beckster

If you are going to Grand Cayman and have never been to Stingray City, I'd say that is a MUST SEE kind of thing. I don't think there is anyplace else in the world you could have that experience. My daughter and I were there last summer and truly that was the highlight of our whole vacation. And the tours are very reasonably priced as well. We scheduled in advance via internet with a local guide through Nativeway and had a wonderful time, .....it was the BEST tour of the cruise for the LEAST money! In Cozumel, we wanted to swim with the dolphins and were too late trying to make that reservation. If you want to do that, i'd recommend scheduling well ahead via the internet through dolphindiscovery.com. We opted instead for a swim with the sea lions program which was disappointing. I'm sure younger children might have enjoyed it, but it is not much for adults, especially if you ever have the chance to go to Sea World in USA. It was the most expensive thing we did on our trip and the least memorable. The park where the dolphin swim is located is awesome.... the next time we went to Cozumel we just took a cab to the park (about $10), rented snorkel equipment there for about $6 and enjoyed the afternoon on their beautiful beach. Shopping is good in Cozumel... i have bought jewelry of some type each time. I keep saying i'm going to make it to Carlos and Charlie's or Senor Frogs, but I can't seem to get out of the shops early enough before I have to get back to the ship! Many passengers did return to the ship pretty drunk though. I've not been to the other two ports you mention. I'm sure whatever you choose, it will be a wonderful trip!

Hi everyone. I am planning a cruise with my best friend over spring break to the E. Carib out of Ft Lauderdale or Miami, or could even be Port Canaveral I suppose. It will be her first cruise. I've cruised 4 times, all of those on Royal Caribbean. In fact, while on my last cruise.. the Rhapsody in September, I booked a cabin for us on the Radiance for spring break (with $100 onboard credit for booking while onboard the Rhapsody and additional C&A coupon for $125 off per cabin). I'm now wondering if there is a better choice for E. Carib. Obviously, I have nothing to compare RCI to except to read the reviews of other lines. There seem to be more than a few negative reviews for the Radiance dining and entertainment. I've always found the entertainment to be excellent on the ships I've tried (Grandeur, Explorer, Rhapsody), so those comments surprise me a bit. Explorer dining experience was definitely not as great as the smaller Grandeur or Rhapsody, but it certainly wasn't a 'bad' experience. I don't know what to expect from the intermediate Radiance, or why their food or entertainment would be worse. Changing to another ship now would cost the credits that RCI gave me, as well as the C&A extra onboard goodies, but my friend is also not sure about the Radiance itinerary... CocoCay, St Thomas, St Maarten. Neither of us have been to those places, but she is wondering if those two ports won't be so similar as to be boring. I thought they looked fairly different? She is interested in a ship that has a San Juan stop as well. I was looking at the Costa Mediterranea as the cost would be about the same as Radiance with discounts. Anyone with experience with Costa? I am afraid the smoking might be excessive on an Italian ship? Any insight into their smoking policy or experience on their ships in the Caribbean? Carnival Triumph is another possibility for the week we need to go, but I think the Radiance might be a better choice. Anyone who has been on both? We need to decide in the next couple of days if we are to keep the Radiance reservation or drop it for something else. Any thoughts?

Hello all! I'm a new member of this forum. I've cruised only 4 times to date, all on Royal Caribbean. I hope to do a LOT more cruising over the next several years. Looking forward to getting to know you all and learning a lot from everyone here :grin: