Nanny8

So...I recently broke my foot :( and we were originally planning on taking a bus to the beach (Magens or Sapphire) because we have been to St. Thomas before and have done the walking around etc. I'm not sure what to do now. I am just now allowed to do partial weight bearing (with crutches) but will not really be that mobile by the time our cruise comes about in less than 2 weeks (May be down to a cane only by then). My question is for those who may have mobility issues and have been to St. Thomas beaches... are there beaches that are more accessible to walk on with a cane (so that one can get into the water). To be clear I'm not asking for medical advice-merely views on the island and it's beaches from people with limited mobility concerns. I'm a nurse and I understand the risk of walking on sand with an injured foot. I have all the proper stiff footwear and braces and canes with proper attachments for sand etc. (just covering my butt here,) lol

A second thought would be to take a ferry to Water Island and go to a beach near the ferry terminal there.

I am really just wondering if anyone has any experience with mobility issues and has been to any of the beaches on either St. Thomas or Water Island?

If so, can one take a taxi to any of the beaches that would get me close enough to the beach that I could walk to the beach from the taxi drop off (say less than 3 blocks distance)

Thanks in advance

Arriving in Martinique on Saturday, April 11 on the Pearl. We'll be the only ship in port that day.

 

Planning to rent a car and drive around Martinique.

 

Can anyone recommend a rental agency, hopefully near the pier?

 

Experiences, tips, and warnings with renting a car for the day?

 

Anything else that'll help will be appreciated.

We are renting withave Enterprise.

Chair hogs do what they do, because they can. They're a symptom, not the problem. CC contributors (and the overwhelming majority of cruisers IMHO) detest chair hogs. Personally, I don't do poolside deck chairs as I prefer to read in the shade but when I wander the deck with my coffee at 6-7 AM I'm stunned by the early morning array of books, towels, purses, wraps etc on display.

 

The cruise companies are the problem because they take the path of least resistance. It's appeasement over conflict. Whereas most cruises will, at most, give chair hogs a dose of stink-eye for their transgressions, a significant percentage of chair hogs are loud, crude and ill-mannered. Of course they know what they are doing is in violation of most cruise lines' policies. They just don't care and, unfortunately, there are no consequences.

 

I've always thought the simplest solution to this problem is a "tag" system similar to beach towels. The towel / pool attendant has a supply of tags that can be attached a deck chair. When a person arrives at the pool they are given a tag that they sign for and which they attach to their chosen chair. The rules should state that an absence from your chair of longer than 15 minutes will result in the tag (and any articles on and around the chair) being removed. No one can sign for more than one chair. No occupying of chairs without a tag. Problem solved. Fairly and equitably.

 

Upon initial implementation a great hue and cry from the chair hogs can be expected but, once they realize the game is over, they'll (grudgingly) accept the rules.

 

I just don't get why such a small minority are allowed to bully the polite and respectful majority.

 

End of sermon! (and don't get me started on the "theatre seat savers!!!")

 

Cheers!

HTP

:cool:

On our last Carnival cruise they did something like this. They walked around every 30 minutes and removed towels from chairs that were 'abandoned'. It took a lot to extra staff to man this but it meant that chairs were available. I rarely use chairs by the pool as I too prefer to read in the shade but I was able to have a chair by the pool for a short time on this cruise and actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was nice to see that the cruise line took this seriously.

OK Here I go...

 

Many were booked through our TA before we left Toronto a well as a lot by email and all were very leisurely meals.

In no particular order:



Lunch on the Terrace of Hotel Splendido Hotel in Portofino (our 40th anniv)





Late lunch at the Monaco-Grand Canal , Venice outside watching the Gondolas come and go.



Afternoon spent on top of Mt. Lemmon in Tucson, AZ having wine, cheese and bread.





Dining on top of a mountain at La Tagliata in Montepertuso – Positano and no other tourists there.(Our 50th annivs)





Sunday Brunch at Luca’s at the Caribbean Club in Grand Cayman.





Lunch at the beach restaurant at the Bali Grand Hyatt

 

Three hour Lunch at the Intercontinental Hotel, Lotus Pool, in Tahiti.

 

Baia Seafood Restaurant, Victoria Wharf, Cape Town.

 

Lunch at Doyles on the Beach, Watsons Bay, Sydney, AU.





Private winery tours all through New Zealand and Australia and some of the best Charcoutery Board Meals I have experienced.





Fish and Chips through out “Down Under”.





please list your favorite places where you have eaten so the rest of us may enjoy them as well if and when we visit or stay there.





Bon Appetit,

Pat





 

We haven't been many places but we are from Nova Scotia originally and I can say that the best clams and chips I have had is a little place called Jim's Pizza on the Bedford Hwy in Halifax -also has great fish and chips.

Best lobster roll - Halifax Airport - Legends Lounge (dollar for dollar way better than the ones you get in Peggy's cove - Jim's Pizza also sells lobster that is also better than Peggy's Cove (for those who go on the Canada/New England Cruise)

Best Pizza _Vegetarian only - Kuleano's - in Mwanza, Tanzania, Africa- baked in a wood-fired oven - very delicious and the money goes to homeless youth.

Halifax style Donairs- Centretown Donair and Pizza, Bronson Street, Ottawa, Ontario -

Best Ostrich Meatballs - Carnivore's- Nairobi, Africa

Best Ice- Cream - Four Corners ((huge cones ($2)- Cavendish, Prince Edward Island

Best Poutine (fries, gravy and cheese curds) - Anywhere in Quebec City

Escargot- Celebrity Summit menu

My first and only cruise was in a balcony cabin. Loved loved loved the balcony. My next cruise will be in an inside cabin in order to keep the cost low. I'm keeping an open mind. Maybe I'll end up liking it and maybe I'll hate it. Either way I can't wait to find out. Based on other's reviews and experiences I'm most concerned about it being so dark I end up sleeping my day away and missing my morning coffee on the balcony.

 

For those who usually cruise inside, why do you cruise inside vs balcony and what do you love about it?

Our first cruise was also a balcony but we peeked into the inside staterooms while walking by and decided that next time we would try an inside stateroom (they didn't look that bad and the price difference was great). We booked an inside stateroom for our next two cruises (as it was much more cost effective and we figured the entire ship is a balcony anyway. The only one we didn't like as much was the NCL because the inside stateroom was really small however that being said, the price was really good so we couldn't complain. The next cruise we took we booked an outside stateroom because the price was as good as an inside. This time we got another incredible deal where the balcony was a better price than the inside so we took it.

My thought is, you do what you feel is best for your budget. We looked at the difference between the balcony and the inside on some sailings and figured the difference in price was our airfare or several excursions. That being said, if you are not into excursions and go on cruises for the experience of staying on the ship then maybe a balcony is for you.

I think you can make the best of it if you take along a little nightlight for some "white light' or you can leave the TV on with the volume off if the dark is a problem.

As for the balcony, it really depends on the itinerary. On our first cruise we were going from Bayonne to Bermuda in May and it was freezing on the Balcony so I really didn't use it much anyway, other than in port and then the ship was empty so I had the decks all to myself so I had my choice of spots to enjoy on any deck :)

So, here's the question: if my flight land at FLL at 12:05 pm and the ship leaves Miami at 4 pm, am I safe?

 

 

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My husband would say "It's fine" but he likes to cut it close. We are flying in the day of for this upcoming flight and I swore I would never do that again after our last trip to San Juan the day of resulted in a close call after a flight cancellation (luckily they got us on a different carrier and we made our cruise).

I agree with everyone else. Go a day ahead if you can. We often fly out of Syracuse or Montreal for better prices and stay in Homestead (just outside of Miami)- good hotel prices- We get a cheap car rental at the airport ($20) and use that extra day to drive to the Keys and sunbathe on the beach and get a little pre-tan.- we drop the car back at the airport, take a shuttle to the pier ($16) from the airport and get on the ship and are relaxed about not missing the ship. Sometimes by going a day or two early we save on the flight. By flying out of the US or Montreal we can also save on the flight.

I seem to have become accidentally brand loyal to RCI, not really by choice, RCI's "Next Cruise" got us last time and on that cruise I got a voucher from the casino (either a free cruise or $750 off with RCI only, so we are stuck with them for our next one, but.. i want to change cruise lines for our next one

 

I have found that most people I ask this question to in the ships we are on always seem to say that the company we are sailing with or the sister company i.e. Celebrity is the best. However, I think this might me a bias opinion

 

So, I'd really like to know, in your opinion what is the best overall cruise line and why, and your favourite ship from that cruise line

 

Thank you in advance for your help

We've only been on three lines, Carnival, NCL and Celebrity. Of the three, Celebrity is our favorite. We like the Summit because it is quieter, the age range is more to our liking and although you may find some families there aren't as many as on the other lines. We also love the entertainment on the Celebrity lines. We also find the food to be a better quality on Celebrity however the food is not horrible on the other lines.

We have heard that RCCL is quite nice but the ships just seem to big for us. That being said we are going to give RCCL a try next time to compare.

The staff also seem to be just a bit higher quality on Celebrity and we love the adults only areas. OUr very first cruise was on a Celebrity and we heard quite a bit of other more seasoned cruisers compare Celebrity with other lines and say that Celebrity was the absolute best. Many of the cruisers had been on 20 + cruises with some having been on 50+ cruises.

Other: leaving the ship slightly depressed that my vacation is over.

Yep I'm with ya there always sad leaving a cruise. We've told our kids that instead of us living in a seniors home when it's time, they should just send us on a perpetual cruise -probably a cheaper option ;)

Those little suckers are drawn to me terribly! Hubby never gets bit. Any suggestions for the best bug repellent to use in Mexico, Grand Cayman and Key West?

I get ya. They love me too. A little hint from my time living in sub-Saharan Africa-don't eat bananas when you are planning on traveling to mosquito regions. They are attracted to the potassium in bananas. Also tonic water (with quinine) helps to deter them-it does not prevent malaria but it will help to deter mosquitoes. Don't rely on it solely as a source of protection but it helps.

I use Watkins brand from Costco. It comes in small containers (and they have a balm as well). The small spray containers fit in the liquids TSA bags.

I cannot wear long pants because I sweat like crazy so I have to rely on the repellant. As well they are drawn to the sweat and mosquitoes bite through material (even jeans) as my daughter found out when living in Africa with us.

All that being said, I did not encounter any problems in Mexico, Grand Caymen or Key West.

We did stick away from the Everglades because I figured it just wasn't worth the hassle of reapplying often (sweat will reduce the effect of the repellant just as it does with sunscreen).

Hope this helps.

Arriving in Martinique on Saturday, April 11 on the Pearl. We'll be the only ship in port that day.

 

Planning to rent a car and drive around Martinique.

 

Can anyone recommend a rental agency, hopefully near the pier?

 

Experiences, tips, and warnings with renting a car for the day?

 

Anything else that'll help will be appreciated.

We are renting a car as well. My husband did the reservation. I will ask him tonight which company he used. I do know that we had to pay extra for the liability insurance because it is not covered by our own insurance or by our credit card (it normally is in other places but isn't on Martinique).

My husband and I are going to be on our first cruise this Sunday for 5 days. What are some tips for us? What is something we should do but wouldn't know to do on our first cruise? What am I forgetting to do or pack? We are very excited but nervous also. :)

There are often limited outlets in each room. We are taking a usb hub (that plugs in to the wall) this time to help with charging our various devices.

We grab a coffee and maybe some fruit and cheese from the buffet and head to the theater a little early to get the seats we like (we are both blind in one eye so need to be in a certain place in order to see the performances properly) and then we read the planner (the little paper that arrives on your bed around 6 pm) while waiting for the show to begin in the theater. That way we know what is going on the next day and can plan ahead.

We also take our own refillable coffee mugs and juice bottles (you will need to use a cup at the filling station to refill them for sanitary reasons). We actually take two refillable water bottles, one for lemonade and one for water for when we are sitting up on deck and relaxing. That way we have something to drink and we don't have to get up if we are engrossed in a book.

We also pack a picnic lunch (take ziploc bags in your luggage). There are often cold meats, cheese and sub buns available at breakfast along with sealed mustard, mayo etc. We grab some fruit and fill our bottles, throw it all in small backpack and away we go. That way we can stop at a nice little beach and enjoy a picnic. You cannot do this in Cozumel however-no food is allowed off the ship-they search your bags and have dogs sniffing bags -we knew this ahead of time so we bought lunch in Cozumel and it was very nice.

If you are a reader or just like quiet time, the bars are often empty during the days but you can still gain access to them and often they have the most beautiful views with large windows and comfortable chairs. Scope out all the different lounges on your first day and then go back the next day if you want a quiet place to read or play a game of cards.

There usually is a games room with board games etc however we always bring our own deck of cards because the cards go quickly.

Oh and if you can, pack a 2nd bathing suit because it takes a while for anything to dry in your room. We always pack 2. We also only take a carry on for luggage and we can still bring 2 swim suits and all the other stuff needed. I agree with the OP less luggage is great.

That's a good idea (packing an extra kindle). I have the app on my phone so if pushed I can read books on my phone but the screen is so small.

I also like the idea about reading some short stories for those in between times.

I thought of trying kindle unlimited but when perusing through the list of books they offer, I found a bunch of free books that I would be interested in and downloaded them :)

Thanks for all the great advice.

You DO know they were joking right? lol

 

I would guess the "what do you do for a living" question is especially difficult for doctors. I can see people sharing every illness or injury they've ever had, and asking for advice on new issues.

 

I've always had great tablemates. That said, I sometimes worry about being the bad tablemate.

 

1.) I've gotten MUCH better about this but...when I'm insecure, or in a new environment, I tend to talk too much.

2.) I've done so many different things in my life that I'm sure people think I'm lying.

 

• Water ski show performer
  
• Call Center Manager
  
• Travel Agent
  
• Firefighter/EMT
  
• 911 Dispatcher
  
• Preschool Manager
  
• Author
  
• Professional Speaker
  

I don't "jump" from job to job. Many of these things were done simultaneously. But, when a story from yet another career comes up in conversation, I can almost hear people thinking "she's so full of ****!" lol

My husband and I are in the same boat. We have had numerous occupations over the years, nurse, teacher, author, freelance writer, homeschooling mom, counsellor, director of an orphanage, mechanic, salesperson, accountant security expert/consultant, finance, IT specialist, professor etc etc. We too have done several occupations at the same time and I get more eye rolls than I can count. It's kinda fun to just pick one and go with it. I'm always open to making one up for the fun of it and see what happens :)

We love to sit on our balcony while in port enjoy breakfast or lunch and people/boat watch. On sea days it's my favorite spot to read my kindle and just relax

 

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That's what I am looking forward too on this upcoming cruise. I usually just read in a quite deck area away from the crowds but I've recently broken my foot so I will definitely take advantage of having room service for breakfast and eating it on my balcony (while reading my kindle :)

I cruised, with doctor's permission, with my foot in a cast. I had a mobility scooter and easily navigated both the airport, and pre-cruise hotel, then had absolutely no problem getting around the ship. Was unable to put any weight on the foot during the whole time. I did not have a handicapped room and it was tight getting the scooter into the toom but I managed. I went to the spa to take showers since there wee seats in the showers there. Highly recommend a scooter.

That is a great idea about using the Sauna shower. I have used it before and was wondering how I was going to stand up without slipping, in our in-room shower. It's not likely that I will have an accessible room (looks like they are all booked and I can move a little on my own (with crutches) so this option/idea is great.

Thanks

Just got off...there were good shows every night. Three nights were the Summit singers and dancers (including 2 aerialists) with original shows. Well done productions with talented performers. One night was a fantastic young magician. Two nights had a very funny comedian. We enjoyed them all.

 

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Happy to hear there will be aerialists. We have loved those on previous summit cruises. Thanks for posting. Made my day:)

 

 

This was our balcony on the freedom in grand suite 1264. It was very spacious and had great views.

 

 

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Those chairs look divine. Thanks for posting

Why such negativity to what I thought was a reasonable and fun thread topic suggestion? Indeed, I have googled, and indeed, yes, there are many such pics available. Likewise from cruiseline websites. But if googling or cruiseline websites are the answer, then most if not all of CC would be unnecessary. The vast majority of queries posted here could be answered by googling. However, what makes CC great is the family of cruisers here, with special insight and experiences and resources and advice that transcend simple googling. I'm sure many of us have vast photo resources that aren't available through a google or any other search.

Myself? I have done about a dozen cruises and many other land-based vacations, and I have easily several hundred thousand photos in my personal files. None of which can be accessed through any sort of online search.

So I thought the wonderful family of cruisers here might find it fun to share their balcony pics. I thought it was a nice theme for a thread. Sorry to have bothered anyone if this is such an unreasonable topic.

:mad:

There is nothing unreasonable about your post. I'd love to see the pics that people have of their balconies. It helps with the real life view of what to expect when you are booking. I also think its a nice way to see the views from each style of balcony.

Don't be discouraged :)

Attached is a link with the Concierge breakfast menu.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showpost.php?p=49319485&postcount=82

I forgot how much nicer the CC menu is. I think we will do breakfast on the balcony as well. :)

There is a difference booking with a reputable non cruise line tour operators and a man with a sign by the pier. That guy isn't concerned with his reputation.

I agree. That is why we always read the reviews of private operators on the other site. We've never taken a tour from someone at the pier. The closest we came was searching for a guy named 'george' in Tortola. He was recommended by review site. He was amazing-best tour or excursion we have ever been on. $15 pp for a 3 hour tour. We met several other couples on the tour (they had read the review too) and we had a great time on the tour and on the remainder of the cruise.

I get being concerned about a private company though. I'm a nervous traveler so it's taken me a while to get to this level of trust.

Just a gentle reminder that crutches can be dangerous on a moving ship. You can easily lose your balance.

After the recent snowfall here I have decided that there is no way I'm using crutches on board. I've been sliding around in my house if water from the snow gets on the floor. I'm going to rely on the scooter rather than chance a fall on board. My therapist said I may be down to a cane by then but I still have to use the scooter for any walking outside my room. I purchased a used scooter for a great price (and it's the same as the one I had been renting so I know how to use it.

Thanks again for all the encouragement and advice. Can't wait to cruise in a few weeks.

For our upcoming 14 night cruise, the cost to purchase unlimited internet in advance of the cruise is showing $309. Planning to wait until onboard to use or OBC -but wondering if the cost will go up significantly? I believe we get 10% discount for Captain's club. Does that apply if purchasing in advance - or only if purchasing on board?

 

Thanks for your input!

The internet is ridiculously expensive. The price for our 7 day cruise would be $332 CDN. that is crazy. I realize that our dollar sucks but even without the exchange it is too much. We are going to try to do our work in the airport while waiting for our flights (it's free there). I can't believe how expensive it is on board.

I'm hoping they will have a deal once on board (in case we don't get all our work done at the airport)

Hello, we have cruised plenty in the past. We finally spent some extra money & booked a premium balcony room for our next cruise. My question is, what should we pack to most benefit from the balcony. I have heard some say a bungee cord to prop the door open. I am looking for ideas like this. Thank you & happy cruising!

 

 

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OUr very first cruise was a concierge class balcony. I thought I would use it more than I did but it was a May cruise from NY to Bermuda and it was just too cold (mind you we had just returned from living in Africa (near the equator) so our thermostats were a bit off.

Since then we have booked inside or ocean view because we find that if we want to enjoy the weather, there are lots of decks to do so.

That being said, this upcoming cruise we found a ridiculous deal for a Concierge class balcony so we took it. I don't bring anything special but I remember we did take advantage of room service for breakfast so we could sit on our balcony and drink our coffee. That was the most pleasant part of having the balcony. I am bringing a small memory foam back pillow for this cruise as I find the chairs on the balconies aren't very comfortable.

I've watched a Youtube video on how to string up a hammock on your balcony but I'm not sure I would want to chance it-it does sound lovely though.

Lucky you. NCL always makes DH and I book one of us with kids, because they are all under 21. They've made it clear it's for booking purposes only, they don't care where we sleep, but it does mess with the promotions.

 

OP, if you have to book you and you husband in separate cabins, it doesn't matter where you sleep.

we ran into the same thing with NCL. Our two youngest were 21 and 17 at the time but it stated very clearly that one guest must be 21 so it's a good thing we didn't cruise when all our kids were younger. Imagine trying to get a room that holds 7 people.

I have a friend who has 10 children and she makes a fuss if they say a parent (or someone over 21) must be in the other room. She states she will not sleep separately from her husband and that it is discriminatory for large families. ( I wouldn't have the guts to do this but it works for her-they always accommodate her by shifting them to connecting rooms and they waive the extra cost of an upgrade) Squeaky wheel I guess :)

Ok, so I'm always looking at last-minute deals, but we really want to do an 11 Night Panama Canal cruise next November either on NCL or HAL. The prices are high right now compared to current "last-minute" prices for similar cruises in the coming months.

 

I looked last month at the same sailing on the Zuiderdam that we want to do in 2017 (same dates) in 2016, and it was $1800 cheaper than the current price.

 

So does anyone think we should just be risky and book "last minute" instead of booking a year in advance? Transportation is not an issue as my mother and I are the only ones out of a group of six that do not live in Miami.

We nearly booked that cruise for this coming December. It was

We almost booked that cruise for December this year and really regret not grabbing it. At the end of October (this year) it was listed for $599 CDN. we put a hold on it and then after we checked with our family re their plans over the holidays, decided we couldn't accommodate all our kids plans and make the cruise. The price jumped up to double by the next week. Even now, it is

We almost booked that cruise for this coming year. It was listed as $599 CDN (at the end of October) That would be about 2 months out.

The price is now double at @ 999 USD (still a reasonable price but more than double the price we were going to pay)

The earliest we have ever booked a cruise was this upcoming one (leaves Dec 17) -we booked that November 2. We got a great deal and a fantastic room.

If you are not fussy about your room, you can wait until a week before. Now you have to be very flexible in order to do this.

Hint: we always watch the prices on *************.com and when they reach the 80-85% off we jump. We have always gotten the deal we want and if you keep an eye on things, you will see that some cruises a year out have already started to discount.

We are in Canada so we have to be very careful of the price (Our dollar sucks). We live close to the border so we can fly out of Canada or the US and that allows us more flexibility on flights.

All said we never pay more than a $500 a person (10 day cruise).