tenmile

I second the Catamaran. They pick you up right at the ship dock, sail to the falls, take good care of you onboard and at the falls and on the way back you dance, drink and enjoy the scenery both on the shore and on the boat! We had a blast doing this!

Can you be picked up at the ship's dock in Falmouth? We're sailing on Royal Caribbean. Thanks.

Thank you, ditkafan, for sharing what you know. I got nowhere when I talked to the Royal Caribbean customer service rep either. He seemed like he didn't even know about the Barbie Experience that RCI has offered now for a year or more:rolleyes:. I wasn't able to find the list of events that are included, so I am glad you found it. It would make sense that the cruise line would drop an event or two if they are dropping the price.

I was surprised, too, when I made the reservation on the Pre-Planner that the time plugged in was 8 a.m. on the last full day of the cruise. Of course, the RCI customer service rep could not tell me if there was an actual activity scheduled then. Fortunately, we did not have another event scheduled, but I can understand your frustration when you were forced to cancel a character breakfast for the sake of a computer reservation for an event that, more than likely, will not happen at the time stated! If you booked your cruise through a TA, online or otherwise, you may want to contact them just to share your experience and frustration. Sometimes these TAs know who to contact in the cruise line to get results--especially if you want that originally scheduled character breakfast.

I just booked The Barbie Experience for my granddaughter when we sail on the Allure in March for 7 days. I was very surprised when I was only charged $199 instead of $300+. Does anyone know if RCI has dropped some of the Barbie activities or the room decorations and doll with this price drop? I applaud RCI if they adjusted pricing based on customer comments about the original steep price, but I will be disappointed if they have also removed some of the activities and perks. I can not get definitive information on the RCI website. I would love to hear from anyone who has recently experienced this program with the new pricing.

I just booked The Barbie Experience for my granddaughter on the March 23 sailing on the Allure. I was charged $199 which is less than the original cost of $300+, I believe. I am happy about the savings, but I am wondering if some of the program activities have been eliminated. Has anyone recently experienced The Barbie Experience at this discounted price? If so, please let me know if the Barbie doll, room decorations, tea, dance lesson, and fashion show are still included. Thank you!

Thank you for sharing such great pictures! I have a long year to wait before this trip, but I look forward to all the planning. Thanks to everyone for great advice and suggestions. I will keep my starboard cabin. :)

Not sure it makes any difference for NZ as you sail through the fjords except Milford where you go in and do a 180 and return. We did see the overland tour return and board through the starboard tender dock. Solstice is one of the largest ships to dock in Sydney and must dock bow out. That means the starboard side gets the opera house view and the port side gets the bridge and Hyatt. Have a great time.

Thank you so much for the information. We will keep the room we have booked!

Thank you everyone for your input. I just want to be sure we get a good view of the Opera House from the ship when arriving in Sydney. Of course, we can always go to an upper deck. I will be back on the boards to ask about good tours of the Sydney area and Great Barrier Reef as my planning progresses.:D

We have been on Solstice twice to NZ in the last 12 months. Both times we had a hump balcony, port side. Fantastic cabins and the best views in Sydney. We loved the depth of the balconies as we were always sheltered from wind or sun. The only time we heard any noise from next door was minimal. You will love it:D

Was the front of the Solstice facing inland or out toward the bay when it was in its berth? Thank you for sharing your experience.

I know this has been addressed before, but I can not seem to find the info on the CC boards. Which side of the ship is best for viewing the fiords and the Sydney Opera House and bridge on the Aukland to Sydney cruise on the Solstice---port or starboard? I think I read that the ship backs into its berth in Sydney. Is that correct? I booked the cruise today, and I booked a 1A cat. room on the aft side of the hump, starboard side. There were no starboard forward hump rooms available. Should I change my room? My TA discouraged me from booking a hump room b/c of noise from connecting room and door space. Will I miss some great views if I can not see forward from my balcony? Is the port side better? I appreciate any help from any of you who have sailed this route. This is our first time to sail Celebrity and to visit "down under." Thank you!

I know this has been addressed before, but I have perused CC boards and can not find the information. I just booked a cruise on the Solstice sailing from Aukland to Sydney. Which side is better for viewing the NZ Fiords and the Opera House/Bridge when docking in Sydney--port or starboard? I believe I read that the ship backs into its berth in the harbor. Also, I booked a 1A cabin aft of the hump with a larger balcony on starboard side. I have read on the boards that forward views will be blocked. Have I made a mistake in booking this cabin? The only 1A cabins forward of the hump are on port side. My TA discouraged me from booking a hump cabin because of noise from connecting rooms. This is our first Celebrity cruise, so I appreciate any advice on booking the best cabin for viewing in NZ.

We just booked cabin 8256 on the aft starboard side of the hump on Solstice for our New Zealand/Australia cruise. I am pleased to see pictures and good reviews of this cabin and 1A larger balconies. I purposely booked a starboard side cabin b/c of CC recommendations for NZ fiords and Sydney Opera House viewing when ship docks. However, the only 1A starboard side cabins still available are aft of the hump. Will I be able to see any view other than what is in front of us or what we have passed? My TA discouraged 2A hump cabins because of connecting doors/rooms and thinner walls. This is our first Celebrity cruise, so I appreciate any suggestions, especially from anyone who has sailed to NZ or stayed in hump cabin. Should I change to a hump cabin???:confused:

Thank you for sharing your information. We are sailing on a 7 day cruise in March on the Allure and I can no longer find the Barbie Experience information under activities or anywhere else in the cruise planner on the RCI website. We specifically selected this cruise (Spring Break) for my granddaughter who is a Barbie fanatic. We gave her a choice of Disney or Barbie and she definitely wanted the Barbie Cruise. I hope RCI is not canceling the Barbie Experience in 2014. Does anyone know? :confused:

Crowne Plaza is the furthest from the Harbor Shops but it is still walkable, less than a mile if you go through the back roads behind Comfort Suites. I don't know if you've ever been to Harbor Shops so I should say that it's not much of a shopping mall. There is grocery, liquor/wine, hardware, massage, nails, ice cream, 2-3 boutiques, and restaurants. From Harbor Shops you can take the Suntrolley to Galleria Mall for 50 cents.

 

There are a bunch of hotels on Stirling Rd near I95 (Hampton Inn, Hyatt Place, Hyatt House, etc)...they are near Oakwood Plaza which has a few chain restaurants (Red Lobster, TGIF, Ale House, etc.) and chain stores (Marshall's, Kmart, Big Lots, Home Depot, etc). There are also a few hotels on State Rd 84/SW 24th St near SW 9th Ave.(Hampton Inn, Best Western, Holiday Inn Express, etc) that are near a shopping center that has Winn-Dixie, Big Lots, liquor store, take-out chinese and pizza, fast food, Subway, a sports bar, a little Cuban restaurant, etc. There is a decent German restaurant across the street from there.

Thank you for your information. Is it safe to walk in the hotel areas on Sterling Road? We will have an 8 year old with us. We're trying to save some money where we can, but we still want a safe area (and decent hotel). I always appreciate the good advice you give on this thread. Yes, I have been to the Harbor Shops before--mainly looking for the restaurants, but good to know we can pick up the Sun Trolley there.:)

We are cruising March 23, peak of Spring Break, and hotel prices are high. I know Harbor Shops is just behind Embassy Suites, but are Crowne Plaza, Hyatt Place Convention Center, Holiday Inn Express, and Renaissance close enough to walk to the shops? Is there a nice airport (FLL) hotel with shops and good restaurants within a couple of blocks walking distance anyone can recommend? I need to book a hotel very soon, so I appreciate any suggestions.

For the fashion show they provide boas, sunglasses, and tutus. They wanted the girls in leggings. I would pack a nice dress for the tea party. My daughter (almost 7) really enjoyed it and felt very special. In the past we did a tea party at a disney resort which cost about the same amount. I felt this was a better value as there are more activities. Here is the paperwork we were given in the stateroom. [ATTACH]279551[/ATTACH][ATTACH]279552[/ATTACH][ATTACH]279553[/ATTACH]

Thank you for sharing this information. RCI won't let us book this event until 90 days out from the cruise, so I have some time. Good to hear your daughter enjoyed it. :)

My husband and I purchased the Barbie package on the June 9 Allure of the Seas for our niece. It was worth it to us because she is a quiet 7 year old who did not want to go to camp. If your kid is extraverted and would be going to camp I would not purchase the package. My niece enjoyed it. When she reached the cabin there was a Barbie poster on the door. She was very excited. When we walked in there was a Barbie blanket and doll on the bed with an extra outfit and a tierra for her to wear to the tea and cupcake gathering. Almost everyday there was a meeting for the Barbie girls. The second day (Monday) there was tea and cupcakes, (Tuesday) Barbie Fashion Design, something else on (Thursday) can't remember and the Fashion Show on Saturday (which is what she really enjoyed). The only thing that I wish is that I would have had the Barbie schedule beforehand because I made a show reservation on Saturday at the same time of the fashion show. Needless to say we missed the show because we all had to see her model. If you do decide to purchase the package, bring her a special outfit to model in because we didn't know and she wanted a new dress instead of her play clothes. And all the Barbie events on the Allure were around 5:00 pm. Hope this helps a little.

Thank you for the information. If I understand you, the girls model their own clothes in the Fashion Show, correct? Also, does the 5 o'clock event conflict with 6 p.m. dinner? We are booked for dining at 6. Thanks for your help.

We just booked 2 cabins on the March 23, 2014, cruise on the Allure. We are newbies to RCCL, but really looking forward to sailing on this ship! Are there any Central Park or oceanview balcony cabins or decks we should avoid? We do not want obstructed views, and it is difficult to tell when looking at the deck plans. Is there a website that lists obstructed view cabins for this ship? Has anyone stayed on Deck 14--is it noisy when cleaning pool area above in middle of the night? For now, we are booked in 12581 (Central Park) and 12608. Thanks for any help/advice!

I find it very very hard to believe that ANY company can compare to or beat Rome in Limo! WOW, they are WONDERFUL! Now, don't get me wrong.. if I feel something I pay for or order is not right, I am not afraid to give negative feedback where deserved. But in the case of Rome in Limo, my husband and I cannot say enough good things! They are awesome!

Jany and Duman are super and will help you organize any tours you wish to have. We had Rome in Limo for two days of our 7 days trip... wow, I wish we had used them more! They absolutely MADE our trip the fabulous time it was! We booked FIRST, then got others to join us... don't worry-- people will join you! Even if not, you will spend less $$$ for a more fabulous time than the Ship's very expensive (and inflexible) tours.

 

Rome in Limo is the MOST EXCELLENT tour company EVER! I highly recommend them...... I would never say this if it was not true... They will be flexible, have so much experience, and will help you determine when./how/where to go. Whenever my hubby and I reminisce about Italy and our Europe trip, so many times our best memories come down to what we did with Rome in Limo (not that the other parts were bad).... We had a fun time seeing the Amalfi Coast (without RIL), and kept saying to ourselves "How much better would this have been if we had used RIL for this part of the trip. Ship’s tours are “okay”, but they cost way more, and have no flexibility—with Rome in Limo, if you see something you want to examine, your driver will stop, unlike the ship’s tour buses. And the Limos can get you much closer to your destination.

I think I will have to rob a bank or win the lottery this week... I hope, as I SO want to go back to Italy-- and this time around, I would use Rome in Limo for everything! They are so trustworthy, great, excellent and worth every penny (altho they are very reasonable compared to the ship's tours). Good luck finding people to share your tour-- you WILL! Most people just wait til the last minute.. but if you are smart, you will reserve now and have things all worked out for your own desires/needs.

 

CThanks.. Sher near Seattle

 

I absolutely agree with Sher. RILretrieved a camera I left behind in the van during our Florence tour that had 10 days of cruise pictures. A RIL representative literally passed the camera through the window of the car we were in (driven by RIL) as we arrived at the Rome airport to head home four days later. I thought I would never see the camera again, but RIL is honest and will go out of their way to help. I'm not sure any other tour company would give that kind of service!

We are staying at the Embassy Suites one night pre-cruise on Feb. 22. Is there a store near the hotel where I can buy a piece of poster board and some markers to make a sailaway sign??

Embassy does not have an airport shuttle. You will need to take a cab; fare is less than $15. There is a port shuttle for a charge; again a cab is about $15 for two.

I hope the Embassy has a shuttle, because we booked their cruise package which includes shuttle from airport to hotel and then from hotel to cruiseport. We booked this on their hotel website.

Gilbert's is closer to ES but you can walk from Ren too (a few blocks). I have read some negative reviews about Hilton Marina here and on Tripadvisor, but I can't remember the specifics. Even with everything I have read I would think it would be fine. The location is great for water taxi, but it's a bit further to walk to places on 17th St, and the furthest of the 3 from Total Wine and Publix. I did notice yesterday that PeiWei, Chipotle and Shula's Burgers will soon be opening a few blocks away. Hotel prices will be highest November through April. I think that all of the hotels you mentioned will be fine so personally I would decide based on price. Renaissance is the most business-style of the hotels and probably gets the most consistantly good reviews but it isn't interesting at all.

Thank you for the information. One more question, and I apologize if it has already been answered somewhere else on this thread. Is there a website for the water taxi that shows the stops?

Royal Cruz, thank you for sharing all of your information. Can we walk to Gilbert's (highly rated on Tripadviser and highly recommended on a FLL restaurant thread) from either Renaissance or Embassy Suites on 17th Street? Also, has anyone heard any negatives about the Hilton Marina? We need to book a hotel for Fri. night prior to our 2/23 cruise. Should I expect prices to be high that weekend? I welcome any advice on hotel preference from those mentioned.

We returned from our cruise yesterday, and I can not praise RIL enough. I agree with the earlier posters. Their drivers are knowledgeable, safe, and they are willing to work with you to personalize your tour. We booked them for tours of Amalfi Coast and Florence/Pisa. Jany is prompt in corresponding with you--we will only use this company when we return to Italy. I left my camera in the mini-bus (there were 7 of us touring) on our Florence tour, and Duman contacted our driver, found the camera, and arranged for a driver to drive the camera from Livorno to Rome. I offered to pay for the inconvenience and he would not consider it. Our RIL driver who took us from our hotel to the airport yesterday met another driver who promptly handed me my camera before we were dropped off to check in for our flight. RIL's personal service and concern for their clients is exceptional!!

Has anyone sailed in a C Oceanview category cabin on the very aft of either the Grand or Star Princess ships? We were upgraded to cabin A748 on the Star Princess near the terrace aft pool (Aloha deck). The cabin has 2 portholes rather than a window. Can anyone tell me the pluses, minuses. Thanks.

We are cruising in early Oct. on the Star Princess. Will the weather still be warm enough to warrant use every day? I guess I want to know how protected the Sanctuary is from the wind? For those of you who have experienced this, please advise.

Also, am I correct that there is a service charge for the food served, but not for the food on the menu itself? Are bar drinks at regular charge plus a $3 service charge? Thanks for clarifying.

Linda