MAHA

Horseshoe Bay Beach is beautiful! The transportation passes cover the busses and the ferries. Public transportation is good in Bermuda. The one thing you want to remember is that the school children use the busses for transportation to and from school. During those times of day, busses will be crowded.

Here is a link to the bus schedules:

http://environment.gov.bm/portal/server.pt?open=512&objID=252&mode=2&in_hi_userid=2&cached=true

Here is a link to the ferry schedules: http://www.seaexpress.bm/Documents/Ferry/Summer%20Ferry%20Schedule%202014.pdf

Mary Anne

We did Tulum Mayan Ruins on our first trip to Cozumel. It was a long and hot day in August, but we really enjoyed it. The ferry ride to Playa del Carmen can be rough, so if you're prone to seasickness, take something the night before.

Our second trip, we went to Passion Island, a shore excursion through RCCL. It does not seem to be offered any longer. It can be booked privately. It was a nice beach day, all inclusive with food and an open bar.

Looking for something new this time and may do the Playa Mia Beach Break.

Mary Anne

I would book as early as possible. We booked a Med cruise for May of 2012 as soon as the itineraries came out. The prices just kept going up as it got closer to the cruise. If you find a lower price before final payment, you can call whomever you booked the cruise with for the price drop.

Mary Anne

There has never been a mini golf course on Grandeur, even before the renovations. Some of the Vision class ships have them.

We have sailed on Grandeur 4 times as well as her sister ship Enchantment once and have never experienced the sewer smell or plumbing issues. This was both pre-revitalization and after. We have had cabins on both Deck 7 Forward and Deck 8 Aft. Love the size of the ship. We have never been bored on a ship this size as we don't need some of the bells and whistles. Grandeur does have a rock wall, solarium pool & hot tubs, outdoor pool & hot tubs, many restaurants, the Quest game show, etc. It does not have a Royal Promenade, an Ice Rink, or Mini Golf.

Mary Anne

We became diamond after the first half of a B2B on Serenade. We just went to the loyalty ambasador during the first half to find out what we needed to do in order to get the status the second week. He told us to see him on the first day of the 2nd week and he would put diamond stickers on our seapass cards over where it said emerald. He also gave us both the diamond coupon books and asked us to please bring him the emerald ones we had received in our cabin. We did all of that and were able to enjoy the dimaond status on the second half of the B2B. If the ship you are sailing on has the preloaded coupons on your seapass card now, they might have to either reissue new ones or reload the new coupons onto your existing seapass cards.

Mary Anne

When I booked our cruise for Navigaor in august, there was a resident rate on D2 cabins that made them less expensive than any E cabins. Booked the D2 cabins.

Mary Anne

Your cabin steward can provide you with wine glasses and a corkscrew.

From what I am reading, there is no more checking out pool towels with your seapass. Is that correct? I will be so happy because my 3 sons got charged for their towels even though they retunred them with their seapass cards. We didn't know they had been charged until afer we had returned home from the cruise and the charges were on the seapass. They returned them the morning of debarkation as they wanted them for the pool & hot tub late the night before.

Thanks for the replies. My husband still wants to do the 11:20 flight. We were thinking that getting a Super Shuttle van to take us to the airport. If we leave by 8:30, we should make the flight. We are all Diamond C&A members, so we get early debarkation. I can not do self debarkation as we have too much to carry - 2 suitcases, a suit bag, a tote bag, a carryon and a briefcase for electronics.

Mary Anne

WE are cruising on Navigator in August 2014. There will be 6 of us - 4 going back to BWI and 2 to RDU. What is the earliest flight time we could book at that time of year? I did a search, but the searches are old and usually relate to winter sailings with fog. My husband wants to book an 11:20 flight which is nonstop back to BWI and would ge us home around 3:30. I want to go with something later in case of delays. We will have insurance for the unforseen.

Thanks!

Mary Anne

I printed out the questionnaire so I don't have to fill it in while walking through check-in lines. Does anyone know if, since we are B2B, we would be filling one out for the 2nd 'leg'.?

The two B2B's that we have done did not require a second health questionaire for the second leg. I don't know if it depends on the port or not, but we sailed from San Juan once and Baltimore once and never did a second questionaire.

Wow, PoohB didn't say anything about writing down false information.

 

It is tough struggling to find a place to write and I agree that I'm always grossed out by those pencils and pens left behind :((I'm sure they are carrying germs I don't want to know about)! In Baltimore, we were handed the health forms and expected to fill them out prior to getting to the Desk. It would have been nice to have them in advance We could of done them on the way to the port and had them ready to go with our Set Sail Pass. Yes, I like the idea.

The times we have sailed from Baltimore, they have tables that you can sit at before getting in the check in line to fill out the forms.

When you have a chance, could you please tell me if the bathrooms have the new vessel sinks? We had them on Grandeur and it was very hard to wash out a bathing suit in the sink.

Mary Anne

We've sailed on Grandeur for 4 cruises and love the size of the ship! the staff are very friendly. We will certainly sail on her again in the future.

John Blair and his wife Katrina are not listed in your newest CD list. Have they left Royal?

Mary Anne

Harbor House at Pier 21 is right on the pier. Depending on your cruise line you can walk to the port (Carnival).

 

While we love staying there some people might think it is a little pricey; around $150 to $200 a night.

We are sailing Royal CAribbean and will probably have too much luggage to walk to the pier. Thanks for the idea.

Hello,

We are lloking at booking a cruise out of Galveston on Navigator of the Seas for 6 people - all adults. It would be in August of 2014. We will be flying in the day before and need a hotel for 1 night. We wanted to find one that had transfers to the cruise ship terminal and also to and from the airport. Are there any that have both transfers?

Thanks!

Mary Anne

We are lloking for a hotel in either Galveston or Houston that has both an airport shuttle and a cruise terminal shuttle. Does anyone know of any that provide both? There will be 6 of us. This is for early August.

Thanks!

Mary Anne

It was mentioned by Gina that if 2 diamond members who are not related travel in a stateroom, they each get the gift basket. Why is it that a couple or 2 family members only get one? They are paying the same amount for the cabin whether they are family or friends.

My husband loves the chocolate covered strawberries. I ususally order them with champagne. Since you boyfriend doesn't drink the non alcoholic sparkling drink would be romantic with the strawberries. If you have a balcony, you can sit out there and have the strawberries and drinks.

We drink 2-3 glasses of wine/champagne in the DL before dinner. Occasionally, we buy a bottle of wine at a specialty restuarant. Otherwise, we also drink 2-3 diet cokes a day. A discount on a drink package would not be beneficial to us as we would not drink any more than what I mentioned and it would not be financially worth it. I hope they continue the diamond lounge for those of us who have reached diamond. We are working towards diamond plus, but it may be a few years to reach that.

wow - this is only my views as to what i would like to see---

it is not gospel, straight from RCL, will definitely happen, or written in stone.

 

what i would like to see in the upcoming changes:

 

keep the CL only for suite guests. (grand and above)

do away with drinks in the dia lounge (not the lounge, only the free drinks) and go to drinks as follows;

 

dia members 25% off drink package

 

dia+ members 50% off drink package

 

new status between dia+ and pinnacle (if it happens)--75% off drink package

 

pinnacle members free drink package.

 

again, this is what I would like to see. it is only my thoughts.

 

if it offended anyone i truly apologize. but someone told me when I was a diamond member. "if you want more perks, cruise more"

i found this to be true...

A lot of us don't or can't drink enough to get our money's worth out of a drinks package. My husband and I have a couple of diet Cokes during the day and 2-3 glasses of wine in the Diamond lounge before dinner. A drinks package would not be economical for us. WE don't spend our entire evening before dinner in the lounge - only about an hour before our late seating dinner for some wine and the hor's d'heurves.

On many of the ships except one on Enchantment and the ones on Freedom class and Oasis class, the pools will be salt water.

There are the tissues in the bathroom. If you are going to need tissues for shore excursion days, I would advise bringing the small pocket size packages that can be put in a purse, hip pack, pocket, beach bag or backpack.