Maybe some unusual first time cruiser questions......

[rebster59]

[Hi again everyone and thanks for the 3 that replied to my first posting!!
Of course,I have thought of more questions,since this is my first cruise!
#1 I sleep with a fan....can I bring that on board? Can't sleep without it so I hope so!
#2 I have instructed my two daughters sailing with me to always stay together on the ship if I am not with them....i.e. 2 am in the morning,they are,after all,college kids. Are the ship employees pretty "safe" people?
#3 A clear cut answer here,please...May I bring my favorite adult beverage (Michelob Ultra) on the ship with me in my luggage?
#4 Once we disembark in port, what are the criteria for choosing a taxi cab...I hate to keep hammering away at the topic,but we are three females cruising together and I have no idea about how to choose a reputable driver.
#5 About how much do the ship portraits run in cost?
and then for my last...#6Does anyone know of a good shore excursion company in either Freeport or Nassau?

Thank you, thank you for any info on these questions,and yes, I am a protective mother!! ][/b]

[seattleguy37]

Oh my gosh rebster, its nice to finally meet someone besides me that sleeps with a fan going. I do it to drown out the noises that come with living in the city, I'm bringing earplugs for the cruise and I can always run the ac on high as a last resort. I'm new to cruising too so I will leave the rest of the questions to the experts, but I found them to not be at all unusual. When do you sail?

[dina]

#1 - If you don't mind packing it then bring it. I suggest you bring a long extension cord since outlets are scarce.

#2 - Sorry. I can't answer that one but I've never had any "problems" with the crew at all. They have all been nice.

#3 - I've heard of people packing a case of their beverage to bring with them. Too much more and it might get taken.

#4 - Sorry.. I never thought about interviewing cabbies. Perhaps the purser can help you with that. I just negotiated a price and hopped in. All of them were great at my stops.

Originally Posted by rebster59

[Hi again everyone and thanks for the 3 that replied to my first posting!!
Of course,I have thought of more questions,since this is my first cruise!
#1 I sleep with a fan....can I bring that on board? Can't sleep without it so I hope so!
#2 I have instructed my two daughters sailing with me to always stay together on the ship if I am not with them....i.e. 2 am in the morning,they are,after all,college kids. Are the ship employees pretty "safe" people?
#3 A clear cut answer here,please...May I bring my favorite adult beverage (Michelob Ultra) on the ship with me in my luggage?
#4 Once we disembark in port, what are the criteria for choosing a taxi cab...I hate to keep hammering away at the topic,but we are three females cruising together and I have no idea about how to choose a reputable driver.
#5 About how much do the ship portraits run in cost?
and then for my last...#6Does anyone know of a good shore excursion company in either Freeport or Nassau?

Thank you, thank you for any info on these questions,and yes, I am a protective mother!! ][/b]

[LisaK]

#2 -do not let your daughters ( i don't care how old) "hook-up" with any of the crew members. Do not let them go to the crew quarters or crew clubs, do not let them allow crew members(especially male) into their cabin.
#4 - the cabbies that the cruise ships allow into the pier area are all very reputable. There will someone on the pier to direct you to a cab.
#5 - on average an 8x10 will run around $20-25. the 5x7 candids run arount $7.00 each.
#6 - what do you want to do in Freeport or Nassau. Both are very easy to do on your own. Start with the ships excursions get some ideas and then go from there.

[rebster59]

Hi again!
Yes, seattleguy,I am afraid I am a hard core fan user I found a wonderful one at Wal-Mart that drowns out EVERYTHING (my daughters hate it though,hee hee)
I am sailing May 7th on the Sensation.....WOO HOO
And my daughters are in the cabin with me,but I will definitely tell them not to go in crew quarters,so thank you for that advice!
As far as excursions go,I am pretty open to doing whatever. Just wanted to know who everyone has had a good experience with in Freeport and Nassau.

Thanks again ya'll!!!

[trish1c]

[quote="rebster59"]

#1 I sleep with a fan....can I bring that on board? Can't sleep without it so I hope so!

Shouldn't be a problem. If you are wililng to pack it & lug it around, go for it.

#2 I have instructed my two daughters sailing with me to always stay together on the ship if I am not with them....i.e. 2 am in the morning,they are,after all,college kids. Are the ship employees pretty "safe" people?

Think of the ship as you would any big city. Don't take any chances. There are no laws that require background checks. Teach your girls responsibility for themselves especially if there is a possibility they will be drinking.

#3 A clear cut answer here,please...May I bring my favorite adult beverage (Michelob Ultra) on the ship with me in my luggage?

Most cruise lines allow you 1-2 bottles of wine or champagne for special occassions if you pay a corkage fee no matter where you drink it. I know of no line that allows you to bring your own beer. Most have low carb beer available for sale. You can always try to smuggle it; that's your choice.

#4 Once we disembark in port, what are the criteria for choosing a taxi cab...I hate to keep hammering away at the topic,but we are three females cruising together and I have no idea about how to choose a reputable driver.

Only get into an "official" cab licensed by the port you are in. Ask a crew member if you're not sure.

#5 About how much do the ship portraits run in cost?

I think they are about $10 each but I remember something about 3 for $20 or $25 the last day.

6Does anyone know of a good shore excursion company in either Freeport or Nassau?

I don't like either of those ports so I usually take a brief stroll in the area of the port, then enjoy the relatively empty ship. I'd check official tourism sites for those ports or the ports of call boards.

[Darcy]

I sleep with a fan and have found a great alternative for travel is a sound machine. I bought mine at Wal-Mart for about $20. They are small, lightweight and easy to pack.

[seattleguy37]

I used a sound machine for a while and I recommend them too. It actually broke from heavy use, this time of the year I have a humidifier which not only acts as a sound barrier, but filters and humidifies as well.

[Mike M]

Originally Posted by rebster

#1 I sleep with a fan....can I bring that on board? Can't sleep without it so I hope so!

Yes: Bring a power strip and an extension cord. You only have one 120 volt plug in the main cabin.

Originally Posted by rebster

#2 I have instructed my two daughters sailing with me to always stay together on the ship if I am not with them....i.e. 2 am in the morning,they are,after all,college kids. Are the ship employees pretty "safe" people?

They have to use their judgment. I wouldn't advise that they "hook up" with the crew and they should never let common sense go on vacation just because they are on vacation. It isn't just the crew they have to pay attention to.

Originally Posted by rebster

#3 A clear cut answer here,please...May I bring my favorite adult beverage (Michelob Ultra) on the ship with me in my luggage?

Official Cruiseline policy: No.

Originally Posted by rebster

#4 Once we disembark in port, what are the criteria for choosing a taxi cab...I hate to keep hammering away at the topic,but we are three females cruising together and I have no idea about how to choose a reputable driver.

Look for a taxi sticker in the lower corner of the window. Agree to the price of the ride or tour and what you will see BEFORE you get in the cab. Do not pay until the end of the tour.

Originally Posted by rebster

#5 About how much do the ship portraits run in cost?

Unsure

Originally Posted by Rebster

...#6Does anyone know of a good shore excursion company in either Freeport or Nassau?

I would advise for your first cruise to do a ship's excursion until you have your first cruise under your belt.

Have a great cruise!!!
Mike

[Longhorn]

Another vote for the sound machine. My husband and I are sleeping together again because of ours! It's much smaller than a fan so easy to pack.

We smuggled beer and wine coolers on the ship the last cruise. We won't bother with it again. And by the time you pay the corkage fee for wine served at dinner, you may as well buy one of their wines.

[TomS]

Originally Posted by rebster59

[Hi again everyone and thanks for the 3 that replied to my first posting!!
Of course,I have thought of more questions,since this is my first cruise!
#1 I sleep with a fan....can I bring that on board? Can't sleep without it so I hope so!
#2 I have instructed my two daughters sailing with me to always stay together on the ship if I am not with them....i.e. 2 am in the morning,they are,after all,college kids. Are the ship employees pretty "safe" people?
#3 A clear cut answer here,please...May I bring my favorite adult beverage (Michelob Ultra) on the ship with me in my luggage?
#4 Once we disembark in port, what are the criteria for choosing a taxi cab...I hate to keep hammering away at the topic,but we are three females cruising together and I have no idea about how to choose a reputable driver.
#5 About how much do the ship portraits run in cost?
and then for my last...#6Does anyone know of a good shore excursion company in either Freeport or Nassau?

Thank you, thank you for any info on these questions,and yes, I am a protective mother!! ][/b]

Answers to your questions;

1. Yes you can. You should bring a power strip, however, because there is a very limited number of electrical outlets.

2. The ship's crew is very safe, so long as your daughters use common sense. The crew can get fired on the spot if they are caught in a passenger's cabin when they aren't authorized, and they are very unlikely to do something that would jeopardize their employment. However, there can be some smooth operators in the crew, so as long as your daughters are careful, they will stay out of any trouble.

3. It would be difficult to give a clear cut answer here. Officially, you aren't supposed to do this, but people do this all the time. Just be reasonable and make sure that if the bottles are made of glass, be sure to securely wrap them. Also, please consume them in your own cabin.

4. A lot depends on where you are going. Be sure to learn how taxis are marked in your destination, and how they operate. For example, official taxis in Belize have green license plates while cabs in Jamaica are marked with "JTB" decals. You may want to ask the shore excursion desk how much a cab should cost to go to your destination, and go from there. Sometimes, such as at St. Thomas, this information is posted at the pier.

5. About $7 for a 5"x7" photo to about $15 for an 8"x10"

6. Try www.portpromotions.com.