CGMCruisers

We are booked on B2B sailings in March of 2020.  I have a couple questions if anyone can help.

1)  Will they issue our Sea Passes on Day 1 for the 2 cruises or do we have to get it reissued for the second cruise?

2)  We always bring our alotted 2 bottles of wine on board when we drive/cruise.  Can we bring 4 bottles onboard on day 1 for both cruises?  

Input would be appreciated,

First time driving to this port, Any advice or insights to offer? Departing on Reflection (Celebrity) on Dec 18, 2017. Only one other large ship in port that day should make things a bit easier. Will be entering the port on the north side (staying at Embassy Suites on 17th St Causeway).

Has anyone driven to the Port to board Reflection. Any insight as to the usual terminal she is docked at/

Does anyone have copies of the Daily Compass for a Vision of the Seas 10 day cruise out of Tampa Bay? If so, please share. Thanks!

We have stayed at the Radisson several times. They do not offer free Breakfast but they do offer a B&B package that includes breakfast. However, since their restaurant can be very hectic on sail days, we recommend you save the money and just go across the street to McDonalds to have breakfast or carry it back to the hotel and sit by the pool and eat. When you book online and book the park n sail rate they upcharge the hotel rate to cover parking. However, if you just book a room ahead of time you can get very good rates. Then when you check out, just let a desk person know you are going to leave your car while cruising and they will direct you to the long term lot - I have NEVER been charged for parking when I do this. The desk personnel do not care whether you paid for parking or not.

The ship shuttle service from the Radisson is very good. Get on the first shuttle and you'll be at the port by 10:30am. They start showing up at the port on disembark day by 8:30am. If you prefer avoiding the rush and sitting close for a few minutes, there are taxis in the front lot - I think it is about $15 each way. Hope this helps.

We are currently Platinum and will become Emerald after our B2B this September. For the life of me I cannot figure out why they even bother with Emerald since it really has almost no additional perks attached. Maybe they think it will motivate you to keep going to Diamond or something. I've been told that NCL and Princess treat their past passengers much better than RCI/Celebrity.

Been cruising since 1986, but with more regularity since my second marriage in 2000. I have to tell you - it just never gets old. That first glimpse of the ship in port, that rush you get when you step onto the ship for the first time, the excitement of sail away... Personally, with few exceptions (Panama Canal is one) I don't really care where the ship is headed - for me it's all about being on the water, watching the horizon, feeling the sea breeze. For this reason I believe I like the medium to medium large sized ships best - those that preceded gargantuan status. The new huge ships seem to take attention away from the water and direct you toward the interior of the ship. That's not what I cruise for. As others have said, even sailing the same ship multiple times there is always something new to look forward to - a different class of cabin, trying a restaurant you didn't the last time, meeting new staff and cruisers at the various watering holes and in the dining room, a different excursion.

I only hope I continue to get excited at the prospect of a new cruise. Now that we are retired we are hoping to cruise more often and continue to see new ships (new to us) and new ports.

Wow, just reading all the rituals is getting me so excited for our next cruise. We usually try to get to the port early (no later than 11am) so we are never able to get into our cabin right away. We try not to carry on too much so we don't get exhausted before we can lighten our load. We'll usually wander around a bit, maybe grab some lunch before everything gets too crowded and then scope out a good spot for sailaway activities. Then we have to find our muster station of course. Since DH is a engineer/techie type and also sails on historic square rigged ships he then likes to grab a Long Island Iced Tea and get into position to watch them cast off lines, pull the anchor and maneuver the wondrous beast out of the port. I tag along with a suitable concoction of my own - maybe a Tequila Sunrise or a Greyhound! :D

This is a great thread! Glad I stumbled on it this morning - at work but no desire to do anything but cruise!

110 days and counting. Wanted to leave 12/31/2013 but that is a holiday for my company and they have a policy that you have to actually work on your last day with the firm. So, since Jan. 1 is another holiday, I'll have to show up on Jan. 2 to hand in my computer and vacate my space. I could always make 12/30 my last day but then I'd lose the pension funding for the entire year. Why does it have to be so complicated?

My DH is looking at exiting February 28, 2014. We've already booked Independence of the Seas for a combined birthday/retirement celebration sailing April 26.

As committed as I am in retiring, and even though I have no particular love for my current job, I often lay awake at night wondering what I'll do with myself with all that TIME! I have a feeling I'll end up getting a part time gig eventually. In the past I've done volunteer work sporadically and will probably look for something that interests me there as well. What I'd really like to do is go back to school but at 68 that is difficult to justify and the extra expense would not be condusive to maintaining our budget (heaven forbid my cruise $$ is not available! :D). So time will tell. My husband has no such hesitancies. He just cannot wait!

Someone once gave me some very good advise years ago - do not try to figure out the next 30 years - way too many variables - just concentrate on taking life in 10 year cycles. 10 years is more predictable and allows you more flexibility. So I figure it will take us most of that first 10 years to explore all the possibilities open to both my DH and myself and making memories for our grandchildren. Then we can spend the next 10 years zeroing in on what we most enjoy doing the most and, if we are truly blessed, the final 10 years reminiscing about all the wonderful times we had. ;) Not much else you can ask for.