Sarge6870

I know it's been awhile since I visited the site but had to comment on the lack of activity. The last update on the Facebook page was July 14th. The "New Content" link is a dead link. The only activity is welcoming new members and the Daily Blog. The reason I post here was because I took the time, MY time on my cruise when we visited Cozumel last year and got Paradise Beach to purchase ad space on the site yet the foot traffic to the site is lacking. What caused the site to hit the brakes all of a sudden? People are joining but that seems to be the only viable activity here! This site at one time was a strong asset to cruisers but now seems non-competitive with the many other cruise sites on the web. I don't want to seem to be coming off on a negative note here but where is the support?

What can we do to get CruiseCrazies kick started?

This character seems to blaming everyone EXCEPT the person the blame falls on, himself!! He abandoned the ship BEFORE all his passengers and his crew then REFUSED to return to the vessel to coordinate evacuation procedures when ordered to do so by the Commander of the Italian Coast Guard. Here's what it comes down to, he has claimed from the beginning that he was "ordered" by Costa to perform the maneuver. As Commander of the Concordia, he has the total responsibility of his passengers, the vessel THEN the company in his hands. He could have rejected the orders at any time out of an abundance of safety (if his claims he was ordered to do the maneuver as he states are true). If he felt the "performance" was unsafe for ANY reason, he had EVERY right to refuse the order. Sure, he may have lost his job for failing to follow orders but the lost soles would still be alive, the Concordia would still be sailing and Giglio would still be a viable cruise port.

...and a big one Jan.........arrive to the port ON TIME!!! I have had many an occasion when my balcony cabin overlooked the gangway and watched as people frantically bungled to drag their luggage onboard at or a few minutes after we were due to leave the port. You have at least a 5 hour window to be onboard. "Be there or be square"...we'll send ya' a postcard!!!

Wow! That is so great! I can only imagine how happy the people on the sinking yacht were to see the "Valor."

We’ve been to Mr. Sanchos a couple of times – and it’s a fine property – but we’ve been to Paradise Beach seven or eight times now and it’s definitely our favorite place in Cozumel!
We were actually there on 12/7 and posting on the Paradise Beach facebook page during this poll. I see Paradise Beach won the survey with 53.85% of the votes. That sounds about right; we’ve had great times at both but Paradise Beach is always a little better for us!
We’ll be back again soon!

Gracias to everyone for your support!!! Hope to see you all here in Paradise again soon.
Wishing everyone a WARM HOLIDAY from Sunny Cozumel!
Cheers!!

As you know, back in May I conducted a "Live Chat" for our CruiseCrazies website from Paradise Beach in Cozumel, MX when we sailed the Jewel of the Seas. It was our first time visiting Paradise and we absolutely fell in love with the amenities and the staff that work there. We also had the pleasure of visiting there again this past November when we sailed the Brilliance of the Seas. There is currently a poll being conducted on the x website pitting Paradise Beach against Mr. Sanchos and I am asking all my fellow Crazies cast a vote for them by going to the link below. Let's show those folks on the Critic site what taste is when it comes to a great beach day in Cozumel. I have also posted links to the Paradise Beach Facebook page (feel free to "friend" them) and their individual website if you would like more info about Paradise. And remember, Paradise Beach is a supporter of the CruiseCrazies website and we are ALWAYS more than welcomed there!!! NOTE: Voting is open till end of business on December 10th.
Paradise Beach Website: http://www.paradise-beach-cozumel.com/
Paradise Beach Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paradise-Beach-Cozumel/134429792637?id=134429792637&sk=info
Link To x Page To Vote: http://boards./showthread.php?t=1950744

There are 2 sides to every story, and here is the cruise line's take (according to what Celebrity told "Travel Weekly"):
"Elderly, disoriented passenger forced to disembark Celebrity ship," By Tom Stieghorst (Travel Weekly)A 78-year old passenger was disembarked early from the Celebrity Millennium in Cairns, Australia, after she was found alone and disoriented in her cabin.

The cruise line said it took the step because was it concerned for the safety and well-being of the woman, identified as Adry Arnold.

Arnold’s husband was on a shore excursion at the time and couldn’t be reached.

In a statement, Celebrity said it carries thousands of guests every year with pre-existing medical conditions. "However, for their own safety and the safety of others, these guests must be able to care for themselves,” the statement said.

Arnold’s nephew criticized Celebrity, saying its response was “a disgusting way to treat anybody, let alone an elderly couple,” according to a report in the Cairns Post.

Cynthia Martinez, a spokewoman for Celebrity parent company Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., said a member of its care team arranged transport to a local hospital for the couple, and that they would get a prorated refund for the unused part of their nine-day cruise.

She said a care team member contacted the Arnolds at the hospital, but that they requested no further contact be made." I think there's more to this story than what's been printed.

I have found that if you wait until the near end of the cruise (last 2 or 3 days), you will get better discounts. What we do is go into the shops at the beginning of the cruise, pick out what we want and wait to the end of the cruise to see if it goes on sale. And they usually do.

Tim, thanks for sharing your cruise with us. It really is a very beautiful ship, and I was glad to see what it's like in a tropical setting, thanks to your great slideshow. I have to say I did find the Windjammer to be packed and it difficult to find a place to sit. But we were in the cold October Canadian weather, with a significant amount of rain to boot, so needless to say, only the hardiest of souls ventured out on deck, making most of the indoor public areas pretty crowded.
Thanks for the memories!

Actually, I booked the BOS cruise about one year ago. I kinda snuk in the Jewel cruise in May as a last minute thing Gonna be nice having all my OBC's to use on this cruise. Can you believe this is the first time in 10 cruises we actually HAD OBC's!!!

Bon Voyage, Tim and have a great cruise!

Glad I could help, Tim. I hope you enjoy the ship as much as we did, and look forward to your point of view. Bon Voyage!

Bon Voyage Tim & Chrissy!

Have a fantastic cruise Tim! Looking forward to another great review when you get back!

Can't wait to hear your impression the second time around. We're looking at an 11-day cruise that stops in Cozumel. We usually go to Chan Kanab park. If we take this cruise, I'll let you know.

Before you know it, you will be on the Brilliance of the Seas. We love your posts and cannot wait to read about this cruise! Happy sailing, Sarge!

Checking in from the Brilliance, which sailed from Boston Sunday. Beautiful sunny day at sea yesterday, followed by pouring rain this morning in Halifax, resulting in cancellation of our private motorcycle sidecar tour. Plan B immediately went into effect: the morning at the maritime museum and a lobster roll on the boardwalk. Prime rib on sail away night was great. Loved The dining experience at Izumi - tried a Japanese hot rock dish. What fun! Looking forward to a day at sea tomorrow.

Good points, Sarge. Thanks for clarifying.
I like your tie-on suggestion. I also like your original comment of why would you pack the I-pad in the first place?!

Sarge, you make a valid observation. What we don't know is - was this the x-ray machine of mass luggage or check-in luggage? When I first read it, I thought check-in luggage.

The brand new Royal Princess lost power in the Med over the weekend and is making her way to Naples for repairs...
http://www.maritime-executive.com/article/Royal-Princess-Cruse-Ship-Loses-Power-in-Middle-of-Mediterranean-2013-09-23/
As I've said in the past, a cruise ship is a machine and machines occasionally break...

Step 3 of 5 of the "Parbuckling Project" has been successfully completed. The vessel is now upright, sitting on the artificial bed made to support the operation. Click here to follow the progress...
http://theparbucklingproject.com/article/45/Parbuckling_phase_-_update_on_the_beginning_of_operations

This was originally owned and operated by Carnival as the "Jubilee" before being sold in (I think) 2004.

This will make a great National Geographic TV show. I look forward to seeing it.