Cruising Caribbean

@euroguy You have all the pro tips! I think you should write a traveling with kids blog. You would win daddy blog of the year award. Frozen fruit is so easy to bring too and entertaining! I love the idea of a packable umbrella as well. Those could double as shade/rain repellant devices. You never know when rain will strike! Both of these things are just genius. To be honest, I basically never bring food items onboard. I always feel hesitant to do it and I don't know why. I know it's allowed! I just forget about it. Cold snacks will be brought for our next cruise for sure. Thanks for the awesome tips!

@LukeJ I didn't realize the weather by your was so dreary as often as you are explaining. I don't mind a foggy beach day but excess wind and rain (especially with lightening) is just no good. I wish that I had more access to the beach as well, but I'm used to warm sunny beach days. I prefer the Atlantic Ocean because of its perpetual warmth, but the Pacific Ocean can be beautiful as well. When I used to live off the coast of California, I would do beach days that didn't always consist of entering the ocean. That was mostly because of the temperatures. The Pacific Ocean can be so cold and the waves can be an overkill. I'm not a surfer, but I would often wear a wetsuit to get in the Pacific Ocean. It's really the only way it could feel tolerable most months.

@Luvsdsun I don't know why Princess Cruises waited so long to share the changes with guests. I almost feel the timing is insulting! Do you really think the following Sun Princess sailing will still take place? I'm hesitant to say that it will but for your sake I hope it happens. If the cruise line has to cancel yet another sailing in a row, it will look very bad for Pricess Cruises. I wonder what technical things are being worked on and what the current status is. Please keep us posted if you get any updates on your upcoming sailing. It would be such a bummer to miss this awesome itinerary onboard the seemingly amazing Sun Princess!

@LukeJ A river cruise could be great! I haven't taken one yet. The only thing I have heard about river cruises is that they are usually smaller ships filled with a majority of older people. Which regions are you considering for a river cruise? In terms of roundabouts, the United States has them all over. I think those in Europe are much more common and intensified. The one you described sounds like a death trap. You usually find roundabouts on side streets or roads that aren't that congested. Many neighborhoods have roundabouts, but it's mainly for aesthetic reasons.

@rookiecruiser I think you will absolutely love the ship. I have only heard great things about it actually. Norwegian Getaway has so many different complimentary restaurants onboard, more than most ships out there right now. https://www.cruisehive.com/things-to-know-about-the-norwegian-getaway-cruise-ship/39674 I would imagine if the ship decides to pivot its itinerary, you won't know until you get onboard. Like you said, just try to make the best of it, but it would be nice to hop off there to break up the sea days. Florida could be an option, but I find that swap unlikely. Once you find out any changes, I hope you share with us! It could give other cruisers some good insight as to what to expect with their upcoming itineraries. When do you cruise out? It should be any day now! Are you all packed up and ready?

@euroguy Kids really do just say the darndest things. Most of the time, they drive me crazy, but then they say something hilarious and I forget all about their behavior beforehand. One thing I wouldn't do it turn my home temp to 100! Can you imagine that? I might as well just hop in my oven! To be so fair to her, the weather outside can seriously sear you in the sun without shade. It can be pretty torturous. I should be smarter and bring along those water misting fans. That could be the highlight to waiting outside to get onboard your cruise. The little fidget toys they had distracted them for like 5 minutes before they were visibly dripping in sweat!

Wow Carnival Jubilee is turning into a rescue vessel! I always wonder how emergency situations like this happen. If you are going to kayak, when do you decide to turn around? If you get tired or like tried for 30 minutes, that could be a good cue to go back to land. These kayakers were far out! Apparently they were found nine miles off the coast of Cancun. That's some serious distance from land! What if the ship didn't spot them?

@LukeJ I hope PaulB has a great cruise too! I can't wait to hear about favorite stops and must see sights from this cruise adventure. I have heard amazing things about the Mediterranean but for now it's still a distant dream. I can only imagine the photos from this trip will be a true sight to see. Have you cruised through the Mediterranean in the past?

@LukeJ You never know, one day you don't eat crickets, and the next day they could become your favorite snack! Aside from crickets, I agree in the power of shifting mindsets and doing more by staying on your toes. Sticking to the mundane and staying in the safe zone won't get you anywhere. You have to take reasonable risks sometimes and go out on a whim to achieve hard to reach goals. Without changing your pace or rolling with the punches, it's hard to fully live life to the fullest. When I see guests that complain about the little things, it makes me think about the priorities and goals of that person. My goal on a cruise is to adventure, explore new places, meet new people. operate outside of my typical comfort zone, and live! I'm not focused on the choice of music in the lobby. I'm not concerned about the size of the steak. Nitpicking the little things is a bad habit. It's better to be a big picture thinker! Brush those little, menial, unimportant things off. It's hard to really live a full life if you choose to dwell on things that are basically irrelevant. Find the food you life and stick to it, grab a pina colada and get in the pool! Those little things won't mean anything after that.

@RoadTravelled It's such a great idea to approach the maître d' and ask about seating arrangements. I will be cruising with another family this month, and I want to ensure we are sitting at the same table together in the MDR. It's a brilliant idea to stop in there and ensure we are all at one big table together. Thanks for reminding me of this. I have our bookings linked, but we booked at alternate times. I also have a slightly better booking package so I want to make sure we are still together even though the rooms are linked. This is another great tip, ensuring we are all in the same MDR. I can't imagine how much more of a headache it would be to switch dining rooms! Although I typically fleet to the buffet first, on this cruise I will go straight to the MDR. Your input is much appreciated! You may have just saved our dining experience.

@LukeJ Everyone looks for a different type of cruise experience and thankfully there are lots options to choose from! I would love to be able to cruise on a luxury cruise line one day. In fact, it a big goal of mine! I do fear once I get that quality of cruising it will be hard to return. If I cruise for the itinerary, I would need to cruise with a moderately priced cruise line. I can't imagine cruising epic itineraries with a luxury line. I wouldn't be able to afford that. I have friend who is trying Virgin Voyages for the first time this month. I can't wait to hear what she thinks of it. It's a four-day itinerary with one stop in the Caribbean. That's the type of "luxury" cruise I would be able to afford, short and sweet.

@FJB As invasive as it can be to your farmland, it could also pose as a potential benefit for you! Clearly it's a popular commodity, what if you chose to harvest and sell bamboo? Would that be lucrative? Since it seems to multiply quickly on your fields, maybe bamboo could end up making you some extra cash flow in the coming years! I'm picturing it now "FJB: The Bamboo Supplier." Bulldozers are serious business! Do you own one or do you have to rent one? They certainly aren't cheap pieces of machinery.

@FJB I highly recommend nature sounds! If you are used to a very quiet sleep environment, nature sounds does wonders. You can go on Spotify (or a music app of choice) find aa playlist or song you like and set the song/track on repeat. Keep your phone plugged in so it doesn't die and enjoy. I have used this hack for traveling with snorers or my multiple little children (particularly waking babies). I have also used this nature sound trick on cruises! It's my go to for peaceful sleep. As long as the hotel is clean, it will be good enough. Marriotts are great hotels. It's very unlikely it will disappoint, especially if it has free breakfast!

A bamboo house is great idea. It sounds so tropical! Durability could be questionable but if it was paired with the proper baseline material it could be perfectly durable. Bamboo is very waterproof, and many materials don't have that quality. Bamboo flooring is extremely gorgeous and beautiful. The price point is higher than the engineered laminite which is why I haven't installed it in any of my homes yet. I love how much you care for bamboo too! Bamboo plants in general are just spectacular. They are so easy to grow and reproduce rapidly. I have bamboo shower mats in my bathroom actually and they are fabulous. I have seen both teak and bamboo used as a shower floor and it creates such a dreamy shower! I'm so over the modern looking showers. The next shower space I design will be a large oasis with rocks and an open concept. Water flowing from all directions is my dream!

@american This was from FORBES, one of the most popular business news sources. I haven't seen the articles you shared before, but I'm surprised to read them. I happen to love Carnival Cruise Line and have felt very safe every time I have cruised with the line. Unfortunately, unlimited alcohol and a mix of people can absolutely lead to more assault occurrences. I have never felt threatened as a young lady on any CCL itinerary. Many of these assaults happen when either mindset is altered by a substance or you aren't being as cautious as you should be. As a young lady, I will not engage in questionable conversation and I certainly won't go anywhere remotely alone with a stranger. If you keep your guard up, chances of this occurring on a ship is slim to none. If someone makes one remotely close to inappropriate gesture or comment to me, I will immediately shut it down. It's extremely important to stay away from strangers friends! I teach my kids this all the time. Keeping yourself safe is very important!

@Sapphire I hope you have a nice cruise! All of these stops will be warm and humid. I wouldn't pack any clothes that will make you overly hot. I will add you should bring mosquito spray and lots of sunscreen along. I would imagine you will spend lots of time at the beach. If you can dip in the ocean, you should stay nice and cool! Do you have any excursions booked yet? Grand Cayman would be a great stop for a sailing excursion. Their waters are second to none.

@kefthecruiser I'm not going to lie; I really like this idea. This may deter the influx of pets at sea. Perks may include all you can bark packages starting at $99 per day. I guess it's cheaper to bring your dog friend than your human friend onboard right now, conversation is minimal but companionship is second to none! Dry food is a pain to bring along, so a food-included options sounds really great. The wet food option could come at a premium. It could be a great way to reduce food waste onboard. Dogs love meat scraps and leftovers. There could be a clean up dog crew after hours. They are also incredible at cleaning up crumbs off the floor! It's one reason I wish I had a dog actually. My friends with dogs don't have to clean up around their children's high chairs. I'm the only foolish one who sweeps up three times a day.

@KeithG I didn't see the $500 OBC offer on my end, but I'm sure you are higher up on the totem pole. I'm sure the more I cruise with the line the more perks I will receive. I did still find some great rates, but no rates like @euroguy. Those rates just shock me every time I see them. That's a great way to look at the Bahamas stop! Don't let the travel advisory scare you! Stay onboard the ship comfortably and basically enjoy the ship to yourself. I enjoy that more than the Bahamas honestly.

@LukeJ I'm fine with planning some things, but I don't want to feel tied to a strict schedule on vacation. It defeats the purpose. Yes, I want the most out of my cruise vacation, but I don't want a no-downtime experience. I completely agree about relaxing on vacation. A little bit of chill, do-nothing is good for the soul. It can be really nice to just get off the ship and explore wherever feels right. It can be hard to get a group to agree, which is when those excursions really come in handy. Do you typically pre plan an excursion for every port of call?

Celebration Key is going to be come a guest favorite for sure. I have no doubt many fleet members will be stopping there in mid to late 2025, and this new port of call will be quite attractive to guests. I'm expecting Celebration Key to be an enhanced version of Half Moon Cay. I'm glad the line is expanding it's private island opportunities and keeping things fresh. CCL becomes more and more attractive as the years pass by. What's not to love?

@Cassie Harrison There are many cruise residence options to consider. I recommend doing a thorough search and investigation before committing to one. You can explore many of these residences at shorter periods of time, giving them all a try to find which one you enjoy best. A 27-month commitment is a long time if you haven't tried it before. Have you cruised on a resident-style ship before? I have heard it's completely different than your typical cruise experience.

@LukeJ I agree! If you have the right mindset, your cruise will most likely be a success. I can't pay the top prices but I'm not sad about it. It's the fact of life. I'm thankful I still get to travel and cruise about once a year. That's a privilege many people never get! People can feel so entitled! Those that nitpick every little detail down to a person giving them a bizarre face just drive me insane. I do love me a good balanced cruise review! It's priceless when you get a very level cruise review that makes you really grasp what the itinerary was like.

@brian amos I'm so bummed for you! I'm also very disenchanted by how MSC Cruises has handled this entire thing. Your cruise is only 9 weeks out! There is likely no way you would be able to get a refund on your flights either. MSC Cruises still hasn't got back to you in regards to other cruise options or refunds? Your travel agents don't sound very helpful either. I would send direct emails to MSC Cruises and see how far those take you. You deserve to know what's going on with your itinerary! I wonder if anyone else on the boards has been affected by these MSC Sinfonia changes. I find the ignoring quite offensive considering you paid in full! Do you think others booked on your sailing don't know it's canceled yet?

@KeithG I'm shocked at these prices! Those are some great rates. I would already book one of these bad boys if I was seeing this promotion on my end. I didn't spot this credit promotion on my CCL account I updated yesterday. At least I know it's the plan now sail later promotion. I will go back in later and see if I can access that. I wonder if this code has anything to do with your VIFP status too. I'm a red level, close to gold apparently, but I haven't cruised with CCL is a long time. I think these prices are just amazing, and I would love to see prices like this more often. I would change my cruise line of choice if this was always the case! Is CCL your cruise line of choice?

@LukeJ It's true though! I'm thankful for those public clean restrooms. They are typically spotless onboard, much cleaner than the ones at my home. People are gross and the job of a housekeeper is rough work, especially when cleaning up after filthy animals! I think women are worse than men. Maybe the men's restroom always appears cleaner because the men typically don't sit on the toilet. I'm not quite sure, but woman can be so careless! They are messier than you think.