RCCL Independence of the Seas October 25, 2015

This will be Aquafest's 14th annual Halloween Cruise. We signed up months ago and got an amazing deal. Who else is going?

Hi Darrell6t.

I signed up for next year's Aquafest Halloween Event while on the NCL Jewel this past week. I had a wonderful time on the cruise with great people, great entertainers and that wonderful personal touch from the ATeam.

They also announced at the Farewell gathering that Miss Conception will also be the Emcee again on next year's cruise!

Only 356 days to go!

We went a with Aquafest a few years ago and had a great time. Looking forward to another cruise with them, but not quite ready to start a countdown. RSVP's 30th Anniversary happens first.

Today we were able to get our flights using US Airway's miles. Doing it so many months in advance must make it easier, because we have not had much luck using miles before. Of course, Florida is not quite as popular a destination in October as in February.

I am surprised there aren't more Aquafest cruisers on CC. It will probably be a couple of hundred people for this cruise.

My partner Bob and I will be a part of this cruise as well as our friends Matt & Jerry and Bob & Neil. All of us our from Rehoboth Beach.

I am happy to see some others on this Roll Call. We just got back to DC from the RSVP cruise, so it's time to start some planning for October with Aquafest.

We were sorry to miss this year's RSVP cruise, so this Aquafest cruise was scheduled to make up for it. We have never done an Aquafest cruise before, but we have heard great things and are looking forward to it. So glad to see that Amy and Freddy will be entertaining! The last correspondence I received from Aquafest said that we would be receiving an email in late Fall or early Winter with some details. I haven't received any....has anyone else?

Well, I'll answer my last question. Yes, I have now received the email from Aquafest. Looking over the excursions, most seem overpriced. It is very easy to get a taxi on St. Maarten to go to Orient Beach. We also like to go to Mayo Beach, where the airplanes fly right over the beach. There is a great bar there: The Sunset Bar and Grill. Never been to St. Kitts, but the private beach party sounds like fun. A couple of our friends mentioned that they have done the train ride there and liked it.

My partner and I are not "beach people", so being dumped at a beach for the day sounds dreadful. I don't think we will bother with any of the Aquafest excurions. We have been to St. Maarten before and toured the island. Not sure what we might do this time. I'm going to have to do a bit of looking at St. Kitts before deciding anything.

Just trying to bump up our message thread and gain some chatter. Things have been pretty dead here!

Quiet, but not dead. I haven't been checking the regular Roll Call for this cruise, but it had been filled with chatter. It's a bit less than 5 months away. Right now I am more focused on our regular Alaska CruiseTour coming up in 4 weeks.

Feel free to bump away, monumax!

This is the next cruise on my list, so time to start planning. We will be part of a large Aquafest group, so there must be more CC members going on this cruise.

From an Aquafest point of reference, the cruise is sold out. Am still trying to figure out what to do in San Juan. My planning is complete for the other ports as well as airline reservations and hotel arrangements. Only small details are left. Best of luck as you complete your plans.

In truth, we don't do a lot of planning. We used points months ago to get flights. And made some hotel reservations that can be changed. If you have never been to San Juan, the old town is quite historic and interesting. We have usually just wandered, but we have been there multiple times, including staying for several days before a cruise.

This will be my third time in San Juan. I've done a tour of the Old City and then went to "Laser" when there on an RSVP Cruise.

Last fall I did a zip line tour at Guaynabo in La Marquesa Forest.

Am kind of leaning towards Bioluminescence Kayaking at El Yunque. The company that AF recommended didn't have anything other than a private sailing trip and am not sure if the ship has that excursion, but I did find a tour like this through Viator. Who knows, I may change my mind a couple times before then.

I do like trying new things while on vacation that I would not normally have the opportunity to do when near home. At least for me, planning and booking in advance gives me something to look forward to other than the normal work, home, volunteer activity, clean the house, do the landscaping, work cycle where I often get stuck.

No kayaking for this guy. I am not a fan of small boats. And ever less interested in a boat I have to power myself.

Max and Bob - nice to see you. I might be booking this, although too late for Aquafest inclusion I think. I have a group of (straight) friends on the cruise and then noticed there will be a huge group of family on board, too.

I've done San Juan more than a few times, and the best thing I ever did in St Maarten was the America's Cup challenge, but have no need to repeat. St Kitts is a completely new stop to me, so that would get my focus on what to do.

Well, it's official - I'm booked. Tom from Aquafest was very gracious and took my res and so I will be part of the group.

Well, it's official - I'm booked. Tom from Aquafest was very gracious and took my res and so I will be part of the group.

Matt, The more, the merrier. Our previous Aquafest Halloween cruise was a lot of fun. I expect this one to be fun also.

At the same time, neither my partner nor I really enjoy figuring out and bringing costumes. It is just a bother. But seeing all the work some people who enjoy that stuff do is amazing. A lot of creativity, and luggage.

I am committing the ultimate gay faux pas and repeating last year's costume from Freedom of the Seas. I am moving at the beginning of October and that is going to be occupying all my planning time. Can't worry about a costume, too :)

So there are like 400 people booked on Aquafest - where are they on here?

Cruise Critic may have a lot of members, but it is still a tiny percentage of all cruisers.

I am committing the ultimate gay faux pas and repeating last year's costume from Freedom of the Seas. I am moving at the beginning of October and that is going to be occupying all my planning time. Can't worry about a costume, too :)

 

So there are like 400 people booked on Aquafest - where are they on here?

OMG! The horror of it all! Your Gay Card may be revoked, Matt!

Just kidding! I don't know that anyone would be the wiser about the repeat costume, unless you told on yourself. Costumes are not required and a good number of people do not pack steamer trunks.

There hasn't been much chatter from the A/F crowd on this sailing. There are a couple of other places you may find postings. If you do not familiar with these other places, email me and I will let you know. gmhohio at gmail dot com.

True - only people I cruised with last year (who are my straight friends on board) and people on my facebook would know. Phew :)

I am going to send you an email - I did not see posting in some of the other places I might have expected..

Thanks Gregg!