Holiday Past/Present Cruisers Post Here

[Jus10mom]

Now how am I supposed to concentrate at work now! ;)

[shecat]

Jus10mom-We had a balcony on the Conquest. I don't think you will miss it on the Holiday. Shorter cruise less time to spend in the cabin. Which itinerary are you on? I think you got a good price too, considering it is summer.

[Jus10mom]

Cozumel and Playa ports.

 

We are actually going October 10th when the kids are on fall break (year round schedule). That's what we thought esp with the kids. Figured we'd be out and about more. We liked the balcony in the mornings and right before bedtime otherwise we didn't hang out in the room. I did LOVE using the bungy cord and keeping the door open at night! That was FABULOUS!!!!!

 

FYI--on Conquest, We were the last ship out of Grand Cayman before Hurrican Ivan hit!!! They were boarding windows as we left. We were a day ahead of Ivan the entire time with absolutley beautiful weather the whole time1 :)

[crewsin250]

A friend of mine just got back off the Celebration and some of the staff onboard said it was going to replace the Holiday when it leaves.

[Bballfan]

We are going August 29. I wonder if we are the last sailing before refurbishment in September?

 

My family will be sailing on this one too!:cool:

[Gallivanting Souls]

Hey all,

Our family will be on the Holiday on the Aug 29th cruise. 3 cabins. One outside and 2 insides. My boys want to know if there is a slide on this ship? Wanted to go on a 7 day, but the price was right!!!!:confused:

[cruznbuddies]

My first cruise was on the Holiday in '94. I was hooked after that.

 

DITTO for us except we sailed the Caribbean out of San Juan on the Holiday in January 2002. I can identify with the rockin' and rollin'. We didn't get statistics, but the whole ship was not only side to side which you'd expect but end to end. It only added to the fun in my opinion, but then we don't get sick. Lots of others did though. Great ship - Great cruise - LOTS of FUN FUN FUN!

[Cotton]

Family - Yes, the main pool has a slide. Hope your boys enjoy it!:)

[BamaEagle]

A friend of mine just got back off the Celebration and some of the staff onboard said it was going to replace the Holiday when it leaves.

 

I hope this is not true. We sailed on the Holiday last month and loved it. The service was extraordinary. We Alabamians were hoping to get a bigger ship if the Holiday leaves, but the Celebration is virtually the same size as Holiday. I would rather keep the Holiday, with its outstanding customer satisfaction ratings, than switch to a ship of the same size.

[shecat]

BamaEagle I don't consider the Celebration an upgrade. The service on the Holiday was our best yet on a cruise.

[Jus10mom]

Any suggestions, ones you are planning or ones to avoid????

 

:)

[Jus10mom]

Cozumel...probably Paradise Beach; we had planned to go here last year but ended up at Chankanaab Park instead with some new friends we met. At least a quick stop into Carlos and Charlies just to say we went back. Since we have the kiddos, I don't think we'll partake of our 3 yards like last year! :)

 

Playa???? Xcaret maybe? Pretty expensive but it looks nice. I also read on this board about hiring someone that takes you around. Several people have raved about it???

 

Anyone else have thoughts here?????

[BamaEagle]

This was our first cruise, but we really did not feel like organized excursions suited us, so we ventured out on our own in Calica/Playa and Cozumel. LOVED both of these ports. Had such a great time that I will describe what we did in case any future Holiday cruisers want to do something similar:

 

At Calica, we went to the Maya ruins at Tulum and to Xel Ha snorkel park. Both are located to the South of the port at Calica. I believe it is about 20 miles down to Xel-Ha and an additional 6-8? miles down to Tulum. We could have rented a car at the port, but we were somewhat nervous about driving on the Mexican mainland (Realized it probably would have been fine after seeing where we went.) Had read a lot about Cozumel, however, and did not fear renting a vehicle there (see below).

 

Anyway, we took a taxi north into Playa del Carmen ($10 USD) where I had planned to take a public bus down to Tulum. The taxi driver talked us into taking a collectivo because they run continuously and we would have had to wait about an hour for the next bus. (I also believe he was in with the collectivo drivers). Didn't matter though as it was a good choice. These are white 15 passenger vans that run up and down the coastal highway. These are public transportation, like the buses, in good condition, and air conditioned, we were packed in pretty tight, however. There was a large family of about 7-8 people on the van also from the Holiday, and four Mexicans. I sat next to a Mexican gentleman who operates a gift shop at Tulum and was headed to work. Had a great conversation all the way down. I paid in US dollars, might have been slightly cheaper to pay in Pesos. It was $2.50 USD each for the collectivo fare from Playa del Carmen to Tulum. This was all really not as complicated as it sounds. All you have to do is get in a taxi at Calica and tell the driver that you want to go into Playa del Carmen to get a collectivo that will run south to Tulum. We simply told the collectivo driver we wanted to go to Tulum ruinas (so did all 14 passengers, so getting off at the right spot was no problem). I had read that if you just say "Tulum" they will take you further South to the town of Tulum.

 

At Tulum ruins, there is no vehicle traffic allowed from the highway to the ruins (about 1/2 mile), but a tram runs back and forth. Costs about a buck or two. We just walked the short walk as it wasn't too hot yet. The ruins at Tulum were unbelievably beautiful, sitting atop high rocky cliffs with beautiful beaches below. Tulum is about 800 years old, near the end of the Classic Maya period. There are guides that you can hire to take you around, but I had printed some info. sheets off of the internet that described each of the principal buildings and included a site map. There are interpretive signs explaining details throughout the site, but they are in Spanish. We looked around here for about 1.5 hours, then walked back out to the highway to catch a taxi north to Xel Ha. Taxi fare was only $6.00 and they dropped us off right at the ticket pavilion. We could have taken another collectivo, as they were lined up at Tulum, but I would not recommend it to get from Tulum to Xel Ha. Collectivos drops off on the highway only, so it would have been about a half mile walk in the now mid-day heat to the Xel-Ha ticket pavilion. Also, they wait until the van is at least half full to leave and we talked to a Dutch couple who had been waiting for 15 minutes. When we found out it was only $6.00 to take the taxi, we went with it.

 

Xel-Ha is beautiful. http://www.xelha.com.mx (choose English at the top of this webpage to switch to the English version) It is an enormous eco-park, much more nature oriented than Xcaret. Great restaurants, lots of lounge chairs, hammocks, etc. Snorkeling is the main attraction here, and a tube float down a beautiful jungle stream. The fish here are HUGE. The water is not nearly as clear as Cozumel, however. It's not dirty, but the mixing of fresh water from the streams and springs with the salt water in the lagoon causes a blurry effect in areas. You will still have no problem seeing a lot of fish. I found the water to be much clearer further back in to the lagoon. Entry was $29.00 USD each. You can get an all inclusive ticket for about $50.00 each that includes all of your snorkel equipment rental and all of the food and drink you like, but we only had about 4 hours here and we wanted to spend more time in the water, plus we had our own mask and snorkel. I did pay $4.00 to rent a pair of fins. There are multiple places to eat and drink in the park. We each got an order of steak tacos and split a margarita for lunch at one of the open air eating areas. Our total lunch was about $15.00 USD. You could easily spend the full day here and still not see the entire park.

 

We left Xel-Ha at about 5:00, when they closed, this time taking the public bus back in to Playa. Just ask at the information desk at the Xel Ha ticket pavilion for assistance in catching the public bus. You will pay your fare as you board the bus. On this day, the last bus for Playa left at 5:15. There is a parking lot FULL of tour buses going back to resort hotels, so it is a little confusing. The public bus, however, picks up right at the curb near the above mentioned information desk. Taxi fare would have been about $30.00 either back to the Calica port or on in to Playa. Bus fare was $4.00 each from Xel-Ha to Playa. The ride took about 40 minutes as it stopped off at Xcaret before going on in to Playa. It was a very modern and clean air conditioned motor coach bus. My wife had a great power nap on the bus. For some people, the advantage to the taxi over the bus would be that the taxi could take you straight back to the ship, but we did not have to be back on board until after 9:00, so we thought we would take the bus in to Playa to walk around the shopping area downtown. This was a charming bustling beachfront area. We got a cell phone signal here, so we called home to check on the kids. At about dusk, we took a taxi back to the ship at Calica.

 

In Cozumel, we rented a Jeep and toured the island. We docked at the downtown pier. Rented the Jeep from Payless, about 1-2 blocks south of the pier at the Barracuda Hotel. We went in mid May and still got the low season rate. It was $50 total including insurance. Most of the rental agencies have locations at both piers, so if you make a reservation, it should not be a problem that you often do not know where you will dock until the morning of arrival. Stopped first at Dzul Ha, a quaint little "beach" club (this area is rocky shore-they have brought a little sand in to create a sandy seating area. Dzul Ha is the best shore snorkeling on the island. Swam out to the coral heads and there are lots of beautiful fish. Swam a little beyond this and saw a GIANT school of MANY thousands (millions?) of fish. We stayed here about 2 hours, then headed further south for Paradise Beach where we stayed for about 1.5 hours. Enjoyed drinks at PB and swam a bit. Great sandy beach and swimming area with water trampoline and floating "iceberg" to climb. We would have enjoyed PB more, perhaps, if there had been some live music. Our children would have loved all of the water "toys." Very nice place, but we are more into natural beauty. We then proceeded to tour around the island. The eastern shore, or "Wild Side" is beautiful. Got out at several spots for pictures and walking on the mostly deserted beaches. Before cutting back across the island on the crossover road, we stopped at Coconuts on the highest bluff on the island for great shrimp tacos and Margaritas. The view was spectacular. Sat at a table right atop the cliffs with the ocean below. We then headed back to the downtown waterfront for some quick shopping (about 1.5 hours). My wife went to Cinco Soles and Touch of Gold jewelery store. I went to the Havana Club as I had to get a Cuban Cohiba (Enjoyed it the next night on ship, BTW, it was outstanding). All three of these shops were within a couple of blocks of each other. We then returned the jeep and stopped in the duty free liquor store at the pier before boarding the ship. Cozumel was wonderful. My wife would have preferred perhaps another hour of shopping. Hated having to board the ship by 5:00. A 7:00 or 8:00 boarding time would have been much better.

 

If we ever return to Calica/Playa, we would probably spend the entire day at Xel-Ha, or try Xcaret. No need really to see the ruins again, although I would highly recommend Tulum for its beauty.

[Jus10mom]

BamaEagle, what a very detailed review. I love ones like yours that give me prices for taxis and so forth.

 

Now I am torn between Xel-ha and Xcaret. Which for your reading and experience would be best for kids? My children are 6 and 8--both rowdy boys. ;)

 

Was Paradise Beach very crowded? Seems like the word has spread a lot about it? I think that would be the place the kids would enjoy with all the "toys"; it's been on my agenda for a while now...

 

Thanks again for the review! :)

[BamaEagle]

Jus10MoM,

 

I have not been to Xcaret, but researched it and Xel-Ha on the internet prior to our cruise. We also have boys, three of them-10, 8, and 7 years old. If we go back with them, I would choose Xel-Ha again and would spend the entire day there, mainly because they love the water, and they are active like yours. From what I read, Xcaret is more of a balance between cultural and water activities while Xel-Ha is almost completely water oriented. It also seems like there would be a lot more walking to do at Xcaret. If you're 6 and 8 year olds are fairly adventurous, they should be able to snorkel just fine. Some kids that age just swim around with a mask and life jacket, not even bothering with the snorkel. BTW, if you want a life jacket, they provide them for free at Xel-Ha whether you rent equipment or not. There are no sharks for your kids to fear, but I will warn you that you may see some pretty scary looking barracuda. They won't bother you, but they do look pretty creepy. My wife was enjoying the snorkeling just fine until she saw one of these. She spent most of the rest of our time there relaxing in lounge chairs and taking pictures. She was also terrified of the iguanas, which was pretty humorous to watch. BTW, iguanas are everywhere at Tulum and Xel Ha, my boys would have loved these. While I was snorkeling, I looked up to see her in a panic and climbing up on to a table where two Australian gentleman were seated. An iguana was walking by and she panicked. The Aussies (and I) could not stop laughing. It is now one of our great memories (even for her). In spite of her fears, she still loved Xel-Ha and has been telling people what a neat place it is.

 

On the tube float-we did not have time for this, but saw it and it looked great. People commented that the water moves very slow. We would have done it, and snorkeled/floated along the way, if we had time. I will try to attach a picture below.

 

Also, you can pay extra to swim with dolphins at Xel-Ha, but it is quite expensive. They are fun to just watch.

 

Xel Ha closes at 5:00, but Xcaret stays open much later and has some sort of spectacular Maya cultural show after dark. Some Holiday cruisers with the later departure time in Calica might choose Xcaret for this reason. I would be ready to get my kids back to the ship earlier than that, especially after a day in the water.

 

Finally, the Carnival excursion is a combo of Tulum and Xel-Ha. The Tulum visit is a guided, very crowded (I saw them) walking tour in the heat. This does not seem like it would be fun for your boys, so if you want to do Xel-Ha, you would have to venture out on your own, not on the ship tour. An advantage to Xcaret is that it is VERY near the Calica port. The ship excursion price for Xcaret is about the same price as doing it on your own and they run a shuttle continuously back and forth to Xcaret.

 

Glad you liked the review. I provided the same kind of information that I wanted to know prior to traveling. For us, it was important to have a clear budget and have a general idea of how we planned to get around.

[BamaEagle]

Jus10Mom:

 

Forgot to answer your Paradise Beach question. There were only 5 ships in Cozumel that day and PB was not crowded. I have read that when there are more than 8 ships there, it can get crowded. Yes, our kids would have loved Paradise Beach. You can enter, and use the chairs and/or umbrellas for free, and of course are expected to order something. We just got drinks as we did not stay that long. You must pay $8.00 to get a bracelet to use the water toys. You can just pay for your kids to use the water toys and save mom and dad's $16.00 for food and drinks!:) Great service, wait staff serves you right out on your beach chairs.

 

Also a correction to my original post, we rented a car from LessPay, NOT "Payless."

[shecat]

Good review BamaEagle. We rented a car in Calica for $50 and drove to Xel-Ha and Hidden Worlds. The driving in Mexico did not scare me like some places in the states. I would not recommend Hidden Worlds for kids less than 12. At Coconuts did the waiter bring you the photo album?

[Jus10mom]

Now I am all confused! :p I had previously thought we'd do XCaret, now I am doubting myself. Xel-ha sounds wonderful too. I've been looking at both websites this morning and they both look great. Each with their own perks!

 

Yes, I think Paradise Beach will be fun for the kids. They are both excellent swimmers and have been since they were 4, so I'm not a big worrier when it comes to water with them. I've shown them the PB website and they were going crazy with excitement with the trampoline and iceburg.

 

And too funny about your wife and the iguanas! I screamed when I saw one run across my path in Chankaab Park last year. I totally was not expecting to see that! :)

 

I think we are leaning more towards picking one thing/plan one thing to do each stop; then have time to stroll and be at pleasure to do whatever. I would really like to see the Mayan ball game at Xcaret that night. Can you leave and come back without paying I wonder....hummmmmm.

 

Anyway, thanks again for your additional thoughts. I love reading these boards and finding out what are the best things to do, etc.!

 

And go Vols! LOLOL.

[BamaEagle]

Shecat,

 

No I did not see the photo album at Coconuts. What is it?

 

Jus10mom, I am almost positive I have read somewhere on this board that you could come and go from Xcaret. If you go with the Carnival Excursion, I would ask them to be sure. It is very close to the port at Calica so it seems very practical that you could come back, eat, freshen up, then head back to Xcaret.

 

Oh, almost forgot.......Roll Tide!

[BamaEagle]

Shecat,

 

No I did not see the photo album at Coconuts. What is it?

 

Jus10mom, I am almost positive I have read somewhere on this board that you could come and go from Xcaret. If you go with the Carnival Excursion, I would ask them to be sure. It is very close to the port at Calica so it seems very practical that you could come back, eat, freshen up, then head back to Xcaret.

 

Oh, almost forgot.......Roll Tide!

[Jus10mom]

I was just looking at the Xcaret info on Carnivals site. I had read that too that Carnival in this case was better booking for Xcaret and just as cheap then booking one thru your own. It looks like you could be transported back and forth. I really would like the kids to see some of the exhibits and shows that is why I are leaning a bit towards Xcaret...

 

Okay, and from your screen name; I never would've guessed a Alabama fan. From the "Eagle" I figured you gotta be an Auburn War Eagle! ????? :rolleyes:

[BamaEagle]

Jus10mom,

 

Mistaken for an Aubbie...oh, the horror. Almost as bad as being mistaken for a Vol (present company excluded, of course!):) I do see how you could have easily assumed that from the screen name.

 

I am a Bama fan. Hard to live in Tuscaloosa and not be. My biggest loyalty however, lies with my alma mater, Georgia Southern University--the Eagles).

 

I am sure that you will have a wonderful time at Xcaret. We had a hard time deciding as well. If that is where you are leaning, you should do it.

 

Go (GSU) Eagles!

Roll Tide!

[Jus10mom]

I understand now....I went to Tennessee Tech so I'll be an Eagle with you...:)

 

As for Alabamians, I am missing my 2 favorite guys on the radio...Rick and Bubba! LOVE them. They've been on Nashville forever and they just took them off when the stations did some buy outs/cross overs. Now my hour+ drive into work is awful without my favorite guys in the morning! :eek: :mad:

 

I'll keep you updated on our thoughts on Xcaret....

[gadawg1979]

GO DAWGS......................Sic 'em WOOF WOOF WOOF

[willumz]

Hunnibee, I will be on the same cruise with you. July 18th. I am soooo excited. This is my first cruise, and I will be sailing solo. My best friend was supposed to go with me but she backed out at the last minute. I am a little worried about going alone. BTW, I am a female, 36, newly single.