coloradocruisers

I don't think I want to own a cruiseline; but if I inherited a 200' yacht, I'd put it to good use.

Dang Joey! You ask alot of questions tonight. This is the only one I've joined. Liked the news articles and forums.

Lots or reasons, but one of the top reasons is because of the kids programs. We can relax knowing they're being well cared for, we can do whatever we want to do, and if we're needed the club can page us.

Before our last cruise on the Carnival Conquest, we read a few reviews on Carnival's website. Some of the warnings were spot on, especially regarding the service and food. Being forewarned, we adjusted our expectations accordingly. Other warnings, such as flooding shower stalls and rooms that smelled like cigarettes didn't pan out for us (fortunately). Since we had already booked, I'm not sure if it would have affected our decision; but it did help us to prepare. I think it's good to read the reviews, especially if it's the same ship and time period which you are planning on cruising.

I sailed on this ship out of San Diego once, Joey. She wasn't much to look at, but she had lots of firepower. USS Tarawa

I thought all of the posted cruise ships where pretty awesome, but none were as magnificent as this beauty.

My older son and wife are going to Boy Scout Sea Base next May, where they will spend a week sailing around the Bahamas on a 40 - 50 sailing yacht. Now I know this website is primarily for mainstream cruising, but has anyone out there experienced this type of "cruising"? Any advice would be appreciated.

NAMVET, I'm unable to join that cruise, but please give a salute from me as well. From a third generation veteran,

Agentjoey: You didn't say which line you are going on, but I've taken small children on the Disney, Princess, and Carnival lines; and have found all of them to have fine children's programs. The kids have always been well supervised in a very controlled environment. As a precaution, I would take him to the railing before sailaway, and impress on him that he is not to climb on the rails. Do you have a deck? If so, the rule should be that he is only allowed to go out with an adult. I'm sure your daughter is very mature, but my kids always mind me better than an older sibling. Kevin

I have a confession to make, Joey. Lean in to your computer closely, because I don't want to say it too loudly on this forum. I'm one of those guys who doesn't want to wear a tux in the tropics. I generally wear a sports coat and a nice shirt. I did rent a tux for Alaska, but that place was nice and cool. Like me. I think the cruise lines are reacting to guys like me. Sorry, but there's alot more of us out there. Kevin

Sounds like a fabulous trip. Thank you for the wonderful review. I would like to sail on one of the premium lines someday. Perhaps after the kids have grown. Kevin

Three cheers for the crew of Norwegian Dawn! Kevin

Ooops! Did I do that? Kevin

Danna I will not take the vote. The decision on when and what to right is totally yours; but I hope you took the time to read the guidelines which Jason posted. I also stayed out of the previous controversial thread, even though I felt your post about children had a sinister tone. If you go back to my first message to you, you'll see how I feel about the cruise employees who make our vacations such a pleasure. Remember what I said? I think you can add a valuable perspective to this website, if you keep your posts within the community guidelines. We all have boundaries, and customers, and bosses, no matter what business we're in. Just remember that when you post, you are communicating directly with your customers or potential customers; many of whom have spent thousands of dollars for the experience offered on a cruise ship. Do we want to be treated special while on board? You bet! That's part of the package, and part of the expectation. Kevin

I was just sorting through pictures from our last cruise today, and realized I had no pictures of my 6 year old daughter from the dolphin encounter. That reminded me to post this word of caution for anyone planning on booking this excursion. I HIGHLY recommend wearing coral shoes to the dolphin encounter. When you enter the dolphin cage, you will be walking on a metal grate that is very hard on bare feet. To make matters worse, the cage allows sea water to flow in and out, unimpeded. During our visit, my daughter started screaming that she had scraped her foot on the metal. She wouldn't settle down, so my wife took her out of the cage. One of Chankanaab's medics examined her and said that she had been stung by jellyfish, probably loose floating tentacles in the water. She had big welts on the tops of both feet. I stayed in the cage with my two sons, and we had a blast with the dophins; but unfortunately the event was not as happy for my daughter. I thought later about the pair of coral shoes sitting back in our stateroom, that would probably have prevented her feet from getting stung. If only I had known. Jellyfish aside, coral shoes or flip flops will make walking on the metal grate much more comfortable. Not all dolphin encounters are designed like this; but for this particular excursion, I would definitely wear some type of footwear next time around. BTW, I think the waters around Cozumel are absolutely beautiful. Kevin

That means you have more money to spend on drinks, right? Kevin

Keven - sounds like you have one fine young man there. Congratulations. Thank you, MaryLou. Yeah, he's a good kid; more committed than I was at that age. He's starting a community service project this month to earn his Eagle Scout rating in Boy Scouts, and carrying a straight A average after two years of high school. Here's hoping for an academic scholarship Then I could spend his college money on a cruise. Kevin

Cheryl We live in an unincorporated area of Elbert County, near the town of Elizabeth. We also have a place near Breckenridge, where I'm writing you from now. We're fighting the pine beetles on both fronts, but they're much worse in Summit County. The Forest Service is predicting that we'll lose 95% of the lodgepole pines in this area. Have they affeted your area? Kevin

Indeed I am Jennifer, for many reasons that I won't list here. Let's just say I don't loose very much sleep over my kids. I have two well rounded boys, and a little girl who will probably grow up to wear big red hats. Kevin

We still have three kids in school; but the only time we cruised during the school year was during a period where Sharon home schooled my older two. All kids are in the public school system now, so we can't do that anymore. I might be willing to consider it, but my oldest insists on not missing class. He's in high school, and perfect attendance is one of the criteria for exemption from finals. Kevin

On our last cruise in May, I did see Carnival turning away people who wore shorts on formal night. I'm not sure about jeans; seems like I saw jeans on formal night. Kevin

I tend to like RCI's the best. Perhaps it's the music. Carnival's is a close second, though. Kevin

I usually take something to read, but I don't actually do much reading. The book usually just sits on my nightstand while I spend my time watching the sea go by. My wife, however, actually reads what she brings along. Kevin

I finally got a chance to watch the Samantha Brown cruise with Carnival. As usual, she provided an excellent show that highlighted Carnival's strengths. My wife and I just love Samantha Brown. We don't even watch the other guys on the travel channel. She's so cute and fun, I'd almost be willing to buy her a ticket just to hang around with her. Hmmm...I wonder if anyone else on this forum thinks that way? Kevin