jmf123

Yes I saw some of that but did not see anything i was blown away by. Also just wanted more up to date info as some of those posts are 10 years old.

I also like the catamaran/sailing excursions, and that would be great from St. Thomas/St. John. Check Tripadvisor for excursion ideas, you may have difficulty choosing just one! Here is St. Kitts: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g147373-Activities-St_Kitts_and_Nevis.html

Try Cafepress.com for custom t-shirts. No minimum order, there's at least 16 different t-shirt styles. (They also offer Travel t-shirts).

Linda and Perry, just adding that you will likely enjoy checking out the Princess Cruises forum here: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=197. :)

boundalaska, I'm not sure of your ports, but we have seen whales in both Juneau and Skagway. I would recommend checking out the Alaska Ports of Call forum for discussion on excursions. You can also post your question there, or do a Search: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=55. Enjoy your Alaska cruise!

Edutainment is actually the new buzz word for combining education and entertainment. So no spelling errors. Just a new term.

Thank you, I definitely learn something new every day! Although (via google), the term edutainment has been around since as early as 1948, by The Walt Disney Company. :)

The one thing you can expect with these summer sailings are lots of kids, that many Celebrity cruisers aren't used to seeing.

True. A USA Today article (link below) addresses that, saying:

"Summer cruising means families, so Celebrity is beefing up its Fun Factory kids club on Equinox with a summer learning program that involves science adventures, making videos and other edutainment programs." (Unfortunate spelling error). :rolleyes:

I know that Adventure Ocean (the kid's program on Royal Caribbean), does a great job of keeping them busy and happy. We had 700 kids in the program on Voyager OTS, and you would never have known! Love that Celebrity will be in the Caribbean next summer!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/cruises/2016/07/20/celebrity-equinox-caribbean/87341416/?csp=travel

jrawn, no, you are not being jumpy. Recent communications from Royal Caribbean include cancellation of all port calls to Turkey, including Ephesus (Kusadasi). They will now call on a Greece port. All shore excursions purchased through RCI will be refunded to the form of payment used. They continue to monitor the situation in Turkey. This is from RCI's website, with regard to the Brilliance and Vision of the Seas: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/itineraryUpdates.do.

Having Traditional Dining Times booked so far in advance is not unusual at all and happens a lot even when you book 9-12 months in advance.

 

Link your reservations and use the wait list method. You will be surprised at how early those dining slots will open up.

I agree with the above. OP, I hope that your friends will reconsider and take the cruise!

Patti, just had to send congrats- after your 52 year wait:

NE Ohio - Home of the 2016 NBA Champions. Awesome! (I attended some Cavs games back in the 80s). World B. Free! :D

The Baths are awesome, but as mentioned, will likely be crowded. Try to book the earliest excursion in the day. The cruise over to Virgin Gorda may be rough, so taking a preventative med such as Bonine is recommended. Also, be sure to wear water shoes. The rocks can be slippery, and the footpath is uneven- as well as goes through tight spaces.

You may want to read reviews of The Baths on Tripadvisor, or the reviews of NCL's excursion that is offered. Or google some youtube video. This one is pretty good (the ladders are seen around the 4:20 mark). And expand the screen for a good view: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=virgin+gorda+baths&&view=detail&mid=69AB4D5738647FD6D03169AB4D5738647FD6D031&rvsmid=BD2D0322430AC2AF2F23BD2D0322430AC2AF2F23&fsscr=0&FORM=VDQVAP. The Baths are unforgettable, enjoy!

You cannot sign up in advance. On boarding day, you need to go to the Adventure Ocean for sign ups. (Exactly when will be told to you in the boarding day compass).

 

They can sign up every child on the ship.

 

They key to being sure they can take advantage of the kids club activities is to have them there at the start of each block so it does not close to capacity. Typically the blocks are 9am-noon, 2-5pm, 7-10pm, late night ($$/HR).

 

Most ships offer the option of meeting the children in the MDR at 6:40pm to bring them to the 7:00pm session. This worked out great for our family -we booked our dining for 5:45 or 6:00, the kids would eat quickly and be ready to leave. We would take turns walking them to the staff - but usually DH and I could enjoy atleast our desert alone, sometimes our entrees as well! Other times our kids would eat in the windjammer and we would eat after dropping them off at 7!

 

Enjoy! You are nice grandparents!!

Balloon Man, it appears that Cel-cruise had My Time Dining. However, if you have traditional first seating in the MDR, below is info on RCI's My Family Time Dining from the cruiseline's website. From what I've read in the past, AO staff will escort the children to the activities area, while the adults remain to relax and finish their meal.

"My Family Time Dining is offered for the first seating time in our main dining room, for children ages three to 11. Kids enjoy their meal within 40 minutes of seating, before heading to the evening's Adventure Ocean activities. The program starts the second evening you're onboard. After that, you can use it each evening or whenever you wish."

Yeah, I guess I know that now. I called Princess and they say we can remove the travel agent from the booking with just an email to their RevenueSupportDepartment.

I hope your TA doesn't charge you a fee to cancel. :confused:

Another vote for Sierra Trading Post. They have all of the top brands & easy returns

For our Alaska cruises, the Gore-Tex (which are lightweight, wind & waterproof) jackets with a hood were perfect. I think you would get a lot of additional wear out of it in the PNW, makes much more sense than fleece for rainy weather. It's easy to layer under it, and they take up very little packing space. (However, I got them at Eddie Bauer in the mid 90s, and don't think they sell Gore-Tex anymore). I would check Sierra Trading Post as mentioned for Gore-Tex, and also the Marmot jackets.

Yes, you will have the choice of a queen-size or two twin beds in your Oceania Regatta stateroom. http://www.cruisecritic.com/regatta-deck-plans/dp/ocean-view-d/cc/. Looks like a lovely ship, enjoy your cruise!

lyndarra, regarding weather (not sure of your itinerary), but April/May and Oct/Nov are likely the best times to visit Memphis, TN. (I lived in Nashville for 5+ years). You won't experience uncomfortable hot (frequently 90+), and humid summer weather. It can be dry and sunny in Oct/Nov, with an increase of rain in November. The weather can change suddenly, so pack accordingly. Here is a forecast for November 2016, so depending on the week you will be in the South, high temps could average around mid 50s to high 60s, and lows from about 40 to 50 degrees: http://www.accuweather.com/en/us/memphis-tn/38103/november-weather/351089

My parents cruised on the Delta Queen a few times and loved it! We were able to board with them and see the ship prior to disembarking from Cincinnati. And for their 50th anniversary, we treated them to a Big Band theme cruise that featured lots of dancing to their kind of music. There are no formal nights, and my Dad took a sports jacket.

The steamboat cruise will feature much in the way of history and regional cuisine (be sure to give the beignets a try!), and has 'riverlorians' who tell the stories of the towns and hamlets visited- providing daily lectures and one on one. They are very visible on the ship and will answer questions just about any time.

I recall that they have a library offering fiction and non-fiction books that I believe are set in the towns that you will visit. And there were bikes on board to use in the towns at your leisure.

If you like barbeque, be sure to try some in Memphis, I like the dry rub ribs. Have a wonderful cruise! :)

thank you for your response!

You are very welcome, MASKMAN. :)

I have sailed on the Paul Gauguin two amazing times, however never on Windstar (although I always wanted to experience their 'exotic' Caribbean itinerary). The Wind Spirit and the Paul Gauguin both offer a watersports platform off the back of the ships. Wind Spirit has swim, kayaking, paddleboarding, water skiiing, and windsurfing. The PG has kayaking, paddleboarding, windsurfing, complimentary snorkel equipment.

I would suggest checking out the Paul Gauguin Cruises forum for discussion on PG vs. Windstar and similar threads: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=627. (You can do a Search there, such as 'Windstar'). You are sure to have a fantastic French Polynesia cruise ! P.S. Also peruse the Paul Gauguin Cruise Line forum for discussion on a variety of subjects: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=627. cool:

Hump cabins, towel animals, OBC. :) And how about that list of passenger questions, such as 'does the crew sleep on board?"!

I'm betting the OP is inquiring about the ship, Oceana and not the cruise line, Oceania.

Thank you for mentioning this P&O ship, I apologize that I wasn't familiar with it when I posted info on Oceania. :o

Welcome to Cruise Critic, apollo-13! See this CC article and scroll down to Oceania Cruises for dress code discussion:http://www.cruisecritic.com/articles.cfm?ID=545. And check out the Oceania Cruises forum: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=51. You can also do a Search for other questions you may have. Enjoy your first cruise! :)

Explorer's solarium does NOT have a glass roof. It is open to the elements.

 

OP, I would still take the swimsuits. They might be usable the first day or two as well as the last. You can always use the hot tubs also.

Thanks for the correction, I checked the Explorer deck plan which stated:

Solarium

The indoor/outdoor pool and lounge area can be covered during inclement weather by a huge glass roof.

Is the cover just never utilized?

gooch47, definitely take the swimsuits. Explorer OTS offers the Solarium, an indoor/outdoor pool and lounge area with a covered glass roof. We found the Solarium nice and toasty during our Alaska cruise on Serenade. While it is an adults only area, during inclement weather and select hours, the ship may permit the Solarium pool to be used by persons under age 16... provided they are directly supervised by a parent or guardian. And on our HAL Alaska cruise in September, we (surprisingly) experienced a rare pleasant 72 degrees in Ketchikan! Enjoy your cruise! :)

dagcruisers, I would suggest reviewing the British Isles/Western Europe forum for discussion on excursions, etc. http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=233. CC member boykin has a thread on British Isle ports there that may be of interest to you: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2363321. (You can also do a Search there). Check for your Roll Call as well, to meet others on your particular sailing.

I toured the Vision years ago and while she may not have all the bells and whistles of today's much larger ships, I prefer the smaller vessels. She is a nice size when you have a port-intensive itinerary. I've heard excellent things about the new R Bar, a 60s vibe with entertaining bartenders. (The R stands for Retro). Enjoy your cruise! :)

As mentioned, there are a few proposal threads, and I recall one where someone on the Roll Call took the photos and I think a violinist was hired to play. :confused: I suggest doing a Search (on the RCI forum) for illini grad proposal and reading through those threads. Best wishes!

texlar1, I haven't taken any of those tours, just walked Key West. But check out the Key West Ports of Call forum for lots of excursion discussion: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=155. :)

We are happy to be on the ship and enjoying ourselves, but...

 

Where is the food? >snip< The problems seem to be related to the amount of food and the time it takes to get it out of the galley. We are beginning to think this might be the first cruise we actually lose weight because of the difficulty of getting fed.

Very sorry to read of the food issues. My brother, his wife, and their two kids went on their first cruise (many years ago) on the Sovereign. I'll never forget being so shocked when they told me about the meager offerings of food on board, I truly found it hard to believe! I hope things improve on the Empress soon.