KKB

You can order food all day...you are each entitled 4 courses, and you can get them all at once or in stages.

Gonna have to try those frozen drinks next time--I think we stuck to Sol last time! (no more beer for me...:()

The hard part with food is that I have a gluten sensitivity...2 years ago I ordered nachos assuming incorrectly they would be corn tortillas. There are items I can order & I will ask about corn tortillas next time. (luckily as long as I avoid food that is predominantly wheat I seem to have few issues)

And would go back again.

Well priced; have never done AI.

You can do sun or shade.

Good food, service, amenities. (but don't get the calamari--yuk)

Lively.

Teens loved inflatables in water, adults loved lounging & people watching.

Non-negotiables:

--Modern restrooms

--food & drinks

Prefer:

--Nice sandy beaches, not rocky, seaweedy

--Quieter beach (no need for inflatable beach toys, etc.)

Recommendation?

Women who are or who may get pregnant.

On the news this morning they said that Brazil has seen nearly 4000 cases since October--1000x more than they typically see. Realize for most of us this is a none issue, you may not even show symptoms, or realize you have it. So to have that many diagnosed is HUGE.

1% of the children born there right now have are affected by it. (this via bbc.com)

They said it probably will spread to southern gulf states but they expect it to be less of an issue due to our improved sanitation in the states.

I AM trying to scare any pregnant woman from cruising the Caribbean or South America at this time; the risks are NOT worth it. If you aren't pregnant, use good birth control!

For the rest of us it is a non-issue.

$1K for 7 day cruise...always come home with a chunk of it but better safe than sorry.

I do not use credit cards outside the US, so not much shopping, but might buy a tee shirt or something small.

Really just for transfers, tips, cabs, drinks/food/small shopping in port, a bit of gambling in casino.

We do leave our ship charges on our credit card to take care of when we get home. (typically a photo, a couple casino tournaments, not much else, unless we didn't get the drink package as a perk, then drinks or package)

GF choices noted on menu (though you can discuss other choices possibly being prepared GF) with your server.

Served me GV bread every night...luv me my escargots, need bread to sop up all that good garlic butter! (tho one night I got cinnamon raisin toast:confused:)

YUMMY GF treats at Bacio.

I have heard they have GF pizza at the buffet; never sought it out, tho probably will this time.

:rolleyes:

Seriously, it is a shame that Haiti is such a beautiful island, but due to the extreme poverty & long history of corruption in their government, their tourism is really non exsistent. It seems that every election brings protests & violence because the people are just desparate for a better life.

Not only corruption & poverty but the lack of laws protecting logging.

Compare photos of Haiti & the Dominican Republic (where they have laws to protect the rain forests)...and it is easy to see why DM is tops for tourism & Haiti has virtually none.

Very sad.

After final payment some will have cancelled so some become available.

The month before embarkation I check cabin availability & price DAILY. We sailed Connie 5 day the first week of March the last 2 years.

2 years ago I upgraded from Concierge to AQ for $20 each for the week--SCORE!

Last year we were originally booked OV Deck 2. VERY glad we upgraded--betting that was a spring breaker paradise down there. For NOTHING I upgraded the kids to OV Deck 6 & for $75 total I upgraded us to Sweet 16 balcony on Deck 6. Mom & Dad got Family Verandah for $150...SO wishing I had upgraded all 3 cabins to FV (they open up late if not booked--and several were available), these were so nice & big but the balcony is the BEST. All 7 of us hung out there a lot.

I tried to score an accessible room for the kids since 3 of them were sharing a room, but I checked a bit late one day & missed when they allow anyone to book an accessible. That is like 7-10 days prior.

Headed to Vegas & got to our airport (small, no shops in it) & the corner of my bag to check just pulled apart when I picked it up. Too big to carry on but couldn't check it that way...now what???

LUCKILY this was a small town airport & low & behold they had some duct tape handy to strap that baby up. Total redneck look but did the trick. Would have really been in a pickle without it.

You can buy a small wad of it without the core.

(and I am the sort to NOT bring most of the above items along, but the duct tape goes everytime now!)

http://www.amazon.com/WITZ-Safe-Waterproof-Badge-Holder/dp/B001P5ZZ6I/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1452796854&sr=8-2&keywords=water+wallet

(actually picked one up at the end of our RCL cruise on sale for $5).

We leave passports in our safe (pros & cons to taking it)...it will not fit in one of these. ID, ship card, cash & 1 credit card. DH wears it around his neck, tucked inside his shirt...or just around his neck if we are in the ocean. Even if (HORRORS) you are left at a port, an ID is all you need if you go to the US Embassy.

Breathe.

My advice is do NOT bring any carry ons...just have everyone bring a personal item{FREE} (dimensions must not exceed 17 x 13 x 8 inches (43 x 33 x 20 cm) including handles and wheels). These are mostly for documents, valuables, snacks & goodies to keep the kiddos occupied. I'd toss the kiddos swimsuits in as well. Watch your dimensions...they tend to be fussy about those. You will appreciate NOT having larger carry ons to lug around! (DH LOVES SWA as we just check everything...on other lines I make him take a carry on s we don't have to pay luggage fees...)

The good news...warm weather clothing takes up little space, as does little kiddo clothing! (Rolling clothing also allows you to pack more; and avoid wrinkles if you roll carefully)

Also, you change clothing a lot on a cruise, so you don't need 7 shorts, 7 tees, 7 nights of dinner wear.

I take 2 pair of dark shorts since I really just slip those on with a tee for breakfast...then 1 swimsuit & cover up (if it is damp, who cares? sun will dry it in minutes)...then capris (2 or 3 dark pair for week) & top that I can wear around the ship & to dinner most nights. I bring 1 pair of dressy slacks or skirt & 2 tops. Flip flops, dressy shoes & walking shoes are all I need. There is always hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner, lotion & soap in the room. Even if it is not my favorite, it is fine for a week.

I have done a 5 day cruise with a carry on & backpack & did fine!

I agree...little to buy in Caribbean. Do you want to pay MORE for luggage just to bring STUFF back...double savings by not shopping.

I hotwire most of our hotels in FLL. (use better bidding.com to narrow your choices) Embassy Suites is great, but Hyatt Place right next door is usually cheaper & also has sort of an extra area (pull out sofa). This time we are at the nearby Extended Stay America via Hotwire as it was cheaper ($180--expect to pay around $200 the night before) & gets good reviews. Sign up for the cruise shuttle at your hotel as soon as you check in. I like all these as they are on 17th street where there is a grocery store (DH is a Mountain Dew man, & since cruises are Coke land, we need to pick some up...& they have 8 packs, perfect!), restaurants & very close to the port.

We also stayed further out at an airport hotel (Courtyard?)...the shuttle was fine (and the same price) BUT there was no nearby d

Paid $500 each for 7 day interior GTY & upgraded to OV! Nice!

Now I scour the prices for the 6 weeks before departure...and try to create my own upgrade. 2 years ago we had booked a concierge balcony on Connie...a few weeks before we were able to upgrade to Aqua class for $20/each for the week!!!! SCORE!

Will be watching again this time...

Key West has nice beaches?

If they do, I sure didn't find any in my research!

We like a quieter beach but with regular bathrooms & drink service (and possibly food) as well as chairs & umbrellas.

I would rather have a busier beach with full facilities than a quiet beach with no chairs, restrooms or drink service.

Willing to go aways from the port to get a quiet full service beach, but if that isn't available, would rather be close to the port.

Any recommendations? Please suggest beach & how we would get there.

THANKS!

Grand Turk was plenty warm in early December...so I would expect it to be nicer in March!

We went on Disney last year and they skipped it due to weather :(( I was so upset! No Disney this year :/

if they cancelled a port due to weather...not in their control. ALL cruiselines do this all the time.

Almost all Caribbean islands have wonderful beaches (not Key West), so you really cannot go wrong.

We loved the beaches in Aruba & Curacao (S. Caribbean), Sapphire Beach in St. Thomas (E. Caribbean), Cozumel & Gr. Cayman (W. Caribbean) & have always enjoyed all the private islands.

"Use bright colored zip-ties to lock your luggage bags before dropping off at the airport. This way you know if someone has gone through your bag."

TSA may inspect your luggage & zip ties slow them down. I'd say get TSA approved locks, but had a friend try that & they just broke them to inspect inside the luggage.

Better advice is not to pack anything that you wouldn't care if it were lost or stolen; keep all valuables/essentials in your carry on. (I also roll my slothign & pack in very large ziplocs to minimize pawing through my clothing!)

My parents, DH & I all said that ANY cruise is a good cruise! (seriously, we would have even had a good time on that stranded Carnival Cruise...what a story we would have to tell for years!)

I have read negative reviews of cruises we have been on..and all I can think is "were we on the same cruise??!!":confused::eek::D

It's all about attitude!:p

We have done a couple large family trips at this time...one VERY pricey; one remarkably well priced.

The key is to keep checking prices...and start early. Airfare will most certainly be cheapest early (flights for that time will open up soon). Also be flexible with airports--we are flying out of an airport 3 hours away as flights were $320 instead of $800 each this March.

Personally I have used a couple large online TAs (both happily) & have been able to call or email to coordinate several parties. They just give me the best prices & perks.

If you do some research yourself, be sure to compare rooms when comparing prices. We were about to pull the trigger on Carnival when we realized that the rooms we were pricing were bunk rooms--not what couples wanted. Once we eliminated that cabin category, RCCL was a better deal.

I notice that those cruises departing the 24th are a chunk cheaper--but air will likely be a chunk higher.

You will find that mainstream cruiselines are more alike than different.

We have done a cruise over Xmas--great fun, but definitely loses some of the Xmas magic, imo (but would do it again in a heartbeat!), and over New Years.

With a carry on & a backpack--not my 1st choice, but honestly worked fine!

Hairdryers & toiletries supplied in room are fine. My favorite? No, but to save packing & for a week, who cares?

Realize that you change clothes ALOT on a Caribbean cruise. Toss on a tee & shorts for breakfast; get into swimsuit. Change into top & capris for dinner (possibly nicer). SO realize you will re-wear items often. I bring 1 pair of dark capris, 1 pair of dark shorts, 1 pair of dark dressy slacks, 1 swimsuit (yes, one is enough...if it is damp it will dry quickly once you get in the sun) & coverup, and a number of tops. I agree--walking shoes, dressy shoes & flipflops. Rolling clothing tightly minimizes wrinkles (you must roll carefully) & allows you to pack much more.

With kids I used giant ziploc bags & packed their outfits in them, labeled them--tossed the bags in drawers when we got there, they could easily find matching outifts. (I still use those bags for our packing today)

DO bring children's meds--they are VERY expensive on the ship (I brought liquid kids tylenol & ran out when DD got an ear infection--had to buy onboard, OUCH)

Don't forget a beach bag. Could use as extra luggage on the way home if needed.

Price your airlines; consider SWA, especially since they allow you to check 2 bags each free. (but do NOT let everyone check 2 bags--too much for kids; we try to limit them to 1 backpack & 1 rolling bag they can handle themselves; if they are too little, we combine into a larger one that one of us or an older child handles)

I agree that RCCL is a better choice than Carnival, especially if your first cruise wasn't a great experience. DCL does know kids & cruising, but we agreed after our one DCL cruise that it wasn't worth the 30%+ price tag. RCCL has great kids clubs.

5 Day is a good way to get you feet wet...but I'm not sure Key West is the best choice for children. I was a bit concerned about taking 3 teens there. We opted for parasailing & it was a big hit. But Key West doesn't have good beaches...not sure about the wildlife experiences there. Perhaps go check the Key West thread.

Grand Cayman is terrific--beaches, sting rays, sure to be a hit.

I book all our cruises through a large online TA (I have happily used a couple different ones--we always get great prices & good amenities), then book air & hotel online myself. I have used hotwire several times for the hotel (http://www.betterbidding.com helps me to narrow what hotel we might get--we got an AMAZING deal last year in FLL for a 5* hotel) We either grab the cruise shuttle at the hotel or call for a cab.

I did request GF bread each night for dinner on the Constellation last year; I love my escargot & need that bread to sop up all that garlic butter goodness! But one night they brought me cinnamon raisin bread:confused: Since you say there are 2 kinds, I will be sure to communicate WHAT I use it for. (btw, I did not find the bread to be particularly good at all...but I have never found a GOOD GF bread. Adequate at best; would LOVE good bread--I miss the wonderful bread offerings on cruises!)

Will check out the GF pizza at the buffet. Have found several places in our travels (one at home) that offer excellent GF pizza.

Host Anne -- You just described (to a tee) the experience my CruiseCritic friends had on Celebrity Constellation, last spring. It was a 5-niter out of Florida, the first week of spring break. One local college had a large contingent onboard, who wreaked havoc for the whole cruise. Even putting the worst offenders off on the pier at Key West didn't stop the mayhem, according to these posters. The MDR was such a zoo that the Captain moved his "table" to a specialty restaurant. The whole thing sounded like something out of the movie, Animal House.:eek:

We were on that cruise & did not experience any of this...I am NOT saying these things didn't happen. Large ship, perhaps got lucky that we were in the "right" places at the right time.

We ate MDR early dining every night and never once experienced any college students being anything but appropriate. Actually, they were typically dressed very nicely--not what I can say for all we saw in MDR!

2 had to get off at Key West for sure (we visited with a couple young men that were on the cruise with us in 2014 & we ran into again in 2015--they knew they young men who had to get off). A drunk underage young man was tossed in jail in Key West & his 21YO "adult in charge" friend had to get off the ship since they cannot leave a minor. I figured thank goodness it was Key West & not Cozumel!

Again, I read the stories of inappropriate behavior on these threads & have no doubt they were true...and hoping Celebrity read these threads & made adjustments (sounded much worse in 2015 than 2014)

It hasn't stopped us from booking another Celebrity Spring Break cruise...tho I'm sure it has stopped others!

1/2-2/3 college students. Very controlled in 2014; not as much last year.

We encountered nothing more than loud music from our college neighbors twice--5PM was fine, 4AM, not so much (turned down in 10 min. after call to security).

There were a number of posts from others on the 2015 cruise that were NOT good...

SO, YES, more than likely there WILL be a significant number of college students on your cruise. Will it be "overrun"? Hard to say. And if it is, it is really dependent on how the line/ships/staff choose to handle them.

But have parents & relatives who have...read many threads here.

OVerall I think you will find more similarities than differences, as with most mass market lines.

But the consensus of all our family is that RCL is a step above NCL, particularly in MDR/buffet food. It is next to last on their rankings of the cruises they have taken (not that they wouldn't take NCL again--they just prefer Celebrity, RCCL & Princess over NCL...Carnival is last)

The Allure was our VERY FAVORITE cruise ever. Why? SO SO SO many things to do, very good food, great entertainment. (and Adventure of the Seas was our least fav, so not an RCCL thing!)