CruiseGuy76

We just returned from this cruise...

We were eating at Giovanni's Table when I looked outside and noticed we were making a very slow, sharp turn to starboard. We could see a very tiny speck off the starboard side and eventually the captain came on and told us that they had seen some people in a small raft waving at us about a mile away and that maritime law states that they have to offer assistance. This was just before dusk. By the time we left and had picked up the 11 people, it was full dark. I'm glad that we saw them when we did or else we'd have sailed right past them.

He was talking with the Mexican authorities because we picked them up from the ocean on our way to Cozumel. That is country that had to take custody of them when they got off of our ship.

Hope that cleared things up.

We arrived into Cozumel just one hour late, but stayed an hour later to compensate. The little raft they were in was so tiny!

Hi, I'm Jeff and I'm powerless over my addiction (cruising). We should have a 12 step program. We could meet in the Diamond lounge, hoist a few together. I think that I'm on to something.

Yes, maybe have it called "Friends of Adam G." :p

I hope you all will find this as "funny" (jaw-dropping?) as I did...

I was cruising the Crystal Cruises board last night, just to see how the "other half" think they live when I stumbled across a person filling in the privileged few about taking kids on a Crystal ship.

This is her quote:

"Kid's Club Rules

- a parent or guardian MUST be on the ship if the kid is in kid's club. This could be frustrating for some, and would have been for us if not travelling with grandparents. A solution is to hire a babysitter - I saw a couple of families do that"

Is she serious? Why even take your kids if you're "frustrated" that you cannot leave your kids on the boat while your private excursion into town? Thank GOODNESS they dragged the in-laws along to babysit. I'm sure Mee-maw and Papa would much rather watch over little Chasden and Mun-bun than actually get to see any of the ports that they are spending the inheritance on.

Her SOLUTION? HIRE someone! Yes! When you're too lazy to be a good parent on vacation, hire someone else to do it. I mean you only paid about 5 grand to drag them along, what's another few hundred to have them cared for by someone you don't know?

Money never could buy sense...

Okay, I'm done.

Cheers!

Their website has not ONCE ever worked properly for me. You go to select a cruise and 20 cruises show up with selections that you didn't pick. Or, you want to select a range of dates or ships but can only click one at a time then have to go back into it.

With all the money they seem to have to spend on buying billion dollar cruise ships, you'd think they could hire a high school graduate to build them a proper website. Get it fixed!

Just a thought...

Maybe it should be "Black Diamonds International" where you actually pay MORE money for your cruise by taking the port shopping brochure with you and waving it in the face of the check-in lady (even though you think you're getting an awesome and cheaper "cruise ship price").

All the extra bucks you're paying go to accessorize the Port Shopping gal on your cruise.

Just a thought....

To echo what Sauvichick said earlier, make sure you look VERY carefully at the deck plans ABOVE where your suite will be. Many of the suites are on the top floor of balcony cabins which seems nice in theory but are directly below either the pool deck, the solarium, the spa, the sports deck/gym or the Windjammer!

There a numerous posts on CC from people saying they booked a suite and were kept awake the entire cruise by the heel clicks of the spa/salon attendants above, the moving of deck chairs across the stone floor of the solarium, the dropping of freeweights, the vacuuming of the Windjammer floor....

Many times the larger suites are directly off of the elevator banks. This is great for not having to walk as far but they are high-traffic areas prone to noise. These areas were always packed with the hundred or so Quinceanera girls (look it up) on our Freedom cruise last summer. They get to day 5 or so and have exhausted all their money and sense so the lobbies and elevator floors (yes, folks, the elevator floors) were their new hangout.

I was UNDER the Royal Suite on the Rhapsody about four years ago on an Alaskan cruise and the entire cruise all we heard was the 4 year old above being allowed to BANG on the baby grand piano. Money never has necessarily equaled manners...

Be warned! :)

That being said, if you can afford it and want an upgraded experience, go for it! Just being able to walk on past all the rest of us schmucks waiting in the check-in line for our lowly D8 cabin with your nose held high is all the reason you need!

Before people get all turned inside out, I am just being funny. I have enjoyed our Verandah cabins each time and that's all the money I wish to spend. We don't stay in the room enough to warrant any more space than that but do like having the ability to step outdoors from time to time.

Happy Cruising!

My partner and I have just returned from a 7-night Alaskan Cruise on the Celebrity Solstice and experienced nothing but the best from every person on board, both crew and fellow passengers. We do always keep our beds apart, mainly due to the "lump" in the middle but also because I toss and turn all night and don't want to wake him!

We got formal pictures done at literally every photo station and the photographers didn't flinch one bit. The passengers waiting after us to get their pictures done didn't bat an eye either. It's nice to go on a trip and not have to worry about the "gay thing" when all you want to do is enjoy your vacation.

This was our first cruise on Celebrity but we have done many RCCL cruises as well, most recently last summer on the Freedom of the Seas. Again, no issues at all. I can say that of all the cruises I've taken, I felt most comfortable on the Solstice, but in no way did I feel uncomfortable with Royal.

I hope you guys have a great time on your cruise. Relax and enjoy each other!