mysparky

RCCL customer service has it completely backwards. We were just on the Enchantment this weekend and we stopped at CocoCay on Saturday. We rented a beach bungalow and really enjoyed it.

The Beach Bungalows are directly in front of South Beach. You can take a tram there (which run all day) or enjoy a leisurely stroll (took us about 8 mins). The bungalows are right in front of the water and the floating bar is in that same area.

The water in front of the beach bungalows is shallow. You can walk and walk and walk in the water and still not be higher than waist deep. Didn't view this as an issue though because if we walked a little to the left, the water was plenty deep. The environment is incredibly relaxing.

The cabanas are within view of the cruise ship and there are rocks in front (no direct beach access, just a little walk to get into the water). On the way back to the ship, we took a look at the cabanas and decided that the bungalows had been a better choice for us. While you get a different "upgraded" buffet with the cabanas, we were very satisfied with the lunch that is delivered to you in the beach bungalow (you can order the night before or once you check into the bungalow area). Others may like the proximity of the cabanas to the ship, but I really liked the South Beach area better.

Was it worth the $150? I think so, but it's always hard to define whether or not it's worth it to someone else. We loved how quiet it was and the bungalow was very comfortable with it's "couch-like" setup (and table), two padded loungers and 2 floating mats. We were happy to have the ice bucket w/ 4 large bottles of evian water and enjoyed having lunch delivered. We were right near the bathrooms and two quiet bars, although there are bar servers that are helpful (and non-intrusive). We didn't have any rain, but noticed that if a storm had come through, we would have had protection over our heads.

All in all, really enjoyed the experience and based upon what you're looking for, I think the bungalow would meet your needs.

One last note....there are beach beds right next to the beach bungalows and they are about $25 less, but we preferred the setup of the bungalow to the beach beds. You can find images online to see which you might like better.

Although the balconies and suites are "sold out" on this cruise, they were able to move me back to my original balcony room. Phew!

While I would have really loved the upgrade to a junior suite, getting a "decent" sleep is important to me. I'm really only planning on being in the room to sleep so if I can't do that, it kind of defeats the purpose! There were just too many consistent, negative comments about this specific room to ignore.

Appreciate all of the feedback - I feel as though I've made the right decision and I'm happy to be back in my balcony on the 7th floor!

Thank you!

John&LaLa and Orville99 - it may have been your reviews of the room that made me understand how bad it is! I had the sense from reading several reviews that the overhead noise and constant running water is very disruptive.

Not sure that I'll be able to do anything about this as mentioned above, all balconies and suites are SOLD OUT. But I'll see....calling now...

Thanks everyone

We are booked on the 6/16/17 Enchantment cruise. I originally booked a balcony guarantee and was happy with the room assignment on the 7th floor. Today, I logged in and noticed that I had been upgraded to a Junior Suite. First time EVER for an upgrade and I was so excited until....

I read reviews of the Junior Suite - Room 8614, aka "The Aqua Suite" because apparently it's right below the ladies room in the Solarium and others that have stayed in this room have indicated that it sounds as if the water is running right through the pole that's in the middle of the room. People have reported that the flushing goes on all night long (maybe others are more of a night owl than I am?!).

I don't think there's anything that can be done at this point because all suites and balconies are sold out, but is there a chance that I could tell RCCL that I don't want the upgrade?

I'm thankful to have been upgraded and would definitely prefer the larger shower, room and balcony that comes along with the junior suite, but I'm also fond of getting a good night's sleep.

Do I have any options? Anyone know if RCCL would be willing to put me back into a Balcony and upgrade someone else?

We're planning on spending the day at Breezes in June and I've been looking for information on lockers, but I can't find anything....

I'm expecting that we are going to do a little sailing, some swimming, etc and I'm not sure what we should do with our valuables (i.e cash, seapass card, credit card). I'm a bit concerned about leaving everything on our chair as we take off into the water for a while.

What have others done? Or maybe there are lockers or a place to stash valuables while there?

Thanks in advance!

South Beach and you enjoy a good cocktail (or two or three)? Check out the Art Deco Cocktail Tour (if you google those words, you'll find the right company with plenty of reviews on tripadvisor). Small tour company that is truly top notch.

I know that you indicated that you're not interested in a tour, but this really was outstanding and worth the time and money. We did this evening tour 2 years ago while spending a few days in South Beach and really enjoyed it. Learned a good deal about the art deco style (and actually still remember a lot of what we learned) and the tour included a specialty cocktail in several of the hotels. We really had a blast and you'll learn things that you never would on a self-guided tour. Only my husband and I were on this tour so it's not like we were being ushered through with large groups (and I think they always keep the groups small).

Haven't done it yet, but we are planning on checking out the Little Havana tour that this company does as well. No drinking on that tour, but seems like there's some serious good sampling of Cuban food (and coffee).

Regardless of what you do...Happy Honeymooning!

Definitely not. I was there in January and there have been many nasty situations whereby taxi drivers were engaging in threatening and intimidating behavior directed at Uber drivers. Plenty of documented reports of them slashing tires, etc.

Lawmakers stepped in and worked out a compromise. Uber drivers are able to drop you off anywhere, but they are not allowed to pick you up from the airport or directly outside of hotels (i.e., you'd have to walk down a block for a hotel pickup)

Uber is definitely the way to go once you're in San Juan and want a ride here/there, but if you order a ride, don't be concerned if they ask you to walk down a block from your hotel. To us, this was a minor inconvenience given the fact that the cars are clean, drivers courteous, and fares much less expensive.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

So... I am 6 years out from the sleeve. A normal meal for me is 3 oz protein, half cup veggies. However, on our cruises, I have never tried to "get a deal" in specialty dining. Normally, we do 1-2 specialty restaurants. Together, we carefully pick places we'd both really enjoy, and just bite the bullet and pay full price for me. I always tell the waiter I don't eat much, so they aren't surprised when I leave 3/4 of my food on the plate. It's still super fun to go, even if I'm not cleaning my plate :)

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

I also had gastric sleeve 6 years ago and while I can eat more, I'm definitely still limited. I enjoy eating at the specialty restaurants because it allows me to eat protein that's really tasty and satisfying. If I order an app, I really just sample it and fortunately, by the time dessert comes around, I'm too full from my filet!

I've also told the waiter that I don't eat much because it can appear that you didn't enjoy the meal (which has not been the case). I suppose my limitations makes it "pricier" for me, but I really enjoy the experience in the specialty restaurants and find the food to be better. In addition, whoever I'm traveling with is able to fully enjoy it and that makes it worthwhile to me.

Unless I am reading this incorrectly, it sounds like you need a place to stay for just the day as you have an evening flight. If that is the case check out the website hotelsbyday. You put in the day and it will give you a list of hotels in the area you're looking for. Just read carefully because they have different hours for check in and check out but I have seen several that allow you to check in around 10 and check out around 4 o'clock or even 6 o'clock. You could easily spend the day at the beach, come back to the hotel room and change, go out to dinner and then head to the airport.

I found out about that site on this board and people seemed very happy with what they were able to secure. I'm trying it for the first time in the Fort Lauderdale area in June

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

First thing I always do is head to the gym. I know it may sound odd, but I really enjoy how completely empty it is and I always feel good about getting this first workout in and not having to rush through it or wait for certain equipment to free up.

Next, change out of gym clothes and find lunch (I usually avoid the buffets for many of the reasons cited earlier).

After lunch, the room is open and I also wipe down all of the surfaces (happy to read I'm not the only one!), change into my bathing suit and then head up to the pool deck for relaxation and my first drink of the day!

If you decide on Breezes, check on their website for the dates of the gradweeks, lots of HS graduated take over the property.

Happy to have seen this advice because I'd like to avoid these weeks as well!

FYI...I just looked at the Breezes website and "Confirmed Student Travel periods" for 2017 are as follows: 5/14 - 6/14, 7/16 - 7/23

For iPhones, which version does this start? I only have a 5 (whatever the highest is for 5) and I don't see it. Assuming for 6 and above?

For Verizon it's 6 and above as well.

We'll be on Enchantment in a month and really pleased to read that it worked so well!

I didn't know that the hotelsbyday website existed! That makes trying to find a hotel and reserving it so much easier!! Thanks for sharing!

We're in a similar situation. We are arriving mid morning in Fort Lauderdale and our cruise leaves out of Miami the next day. I have not found free parking in Miami, but I did find reduced parking for $10 a day at the Spring Hill suites Miami East. The rate includes free parking for the night of your stay, and then $10 for every day after. They also include a free one way shuttle to the Miami cruise port. It doesn't appear that the hotel is close to too much and it's not in a very exciting area but it works well for us because we're gonna be driving around during the day and having a low key evening the night before. Have to rest up before vacation!

I also did a Google search on what you're asking for and there were some other hotels that did something similar, but I wanted to stay at a Marriott property.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thank you both for your quick responses!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I'll be on a cruise in June and need to stay in touch w/ family members at home. I've been using Verizon WiFi calling on my iphone for about 6 months ago with great success in avoiding roaming charges when I've traveled internationally. I know in order to use WiFi calling on the ship, I'll need to purchase an internet package and I have two questions:

1) Normally I'd just consider purchasing the "surf" package because I'm not streaming videos, using facetime, etc, but I'm wondering if I should up the package to surf & stream anyway due to increased bandwidth available? Does this even matter for wifi calling?

2) Has any had experience with WiFi callng on any of the older ships? Has it been reliable and clear? I know the ships all have "Voom" now but I don't think that service is as fast as it could be on the older ships. I've read a few comments that are too over my head to relay, but there have been comments that the underlying service is older on the older ships and therefore VOOM, while it's improved internet connectivity, it isn't as good on the older ships as on the newer ships.

We're sailing on Enchantment (first time on such a small ship!) and wondering if anyone has experience with wifi calling on an older ship.

Thanks in advance for your help!

My vote for which ruins to see are actually in Costa Maya. Our family of 5 did a tour with Native Choice which included a very small group tour (i.e. 2 families) of the ruins so we were able to hear everything and ask a lot of questions (the cruise tours seem to put about 30-40 people into each "group"). I recall that the walking wasn't too strenuous and there wasn't much we were able to climb. The ruins were interesting as was the narration of the Mayan culture. Our teens all found it interesting. After the ruins, we were then taken to Bacalar Lagoon for a few hours. We swam and went kayaking in the most breathtaking lagoon (they call it the lagoon of 7 blues). There was a resort in that area as well but I don't recall what amenities were provided. I would suggest contacting Native Choice as I believe they'd be able to accommodate everyone in your group in terms of interest and physical limitations.

I haven't been on the tours to see the ruins in either Tulum or Belize because the transportation to/from is VERY lengthy. I'd rather minimize the transportation and spend more time "doing".

Belize is a great spot for snorkeling but not sure what else I'd recommend. The tender process is long (maybe 30 mins)? Belize is a beautiful country, but Belize City really is a pit so I can't recommend anything local that may work for your parents. The Belize Zoo is definitely interesting, but I remember there being a good deal of walking (can't remember if it's accessible).

In Cozumel, we usually do some combination of an ATV or Dune Buggy tour in the morning, followed by an afternoon at one of the beach clubs. My 78 year old mother was with us on one of our trips and didn't join us for the Dune Buggy portion, but was able to easily get a taxi and meet us at the Beach Club (Paradise Beach).

I will tell you that the walk down the Cozumel pier and through the shops is absolutely lengthy. You may want to consider arranging a wheelchair for your dad just to the end of the pier. We made this arrangement for my mom ahead of time and they were able to bring her right up to the taxi area. I'd say it's about a 10 min walk at a moderate pace.

Enjoy your multi-generational trip! The excursions can present some challenges, but there's a lot of good advice on these boards so hopefully you'll find something that works for all!

Just wanted everyone to know that we took this excursion last week (2/18) and it was a lot of fun. We were on Royal Caribbean and had no issues booking independently. As someone else mentioned, it is a 2 min walk across a parking lot to get to the location where the boat is docked.

We were on one of the larger boats and it probably could have accommodated about 50 people, but there were only about 30 passengers. There was plenty of room to sit in the sun or the shade.

Crew was great, music was fun, food was good, and the rum punch was delicious (and a tad dangerous!). Upon arrival on Nevis (where the catamaran literally sailed right onto the sand), the crew brought the beverages onto the beach. Chairs and umbrellas were available for rent (I don't recall cost, but it was definitely reasonable) and we had about 2 hrs on the beach. There are also 3 beach bars right there, each with their own vibe, but we didn't visit any as we were enjoying our chairs and the punch on the beach!

We were back at the dock by 4:00 - 30 mins prior to our required time.

We are doing another S Caribbean cruise next year and will book this excursion again. It was a relaxing and fun day!!

If your ship docks at 9, you should have no problem catching the 10:00 ferry out of Red Hook. The drive to Red Hook is 20-30 mins long (depending upon traffic), but the ferry ride from Red Hook is only 15-20 min. People have commented on these boards that the 45 ferry from Charlotte Amalie can be a bit rough (i.e seasickness).

If you're really concerned about making the 10:00 ferry from Red Hook, checkout one of the sights that tells you how many ships are in St Thomas that day. We were in St Thomas in April with only one other ship. We were off the ship by 8:25, and in Red Hook at 8:48 (I really did time it). Took 2 mins to get tickets and the ferry left about 9:02.

If you are delayed in leaving the pier (i.e. either you don't get off the ship right away and/or the taxi is waiting to fill up with passengers) then I would take the ferry from Charlotte Amalie. Bottom line, you can take either 10:00 ferry and you should probably base your choice upon when you're driving away from the pier.

We used them in 2009 and they were fine,with one small exception. At the time, they indicated that once you dropped off the car, they provided you with free transportation to the port. We dropped off the car and found out that the transport "guy" (as in there's only 1 guy) had just gone on his lunch break and wouldn't be back for an hour. We ended up having to flag down a taxi (took about 15 mins) and paying the cab fare (about $25).

A lot of people write about using one or the other, but I never read anything about using both of them.

My sister and BIL are joining us in August and they are both very anxious about getting seasick. They were on a 5 day cruise about 12 years ago (don't know what size ship or line) and they were very dizzy, nauseous, etc throughout the trip. They had seabands with them, but I've since learned that they didn't use anything until after they had developed symptoms:eek:

Anyway, they're paranoid and I want to arm them with as much stuff as possible (patches aren't an option). Can they start w/the ginger root and Bonine the day before and continue to take throughout, or is it a "one or the other" kind of thing?

Chad -

We're also back from our trip and very much enjoyed our dive with Eduardo. We thought his instruction was very clear and he seemed very safety conscious. We saw several eels but also saw incredibly huge schools of fish. It was very cool!

We're very interested in taking a private or semi-private Discover Scuba course while in Cozumel. I've come across an operator- Eduardo from Cozumel Sports (not to be confused with Cozumel Water Sports) and all of his reviews on Trip Advisor are very positive. When possible, I like to find references from more than one source and I haven't had any luck finding information on Cozumel Sports on these boards.

Does anyone have experience with Cozumel Sports? Even better, anyone that took the Discover Scuba tour with Eduardo?

Thank you!

We've stayed in both and prefer the lower deck oceanview for a few reasons. First, I love to wake up and look at the water or see that we've arrived at the port. Second, I felt less movement on the lower deck (we were on 3), than on deck 8. And finally, I thought it was easier to get to/from our room for dinner, before/after shows, and when disembarking at ports. We'd just run up, or down, the stairs in those situations and were able to avoid the very crowded elevators. It was definitely more of a haul getting from room to pool during "at sea" days, but elevators were always readily available and we never go back to our room for much anyway.