cruzecontrol

We ae sailing on the legend to Alaska in June and John Heald was to be the CD, but now it appears he will not be on that ship until July. There are some who are very disappointed because he will not be with us, but to me, it's no big deal. We've only been on about 10 cruises, but the CD has never mattered to us. Am I missing something by my lack of interect?

No - not as far as I'm concerned.

In order this is how I decide.

Price

Itinerary

Where the ship leaves from

Ship

This is the way I choose!:D

We have stayed in a promenade room twice - once on deck 6 and once on deck 7. On deck six we were right above one of the bars where they played music until 1:00 in the morning and we could definitely hear it in our cabin. We finally got used to it by the third night. No noise in the deck 7 cabin.

We always try to get a cabin next to or near the elevators and have never been bothered by any noise.

Just wondering if anyone has? If you buy outside insurance, what has been your experiences? Ever used it?

I have booked about half my cruises without insurance. My wife fractured her hip just before one cruise and thankfully we had purchased insurance and received a full refund - minus the cost of insurance.

We have bought the insurance ever since.:)

Texas has finished their Spring Break, so this week, almost everyone on the ships out of Galveston are not Texans, which changes the vibe.

Sorry but I don't understand the reasoning behind this statement. I can't imagine any cruise out of Galveston where almost everyone on the ship is not Texan.

Regarding the OP's question, my personal feeling is that the weather has something to do with the feel and vibe of the cruise. If it is winter in Galveston, the weather can be nasty (cold, foggy, rainy). Setting sail under these conditions definitely can cast a pall on the beginning of a cruise. Sometimes it can also carry over to the first day at sea.

PS. The weather can also be very nice with sunshine and relatively warm temperatures (60s). it is the luck of the draw.

What ship were you on?

The Explorer OTS in December and the Navigator OTS in February

On my December 2014 cruise I ordered my first on board pina colada - price $8.47

On my February 2015 cruise I ordered the same thing - price $15.15.:(

I probably got top shelf rum the second cruise but was not asked - still a very big jump.

Glad to see they now have upped the minimum bet

Why does this make you so happy?:confused:

Elise Stewart was CD on the Navigator OTS for our 2/15/15 cruise

OP - Please come back and continue your great review :D

When I first started cruising, I would check the weather forecast on the islands but discovered that in reality, they were really meaningless. As others have said, don't worry about it.:)

On our last cruise in December, the steward left a piece of paper in the cabin with a number of choices for you to check off. Just check off the separate beds option and leave the paper on the bed where he will see it.

Sorry about the problems with the RCI website. Their IT is not the best in the industry. I find Carnival's website easier to use.

I guess if you are delayed your son will be sitting and reading a book instead:).

Even so, he is very lucky to have you picking him up, as ground transit for that trip is an issue for many far-flung cruisers. I'd love it if a family member could give me a ride.

I guess in any event, if one of us has to wait, it's still the best solution to the problem. After all, the whole idea is to just get to the cruise terminal the next day and embark on our great cruise:).

yeah, that timing that drive might be a bit difficult. If traffic allows you to arrive early or if his plane is late, maybe you can find a coffee shop or restaurant to enjoy rather than the airport. be grateful for cell phones...it is easier to coordinate such pickups compared to the olden days.

The cell phone lot at the airport will be a big help. I can at least sit there and read a book while I'm waiting. My biggest fear though is getting hung up in traffic and being late to the airport.

Thanks for the response. Galveston Limo's last shuttle leaves Bush at 5:00 PM - too early for my son.

I guess the best thing to do is to pick him up myself although it is a little tricky to time a pickup at the airport following a 4-4 1/2 hour drive. I'll just have to leave early enough to make sure I get there in time to pick him up, but not too early to be sitting at the airport for over an extended period of time.

My son is flying into Bush Intercontinental Airport on Feb 14th, the day before our cruise. His flight arrives at 5:01 PM, can anyone recommend a shuttle from Bush to Galveston?

I am driving down and could possibly pick him up at the airport on the way, but it would be easier for me if he could just jump on a shuttle.

On our Visa, we get an authorization each night overnight in the amount spent on the Sea Pass that day. They would drop off a day or two after the cruise. The final single charge for the full amount of onboard spending usually showed up a around the time that the authorizations dropped off.

^^ This has also been our experience with AMEX.

Just call 800-722-5443 and they will be happy to put money on your onboard account.

Thank you. I will do that:)

Is it possible to add cash to my onboard account prior to boarding and still have my seapass charged to my credit card? I know in the past you could add a cash gift to someone's account. Is this possible and how do you go about doing it?

Really enjoying this review. Thank you. We will be on the Navigator in February. Getting close

Have fun if you go! How old is your Grandson? Have you cruised with him before? :)

My grandson just turned twenty. I have cruised with my wife and my son's family three times. This would be the first time the three of us (father, son and grandson) cruised alone.

Thank you both for the quick replies. I had not thought about capacity. We will check with RCI today about adding me to the reservation.

My son has booked a cruise for himself and his son on the Explorer for Dec 2014. Final payment has been made. He has asked me to join them. He has booked a cabin with a pullman bed.

My questions are can he add a third person at this time and will it affect his current rate?

:D Thank you for this information! It so pays to be out on CC! Friends were just asking about car rental and I said no. Now we are going to look also! :D:D

Be sure you check the Enterprise drop-off fee. I considered driving down from home and the drop-off fee was about $125.

Thank you both for the prompt replies:). It will be a big help knowing exactly where to go.