marys350

Thanks for all of the information so far! My daughters will be 16-25. Barbados is our "bonus" port in some ways. I booked this cruise mainly for St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Martin - which I had already been to. I knew nothing about Barbados so this will be fun to explore Barbados!

If you want to do a brief scenic tour of Barbados, including Bathsheba, and then spend some time at a beach with the opportunity to snorkel and swim with the turtles without doing an expensive catamaran trip, you might want to consider the suggestion of two posters from Barbados in the following thread:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2079472

Also check out "The Boatyard" for information about this popular beach.

This may be the least expensive way to see some of the island and enjoy beach time.

I suspect that a new "sale" will start when the current BOGO sale ends on April 30th. It will be interesting to see what they call it next time.

We booked a Freedom of the Seas cruise (April, 2016) for a fabulous price last May when the first BOGO sale came out. At that time our balcony was priced at $735 before our Diamond balcony discount. I have been tracking the price ever since. Here are a few examples to show the recent pricing trend:

$854 (11/17/14)

$904 (2/5/15)

$914 (2/13/15)

$1,003 (2/17/15)

$984 (2/21/15)

$1,003 (2/23/15)

$1,103 (2/24/15)

$1,113 (3/26/15)

$1,412 (4/3/15)

$1,449 (4/6/15)

$1,933 (4/22/15)

With the large price hike in the last month, I expect that the price will drop down a little and they'll call it a "sale".

Edited to add: I just checked the tracking site to double check one of the prices that I had listed, and low and behold, the price changed for the second time today back down to $1,449. LOL

Once again, wrong information.:roll eyes: I just made MTD ressies for my upcoming cruise and there were slots available for 6:30, 6:45, 7:00 pm. Are these times unpopular? Not for me.

Don't know why you need to roll your eyes and say "Once again, wrong information". The cruise line often holds back slots for booking onboard between 7:00-8:30, which is a very popular time for those that don't want to eat too early or late. Whenever I've made reservations online there have always been time slots available before or after that window of time.

It is incredibly busy in the summer - but they never sell out. You can just buy your tickets at the gate no need to buy ahead online.

Thanks Cruiseryyc!

:) Mary

We'll be docked in Victoria from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on a Saturday in September. We've rented a car and plan to visit Butchart Gardens and do some sightseeing in the Victoria area. Will we be able to buy tickets at the gardens or is it best to purchase them online in advance?

We will be the only ship in port during the day with more ships docking in the evening. Just wondering if tickets ever sell out at this time of year or is it busier in the summer?

Thanks,

Mary

Mary, we're sailing on Celebrity Eclipse in January and it's our first time in southern caribbean too. I've checked on ship excursions but I can't find one that does what we want to do! We'll have 9 hours, we're 4 adults and we want to see the Andromeda Botanic Gardens; Sunbury Plantation, Harrison's Cave, and a photo stop at the windward coast. Is that doable in 9 hours? I've contacted Sun Tours but would also be interested in company you used. Can you give me a ballpark figure as to cost? Thank you.

Hydrokitty,

I'm not sure, but I think that visiting Andromeda Gardens, Sunbury Plantation, Harrison's Cave, and a photo stop at the windward coast (Bathsheba?) may be rushed and not enough time to enjoy each site at a relaxed pace. You would also need to allow time for lunch, too. I have not been to Harrison Caves, but I think that it is at least an hour tour and that the waiting lines to get in are sometimes long, especially once large tour buses start to arrive. People recommend visiting the caves first thing in the morning before visiting other sites.

In April,2012, we did the "Little England" tour with Glory tours, which is a 1/2 day tour to Hunte's Gardens, Bathsheba, Morgan Lewis Windmill, Cherry Tree Hill, and St. Nicholas Abbey (current price of that tour is listed as $74 per person U.S. dollars, including all admission fees). Hunte's Gardens and St. Nicholas Abbey are highly rated on Tripadvisor.

In April,2014, our party of four adults did a 4 hour custom tour with Cameron Reid (http://www.cameronbarbadostours.com). We paid a total of $140.00 U.S. dollars for the tour plus the cost of admission to each of the sites that we visited:Flower Forest($12 U.S. dollars per person), Bathsheba (free), St. John's Church (free admission/voluntary donation), and a brief stop at Rockley Beach. I'd suggest e-mailing Cameron about your proposed plans. I'm sure that he'd let you know if it was doable and would give you a fair hourly price. His e-mail address is listed on his website. Please let me know if you have any more questions.

Enjoy your day in Barbados!

Mary

I will be visiting Barbados in 2016 with 4 of my daughters. We all love the looks of Bathsheba but I'm wondering if there is enough to do there to stay the whole day. Do you know of any snorkeling tours or catamarans that visit Bathsheba? Is this an area I will feel safe in with all females? We are beach lovers and I know we can't swim at Bathsheba so any other suggestions on how we can spend our day and still see Bathsheba would be appreciated. Thanks!

We have visited Barbados a number of times and there is so much to see and do, including gardens, historical sites, beautiful beaches, etc. Bathsheba is a nice place to see for a short scenic stop on a tour, but it is not a place to stay the whole day. Are your daughters children or adults and what are some of your interests? This information would help people offer some suggestions of things to do.

We have arranged private tours in the past through Glory Tours and we also used Cameron Reid (http://www.cameronbarbadostours.com).

If you're interested in snorkeling and catamarans (not off the coast of Bathsheba), we have done Silvermoon and Calabaza, which we enjoyed and there are other companies as well.

I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Mary

Another vote for BH.... while Pinnacle is a nicer looking building... BH's Robson ambience gets my vote.

 

With regards to Pinnacle's location to Gastown.... It's a 13 minute hike to get there for the restaurants.... BH's Robson restaurants are much closer...

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Richards+St&daddr=Vancouver+Marriott+Pinnacle+Downtown+Hotel,+1128+W+Hastings+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6E+4R5,+Canada&hl=en&sll=49.285038,-123.113523&sspn=0.011981,0.023689&geocode=FU4G8AIdEHqp-A%3BFXkT8AIdhlWp-CkNbsjvg3GGVDGYGUyNhHaJNg&oq=gastown&dirflg=w&mra=ltm&t=m&z=17

 

It's 8 minutes to walk between the two hotels....

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Blue+Horizon+Hotel,+Robson+Street,+Vancouver,+BC,+Canada&daddr=Vancouver+Marriott+Pinnacle+Downtown+Hotel,+1128+W+Hastings+St,+Vancouver,+British+Columbia+V6E+4R5,+Canada&hl=en&ll=49.287403,-123.123897&spn=0.00599,0.011845&sll=49.286051,-123.115569&sspn=0.00599,0.011845&geocode=FX8N8AId6Tmp-CG6Vk89wu59Aik9BpHJgHGGVDG6Vk89wu59Ag%3BFXkT8AIdhlWp-CkNbsjvg3GGVDGYGUyNhHaJNg&oq=blue+hori&dirflg=w&mra=ls&t=m&z=17

 

With luggage.... I would cab it from airport to BH and a second cab to the cruise terminal.

Thanks XIXO!

We plan to take cabs from train station to BH and from hotel to Canada Place.

Mary

Putterdude, Martincath, and Kamloops50,

Thanks to all of you for your advice about these two hotels. I think that we will stick with the Blue Horizon and spend the extra money that we'll save on restaurants or sightseeing. I have learned a lot about Vancouver on these boards and appreciate the time that locals spend answering questions and making suggestions to visitors. I look forward to visiting Vancouver!

Mary

I'm planning on staying in a King room for one night pre-cruise at Blue Horizon Hotel on Robson St. (approximately $135 US), but I'm trying to decide whether to change to a King room at Pinnacle Hotel Vancouver Harbourfront (formerly Renaissance Vancouver) for approximately $168 US. The Pinnacle appears to be walking distance to Canada Place. I'd appreciate any advice from locals and people who have stayed at either or both hotels.

Thanks,

Mary

We were hoping to see some scenic sites, maybe a garden or two and some historical sites as well...know there are a lot on the island but don't see too many that include just those, Not really interested in the caves or beach time this trip. Tours or Tour company recommendations?

Our party of four did a 4 hour private tour with Cameron Reid in April, 2014. We were able to customize the tour and visit specific sites that we were interested in including the Flower Forest, Bathsheba, St. John's Church, and a short visit to Rockley Beach. Cameron was easy to correspond with through e-mail prior to the cruise and his price was reasonable. He has a clean van and is a safe driver. You may want to check out his website and see if this might be something that you are interested in: http://www.cameronbarbadostours.com/

Thanx! We've been looking at the Sky Suites but confused on that one as there is a Sky Suite 1 and a Sky Suite 2 which appear to have the same square footage but one is higher priced. Also, it's not clear about the 'dedicated' dining room. It looked to me that only Aqua Class had access to Blu. We don't really care about that and are happy to eat in the main dining room. Is it all traditional set time dining or do they have anything like the MTD experience Royal has .... we like that as the early seating always seems too early for us and the late, just a little late! :)

Celebrity has both traditional and MTD. We have enjoyed MTD on both cruise lines.

i have to renew my kids pass ports before our next cruise in june does anyone know if their passport numbers will change or stay the same?

 

 

thanks in advance

Heidi

We just renewed our passports and the numbers changed.

Royal Caribbean and other cruise lines sail out of Falcon pier in Boston from Spring until Fall but reposition to other ports for the winter season. Have sailed Brilliance of the Seas for fall New England/Canada cruise.

For me personally, it's cutting it too close. Any delay with the train or going through customs could be problematic. We're doing a Pacific coastal cruise that leaves from Vancouver in September. We decided to fly to Seattle two days before the cruise and stay overnight in a Seattle hotel. The next morning we will take the train to Vancouver and spend one night in a Vancouver hotel before boarding the next day.

We have 10 who are doing MTD we would like to eat together at 6PM what is the best way to handle this. Did not know you could book before you cruise. On Independence. Our pressies are linked already

Access your reservation account information on Royal Caribbean's website. Then click on the Cruise Planner tab and there is information about making dinner reservations for the main dining room and specialty dining. You may be too close to your sail date in February to make reservations online or may find that your preferred time slot is unavailable online at this late date. If so, just go to the My Time Dining section of the dining room and speak to the Maitre D, who will be available in the afternoon on the first day of the cruise (check with guest services as to the hours that staff is there) and make your reservations.

I have made reservations for our party of 10 for My Time Dining in the past anywhere from 6:15-6:45 and we were able to sit at the same table with the same wait staff all week; however, I made reservations online as soon as they became available to book and went to the dining room once onboard to confirm with the Maitre D.

Did you book your cruise through a travel agent or directly with Royal Caribbean? They may be able to answer your questions if you have trouble doing it yourself online. Also, I believe that there is an e-mail address where you can e-mail the dining room directly with your request. I can't remember the e-mail address, but maybe somebody else can provide it for you.

You only need to "link" if you have traditional dining. If you both have MTD, you simply show up together and that's how you'll be seated.

There is also the option to link reservations for My Time Dining in addition to just showing up at the dining room. We have done this with friends for several cruises because we like to make reservations online before the cruise for a specific time each night. We've had no problems changing our reservation times once onboard if our plans change. To link reservations, each party in the group just needs to have each others names and reservation numbers and contact their TA or Royal Caribbean if booked directly with the cruiseline.

They should be able to link your reservations. Did you get your sister's reservation numbers and also give her your reservation numbers? The TA and RCCL representative need all of the reservation numbers to link them. Good luck.

Hey guys, do you have any tips for a GOOD hotel close to Port Canaveral for one night?

We want the hotel to have a 7,5 at least.

 

Thanks already :D

Country Inn and Suites, Residence Inn, and Radisson at the Port are the three closest hotels to the cruise port at Cape Canaveral. They all have good reviews on Trip Advisor. We have not stayed at these hotels, however I've been researching hotels in the area for our cruise and plan to select one of them.

We stayed in cabin 4554 on Brilliance, which is the 4th cabin forward of the Centrum. We could hear some music from the Centrum, especially during the 70's party, but it quieted down after around 11:00 or midnight. I liked the location of deck 4, but will book at least 10 cabins forward of the Centrum in the future. Your cabin may be okay. I'd suggest moving if possible or bringing ear plugs just in case you need them.

Royal Caribbean's November wow sale ended on Nov. 16. Saw price drops this morning.

Hi,

My husband and I have visited Dominica twice and have taken tours with both Bumping Tours and Helen of My Sister Tours. We traveled with another couple and the husband also has some limitations due to health and mobility issues. I highly recommend choosing the private tour with My Sister Tours. You will be able to have a customized tour, go at your own pace, and even modify your plans during the day, as needed. We had a wonderful day with Helen when we visited Dominica in April, 2014. She is very friendly and an excellent, safe driver. Her reviews on Trip Advisor are all excellent. If we have the opportunity to visit Dominica again on a cruise, we will most definitely contact My Sister Tours. I'd be happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Mary

My DW are in our mid 30s and have only sailed Carnival, not sure on AOS or Jewel and the Summit. I think we will probably do OV. I know Celebrity is more upscale and certain staterooms are limited to certain areas, any tips will be helpful.

 

 

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I have done Southern Caribbean cruises on all three ships and enjoyed each cruise. Since you are in your 30's you may enjoy Adventure of the Seas, which is larger and has more active activities than Jewel and Summit. All three ships are nice and I would base my decision on the itinerary and price since they are all port intensive cruises with, I believe, only 1 day at sea. What itineraries are you looking at?

Check out Tom's Port Guides for St. John, New Brunswick and Halifax, Nova Scotia. Here is a link to the website where you will find free information and maps with very helpful information about these ports and others. I found this website invaluable in planning my Canada/New England cruise.

http://tomsportguides.com/

Zephyr17 and Mapleleaves,

Thank you for the information and your quick replies. We will probably book Hyatt Place, which is less expensive and includes breakfast and a free shuttle to places within a mile radius of the hotel, which is on 6th Avenue near the Space Needle. A $10-$15 taxi ride to the train station sounds reasonable.

Thanks,

Mary