Beachdude

I don't know about the cruise lines, but we got a very well written (unbiased and neutral) explanation by our TA of who is affected by the order.

Burt

I've not seen rentals on the islands you mentioned, but St. Martin used to rent motorcycles. Don't know if they still do. St. Martin has some of the rougher roads (they are improving) in the Caribbean, so it was a little surprising to see big Harley baggers riding around the island.

I have seen group rides on St. St Thomas. These were cruisers who brought their personal motorcycles. They unload at each port and ride on. I don't know much about motorcycle group cruises, but it would be worth checking out if you have the passion.

There may be scooter rentals in Barbados. We rented them for 3 days in Bermuda and had a lot of fun.

Keep checking, motorcycle rentals come and go depending on the economy.

Hawaii rents Harleys if you ever get over there.

Burt

I observed a few political discussions on our Oasis of the Seas cruise last October. So close to the election, I think it was on a lot of peoples minds. In general the discussions were quiet and friendly, however one group in the Rising Tide Bar that started off friendly got more obnoxious with each new round of drinks. We had to leave when they started pointing fingers.

I have found over the years that it's more often non US cruisers and tour operators who start these discussions out of curiosity. Just before Obama was elected, Sally and I took our mothers on a Fall colors cruise. Both mothers are close friends, but on the opposite spectrum of politics. The air got heavy as the Canadian tour operators brought up the subject.

That was wonderful cruise with great memories for all, but we leave our parents at home now. :D

Burt

I'm struggling with the word "hate" in this discussion. I rather use "Prefer" for the choices people make. I feel like the OP intended this discussion more as "I love to cruise and it is hard for me to understand why other people prefer a different type of vacation."

To the OPs question; we finally talked our best friends into joining us on a cruise. They weren't really excited about going on one but couldn't really explain why. They had and fun time on the cruise with us, but they won't do another one. And they really can't explain why. But as I've listen to them talk about their land vacation experiences over the years, I think they just want more control of their daily agenda and a ship in the middle of an ocean doesn't allow that kind of control. Of course that is my opinion, because if you ask them, they really can't explain why.:rolleyes:

Burt

I have only been on the Queen Elizabeth 2, so that is my favorite thus far :D.

Well, you kind of set your marker pretty high. Probably only a QE2 suite can get any better.:D

Burt

We like the day sails in St. Thomas, they typically visit St. john as well as a couple other spots to snorkel and provide pretty good lunches. We also like visiting ST. Johns because it is probably one of the prettiest islands in the Caribbean. If you like to shop for jewelry, St. Thomas is the best. It has a nice open bar where members of the party (husbands and boy friends) can relax while the others shop.

We enjoyed the island tour at St. Kitts. However, I don't recommend the Zipline tour. We have done many Ziplines on our cruises, so we know what to expect. The Zip-line equipment in St. Kitts is top-notch and very safe, but the staff is unprofessional and in my opinion dangerous.

Burt

The new ships are getting away from gym showers. It's one of those things that erks me. :mad:

Burt

Sorry to edit your reply Burt but some people around here are also fired up about the exorbitant space taken up but quoting full quotes, so I'm doing my best to use fewer bytes from now on.

 

Thx for posting!;)

Thanks:D

I have gotten use to people not coming back and thanking other people for information given here.

That is just the way some people are.

I've never expected a thank you from forum members in the many years I've been on this forum. I pop in for a moment then because of my personal life, may not be back for several days or even weeks. I see this forum as a passing of ideas and information, not a campfire of friends chatting over coffee. My mistake.

I guess I don't need that kind of gratification. I have more of a "it's better to give than to receive" kind of approach to life and I'm glad. After reading this thread, l can't imagine letting someone I never met make me feel angry because they didn't acknowledge one of my post.

Sadly, I am frustrated that folks here are condescending to other forum members they never met, for not doing what was never asked of them. I get it though; Sally, my beautiful beautiful bride of 37 years, seems to think I should read her mind as well.

But because I'm a "better to give" kind of person and folks here have made it clear they view this forum as a collection of friends having a friendly chat, I will make more effort to thank you.:D

Burt

It must be winter, cabin fever makes folks cranky and they eventually lash out at some unsespecting victims with a few strokes of the key. This seems a pretty desperate subject to whine about.

My suggestion is find a book or puzzle and give the computer a rest.

Burt

LOL, I need help because I don't know where Winterhaven and MCO are. Im guessing DCL is Disney Cruise line. We have rented a car several times from the Orlando airport (MCO?) and drove to port Canaveral. Seems about an hour and half drive to the ship. The hard part that takes a little time is turning in the car and getting a shuttle to the ship. That seems to take an hour itself.

Barry

If I were offered a ticket on any cruise, it would be on a ship the offered the elegance, crew service and food quality of our RCCI cruise 20 years ago.

Burt

A Japanese garden with a waterfall would be nice.

Oasis of the Seas gets pretty close.

Burt

This is why they have a note in all balcony cabins advising you NOT to leave the door open.

Just to keep facts strait, the reason the ship ask their guest to keep the door closed is because the open air can disrupt the Air Conditioning and Heating system.

A few ships suffer the problem of soot on the "aft" balconies but that isn't a typical industry problem. In fact ship designers today design the exhaust stacks and top of the ship structure to move the soot is moved past the ship.

Burt

The balcony adds more perspective to your vacation experience. Coffee in the morning and a nightcap under the stars in the evening are just a couple examples. I find watching the ocean going by therapeutically relaxing. If we don't have a balcony (aft balcony), then we don't cruise. I can't say if it is worth the cost for you because I don't know your budget. But how will you know if you don't try. GO FOR IT!

Burt

There was another recent discussion on the forum asking something to the effect of what we especially liked about cruising. I didn't post my reason of studying the design of the ship because that comes off kind of anal. But I am and Aeronautical Engineer and I find designs of planes, trains, ships and cars very interesting.

I have personal experience in dealing with harmonic balance in aircraft. The bigger the craft, the more pronounced the challenge. And the addition of the skeg to solve stability problems is a pretty standard affair in the history of fixing aircraft instability.

We always get an aft cabin and I can feel the ship's autopilot (whatever they are called in ship) constantly correcting to stay on course. The more crosswind, the more correcting.

Still, I know there may be some luck (art) in ship designs, but I would be surprised that a ship design engineer couldn't pick out the better performing ships simply by looking at them.

Burt

some great suggestions so far! I was thinking of lower deck suites with the walls facing the ocean made of glass. Kind of an underwater cruising experience. If you get tired of it, just press a button on the remote and the windows will fully tint giving you some "privacy."

Privacy? From the fish?

Burt

Certain folks have been emboldened since then.

Media myth.

Burt

Is therew a quewstion in the opening post? If so, I missed it. All I 'hear from my eread offd that post it is a need forf validation of their choices of cleaning thnerir cab in. good for them. ..........OP where so you want us to take this thread? Are we to listen to a diaatribe of we are cleaner than you are?

.

Personally I think the posters differing from the OP are more numerous and obnoxious than the OP. The OP has one opinion, you have another. Leave out the uncivil parts and move on.

Burt

An underwater viewing window. :D

 

 

.

I've heard that staff cabins on the lowest deck have this perk. :D

Burt

Not on Celebrity, Royal and Princess. They are still offering 24/7 RS. On Royal anything between midnight and 5:AM there is a surcharge. Not sure about Celebrity and Princess.

I should have ben more specific. There is a 24 hour room service on a select room service menu. Cruise lines used to allow room service from the MDR menus, but they don't anymore.

But hey, I'm open to taking a tray of food from the MDA or buffets, except cruise lines quit using trays in an effort to save food by preventing hungry cruisers from taking more than they could eat. OK, how about a tray just for taking food to the room? I would even be willing to tip the tray handler person the same as I tip the Room Service person.

Ahhh the good ol days of cruising.

Burt

Room service for evening meals for enjoying dinner and stars on the balcony. That was one of those common service that went away with cost cutting.

Burt

Because, unfortunately, not everyone accepts people who are different from themselves.

Yes, but the media of this culture has perpetuated a myth of hysteria that to promote a political advantage. Without some balance, folks will naturally have a concern. There are of course folks in all demographics who behave badly, but that would come under the "Bad Manners" discussion passengers of all cultures and lifestyles, even gay.

Burt

No surprise there as your general comments tend to show a favourable bias towards the cruise industry.

I would be curious to read any factual challenges to chengs posts.

Burt

Don't go on MSC in the Mediterranean. First hint of sun after a very cold winter, older men in budgie smugglers, very loose budgie smugglers, not pretty.

I'm glad I don't know what a budgie smuggler is.

Burt