Diver2014

We've been on the Pearl twice and all I can say is.....it's a beautiful ship!

It's our experience that nothing in Miami is 'free'.

Parking at the port is really the only safe way to park while on a cruise out of Miami. You'll be glad you paid the $22/day to just walk off your ship and across the street to your parking garage. It is not safe to use off site parking in Miami if you value your car.

It also depends on which airline you are flying. If you are on American Airlines, there is usually a long line waiting to check in and then go thru security at MIA (our experience many times). I think 10am is way too early for a flight out of MIA from either POM or Pt Everglades. Having to rush to get to your gate is not a fun way to head home.

I had to call NCL and give my DH's correct Latitudes number because their on line system assigned a new number to him since I put my name as the first guest. It was corrected on the spot (after waiting on the phone for maybe 10 minutes.....). I don't care much about loyalty programs but it was worth a 20% discount on our fare.

It's a pretty straight shot from POM on 395 and 836 to MIA but I wouldn't want to risk going thru security at MIA if you don't have pre check and depending on what day of the week you'll be traveling. I'd rather wait at the airport for a couple of hours than race to get to a 10:30 flight, that will start boarding around 9:50. The 1:42 pm flight will leave you a bit more relaxed. Are you travelling within Florida?

…..so don't read it. Some people like to discuss things even if you don't.

The Windjammer Marketplace on Radiance of the Seas is what got us hooked on doing more RCI cruises. It was outstanding! We're going on Harmony in January to get away from the cold AND to enjoy the food in the Windjammer. I don't care if we miss the MDR the entire week. We're Johnny Rocket fans as well. We enjoyed all the food on Oasis OTS. I hope they still have those roast beef sandwiches in the Park Café. I just like having such a variety of choices and not having to cook it myself. I'll report back if I think the quality has gone down but I doubt that will be the case. Each ship is different so I'd like to try them all eventually.

You should have been with us on September 15, 2001 with 500 people at PPT trying to get on the one and only flight back to LAX since flights to the USA resumed that day. I've never seen such a long line of people and they were not in very good moods at all. The madhouse at LAX was just as bad - trying to get planes and crews where they were supposed to be.

One of the few advantages with living in Miami was of course, the proximity to the ports. We now drive back to Florida. We hate to fly. Alas, our upcoming cruise to Alaska requires flying, as does our cruise around Hawaii next year. Our recent British Isles cruise also required us to fly - first time in years. When we arrived home, we said 'never again!' but here we are going off to Seattle next month due to a great deal thru HAL (we had planned on visiting relatives in Seattle but tossed in the cruise since we're there anyway). I'd love to go back to Australia and visit New Zealand but the flight cancels out any thought of that. Sheer torture!

Edgewater! Get a room with a view of Puget Sound.

Gee, so do I now that you mention it (LOL!). We liked eating in the Horizon Court for breakfast, lunch & most dinners. I like the variety & trying dishes that I would never order from a menu. The desserts in the buffet were superior to most we had in the MDR (except the crème brulee). They hide the hot bread puddings in the corner steam table just past the fruit and cheese table.

I love having fresh towels every day while on vacation!

I called NCL yesterday (Monday) and waited 10 minutes then hung up. Called twice again, waited 15 minutes, hung up. Fourth time, call was answered in about 5 minutes. Got great service from the rep. I think they are backed up because of the Free at Sea promos and the Endless Summer sale. But I didn't mind, getting all those promos and freebies plus a 20% Latitudes discount was worth having to call 4 times!

We loved the food on Royal (and on the other Princess ships we've been on). I don't understand how anyone can complain about the food on any cruise ship. Do people go on cruises just to eat and find things to complain about?