Fa-Li

We have done a Tauck river cruise and several ABDs, including their Grand Canyon adventure I would give the nod to ABD for service, but just barely. Tauck was also great. Just more personal attention from the Disney guides. As to your question about staying on the rim - check which park hotel it will be. We have rarely hated a hotel as much as we did the Thunderbird Inn. The other properties are nicer. Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I tuck mine under my bra or bathing suit strap on my shoulder, or make DH carry it Sent from my iPhone using Forums

If you’re going at lunch time, Heartland Brewery is in the bottom of ESB. That would impact my DH’s choice. Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Two of our group from NC picked up this train for our December cruise. It was delayed, delayed again, then hit a truck on the tracks and they were trapped for the entire day. Amtrak would not let them off the train, would not release their luggage. Having allowed a full extra day to relax in FLL before the cruise (which those of us who drove got to enjoy) they finally got in just in time to grab a shower and embark. And this was just the second half of what your journey would be. I highly encourage you to allow more than just a day margin if you go by train. Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Can't say enough great things about Gail and Beach Limerez! We were a family group of 18 there on Christmas day and it couldn't have been more perfect. I made reservations well ahead and Gail was wonderful to work with. Since our group was so big, we were able to get a discount on the all-included rate $60 instead of $65 pp, and half that for the little kids in our group. When we docked in the morning, I looked out and realized uh-oh! We were not at the regular port! I had no idea where we were, but called the BeachLimerz number and got Gail's husband Barry (a most patient man, especially for being called at 8 am on Christmas morning!) I described all the containers I could see, and he figured out that we were at the deep water dock, a very industrial area. He assured me all would be well, and indeed it was. He was able to reroute the vans they had arranged to get us ($4 pp each way, pay the drivers upon the return) and we were picked up exactly as scheduled, just in the new spot. We were actually so close to Beach Limerez at this dock that we could look back and see our ship from the bar. At the beach, a whole section of loungers, tables, and umbrellas had been reserved for us. There was one other family there, and they had a similar set up a little bit apart. There were tons of beach and water toys and the water was beautiful. A huge feast was set up, ready about 12:30, and long picnic tables put together. It really felt like a Christmas Dinner. Everyone was so very nice and warm (and kind to the older members of our group) and the day was just perfect.

We toured with Royston on December 26, 2017. I feel I need to contribute a head's up that our experience was a bit different than others have had. Ya know how when you read TripAdvisor reviews and there's the one really detailed bad one amid all the upbeat ones, and you think that poster must just be cranky? I wish I had paid a bit more attention to the one poster. We had booked ahead of time for our party of three, and agreed to pay a nominal fee for 3 other seats so we could have a private tour. We like to get really in depth in our touring, asking tons of questions and pausing at interesting parts, and we didn't want to bore another party who might have ended up riding with us. Royston met us right on time and started driving us around the island. So far so good. The van is really in bad shape. The windshield is cracked, the sliding door doesn't latch well, there were holes in the floor. It was fine, and certainly added character to the tour, but not particularly comfortable. There were several quick hard rainstorms through the day that made the lack of windows a bit unpleasant. If we hadn't brought raincoats, we would have been soaked through for the rest of the trip. The island is beautiful. We got plenty of time to look at things, because Royston would pull up to a ledge and pause for long moments, lost in reverie. I assume he was giving us more than enough time to take pictures, but it was also kind of weird. There were occasional monologues about colors only he could see. In fact, we were treated to a few repeated themes of monologue as we went along. One about the students at the vet school being drunks and unChristian. Another about St. Kitts avoiding the recent hurricanes because it is a Christian island, while St. Martin deserved its damage because they have casinos and don't pray. And then the colors. Lots about the special colors only Royston could see. There was a cooler in the van with a variety of drinks, which we appreciated. When I asked about lunch, around 11ish, trying to plan ahead, Royston replied that he would have to see what he could do. To be fair, this was Boxing Day and a lot of places were closed. But surely that was not a surprise? Doesn't it happen every year? Nonetheless, we toured for several more hours, with no food in sight, when finally we ended up at the Fort, which has a junky little tourist grill. By this time, it was around 2 and everyone's blood sugar was low. When I asked if there was a plan for lunch, Royston replied that he had hoped to see people grilling in the picnic area but there weren't any. So we got really bad sandwiches from the grill and made do. Royston did pay for these, as lunch was advertised as included, but as he did he commented that he didn't need food anymore, so he forgot other people did. A far cry from roti prepared on the beach! We continued our tour. We saw wonderful things. St. Kitts is so beautiful. Also, kind of big for a day tour. We began to encourage Royston to wrap it up, so we could get back on time. He did not have watch or a phone to keep track of time. At this point, we were still having fun, although glad we had not laid out a ton of money. We figured it was weird but basically good. Some of the drop-offs made me a little nervous, as the van edged right along them, but all part of the adventure, right? And then, the last 45 minutes: we were quzzed about our own religious beliefs, specifcally what our beliefs required of us in order to get into heaven. Once we had answered, I guess correctly, Royston felt safe to launch into his own spiritual journey, including exactly what it feels like when God comes to talk to him, what Jesus really looks like, why he was kicked out of his own church after he confronted them about using the wrong calendar since Rome and the Pagans conspired to destroy the real calendar system in the beginning (??), and who exactly the antiChrist is, and Royston's proof of this. Also, how helpful YouTube has been in interpreting all the numbers God has confided to Royston in dreams, so that he is in the process of calculating when precicely the world will end. Spoiler alert: he's narrowed it down to 2040 but still iffy on the exact day. This might sound quirky and funny, but delivered in a rundown van on the edge of a cliff, from someone who clearly wasn't joking, it bordered on scary. Like he might save us all the trouble of waiting until 2040 and just take us over the cliff now. At the very least, it was not a pleasant way to end a tour. Fortunately, we did arrive back in town without the world ending. It was a funny story to tell our friends at dinner. But I wouldn't want to repeat the day. We decided that both the great reviews and the few completely negative ones are accurrate. I think Royston must take medication for whatever mental condition he has, and this allows him to focus and function the majority of the time. Unfortunately, he must have literally gone "off his meds" for the holidays, and we got the unfiltered version. My husband kept asking me, "and everyone on cruise critic loves this guy????" So I felt obligated to comment. In fact, I would have started a new thread, with a title along the lines of "Warning!" but I read the posting rules and that would seem a violation. If anyone tours with him in the next couple of months, I hope you'll come back and comment. I'd love to hear that he's settled down because I'm not so sure how sustainable the current level of nuts will be. (On the other hand, I suppose he really could be hearing from above, and come 2040 I'll wish I'd paid more attention.)

Quick question - does anyone know if there are kettle bells available for use in the fitness facility on Princess ships? Sailing on Crown in a couple of weeks and am probably kidding myself thinking that I will keep up with my workouts, but just in case....

I emailed them again and this time heard back within the hour. He said everything is great on the island except the internet. Sent from my iPhone using Forums

3c if when reclining your seat it hits something, please check to see if is a tall person's knees before slamming back again! Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Glad to hear that you are reaching them! We had booked for next month back before the hurricanes and I sent an email a few days ago to confirm...no response yet.

Good to know, thank you! I just wasn't sure, as the airline rule doesn't make sense to me either - those bags go through x-ray machines, but they freak out if there are wrapped gifts. Which seems dumb. How is an item in a box covered with wrapping paper any different than an item wrapped in tissue paper inside an unwrapped box? Same number of layers. :confused:

We will be cruising with family over Christmas this year. Wondering if we will be able to carry wrapped gifts on board, or will it be like the airlines? Experiences? Thanks!

Thanks, Ron. I had read about one side vs the other. Glad to have it confirmed. As for the toss, I'm one of those who loves to be rocked to sleep on a ship - the more motion the better for me! Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thank you! This makes me feel so much better! We will have College DD with us, so I'm sure we'll be up past 11 most nights waiting for her to return from ....lol...probably Club Fusion Sent from my iPad using Forums

I just got an email that we have been matched from the Princess waitlist for our Christmas cruise. Had been 5th on list for a Vista Suite and the one that has opened up is E733. I know this is above Club Fusion, but all I can find in my searches is a few comments on CB same suite, saying that it *may* be a problem. If anyone has been in this suite and could share feedback, I'd be grateful. I have a day to decide, although unless someone says it was the worst noise ever, I'm probably going to jump at it! :D