CTGen04

@fla33023 that's so generous of you!

6 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

 

Yeah,I don't know if you read my entries on this thread earlier about losing my shoes at ship security and having to wear my water shoes (I even posted a pic) to dinner on formal night. That's why I joked that they were my "formal" water shoes, lol.

Oh yes, I did read that post and enjoyed the photo that went along with it!!  😂 I read every post in this thread, some more than once! I've never followed a live thread before, may be spoiled from now on - so engaging, and generous of you all to post so many pictures, answer so many questions. It was awesome!

40 minutes ago, MorganClark said:

 

Thanks! I defer all credit for this LIVE thread to @HBCcruiser, who started (& posted to) it.

 

Yeah, I live in Muskegon, right up 31 from Holland (where your dad grew up). Where do you live? For this cruise, I pretty much had to fly of Grand Rapids because of the connecting flights. Delta connecting in Atlanta was the best choice (shorter layover & decent airfare). But, I am trying to book with United because they have a "shuttle" flight (United Express) to/from Muskegon Airport from/to Chicago O'Hare Airport. From O'Hara, you can fly anywhere. As  matter of fact, for my next cruise (Celebrity Edge, Oct 2-9, 2021 out of Port Everglades), I will be flying out United out of Muskegon. But, for this particular cruise, flying Delta out of GR was the best choice (for the aforementioned reasons).

 

Yeah, since I am so close to Holland, I have a pair of formal wooden water shoes. I should've worn them to formal night dinner when I lost my regular shoes on Adventure of the Seas. @RumRunner2021 and @oteixeiraknow what I'm talking about 😉.

My parents met at Hope College and moved back to NJ, where my mom grew up. That's my stomping grounds, but moved to CT due to my husband's and my work. Yes to the wooden shoes - my kids have them as well, although not the formal water variety 🙂

Thank you so much @HBCcruiser and @MorganClarkfor this terrific thread! I genuinely enjoyed following along and learned a lot! You got my attention early on when you shared that you flew out of Grand Rapids airport! My dad grew up in Holland MI, windmills, wooden shoes and stunning Lake Michigan. Enjoy your time in Nassau, and safe travels home.

Yes, I already purchased as well. I click on the beverage section, and keep seeing my same purchase price. Called yesterday, and rep confirmed that price was the same, and that it is reflected in real time. So if you click, you'll see current pricing. 

Thanks so much for your time and effort! This was a great week and very inspiring! Safe travels home.

Thank you so much for posting this info - so happy to follow along!

Thank you so much! That was so helpful!

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This is a question for Wrunkles, or actually anyone who may be able to offer some insight: you mention "on my cruise planner for next May" -- I also have a cruise booked for my family for next May, and I have no idea what my cruise planner is. I'm looking for an efficient way to monitor promotions -- could you explain where I would find this? Thank you so much in advance!

Hi all,

I'm looking for the cancellation policy for the Thermal Suite pass, but could only find policy for spa services. Could someone direct me to where I might be able to find that information? We'll be on the Dawn in May; just want to make sure that we can cancel the spa pass ahead of time if we change our minds.

Thank you!

Oh my goodness NEW 2 CRUISIN, you made me LOL!! When I was newly married and my dear dad would come to visit, he had a full tool kit in the trunk of his car -- he would walk around my home with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers sticking out of his back pocket. When I asked why, he said, "Just looking for something to tighten..." Just being helpful! How wonderful for the rest of us!

Thank you all for your helpful replies!

Thank you for the responses -- good to know that we'll have that option at Cagney's!

Hi all -- my family of 4 will be on the Dawn Boston to Bermuda in May. Our last cruise was the 10 day Caribbean on the Gem out of NYC, where we had the most amazing lamb chops in the MDR -- my husband swears it was rack of lamb. We wound up ordering seconds of the lamb rather than dessert. I've tried to recreate it at home, with mixed results. Anyone who has been on the Dawn recently -- do you know what night lamb chops are featured in MDR? We have 3 night SDP and will be making reservations soon; don't want to miss lamb chops in MDR. Thank you so much for your help!

I agree with CamaCama! We went to Brewers Bay -- beautiful beach, very relaxing, and no pressure with time constraints of short port time. We saw plenty of young families there as well.

Thanks for the update CTGen. Hubby and I are considering this trip to Brewer's Bay on our own on our Escape cruise in a few weeks. Can you confirm the taxi was $8.00 pp each way? I've seen some links with much higher rates at $20-$25 pp.

Hi Alpha Kitty,

There were four of us, so the rate was $8pp each way. If you don't have four in your party, you could probably reach out to your roll call and see if others would like to join in to get that rate. We had additional passengers as well, in a closed van -- the safari taxis looked a little too, well, open for me, but the closed van was perfect. You just all have to agree on a return pick up time.

This really worked very well, and it was easy and efficient! Hope you have a great time!

CTGen04

Thanks for all of this info. What was looking to be a stay on the boat day and venturing over to Pusser's is now shaping up as going to Brewers. Hopefully making it to Pussers on the way back as well as Sunny Caribbee.

The beach was really beautiful -- I hope that you enjoy it!

The pier is under construction, with a few shops available. We were going to do an excursion, but being off the ship at 7am would have made my daughters miserable. At the end of the pier is a dispatch station for taxis -- we got an enclosed taxi to take us to Brewer's Bay beach, which was just gorgeous. We spent the morning snorkeling and sunning, and the taxi returned for us at our agreed-upon time. You pay them for your round trip when they return to get you. The system worked very well, and it was very relaxing.

We did The Cat excursion to Turtle Cove -- absolutely awesome! The catamaran is smaller and not crowded at all! The crew was great, especially Adam -- very laid back and fun. Turtle Cove was amazing! Half of my family snorkeled, and half stayed on the cat. The turtles were all around my daughter and she has great pictures, so close! Those who stayed on the cat also saw the turtles very clearly, as they come up to the surface to breathe, and they're huge -- you can't miss them! It was a great time for all of us -- in the water and on the cat! I definitely recommend it!

We did the Mirabella catamaran excursion -- two stops, one for snorkeling -- sunken helicopter provides great spot for fish, and they bring along bread to feed them, guaranteeing plenty to see. Second stop was a beach for swimming with proximity to Maho so you could see the planes taking off and landing. We had a great time on this excursion -- the crew was phenomenal! Lots of fun, especially Leroy! They provide lunch and drinks on the return trip; a great time!

Hi Blue Water,

Just wanted to thank you for your incredible advice and information! We just returned from the Gem 10 day and went to Brewers Bay on our own. Taxis were handled so efficiently -- right at the dispatch center at the end of the pier. Our driver was awesome, very cautious, and returned to get us at our agreed-upon time. We paid him upon the return trip. My husband had been concerned since time in port was so short, but this ran so smoothly! Thanks again for the advice -- we had a beautiful morning of snorkeling at this gorgeous beach!

CTGen04

I understand that everyone's experience differs based upon varied factors, but I just want to provide the perspective from my family -- Mom, Dad, 2 college-age daughters. We had a fabulous time. The ship did not feel crowded and the crew was fantastic -- everyone from the washy-washy girls to our room stewards, who made the most amazing towel animals, to our waiter in the Grand Pacific, who we wound up requesting every night because he was so awesome. We had delicious meals in the MDR, in fact, the rack of lamb and chateaubriand were out of this world, and we wound up ordering second helpings, even my daughter who is not a regular meat-eater! While the Bali Hai bar did get crowded during sunny sea days, the wait was not long at all and the bartenders were working at top speed. A short trip down the stairs to the Tahitian bar took care of any wait at all, and they were also great bartenders. The attitude on the ship was so positive and upbeat, we met some really nice passengers, and the crew genuinely wanted you to enjoy yourselves! We did make the investment in 4 spa passes since we knew it would be cold for several days, and that was worth every penny. We love the Gem, a beautiful, very clean ship with an exceptional crew!

Merry Christmas from Connecticut where it is in the 60's on Christmas say :)

Also in Connecticut, 49erfan007 -- no fire in the fireplace for this Christmas!! Hope you're all enjoying family and friends on this beautiful day!

Thank you! This looks great -- appreciate the info.