Recent RCI cruise review

On 2/9/2011 2:08 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 08 Feb 2011 21:07:38 -0500, Charles
wrote:

In ,
wrote:

People who have a lot of cruises (like our table partners on the 2nd
cruise who were all Platinum) do tend to stay on the ship in port. The
newer cruisers go off the ship, but in ports that you go to many times
the experienced cruisers who have done the trip many times will all
stay on board.

I don't think your generalization is correct. I have been on 37 cruises
and I only stayed on the ship one time during a port call and that was
because it was raining very hard, torrential, and never let up. I have
found there is always something to do in port even the most boring
ports like Nassau. Some do skip a port or two, those tend to be the
older senior citizens or those with mobility issues. Has nothing to do
with being experienced cruisers. The majority, experienced or not, do
something in port and the cruise line wants revenue from whatever you
do, whether selling you a shore excursion or you shopping in one of
their "approved stores". If you buy something those stores will ask you
what ship you are on.

I shopped in an approved store and they did not ask me what ship I was
on.

Speaking of mobility issues, someone told me that when he asked what
excursions he could do, that the excursion desk told him that there
were none that could be done by someone like his wife who had mobility
issues. With advice like that, how could someone be blamed for
staying aboard?

I always try to look at the excursions offered to see which I think I
can do or would want to try to do if I could. And using that as a
basis (plus information from other places or previous experience),
before I set foot on the ship, I have an idea of what I want to do in
each port in order of priority. Sometimes I jettison the plans
because (as in St. Maartin) I couldn't talk Bob into renting a car
there.

Sometimes I find that the excursion labels aren't completely accurate.
Snorkeling is usually at least medium, but it is easy for me to
snorkel unless I have to walk down the beach a half mile first.
Sometimes I have to talk to them and ask exactly what one has to
actually do. Then I have to figure out whether if I try it and can't
do it what the consequences will be for the others on that excursion.
I don't want to ruin it for everyone else just because I've
over-estimated what I can do.




I agree that the ship's excursions are not geared for those with
mobility issues. I have, however, been on Royal Caribbean excursions
where as long as someone could get on the bus, their wheel chairs and
walkers were transported with them.

The best way to handle mobility issues is to do some preparation work
and find private tours. It is not at all difficult in Caribbean ports to
find a taxi, negotiate the fare and have him take you around the island.
If it's a long day, buy the guy lunch. It will still cost less than the
ship excursions.

Lots of people with mobility problems sight see in the ports. Most of
them are pro-active and don't wait until they get back to kvetch about
it to a newsgroup.

JMTCW

--
Janet Wilder
Way-the-heck-south Texas
Spelling doesn't count. Cooking does.