I'm a travel junkie who also happens to be a Travel agent! I'm on a mission to have unforgettable vacations and help you do the same. I'll help you do this by posting news, reviews, stateroom tours, pro tips, excursion ideas, and more. So come join me and let me make vacations easy! Don't forget to subscribe to my channel if you like this type of content. Feel free to contact me for any help booking your next vacation.
Excellent! Sounds like a fantastic time! Enjoy every moment. We havent gone through the canal, but we've been to it. It has to be an amazing experience.
Thanks guys! I appreciate the short reviews. I'm the owner of Gemini Journeys Travel Agency, LLC and I totally agree that Royal did way better with their pool. But the lounge areas on Virgin are superior. Keep up the good work.
Hey thanks for the feedback! Love hearing it. It nice to have choice and as you've pointed out they both have their pros and cons. Just gotta keep finding the right lines for the right clients 😁
I also went on it in August and I can tell you it sucks still. Our room smelled of poop. Actually the whole floor we were in smelled like it. It's a bad ship all around.
Wow so sorry this is still the case. We had high hopes for the dry dock. The ship had been slated to be retired before 2020, but after those crazy years, I think they kept it to recover costs. But it may be time to let her go.
Definitely a great option for people that are going to drink their monies worth. We are mentioning th 5 free drinks a day we get on royal, anytime, anywhere, vs the limited cocktail menu on celebrity. If I was a heavier drinker, I would sprink for the package.
As a disabled retiree, I'm generally on a shoestring budget. I have never been on an excursion. Typically I walk into the port area, find a spot in the shade and have a cigar and maybe look around for a new Panama hat. Thanks to your advise, I think I'm going to grab a $5 cab to a cigar lounge. Open to suggestions.
Most importantly, thank you for your service. As far as a cigar lounge, I wasnt looking for one specifically however, the old city has many bars and restaurants and may be your best bet for a place to relax there. Or you might go a little further to Boca Grande if beaches are your thing and find one there one the water?
I was on the Reflection in June and loved it. I will be on Reflection again in April. I actually got a better price on Celebrity than what was offered on Royal. I don't go on the short cruises but stick with 7 or more days.
We really liked the ship for adults, do you sail with children on her? And you have to love getting great deals like that! If we were taking an adults cruise we would sail her again without concern :) she is a great ship.
@@amysturnkeytravel Used to cruise with children and then teenage grandchildren on Royal. But I love the medium size ships like Celebrity and Holland America now that I cruise solo. I don't need all the water slides and stuff. I just enjoy cruising for itself.
Taxi fare scam exists at the carnival Cozumel port too. There is that big roof structure where they sell tours, excursions or set you up in a taxi. The one standing under the canopy tells you a price to go to where ever you asked. But make sure BEDORE you get in the cab or the cab pulls away double check with the driver! Don’t take the huckster’s word for it even though there are signs quoting prices! Driver scammed me for a few extra bucks to Chankanab but the taxi on the way back was honest,
It's okay, make the best of it. Don't let this hurt your excitement. Your mileage may vary and there may be more families with kids on board that time. But there are no slides, no flow riders, etc. make the best of it and enjoy the ports.
I have had many cruises with Celebrity and have always had the the crew interact first so it was sad to hear you say they didn't interact and we have been on almost all there ships
Interesting. Well it could have just been a 1 off for them. They were still friendly once we engaged them in conversation. Just seemed different from the staff interactions we've had on other lines. Which Celebrity ship is your favorite?
Thank you for this information. You did a great job. Very informative and so helpful. I will be sailing in 1 week and this is one of the ports we will be visiting. You set my mind at ease after watching your video. Thank you.😊
Great point. From what we've seen, if it's out of country, most don't cover much if at all, but there are so many planes its hard to know all the intricacies. So definitely best to check with yours.
What they don’t address is the impact on people’s travel insurance. I am sure that if you do against your country’s advice in relation to travel that it could well invalidate your travel insurance in the event of a claim relating to Haiti.
I gotta ask you about the ceiling fan...is that hanging from the fire sprinkler? I've never seen anyone do that before lol. Oh and one other "perk" of concierge class is the supposed to be more desirable stateroom location (closer to elevators etc).
No, definitely not from a sprinkler. We use magnetic hooks all over our room. We love them and use them for just about anything we can think of lol including the ceiling fan. Interesting, our placement was literally 3 rooms from the aft, so that was not our experience, but I guess it might be on other ships?
I am SO excited to go to Labadee!! We booked our cruise last April based on this port, but did not get to sail there. It is one of only a few ports we have not yet visited.
That's exciting that you get to check it off the list. Are you not even a bit concerned, especially when the State Dept updated their travel advisory to DO NOT TRAVEL including cruisers? Just asking to get perspectives.
A timely and v informative video. Such a calm demeanor, easy to listen to & no fluff. I'll be there 11/25 and this went a long answer to many travelers' questions...Bravo, ATT;
😆 very valid train of thought. This seems to be a common concern and yet some seem to be unphased. What would it take for you to feel comfortable going back?
To be perfectly honest, I went there a few years ago and didn’t like it then. People were constantly trying to climb wall and people with weapons had to stop them. As such I vowed to never return
I am pretty sure that if Royal is going back to Labadee they have put in place the security plans that will be needed. That would include covering all possible ways to get to Labadee by land AND also security on the ocean to cover any possible approach by water from both directions.
I certainly believe that as well. We are already looking to book a return cruise for us. However, there is no doubt an increased risk in sailing to a port on a war torn country with no official government 6 months after the government has been overthrown is there not?
www.amazon.com/dp/B075J9WNSY?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&ref_=cm_sw_r_cp_ud_dp_BXV3K4AF94HRKM0PZ400 Hope that helps. If it's easier. There's a clickable link in the video description :)
My hubs and I are debating whether to do RC or VV. This video was very helpful!! Do you have any insights on purchasing flight + hotel with VV? Or should we book our own flight to the port? We are thinking about doing Spain, France and Greece cruise.
Hi Daisy! So glad you found this helpful. If you've already booked a cruise with them you could always call and price out with sailor services. They do partner with all the major airlines and they seem to partner with higher end hotels (which could push the price up if that's a concern for you.) it never hurts to compare what you can find vs what they offer. Some cruiselines (like Royal) will guarantee you get on the ship if your flight is delayed if you book it through them. If you'd rather so all that research and quoting, you could always use a travel agent (like Amy 😉) to do it for you and price this out and give you options so all you have to do is choose one :)
Excellent review!!! It's our favorite cruiseline currently. My biggest gripe is definitely that tiny swimming pool! Food, drinks, and all the included items are what makes it our favorite. Love that it's adults only!!!
I've known this has been coming almost since the beginning! Those mega-$hips were the dumbest idea ever, and I have never and will never step foot on one!!!
They're definitely not everyone's cup of tea. Royal also just announced they ordered their 4th icon class ship and have a contract option to build a 5th and 6th as well. They also ordered their 7th oasis class. So it seems they're just trying to please everyone.
@@amysturnkeytravel But eventually with all this Bigger & Better, the cost to cruise will outweigh the value and many will no longer be able to afford it. Like my retired self!
We 100% agree. The cost has gone up drastically (like everything else) but it does make me wonder, how much higher it can go before it prices people out of the market.
Thank you for this video today just finished my Sin Maarten trip and I did exactly your advice and it worked perfectly follow his directions to the T... it is perfect
@@amysturnkeytravel of course watching a 787 Air France land above my head was the highlight but the fact your plan working so perfectly took the stress away from figuring things out Thanks again for letting us know .. just a quick note the license plates on the buses only have the letter B in capital not the word bus
Awesome! That had to be an amazing sight! And interesting, I wonder when that changed. But thanks for the tip! We're going back in January and I'll look for that ☺️
We visited Costa Maya in 2023, went to the Krazy Lobster and did a little shopping at the shops on the beach. We met another couple on the ship and ran into them at the red golf cart kiosk and decided to leave together since it was a new place for all of us, so off we go with them ahead of us in their cart. When we got closer to the Krazy Lobster, I felt uneasy as did our new friends. He and I had experiences in places that Mahahual (the town outside of the port) reminded us of. We were instructed to park our carts in someone's yard across the street from our destination. We had to walk through a tight alley with open doors and windows to the Krazy Lobster, I walked in front of the ladies, he in the rear, not a comfortable feeling. Also be aware there are stray dogs that will come to your table, which wasn't an issue for us as we like dogs, but others weren't pleased that a dog was eyeing their food. The people were friendly and we didn't get scammed, however I just couldn't totally relax there. It's not a bad place, just underdeveloped and I certainly don't want to dissuade anyone from visiting, this was my experience and how I felt.
I can totally understand your frustration. I think the issue is there's no possible way they can know every single scam. They always try to steer people towards vetted shops, but everyone is able to as they please. If you're not wanting to stick to the higher port prices, then you gotta be savvy and know what to look out. Which is where this video comes in.
Amy and partner, I was on Grandeur from Baltimore to Bermuda, the Bahamas and Coco Cay 5 years ago. So Cruise Director John and wife were still there with you. There was a Philippino band when I was there and they were good. I had my breakfast and lunch mainly at the Solarium and dinner Windjammer. My fond memories. June of London, UK
Hi, there! 👋 Weve sailed her numerous times and always had a good time. It is sad to see her in a state of disrepair, though. We are hoping the dry dock fixed a lot of that! We sailed on Independence out of South Hampton and stayed in London for a week and had a great time 😃 When's your next cruise? Thanks for watching and interacting with us!
@@amysturnkeytravel , Amy and co, I’m glad to hear you’d enjoyed Independence and London. She was my 1st Royal ship a year before Grandeur. I like medium to smaller ships and have been cruising mainly to Belgium, the Netherlands and the southern English coast. I was on Virgin’s Resilient Lady to Bruges last week and will be on P&O’s Ventura to Amsterdam next week. Both ships are a little too big for me. June
@@amysturnkeytravel Amy, I like smaller lines like Fred.Olsen and Ambassador. They’re more traditional British lines. I’ve just debarked P&O’s Ventura yesterday. She was a little too big for me. June
When did you do the sailing? We were on her last March, 2nd last cruise before the dry dock. I’m very curious to see if the dry dock remedied any of the issues we found. Had to say this ship had the worst wifi I’ve ever experienced on a ship.
@@amysturnkeytravel great thanks we cruised on Oasis of the Seas 2 times. This is our first 5 night cruise on this small ship wasn’t sure thought I would ask. Can you tell me do you have to make reservations on the app for any shows like on the larger ships
No you do not make reservations like the larger ships and you likely won't need them with only 2k people on board. We loved the shows! Hope you enjoy them ☺️
You're welcome! I'm out experience it's only this bad at Terminal A. The others have delays, but nothing like this. It actually took 43 minutes that day to get from where the video was taken to the garage.
Hey Cash, our daughter goes with us on almost every cruise because we believe in spending family time together and giving her experience we didn't have until now. This itinerary was fantastic and she got to experience central and south America. She had an amazing time at the kids area and at port with us. So I'm not sure why I wouldn't bring her.
