2chiefs

3 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I think the question really is if it's domestic or international first. I know that the US to Jamaica is an international flight but is it still domestic first you are talking about? Is international first available on flights from the US to Jamaica?

 

Most people probably understand what normal first class means but there is a BIG difference between domestic first in the US, which in most places should be called business class and not first  class, and international first.

I think this is accurate. It's probably more dependent on the length of flight more than whether it's domestic or not. I've flown to Europe on United Business Class and it had pods for business class. I've flown first class here in the US for a 3 or 4 hour flight and it's simply a larger seat with a little better service. Flying international for short flights is probably similar. 

So I suppose the best answer is that it "depends".

Factors:

1. Airline

2. Length of flight

3. Size of aircraft

4. Domestic or international

8 hours ago, Aquahound said:

 

Thank you for not mentioning that imaginary place down in the Florida Keys. 😜

Imaginary places are fun too. Especially now since we are stuck at home!! 😀

22 hours ago, Reginaldvanpelt said:

Bonaire is our favorite, just everything about it!

We've only been to Bonaire once. It was nice but we didn't think it was that great. We don't snorkel or dive however and I've heard it's a great place for doing that. Plus a single visit may not really really convey the flavor of a destination.

T

On 7/24/2020 at 8:10 AM, livingonthebeach said:

 

Easy peasy...you see the rope tied to the end of the stairs?  That's where I dock my canoe that I use for hauling supplies to and from the mainland.  I have a water collecting system out back.  No need for sewer -- waste is composted and used for fertilizer and to feed the fishies.  The solar panels take care of the electricity and the solar powered WiFi router.  Living off the grid has never been easier!  🤪 🤣

LOL

Sweet.....

10 hours ago, livingonthebeach said:

Nice!

Do you wade out to it? I don't see a boat dock.

What about sewer, water & electricity? Or the Wi Fi

Getting supplies must be rough.... 🙂

Thanks for all the input. A lot of different ideas. We love all the islands but some favorites:

Aruba

Curacao 

St Thomas

Grand Cayman

We're not beach people either as some have said on the thread so it would be nice to hear about islands that offer other interesting things to do. Also, we have never done an AI but we've always thought they might be boring so were hesitant to try one.

T

We are on the frugal end as well. Mostly balconies if price is close to OV or inside due to having Dianmond+ discount on balconies. Now with the Covid issues, we will probably only sail in a balcony going forward.

T

We've been on a lot of cruises in the Caribbean and with cruises on the hiatus I was thinking of maybe taking a land-based vacation sometime when things start opening back up.

What is your favorite destination and would you consider taking a land-based vacation back there?

13 hours ago, hcat said:

Flexibilty is the key..even if it costs more!

One year...we had booked  for 2 days ahead on Ft Lauderdale Beach..

An ice storm was expected  at home for our pre cruise week, We decided to get out of town even earlier  & visited with rels for a few days ahead,  We beat the storm and got to enjoy our hotel stay.

 

Another time, also due to snow....we  had to cancel our 2 day pre cruise hotel and  take a chance flying in the day of our Royal C cruise.  Worked out great...Royal C gave us transp to the ship with priority luggage deliv..stressed out but it worked!

 

Main take away is the need to be flexible...plus we try not to  fly from the north for winter time cruises anymore!  Too much stress!

Yes, flexibility is key. Another story: We were flying out of Houston to PR for a cruise in December. A rare ice storm was predicted for the night before our flight. We lived only an hour from the airport but decided to drive to the airport a day early and stay at the hotel at the airport. Sure enough, the freeways were iced up the day of our departure and you can imagine the gridlock from Houston drivers that have never experienced ice. No flights were delayed so it was uneventful for us to hop on the tram from the hotel to the terminal.

T

On 7/16/2020 at 1:24 PM, m8zenblue said:

Just to throw my two cents in, no matter if we cruise again or not, at some point we will.

It's always, always, ALWAYS, a good habit to arrive at port at least a day prior.

You never know what could happen if you arrive the day of.

A few years back we were driving down to Port Canaveral for an RCI cruise. We left a day early and had reservations for a local hotel. As we were driving down I95 we got gridlocked. The state patrol had shut down the interstate in both directions as they were chasing down a murder fugitive. That delayed us 4 hours. After resuming and getting closer to our exit at Port Canaveral, we were once again gridlocked. Turned out a semi-truck was too high for an overpass and got stuck thus blocking the I95 southbound lanes. After about an hour, we reached an exit for a detour which took us around the accident. Another hour lost.

Just an actual example of why you should leave a day early. Had we left on the day of the cruise, we would have missed the sail away. I also agree with going two days early for an international departure.

T

15 hours ago, C-Dragons said:

This one is hilarious. Those who haven't served in the Navy may not appreciate this as much we do...

LOL

T

On 6/12/2020 at 6:24 PM, nelblu said:

Well years ago they had smoking and non-smoking sections.  Perhaps, going forward a evolutionary thinking is having a mask & non-mask sectios.😁

And a no peeing section in the pool.

On 6/12/2020 at 6:16 PM, JupiterTwo said:

DW and I are at the point of taking our cruise budget for the next few years and building a pool in our backyard instead.

 

Now if I can just convince her to make hors d'oeuvres every afternoon between 5:00pm and 8:00pm... 🙄 

You can get them pre-made at Costco!

On 6/12/2020 at 4:44 PM, John&LaLa said:

 

I get that, but here's the statement. 

 

'But while radical adjustment is uncomfortable for many, innovation has been the norm within cruising, he said.

As an example, Fain pointed to the quiet game of shuffleboard, once a standard activity and popular activity on cruise ships. Royal Caribbean in particular has always pushed the bar in adding features that have never been on ships before, such as ice skating and skydiving simulators, he said.'

 

What's the message? It doesn't go anywhere.

Shuffleboard still exists. Not like it got replaced

Maybe just a poorly written article

 

 

probably

On 6/12/2020 at 4:17 PM, John&LaLa said:

Surprised he called South Florida a drive market.

 

And what was up with the shuffleboard comment. 🤔

It never went anywhere.

 

I thought the same thing!

I guess he meant that shuffleboard was a prime activity in the old days and that is a thing of the past now with all the innovation around activities now. He just never connected the dots....

On 6/16/2020 at 7:02 PM, wrk2cruise said:

 

I'm sure they are very happy to take your money right up to the time they cancel.  Then they will take 60 days to return it to you.

More like 90 for us.

T

1 hour ago, Ocean Cat said:

Celebrity Summit

7 days

balcony 2B

drinks

wifi

$275 obc

fully refundable deposit. 

Offer ends today

$1061 per person

It sounds like a good deal but I usually look at pricing a different way:

If I'm willing to pay the asking price for what I expect in return, then it's a good deal. That way, you don't feel bad if someone else gets a better price!!

In other words, the value is what you place on it, not someone else. IMHO

6 hours ago, ipeeinthepool said:

If Celebrity decides to sail with fewer numbers of passengers will passengers increase the gratuities to maintain the same income for the staff?  For example, if the ship sails at 50% capacity will you double the amount of your gratuities?

Hmm. Then logic also says that cruise fares should double.  

T

How about a thread with military humor?

If you can inject cruising into it, even better.

I'll start it off here:

On 5/31/2020 at 9:08 AM, ipeeinthepool said:

 

Now that's funny.  😉

Hey ipeeinthepool!

I hope you're not peeing in the no-peeing section.