AtlFolks

I don't want to hijack this thread - but, IMHO, when taking a SCUBA skills update, buoyancy control should be part of the program. Too much lead equals too much air consumption. Divemasters always carry extra lead for divers who need more.

I think $100pp is a lot for a SCUBA skills tune-up. Do it at home with less stress and then enjoy the dive on the cruise.

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Mr. Eccentric, I think Step 2 sounds fun, sans family! Sounds like a great tour - will sign-up! Tasting the need patties and jerk in my mind! Cool Runnings.

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If other people not in your cabin are in the pictures with you, will those photos still populate in your account? It's not so much he pictures of us we want as much as pictures of us with our parents that would be the treasure.

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I concur with Papa Flamingo (luv that name!). We always tip our post-cruise porters very well and they are great! After I take my bags off the belt I don't touch them until we get back to the house.

For the cruiser with only a couple of bags, Royal will let you walk-off the ship early with all your stuff in-hand. We've don't this a couple times and it works great, but with I and my son diving now, we have too much stuff to do the "walk-off".

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Also, be aware the SCUBA Diver certification IS NOT the same thing as Open Water certification. SD's require the supervision of a Divemaster and have depth limits as its what's called a "resort course", while OWD's have full recreational privileges. My advice FWIW is to get certified properly before a trip and then enjoy the vacation without the stresses of training.

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Dude, impressive cruise history. Do you live on the ships? Does Adam call you to see how things are going?

If you are going to do an OW dive on your cruise, do a skills review at your local shop where you can get some one on one time with a Divemaster or instructor. Then, do the thing on the ship for extra practice - sounds like fun, especially on Oasis.

Depends on the port. For example, Port Canaveral porters do not expect tips and there is a sign stating so, but in Ft. Lauderdale, a buck a bag will ensure your stuff arrives at your cabin before dinner.

If nothing else, RCI needs to rethink formal night. If it is nothing more than a night people are requried to dress up an extra level... good riddance.

 

It can just be about clothes. It has to be a special night in many ways. Something magical. Something people want to dress up to be a part of.

 

But how?

I agree that cruisers need a reason these days to pack heavy to get gussied-up for the mando-commando Formal Night.

Personally I think it adds a touch of class to what is typically a chill vacation. It's also one of the only times I ca get my family dressed for a nice family photo. (RCCL) Do something spectacular on Formal Night to incent pax to continue to accept it.

With Dynamic Dining there won't be those requirements. Some restaurants will require formal attire while some will be more casual. It will be interesting to see how the line handles any type of formal night.

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I would love to purchase a photo package as a gift to my parents for their 50th anniversary cruise. We will be on Freedom in June with the whole family and they would love this as a gift.

I've seen various posts that lead me to believe the digital package is a good deal, but that there are issues if you are in multiple cabins and that it can get very expensive very fast.

Thanks cruising friends!

Motivation is strong at the beginning of a 7-day and wanes towards the end. Workouts daily will allow you to get the most out of your vacation considering all the temptations!

Many servers won't adjust their rhythm for latecomers - I've seen them take care of the current course and then circle back to take care of the late folks. Latecomers do however slow down the entire process at some point. The fleet is moving towards dynamic dining so this issue may become moot over time.

Much good advice within the thread.

In Grand Cayman, dive Eden Rock's shore dive. Rent gear or bring your own, gear up, and hop in - nice easy profile and lots of marine life.

In Roatan try Bannanarama - nice folks, good rental gear, and short boat ride to a great wall. I had a busted inflator on my BC and they had a spare for me to use - no charge, very classy!

We are going to book the trip to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel ports.

 

We want to dive in GC and Coz.

 

Since we have dived Coz a lot, we are probably going to contact one of the dive ops we know will pick us up.

 

Grand Cayman dive op that services the cruise ships seems to get okay reviews.

 

Is there is anything we should consider with diving at Grand Cayman? I am guessing that with 6 ships in port, there will be plenty of divers going out. Thoughts?

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I dove with Allison too and she's good, and went with an outfit called Blue Angel a couple years ago that did a very good job with a great dive master but the boat was a bit slow.

One of the best sites I've been to (100 dives logged with 1/2 in the Caribbean) is Santa Rosa reef for a drift dive - awesome!

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How far is Scothies from the pier?

Scotchie's is about 20 minutes from the pier. They take credit cards.

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Hello Group -

I just returned from a trip on Freedom of the Seas and took my 14 year old on his first Caribbean dive at Eden Rock on Grand Cayman. If you have never been, this is a must-see. Easy shore dive with plenty to see.

Heading back on Freedom June 2015 with a possible trip in May. See you all on the high seas for more diving!

Jonathan

We will be going on the oct 19 sailing , and we need input on which restaurant should we pick,Chops

or Portofino.does anyone have menus for these two restaurants

 

 

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Portofino's menu is old and uninspiring, thus it's going away while in dry dock this winter. Chops is fantastic - best steak you'll have anywhere. Enjoy!

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This past month we visited Falmouth and I asked our driver to take us to HIS favorite jerk place, which turned out to be every driver's favorite jerk place - Scotchie's (which was not bad, just okay).

Will visit again next year, so cruisers - where is the best place in Falmouth to get some local cuisine, a nice drink, catch the sights, and help support their local economy (in Falmouth - not Ocho Rios where they are dripping in tourist money)?

Great pics! Looking forward to experiencing improvements.

I've never had an issue using coupons from one cruise to purchase drinks, merchandise, etc. on another cruise. Now with the digital coupons, does anyone know if the staff on the ships are accepting the paper coupons?

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Red Stripe sounds like a winner. Thanks! 7 days and counting!

Thanks ahecht - can you provide a link to that thread? Hope y'all had a good time!

Looks like reviews are mixed for Red Stripe. Any spring 2013 visitors with useful info to share.