Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    
    
      I also would like to hear anything and everything about this ship.
      I will be sailing the last week in September.... So, CB please
      if you're sailing before that, please post your trip experiences.
                                                
     thanks,
     janice 
    
      

    Has anyone ever taken this cruise!!  I'm veeerrry interested in hearing
    your experiences.  
    
    BTW,  re. 1 -- I will be taking this cruise the first week of
    		   September and will be glad to fill you in on
    		   all the details when I return.
    
    Cin
    		   
    		

    
    	My Mother-in-Law and Brother-in-Law just returned from a cruise 
        on the Celebration.  They had a fantastic time.  Do you have
    	any specific questions?  I'd be glad to get any info I can
        for you.
    						     -Dave-

    
    re.3 
         I for one would like to find out if its true about the Celebration 
    being THE party ship?? What style of dress was required??
    formal/casual? I've have never been to St.Martin, what type of bargains
    do they have?? I could go on and on with questions but, perhaps CB
    has a question or two to ask.
    
    thanks in advance.....
    janice                                           
    
    
      
    

    I guess the main questions I have are:
    
    	How was the cabin size?
    	How Is the entertainment?
    	How is the food?
    	What are the ports of call like?
    	Is it better to tour the islands on your own or to go
    	with the ship's shore excursions?
    	Was it a GOOD TIME????
    
    All general questions I guess.
    
    Thanks,
    
    Cin

    
    I am also going the first week in Sept., so any pointers on ports of
    call or other info will be greatly appreciated.
    
    MikeR
    

    MikeR:
    
    Maybe we can meet for a drink.  Is it only August 6???
    
    Cin

    
    Sounds good.  
    
    Sept. 1 will be here before we know it!
    
    MikeR
    

    
    What happened to the info 212.3 was going to get?  
    The date is getting closer.
    
    MikeR
    

    CIN,
    
    MY WIFE AND I WILL BE GOING ON A CRUISE IN FEBRUARY '91 FOR OUR
    25TH. WILL APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE CELEBRATION
    WHEN YOU RETURN FROM YOUR TRIP IN, I BELIEVE SEPTEMBER.
    
    THANKS,
    
    FH
    

	It sounds like there is a lot of interest in finding out about what
	goes on.  Let me tell you, you are in for 1 great time!!

	No matter what your interests are, it's almost impossible not to have 
	a good time.  The food is great, and there is plenty of it.  From
	6 in the morning until late into the eveneing (1:30am late night
	Buffet).  The meals are very varied and I tried some things I had never 
	had before.  Don't worry if you don't like it.  Just ask the waiter 
	to bring you something else.  He's responsible for you liking the food.

	The rooms are big and spacious.  Everything is real clean.  There is 
	always something going on.  They put a newspaper under your door every
	night that gives you details of what's going on the next day.

	They have lots of shore tours to choose from that you can purchase 
	before you get to port.  There's a lot of snorkeling and scuba trips
	if you're into that.  There are tons of places to shop.  It was raining
	the night we were in San Juan so we really didn't do that much.  We 
	didn't go on the shopping tour, but probably saw just as much as they 
	did.  We just walked and they were driven.

	We took a nice tour of St. Thomas that ended up a Coral World which is
	real pretty and probably worth the trip if you're not into scuba or
	snorkeling and want to see some of the islands.

	We went to Mullet Bay beach on our own in St. Martin in the afternoon.

	I just got called out of the office.  But if anyone wants to leave 
	questions to answer, I'll do my best to provide answers.  I'll also 
	try to add to this when I get back in.

Regards,
Bill McGee

	As I was saying, WE went shopping in Philsburg in the morning,
	came back to the ship for lunch and then took a cab (mini-van) to
	Mullet Bay beach.  It was beautiful and the water was as warm as
	a bathtub.  There happened to be 10 of us going to this particular
	beach and the cab driver was nice enough to come back for us at the
	time we requested and got us back to the ship before it sailed.
	That's a good thing to remember.  The ship sails with you or without
	you.  They don't keep track who gets on or off the ship, but they
	do leave right when they say they are going to.

	Food is available from 6am until about 2am the next morning.  If you
	get an order slip from your cabin steward, you can have breakfast 
	delivered to your room.  Coffee is available (regular and decaf) on the
	Lido deck next to the pool 24 hours a day.  From 6 to 8 in the morning
	pastry and muffins and croissants are available from the caf. on the 
	Lido deck.  Main sitting breakfast is at 8am and 9am for late sitting,
	earlier on days that you are in are in port.  Or from 8 to 10 you can
	get breakfast on the Lido deck caf., which has scambeled eggs, bacon,
	sausage, home fries, toast, juice, 1/2 grapefruit, melon, etc. if you
	don't want to make your breakfast sitting in the dining room.  Dress, 
	for the most part is pretty casual in the dining room.  You can go in
	shorts during the day, but at night men must wear pants and women
	must wear slacks or dresses or a little more dressed up than breakfast
	and lunch.  Breakfast in the dining room was stuff like omelets, 
	french toast, pancakes and there always was a chef's special which
	changed from day to day.

	From 11 to 2 at the Lido deck caf. is hambergers, hot dogs, sauerkraut,
	french fries, etc. or near the forward pool on the Lido deck they make
	sandwiches and have chips.  They make the same type of sandwich for that
	day so you can't order, but they were always good.  Lunch in the dining
	room was 12 (main) and 1(late).  There would be an appetizer, soup,
	sandwich and or meal, etc...

	At 4 is tea and cookies and ice cream.

	Dinner can only be had in the dining room and is at 6 (main) or 8 (late)
	and some nights the waiters and busboys will perform.  The food is 
	delicious.  There would be appetizer, soup (always 3 with one of them 
	cold including strawberry and watermelon), choice of 2 types of salad,
	sometimes a pasta course (like spagetti carbonari) and then a choice
	of 5 entrees (always varied with beef, fish, chicken/veal).  And usually
	they made a special desert each night like baked alaska, bananas flambe,
	cherries jubilee.  There are always other deserts to choose from.

	Only 2 of the nights are formal dress required.  That can run the range
	of suit to Tux and everything in between.  They won't stop you if you 
	come in wearing slacks and a shirt.

	Don't miss out on the entertainment at night.  There is a Las Vegas
	review, a Broadway review, a magician and a comic.  There's bingo almost
	every night.  It's $5 for a card that is good for 4 games.  The prizes
	range from $100 to $200, so it can be quite profitable.  They usually
	play 3 or 4 sets ($5 each set for a card) and then they play a 
	cover-all game for $5 where the prizes are $400 to $800 unless you
	manage to do it in less than 47-49 (it varies each night) numbers being
	called in which case the prize is anywhere from $1500 to $2000.

	The casino has slots ($1, $.25 and $.05), video poker ($.25) and
	blackjack, stud poker, roulette and craps.  Always a lot of action
	in the casino. 

	There's a disco and a few lounges where live music can be heard every
	night.  The bars seem to be open almost all the time and the guys in 
	the red coats are the bar waiters.  They are always roaming around on 
	the upper decks and the lounges, so there's no excuse to be thirsty.

	The room we had was good size.  There were 3 of us (me, my wife and 
	14 year old son.)  The 3rd bed was a bunk that folded down from the 
	wall.  We happened to have an outside cabin with a window.  The window
	is big enough to sit in.  Great place to sit and read.  There was 4 
	drawers, a closet for hangup stuff and a closet with 4 shelves.  The
	bathroom was good size and there was plenty of room in the medicine 
	cabinet (2 mirrored doors wide).

	I'm sure there's plenty I haven't told you.  If you have any other
	questions, please ask, I'll be glad to give you an answer.  Have a
	great time.

Regards,
Bill McGee

    
    Bill, 
    
       I was wondering if you remember the type of and prices
    for excursions. Im mainly interested in the snorkeling tours but
    if you remember any of the prices it would be helpful.
    
       Also, the brochure says room service is available 24 hours a day.
    Were you able to order food at anytime day or nite or does it just
    mean your room steward is available?
    
    
       Only 5 days to go!
    
       Thanks for your help
    
    
    MikeR
    
    

>       I was wondering if you remember the type of and prices
>    for excursions. Im mainly interested in the snorkeling tours but
>    if you remember any of the prices it would be helpful.
 
	I'm kind of a pack rat and wanted other people to see the kinds of
	stuff you got from the cruise line.  Happened to bring home the shore
	tour brochure.  So here goes:

	San Juan:
	Fiesta Fantastica Flamenco Show 			$27/person
	San Juan Shopping tour					$14/person
	San Juan SDhopping and nightclub tour			$30/person

	St Thomas:
	St Thomas Island and Coral World tour			$22/person
	St. John Island  (limited snorkeling available)		$22/person
	Kon Tiki party tour  (boat tour)			$23/person
	Buck Island sail and snorkel adventure			$38/person
	SCUBA/SNUBA 						$34/person
	Snorkel tour						$18/person

	St. Maarten:
	St. Maarten Island tour					$17/person
	Pinel Island snorkel tour				$25/person
	Sun and See cruise					$25/person
	"Explorer" Land and Beach tour (boat and swim)		$27/person
   
>       Also, the brochure says room service is available 24 hours a day.
>    Were you able to order food at anytime day or nite or does it just
>    mean your room steward is available?
 

	We didn't use room service except for breakfast in the morning, so
	I'm not sure how late it is open or how it works, but we saw plenty
	of trays and plates outside the rooms so I know plenty of people
	took advantage of it.  Check with the room steward or purser office 
	or just call them.  I'm sure they will explain how it works. They are
	very service oriented and very willing to please so I wouldn't expect
	you would have a problem.

	Have a GREAT time!!  We sure did!!!!! 

    
    Thanks for the info!  It sounds like Ill will be able to go some 
    snorkeling on St. Thomas and St. Martin.  Do you remember if they
    offered a tour of the Barcardi Rum factory when you were in 
    San Jaun?
    
    Thanks again for the info
    
    
    MikeR
    

	I didn't see anything.  Remember, the boat doesn't dock in San Juan
	until 6:00pm or so.  Some of the stores were not even open in Old
	San Juan, which is right there where the boat docks.  I would doubt 
	that factory tours would still be going on in the evening, but it
	wouldn't hurt to ask the crew/purser's office/waiter/bus boy/wine
	steward or even a taxi driver once you get off the boat.

	Have a great time!

	Regards,
	Bill McGee

    They don't offer tours (that I know of) to the Barcardi Rum Factory. 
    We went on our own.  You just take the ferry over and then there are
    cabs there to the factory.  The tour is free and they give you free
    drinks while you wait for your tour.  In all I don't think it cost us
    $5.00 total for cabs and ferry.
    
    I am pretty sure that the tours are only during the day.  The two times
    we were there we arrived early in the day, so we had plenty of time for
    shopping, tours, etc.
    
    Phyllis
    

    re .15
    
    If you are going to snorkel St. Maarten, try Dawn Beach.  It has about
    the best beach snorkeling you will find anywhere.  It was better than
    what I saw when I paid to be taken to a premier snorkeling spot two
    islands over.  Gear can be rented at the hotel, if you don't bring your
    own.  The best snorkeling starts at the right-hand (Southern and
    up-current) end of the beach and is good for the width of the hotel
    complex, about 1/2 of the total beach.
    
    Two cautions about Dawn Beach and cruising:
    1)  If it rains, you may not be able to get back across the mountain
        and/or have to take the long way around.  The mountain is very
        steep.
    2)  If pressed for time, be aware that Philipsberg is a big one-way
        loop and you will be going the long-way-round on the return trip.
        Consider cutting across the little streets.
    

    Well, I'm back to reality, and I figured I write and let you know my
    experience.
    
    It was WONDERFUL!!  I had a great time!  I think I'll begin with the
    ship.  It was Beautiful and huge! The food in the dining room was Very
    good, but the food out on deck wasn't so great!  The staterooms were 
    pretty big; I was surprised!
    
    San Juan, Puerto Rico --  We were only there from 6:00p.m. to 2:00 A.M.
    So there really wasn't much to do except shop.  I didn't like San Juan
    at all.  I found it extremely dirty and kind of scarey.  I think they
    should remove it from the itinerary and give us more time in St. Thomas
    or St. Marteen.  I suppose if we had been there during the day it
    would have been better.
    
    St. Thomas -- Very Nice!  I was surprised at how busy it is though!  It
    was like downtown Boston during rush hour!  But, once you got out of
    the city, the beaches were beautiful!  We took a tour from St. Thomas
    to Trunks Bay on St. John.  Trunks Bay is rated one of the 10 most
    beautiful beaches in the world!  A lot of movies are filmed there.
    It was gorgeous!  The tour was worth every penny.
    
    St. Marteen -- This was my favorite port!  The people were extremely
    friendly!  It's not quite as commercialized as St. Thomas.  I thought
    it had a more relaxed atmosphere.  We went to Dawn Beach--It was
    beautiful! (Oooh! I'm ready to go back!)
    
    All-in-All I had a SUPER time!  All the employees went out of their way
    to make sure we had a great time!  A word to the wise though, don't
    believe all the great bargains that the Cruise Directore, Rand
    Woodbury, says you can find on the islands.  Most of his suggestions
    were false.  You need to shop for bargains on your own.  Oh! and also
    avoid the shopping tours offered in San Juan.  You are only allowed
    10 to 15 minutes in each store, and they pack you like cattle onto a
    bus.  We walked the route of the tour in less time and saved ourselves
    $14 per person. Oohh! and one more thing about San Juan -- They also
    offer a hotel/flamingo dancers tour; Avoid it at all costs.  There
    was a line about a mile long of people waiting to complain about it.
    It was expensive and terrible!
    
    If there is anything I didn't cover and if you have any questions,
    just let me know.
    
    Cindy

    
    I figured Id put my 2 cents in also.  
    
    I agree with Cindy about Puerto Rico.  I dont understand why they
    go there.  It was dirty and somewhat scary.  We walked to a couple
    of stores and only bought a couple of t-shirts.  Pretty much a 
    waste of time.
    
    St. Thomas was.
    We also went to Trunk Bay on St John.  They have
    an underwater snorkeling trail.  It was great.  The beach looks
    like a post card picture.
    
    
     On St. Marteen we went on the Pinel Island Snorkeling tour.  It 
     basically is a deserted island (no facilities) but it was beautiful.
     The snorkeling wasnt as nice as St. John due to the number of people
     in the water. (people kept swimming into me)
    
     This was my 4th cruise and by far the nicest ship Ive seen.  The
     cabins are pretty much the same, the fare differences determine
     how many decks you have to go up to get to the dinning room and
     other rooms.  We had 7 decks to go up but it was a good way to
     work off all the food.
    
     As far as the "guaranteed stores" they suggest you do your buying
     at I would also suggest you shop around.  The stores have to pay
     $500 a day to be a "guaranteed store" it is a form of advertising.
     Guess who ends up paying for that?  You could shop around and get
     better deals in the regular stores.
    
     It was a great cruise.  Id take it again.  Especially if they
     lose Puerto Rico.
    
     
      MikeR
    
    
    
     

    
    I would agree on Puerto Rico. I went on the RCCL SOVEREIGN, in April
    and we had to spend from 2pm till 2am in that dive. I can't believe
    they stop there. I complained on the ship and in a letter to the
    cruise line. I was lucky, I heard several stories from other 
    people at our table about being bothered by the locals as they walked
    the main shopping streets. It really is a disgrace. There must be
    a good reason ($$$$$) why the ships continue to frequent this port.
    
                              Enjoy,
                                    -Rob
    

    I can second what you say about Dawn Beach.  I stayed there for a week
    once and the snorkeling off the beach is some of the best in the
    Caribbean.  It was far better than what I paid for on nearby islands.
    
    The only problem with Dawn Beach is that if it starts to rain, you are
    stranded.  A car can not make it over the mountain and the other way
    around may take too long.  You could easily miss the boat.
    
    Re Isle Pinel:  How did you get hooked up with a snorkel trip there.
    I've seen a boat load of snorkelers pull up on Bae Orient, but was
    unable to find out how to join them.  I'd like to know for future
    reference.
    
    doug
    

    
    
    We booked the snorkel trip to Pinel Isle on the ship.  It was
    real nice and like they said no facilities.  The water
    was pretty cloudy due to the number of people in the water.
    The water in Trunk Bay on St John was much clearer.
    Got some pretty good underwater pictures anyways.
    
    MkeR
    

    I just got back from a week on the Celebration.  I had a great time!
    
    Quite a bit has been said about this cruise already so I'll just add a
    little more.
    
    I went on the St. John Island (Trunk Bay) tour with snorkeling
    equipment and it was excellent.  I'd never been snorkeling before but
    this was unbelievable.  There were bright colored tropical fish
    everywhere and the underwater snorkeling trail was interesting too. 
    This tour is sort of short.  You don't get much time to snorkel so if
    you're already a snorkeling fan, you might want to go on a different
    tour or go on your own but you can't beat Trunk Bay.
    
    The other tour I went on was the Pinel Island Snorkeling tour in St.
    Maarten.  The snorkeling was good in that I saw a number of interesting
    fish (I think one was a needle-nose and another was a trumpetfish) but the
    fish were more sparse than at Trunk Bay.  There was more time to
    snorkel on this tour and this tour included snorkeling instruction
    unlike the St. John tour where you were on your own.  Also, rum punch and
    soft drinks were "on the house" on Pinel Island.
    
    I didn't go on any San Juan tour on the recommendations from this
    notesfile and I'm glad I didn't.  Shopping is plenty easy without going
    on a tour.  Bacardi rum is really cheap there ($6.95/liter) and you
    can bring back as much as you want.  You can have the rum delivered to
    your room on Friday for no charge if you'd prefer not to lug it around
    San Juan.  Several people came back from the trip with 6-packs of
    1-liter Bacardi rum.  Of course, this makes for heavy carry-on luggage
    on the plane so you'd be wise not to buy too much.
    
    I wish they'd replace San Juan with another port of call too.  If
    you're into shopping, it's okay but there's plenty of shopping available
    in St. Thomas and St. Maarten.  Maybe I should have tried to get a tour
    of the Bacardi rum factory as mentioned earlier.  I enjoyed St. John so
    much that I'd be interested in one of the cruises that goes directly to
    St. John.  I read that NCL's Norway has a neat itinerary including St.
    John.
    
    
    Some suggestions:
    
    o	bring shampoo
    o   You may want to consider flying to Miami on Friday and staying
        overnight.  That way you won't be totally tired on Saturday. 
        Apparently, Carnival is receptive to flying in early and you can
        do this for only about $40 more.
    o   soft drinks and alcoholic drinks are extra.  You might want to
        bring a six pack of soda to drink in your cabin and when sunning on
        deck.
    o   I had an outside cabin on the lowest deck and would recommend that.
        Lots of folks had inside cabins and got free upgrades from lower
        decks to upper decks.  To me, which deck you're on doesn't matter
        much but the nice big window was great!
    
    
    
    	John

    
    I went on the Celebration in the middle of December. I had a nice time.
    I loved the food and the sunshine. Nashua was freezing cold when I left;
    it is still cold today. My travel agenda was similar to .24. I did not
    join any shore tour in Puerto Rico based on the recommendation in this
    note. I didn't find San Juan to be as scary as everyone else described.
    But then I lived in New York City for 5 years; that probably helps :-)
    Shopping was good in San Juan. Rum and silver was very cheap. If you
    are more interested in local craft work, walk along the port toward the
    post office. (The cruise director will give out maps during the shore
    tour talk. Don't miss it.) There were local street vendors on the square 
    outside of the post office selling neat crafts. I didn't know they 
    close earlier than the shops. I went to the main shopping area first 
    (6-7pm) and then realized all the street vendors were gone (9pm) by the
    time I return to the square. I wish I had done the reverse.
                                                            
    In St. Thomas, I signed up for the St. John shore tour. It was
    wonderful. The beach, Trunk Bay, on St. John was just stunning. The 
    turquoise sea water looked like a big piece of perfect jewel. The color 
    was clear and crisp, I felt in love with it the minute I saw it. I 
    rented some snorkeling equipment and tried the sport for the first time
    in my life. It was fun. My friend and I both wished that we've rented
    underwater camera because the tropical fishes there were very pretty.
    You also won't have to swim far to see interesting fish too. I enjoyed
    the tour very much but wish it was longer. We started at 9am and ended
    at noon time.
    
    In St. Martin, I went on the Pinel Island Tour because I wanted to do
    more snorkeling. But the water off of the Pinel Island was more wavy
    and you had to swim further to see interesting fish. I got panic there
    and drank a cupful of seawater when snorkeling. I was glad I had the
    life jacket on. 
    
    St. Martin had many street vendors selling local wood craft work. I am
    not sure what is a reasonable price there but you must know how to
    negoiate to get good prices. I asked two vendors about the price of a
    pair of wooden spoon and fork. One told me $7 and the other told me
    $12. I told the second vendor ($12) that the first vendor offered the
    same thing to me for ($6) and her respond was "okay, I'll give it to
    you for $6" :-}
                                       
    - Sukie
    

    I took an October 1991 trip on the Celebration.  This was not my first
    cruise - that was to Alaska on a small, quiet ship, so I found the
    Celebration rather overpowering at times.  The weather while at sea was
    great, but it rained - sometimes in a downpour whenever we were in
    port!  Made shopping/sightseeing a little more difficult.
    
    The staterooms were very nice - especially the closet space and
    bathrooms compared to my other experience.  Had an inside cabin and
    that meant that I had to have a light on whenever I was in the room,
    but otherwise, wasn't aware of the location of the cabin.  
    
    The food was fantastic.  I was especially appreciative of their low-cal
    items, although after the first low-cal dessert, I found myself
    watching everything I ate during the day so I could splurge on cherries
    jubilee, etc. at dinner without doing too much damage to my diet.
    
    The ship was filled with college-aged kids who literally took over the
    pool area, so didn't do much swimming.  I was also disappointed in the
    dance band in the evenings - my companion and I do lots of ballroom
    dancing and we were looking forward to having lots of opportunities to
    indulge.  Instead, the band played only for 30-45 minutes a night and
    although there were several couples who also danced with us, the band
    continued to play things we couldn't dance to so that by the end of the
    cruise, we'd only gotten in a dozen or so dances total!  
    
    I took the glass-bottom boat trip in St. Thomas after spending the
    morning shopping, etc. in town.  It had rained hard that morning - to
    the point of trapping a group of us in a couple of shops along
    cobblestoned alleys that flooded quickly.  Because of the rain, we
    didn't see much when we reached the coral beds -- vague outlines of the
    reefs, and shadowed movements of fish, but nothing was clear.  I had
    taken this trip because I was going to try snorkling in St. Maarten the
    next stop and wanted to be sure I saw the reefs and fish just in case
    snorkling wasn't my thing after all!
    
    The side of St. Maarten that you go to to go snorkling is beautiful,
    although the trip isn't the greatest getting there.  Because of the
    rain they'd been having and was still getting as we set out, the roads
    were flooded in places and very muddy, making the trip longer and
    harder than it probably would normally be.  The little island you ride
    out to for the snorkling was really nice.  My companion is an
    experienced scuba diver, so he headed with that group to the other side
    of the island to go diving, and the snorklers picked up their gear and
    got ready to go out to a point where the reefs started.  There were two
    of us who were having trouble with the gear and had never snorkled
    before.  The instructors/guides left with the main group and we were
    left behind on the beach trying to figure out what to do.  I finally
    headed out because they were getting so far away that if I'd run into
    trouble, they couldn't have gotten to me in time.  I did manage to see
    the reef and fish for about 30 seconds at a time..... I was getting
    mouthfuls of saltwater in with every breath.  My companion later said
    that if he'd known that that was what they were going to do, he would
    have stayed with me and helped me out because all I needed was a simple
    adjustment on my mouthpiece.  Live and learn I guess.......
    
    Know that this is being entered after you've taken your trip, but just
    wanted to add my two cents worth.  I missed having someplace "quiet" to
    relax on board -- there wasn't anyplace that was quiet with all the
    activity going on.  I did find the piano bar a great place to spend the
    evenings after the shows, etc..... a group of us would meet there every
    evening and sing along with the piano player.  Had a ball.......
    
    Hope this helps for anyone interested in future cruises on the
    Celebration......
    
    Pat
    

    Hello,
    
        I'm going on a Celebration cruise 1/09/93.from what I've read in
    the past replies from earlier dates I'll have a great time.I'm 26 and
    going with a 24 year old woman, What's the average age group on the
    ship? I don't plan on taking too many organized Island tours because
    I like to explore on my own, Less restriction.
    Does anyone know if there is any Para-sailing on any of the Islands?
    I'd like to hear from anyone who has recently traveled with the
    Celebration, Comments and suggestions.
    
    Thanks,
    Glenn  (Who needs to go Tanning..)

    I took a cruise on the Celebration two years ago, in October, and you
    would have fit right in -- haven't seen that many "just out of
    college"-aged people in one place in a long time!  Would suspect the
    average age on the trip was between 26 and 30.  
    
    I don't remember the cruise-line itself offering a parasailing option,
    but that doesn't mean you can't find something available in town.  Each
    time we ported, it poured, so I didn't see any parasailing going
    on.....
    
    If they are on the same itinerary/schedule as I had, we ported in San
    Juan during dinner.  By the time we finished, got our act together and
    headed into town, very few places were open, it was dark and rather
    scary actually wondering around.  I would suggest either signing up for
    one of the "casino" tours or staying on the ship if they port after
    dark.  That was probably one of the biggest disappointments because we
    couldn't see anything, and were only there from like 8 pm. until 2
    am..... might as well have not stopped!
    
    Have a great time -- the ship is really nice, the cabins comfortable
    and roomy, and the food!  Fantastic!!!!!!
    
    Pat
    

    I went on the Celebration in late January of last year and had a great
    time.  My trip report is .24.  I think the average age on that cruise
    was quite a bit over 26 (which is how old I am)  There were quite
    a few folks 60 and over but there were also many young folks though
    so I wouldn't worry about it.  I'd think Carnival would have a
    younger average age than other cruise lines.
    
    I don't know about the para-sailing but the snorkeling at Trunk Bay
    in St. John is great!
    
    Let us know how it turns out.
    
    
    
    	John   

    RE:.28 & .28
    
    Thanks for the info. Looks like I might just miss some snow here in
    New England Saturday. I'll let you know how everything turned out.
    
    Glenn

    Well, I just booked a killer deal on the Celebration, departure date
    July 10.  Two people, airfare from Atlanta, category 6 cabin, port
    charges and all $1872.  Can't beat that.
    
    I am a bit concerned about San Juan.  Reading the itinerary last night,
    I told my wife that we would be there for about 6-8 hours, at night.
    Obviously, the tours are not the way to go.  We have been to Jamaica
    and dealt with the locals plenty of times, what's the story with the
    puertorican locals?  What made it scary?  What is there to do on the
    island if you don't want to do the tours?  Besides shopping for
    woodcraft and straw, should we just stay onboard the ship, or should
    we "indulge" in San Juan?
    
    Speak up now, for we have 53 days until departure.
    
    Bob
    

    It was about 8-8:30 pm when we got off the ship in San Juan.  We wanted
    to explore the city as the tours to the casinos and nightclubs didn't
    interest us.  Once away from the immediate dock area, there were few
    people, little light, and nothing open.  We had to walk about 10 blocks
    to find a tee-shirt shop and a jewelry store open, and that was about
    it.  Getting there made you wonder how safe it was to travel the
    streets as there were few people around, and those that were appeared
    to be locals, most of whom lounged in doorways.  Maybe it's because I
    watch too many movies, etc., but I kept waiting to be followed or
    mugged.  The trip back to the ship was better in that everyone from the
    ship that had done the same thing we had left the jewelry store
    together and walked back to the ship together -- "safety in numbers!" 
    The group all seemed to agree that it had been a waste of time to get
    off the ship, and that maybe they should have taken one of the tours
    since the casino area was quite a ways away from the ship and they
    could have seen some of the city that way.
    
    Hope this helps.... my personal opinion was that that was definitely a
    night to stay on board although there wasn't anything special planned
    for that night since we were in port.
    
    Pat
    

    So what I am hearing from this whole note about San Juan is, either
    take a CASINO tour, or stay on the boat.  Correct?
    
    bob
    

    If I were doing it over, that's the two choices I'd work with.... As I
    remember the tours available were to the casinos or to a show, neither
    of which interested me at the time; I didn't really talk to anyone who
    did either of them to see if I'd missed anything or not by not going.
    
    Pat

    
     One our first cruise we left out of San Juan and we spent a couple
    days there before the cruise. Old San Juan itself (during the day!)
    is quite nice..the fort,walking the parks and the shops are all
    pretty nice. Our most recent cruise ported in Old San Juan at night
    and it sure is a different animal at night! We had really rough seas
    and that put the boat behind schedule a couple hours and we didn't 
    dock till 10:00, we decided to get off the ship and just walk around
    the town area..that didn't last long..as the previous note mentioned
    there weren't a whole lot of folks on the street and it scared the hell
    out of me and my wife..we quickly made out way back to the ship. Our
    ship was offering two tours in San Juan both were dance shows and one
    was at the El San Juan hotel which is in Isla Verde and has a really
    nice casino and is about a 15 minute ride from your boat. The other was
    at the Caribe which i've never been to but its much closer than the El
    San Juan. The cost of these were in the mid $30's..if i were doing it 
    again..i would grab a taxi and have them take you to the ESJ and just
    do the casino and walk around (REALLY nice hotel..and around a much
    livelier part of the island) the taxi i think was fairly cheap if
    i remember correctly from when i did it when we stay in Isla Verde and
    taxi'd up to Old San Juan. If you decide to not do the tours and not
    taxi to the ESJ area i'd just stay on the boat and have fun. 
    
    al
    offered which were both dance shows at two different hotels..one hotel
    was the El San Juan which is an awesome hotel with a really nice casino
    this hotel is in Isla Verde which is about a 15 minute ride from your
    boat. We d

    I think it's a real shame that so many cruise lines have decided to
    make San Juan an evening port call.  We spent a lovely afternoon there
    on the Sovereign a year or so ago.
    
    Old town can be quite charming in the light of day and El Morro is
    fascinating!  Puerto Rico is a beautiful island and the people we met
    were charming and quite friendly.  Some of the notes in this string
    make San Juan sound worse than Mo'Bay--- a place I won't step foot in
    at high noon!
    
    Really, what is there to do on any Caribbean island at night within
    walking distance of the docks?  Generaly not much in my experience.
    
    
    -jer

    I've been to San Juan on a stop a few times on a cruise. Mostly on
    RCCL which normally docks during early afternoon, leaves 2 am, which
    allows you
    plenty of time to walk old San Juan, see El Morro, and shop. I believe
    last time it was reverse. Came in early evening allowing time for
    shows, then left around 1 pm next day allowing shopping etc. During
    day there are literally tons of people from ships on street in Old
    San Juan. Pretty area, shopping is fun if you like it, El Morro is
    very interesting also. Basically during day Old San Juan  is
    fun and safe. Don't forget to see El Morro on way in or
    out of port !!
    
    As far as a casino show excursion from ship I have no direct experience
    myself, just what I heard. I've heard from many people that they
    take the tour groups from ships and usually stick them in the
    poorest seats in the house for the show. I've even heard in some
    cases you couldn't even see the show. Some people seemed to enjoy the
    packages but overall most did not like it that much. If you have
    a group you might take a taxi over and go directly to a show just to
    the casino. If you went to the show you would probably get much 
    better seats on your own.
    
    The idea of a ship coming in to San Juan only at night is really a
    waste unless you really like the night life. All of Old San Juan
    and El Morro are in easy walking distance from the ships. It is
    a shame to not visit during day because Old San Juan is interesting.
    There really is not much to do in Old SAn Juan itself at night.
    
    When I am there at night I usually relax on the ship, on RCCL there
    are things going on, all clubs are open etc. Not as much compared to
    night at sea but enough. SHip is not crowded so nice time to relax,
    kick back, have a drink. 
    
    			Harold C.

    How long did it take before the cruise for you to get your room
    assignment?  I am 9 days away, and don't have my room assignment
    yet.  Getting a little nervous.  What happens if you drop your luggage
    off, and then get the room assignment?  How do the bag boys know which
    room you are in, since it is not on the tags?
    
    Bob
    

    Your travel agent can check daily until you leave and a cabin may be
    assigned before you depart.  If not, the directions on your documents
    usually tell you what to do.  On the Sovereign we were to write "TBA"
    in the space provided for the cabin number.  Our bags were delivered
    right on schedule.
    
    After all, by embarkation time, the cruise line ship knows what cabin 
    you'll be in---even if you don't!  
    
    Jeri
    
    BTW, often you get a good upgrade if your cabin is assigned later. 
    They will put you in the "best available" category most times.  Have
    a SUPER trip and be sure to give us a report when you return.  

    I'll be landing in Miami in 24 hours.  Got the clothing and packables
    layed out to put in suitcases.  Bringing an empty suitcase for liquor
    in St. Thomas.  It's is hitting me massively right now.  I am so
    jazzed.  The cruise.  Will tell you all about it when i get back.  I am
    sure that I will be telling everyone about it when I get back.
    
    have a fun week everyone.  Think of me when you are doing your work,
    because I won't be thinking of you.
    
    
    Bob
    

��    have a fun week everyone.  Think of me when you are doing your work,
��    because I won't be thinking of you.

    Thanks.  I hope you enjoy it as much as Jamaica.

    As a matter of fact, I enjoyed it more than Jamaica.  It was wonderful.
    
    The weather was perfect.  The food was great.  The beers were cold, the
    entertainment was hot!
    
    Loaded up on liquor in St. Maarten, it was a better deal than St.
    Thomas.  St. Thomas was the most beautiful port we visited.  They could
    have done without San Juan.  I guess that part was ok.  We had the
    cruise director come to our room for happy hour on Friday night.
    
    We had a free upgrade from the Riveria deck to the Empress deck. 
    Perfect.  They had us down for early seating dinner, and were changed
    effective the second night to late dinner, for the duration of the
    cruise.  We met some really nice people and partied down every night.
    
    My sail and sign tab was only $267 this time.  (Last time it was over
    $700).
    
    I won $200 in the casino playing craps, in five minutes!  I walked away
    after that win.  The Kon Tiki raft tour in St. Thomas is a must.
    
    We checked out Orient beach in St. Maarten (nude), and it was ok.  No
    big deal though.  Ship activities during days at sea made the day go
    by.  Spent alot of money on jewelry in St. Thomas, and liquor in St.
    Maarten.  Got a full body massage for my wife and myself on Sunday,
    first day at sea.  It was worth it.
    
    Really nothing negative to say.  A good time had by all!
    
    Bob
    

    CALL YOUR TRAVEL AGENT IMMEDIATELY. THIS SHOULD HAPPEN AT LEAST 1 MONTH
    BEFORE OR EVEN WHEN YOU BOOKED.

                      <<< Note 212.43 by LUNER::BRENNAN >>>
                                -< DON'T WAIT >-

>>    CALL YOUR TRAVEL AGENT IMMEDIATELY. THIS SHOULD HAPPEN AT LEAST 1 MONTH
>>    BEFORE OR EVEN WHEN YOU BOOKED.
    
    Not necessarily.  Often great prices can be obtained (not to mention
    great upgrades) by taking a TBA cabin.  The last cruise I took, I got
    the cabin assignment four days ahead.  On one last year, I got the
    cabin assignment at the pier.
    
    Never panic!  If you have cruise docs in hand, you WILL be on the ship!

	I just booked yesterday for a Sept 6 sailing on the Celebration. 
	I'm going single/share. It was just a spur of the moment decision. :-)

	Looks like I'll do the casino tour of San Juan. I have no 
	desire to see the crappier side.

	I'm getting pretty pumped for the cruise! Anyone go recently? 
	Is there anything new to check out?

							mike

    
    
    Looks like prices are pretty good on cruises right now.
    I recently booked Celebration 7-day cruise during high season
    in February for only $599.  There was another $118 port charge
    and I got a cheap $59 each way Valujet flight from Atlanta.
    And this was travelling alone, you could probably get a better
    deal with two people going.
    
    
    Tim