Ahoy all FReepers! Join the Fun!
FReeps Ahoy 4A fun-filled, Sun-Filled Caribbean Cruise!
May 13 - 20, 2006
Posted on 03/05/2006 8:33:11 AM PST by DoughtyOne
I was just looking over the material I received in the mail and noticed the form to fill out concerning the tours on the islands.
Do most people take the guided tours or are we somewhat free to go out exploring on our own? Which is best?
Some just stroll around in the nice malls and shops adjacent to the dock in the morning, and then go back to the ship for lunch and for whatever else on the ship after that.
As an aside, the casinos and shops are closed when a ship is in port. Some organized activities are shut down because the ship's staff gets to go ashore also.
It's wise to reserve your tours ahead of time, or the same day you board. Some popular ones fill up fast.
We have two sea days before we pull into St. Thomas. Next day is St. Maarten. So, at dinner the nights before, find out who else in our group signed up for your particular shore excursion and you may want to hook up together when you disembark in port. Or go solo. It's your call.
You don't have to take a bus tour. There's always cabs waiting at the dock to take you where you want to go. On a past cruise, I checked with waiting taxis by asking "how much to take me to what I should see on this island?" I got a good price from a cabbie (he was also a walking encyclopedia of his island). Factor in a tip. I had a very nice, moderately priced, comprehensive tour with a fellow freeper cruiser. We split the cost.
You're always free to go exploring on your own......rent a car or motor bike if you want. LOL. If it's a walking tour, stay on the main drags and adjacent side streets.
Vehicles to take you around on both ports are licensed and regulated by the island's government and can be trusted. Just make sure your terms with the driver are clear beforehand.
Tour buses are regulated, clean, comfortable and air-conditioned. The driver is your guide. He should be tipped also. Bring enough dollar bills with you. Small bills can be obtained at the ship's front desk.
We freepers are all together at dinner and it's fun to jabber about what we did and saw during the day. We don't do everything as a herd, but we do sorta keep in touch. Actually, freepers like to be together. It's a phenomenum I've noticed on every cruise.
Bahama Mama
Bahamamum Mum
We didn't solicit for prizes on this thread, yet generous freepers donated anyhow. The donors send wishes for a happy voyage. More than that they know we'll be representing conservativism to other ship passengers who want to know who we are........and some of us will be passing out FR cards during the week. Bahama Mama never leaves home without her FR cards.
All this is positive advertising for this great forum. Plus, any funds raised from the voyage will be donated to FR to support its vital work.
Many thanks to donors DoughtyOne, Flaglady47, Oswegodeee, Bizzy Bugz, Carlo3b, plus an anonymous friend of FR, plus a conservative local businessman whom Bahama Mama schmoozed-up for a great prize. He never knew what hit him, heheh.
Then there's that mysterious little sailing-away gift that we promised on the first thread. Each member of our group will receive one of these packets during the embarkation-night dinner as the Caribbean Princess silently heads out of Florida waters to tropical climes.
As we stated in the first thread, the value of each little packet is less than ten cents. It's smaller than a bread box but larger than a match box. Incredibly, this surprise is something you'll use every day and evening during the entire week. Hmmm.
Thanks again to our very involved donors. You are great Americans!
(......thanks, Sean)
Bahama Mama
What are F.R. cards?
Mine is white with red and blue printing. Each card has a little American flag on it.....plus my screen name, my e-mail addy, and WWW.Free Republic.com. You can add "The premier political forum on the web" or whatever in script. Always vary your lines in color and font (script and block).
I hand them out all the time if I strike up political conversations. When GWB came to St. Pete, I was standing next to a large group of local Young Republicans lining the street waiting for the President to come out of an auditorium. I struck up a conversation with them and not one knew about Free Republic. Ah......fertile ground for Bahama Mama. I exhausted the supply of cards I brought with. All these young men had computers and, who knows, maybe some of them are posting here today.
At any rate, tons of freepers have their own cards. You design your own.
I'll be bringing mine with on the cruise and you can take a gander at them.
BTW, the President came out of the auditorium when he was done speaking. He made a beeline towards the YR's. He shook hands all around including mine. Everyone was thrilled to death. Man, let me tell you, the President has such charisma up close and personal....it's like an aura that folks can feel.
Bahama Mama
They'll be coming from Florida (several), California (several), Missouri, Illinois, Utah, Alabamy, Massachusetts (Cambridge, yet!.....home of Hahvard University)...and New Jersey.
This terrific mix will certainly make for some scintillating conversations on board. Can't wait.
Folks, you can join this fun trip, also. Don't be moping in May wishing you were vacationing in paradise with a great group of freepers. Tempus is fugiting and I advise you sign up now while Wanda can still get you a good cabin that suits your budget.
Phone Wanda now at 1-800-266-1167 and she'll take care of everything for you so that you can relax and just think about the nice time you're going to have in May.
If you want, arrive in Fort Lauderdale and stay overnight with some of us at the Comfort Inn the night before we sail. It'll be sort of a "getting to know you" evening! The Inn's van will take our group, luggage and all, right to the ship the next morning after a complimentary hot breakfast. Wanda can arrange a room in the inn for you also, as well as your air transportation. It's all done in a hassle-free package, really very easy.
Freepers, if you've alway wanted to participate in a Magnificent Freep, this is it! Hurry, hurry, don't put off that phone call.
Bahama Mama
Pre-cruise packets have been or are being sent to those freepers already signed up. There are forms to be filled out in the packet.
YOUR TICKET(S) IS NOT in this packet. It will be mailed to you later.
Leni
The Looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove Boat!
Meet us in Ft. Lauderdale, Irish, and sail away with us on the Love Boat.
P.S. I bought my corned beef today.
Bahama Mama
Most everything is covered in your information package and I'm not going to duplicate. My comments will be useful ideas picked up from many voyages.
Covered will be a few tidbits on what to pack and wear, how to save money on the trip, and some info on embarkation day.
Yours truly has to finish her IRS tomorrow and Saturday, or yo' Mama will be in the Graybar Hotel while y'all are in the Comfort Inn.
Don't they have corned beef on board ship? Should I bring my own?
By the way, I just finished rereading "The Innocents Abroad", I read it the first time when I was in high school and had forgotten that Mark Twain can get down right long winded in his descriptions of things. I still consider him one of the best authors ever.
(Another by the way) Mark Twain had a very low opinion of Islam and Arabs in general.
(one more by the way and I am outta here). Mark Twain had a son who was even better known then Mark was.
We had corned beef tonight, cooked one that we had in the freezer from last year!
P.S. don't invite me over for fruitcake.
Bahama Mama
The only thing left arter 48 years is the picture album and wedding gifts that we still use.
Bahama Mama will put in a request to him on behalf of our group as soon as we board. You'll all be notified if we get permission. The tour, if approved, will be on a sea day.
Generally, you are shown around the bridge by a senior officer or two plus the Quartermaster of the Watch. If he's not otherwise occupied, the Captain will join us for handshakes and a photo op. Questions will be patiently answered. The 180-degree panoramic view of the sea from about 15-18 decks up is phenomenal in itself.
Joining our FR group for this tour is optional. But for some of you it will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I was on the bridge on one of the Holland America ships, and it was awesome. Don't miss this, peeples.
You'll have to check the schedule you get every morning in your "Princess Patter", but I believe on the last sea day, you can attend a cooking demonstration. Very informative and funny, too. Two chefs (not connected with the ship except by contract) put on a great show!
The demonstration ends with a tour of the galley. Here you can see how thousands of meals are prepared on a ship (and that's just for dinner!). Seeing the cleanliness, the compactness and the amazing use of space in the galley is an experience in itself.
Freepers, there's still time to sign up for this cruise. You can't get a vacation anywhere at this price with so many activities and informative opportunities to chose from.
Freepmail me at "MinuteGal" if you want a personal answer to any question about booking.
Bahama Mama
Be sure to read everything in your pre-cruise information booklets thoroughly.
I suggest you start a "cruise tablet" and take notes of the tips here that will be of use to you. It'll be too difficult to scroll back at the last minute to find things you forgot to remember.
If anyone has good tips on packing, what to bring, etc., please post them here. They will be appreciated by all.
Bahama Mama
(Start taking notes for your to-do list with this subject if you wish. Other subjects will be posted regularly).
The doors at the Princess terminal generally open between 11-11:45 AM. All cabins and the ship itself is being cleaned and we can't board till this is finished. When you arrive you may be thunderstruck at the awesome line of passengers waiting to get in. Be of calm heart.
You get in quite quickly. Once inside, you'll be directed to the proper line to stand in.
Generally, if the doors open, say at 11:40 AM, you'll be checked in, passed through the security check and in your cabin by 12:30.
You may be thankful for a small water bottle in your carry-on as you wait in line.....some of this wait may be outside in the hot Florida air.
Do not doll up for embarkation. Wear shorts, jeans, ducks, sneakers, tees, cool tops. You are in Florida now. You can stay in these clothes all day till it's time to dress for dinner ("smart casual" night......no shorts, jeans, tank tops, etc.)
Port Security Notice: Do NOT take camera photos or video shots in the embarkation area. If you do, your camera will be deftly taken from you by security. The offending tape or film will be removed and the camera returned.
Each of you should have your IDs and ticket handy. Do NOT pack them in your check-in luggage by mistake. Have a pen handy, each of you. ID needed is your picture drivers license plus your original birth certificate or a photocopy with a RAISED SEAL on it.
Once on board, you will not be escorted to your cabin. However, boat staff is stationed at every elevator, stairwell and hallway to enable you to find your cabin with ease.
The freepers staying at the Comfort Inn will arrive as a group. Other freepers will be arriving at different times from the airport. Do not wait around for other freepers to arrive or for a freeper "group" to form. Go right in line and then head for your cabin.
We'll all meet together shortly for the welcome-aboard lunch buffet.
Your luggage probably will not be in your room yet. Freshen yourself and high-tail it to the buffet. The Comfort Inn folks will be wearing their name tags, and Bahama Mama will distribute the rest of them at lunch.
The buffet will be jammed. It will be chaos.......because all the the passengers are pretty much getting aboard at the same time, all starving. It will be hard to find each other. Our distinctive name tags will be a big help.
Crowd or not, you'll eventually get a nice meal. You can take your tray out to the tables and chairs on the Lido deck, if you like. I'll try to find as many of you as I can to give you your name plates.
After lunch and some schmoozing with your new freeper friends, go back to your cabin and unpack, explore the ship, or sit on your balcony and have a stiff one.
Dinner will be at 8:30 so you don't have to rush for anything. There are two dining rooms. We are not yet assigned to one. Your specific dining room and table number will be in your cabin when you arrive. Our group will eat together.
Later in the afternoon there will be the mandatory first-day lifeboat drill. I hear that Princess has the drill inside the ship in salons. This is good news. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder on deck in the hot Florida sun for a half-hour drill is murder.
The embarkation area, the first buffet and everyone trying to board tenders at once for Princess Cay Beach will be the only times you'll feel crowded. The architects of this new ship were astonishingly skillful in their design. It resulted in a vessel where you don't notice crowds at all and have plenty of places you can do things in almost solitary splendor.
I want to get in one philosophical word here. Remember, there are always glitches on a cruise just as there are in hotels and resorts. Nothing is perfect. To truly have a great time is to not sweat the small stuff and to concentrate on enjoying the good stuff.
The ship's staff works hard at low pay to help you have a pleasant voyage. If someone goofs a little, shrug it off. The good times will still keep rockin' and rollin' as we enjoy a terrific week on this beautiful ship.
Tomorrow, Bahama Mama will touch on helpful hints regarding luggage/carry-ons.
She will also address the most frequently asked question regarding cruises, "Can we bring liquor on board the ship?". Stay tuned.
Bahama Mama (hic)
When you pull up to the Princess terminal curb, a redcap will take your luggage. Be sure each luggage has a ship's tag on it. You'll receive these special tags in your final packet. Fill them out and attach before you leave home.
Often you will not have enough tags for your luggage. The redcap at the curb will give you blank ones to fill out. Have a pen at ready.
Make sure you also have your own personal tag on each luggage piece. I add my email addy to the personal tag info.
For carry-ons, I use a light-weight but roomy duffel bag to hang over my shoulder. I also have a shopping bag-looking tapestry bag I carry. It has little wheels that come down so I can roll it when necessary. It's also lightweight. I find the airplane rolling suitcases too heavy for me, even the smallest ones.
Ladies, dump the purse for embarkation time. You don't need to carry a useless item. In the duffel bag I have all personal/breakable items I want to keep close to me.....sun glasses, small throw-away camera, keys, wallet, required ship ticket and ID's, cosmetics and comb, cash and travelers checks, my jewelry in a baggie, a couple of cookies (you'd be surprised how they come in handy), a bottle of water, prescription pills....you get my drift. (I use baggies for most of this stuff. Makes things easier to find and grab out of the duffel bag).
In my rolling "shopping bag", I carry things that I may need right away upon entering my cabin, or things that may get crushed or broken.....straw hats, deoderant, shaver, change of shirt or shoes (your luggage may not be in your room yet), wine, champagne & soda pop (padded) a baseball-type cap for men, travel alarm clock, etc. Remember, your checked luggage gets stacked like cordwood before it's loaded on the ship.
Make sure you have your own personal tags on your carry-ons, also. Limiting youself to two carry-ons makes sense in a lot of ways. Keep them light. It's a long walk from the terminal to your cabin.
You'll find your suitcases more quickly at disembarkation time if you wrap colored luggage straps around them. J.C. Penney stores carry them in the luggage departments. If you don't want to buy any, use bright-colored yarn or cloth ribbon tied through the metal rings. My straps are day-glo lime green.
I read somewhere that you no longer have to tip the redcaps taking your luggage at the curb. Apparently they have "no tipping" signs posted. Maybe one of our freepers who have sailed from this terminal can help out here. Otherwise, $1 tip per piece handled is standard. Do not count in your carry-ons.
If you need a wheel chair to take you to your cabin or you have other special needs, there is a desk inside where you will be taken care of. Just ask where to go.
Have enough small bills ready for anything that comes up. A van driver that takes you from a motel or the airport should be tipped. I also tip my permanent room steward $10 right away.....that is, after I check to make sure I have ice. He will also empty your fridge of the usual mass of beverages-for-sale upon request. He will also bring you feather pillows upon request. Tipping a nominal amount to a room steward at the onset is done by seasoned travelers for obvious and good reasons.
Any questions, post them here or freepmail me at "MinuteGal".
HELPFUL TIP......sounds goofy, but pick up some $2 bills when you're at the bank for travelers checks. You'll use them a lot and they're bulge-friendly in your wallet.
Bahama Mama
For those of you staying at the Comfort Inn on the night before embarkation, here is the phone number if you want to leave it with a relative......1-954-922-1600.
The address of the Inn is 2520 Stirling Road, Hollywood, Florida.
Hollywood is a little satellite town of Ft. Lauderdale. The Comfort Inn is 2 miles from the port. We will get a complimentary hot breakfast buffet with omelet bar before the Inn's van takes us to the port.
The Comfort Inn has no dinner restaurant. There are 11 restaurants within walking distance, including a MacDonalds and Taco Bell a few steps away. Our freepers are coming into the Comfort Inn at different times during the day and evening, so you're all on your own for dinner.
For those driving to the Inn on I 75 (Alligator Alley)....go east on 75 to 595.............595 branches off to 95 south. Take 95 south to Exit 22 - be alert, the exit comes up immediately (it's the NEXT one)......You are now on Stirling Rd. Go east on Stirling and stay on it for one light and the Inn will be right there on south side of Stirling.
The Caribbean Princess will have a phone number also which you will want to leave with one of your home folks. The number will be in your ticket packet that you'll get later in the mail.
Bahama Mama.
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