SKAOLboy

yeah, i'll have to do that also, thanks for the reminder! im not even sure what kind of rum im looking for when i go there, aslong as it's made on the islands. Bacardi is too mass marketed for me... i'd like some local stuff. Me? im usually a beer drinker or a nice scotch on the rocks, or the occasional gin n tonic,now that makes me sound older then i really am! lol

JD what time in july? im going the 21st. im not to much of a wine drinker, odds are the only one who will be drinking on the cruise is me. The women might have a few, but nothing thats gonna rack up a cost. The bottles i bring home arn't for immediate consumption...but i've been kicking around the idea of sneaking some of that local bahamian beer aboard i read so much about, even if it's only a six pack. I won't have too much time to spend looking for the rum, the one excursion (sub-adventure) is 4 hrs long, that gives us about 4-5 hrs depending when the local shops close to do some shopping. The Rest of the night i plan to find a local bar, near the beach and stumble my way back to the boat before midnight. So if you find a good liquer store, let me know! lol :grin:

that sounds almost like what were doing, that sub tour looks AWESOME! i have that booked at nassau, the rest of the day mostly shopping and bar hopping... coco cay some snorkling and maybe pass out on the beach somewhere. when we go were on deck 8 i belive, part of the "refit " she got.' were going on this one to celebrate my gf graduating college, it's also a tester to see if were up to doing a longer one (im already game!)

Im going in july..... im looking fwd to your review after you return. what deck are you staying on?

from what i remember she told be it was booked seperate, through RCI. confused i did more researching, if you make your own air arrangments (i did) transfers are made through royal connections, which i think she did.... because the transfers are the same prices online, that the TA charged me. i still have to go back to finish up my last bit of work on this trip (passports) so hopefully she'll fix it for me monday. and joey thats excatly what i said when i didn't see it on the RCI online boarding pass form. " WHATS UP WITH THAT!" lol :cheesy:

how about security at a duty-free zone like Nassua, me and my gf promised a few friends at home some "real" bahama rum. Since they couldn't book the same date as we did.

i got everything done for my cruise, so when i finally decided to go to RCCLs online booking, i noticed it said i did not purchase transfers from the airport (our post excursion drops us off at the airport) i double checked the sheet the TA printed out and it says i booked and paid for a transfer, i double checked the reservation number, still no transfers... Is this a problem with the TA, or is the cruise line at fualt... does the TA need my flight info? thanks.

im intrested in the other cases aswell, im just suprised the cruise line just left them high and dry... im going on my first cruise in july and from what everyone tells me they have excellent customer service, i just find it hard to belive... and i agree with mebert this won't deterr other from cruises and i'd think they'd have security cameras after all they security at airports why not ports aswell? and ships?

i found this artical, and found it intresting... it's not intended to scare anyone.

WASHINGTON (Dec. 14) - The mysterious disappearance of a Connecticut man during a honeymoon cruise is drawing congressional attention to a seamy side of the glitzy cruise industry. "Like small cities, cruise ships experience crime - from petty to profoundly tragic," said Rep. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., chairman of one of two congressional subcommittees hearing testimony Tuesday. George Allen Smith IV vanished from a Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. ship in the Mediterranean 10 days after his wedding last summer. His family says he was a victim of foul play covered up by the cruise ship line to avoid bad publicity. Company officials say the cruise line acted properly following Smith's disappearance. Authorities agree the case is suspicious, saying blood stains were found running from the balcony of his cabin to life boats and a hand print was discovered on the side of the ship. Industry officials estimated 13 people have disappeared from cruise ships in the past two years. But Shays and other lawmakers question such statistics because they said the industry supplies its own data to the FBI and might be playing down crime. Smith's wife, Jennifer Hagel Smith, says ship officials forced her from the vessel after her husband's disappearance and abandoned her in Turkey, where she ended up at a police station and later a hospital with no food, money, clothing or ticket home. Shays read aloud some of the testimony by Smith's wife, who sat at a front row seat at the hearing, surrounded by her late husband's family. "There was no compassion, sympathy or sensitivity shown by the cruise line," she wrote, adding that ship officials would not let her call her family immediately after her husband's disappearance. "Initially, the cruise line issued a statement attacking George, stating that it was just an accident and suggesting it was all George's fault." Lawmakers expressed outrage. link to artical: http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.ad...213213409990004

well it says on there website to "pick seats upon checkin" thats about all it elaborated on the site. On the good side, i got a 3 hr layover in atlanta on the way home.... gives me time to fit in a few more beers before i leave and finalize my vacation!

Well, i just booked a flight for my july cruise, i got a KILLER deal, 417 for two people including taxs. Now im not new to flying, but i have never had to pick my seats upon checkin. Now this is my first time flying a "discount airline" does this mean each layover i will have to pick my own seats? or if i pick my seats at the airport i depart from (buffalo) their good for the entire leg to orlando?(which means i will have to pick out seats for the remainder of the flight from orlando-to-buffalo)?? i only have one lay over and it's in atlanta. if anyone has flew airtran, thanks in advance for the help!

MIAMI (AP) -- The crew of a luxury cruise ship used a sonic weapon that blasts earsplitting noise in a directed beam while being attacked by a gang of pirates off Africa this weekend, the cruise line said Monday. The Seabourn Spirit had a Long Range Acoustic Device, or LRAD, installed as a part of its defense systems, said Bruce Good, a spokesman for Miami-based Seabourn Cruise Line. The Spirit was about 100 miles off Somalia when pirates fired rocket-propelled grenades and machine guns as they tried to get onboard. The subsidiary of Carnival Corp. was investigating whether the weapon was successful in warding off the pirates, he said. The ship's captain also changed its course, shifted into high speed and headed out into the open sea to elude the pirates, who were in two small boats, he said. He had no further details. Device maker American Technology Corp. said earsplitting "bangs" were directed by trained security personnel toward the pirates. That, combined with ship maneuvers, caused the attackers to leave the area, the company said. The LRAD is a so-called "non-lethal weapon" developed for the U.S. military after the 2000 attack on the USS Cole off Yemen as a way to keep operators of small boats from approaching U.S. warships. The military version is a 45-pound, dish-shaped device that can direct a high-pitched, piercing tone with a tight beam. Neither the LRAD's operators or others in the immediate area are affected. American Technology, based in San Diego, compares its shrill tone to that of smoke detectors, only much louder. It can be as loud as about 150 decibels, while smoke alarms are about 80 to 90 decibels. The devices have been deployed on commercial and naval vessels worldwide since summer 2003, the company said.

There has been a steep rise in piracy this year along Somalia's nearly 2,000-mile coastline, with 15 violent incidents reported between March and August, compared with just two for all of 2004, according to the International Maritime Bureau, a division of the International Chamber of Commerce that tracks trends in piracy. "There were at least three rocket-propelled grenades that hit the ship, one in a state room,'' Laird wrote. "We had no idea that this ship could move as fast as it did and (the captain) did his best to run down the pirates.'' In June, a U.N.-chartered ship carrying 935 tons of rice for Somali victims of the Asian tsunami was hijacked by pirates, who held crew members hostage for three months before releasing them. Associated Press.

i went to canada this afternoon, on my way back i asked a customs offical on what i can bring back. She told for every 72hrs your away you can bring back bottle or case of liquor, how ever each addional bottle sold under 72hrs there is a 2 dollar duty imposed, per bottle. not too bad considering im gonna try bringing back 4 bottles.

I did the upgrade, my TA asked me. i booked an interior room and upgraded to an ocean view for a mear 20 more per person.

Welcome to CruiseCrazies! im a soon-to-be first cruiser aswell and everyone has helped me ALOT with my questions! you certainly came to the right place for advice! SkOALboy

have fun! looking fwd to your review and pics!

Paintball is a growing sport, here and else where in thre world! curious what its all about? watch some pros play some speed ball, and yes the first " action" is a group of women called the femme fatals! the overall movie is 30mins long.... paintballs always intresting to watch or play, check it out a let me know what ya think. ( thats footage of the 2002 Aurba open) it also makes a cool shore excursion! i plan on trying to fine one in the bahamas! Link: http://www.pigtv.net/02_summary/02_aruba.shtml the speed options are on the upper left hand side, you will need real player. Enjoy!

Im from ny, and already Sen. Chuck Shumer (D-NY) is already starting a movement about the passports to canada. Due to our location close to canada it will effect the transport of goods to and from canada, buffalo/niagara area specifically serves the greater Toronto and surrounding citys and industrys. they had some big meets here with transportation officals and are in the works comming up with a bill for the senate, with coperation on both sides of the boarder. im traveling to the bahamas in july and im getting a passport, due to the fact there good even if you suddenly decide to take a trip to europe or another location. There also a GREAT form of ID, and will work even if they have been expired for up to five years. The question is they say they come in 8 weeks, but im sure it's longer then they say.

international phones work, but are pricey and the charges per minute are high, i've used a satalite phone before, but the minutes are the same. I've used them to make calls from korea when i was stationed there a few years ago, of course, uncle sam picked up the bill. But if your looking for a REALLY cheap way to call people from distant locations ( i know this from the military aswell) PRE-PAID PHONE CARDS! there cheap, and and easy way to call world wide for pennys on the dollar! of course, i recommend using them on land-lines only.

thanks for the update on the bahama liquor, that excatly what i was gonna do! well absinth is pretty strong stuff... some of the cheaper stuff smells something like "gasoline" im told. But if you can handle whiskey or any other hard stuff, should be a sinch. Wormwood<] is a long-lived plant, with greyish-green leaves and the flowers have a greenish-yellow tint, and like leaves give off a strong aromatic odor and are bitter to the taste, and Thujone<] is a toxic chemical present in wormwood and has a similar molecular geometry with THC, the active chemical in cannabis the bolded are the two main ingredients that make up the "green fairy" and give it a its mild bitter flavor and effects... question is can you trip? Not after one shot! Remember, all those poets were not just occasional drinkers ! Vincent Van Gogh drank enormous amounts of Absinthe, and as a result his paintings were characterized by intense yellow hues and halo effects, such as in his still life of an Absinthe glass and water decanter painted in 1886. ( it's impressive, to check it out and do a image google search) it's high proof, same or more then whiskey.... the buzz is nice and mellow, with the mentioned halo and green and yellow huges. its worth a try... it's strong and has a bitter taste, you've been warned. enjoy

lol well i hope im a keeper, i just bought a 4,000 dollar engagment ring! and now that i've been here and reading.... makes me wonder, 4,000 dollars is pretty much another cruise! lol I read mixed reviews on if it's legal to personally use. i live close (5mins away) from canada and the next time i go over i'll have to ask some customs agents. I drink the "green fairy" all the time in canada, gives ya a buzz like never before....then again it's said to lead to pacaso cutting off his own ear off after drinking to much of the green stuff. Some say it leads people to go insane, but thats all folklore. It's just darn expensive to buy at a bar in canada... thats why im looking to pick some up on my trip! and your right this fourm rocks,the inside info rocks, i think i've adjusted so well is im no stranger to using a message board... used them many times before. This has been the most helpful one yet!

lol look how our supposed college QB worked out, don't bet on it. try my neck of the woods in the summer time, we got a jetboat that goes in the gorge, awesome ride!

i have been following the requirments, but i hear they could get possibly pushed back until '08. And trust me, the quicker the better ... nothing against canadians, but they always seem to always find there way over the boarder, and can't find there way back ( there is 4 bridges here within a 30 mile radius) and im always giving directions to them :undecided: next time your in the falls area, i'll give ya some places for some good food and some fun stuff to do. Sorry for last sundays game, that stone age relic of a qb needs to retire..... and quick! lol!