CRUISER2B

Does anyone know if you can board before your allotted time? I'm scheduled for 2:30 pm and was hoping to get to port about 12:30 or 1 pm. I have a 4 hour drive and am allowing for traffic, etc. Thanks.  

On 10/21/2018 at 1:43 PM, newfiegirl4 said:

So glad to hear she is still in good shape. My friend and I will be on her Nov 24th. 

Has anyone see a thread for this date? I'm sure I posted to a roll call ( I know or I thought I read that there are no roll calls for under 7 days) but I did post somewhere about the cruise but cannot find it anywhere. I've been searching for the date  and it's not listed. Can someone please help? Thank you,

Cathy

I also will be on her on the same days.  First cruise on Celebrity.  Already booked Le Petit Chef at Qsine.  Can't wait.  Also a whiskey tasting and cocktail class.  Waiting until on ship for spa booking.  This is a belated 33rd anniversary trip.  

Hi all, I'll be sailing on Celebrity for the first time next month on the Infinity for 5 days.  I currently have an inside cabin booked.  I just got an email to bid for an upgrade.  Is this worth it?  Has anyone ever done it?  Thanks everyone.  

My family (hubby, Mom, Mom in law) and I are looking to book our first Celebrity cruise. We are looking at the Infinity on Nov 24. Since this is a last minute decision, we are going inside cabin. Can anyone tell more about cabin numbers 7901,7903,7905? Thanks. :)

My hubby and I are on this cruise also. We are flying in on Friday morning early but to FLL from JFK (fingers crossed).

 

Just spoke to MSC and as of right now everything is still a go. They will update as changes occur. It will be on website home page and on the phone while waiting on hold. Bahama is still up in air.

 

Not good. Worried about rough seas after storm. Hubby is prone to seasickness. Thank goodness for the patch. :)

UPDATE: Changed my flight from Friday AM to Thursday AM. Extended hotel stay. We will get in before storm hits. This way I can avoid any potential flight delays or being bumped from flight due to cancellations and overbooking.

MSC website still shows no itinerary change. Still think Bahamas might be cancelled. Key West or extra Sea Day is my guess.

My hubby and I are on this cruise also. We are flying in on Friday morning early but to FLL from JFK (fingers crossed).

Just spoke to MSC and as of right now everything is still a go. They will update as changes occur. It will be on website home page and on the phone while waiting on hold. Bahama is still up in air.

Not good. Worried about rough seas after storm. Hubby is prone to seasickness. Thank goodness for the patch. :)

Thank you. Maho entertainment area sound exactly what I looking for after my tour.

Thanks for the responses. I was worried about this happening. I wanted to see a quick overview of the island then some quick shopping. Looks like I will have to modify it if the market is closed as well as the shops. I will contact Bernard tours and see what I can do.

I am on the MSC Divina and will be in ST Maarten on Tuesday October 11th. It will be our first time there. We are docking at 1:30pm and leaving port at 9:30pm. I am looking into Booking with Bernards Tour (no beach stop) and have been in touch.

Now my concern is if the Market, shops, etc will stay open late? Can anyone let me know since I thought that I read they close early even with ships in port.

Thanks you so much.....

Thank you for all your information...

We decided to book directly with Chilkoot for option #2. We are traveling train up/van down.

Needed time to explore/shop in Skagway.

Very excited. Meets all the needs of my party of 6. YAY!!!!

option 1 - you go up and down on the train not getting off.

 

option 2 - you go one way on the train and travel the other way on a bus.

 

option 2 is my choice due to getting to see the other side of white pass. the train is great, but do you want to go up and back down on the same train?

I was leaning to OPTION 2 also but wasn't sure the bus ride. Thanks for the response.

I am traveling with 5 other family members. We have decided to do the train tour. We have 2 options. If anyone that has traveled either or both, can please give us the pros and cons, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you.

Option 1: ALASKA SHORE EXCURSIONS

---------------------------------------------

Skagway White Pass Railroad Summit Excursion

Our most popular Skagway excursion! Take an unforgettable journey aboard the "Scenic Railway of the World" to the White Pass summit. Begin your excursion as you board the train in Skagway and travel 20 miles from tidewater, to the Summit of the White Pass - a 2,865-foot elevation! Every passenger enjoys vast canyon views and complimentary bottled water throughout the fully narrated tour.

Relax in vintage passenger coaches as you retrace the original route to the White Pass summit, passing Bridal Veil Falls, Inspiration Point, and Dead Horse Gulch. Enjoy a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles, and historic sites. See the original Klondike Trail of 1898 worn into the rocks, a permanent tribute to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of fortune.

Duration: Approximately 3 hours (Roundtrip from downtown Skagway.)

Option 2 FRONTIER TOURS

--------------------------------

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad and Klondike Highway Combo

Combine stunning views from the historic White Pass train with scenic stops for photos along the Klondike Highway.

The famous White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad takes you on a 28 mile (1 ¾ hours) journey between Skagway, Alaska, and Fraser, British Columbia (or opposite direction), aboard the narrow gauge Scenic Railway of the World built in 1898. This railway is an International Historic Civil Engineering Landmark (along with the Eiffel Tower and Statue of Liberty). Experience the breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers, gorges, waterfalls, tunnels, trestles, and historic sites as you climb almost 3,000 feet in 20 miles. See the original White Pass Trail of '98 worn into the rocks, a physical testimony to the thousands of souls who passed this way in search of fortune. Fully narrated with stories of Railroad and Klondike Gold Rush history. Vintage passenger cars are heated and have large windows and restrooms. Seating is first come, first served and will be in a passenger car with potential others not from our tour group.

PASSPORTS (or equivalent) ARE REQUIRED.

The highway portion of the tour features many stops for photos and any wildlife sightings. You will either disembark or board the train at Fraser, BC with stops and the remainder of the tour is done by vehicle.

The 3.5 hour Tour includes the highlights of the White Pass as far as Fraser, B.C. with stops including below (stops may vary due to traffic/weather conditions/border wait times/road construction, etc.)

• Summit Lake

• Tormented Valley

• Welcome to Alaska sign

• Moore Creek overlook

• Pitchfork Falls

• Views of the railroad tracks from the highway

• Scenic overlook of Skagway. (Gold Rush Cemetery not included)

• Additional stops time permitting.

Hi, I want to ask, how is the food quality on board the Volendam's main dining room and buffet area? Any particular food items or secret/special items on the main dining room's menu you people here may recommend?

I am on the Volendam on May 10th. I have traveled with a large group. As everyone here is saying, food is very subjective.

On my last Carnival cruise in October, I hated the main entree choices but everyone else loved it. I had the chilled soup (loved it) and 2-3 appetizers for main meal and fruit and hot tea for dessert. I was happy and so was everyone else.

So sit back, view the menu and order what you want...Mainly, enjoy yourself (your on vacation!) :)

Welcome to CRUISE CRITIC!

I am also in the planning stages of my first Alaska Cruise. I will gie you a short rundown as I am also doing this on a budget.

1) HAL Volendam - 5/11/16 out of Vancouver. Inside passage route both ways. Ports: Juneau, Skagway, Ketichikan.

2)Flying in and out of Seattle. Using Amtrak to and from Vancouver. With AAA discount $32 per person per way. Using Alaska Airlines from JFK to Seattle and Southwest from Seattle to Islip NY. Have $436 credit with Southwest otherwise would have flown home via Alaska Airlines. :)

3) Still determining excursions. Will start booking after final payment of cruise is due on 2/14/16. But have some ideas.

4)Flying in day before. Staying in Vancouver for 2 days, then 3 days in Seattle before returning home.

If you have any questions, please let me know. There are those on this sight that are more knowledgeable since they have already been to Alaska but I will give any help I can on my recent planning.

Enjoy the journey as planning is only the beginning....

I have been to Key West several times. This time I am going for me and DH interests. Will be trying to visit the following: Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe, Key West Key Lime Pie Co, Cuban Coffee Queen, Key West First Legal Rum Distillery. If still time then Key West Distilling.

THANK YOU both (MRSFUZZMO & ZQVOL) for your help...

How far is dock to town? Can it be walked or do you need a taxi. Booked on Carnival Ecstasy in October 2015 for my 30th Anniversary.

Last time I was there was with my kids in 2004. We spent the afternoon at Paradise Beach, then back to ship for dinner then walked around shops at pier. We were all exhausted.

This time its adult time. Hubby and I may go on a motorcycle tour. Not sure if dinner on ship or in town. Any recommendations for dinner? Shopping?

Also need tour for in-laws, mother and 2 of their friends. All in 70's/80's. Would like to avoid beaches. Can anyone help with a tour recommendation?

As always, thank you all....

So are my in-laws. With a group from their neighborhood. Love MSC. Was unable to go this time due to my 30th Anniv in October. Visiting them again after short cruise on Carnival. Have Fun.

Which ship? My in-laws are going on MSC the same day.

Hey all my boyfriend and I LOVE going on trips.. add in our bikes and we are in heaven could anyone post a link or give me more info on this.. It's the first I have heard of them and I think we have been missing out!!

Here is the link for the cruises that I was looking at: http://www.cruise-eta.com/

Enjoy!! Prices not much different than cruise itself.

Hi guys.

I've just watched a really good programme on the systems onboard the Royal Caribbean Allure of the seas. Looking at the ship there is a huge H (A helicopter pad) at the front, which reminded me of something that happened on the last day of our Poesia cruise.

 

On the pool deck, just by the pirana bar next to the doors to go inside there was a picture of the ship. This picture had a text box overlayed indicating there was a helipad in the middle of the ship, on the walkway above the Mojito bar.

 

Obviously this isn't the case as nothing could land there, or any area of the ship. Does anybody know were there plans originally for a helipad?

 

Cheers,

WOW! Never noticed. Good eyes...

Hi Guys!

 

Check out the signature!

 

7 months till our next cruise.....Watch out for Live from the Musica!

 

Regards,

Cannot Wait!!

We toured Cartagena with Claudia on December 16, 2012.

 

Our tour, organized through a Cruise Critic Roll Call thread, was **supposed** to be customized to include going into the Fort. In all other respects, it was the "city tour" as advertised by Claudia.

Claudia met us promptly with a modern appearing mini tour bus. We promptly boarded the already cool van and off we went. Claudia is well spoken, well organized and professional giving us a lot of information as we traveled.

 

In all respects, the tour was exactly as advertised. Which is the problem since we had requested a customization -- entry INTO the Fort. The entry INTO the Fort had been verified by the roll call tour organizer by email shortly before sailing. Entry INTO the Fort was the specific condition upon which my sister and I joined the tour. It did not happen; no explanation was provided by the tour operator.

 

We didn't care for the dungeon shopping area. Our disappointment is probably due to the fact that we believed the area would be local crafts and artisans -- it was a lot of "tourist" type shops .... plastic do-dads, linen, jewelry trinkets. We were surprised to see "pre-Colombia relics" ... which to my archaeologist sister, appeared pretty authentic. Claudia explained that the items were "probably not" relics and the provenance to be provided by the shop would indicate the item was a replica (put all of that in air quotes.)

 

The emerald museum is just a minimally disguised jewelry store. Yes - there is a display but very little attention or time is given to viewing it. The store employee whisked us through the museum with minimal time to see the displays, and delivered us to the shopping floor.

 

Cartagena is a beautiful old city ... with aggressive street vendors. It became near impossible to be polite as they just. did. not. quit.

Your viewpoint is ALWAYS welcome to me. I like to hear all opinions to make an educated choice.

Since we did not "customize" our tour and was only looking for an overview of the city, I cannot comment one way or another as to the problem you ran into. I also found that the Emerald Museum was a "jewelry store", however since it was the end of the tour it was not a problem. By then we were tired and after the short history of the emerald mining in Columbia, I looked quickly at the shop then headed to the AC'd van to wait. The "dungeon shopping" was mostly "touristy" but since it was my only chance to shop I took it. I had a friend that wanted a shot glass--no better place to get it. :) I found that the street vendors were pushy but a quick "NO" and walkaway usually worked. Claudia pushed away anyone that became overly aggressive. Since most of my party was elderly, I was grateful. I am sorry that your tour did not include a stop you wanted but hope you enjoyed what you did see and do.

Have a Happy New Year and to another year of cruising....

We just got back a few days ago from our cruise and a tour with Dora.

 

I have to say that I completely agree with the above poster as far as our satisfaction with Dora’s product is concerned.

 

She pays extra to be on the dock close to the ship (Your entry fees are paid at the attractions, too). Your name(s) are prominently displayed on a sign she carries plus posted on the front window of the bus. There is no confusion as we have found in other tours.

 

The bus is spotless and the driver extremely competent. She took us on a great, comprehensive four (4) hour tour, but, where Dora pleased us the most was her flexibility.

 

Initially, I had requested that we find a sloth for my wife to hold as that had been her dream since a child and she responded that she knew of one and would fit it into the tour.

 

As luck would have it, the two places that offered a sloth were closed. My wife was crushed as this was to be the highlight of our cruise.

Dora got on the telephone and located another sloth and we travelled there..

 

 

Now, how many tours will go out of their way to accommodate a guest like this?

 

I can’t speak for the other tour operators as I haven’t experienced their wares, but I can tell you that we would take Dora’s tour again in a hot second.

 

It was simply the best.

I had my recent tour with Claudia, she was also great. Costs also included and she also met us at gangway. I am glad Dora was also good. She was on my short list. Glad you had a great time. We did. :)

DH and I have heard about MC cruises and we really want to do one. I would really love to surprise him with this cruise for our 10th anniversary in March 2014. I would love to do it next year but I am pretty sure they are booked up and that the price would be a bit high for me to pay off without him noticing.

Not necessarily booked up. We are looking at the 04/2014 cruise out of Cape Liberty, NJ only because we are looking to leave from close to home also only Explorer of the Seas allows a trike on which friends ride. However if they do not go, I have more choices available.

Check website: http://www.cruise-eta.com/motorcycle-cruise/.

After deposit which is steep ($900 for us), I calculate that I would need to pay about $143 per month to payoff by December. That would give me 4 months to get some play money together. :) And if I do my taxes early....