Cruising Caribbean

@LukeJ From the increased human trafficking to planted video cameras in bathrooms, a parent can't be too cautious nowadays. In my neighborhood, a parent got called on by a neighbor because she was "practicing independence" with her 6-year-old and let him play at the park by himself while she checked in through the upstairs window. This would have been permitted back in the day, and now this is a local offense. These parents were subject to home visits and parenting classes regulated by the local government. I don't even let my kids ride their bikes around the block without me. On a cruise ship though, I feel reassured that my children are in an enclosed environment and near me at all times. Thankfully I have always felt comfortable with the childcare onboard my cruise itineraries as well, although I barely use the service for more than an hour or two for a specialized activity that interests my children.

@euroguy This is impressive to me, especially since California has legalized Marijuana! This has to be a regulation that may deter the locals from cruising with the line. I wonder if any cruise lines permit Marijuana use onboard. Are you aware of the penalty if found? It seems Carnival Cruise Line would be more lenient with guests sneaking on alcohol than Marijuana. Surely, these sniff dogs are going to be an integral component of keeping guests in line.

@Mr.Bill I'm pretty sure that the onboard medical team would have the skill set to do this but I wouldn't definitely call the cruise line to confirm this could be done ahead of time. I wouldn't want you to be without assured assistance while onboard your next cruise! What ship will you be cruising on with Carnival Cruise Line? Also, how often do catheters have to be changed? To ensure the best possible outcome, maybe you could insert a new one before the embarkation date.

@euroguy I couldn't recommend Antigua more! St. Johns has the most amazingly quaint beaches, with hidden gems all around the island. Have you been to a beach in St. Johns before? https://www.cruisehive.com/things-to-do-in-antigua-for-cruise-visitors/27454#h-1-explore-st-johns-antigua-s-capital-and-port Here is a good article with info about things to do in the area. The last time I visited Antigua, I cruise out of Florida on a 7-night itinerary. I hope you are able to find an itinerary that takes you here!

@euroguy This is good to know. Thanks for providing an answer to my questions. I wonder if this would change over time. I think it would, as more and more states begin to permit Marijuana use. Do you agree? I feel as though it's difficult to regulate Marijuana usage onboard. That could be a risk to permitting it.

@LukeJ That's a good thought. I do think that the cost of these ships will affect the overall price of cruising. The price for cruising is already on the rise but it doesn't seem to be affecting the market. In fact, I do believe that the demand for lower to mid-cost cruising is on the rise post-pandemic. It's an interesting concept but I do believe the shut-down has something to do with both the increased cost of cruising and the increased guest demand. A recent article stated that cruise websites are receiving over a 15% increase in traffic due to the growth the industry is seeing. Established cruise lines are exceeding their typical online traffic numbers while other newer lines, such as Virgin Voyages, are surpassing their traditional visitations with over 100% margins.

@LukeJ I agree with you. It's better to be cautious than any "potential" to affect you. I don't feel safe on any open bridges or certain rooftops, anything with my children for that matter. I was just in Charlotte, NC at a hotel where the pool and bar were on the rooftop in the city with a waist-high glass barrier. Mind you, this setting was at least 10 stories high. I didn't even take my children into the pool and opted out, but I do feel very comfortable on most cruise ships' open decks because of their secured barriers. I enjoy the "indoor" pools with the tops open. It's all enclosed but you still get to enjoy the beauty of the ocean through the paneling. It's what I consider the perfect way to feel comfortable while still enjoying the natural scenery onboard.

@FJB46 Which terminal did you have your bags sniffed at? I'm glad it's happening now. Drug-searching dogs are pretty effective. Their hound-like scent is pretty accurate and also intimidating for future cruisers considering bringing any sort of drug aboard. I wonder where cruise lines draw the line with marijuana use. Now with the legalization of medical marijuana use in many states, it's pretty hard to decipher the consequences of bringing it onboard.

@kefthecruiser Thanks for the reply. Obviously, other senior cruise members wouldn't have had the final say, but Costa Concordia takes an influential crew to run. Those influential members should have opposed this poor decision-making, unless, of course, they were fearful to speak their minds to the captain. A lot of questions come to mind, but I'm sure it was all thoroughly addressed. I think your comment on ruling out hurricane season and ships with Italian heritage captains while cruising is funny. Is it just me or do many CCL ships have Italian captains? I would say mostly European dominant captains for sure.

@kefthecruiser It's well deserved! I don't really understand the whole logistics of the TPC, but to me, it seems scam-like. Maybe he has a friend in high places that was able to do him a serious favor. I agree, he must not be a flight risk, but I'm still very distressed about him having small children at home. Was this guy on the cruise with his family? I don't really understand the whole reason why Froias was on this cruise, to begin with. I wonder if he went on this vacation for the sole purpose of placing the video cam, or did this scammer do this while on a family vacation for the fun of it? It's all so weird, and now he's on house arrest without his children. That's a sad life to live, but he definitely deserves at least that. The $25,000 bond seems particularly low.

@kefthecruiser This was a great response to @LukeJ's question. I love how much support you put into your feedback! I can't believe that this guy had two children at home that he cared for. This is disgusting news for his family. I'm not quite sure how the judge would have allowed this third-party custodian situation to pan out. How does that all work exactly? I haven't heard of a situation like this where his wife was a TPC. It sounds odd to me.

According to a recent RCL study, TikTok's influence is steering vacationers toward cruising for their next time-off experience. Cruising has become a leading way to vacation throughout Europe. Do you think that the cruise industry is dominating due to price point, ease and convenience, or straight-up influence?

I agree that poor customer service is unnecessary, especially for the hospitality/travel industry. From what I remember, Carnival Cruise Line makes a mean-baked Alaska. I guess Holland America Line is slacking right now, but baked Alaska is truly a staple dessert. It's pretty hard to mess up so I'm surprised to read @Pianoman's feedback.

@mcnattsteve1960 I'm glad to hear your refreshing feedback. It's nice to hear some positivity! What attracts you most to the cruise line? I have always gravitated to the line due to consistency. I love that all of the ships have many similar amenities and the food is pretty consistent across all of the line's ships.

@LukeJ I completely agree that the potential of younger children going overboard is quite frightening. I usually opt for an ocean-view stateroom when traveling with my young children. It's certainly more reassuring and relaxing to not have to worry about this risk while on vacation, especially if you are enjoying your drink package. Accidents do occur but I think that if you are potentially at risk, or possibly under the influence, you should set yourself up for safety and success. If you could potentially make a poor judgment call, opt for an ocean-view stateroom or choose to stay indoors instead of spending your time outdoors on less trafficked decks during that time frame.

@kefthecruiser Wow, I didn't know all of these facts! I agree that the other crew members should have been more influential in the decision-making process of this poor judgment call. I think that this captain certainly is responsible for the death of these individuals, but at the same time, shouldn't the other influential crew members be held accountable for the respective decision-making? @euroguy I completely agree that the CCL Sunshine incident was a poor judgment call, but I consider that decision to be negligent. That sort of title and position calls for better judgment and level-headed thought. Do you believe that the other critical crew members should be held accountable for their decisions? I wonder if these other crew members were due for questioning.

The official start date for hurricane season, June 1st, happened to have the first signs of a storm potentially brewing in the Gulf. A low-pressure area was spotted in the Gulf of Mexico and has now been identified as a tropical depression. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/06/01/tropical-system-developing-in-gulf-soggy-weekend-likely-in-florida/70277241007/ Hopefully, this tropical depression doesn't turn into a hurricane Arlene. Since this weather pattern is moving south (and that is unusual), I would expect it to begin to dissipate in the near future. I truly hope that's the case! Floridians are expecting lots of rainfall, and some flood watches, this weekend, but not necessarily due to the tropical depression brewing. Does anyone have a cruise itinerary booked during hurricane season?

@Vic I'm glad you are having a great time, and the originally planned itinerary was able to remain the same! It's not very typical that a cruise line would have to change an itinerary and then be able to change it back, but it's certainly a bonus for guests onboard like yourself. Was this your first time in Skagen?

I haven't seen any updates but the FBI is still searching for victims. If you were victimized by Froias you can submit this form to the FBI, in assisting to properly substantiate this case. https://forms.fbi.gov/harmonycruisevictims He was a City of Kissimmee employee and was fired from his job on Monday, May 8th due to this event. What's crazy is that Jeremy was actually a cyber security officer for the city since 2004! https://www.aroundosceola.com/index.php/news/city-kissimmee-employee-arrested-terminated-after-fbi-reports-his-hidden-camera-cruise-ship

@FJB Have you noticed that many cruise lines are doing away with plastic straws? If the cruise line does have them onboard, it's typically not immediately placed in the drink. Usually, guests have to ask for it and then it will be administered, otherwise, it's not common practice anymore. This is like the paper menu thing. Unless you ask for a physical menu, the cruise lines are opting for guests to just use the QR code to choose menu selections. NCL eliminated plastic straws on its ships and private beaches, alongside RCL a few years back. If you enjoy straws, you are better off just bringing your own reusable straw than having to use the paper ones that disintegrate on you.

@FJB I completely agree that I haven't noticed any snootiness. I actually think the opposite is true, it's a pretty casual, laid-back atmosphere. @Jim Lamb That's funny. I think it all depends on the type of cruise and itinerary you take. If you are taking the basic under 5-night cruise you will likely see a more blue-collar crowd on almost any mainstream cruise line, but any longer cruise or unique itinerary will change the type of crowd onboard. @kefthecruiser I enjoy both CCL and RCL. They both offer comparable itineraries and a very wide range of modernized ships to cruise on. I think that you will really enjoy RCL @Cruising Thomas. You should totally give the line a try!

@FJB That's an interesting thought! Carnival Cruise Line does have a large fleet and is pretty accessible to all due to its typically more reasonable price point. The line attracts a diverse crowd and holds so many guests onboard its large fleet of 24 ships that cruise a wide range of itineraries from 2-night to 31-night sailings. Recently, a guest that was cruising onboard a CCL itinerary actually passed away during a routine day in the water. Much information still has yet to be disclosed, but the person who passed away was thought to have died due to a medical emergency during a routine swim at Mystery Island, Vanuatu. This one isn't particularly man-overboard news but this tragedy did occur during a Carnival Cruise Line sailing!

That's a good thought. A fine would definitely be appropriate, but I'm not sure if it's good enough alone to make a guest not break the rules. In my mind, if there is a risk that I couldn't cruise again, I'm going to do anything in my power not to make that mistake. I love cruising too much to risk having that experience taken away from me! There is a little onboard confine area for the really naughty guests onboard I have heard though. I can't imagine all of the wild things the cruise security teams come across.

@Chelle This is certainly an extreme occurrence, but poor experiences like this do occur. There are often hiccups and glitches that occur including common human error, but if there is no one interested/available to correct those errors that's surely when things start moving south quickly. Reviews like this one occur because someone dropped the ball and no one else is willing/interested to pick it back up. Instead of making your case a priority, the cruise line chose to dismiss you to the point of extreme disappointment.

@kefthecruiser This is very valuable information! It's very misleading to think that Net Zero Emissions doesn't produce any emissions. I researched the definition of "Net Zero Emissions" to learn more about it. According to an online source, the process of achieving net zero is removing carbon dioxide from the environment, but it's reducing greenhouse emissions to be as close to zero as possible. As you mentioned, this process helps reduce emissions but it's not totally eliminating them. Although the process isn't perfect, I do think it's a big step in the right direction. I understand the hype, even though the phrase "Net Zero Emissions" could be misleading to some. You are very knowledgeable! Costa Cruises is also seeking more sustainable measures as it has begun cutting emissions with green transport.