Here are a few pics of my vacation this year.
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Looks like a buhlast Larry!!! :-)
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Very cool! Thanks for the pics!
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Looks like you had an awesome time Larry!
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Where'd you sail out of, Larry? And, did you stop over in Jamaica also? Just wondering.

We have good friends that also just got back from a Carnival cruise to those three spots. Sailed out of Mobile. Bruce gave big thumbs up to the Grand Cayman's! Plate of shrimp looks yummy! Local joint on Caymens?

My wife and I have thought that our next cruise would have to include Grand Caymen. Based on your thoughts and our friends, looking more and more like a destination! Thanks for pics!
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Looks like you had a good time.
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Went out of Tampa. I would highly recommend the Caymans, beautiful islands. The shrimp was in Cozumel, a little beach hut.
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Great photos Larry. I went last year with my g/f on a Carnival that stopped at both those places. Did you go to the LCDH on Grand Cayman and meet Wallace? We really enjoyed the Caymans as it was beautiful and I proposed there. Downfall is the prices are a bit $$$

25 days and me and the wife are going to hit the Riviera Maya at an A/I resort for the week.
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Did go to LCHD, stock was a little low but didnt have a problem finding something.
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nice! My parents went on a cruise for their anniversary last year. Cozumel, Belize, and some other place were on their itinerary. They had a blast!
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Cruising is fun for sure.
Now you have me antsy waiting for my January one.
Can't wait.
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It does look like fun, How about smoking cigars and my one anti social question? I see a **** load of people and get nervous in big crowds is there any place to get away from the crowds on a cruise?

Great pictures and you have a Lovely Wife.

Thanks

Dave
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Dave,

I avoided cruises for 10 years with wife because of the same reasons (plus a few more). However, I actually didn't feel like I was in a crush of people on the cruise she finally got me on. We popped the extra money (it was actually very little more) for an outside room, so could always go to the room. Our best friends own a travel agency, and they get un-believable deals on cruises. I would highly recommend using a travel company. They get paid by the cruise line, NOT by the passenger, so it doesn't cost you any more, and the travel company has access to deals that individuals do not. I've seen the numbers!

Anyway, our friends make their own excursion options available if you don't want to do the cruise line ones, usually at a lower cost (not always), but that means you go places other than the cruise line owned sites, and with smaller groups, so it isn't "off the ship, onto a big bus" stops, t5hus reducing the crowded feelings. While there ARE a darn lot of people, it IS a darn large boat!! Plus, the sit-down meals are in multiple dining rooms, and in shifts, so, it's not like you are eating dinner with 5000 people. Plus (on the ship we were on), the dining room was partitioned with kick-walls, so I only saw about what I'd see in a Cracker Barrel in terms of people.

And, if that's too many, room service is FREE. Whatever is on the room service menu, at what ever time!! There are so many things going on all over the ship at any one time, the crowds are spread out for the most parts, and didn't really seem crowded to me (and I'm sensitive to crowds).

I was pleasantly surprised (but don't tell my wife!):-)

As for smoking cigars, the ship I was on had a cigar bar area, even sold cigars, but really expensive!!!!!!!) Never was more than a dozen people in the bar smoking.
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I've avoided cruises for most of the reasons you state and have instead opted for going to various All Inclusives. I really like the AI vacations... everything included, even the drinks, lots to do and always a nice beach to relax on. But, you are making me think that maybe a cruise would be worth a try
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That looks like a load of fun!

I've never been on a cruise but I have had it told to me by several regular goers that AI is the only way to go
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For Cigar smoking, all cruise ships have different rules. Here is a link that has some of the basic rules. Each ship, even in the same company, has slightly different rules. I will use this list to determine my next cruise. Was not impressed with Carnivals rules.
http://stogielife.com/2010/04/cigar-...-cruise-ships/
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