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lnuzzo

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  1. I bought the Ultimate package, because my goal for vacation is to turn my brain off. I work hard, I'm tired, and when I go on vacation I don't want to think about what my martini, or coffee, or sparkling water, or whatever costs. It's paid for, and whatever happens, happens.

     

    +1 on this. :)

     

    The first time we did a package (on NCL) we were on a family cruise with 13 other ppl, and most were drinkers. Hubby and I opted to sign up so we did not have to worry if we were hanging in the lounge with the group. we definitely ended up on the right side that week.

     

    Our last cruise, we were with another couple, and my Hubby and his buddy will start drinking beer at 10 or 11 AM. Add a stop to the wine bar before dinner, and again, a no brainer when we factored in 3-4 bottles of water and a couple of specialty coffees for the ladies every day.

     

    So looking at our upcoming cruise, we had pretty much decided on some package, but here was our thought process..... The Beer and Wine package seemed like an option, just purchasing the occasional mojito ala carte, but the cut off on the wine was $8 a glass, and I like good wines, so that pretty much ruled out that package. That left us with the premium or ultimate. Based on what I see online, the biggest difference for us is specialty coffee, as we don't generally drink juice. Looking at an old (2+ year) posting of the coffee menu board from latte tudes (sp?) a medium latte is almost $5. I drink starbucks, so that doesn't shock me cost wise. So the $6 difference between the premium and ultimate packages will cover my one latte a day habit. :D

  2. We are not heavy drinkers, but on vacation, we do let go a bit [emoji41]. Our bar tab tends to run in the 600 - 800 range depending on the number of days. Out last 2 cruises were with groups, so we did drink packages, in order to keep a handle on costs. Both times we got off the ship feeling we drank more because we were obligated to break even. We are about to take a 4 day get away, and after talking it over, still feel that the drink package is a good option for us. We tend to have 2-3 drinks during the course of the day, plus 2-3 glasses of wine for dinner. Add a few sodas, a specialty coffee or two, and bottled water, and for us, the ultimate plan seems to be the way to go.

  3. Yep. ;) Your review isn't really relevant. The service gets rave reviews now. Check out tripadvisor.com.

     

    Hmm my review is not relevant? Unless they magically made the rooms bigger, and installed a second elevator, i think a few of my issues are still relevant. I did say that I hoped the change in management was a positive change in terms of service levels.

  4. I would NEVER stay at the YVE. We stayed there when they were the B2 and be prepared to use the stairs at all times. We were a group of 13, and my in laws could not manage the stairs, the rest of us gave up on the one tiny elevator that was almost always over full, and took 5 - 10 minutes to get to the lobby at any time of day. If the elevator is not full of guests, it is stuffed with trolleys, as they do not have a service elevator.

     

    Hopefully the change of name means new management. Despite mostly having 3 persons behind the desk, there only ever one person to help guests, the rest refused to make eye contact or add guest resources despite the line of waiting guests reaching and going out the front door. If you plan on parking, it took us 45+ minutes to get our car, regardless is we called ahead or not.

     

    I would say that the only thing going for the hotel was the location, directly across from the bayside marketplace, which made it very easy to pick up last minute necessities, and access to restaurants.

  5. We stayed at the Hyatt on 17th last summer, and I was very pleased with the hotel. Despite the mixed reviews, our room was lovely. Garden room, not tower, but had sliders opening to the grassy area surrounding the pool. If you have kids there was volley ball and soccer set up, plus what looked like a very nice pool. Our room was well appointed, and had a oversized Roman shower that I wish I could have in my house [emoji6]

     

    I booked through booking.com and was able to get the room for about $100 for the night.

  6. Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess.

     

    I just picked up a rollerball of this at Macy's this weekend. It will be perfect, I think, for our upcoming cruise. Plus great packaging for travel!!! :D

     

    another great summer scent is Jennifer Aniston. I usually don't like celebrity perfumes, but surprisingly this one is really a great beach scent.

  7. I have purchased several items at Diamonds International over the years, and so far have been happy with the outcome. That said, I have worked in the jewelry industry in the past (retail and wholesale) understand the pricing strategy, and understand there are no "great deals" to be had anymore in the caribbean. We buy with the expectation of reputable goods, shop at well known establishments, and are not looking for rock bottom pricing. Every person in these stores need to support their families, and if a deal seems too good to pass up, you probably should.

     

    DH has a taste for Tag Heuer watches, and we have always done well, and save a couple hundred off the US retail pricing, plus taxes. We always visit an authorized dealer, and to date he has been happy with the watches he has.

     

    I prefer a bit of sparkle. Today it is common place to see blue diamonds here in the US, however at the time DH purchased my blue and white diamond ring at Diamonds International in Nassau we had not seen any stateside, and even now, I have yet to see the same bright caribbean blue coloring. I felt we paid a reasonable price for what we got. On a recent trip to St Thomas I found the most gorgeous pave earrings set in rose gold in DI. I have NEVER seen anything close to as beautiful in my local jewelry stores, and could not pass them up. Again, we paid a reasonable price, but they were not a "steal". But that does not stop me from loving them just the same :D

     

    To echo the poster above who was reluctant to go back to the ship so that the on ship store would 'match' the price in port, I have to agree. I have a lovely Larimar ring which I saw in the on board shop, and then happened to see the identical item in port. I believe it was in Emeralds International. The ring was only $25 cheaper in port, but I felt it was more memorable to purchase it there, than to go back to the ship, and have them match the price.

     

    I love all the pieces I have picked up over the years on our travels, and each piece brings fond memories for me of the place where they were purchased.

  8. I do agree, 3 in one cabin is not a good idea. If you cannot swing a Jrsuite, I would look for one of the handicapped accessible superior ocean views on deck nine. We have sailed twice on Majesty, for our honeymoon in 94, and again for the 4 night itinerary that includes Key West. Loved that itinerary, and if we could swing the days off, I would absolutely do that itinerary again.

     

    For a quick 3 day cruise, you cannot beat her. Yes, she is older, but has a wonderful crew, who will go out of their way to make your cruise outstanding. I have been looking at the Enchantment, however the extra $400 for the weekend plus a 45 min drive from Orlando, really makes it hard to opt. For Port Canaveral. I am sure we will most likely cruise with her after majesty leaves the fleet and Enchantment takes her place in Miami. Which will be a very bittersweet day, since she was our first cruise, and our honeymoon.

     

    Lastly, I would not recommend the Sky, unless the price is especially attractive. I would take Majesty any day over the Sky. The crew and dining cannot hold a candle to her.

     

    Good luck! :)

  9. I totally appreciate another cruiser with a positive perspective. We have been pretty much Royal cruisers with a cruise on Norwegian a few years ago. I had done research before our 20th Anniversary cruise, and the reviews were quite bad [emoji15]. But the itinerary was right as was the price, so we jumped. The ship may not have been "perfect" but it was nicer than any RCCL ship we have sail, and the staff was impeccable. Plus the food was better than any other cruise we have been on.

     

    I attribute this to the squeaky wheel phenomenon. I believe more people will post a bad review than will post a positive one. Or should I say, an entitled type of person is more likely to post a negative review than your average vacationer who had a nice cruise. We are not by any means extensive cruisers, but we have had our share of good and bad cruises. Even the worst of cruises, to me, is still a heck of a way to spend a week.

  10. I'm not a heavy drinker, but will have a couple beers during the day, a couple of glasses of wine with dinner and a specialty (frozen) drink or two in the evening.

     

    Do you think the package would make sense for me? Also, in the dinning room and steak house restaurant, are there many decent options for wine by the glass (included in the package)?

     

    I believe that the beers were running in the $4-5 range, frozen cocktails were $9 each and wines by the glass varied$7-12, but the ones I was drinking were $9-10. Based on your quantities you would be running at about $48 a day (the plan is $49). Do you like specialty coffees? do you also drink soda? bottled water? if so then the plan makes sense as all 3 are included as well.

     

    I found at least one of my favorite wines from Vines at the dining room, so that is what I ordered there. There is a fairly good mix of all the varietals on the dining room wines by the glass list.

     

    Regarding the Crown Grill, I am sure that they have wines by the glass, but that night we ended up ordering a bottle of champagne and a bottle of wine which the four of us shared. The package gives you 40% off of whole bottles of wine, which allowed us to have a varietal which was not on the wine by the glass list.

     

    Hope that helps!

  11. Thank you so much for the glowing report. We leave tomorrow for our anniversary and we had mixed feelings after reading some reviews, but will sleep much better now. You didn't mention the entertainment so hope that is as good as the rest. thanks again.

     

     

    Enjoy! We have never been much for live shows. I will say however that the live music was very good, especially a band called Epithany. According to one of the wine stewards in Vines, this was their first sailing. We danced all night the first night, and made a point of looking them up in the Patter to see when/where they were playing each day.

     

     

    Sent from my iPad using Forums

  12. We always wanted to return to the Moutain Top but our first time there we were squeezed for money on the way down. On one overlook, the cabbie stopped and said we could take pictures. There was a guy there with a donkey and said the ladies could sit on the donkey for the picture. You guessed it, it cost us to get our cameras back. I only had a couple of dollars in my pocket. (The rest was in my other pocket) But we definitely felt setup and it cost the cabbie his tip. We still talk about it 20 years later. It's amusing now.

     

    Wow the guy with the donkey looks good for his age ;-)

    The stop after Mountain Top had the donkey as well, and lots of folks admonishing us to buy some local drinks. We took our pics of the view and got back in the taxi.

  13. Thank you for your review. I am so pleased you had so many good things to say about the CB. I am rather disappointed in the embarkation time though. I hope it isn't normal to be so late. In all our cruises we have never boarded so late when arriving earlyish. Also a shame about the facilities at the terminal. We did disembark there after a TA and though you are more or less passing through it did look very uninviting. I wonder why it has to be that way as with the number of ships using Port Everglades there must be enough money available to upgrade.

     

    We got a late start out of the hotel, shortly after 11 which is why we ended up in such a mass of guests waiting. I think if we had left earlier - maybe 10:00 we would have had to wait in the holding area, but would have been among the first to board. We made it through the security check-point by noon, and were able to see the first groups of passengers start boarding. Unfortunately it took us over an hour on line from going through security to the desk to check in and receive our cruise cards.

     

    If I am not mistaken, before RCCL launched Oasis there was not much leaving out of Ft Lauderdale. Plus the area surrounding is very industrial. Regarding the quality of the terminal, we saw construction behind the building, so I hope they are beginning to make improvements.

  14. This was our 5th cruise. Previously we have cruised three times with Royal Caribbean (loved all three) and once with Norwegian (decided we were not their target audience). We were celebrating our 20th anniversary, and had talked another couple into joining us for the trip.

     

    Initially I was concerned by the number of online reviews complaining about staffing and the run-down atmosphere of the ship, but my fears turned out to be baseless. The ship is clean and glistens. There is a constant hum of staff polishing and shining! All of the staff is outstanding and will go out of their way to help you. We could not have been more pleased with Princess cruises, and the Caribbean Princess. Here is a not too complete impression of our experience.

     

    Fort Lauderdale and Embarkation:

    We booked rooms at the Hyatt Regency Pier 66. Originally I was panning on the Hilton Marina, however I stumbled on a great rate at the Hyatt. Most reviews seem unhappy with the pool view rooms, but we found our room to be clean, and well appointed. our was a king room, with sliders to a sitting area adjacent to the pool. we did not use the pool, or the sitting area as we had plans that evening, but the amenities in the pool area would appeal to many families. We saw volleyball and badminton set up, as well as soccer goals and bocce. lots of activities if you come in early for your cruise. I will say the tree frogs were almost deafening! but we have them here in NC, so eventually I managed to tune them out.

     

    We met local friends for drinks and dinner just over the bridge at Bimini Boat House. Everyone loved the menu, however if you are not a seafood lover, you may want to choose another restaurant. I am allergic to fish and shellfish, so there was only one non-seafood appetizer option, and the usual choice of steak or roast chicken. But the company was excellent, and too soon the evening was over.

     

    Port Everglades was a let down after previously sailing out of Miami. I am hoping that Princess will be investing in their facilities at Port Everglades. Essentially you are in a giant warehouse, following queue after queue, no atmosphere or amenities to be found. I did my best to keep my spirits up, since I knew what waited at the end of the lines. We were dropped off at 11:30, and were on the ship by 1:30, much longer wait times than experienced with RCCL or NCL. However, we were able to immediately drop off our bags in our cabin, and head to the Lido deck.

     

    Ports of Call:

    We had decided not to book excursions. Rather we planned to hop a taxi to a local beach in St. Thomas and Grand Turk. In San Juan we were planning on walking the city in the morning, and splitting up in the afternoon, hubby and I going to the Bacardi factory on our own (no excursion) and our friends heading to the beach. well that was our initial plan :-) However after spending 4 hours in the water at Princess Cay, Hubby and I were pretty well sunburnt. And so was my girlfriend. We ended up adjusting our plans.

     

    St Thomas:

    We were careful on our sea day between ports, but ultimately in St Thomas, we chose to take it easy and skip Magens Bay. Our friends headed off to the beach, and Hubby and I jumped on a tour by the pier as it was about to leave for $25 pp. If I was not going to the beach, I was definitely going to take in the beautiful ocean views I had been seeing online. Our Driver was Jeff, and a very friendly and chatty guide! we learned a lot about the history of the island, some of the local plants and trees, as well as their uses. The mountain roads were steep with hairpin turns, and at times I thought my husband would fall out to the open taxi! but the views were incredible. I will say that I was quite disappointed with the Mountain Top. It is not quite what I expected from the pics I had seen, but the views from the back deck were incredible. No daiquiris for us (it was 9:30AM). At the end of our tour we could go back to the ship, be dropped off downtown, or ask to be dropped off at a beach. We opted to go downtown for shopping, and meet our friends for lunch. We had a wonderful lunch at Cuzzins which had been highly recommended. My Jerk chicken was well spiced, but not so hot that you could not taste it. Add a Painkiller, and it was a lunch to die for. After lunch my husband was a bit under the weather, and took a taxi to the ship, while my girlfriend and I searched the jewelry shops for the perfect souvenir.

     

    San Juan:

    I had downloaded a walking map of Old San Juan, and we walked along the waterfront following the Paseo de la Pricipesa to the old city gates. Unfortunately after we passed through the gates we ended up in the middle of road blocks. Apparently there were protests happening due to the decision regarding potential statehood, independent nation status or continuing as a US commonwealth. There were police and men in dark suits every where, and not knowing the roads very well, we kept hitting road blocks as we attempted to circle around to the landmarks on my map. Ultimately we opted to head out of the area, and trek over to Castillo San Cristobal. After exploring Cristobal, we decided to head to the air-conditioned comfort of lunch. We ate at Raices at the recommendation of several friends familiar with the area. Lunch was quite good, although we all agreed that the mofongo was a bit saltier than we liked. The filling however was wonderful! We again split up, the boys heading back to the ship, my friend still searching for that elusive perfect souvenir. after walking in incredible heat, we headed back to the ship empty handed.

     

    Grand Turk:

    I had every intention of checking out all the beach bars listed here on Cruise Critic, however, the lure of the loungers under the palm trees in front to Margaritaville was too strong to ignore. By now the heat was doing me in, and I needed the shade. From the ship I scanned down the beach and saw my only option for shade was at the cruise center, so the decision was made! We camped out in the shade, and at 2:30 had lunch at Margaritaville. Honestly not a good decision. Not because the food was bad, but because after lunch we all decided we were beached out, and headed back the the ship! where of course lunch and beverages were available minus the credit card!

     

    Beverage Package:

    For the past 4 months or so we had been discussing the beverage package amongst the 4 of us. My husband and I felt that since we were traveling with another couple, we would most likely do well with the package. Our friends were split. My husband's buddy would be drinking beer most of the day, with a few mixed drinks at dinner, so the plan was definitely a good option for him. My girlfriend however is not a heavy drinker, however she decided that factoring in bottled water, soda and specialty coffees, she should be able to about break even, so they also signed up. We made good use of the plan every day except for when we were in port in St Thomas, as we were not back on the ship until almost 6PM.

     

    Food:

    I was always impressed with the food on RCCL. Not so much with NCL, where I found myself wandering around the buffet at breakfast and lunch pretty much uninspired. So I was interested to see how the food was with Princess. Again the reviews were mixed. So please believe me - I cannot say enough good things about the buffet and dining room service. We ate breakfast and lunch at the buffet. While there was a bit of waiting, the only time I actually had to stand in any line of consequece was for lunch on embarkation day. The set up is not the best, I will admit, but I never saw any backups that were worth complaining over. In the evening, our dining room waiter and assistant waiter were wonderful, the assistant waiter especially light hearted, and always ready to make a joke. The food was outstanding, and the portion sizes were just right - not too big after spending long days in the sun drinking and eating.

     

    On Wednesday Night (our anniversary) we opted to try the Crown Grill. Cover charge was $25 per person. The food and level of service was in my opinion higher than any high end steakhouse I have been too. The steaks were incredible! All sides are served family style on a platter, with portions large enough for 3-4 ppl easily. Both of the guys opted to add a lobster tail (for an add'l $5), and I am told they were perfection. At the end of the meal we were serenaded by the restaurant staff with a large piece of chocolate mousse cake. We girls of course still ordered the molten chocolate cake as well ;-)

     

    Vines:

    My husband and I enjoy a nice glass of wine with dinner when we are on vacation, so I was very interested in trying the wine bar out. I cannot say enough about this venue. Our two wine stewards - Joseph and Amel - were incredible! Every night they greeted us like old friends! By the end of the week, when we passed them by, they were asking if we would be stopping in. There is an extensive list of wines by the glass to try, and our new friends made wonderful suggestions based on our likes and dislikes. they never led us astray. Only a few of the options were not available with the beverage package, but there were more than enough to sample throughout the week. After ordering your wine you will be offered either tapas or sushi to enjoy with your beverage. Due to my allergy we opted for tapas, which was usually 3-4 bites. Just enough for a before dinner snack. There was usually one shrimp in the offering, and when Joseph asked if I did not like it, and found out about my allergy, he disappeared, and re-appeared with a plate of assorted cheese!

     

    Cabin

    I was planning on an outside cabin, hoping maybe to find a good price on a balcony, but my girlfriend pretty much was only interested in booking an interior cabin. It was not a bad option given that we were almost never there. The room was larger than either the interiors I have been in on RCCL or NCL. the cabin layout was wonderful, and the closet size puts every other ship I have been on to shame! I will say however that if we were cruising just the 2 of us, I would have enjoyed a balcony of my own to sit in the morning with my coffee and iPad. Hubby likes to sleep in, and I am an early riser, so I ended up wandering the ship from about 6 till 8 most mornings, stopping wherever there was coffee available.

     

    Final impressions:

    I am 100% sold on Princess. Up until now I was pretty loyal to Royal, but can easily see more Princess cruises in my future! The service levels and ship is well above any other cruise I have been on, and I am looking forward to booking my next cruise with them!

  15. Yes, of course, at Vine's also, and any other bar. :) The thing that I find odd is that with the package you can order a bottle of wine at 40% off. Why would I buy a bottle, at an extra charge over the package, when I can drink it by the glass. Someone enlighten me, please.

     

    I was thinking similarly, But hubby saw this as a plus. One or more nights he will usually order a special bottle of wine, and is planning on using this discount to celebrate our 20th anniversary on our cruise next month.

  16. My husband and I average somewhere around $700 for a weeks bar tab, but then he likes to get a few higher priced bottles of wine with dinner during the week. our last cruise was a group family vacation, and all of the adults except my in-laws opted for the all inclusive package (NCL). It was a good thing we did, as this was a heavy drinking group, and we ended up drinking quite a bit more than we normally do just the 2 of us. We have discussed the all inclusive packages, and our take is that we normally would just break even when traveling as a couple, but with a group or another couple, we can easily rack up the $$ needed to make these packages worthwhile. So for us, it comes down to whether we are traveling with others or not.

     

     

    Sent from my iPad using Forums

  17. Here are my comments from a previous thread:

     

    We stayed at the B2 last November before a family cruise on Thanksgiving week. I would NEVER stay there again. The room was nice and modern, and recently updated. We had one of the larger rooms, but others in our group had the closet size rooms. Tiny!!

     

    What I did not like:

     

    Elevators were incredibly slow, and they do not have a service elevator, so after waiting 15-20 min for an elevator you may find that there is no room for you. If you can do the stairs, great, but my in-laws couldn't, so there is that to keep in mind.

     

    The front desk was impossible. It did not matter what time you got there, there was always a line, sometimes out the front door. There was no attempt by the staff to expedite the line. No matter how many ppl were behind the desk, there was only one person helping guests. The rest would not speak to you, or even make eye contact.

     

    The only parking is valet parking, which in itself is not an issue, however it is very poorly managed. it will take you at least 30-45 minutes to get your car, during a good time. If you are trying to get out in the morning for a cruise, expect longer wait times. My Father-in-Law arranged at 8AM for a 10:30 pickup, and we called down 45 minutes in advance, but did not get out of the hotel until 11:30. And then we were berated for not being ready to drive away immediately. We are 13 ppl with lots of baggage

  18. Not sure if you have booked yet, but we stayed at the B2 last November before a family cruise on Thanksgiving week. I would NEVER stay there again. The room was nice and modern, and recently updated. We had one of the larger rooms, but others in our group had the closet size rooms. Tiny!!

     

    What I did not like:

     

    Elevators were incredibly slow, and they do not have a service elevator, so after waiting 15-20 min for an elevator you may find that there is no room for you. If you can do the stairs, great, but my in-laws couldn't, so there is that to keep in mind.

     

    The front desk was impossible. It did not matter what time you got there, there was always a line, sometimes out the front door. There was no attempt by the staff to expedite the line. No matter how many ppl were behind the desk, there was only one person helping guests. The rest would not speak to you, or even make eye contact. :(

     

    The only parking is valet parking, which in itself is not an issue, however it is very poorly managed. it will take you at least 30-45 minutes to get your car, during a good time. If you are trying to get out in the morning for a cruise, expect longer wait times. My Father-in-Law arranged at 8AM for a 10:30 pickup, and we called down 45 minutes in advance, but did not get out of the hotel until 11:30. And then we were berated for not being ready to drive away immediately. We are 13 ppl with lots of baggage :eek:

  19. I love my Coach and Brighton Bags. As much as I love drooling over them, I have award time justifying the expense of the luxury brands. I'd rather spend that $$ on my vacations!

     

    My travel bags need to have more functionality, with easy access to phone, tablet etc…. Cute-ness factor, while important, is not the be-all end-all when I am on a trip. I have a few in different sizes, depending on what my itinerary is. I try not to use a large bag on vacation, as then I end up being the carrier for the family:rolleyes: I only carry a big bag (tote) for the beach.

     

    I have several different bags - a super small Kiplinger, and a couple of Fossil bags that are pretty casual, but good for bopping around for the day.

    http://www.fossil.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=12052&langId=-1&catalogId=25005&categoryId=331141&cm_vc=331141&pn=&productId=22549238&imagePath=ZB5802206

    http://www.fossil.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=12052&langId=-1&catalogId=25005&categoryId=331141&cm_vc=331141&pn=&productId=22531086&imagePath=ZB5733105

     

    I just picked up this bag but in a silver metallic: http://www.thesak.com/crossbodies/deena-crossbody/productOptionIDs/78dc1095-ad4c-4847-a79f-5b16aea667e7

     

    And my go to beach bag is Vera Bradley's Miller bag: http://www.verabradley.com/product/Travel/Travel-Bags/Miller-Bag/154787/defaultColorVariantId/178493/pc/1088/c/0/sc/1147/p/154787.uts

     

    But they have a few really cute bags I might need to look at for my trip this summer:

    http://www.verabradley.com/product/Handbags/Totes/Large-Straw-Tote/1003352/defaultColorVariantId/197568/pc/1087/c/0/sc/1134/p/1003352.uts

    http://www.verabradley.com/product/Handbags/Totes/Laser-Cut-Tote/1003375/defaultColorVariantId/197645/pc/1087/c/0/sc/1134/p/1003375.uts

    http://www.verabradley.com/product/Handbags/Totes/Be-Colorful-Tote/1003381/defaultColorVariantId/197684/pc/1087/c/0/sc/1134/p/1003381.uts

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