LaHas2016

214!!

I'll be going to Montego Bay in May '18 but I'm trying to figure out what excursions I need to save for. We'd like to spend time at the beach since this is our first time there. Does DCB have anything entertaining for the kids to do? Beach inflatables or something? Is Jamaica like Cozumel where you can get off the ship, find a taxi, and have them take you to a beach of your selection?

Only 3 more days!!!! :D :D :D

I see where there have been many mentions of renting loungers/chairs and tables. Do you HAVE to rent something to access the beach? I was planning on just bringing a couple towels from home and beach bumming it like we do any old time we hit the beach.

Can I ask why they're not approved by other passengers? I understand if you're having ridiculously long conversations, but simply for a 'Hey, I'm at this location." I don't quite get the problem.

I'm also bringing my kids, though, and hear that a lot of other passengers don't approve of that, either. Guess I may just end up being "that guy".

I'm planning on bringing long range walkie talkies for my husband and myself. I'm not positive if they'll work due to there being so many walls on the interior of the ship, but I figure it can't hurt to try. I'm hesitant to try texting because I'm concerned it would cause excessive charges that I might be able to avoid and I'm a cheapskate and don't want to buy the internet package. lol Good luck with choosing the best option to stay connected onboard, and congratulations on your upcoming marriage!

100 DAYS!! :D:cool::)

I was wondering the same thing! Thank you for asking and for all the responses! My kids are stoked about formal night (surprisingly!!) and we have already bought their 'suits'. :D

I got my kids lanyards from Party City - they were $1 each and have super heroes on them. I'm still shopping for myself; I don't need anything fancy, but I'd like to have something that reflects my personality and that I like. I don't care if I look 'out of place' or not when I'm wearing a lanyard - as long as I know where my card is, I'm good!

We're staying at County Inn and Suites in Galveston. For one nights stay, you get up to 30 days parking. Since we are on a 3 week back-to-back-to-back, it's perfect. They also provide complementary breakfast and free shuttle to and from the port. You need to request the park and cruise package. Our night's stay and 21 days parking is about the same as parking alone at the port would cost.

Is there security provided for your vehicle when it's left on site?

Our cruise is only 5 days, so IDK if it would be cost effective for us to do this, but it's great info! Thanks for sharing!

ALSO ... you have an early CHECK-IN time, not an early BOARDING TIME. FTTF will get you on the ship in an earlier boarding group than general boarding.

 

Plus, getting into the room right away alone is worth it for me :)

I'm not sure I follow... we check in at our designated time then have to wait to board???

Also - If we get FTTF do we still have to wait until our designate check in time to check in?

What was available at Technotel? I'll have children with me (6 and 10) and I want to be sure there are things for them to do as well.

I've had a few people ask me if I'm going to get any shots before we cruise since we're going to Mexico. I hadn't even considered it, honestly, but now I'm somewhat concerned. SHOULD we get vaccinated for some things, or is that just a little over the top on the cautionary side?

They told me to get Yellow Fever, Typhoid Fever, and something else, but I can't remember. And no, the recommendations were NOT from a doctor, just someone I know.

Has anyone done any of the crater tours? I know the crater is primarily in the water and filled in, but it's still a point of interest for my family.

The water in Progreso and all the north facing Yucatan coast is not blue, blue or blue. The coastal shelf is very shallow and the Gulf of Mexico water gets silty very easily. The water is clean, just not crystal clear. The blue water is found on the eastern side of the Yucatan peninsula in areas such as Cancun or Tulum. The shallow coastal shelf is the reason why they had to build a 7 km long pier to get into deep enough water for the big ships.

Well this is quite disappointing. :( I was hoping to be able to show my boys some beautiful clear waters. My older son is quite excited to be going to where the crater is (even though you can't tell it's a crater without looking at elevation maps and things like that) but I was looking forward to the water being lovely and blue. *sigh* I'll make due!

On the first post of page 22 of this review she provides a link to the mask/camera

Found it! Thank you! :)

***I have to talk about something else here first before I go on*** For Christmas Kendra's finance got me the absolute BEST present a mother in law could ask for...like seriously. He knows me so well and he ended up getting me a snorkeling mask with a built in camera. I could not wait to try this thing out. Prior to leaving, my son Kolin, read over the directions and found that the camera had 4 settings. For each setting, it would flash a certain color from red, blue, green and purple. The color of the light indicates what setting you have it on. Now he went over this with me and explained to me what each color did. I have to admit, I was busy putting the batteries in the camera and trying to figure out how to turn it on that I didn't pay as close attention as I should have. I couldn't even figure out how to turn this thing on...how was I going to learn to operate it? He took it from me and looked around, hitting buttons, then figured out how to turn it on. Sigh. In my defense, it wasn't a button that it took to turn it on and also I didn't have the manual in my hand either...even though he said he didn't read anything about how to turn it on in the manual. He was busy learning the colors. LOL

 

I was excited to be able to try this new set of goggles out on this cruise. Sakari got to try her mermaid tail here at Palancar and I got to try my goggles here for the first time.

 

Since I had decided to not pay attention, I turned the camera on and headed out to the water. Honestly, there's not much snorkeling here at all. There's a spot out just a little ways that had a bunch of fish hanging out but it was nothing more than some concrete and steel in the water that they had made a home out of.

 

So the following VIDEO is what you will see here snorkeling...

 

 

 

I really wanted to see more than this snorkeling, but I guess you had to head out on a boat or tour. It was really hard fighting the waves all the way out toward the buoys they had set up. It would pull you on down the beach. So, I decided to walk down the beach to the end (by the rental center) and go out then drift back down. This provided to be a waste of time and there wasn't anything to see.

 

However, it provided to be a learning experience. I thought I was taking pictures the entire time. When I would get back to our room and insert the disc to convert on my computer, I found that they were ALL vidoes. LOL Oops. I guess I need more practice. No worries, there's another beach port day coming up tomorrow.

 

Now there is something I do have to mention about this place. There are some drawbacks to the water. I would say about the first 15 feet out, it's nothing but rocks, crushed coral and shells. It's VERY hard to get out in the water unless you have shoes on and even then, it can be tricky. Like this stuff seriously hurt your feet. I accidentally took a video of Sakari and I "shell hunting" right at the surface. I didn't even know the camera was one, but it provides a perfect look at what you'll see along the shoreline when trying to get into the water. Ouchie!

 

 

I have to ask - what type of snorkeling mask is it? Is there a particular brand? Where did he find it? I would LOVE to get one for DH for his birthday before we cruise!! The pictures and video quality look great!

I'm a newbie... where do I find these items? Are they in the area where I purchase items when I'm looking at my booking? Thank you!!!

I'm an overplanner and already have a list of things that I'm hoping to do that will help create great memories for my kiddos 1st cruise!

Mine are younger (10 and 6) but we're planning on doing the Seuss Breakfast and 'hopefully' the Hasbro Game Night. I think they'd both create memories that would stand out.

I second the excursion thing if you can afford it. That, unfortunately, is not within our budget this go around, but my kids have never seen a beautiful beach with crystal waters and white sand - I think that'll have quite an impact!

Have them look over the list of daily activities with you and let them each pick something they'd really like to do.

Also, I bought disposable cameras (put an address label with your name and room number on them in case they're misplaced and returned to lost and found!) for my kids so they can capture their own favorite memories when they're not with you! We got regular (with flash!) and underwater ones.

Relax and have fun! :)

Regarding arcade games - does anyone know how much each game is? Do they vary by specific game? That would make a difference for us about how much to put on their cards or set their limits.

Thanks for all the info on this thread; it's been a lifesaver!

198 here!

My cruise doesn't have a roll call yet, either. I've considered starting one, but I'm not sure if I will or not, simply due to the reasons listed above. Granted, I'm not cruising until October 8, so there is still plenty of time for a board to be created. There is, however, a page on FaceBook that was created for the particular cruise we're taking; you may consider checking specifically for the name of the cruise line plus date (Carnival Liberty October 8 is mine) on FB to see if there is a group there. Good luck and happy cruising!

I bet I can guess which nights! I resorted to ordering from the ala carte steakhouse menu for $20 and selected a Lobster tail when I had this issue with American Table. I wonder if that is an option on "old menu". Don't forget to look at the childrens menu main choices, they aren't too bad.I too would like to know if can come in just for dessert. However--

1.)If you are at set dining time & arriving at traditional time--no problem,but may depend on not getting dessert right away if table mates are there.

2.)If intend show up late with set dining time--let them know if have table mates to not delay dinner service start.

3.)Anytime dining I am sure not a problem as they are always at different dining stages.

lastly-- check out lido area dinner -see if dessert you are looking for is there. They duplicate a lot with exception of warm melting cake (usually) and something like cherries jubilee gets modified.

I haven't been able to find any of the children's menus online. I saw a sample of one, but it was from a few years ago and I don't know if it is still what they serve or if things have changed.

I have a silly question. If I use my cell phone to access the internet using Wi-Fi in port, will I be charged roaming charges or anything like that? This is my first time out of the country in YEARS and I have no idea how all this works. lol

If you do not want to spend the $$ for AI there are several nice pay-as-you-go beach clubs - Mr. Sanchos has a PAYG side or Paradise Beach offers great facilities and a huge pool plus nice beach and good food/drinks/service for a $3per person admission fee. Cab fare to any of these will run about $17+tip each way.

 

Closer to the piers (only a $10 cab) and with great snorkeling from the shore (but no beach - you enter the water via steps) is the Money Bar.

 

Good luck! :)

We can go to Paradise Beach for only $3 per person?? That's fantastic news! The only thing I've been able to find is saying Paradise Island for like $65 for adults. This leads me to believe Paradise Beach and Paradise Island are two totally different things... More research to be done!

***EDIT*** Nvm. I'm stupid and doing so much I got confused. I was remembering prices from PASSION Island, not Paradise Island. DOH!