BoozinCroozin

I am pretty content on just being able to have a burger and fries when I want. If the type of fries they use makes or breaks a cruise, then I am cruising for the wrong reasons.

It was always consistent when we cruised...it was automatically added. I typically do not tip more if it is forced on me. However, we were comped the Steakhouse so I gave a $30 tip for 3 of us. Because it was comped, there were no forced gratuities.

No, I knew exactly what it is. It is not permitted in a lot of islands because it can mean you are rebels or terrorists to the government. The cruise ship should not let you get off at port with it, but if they do it is all your fault. It is 100% FAFO.

Better off just not bringing it. Can get you into far more trouble than its worth. If you can't live without it for a weak, just go somewhere else other than the islands.

Watch the forklift driver dump them all into the water at the port.

I agree. I would cancel mine, but we have an 11AM flight and need those extra debark minutes unfortunately. The flights after 12PM were $250 more per person for the 1-way. If we don't make it, we deal with Standby. There are 9 flights after 12PM, so Standby should work if necessary. I know the "never get a return flight before 1PM" group will come out guns blazing. But the 100s I have talked to that saved $1,000+ for families flying before 12PM is reassuring. I know the risk and will live with Standby if it comes to that.

Celebration will be our first cruise with full capacity. Our previous 2 were during the restart and 70% capacity. My feeling is if they have enough entertainment to thin out the herds, it won't be bad. However, if it is anything like NCL it will be insanely crowded with nothing going on. 4,000 people on a ship, all chairs on the top decks reserved by 7AM, and hardly anything going on: you get to choose 2 minutes of playing Mario Cart or sit at the bar for a drink. That was pretty much it on NCL. They pretty much only had 1 activity at a time. If it was interesting, the first 200 got to enjoy it the rest just sit at a bar all day.

We take the same trip 4 weeks later. Would love feedback on cruise ship party schedules, how the islands were, and anything else that is good for that southern trip.

You don't have to be at a "cruise port" hotel. Anything near the airport will be extremely close. Just use PriceLine or Hotwire to look up the best deals, then book. It is not difficult.

All FTTF really gets you is on the ship about 15 minutes faster than if you get the earliest arrival time. About the same if you have to debark the fastest. If lines are the issue, decide if arriving at 12:00 - 12:30 and debarking at say 8:30AM is worth the cost. In the end, that is about all of the benefit there is.

MCO to FLL is $94pp one way on SWA right now. I would rather fly than drive or get a ride. Brightline would be about the same price, but add 2 hours to the trip (if it is running). I would just fly.

PC to MCO should not be a problem at all. They will take and then bring another crew back from MCO to PC. Pretty easy on cruise mornings. More difficult at night.

There is nothing cost effective for a 45 minute run. Mainly because it will be a 45-minute run back to Orlando most likely without passengers. That is the problem with heading out to the port area after the early morning. Uber/Lyft drivers are not keen on taking them because they make more with the 5 mile trips all around the jam packed Orlando area. People needing rides every 5 minutes. If cost is your concern, I would cancel the Cape Canaveral hotel, get a much cheaper place near MCO within walking distance of restaurants (or even Uber for cheap), then take a shuttle the next morning. The shuttle and hotel near MCO will most likely be less than the cost of the hotel in Cape Canaveral.

This has to be the dumbest thing I have seen. The cost difference to drive makes this a joke. $80 or $199 for a family of 4 1-way. Even if this is a trip to Disney or Universal, there is no time savings and definitely far more expensive than driving. Miami to PC is ~3.5 hours. Cost of fuel in a gas guzzler that get 20mpg is only ~$40. Brightline 1-way for 4 to PC: $199 (3 hours + any time to get to the terminal in Miami); $100 shuttle from MCO to PC (45 minutes + time to get to pick up area + time waiting for shuttle/ride). Total time ~4:15 at a cost of $299. RT = ~$600 Drive yourself to PC 1-way: ~$40 gas from Miami to PC (3:30 direct to port terminal); $125 parking at terminal. Total cost = $165. RT = ~$200. I will save the $400 and drive myself for convenience and manage my own delays. When a train delays, you have no options because they are not permitted to let you off.

Define "cost effective"? In pretty much all cases you are looking at about $200. 1-way car rentals are not cheap. Van service for a 3-hour ride will be quite expensive. Flying adds the cost of shuttles. Brightline would run about $160 + shuttles. No matter how you slice it, you are going to spend at least $200 to get there.

Go to Cruise Deck Plans. See what is on Deck 16 above you and Deck 14 below you. If you are under the Lido deck, you will hear cleaning and moving of lounge chairs at night and in the early morning. Deck 14 won't be a problem. Deck 16 will be if you are below where things go on until about midnight and then start back up about 4AM setting up deck chairs.

There are ladders that drop into the water to climb up. You hold on, remove your fins if you are wearing them, then climb up. In my experience, the crew is very helpful on snorkeling excursions to get you back onboard. Some, not this one, have actual stairs that lower into the water to make it easy.

At that time, there is not much return options from Cocoa back to Orlando area. Uber or Lyft could get expensive or drivers just not willing to haul the 45-minutes out there and nothing for the return. But, U/L have TONS of drivers in the area just because of everything going on. I had on Uber driver once that it is his full time job. He drives an hour each day to be there to work and makes a living out of it.

You will be waiting somewhere no matter what you do. The question is where do you want to do the waiting. You could relax at the airport, grab a breakfast and enjoy until it is time to go to the port. This may be the cheapest option. Like John said above, you can check the price of breakfasts at the nicer MIA hotels, pay for it there, and relax. It may be a nicer atmosphere than the airport. If you do go to one in the Blue Lagoon area, try to get one near the Publix and get what you need there. Then it would be almost time to head to the port.

These prices make driving a much better option. There is no way I would pay those prices. Add in the cost of transfers and everything else, you are at an extremely pretty penny to get around on it.

Whambulance time. It is currently on MG only. Why not give others a try at it and if you want to eat there more than once, pay the $8. I don't know why people are up in arms about it. Carnival serves the stockholders, that is who they report to, not the customer contrary to popular belief. Yes, they have a product to sell, but there are Multi-$B investors pressuring the Board and Execs to return the stock price. And if you don't think these big hedge funds don't have people scouring through the financials, identifying where $Ms can be made and saved, bringing them at stockholder meetings or meetings at Augusta with Board members, you are crazy.

I'm on vacation and it is MY time. I eat when hungry, drink when I want one, and relax. I don't even care about an MDR. I do get it and understand people have a much different palette than me and I am 100% for them to eat to their hearts content on things they normally don't do at home. I am not a foody, so when they put all those weird words with the food, no thanks. If I want the steak, I want to see steak salt and peppered cooked to your temp. I don't want to see some long french word with some crazy cream sauce ruining it. I'd rather just go to the counter service places, not have to get dressed up, and relax on a lounger and eat.

If you want to know how insurance works, just watch The Rainmaker. There are so many things that have to be done exact and if one is wrong they can deny. They will delay and delay and delay. They will even go to the point where you consult an attorney. Spend your time and money that will exceed the settlement. They have years and the question is whether you have the same amount of time. It's not like an injury claim in a car accident. They don't have to cover pain and suffering, just their portion of the bill. If you get your $3,800, an attorney will take at least $3,000 for their time. Then you question if it was worth $800 for all of the time you put into it. Get good insurance if you are going to get it, not the junk the cruise lines offer.

We are going through Top Drive with a Freedom Jeep. $160-ish for the entire day with insurance

Is still good, wish it was still family owned instead of corporate chain.