Royal Caribbean – Allure of the Seas – Balcony room 9546 (pictures and video)

This room is a forward balcony room located on the Starboard side of the ship on the 9th deck. We love the 8th or 9th deck forward balcony rooms. This is a nice location and you are close to the stairs and the elevators. Since this was a birthday cruise for my husband’s 60th, I totally failed to take a lot of pictures of the stateroom. Although you will find a video at the end of this post.

Here are a few pictures of the decorations that my daughter and daughter in law put up. The door ones were magnetic and the room ones were put up with little round magnets ordered from Amazon. When hanging the ceiling decorations, they put little pieces of paper between the ceiling and the magnet. The first one hung without the paper left a mark on the ceiling. Putting paper between the magnet and the ceiling solved that.

Here are links to Amazon for the Magnets: https://amzn.to/2rWrX3q and the 60th Birthday Party Decorations Kit: https://amzn.to/2RnPFAo

From this location it seems as though we used the elevators more than the stairs. I did walk to deck 5 for coffee in the mornings. The coffee station is in the café promenade and is towards the aft of the ship on deck 5. Pools areas are on deck 15 which is a bit of a walk so using the elevator seemed a better option. You are on the opposite end of the ship from the dining rooms (decks 3, 4, and 5), buffet area (deck 16), and the Diamond lounge (deck 11). This ship is huge so there is a lot of walking no matter where you go, but I love that. I hate to gain too much weight and the walking is good for you.

Our stateroom attendant was efficient and good. Room was cleaned early everyday and refreshed in the evening while we were at dinner. Very good service. The first day we gave the room attendant some items to press. They were completed and hung in our room looking wonderful the next day. The cost was 24.99 to press a three piece tuxedo, and 3 shirts, and wash and press an additional shirt.

The room, balcony, shower, bathroom, and storage areas are a nice size. The bed is comfortable, and room was bright and cheerful. The bed is close to the closet which I absolutely hate as it is horrible for two people to get into the closet. I like rooms where the bed is close to the sliding glass door. Those rooms have easier access to the closet.

Not much else to say, but here is the video. I would try not to stay in this room again due to the bed being near the closet.

For additional information on the Royal Caribbean Allure of the Seas click here: http: http://deestimes.com/allure-of-the-seas/

Feeling energetic a Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas cruise is for you

We just got off a 5 day Indepence of the Seas cruise. Wow, this is the cruise for everyone. If you have high energy, have children any age, or just love water and fun this ship is for you.

Make your way up to deck 13 and look at the great things that you can do which are included in your cruise.

Take a shot at the Flowrider

or go on a super high water slide.

After you have tried it all, and if your kids are old enough you can go and relax in a hammock and let your kids just enjoy the many thing they can do on this deck.

Little ones will enjoy climbing in this, but beware I did see a father that could not convince his child to come down and he had to climb up to get him.

Miniature golf is also on deck 13 and is another nice thing to do. A little more relaxing but fun.

You can also go to deck 11 where you will find 2 great out door areas to swim or go in the hot tubs. The walking or jogging path is on deck 12. Also, if you don’t want the fresh air you can always go to the fitness center to release all that vacation energy. There is just so much to do, you won’t know what to do first.

Watch the below to for a small sample of decks 11 and 13.

Deck 11 swimming areas
Sample of deck 13 activities

Well are you pumped for that Independence of the Seas experience? I am ready to go again lol.

For additional information on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas click here: http://deestimes.com/royal-caribbean-internationalrci/

Royal Caribbean – Independence of the Seas – Balcony room 8224 (pictures and video)

This room is a forward balcony room located on the Starboard side of the ship on the 8th deck.

We love the 8th deck forward balcony rooms. This is from our sliding glass doors while we are still docked in Port Everglades.

This is a nice location and you are close to the stairs and the elevators.

You can very easily go to the hall by the elevators and look down to deck 5 the royal promenade.

The location is also good where you can walk to the main deck 5 for coffee and pizza or up to the 11th deck for the pool areas. You are on the opposite end of the ship from the dining rooms (decks 3, 4, and 5), buffet area (deck 11), and the Diamond lounge (deck 14).

The room, balcony, shower, bathroom, and storage areas are a nice size. The bed is comfortable, and room was bright and cheerful. Our stateroom attendant was efficient and good. Room was cleaned early everyday and refreshed in the evening while we were at dinner. Very good service.

The issues we found are 1) The refrigerator is not really a refrigerator it is a cooler and nothing stays cold. It is a waste of time and space. 2) Air Conditioning in the evening seemed to have a hard time keeping the room cool.

3) The coffee table is always in the way. I banged my upper shin on it numerous times. Although, there was a complimentary bottle of wine from the Crown and Anchor society for being Diamond Plus on that table. There are benefits for being loyal to Royal.

Not much else to say. If I went on Independence of the Seas again, I would not hesitate to stay in this room again.

Here’s a video so you can see and decide for yourself.

For additional information on the Royal Caribbean Independence of the Seas click here: http://deestimes.com/royal-caribbean-internationalrci/

Labadee, Haiti

Labadee, Haiti is Royal Caribbean’s private destination port. It is located on the northern coast of Haiti. Royal Caribbean leases the location. We have to been to this destination many times. It is a lovely place to go and is one our favorite water sport spots. There are many active things to do, or you can just hang out at one of the beaches.

When you are approaching the port the view of large hills is beautiful. You will also notice lots of smoke rising in the hills. Local people are burning fires.

On the dock there will be dancers and drummers welcoming you. They dance all day in the sweating hot sun. Their energy amazes me, but if you have a balcony room by the time you leave the drumming is driving you crazy. They do this for a living, so of course there is a bucket for money.

Lot’s of people elect to do the zip line, which is crazy long over water. If you are not adventurous, just watching them from the beach or bar screaming all the way down can be entertaining. You can rent jet skis which is really fun, if you like to go 50 to 60 miles per hour. I have done the jet skis. It was lots of fun, but once was enough. I am not a thrill seeker. I enjoyed the kayaks more. All of these things do cost extra though.

If you don’t want to incur any extra expense, you can always just lounge at one of the beaches, and eat lunch. The water is super warm and clear. Many fish will come up to you and nibble at your legs and feet.

The different beaches provide different experiences from rough waves, loud music, a swim up bar. to a relaxing gentle lapping palm filled beach.

This trip we went to Discovery Cove. This beach is the farthest from the ship and and has the calmest water. We got off the ship early and walked to the beach. When you get off the ship, be sure and can get as many beach towels as you want for the day. Just remember to return them when you return to the ship. There is a tram that will take you around to the different beaches. I am not sure how far of a walk it is. Maybe a 20 minute walk to discovery Cove. It can be very hot, and walking through the Haitian Market can be very intimidating. This the only beach where you walk through the locals who are selling their wares. Unless you want to buy something it is wise to stick to the road. If you go up on the boardwalks, it is a constant look at my stuff. There is lots of wood stuff if you like, but it is hard to just look. They don’t leave you alone.

At this beach there are 2 beach monitor stands, some cabanas, a water slide, water play area with beach monitors on paddle boards, restrooms, bar, and lunch dining facility. The ship photographers walk around so grab them and they will take professional pictures of you.

The view of the ship, water, and hills in the distance is fantastic. This picture is around noon time. We got to the beach around 9:30am and there were only a few other couples there until about 11 to 11:30am. So nice and quiet.

This beach is very quiet, calm, and water is warm. There are plenty of lounge chairs with lovely palm trees to sit under if you like.

Lunch is brought from the ship and barbecued on the island. It is basic barbecue food. Edible, but nothing special. Hamburgers, Hot dogs, barbecued chicken, barbecued ribs, corn on the cob, coleslaw, salad, fruit, cookies, brownies, etc.

So sad to go back to the ship. Until the next time. Bye Labadee!!

SeaWorld Orlando – November 2019 mid week

We had a few days between our cruise that ended in Miami, November 10th and our next cruise leaving Fort Lauderdale, November 16th. We rented a car from Enterprise car rental at the Miami airport and drove up to Orlando.

We stayed at Homewood Suites in Lake Buena Vista.

We decided it was just way to expensive to incorporate a Disney World visit into this trip. We are doing three cruises and will be away 35 days. We opted to go to SeaWorld for a few days. We hadn’t been to SeaWorld in about 8 years and there were great deals going on. We bought the fun card for 2020 with the rest of 2019 included for me. There are a few block out dates, but you can go into SeaWorld most days all of 2019 and 2020. We bought the silver annual pass for Steve since that included free parking. Parking is $25.00 a day. The annual pass also includes 1 free ticket, 3 tickets at 50% off, and 10 percent off food and merchandise. The total price for both these tickets was a great value at $303.93. In three days we have saved over $100.00 between parking and food.

We visited the park Monday, Veterans day and it was a little bit crowded but mostly small lines for everything. The weather was beautiful in the low 80″s. Perfect for shorts and tshirts. Christmas decorations were going up in anticipation for the Christmas season.

All the shows were very entertainng and educational. Loved the dolphin show. Here’s a short snippet of it.

Tuesday when we went into the park it was so quiet, there was no wait for the roller coasters. Kids were having a blast riding over and over on them.

Employees told me mid week in November is always quiet until Thanksgiving week. From that week through the first of the year it is jam packed. Wow, we picked a good time to visit with the good weather and low attendance.

Wednesday turned cooler and cloudy. Reached a high of 70 on that day. Jeans and sweatshirt weather.

A SeaWorld visit is fun and also an educational experience. I loved that there is constant reinforcement about keeping our environment clean and our sea life safe and healthy. November mid week would be a perfect time to take the family if you can take your children away from school. Little ones will love Sesame Street Land.

All the rides are quick to get on and if you take advantage of deals you can go twice in one year. Can’t beat the value.

The park is clean, relaxing, and family friendly. The food like any amusement park is expensive and not good. Food cannot be brought into the park. You can bring bottled water. We did like the pretzel hot dogs and chips though. They do sell beer and wine in the park.

The Sesame place parade was excellent. So nice to see the interaction with the dancers and the children watching the parade. Here’s a short video of the parade. So cute!

All and all I would recommend SeaWorld as a great place for the family especially this time of year. Large coasters for the teenagers, Sesame park for the young ones, and great shows the whole family will enjoy. Not crowded with the added bonus of educating on keeping our enviroment clean and safe for us and our wildlife friends. Park hours have been 10am-6pm the days we have been here.

Some additional features include:

  • Service animal park
  • Nursing room
  • Free charging stations
  • Free wifi area

MSC Meraviglia – Positive and negative thoughts after 10 days on board

When I started thinking of composing a list of my positive and negative thoughts, I actually thought the negatives would out weigh the positive. It totally is not so. After an adjustment period of a few days getting used to the ship’s atmosphere, food, and general style. I really do like the ship and the cruise experience we are having. Although, we are very disappointed in the loyalty match program. We are Diamond Plus with Royal Caribbean. Therefore, we completed the required forms online and received emails from the Captain welcoming us on board as Voyager Club Gold members. This was not honored and when we asked about it, the woman acted like we were lying to her. I showed her the email from the captain. She said she would check it out and leave sonething in our room. She was very nasty. We never heard from her. SHAME ON YOU MSC.

Positive thoughts

  1. Nice bathroom towels
  2. Extra large balcony
  3. Ship is kept immaculate. You can tell the owners take pride in it.
  4. Food is very good
  5. Pools are very clean
  6. Sink areas to wash hands before entering buffet are private
  7. Public bathroons are spotless
  8. Manicure in spa very nice with no upselling
  9. Very comfortable beds
  10. Brightly lit bathroom
  11. Using the MSC app on your phone is wonderful – very easy to use. Keeps track of appointments and shows which you have scheduled
  12. No pressure for additional tips. There is no extra line for extra tips on drink purchases or spa services.
  13. The ship has lots of spacious open areas in the hallways, near the elevators, and really just about everywhere.
  14. Quick easy boarding with drinks provided.
  15. Fully stocked mini bar in your stateroom
  16. Super employees – so nice and lovely to talk to
  17. Ship never feels crowded
  18. Dining room staff super nice and friendly
  19. Loved the sayings on the front of the Daily program. Really fun to read everyday.
  20. Embarking after a port visit is very welcoming. Tents are set up with refreshing cool towels, three types of fruit infused water, and a nice area to sit and relax with comfy couches and chairs.
  21. lots of pictures taken by excellent professional photographers and printed up in different colors and shades for your viewing.
  22. Easy bar service in Marketplace buffet
  23. Public areas kept very clean and sanitized
  24. Very responsive maintenance when we had bathroom issues

Negative thoughts

  1. Small children in pools and when they came out diapers were put on. So they are not potty trained. Yuk!
  2. No tissues are supplied in your room. We had to buy our own in St. Martin
  3. Washing/santizing of hands not enforced. Lots of people walked into dining areas without cleaning their hands.
  4. Shows were okay, but nothing special.
  5. Difficult to communicate with a lot of passengers, due to us only being able to speak english.
  6. lighting is dark in stateroom
  7. Not much storage space in room
  8. Kiosks in public areas to book shows were hard to operate and did not work a lot of times. You touch the screen and get no response.
  9. Large balcony but no lounge chair.
  10. Professional Photos taken are set up to view and then after a few days are just stacked in boxes. You have to grab them as they go up and have put in envelopes for you each day or go through stacks of photos to find yours. Ugg
  11. Unlimited internet package, but no streaming allowed like netflick is blocked. Also can’t view home cameras on board. It is blocked.
  12. Floor in room has been vacuumed 2 times so far
  13. Room Steward has changed and has been turning the bed down when he comes the first time.
  14. Loyalty match program not honored.

For additional information on the MSC Meraviglia click here: http://deestimes.com/msc-cruises/

MSC Meraviglia – Breakfast Dining in the Marketplace Buffet

We have eaten breakfast for seven mornings at the Marketplace Buffet. The food stations are kept clean and well stocked. There is a nice assortment of food available.

This is the main entrance into the buffet. The hallway is large and open. There are small rest rooms on both sides of the hallway in.

When you walk through the doors there are small sink alcoves. These are nice and more private than the large areas you use on the Royal Caribbean ships. There is no festive washie washie person to greet you. The greeter is friendly and more sedate. Hand sanitizing is sometimes a spray bottle the greeter sprays on your hands. We opt for the sink washing.

The buffet for breakfast is a good choice for us since it opens early. We are early risers and it is quiet there then. The busiest time appears to be between 9am and 10am. Even then, it is fairly quiet in the back. We always found a table at the busiest time. Tables are kept clean and employees are very helpful, efficient, and nice.

Plates and silverware rolled in napkins are plentiful and clean. They are not absorbent though. If you spill something don’t even bother to try and wipe it up. Nothing soaks into those napkins. I think they are loaded with starch.

The regular coffee is excellent and they have cold or hot milk available. There is also large pump bottles of flavored cream sitting on the counter. A large assortment of Lipton teas and decaffinated coffee are also available. On and off they will put out small disposable cups, but the beverages are so hot you need to nestle two cups together to carry. I think they run out of cups so they put disposables out until clean ones come out of the kitchen again. There are four separate hot beverage stations that look like this. These stations are open 24 hours a day.

There are also cold beverage stations where you can get ice, water, iced tea, lemonade and other flavored punches. These stations are open 24 hours a day also. The water tastes good on the ship. I have not tried any of the other cold drinks that are complimentary.

The food is fairly normal buffet style with a few items that are different. Such as baked whole apples and pears. They are to die for.

They also have breakfast pizzas at the pizza station in the mornings. They look good, but I have not tried them.

The bacon is great and cooked perfect. This sure beats Royal Caribbean’s bacon.

Sausage is good

Premade fried eggs are great. They also have the normal stations where they will make you an Omelette to your specifications.

There is a section for Asian food and the vegetable fried rice is good. I liked it because it was not so salty.

Cinnamon rolls are nice with a not so sweet cream cheese icing. I could go on and on about all the choices. I would think anyone can find a little something for breakfast here. Here are some random pictures of items on the breakfast buffet.

For additional information on the MSC Meraviglia click here: http://deestimes.com/msc-cruises/

MSC Meraviglia – Obstructed Balcony room 8101(pictures and video)

Lovely extra large balcony. Big enough for a party.

Would be nice if there were lounge chairs since the balcony is so large.

View is of the lifeboats if you look down. Look up and you can see how the higher un-obstructed balcony rooms have a much smaller balcony

You can also see the lower walking deck.

Even though the room is called obstructed, there is no problem viewing the ocean.

We would do an obstructed life boat view again. We like to be able to watch people. Employees working on the life boats was interesting. Also the size of the balcony was great. The only down side is that if you are facing the pier you cannot watch people getting on and off the ship.

Lighting is poor, but I like things very bright. Room is decorated nicely and provides a soothing and relaxing atmosphere. Colors are various shades of browns and greens. Air conditioning and heat work very well.

Bathroom is nice and well lighted. Shower is large. Shower gel and shampoo pumps are in the shower. Sink has a liquid soap pump. Bathroom has been kept clean. Towels are nicer than what we have found on Royal Caribbean ships. One pool/beach towel per person is provided and left in your room. You can see them on the picture above rolled up on the couch. After using them you just leave in bathroom and room steward will replace them with clean ones.

Bed is comfortable, but is not made up with a top sheet. Abnormal to us. Also, there are no cute little towel creations in your room every night. I do miss them. The schedule on this ship is much later than Royal Caribbean. The room steward sometimes did not get to our room till after 1pm. Also he was still working alot when we headed in for the night and the night time bed turn down was not done for us.

Room safe in closet is the same one we have seen on Royal Caribbean. Large enough to hold wallets. Passports, telephone, extra cash, etc.

No tissues are provided in the rooms. Room steward said to use toilet tissue. OH MY !!!

Lots of hangars were provided in the closet. All in all though there is little storage space.

Above your door in the hallway are 4 lights. Red: your card is in the slot that allows you to have lights, air conditioning, and heat. Therefore. You are in the room. Green: your card is not in the slot and you are not in the room. Blue: do not disturb. There is a switch in the room to turn this on. White: make up room. There is a switch to turn this on.

To the right of the bathroom door is the slot where you put your room key to keep the lights and hear/air conditioning on. The bottom switches are for the do not disturb and the make up room. This is a really nice feature on this ship.

All and all we found the room to be really nice. Although a little small and not a lot of storage space. We were satisfied though.

One big complaint is that you were not made to feel welcome in your room. There was no welcome, introduction, or request if we needed anything special in the room from the room Stewart. This is a very important feature on Royal Caribbean ships.

To read more about the MSC Meraviglia click here: http://deestimes.com/msc-cruises/

MSC Meraviglia Manhattan boarding

Today we traveled into Manhattan to board this magnificent ship. The pier is next to the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

We were dropped off at 11:39. Our baggage was taken immediately and we headed inside the cruise terminal. We were concerned about the 50 pound weight limit per suitcase, as we were like 49 pounds. But, there was no weighing of our luggage.

Inside the terminal there were no lines and friendly employees directed us through the metal detectors. I had an unopened small bottle of water. I asked if I should throw it out. No problem was the answer, you can keep it. This was a surprise because, MSC’s policy is no water or beverages can be brought on board.

We were then directed to the check in desk where we showed our boarding pass and passports. I apologized for not taking our picture on the MSC app that I had downloaded. I was told it didn’t matter as they are told to retake them anyway. Okay so i just fretted about that all night. We were given our room cards and a boarding pass with the number 12 and told to go sit down and wait for our number to be called. There was a table with small cans of lipton drinks provided in the area.

The numbers were called starting at 1 and it was amazing how quickly everyone boarded. From getting out of the car to getting on the ship it took maybe 20 minutes tops. Kudos to MSC!!!

Departure was 7pm. What a beautiful night and view.

To see more about the MSC Meraviglia click here: http://deestimes.com/msc-cruises/

Let’s hear it for the Ducks

That is the “cruising ducks” you will find on all cruise ships. Join us and let’s see how far your ducks travel. This is so much fun for all ages. The premise is you buy rubber ducks or use ones you find on board your ship. Add your information (ship name, cruise dates, family name or first name whatever you want, etc) to them. Then hide them in public places on the cruise ship.

Very Important: Do not hide where there are open doors or windows. We do not want them littering our oceans. Also, do not hide in the stores, we do not want children to think it is okay to take things from stores.

During the cruise it is exciting to see if your duck has been found. Don’t be to obvious looking at them though. If you are fortunate enough to find a duck take a selfie with it and post to the “original” Cruising Ducks Facebook Page, stating where you are from and if you plan to keep or re-hide the duck. You can always post here also.

Take a look at the pictures below of the cute thanksgiving ducks our family will be hiding on Allure of the Seas. These pictures will give you a good example of tags and what to put on them. Some people have them actually printed by a printing company. We kept ours simple and inexpensive. These ducks are ready for each family member to enter their name or family, and state and country they are from The ducks were purchased at Amazon, tags at AC Moore and hair ties at the dollar Tree.

 Click here to purchase these cute Thanksgiving ducks from Amazon. 

This was such a fun thing to do and we are all so excited to hide them. Can’t wait to see who finds them and where they end up. If you find one, please let us know.

After hiding results see http://deestimes.com/2019/12/17/family-fun-cruise-idea/

Let’s talk about Packing

I have found that cruise packing can be a little different than normal land vacation packing. Following is some guidelines about the Luggage, clothes, and a personal list of items I recommend bringing that you may not think of.  This list does not include your everyday items that you would bring if you were staying at a resort overnight.  I think you can handle the deodorant, toothpaste, swim suites, shoes, etc that you will need.  We have been pretty loyal to Royal Caribbean so far, so that is the cruise line I will speak about the most. 

See Packing menu above for the complete list of items along with a video of the Additional Items I personally recommend having. Or click here

Why people say they don’t cruise

Why people say they don’t cruise 

I am always telling people “I love cruising and you will too”.  There are many reasons people have told me they don’t cruise.  These include I am nervous I will be sick or be claustrophobic; old people cruise; I will be bored, and it is way too expensive.  They are all so WRONG.   

Let’s take a look at these items one at a time 

1)  I am nervous I will be sick: 

This was my big reason for not cruising, I was petrified that I would be sick.  I had been sick on little boats (water tour out of Atlantic City), ferries (Cape May Ferry) in the past.    If this is your case my suggestion is to  

  • Take a short cruise out of Florida where the water is calmer and you are at another port fairly quickly.  My first cruise started in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and the next port was Key West, Florida.  I told my husband I am renting a car and going back to Fort Lauderdale if I am sick. 
  • Look at different sea sickness prevention methods in advance as this will bring you comfort.  I am personally paranoid of medications and refuse to take any.  I use the natural acupressure SEA-BAND whenever I feel the least bit of movement.  The first trip I put them on before I got on the ship and only took them off when showering or in the pool.  I have recommended them to others and they really work. 99% of the time I don’t even use them, but I always carry them.  These can be purchased at most drug stores or through Amazon. Link is below for your convenience.
Purchase the original SEA-Band here at Amazon
  • Go on a large ship.  It is amazing how you don’t even feel you are on the ocean on a large ship.  It is just like being at a resort.  We just followed Hurricane Dorian up the east coast last month on The Adventure of the Seas.  It was an incredibly smooth journey.  It even amazed me. 
The modern newer ships are huge
These are two huge ships

2)  I am nervous I will be claustrophobic:  

This was another concern of mine before my first cruise.  Therefore, we booked a junior suite balcony room.  If you feel uncomfortable at all just go on the balcony.  I no longer stay in junior Suites.  I do prefer a balcony room, but did a promenade interior room on my last cruise.  These rooms are large enough and there is so much space on the ship it will amaze you.  

How could you be claustrophobic relaxing on your balcony with that view.

3) Old people cruise: 

Every age group cruises.  A lot depends on the time of year and the length of the cruise.  Longer cruises have a more mature crowd.  This is due to being able to take time off from work and school.  Summer time is more family time.  There are lots children on board along with their parents and grandparents.   One week cruises any time of the year have more couples.  That seems to be the right amount of time that people can take off.  You will see all ages on all cruises.  That does not mean you will be associating with every age group.  You will be at places (pools, bars, casinos, arcade, magic show, late night comedy, etc.)  that you like and others like you like.  The ship is so large that you will not notice the old people if you are young.  At night they will be in bed early lol and up early in the morning.  Their schedule is different. 

4) I will be bored: 

Every ship and cruise line will have different things to do.  Research the ship and cruise line.  Do they have bumper cars, a great spa, Broadway shows, a casino, a kid’s club, rock climbing, zip lining, or a video Arcade?   What ports are they going to?  At these ports is there jet skiing, a water park, or a zip line.   The things offered on cruise ships and in the ports is endless.  

5) It is way too expensive:   

There is a cruise and a cruise line that will fit your budget.  Going off season may get you a better price.  Booking either when the cruise becomes available or at the last minute may get you the price you want.  Look for specials on buy 1 get 1 free or second 50% off.  There are times that kids sail free and also packages.  Your cruise can get to be expensive, but I have found it is more economical for us to cruise then to book hotels, shows, and dinners on a land vacation   

So now forget those excuses and get out there and cruise.  You will not be sorry.