cmason

Bring your own, and enjoy the swim, just don't expect to see anything in Labadee. There just are not many fish around, and its pretty cloudy as the cove is just sand, so there is not much coral for the fish to hide in. The ocean side is pretty rough, and I have never managed to snorkel there.

Do note, that the Cigar Bar is open all the time, but only in the evenings is it staffed. So you are welcome to go in midafternoon and enjoy your cigar, but there will be no one in the bar, nor can you purchase a cigar there. Sometime late afternoon (5 or 6) the bartender arrives, and is there late.

They offer a decent selection of cigars for sale, at typical prices (meaning high), but then, wine and drinks are high too. You can bring your own of course.

Don't know about how the smoking policy changes things, but you could smoke a cigar on the outside of deck 5. I suspect this is still a smoking area, so if you don't mind all the cigarette smoke, you can relax on a lounge chair and enjoy a cigar (yes I hate cigarette smoke, but enjoy cigar smoke, go figure)

You can not purchase for use in your cabin, as they will not let you bring it to your cabin. Also, the rules say you can not bring it on board...but everybody has gone over the speed limit, right? I have been known to pack a bottle in my luggage, purchase a coke for mixer or even lemonade. (Lemon vodka and lemonade is good).

Since you are in port many days during the week, simply go to the ATM at a local bank in town, pick one that is on your bank's network.

I cashed travelers cheques at Guest Services and got Euros. Don't recall the exchange rate, but it was comparable to the airport.

I used my credit card everywhere, and got much better exchange rates. It was even cheaper than what I paid for Euros from the bank before leaving home. Only buying a train ticket, at an automated kiosk did I have a problem, since it required the use of a 'chip and pin' card that we don't use here (we use the mag stripe on the back). That was solved with a visit to the ticket counter.

I have one from a port day last year, and it lists hours as:

Ages 3-11

7am-9am: Early Bird Cartoons

9am-5pm: Port Zone Session

5:45-7pm: Kids' Dinner

7pm-10pm: Evening Session

10pm-2am: Late Nite Party Zone ($)

I am sure others will have more details

We do same. We simply use the card for our normal purchases, and keep track of our points at the bank website. When it hits our target, we stop using it. Simple enough.

Just remember that a cruise ship is larger than most hotels. So, its going to be fairly obvious where the ship is. Ports, on the other hand, often are the opposite of obvious.

Your cruise includes your room and passage, dining in the Main Dining Room, 'buffet' (called the Windjammer), Room Service, and snacks in a few of the snack bars around the ship. These also include tea, coffee, iced tea, lemonade, and juices in these areas. Some ships have a soft serve ice cream machine by the pool that is included.

All entertainment on board is included (shows, entertainers, etc). Facilities like pools, rock climbing wall, outdoor activities (basketball, mini golf, ping pong, etc), gym are included.

You will have to pay extra for:

- Specialty Dining, ( restaurants that carry an extra charge),

- all alcohol

-various specialty items (typically in specialty shops) like Ben and Jerry's ice cream, handmade cupcakes, Starbucks coffee, and Johnny Rockets Burgers.

-excursions: the ship delivers you to the port, what you do in port is your decision and dollar. You can purchase excursions from the ship or on your own.

Yes, these ships are built for all passengers to enjoy the top deck. There is gobs of space. And don't forget, there is loads of space on the Promenade deck as well. On Adventure, the Promenade deck wraps completely around the ship, good for walks that are less obstructed. Plenty of deck chairs as well.

Here is the center of Adventure sister ship Navigator. This is approximately half the outdoor space:

The food in the Main Dining Room is very good. The nice thing about it is that its 'all you can eat'...you can order as many items on the menu as you like. This way, if you aren't sure about an entree, order it plus a 'safety', something you are sure you like. Its a great way to try something you have never had before. We always order an extra entree, especially if its something we have never had, and share it with the table.

This is fantastic for kids, because you can get them to try stuff risk free. My daughter, at age 7, was arm twisted into trying escargot, and loved them, ate two orders. The next nite the waiter had escargot waiting for her, saved just for her!

The menu includes a few items like steak, grilled chicken, etc, that are there in case you don't like the menu. Plus, don't forget, you can even order from the kids menu if you like. Who doesn't like mac and cheese?

Also, for late departures like San Juan, people have reported that they can check in on board, then deboard and enjoy San Juan until departure that evening.

Why not leave them with the bell hop at your hotel? Every hotel I have ever been in will hold them even if you are checked out.

They are salt water, but don't think they are just water directly from the ocean. Its clear, and chlorinated, just like 'regular' pool water, it just happens to be salt water. The only way you will know is if you get some in your mouth, or you find you float extra high :)

No, they are not heated. The hot tubs are, obviously.

I thought Head Waiters were the people you never see UNTIL the last nite in the dining room :rolleyes:

FWIW, the one time I used the laundry on RCCL, my clothes came back all damp. Had to hang them all up to finish drying. I was so put out by it all, I didnt want to send them back and wait even longer.

Don't forget that only certain crew operate 'in front of house'. This is much like a hotel, where most of the action is 'back of the house' out of view of the passengers. In fact, it is my understanding that only certain crew members, mostly either in front of house or fairly senior, are allow to mix with passengers in any significant number. Folks like the Senior staff, hotel staff, Adventure Ocean staff all are allowed to dine in Windjammer at certain times. So, one reason you see so many 'white shirts' as they are among those that you are allowed to see, which causes you to think there are so many of them. In fact, they are greatly outnumbered, but you don't get to see the hundreds that help make your vacation so memorable.

If I had to pay more for the Promenade room...then no, I would not choose it over an interior. Bottomline is that we ended up having the curtains closed most of the time while in a Promenade room, thus turning our Promenade into an INTERIOR room.

Sure, the little window seat is nice, and occasionally its cool to look down and all the people, but I would not pay more again for this 'benefit'.

4600 passengers is less than the "standard" capacity of Oasis of the Seas, which is 5,400. It actually can hold more, and has had as many as 6,000 aboard (more than double occupancy).

So, having two ships is less than having one newer ship in port.

If you are planning to purchase a fairly high end watch, on occasion the sale in the ship shop is a good deal, but you have to know your prices for comparison. I found St Thomas to be good combination of good deals and reputable shops.

However, BEFORE you leave on your cruise, check with the manufacture web site to see what shops in a port are officially licensed to sell the watch you are looking for. This is because if you purchase from a non-approved shop, many manufactures will not honor the warranty. For example, I purchased a Tag Heuer watch in St Thomas, from Little Switzerland, which is an approved Tag Heurer vendor.

Oh I agree: Cruises can be expensive, but often they are really comparable to most land based vacations.

But I could never do just cruises. I don't really get into going to the same islands over and over, and even the ships get stale, and I have only been on 5 cruises.

If you cruise only, you miss out on our wonderful National Parks, historical sites, and other incredible things to do literally in your own backyard. And, going to another country, without the safety net of a cruise ship will change your worldview for the better.

I like cruising for one simple reason: its a 'fire and forget' vacation. Let me explain:

We do both land vacations and cruises. Lets compare what I do on both type vacations. Recently we went to visit some sites and family in Texas:

1) Fly to Austin TX

2) Go get rental car

3) Drive 3 hrs to Houston, TX

4) Find Hotel

5) Find some place for dinner

6) Next morning, drive to NASA for tour

7) Find place for dinner

8) Drive back to Austin, TX

9) Find hotel

10) Figure out something to do for morning

11) Drive to family location

12) Drive to next spot, find meals, return car, etc

Now, for a cruise, here is what it looks like to me:

1) Fly to Port city

2) taxi to ship

3) hotel room

Thanks it. Don't have to find a place to eat, no changing hotels, no deciding on what to do...its all right there. We even go to different cities, and all I have to do to get there is SLEEP! That, my friends, is vacation!

My kids would take a box of cereal from the WindJammer just in case. But usually, no one is hungry on a cruise, as you eat so much at every meal.

My understanding has always been that this was advised if the mother and children had different last names. Don't think I have heard of this needed in any other situation, but I do not have any direct experience,

I don't know why, but I really look forward to the corn beef hash in the WJ.

It is nowhere near the best hash I have had, but I think it the opportunity to have it every day, and that alone is the best thing. Combine with a fresh cooked egg, and that is a great start of the day.