JohnG

I always hated having to carry as much as $300 and save it in a safe so I had the cash for tipping at the end of the cruise. I like the auto tipping and don't see any difference in service levels.

Not counting those on gray navy ships, it was 1992 aboard Regal Princess.

Coco Cay. Didn't we have a distant shot of this same one a couple contest back?

I enjoy visiting favorite ports, but don't like a port intensive itinerary. The sea days are the real cruising days, relaxing, and I love them.

Definitely looks like Aruba, or a Hawaiian Island

I attended one year of high school on the Canadian side, just above the falls.

Y'all are good. The photo of my wife, Karen, is from Fort St. Louis overlooking Marigot, capital of French St. Martin.

Coco Cay, or whatever RCCL's private island is called?

We loved the Imperial Majesty Line's OceanBreeze. She was replaced by Regal Empress. She sails the two day FLL to Nassau run. We loved NCL Dream, RCCL Grandeur and Majesty, CCL Sensation and Tropicale. The Carnival Spirit class and Celebrity Galaxy were fine. The Golden Princess was okay. I obviously prefer the small to medium/transition sized. My absolute favorite was Star Clipper Line's Royal Clipper.....284 passengers.

Martinique it is! Congrats. Pointe de Boute, a ferry ride across from the capital of Martinique. One of your favorite islands. A three pager!!!

I hate them! Ringing in church, people talking louder because they are using a cell phone, etc. I don't care about their personal business but I have no choice because you cannot NOT hear the conversation. And don't get me started about drivers and cell phones. They never use turn signals because the hand that operates turn signals is glued to their ear on a phone. Please don't enable them to be used onboard a cruise!

For years we have been eating at home between 7 and 8pm because my wife doesn't get home from work until about 6:40. So late seating is little change for us. On port days, we go ashore later, about 11, and stay as late as we can. Then there is plenty of time to shower, dress for the evening and have a cocktail before dinner. Even when we take our teens we eat at late seating. If they get hungry before then, just as at home, there is plenty to eat.....pizza, room service, etc. Fortunately, we have never had a problem getting late seating on any cruiseline.

Southern Carib.

Franki and Dan, no and no :grin: This is the longest I have stumped the board in quite a while.

Tell that to the pro football player who volunteered and died in Afghanistan. He was not a poor American. I'm glad we went and did what we did. And Bush stood up for what he believed, just as Kerry did....alongside Hanoi Jane Fonda. I just see Iraq as a a quagmire we will have a hard time disengaging from. I guess everyone here would rather Saddam were still in power. Enough politics. Back to cruising.

We have only been to Princess and HAL's private islands, and we have enjoyed them both. In ports we usually only go to beaches anyway, and snorkel, and don't take expensive excursions. So private islands are fine for us. Plenty of facilities, no need to take cash, no pushy vendors, safe, etc.

They still do the singing parades on Carnival ships on cruises of 7 days or more. I think it is only short cruises that are skipping it. My wife loves it and has been known to join the conga line along with some other diners. :smiley:

We have used a travel agent every time but once. I usually shop prices on the internet and then email a TA to match or beat the price. They generally do. The TA I have used most is in NY and I have never met her face to face, just on the phone. She is good with details but not agressive in following price cuts. It was she who introduced us to guarantees. Lori, whom Jeff mentioned, has not done much for us and I have used her as a TA twice. We used a big online agency once when they had the only cabins left, and service was fine. But things are changing. My job was eliminated in June and I have decided to make our vacations into a vocation, and I will be attending cruise TA training school in FLL at the end of July and will begin working from home as a cruise TA in August. Spending my time getting computer systems, and home office in place. Needless to say, I'll be booking my own cruises. And taking more, as I have to check out itineraries I haven't traveled. :smiley: As if I needed a reason to cruise. I'll work when I want and vacation when I want!

:grin: Finally we have them guessing on this one. Not St. Maarten or Tortola.

Y'all sound like old sticks in the mud. Carlos and Charlies is a place we wouldn't miss on a trip to Cozumel, after snorkeling somewhere and shopping. http://www.carlosn-charlies.com/charlies/default.asp A great place to stop before returning to the ship after a fun day in Cozumel.

Darn, sailingrose, you are too good. I thought for sure this one would stump people. Yes, it is Phillipsburg, St. Maarten last Dec.

See my signature.

For dinner, we are late seating traditional fans. I did enjoy Freestyle on NCL, but mostly we went to the same restaurant at the same time and the staff got to know us and it was similar tor traditional. We HATED Princess Personal Choice and switched back to traditional late seating the third night after being unable to be seated in PC without a significant delay. I also enjoy breakfast in the dining room a few days so I can get eggs benedict. However we never eat in the dining rooms for lunch. Haven't cared much for the choices and prefer a less lengthy lunch time.

Definitely doesn't look like the Caribbean! :smiley: Bar Harbor, Maine? Nova Scotia?

You might also be interested in looking at the cabin layout at http://www.cruisestateroom.com/Princess/dawnprincess.htm