Navigator of the Seas April 1, 2006

[Scotia Piper]

Hi,

I've been lurking for a little while and thought I should finally post. This is an absolutely fantastic site and cannot wait to go on my first cruise. Hubbie and I are booked for the Navigator of the Seas April 1, 2006 Western Caribean. Thanks to this site I have already started my 1/2" binder of info. and been looking at different shore excursions to go on.

 

Will try not to be a pest but I'm sure to ask several questions in the coming months. However, I can offer an info. trade as I live just outside of Halifax, a Canadian destination, if anyone needs any questions answered. I assure you I check this board on a daily basis almost. Seems I've become addicted to cruising and have yet to set foot on a ship.

 

Thanks in advance.

[mdwstcruiser]

We sailed on the Navigator a couple of months ago and are booked for next March also. You will love the Navigator. Such a fun ship. My husband and i were traveling alone and met a lot of wonderful people. In fact, the couple that were seated at our dinner table with us booked with us for next year! We had the late dinner seating which we liked because you had more time to linger and talk. We would go to a show later and then meet up at the Two Poets Pub in the promenade with our new friends. We really like the promenade on the ship. A fun place to people watch!!! We did the eastern caribbean. Last year on the Mariner we did the western. They were both very nice. My favorites-Cozumel, St Thomas and my favorite - St. Martin. Know you will have a good time. We still keep in touch via e-mail with some about 4 or 5 people from across the country and Canada that we met. If you have any questions about the Navigator let me know!

 

Carol

[pharmdawg]

second sailing on Navigator. We went east last year and west on this new sailing.

[LynnAB]

Hi, Pharmdawg,

 

Gosh, I remember writing to you LAST year. Weren't we on the same June 5th sailing on the Navigator? I believe I was hoping to meet you at the Meet & Mingle but you didn't go to it. I remember some people didn't get the invitations.

 

Anyway, my husband, son, and I just got off OUR second sailing on the Navigator this past Saturday (5/21). Gosh, we LOVE that ship!!!

 

You're very lucky. You'll be sailing on NOS after drydock. I read that Vintages is gone and there's a sports bar there now. Sounds exciting!

 

In case you don't remember me, I wrote to you last year that my son was starting college to pursue pharmacy. Well, he just finished his first year of college, so it's been exciting.

 

You'll enjoy the western route, I'm sure. Cozumel was our favorite port!

 

I'm envious that you still have your cruise to look forward to!!!

 

We actually booked Freedom of the seas for August, 2006. I just hope all goes well between now and then. It seems so far away.

 

Keep in touch when you have a chance, and have a ball on your cruise.

 

Lynn from South Florida

[lephysteria]

Hi,

I've been lurking for a little while and thought I should finally post. This is an absolutely fantastic site and cannot wait to go on my first cruise. Hubbie and I are booked for the Navigator of the Seas April 1, 2006 Western Caribean. Thanks to this site I have already started my 1/2" binder of info. and been looking at different shore excursions to go on.

 

Will try not to be a pest but I'm sure to ask several questions in the coming months. However, I can offer an info. trade as I live just outside of Halifax, a Canadian destination, if anyone needs any questions answered. I assure you I check this board on a daily basis almost. Seems I've become addicted to cruising and have yet to set foot on a ship.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Welcome to our family. You'll soon be addicted, I'm sure :D

This site is a great resource of information.

 

What is your itinerary on the Navigator? I have been on the Explorer and Adventure, and think they're fabulous ships! You'll have a great time, I'm so jealous!

[medolee]

bump

[Scotia Piper]

Thanks for the greeting. We will be touring the Western Caribbean with stops in Labadee, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Have already started to look into independent excursions through Peat Taylor and Phil Lafayette in Jamaica and with Captain Bryan's in Grand Cayman. Know it is too early to probably book but is fun to dream about a year ahead.

 

Thanks again,

 

Lynne

[Misty_Que]

Hi there! We too are from Canada (Alberta) and will be travelling on teh Navigator in January for our Cruise Wedding! So far we have 20 people booked to join us. We are also doing the Western Caribbean. I am so glad to read that the NOS is such a great ship as it took me awhile to make up my mind and I didn't find this great site until after booking. We still have to book our flight and hotel. Any recommendations on hotel in Miami close to the port??? I know that Holiday Inn is there but they are asking $112 US and that is a group rate!

Who did you book your flight through? Sorry for all the questions!!

[vacationbound]

Hi Lynn! We too are booked on your April 1, 2006 sailing. We have been on the Navigator before.....(and the Mariner and Seranade since), and are very much looking forward to our 2nd Navigator trip. You will love her. We are a family of my husband, myself, and our 16 yo daughter. We will be traveling with two other families with 12 and 17 yo boys. I already signed up for the Meet and Mingle....never can be too organized! All of us live in Michigan now, but we have all lived around Toronto at one time or another. My husband actually still works there and commutes, believe it or not.

 

So much to look forward to!!

 

Lori;)

[PVDCruiser]

Welcome to the site! Enjoy! :)

[Scotia Piper]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. Are you getting married on the ship or at one of the ports of call?

 

We actually ended up on this cruise as a fluke, DH's brother is part of a travel club, I think and wondered if we would like to join them as he could get us a deal. I have wanted to go on a cruise for the last few years so jumped at the chance. Seems like we fluked into a great ship!! Fellow co-workers of mine have cruised the Explorer and really, really enjoyed themselves.

 

We haven't booked airfare or hotel yet but know the brother-in-law has used priceline in the past. I'm just hoping to have enough Avion (Visa)point to cover the airfare as it's a little under a year away (legitimate excuse to shop?).

 

I also lived out west, Calgary, for 9 years (junior and high school) but moved down here to attend university and met DH and forgot to leave. Love the lifestyle but would jump at the chance to move to BC. Have my trees and water back but truely miss the Rockies, figure BC fits all categories plus Dad lives in White Rock.

 

Congrats again,

 

Lynne

[vacationbound]

Looks like we all posted at the same time. We stayed at a Marriott on South Beach in Miami last time. We will try to book it again. Very nice location on the beach, easy walking to lots of shopping and restaurants.

 

We have done Peat Taylor in Jamaica....very good tour! This time, one of our travel -mates was born and raised in Jamaica so we are expecting a personal tour!! (He doesn't know this yet!) ha ha

 

Lori

[Scotia Piper]

I also signed up for the Meet and Mingle. It was one of the first things I did when I found out about them. Always interested in meeting new people from different places.

 

It will just be DH and I (no kids but plenty of fur kids), but brother-in-law is traveling with DW, DS and DD.

 

South Beach sounds like lots of fun. We will definitely be coming in the day prior as know there is nodirect flight between Halifax and Miami, leaving nothing to chance.

 

Wish I were leaving this week as have had nothing but rain, rain, rain this spring (one of the wetter ones on record). Still waiting for the leaves to come out, really late this year!

 

Lynne

[over the edge]

Hi Lynne, I know where you're coming from when you talk about the rain. I live in Antigonish, NS. I'm soooo tired of this weather. We sailed on the Voyager last January and loved it. This January I will sail on the Radiance with my best friend and we can't wait!! You are going to love cruising. :)

[Misty_Que]

We are getting married on the ship on the day of departure. I am always scared when booking things over the internet and I've never used Priceline before. I think I will check it out though.

[karen_g]

We will be touring the Western Caribbean with stops in Labadee, Jamaica, Grand Cayman and Cozumel. Have already started to look into independent excursions through Peat Taylor and Phil Lafayette in Jamaica and with Captain Bryan's in Grand Cayman. Know it is too early to probably book but is fun to dream about a year ahead.

 

Hi Scotia Piper! We will be getting off the Navigator the very same day you are getting on, so we will cross paths in Miami! One comment I wanted to make is that it's never too early to inquire about booking tours that you might be interested in. I thought I was ridiculously early when I recently contacted someone (Joyce Prince) about a tour in St. Martin for late March 2006. Not only was she already booked for that day (10 months in advance!), but she told me she had already had *several* inquiries that she had to turn down. Of course, this was a private tour where she only takes 1 family or small group, so larger operators will still have space. This was just an illustration of the fact that people really do plan WAY in advance so if you know for sure that you want to do something, jump on it!

 

Have a fun trip!

[vacationbound]

Hey, where did everybody go??

[mdwstcruiser]

Hi, Pharmdawg,

 

 

!You're very lucky. You'll be sailing on NOS after drydock. I read that Vintages is gone and there's a sports bar there now. Sounds exciting

 

Just curious-when is NOS going in drydock. And is Vintages really gone? We'll be sailing on the 3/11/06 cruise.

 

Carol

[Scotia Piper]

Hi,

 

Still here. It is the first sunny weekend we have had here in weeks and finally get to tackle the garden. Wished I was on a cruise the last couple of weeks due to the miserable weather, but now the sun is out and am happy again (still would like to be on the boat though).

 

Thinking about starting up a roll call thread on the boards, there has to more then just us. Where is everybody staying on the ship? We have a balcony on deck 6, forward almost across from the stairs.

 

Can't wait.

 

Lynne

[vacationbound]

Hi Lynn,

 

I think a roll call thread would probably be good. There has to be others out there looking. We already had to be waitlisted for the cabin that we ultimately wanted, so there must be lots of bookings. We are on deck 10 near the main elevator bank.

 

We are finally getting a beautiful weekend too! My flowers are in, but need that sun to get 'em growing! Have a great weekend!

 

Lori;)

[pharmdawg]

Yes I do remember talking with you last year. I am sorry about the meet and mingle thing. I could not figure where to go when! I never got an invitation. Is you son still interested in Pharmacy? We are excited about our second sailing on NOS. We won't spend the first 2 days trying to find our way around. It is almost like having a longer trip. We are hoping to have our same waiter , Pumpkin, that we had last year. He was great with us, our kids and the recommendations. We have been western before but it was with Norwegian. This itinerary is much better for us though. Our day in Roatan was awful. The only new place we are going on this sailing will be Ocho Rios.

Just wanted to say HI and tell your son to keep plugging away.

[LynnAB]

Hi, pharmdawg,

 

Yes, my son is still very interested in pharmacy. He has completed his first year of college now. Five more to go <lol>. Thank you for the words of encouragement.

 

You are so right about going on the Navigator a second time. I actually enjoyed it MORE than the first time, even though the first cruise was perfect. I did feel like my trip was longer because I already knew what I did and didn't want to do this time around. That actually gave me more time in the long run because I skipped a few activities and had more "free" time to do whatever ... relax a bit, go to the hot tub an extra time or two, do OTHER activities, etc. It was even better!

 

I know you'll love your second cruise on the Navigator! It has a really special feeling doing it AGAIN.

 

We lucked out and found our waiter and had him again. Hopefully you will, too. And there were several staff members that DID remember us. The waiter's assistant (the SWEETEST woman) even came over to me when she saw me in the windjammer and asked where my son was. She wanted to see HIM so, of course, I had to go get him and he came to see her and give her a big hug. It was like a reunion.

 

Have fun! I know you will.

 

Lynn

[pharmdawg]

We are really hoping we can get Pumpkin. He was great with my kids.

[crb04]

Just got back from Navigator (5/28). Had a wonderful time. Vintages was still there--enjoyed wine tasting and chocolates in PMs...yum. Went western route. Cozumel was our favorite stop too. Didn't really like Jamaica and Dunn's River Falls...booked all excursions independently of ship and was looking forward to climbing without horde. They insisted must climb with guide and ended up with about 40 others-- rushed/pushed/pulled, and 13 year-old DD actually had one of the guides splash water into her face (she wears contacts) telling her to "hurry, hurry, hurry...you all look the same to us and if you don't stay with the group, we don't know who to get tip from." We left the river at that point and went to Magaritaville. Great service and staff onboard. Can't wait to book our next one...have fun!

[vacationbound]

Hi Fellow Cruisers! I just thought I'd bring this up to the top one more time to see if there are any more Navigator cruisers for Spring Break 2006. If there is a new thread, please let me know.....I have this one earmarked....but it seems to be a dud.

 

We are a group of three families.....parents in their 40's, one kid each....a boy 12yo, a girl 16yo, and a boy 17yo.

 

Are you out there????

 

Lori