perfect match

We will be boarding the Indy ourselves in just a few short weeks! I am excited to read your review. Already checked out your pictures on Flicker. Thanks for sharing them!

 

We understand about March Madness. We are a bit obsessed ourselves. :D

After replying to your post at 4:21AM, I realized what day it was. Now, I'm not at my sharpest at that hour, and my vision was pretty blurry from several hours browsing CC on my tablet. However, by the time I had shut down my tablet and stumbled off to bed, I had figured out it was a joke. The scary thing is that I have seen crazier plans than the one described in the article actually carried out! I'm just hoping that the powers that are in charge in St Maarten don't see that article and get any ideas!

 

Good joke! Definitely made me smile. :D

Thank you for the info, Gary. I have read many of your posts here and have always found your posts to be reliable, but this time I was hoping it was an April Fools Day joke!

 

After reading the article you referenced in your link, I am wishing I'd made a trip to Maho a priority on a previous visit to St Maarten. I wish they would postpone the start of construction by a month so I would get the chance to at least see Maho from a boat. I know a number of people on my roll call will be very disappointed. I am sure you'llnsee some of them here.

 

I do get why they're doing this. Being able to make safe plane takeoffs and landings is a really good idea.

I FINALLY made it back here to read this review! I got right to the Sun review, but then got a bit caught up in researching and planning my own upcoming cruise, our first on RCI. Like you, we enjoy trying new ships and cruise lines.

 

We visited Paradise Cove about 10 years ago. About the only similarity between our experience and yours was the slippery rocks that made it so hard to get into the water. In our case, we started out at low tide and it was really bad. Later in the day, once the tide had come in some it was a whole lot easier to get going. We had no megaphones, no artificial reef to swim around, it only cost us about $2-3/pp or so since we had our own snorkel gear, and the staff was much nicer than anyone you encountered. We also saw a LOT more marine life than you did. Not the best snorkeling I ever did, but srill plenty to see. Seems to me like they have been heading in the wrong direction since we were there.

 

Sorry you had such bad luck with the weather. That does change a lot about your cruise experience. You and your family did handle it well as I figured you would. One of the things I have always liked about reading your reviews is the great attitude you have and your ability to enjoy what you actually get to do instead of complaining about what you didn't.

 

As I have been reading, I also checked your signature and I see a countdown for a Pride cruise in there before your Bermuda cruise. I guess I should start looking for a Pride review in a couple of weeks. :cool: It will be close to our Independence cruise though, so I may have to wait until after we get home to start reading. :D

Enjoying your review. :D

 

Thanks for sharing.

Sorry about that - I published the videos but there was an "unknown error" with them. I went back this morning and published them again - have a look now. I think they should be up and viewable.

 

You'll have a great time on the Indy!

 

Thanks! The videos worked great today. :D

 

I am sure we will have a great time on Indy. I can hardly wait until it is our turn.

 

I have made a note to pack our water shoes, or maybe even dive booties. Those unchin spines in the foot looked painful! I have seen and snorkeled over many an urchin in my day, but I have never stepped on one. After seeing that picture of the person's foot with the urchin spines, I sure don't want to step on one now! :eek:

 

I also want to thank you one more time for sharing your pictures and videos with us. I have enjoyed getting to know Indy a little bit better before we finally board her.

Snorkelling wasn't the greatest in Labadee - the water is quite cloudy in spots. Out past the cabanas at Nellies it wasn't too bad. Here's a few videos anyway - the first one is just me floating on a mat giving you an overall look at the beach area. The next two are snorkelling videos out past the cabanas.

 

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Great photos, but when I went to watch the snorkeling videos at Labadee they showed that they were private. I'd love to see them!

 

I am really enjoying your review. The days before our own Indy cruise can't seem to go by fast enough! You've really gotten me excited! :D

We are already excited for our upcoming cruise on Indy and now I'm even more excited! I can't wait to see the rest of your pictures!

 

I loved your photobombing shark! :D

They are with about 150 Cable systems, but not with Comcast and Time Warner among others.

 

http://www.awetv.com/wheretowatch/

 

I guess we are out of luck. We have Comcast. :(

 

I will have to console myself by watching Mighty Cruise Ships on Smithsonian Channel. :cool:

Thanks for the info about not needing water shoes on Nellies. I was about to come here and ask the same thing. We don't plan on a cabana since we plan to spend most of our time exploring, but I do want to spend some of our day relaxing on a beach. I think Nellies might be a good choice for us. I've seen pictures in a number of reviews, and it looks beautiful.

 

I'm sure on some future cruise I will be wanting one of those over the water cabanas, but not this time.

Just what we have been waiting for! :cool: I have been hoping the rumors I'd been hearing about Oasis coming to Canaveral were true. Guess I know what ship we will be sailing in the fall of 2016! :D

 

Thanks for the info, Capt BJ!

Thanks Susan for the compliments!

Have a great time on the Royal.

We've just booked Celebrity Silhouette for next January due to the itinerary and number of sea days (3) including two in a row on the way back to P.E. Should be interesting to compare to Princess.

 

Norris

 

You had me a bit worried there when you mentioned you were thinking of cruising on a Royal class ship! :confused: That didn't sound at all like the Norris whose reviews I've been following for a while now! I didn't think you were interested in cruising on one of the bigger girls. I will be very interested in your Celebrity review. :D

 

We had a lovely meal. In the case of my sea bass the best I've ever had. Carol favored the meal in 3030 Ocean more and indeed that was stellar and something we will repeat next January when we join the Silhouette.

 

As we got up from the table, so did a lady who had been dining alone in the gazebo. Carol struck up a conversation with her. She had been coming to the Pillars for ten years and loves it.

 

I walked along behind them as we walked beside the pool which was lit up from the inside-looked beautiful in the gloom.

 

When we got to the end of the pool with the main dining groom in sight before us I somehow got my left foot under a low rim that surrounded the pool and tripped.

For what seemed like a minute but was a second or two I was a mass of flailing arms trying to stay upright. I was too far behind the ladies for them to catch me and unable to right myself I started to fall towards the water. Adrenalin pumped through my veins, which helps a person think quickly in situations like this or when a brown bear is trying to dine on your ass in Alaska and I realized that if I went in the water, which was a sure thing, then the cameras hanging from my shoulder would get ruined and so as I fell forward at the corner of the pool I twisted and threw myself hopefully far enough to the right to escape a dunking.

 

I landed hard on my left shoulder, left elbow and left knee right on the edge of the concrete lip surrounding the pool-but my camera bag stayed out of the water as it was over my right shoulder. Another couple of inches closer to the edge and I would have broken my fall with my face, but my head stayed off the concrete thank goodness and I was just sore and winded.

 

The ladies helped me up, shaken not stirred and nothing felt broken, just bruised and sprained. I was able to walk away and carry on a conversation to change the subject. The bruises to my elbow and knee soon healed within a week but my shoulder was stiff for 3 weeks afterwards as I came down hard on it. Ouch!

 

We said our goodbyes to the lady and walked back to the Ritz where a good night's sleep was on the menu. A bellman opened the door for us and bade us goodnight. The bed was a heavenly pillow top and it welcomed my aching body.

 

Here's a video clip of our dinner at the Secret Garden

 

 

Norris

 

I had a similar sort of fall 3 years ago on a dock next to the dinner cruise boat we were about to sail on. Like you, I fell on my left arm while trying to protect my camera and break my fall so as not to smash my face on the dock. Turns out there was a rope stretched across the dock that shouldn't have been there. My camera was fine, I didn't smash my face, but I did manage to chip my left elbow and do a lot of compression damage to my arm. I am now the poster child for NO DISTRACTED WALKING! If I hadn't been so busy taking pictures, I just might have seen where I was going. Needless to say, I am no longer allowed to use my camera or phone while walking! :p I'm glad your fall did not cause you any injury, and glad also that your camera didn't end up in the pool! :eek:

 

Thank you again for another of your amazing reviews. I will be looking forward to both your Emerald and Celebrity reviews with great anticipation! :D

 

Nancy

[quote name='Bimmer09']Diane, thanks for introducing yourself! Yes I have been on Page 1 of CC now for 3 weeks but should be done soon. I have 6 more reviews in my signature if you want to live vicariously!

I am already looking forward to September 26th when we join The Emerald in Rome. It's one thing to join a ship in Fort Lauderdale and another thing entirely to join in Civitavecchia. Then we get to cruise for a week on a Grand Class ship before discovering Barcelona for two days.

I forsee a deluge of photos on CC in mid October!

Norris, watching it snow in Michigan[/quote]

I will be making a note to myself to be sure to look for anothher Norris review starting sometime in October! :D

Thank you for your very entertaining and informative review, Nat! I am looking forward to sailing the itinerary you just sailed in whatever order the ports are offered. You have made me even more excited about it than I already was, if such a thing is possible. Now I just have to manage to find a way to make it fit into our schedule. :D

Thanks for sharing your cruise with us. Ten days on the Royal is a cruise I definitely want to do so I will be following along.

I'm still enjoying your amazing photos. We really did enjoy our time on the Ruby so, just as I expected, this review is bringing back some wonderful memories. I am also seeing some parts of the ship that I may have missed during our cruise. There always seems to be something that I just don't manage to see on each cruise or, as I prefer to call it, my excuse to book our next cruise! Not that I need much of an excuse to do that........ :D

 

 

Nancy

I can't see any pictures at all. I hope you are able to get your hosting issues sorted out because it sounds like you have some great pictures. I'd love to see them.

I never miss a sail way by the Independence of the Seas. A mighty vessel indeed.

Would you be likely to review your cruise on the Royal board? I spend a lot of time over there as there are some great reviewers with superb photos (Gambee, Little Miss Magic, Sinppu (sp?) Harryfat1, to name just a few)

 

Sailing on a different line with some new ports can't be a bad thing.

 

Once we have Elite cards in hand (just in case they move the goalposts at some point) we can think about different lines.

 

By the time we get off the Emerald in Barcelona we will be at 13 points.....

 

Norris

 

Norris, so far I have not taken on the project of doing a cruise review. I will think about it for this one, but no promises. I am very tech challenged so a simple task like posting a picture is a major event for me. I am learning, but it has been a slow process. I really do appreciate the time and effort that you and so many others put into the reviews that you do.

 

We are looking forward to trying a new cruise line. While we really have enjoyed Disney and Princess, we do want to see what some of the other lines have to offer. So far we are having a lot of fun trying to decide if we will choose one cruise like to be "our" cruise line, or maybe we will just continue to explore like we are doing now.

 

Since you are going to be at 13 points towards Elite after Barcelona, I think it makes a lot of sense for you to just go ahead and book another cruise! :D

 

 

Nancy

That yellow tour bus sure looks red to me! :confused: I am glad it took you where you were supposed to go!

 

St John looks beautiful. I hope to be able to visit some of the beautiful beaches there soon. :cool:

 

That sounds like fun to me! I have only seen one of those ships listed and it comes later in my review. To me it's always good to see some of these ships up close. I know I am only looking at the outside but that can tell you plenty. I always check for a long promenade deck first and then look up top to the pool decks. Waterparks and rope climbing course structures let me know it's not a ship I want to sail on. I'm looking for multiple pools and an atmosphere of relaxation up there, not activity. At the stern I am looking for cabins/suites with some privacy above and no obstructions to the view- e.g. Freedom class ships have the cabins recessed with big white metal beams in your line of sight.

 

For interiors I check Beyondships or photo reviews on the boards. Youtube videos are also a great resource.

 

There's usually 1,000 people viewing the PE webcam on the sail away days so we are not the only ship nerds and I imagine everyone of the 1,000 would like to be on one of those ships waving.

 

I'm glad you got out there with the camera and had fun!

 

Norris

 

Your ship nerd checklist sounds a lot like mine. I always have multiple windows open during my webcam viewing sessions and I flip back and forth between them at somewhat dizzying speeds! For the interiors I use all the sites you mentioned plus cruise ship rooms. Nothing is quire as good as a trip to port to see the ships in person, though! :D

 

I had hoped to sail the Royal Princess 10 day itinerary this coming April. Unfortunately, the timing did not work with the rest of our schedule. In trying to find a compromise between some islands I haven't visited yet and our scheduling needs, I came up with the Independence of the Seas (Freedom class) cruise we will be sailing at the end of April. As one aft cabin lover to another, I will be able to tell you how bad those big white metal beams actualy are. I am hoping they will just sort of disappear as we look out in between them. The pictures I have found taken from our balcony look like we will be OK. At any rate we will be visiting 3 of 4 ports that are new to us. I am sure we will have a great time. :D

 

Nancy

Norris, I was thinking of you today as DH and I were running around Port Canaveral acting like total ship nerds! I heard there would be 6 ships in port, so we decided to make a Port Excursion! While I am in no way the photographer you are, I nonetheless spent the afternoon running around with my point and shoot taking as many ship pictures as I could. I was inspired by your early morning walk down the beach at the start of this review so you could photograph the ships sailing in to port. I was surprised to see how close we were able to get to Quantum of the Seas. We also saw Freedom and Grandeur OTS, Disney Magic, Carnival Liberty and Carnival Sunshine. It's fun being a ship nerd!

 

Now back to your regularly scheduled programming. While I am sorry to hear that your trip going to St John didn't go exactly as planned, it did give you a chance to get some beautiful ship pictures! I am anxious to see the rest of your day on St John, and I hope you had a quiet ride back to the Ruby!

Norris, I loved the pictures of the Eclipse. She's a real beauty! Sure wish I could afford a ship of my own just like that. :sigh:

 

The food porn from Crown Grill made me hungry. I'm not sure why we didn't go there on our CB cruise this past Oct. :confused:

 

One of these trips I will manage to ride the tram to Paradise Point in St Thomas. The view from there really is beautiful. So far though we have docked in Crown Bay and a trip to Paradise Point simply hasn't fit into our schedule. I guess that's a good reason to go back to St Thomas! :p

I enjoyed sharing your day in St Maarten. I am looking forward to stopping there myself on our cruise at the end of April. I have only visited St Maarten once before, and it left me with a taste for more. :D

I just want to say that I am still reading along, and still enjoying the journey. :cool:

Nancy, nothing to worry about as, when I board, I am usually shadowed by a member of the ship's Medical Staff for the first 5 minutes. The person I pushed into the pool was not forgotten-on my way past later I threw them a towel so I am not completely heartless.

 

Norris

 

That's good to hear, as I am quite sure I don't walk fast enough to stay out of your way! :D

 

He is only tyrannical when filming, as befits a great auteur.

 

Carol, I thought your napkin waving was most elegant. I did go back to the webcam to watch your sailaway and I did notice that couple waving from their balcony on the Dolphin deck just above life boat 22. I just didn't realize it was you. I must have been too busy flipping back and forth between all the webcams I had open that day.

 

Your sailaway lunch looked wonderful! Too bad the one at Princess Cays did not measure up. We had the same problems with the food, many flies, and early closings as you did when we were there in April 2013. I was hoping your experience was better than ours.

 

Your pictures of the Ruby and of Princess Cays are beautiful. If Ruby is doing Alaska or Hawii sailings, I may have to convince DH that it is time for us to book one of those itineraries. I have not been looking at those schedules yet. I guess it's time to start. After all, we do have some FCC's waiting to be used. :D

 

 

Nancy

To the OP, thanks for the link to the webcam even though I got here too late to see the ships while they were there. I love cruise port webcams, so I have no idea how I didn't know about that one.

 

Dave, thank you for posting the pictures so I did get to see the two ships together in Havensight after all!