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mac66

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Cool Cruiser (2/15)

  1. Good video as usual Rous, I was at the Salt pier in early February this year.
  2. I looked very closely at the RC dive program when I wanted to get certified. I would have gone that way hadn't the opportunity to do the classroom/confined water part popped up when it did. As I recall you had to buy your own mask either through RC or bring your own. I've also dived through the ship and have met many of the RC dive masters/instructors. Sometime they come along and dive with you on ship dive excursions. All the ones I've met have taken their instructor jobs very seriously and you have figure that they probably teach the class every single week, week in and week out, so they know their stuff. I'm sure you will have a great experience.
  3. Sigh... this has been hashed and rehashed for years. -My wife has been using a full face mask (FFM) since the came out 10 years ago. -They work well for people who have trouble holding a snorkel in their mouth and don't dive under water. -Back in the day I thoroughly researched the safety of full faced masks and posted it here a few years ago. They aren't inherently unsafe. -I see a helluva lot of FFMs being used these days. -Except for certain circumstances such as noted, they aren't banned anywhere that I'm aware of at least in the Carribbean.
  4. We've been to the ABCs a number of times. The last time this past Feb. I usually dive, my wife snorkels but before I started diving we did snorkeling trips or other stuff. Always enjoyed the off road ATV/UTV/Jeep trips to the wild side of the island in Aruba. If you've not been there it's worth it. We usually booked private tours. This past Feb we took the city bus out to a beach and snorkeled on our own. On Bonaire we've done Woodwind catamaran trips a couple times. Highly recommended. The last time we were there in Feb we rented a golf cart and toured by ourselves. That was very fun. In Curacao we've either dived or did snorkeling via private company. This past Feb we just walked around in town then went swimming off the dock next to the ship.
  5. There are ways to supplement your alcohol consumption even it you are a D, D+ or higher without buying the package. Bringing wine on board is one way, gambling is another. There are others.
  6. Oh well, first world problems. For someone who never gets lobster except on a cruise, it's good enough.
  7. A little perspective concerning prices. Prior to 2020 RCIs debt load was $10 billion but that was mostly new ship orders. During covid the debt rose to $22 billion. I think at the end of 2023 it was somewhere around $17B. So RCI is making money and still building and ordering ships but their debt is massive and has to be made up somehow i.e, higher prices, lower expenses. Prices on everything has gone up due to inflation and govt policies. If/when the cruise lines stop getting passengers (supply larger than demand) prices will fall. I don't see that happening except during the traditional lag times during the year (between Thanksgiving and Christmas and late Jan-early Feb). There may be other times during the year when prices fall but that's when we cruise.
  8. Another perspective..... In regards to equipment. The class I took at home was one of the few if not the only one I looked at that didn't require you buy a mask and fins. I did my class/confined dives at home and my OW cert dives on a cruise. Since I dive only on cruises, either through the ships excursions or book with a shop privately I did over 20 dives before I bought my own mask. I never had a problem with a rental mask leak even with a mustache/full beard. The only issue I even had was that I have neanderthal brow ridge that some of the lens frames press into at depth which is uncomfortable. I took notes of every mask I used and bought a $50 Cressi Matrix which is very comfortable over the 7 or 8 dives I've used it. One thing I did buy was a 3mm wet suit. I get/got cold diving (don't have a lot of fat on me) even though most places have shorty wet suits. After the second set of cert dives I bought a full length wet suit and boots. I now have over 30 dives and still don't have my own dive fins or dive computer. I will agree with Harris however, if you do get fins, buy open heal ones. Most rental fins are closed heal and won't fit boots. Since I only dive once or twice a year on cruises I can get by without my own fins but its nice when the rentals are open healed with at least straps so I can wear my boots. Boots are good for shore dives, not really necessary for boat dives. My rationale for not buying a computer is that I don't really dive enough to justify the cost. Every dive I've been on have been guided by dive masters and the open water cert only allows you to go down to 60' max anyway. Bottom line....I have no desire or intention of doing advanced open water. If I was younger I'd probably go all in with certs and equipment but at my age, it's just a once or twice a year recreational thing. Would I like a dive computer and my own fins? Sure. Can I afford them? Sure. Do I need them? Nope.
  9. BYOB, bring wine and find other ways to drink.
  10. Jack is Tennessee whiskey. JD filters through charcoal giving it a unique flavor. Technically it is bourbon but with that added process they call it Tennessee whiskey. Crown Royal is Canadian whiskey. Technically it is also a bourbon but can't be called bourbon because it's not made in the states. Follow me so far :)? Compared to CR, JD has a more smokey, sweet taste. Bourbon/Tennessee/Canadian whiskey is different than Macallan which is scotch. The difference is bourbon is that it is made from corn mash (minimum 51%) which makes it sweeter and some say mellower. It can also include other grains such as rye, wheat and barley. Scotch uses malted single grains usually barley. Typically not as sweet as bourbon and depending on other factors (single malt vs. blended) not as smooth and depending on where in Scotland it was made has other characteristics as well. So if you are not scotch drinker it might be worth trying the Macallans which is a decent scotch. If you like different bourbons the varieties of JD may be to your liking. I've never had the upper end Macallans but the bottom lever stuff is pretty good. Likewise, I've never had the upper level JDs either. While I prefer scotch to bourbon I occasionally drink basic JD and/or other bourbons. And BTW, Irish Whiskey is made the same as bourbon but of course can't be called bourbon. I was quite fond of Jamison's when I was in Ireland..duh... It seems to be smoother than most bourbons and scotchs. All this talk is making me thirsty.
  11. Good point, we did that once.
  12. Did the POA in 2009 and again in 2018. The first time we stayed a week before getting on the ship. Great trip. The second time we went with friends and stayed a week before and 5 days after the ship. Absolutely the best way to see the islands. Would do it again in a heartbeat. The ship was kinda run down the second trip but you are pretty much on board just to eat dinner and sleep. It's been refurbished since we were last on it.
  13. Sometimes it pays to use a TA. We booked an 11 night cruise last summer during a sale for a cruise in late Jan of this year. Infinite veranda for the price of an inside, basic drink package and wifi with $400 OBC. The TA threw in prepaid gratuities and additional refundable $400 OBC and another $50 OBC as TA loyalty credit. With all the OBC refunded the price was less than the cruise in an inside with non of the perks. I suppose that's because the TA books a block of cabins which the cruise line doesn't then have to sell. We went to the future cruise desk while on that cruise for another cruise but they couldn't beat the sale price we could get from our TA. Doesn't always happen that way but It pays to check all your sources.
  14. The band we saw in early Feb was pretty bad. Can't remember their name. Yes they have Karaoke The sunset bar service shuts down late at night but you can still find a drink somewhere to drink.
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