Nanny8

Jode,

Thanks for such a comprehensive review. I am sorry to hear that Summit has declined in many areas. We haven't been on it in over a year but our other trips were excellent.

Holes in towels and stained robes just doesn't sound like their usual standard and it seems that they are going very "budget" conscious. Unfortunate because we have preferred the Summit to other cruises.

As for the food review, thanks for updating us all. I love scallops and since I'm from Nova Scotia (and hubby's uncle owns a scallop dragger) we are very particular about our seafood. It's a shame that they have dropped the size of these wonderful morsels because it's one of my favorite foods (although I am very particular because I have a bias about our NS scallops and lobster). I will likely order them but I will make sure I order two right away so I can get more than just a taste ( we are living in Ontario now and rarely get any seafood here because it just isn't fresh enough).

The port reviews were great also. We are seeing lots of people talk about Martinique in the same fashion and are glad that we are renting a vehicle there so we can explore on our own rather than walk downtown.

One question though, did you have a hard time accessing the rooftop seating area? I would love to just sit and relax in an area like that and devour a good novel, but I wonder how many chair hogs there will be.

Just wondering if anyone can comment on how easy/difficult it is to get a spot on the new rooftop terrace on the summit. Do we need to get there at 7am to grab a spot or do people come and go throughout the day? Also does the staff monitor who is "saving" the spot as they do on other cruise lines. For example on Carnival they will remove a towel if the spot has been saved for more than 2 hours that way it gives others an opportunity to use the space.

Thanks in advance, Elaine

God, I remember my Doctor saying take 2 tablets & call me in the morning. Never passed anything so painful in my life!

Hilarious. Thanks for the laugh.

Hi,

 

I think I am always behind on latest technology. On our cruise in Dec we have Go Best pkg so me and hubby have unlimited internet.

 

I absolutely will not be spending a lot of time connected but will be able to use facebook to check in with my kids, possibly read a book, or my hubby likes to play solitaire before going to bed. At home we have our desktop computer.

 

I would like to buy something that is more portable and easy to take with us on trips.

 

Would you recommend inexpensive laptop, an IPAD or a tablet. I would like to keep cost no higher than 350.00.

 

Thank you for your feedback.

I love my tablet. I have an old ACER that I got at Costco for $200. Five years later it works like a charm however I know others who have had bad luck with Acer. The next one I am purchasing it the Samsung Galaxy tablet. Here in Canada the 10" one goes for around $250 at Costco. They have unbelievable warranties that cover dropping it, spilling coffee on it etc. Well worth the money for a lightweight and inexpensive alternative to an Ipad (which is also a theft magnet). The Samsung Galaxy has great reviews and in some places is outselling the Ipad. The cost and warranty make it worth it to purchase. Right now I have the Samsung phone and I have my kindle books on it, my PDF files ( I'm a researcher/counsellor so I need to be able to read documents easily). The screen is super easy to swipe etc and it comes with an amazing camera (both the phone and the tablet) that takes better pics than my sony camera

Which credit card includes medical coverage? My Visa only covers cancellation,luggage and trip interruption.

We have the Infinite travel Visa but our Amex also has coverage for health, cancellation and car insurance included. We never have to buy any of these things when on vacation (except the car insurance liability portion only which isn't covered in in St. Croix and Martinique). WE have to buy it separately there. You can find all the policies on a quick google search by typing in your card type and insurance coverage.

For medical emergencies, does anyone know if Celebrity insurance covers a medical emergency that occurs during a one-day pre-cruise stay at European hotel? Or, does the medical coverage only cover day cruise begins until day it ends? Policy is unclear.

 

Thanks in advance for any assistance you can offer. :)

AS an additional option, check into what your credit card offers for health insurance. Usually both Visa and American Express have coverage if you book and pay with the credit card. We always print off our booklet prior to going so we have the pertinent phone numbers. The coverage is very generous (unless you have an unstable pre-existing condition).

Hello. We took our first cruise on Liberty of the Seas last week. We literally were the last to board the ship as it was leaving. Nobody (I MEAN NOBODY) was standing outside the terminal except for workers. They took our bags, showed me where to drop off my new bride, and that was that. Seven days later we returned and saw what I could only describe as chaos as people were there to board the ship, people like me were there to get off the ship, etc...

 

As first time cruisers, I do not think my wife or I would have been able to stand in these incredibly long lines, outside in 80+ degree heat (fortunately it only started raining after we left).

 

My question is this. I am hoping there is a cruise-line that "sells" a better experience than this. I understand there are US Customs involved and that whole apparatus and you have to go through this and that and the other to get on board.

 

Do any of you more experienced cruisers know of a program like this theoretical one I am about to describe:

 

We arrive on the day of the cruise at 9:00 or whatever. Customs interviews us and we basically go to a lounge that is either on the same height as the boarding deck or on the ground to where we can walk on to the ship?

 

Again, that is just an example. But are any of you aware of a more streamlined system that is in place at any port of departure? I'm willing to fly us to another city to avoid standing there in what I feel are dangerous conditions heat-wise/health-wise

 

The same goes for any cruise-line that goes the extra-mile for you getting off the ship. It seems really bizarre to me that in Cozumel and Roatan, you can leave your stateroom, go to the elevator, press #1, and walk off the ship in these foreign nations but in the US (where you're from)...you have this bizarre 800 yard winding path to just to get to customs.

Carnival Cruises offers a package (cost $39 per cabin) whereby you are given priority boarding and disembarking. It also allows you to be among the first to get off the ship in port. We bought it on our carnival cruise and were very happy to have paid the small fee. It was worth it not to be crushed in the line ups (I had two frozen shoulders at the time so I could not handle anyone hitting either arm)

Celebrity has priority boarding for concierge class and above rooms (We got a deal on this coming cruise that was as good as the regular room)

We have cruised out of Miami (port everglades) and Bayonne NY. Both of these ports were very good with a quick move through the lines (20 mins max at peak time).

I'm glad you posted this about Galveston because we have been thinking about trying one from there but probably not now that I know the heat is so bad. I'm from Ottawa Canada and we get enough heat up here is the summer to almost do me in. If it's anything like our summers, you could almost perish standing outside (humidity is very high here).

I'm sorry you had a bad experience. We have only been on 5 cruises but we have had great luck with Miami and I have to say the Carnival system was excellent,although we often cruise celebrity so we have more experience with celebrity than carnival. We only waited about 10 people deep to go through customs on our way off the ship (again because we could pick our time to leave and it was not busy at 8:30 am).

Hope this helps.

Elaine

The shore excursion is called St. John Island Tour. It includes ferry and the tour for $54. Good deal if you just want an island tour and no beach time."St. John on you own" only includes the ferry to St. John. Both tours take the same ferry to St. John. I think our times were 10:00 am over and 2:00pm back for the ferry. Correct, you do not need to go to red hook, the ferry picked us up right on the dock.

SThat's good news about the excursion ferry. I cannot find the tour called St John island tour. The celebrity offers a st john ultimate parks and beaches for 92$ CDN and a St John land as sea for 92$ but I am not finding the other one in the brochure. Maybe it is not offered for the cruise we are on. The one you're speaking of is much more reasonable and I can see why you would suggest just doing it. If my only options are the 92$ one I think we will just taxi it to the beach because they have the pre-set prices listed on the website and it's only $ 5-7 pp each way to the beach (depending on which beach. The ferry is 13 pp and the taxi to the ferry is 11 pp (if we are at cruz bay) which is better than the 92CDN per person.

Your advice has been very helpful however and I think I will contact celebrity and see if they have the tour for $54 ( which is 72 CDN) you are talking about.I would rather just pay once and have it all done with if we can get your deal. If not we'll likely do it on our own and give ourselves lots of time for transit.

I thought it was time to start a new thread for advice since it's been almost a year and the other thread is getting really long.

 

Feel free to ask me anything about my home, I want everyone to enjoy their time here as much as possible!

 

Happy travels!

-Drake

thanks for this. We are renting a car for our day in St. Croix. We are hoping to visit the botanical gardens, then drive to Christiansted. Wondering if you have any suggestions of other things we may want to visit/see. Also wondering which beaches might be along the way. We have from 8-5:30 in port and are hoping to get the car for 9 am and be back for 4.

Thanks in advance,

Elaine and Steve

Celebrity has an excursion that does this that is extremely reasonable. In fact, it cost like 5 dollars more than getting a taxi to red hook and back + ferry. But if you want my opinion, I would stick to St. Thomas. We LOVE St. John, probably our favorite island in the Caribbean, yet you waste like 2.5 hours of transportation time getting there and back. Whatever you choose though, enjoy!

thanks for the info. I'm wondering which ship excursion you are talking about. For us the price is 52$ CDN pp just to take the ships "St John on your own" which is basically just the transfer to St. John. then we have to pay for taxis etc once on St. John. I'm a little concerned that it is a steep price for a taxi to Red Hook and then a ferry ride. If the excursion has a direct boat ride from the port to St. John however it might be worth it as I'm reading lots of posts about the traffic snarls that occur on the way back and the timing of the ferries being off.

Hi,

 

Where do you keep your Seapass? If you use a lanyard, where did you get it?

 

Thanks:)

I have a small purse from thirty one bags. It is small and I can easily wear it across my body. It holds my passport, my credit cards, my money,, my cell phone and my seapass. It has several zipped pockets.

It folds in three and snaps up so it is only about the size of a passport when wearing it. I love it for these trips.

Does anyone know how easy it is to get between St Thomas and St. John? Will we need to take a taxi to the ferry or could we walk?

Has anyone done this as a short day trip on a cruise stop.

Our ship is in port from 8-5.

Thanks

Hi,

 

I'm on the Celebrity for 10 nights on Dec 11. I lost 70 lbs in last 1.5 years with weight watchers. I have gained back 10 lbs and am working to get that off and an additional 15 lbs to get to my goal weight. I would really like to lose at least 5 lbs by our cruise.

 

For first time ever we have the premium beverage package and it's first time just hubby and me. So I want to have a good time on the cruise. I don't need to stuff myself but I want to enjoy the food and drink. I am thinking maybe I will be real sensible at breakfast & lunch and then splurge more at dinner. Also, I will either go to the gym or walk around the ship once a day.

 

What are your tips for either staying the same or gaining no more than 1-3 lbs during your cruise?

our first cruise, we had just returned from living in Africa(where I lost 70lbs due to numerous malaria hits. I gained 10lbs on that first cruise. EEK.

Since then we've managed to keep our weight gain down to 2-3 pounds and we eat whatever we want. I do not eat desserts because I find them too sweet so I take an extra portion of the protein or maybe two if I've had a lot of exercise. Plus that keeps me full and it helps to mend any muscle tears I've developed from my extra walking. (I have fibromyalgia and arthritis).

We also spend our excursions walking and sightseeing. Two benefits, you save money and you burn calories.

We will clock anywhere between 10 and 12 miles each day. I love to walk and because of numerous health issues, it is about all I can do for exercise (and swim).

We used the treadmills for at sea days and then each evening walk all over the ship (inside and out) That evening walk really helps to digest your food and to feel better about what you've eaten. We try to put at least a mile in during our evening walk -we then head to the hot tubs or the pool.

We've only been on 5 cruises but it seems to work. I'm OK with 2-3 lbs (even though I am overweight).

I listened to the advice of a pastor who reminded us that you don't go on a cruise to diet, you go on a cruise to enjoy the food and the activities. Diet before or after, but enjoy your cruise.

Hope that helps

There has been an old (and very long) thread on getting to St. John. It's has lots of good information but after four years, much has changed. I've updated my "spending a day on St. John" and am posting it below so folks don't have to dig through bunches of pages. Feel free to ask questions. I love St. John ... it's a special place. If you've never been, consider it.

 

Getting to St. John on your own is pretty easy.

 

When you disembark the ship, there will be plenty of open air taxis filling with passengers heading to St. John. You'll take the taxi from here to Red Hook where you'll catch the ferry to Cruz Bay. Ferry rates are currently $7 each way. The ferry runs every hour on the hour from Red Hook to Cruz Bay and then back from Cruz Bay to Red Hook.

 

There will be plenty of taxis waiting for you when you get to Cruz Bay. They'll take you to one of the many beaches -- Hawksnest, Trunk, Cinnamon and Maho have restroom facilities while Trunk and Cinnamon have snack bars, chair rentals and snorkel gear rentals. Trunk Bay has a $4 per person entry fee. There is an underwater snorkel trail here that is well marked.

 

There will also be plenty of taxis at Trunk and Cinnamon to take you back to Cruz Bay. If you head to one of the other beaches be sure to arrange a pick up time with the taxi driver who drops you off. They always come back if you pre-arrange a pick up time.

 

If you’ve never been to St. John, you might want to consider taking an island tour. They run about $25 per person and you can ask to be dropped off at one of the north shore beaches after the tour for an hour or so. We've done this frequently when we have guests with us who haven't been to St. John before. The history, views and people of St. John are wonderful. It’s definitely worth learning more about this very special place that is 2/3rds U.S. National Park.

 

Cruz Bay is filled with lots of great beach bars, restaurants and shops. It's a great little town. Two main shopping areas are within close walking distance to the ferry dock. Wharfside Village is to our right as you walk out of the ferry dock area. Beach bars line the area with a variety of nice shops behind them. About a five minute walk to your left when you disembark the ferry is Mongoose Junction. This is an upscale shopping area also with a wide variety of restaurants and shops.

 

For those going on their own, if you’ve never done this before, I’d recommend catching the ferry back to St. Thomas three hours before your ship sails. So if you ship leaves at 6:00, take the 3:00 PM ferry. If you have done this trip several times, you are most likely safe taking a ferry 2 hours prior to your ships’ departure. It all depends on your comfort level. Traffic from the Red Hook ferry back to the ship can be heavy. If your ship is docked at Crown Bay, always allow three hours for the return. Most of the time, a two hour window is fine getting back to the ship if you are docked at Havensight.

 

APPROXIMATE PER PERSON COSTS TO GO ON YOUR OWN

Roundtrip taxi from ship (Havensight) to Red Hook: $20

Roundtrip ferry cost: $14

Roundtrip taxi cost to Beaches: $14

TOTAL APPROXIMATE COST: $48

 

Fares could vary slightly depending upon your taxi. If you are docked at Crown Bay, add approximately $4 roundtrip for the taxi to Red Hook.

 

Note: Check out excursions with your cruise line as well. Some are essentially offering ferry service to St. John. Doesn’t give you as much time on the island typically, but it is a nice alternative if you don’t want to go on your own and the prices have been reasonable.

 

Let me know if you have any other questions! ENJOY!!!

Thanks for the detailed info.

I was wondering if there is much to do within walking distance of the ferry (St. John side)

Also what is the terrain like? I recently broke my foot and my cast will come off exactly one month before the cruise. I'm not sure how well I will be walking by then but we loved to walk (we walk approximately 10 miles per day when cruising). I would like to see the island a bit but wonder if it might be better just to buy an island tour if there isn't much to wander and see close to the ferry.

Thanks

Elaine