01 Cobra

Hi OP, I have done both Germaines Luau and the one at the PCC.

 

Thoughts from me and my DH:

 

I liked having transportation on the bus to Germaines, no worries if you choose to enjoy an adult beverage while watching the show and they drop you off right on location. My experience with Germaines Luau was by the Ocean and that was nice for our pictures before dark. We ate at tables that were right on the beach sand. They also allowed the audience to participate in one of the dances which was a lot of fun. They are a reputable company and consistent. I remember hearing the waves break and feeling the breeze from the ocean while we ate and watched the show, it was so nice. I still have our picture sitting on a table in one of our rooms and we do actually still have the glasses from there as well! I would do this Luau again.

 

The PCC was nice too but different. Not quite as intimate as Germaines and you park somewhere outside the PCC and after entering the PCC gates you make your way (aka walk) through what I will call the Center...(really a huge park, the cultural theme park) to where the Luau begins. We ate at one location and then moved to another for the show. My DH says in his opinion you can go to the PCC and just watch the show and skip the Luau part because the show is what's worth watching. The food was plenty and served buffet style. I thought Germaines food was better. The performance stages were set where everyone could see them. The performances were quite impressive and their show was much more theatrical and a bit longer than the one at Germaines. However there was no ocean breeze and we went during a hot time of the year and well, it was hot. I think this is when I started carrying a folding fan (they are usually wooden or plastic and collapse to fit in the palm of your hand) with me on vacation in my bag...it' s now a travel staple.

 

I am really glad I had an opportunity to experience them both. Please come back and tell us which one you choose and let us know about your experience.

 

Happy travels! :D

Thank you for sharing your experience! This is a marvelous review. I love the pictures of the trikes in Aruba. We have been there only once by cruise as well and we loved it just like you! The next time we go we will definitely be checking out the trike excursion. It looks like so much fun.

 

Glad you had a great time. San Juan has long been one of our favorite ports to cruise from. For some reason it's not as stressful to board there...

 

I'm looking forward to the end of your review...until then, I'm subscribed! :D

I was on the Jade in June for two weeks and the two best dining options we tried were Cagney's and the Teppanyaki restaurants. There is a wine bar right next to Cagney's and a great place to get a glass of wine if you arrive before your seating time if you get a reservation. And I highly recommend a reservation for Cagney's and Teppanyaki. Both were always full when we dined at them. Of course the Jade was in Venice in June so there was a larger crowd. Might be a little nicer and more calm in November. Enjoy! :D

I know I'm late to the party, but I just got done reading your review. My parents are going on the Ecstasy for their 40th anniversary next week and while they are not young bucks, they love comedy and I'm sure they will have a fantastic time on the ship. I enjoyed your writing style and pictures. Glad you had an amazing time. Thanks for sharing! All the best to you and enjoy your next cruise!

I am pretty sure you will have a choice...you can stroll over to the beach which you can see from the ship or you can take a water taxi for a few dollars per person to get over to the beach. It's probably a good 15-20 minute walk depending on your pace. There are chairs and umbrellas you can rent from vendors. on the beach. The water is normally very nice in the summer and there is a lot of shopping right there in the port and more as you walk over to the beach area.

 

Have a wonderful time!

My all time favorite go to color is Bogota Blackberry by OPI. It sounds really dark, but it is a lovely deep kind of red berry color with just a hint of sparkle.

 

For vacation, I love flashbulb fuchsia by OPI. :D

I was on the NCL Jade mid June and we went to Split. We took a river cruise tour that included a light snack and wine at a stop and then a bus back to town. For some reason I thought it was going to be a larger boat...but it was underwhelming. It was nice enough, but it was on a small 24 passenger boat where we all sat hip to hip with a tiny shade over our heads. By the time we go back, we had no time to explore on our own and the river cruise was not quite what I had expected. So, if I had it to do over again or we went back I would definitely go it on our own. The most interesting part was the walled city and we toured it quickly with our guide at then end with no real time to even buy a souvenir. We actually dived into a shop during the tour and bought two magnets and then ran to catch up with the group!

 

Split is lovely...no need to do a ship tour. It's literally just a few blocks from the port...

 

Enjoy!!!

You may want to check out the Ports of Call and read about Venice as other's have suggested.

 

Here is one:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2232235

 

"Does anyone know of a hotel in Venice easy to get to with luggage?"

 

Good Question...we stayed in the Marriott Boscolo which was a little over a block from the water taxi stop but you still had to walk over coble stone to get to the hotel...no bridge though believe it or not. A water taxi could deliver you to the front door of the Boscolo if you desire as well. Private water taxi's were running $130 Euros for 3 people to the airport from our hotel when I was there a few weeks ago. The Alliguna (sp?) was 15 Euro pp in advance and 16 onboard. You can purchase a ticket on board but it is frowned upon and correct change is recommended. You can purchase tickets for the Alliguna (sp?) at the airport or other stations with cash or credit cards.

 

Lots of ways to get to the port but it will start with a water taxi in most cases and the best bet it to take the Alliguna straight to the port. There is still a decent walk to the terminal and ship though...

 

Don't overpack...best advice I could give you. Take cash for water taxi's and if you dare go the people mover route have small change to buy your ticket. It was only 1.30 Euro but being the touristy over-packer I am, I lost about 3 lbs. pulling my 48lb bag and carrying my oversized purse/carryon to the ship. Did I mention I also had a cross body purse? Wow...I was never so happy to part with my luggage when I handed it over at the ship terminal.

 

The Rialto is walking distance from San Marco. 10 minutes walking purposefully if you know the way and don't linger in the shops.

 

Good Luck and have a wonderful time!

I was a first time NCL cruiser and on the NCL Sky 1-4 May. I did not know about the room service fee before boarding. I only found out when I went looking for the menu and breakfast order form and noticed the comments about the $7.95 fee for room service. We were on vacation and look forward to breakfast in our room... it's our wake up call. So we ordered our breakfast and paid the fee.

 

We don't hate NCL for doing this, and we are going on another cruise in June with them. I did feel a little duped though because I keep up with the cruise news... but obviously not close enough. They did make it seem like they were just trying it out, as if it would not be permanent. I wish I had kept the menu and one of the daily activity brochures because they talked about it on both. This is obviously going to be permanent...

 

I did see two glasses in the hallway near a room across the hall from us. Otherwise, they were keeping an eye on the dishes I think.

 

As for food leaving the dining room... I don't recall carrying anything out from the buffet or main dining room myself. However, I saw at the entrance way of each dining venue a person spraying the hands of guests coming and going, and there was a sanitizer machine at every dining entrance. Now, maybe that person was not just there to spray hands...perhaps the person was also there to monitor food leaving the dining venue???? :D :D :p

 

There was a ton of food on the ship and the pool areas were littered with cups, plates, bottles and left over food day and night. There just wasn't enough crew to handle the debris.

 

And on a crazy note, not once during the entire cruise did any single person who worked for NCL ask me or my DH if we wanted a drink. NOT once. So if you are looking for a cruise line that isn't hounding you to buy a drink every five minutes NCL is the ticket! HOWEVER, if you want a drink, good luck! You'll be chasing down a server or standing in line for at least 20 minutes!!! (no, we did not have the UBP) Maybe without that little sticker on our card we were at a disadvantage... not sure though.

 

So anyways, after all that...if you are still reading, yes I think $7.95 is too much for room service!!!! And now do I still need to tip the delivery person! Confused.

Orange top

 

Maybe it's the bright colors, but I really like this ensemble too!!! And the shoes you are bringing match every outfit! Have fun on your vacation!

Looking for some feedback on outfits I am proposing to take on a land and cruise vacation this December. We will be one week in Fort Lauderdale and then one week on Silhouette of the seas doing Western Caribbean route. I will attempt to post pictures of what I am considering taking to wear in the Main Dining Room for the 7 nights...

 

I love this outfit!!! The top looks very comfy and flowing, and I've been looking for a pair of great white pants to travel with... yours look very nice. And the shoes are so cute! One of my favorite colors! It looks like a gold cuff and earrings to go with the outfit, Perfect!

Loved your story! Thank you for sharing your vacation experience! I enjoyed the laughs too!

I bought the Teva wedges with sparkle on the strap, I may not take any other dress shoes! They're really comfortable too

 

 

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Mine are just brown, but they will go with everything casual. I may just have to look for another pair with sparkles though if these work out!

Indiana71: I usually like to wear new shoes a couple time before taking them on a cruise. Even flip flops because they can rub the side of my foot and cause blisters easily. For that reason I normally buy them a half size up!

 

I bought a pair of Teva sandals that have a little wedge heel about a week ago. I wore them around the house one evening and they felt fine. I try to wear shoes inside on the first walk through just in case I need to return them.

This is what most trundle beds look like...the one on the floor....

I have to search...but I do have one. The trundle beds are actually beds that are on the floor of the room in a little frame. My son is close to 6 ft and 200 lbs. I would never ask him to sleep on one. They are ok for small children...maybe. But let me search my pics and I'll try to post it. Be mindful...these beds will be put in your room nightly while you are at dinner most likely and then removed in the a.m. or staged against a wall depending on your cruise line and your request. They will take up the walking space in your room.

It does depend on the child as many have responded. My son has been cruising since he was 4 years old and he is now 15 with about 11 cruises under his belt.

 

He doesn't like to be on his own on the ship unless he is heading off to sleep. Otherwise he participates in ship activities and meets friends in his age group. He actually makes friends fast and he prefers 7 day cruises over the shorter ones. I think that has to do with the bonding time/time it takes to make friends.

 

We started out slow when he was 12 (ok, maybe 11.5) and made arrangements to meet at our room or another location after he finished a scheduled activity. He always adhered to our rules and was never late. At 15, we still have rules (never enter another persons cabin for example) and often require meeting times and demand a return to the room for the night hour unless he is with us.

 

Honestly, it's kind of funny because we end up eating pizza (not healthy I know) at late hours of the night and he is there with a group of friends and we close the night after our late night snack. Not normal for our home routine, but fun for vacation. He still loves us and he still follows the rules!

 

In my opinion, each child is different and would require guidance that fit their maturity level and circumstances.

 

Happy Cruising!

Our son is 15. We took him to get his passport on 14 March and his new one was in the mailbox today 7 April. We just did regular processing.

 

One thing to note. I called to make an appointment to get our son's passport renewed since he is a minor. I called three post offices that process passports and the best appointment I could get was two weeks out from the day I called. If you live in an area like northern VA, you may want to take the amount of time it might take to get an appointment for a minor child's passport into account when considering how long it will take to get the passport.

 

Just my experience.

I am still enjoying your review!!! I leave tomorrow for a quick 2 night cruise to nowhere, but when I get back from nowhere I'll check back in and catch up on your very entertaining Allure review!!!! :D :)

Loving your review...i am soooo subscribing, I love your humor! You are a fantastic writer!

Signed,

A true fan!!!

My car is a 2001 Mustang Cobra :D

So, my cruise doesn't sail until the 19th, but we are leaving tomorrow to spend some time on the island (PR) before we cruise.

 

I am going to save my vacation spread sheet lists for future use because I think it will take less time to just update them instead of starting new.

 

I will try to have DH take some pictures of me in my outfits so I can post a few when I get back.

I cruise in 10 days! Already packed and ready to go! I posted pictures on this thread of a few things I was trying to decide on as I packed. I got some great feedback and it was fun to post pictures of things I was trying on. The photos gave me a really good perspective. Better than a mirror.

 

I packed one black cocktail dress for formal night and a grey lace skirt and 3 pair of capris for other dining evenings. I packed 14 pairs of shoes:D :eek: of which 5 are flip flops.

 

And how I the world do you pack a floppy beach hat? I couln't remember how I brought it home from PR. So, I just rolled it in tissue paper. I hope it makes it ok.

For work, i plan my outfit the night before, to include the under garment essentials and hand bag as well as accessories. If I am going in early to work out, the work out outfit is also staged in the bathroom the night before so I don't have to think too hard in the morning. Mornings are tough without that first cup of coffee.

 

As for packing for a trip...work trips get less extra stuff...maybe an extra blouse and pair of stockings but I'm pretty much no nonsense for work. Suits, work out clothes and an after work outfit for dinner if necessary. I repeat jewelry, shoes and hand bag on work trips. Same perfume every day! Coco mademoiselle.

 

Vacations get more extras but not too much. I plan my outfits but allow some mix and match opportunities with tops and shoes. I always take a lot of swim suits and if I had enough I'd wear a different one every day! We love to travel and I think I get better at packing every time we go. However I have yet to wear every single thing I've taken on a trip! Well except for the a three week trip to Hawaii a couple years ago...we had to get laundry done twice!

OK, just two bags. The first one is a Vera Bradley I bought in Hawaii. It is hard plastic but has some flex and I use it when I go to the pool or beach. It sits nicely at the bottom of a beach bag and if I'm using a fabric tote, it gives it some shape and it sits better....if that makes sense. I honestly do not know what the intended use of the VB bag is, maybe make up...but it's great to stick my phone and a few other necessities in that I don't want to loose at the bottom of a larger Beach tote.

 

The other bag is something I also found in Hawaii. I have two of them in different prints. They are waterproof bags by Dakine...a popular brand in Hawaii I think. They fold into a little pouch that is actually a pocket on the outside of the bag. This is not a new concept, but for the conscientious who want to save on space but still have choices, this is an idea to consider.