Just finished a 4-nighter from Miami to Cozumel on Navigator.
Some Pros:
- Flew down a day early and stayed at the Embassy Suites (near the airport). Booked the "Cruise Package" which included transportation from the airport to the hotel, and from the hotel to the pier the next morning. Very convenient and hotel was very nice. Breakfast buffet included.
- Miami terminal was very efficient - no lines, embarkation and disembarking took mere minutes.
- Crew was exceptional! Received great service and attention from everyone we encountered.
- Food was great. Breakfast in the DR is the way to go. It's becoming one of our favorate times onboard. As usual, Chops Grille was outstanding.
- Cozumel is a great port. First time there and were impressed with how friendly the people are. Good deals on jewelry and gemstones. I'm sure my dear wife caused a small uptick in the local economy!
- Received our 10th cruise credit and we are now officially D members! Only took us 16 months (5 cruises in suites) to get it. I feel as though we somehow cheated when comparing our cruising history to the many cruises and sea days so many others have invested to get to that level. So to those folks, I'm sorry...
Some Cons:
- Haven't flown in quite a while and was disappointed with the whole ordeal. Equipment breakdown resulted in 1.5 hr delay getting out of Baltimore, paying for luggage, careful not to exceed 50 lbs each bag, measure liquids in carry on to avoid confiscation, long, slow lines through security stations (while having to remove shoes, jackets, sweaters, hats, etc.), extended times just sitting and waiting, jammed into what seems like much smaller seats than I remember (but maybe I'm a little larger?), no in-flight meal, etc., etc. I think we'll just cruise out of Baltimore or New Jersey or take a few extra days and drive down to Florida next time. Sonny, I can't imagine how much planning Esther and you must go through to pack for your B2B's, flying to FL!
- Music for the production and ice shows was way too loud and I only recognized a couple of tunes (maybe I'm just getting too old and am "out of it"?). Sometimes seemed that the singers were trying to out-shout each other; not much "pretty" music with nice melodies and lyrics (at least those I can understand). Dancers and skaters were very talented and performed wonderfully, though.
- The absolutely worse part about this cruise is that I now have to remove my ticker and have nothing to replace it with! We purchased a future "yet to be decided" cruise on our last time out, but have not yet chosen where and when. We're taking a couple of landlubber vacations for the balance of 2010 and it won't be until 2011 that we consider another cruise. So 'till then, I'll have to cruise vircariously through you all by reading about your delightful experiences.
Hey Johnboy, sounds like you had a great cruise and an overall wonderful experience. Don't worry how you got to D status; its all about those benefits.
Yes, I know with all the security and baggage restrictions, flying can be a hassle. On my last cruise, I came a lot closer than I thought to exceeding the 50 pound limit. I think my baggage came in at 48.5 pounds. It was a large suitcase, and packed pretty full. Next time, I may pack 2 medium suitcases, as this will be cheaper than the overweight bag fee.
The way I try to look at the whole flying and security thing is that the TSA is putting passengers' safety first and foremost, even though this means longer lines.
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2007 - Majesty of the Seas
2009 - Enchantment of the Seas
2010 - Freedom of the Seas
I can remember when we would be over the limit but a little and the staff at the check in would look the other way; I'm afraid that today that would not work so easily and we would PAY !
It's been a few years since the last time we flew.
We were coming back from vacation in Clearwater FL and my wife packed the suitcases (she says she's much neater than I and prefers to do it).
After adding all the "stuff" we bought while shopping down there, it turned out that her suitcase weighted 57 lbs and mine weighted 39 lbs. The agent at the Air Tran counter would not average the two and charged us a penalty for her bag.
I was tempted to open the two suitcases right there on the floor and transfer some clothes from hers to mine in front of the long line behind us, but my wife was too embarrased to let me do that.
Plus, those tiny B717's (MD80's) that they fly seem only good for people under 5 feet and weigh less than 100 lbs. I had to duck my head walking to my extremely narrow and hard seat. So, no more Air Tran - we tried American this time, not much better. Their B737's are somewhat bigger, but still tight and uncomfortable.
Nope, think I'll be driving from now on. I have one of those big Lincoln Town Cars and it's like driving a La-Z-Boy, really comfortable, pleasant and relaxing! If I can find the extra travel time to drive to FL, that will be the way to go.
Otherwise, it'll be out of Baltimore, Cape Liberty, or Norfolk.
Flying out of Milwaukee on January 9th one of my suitcases weighed 50.2 lbs. They were actually going to tack the extra charge for being over by just 2 tenths of a pound! I opened the suitcase and took something out and put it in my other suitcase--I took my time doing it too. On another note, I checked in at the counter in L.A. and the agent said he would waver any fees if I wanted to check my carry-on luggage. That was a blessing when you have to change planes. I guess it depends on the mood of the agent at the counter. I try to remember my good experiences rather than the bad.
I know what you mean about the uncomfortable airline seats. The airline that has a hub at the airport closest to me is Continental, and they also fly a lot of 737s.
My dad and I had a rather lengthy discussion about when my grandmother comes out should we go Alaska Airlines (thinking their cross country equipment were airbuses), or Continental. Turns out, Alaska and Continental have the same equipment (737s), so we went with Continental. It was more money, but an hour less of driving time. Alaska Airlines also would mean driving to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac to the locals), 2 hours from Longview, WA as opposed to the 1 hour it takes to drive to the Portland, OR airport.
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2007 - Majesty of the Seas
2009 - Enchantment of the Seas
2010 - Freedom of the Seas
We fly Southwest 100% of the time when we cruise and as they say...."Bags Fly Free" unless they are over 50 lbs. We're pretty good at getting 49.5 lbs in each one but, sometimes we go over. We do the same as Sonny and just switch some shoes or somthing real quick. One thing we have learned is that if you check in at the outside check in at most terminals, they don't seem to check the weight unless something is noticably heavy.
As MCPayne said, we also have thought about switching to smaller bags and just taking one more and not worrying about the weight.
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Upcoming Cruises:
Celebrity Eclipse March 5, 2011
Serenade of the Seas Oct 23, 2011
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