andiloveu

I've been to RIU and it was beautiful! The beach was really nice or if you want the pool you could do that too. The buffet was great! Lots of options. We enjoyed the swim up bar and the cocktails.  I've been to Melia too but I would go back to RIU in a heartbeat!

On 12/12/2022 at 2:15 PM, capriccio said:

I think that is a wise decision.  Drop your bags off at the hotel and then take the water taxi, which has a stop right next to the Hilton Marina, getting off wherever you want.  See www.watertaxi.com.  It is both a means of transportation and a tourist ride since the Captain narrates the ride.  It is Hop On/Hop off and some of the local businesses at each stop offer discounts (listed on the website).

Thank you so much for that tip!  I would never have known about the water taxi.  Sounds like fun!😀

Thank you so much for all the info!  This is a mom's cruise getaway with my Bestie.  Since the parking at the hotel is so expensive we have decided to taxi or Uber to the hotel and walk around from there.  I really appreciate this community of cruising folks who always have a helpful tip and info to make your vacation a breeze!

We are flying in the day before our cruise to Ft. Lauderdale Airport in the AM.  We can't check into our hotel till 4pm so we were thinking of renting a car to get around and see some sights.  I don't rent cars hardly ever.  Can we rent the car from the airport but leave it near our port hotel or do I have to bring it back to the airport.  Any suggestions? Any car rental places that we can rent from airport and bring back car to a place near the port.  We're staying at the Hilton Ft. Lauderdale Marina.  Thank you in advance for any tips you can give!

We went to RIU and had a blast!  Wonderful buffet and swim up bar was great!  Hubby and I went to Melia but no food or drinks were included.  It was ok but I prefer RIU.

We took our boys to the Pirate Museum when they were 10 and 12 years old.  They loved it!!  If you only have 6 hours that's a fun thing to do along with some shopping!

I am new to NCL and I have a question. I received an email today saying my bid for a balcony room was accepted. I bid $80 per person. We booked an inside cabin and we are overjoyed to be getting a balcony. However, when I checked my online bank statement NCL charged me $258.48. I called and they said they would refund me the money but not till after our cruise. Has this ever happened to anyone? I forgot to say what ship ( Sky sailing on 1/28). Also they never mentioned what the cabin number would be. Do I find out before we leave or when we get to the port? Thank you ahead if anyone can clear this up for me.

Just off the ship today. Ample places to eat and food quite good. We would not pay for a la carte specialty dining + 20% gratuity. On a 4 day trip there is a lot of variety already. If it were 10+ days we might consider specialty once to "break it up". When we looked in Cagneys and Il Adagio they were basically empty so the new pricing scheme seems to be guest-repellent.

 

We enjoyed going to Longboards sports bar pre-dinner for appetizers. Yes, the MDR is open for lunch on boarding day. It is open for breakfast each day, even departure day. If your 4 day cruise includes Great Stirrup Cay look for the Abaco Taco Bar; it is near the locals marketplace.

 

Great Outdoor cafe is open for dinner and late night snacks until 1 or 2 am. Check the daily as the buffet has different theme nights each night. We ate in dining room 3 nights and buffet 1 night (took our dinner out to Great Outdoor cafe because they had live dinner music). We had 3 breakfasts in dining room and once at Great Outdoor Cafe.

 

We would skip dessert in dining room and walk around to get coffee then go to the buffet where they have a made to order Crepe station with ice cream during dinner hours.

 

Other tips; get to shows 15-20 minutes early so you can find a decent seat on deck 6. The deck 7 theater seating is pretty bad, high railings obstruct much of the view.

 

We made a "happy hour" for ourselves each night in a different location because of open bar. Make certain you find Outriggers Lounge with its observation deck. We also did happy hour at Plantation Club room, Longboards sports bar, and Captain Cooks on Deck 6 (think Schooner Bar on Royal)

I am so excited to try all of your tips and try the different eating and drinking venues! I'm actually writing everyones tips down and taking them with me. I never do that and always forget what I've learned on CC. Thank you so much for giving me the inside tips on a ship I've never been on. I can't wait!!:D

I worked in downtown Miami for 13 years and always, always used the FREE Metromover (you'll see the elevated track when you enter and leave Port of Miami), to get around town. Metro rail is right there as well but it costs a couple of bucks and you have to know where you are going - for instance if you want to go to Dadeland Mall, get on any southbound train and get off at Dadeland Station. Taxis in Miami are absolutely gross and smelly and disgusting so if you need to get somewhere, use what others have suggested like Uber. We left Miami 2 years ago because of the traffic so be warned.

Thank you for the tip on the Metromover. I never knew Miami had a rail service. And the thought of using a stinky taxi is not on my top ten things to do on vacation. LOL;p

The specialty dining choices are a big step up from the main dining room. I would book at least one night specialty dining if not more if you can afford it.

I also recommend to new cruisers to not get to the port too early on the day you embark. It is an absolute madhouse in the terminal and lots of waiting and crowds and waiting for your huge group to be called. Wait until noon or 1pm to embark. You will breeze right thru the whole process with no waiting. You'll have plenty of time to grab lunch before they announce the rooms are ready.

 

Also, one thing on NCL that is nicer than Royal is that you can eat in the main dining room for lunch on the day you embark. You don't have to be up with the crowds of people trying to eat in the buffet! The crew will want to direct you to the buffet, because I think they are actually encouraged to do that but if you keep asking to be directed to the dining room for lunch, they will help you get there. Lunch in the dining room is a great way to start off your cruise!

 

As far as transportation, if you are cell phone savy and can download the Uber app, it could save you a lot of money! Last year we took Uber from the Ft. Lauderdale airport to the cruise port for something like $43. A taxi would have cost us $90 plus tip!! I'mthinking Uber can save you about half the cost.

Thank you so much for the information! I will be putting the Uber app on my phone now. I'm looking forward to trying the diningroom for lunch. So looking forward to this cruise!

Thank you Swedish Weave. I will check those today! Anytime you can save money is a good thing to me.

Thank you Beerman2! That is very helpful! It gives me an idea how much money we will need for transportation.

Thank you rjm11! That was very helpful. I'm looking forward to trying a new cruise line and ship. I know it's older but that doesn't matter to me as long as we have fun. I will look into the specialty dining options. I was thinking Le Bistro for a nice anniversary dinner. We are excited to get away and have some fun!

Hi Everyone! My DH and I are going on the Norwegian Sky this coming January 29th for a 4 night cruise. This is for our 25th wedding anniversary. We usually cruise with RC but were able to book this cruise with points from our bank. So why not! Can anyone give us some insight about the ship and things to do on the ship and if we should pay for a specialty dinner one night? Is it worth it? We have never cruised from Miami port. Or if we have I don't remember. We are coming a day early and leaving a day after the cruise. I have hotels for each day but I'm unsure about transportation. Is there a good shuttle service? Is a taxi a good alternative? How much would it cost for two people to go from Doral area hotel to port and then port to miami beach hotel after cruise? I'm sorry for all the questions but was wondering about one more thing, how is Grand Bahama Island? Last time I was there was in May and it was a little sketchy. Now that there has been two more hurricanes how is it there? Should I get a day pass for the Lucayan? Last time the taxi dropped us off at a market and we had to walk to the resort. The shop keepers were very pushy and we felt a little uneasy. I hope this wasn't too many questions. Looking forward to hearing from you all!!

I was on the Liberty in May of this year. I know others have posted that they loved the ship but I was not to happy with our cruise. The things I liked were Guy's Burgers and the pool in the back of the ship. There was a terrible sewer smell in different parts of the ship. On the deck by the water slide and by the outside bar and the Alchemy Bar. It was so bad no one seemed to stay in those places for very long. The entertainment was just ok. I don't like to post negative things about cruises but I have to be honest. I hope the sewer smell is not there when you go on your cruise.

I can only tell you about RUI. I've just returned from my cruise with 5 other girlfriends. We booked the RUI because the price was cheaper and I read a lot of good reviews. The taxi ride over was easy and cheap, only $4 pp. When we walked in we were greeted right away and taken care of. Got our day pass wristbands and were told about the buffett and the facility. We arrived at 8:30 am and had breakfast. The food was better than our cruise ship (Carnival Liberty). The pool area is right off the lobby. There is a swim up bar and the friendliest bar staff ever. Ask for Lenny or his sister Felicia. They make great drinks! The beach is right behind and they will get you an umbrella and lounge chair right away. If you want to parasail or do any water sports there are people coming up and down the beach selling that. We had a wonderful time at RUI!!! I would highly recommend!!!

We had a great time at the Pirate Museum a few years back. Our two boys loved it! There was a man dressed up like a pirate at the entrance and he interacted with the kids and found us after the tour too. Our friends were with us and the pirate picked my friend up and said "I found me some booty". LOL Hilarious!

I will be on Liberty on May 7th of this year. This is my first time on a Carnival cruise and I was wondering if they have sushi on the ship. I was watching some youtube videos that people had done and I thought I saw sushi but maybe it was another ship. Since this is my first time on Carnival and my friends first cruise ever what should we definitely not miss like (food, entertainment, activities)?

Thank you all for the info and suggestions. I'm trying to find reasonable airfare right now. And I have been on Youtube to check out what the ship is like. Can't wait for May to come!! Happy cruising everyone!!

Thank you all for the info about your experiences! Very helpful!! I think I will get that flight at 12:30pm.

I was wondering if I would be able to get from the ship to the airport for a 12:30pm flight. Our cruise is in Port Canavarel. Can you walk off the ship in the morning with your luggage on a Carnival Cruise? How bad is the traffic usually coming from the port to the airport. We have a shuttle service picking us up at the port to take us to the airport. Sorry for all the questions but I'm trying to find the best flights at a reasonable price and time. Thanks for your help!

Thank you for the info. I really didn't know where to look for this information or even where to post this question. I will look on the board right now.

I am taking a cruise out of Port Canaveral on the Carnival Liberty in May. I found a flight leaving at 11:40am out of MCO. Is that time feasible? Or will we be cutting it too close. I haven't flown in a long time and I'm not sure how long it will take to get off the ship and then get to the airport and thru security. Any help would be great! Thanks :)

Hi Everyone! I am planning a girls cruise with some friends. I found a Carnival cruise on the Liberty that fits our price and dates. I have some questions about flights. We are all coming from Ohio and I was wondering what airport do you fly into for Port Canaveral? Can I get a transfer from the airport to a hotel near the port and then the next day to the ship? Do I call the hotel or a certain company that would handle this? I have only cruised on RC but I'm not opposed to trying other cruise lines. What is the Liberty like? Can anyone share some pictures or insight on the ship that I can share with my friends? I'm really excited to plan and go on this girls trip and I want to make sure everyone is happy. Any info you can all give would be appreciated!! Thank you so much!!

He does mindcraft sometimes but not too often. One of the young brothers in our hall trys to get him to do . Usually he only does it when he's with him. We've never cuised out of NJ we always fly down to FL. It would be so much more cost effective if we did though. lol We have a ton of kids in our hall and there all different age's . from 1 yr to 20yrs . plus many of the surrounding halls have lots of kids.

you should come for a visit sometime. We are 10 minutes from the beach and 1hr from the city. Think about coming for a visit. We'd love to have you.

We would love to come for a visit. If we ever decide to make a trip I will post here and let you know. What is the name of your KH? Last month was a crazy month with weather here in Ohio. Was January bad for you all too? I auxillary pioneered in January and half way thru the month I was wondering what was I thinking. LOL I even got stuck in the ditch in the snow during service and two sisters and my son had to push me out. Oh my goodness, what a month. LOL I think I will wait till spring to auxillary pioneer again. LOL Well, have a safe rest of winter and keep warm my sister!!