MJN

As an outsider expressing an opinion only, IF the non-suite guest likes what they see in the CK they may decide to book a suite on their next cruise! That could be how RCI looks at the situation.:)

Because the ones from Amazon are not only cheaper, but the ones with plastic attachers often get torn off by handlers. These are mine. A steel cable closer and a steel reinforced hole. More durable.

 

I was looking for the "order luggage tags" option and was contemplating using packing tape or laminating our tags when I did a search for "luggage tags" and found this thread. I just found the tags on Amazon and now will be able to re-use these for future cruises as well. LOVE IT, thanks for the info!

We will be in port in September and was debating between this tour and the one that is a combination Whale watching and Bay of Fundy tour on a boat. For those who have done the walk in the Sea Caves were you happy you did it, if you have done both tours which did you like better?

We have used a clear one for years and find it keeps the rest room neat and tidy and we can easily find everything. We find it great to keep our toothbrushes, hair brushes, deodorant, razors etc. etc. from cluttering up the sink. We hang it on the inside of the bathroom door and it is well worth having. We just keep ours folded up in the back zippered compartment on one of our suitcases ready for the next cruise.

We visited Alaska in July 2011 and did the Deadliest Catch tour. Wether you are a fan of the show or not you will love this tour. They do a really nice job of making it totally entertaining and you learn all about Alaska crab fishing at the same time. This was one of our favorite tours of the whole trip. We loved it! We have not done the Misty Fijords tour so can't speak to that but this was really cool.

We just did a tour on St. Kitt's with Greg's Safari's and had a wonderful day! This was an "off the Beaten path" kind of tour and we had a fantastic tour with an amazing guide! Highly recommend him to do a tour not done by other vendors. We hope to do this tour again one day at an earlier time of year when more flowers are in bloom!

Hi, Just found a response in my in-box today and we are so far the only ones booked for that day and it is indeed different from anything offered on the ship. We are really excited.

We went on his Rainforest Hike in February. We loved it! He is very personable as well as knowledgable. He provides walking sticks which are very helpful for the trail and its ups and downs. He will respond to you as soon as he can. He answered all our questions and we appreciated the light Island lunch he provided. Definitely book the tour directly through him. He doesn't give the same tour if you book with the cruise ship. Enjoy!!!

Thanks for your reply. I have sent two messages to his website and so far he has not responded. Do you remember how long it took you to get a reply? I really liked the sound of his Phillips 4x4 tour as it sounded exactly like what we were hoping to do. I think I know which ship one was his and it does sound different but similar than the description on his website. Hopefully we will be able to book with him directly as it is really the only tour on St. Kitts that really interersted us in a big way. Were you on a ship when you went or staying on island? Appreciate your information.

Hi, I looked over about 6 or 8 different St. Kitt tour of the rainforest possibilities and Greg's 4x4 Phillips tour sounded the best out of all of them. We were more interested in the rainforest itself than some of the other things offered on other tours so his was a real stand-out. His website with the video was a real selling point. For those who have done the Phillips 4x4 2 hour walking part was it a difficult hike? This one looked more interesting than just doing the whole tour driving through and yet having part of the tour being driven was also appealing. I emailed him last night to see if they are available while we are in port and so far have not heard back. Just wondered if this is normal? We will be there on Oct. 31 but wanting to get all our tours arranged before they sell out. Thanks for any input on this.

Very much enjoying your review. Wish we were brave enough and also had enough $$$$ for the bear tour. We did check out their website and it looks incredible if it didn't scare us to death!

We have already had cabin # 1104 on the Serenade, a sister ship of Radiance and we loved it. We were curious how the views were in the Inside Passage in terms of seeing to both sides and the Hubbard glacier. We were pretty sure they would be great, which was why we booked this cabin the moment it became available last year. Was really surprised that the ship didn't make a 360 spin at the Hubbard glacier. Was it because perhaps there were two much glacier ice in the bay? I know they are cautious around ice floes.

Thanks for all the info....we leave to start our journey towards Alaska in 2 days, sail in a week!

We are also going to Homer for 3 days in a B&B at the end of our cruise/tour. We talked about doing a bear tour such as you did and my husband said "no way in ____ would he be that close to a grizzly without protection! Can't wait to see your pics and hear about your tour. Have enjoyed every word and pic so far!

Shutterbur285- we have an aft balcony too, 1104, how were the views back there? Seriously, did the ship not do 360 turns at Hubbard glacier? I thought they always did that?? Did you stay on your balcony for the Hubbard glacier part or go up on deck?

ellasab, we are on the July 8 sailing and have cruise/tour # 17, which one are you on?

I have just sat here and read all 10 pages of your review and looked at every picture! We are on the july 8 sailing of Radiance and I am so excited to be reading about your cruise. Can't wait for the rest of it. We are doing a small boat whale watching tour in Icy Straights with Gulf winds I think it is, 6 people only. They say we are likely to see bears too, and I see you did. We are doing the Taku lodge float plane trip in Juneau, which I expect will be similar to your trip in Misty Fijords, which looked beautiful. I am loving your review and your writing style. Thank you for making it sound like we are there with you. Can't wait to experience it soon for ourselves! :)

Hi, I actually found this link on a visit San Juan website. I am glad I checked it out because we will be there in just a week and then the following week as well, before and after our cruise. We tend to ignore people like that unless we can see there truly is a situation that needs assitance. We tend to be compassionate people but so often these folks on the corners are really just making money off folks and not really in need. Will steer clear of someone who meets these descriptions and appreciate the tip off.

Thanks for these awesome pictures, you are certainly organized! This is indeed very helpful. The one with the yellow chairs for $3.00, what is it called out by the road? I know you said the Lion's dive was $12.00 and yes it looks nice but if the $3.00 chairs were that close by I'll save $18.00 on chairs that look just as comfortable and just as nice a beach. I will check with Arubalisa about the DePalm Island excursion. I believe we will try Secret Harbour too, it looks really good. Thank you so much We leave for Orlando on August 20 for the night before our flight hotel, only 39 days! We are getting excited!

MJN

Thank you Max's Mom for your info., we might try Secret Harbour, it looked nice in the pictures and the food service looks nicer there too. We had lizzards at Sapphire beach too. Do you remember how much the taxi ride was to Secret Harbour? We have already planned to get a taxi to KonTiki beach in Curacao. I printed a posting that I read about on the Curacao board that recommended the beach near the seaquarium and others suggested Porto Mari resort as a great beach too. We are still debating which one to try. I will record your suggestions too. I appreciate your feedback and postings. These boards are so full of good information! Thanks again. MJN

Max's Mom, that was a thorough and detailed review and was very glad I read it. We are booked on Serenade for the Aug. 22nd cruise and really wish WE were doing a B2B ourselves. It sounds as if all the islands are wonderful. We had a very hard time deciding on what we are doing on each of the islands, especially Dominica where there were a number of exciting tours offered. We are doing a tour with RCI that sounds similar to yours Trafalgar Falls, Springs and snorkeling. We just booked DePalm Island for Aruba. Have you ever done this one or heard about it? Eagles beach looked lovely but do you know if there is good snorkeling there? It certainly looked pretty and desserted. Sapphire Beach is one of our favorites too. We went there last August by Taxi and it was desserted and gorgeous! I did notice that it was now offered as a tour by RCI and this had already concerned me. One thing we loved about it besides being so beautiful was how close the coral reefs were to shore and how plentiful the fish were here. I am concerned that the coral would be ruined by so many people decending upon it and not knowing enough not to walk on it. :( This Secret Harbour you went to, looked beautiful, how long a trip was it and does it have coral reefs? We love to snorkel, epecially when it is near to shore.

Thank you for the wonderful review, can't wait to go. We too are flying in a day early and leaving a day after the cruise. Did you do any tours in San Juan this time or previously? We wanted to see the rain forest in San Juan, not sure how to get there.

Thanks for your info!

Eeewwwwwww! Lol

Hi, We have had both promenade cabins and aft balconies and we would much prefer the aft balcony. We did also enjoy the promenade when we had it as we did enjoy people watching and the parades and all but we have since had two aft balconies and now book ONLY aft balconies. We have currently got two more cruises booked and both are aft balconies. They are HUGE and so peaceful and you actually get to see whatever is on either side of the ship. just my two cents worth.........enjoy your cruise!

Hi All,

We were on the same sailing as Cheryl (counsdr), she was in our roll call group. We missed seeing the first showing of the ice show because there no more seats so we were sure to get in line early so we didn't miss the 2nd showing (actually the 3rd but the 2nd was during our evening meal). We got in line 30 minutes before the doors opened and were about 6 people back from the doors. We were able to get front row seats and the show was awesome! I personally thought it was more efficient to pass out the tickets so people didn't have to wait in lines like this when their time on the cruise is so valuable. Seemed like a terrible waste of time. Others at our dinner table agreed. We had previously sailed on Voyager and Mariner and had used the ticket method on those ships, which we preferred.

We LOVED this ship. Allan, our cruise director was hysterical. We came back from this cruise totally relaxed and spoiled rotten! Wish were back on it now............

Hi all,

I too am just back from the 8/23/09 sailing of the Freedom. We stood in line for over an hour for the chance to see the 2nd showing of the ice show. We tried to see the 1st showing and all the seats were taken so we got in line more than an hour before the 2nd showing so we wouldn't miss out. On the Mariner and the Voyager we had the "ticket method" and never even had to wait in line at all and we MUCH prefer that method and think they should go back to that. The show by the way was VERY good! In fact we saw almost all the shows and what we saw was really good. We LOVED the Magician show with Drew Thomas and hope he does really well in America's got talent. We also thought the comedians of the "two guys" were really funny.

I agree with those who were unhappy with the lack of dress code and "chair hogs". I waited patiently for a chair in the solarium and finally got one and then some guy comes along and leaves a book on the chair beside me and I never did see him come back and I was probably there a couple of hours. That just isn't fair! I saw some people in shorts going into the dining room and then had to listen to DH gripe because I made him change out of his. They don't have to really dress up on casual nights, even a Hawaain shirt and dockers is fine, much better than shorts and a t-shirt.

Overall we really loved the Freedom. All of the staff was very friendly and helpful. We had a really relaxing cruise, enjoyed our aft balcony every night, watching the lightening shows way off in the distance and gazing at the stars till we fell asleep. The bedding on this ship is awesome. We found it very comfortable and easy to fall asleep (the rocking of the ship certainly helps).

Hi, WE booked Dolphin Discovery directly with the location itself 6 years ago and they were awesome. They seem to be a well run facility and we had a fantastic time. We did the one with the nose push, and fin pull etc. It was the highlight of my life and we were over 50 at the time! We bought both the video and the still pictures because it was such an awesome event and not one we are likely to do again, though you never know!

When you book on your own though you have to take a taxi there. There are plenty waiting and it was no problem. I forget how much it was but it wasn't much for the taxi. Good luck, it is one excursion that you will remember forever! MJN