carohs

On 3/13/2023 at 3:11 PM, uneamie said:

Like it's been said, it melts fast. By the time you get back to your room at any given time...it's nothing but water. One bucket of ice in the morning does not last till dinner. 

Time to invest in a big Yeti tumbler. Ice will last forever if that's all that's in there. 

But the room being serviced once a day doesn't make or break my cruise. The bigger issue for me is the couch beds/Pullmans being left out and the lack of towel animals. To say the least, this is not family friendly. Since they often heavily discount the 3rd and 4th passengers, imo they are discouraging families to book, thereby reducing costs another way. 

9 hours ago, Carns said:

We were on the Joy from Jan. 6 thru the 21st and we each got 6 flow water.   If you don't mind sparkling water, get club soda - bartenders will fill up you water container.

I love my Soda Stream but can't stand club soda from the fountain. Am I weird? 

10 minutes ago, Catchum said:

First don't carry all your cash in one place - have some in your wallet and some tucked safely away in an inside pocket or such like. If you want lunch are we talking street tacos or is a Michelin Star more your sort of thing? Same with souvenirs - fridge magnet or one of a kind artwork? Only you can tell what you are likely to need. A quick google will show you the cost of a meal in various levels of restaurant or check menus on Trip Advisor

Most likely not the Michelin star, and in any case I'd expect that place to take cc. Street tacos, etc if we get the munchies or happen to smell something delicious. Likewise with souvenirs. I don't want to have to limit what we can do, but also I'm bringing enough cash to cover expenses for 4. I have a purse with a pocket that's really hidden. The only way to lose that would be if the whole purse was lost/stolen. I had also considered breaking up the cash and leaving the majority in the safe on board, and using as needed. 

We also decided not to book excursions and explore on our own. 

5 minutes ago, cruzbound said:

Hi carohs

 

What do you mean you get a credit?  What type of credit for what?

 

We are still six months out from the trip so we have time to make changes if it benefits us for sure

 

Thanks

OUR DATE DEVIATION PROGRAM

Want to spend extra time exploring ashore? We can arrange flights that arrive or depart up to two days before or after your cruise, so you can make the most of your vacation. Below are the program’s Terms and Conditions:

Guests can deviate their travel dates by arriving up to two days prior to embarkation and up to two days after disembarkation.

Date deviations can be added up to 75 days prior to embarkation for existing reservations.

An air credit of $25 per guest per deviation will be applied to your reservation.

Adding or removing a date deviation updates the air dates on the original reservation. If the change is made inside the cancelation period, a cancelation fee may apply.

Some sailings may not be eligible for date deviation requests.

If you book the BOGO air the general consensus is to request a one day deviation to arrive 1 day before the cruise. You have to do it at least 75 days out though. You get a credit and more peace of mind in case of unfavorable flights. 

5 minutes ago, AKR2011 said:

I have a cruise planning book with a zippered pouch for each port. Before I leave home, I estimate the amount of cash needed for every port and make a plan to get it in various denominations. I add everything up with a list of what I need and hit the bank. Then I put everything in the separate pouches and my planner goes in my safe and comes out Before heading out for each port. Any leftover cash I usually use for extra tips on board. I am definitely an over planner, but this works out very well and keeps me stuck to a budget. I do bring a credit card without international fees to port too, for emergencies or in case I find something that I feel like I need to buy, but this is very rare.

Do you have a formula you use for estimating expenses?

1 minute ago, Denversail said:

The beverage package might not cover one’s expensive taste in wine.

This. I've been looking at the under $15 glasses included in the package and most of that is borderline undrinkable to me.

We've also raised our kids with what we eat, they have to try it first. DH says he'll give a PBJ if they don't like it, but it's never come to that; there's always at least one part of the meal they'll eat. My kids are now old enough that I've got a solid understanding of what they do and don't like. They're also old enough to understand they don't have to eat what they say they don't like. So sometimes they will say they don't like something they've eaten half a dozen other times, usually around a holiday when they have lots of treats around. Well guess what? They don't get a treat, if they don't finish a meal. I'm not letting them waste food I know they'll eat, and I'm not going to listen to"I'm hungry" later in an attempt to have extra pie or whatever. This applies on the ship too. No way I'm letting my kids fill up on soft serve and then they "don't like" anything at dinner. 

I've seen parents with some of the pickiest eaters, and typically those kids can be found sometime after the meal with some kind of junk food (nuggets, pizza, chips) and the parent(s) think at least they're eating something. Yeah, I'm pretty sure I know why those kids are so "picky". 

Ok so getting cash broken into smaller bills on the ship is convenient enough! But how much to pack? $100 per port, $200? I don't like to withdraw/carry that much cash around. Makes me nervous. 

11 minutes ago, Cruise5life said:

   It’s always good practice to bring a bunch of 1’s and5’s.  

Thanks for this! Yeah I remember back in the day my mom would sometimes even have a hard time getting someone to break a $20 even in border city. 

But also if in one of the first ports, I would have no issues getting change back in pesos since there's a good chance I'll spend those anyway.

Getting closer to sail date and I'm trying to budget/plan how much cash to bring. There's 4 ports Mex Riviera and we're exploring on our own. I know many businesses will take cc but I'm thinking tips, street vendors, or taxis would need cash. I could plan extra and leave in the safe? What do you all do? 

Then I was thinking maybe if I don't plan enough I could hit a local bank or even get some on the ship. There is an ATM right? The advantage/disadvantage would be the local bank would process the transaction in local currency. 

On 2/26/2023 at 8:47 AM, codeyell0 said:

The buffet has no kid's options.  

I'm shocked! How picky are your kids?

My kids had absolutely no problem eating from the buffet on Spirit. I can't remember what they ate but besides pizza, they often got soup or Caesar salad. One night they had mozz sticks, and I definitely remember seeing mashed taters and pasta options. Oh, and DD did get a grilled cheese once after hearing another cruiser order one, so we did figure out that was an option. 

Thanks for the heads up that a policy is now being strictly enforced. But an exception should be treated as that, and not the expected norm. Boo on you for causing a situation that distressed your daughter. 

On 2/25/2023 at 8:18 AM, 1025cruise said:

If you booked a guarantee room, your room will be assigned any time between now and the time you get to the port.

🙄

While technically true, I had hoped to hear of experiences where rooms were assigned before the last second....

On 2/21/2023 at 6:53 AM, zencruisers said:

 

I had a friend who would do that back in the day. Jack In The Box had a deal 2 cheeseburgers for 99 cents but if you ordered 2 hamburgers you were charged full price. So he learned to play the game and ordered  the 2 cheeseburger deal with no cheese.

Funny story. DD wanted an egg n cheese McGriddle so I ordered the two deal, one with no sausage. I confused the heck out of the drive thru guy, so a girl fixes it and rings me up. I get to the window to pay, my total is too high, so I ask about the deal. Turns out it's $3.49 to add egg and $.79 for cheese. Oooooh okay, no wonder the guy was confused when I ordered only bread. Anyway, she re-enters the order with the deal plus upcharges, and I still saved $2. Good grief!

I'm looking for a place to quietly read a book while watching the ocean pass by, preferably no where near smokers. Maybe something of a weekend getaway. I'm also most likely bringing my kids. 

Trying to decide on another cruise. Looks like from LA there's the Miracle, Panorama, and Radiance. What's the difference between the ships? Which do you like?

We booked months ago and we still haven't been assigned a room. Final payment isn't until June, am I getting ahead of myself? Anyone who asked on the POA what were your experiences on room assignment? Did you use a TA?

3 hours ago, PapaGoose said:

Finally after many attempts at solving this dilemma a surprisingly less grumpy Guest Service rep suggested that we ask our steward for an order form.

Thanks for this little tidbit!

Commenting on the activities thing. I'm in my early 30s (okay, mid but don't tell anyone) and am excited to hear NCL offers towel folding and origami 😆. Okay not that excited but still it'll be fun to do those with my kids. 

But the most important questions: did you get water and did you pack ur zippy lockies?

Mine's gone now too 😱 I guess I'm gonna have to drink tap water oh no! Tap! 

Lemonade and tea are also available, and during breakfast they have milk and juices out in the buffet area. 

At that age, I vote Disney. They're still young enough to buy into the "magic" and that in itself is priceless. Granted, the only other line we've done is Carnival and the kids had an amazing time just the same even with only a dozen or so other kids onboard.

Wish is getting mixed reviews, Wonder and Magic are smaller and Fantasy and Dream include activities such as the Midship Detective Agency and Aquaduck. These also have magic porthole inside rooms that may provide some cost savings vs a verandah. My DD is a huge fan of Frozen and they show that on the Wonder. She really thinks that is really Elsa turning the stage into ice, and that's an experience that won't be replicated on another line, for example. Disney also has so many family bonding experiences and activities geared to all ages, and that it something to consider too, as you plan how to spend your time aboard.

• On 1/8/2023 at 3:28 PM, New2cruise2022 said:

  • This is showing on my app right now. Embark two weeks from today. We shall see. 
  • 

6 hours ago, cruiseny4life said:

 

Thanks y'all! That's the first screen grab where I've seen it show up like that. Appreciate you! 

It was posted almost at the beginning but I guess most people missed it, considering how long this has gotten!

16 hours ago, Saint Greg said:

If they can run around and dance and sing and never sound out of breath they should be on something better than carnival.

 

On the Spirit they were both pitchy and out of breath. So to me it seemed real. There was definitely some difference in talent among the performers too.