saltydog

Howdy crazies, Sally and I have returned to the real world :sad: We had a great time. I will post a review later when we get unpacked. Hope everyone is well. Cheers Tim

Thanks everyone, I will try to stay out of trouble :smiley: Sally usually keeps me on the straignt and narrow. I will, however, toast a rum punch or two to you all. I will let you know when I get back how the Maasdam is doing. Cheers Tim :cool:

First off welcome to the board. Glad to have you. We did the Chichen Itza trip but we were staying on the Mayan Riviera for a week. The ride through the jungle is long and the roads leave alot to be desired. It is about 2 1/2 hours from the coast each way. It is an incredible sight to see but I don't think I would attempt it from a cruise ship with such limited time. I agree with Jeff that the ride from Cozumel to Playa Del Carmen can be very rough and the boats that make the crossing don't give you a warm and fuzzy feeling either. Do Tulum. It is much closer and also is quite a view. Have a great time. Cheers Tim

Hi Crazies, A question if you please. I was wondering which cruise line is your favorite and why. I realize it may be hard to pin down one line because of different tastes and price considerations but in general which do you prefer. I notice that many board members seem to favor Carnival and RCI. I have never sailed Carnival but have done RCI twice and was pleased. I guess I'll start by saying my favorite at this point (and I have only done 9 so far) would be Holland America. The Rotterdam VI was, in my opinion, what I imagine classic liners might have been. Any thoughts please. Cheers Tim :smiley:

Ditto James, I am afraid also that the cruise industry, especially RCI, is going to shoot themselves in the foot with this plan. I much prefer smaller ships with 1200 or less passengers if possible. I can't imagine tendering 4000 people to shore for an eight hour visit and then back again. I would never do it. Bigger is not always better. :wink: Cheers Tim

Hi, Sorry about the seas. Hope the trip was good otherwise. The inner ear sometimes has trouble adjusting when you return from sea. I always get that feeling and it lasts for about 1 day for me. When I was in the Navy many years ago, it took some time to get your 'sea legs' when we went to sea and on returning the opposite happened. You have to just get your 'land legs' back. Looking forward to your review. Cheers Tim

Thanks for the thanks folks. Actually we do most of our traveling in the fall. We like to be home in the summer and from about Dec through May we are doing 12 to 14 hour days, usually seven days a week. We own a couple of income tax prep offices so we don't get much time to do anything else. This is our down time to get mentally prepared for the crazy tax season. Cheers Tim and Sally

Well when I got back from Disney I found our docs for our 11/30/06 cruise. So I be dancin around the house. That, however, is not a pretty sight. Cheers Tim :grin:

Well Joanne1254 is on her way. I just watched the Grandeur go past my house here on the Chesapeake. It takes just about 1 hour from Baltimore to get to my place and should be out of the Bay around 1AM and into the ocean. She should have a great time. The weather looks good. Cheers Tim

Rose, Excellent photos, We have never sailed on any Princess ships. You evidently like them. Would be interested to hear about food, service and so forth. Cheers Tim :cool:

Erica, Hi, We sailed the Vision last year in Alaska. We loved the ship,cabin,food and service. The shows were just so-so but that is subjective. As for your luggage you should keep a carry-on if you need meds or other personal items. Sometimes the luggage doesn't get to your cabin for a couple of hours after you have sailed. RCI does a good job with cruisers and you should have a good time. Cheers Tim

Sorry Mebert, but I don't think I could talk you into it. I have never been on EasyCruise but from reports I have gotten it doesn't sound good. The old adage may apply 'you get what you pay for'. You may get a good price but you are getting a rather bare bones cruise. Have you looked at their site. They show the cabins and they look beyond tacky. I just can't see myself booking on them. Some other crazie may have sailed them and might offer some different views. I would also like to hear from other folks on this. Cheers Tim

Thanks Jason. I will do that. Tim

Please give our best to Dwight and his family. Our thoughts and prayers will be with them. Tim and Sally

Thanks people for the tips. I will check those sites out. Tim

Nice pics, Hope you had a great trip. Looking forward to your review. I have never sailed on Carnival. Am curious how you like it. Tim

Sorry but I think it is a sad thing when cell phones can be used at sea. I go to sea to relax and not to have to listen to mindless chatter while enjoying the fresh sea air. For emergency use the ships have ship/shore service available. Hopefully people will have the courtesy of using them in their cabins or their balconies. Cheers Tim

Hi gang, Hope everyone is fine this Sunday afternoon. Getting ready for some football here. (go Ravens). Was wondering if anyone has any good urls for port webcams, specifically Port Everglades (FLL) or Miami. Can't seem to find any good sites. Any thoughts please. Cheers to all Tim

Haze and Brian, Ditto on that one. I was just asking earlier about doing the QM2. Will be anxious to hear of your trip. Tim

My lady and I are thinking about maybe doing the Queen Mary II next year. Have any board members sailed on her yet. We would probably sail one way and fly back. Any thoughts please. Tim

Ditto on Mallory Square. A very neat place to watch the sunset. Duval Street is a great place to eat,drink and see some most unusual characters :cheesy: Another interesting place is the Mel Fisher treasure hunter museum. Lots of neat stuff that he found over the years in the waters around the keys. Enjoy P.S. Captain Tony's Saloon aint bad either Tim

Cobalt, Hi, Our preference is the Eastern or Southern over the Western. I think the Eastern offers more variety in the islands that you visit. The western except for Cayman, usually means the Mexican coast and Belize, Costa Rico etc. Nothing wrong with them but they tend to look the same to me. But as has been mentioned earlier diversity is what keeps us all going. To each his/her own. There are plenty of things to see and do whichever way you go. Let us know what you choose. Tim

Hi cruisers, Doing a little survey here. Just curious. What is your favorite Caribbean island destination when cruising. Mine would be St Barts. Tim

Thanks Jbond, Interesting stats. I guess my SUV gas consumption ain't so bad after all. :wink: Joey, It is so sad that I am old enough to remember Jerry West and the famous 2 handed set shot. Woe is me...... Tim :cry:

Thanks Robert, I have seen the fuel lines at dockside but wasn't sure if they carried enough for an entire voyage. Concerning the football game, If the Terps were as good as the Mountaineers I would be crowing also. I do believe, however, we can still take them in Basketball.......... Cheers Tim