dixiechick

Oops, yes I did! Thanks for the correction

If you already have been to Jamaica and are looking for a relaxing day, you might consider an All Day Inclusive Pass at the Jewel Dunn River Resort (http://www.resortforaday.com/Jamaica-Day-Passes-s/1818.htm), $90/person. This is what we decided to do and glad we did. They will provide round trip transportation from the dock and it is only about a 15 minute drive. It is a beautiful resort and indeed is all inclusive, beach towels, all food, all drinks, beach chairs, water toys with beautiful pools and swim up bars. We thoroughly enjoyed this very relaxing day. It is an all adult facility so no children allowed.

We took a taxi to 7 mile beach and it was $4/person. Taxis are very easy to find at the ports. Please be aware though that unless you specifically ask to be taken to a public beach they will drop you off at some club where they charge you an entrance fee. Personally we were very disappointed. There were 2 other "mega ships" in port when we arrived and it was mobbed! We stayed about 10 minutes and left.

We had a blast on our Segway Tour ($70/person) of the Old Town in Cartagena, Mexico! The segways are easy to learn and our guide, Ceasar (owner) was the most patient and nicest person you could hope for. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is gorgeous and we saw much more on the seaways with Ceasar that we could ever have done on our own. If you book this experience you will not be disappointed!

Dr. Putt - We just recently went on the Seway Historic Tour of Old Town, we loved it and had a blast! I highly recommend it.

While on a recent cruise through the western carribean we booked a private tour with Alimiza. We chose their Tour Pkg CL1: Rainforest+Monkeys+Colonial Park+Gatun Locks ($65/person). This is a tremendous value for such a wonderful tour and exceeded all our expectations. Colon itself is not a safe place you would want to explore, but getting outside this port city was well worth it. The stop at the Gatun Locks on the Panama Canal was very interesting. It is a different experience that cruising through canal as you can observe the entire operation of the canal as the ships go through. We were fascinated with the whole operation. Colonial Fort was a beautiful and peaceful site which we thoroughly enjoyed. You drive through the rainforest (which was fine with us) rather than hike, but they make many stops to observe the wildlife and plants. Our guide was very friendly and accommodating, I highly recommend this tour.

During a recent cruise to the western carribean, we were the most excited about snorkeling the 2nd largest coral reef in the world in Roatan, Honduras. In total there were 3 couples on this private excursion (Upachaya Pontoon Snorkel Excursion - $68/person) which had come highly recommended by another local tour company. I don't normally write negative reviews, but this was a little out of the ordinary. A driver met us just outside the port dock and insisted we leave at the departure time (10am) as communicated to all of us in the emails from the owner of the Upachaya Resort/Bed and Breakfast. The driver told us we needed to be at the resort by 10:30am. We arrived at the resort (please note there are lots and lots of stairs so this would not be the place to go if you have mobility issues) where the owner gave us a little tour of the small resort. She then proceeded to tell us that we were very early and the snorkeling tour would not start for another 1-1/2 hours! But we were welcome to have a beer and sit by the pool. None of us were happy and asked her why in the world would she tell us to be there so early. She apologized but said she had sent out an email to all of us changing the departure time. All of us said we did not receive it (seemed odd that we from Alabama, another couple from Australia and the other from the U.S. never got it). She said we should have checked our Spam folders (which we subsequently did and no email). To her credit, she did offer to get us a cab to return to the ship and refund our money, but we all decided to since we were there, we would stick it out since we all wanted to see the reef. In my opinion, the owner got a little defensive and promptly left us for over an hour to fend for ourselves. The pontoon boat (very nice) finally arrived and a loadful of passengers got off. The part of the reef they take you to is about a 2 minute ride from the resort. Maybe due to the wind, or the part of the reef they take you, but we only saw one stingray, a couple of sea turtles and very, very few tropical fish. Not would I would call scenic at all compared to other places we have snorkeled. Our guide, a certified diver, was very nice, but insisted we stay very close together and follow him. So we spent a lot time trying to avoid bumping into each other (which was impossible) and watching the guide rather than enjoying the snorkeling. After the snorkeling, they serve you a light lunch of salad and chips, not the best in the world.

When we returned to the ship, other passengers raved about the beaches and snorkeling within walking distance at a very nice beach at the port. Wish we would have chosen to stay at the beach.

We had a really great time with "Go with Gus" Livingston Humanitarian Tour ($90/person) during our recent cruise in the western carribean. Gus will meet you right at the dock and is a very friendly and welcoming guide. Livingston is the gateway to the beautiful Rio Dolce canyon and about a 45 minute boat ride along the picturesque coastline of Santo Tomas, Guatemala. The boat is a covered and open air but be aware it can be very bumpy ride! Upon arrival in Livingston you will stop for some delicious local fruits at Gus's hotel. You then depart by boat up the Rio Dolce where you will make several stops for homemade tortillas and salsa, visit with the children who live along the river and if open, stop at a local school to interact with the children. We were there during their spring break so the schools were closed. Along the river, children will greet you in their canoes where gifts of any kind are truly appreciated. After our river cruise we then went back to Gus's hotel and had lunch then toured the village of Livingston. The lunch was fish, rice and fruit - really good! The village was bustling and picturesque, but is also filled with your typical "tourist shops". It was very hot..and our little group of 8 people were not much into shopping.. so we were ready to get back on the boat for another fast, bumpy ride, but we really enjoyed the scenic views of the coastline. I would recommend this excursion.

During a recent cruise to Costa Mayo, Mexico we took The Native Choice: Mayan Experience. Costa Mayo is a small village and the main attraction is the Mayan Ruins. We had a wonderful time with Maria our guide. There is about a 4 block walk to their office where you depart on the tour.There were only 6 of us and we had the ruins practically all to ourselves as there were no other cruise ships in port. The park where the ruins are located is about a half hour drive and we were in a nice, air conditioned van. The tour at the park are conducted by Mayan descendants and they were obviously proud of their heritage and

very informative. After completing our tour of the ruins, we then visited a small Mayan Village for lunch. A grandmother and her family hosted us in a beautifully landscaped house. Truly an oasis in the village and when you walk in a beautiful surprise! We helped make homemade tortillas and had a delicious lunch with native foods. I highly recommend this tour and ask for Maria - she is a very sweet person, highly personable and a wealth of knowledge!

No. But it happened about 3am

We were on the Regatta when they lost power. It so happens we got to have a Bridge Tour and I asked what happened. A member of the captains staff said they were making a fuel transfer which requires a power outage. We were told it was a planned event and only lasted a short while. No big deal. We found the ship to be immaculately maintained and were impressed how the bridge can monitor and see virtually all aspects of the ship 100% of the time. I wouldn't hesitate at all to sail her again.

Are jeans allowed for dinner at the Pool Grill?