realtorlady42

We love snorkeling at Chankanaab. The place is just gorgeous and there's different things to do there as well. I have 2 reviews listed in my signature line if you are interested in finding out more about the place and it has TONS of pictures. We have been there when there were 7 or 8 ships in port and it didn't seem crowded to us. :)

Hey Mitsugirly. I am just reviewing our plans for our NOLA Jewel cruise in January. 2 of our days include things you recomended...Almaplena, and Chankanaab. Can't remeber if you did a Victor Bodden..but we have a private tour booked with him.

Here's my question: As I review our plans for Cozumel I am questioning our timeline for the afternoon.

We have an ATV tour booked for the morning.

It is to be done at 12:30 (assuming that means back at port for 12:30)

They said they would drop us off at Chakanaab on the way back since they go right by the gate (woo hoo save on the taxi and time)

Since it is about a 20 min taxi ride (I think that's what I remember reading..you can correct me) that means we should be there shortly after 12:00.

All aboard is 4:30 and since I won't want to wait until last minute, we will want to be back between 3:30 -4:00 so leaving the park at 3-3:30 to get a taxi back.

Two questions: 1. Is 3 hours enough time to make the entrance fee worth it? (we have the discount coupon..so it will be about $19.00 each x2)

2. Are the taxis waiting outside the gate? how readily available are they..do we need to plan a "wait" time for returning?

If the time is too tight to really enjoy the park, we will save it for another cruise, but if you think 3 hrs is enough we will go for it.

If it is not enough time, do you know of a beach close to port we could go to snorkel? Someone mentioned Sunset?

Thanks :-)

Just printed these and looking forward to going over them with DH tonight and doing some planning.

I had the Canon D10 for a number of years and lots of snorkel trips and loved it, until I fell on it and ground the lens into some rocks. I didn't try to get it fixed, instead I bought the D20. I have only take it on one cruise so far but so far so good! I love it so far.

 

Sue

I have the D20. I am a semi-pro photographer/hobbist and have several cameras.

I went through 3 underwater cams before I bought the D20. I bought cheaper entry level cams and the problem other than focus delay etc is that they leak. 2 of the cameras I had leaked after just 3 or 4 times in the water...and that was with soaking after each use....in case you are not aware, read care instructions and follow them carefully. You need to soak the camera after each use so that the salt does not dry and crystalize and create seal problems which =leaking.

I had an SD card full of pics get ruined from a leak. Thankfully it was at a beach I had snorkeled before and am going back to for 2 weeks in Dec. So I was upset but not heartbroken....for a trip like you are doing...it would be a heartbreak to have your pics ruined because of a camera that leaked.

Also the cheaper cams tend to have that"green" underwater hue you see in a lot of pics...a better camera on the underwater setting will reduce that dramatically. Pics will look just like you see them.

the D20 has 2 (maybe 3 can't remember off the top of my head) underwater settings...one macro (up close) and one regular underwater setting. Make sure you haave it set on those and your pics will be clear...a nice sunny day, crystal clear water and relatively shallow reef..also make a difference.

I actually find I use the D20 a lot....it is in the "tough cam" category so it is not as sensitive to cold and hot temps, can be dropped, resists dirt etc.

Great for any kind of "active" use...for example I take it when we go 4 wheeling, hiking etc.

And I always have it in my purse...the lens is pretty good on it. It takes great pics. The biggest draw back is zoom...it is pretty good for a small hand held camera but when zoomed in all the way the pics get grainy.

But it is a great secondary camera for those times you don't want to worry about your DSL, changing lenses etc and it is very good for snorkeling.

In the end I would have spent less money had I bought it first, then buying cheaper cams and having to replace them after just a couple of uses.

It often is sold in a kit with the floating strap...a def. MUST when snorkeling.

I printed them all and thank you so much for you putting them here for us!

Happy Planning :-) I read them through once and over the weekend Rob and I are going to be drilling down a bit ....great entertainment planned!

3 months today and we will be in Roatan :-)

Another huge THANK YOU!!!

That would have taken a while.

I just read through them all..for the first time ;-) and am even more excited than before about our trip in January!

This is our second NCL cruise, the first on the Epic. I liked NCL the mega ship..not so much.

THIS is much more what I was looking for in entertainemtn (closer to what we had on our Alaskan cruise with Princess). Lots of dancing, lots of variety of music, plus the fantastic NCL game shows...which we howeled at on the Epic. Especially the not so newly wed game. So much fun.

Love that there are dance lessons prior to the ball room nights...going to get my exercise on this cruise...and have a blast doing it! :-)

Really looking forward to the Jazz brunch and the Mardi Gras Parade and party as well.

So MUCH to do, going to have to sleep for week when I get home LOL

Thanks again..you are a rock star! :-)

Anyone stayed at Sleep Inn Miami Springs (airport) and used the shuttle to the port recently. Wondering if it is still $10, how well it worked and how getting back to the motel worked. I assume a taxi , if so about how much should I expect to pay for my DW and I.

 

Thanks. Cruising on 11/30/13 Carnival Liberty

We stayed there and it worked out great. It was in-expensive and convenient.

There is a good chinease food place a 5 min walk that we ate at twice. Nothing fancy but good food at a decent price.

The complimentary breakfast is not bad, but gets very crowded, only a few tables, so I suggest going early..the line for making waffles gets quite long.

We stayed a few extra days after the cruise, and took the NCL everglades tour...it was EXCELLENT...if you are not taking an early flight after I highly reccomend it. The tour was really good, and included transportation to the airport after. From there we called the hotel (only 5 min drive from airport) and they sent the shuttle to pick us up..free.

It worked out really well for us and saved a bunch of money since we wanted to do an everglade tour but if we left from the hotel we had to pay to get to the tours as most do not provide transportation.

Logistics and extra cost were a night mare. By doing it through NCL, everything was taken care of.

We are sailing this itinerary with NCL in January

After a LOT of research we are doing the following:

Belize: Our only ship sponsered excurson. We are doing Lamana Ruins and River Safari. It is a full day but is like 3 excursions in one...city bus tour, river boat safari through the jungle and the ruins. Point if interest ..you can climb ruins in belize, you can not climb ruins in Mexico, so that may be a factor for you. This excursion consistently gets very high ratings.

Cozumel: Morning ATV Jungle tour with Island Marketing 2 hour tour no snorkeling ..also option for 4 hr tour with snorkeling.

Afternoon Chankanaab Eco Park excellent snorkeling which is why we chose not to do snorkeling with the ATV tour, as well as many other activities. Short taxi ride from the pier. Or if you do the ATV they will drop you off there on the way back...saves a taxi fair and time.

Roatan: Husband's birthday: Private Victor Bodden island tour...you tell them what kinds of things you are interested in and they will arrange it. We are visitng a couple of farms and a fishing village doing some snorkeling, and visiting a school and an orphanage and will be bringing school supplies for the school. Victor Bodden tours is a partner with an aid organization for cruisers and other tourists who want help. He is also arranging some birthday surprises for my husband so we will be celebrating island style

Costa Maya : Beach day at Almaplena Hubby is not a snorkeler I am so he will relax on the beach while I spend a few hours with the fish. max 20 people per day, all inclusive. Another birthday surprise planned for husband here.

We are spending 5 days in New Orleans prior to the cruise (departure port) so this is going to be an excellent 2 week holiday!

Thank you for the response. Made ATV reservation with costamayacruiseexcursions.com

We are planning to do this, but I want to book independant from the ship. Having trouble finding info on this company and tour...how was it?

We want to do the ATV's in the morning and the nature preserve with snorkeling in the afternoon. What time did you get back to the port?

Any and all detail is most appreciated

Thank you

Angela

I keep reading about Maya Chan, Nohoch Key, and Almaplena.

 

I'm leaning toward "Almaplena". This is "splurge" day... so cost is not a factor for the two of us. That being said, why should I or shouldn't I choose Almaplena.

 

I hope especially to hear from those of you who have actually been to Almaplena.

 

Thanks.

We have'nt been yet, but are booked to go in January. We chose it largely due to Mitsy's review, of both it and other spots.

So far I have been very pleased with the service.

Along with what others have said they also offer massage for $25.00 (?) You need to pre-reserve so they can make sure the lady is a vailable.

It is notmally on the beach but I told her I wanted some place private..No Problem! Also we are celebrating my husband's birthday...she is going to have a birthday cake for us.

So to add to why you should go..excellent custamer service and accomodating.

Plus...only 20 people MAX and often there are less than that.

This is the last port for our West Carrib cruise in Jan I have to confirm what we are doing.

Thanks ...Mitze..deposit for Almaplena In Costa Maya is paid...thanks for all the info on that. They are even going to have a birthday cake for my husband :-) Not sure if they had it when you were there but you can now have a massage as well. So I told her I want one as well...way less expensive than on the ship!

I have come across these 2 links

http://www.cozumelcruiseexcursions.n...rkel-tour.html

and

http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.com/ATVJungleTour.htm

at first I thought they were the same, but noticed one was .com and one .net

descriptions are very similar, but seems to be 2 different companies

Does anyone know if these are the same or not?

Also, looking to book ATV Jungle for DH and a 2 reef snorkle for me.

I was going to book mine through Eagle Ray divers

This one offers transportation included for the same price (at the .net site)

Can anyone comment on both of these companies , and experience with both the ATV Jungle tour and the 2 reef snorkel tour?

Trying to decide which to book with and feeling a bit confused.

TA reviews seem to be good but I can't find much here....if anyone has used them please let me know your experience...does not have to have been same tours we want to do, but general indication of reliability and service of the company(s) would be very helpful.

Hoping to reserve something in the next day or 2 so this part of the trip is done.

Thank you

Thank you

Angela

Just seeing this. Great list. Thank you.

 

I'm assuming our aft cabin will work for viewing? I'm assuming we'd be able to see port, starboard and aft directions from back there?

How did that work out following the info outlined?

I just printed it off for our Jan cruise sailaway. We are in an Aft balcony as well.

I am very happy yo have found this thread as we are sailing with NCL in Feb in an Aft balcony.

As a non-smoker who is HIGHLY sensitive to smoke...I have only ever found one time someone's smoking bothered me on the balcony but it was directly below us and it was 3 people pretty much chain smoking. It did blow away fairly quick so though it bothered me, not enough to make a fuss about and if we werein our loungers at the back of the balcony I did not notice it. we usually stay in side balconies this was the first time booking an AFt Last Feb we were on Epic and the spa had a fabulous spa only balcony which was aft. We did one of our sail aways from there and decided if possible (available) for now on we are spending the extra for an Aft balcony. The view is spectacular, and completely un obstructed, ..no looking down the length of the ship and seeing other balconies and people.

You will be very pleased with your choice, and spoiled for a regular balcony just as as most people who stay in any balcony are spoiled for an inside or ocean view room.

Which cruise are you doing?

Also..is looneylou also your name on Trip advisor? There is someone with that tag on one of the forums I frequent

I am leading the Canadain/British Normandy tour on the August 16 that you mentioned. I may end up cancelling this tour as there are not many Canadians and British on our cruise to have a 8 passenger van. I have contacted the tour company to see if others have inquired about this tour with them and there is not alot of demand for this tour. Contact the tour company early and post on your Roll Call, no deposit is required just a credit card to hold the booking.

Thanks for the info...I thought there would bemore Cdns on the ship.

I will take note of your suggestions when the time comes for me to book. Hopefully you will get a few more before you have to cancel!

Angela

I have a review of our land tour in Ireland. I think it's too long to post here. I would be glad to send it to anyone in an email if you leave your email address for me.

 

Karen

angelagardiner at rogers dot com

Thank you :-)

We did the Ring of Kerry tour last June and really enjoyed it. We had a great guide. I'm not sure what kind of information you want other than that it was definitely a worthwhile tour. If you post specific questions I will try to answer them.

Just discovered this cruise/tour on Tuesday...got back from our Eastern Carribean cruise Monday lol

So at early early stages of research.

If you know of any reviews and can post a link...that would be great

What were the main points of interest at each stop?

How much "free" time was there?

What were the lodgings like?

Did you fly to Eng. and then go to the starting point in Ireland..or fly to Ireland direct? What were the logistics like...connections, etc.

How many were on the tour? was the coach full?

Did you find there was enough time at each stop to really enjoy it or was it too rushed?

We did an Alaskan cruise tour last June and it was great, but there are a few things we said we would research better for future tours...time in the bus driving, and actual time at each stop being the biggest.

Thanks

Angela

I am doing this in August...I have communicated with 2 people who have done it as recently as last year...if you e-mail me off line I will be happy to share their comments with you...jtamchayatyahoodotcom

Just sent you an email...it's from "angela"

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Also, I just looked at your other link...the blog with list of Private tours.

WOW!

This will be our first cruise/tour in Europe..my fist time any where in Europe, hubby has been for work a couple of times.

It is a bucket list trip, and visitng the places of our ancestors..like many who take this trip.

Do ALL of the rollcalls organize independant tours etc for these kinds of trips? If so I can't wait to be a part of it...for a newbie it will make it so much easier to glean from those who have been before or know someone who has and it will help us to make best use of our time in port.

We are Canadian, and will do Normany and I notices there was one tour you had listed for the British and Canadian sites...not sure if I would have found something like that on my own!

Thank you for posting the link...can I follow the blog even though I am not on that trip? I would love to hear how everything went once you travel and come back...and find out from those who did the Cdn specifi tour how it was.

I am very glad I will have almost a year and a half to plan this one...I think I am going to need it!

Angela

Can you send me a link for thsi cruise tour? We are going to book British Isles for summer 2014...i'd be interested in more info. We did an Alaskan Cruise tour with princess last June and it was amazing.

We are first-time cruisers, booked on the Sky 11/4 for a 4-night cruise to the Bahamas.

I have a million questions, but my first concern is where to stay the night before, as we get to Miami on the 3rd.

Also, how do we get from the hotel to the port, and what time should we arrive at the port.

Thanks so much!!!

We leave tomorrow for our Epic Adventure...I wanted a budget friendly hotel..only going to be sleeping there..our travel agent booked us into the Sleep Inn. It is full tomorrow night so must be a few cruisers staying there :)

They have a complimentarty shuttle from the airport. When you arrive you call and they send the shuttle. You can use your cell phone or go to the info desk at arrivals and they will let you use their phone to call. That's what I will be doing as I am from Canada and not getting an international package on my phone.

They also have a shuttle to the port...cost is $10.00 pp paid directly to the driver. Cash. When I called this morning to get the details on how to get the shuttle(s) I was able to reserve our seats on the port shuttle. I was told it is a large bus and they have 2 one at 11:00 and the next at 12:00.

Trip advisor has reviews and pictures. Search Sleep Inn Miami Springs (airport) Overall the reviews are good...it is not fancy but is good for a cruise before and after (in our case) stop. It also Includes continental breakfast.

I just got back from the Epic, April 7-14, and we did an all-day excursion with Captain Bob in St. Maarten on Tues April 12. We liked it so much we plan on doing it again with him next year, when we go back on the same ship, same itinerary, and there are some cool people we started talking with on cruise critic, met on the Epic, who also went on the Cap Bob excursion who will also be doing it again next year on the same sailing. We are all on the roll call for next year located here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1615222

 

I also did a pretty detailed review (spoiler alert) for the Captain Bob Soualiga Destinations Excursion here: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147347-d2083816-r128338194-Soualiga_Destinations-Philipsburg_St_Maarten_St_Martin.html I must warn you, I give away all of the day in this review, but if you're concerned about whether you get your money's worth, read below instead:

 

Some ship-based excursions charge you a tad bit less for a 3-4 hour excursion which includes unlimited rum punch and 60+ passengers on a boat in some nice water where you can swim, maybe snorkel, maybe get to see a few nice fish. Captain Bob had 36 passengers split up into 3 speedboats on the day we were booked, 12-13 to a boat. We stop off at 4-5 different spots to snorkel and swim, get to see a wide variety of marine life, stop off at an island for lunch, have an amazing experience there, get to souvenir shop, see iguanas, relax on a beach, swim, interact with locals, for a bit before back into the boat for more of those 5-6 spots. Get to see the St. Maarten airport and see a plane land and/or take off. The speedboat itself is a wonderful experience. The historical tour, picture taking opps, the spots we were in the water all had a distinct and different appeal. Coral, stingrays, eagle rays, giant turtles, multi-colored fish, schools of fish, crystal clear waters, a lunch on a beach that you dream about, where everyone is happy and almost everyone is good looking, the bartender is barefoot and in the sand behind the bar making you a frozen something, the ribs or chicken taste like they should, no additives, and you think for a moment that these people don't look like they have much, but they also look like they have everything.

 

Anyway, sorry for the long winded response, feel free to stop by our roll call and say hi to sissasmome, the other people who went on the excursion, and currently the only others whom have signed up for the roll call for that sailing. Coincidentally, her review of her cruise was featured on cruise critic this past week as one of the top five reviews. Through some weird twist of luck, mine was chosen for this week. I ended up with a heavy migraine cycle because of all the activity on the ship, including the excursion, so I was late with my review, and they chose it for this week's top five. Both mention the Cap Bob excursion as well.

 

Best,

 

Steve aka GriffinAlexander

Just read your review on TA...sounds like this might be the tour for us. I snorkel my husband does not so I am trying to find something that both of us will enjoy. I have a couple of questions...first how do you get on and off the speed boat each time...I am no good at climbing those wiggly ladders I need something more solid for getting in and out of the water.

Also how do we book this one...I did not notice it in the Excursion list ..but I may have missed it..What is it called ..we are sailing Epic Feb 23rd.

How much was it and what time....I would like to do a bit of poking around in some of the shops as well preferably after the excursion.

Thanks

Angela

Fantastic thread..especially the ultimate cruise packing list.

Thank you!

Angela

Alaska Honeymoon on Princess saphire June 2 nd :)