jtutak

Took a tour with Raquel Rivera (Pink Lady ) acapulcoss at hotmail dot com, had a great time and I highly recommend her.

Take good care of her I'm taking her from Venice to FLL on Oct 8, 2007.

I saw her in Southamton at the end of my Navigator TA

In the Sunday Washington Post Travel Section. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...0600622_pf.html (note you must register) BYOB? Put a Cork in It. Sunday, April 8, 2007; P02 You're ready to cruise the Caribbean, soak up the rays and views . . . and partake of that choice rum you'll buy at deliriously duty-free prices. But hold that thought. Many cruise lines won't let you touch any alcohol you've brought onboard at ports of call. Why not? "We sell a ticket at a certain price, and we expect people will be spending some money onboard, and one of the things they'll spend on is alcohol," says Rick Sasso, president and chief executive of MSC Cruises USA. There are also safety concerns, he says: "There are bars on board, and we can control how much drinking people do. We don't want people drinking a couple of bottles in the cabin." That said, there is no norm, except for the minimum drinking age, which is 21 on most North American cruise lines. Policies on what you can bring onboard -- initially and at ports of call -- and what you can do with it are all over the map. We asked Margaret Roth to give us the rundown on the top 10 lines (by number of passengers) and their policies. Carnival Cruise Lines BYOB? Only fine wine or champagne (what's "fine" is left to the guest's discretion) -- one bottle per adult (21 or older) -- and only on the day of embarkation. Any other alcohol can be confiscated with no money back. Corkage fee: It'll cost you $10 per bottle to have that wine or champagne opened in the dining room, $14 in the Supper Club. Alcohol shopping: Passengers may not bring any alcohol onboard from ports of call. The ship will hold any bottles you buy in an onboard gift shop until the end of the cruise. Royal Caribbean BYOB? No. Security reserves the right to inspect containers (water, soda, mouthwash bottles, etc.) and dispose of any carrying alcohol. Corkage fee: Does not apply. Alcohol shopping: Ship will hold until the last night of the cruise. Princess Cruises BYOB? Wine and champagne only (one bottle per person). Corkage fee: $15 Alcohol shopping: Ship will hold. Norwegian Cruise Line BYOB? No. Corkage fee: $15 per bottle of wine bought onshore during cruise. Alcohol shopping: Ship will hold all alcoholic purchases except wine, which you can enjoy in the dining rooms. Note: NCL's drinking age is 21. However, unlike most other cruise lines sailing from North America, it allows passengers 18 to 20 years old to buy wine or beer for themselves while the ship is in international waters (not Alaska or Hawaii) -- with a parent or guardian's written consent. Costa Cruises BYOB? Guests may prearrange to bring a limited amount of wine. Corkage fee: $10 plus 15 percent gratuity. Alcohol shopping: Ship will hold. Note: The drinking age is 21 for cruises departing from U.S. ports and 18 for cruises departing from non-U.S. ports. Holland America Line BYOB? Wine and champagne only; no bottle limit. Corkage fee: $15 per bottle. Alcohol shopping: Ship will hold, except for wine and champagne. Celebrity Cruises BYOB? Wine only (two bottles per stateroom). Corkage fee: $25. Alcohol shopping: Ship will hold. MSC Cruises BYOB? No. Corkage fee: Does not apply. Alcohol shopping: Ship will hold. Norwegian Coastal Voyage BYOB? Yes to any alcohol that's legal, but only for consumption in the cabin. Corkage fee: Does not apply; no bottles may be brought into public areas of the ship. Alcohol shopping: No restrictions, other than the ones mentioned. Note: The drinking age is 18, regardless of drink, reflecting Norway's laws. Cunard Line BYOB? Wine and champagne only. Corkage fee: $15. Alcohol shopping: Wine and champagne only; ship will hold other bottles. Note: The drinking age is 18 (the minimum in Britain, Cunard's home waters), but 21 in U.S. ports and territorial waters. * * * For information on six other cruise lines, click here. If it's not listed, check your individual line. Many spell out the alcohol policies on their Web sites under FAQs or contract terms.

Fox news said it best. I was late and they call it the love boat - You Decide

Then why on the Carnival Spirit are you allowed to buy from the onboard duty free store & take to your room, Johnny Walker Blue (approx.$135/L)??? As this was the case on my 2/27/07 trip.

Did the hop on hop off Bus tour. We loved it and also loved grand Turk and would go back in a Heartbeat. Like all things you have to see for your self. I don't know anything about the Aqua Boats but personally I would save something like that for a private island.

If they catch you [/size]

Nassau is a very friendly place and very safe. This port gets unfair bad reviews from many cruisers. I love it just think about it, you dock downtown, the Bahamanians speak English and the US dollar is accepted everywhere. The bus service will take you anywhere you want to go for $1.00. A nice trip is to take the #10 bus to Ardastra Gardens www.ardastra.com and if you have time , see the old Fort Charlotte on the hill, if your hungry get a conch salad at Arawak Key. If you want to stay in the area of the ship see the Queens Staircase, go to the library(the old Jail) take a walk to Gregory Arch and Government House (the guard will let you in). You could also visit the National Art Gallery. Watch out for people hawking Time shares & Hair braiding at $2.00 per braid. Most of the places mentioned have no or a nominal fee

I believe if you check you will find that the Glory Balcony doors are not sliding but open outward. http://www.carnival.com/CMS/Staterooms/Glory-Staterooms.aspx

Sail on Princess, if you look around you will find $100 deposits common. Also make an onboard open booking and you can use it for any cruise in the next 4 Years + cabin credits.

Jan 2008 - Grand, Emerald, Royal, Caribbean, Pacific Princess are all sailing from Ft. Lauderdale looks like a strong presence to me.

I love PC Dinning (Except on the Diamond Princess) so this does not affect me.

You think they would come up with some new names.

Click here to view the cruise review

Credit is per person not per cabin $75 for voyages of 7 days or less (equivalent to 150 minutes) $100 for voyages of 8-20 days (equivalent to 250 minutes) $200 for voyages of 21 or more days (equivalent to 500 minutes) You can use your credit towards a larger package if necessary, or enjoy all those minutes - compliments of the Princess Captain's Circle! (effective on voyages beginning on or after April 1, 2007)

I disagree! Princess put a limit on Internet usage because of CC members abusing the unlimited. I personally know someone that brags that his INTERNET bill was over $800.00 for a seven day cruise. There is no change in the Laundry-Dry Cleaning only a wording change. IMO Princess still has the best past cruiser benefits in the industry.

It,s the Fantasy http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.s....xml&coll=1

Click here to view the cruise review

My preference is to book direct. But in reality I usually use a TA because of price. I always figure that the suffering I go thru with a TA is worth the lower price.

I also thought the ship & service was wonderful. OK for short trips but I"ll take an M class any day.

Ouch. Sorry your trip was so bad. I cannot understand how the STAR could be that much different it the one month since I sailed her? Just an observation but new cruisers & posters sometime expect too much. I hope you find a Cruise line that you enjoy more.