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Anyone on the Navigator 1/8/05?


scb

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Hi all!

 

I haven't been visiting here for quite awhile, but since we decided to do the 1/8/05 Navigator I thought I'd see what was new. Is there anyone else who will be with us on this cruise? It's our 4th with Radisson, though the first on the Navigator.

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Apparently you like the Navigator, Venicecruiser! My husband and I are looking forward to this cruise as the itinerary sounds interesting. I'm hoping nothing is too effected by the hurricanes. Have you heard anything?

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  • 1 month later...

My husband and I are booked on the Navigator on Jan. 8th too. It's our first time on Radisson, but our 11th cruise. We find that we don't like the big ships any more.

 

Question: with a ship this size, is it necessary to book shore excursions in advance? Do most passengers take the cruise line excursions, or do they tend to go off on their own? We're more interested in beaches than shopping. We haven't been to Tortola or Grand Turk but have visited all the other islands at least once.

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KLG, I'm sure you will love an RSSC cruise. Our first cruise was with them, and we were spoiled forever. The only cruise we have taken since on another line was only because it was free (business perk). We realized that if we had taken that other line cruise as our first one we would never have cruised again. The difference is night and day!

 

It is only fairly recently (a year or so?) that you have been able to book excursions on-line with RSSC, so we have never done so before. On the cruises we have been on we never had a problem (so far) getting the excursion we wanted. Some people opted to go on their own and some used the ship's excursions. The ones we took through the ship were all well done as far as we were concerned.

 

For this cruise we have booked on-line a few sail/snorkel type trips through the ship, and plan to do some looking around on our own on a limited basis. My husband mostly wants to just veg-out and relax, as the pre-Christmas time in his business is very stressful.

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My DW and I will be traveling with you on the Navigator. We have been on Celebrity to Bermuda (2X) and QE2 to the Caribbean (VERY STUFFY- EVEN THE BUTLERS LOOKED DOWN ON US- EVEN IN PENTHOUSE SUITE). We have heard and read wonderful things about RSSC and like others on this board will probably be hooked after this cruise. I already have my eye on another Navigator cruise to Bermuda out of my home port of NY. I understand that you get a 5% discount if you book on board. Only concern will I be bored on the same ship 7 months later.

 

Any pointers for the two newbies that posted. Must do's; must avoid. Every cruiseline no matter how good has its pluses and minuses.

 

Any suggestion for a hotel in Ft. Lauderdale. Coming from NYC in Jan we always get to embarkation port a day or two before and stay a day after.

 

Lowers the frustation level!

 

Looking forward to meeting you onboard and enjoying clear skies and calm

seas:)

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stuNYC, my husband was born and raised in New Jersey. Since this is our first time on the Navigator and in the Caribbean as well, I can't really give specific dos and don'ts in those areas. I can say that ordering breakfast from room service occasionally and eating out on the balcony has always been enjoyable for us. I sincerely doubt that you will be bored doing a 2nd cruise on the same ship. There are many RSSC fans who have been on the same ship many times, and I don't think that bored is a word any of them would use!

 

I believe we are staying at one of the Hiltons in Fort Lauderdale as my husband has a lot of their HHonors points from business travel. We are arriving on the 7th.

 

Hope to see you on board! Perhaps we should arrange a time and place for CC people to meet for a drink. :D

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Hi--

scb and Venicecruiser, since you're Radisson veterans...

According to our TA, there will only be one formal night on this sailing. If that's really true (is it?), is it worth bringing the tux or will a suit be okay? I was under the impression that on Radisson "formal" was taken more seriously than on the mass market cruises--and my husband always (grudgingly) brought the tux on those. Since he started out by saying no to any cruise where he'd have to dress up, I really don't want to push this too far.

 

stuNYC, my husband is a transplanted New Yorker (Long Island), and we have lots of relatives in and around the city. We live in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC. We're also flying down on Jan. 7th. Staying at the Courtyard near the airport/cruise port. Using my Marriott points--and they throw in transportation to the ship.

 

I just hope we have good weather.

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KLG, on our previous RSSC cruises there has been about a 50-50 split as far as tuxes vs. suits go. Some cruises have leaned more one way and some the other. Whatever he decides he will feel comfortable. I personally feel that bringing a tux is really no more trouble than bringing a suit. But I am lucky in that my husband doesn't mind dressing up occasionally.

 

That being said, I had thought that Radisson had instituted a policy that on casual itineraries like the Caribbean the dress code was all country club casual, so we had hoped for a completely relaxed cruise. However, our TA also says there will be a formal night for the 1/8 cruise. Perhaps the CCC policy was only a trial one for last year. Those who have sailed the Caribbean recently may know more! :confused:

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Each cruiseline has a different dress code for men

 

What is the typical dress code for country club casual? I don't mind get dressed up but it is usually so very hot that I can't wait until after dinner when I commit the ultimate "no,no" and take the jacket and tie off. Is that the norm on RSSC or do most people stay "dressed"

 

On Celebrity- There were 3 categories

 

Casual - shirt and slacks

Informal - jacket and tie

Fromal- tux or dark suit

 

On QE2

 

Casual was only first and last night

There were three formal nights

The rest of the nights were jacket and tie

 

Stu

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stuNYC,

 

On Radisson, the dress code is as follows:

 

Country Club Casual--slacks and shirts or polos -(my husband usually wears Tommy Bahama slacks and shirts)

 

Informal--nice slacks and shirt with a jacket, tie optional (my husband always chooses the no-tie option)

 

Formal--dark suit or tux

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This is sounding more and more like a cruise that I am going to love. I surely don't mind a shirt and jacket. I agree with your husband though about the tie.

The reason I asked was that I was looking at some Tommy Bahama ties on ebay and didn't know if I really needed them. I have tux and dinner jacket from my formal nights on the QE2. Tux came in handy for the weddings of my son AND daughter 6 and 1 month ago. So many pictures of me in black tux, I think I will take the white dinner jacket and black vest.

 

Can't wait to meet up with your husband on board. Does he also like a good cigar. Although I recently stopped smoking a usually enjoy a good cigar. Believe it or not, we have met the nicest people in the "cigar bar". Fortunately, my DW loves the smell of a cigar!

 

Thanks for your help

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stu

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stuNYC,

 

You will look very elegant in your dinner jacket. I have seen several men wear them. And yes, my husband loves a good cigar. He usually travels with several. I myself have been known to smoke one on occasion, even though I'm often given funny looks. Usually I just share my husband's, as a whole one is more than I like. ;)

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SCB

 

I sure that we will be sharing some wonderful evenings togehter, since there is only one place at night to smoke a good cigar. There is definitely a comradery among cigar smokers-most people hate us and the wonderful aroma of cigar smoke.

 

Celebrity is in fact changing over most of their cigar lounges into more traditional lounges because of the "underutililization" of them

 

Crystal is even worse. They have strict rules and regulations and people on their board complain that people are smoking in their own cabiins and on their own balconies. I once booked a Crystal cruise and cancelled once I got "in hard copy the do's and don't's of smoking cigars. I don't need to spend those big bucks to be told what I CAN"T do in the cabin I paid good money for.

 

Bravo for your cigar smoking! Hell with the "looks".

 

Looking forward to meeting a woman that shows her individuality.

 

Are you both beach bums as well? I find nothing more relaxing than a few hours watching the waves crack against the shore.

 

Looking at the ports, there is not much to do other than go to the beach.

 

Have you scoped out any plans as yet. You sound like veteran travelers.

Believe it or not this will be my FIRST winter vacation. Because of my line of work, I never could get away in the winter. Always was going to warm weather vacation spots in the SUMMER

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stu

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stuNYC,

 

Yes, we love the beach. Usually we take a winter vacation in Hawaii, but this year I noticed the good deal for the Navigator cruise and we decided to do that instead, since it had been over a year since our last cruise. ;) So far we do not have too many plans. We'll do some sightseeing, since we have never been to the Caribbean, and we have also booked some sail/snorkel trips as we both love to do that. Otherwise, my husband does not want to do much other than relax on the ship or a beach.

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To confirm what your TA said regarding one formal night, someone just posted that he just received his docs for the cruise just prior to ours and , using his words " was surpirsed that there is ONLY" one formal night. Speaking for myself, one, is just right.

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My husband will be delighted with the confirmation that there is only one formal night. Me? I enjoy getting dressed up once in a while.

 

Elliot and I are beach bums and will be looking for beaches, through the ship or on our own. He snorkels, I don't. Give me a lounge chair and a rest room and a good book and I'm happy. I've collected shells from all over the Carribean and always want to add to the collection. We have a couple of beaches we like in St. Thomas. We'll have lots of company--there will be 8 ships in port that day, and most of them are big ships--so we'll avoid Megan's Bay, which is where lots of cruise passengers head. I am going to try and research some beaches on the other islands before we go--I love the water but hate to be surrounded by hundreds of people.

 

scb, I want to hear all about Hawaii. It was originally my hope to take a couple of weeks in February this year and make a first-ever Hawaii trip, but it didn't happen. I know I don't want to do it on a cruise ship--I want a land trip when I do get there. And a beach, of course!

 

Looking forward to continuing this conversation in person...

Karen

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KLG,

 

I'm with you. I love to get dressed up as I rarely have an opportunity at home.

 

I'd be more than happy to tell you about Hawaii, we really enjoy vacationing there--have probably been 15 or 20 times! You can tell us what beaches to go to on this cruise :D

 

Just a little over a month!

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SCB/KLB

 

If you go to "port section" of the board there are alot of posts about Trunk Bay, on St John, which is supposed to be spectacular. There are even the directions to get there the quickest way by taxi, ferry and taxi. It takes about 30-45 minutes to get there if you time the ferry right.

 

Check it out and see what you think

 

I will be going alone first thing in the AM. If anyone is interested maybe we can all go together. I just received my "what a beach chair with shade" so I'm all ready to go!.

 

Eight ships in port sounds like chaos. How did you find out? What about the other ports. Since they are smaller, there should be much less. Nice to be on a smaller ship. Do you know which are tender ports.

 

Keep the dialog going, it is making the time go quicker. My countdown clock shows 1 month, 7 days 18 hours. We be out to sea in no time!

 

Hears to beautiful weather and calm seas.

 

By the way, SCB, I just bought 4 Tammy Bahama silk shirts on ebay for $80 and two pairs of shoes for $20. You can tell I love bargains. Just got a leather NFL jacket for my son for $35.

 

Sorry, I am rambling. Thanks for your patience, if you actually got to the end of this post

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stu

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Sounds like you got some great deals.

 

We have booked a sail/snorkel for St. Thomas, so we will not be able to join you at the beach. :( Perhaps at another stop. By the way, here is a good web-site about the Virgin Islands http://www.*****

 

KLG, I noticed in reading the beaches section that they say it is illegal to collect shells on all of the Virgin Islands!

 

stuNYC, if you want to check on what ships are in the ports with us you can go to http://www.cruisecal.com/sumdate.html

 

By January I will be really ready for some sun. The Pacific NW is sooo dark and dreary this time of year. The sun doesn't come up until 7:45am and it is pitch dark again by at 4:45pm!

 

Susan

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This will be my first cruise. You all sound like so much fun, I can't wait. i really am looking forward to just relaxing on the beach. Please continue to share any ideas you have for ports, and the best beaches. See you all soon!:p

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Your are number 4 to post on the 1/8 sailing ;as you could tell from the prior posts three of us are newbies to RSSC; scb is a past RSSC cruiser.

 

Ever wonder where the other approximately 241 couples are? I notice that this board has much less activity than the other boards. Celebrity for example.

 

Any idea why?

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  • 4 weeks later...

Unfortunately, my DW has taken ill and we will not be sailing with you on 1/8/05.

 

I wish all of you who are traveling in particular, on the 8th, and in general, on future sailings, calm seas and beautiful blue skies.

 

By the way, if anyone wants to upgrade to a Class D cabin, midship, I just cancelled today. The cabin number is 832.

 

Please do me two favors:

 

1. Have a extra bon voyage drink for me and my DW and;

 

2 When you return from your wonderful cruise, please post a review, so I can

at least know what I missed and whether to rebook for next year, same time, same ship

 

 

Bon Voyage

 

Stu

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