JohnG

From the 18th of April when she arrives in San Juan until May3 when she leaves Miami on her Transatlantic crossing to begin the Mediterranean season, she is not scheduled for anything. A likely time, but no announcement yet. The thought is that after Century's upgrade last year, the other two of the Century class, the Galaxy and the Mercury would eventually follow suit.

RCCL has had it as an option for a long time. NCL has it too, now. But with RCCL, NCL and Carnival you can still opt for paper documents the old fashioned way... but I don't know how long it will be before they go the way of Princess, where the only option is e-docs. Like Princess, NCL does send a pre-docs package with tags, etc.

For the next two years RCCL Voyager of the Seas will be sailing 7 night cruises from Galveston from Dec through the end of Apr. Carnival Conquest sails 7 night cruises year round from Galveston, and Carnival Ecstasy sails 5 day cruises year round from Galveston. You can book far in advance with just the deposit and most agencies will let you make monthly payments until your balance is paid, as long as it is paid in full by 75 days before the cruise.

We loved Zuatenejo, the port the ship anchors in for Ixtapa, so much, we never went to Ixtapa, the hotel zone. We took a boat to Los Gatos beach and enjoyed fresh caught red snapper grilled and served on the beach, then some time in the old town. Enjoy!

Joey, My business this year, in the midst of all this housing slump etc, is almost twice what it was last year and it shows no sign of slowing down. Our cruise bookings as a company are up significantly over last year. If something is slowing down I don't know what it is, but is isn't people booking cruises. This past year I saw a lot more Caribbean bookings than the past two years, but a slowing of Alaska and Europe bookings. Interesting since the cruise lines are roughly doubling their European capacitiy next year. Guess the people with Euro's aren't reluctant to spend them! Pricing has been creeping up, not down. The prime target of cruiselines is the baby boomers who are retiring and have spendable funds available.

Carnival Legend was our favorite so far. We are sailing on Valor in December, but I have already done one Conquest class ship, and I'd still say Legend. We had a stern balcony cabin.

I did Oceania Nautica for our Barcelona to Athens trip last year, and the review is posted here on Cruise Crazies. I just finished our Tahitian Princess cruise on her sister ship. Now Princess has 3, Oceania has 3, and Azamura (Celebrity) has 2 of these beautiful former Rennaisance ships. I love the size. Oceania uses open seating, country club casual for dining, with lots of tables for two, while Princess still had traditonal dining and two formal nights. We loved the bistro dining in the evening on the rear open deck. The Oceania ship was better maintained than the Tahitian Princess, too. On Oceania you are guaranteed at least one dinner in each of the two specialty restaurants, and the suites can have more. There is a minimal casino, and the evening entertainment is more cabaret style, not productions, using the cruise director and his assistants primarily. But on a port intensive itinerary, we were ususually too tired for a big production anyway. I don't recall the Oceania ship evening having a photographer, so we weren't bothered by them on the way off the ship. Everything was well done, low key. They even let us leave the ship at the first pier, buy some wine and liquor, and bring it back to our cabin to use during the cruise. One thing to note, if you are using the 2 for 1 with free air offer, you still pay the air tax, and airport transfers are not included. You have to purchase them separately.

Carnival promotes the Fun Ship image. However, 12 or 15 years ago it was a booze cruise for the frat boys. But today, the average Carnival passenger is 47 years old. They have changed....and so has the cruise line. It serves some of the best food and has some of the best shows. It is full of daily activities if you choose to participate...or not. The decor is more electric than many lines, but their newer large ships of the Conquest class have been moving in a bit different direction on decor.

February is the height of the rainy season (Dec-Mar). The flowers are always in bloom. February is also the peak of the whale watching season.

We have done a 10 day once a year and usually 3 other 7 day cruises a year for several years now, even before I became an agent. My wife's boss doesn't like her to be gone on the 10 days or longer, but relents. I've found 7 days isn't enough for the other than Caribbean cruises, especially as mentioned, for one's that require a long flight. Last year it was Barcelona to Athens and this year it was Tahiti. Next year, for my daughter's H.S. graduation we are taking her on a 12 day Venice to Barcelona cruise on the Summit. With a nice mix of sea days and ports, I could do longer ones. Guess my 20 years in the Navy on 6 month deployments on gray navy ships got me acclimated. I always said it would be great to cruise if I didn't have to stand watch! On one of these we only had 8 days in port in 6 months, but that happened to be Malaga Spain and Perth Australia!

Send an email to shipcoordinatorjewel@ncl.com and ask how they can accommodate her.

We flew into and out of San Juan last February for our Destiny cruise and I didn't find that there was any hassle at all in San Juan. We had air and transfers from Carnival and it was all very smooth. And because the ships sails in the evening, the lines at the termnal aren't very long as people arrive over a 7 hour period, not 3 hours.

Title<] :: 08-22-07 Tahitian Princess Review Author<] :: JohnG Category<] :: Tahitian Princess Information<] :: [*]A dream trip to French Polynesia on a classy small ship. Great food, international group of passengers, and absolutely beautiful islands. Moderate temperatures and usually a strong breeze. But a long flight there and back from the east coast of the US. Description<] :: South Pacific After much anticipation we flew on Aug 20 from Norfolk, VA at 6am to Papeete, via Los Angeles. Unfortunately, the Air Tahiti Nui flight from Los Angeles was delayed 5 hour for mechanical reasons, making our travel day about 28 hours long. They did provide meals $20 per person meal credit in the airport by showing our boarding passes. The 8 hour flight provides two meals, and the seats, with 34 inch pitch and foot rests, include individual video screens with a selection of movies and games, as well as audio programs. Service by the Tahitian crew is gracious. Upon arrival in Papeete at 11:15pm local time there is a long line for immigration/passport control that took about 1 hour. After clearing immigration we claimed our bags and moved them to the waiting bus area outside, where porters took the bags and loaded them in a truck. The bus ride is only about 10 minutes to the pier in Papeete. The check-in at the pier provides no expedited check-in for past passengers, so the lines were long again. When we arrived on the ship and proceeded to our balcony cabin, 6057, the bags arrived within 30 minutes. While we were 5 hours late arriving and missed the evening meal on the ship, we had been fed on the plane, and the buffet area did have finger sandwiches and fruit available even at 2am due to the late arrivals. The cabin has a small refrigerator and plenty of storage, with spacious storage in the desk as well as end tables, and closets. There are cabinets below the TV, one with a safe and some space, and another large cabinet. The beds were very comfortable, with duvets, and two extra pillows I had requested online before sailing. A sofa and coffee table are provided, and there are two chairs, not recliners, and a small table on the balcony. We had cruised on Oceania Nautica last year. Tahitian Princess, a sister ship, one of the former Renaissance ships was identically designed. The two specialty restaurants, normally called Sabatini’s and Sterling Steakhouse on the other Princess ships, are simply termed The Grill and The Italian Restaurant on this ship, and they are not both open on the same nights, alternating service each night. The ship carries 673 passengers and nearly 400 staff, has a small casino with blackjack and poker tables, roulette, and slot machines, and two lounges. The Tahitian Lounge on deck 10 forward is the site of evening dancing and DJ, Captain’s Circle reception, and dance classes. The Cabaret Lounge on deck 5 forward is the site of the Captain’s reception, movies, and the evening entertainment, which included three excellent production shows, a singer, and a comedian and a magician. As there is no slope down toward the stage, the views become slightly obstructed by rows in front, but the lounge was never very crowded. The house band is a 4 piece group, and the featured 2 person group, Spice, was excellent, playing both at the pool and in the Tahitian Lounge in the evening for dancing. Dining in the Club Restaurant is traditional early and late seating. The design is similar to the other R-ships, but with somewhat less tables for 2, which we had requested and received. It is also open every day for breakfast and lunch. The menu featured all the usual, prime rib, beef Wellington, lamb..twice, pork, chicken and turkey, a different variety of fish every night (to my wife’s delight), prawns, snails, crème Brule, baked Alaska, and much more. Only the salads were somewhat monotonous, but a premixed Caesar salad is available every day. The Buffet on deck 9 aft has both indoor and aft outdoor seating. Fruits and desserts are plentiful, and a varied selection of items was available. The BBQ grill by the pool offers omelet’s and eggs to order in the morning, They offer pizza during lunch and the afternoon until the evening meal. Room service is very punctual, even arriving a few minutes early in the morning. Other than the standard continental breakfast, the room service menu is quite limited. We did arrange, before the cruise, for a Princess Champagne Balcony breakfast the morning we weren’t scheduled to arrive in Bora Bora until noon. We have done it before and it is a great value, four courses plus a half bottle of Moet & Chandon champagne. Dining room service was excellent. There were two formal nights, the 1st sea day enroute Raratonga on the 4th day of the cruise, and the 2nd was the night we left Bora Bora. This is the night they had the Captain’s Circle reception at 5:30pm, quite early for us scheduled for second seating dinner at 8:15pm The ship shows some wear and tear. On our balcony the wooden railing had no varnish/shellac remaining on it and some rust was evident. In fact, the balcony needed painting. There are some cracks in the fresco’s on the ceiling of the Club Dining Room and the Club Bar outside. But overall it is in nice condition. The photographers were personable and accommodating and the lines were short. Prices continue to rise! The purser’s desk was able to exchange USD for CPF (Central Pacific Francs). The bank exchange rate in Tahiti was a bit over 83 CPF to the dollar. While many places will take USD, the rate is lower. The ship arrives back in Papeete the evening before debarkation day, and they asked that baggage be packed and outside the cabin door by 10pm. The last day they ask that we vacate the cabin by 10am, and they will store carry-on luggage in the Grill from 8am – 8pm. After the day touring Tahiti Nui, we returned to the ship, claimed our carry-on’s and changed in the bathroom nearby. We went to the buffet for dinner and they called the first airport transfer bus, which we were on, at 5:55pm. The flight back was scheduled for 10pm. We claimed our luggage at the airport, and waited in line for the ticket counter to open, which it did about 6:45pm. There was a long line at the immigration and a longer line at security, where there was only one screening machine. There was still about 90 minutes to wait in an un-air-conditioned terminal. There are no water fountains, but the duty free shop sells bottled water. Being tired from a full day, after a meal on the plane we slept till awakened for breakfast and arrival in Los Angeles shortly after 9am. After clearing customs and immigration in the International Terminal, there is no baggage conveyor operating for connecting flights, even though our baggage was already tagged for the connecting flights. We used a cart to move several blocks to the Delta terminal for the flights home, arriving about 9:40pm EDT, the day after leaving Tahiti. The passengers were an international mix. Only 320 US passengers were aboard. There were large numbers from Argentina, Chili, and some from Spain, Mexico, and Italy, and smaller numbers of Canadians, Australians, and New Zealanders. The couple sharing our table at both wine tastings was from Tasmania. Announcements were in English, and Spanish or French, but they were limited to twice a day. Notes on the itinerary: Papeete overnight, Huahine, Raritea, Cook Islands (Raratonga), Bora Bora overnight, Moorea, and Papeete overnight. The day after arrival on the ship we had the full day to explore Papeete before the ship sails in the late afternoon. There is a tourism office across from the pier which provides maps. We exchanged some additional USD for CPF at the Bank of Polynesia, but found that the exchange rate on the ship was better. We walked the streets, visited the local church, looked in some shops, and enjoyed the Marche, the open market where the local products were on display. I had no idea that there was so much tuna in those waters. I sampled the local beer, Huahine, the first of several over the next 10 days in each of the islands, in restaurant in the Marche where several local Tahitian musicians were jamming. In fact, throughout the islands we encountered individuals strumming guitars and ukulele’s and singing…in parks, on sidewalks, at the beach. We purchased a beautiful tropical flower display in the Marche for 1500 CPF, about 17 dollars which we carried back to the ship and enjoyed in the cabin all cruise. There was a welcome aboard show after dinner. The next day we arrived in Huahine and the first real site of unspoiled French Polynesia. It was breathtaking! We even saw a whale spouting. Practically no buildings in sight. Just what I hoped it would be like. We took a tender ashore but purchased shuttle bus tickets first at the purser’s desk, $5 pp one way/$20 for two roundtrips to the town, Fare. We walked a few blocks to the Europcar rental agency that we had reserved online. We paid $74.59 by credit card for 6 hours, plus 1000 CPF for gas and drove around the entire island. We had purchased the Moon Tahiti Guide book from Amazon.com and used it to guide us around each island. With it we found a beach by a closed hotel and I snorkeled. This was a spot where snorkel excursion boats showed up. The excursion cost for 1 person was more than the cost of the car rental and we had it all day to tour the island. We found hotel/pension on the south end of the island where we enjoyed salad with grilled tuna, a huge grilled tuna sub sandwich and fries, a Huahine beer and a rum punch for 4000 CPF, about $45. It would have been a good place to snorkel, too. When we returned the car, there was still time to walk to the beach just north of town for a swim and then the shuttle back to the tender at 3:30pm. That night there was a magician show at 7:30pm before the 8:15 dinner. The next day was our first at sea day, enroute the Cook Islands. The weather was windy and there was some “motion of the oceanâ€, but not bad. It did complicate trying to learn the tango in the dance class, though! There was a superb Italian lunch at the buffet, and a Matre’ D Wine Tasting with some special wines for $25 per person. That evening they held the Captain’s Reception, followed by the first formal night, which included crab legs as an option on the menu. After each seating they presented a production show in the Cabaret Lounge. Just 7 dancers and 2 lead vocalists, but with an occasional miss by the female lead singer, the show was excellent. The “throws†and moves were more remarkable in view of the fact the at the ship was moving about considerably. The following day we arrived at Raratonga in the Cook Islands. It was too rough to tender and the ship turned around and spent the next two days returning to the Society Islands. In fact I knew from other travelers in the past, and verified with the crew, that 3 out of 5 times they can’t tender and passengers don’t get to go ashore. We were scheduled for a Sunday there, and most excursions weren’t operating on Sunday anyway. The chances are better, I believe, if you choose the Polynesia and Marquesas itinerary instead, but it is not offered as often. Three consecutive days at sea in a 10 day island cruise was too much, in my opinion, but the weather was fine and it was relaxing. That evening there was no show, only a movie in the Cabaret Lounge after dinner. The next day was a sea day and they featured a culinary demonstration in the Cabaret Lounge with samples for the audience, and ice carving on deck. This was followed by a galley tour, but their was not vocal guide as we paraded through. In the afternoon they presented another, only $10, wine tasting. Dinner was Italian night, with such entrees as swordfish and shrimp Diablo. The second production show was presented after both dinner seatings. On the following day we arrived in Raritea in the morning, and were berthed at a pier. We had reserved a car from Europcar online in advance. They met us at their booth and drove us to the agency where they couldn’t find the reservation but they had a car for us. We drove counter-clockwise around the island. There are few sandy beaches, but we did find one near an old temple site where I snorkeled for about 1 hour. We continued around the island, stopping at Hotel Atiapita for lunch on the south coast. They had a pier, beach, but no coral for snorkeling. Lunch was a curried shrimp dish with rice, rum punch and Huahine beer. They also offered fish and shellfish/crabs. Lunch was 3,350 CPF, about $39. By the way, while American Express card logos are seen throughout the islands, VISA and M/C are not. I was able to use M/C for the car rentals with no problem. We drove back to town and turned in the car in the late afternoon, and they shuttled us back to the pier. The price was $110.27 for 6 hours. There are some shops, a market, and several restaurants/bars there, and some ladies selling flower leis, which we purchased, since there was an island party scheduled for the evening. I developed an eye infection and had to stop at a French speaking pharmacy where the pharmacist looked at my eyes, said “infection†and got me a bottle of antibiotics for conjunctivitis for 1,200 CPF, just under $14. After dinner the island party started at 10:15pm on the pool deck with local a local Tahitian dance troupe, dancing, conga line, and a fruit dessert buffet. The ship doesn’t sail till the following morning. The next morning we sailed at 6am around Tahaa headed to Bora Bora. The sights are marvelous, with many over the water bungalows on the islands, called motu’s, and beautiful green volcanic mountains. We anchored and took a tender to the pier, where the Europcar booth was across the street. They had our reservation but were charging, with posted rates, 150% of the quoted internet rate. Haggling didn’t work, and they have limited English in negotiations like this! The price was 12,700 CPF, or about $146 for 24 hours, plus 1000 CPF for gas. We drove around the island, and it only took about 1 hour. We then drove to Mateira Beach, south of the public beach where there is a shuttle bus to, and we parked and found a spot on the beach in front of the Mateira Restaurant, which doesn’t open until the evening. It had lounge chairs and sandy beach, but no coral to snorkel. The best snorkeling is just south of there, from the Bora Dive Shop on Mateira Bay along the beach to the Bora Bora Hotel property. After beach time we drove the Bloody Mary’s Restaurant and Bar, an institution there since 1979, and visited by many celebrities. We met one of the owners and enjoyed a …Bloody Mary and a vanilla rum punch. The entire place has sand for a floor. For the evening dinner they have a fish display of all the day’s local catch, such as wahoo, tuna, mahi mah, and much more. You pick your fish from the display and the chef takes it to the kitchen. However, we chose to return to the ship for the evening, parking the car near the pier. The following morning we drove to the Bora Dive Shop parked and I entered the water there to snorkel, drifting among the coral along the private hotel beach. Water was clear and I even saw what appeared to be a grouper. Great location. We had lunch at Bloody Mary’s with Huahine and a glass of wine for 3000 CPF, about $34 USD. After returning the car we tendered back to the ship. This was the second formal night, with Captain’s Circle reception at 5:30 pm. Dinner included 2 lobster tails as a selection, and was followed by the third production show, which was even a bit better than the others. We really enjoyed them. Our final island day was to Moorea. This is where some scenes from South Pacific were filmed. Since Regent’s Paul Gaugin was anchored in Cook’s Bay, we anchored in the next bay, just east of Cook’s Bay. The scenery here is absolutely breathtaking. Jagged green peaks, multicolored water, palm trees. It was easily the most beautiful of the islands, and Huahine was the other, and least developed. We had opted to take a ship sponsored excursion and after a tender ride to the pier, we boarded an excursion boat that took us through the coral lagoon, past shark and sting ray feedings sites, which we observed, and on to an island (motu). They had tables set up under the palm trees and started with sting ray feeding right off the beach. The snorkeling and coral were excellent with lots of coral and clear water, and a wide variety of fish. They provided a BBQ lunch with grilled mahi-mah, chicken and sausage, salad, pasta, and fresh pineapple, and lemonade, followed by a demonstration on how to husk, and crack a coconut, remove the meat, and squeeze it for juice. They also showed the women how Tahitians tied parea’s. The cost was $84 per person. After the boat ride back to the pier, we tendered back to the ship, which sailed at 4pm for the 3 hour sail back to Papeete, on Tahiti. After dinner, we packed and placed the baggage outside the cabin. The last morning, in Papeete, after breakfast we vacated the room, checked the carry-on’s, and walked into Papeete to the AVIS office, just about 4 blocks from the pier. I had reserved online before leaving home. We drove clockwise around the entire island of Tahiti Nui in a little over 5 hours, including stopping for photos, and at black sand beaches to watch the surfing, and a visit to a Lagoonarium on the was back to Papeete. We returned the car ($84.83 plus 1000 CPF for gas ($11+)) and returned to the ship just before 5pm. Final thoughts: I left home knowing this would likely be our once in a lifetime trip to French Polynesia. We loved the islands, especially once out of the hustle and bustle of busy Papeete. The beauty of the foliage and the colors of the water even inside the lagoons were striking. Prices are high, as almost everything is shipped in except fish, beer and many fruits. It is a scuba diver’s paradise, and the snorkeling was very good even when not on excursions. We saw a lot more of the islands by renting the cars (they drive on the same side of the road as we do in the US) than by going on excursions. We enjoyed the ship and staff. Princess had a 5 year contract in Tahiti and did not renew it. The Tahitian Princess will leave the islands in May 2008 to sail in Alaska, returning from September to December. It will then leave permanently to make a 100+ day world cruise, ending in Europe in the spring of 2009. The only ships still sailing from Tahiti would be the Regent’s Paul Gaugin, and Star Clipper’s Star Flyer which will be home ported there beginning in January 2008. Princess has a 5 year contract in Tahiti and it has not been renewed. Never say “neverâ€! We enjoyed it so much in the islands we might even consider a land stay there, but not in Papeete. Perhaps Moorea or Huahine. Accommodations are limited unless you are prepared for very expensive lodging, with over-water bungalows running $800 per night. Breakfast and lunch for $100 per person. But there are other options. The only drawback is the LONG time to travel from the east coast. Breaking the trip with a stop in Los Angeles on the way there would help. Half of the cost of the cruise was the airfare. View Review

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I just returned last night from this ship. Once again, like 3 out of every 5 times, we got ot Raratonga in the Cook Islands and it was too rough to tender soe we spent 3 days at sea...one going and two coming back, the rest in French Polynesia. The ship sails on May 8 from Papeete to Honlulu, then Honolulu to Vancouver, then spends the rest of May and until September in Alaska. In September 2008 is returns to Tahiti and resumes the 10 day cruises there until December when it begins a 100+ day world cruise, and ends in Europe for 2009. Just as the other lines, they think there is money to be made on world cruises and Europe. They had a 5 year contract with Tahiti, and the 5 years are up. It wasn't renewed. In addition to the Regent's Paul Gaugin, Star Clipper is relocating one of their two smaller ships, the Star Flyer from Thailand to Tahiti where it will be doing 7 nights in the Society Islands, 10 nights to the Society Islands and Tuamotu Atollls, and one 5 night sailing from Papeete. The schedule currently runs all through 2008 and at least until April 2009.

Carnival normally makes TBA (guarantee) cabin assignments by a week prior to sailing(occasionally earlier if the ship is selling well). When you find out, just cross out TBA on the luggage tags and write the correct cabin number, or as they suggested, get the tags at the pier from the porter.

So does Carnival.

My wife loves formal night. I own a tux and a white dinner jacket and two vests so I can mix and match and have different formal outfits each night.

RCL's ENHANCED SMOKING POLICY Frequently Asked Questions Why enhancing this policy? In order to demonstrate our commitment to a healthy balanced lifestyle in line with our new Vitality program, Royal Caribbean International will institute an enhanced ship wide smoking policy which addresses staterooms, public areas and enforcement. We also want to listen to our guests’ commentary regarding creating healthy environments for cruisers as states have become stricter with smoking policies in public areas. When will this enhanced policy be implemented? The implementation of this policy will take place in January of 2008. Will this policy be fleetwide? The policy will go into effect for the entire fleet with the exception of Legend, Rhapsody and Splendour on the first full sailing of January 2008. The remaining ships will be affected in the summer transition sailings of 2008. What are the changes in the policy? The enhanced smoking policy will include the following key changes: • Elimination of smoking within the staterooms, smoking allowed on balconies. • Creation of one non-smoking bar on every ship (Champagne Bar on Freedom, Radiance and Vision Classes - Viking Crown on Sovereign Class) The designated non-smoking lounge is subject to change, please inquire once onboard. • Consistent policy toward non-smoking in any dining area fleetwide, indoors or outdoors. • Reinforcement of Smoking Policy fleetwide. What will happen if the poblic room smoking policy is violated? Guests, who are found smoking in a non-smoking area, will be guided to a space that allows smoking. What are the penalties for smoking in a stateroom? Guests who smoke in their stateroom are charged a $250 penalty. Why do the violations differ from non-smoking areas to staterooms? The violations differ because the damage caused by guests smoking in their stateroom is very high (time, resources, equipment and cleaning materials to service the stateroom) vs. smoking in an open space. What happens to guests who continue to violate the policy? Guests who continue to smoke thereafter should be managed using the Guest Conduct Policy and related escalation guidance up to possible disembarkation. How will the guest know of a nonsmoking area? Onboard communication will be included in the Compass, guest muster drill, Cruise Services Directory, Stateroom Attendant introduction and Guest Conduct Policy video and supported by non-smoking signage on stateroom doors and throughout the ship to designate non-smoking areas. *Additional information will be posted on the Knowledge Desk under smoking! Will this policy be implemented on Celebrity or Azamara Cruises? The smoking policies for Azamara and Celebrity Cruises have not changed. Is this enhanced policy for the entire cruise industry? Many of our competitors are currently offering the same if not tighter regulation; aligning us with our competitors. What happens if a guest wants to cancel due to this announcement? Although we do not anticipate many guests canceling cruises due to the new policy, we are asking you to track any cancellations, authorized by later communications, made for this reason. ©2007 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registered in the Bahamas.

I don't recommend attaching the cruiseline tags until picking up your baggage at the airport before going to the ship. The tags can easily come off in handling by the airlines. We attach the tags when we pick them up...taping them as suggested if they are not the sticky-backed kind. But even if the tags come off in transit, the porters have tags at the pier which you can use to replace them if necessary.

Carnival's older ships, the Fantasy Class and the Triumph and Victory regularly accommodate 5 in a stateroom. The fifth bed is a rollaway. Royal Caribbean Voyager class an Freedom class ships have Family Oceanview staterooms that will accommodate up to 6, and Royal Family Suites that will hold up to 8....but the Royal's are few and sell out a year in advance. These staterooms will provide an alternative and less expensive way than booking two adjacent or adjoining staterooms. When you book two cabins the 1st and 2nd person in both cabins pay the full price, and the reduced price is only for the 3rd person (of 5). In the Carnival cabins and the RCCL Family cabins the 1st and 2nd pay full price, and the 3rd, 4th, and 5th pay a reduced price. You cannot book a cabin for 5 through most online sites, other than Carnival ships, because they have to put 4 on one booking and the rest on a second booking. Disney is the other line that has a capacity of 5 in their Family Balcony staterooms, and the reduced price for 3rd, 4th, and 5th apply.

Elfed, In case you haven't noted in my postings, below the sailing ship picture, I've been on 31 cruises, 11 in the last 30 months. So I am current. And when you include the airfare to fly to the AI (Mexican Riviera, Caribbean island, etc) to the cost of the AI, and compare it to airfare to a US port and cruise, throw in a couple hundred for alcohol and wine on the cruise (we don't drink soda), the cruise can usually beat the AI. And I do this for a living, so I know of what I speak. If the AI were less expensive, I'd promote it more. When a customer asks, I do a price quote comparison, and it usually favors the cruise on mass market lines like Carnival, RCCL, or NCL (on whose new ships there are up to 12 restaurants and never more than 4 have a surcharge). But that's okay, we can agree to disagree.

I have often provided a side by side comparison for customers of the price of 7 days at an all inclusive with airfare to get there, and the price of a cruise. On any mass market line, the cruise wins even after factoring in alcohol, etc.

Sodas are free on Disney Cruise Line ships.