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About jdemps

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  1. I don't care what it costs for a $12 pack of water, I'm not lugging it on the ship. I only take a few tropical red bull cans because I like those better and maybe about 6 Dr. Pepper's because the ship didn't have them and sometimes when you're hungover, you just need a Dr Pepper. lol
  2. When my husband has achilles surgery, we took these on a trip and they are so much better than any ice pack you have to worry about being frozen. They stay cold for a couple of hours too. Once of the best $20 we ever spent! He put one behind his knee and one on his ankle area after an activity where he noticed some swelling and they really helped. Good luck with your trip! https://smile.amazon.com/Medpride-Instant-Cold-Pack-Inflammation/dp/B07HB67XK4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=OZIK2OWZ8U5P&keywords=ice%2Bpacks%2Bfor%2Binjuries&qid=1565533881&s=gateway&sprefix=ice%2Bpacks%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-5&th=1
  3. We don't like to waste a bunch of food so we do try to share if we are ordering several dishes we want to try. Ordering all at once is best so as not to hold up the pace of the meal.
  4. I vote for whatever ship leaves from New Orleans!
  5. You can always buy a liter from room service and make drinks to go from your cabin for about $100 for the whole cruise. The liter makes about 25 single shot drinks. Add in a cocktail here and there for the fruity ones and your bar tab would be about $175. just an idea but I don't know what your hubby drinks - most guys I know drink jack, captain, vodka etc with a simple mixer so the room bottle would make sense if not ordering cheers. good luck
  6. I'll add to the "annoying people with their cups they carry around" conversation.....lmao! I like the SWIG brand because my hand is small and they make one that I love because it's skinny and keeps my drink cold all day with the same ice.
  7. When we have a suite but friends have FTTF, we typically wait in line with them and board just a few minutes later. There are separate lines and the FTTF folks aren't allowed into the suite lounge area if the port has one of those. I don't have platinum status so I can't speak to those perks. Have a great trip!
  8. We have cruised out of Long Beach about 5 times now flying into either Orange County or LAX and Uber/Lyft are the least expensive of the fastest/easiest ways to get to Long Beach. We had 4 people a few times and we were just sure to request the XL car so the larger bags would fit. One time we got a Prius and it just wouldn't fit 4 large bags in the trunk....lol Lesson learned! There are shuttles that are cheaper but we are not shuttle people due to the time they typically take. Good Luck.
  9. We typically choose cruise vacations to meet up with friends we haven't seen in a year or more and when we all get together that first day and night, the bar bill is the largest of any other day! I would never choose Galveston or NY because we would have to pay for every drink individually instead of them all being included under the $50 or so per day under Cheers. For us, it does matter. We were actually looking at Galveston once but found out Cheers didn't work so we chose New Orleans instead. I know for sure it saved each couple at least $75 - a hundred bucks or more that first night. That was several years back in our serious party days when we could knock back 10-15 martinis with no problem first night. Going from very high altitude to very low altitude is a real game changer in how many drinks you can have too.
  10. I have absolutely no idea but my gut tells me it's the same reason that now we buy a dishwasher or dryer that is made to last 5 years when is the past they were made to last more like 20-30 years.....
  11. I had no idea a TA could pay my balance down with a carnival gift card. Now I know! If there isn't any cost advantage, I think i would rather just book myself too. Appreciate the replies. 🙂
  12. I personally have never seen a price drop an any cruise I have ever taken. We book about 12 - 18 months in advance in a balcony or suite typically outside of FL ports and I just watch the rates rise from where they were when I locked them in. I wonder if the only cabins that drop are oceanview or inside and from Florida only. lol
  13. We use the plastic tag holders and have had them for about 7 years now on the same set we bought for $8 on amazon. I put them on when we are headed to the cruise, not for the flight. When we get to the cabin, I just take them off and tuck them into one of the zipper pouches in one of the suitcases so I never lose them.
  14. I often wonder why use a TA if it's so easy to book online. Am I losing money on vacations? We use the 10% off gift cards to pay for everything we can when we book online so if we use a TA, does it work out to be cheaper than booking online and paying with the cheaper gift cards? anyone have any real world experiences? We typically book a suite about 18 months in advance for 2 people during January, February or early March sailings lately out of Long Beach but next one is out of Fort Lauderdale. Thanks!
  15. Yep, weather is so personal that you just have to plan for what you love. I personally, pretty much hate any weather warmer than 75. The islands are almost unbearabale with the heat and humidity that i just want to get off for lunch and get right back to air conditioning.... Oh, and sitting on a beach baking in the sun with sand up your butt all day is just not my thing. I loved Alaska and the 65 degree temps!
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