5/27/06 "Il pochi il fiero i blabbermouths" We *will* sail again Part 5

[justmestace]

Stacey - my thinking is that while Cozumel might think they are ready DCL must not. I would think they have sent reps out to check it out. I'm sure it is a very hard decision. The island depends on tourism, but DCL depends on keeping their customers happy.

Good point. After all, I did just discover that DCL is #1 !!

I don't mind tendering at all. It's better than not going anywhere.
Karen, what is it about tendering that you don't like?

 

[justmestace]

Just went to post the link - I read it this a.m. on the boards and then checked on DCL...now, they revised the revised schedule and are showing January...Really, honest...I wasn't seeing things...

Uh huh....sure.....

 

[justmestace]

Hmm... lemme guess... the same genre as the scotch tape on the door lock in a college dorm room??????

I know about the rubber bands....but they didn't teach us the scotch tape one in my college....

 

[MarkRG]

Why isn't DCL going back to Coz yet?

You guys don't read the regular cruise forum.

DCL believed the hype the last time when Grand Cayman claimed it was ready and able to welcome cruise lines back after a hurricane trashed it. And the uproar over the still awful conditions there was complete. They were nowhere near ready and DCL had to pull the next two cruises form there. I don't think they're going to get burned twice. Until they have their own observers check it out and know for certain the passengers will have a quality experience they are not going to even attempt it. And concrete non hype info is still sketchy. I read one post on a message board for down there that basically said Chakanaab doesn't even exist anymore, and that was one of the big family draws there. And from the pictures i have found, I can't imagine they are anything close to ready at this point.

As far as tendering, a lot depends on how it's carried out. At GC when we were there they still tendered, they have a real pier now. It was no different than taking the Friendships at WDW, they even resembled them to a great extent. I can imagine at some places where they may not be operating that level of craft it could get dicey.

 

[justmestace]

Thanks, Mark....you took Mary's good point one step further. I'd be mad, too, if we went there and it was trashed.
I was expecting to see plants uprooted and trees down on Princess Cays, but we didn't see any of that. Even though I was expecting it, it still wouldn't have been as nice to be there if it had been torn up.

You made my heart drop when I read that Chankanaab is ruined. We weren't planning a trip there, but our sail is supposed to take us there to snorkel....so I've seen the pictures and it does look like a great place for families.
I'm guessing that since some of the other lines are still going there, Norwegian will take us there in late December. I'll get a first-hand look at it.

We tendered with DCL in Cabo. They used tender boats from Cabo, and we didn't have any trouble at all. We basically just stepped off the ship onto a platform, and right into the tender.
On Princess, we tendered at Princess Cays. They used their lifeboats for that. Aside from the noise they made when they lowered the first lifeboat before 8 a.m. (which just had to be the lifeboat directly below our balcony....LOL), there weren't any problems with the tendering there, either. Just step right from the ship onto the lifeboat.
They had a constant stream of boats coming and going all day, and it was actually closer to the tender pier than the walk from the beach at Castaway Cay, back to the ship. At first I thought that tendering there would be a pain, but it was really pleasant.

 

[justmestace]

When we were at Princess Cays, at the end of the day, there were quite a few people waiting to get on the tenders. Jay & I sat on a small couch by one of the shops, in the shade, so we missed this, but....one of the hosts from the Mirage, a young gal (really young...only 24) was standing on the tender pier beyond the yellow line. In other words, she was where she shouldn't have been....too close to the water. A couple of young guys (not with the Mirage) were messing around, and accidentally pushed her into the water......clothes, purse, camera and all! Security was in the water getting her the second she was in, and the guys offered to pay for her camera....she was terrified. It was really close to the prop on the tender...and the water there is slimy.
I felt bad for her when I heard about it, but.....if she had been waiting behind the line like she was supposed to, it wouldn't have happened.
And....yet another reminder to not take your purse or digital camera to the beach.

 

[kikipug]

Karen, what is it about tendering that you don't like?

My Type A personality doesn't like to wait... when I want to get off the ship, I want to get off NOW, not in 10 minutes...

You guys don't read the regular cruise forum.

Nope, not on a busy day.

You made my heart drop when I read that Chankanaab is ruined. We weren't planning a trip there, but our sail is supposed to take us there to snorkel....so I've seen the pictures and it does look like a great place for families.
I'm guessing that since some of the other lines are still going there, Norwegian will take us there in late December. I'll get a first-hand look at it.

I love Chankanaab... I was really looking forward to taking the kids there.

I know about the rubber bands....but they didn't teach us the scotch tape one in my college....

Probably the same thing... if you put the scotch tape over the keyhole, your roommate can't miss it when they try to unlock the door...

 

[justmestace]

My Type A personality doesn't like to wait... when I want to get off the ship, I want to get off NOW, not in 10 minutes...

Nope, not on a busy day.



I love Chankanaab... I was really looking forward to taking the kids there.



Probably the same thing... if you put the scotch tape over the keyhole, your roommate can't miss it when they try to unlock the door...

Ahhhh....DUH....got it. I'll just plead innocence on that one!

As for the tendering....another Type A here.....but I keep forgetting that we've had concierge, so we haven't waited. Sorry. I bet I wouldn't like to wait, either.

 

[kikipug]

As for the tendering....another Type A here.....but I keep forgetting that we've had concierge, so we haven't waited. Sorry. I bet I wouldn't like to wait, either.

Remember...we're in 'steerage' on Deck 2... we'll probably have to go UP to catch a tender!!!

 

[tinksdad]

Remember...we're in 'steerage' on Deck 2... we'll probably have to go UP to catch a tender!!!

Maybe, but still better than Celebrity, on a good day!!!

 

[ohiominnie]

My Type A personality doesn't like to wait... when I want to get off the ship, I want to get off NOW, not in 10 minutes...



I love Chankanaab... I was really looking forward to taking the kids there.

I've waited more than 10 minutes to get off of the DCL ships when we've been DOCKED. Checking ID's and KTTW cards and ppl fighting with strollers and ppl cutting in line to "join their family."

Nick will be dissapointed that Chankanaab was damaged/ruined. He was hoping to do a dolphin encounter there again. I was trying to talk him into the ruins. Looks like I just got some more leverage.

Mark, Mark, Mark. WHY would we go to the regular cruise board when we have you and Mary to alert us to the really important stuff!!?!?!?!?

My lovely cat just got done jumping up into our greenhouse window and sending the ceramic bowl I MADE flying to the floor. It actually hit so hard before it shattered into a million pieces that it damaged the Pergo floor in several spots. And why, oh why, couldn't he have ruined something that I HATED? No...he smashed the bowl that took me HOURS to make.

Now he's in destroying today's newspaper. I think Maggie's karma is still in the house.

 

[justmestace]

Remember...we're in 'steerage' on Deck 2... we'll probably have to go UP to catch a tender!!!

We're still waaay far out for those upgrades!

 

[justmestace]

I've waited more than 10 minutes to get off of the DCL ships when we've been DOCKED. Checking ID's and KTTW cards and ppl fighting with strollers and ppl cutting in line to "join their family." And old brides with their full white dresses!

Nick will be dissapointed that Chankanaab was damaged/ruined. He was hoping to do a dolphin encounter there again. I was trying to talk him into the ruins. Looks like I just got some more leverage. Yea! Come with us!

Mark, Mark, Mark. WHY would we go to the regular cruise board when we have you and Mary to alert us to the really important stuff!!?!?!?!?

Exactly!

Now he's in destroying today's newspaper. I think Maggie's karma is still in the house.

Awww...the little sweetie is still sowing his wild oats!

 

[justmestace]

So, Mary....shall I cancel the order for your Christmas FRUITCAKE????

 

[dobelover]

Good Morning All!



Sue

 

[WDWLVR]

So, Mary....shall I cancel the order for your Christmas FRUITCAKE????

Definately! Me no like fruitcakes!

 

[WDWLVR]

Good morning cruisers!


Happy Wednesday!

​

There is snow in our forcast today!

 

[MarkRG]

Nick will be dissapointed that Chankanaab was damaged/ruined. He was hoping to do a dolphin encounter there again. I was trying to talk him into the ruins. Looks like I just got some more leverage.

Don't go taking it as an absolute report - as I said I havn't been able to find that much in the way of honest reports at all; sofar I havn't seen anything to dispute the report of extreme damage at Chakanaab, other than the hype reports which I don't quite trust. But I will keep looking.

Mark, Mark, Mark. WHY would we go to the regular cruise board when we have you and Mary to alert us to the really important stuff!!?!?!?!?

That reminds me - finally did see Charlie & Choc... it is a riot, not even half as 'dark' as Tim Burton films tend to be. There are a few scenes while they are in the boat that are a bit dodgy, one involving how they make whipped cream, probably where the pg rating came from.

 

[CajunGirl2]

Good morning all! I was wondering how chilly you northerners would be. The temps will be dropping here today. We are had the rain during the night and into this morning. Hopefully it will be stopping soon.

Ang

 

[CajunGirl2]

We're still waaay far out for those upgrades!

I'm not sure many of us will be getting upgrades on this cruise. It seems to be filling up quickly. Do the numbers drop dramatically when final payment is due???

Ang