Clipper123

Yes, I know we would have to go out on a boat but we have done the whole tour before - coral gardens, starfish point which takes roughly 3 hours - we just want to go out to stingray city and back to Georgetown. I have googled "stingray city" and only these tours that include all the other stops seem to pop up. I am wondering if anyone has done a tour that is just to Stingray city and back.

Are there any tours that go to just Stingray City? We want to do a couple of things while in port and would like a quick tour out to Stingray City not a 3 hour trip that includes snorkeling stops. Have had a bad experience with Native Way and so do not wish to use them.

Thanks for a lot of quick responses. I tip everyone gladly so there is no issue there. I tend to leave a few bucks in the windjammer. I always tip room service and so on .My main focus was to divert the money that I could have to the people who serve us directly. for example at chops or some other location. I can leave it in place but I would rather if possible tip more to the ones who actually serve me is all. Thats all my question is about. Even if I do leave them in place I am still curious about the original question.

 

Thanks all. I appreciate the input.

So you tip only the servers, not the behind the scenes people such as food preparers, cooks, dishwashers, etc, they are all working to serve you directly just as the servers are? They are all included in the daily gratuities the cruise line collects.

I get emails all the time from RCI to my Hotmail account. For the past two days at work (a large medical facility) all emails we send through our network are being returned undeliverable to all Hotmail addresses. I also noticed yesterday when I initially logged into my Hotmail acc't it had switched over to outlook but when I logged back in last night it was back to the old Hotmail platform. Maybe this is a Hotmail/Microsoft issue that is affecting different servers/networks???

Does anyone know if you can request a table for two with MTD? If so, is there a longer wait? We have always done traditional late seating but thought we would try my time when we sail on the Allure in Jan. We def. prefer a table for two and will try to traditional if it isn't worth it doing MTD

Yes you can. I think the wait would depend on how full the MDR is when you arrive or you could make reservations ahead of time which apparently most people do. IMHO I don't think making reservations constitutes anytime dining but that is the way RCI does it.

I just got your spreadsheets from post 171 and they are absolutely awesome! Thanks for sharing!

I wouldn't say Jamaica is dangerous. The locals are extremely aggressive in their attempts to sell you things but if you just say "no thank you" and continue on your way they will eventually leave you alone. I've read lots of posts on this board where people go outside of the compound to tour around Falmouth and have had no issues.

We had thought about renting a car, even went so far as to reserve one but after thinking about it we decided we will find a hotel within walking distance to restaurants, shopping and the beach, (seems like there are lots of them in the Cocoa Beach area) we would rather just do away with dealing with tolls, traffic and driving in an unfamiliar area and have a shuttle drop us off and pick us up at the door even though it will cost a little more. We will probably take a taxi or hotel shuttle to the port.

Does anyone get Anthem as their first page when going to http://www.royalcaribbean.com? I have for months now and the only way I can get out of it and find anything pertaining to any other ships or even the regular tabs is by going through the countdown to cruise or crown and anchor page which both require signing in. Real PITA. I can't even search for a cruise without doing that otherwise I get only Anthem itineraries.

I think I'm going to really enjoy this review. Can't wait for more :)

Imagine if vegans were as vocal as non-smokers, and started insisting that no meat be served in the main dining room because the smell upsets them. Then all the meat eaters went to the Windjammer instead but the vegans complained that that now every time they go to the Windjammer all you can smell is meat. So they confine meat eating only to Chops, but the vegans are unhappy because they feel they're being excluded from Chops as it's just wall to wall meat, with people sitting on chairs made of dead cow. The vegans have paid good money for their cruise, and want to be able to enjoy all aspects of it, including dining in Chops, but they can't because they come away stinking of meat.

You can't even enjoy a burger on your balcony from room service, because the vegan a few cabins away can still smell it, despite the ship travelling at 17knots in open water. On top of that, you'd given up meat a few years ago, and now only eat quorn. But the vegans complained that it looks like meat, so you can only eat that in Chops as well, despite the fact that it's 100% not meat.

No, it is because they are answering with emotion and spite. calling it as

That's the most absurd and off base comparison I have seen in awhile.

Maybe the subject "vegans vs meat eaters" is absurd (but certainly could happen some day) but the context is EXACTLY what is and has been going on with smokers vs nonsmokers in the past few years on ships. Exchange the word "meat" for the word "smoke" in the above paragraph and you will see that it is EXACT.

 

Very rarely do I encounter considerate smokers in day to day life. Maybe that is because they are the considerate type, so I'd never see them. But man, there are PLENTY of really inconsiderate ones out there that really do give all smokers a bad reputation. If I go to a supermarket or big box store like Home Depot, as often as not employees are taking a break, standing 5 feet from the door smoking. It stinks. It looks bad and it's probably against company policy to book. Or at any given traffic light people flicking cigarettes out their window. That is inconsiderate. So I understand the backlash many have against smokers because of that. They assume all smokers are equally inconsiderate when that is not true.

 

I was a considerate smoker when I did smoke (14 years ago) but that was before all this bashing came about. If I were a smoker now, I can honestly say that I most likely wouldn't be a considerate smoker. These righteous nonsmokers are taking things way too far and don't deserve consideration - sorry but they have taken away most of the least bothersome places smokers could spoke - outside - because they complained about breathing in 1:100 million molecules of smoke to air.

I agree with you, but just had to respond to the prior posters insistence that it would never happen.

 

I did not say indoor smoking would never be banned, I said smoking will not be banned in the foreseeable future. It doesn't matter if the smoking area is inside or outside, the complainers are still going to complain. There is no winning with those righteous ones. BTW, I am an ex-smoker of 11 years and although I no longer like the smell of smoke and my eyes water when I am around it, I don't complain when a smoker is smoking in a designated area.

Is there any limit to how much you can cash out at Guest Services on the final day?

I am thinking this is an easy way to make money. Buy a lot of USD at a 10% exchange, and just cash it all out at the end of the cruise.

I think that people who are purchasing it to "make money" and not spending it on the ship are going to cause limits to be placed or rates to skyrocket very soon.

There were a lot less smokers in the casino and out on decks when they were allowed to smoke on their balcony. I ,for one, never smelled cigarette smoke when sitting on my balcony, even when the person sitting next to me was smoking but I sure do smell it everywhere else now! I guess you get what you ask for :rolleyes: They are not going to ban smoking altogether anytime in the foreseeable future so if enough people complain now about smoke in the casino they will move the smoking area to one particular bar and then all the nonsmokers (myself excluded) will complain that they want to go in that bar because they will feel that they are being deprived. So nobody wins and they will move the smoking area somewhere else and the cycle will continue because, as I said, they are not going to ban smoking anytime soon.

Why not, plenty of people here are more than happy to tell someone how to smuggle soda on board. What's the difference? Both are listed as prohibited. The OP asked a fair question to which there are simple answers.

Yes you can :)

No you shouldn't :p

But the choice is yours. :eek:

Exactly!!!!! Funny how it is perfectly ok to smuggle on soda but alcohol....my gosh you would think they were asking how to smuggle on a bomb to let off on the ship! I don't care if staff are more likely to let soda on then alcohol, which is the usual response that comes up - it must be ok because they allow it - no it isn't okay, it is against the rules just like alcohol. The only reason they are more flexible on letting you through with soda is because they don't loose quite as much money on it.

We are purchasing drink packages this trip - myself the Premium and my DH the Select. DH is also going to smuggle a little bit of whiskey as he drinks mainly beer but enjoys the odd whiskey and I refuse to "share" my package (that's a whole other popcorn eating subject). The cruise line is still get more than enough money from us.

Check out this thread

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2061057

Generally, the Southwest gates are at one end of Terminal C but that could still be a 5-10 minute walk from C1 to C20. The biggest issue will be if your inbound flight is on time. Southwest once gave me a 35 minute connection in St. Louis, but the gates were adjacent so we walked off one flight and right onto the next one. Sit near the front on your first flight.

Thank you. This is exactly what I was asking. I guess I should have specifically asked if a 50 minute connection time in ATL is doable with flights on Southwest!

Thanks for the info. Yes, I plan to ask about getting a renovated room a couple of days before arrival if I find nothing else. I think any hotel in that price range on the beach is going to have issues. We stayed in an oceanfront room in Daytona once when going to a NASCAR race. It was the absolute worst room I have ever stayed in and we survived so I guess we can survive this :)

Also, check the Bed Bug Registry (google it). Of the hotels we were researching, this was the only one that was on the registry with a bad review! Scary!

We got the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront for $104/nt for 2 nts., 3 rooms for April 3rd thru the 5th on Priceline. International Palms is rated a 2.5 star on PL, so if you're looking for a 3 star, this one won't pull into the mix.

If you look at the bed bug registry there are also reports of bed bugs at Hilton Cocoa Beach 9/9/2015 and 2/3/2015. There are also reports of bed bugs at Double Tree, LaQuinta, Holiday Inn, Courtyard and Comfort Inn in Cocoa Beach. Just because a place has low rates doesn`t mean it has bed bugs.

I am going with the positive reviews and holding my breath! We got a great rate along with a shuttle service from MCO and back. Airfare killed us as we are flying during February break - I had to save somewhere and figured for one night, why not! Will be interested in hearing feedback other than Trip advisor.

Does your rate at IP include shuttle service from MCO and back or is that separate? That might be worth looking into. We got a rate of $76 + tax and were planning on renting a car at MCO, returning at the port the next day and then taking a shuttle back to MCO from the port.

I really don't want to spend a lot of money on a room for 14 hours, probably 7 or 8 of which we will actually be in the room but I also don't want to start our vacation off on a bad note if they are terrible rooms. I think the renovated rooms are the ones getting the good reviews and the bad reviews are the rooms that have yet to be renovated. I guess we have a 50% chance of getting a renovated one :confused:

Yup, totally forgot that part - a Saturday night end of February.

Anyone found a nice, clean hotel for around $100 in the Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach area within a short walking distance to the beach? We are currently booked at International Palms but the reviews are totally hit and miss; one review is great, the next within the same week is terrible/want to sleep in my car bad. Just not sure we want to stay there even for only one night!

Just found this company - it has by far the cheapest rates I have found yet for cancellation insurance. We have complete out of country medical insurance from both my employer and DH employer but it is still cheaper to purchase an all inclusive plan rather than just cancellation insurance which doesn't make sense to me. All the coverages for the policy I brought up seem as good as quotes I have been getting for double the rate.

If the link doesn't work I found it by googling northbridge travel insurance and then on the quote box when you choose Canada, it takes you to the Canadian site.

https://www.tmtsf.ca/?si=9697760d22735e2ed930830d74ab26b1

Are Southwest's incoming and outgoing flight gates together? We have a plane change with only 50 minutes between scheduled arrival and departure. Also have EBCI so just hoping we have time to get to our boarding post before boarding begins.