ARandomTraveler

You could use your beach bag or a packing cube to throw your change of clothes in, and put your toothbrushes and makeup and other toiletries in a purse or a toiletry bag with a handle. BAGSMART Toiletry Bag Travel Bag with Hanging Hook, Water-resistant Makeup Cosmetic Bag Travel Organizer for Accessories, Shampoo, Full Sized Container, Toiletries https://a.co/d/dDY4e2N

Depends on the ship and sailing route. If you're on a ship with a lot to do (Oasis class) or a sailing route with lots of port stops (southern Caribbean out of Puerto Rico for example), then cheaper cabin for sure. If you're sailing for quiet relaxation, maybe go for the more expensive cabin. Personally, I get a mid grade cabin, and use the rest of my vacation money to take other types of vacations. There are so many things to do and paces to see in this world, I can't imagine spending all my vacation time and money on one type of trip (cruising). I cruise about every other year give or take, and go on multiple land based trips in between. Cruising is the cheapest vacation option and I really enjoy it, but I can't imagine making it my only vacation option.

I've seen a lot of people recommend the Courtyard Marriott/Downtown Brickell, which seems to be priced around $250-$400/night depending on when you go. The W in South Beach is also really nice, but more like $650-$1200/night for the cheapest room.

It's been a while since I cruised from Galveston, but when I did, I reserved a shuttle that takes you from the airport to the port. It was basically a private van, and it was $150 each way. It was the main reason I never sailed from Galveston again. It's a pain in the a$$ and more expensive than it's worth. I think I found the company through the airport, or maybe I just googled "airport shuttles" or something. This was 9 years ago though, I'm sure Uber is probably a better option, and you can reserve an Uber ahead of time.

These are also good, they have a shoulder strap. AUPET Water Bottle Bag Carrier,24oz/32oz Insulated Neoprene Bottle Sling Holder Case Pouch Cover for 1000ML/750ML Bottles with Shoulder Strap for Girls Boys Adults https://a.co/d/b3wirS5

Ocean was cold in Aruba last November, and if it was cold in Aruba where the temperature supposedly never changes, then it's definitely probably cold in the Bahamas. By "cold" I mean that I could get in and float around for a good 15 or 20 minutes before needing to get out and warm up, but it was tolerable enough. I get cold easily though, and prefer to be in the Caribbean during summertime. I'll be doing a November cruise this year and not expecting to enjoy the ocean much, as it's a western Caribbean cruise and not a southern one.

Sounds like you were really lucky to have made the cruise. What a mess!

You felt like this was a successful example of using Air2Sea? This sounds terrible! Surely any airline would have minimally done the same for you, and likely could have been handled online, and found you a flight from the same airport. I'm glad it worked out for you, but it sounds like you were part of a game show where you have to pack your stuff as fast as you can and travel to the unknown to find your next clue.

Even with refundable rates, they become non-refundable to some degree after the final payment date. If you're not past final payment, cancel and rebook.

@chengkp75 Sending out the bat signal

True

The reason for them to do the refund first is because they have $100 obc they need to get back before Re-purchasing

Yes there are lots of umbrellas and loungers for rent on Eagle Beach. No there are not good food/drink/facilities. Eagle beach is a bare bones, quiet beach, for people who want to spread out and relax but don't necessarily want to be around the hustle and bustle (which food/drinks/facilities generally attract). I like Palm Beach much more than Eagle. There's more to eat and drink, and the water is more calm, so you can get in and float all day long. Can't usually do that at Eagle unless it's an abnormally calm day.

It's about 10 min taxi ride to Eagle beach, and another 3-5 min from Eagle to Palm beach. You won't need hours to explore the port. It's your usual couple of blocks of souvenir stores and restaurants.

Those new cups look ugly. I don't particularly care though, we leave them on the ship when we're done with them, as they're not something we're gonna use at home. I bring a water bottle carrier with a strap to carry the cup around with me. I used it more for water than I did for soda, and I put ice in it with whatever I'm drinking, so even though I like the original cups better, I'll be ok with these new uglier, non-insulated ones.

I did this with a $50 obc and the credit was immediately available. Make sure you're comparing final prices that both include the 18% service charge. Someone posted the other day that they thought the beverage package had gotten cheaper, but it turned out that they had originally purchased it when the price shown included the 18%, and the new price did not. They cancelled their package before re-purchasing at the cheaper price and ended up losing money instead of saving.

😡 Sounds extremely frustrating, especially when you try to plan everything in advance only to have very important details left un-arranged a week before your vacation.

I was contemplating getting the Chase Sapphire Reserve because it's got some great travel benefits and they keep trying to get me to sign up for it, but the annual fee is like $650, which seems excessive. Is that the one you have? And if so, do you feel the benefits you're receiving are worth the yearly fee? Right now I'm using the Chase Southwest Visa, which has some basic travel benefits, but I get great use of the miles.

That would be funny because it would probably cost more money to fly home from Mexico than it cost to go on the cruise, so it would serve them right 😂

I was more focused on the overall topic of insurance for cruises in general, because other people's responses were about buying independent insurance. The cancel for any reason clause in the cruise line insurance, I'm pretty sure, is not the same as the cancel for any reason benefits you get from independent insurance. With cruiseline insurance you get a future cruise credit (unless that's changed since I read the terms and conditions a few months ago), but with independent insurance, you get your cash back (usually 75% of what you've lost). Just something for the OP to consider next time.

For future reference, you also need to purchase insurance fairly soon (7-21 days depending on the policy) after making your initial cruise deposit if you want "cancel for any reason" insurance.

🤔 That's a new one

I was at a cocktail bar this evening that charged $17 for my cocktail, and that was one of the less expensive ones on their menu. I agree that $13 isn't an outrageous amount of money for a drink, especially if you live in or around more popular cities. Beer around here is $7-$10/pint, but that's for craft beer. Not sure what mass market beer costs, I imagine it's probably cheaper.

😂 I read that book and did the same kind of plotting and planning (without the app though as I did it back in 2011). It was a lot of work...but it worked. We hit up the major rides early and fit more into our day than we would have otherwise. The hard part is pulling your kids along past the rides on the way to the "scheduled" ride. Our last trip to Disney was during the week of the shut down in March 2020 (we were there when they announced they'd be closing down for "2 weeks" and we stayed at the park until they closed for good on Sunday March 15th). Interesting experience. We were invited Disney guests on their trip though, and had unlimited line skipping privileges, no reservations necessary. I can never do Disney again because that spoiled me. Didn't stand in a line longer than 5 minutes the whole week.

Gross