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Ron_L

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Posts posted by Ron_L

  1. Just arrived here in Belize, second stop on our cruise with the wonderful Norwegian Star. I've read all the critics regarding the service and the staff on board but I've made much better ones over the last couple of days. Never met such an helpful and frienly crew before, it's amazing. Joey, Ricardo, Rene, Chadney, just to name a few of them, did an excellent job so far so really nothing to complain. If you're going on a cruise in the near future a very helpful team is waiting for you trying to give all the best you could expect.

    Okay let's visit Belize now, ready for the second half of our cruise.

     

    Cheers Callimero

     

    That was our experience last week, too! Everyone went out of their way to make sure that we were taken care of!

     

    Enjoy Belize and the rest of your cruise!

  2. We took taxis in Tampa three times last week and had two of the drivers try to charge us more than they should have.

     

    The first time was our ride from the Downtown Embassy Suites to the port. Both spots are within the $3/passenger flat rate zone so the fare should have been $6. When we got to the port the driver told me it was $10! When I questioned it she said it was because we had a lot of luggage. We had three pieces of luggage and the hotel bellman loaded them in the trunk, and the porter at the port unloaded them. She never touched them! If she had charged me the $6 she probably would have gotten $10, but not after that. Even the porter agreed that she wasn't right.

     

    The second time was from the port to our hotel after the cruise. In Tampa there is a flat rate zone for rides from the airport to the downtown area and from the downtown area to the airport area. The rate is supposed to be a flat rate of $25. The driver who picked us up at the port after our cruise to take us to our hotel did not put on the meter. The hotel (Bay Harbor Hotel, Rocky Point area) seemed to be outside of the flat rate zone, but it was close, so I didn't think anything of it. When we arrived at the hotel he told me the charge was $30! I questioned it and he mumbled something I couldn't understand and changed it to $25. If he had said $25 up front he probably would have gotten $30, but after that he got the $25 and that's it.

     

    So, if you are cruising out of Tampa and will be using taxis, make sure that you know how much it should be. the different special rate areas are posted on one of the windows of the taxi or are shown here...

     

    http://www.hillsboroughcounty.org/DocumentCenter/View/7098

  3. You may also want to check into the fact that I don't believe there are any chairs on the island. I read somewhere that you should bring beach towels and be prepared to sit on them. This may be difficult with knee injuries.

     

     

    There are picnic tables and a nice gentleman renting chairs. Regular chairs were $5 and loungers were $10. There were more folks selling crafts than when we were there a few years ago but the island is still beautiful and the rum punch that Rojo with Belize Ecotours made was excellent :D

     

    Their boat is smaller and holds about 40 people. It is a big step to get in and out but they help you both ways.

  4. Oh my, went out for a bit and came home to all your wonderful replies.

    Callimero..we would very much like to join the roll call. Jim & Andrea.. Balcony Deck 9 Port. Will be driving south for about an hour, park at Parking Doctors. This was a last minute idea and spend the kids inheritance;) Good news NCL Star is the only ship at port when we leave and return. RV Sullivan..yes late lunch is around 2 ish, this way we have time get settled in our cabin and to watch the ship go under the bridge. Always miss that, usually at dinner. And indulge later in the evening with merriment. Again many thanks ..see ya 'll in 10 days from the "Jersey" transplants.

     

    Have a great cruise! We're leaving on Sunday so we'll be getting of when you are getting on!

     

    For the roll call, go to the roll call thread...

     

    http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2164156&page=18

     

    and introduce yourself there.

  5. Let me first start off by saying that I love Cruise critic....borderline obsessed..... Lol. This will be my 10th cruise but only second on NCL. I'll be on the Breakaway in June. My first experience with NCL was a lot different than what I was use to and was hesitant to book again, but I was in a 2 bedroom family suite with an adjoining mini suite which was the nicest room we ever booked. Anyway all of these negative reviews about the Breakaway is making me want to cancel ( too smokey, bad layout, too crowded, balcony so small no room for legs). I know everyone has their opinion and I am choosing to read all of this, I guess I am just disappointed because I am spending a lot of money for 2 cabins and just want it to be great! From the pics the ship looks amazing!

     

    Relax, Mom :D

     

    You have plenty of time if you really want to change your mind, but just to put things in perspective, we read the same things before we went on the Epic in 2014 and we had a great cruise and none of the issues that "everyone" warned about were a problem.

     

    I'm not saying that folks concerns about the Epic or now the Breakaway are not real, but you're reading reviews from a handful out of roughly 4500 passengers on each cruise. It's a very small percentage of the people who have been on the ship.

  6. We recently took a cruise on the Sun, and some days in the Garden Cafe they would set up an area in the corner to offer something extra. For example, one day they set up a taco bar one day and a lobster pasta bar another day. On another day they set up something they labeled a "Hawking Bar" if I remember correctly. It was basically a soup bar where they give you chicken broth, and you can add mushrooms, sprouts, celery, carrots, chicken, etc. It was very good and a big hit with the wife, but does anyone know what this was? We want to make this at home, but can't find any reference to it anywhere.

     

    Hmmm... Do they do this on all ships?

  7. :)my wife and i went to goffs caye and had a great time it is beautiful small and full of flavor right on the reef you can snorkel drink free rum punch lay on the beach we loved it we were able to leave whenever we wanted to next boat out we took the last boat back as we enjoyed spending all of our time in this beautiful spot and on the last boat back they brought the cooler full of rum punch back so we had all we wanted on the ride home

    they also had a grill and the food was good and about 6 dollars not bad

     

    We're heading there in a couple of weeks! Who did you book through?

  8. Although I know NCL has freestyle/casual dining, I do recall that they designate one night on a 7 day cruise as the "formal" night (if you choose to), which I believe is the same night you can take pictures with the captain. I would love to know what night that is. Also, what night they have the white hot party. Thanks! I hope you have a great time!

     

    Based on the dailies posted in this thread...

     

    http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2276094

     

    Norwegian's Night Out was Monday and the White Hot Party was Friday.

  9. Thanks for the input. I might email them with these concerns. The reason we chose LFK over Maya Key was because we could come and go on our schedule and Maya Key is only for 4 hours.

     

    Everything that I've read about Maya Key is that you can come and go as you please as well, plus it's only a 5 minute boat ride from the dock.

     

    We'll be there is less than two weeks so I'll know for sure after we return.

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