cruzincurt

Since the introduction of my time dining, we go for a two top. We don't like taking hours to eat and often skip dessert.

All of the cruise line seem to have figured this out except for Holland America. They would always try to seat us with others, when we declined we would sometimes have to wait over an hour for a two top. Then we often ended up on the second floor and they would try to synchronize us with the late seating. In the meantime, I would see two tops empty, not reset for an hour. When asked about them they would say they were reserved????

So, we like to come and go on our own schedule, not sit around trying to make small talk with strangers.

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Several years ago I was involved in a re-design of a major University library. We moved the entrance to the second floor to maximize book storage on the ground floor (weight). The University advised us to design in escalators as the students would be too lazy to walk up any steps. So we did.

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While standing at the rail for sailaway, a man next to me told his wife in a very authorative voice "we'll be leaving as soon as the tug boats get here", then we pushed away with the thrusters.

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Overheard a woman complaining that she had been upgraded to a suite and that it was just too big for her.

Another time following a couple out to the Lido deck "Look Marge they have a pool"....duh

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You are assuming that everyone gets off. Not so. We haven't gotten off the ship there for many past cruises.

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So, on several of the newest ships they have built-in USB charger jack's, either at the desk, and

one ship, below the headboard lights on each side of the bed.

These switched off along with the cabin lights when the cabin key card was removed at the door. So, we could charge devices while we slept.

On a recent HAL ship, the steward unplugged our 120v chargers if we weren't in the cabin.

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There is a large pharmacy in the MEGA store at the South end of downtown Cozemul. It's their equivalent to a super Walmart. It looked very professional to me versus some of the hole in the wall pharmacies at the cruise docks. I was looking for something OTC so I don't know what you would be able to have filled there Rx or not.

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So the urban legend is that they go to your cabin, open the safe, and search for your passports. Assuming you are due back on board 30 min before casting off , so when do they do this? 30 min, 15 min, or right at scheduled sail time?

I've watched many people show up in that 30 min period. Certainly they haven't dispatched tens of crew members off to the cabins just in case?

Seems to me if would take time to determine what cabins to go to, get there, open the safe, search, close the safe and get down to the gangway. Lots of minutes.

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I'm still trying to figure out what "we have an investment in the Mariners Society" means and what that has to do with being allowed to take bycicles on a cruise ship?

We have been on a cruise where we watched probably 50 people leave the ship on bycicles as a special group at each port.

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Aside from cruise ships, when did it become acceptable to take fluffy into the grocery store? It started out with big box pet stores, then Home Depot, now it's everywhere. These are not service dogs sitting in the kiddo part of the shopping cart.

I've had dogs and cats and would never think to take them shopping.

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The worst I've witnessed was on a HAL cruise where people knocked others down rushing into the welcome back party once the doors opened. Haven't attended a HAL party since.

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I suggest a $1 three reel straight muliplier​ (not a progressive) ie., 600, 1200, 1800 for example and play three coins. Some like the Wheel of Fortune because of the potential SPIN feature. My DW actually hit it for $1000 once.

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Ok, so my "most" should have been "some" including the US Virgin Islands.

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We live near Tampa and go down to Ft Lauderdale the day before in case of: brush fires closing the interstate, Alligator Alley closings, traffic accidents, road construction, etc. Last trip down added 1 1/2 hours due to construction and traffic conjestion.

I wonder if a new cruise iterenary to Cuba adds any customs clearing time once back in the US. $75 cab fare won't get you very far.

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I think the problem on steps is that Americans drive on the right and most Europeans on the left. So going up or down on steps we run in to each other.

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Yep, MYOB

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My experience is that they don't stick to boarding times. They really want to get everyone on board as soon as possible but they suggest boarding times to try to even out the flow into the terminal. I suggest you all show up together and you will all be waiting in line anyway.

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At least they're not getting in a car and driving home. We quit going out on New Year's many many years ago after encountering a weaving driver. We sometimes have the advantage of the drinks package and never drink enough to beat it.

The one that gets me is the bucket of beer special. But as others have said, we've not seen a drunk in the public spaces, only one fist fight that may or not been acohol related.

Seems to me if someone typically gets drunk, they will do so regardless of a drink package.

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We take two single person light blankets to use for a nap or when it's windy/cool on the balcony. We have the steward remove the heavy comforter and put on a standard blanket. Plenty of room in the suitcase since we don't take over the door shoe holders and some of the other recommended stuff.

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We always park at the port lot or garage even though it might be cheaper off site. My DW won't stand around waiting for a shuttle. We walk directly to the car and hit the road.

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In April we missed Costa Maya due to rough seas. No great loss IMO. Just headed back to Tampa a bit slower.

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A couple of years ago coming back through​ the Florida Straits we came upon a boat of Cuban refugees. Ship stood by until a Coast Guard cutter showed up in about 45 minutes. The ship stood away and the cutter shielded the pickup actions from the prying phone cameras on our ship.

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Saw a dad dipping a diapered kiddo in and out of the hot tube like a tea bag. I don't use hot tubs anymore.

Be sure that temperature device has been calibrated before you leave, especially if you travel on HAL - some cheerleaders will not believe you were too hot or too cold even with a thermometer - they will say the temperature was correct but you were too hot or cold because of the climate you were experiencing on your cruise ;)

So true about the HAL cheerleaders, but our April cruise on the Oosterdam, recently out of drydock, we were able to crank the cabin down to 68deg in the Caribbean. Coldest Caribbean cruise cabin. Now if HAL could only figure out what my time dining and table for two means, they might see us again.

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Battery travel alarm clock with temperature display. Resolves all issues with the DW complaining the cabin is too hot or too cold. Took me twenty cruises to figure that out.

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