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If you could afford only one luxury house when you retire (I'm hoping for the Lottery ), would you buy a traditional mansion, or a residential cruise apartment?

You've got to wonder what will happen to the industry when these new mega-super-gigantic-monster-huge cruise ships start coming online.

Has anyone ever sailed from an east coast port outside Florida?

The last thing I wanted to do was go on a cruise, but I did for DW. Now, I'm hooked even more than she is. Drag your hubby on board the first time and you will never have to drag him on again! Enjoy and join cruisers anonymous ASAP

OOoooops. Sorry, I forgot not everyone flies from Atlanta. Flights from the Sipirt Air hub in Ft. Lauderdale are only $99 plus tax!

This is not completely a "cruise" topic, but Spirit Airlines has recently started flying to St. Maarten ($159 plus taxes one-way). AA is matching fares right now. I'm thinking of cruising to St. Maarten, getting off for a week on the island, and then flying home.

I'm still young and have plenty of cruises ahead, Howard! Now I've got to work on some defensive moves... Does the Vulcan death pinch count? I would probably be the guy in the back of the van having an anxiety attack (I'm comin', Elizabeth, I'm comin' !! ).

AND THE SHIP WAITED......! I'd have this experience and still miss my surf-n-turf night. Way to go cruise guy... old guys can still rule!

I travel alone frequently and have even lived in Rome and Israel without my wife for several months, but I cannot imagine cruising alone unless on a singles cruise. The nature of cruising seems built for 2 or more people. I'm sure you could meet people on the ship, but I would always feel like an extra wheel (3rd or otherwise).

I'm with your husband, Seabeacon. I think a flight there wuld be amazing. I the diving/snorkling is suppose to be some of the best in the world! The Island is the tip of a giant volcano. The slopes are almost sheer drops. Another trivia fact - the governor of Saba was the first foreign official to recognize the United States as a sovereign nation. Here are a picture I found on the web. Notice the runway! Go to http://www.svendutoit.com/Saba/island/index.htm for some better pic.

Thanks for the bump, Cheryl, but I was not expecting many posts. I think Saba may be too far off the radar for most people. That makes me want to go all the more!

The Mayan ruins at Tulum are nice and easy to get around (mostly flat). You can cut the ship's tour price in half by going yourselves. The ferry to Playa del Carmen is $11 (45 minutes) each way. The bus ride from Playa to Tulum takes just over an hour in a nicely airconditioned and comfortable first class bus for only $3 - yes, THREE DOLLARS- each way! Tulum admission in only a few dollars. That means for about $30 you can have a nice half day excursion and still have time and money to shop, drink, and eat in Playa or Cozumel. Just watch your time and the ferry schedule! Have fun.

If you are a history nut, I just read about an archaeological site located 90 - minutes from Sa Juan called Caguana. It dates frm about 1200 AD and has several ball courts on a hill overlooking the Rio Tanama and petroglyphs. This is a national park and well maintained, but not fequently visited. The article mentioned an excellent place for lunch or dinner was at El Buen Cafe in the nearby town of Hatillo. I know there is more exciting/fun stuff to do, but at least this is a different choice if you are tired of the same old stuff. If anyone has been there, let us know about it.

I know the cruise ships do not go there, but has anyone visited Saba from St. Maarten?

Being a history teacher, I collect history themed ties to wear in class. I've been looking for an Ancient Americas tie (Maya, Inca, Aztec). I thought Playa del Carmen would be the perfect place to look. Long story short, asking for a tie at the beach is like asking for an ice cream from an eskimo... but the looks and gestures are priceless. PS: I've eaten at an Autostrada truckstop. This is NOT where Italians eat if given a chance. I think the better explanation is this is the only place the taxi driver could get to with those tiny streets in Naples. There are several great places to eat in the pedestrian zone in centro Napoli.

OK, I have a new goal... to be lifted on board with a rope! That would be one cruise picture I'd love to buy.

What is the Jones Act?

So Jennifer, you are one of "those people." I've heard you have been nicknamed the "Vultures" by us perpetually late folks.

J&D, It sounds like you were not drinking enough! All is good with plenty of Rum Seriously, I'm surprised. I thought Celebrity was supposed to be one of those "2nd Tier" cruiselines. Their prices sure seem to suggest they are "special." I will think twice before shelling out those clams in the future. Glad you are back.

Thanks, guys. JoeyandDavid, I paid off the steward to keep an eye out for you. If you want an "exclusive" room, you have to start somewhere . Joking aside, I'm really glad you guys are back. The Cruisecrazy forum was a bit lonely without you. We all tried, but it just wasn't the same! Lay off those LONG trip, will you.

For those of you who have not seen the parade down the Royal Promenade of the Voyager Class ships, check out this show. For those who have, a reminder of the good times. slideshow

Oh God, Mexican jail !!!! Is that not one of your worst nightmares! OK, any jail. With my track record, these stories are really frightening me. I must give props, however, to the commitment of the beer drinker.

I'm not sure you have read any of the LONG stories I've posted, but I AM the person you are talking about... two cruises and three times of barely making the ship... 15 minutes from all aboard departing Port Canaveral, 30 seconds from all aboard in St. Thomas, and I missed the ferry in Cozumel, which means I should have missed the ship leaving by 5-10 minutes (got really lucky on that one, the cruise gods smiled.. or messed with me). With so may close calls, I have inquired about missing the boat. There have been ships that will send a tender craft back to the dock if the ship is already leaving when someone pulls up. Otherswise, you are SOL! Talked with several cruise personel who have witnessed passangers being left on the dock. One Cab driver told me he had to drive a couple from Port Canaveral to Ft. Lauderdale to catch a plane to the Bahamas so they could get on the ship they missed by 10 minutes (wonder what the total was for that ride?). Moral of the story, if your heart races just watching the Amazing Race, do not cut it close.

Thanks Mary Lou! So far, you are the only cruisecrazy to come see me in my new cabin. Apparently the ocean view is not all it is cracked up to be. I should have stayed with the party group in the insides cabins.

Sequel to "The Greatest Gruise Story Ever Told" Lesson Learned: The ferry to Cozumel runs every TWO hours. When planning our tenth anniversary vacation, my wife asked to try cruising again. Trying to get a date that worked with both of our schedules, however, was daunting. We kept backing up the date until Thanksgiving week 2006 (our anniversary is July 12th… does celebrating 8 months early jinx us making it to our 10th?). Even better, my in-laws invited themselves along before we could explain it was an anniversary cruise. What could you say… other than “rooms on separate decks, please.†We picked the Western Caribbean since neither of us had been there. I immediately began researching excursions to Mayan ruins as soon as we picked a cruise with a stop in Cozumel. I have taught Mayan history for years, but had never visited Mayan ruins and would not miss them this time. I was disappointed, however, that our ship arrived too late for a trip to Chichen Itza from Cozumel. I had resigned myself to just a visit to Tulum. The weather the week of the cruise was miserable. It was cloudy, rainy, cold for most of the trip. I was deeply disappointed when we had to bypass Grand Cayman because the seas were too rough to tender. The only bright spot, however, was we were going to be docking in Cozumel earlier than planned. It was a mercifully sunny day in Mexico, and I got all geared up to try for a run to Chichen Itza. We had been warned MANY times that local time was an hour behind ship time and the ship would be leaving promptly at 7:00. With this in mind, I set out early for a ferry to the mainland. By the time I got to Playa del Carmen, however, the tours to Chichen Itza had left. Oh well, I’ll just go to Tulum. Had I only gone to Tulum, the trip would have been perfectly uneventful. In fact, the hour bus ride to Tulum on the VERY nice first-class bus cost a big whopping THREE dollars. The whole trip from the ship to Tulum and back would have only cost me $34 or about HALF the cruise excursion price. Plus, I got to spend as much time as I wanted and not with a herd of people. My problem started with the misconception that the early arrival of the ship gave me enough time to visit another Mayan ruin about 30 km inland from Tulum called Coba. I had briefly read about the site on the web and it seemed much more interesting since you actually got to climb the second tallest pyramid in the Yucatan. RC, however, did not have a Coba/Tulum trip. Their two excursions were Tulum and Tulum/Xel water-park. So, I hired a taxi from Tulum and was told the trip to Coba would only take 20 minutes. What I was not informed was that these were 20 Mexican minutes. Thirty-seven minutes later, we finally rolled into the parking area of Coba… few cars and only one tour bus; I was excited. Coba was fantastic. The site is 3 km of paths to several ruins of ball courts and pyramids. I did not have much time if I was going to make it back to the bus from Tulum, so I hired a guy to bike me through the archaeological park (WELL WORTH THE 10 DOLLARS). I zipped from one place to another, taking pictures and eventually reaching the great pyramid. The climb up the pyramid is one of the most frightening and rewarding experiences I’ve had. As I stood gasping for air with heart pounding at the top of the pyramid and looked out over the trees of the Yucatan, I gained a much greater respect for a culture which had already impressed me. On the ride back to the park entrance, I started to refigure the math on how long the trip back to Playa del Carmen would take and which ferry did I need to catch to be back at the ship in time. By the time I got back to the taxi, I had concluded I would not make it in time if I took the bus. I am now 150 km from Playa and need to be back there in an hour and a half. I asked my taxi driver, Jose, if he could do it. He said, “With my Army training, no problem!†So, off we went at a breakneck speed like we were in the Tulum 500. To his credit, Jose lived up to his promise. He dropped me at the ticket office with fifteen minutes to spare before the ferry left. I tipped him generously and snapped his picture as a great story to tell when I got back to the ship. Then, I bought my ticket for the next ferry and headed for the dock. I admit I was a bit surprised when I got close to the dock and did not see a crowd waiting for the ferry, nor was there a ferry at the dock. Not thinking it a big deal, I decided to do a little last minute shopping while I waited for the ferry to arrive. It was 3:55 (local time) before I saw a ferry heading toward the dock and a line forming. I guessed they were running late… Mexican time, again. When I got to the front of the line and presented my ticket, I was told that this was not the correct ferry. This ferry was chartered as a tender for the Carnival cruise ship. I’m now confused. I was very careful to make sure I made it back in time for the 4:00 ferry because I had to be on the 4:00 to get to Cozumel by 5:00 and back to the ship before the All Aboard at 5:30 (6:30 ship’s time). Something was wrong! Perplexed, I went back to the ticket booth to discover the cause of the delay. That is when I found out a critical piece of information. I had been careful to note that the ferries from Cozumel left every hour. I assumed, mistakenly, that they returned to Cozumel every hour. I was shocked to discover the ferry from Playa del Carmen to Cozumel left every TWO hours. The next ferry left at 5:00 (6:00 ship’s time). I’m now sitting on the dock with a beautiful view of the Mariner of the Seas glowing in the light of the setting sun across the water in Cozumel… and I couldn’t get back. I quickly did the math again. The ticket people told me the trip back took 30 minutes. That means I would be in Cozumel at 6:30 ship’s time (the All Aboard), but I still had to take a taxi from downtown to the ship’s dock outside the city. That would take 10-15 minutes. OK, the ship was leaving at 7:00. At the least, I could stand on the dock and ask to be lifted by rope on board. I was panicking, but still OK. As the minutes ticked by, I became less confident I would make it back. This was our last port of call. It was a day at sea from here. If I had to get a flight back to the US, I would. I also knew if I screwed this up, my wife would probably divorce me. By 4:30 I was so nervous my stomach was in knots. I return to the ticket counter and asked if they could call the ship. “NO!†So, I return to the dock even more ill. Then I see the port authorities. I stop one and ask if they could call the ship and let them know I was on the next ferry. “NO!†OK, so I made sure my math was right. “How long is the ride across? 30 minutes, right?†“No, 40-45 minutes.†“40-45 minutes?†“That’s right.†OK, “But we will still leave right at 5:00?†“More like 5:05-5:10†A quick recalculation and that put me back at the ship 5 minutes after it sailed… at best. “And you really can’t call the captain to tell him I’m here, I can see the boat, I’m coming just wait 5 minutes?†“No.†Well, I’ve been told I do not have a very good poker face. This gets me in trouble sometimes. In this case, I think it saved me. My face must have read “DESPERITE†The port authority guy started to make some calls. He said he would see if they could radio the ship. After five minutes… during which I vacillated between wanting to vomit and deciding if it was better to forget the ferry and head for the airport… I heard the most wonderful news. One of the ship’s excursions was running late. I could ride with them. YEAH! Feeling like I could kiss the port authority (and telling them as much), I gladly moved to the place they told me to wait for the group. Then the ferry operator came by, trying to find my name on the list. I was not on the list because I was independent (that never felt like such a dirty word before). So, he asked to see my ticket. “I’m sorry. This ticket is for the other ferry line. It will not work for this boat. You will have to buy a new ticket.†“No problem!†“But our office is closed. You can still take the other ferry. However, our boat is chartered to go straight to the Mariner’s dock. The other ferry still goes downtown.†I might be able to make it, but I could not take the chance. I can tell you that I had already determined I was getting on this boat no matter what. I’d knock off the little old granny if I had to. “I need to get on this boat!†“Let me see what I can do.†The very kind man not only found a guy in the back of a ticket booth, but also got me a refund on my non-refundable ferry ticket. I tried explaining I could care less about the $11 for the first ferry, but he was adamant. I clung to my new ticket like I had won the lottery. I will forever only have wonderful things to say about the Mexicans. They were terrific to me the entire time I was there and helped me out of a terrible situation. We got to the boat at 6:55 ship’s time. I had learned…the hard way… on my first cruise that people stood watching the gangplank at “All Aboard†time to get some sick pleasure out of watching people running in panic or getting left at the dock. I looked up to see if my family was there. Nope. I walked through security. They were quickly passing everyone through. I was not on the “list†however, so when they reached me, there was a quizzical look and a “Mr. Bartlett?†“That’s me†and I walked on to the ship like this was all part of my plan. What I had realized on the ride over was I was starving and tonight was the surf & turf. I did not want to miss that. My seating had started at 6:00. It was now 7:00. I ran up to the dinning room, still carrying my backpack and dressed in my dirty clothes. I sat down at the table just as the ship started to move. My in-laws were wide-eyed. My wife was calm. My in-laws said they were surprised at my wife’s composer. When asked if she was worried, she told them, “I was a little shocked he wasn’t here for dinner. But, the boat was not moving yet, so I wasn’t worried.†Eventually, the captain had announced there were 140 people late to the boat but they were on their way. My wife just assumed that included me. Even after explaining my story, my wife didn’t blink. This was by far not the first time I had cut it close. Like a bad penny, she knew I always managed to show up. Throughout dinner, my heart was still racing. That was really close. And I was furious because I had raced back to the ferry dock knowing I needed to be on that 4:00 ferry to Cozumel. All that planning, and I still almost missed the boat. Lesson Learned: The ferry to Cozumel runs every TWO hours.