five.

I saw several people outside near the ocean plaza on deck 5 pretty regularly. I know you said inside, but thought I'd mention it.

We have paid $399 for a Retreat Cabana on HAL Nieuw Statendam and really enjoyed it. I'd do up to $500 for the privilege.

https://brobible.com/sports/article/olympics-surfing-athlete-village-tahiti-cruise-ship-aranui/ Surfers are staying aboard the Aranui 5 for the Olympics. The dual-purpose passenger/freighter ship designed to offer all of comforts of a cruise liner, while operating as a supply ship. She can hold approximately 230 passengers and will anchor near Teahupo’o for the entirety of the surfing competition. It is the first-ever floating Olympic Village! Olympic surfers already have a pretty sweet gig. To get to catch one of the most famous waves in the world while sleeping onboard a comfortable cruise ship in Tahiti is awesome.

FTTF and the special needs line would get you on the ship sooner, but there will still be lines and waits if you get there before things are ready. The fastest I've ever gotten on a ship was coming after 1:30, when the madness has cleared away. But you'd need to have a plan for that morning so the kids aren't just waiting around until then. It's been too long since I've been to Charleston to have specific info about that port. It's definitely worth reaching out to them with that form, they have been super accommodating to my family in the past.

I follow vloggers that do RCCL and they have stopped multiple times, but our recent HAL and Carnival Key West stops were both re-routed elsewhere. Just be forewarned, even though it's on the itinerary, you may not stop there.

I really thought this was going to be questions about taking a rifle aboard and how to arrange an actual bear hunt from a cruise ship.

The wording of this made me remember an old trip report from @HeyYouKidsGetOffMyLawn with a bitter sweet ending and reddit post. Worth checking out if you got time to spare. After-Action Report, Victory, May 8-11, 2014 Carnival Burial-At-Sea from a cruise ship

Nice to know a second hotel that does that in addition to Pan Pacific. Not sure if it's any cheaper, but thanks for next time, I can price them both.

I see posts like this and automatically assume they are out of my budget. Would you mind saying ballpark cost for an interior cabin, I no longer see these on the site to check myself. Speaking of interior, did you have any regrets going with that option? It looks like a wonderful once in a life type cruise.

I thought the whole point of the TA was they did the stalking and you just relaxed.

Yea, from experience I can tell you on the Vista class (Panorama) to not bother if the pool is the main draw for you. Unless it's free from OBC or something. That's the only reason we got it on our recent cruise. I told my wife it was a joke, but she really wanted it. All of the heated loungers and various sauna's are fine. It's just the pool that is a joke. Of the carnival variants, the Magic (Dream class) ships has the best option. But I still prefer HAL over it I think.

Pan Pacific convenience factor is sky high, especially if you have mobility issues. But the price is extreme. We did it for a "once in a lifetime" trip with my in-laws and they were both in scooters. We used the sky train on the way and worked ok with scooters. It was raining at the endpoint and I recall some cobble roads and inclines that were tough. It was fine if there was someone to push the scooter, but if they had been by themselves, they would have needed good weather conditions and would probably recommend a van taxi per scooter.

How many cruises did you do in 2023 and how many on tap for this year? I have always enjoyed your posts, even if you're a Phillies fan.

Here is a post I made on the topic of the thermal suites: Here is a YouTube video on the thermal suite. It's not really a hot tub, not as good as HAL. Warm water at best: It looks like my November 2023 8 night cruise was $149 per person for access. But the best way to know that is to login and look at your particular cruise. I have no idea how much a 25 day TP cruise would be. I looked around the site for an answer, but no luck.

Havana area is awesome, but the aft balcony can be hot during the day and sooty, especially on port days, when you are not moving.

This class of ships are my favorite. Especially like the spa / thalassotherapy pool and the lanai on deck 5. There are weeks where the hot tubs on deck 5 are largely ignored by everyone else. Plus you can switch sides of the ship and stay in the shade, which my wife loves.

@crystalspin In case you didn't see, I did an extended post on this, over here:

I did think the $50 bet was steep lol. I was like "I thought slot machines were cheap entertainment."

You can also head over to Blue Iguana for their toppings, if that's more your fancy.

I don't do the casino, but does that mean M won $2400! That sounds like an amazing win. That can't be typical. The way it was glossed over though, so I am not sure.

The new mobile bar is going to take some getting used to. Man, you can do some eating, here's another "good job." 😉

Thank you for sharing!

I had zero luck on Horizon with Eggs Benedict. Always cooked through and hard by sitting under heating lamp, never fresh like HAL. They were still doing custom omelets and fried eggs at the omelet station. I can't remember about Blue Iguana eggs. I was thinking I saw fresh, but I can't remember.

Blue Iguana is where I hit up sauces.

Cruise Mapper and Cruise Time Tables has these ships in Mahogany Bay today: Viking Mars Harmony Of The Seas Enchantment Of The Seas Regal Princess Carnival Mardi Gras But it has Sky Princess with you instead of Regal, so who knows how accurate they are.