Tigerfan85

We saw spiders everywhere at the Macaw Sanctuary and along the handrails and plants at Cahuita National Park. You can stay 2-3 feet away from them, but they are there. I have really good pictures.

I was on this same cruise and we also very much enjoyed it. Agree that food and drinks were good for the most part (but the scrambled eggs on the buffet were uniformly terrible!), and that the chili on the chili dog was not very good - haha! We also had a table out in front of a door on our hall from day 2 to day 9 - Yikes! So, it is still a risk. None of us tested positive upon our return, but we mostly took the stairs, and masked on airplanes and buses and theater (we only went to 2 lectures and 1 show.) And, most importantly, there WAS ping pong! We played. It is all the way aft kind of above that aft pool and bar, set up in a sectioned off area on the port side. Two tables, plenty of paddles. It's in an area with a big water toy setup.

It's too late to help you, I know, but I just did this tour and really liked it. We were in a small bus that held 20, but only 18 showed up. We drove south to the Macaw Sanctuary where there was fruit, juice and restrooms for us and we got to see these beautiful birds and hear about all the difficulty in getting them re-established in Costa Rica. Then we drove to one entrance of Cahuita and immediately saw monkeys, walked a boardwalk where we mostly saw plants and spiders that day. We drive to a restaurant and had a delicious lunch with generous portions of chicken, rice & beans, salad and fried plantain patties. Then we headed to the beach for another walk where we saw monkeys, sloths sleeping up high in trees, snakes and a sleeping raccoon. The beach was lovely and the walk was partly on a trail and partly on the beach. En route we saw banana plantations and learned a lot about how they are grown and harvested.

Plenty of fresh fruit on the buffet. The fresh cantaloupe was delicious every day.

We just got off of the Caribbean. Things are not just all out for goodness sakes. Twice they got something from a nearby bar. We tried most mixed drinks on the menus, friend had many different beers, hubby had Grand Marnier regularly and was thrilled to get some excellent Bloody Caesars (yes, they even had the Clamato), we all had glasses of wine and even a couple of inexpensive bottles of wine. No need to panic. The bars are loaded up will all kinds of liquor bottles.

I saw donuts every day on the buffet at breakfast on the Caribbean last week. My friend said they looked better than they tasted, but I never had one.

We just returned from this cruise and we got off the ship for an excursion. Note that you can only get off via tender in lake Gatun if you purchase an excursion. Tendering and going anywhere is immediately interesting because you will drive across one of the gates you just passed in transit. As for what is on the return trip, the destination expert indicated that she would provide commentary on the return that included new facts and information for those on the ship. Also, in the morning, it felt like everyone was vying for viewpoints and I imagine that things free up for the return. There was also a regular patter with a list of events, somewhat lighter than on a sea day, but regular things going on.

This was a very good excursion. The guys who operated the boat did a great job on a day that was just a bit rough. It was still easy to stand on the sandbar at low tide and watch the stingrays, each with its little school of fish, glide around us. Those who wanted to had a chance to touch a stingray but we left them in peace. The snorkel stop was outstanding with more stingrays, and the most abundant colorful fish that I have seen since Bonaire or Molokini off Maui. A return trip to Grand Cayman for a whole week is on my wishlist.

We also wanted a beach day so I hired Real Tours Jamaica for our group of 4. We were met at the independent contractors area, loaded into a good-sized van and driven up to Montego Bay. First we went to a beach and took a boat out to snorkel. The water was a tiny bit rough, but the snorkeling was fun. Then we went to Doctors Cave Beach and our admission was included. By then the chairs were all booked up, but we had our own towels to sit on the beach. Some of us purchased ice cream or drinks and we spend a couple of hours swimming in the gorgeous water or out on one of the huge floats. There were lifeguards, food and drinks for sale and restrooms. On the way back to Falmouth we stopped to taste and buy rum and buy jerk chicken. We bought beer back at the port shops and had a delicious chicken lunch. I can recommend Real Tours Jamaica.

We were mid-ship and it was still easy access. If you want to go up to Skywalkers before or after dinner, it was always uncrowded and open. Sunset our last night before dinner in the Palm was spectacular (we just picked up drinks on the way because the bar up there wasn't open yet), then we just hiked down the stairs while our friends took the elevator.

It says medically observed, so that can probably be the drive thru at a CVS or Walgreens where they check your ID and watch you use the swab. Probably your easiest remaining choice if you are departing tomorrow and are not vaccinated. Seems like they could make a quick buck offering that at the port at a high price for those who are caught unawares.

Thank you for all of the great info!

It really depends what I need. I just did two weeks in Europe with a backpack each, but for the cruise, I want to bring snorkel gear and a few other things that will probably have me use a medium suitcase that I will check. There will be a carryon with essentials that are not easily replaceable. I never trust checked luggage completely. We once checked our bags for a holiday trip to Europe and spent Christmas Eve and Day in our airplane clothes. Memorable.