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GoGoTraveler


31 Blog Entries
31 Trips
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Trips:

Bahama Spirit
Enchantment of the Seas
For Openers
What a wonderful cruise can do to you.
Mexican Extravaganza
Radisson Surprise
Crystal Gazing
What to do next
Birthday Time on RCI
Ladies Room
The Conqeust of the Century
Adventures to Conquer
A Victory for All
A princess not to miss
A Golden Palace
Magic is a Second away
Vacation Club
The Caribbean is a Magical Place
Wonder of the world
Yet again
Adored
Time of a Century
Celebrity Again
In the South
How much time? Infinity
A new Millennium
Groundhogs Trip
The Beatiful Summit
Alot of Cruises
40th Birthday
A Victory

Shorthand link:

http://blogabond.com/GoGoTraveler




If you don't go on it you'll slap yourself.

Montego Bay, Jamaica


I feel that I owe it to everyone who may want to cruise on this ship to write this review. I read around 15 reviews before we cruised, and it helped tremendously. First of all, the Conquest is a gorgeous ship. Large, yet manageable, the ship has every feature and amenity possible. The food, shows, activities, shopping, cabins, etc. exceeded my expectations. We booked a category 6A “guarantee”, which means we would be given a cabin on the 6th level or higher. These are ocean-view rooms with windows. We were automatically upgraded to a verandah cabin, with our own balcony on level 8. What a surprise! Our room steward, waiter and assistant waiter, our cruise director, and everyone on board was fantastic. If you are looking for fun, this is the place to be. Activities around the clock, or secluded places to just relax. This boat has it all. The ports were great, also, with Grand Cayman being our favorite. I would highly suggest booking your shore excursions once onboard. It was an awesome experience and I can’t wait to go again. See you onboard! Oh! and you can also save money on your cruise by going to www.SmartCruiser.com and get one of their deals with free Trip Insurance, Onboard Credits, or an Auqa Spa experience if you can. The site is great!

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on February 8, 2004 from Montego Bay, Jamaica
from the travel blog: The Conqeust of the Century
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Beyond Beauty

San Miguel de Cozumel, Mexico


We traveled on Celebrity before and was disappointed when we traveled on Princess and Carnival. This time we did 11 days on Summit, and we were not disappointed in the least. Celebrity delivers!! That's all there is to it. The service was fantastic. The meals were incredible. In fact, we didn't do the pay restaurant (as a lot of cruise ships are doing) because we did not have a bad meal. Breakfasts were fantastic (not the same everyday), lunches were wonderful as were the dinners. Two of the sea days were very hot. The waiters came out with free beverages for those sun bathing. The free drinks (tea, punch, lemonade and water) were thoughtful. It was nice that they didn't push us to buy drinks. Twice, the waiters came out in a grand celebration with long white sleeve shirts and gloves to offer everyone sorbet and sherbet. I felt bad for the waiters but I enjoyed a cool, refreshing treat. The cool towel is something new. On hot pool days, & after your excursions, you are treated with a nice cool small towel. On the Panama Canal, we did the ferry boat into the canal; and that was extremely interesting. Aruba, we took a local taxi for $10 bucks and got an island tour. Costa Rica was the ski lift tram thru the rain forest. We were fortunate to get a guide that loved his job. He pointed out everything to us. The meal at the park was very good. In Cozumel we took the Passion Island escape and walked around on our own in Grand Cayman. Key West was lots of fun, and what a treat! But the best part was the cruise itself. We felt everything was perfect. This was our first time to have a balcony. Although we thoroughly enjoyed it...we didn't use it as much as I thought we would. We like to rise early and get our coffee on our own and watch the Sunrise on the decks. You never saw any dirty dishes laying around anywhere! (Carnival, trays lay around outside cabins all day. You saw room service trays in the hallways all the time.) Everything was immaculate all the time on Celebrity. On the last sea day, the waiters served lobster and baked United States and they did a big presentation. We found the waiters were very proud, and ours told us that Celebrity treats them well. This was important to us because we had heard that some cruise ships do not treat their staff too well. Tips are done on the last day and not added to your bill. I'm not sure if that makes a difference or not; but the service was fabulous. We are definitely travel on Celebrity the next time. It felt like being back home again. In fact we have already booked our next cruise on www.SmartCruiser.com and got a $300 Shipboard credit and Free Trip Insurance. I love that site. they are the best.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on October 20, 2003 from San Miguel de Cozumel, Mexico
from the travel blog: The Beatiful Summit
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Wait an see

Halifax, Canada


We just returned from a great cruise on the Victory. I was concerned after reading some reviews of past cruises. We had a wonderful time. The ship is lovely and so spacious. We were fortunate enough to get a cabin with a balcony. What a great way to see and enjoy all the ports of call. The room was so big and there was much storage and closet space. The food was very good. Everyone should be able to find something they like on the menu each night. The beef dishes were excellent. We ate at the grill upstairs several days and the hamburgers were delicious and well done. I saw many people enjoying the deli sandwiches, the pizza and the very large buffet. Service by all staff was very warm and friendly. I did not encounter one person who had a bad attitude. The staff seemed to enjoy their jobs, this includes the bar staff, the dining staff, the photo staff and the entertainers and cruise director staff. Our ports of call included Boston, Portland, Sidney and Halifax. We had a great time in all ports but Sidney. The weather was drizzly and this port really does not have alot of attractions. We took the trolly bus in Boston. We did this trip on our own. It was a great way to see a great city. In Portland, we again opted to not take any tours. We could see alot just walking. Halifax is a great place and I would highly recommend the Halifax/Peggy's Cove tour. It is 3 hours but you see everything!!! One great thing about this cruise is that at the end, you can opt to carry off your luggage yourself rather than going through the mob scene in the NY terminal. We were off the ship by 8:15AM. Debarkation, carrying your own luggage was a breeze!! Embarkation was terrible but that was because the hurricane caused rough seas and the Victory was late getting into NY. I will not fault Carnival for this. The ship arrived safely and that is the main thing. Another plus side was that we got a good price with www.SmartCruiser.com which included free Trip Insurance and an Auqa Spa experience which was incredible. Thanks www.SmartCruiser.com.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on September 20, 2003 from Halifax, Canada
from the travel blog: A Victory for All
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All the time in the World

Skagway, United States


My partner and I booked this cruise to celebrate our 20th anniversary and we are not sorry. The ship is beautiful and the crew was very efficient and friendly (and attractive!). Embarkation didn'y take very long. Once onboard we were surprised by Bon Voyage gifts in our cabin from family and friends. This was a nice surprise and easy to order from the Celebrity website. The ports were varied and interesting. Juneau, Skagway and Ketchikan with a day at the Hubbard Glacier (beautiful). Juneau was like a Caribbean port, all the same shops, etc. We took the tram to the top of Mount Roberts for a scenic view and took a bus out to Mendenhall Glacier. No need to book these through the ship, they can easily be obtained at the dock for a much lesser cost. In Skagway we did take the White Pass Railway excursion which was a great trip. In Ketchikan we didn't book any excursions and just wandered the town. Great shopping and had lunch in town at the New York Cafe. Very good lunch and reasonable price! Save all your shopping for Ketchikan. Very scenic and good prices. The service was always excellent. Asst. Matre'd Martin took good care of us. Had dinner in the SS United States the last night for $25 extra per person which was well worth it. For a little something special, that is the place to go. Entertainment was great! We had an outside cabin with a balcony. Nicest cabin we've had and the cabin was a nice plus, especially for viewing the passing scenery. We were in cabin 7129, Vista Deck, mid-ship. Most activities seemed geared toward the "main" seating guests. We were at the late seating and many times there was nothing going on while the main seating people were having dinner. Almost every day in the martini bar we were the only one's in there before dinner, but Rose Marie took good care of us! We actually had to hunt down photographers to take our formal pictures since most of them shut down when the main seating was started. ll in all this was a great cruise and we're ready to go again. I highly recommend it. I also highly recommend that you go to www.SmartCruiser.com and take a look at some of their incredible deals like an Auqa Spa experience for free.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on July 25, 2003 from Skagway, United States
from the travel blog: How much time? Infinity
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Celebrate?

Skagway, United States


My husband took me on the cruise to celebrate (?) my 50th birthday. We had the best vacation of our lives! The staff were all very pleasant and gracious. Our food was outstanding. We had a magnificent view. Our room was at the end of the ship, right in the middle with a large balcony. Every view at every port was like a postcard! The bed was sooooo comfortable. The shows were first rate every night. My husband won almost $700.00 on a slot machine! We prebooked our excursions and prepaid the gratuities. All in all it was a fabulous trip. We would go again and would travel again on RCI !!! Oh and if you would like to know where we pre booked it , it was at SmartCruiser.com. They had the best deals and we got Free Trip Insurance with our cruise.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on July 13, 2003 from Skagway, United States
from the travel blog: Birthday Time on RCI
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A Alaskan Paradise

Juneau, United States


With this being only my second cruise, I have to say that it was the best. For several weeks prior to departure, I would checked the internet daily for the weather report. On the day of departure, rain was predicted for the entire week. Like most weather services, the Internet was wrong. Wee had sunny days in Juneau, Skagway, and Ketchikan with only slight overcastting at the Hubbard Glacier. If you are into fishing, you should plan your trip for the second, third, or fourth week of July. That is when the Salmon start to run and as told by our guide in Ketchikan; "the rivers are so full of fish that one could walk from one side of the river to the other with out getting his feet wet." The Infinity is a beautiful ship. With over two thousand passengers on board, I never felt crowded. There is so much to do and with so many staterooms having their own verandas, one can watch the world glide by in complete privacy. The entertainment was excellent. The Celebrity Dancers and Singers were very energetic and talented. On the last night, they performed a song from Les Miserable, (I Hope I got the spelling correct), by the time they were finished, I was feeling very patriotic. The food was excellent, although I wish they would have had an all night buffet for those of us that can't sleep. The Casino on board looked like it was taken from the Luxury in Las Vegas. I spoke with several passengers that actually won some money. I myself one over one hundred dollars from a five cent slot machine. I can see why Celebrity is rated a five star cruise line and why the Infinity is rated the number one ship of all the larger cruise ships (an award that the members of the Infinity are very proud of to the point that I got tired of hearing about it) If you don't mind paying a little more, cruise Celebrity. You will love it. I said it would be expensive, but If you want to pay a less than I recommend you go to SmartCruiser.com. They gave me a great deal which included free trip insurance and an auqa spa experience valued at $100 for FREE.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on July 4, 2003 from Juneau, United States
from the travel blog: What a wonderful cruise can do to you.
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Riding on Costa

Progreso, Mexico


We cruised with Carnival and NCL before. We booked this cruise less then 2 weeks before sailing. So we found a great deal (under $400 a person for a seven day cruise/ocean view room) at www.SmartCruiser.com and we also got Free Trip insurance and $300 Shipboard credits with the booking. I thought embarking went fairly smooth. The waiting room was full of helpful staff and lots of seats and was air conditioned. I personally would rather sit and be comfortable to wait to board then to have to stand around with my luggage. This ship was probably the largest we had been on. It was very fancy and elegant. The pool was big and there were plenty of deck chairs all around it. Our room was very nice and big. The staff was very nice and friendly and helped us out all over the ship. They were wonderful. The food on this ship was excellent. There was plenty of things to choose from and everything we had was great. The entertainment was very good. The best out of all our cruises. We stopped at Key West, Progresso, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. The islands were great. Overall we enjoyed the cruise very much.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on February 9, 2003 from Progreso, Mexico
from the travel blog: A Victory
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Eye Popping Fun

Nassau, The Bahamas


If you had to come up with one word to describe the cruise experience on the Disney Wonder it would have to be “Superb”. This was our second cruise, both being on the Disney Wonder. We enjoyed our first cruise in December 2001 that we knew we just had to return in December 2002. The second time around however we had 4 other family members join us. Disney takes every effort to provide you with information well in advance of the cruise. This information includes necessary documents, clothing, etc. They also were very good about informing us of the various shore activities available in Nassau. Those activities can and should be reserved prior to boarding. That way you will avoid the possibility of some functions such as the Dolphin Encounter being booked up. I found the Disney maintenance staff to be amazing. Castaway Cay is so relaxing. Part of that comes from splitting the island up into sections, thereby allowing adults to be alone. There are numerous activities available for a fee, but the beauty of the island can best be enjoyed by simply floating in the water or basking in the sun with a cool tropical drink close at hand. Like many cruise ships, the Wonder offers a soda mug program. For $15 on the 3 night cruise you get unlimited refills. To me you really have to drink a lot of soda to make it pay off. The other option is to buy one soda at a time for $1.50. Bottom line is this is a great ship that is part of a great company. Our December 2002 trip to United States was our 28th trip to Disney World and our second cruise. We returned to United States and have greeted with 10 inches of snow. So we are already planning trip #29 to Orlando and probably cruise #3. Bon Voyage. P.S. www.SmartCruiser.com is the place to go to buy your cruise tickets. They have great deals(I got Free Trip Insurance).

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on December 5, 2002 from Nassau, The Bahamas
from the travel blog: Wonder of the world
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Thirds a Charm

Nassau, The Bahamas


Having read others reviews, I decided it was my duty to provide my two cents worth. Past cruisers have said, "once you cruise, you won't want to vacation ANY other way" and, quite frankly, I can now say I agree 110%. My Wife and I took our 1st cruise with our daughter, 12 and son, 8 in Sept 2002. Wanting a wholesome atmosphere and a fairly predictable lot of fellow cruisers, we invested what I considered a small fortune in our choice of a 7 night W. Caribbean Disney Cruise on the Magic. I must admit I was concerned it might not be as "magical" as the promotional video and brochures lead to believe . . but I was so, so wrong. It was better!!! It was worth every penny and these memories will DEFINITELY last a lifetime. From the moment we boarded, we were treated like royalty. The ship was immaculate. The room adorable. Beds incredibly comfortable . . I slept like a baby . .lulled by the gently wave motion perhaps. I thought I'd feel trapped/confined, but no. So much space, many places to call your own. The attention to detail was incredible. The kid's program was phenomenal. The counselors were so patient, nurturing, considerate. They truly gave their all to make this the vacation of the kids AND the parents' lifetimes. The pagers provided gave that added reassurance, esp. when my husband and I left the ship to explore St. Thomas with the kids onboard. Our hostess Lily was sweet and attended to our room not once or twice, but what seemed numerous times a day when we were out . . . picking up after us, replacing the constant barrage of towels from swimming or single tissue thrown in the trash. Whether it was the towel animals at turndown or her gentle, unobtrusive manner, we could not have been in better hands. Unless . . by our servers in the dining rooms who attended to us throughout our cruise. They knew our desires before we could communicate them! Carved my daughter's steak, tucked my chair in nightly, and would never settle for bringing ONE extra roll rather than a basket! Our servers, Jean from France and Marvin from Honduras, became part of our family before the week was out. How we still smile and miss them! My expectations were for fairly patronizing, tip hungry, servers and room attendants . . FAR FROM IT! These people aim to please. I never sensed for a moment any wrongful motives, though they worked so very hard and were certainly most deserving of our gratuities. The shows were incredible, worthy of Broadway. Not one night was I disappointed. The food was equally pleasing, from the posh Palo to our regular 3 dining room choices. Topsiders is a great choice for breakfast, but don't waste your time (settling for ho-hum) at other mealtimes. Our trip was only the 2nd time the Magic visited the port of San Juan. Hurricanes prevented us from taking our planned itinerary. Many were disappointed, but we credit Captain Tom for taking us to pretty, sunny weather . .wherever that might be. And how could we complain about enjoying not 1, but 2 days at Disney's wonderful Castaway Cay where I swam with Sting Ray and held a starfish, sea urchin and sand dollar that I'd found on the ocean floor. By the way, if you have not visited the Caribbean and wonder if that water could be as wonderful as it looks, IT IS! Soft sand, warm, turquoise colored water! It was heavenly and time stood still. I could write so much more, but will conclude now. We cannot wait to return. After 12 yrs. of being a SAHM, I've started a part-time job just so we can cruise again some day. Thanks for reading this far and if you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to try to help. P.S. Get a verandah room, it is worth it!!!! P.S.(2) Go to www.SmartCruiser.com when you purchase your cruise. They have the best deals. I got Free Trip insurance and Onboard credits with my purchase.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on September 28, 2002 from Nassau, The Bahamas
from the travel blog: The Caribbean is a Magical Place
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Great things to see

Barcelona, Spain


This was our first cruise on Princess. After having cruised on RCCL, Norwegian, Celebrity, Renaissance 14 times we were looking forward to the Golden Princess. The lines reputation is exemplary. This was our second Trans Atlantic. It was a seventeen day cruise. The first was on the Splendour of the Seas and was wonderful. Naturally we continued to compare everything on the Golden to all the other cruises we did in the past. The ship was superb. The service was first rate. We had a cabin with a balcony and that was delightful. We really enjoyed the open seating for dinner which gave us a great deal of flexibility in scheduling our activities. There was always somewhere to dance and since my wife and I dance pretty regularly we really took advantage of that opportunity. The ship was superb. The service was first rate. We had a cabin with a balcony and that was delightful. We really enjoyed the open seating for dinner which gave us a great deal of flexibility in scheduling our activities. There was always somewhere to dance and since my wife and I dance pretty regularly we really took advantage of that opportunity. The entertainment was great on all these ships, with the mix of staff singers and dancers and some guest performers. It wasn't good, it was excellent. And it's all thanks to www.SmartCruiser.com. They have great specials. You should check it out.

permalink written by  GoGoTraveler on August 30, 2002 from Barcelona, Spain
from the travel blog: A princess not to miss
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