Jan115

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Hi Sheldon - I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

As I mentioned in the first post above, I am currently monitoring flights from Boston to San Francisco. They were running $405 for a couple of weeks. Wouldn't you know, the day it dropped to $380, I missed the alert. Now it's back up over $400 again. Ugh!

Hi Janb - from one Jan to another - I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

The GRAND Princess, in August 2002 to the western Caribbean, for our 25th Anniversary. We'll be sailing the new & improved GRAND again next summer on our 36th Anniversary!

I have spoken with many people who have a preconceived notion that Jamaica is full of drug dealers, soldiers with assault weapons, and pushy vendors. I have heard about passengers staying aboard the ship rather than to venture out. I think there are a good percentage of passengers who, unlike those of us who know better, go to the port talks and follow the cruise ship port guide like the Bible. They shop where the ship sends them because it's easier. Little do they know that you need to be a bit adventuresome to really experience a place, and the best excursions are the ones you create for yourself, maybe a little off the beaten path.

It's an ugly trend, indeed, and as long as people are willing to pay for the extras, the fees aren't going away. Airlines are particularly ridiculous. So in order to avoid a bag fee, we are to fly with just the clothes on our backs? How do they even get away with this? Travelers today need to be smart and do a lot of research to avoid rip offs.

First, it was the guy who tried to walk off a ship with a door-size piece of art and now crew members smuggling drugs. Never a dull moment in cruising!

I see a lot of lawyers making a lot of money on this case.

I agree - very sad and a little scary. Makes noro virus pale in comparison.

Last year, I made the mistake of booking my non-refundable air from Boston to Heathrow, London, too early - November for an August cruise. The Olympics were happening at the same time as our cruise, and all the hype about crowded city, airports, and lack of airplane seats set me into panic mode. Over the following months, I watched the rate drop by $200-$300. This year, I have begun monitoring prices from Boston to San Francisco, and the rate hasn't budged much in the two weeks I've been watching. So, fellow Crazies, I was just wondering how far ahead of your cruise you book your air.

We tried a corner aft cabin on the Emerald Princess. While some people love them and will book nothing else, it definitely had both pros and cons. While not being a "wrap around", it did give us a great view and we were able to see a portion of either side of the ship to some degree. It was a quiet location, with no traffic, and definitely off the beaten path. On the other side of the coin, it was a LONG walk to everywhere. We don't mind walking and normally welcome the exercise, but after a long day in port, all I wanted to do was sit down and put my feet up, and I couldn't get there fast enough. The other noticeable drawback was the lack of a real ocean breeze back there that you normally get with a side facing cabin. This would be an advantage in Alaska or some other colder climate, but in the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean, I enjoy the breeze when the ship is moving. On this particular ship, the aft cabins are the same size as others in that category, although the balcony was larger than those of other categories. However, the balcony was fully covered, so we had no sun - which is important to some people. On the plus side, I found the noise of the ship's wake behind us to be very calming and soothing.

Hi Lightkeeper! I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Hi Trevor! I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Hi! I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Hi Barbara! I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!

Hi Nancy! I'd like to jump on the Crazie Welcome Wagon, too - so glad you found us! Please share your experiences, ask questions and join in the conversation with the friendliest cruise community around!