MississippiMom

Alberto’s? I thought that was just a restaurant.

If you are currently comparing Mr Sanchos and Nachi Cocum, have you looked at Paradise Beach (more similar to Mr Sanchos from what I can tell online)? We were at Paradise Beach over Spring Break 2019, so I understand that lots might have changed. We got there really early and were able to select our shaded spots a bit closer to their lovely pool, but with a nice view of the beach. We did not purchase any passes to use their inflatables, but your 18 year olds might love that option. However, I would not describe that particular beach as "inviting," and they do pack the day cruisers in side by side. However, the service, food and drinks that day were incredible.

If you had such a miserable time on a Carnival cruise, just skip cruising and fly over to New Zealand. Rent a jeep and drive around. I know you will miss the cruising experience, but why ruin your New Zealand trip with a cruiseline you already have negative feelings about?

This is an interesting thread. My immediate family all uses Apple devices. I wonder if we test out the theory of no chat feature needed and if that doesn't work, then we add the $5 per device expense. 🤔

We have twenty-ish family members cruising together in July. About half have never cruised before, so those of us that have are answering a whole lot of questions. We keep reminding them that there are so many things to choose from and that there will be things they want to do and things that won’t interest them and that’s fine, because it is THEIR vacation. Our conversations have definitely brought to the forefront the things that I don’t do on the seas. I don’t - sit around the ship pool (unless it’s to watch a movie under the stars) - use the hot tubs or the slides - schedule any spa services - gamble in the casino - play any of those games to win items from the onboard shops - hang out at the sports bar - eat at the extra pay dining venues - attend the Captains Welcome Toast/Reception - buy bottles of liquor on the ship (or at the port stops) - bid on any art at sea - buffet, unless it’s my only option - dress for themed nights (I have limited space in my suitcase) - shuffleboard, basketball or ping pong - watch TV in the cabin - order room service (although I would, if my family woke up earlier)

I’m all about being served my meals as much as possible when on vacation. I cook and clean at home and for years served the kids their food. This mom has earned her break. I avoid buffets on land and on the sea as much as possible. I’m not opposed to breakfast from Blue Iguana Cantina (on Carnival), if that’s all I’ve got time for, though.

Hate she had a broken arm, but love that she had a positive attitude!

Little kid Seabands worked when ours were younger.

Has anyone opted for the third-party El Fuerte Day Pass? I can see that being much more economical than PAYG for my husband, my brother and our cousin. Those three gentlemen can probably drink their weight, which then also means they will want food.

I'm intrigued. We have never been on a Spirit Class ship before. Mobile is an easy drive for us, and a very lovely city to visit.

Since I imagine that all of the cruise lines run similarly, they really don't know their exact cabin inventory, immediately. I'm sure that someone knows, as they would need a head count for safety reasons, but not every department knows what is going on. Our family had a total of six cabins booked on RCCL last summer (back when you still had to take a covid test before boarding the ships), and our oldest tested COVID positive, before leaving for the port city. She and her husband had luckily not been around anyone else, so it was only the two of them who could not board. The travel agent was notified immediately, and she then notified RCCL. Two days after boarding, housekeeping still didn't know those passengers weren't going to be on the cruise. Somewhere between mid-day 2 and mid-day 3, the charging ability for that canceled cabin was stopped, and mistakenly impacted two other cabins. We had to go up to guest services to get our charging turned back on and explain the situation. Guest services had NO IDEA that my daughter and son-in-law weren't even on the ship.

Thanks to those that replied! I am going to go back to our family members and give them the feedback. Personally, I prefer "each family does their own thing" and I thought that's where we were, when we first scheduled this multi-generational cruise. But as that final payment date gets closer and closer, it seems that more of the group wants to try to coordinate the excursions. (Thank goodness it's just two port stops.)

Yes, I've searched the boards. Yes, I've Googled. Yes, we've docked in Cozumel on past cruises. Before it got crowded, our favorite was Isla Pasion (aka Passion Island). We did enjoy the service at Paradise Beach and the yummy food truck selections, but the beach and the ocean really didn't impress on the day we were there. We are currently leaning toward one of the resort day passes, so that the children in our group can enjoy the pool and/or activities, but reviews are so mixed. Playa Mia looks fun, but it also looks like it might be miserable for those who would prefer to not be surrounded by children. (Five of the adults in our large group are childless and seem to definitely like it that way.) I was hoping to find something "new" or "renovated" or "a hidden gem" that my fellow CCers might have loved and are trying to keep a "secret" from the masses. Thank you!!!

Spencer71, I really hope that after your April cruise you will update us on your experience. We (over 20 family members) will be stopping in Costa Maya in July, and none of us want to plan on the pricey beach clubs or pricey water excursions only to discover that the sargassum ruins the experience for us. At this moment, we have a very small handful headed to the ruins, another small group leaning toward one of the other cultural excursions, but the rest are not willing to commit. I think your idea of just finding a nice beach for a bit to read might work for most.

Curious if you had any luck finding some more options.

I forgot to ask, previously, but where is Aldea Mahahua? Please tell me that it is outside of the cruise port area, as we would like to have a chance to look around Mahahual so we can say that we saw it. I know you were on NCL and we will be on CCL, but was there provided transportation or is it all walking? (I noticed the cruise line's description recommended walking shoes.) Thank you so much for sharing your experience. So far, I think that six of us might be booking this excursion.

Thank you! We currently have twenty family members booked on the sailing. I know that several want to go see the ruins, but this "cheesy" with margaritas might be perfect for a bunch of us.

Did you wander over to the rest of the park during your day or only stay at Cabana Beach? I was hoping to easily go back and forth.

Since you canceled your beach day, what did you wind up doing?

What are table games? We have never been on a ship with a Red Frog Pub, but are currently scheduled to sail Valor this summer.

First of all, we have never had the opportunity to sail in Europe, so don't have personal opinion with that. But, we do have three young twenty-somethings and I can 100% guarantee that the port destinations and the activities on the ship are going to be way more important to them than the cabin size or the restaurants. I would recommend that you NOT focus on the brand of ship just yet. Focus on the dates of travel and preferred ports, first. Then, figure out which ships will be there. Then, let the birthday folks read about the options to help narrow down what sounds more enjoyable.

I think this just depends on what you think is more convenient for your group. Personally, I prefer the excursions that include transfers, so I don't even have to think about that part of the back/forth. However, do your research on if the included transfer gives you more than one allotted time or if you are limited to "x" number of hours at the Playa Mia.

They need some kind of guideline in hopes that people above that weight will consider whether or not they will actually fit in the twister boat. I have a tall and heavy spouse and it was a tough squeeze many years ago.

I really appreciate you sharing your link. I learned a whole lot.

Love the idea of this thread. I sure wish my memory was better, so I could present a really nice comparison of that first cruise (in 1992) to more recents ones. - Back then, all we could hope was that our travel agent was guiding us correctly, since all we had was a brochure that we could glance at; no constant internet searching about ships/ports/etc - Walking on to a CCL Fantasy for the very first time was NOT like being greeted on the TV show, The Love Boat 😂 (the only reference most of us had) - There were very few U.S. cruise ports to choose from, which meant the added expense of flying (typically to Miami) - We took crowded shuttle buses to/from the cruise port/airport, because transportation options were limited and/or expensive - Shore excursions through the cruise line seemed to be the only options, unless you just walked around the cruise port - Limited photo options, since we didn’t walk around with cell phones back then - Required formal nights. (I think everyone looked incredibly elegant, which was lovely, however, what a waste of luggage space AND weight.) - Cash tips for the staff were the norm, which meant you needed to take travelers checks (remember those?) with you and have them cashed, so you could distribute your tips in the provided envelopes. - Travelers Checks (hadn’t thought about those in YEARS) had to be prepurchased, in person, and then you had to keep up with the identifying numbers in case they got lost/stolen. - I don’t recall having shampoos, soap, conditioner, etc. included in our tiny cabin restroom - Smoking EVERYWHERE. (Sorry to those of you who are addicted, but GROSS.) The crew would sit around in the empty lounges during the day, using them as their own personal smoke rooms. I do miss the ridiculous over-the-top midnight buffets, especially, all of the amazing ice & food sculptures. It wasn’t about eating at that time for me, but seeing all the talent. I also miss the free alcohol that would randomly pop up on trays that were carried around by the cruise wait staff. (Yes, free.)