Warm Breezes

I'm glad you "think" so. Many of us who have responded that we wouldn't do it are talking from experience and not just "thinking" about it. As I said in my previous post, I had a direct flight that had an emergency landing due to a mechanical issue and was on the ground for 4-5 hours. That would have eaten up the time the poster you are quoting spare time and she probably would have missed her ship. That is the kind of experience many of us know and that is why we emphasize flying in the day before. For me a couple hundred dollars isn't worth saving for the piece of mind of getting to the ship on time. I just count it as part of the vacation. My experience flying has been about 50/50 making it on schedule and a few of those occasions have been 5-6 hours or later than scheduled time. I would never "think" I would make it anywhere flying on time since my experience tells me differently.

Not something I would do or recommend. We have never sailed out of San Juan but we have friends who did. They were flying out the day before from DTW on Spirit. They got to the airport only to find their flight cancelled due to a pilot strike that morning. They couldn’t get another flight out until the next day on another airline and barely made it in time for their cruise. We have had multiple hours long delays not due to weather but due to mechanical issues...we even had one direct flight from GRR to MCO where we had to make an emergency landing in Tennessee due to a mechanical failure. We were on the ground there for 6 hours. Thankfully we have always been wise enough to fly out at least one day before our cruise. Sent from my iPad using Forums

Real life for me: The bad: Parents divorced when I was 12 in a bitter divorce. DM remarried on the rebound when I was 14 to a man who was emotionally abusive to her, my brothers and I. I was old enough and independent enough to not let it affect me. My younger brothers and my mother were not so lucky. DF was a pathological liar who cheated on DM having a baby with the woman he cheated on her with when I was 13. He was a dead beat dad. I had a peripartum cardiomyopathy at 30. DF passed away at 59 from cardiomyopathy. Youngest DB passed away at 39 from cardiomyopathy leaving behind a bi-polar schizophrenic wife and 2 very young boys. I had 3 mini strokes caused by a spontaneous dissected carotid artery at 49. My cousin, who was my BFF, college roommate, and maid of honor died from brain cancer at 48 leaving behind 3 kids the same ages as mine. The good: I was able to direct my attention away from my home life and into my studies to graduate valedictorian and get a full ride scholarship to college. I had 2 sets of loving grandparents who gave me a home to come to during school breaks. My DM is the most caring, God-fearing woman who has shown me how to persevere against all odds. I met my loving husband when we were 18. He waited for me to get my BSBA before we got married and another 5 years for me to get my MBA and get my career established before we had kids. We are celebrating 30 years 3 weeks from today. I have 2 wonderful children who have always shown the utmost respect and love for us and each other...as we have loved and respect them and their dreams. DS(24) is now on his own 16 hours away doing a job he loves. DD(21) has 2 more years of school and is actively dancing professionally and loving it. Both will have finished their education with no debt. We have traveled since our honeymoon. Traveling has always been a priority for us. Both with and without kids...it still is even though they are now adults. I didn’t get to travel as a child. We made sure our kids did from the time they were 6 months old. They may not remember all the trips they took when they were younger, but we do and we have tons of pictures and videos to look back on them. There is nothing more valuable to me than those memories. Seeing the world through their eyes as they grew up was priceless. My step-dad was an extremely negative man. He loved to criticize everyone and everything. I never wanted my kids to grow up thinking that was alright and normal...because it is not. I always wanted to give them a better example of positivity, patience, respect for themselves and others, love, and fun backed by a good work ethic doing a job that they enjoy. So far it looks like we may have succeeded. But to my point...life is short. It is filled heartaches and struggles. It is filled with joy and triumphs. Having a positive attitude (and for me a strong faith) makes the heartaches and struggles bearable so that you can enjoy and rejoice in the joy and the triumphs and make those the memories you cherish the most. Enjoy life. Sent from my iPad using Forums

I agree. I was raised in a family that would be considered low income (single Mom, deadbeat Dad, 3 kids, living in a trailer park). My husband was raised in a family that would be considered lower middle income (Factory working Dad, stay at home Mom, 7 kids going to Christian school, living in a small country town). We made choices in our lives, that despite having multiple serious health issues, led to us now being upper middle income-lower high income (based on your definition) and being set to retire at 55 with 2 kids through college debt free. We got here through the choices we made, not some class system. We have been cruising since 2001. We started out with the 4 of us in 1 inside room. If we sail with kids now days it is 2 rooms with at least DH and myself in a balcony. Last year DH and I sailed in an angled balcony on NCL Escape with UBP and SDP in Sept and a PH room on CCL Fantasy in Oct. We are splurging (for us anyways) on an Aft Balcony on NCL Getaway in 2 weeks for our 30th anniversary. We could afford a Haven or a suite but we choose not too. The room we choose, especially on a main stream cruiseline, has absolutely nothing to do with our class but everything to do with our choices on where to spend our vacation money. Quite frankly if I choose to spend my money on a Haven room I would totally expect the benefits and privacy that come with said room. That is why you are spending the extra dollars. Those people who choose to spend their money in the Haven or a suite are no better than the person who chooses to spend less on an inside room. You have no idea if that Haven/suite person saved up 5 years to splurge on that vacation of a lifetime or if the person in the inside paid for it out of their petty cash. Choices...not class.

The ocean. No cooking, no cleaning, no driving and packing/unpacking to see multiple places. The ocean. Entertainment, restaurants, bars, activities all within walking distance. The ocean. The price and ease of planning/booking. The ocean. Coming home completely relaxed and not needing a vacation from my vacation. The ocean. Sent from my iPad using Forums

Actually the OP was asking about Carnival, not Celebrity. Carnival does not require a jacket or tie in their dress code on Elegant night so no need for the OP to worry about them enforcing a dress code that does not exist on their ship. Sent from my iPad using Forums

We have rented cars when we have gone on cruises to Saint John NB from a car rental agency within minutes walking distance from the port. We reserved ahead of time online. Having said that the only place I have felt comfortable doing that was on our cruises to Canada. I don’t think I would do it in any other country or island (except Hawaii). Sent from my iPad using Forums

Thanks for all the helpful info. I will pass it along to DD. Sent from my iPad using Forums

That is one of the reasons my DD is looking more into this as a viable option for a few years before she starts teaching. It would be a way for her to continue to dance (while she is young and healthy) which she loves. She can sail on a cruise ship and see the world (before getting tied down with a teaching job and family) which she loves. And she can save money (since her expenses should be really low)which she loves...unlike many her age she is a big saver. She will be graduating from college with no debt and money in the bank. DH and I will be retired by then and would be able to sail on whatever ship she lands on to visit. Her DB has already moved 16 hours away 2 years ago so she is already used to just seeing him a few times a year. To her it is starting to look like a great opportunity to do many of the things she loves to do. She already has the technical skills having danced since she was 3 and competed from 7-18 in jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, hip hop,and musical theater at one of the top local studios winning many national championships. She currently has 3 years experience as a professional dancer on a semi pro dance team including doing promotional activities for the team. Finally she has experience as an Activities Director for a membership only campground for 4 summers. All of which would help her in this type of job. I personally think she can do anything she sets her mind up to do. I’ve been watching her do it her whole life. Sent from my iPad using Forums

When you do see Americans working on a ship though, they are usually in the entertainment field.

Thanks for those links. My DD(21) just told us this week that she was seriously thinking of becoming a cruise ship dancer for a few contracts (or more if she likes it) after getting her eduction degree and when she is done dancing on sports team dance teams. She is currently a senior in a 5 year program at college so she has 2 years to go in college. She is also on a semi pro basketball dance team with hopes of making the pro basketball dance team her team is a feeder to upon her graduation while she does some substitute teaching. Her chances of doing just that are very high. She had been doing some research just this week on cruise ship dancer jobs so I am sure she will find these links very helpful and timely. Sent from my iPad using Forums

My DH no longer wears a tie or jacket on Carnival for Elegant nights. Dress pants and a button down shirt are the most dressed up he gets now days.

Just a home base. If a hurricane were coming, I'd be using that flexibility I commented on and be getting out of there long before it hit and be visiting with someone well out of its path.

As DH and I are inching closer to retirement we have had many discussions planning our future. This was one that just didn't stick with us. While we love cruising, we also love land vacations. We also want to be flexible in retirement. I expect, of the family closest to us, my Mother and my DB's 2 young sons, will be the only one left in our home town when we retire. Many other relatives but none as close to us. My DS has already moved 1500 miles away and I don't expect DD to stick around after she graduates from college in 2 years. We definitely want to downsize and sell everything we currently have. We are currently looking at 55+ communities in FL to have a home base at. This would get us with in a short drive to many of the US cruise ports. But we just want it for a home base. We want the flexibility to visit the kids (where ever they land) and Mom/nephews whenever we want or are needed. We want the flexibility to cruise whenever we want. And we want the flexibility travel elsewhere whenever we want. We are looking at the possibility of getting a motor home. That option is questionable right now but we did enjoy motor homing with the kids when they were younger. We would love to try some longer cruises and some back to backs. However living on-board would tie us down more than we to be. I am in the planning stages for our first post retirement trip. 2022 watch out here we come. The plan is to start in Chicago and do Route 66 by car/hotels. We will then do a 14-15 night cruise from CA to HI and back. Upon return we will travel North through Death Valley, Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, up to Seattle where we will cruise up to Alaska and back. Upon return from that we will head back through Yellowstone. If the kids have landed somewhere along our route we will stop and visit them if not we will be visiting them before we settle down in FL. Just keep praying the good Lord keeps us healthy enough to enjoy it. We will be retiring at 55. Young, I know. But we have been saving our money since we married 30 years ago in order to retire early. In the last 4 years I have lost my 39 yo DB to a Cardiomyopathy (the same thing that killed my DF at 59 and I was diagnosed with after my DD was born when I was 30), my 49 yo cousin (who was my best friend, college room mate, and maid of honor) to brain cancer, and I had a Dissected Carotid Artery that sent me to the hospital with 3 mini-strokes. Life is short. If you can afford it and it is what you want to do, then go and enjoy your life while you still have it. If it doesn't work out the way you want then try something else. Above all else enjoy life.

Just did today. I'm all set.