sofietucker

I guess a generous attitude would be that X is deliberately planting "easter eggs" for us to find, to encourage us to keep reading. But I agree with Georgia_Peaches about the lack of professionalism; I used to teach this stuff and tell my students that errors will damage your reputation. Still, it is hereafter known as snokerling to us...

makes ya think twice about feeding your child martinis...

I always thought the traditional term "sightseeing" referred to seeing the sights--that is, places of interest, beyond sites of archaeological and military significance (ruins, battlefields, etc.). For instance, the Eiffel Tower and the Eye ferris wheel in London--or the Cavern Club in Liverpool--are sights but not sites. Virginia Beach's Boardwalk is a sight; its First Landing Park is the site of the English arrival in the New World...

After which participants probably returned to the ship to get snokered...

Well, Turkey is partly in Europe, and Egypt is west (albeit southwest) of there... But I'd think a minimal knowledge of geography would be required to work at a cruise--or any travel) company. OTOH, I just saw a US survey of 1200 people in which 57% said Arabic numerals should NOT be taught in schools.

Best laugh of the day, in the pre-cruise questionnaire they sent out. Maybe how do YOU like to spend? Like is repeated twice! And yeah, snokerling is the best! Plus I prefer sight seeing, but the sites may be good too. Then in the shorex, there was a warning that "participants must be able to walk 65 miles..." How do like to like to spend your day in port? How do like to like to spend your day in port? Beach Day Snokerling Golfing Shopping Site-seeing Relaxing onboard

Reduced Shakespeare! I would love, love, love to see them on board. Fast-paced silliness. Or PMJ, Post Modern Jazz troupe that also mixes silliness with great talent ("I Want A Hippo for Xmas" done torch style, etc.) I know X have already cadged some elements of Cirque du Soleil--the acrobats and magicians--but again, a short version of one of their complete productions would go down well for me. And I'd go for some much more in-depth educational stuff--lectures with visual and music on say, how voodoo/Voudon developed in Haiti and spread in the islands. Or different traditions of Carnival in Trinidad and elsewhere. Or calypso music: Did you know Maya Angelou used to be a Caribbean singer? As did Louis Farrakhan, aka the Charmer?? "Rum and Coca Cola" as done by USO girls in the 1960s? All kinds of cool stuff to learn and be entertained by...

Love San Juan! WE always go a few days early as there is so much to do and see: El Morro! Snorkel on Culebra (boat from Fajardo, or take a plane). Rain forest, bioluminescent bay, museums, drag shows (PR has world-class queens), fooood... At the base of the Banco Popular, corner of Recinto and San Juste, a few blocks across from the downtown piers, is a fabulous restaurant, Carli's. If you like escargot, theirs is amazing and nothing like you've had before. Great folks--Carli played keys with the Beach Boys and is a master jazz pianist who plays most nights. Also up the top of San Justo on the corner is an amazing art-filled hotel, like nothing you've seen, The Gallery Inn. They like you to wander through. Go to their rooftop bar--connected to the Cannon Club, a piano bar a block down on the corner of San Sebastian. Do NOT go between now and Dec. 1. Hurricane season, and they get hit a lot, as do all the islands in the region. I will add one reminder, assuming you will also be flying OUT of PR after your cruise: there is an extra step in checking your luggage before you get to the counter/kiosk. It must go through agricultural scanners (USDA) which are in a separate area in the front of the airport. Then the bags get a sticker before they are allowed to go through TSA and be put on the plane. BTW, no handicrafts made of palm leaves are allowed... Plan for this time! We once thought we'd drop our bags and go to the nearby resort's beach for a few hours before flying home. Instead, it was a madhouse and the lines for every step in the process seemed to have 100s of people. It literally ate up most of our "extra" time just to check our bags--and then due to the lines for making our own way through TSA, it was clear we'd be lucky to get to the gate by time to board.

Love, love love the ABCs! Have visited 6-7 times. Klein Bonaire drift snorkel: go with a good private company. Rent a car for $20 (AARP) and drive up to Playa Porto Mari beach on Curacao (do NOT take a tour; they ALL force you to stop at the liqueur distillery, etc.). Or just hang out in Willemstad. Aruba beaches or catamaran cruises are great. Timing: early Dec is lovely weather post hurricane season, cheap (being past Thxgiving but before Xmas travel) and kids are still in school. Jan. 25th a national holiday in Aruba (which is independent, btw), so much is closed, tours and busses may not be running, etc. Silhouette is fine. It just got renovated, but not revolutionized, is what we've been told.

Yep, same room, same deck, diff. ship. I see they kindly put outlets in a logical place. (But the wall tiles layout, aaiiee my eyes) Will be back on her in the fall, midship SS--the accessible one as it was the last one left... You know those "last ones" are last for a reason, so I guess we'll find out, lol. I do plan to run down and see if the parrots are still there; a former guest had given them names. The April reno list published on this site didn't seem to indicate that it would be redone.

You're right! It was on the Silhouette in January, not the Connie in March: the tiny disco next to the bar and gathering place outside the theater, just down from the casino.

Water damn, lol. That was the bathroom in the former SS, now AQ suite on the back corner of the Connie last year (aka the Parrot Suite due to the 6 large immovable ceramic parrots surrounding the desk.) The massive bathroom has* a tub, and the shower with a 5-inch-high lip is in a separate corner, but water runs from under the shower door straight across the entire room, in front of the sinks, to the drain on the other side. Which is right next to the sole electrical outlet. Stand onna wet towel while blow drying my hair? Nah, just let it air dry and live to bathe another day! *Recent cruisers say it's not been updated from its dark wood/green marble decor, nor has the leak been fixed. The tub was always full of our sopping wet floor towels...

Another option is to go hang out where the loud music is to your liking. We have been so disappointed on recent cruises that the silent disco is all music of the last 10 years, on every channel--in short, not familiar to us. (Except the endlessly requisite "Dancing Queen," "Proud Mary," and "I Will Survive".) But we discovered that Quasar on the Connie is always empty except during karaoke and they pipe in the billboard hits of the 1960s! We have gone there a few times just to dance to the groovy tunes! Folks peek in like "What?" Lol.

Or even just those $6 Earios from the drugstore, like little silicon rotini pasta for the ears... Meant to equalize pressure when flying but also good sound reducers. You can still hear folks talk, etc.

"Can't you turn that down? How can you stand to listen to it?" (Said re: Jimi Hendrix in 1968)

Hope you will have time in the next month or so to also write a review of your Best of Italy and Croatia cruise on the Connie! We are doing that one in the fall. I'd also love to hear your thoughts on Bologna (where we are flying in and staying a few days). I will post a question about that in the Ports of Call board for Europe/Italy.

Wow, I love those two substitutions you got in your itinerary! Napflio is the best! There is a pistachio shop... Plus Mycenae is right there. Look forward to reading your report.

And a wonderful Doris Day movie...

There are a bunch of aft Sky suites on decks 11 and 12, as well as corner afts on every deck.

Yes. Love your avatar too.

One more small point re: using a TA: our longtime big-name TA (not big box) gives us more OBC and more goodies (wine, chockies) when we book a suite. Significantly more, sometimes... Company policy and agreement between the company and the cruise line, not a personal gift (though we get those from time to time too).

We always ask for ice at 4pm... The room to be serviced only once (in the evening). This time, we will ask them to be sure to place a lounger on our balcony.

If you do book it, I urge you to immediately reserve your hotel in Copenhagen. Every professional organization on the planet seems to hold their conferences there in June and July and rooms become scarce pretty quickly. We once had to stay many miles out of town and take the train in to the ship...

Lol. On the final voyage of our dear Prinsendam, the new CD had just been jumped up from beverage manager... Completely clueless but very sweet.

We quit Princess back when they put MUTS above the pool on all their ships; it was impossible to escape the blare on any of the outside decks. Very annoying and NOT relaxing to hear the constant gunfire, explosions, shouting, etc. At least X keeps their outdoor movies separate, up top and far away from everything else... Is that feature on Princess still in place?