roysue

We were told the following:

New dining room for suites is being created in the space currently housing Bisto on 5.

A pub being created but the staff member wasn't sure where it was going.

This was reported to us in the dining room. Just reporting what I was told.

Paul Baya is the current cruise director. I might have said I don't care much about seeing the CD before this cruise. This was an exception. The best cruise I've had in 12 outings. He was not just visible but an active participant in so many activities I was astounded. He also seemed to be having a good time and the people around him sensed that and the fun just went up. I think he was a big part in helping us have the best cruise ever!

When you exit the tender, keep to the left. A bit down the beach you will see am open gazebo over the water - that is where the reef is located. There is a guy who stands in the gazebo to mare sure people aren't getting onto or damaging the reef. He usually throws food in the water to keep the fish happy and active. You won't have any trouble finding it. It is on the active end of the beach. Enjoy!

I would vote for the catamaran! The time on board is so wonderful, not just transportation. Whichever you choose, enjoy!

We did a ship sponsored tour (but I'm sure you can do it privately) and went to the wild animal sanctuary. It is sometimes called the green monkey sanctuary. The monkeys are totally wild and come there for feeding time about 4pm. We saw many monkeys and it was great to see them in the wild. This is apparently an old zoo so there are also many sea tortoises, a few deer, iguanas, snakes, and birds. Our tour guide also took us to see many notable vistas on the island, including Bathsheba which is fabulous. Whatever you choose, enjoy your day in Barbados!

I prefer Eastern as well. I prefer the Caribbean vibe that the Eastern offers. The Western has more of a Mexican feel. Usually there are also several stops in Mexico. With kids, I would choose Eastern. Happy Cruising!

Stayed on board during a port day. Several times I have planned to do it but the ports always call me! lol

For our group, Princess evening meal offerings in the Horizon Court/Café Caribe are far superior. The dinner buffet on Princess offers food more comparable to the dining room. The tables are set for you and you wait staff removing plates and providing beverages. Also, desserts in the buffet at night are very comparable to the MDR. IMO, Celebrity could really work on their evening buffet offerings, especially since their MDR can be extremely crowded.

Our group had 2 adjoining cabins on the Equinox last year. It is a little different. There is a small vestibule or hallway that connects the cabins outside of the cabin door. It allows you to leave your cabin door open and the adjoining cabin door open and go back and forth without entering the public hallway. After getting I,t we never actually used it. We just have our cabin steward open the divider between the 2 balconies. FYI, you can actually move the 4 balcony chairs onto 1 balcony but it is a tight fit. Hope that helps!

My sister and I took my mom for her "80th". We chose a 5 day on the Carnival Destiny based on it's itinerary and port of embarkation. We chose a 5 day because mom had never cruised and we didn't know how she would adjust. There is definitely more of a partying atmosphere with more alcohol flowing on these short cruises. Having said that, we have never been sorry for one moment that we did this. It is a very special experience to share with a parent and I know you will create beautiful memories! Happy Cruising!

Had it on the Equinox this time last year. I hope it is still there too! It is delicious. Enjoy your cruise

17 days to cruise and snow relief!

Hi shih-Tzu! We have never stayed on board during port days but have often only spent part of the day ashore. There has always been a lot of talk about remaining on board during port days. Many people do this, especially if they have already been to the port many times. These are reportedly very relaxing days on board. The pools don't get emptied. You can have your pick of loungers, either in the sun or shade. The live music is the only thing that I know if that is absent during port days. The shops and casino remain closed as well. Other than that, it's a wonderful relaxing day! Hope you get to cruise and enjoy yourself!

I have checked the CDC website and this still doesn't sound like this is a huge worry. The CDC suggests long sleeve clothing and using insect repellent as all that is necessary. If you are super concerned, I would suggest you stay out of the rain forest and do something less likely to expose you to mosquitos. I am cruising in 3 weeks also and will have a stop in Dominica. We will be doing a whale watching adventure - no mosquitos there! Please try not to worry and enjoy your cruise!

Hi cruiser77! Dominica is not much of a beach island. Think of it more of a volcanic island. The beaches tend to be more of a black sand and somewhat rocky. There is Mero Beach, Champagne and some others. I see adults commenting that they got "scraped up" entering the water due to rocks. It looks like Mero would be the best bet but you might want to google it to get some pictures to make a decision. Good luck!

On some level I don't care what they provide to suite passengers. And I don't care what others choose to buy with their vacation dollar, such as premium drink packages or use of private alcoves. Those makes no difference to me. But if they are going to take precious space out of the already crowded main dining room to create this special "suite" dining experience, I don't see how that won't affect my cruise. The main dining room is already very crowded for those of us that choose select dining. Where would the space come from? A suggestion would be for Celebrity to provide a nicer dining experience in the buffet. Princess actually does a decent buffet experience making it quite a nice alternative to the dining room. This space is very poorly utilized at night in it's current format. Better utilization here could open up the dining room a bit. Just a thought.....

Hi Mary! I am not sure about a complimentary car service. My hubs and I took a cab last year for about $16 to the Embassy Suites which is practically on the port so I would think you could get a taxi for less than $20. Hope that helps!

!

I had some trouble as well. I discovered the best way for me was to sign into My Celebrity. When I did that I had to enter the cruise I was booked for by using the booking number. Once I did that, I was able to browse the excursions more easily. Hope that helps!

My husband just moved from the DC area to Central Florida, because we are, ahem, getting to near-retirement age. Before we moved, we went on the once-a-year or so cruise, lately graduating to European destination cruises and maybe looking down on the been-there-done-that Caribbean cruises.

 

Now that I am here and all I have to do is drive an hour or two east or west to hop on the ship, I know I have become a cruiseaholic. I don't care where it goes.

 

Has anyone else become cruise-crazy upon moving to Florida?

Hi!

What part of Florida are you now calling home? I am in SE Michigan and we just got another 6-8 inches of snow. There is no place to put it ( at least for me) unless you can put it on top of the huge pile of snow already here! Can't wait until our March 14th sailing!

I have never snorkeled in St. Kits. I do see that our Celebrity cruise on March 14th will be offering a snorkeling excursion here so that suggests some value. I wish I could talk more from personal experience. There are some terrific places to snorkel in the Caribbean/Southern Caribbean. I am just not sure about St. Kitts snorkeling.

This is a great little excursion. Coral World is pretty interesting. Coki Beach is adjacent to Coral World and the snorkeling is pretty good right from the beach. I wouldn't hesitate to do this again. We just got a taxi to Coral World and arranged for a pick up time - worked great and was cheap! Enjoy

I would love to join in this group. I am doing WW via the Internet. I am struggling with the very s-l-o-w weight loss. I will blame it on age, menopause and hypothyroidism. I hate the fluctuations! One day I'm 2#s down and then the next day 3#s up. I'm an obsessive weigher. I weigh myself everyday. I know I should weigh myself once a week but I just need to see results some days to stay encouraged! I have set small goals. I am currently 3#s from my first goal. My overall goal is 40#s. I will be very happy if I can loose 10-15 before my cruise in April. I weigh in on Thursdays. I'm very good about entering what I eat in my WW app. My biggest challenge is eating out. We often have dinner out with friends and I gain 3-4#s if I eat out even when I TRY to be careful. So for now, I'm being unsocial:). I have to do what works for me.

I joined in July 2013. I am also a daily weigher. My weight loss has been slow - but after 7 months, it added up to 35 pounds. Keep up the good work!

Well, in my cabin, of course! With my delightful husband!

I'm not much of a math person but I think driving around my town is a bigger risk of significant injury than getting this mosquito borne fever. People sit out on their own patios, garden, walk the dog, etc with no sun screen or mosquito repellent even during serious reports of West Nile which is a serious risk during the season. Use the precautions appropriate to the risk. Enjoy your cruise!

Cozumel has a nice Dolphin Encounter. It is an Chankanab Park. You can google the park and get tons of information. For a first time in Cozumel, I would recommend that as a consideration. It also has some small ruins and some nice snorkeling in the park.

You will find the port boards very helpful. I recommend taking a ship sponsored tour on your first cruise. Just "walking around the port" can cheat you as you may miss the real wonderful spots to be seen. Enjoy your cruise!