Shiny137

Just got back this past weekend from our cruise on the Oasis. We stopped in St. Maarten on the 20th and did Benards Tour.

I put down a $5 deposit per person (two of us, so only $10 total) when booking and paid the rest via credit card when we got there.

Our ship time in port was 8am-5pm. However when we arrived it was 9am port time and that was the meeting. Luckily, we were able to get off the ship a little early because we got in early and it seemed as though they knew that the time was an hour off so they stuck around for about 10-15 minutes until they knew everyone was there.

The tour itself was good. We had Sexy as our driver. We had enough time to hit up everything we wanted including seeing a plane arriving and departing at Maho.

I was a little bummed with the group of people on the tour. Only because no one really talked to each other. We had 2 different groups who didn't speak english very well which is fine, but I had hoped for more fun and meeting people while on the bus. That isn't Bernards fault though!

I would definitely recommend the Tour 2 and Bernard's.

I'm looking for some tips too. We arrive back into FLL in the morning but our flight does not leave until 8:40pm. We had not planned on renting a car because it would only be for a partial day but now I'm thinking maybe we should.

If we were to go to a mall what would we do with our luggage? Any tips?

I think I'll still use a purse but I sorta like the idea! There have been plenty of times I didn't want to be carrying a purse but needed to for my phone and ID.

I think it would make me feel a bit like an action hero but with a phone instead of a weapon.

I typically wear tankini's. When walking around or lounging I have no problem with a gap between the two pieces. I am a size 12/14 and hold my weight in my stomach. I prefer for over a 1 piece for the ease of bathroom breaks. I also am small in the chest area and the ones I get are usually halter so they don't seem to flatten me as much as a 1 piece does.

The only time the tank part has ridden up is if I'm jumping into a pool versus stepping into it or if I'm in an ocean with waves and the wave catches it.

Another question about packing! This time camera vs phone camera. Since I've gotten an iPhone I tend to use it as my main camera because it has more megapixels than my digital camera. However, phones are more expensive nowadays and more fragile. What do you prefer to use when taking photos? Camera with slightly less quality or phone?

Also, what do you ladies do for purses? I don't want to be carrying bag around at all times, but they are convenient to hold things. I was thinking for days in port, just a backpack instead of a purse? That way it can hold my wallet, sea pass card, passport, camera, etc. Plus if I go to the beach and want to swim I can have my cover up/change of clothes in it if we go shopping after.

Congrats on the weight loss! I also say rock the bikini...although I have only cruised once, I have vacationed frequently in the caribbean, and see lots of women all shapes and sizes wearing bikinis. And most of them are much larger than you! When I see a woman who does not have a perfect body - but is confident and rocking a bikini - I think it's totally awesome. :). Enjoy your cruise!!

Thanks! I was hoping someone would say that you see women of all shapes and sizes wearing them.

First...a BIG congratulations on your weight loss so far!! It's absolutely fantastic. Do not bemoan the pounds you didn't lose...celebrate the pounds you did. Strive to keep your progress framed in the most positive mindset.

 

Second...I am also in the process of losing weight. As a part of this process, I've been spending time analyzing clothing and what is and isn't truly flattering to wear...what really makes a woman look her best? I have spent so much of my life dressing to cover what I perceive as my flaws...that I end up ALSO downplaying what could be my greatest assets. And I have come to the conclusion that it is very important to dress to play up and call attention to what is most attractive...and just ignore what you still want to improve. Then...hopefully, everyone's eye's are drawn to what is SO RIGHT about your appearance.

 

That said...if your BF and friends say you look fine...then likely you are rockin' that bikini already. SOMETHING...whether it's you rear or your girls is looking good and your stomach is not really a factor because the good is outweighing the bad. And it is my opinion that most bikini tops are extremely flattering to the girls...KWIM ;)? And most bikini bottoms frame your rear end, JUST SO...and no matter what you got back there...and these days, it seems the bigger the better...you look as good going as coming in a bikini because it is MADE to highlight the best features that make women women. A one piece doesn't offer the same eye catching appeal IMO.

 

All that to say...I think you should wear the bikini. :D

Thanks! I think I am going to pack it. I think part of my problem is what I see in the mirror isn't always correct. I have a distorted view. I'm not sure if you have ever experienced that. I still see the heavier version of myself but when I do look at pictures or if other see me they tell me I look thinner.

You make a very good point about playing up my other areas. My rear is pretty flat but up top is a good thing to play up. I will focus on that. I tend to do that with clothing.

Not to worry, my BF would always wear shorts and graphic tees to shows, too, and we never felt the least bit uncomfortable. He'd get dressed up for the couple hours of dinner and change out of that ASAP!

 

I guess it depends what line you're going on. When we were on NCL, we never dressed up for dinner, I think he went to dinner in (nice) khaki shorts most of the time and maybe a polo shirt. I usually wore sundresses. On RCCL, he went with black pants or khaki pants and a polo shirt because any less dressy than that would have felt weird, and I went with more cocktail-type dresses.

 

Also depends what you're doing that day. I'm not usually the type to shower and redo my hair/makeup for dinner, but after a long port day, you'll probably want to shower when you get back on the ship anyway, or if you've been in the pool, so since you're showering anyway, you might as well put on something a little nicer afterward. Nothing to stop you from heading right back to the room and changing after dinner, before heading to a show! (Just don't do what we did and make the mistake of laying down "for just a little bit" after a long, full dinner...we kept falling asleep and missing the shows! :()

Good to know your bf wears shorts and graphic tees! That is pretty much what mine wears all the time.

We are RCCL and it does state that no shorts are allowed in dining room even on non-formal nights. That's why I was concerned about the shows/specialty restaurants.

Oh yes, I'm sure if we laid down for "just a little bit" after along full dinner and a day in the sun we'd fall asleep and miss shows too!

Thanks for the good info!

I am 5'11" and on January 1st I weighed 242 pounds. By the time I left for my Alaska cruise at the end of August I weighed 182 pounds. I was not in "bikini" shape by any stretch of the imagination, but I brought a bikini anyway. My proudest and bravest moment on the cruise was when I took off my coverup and walked to the hot tub in my bikini. It was an empowering moment to realize that I was finally comfortable in my skin. I think you should rock the bikini.

 

Lisa

Great job with your weightloss!! Yes, I am hoping for the empowering moment realizing I am comfortable in my skin. There are days I look at old pictures and then new and I'm like wow, look how far I have come. Then days such as the day I posted this topic when I was having an insecure moment. I know it's good to pack more than one bathing suit so I think I'll pack both and maybe one day on the ship I'll feel good enough to rock it!

Thank you everyone for commenting!

I think we will try out the Main Dining Room sometime. I just had seen a few sample menu's and was worried about what my other half would eat. I know we'll be okay at the buffet but the MDR menu seemed to use 'gourmet terms'. If it's about as fancy as Olive Garden as someone mentioned, I think we can handle that. :)

Good to know that the attire for shows is casual. I was worried if we were wearing shorts we would be turned away. I have nice shorts and tops and sundresses but my bf loves his shorts and graphic tee's.

Buy a water safe. You can even buy them in the gift shops on board. They are on a string like the lanyards, but can hold your seapass card, money and a couple of credit cards. when closed they are waterproof. Wish I knew how to send a photo of one of them :(. We always carry these to the beach. They're perfect.

Thanks for the tip! I will definitely check into one of those.

I am leaving for a Caribbean cruise in two weeks and I am unsure on a few things. I've been reading a lot of different articles, reviews and threads here but I figured I'd just post my specific question.

It looks like we will have two formal nights on our cruise. However, from the menu samples I've found for the MDR, my bf and I are thinking we probably won't eat there. We're quite simple and picky when it comes to food. The MDR looks to have beautiful fancy delicious food. I am pretty sure I could find something but bf is super picky so we're not planning on eating there much if at all.

We do have a free specialty dinner that was part of a package when we booked so I think we'll be safe at Chops Grille and order steak. I plan to wear a dress for that. For guys, are pants and a polo shirt okay or does he need to wear a jacket/tie?

Also, we plan on attending a few of the shows on board. What is the attire for that? I'm sure it's not formal (tux/dresses) but what is best? Sundress instead of shorts for me? Can bf wear shorts and a tshirt or should he dress nicer? I guess I'm more concerned about what he plans to pack. He joked saying he was fine with swimsuit and tshirts and I was like uh, you need a FEW nice things!

Lastly, I'm not sure if this question is in the right section but swimsuit wise. I have lost about 30 pounds and really wanted to wear a bikini. I've never been able to wear one before. However my goal had been to be closer to 40-50 pounds down from where I was. I'm 5'6 and 154 pounds. I'm not fat but I'm not a tiny fit girl either. I hold most of my weight in my stomach too which is why I've never worn a two piece. My friends and bf say I look fine and should go for it because I'll never see anyone again. Yet I'm still a bit insecure. I don't want to be the fat girl on the ship that people wish would cover up. So I guess my question is...do you see a lot of people of all shapes and sizes in two pieces or is it mostly just the young thin beautiful ones?

Okay, here's a question that isn't quite about a lanyard but it's along those lines. When you're at the beach at one of the ports and you want to swim, do you just leave your stuff on your towel? Or do you wear your lanyard into the water? There's just two of us going (boyfriend and I) and I think we both will want to be in the water at one point. I don't plan on bringing much but we'll need money for taxi, food, etc.

I could not imagine not using a lanyard either! I have a pretty beaded one that just looks like a long necklace. Since I tend to wear sundresses nearly exclusively I never have pockets to stick my card in.

 

I have never lost my card and always have it right at hand without having to carry something with me all over the ship. I have a small bag that I put my book and tanning essentials in when I am going to the pool - but the rest of the time I don't want to be burdened with anything more than an umbrella drink in my hand! :D

 

With or without a lanyard.. have a fabulous time on the cruise!!!!

So glad to see this post. It seems like a lot of people are saying just to put it in their pockets but for on the ship I had hoped to wear sundresses and as you know they have no pockets!

It's looking like the general consensus is lanyards are okay on the ship but in port tuck them away somewhere.

http://201.220.14.27/sxmonline/VesselScheduleCruise.aspx

 

This is a link to the cruise ship schedule for St. Maarten

Thanks! Looks like 6 ships in port in St. Maarten. That's a lot!

This will be our first time to St. Martin. After reading all the positive comments here about Bernard's, I booked a tour yesterday. Bernard sent a confirmation right away. We will be there on 11/20/13, with an estimated 19,466 fellow cruisers! I certainly hope that they don't run out of rum (or those tiny little paper umbrellas)!

I'm a first time cruiser and I keep seeing everyone talk about how many ships are in port on the day they are there. Where do you find this information?

Now that I think about it...I'll be there 11/20/13 as well. I'm seriously considering booking a tour with Benards after reading this thread.