mac66

Could you give us the condensed version. How was the snorkeling?😁

Good video as usual Rous, I was at the Salt pier in early February this year.

Uhh....yes you can.

I looked very closely at the RC dive program when I wanted to get certified. I would have gone that way hadn't the opportunity to do the classroom/confined water part popped up when it did. As I recall you had to buy your own mask either through RC or bring your own. I've also dived through the ship and have met many of the RC dive masters/instructors. Sometime they come along and dive with you on ship dive excursions. All the ones I've met have taken their instructor jobs very seriously and you have figure that they probably teach the class every single week, week in and week out, so they know their stuff. I'm sure you will have a great experience.

Sigh... this has been hashed and rehashed for years. -My wife has been using a full face mask (FFM) since the came out 10 years ago. -They work well for people who have trouble holding a snorkel in their mouth and don't dive under water. -Back in the day I thoroughly researched the safety of full faced masks and posted it here a few years ago. They aren't inherently unsafe. -I see a helluva lot of FFMs being used these days. -Except for certain circumstances such as noted, they aren't banned anywhere that I'm aware of at least in the Carribbean.

We've been to the ABCs a number of times. The last time this past Feb. I usually dive, my wife snorkels but before I started diving we did snorkeling trips or other stuff. Always enjoyed the off road ATV/UTV/Jeep trips to the wild side of the island in Aruba. If you've not been there it's worth it. We usually booked private tours. This past Feb we took the city bus out to a beach and snorkeled on our own. On Bonaire we've done Woodwind catamaran trips a couple times. Highly recommended. The last time we were there in Feb we rented a golf cart and toured by ourselves. That was very fun. In Curacao we've either dived or did snorkeling via private company. This past Feb we just walked around in town then went swimming off the dock next to the ship.

There are ways to supplement your alcohol consumption even it you are a D, D+ or higher without buying the package. Bringing wine on board is one way, gambling is another. There are others.

Oh well, first world problems. For someone who never gets lobster except on a cruise, it's good enough.

A little perspective concerning prices. Prior to 2020 RCIs debt load was $10 billion but that was mostly new ship orders. During covid the debt rose to $22 billion. I think at the end of 2023 it was somewhere around $17B. So RCI is making money and still building and ordering ships but their debt is massive and has to be made up somehow i.e, higher prices, lower expenses. Prices on everything has gone up due to inflation and govt policies. If/when the cruise lines stop getting passengers (supply larger than demand) prices will fall. I don't see that happening except during the traditional lag times during the year (between Thanksgiving and Christmas and late Jan-early Feb). There may be other times during the year when prices fall but that's when we cruise.

Another perspective..... In regards to equipment. The class I took at home was one of the few if not the only one I looked at that didn't require you buy a mask and fins. I did my class/confined dives at home and my OW cert dives on a cruise. Since I dive only on cruises, either through the ships excursions or book with a shop privately I did over 20 dives before I bought my own mask. I never had a problem with a rental mask leak even with a mustache/full beard. The only issue I even had was that I have neanderthal brow ridge that some of the lens frames press into at depth which is uncomfortable. I took notes of every mask I used and bought a $50 Cressi Matrix which is very comfortable over the 7 or 8 dives I've used it. One thing I did buy was a 3mm wet suit. I get/got cold diving (don't have a lot of fat on me) even though most places have shorty wet suits. After the second set of cert dives I bought a full length wet suit and boots. I now have over 30 dives and still don't have my own dive fins or dive computer. I will agree with Harris however, if you do get fins, buy open heal ones. Most rental fins are closed heal and won't fit boots. Since I only dive once or twice a year on cruises I can get by without my own fins but its nice when the rentals are open healed with at least straps so I can wear my boots. Boots are good for shore dives, not really necessary for boat dives. My rationale for not buying a computer is that I don't really dive enough to justify the cost. Every dive I've been on have been guided by dive masters and the open water cert only allows you to go down to 60' max anyway. Bottom line....I have no desire or intention of doing advanced open water. If I was younger I'd probably go all in with certs and equipment but at my age, it's just a once or twice a year recreational thing. Would I like a dive computer and my own fins? Sure. Can I afford them? Sure. Do I need them? Nope.

BYOB, bring wine and find other ways to drink.

Jack is Tennessee whiskey. JD filters through charcoal giving it a unique flavor. Technically it is bourbon but with that added process they call it Tennessee whiskey. Crown Royal is Canadian whiskey. Technically it is also a bourbon but can't be called bourbon because it's not made in the states. Follow me so far :)? Compared to CR, JD has a more smokey, sweet taste. Bourbon/Tennessee/Canadian whiskey is different than Macallan which is scotch. The difference is bourbon is that it is made from corn mash (minimum 51%) which makes it sweeter and some say mellower. It can also include other grains such as rye, wheat and barley. Scotch uses malted single grains usually barley. Typically not as sweet as bourbon and depending on other factors (single malt vs. blended) not as smooth and depending on where in Scotland it was made has other characteristics as well. So if you are not scotch drinker it might be worth trying the Macallans which is a decent scotch. If you like different bourbons the varieties of JD may be to your liking. I've never had the upper end Macallans but the bottom lever stuff is pretty good. Likewise, I've never had the upper level JDs either. While I prefer scotch to bourbon I occasionally drink basic JD and/or other bourbons. And BTW, Irish Whiskey is made the same as bourbon but of course can't be called bourbon. I was quite fond of Jamison's when I was in Ireland..duh... It seems to be smoother than most bourbons and scotchs. All this talk is making me thirsty.

Good point, we did that once.

Did the POA in 2009 and again in 2018. The first time we stayed a week before getting on the ship. Great trip. The second time we went with friends and stayed a week before and 5 days after the ship. Absolutely the best way to see the islands. Would do it again in a heartbeat. The ship was kinda run down the second trip but you are pretty much on board just to eat dinner and sleep. It's been refurbished since we were last on it.

Sometimes it pays to use a TA. We booked an 11 night cruise last summer during a sale for a cruise in late Jan of this year. Infinite veranda for the price of an inside, basic drink package and wifi with $400 OBC. The TA threw in prepaid gratuities and additional refundable $400 OBC and another $50 OBC as TA loyalty credit. With all the OBC refunded the price was less than the cruise in an inside with non of the perks. I suppose that's because the TA books a block of cabins which the cruise line doesn't then have to sell. We went to the future cruise desk while on that cruise for another cruise but they couldn't beat the sale price we could get from our TA. Doesn't always happen that way but It pays to check all your sources.

The band we saw in early Feb was pretty bad. Can't remember their name. Yes they have Karaoke The sunset bar service shuts down late at night but you can still find a drink somewhere to drink.

We've cruised on NCL 4 times, Carnival 2 times, Royal about a dozen times and Celebrity 7 times. We like Celebrity the best but Royal is our go to. The Oasis class ships on Royal I think are the best for families, tons of stuff to do. Of course now they have even bigger Icon class ships. Now that our kids are grown we tend to like the smaller Royal ships but we've sailed on all their classes of ships and always had a good time. Just got off one of the biggest Celebrity ships (Beyond). It was nice, almost too big. I think I prefer their smaller ships as well. And BTW, we don't do suites, rarely do specialty dinning or drink packages or anything special. Often sail in inside cabins. And...while food quality and service tended to go down after covid, we went on a smaller Royal ship last winter with my brothers and their wives (who don't cruise very much) and they raved about the food and service. I was pleasantly surprised as well considering the previous couple cruises, food and service were mediocre. I would like to try NCL again but so far haven't found a price or itinerary comparable to Royal.

We went on the POA in 2008. Flew in, spent a week, got on the ship and flew home after. Went back in 2018 with friends. Again flew in for a week before, did the ship, stayed an additional 5 days on Kona then flew home. The ship was pretty worn and tattered the second time but we pretty much just ate and slept there so no biggie. I do think it's a great, maybe even the best way to see the islands. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

We are constantly looking at other cruise lines than RC or X but frankly haven't really found any better deals. Not to mention having to learn all the ins and outs of a different cruise line. We are Ds on RC, elite on X. Have sailed NCL 4 times (last in 2016 in Hawaii) and Carnival a few times in the early days. Had a Princess cruise booked once but I broke my leg 2 days before and had to cancel. We don't do suites, rarely buy specialty restaurants. We're not married to RC/X but still manage to find deals occasionally and are comfortable with their system and ships. We just did an 11 nighter, panama canal/ABC island cruise on X. Wasn't cheap but was a good deal for what it was. Probably the only cruise we are doing this year unless we can find a really good deal with an interesting itinerary. I open to suggestions for better prices, itineraries and cruise experiences from other cruise lines.

Kind of funny listening to people complain about prices when they do multiple cruises a year in suites and/or buy all the added packages etc. First world problems...tough life LOL

great info Harris as usual. I was thinking that transportation would be the biggest obstacle but navigation could be a big issue particularly if not used to navigating under water. However, when we were snorkeling at the salt pier we saw lots of divers. Looked like a pretty easy place to dive. Some of the other places off shore, not so much. I think when it comes downs to it (in Bonaire anyway) transportation is going to cost you $100 ( a golf cart is $100 for the day) and then equipment depending on what you have. Tanks and weights were $25, a BCD would be more. Ultimately it would probably be easier to just go through a dive shop. Third strategy would be to make friends with someone who dives and lives or stays on the island. Let them know when you'll be there and have them pick you up from the pier. LOL

If each of 2 people in a cabin bring two bottles of wine during check through there is no way security knows or can correlate that those two people are together. We typically only bring two bottles in one carry on but we have taken 4 bottles as well at times. Additionally, we've put bottles in our checked in luggage and have never been flagged. So there's that. BTW, just got off Beyond in mid February

We just got off an 11 night cruise. There were a lot of people on scooters. These ships are so big now they should have trolleys to get from one end to another.😁

I've dived in Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao a few times always off a cruise through a dive vendor/shop. The Bonaire and Curacao dives have always been shore dives. Just got back from a cruise to the ABCs but decided to spend time with the wife touring the islands instead of diving. On Bonaire we rented a golf cart and went all the way around the island stopping at beaches and snorkeling along the way. Every beach we stopped there were divers coming and going. Some were dive shops many were just people with dive gear going out. I stopped and talked to a couple at the Salt Pier who said they rent a place every year and just drive around diving off the beach. On Cuarcao, I dived at tug boat beach and off the shore about a quarter of a mile from the ship port. Too far to walk because its' not a straight down the beach route. They send you on circuitous route to get out of the port. Probably a mile or so. But you could rent a car or taxi. So the question is this, could you just bring your own gear, and/or rent a tank and gear and go diving on your own? You can download diving locations. I'm still a relatively new diver so I wouldn't go out by myself and my wife doesn't dive. But if you found a dive buddy could you just go out and dive?

Just be aware that Anthony's Key is what the cruise ships use in Roatan so they may may sell out.