than a couple of hours.

 

Please pass on any suggestions you have for occupying a preschooler for this long on a plane. I'm also concerned because it is after our trip, so she won't have the pre-trip excitement to build on.

 

Thanks!

I'm researching options for our group to stay one night post-cruise. Capri by Fraser Barcelona has great reviews and has options for a family of 4 to all stay in one room.

 

Has anyone stayed in this hotel and can give feedback on it's location to the port and airport? We hope to disembark, check in early to the hotel, and then spend the day in Barcelona before catching a flight home the next day.

 

I'd also love to hear recommendations on other Barcelona hotels that are reasonably priced for a room that holds a family of 4.

 

Thanks!

We are considering a cruise on Quantum in a few months and I would love to hear about the Adventure Ocean and teen rooms. I'm used to the kids' rooms being on top of the ship. Do the rooms even have windows? How do the rooms and programs compare to other ships? My kids love AO, but have only been on Voyager and Radiance class ships. It looks like these rooms are on two decks, and I'm not sure how that works?

Sea conditions can vary even intra day. You can check the local weather here http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/mexico/quintana-roo/cozumel

 

http://www.buoyweather.com/wxnav6.jsp?region=playa_del_carmen&program=Maps

 

And maybe look at the port cams for both Cozumel Punta Langosta and Playa del Carmen.

 

http://www.cozumelinsider.com/webcam

 

http://www.webcamgalore.com/EN/webcam/Mexico/Cozumel/1749.html

 

http://www.webcamgalore.com/EN/webcam/Mexico/Playa-del-Carmen/2360.html

 

There are other sites too. But your best bet is to be on deck outside where you can see both sides of the channel as your ship is coming into port. You'll feel the relative wind created by the ship's movement, but you can see the weather and look at the wave/swell action in the channel. Of course there's no guarantee that same conditions will prevail on the return ferry trip.

 

Have him take Bonine or other non-drowsy motion sickness medication (ginger pills can work on mild movement for some, but not all people, skip anything that says homeopathic) before leaving the ship or earlier.

 

Thanks - great suggestions!

 

I get sea sick on cruise ships and it was worse traveling from Tulum back to the cruise ship on the ferry. I take Bonine (meclizine 25mg.) Twice a day...morning and 4:00 everyday. My husband doesn't get sea sick, but needed Bonine on the ferry. Bonine is non-drowsy.

 

Did the Bonine work? Was it worth the trip in spite of the rough seas? Thanks!

We are planning to take the Tulum Mayan Ruins Express ship tour in a few weeks, but after reading some reviews here I'm really concerned about the ferry. My husband has no trouble with seasickness on the ships, but smaller boats/ferries/kayaks can be disastrous for him. This is our first opportunity to see Mayan ruins and we were really looking forward to this tour. How long is the ferry ride and is it always rough? Is there a website where I could check the forecasted sea state for the day we'll be there? Has anyone with a similar tendency for seasickness taken this tour? Dramamine helps, as long as it isn't too rough. Thanks for your help!

For more room keep the lowers apart.

This will give you a three foot center aisle instead of two 1.5ft side aisles.

 

or push the double bed to one side and put the pnp against the wall. We did that in an oceanview cabin on NCL and the pnp fit in the corner really well, leaving us the normal space to move around the cabin. I think you could actually fit two pnps in that space. It means you have to crawl into the bed from the foot, but at least you preserve the floor space.

We are sailing on Serenade in a few weeks and I was wondering if it is possible to know which menus will be offered each night (ahead of time)? I want to make reservations at a specialty restaurant, but we have a couple of favorite menus that I'd hate to miss.

Great review! We are sailing on Serenade in a few weeks on the same itinerary.

 

We love sailing with our kids (although this trip they are staying home). If you plan another trip check out the FO rooms (family oceanview) offered on this class and several others. They sleep 6 in a room and if you can catch the same sale, passengers 3-6 are free! There are two FOs in the front, side by side, but you'd have to book early to get both. Awesome rooms, we did a TA on Brilliance in one with our 4 kiddos and loved it.

 

Any chance you know the menu names for each night (Saffron, etc.)? It would help me to pick which night to use our specialty dining.

 

Thanks for posting the compasses!

Thank you! That's very helpful and I'm excited that we'll be able to do that in a day.

We will only have a day in NOLA pre-cruise, but I'd like to make the most of it. I've been searching for a self-guided walking tour to use as a starting point or general guide, and I'm surprised that there aren't many options. The best I've found so far are three different ones from Frommer's, http://www.frommers.com/destinations/new-orleans/717264#sthash.fBnkzMgL.dpbs . Has anyone used these tours? Are they a good starting point?

 

We are in decent shape and enjoy walking. I won't stress over completing the tours, but do you think they are a good starting point or should I look for something simpler? If we only have one day, is Esplanade Ridge something we should explore, or should we stick to the French Quarter and may-be the Garden District?

We are docking in Falmouth next month and I was planning to visit Blue Hole through a private tour company. I didn't realize how far it was and am now wondering if it is risky to use a private tour company for a whole day excursion. I'd love to hear from those who have done this. I'm looking into Liberty Tours Jamaica.

 

Thanks!

I was wondering if any of you have used Liberty Tours while docked in Falmouth? I'm planning to do a private tour with them, but am a bit worried about the distance from the port and getting back in time.

I really want to book this for our upcoming cruise, but my husband does not eat any type of seafood. Is that a dietary restriction we can mention, and if so would it be rude to do so?

Thanks for your help! What about the Courtyard New Orleans Downtown/Iberville (910 Iberville St)? That is ranked pretty high on trip advisor.

(I'm also going to see what the points can do with JW Marriott)

Last fall we did a 15 day transatlantic and my 4 kids were among the 15 that were on board. They usually combined ages 3-11 and when my two dd were in there often they were either by themselves or with only one or two other kids. However, they LOVED it. The AO staff still had to be there regardless of the number of kids and did some fantastic things with all that one on one attention. My 9yo, who usually doesn't like AO, chose to go there every day during our many sea days. The 3yo also loved it, and she often had a few playmates as most of the kids were probably under 5. Surprisingly, my teens met up with 4 other teens in the teen club and also had a great time.

Was it close to the French Quarter? Do you recommend any nearby restaurants? Thanks for your help!

My husband and I are flying in a day early before our cruise next Feb. and will have a full day to explore New Orleans, a first for both of us. We want to use our Marriott points for our stay and I'm trying to figure out which Marriott hotel would be best to book. Any recommendations? I'm still in the process of learning about what all New Orleans offers, but I'm thinking we'll probably spend the day meandering through the French Quarter.

Thanks!

My daughter turned 3 the second day of a 15 day cruise on RCI. We had no trouble at all putting her in after she was 3, and they even let us register her beforehand. But they specifically told us that she couldn't come until her birthday. I know it is a different line, but I thought I would add our experience for others wondering this question. Our travel agent had confirmed for us beforehand that she could join, but I was very nervous about it and relieved when it wasn't an issue at all.

We've also done this. The muster station is a good point, and something to definitely keep in mind because if they are different, your child will have to report to their assigned station for the drill right after boarding. You also want to check in together because your child will most likely have to check in with whoever they are rooming with.

I'm pretty sure it is Dolphin Discovery. I found some reviews for it on Tripadvisor.

We were in St. Kitts recently without our kids, but I think they would have loved the Brimstone Hill Fortress and the rainforest. We took a private island tour and our kids would have enjoyed it. The fort has some steep drops (and no safety bars), but there are huge steps to climb and large grassy areas. The lower level of the fort is pretty safe and a place a 6yo boy would love to explore.

 

We added a rainforest "walk" to our private tour (the tour company, Thenford Grey, had it as a separate tour option). The walk was not strenuous, and again I think a 6yo would enjoy it.

 

Our tour also included the batik, which he would probably find boring but the grounds are very pretty (and it is right beside the rainforest).

 

Here's a quick review I wrote about our stop in St. Kitts:

 

St. Kitts – we took a private Island tour with Thenford Grey (not him directly, but one of his guides). In addition to touring the island, we also walked through the rainforest. After watching the zip liners fly over our heads, we all agreed that next time we want to give that a try! St. Kitts was probably my favorite island on this trip. There were so many interesting stops – Caribelle Batik, the rainforest, Brimstone Hill Fortress (a world heritage site), and Timothy Hill (where you can see both the Atlantic and Caribbean). We ended at Cockleshell Beach, but didn’t have much time before we needed to head back to our ship.

Anyone? I would love some feedback on this.

We are going to be on the Explorer of the Seas in the family oceanview and I would love if you could tell me where the furniture is placed compared to the window. On one photo is shows a bed and couch and in another the bed is facing a different direction and there is also a chair under the other window. I know it is not a big deal but I am an early riser and would love to be able to just look out the window without bother others.

Thanks

 

The Explorer has 8 FOs (I think), but they vary in their arrangement depending on your deck. I think most of them are set up like a large oceanview cabin, with the bunk room right inside the door, and a chair between the main bed(s) and the window(s). Deck 8 is different, and I think those FO's are preferable because they are larger and the living space is more defined.

 

I'm the same way and like to know ahead of time what the room will look like! Google your cabin number and see if you can find any pictures (make sure it is for a Voyager class ship).

We will be in St. Maarten this October and I'm looking at the RCI excursion, Anguilla Dolphin Swim & Beach for my 9yo and 14yo dds. They have never done something like that and I think they would love it.

 

 

 

Has anyone done this excursion? I don't usually book ship's excursions, but it looks like this one costs about the same as booking it on my own.

 

 

I haven't been able to find many reviews, especially specifically for the ship excursion. I saw one comment that the ferry ride is long (45 min) and therefore it wasn't worth it. I don't think the ferry would be a problem for my girls, especially if the dolphin encounter was worthwhile.

I've used the ship's pnp twice. The first time it was pristine and we had no issues. The second time (RCI), the first one they brought was filthy. My cabin steward acted like she had no idea why I thought it was dirty and tried to clean it for me and basically refused to replace it. I went down to the hotel manager and after a huge hassle, they finally replaced it. The new one was slightly cleaner. I had brought lysol and tried to clean it as best I could, and then covered it with the sheets I had brought. She never slept in a regular bed, so I didn't have any other options.

 

That was our worst cruise because the kids got the noro virus (and the baby got it first). Was it from the pnp? We'll never know, but I'll always regret not bringing our own pnp (and we even drove to the port!). I remember sitting there holding my terribly sick 15mo and feeling like the world's worst mother for not protecting her from that virus.

 

If at all possible, bring your own. The 2 dirty ones I was brought were dirty on the side mesh and areas that weren't covered by the sheet and not easily cleaned. Gross!!