3Sisters

@Sullanciri I have yet to explore Venice, but I too am curious to hear the responses about this area. This transfer process does sound accurate, but I wouldn't be too overwhelmed. I would prepare myself for this bus shuttle. It's likely a courtesy shuttle anyway, instead of having to taxi and find your own way from the port. I would view this as a little blessing in disguise. The bus system will eliminate the headache of finding alternate transportation once off-ship!

@FJB I see your daughter is a big help to facilitating some much-needed time off! This vacation must have taken tons of planning for forethought. I'm so glad you opted to get travel insurance for that one. After spending, I'm sure, plenty of money on this epic adventure, solidifying the "what ifs" by purchasing travel insurance was certainly wise!

@FJB From what it sounds like the mini-suite is not worth the extra money. @Onboard I would rather just spend less on a standard balcony suite and spend extra on some awesome excursions! Unless I'm on a romantic getaway, I don't really spend that much time in my stateroom. I definitely don't spend enough time to really appreciate the extra 10 sq. ft. of space! What additional amenities come with the Celebrity suites?

@David Chavez Many of the mainstream cruise lines are definitely geared towards family fun and all-age activities. I second what @kefthecruiser says, NCL and Princess Cruises could be better options for an older adult lifestyle. These cruise lines have more excursion options that are geared toward an adult crowd. Have you cruised with Princess Cruises before? I think you may really enjoy the style of cruising and excursion options available, catering to less physically intensive crowds. The smaller ships also offer a more peaceful atmosphere for older guests who don't care to wait in line at the buffet or arcade.

Disney Cruise Line's Disney Fantasy already had to adjust its itinerary due to Hurricane Lee. The ship will cruise a Western Caribbean itinerary instead of Bermuda. To be honest, I think that itinerary is even better than the original one. I bet there will be more itinerary changes from other cruise lines trying to dodge Lee!

@SpaceCowboy9 You are going to love cruising with Windstar! I have heard great things about this luxury line, and you will also have access to Starlink onboard if you care for it. This is a great way to celebrate #30, onboard a smaller, more intimate ship! How long is your cruise itinerary? Will you be visiting any new destinations?

You should take a look. Franklin (post-tropical cyclone) and Jose (tropical storm) seem to be neck and neck with one another! Now there is a new tropical storm out in the Atlantic, Gert. Hurricane season is in full swing now. These storms are popping up every day!

@kefthecruiser Yes, this is in fact a true story that happened to me this year. It seems you know the Miami demographic very well! The folks who were confused, and almost appalled I was questioning them while they entered MY Uber, seemed to be from out of the country, possibly European. I could tell they didn't realize Jose was a more common name for this area than they would expect.

@FJB It's probable and could potentially benefit in terms of water level, but I hope a strong hurricane doesn't strike that area! @Volcanomom You still have some time before December. Things could change by then so keep a close eye on the news for that region. Hopefully, the water levels rise, and cruising will resume back to normal in the coming months for Panama. I'm sure all of the portside regions want the levels to rise too. Tourism generates lots of income for these costal regions!

@kefthecruiser At first I didn't expect Idalia to become so strong but it did make it all the way to a Category 4! Thankfully this hurricane wasn't as disastrous as most. After reading up on all of the natural disasters lately, I'm glad Idalia didn't wreak too much havoc. Everyone needed a little bad news break. Idalia is now a post-tropical cyclone trending north in the Atlantic.

@kefthecruiser This is such a clear shot! Those were the days of cruising. I miss those days of cruising. In fact, I think I sailed onboard Jubilee as a child. I remember the fruit carvings and unlimited, 24-7 ice cream. I miss those days.

@kefthecruiser I totally agree with you. Even when trying your very best, a 10 am flight is pretty far-fetched. By the time you just get into a taxi, with all of your things, you are looking at 11 am. The last time I cruised out of Port Miami I had to ask the family that got into my Uber to leave because it wasn't theirs. They claimed it was a black Suburban and the driver was named Jose. They were right, it was the same-looking black SUV behind us but with another driver named Jose. I had them check the license plates to confirm and this other family had to unload all of their things out of this vehicle. That process alone cost us at least 15 minutes. All that being said, it's just better to give yourself extra time.

@kefthecruiserThanks for solving this mystery! It's impressive how you were able to figure it out. I had trouble differentiating the Holiday-class ships. Carnival Holiday sailed for many years, from 1985-2020, and was sold for scrap after the shutdown. I wonder if the pandemic never happened if the ship would still be cruising on today.

@Grieving Mom I'm sorry you had to endure such heartache. This sounds like a tremendously overwhelming circumstance for you. Normally RCL does really well for its guests, and I'm sad to read you had such a horrible cruise experience! I will be thinking of you during this time of grief.

There are enough non-accidental overboard happenings; there is no need for a silly mistake due to sitting on the balcony railings! RCL's Wonder of the Seas just had an overboard incident!

@Rayk I see the value in not forgetting it at home, but as @Oldgirl50 mentioned, you are paying for the medallion's free shipping. It's not fair that the U.S. gets to utilize this system but Canadians don't get the medallion ahead of time like others. For the price medallion guests are paying, the services should be provided universally.

@carole I think you may be right! You must have cruised on this ship back in the day. @FJB What do you think? It's very possible.

@SpaceCowboy9 When traveling for long durations abroad, I have always opted to pay the daily international rate directly to my phone provider. I think AT&T charges $10 per day for calls and text packages on my smartphone. My husband has bought very cheap pay-ahead phones and even old phones, adding a local sim card in order to save on those extra fees. Have you called your current smartphone provider to see what the daily rate would be? If it's only a day in St. Martin, $10 of unlimited usage would be pretty reasonable and hassle-free.

@FJB Yes, some children do follow similar thought processes. I really question if the parents laid any ground rules. Obviously, these children are risk-takers, but children's brains aren't fully developed yet. Children will make poor decisions. It's the job of the parents to remind them of the rules and protect their children. Without parental discipline, a child will feel free to do whatever they want whenever they want.

@Seaawgs It looks like it has been updated.

I know! Gainsville is getting hit pretty hard right now. My mom evacuated her home in South Carolina today. It's such a shame that Hurricane Idalia is continuing to intensify. Currently a Category 3 hurricane, it does have the potential to strengthen to a Category 4. I really hope it doesn't! Port Tampa Bay had to close all marine traffic due to weather conditions. Hopefully, "Condition Zulu" doesn't last much longer. If it persists, some upcoming cruise itineraries may have to shift.

@RosaB63 I'm still seeing the one-per-person policy listed on RCL's website. https://www.royalcaribbean.com/faq/questions/food-drink-onboard-policy I also found that same information on Cruise Hive from March 2023. One bottle of wine per person sounds like the current RCL rule. @Vince M Where did you see two per stateroom? I always thought this was a per-person policy.

Check out my family's backyard in Estero, Florida. The tides are already rising. This is almost like deja vu after they were flooded inside their home from Hurricane Ian, sitting on the kitchen island to stay "dry." They just redid their entire home with new furniture, drywall, electricity, and a kitchen. I really hope it doesn't get worse than this.

@Rosemary Sometimes it takes a while for cruise lines to respond to messages. It's not nice for Princess Cruises to leave guests hanging, but maybe the representatives aren't knowing yet. You still have some time before your cruise so I would remain hopeful that progress in rebuilding the area and more transparency from Princess Cruises will be coming your way. @maddogesq I completely agree with you that Maui likely needs some time to recover and is really struggling right now. That's spot on, Princess Cruises should be better at communicating with future guests. Donating to Lahaina is a fabulous idea for those trying to help the affected areas. Thanks for sharing your perspective! In other news, Princess Cruises day to shift around Emerald Princess's itinerary to avoid Hurricane Hillary. Things happen and itineraries have to shift more often than you think!

@brianbumgar I'm glad you pointed this out. All bartenders are not the same, some are just much better than others. This is true in regard to ability, technique, and service. @Mr.Bill I'm impressed you are staying so loyal to CCL and remaining adventurous to explore the newer, larger ships. Someone onboard my last cruise told me, "Carnival is the Walmart of cruising." I agree that the customer base isn't always the best, but I wouldn't consider it bad either. Cruising isn't cheap, although it is more available to all. I prefer cruising this way, with a variety of options. I dislike the impatient guests. I have no problem waiting but it's upsetting to see guests get obnoxious and cut lines all for a cheap drink. That's when the smaller/more intimate ships really shine, in the department of fewer "mobs" and a potentially better crowd.