UKWLDCruise

If it helps I was on the Empress in May 17 and the only difference when entering Cuba with my British passport was that they didn't stamp it.

If you have booked the flights as part of a cruise package you may find that Virgin will send you to the group booking people. I found them totally useless and checked in at the airport rather than online.

The local St Maarten press said this week that Grandeur would be stopping on 5 Nov. That may the case but the passengers haven't been informed as yet if it is.

For the Oct. 28 Grandeur sailing, RCI's website says that they are switching the ports of St. Maarten and St. Thomas to Barbados and Martinique. I'd love to hear from anyone who's been to those islands, or who sails on the Grandeur in the next couple of weeks!

I am on the 28th cruise and have been to both islands before. I have visited Barbados many times, even taking a land based holiday there, and it is a great place for a visit there are shops on the pier, Shopping in town, sites like Harrison's caves and great beaches. Martinique I have been too twice and was very disappointed, if you are going brush up on your french and bring Euros if you intend to stray outside the port area. May not be worth even getting off if you happen to dock on a Sunday or a holiday, yes RCI ported us on Bastille day one year.

It doesn't help that there are a lot fewer staff from the Caribbean on the ships currently. A long while ago you could walk down a corridor and the stewards would be working but they had family visiting as well.

There is an exchange right in the terminal but you need to get to the front of your group to use it as there can be a wait. There are two versions of currency but they make sure you have the visitors. When we there in May many people said they had managed to spend dollars in shops.

I was on a back to back a while ago and went on the Eastern route twice, they offered to fly us home after the first week and refund the second but we refused.

Or dead.

 

According to panto that is what happens when you don't believe in fairies.

Windjammer breakfast opening hours vary - normally 7am on port days , 7.30 otherwise and earlier on departure day. They will have coffee etc out before that. The MDR breakfast is later.

As a woman on my table at dinner said, I tried to weigh myself in the gym but the scale were marked in kilowatts.

I found that the first weeks internet package worked on change over day.

one upgrade in 34 cruises for me

In the case of a free upgrade currently you can say that you will take an automatic upgrade and they will do that without referring to you, say that you don't want an upgrade or select from a list of restrictions to an upgrade. Here is the list:

 

 

• If I am traveling with friends or family and would like our rooms to be near one another
  
• I do not wish to be upgraded to Boardwalk or Central Park balcony staterooms (OA/AL only)
  
• I do not wish to be upgraded into an accessible stateroom
  
• I would like to stay on the same deck as my current stateroom
  
• I do not wish to be moved to a lower deck
  
• I only wish to be upgraded to a stateroom that is near an elevator
  

I usually let them swipe my card but pay in cash on the last afternoon so I can sort out most if not all of the potential problems.

I had a similar problem when on B2Bs, you are still on a cruise when they e mail you and it expires before you get back home. I for one don't check e mails when on holiday.

My 12 day cruise booked for October 2018 is considerably cheaper than the 12 day cruise I have coming up for this October. I suppose it is when you book.

I have also flown London Madrid, Madrid San Juan on Iberia and I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Poor service, old aircraft, delays and then changing in Spain was almost as bad as the US.

I am not from the US. I have often heard real ID mentioned here. What is it & how do you get it?

 

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It is all to do with a change in standards for US driving licences and DMV ID cards, some states have not complied with the act. The news here though says they have been given an extra year to get their act together.

As long as it official gov ID it can be anything, which even in the UK where we can't get a DMV ID card without actually passing a driving test leaves a few options other than a passport. Having said that despite RCI saying on the compass you need picture ID at every port there are very few when it is essential.

On Freedom out of Orlando they were positively encouraging B2B people to take an excursion offering discounts and even a free taxi back to the port. It might have been because they had a coast guard inspection that day though.

second half of Oct/Nov less chance of a storm, better rates and less kids.

I mostly use these packages as it has major advantages such as they are responsible for getting you to the ship on time etc. Flights normally are only available up to 12 months in advance but you can book now with RCI up to April 2019 as the 18/19 brochure is out. I have an Oct 18 cruise booked now with flight, hotel and transfers included.

The Crown and Anchor people will usually answer in a day or two crownanchor.uk@rccl.com

I haven't been to that port but I have been to others with the same situation and I have just boarded the tour bus at the pier. The shuttle is normally only to get you outside safely from what is in most cases a busy commercial port.

I am on Grandeur in Oct on the 12 day round trip to the Caribbean but looking at my cruise pages no post trip excursions come up. Flying back to the UK and I have several hours to kill but with luggage so was wondering if it is the website and RCI do run post cruise airport finishing excursions in Baltimore.