DaCruzNut

Joey- Better brong 2 CD's in January.....I can't get in either.... :cry: :cry: :cry:

J&J- Didn't you just love Uxmal? So far, of the dozen, or so, ruins I've visited, it's my favorite. I was impressed by the fact that much is still being excavated and restored. You get to see all three stages; fully restored, being restored and still untouched. My son is an Archeologist and got me hooked about 20 years ago when he returned from a dig, with National Geographic, in Belize....

Thanks for the great report!!! Really interesting. I don't know if Celebrity's European food service differs from the Caribbean, but that's the only place I disagree with your assessment.... I rate their food as the best I've had on any ship, bar none. I rate Princess just a trifle behind, almost imperceptible, but Celebrity still #1.

Carnival ships have the largest cabins of all of the standard lines. Royal Caribbean has the smallest cabins in order to have more space for common areas. This goes for all ships, on both lines, with the exception of the Nordic Empress. Carnival has more of a "party" atmosphere, and caters more to families with children. In my opinion, the food on Carnival has vastly improved and now exceeeds Royal Caribbean in quality and taste. I have been on Royal Caribbean about 5 times and Carnival about 12....

One of my favorite things to do is rafting on the Martha Brae River! It's one of the most relaxing things you can do..... It's a peaceful ride through the lush vegetation. You get to see a few homes along the way. Your Raft Captain will try to sell you something along the way.....resist! Just give him a nice tip. As far a Dunn's River Falls, it's a "must do" for the first time visitor. Just bring an old pair of sneakers.

I'm glad it finally worked out for you. I hope the good times will outweigh this experience when you look back.

Stephen- I found this in one of my old posts.... One of my favorite stops, on Cozumel, is Chankanaab Park, just a short, ten-dollar (U.S.) taxi cab ride from the dock. The park was completely rebuilt in 1996, and has something for everyone. Admission is $10.00 (U.S.), for adults, and children are admitted free. The beach is less than spectacular, but more than adequate. There are palapas, on the beach, if you want shade. It’s appeal lies in the fact that the reef is just a few hundred feet offshore, and you can rent snorkeling equipment ($6.00 - U.S.) and scuba gear ($20.00 - U.S.) right on the beach. The snorkeling and diving is truly spectacular, with visibility 250 feet, on a “bad day,†and “Unlimited†on a “Good†one! Within Chankanaab Park is an Archeological Park, which used to be on another part of the island, and was moved to its present site during the 1996 renovation. A winding, jungle-like, trail winds through the Archeological Park, past replicas of Maya, Inca, Olmec, etc; structures and carvings, and leads to a recreated Mayan village. The park, also, contains a beautiful Botanical Garden, with hundreds of species of plants, and a large population of Iguanas. But, the centerpiece of the park is Chankanaab Lagoon, a gigantic sinkhole which connect to the sea through a number of underground tunnels. A large assortment of tropical reef fish also make their way into the lagoon, through the tunnels, and can be viewed from the path, and lookout points, which circle the lagoon.

Hey, that's my home port!!!!

First of all, welcome to our family!!! We're the friendliest cruise board on the 'net. As far as Chichen Itza, it's really an exhausting shore excursion... In my opinion, too much so to be really enjoyable. Admittedly, Chichen Itza is an excellent site to visit, even though it gets very crowded. It is a good mix of Mayan and other technology. My advice is, if you haven't been to a Mayan ruin, try Tulum! It's a lot closer to Playa del Carmen (the port on the mainland opposite Cozumel). Be warned....The 10 mile boat trip from Cozumel to the mainland can be very rough! The waters are shallow, and any wind at all kicks up the waters! I would normally tell you that Cozumel has it's own ruin, at San Gervasio, but this is a very minor ruin and not really worth the time. My advice? When you get to Cozumel, take a cab to Chankanaab Park. The cab is abot $10.oo US and the park admission the same. They have a lagoon with reef fish; a beach; snorkeling; an archeological park; etc; etc; The archeological park has a reproduction of a Mayan village, etc;

When I began to cruise, in 1988, most of the ports still had their own special charm. The town of Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, had great duty-free shopping in friendly little shops along the main street. Bay Street, in Nassau, was a quiet little place to shop. Over the years, I have watched the ports all become carbon copies of each other. Cruise ships, dumping thousands of people into a port, at one time, has had an adverse effect. All of the ports have begun to look alike, with Hooter, Hard Rock, Burger King, KFC and t-shirt shops lining the streets. Even Duvall Street in Key West hasn't been spared... :sad:

In a way, it's a little sad.... Barbados is a beautiful port. Georgetown hadn't been "spoiled" by the cruise ships, the way so many ports have been ruined. Even poor Key West hasn't been spared. I remember when 2-3 ships, each with 800-900 passengers visited a "sleepy little" St. Thomas.... Oh, well, that's progress.

Check out: http://www.worldwidefishing.com/stthomas/salt.htm and' http://www.virgin-islands-hotels.com/marke...pseafishing.htm

Cheryl- Think you got it bad? My son lives in Denver, and is a Dolphins fan.........

I still cling to the 'old way.' When I started sailing, there were no satellites, so the only TV you saw was what they brought on board, via tape! No cell phones; no Times Fax; and, if you wanted to call home, you could go the the Radio Room, betwee 3:00 and 5:00 pm. That was it! Once you boarded the ship, you were in a different world, completely cut off from things back home. Now, that was a real vacation.

"Bunny-Voyage, and have a wonderful time!!!"

I've been on 65 cruises, and each one is as exciting as the last! The only one that stands out as really very special is the first.... Just think, as you disembark the Spirit, you won't have to worry about PCDS (Post-Cruise Depression Syndrome....), since you'll have only a short wait 'til the next cruise!!! :wink:

You might want to try the seasick wrist bands.... They run about $10.00 and really work!! No drugs, no side effects...

Cheryl- Right click with the arrow ditr4eclty over the Dolphin gif; then, left click on "properties." Copy the propertyies line and paste it into your signature....simple

I was in Barbados and ordered a flying fish sandwich. I don't know how it tasted, because I couldn't catch it to take a bite.... :grin:

OK, so we're 1 and 5.....so what! Wait 'til next season!!!!!

Check out: http://www.cruisecrazies.com/forums/index....089&hl=passport

On one of my cruises to the Southern Caribbean, I was sitting in my cabin, glancing out of the window. We were close to the water line... I spotted the flying fish, literally by the dozens! I sat there watching them for about 1/2 hour....

At one time, NCL was my favorite line! The food was very good, occasionally excellent; they had fabulous entertainment; and, the staff was the best at sea. Then, they were taken over by Star Cruise line and things went a little downhill. Post-Star, I was on the Norwegian Sun and Norwegian Sun, several years' ago, and I haven't been on an NCL ship since. The entertainment only suffered a little, and the staff still great. But, the food became only good. However, "Freestyle" was a disaster. If you didn't make reservations, you could wait for an hour to have dinner. And, making reservations defeats the whole purpose of eaiting when you wish to without planning it in advance. In all fairness, "Freestyle" was new when I sailed and they may have gotten it worked out by now.

"I'm jumpimg for joy!"

Enjoy that 'dam' ship!