Where should my family go on vacation, Myrtle Beach or TN?

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Maggie M

I have access to a 2 bdr. Marriot Timeshare on the water or a beautiful cabin in the Smokey Mountains of TN. Both are similar in price $1700 for the Marriott timeshare or $1475 for the Cabin. The cabin has pool tables, flat screen tv and a pool on site, the Marriott is top notch too. I live in NY.

Answer
= They do have an Aquarium at Broadway at the Beach. They also have a Children's museum. Myrtle Beach has a newly constructed 1.2 mile boardwalk. There is plenty to do in and around MB. you have time to order some travel guides and coupon books.

Where can i buy beach balls and floaties online at a good price?

Mercedes

I wanted something like Academy but they don't do online orders. Anyone know of any other stores similar to Academy that would have this?

Answer
This is the wrong section this is snooker and pool as in pool tables not swimming pools
Try Ebay

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Can anyone recommend any specific eastern Caribbean cruise destinations & cruise lines?

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TC

My wife & I have never taken a cruise, and we're looking to take one next spring sometime. She's wanting to go to the Virgin Islands and some other eastern Caribbean destinations. Anyone have any suggestions on a particular destination and/or specific cruise line?

Answer
I have been on about 20 cruises with five different cruise lines and cruised all of the Caribbean routes and Mexico. Here's what I recommend based on my experiences.

There are two factors to consider when planning a cruise (1) what activities are on ship and the demographics of the other passengers, and (2) what port stops will be made that I will enjoy.

I have been on Norwegian, Royal Caribbean, Holland America, Celebrity and Princess. All of these are good cruise lines. Royal Caribbean cruise line has some of the best on board activities including on various ships, ice skating or roller blading, mini-golf, table tennis, rock climbing wall, basketball court and on the new Freedom class ships, Liberty, Freedom and Independence of the Seas the flowrider where you can body surf right on ship. There are always pools and hot tubs and many ship have a Solarium (a cover area) with a pool and hot tubs for adults only. This is in addition to the regular pool and hot tubs for everyone. Some ships have water slides.

All of these lines have ships have great gymnasiums with a variety of equipment. The RC's Freedom and Liberty have THE best gyms I have ever seen on ships.

You did not say where you live but you can cruise to the Caribbean from as far north as NY City. And, the Caribbean gives you many more options for itineraries, for departure ports (cruises go to the Caribbean from as far north as NY City and then all over Florida, plus New Orleans, Houston (Galveston) Texas, and Mobile, Alabama. So the Caribbean offers many more departure ports, ships, dates and options. And, for example if you want to go on the cruise lines newer ships your best bet is to go Caribbean out of Port Canaveral, Ft Lauderdale, or Miami, Florida.

The main things that you want to do is book very early and by that I mean 9 to 12 months or more in advance so that you can get the best price. All you need is a $250 to $300 deposit per person to book and hold your reservation and then you just pay it in full by 70 days beforfe the cruise. Also in the Caribbean you want to try to stay away from the hurricane season which in June through the end of October. Secondly, look for the specials that will be listed on each cruise line's web site. Let that help determine when and where to go.

There are really three basic types of itineraries for the Caribbean. Western Caribbean cruises typically go to Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Jamaica and a private cruise line island. If you go to Cozumel there is the opportunity to buy a tour to see Mayan ruins, if that's your interest. Its considered the best place to go for scuba and snorkeling. If you go to Jamaica the two main attractions are a river raft float trip (not rapids) and the Dunn's River Falls climb. If you go to Grand Cayman you will likely want to go to 7-Mile Beach or do a swim with the dolphins/stingrays tour.

Cruises to the Eastern Caribbean typically go to St Thomas, St Maarten, a private cruise line island and maybe another island like Tortola or Puerto Rico. If you want to do a lot of shopping then pick a cruise with St Thomas as one of the port stops. St Maarten is also mainly a beach and shopping stop.

Most Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises have a private island stop where the ship takes food ashore for an all day beach party with games and entertainment. All of the cruise lines have what they call their private island and you can have a great day on these islands; only ship's people on them for the day. Royal Caribbean has THE best private island I have ever been to at Labadee, Haiti. Its a huge place that has multiple beaches and many activities. RC's ships the Freedom and The Liberty which do both the Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries both have stops at Labadee.

The Southern Caribbean cruise itineraries typically start in Puerto Rico and go either to Aruba, Curacao, and St Thomas and St Maarten, OR they go to the southern Caribbean islands like Barbados, Grenada, Antigua, St Lucia and maybe St Thomas and/or St Maarten. For the most part these latter islands are very much alike but nice to see. The main difference between these two Southern Caribbean itineraries, aside from the different islands, is the Aruba cruise has two "at sea" days with no port stops, while the other has a port stop about each day.



My favorite cruise line is Royal Caribbean but you cannot go wrong with Celebrity, Princess or Holland America. If you are looking for a real budget cruise and a party ship go on Carnival. If you want to basically be informal the whole cruise go on Norwegian. Finally, while you are looking at cruises pay attention to the ship and when it was launched. The best cruises will be on the newer ship, those launched about 2000 or later. That's my experienced opinion and advice.

If all of this does not answer your questions just go to a travel agent, like an AAA or American Express office, and they will answer your questions and help you book at no cost

Which is the best all inclusive hotel to stay at in Cancun?

Chris

My 3 friends and I (4 guys) are planing on a trip to cancun in june 09. I stayed once at the cancun palace but I heard the oasis has more of a party flavor. However I read crappy reviews for Oasis. We want to stay in a decent hotel (nothing fancy) with a good party scene. Must be all inclusive though!

Answer
The deal with Oasis is this... It's the official spring break hotel of spring break year after year and everybody goes there for the partying. It's the best place to stay in Cancún for spring break, but ONLY for spring break. The reviews are right... because of being the party hotel for spring break over the years it has taken a beating. It's pretty run down from all the wild kids trashing it. The only time I recommend people stay at Oasis is during spring break other than that I wouldn't recommend it to stay. Any other time it's just a regular hotel like any other one in Cancún.
Now... the place I would recommend is a Riu hotel. There are three in Cancún... Riu Cancún, Riu Palace Las Americas, and Riu Caribe. Being that you are four single guys wanting to have fun and party I would recommend Riu Caribe. It's got a great atmosphere and it's a great hotel for guys wanting to have fun. It's about a five minute bus ride to all the popular clubs, shopping, and restaurants. They have a big beach (over 330 yrds. long) and a huge pool (125 yrds. long). Another good thing is that they have an entertainment staff called the Anamacion Team. It's their sole purpose to make sure you have a great time. During the day they do different activities such as pool/beach games. At night they put on shows and then after ward they take whomever wants to go out on the town to a different club every night. They are fun to hang with and get you into all the clubs with VIP access. Another good thing that I like about the Riu Caribe is that they have a 24 hr. sports bar. It's good because sometimes you want to come back from the clubs and contiue to party, but most hotels close their bars at 12 or 1 A.M., but not Riu Caribe... their sports bar is always open. They have sports on on all their flat screen tvs, they have a pool table, video games, internet, food, and of course they party up their and make all kinds of cool drinks. All the Rius are nice and all three are all-inclusive, but Riu Caribe is my favorite. Another good thing is that if you stay at a Riu you can go to the other ones and use the pool/beach, eat at the restaurants, hang out at the bars, etc. you just have to sleep at the one you booked. So, it's like getting three hotels for the price of one. OH... and something else you might like... they got some really cute (actually HOT is more like it... LOL) Latina girls that work there that are on the Anamacion Team. So, you will be able to party with them because they are the ones that take you out at night to all the clubs. All in all though definitely go with a Riu. I'll give you a few links to check out and see if you like it. If you have any questions about anything feel free to send me a message and I'll be able to help you out with whatever you need. Have fun and enjoy your time... Cancún is a blast!!!

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Which is the best Disney hotel for families?

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wreindl

We are 2 families with 4 kids age 8 - 14 and want to spend 1 week in Disneyworld, Orlando. We definitely want to stay in one of the Disneyworld hotels. Can you tell me which one is the best for families - I have heard some are already really old and should not be used anymore?

Answer
It depends on what you want out of your resort. First of all you made a great decision to stay on property, there is not a resort or hotel anywhere around the Disney area that can hold a candle to what the Disney resorts themselves offer in terms of service and perks. Disney takes great care of their resort guests, whether you are in the value or the deluxe.

The decor of all of the resorts is outstanding, so it just depends on what you are looking for. Each of the families is going to need 2 rooms in most of the resorts, since they will only accomodate 4 people per room. The home away from home resorts/Disney Vacation Club resorts all have suites that accomodate from 4 to up to 12 people, so that could be an option. I also believe that the All-Star value resorts are adding family suites that can accomodate 6. Lets start with the values.

There are 4 different categories of Disney resort, value, moderate, deluxe, and Vacation Club. First, the value resorts are just that. They are expertly decorated, have huge pools, a good food court, but on the downside they are inexpensive so the rooms are on the smaller side and there is not a sit down table service restaurant. However, these are excellent choices for families. My favorite in this category is the All-Star Movies resort, with Pop Century a close second.

The moderates are a bit bigger than the values. The rooms are a little bigger, and they offer a sit down table service restaurant along with the food court. There is a large themed pool, but there is also smaller pools in each section as well. There are plenty of things to do in each of these resorts besides the Disney parks as well. Keep in mind that these resorts will probably only be able to accomodate 4 per room, so you will need 2. My favorite in this category is the Caribbean Beach resort. The resort itself is very large, but we loved our stay there.

The deluxe resort are the top of the resorts in price and amenities. These are the resorts that are located around the Seven Seas Lagoon in front of the Magic Kingdom, and are all connected by the monorail system (except for the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is near the Animal Kingdom). These have so much to do, have multiple restaurants, and even have character meals (don't miss the character breakfast at Chef Mickey's in the Contemporary, regardless of where you stay! It is a favorite of ours.) My favorite in this category and my favorite overall is the Polynessian.

The Disney Vacation club resorts are the home away from home resorts. They have everything from a studio, one bedroom condo, two bedroom condo, to a grand villa (basically a townhouse that sleeps 12.) These come with a kitchenette (in the studio accomodations) or a full kitchen complete with utensils and everything you need to cook a meal. My favorite in this category is Saratoga Springs (and a close, close second to the Polynessian.)

There are a few websites you can go to and get tons more info. First, I would recommend going to the Disney website and using their resort comparison tool. You can compare the resorts in each category and decide what is going to work for you. You can even get a quote as to what your particular package will cost. Also, check out the disboards. The disboards is a message board website that is all about going to WDW. You can ask questions, get trip reports, itineraries from others guests, dining reviews, resort reviews, and tips from people who go to Disney often and know what they are talking about. Also, go to the bookstore and pick up the Birnbaum's guide to WDW. There are a ton of guide books out there, but that is the one that worked best for us.

I would also suggest that when you get your passes to the parks to at the very least add the Park Hopper option. It will add a small amount to the price of the passes, however it is worth the cost. The base ticket allows you to enter one park per day. With the park hopper you basically can come and go as you please. For example, if you were to go to the Animal Kingdom for the day, then decide you want to go back to MGM to ride Tower of Terror and catch the Fantasmic night time show (both must sees!) you would only be able to do that with the Park hopper option. It just gives you the ultimate in flexibility, which is what you want going to Disney.

Hope this helps, have a great trip!!

Looking for food and sightseeing in Birmingham, AL for an upcoming weekend trip?

xylem

Where to eat, what to do, places to have fun in and around Birmingham, AL on an upcoming weekend trip? I can find all the highly publicized places in guidebooks; I'm looking for a few insider's tips, sights and restaurants. Thanks!

Answer
Here are the newest user reviews about locations in Alabama. To read even more reviews, search for a specific city, hotel or attraction at the top of the left column on this page.
Orange Beach: Calypso Joe's: "Joe's was so-so"
Jul 22, 2007 BananaSouth, South
The atmosphere was really neat. The food was pretty good. The only problem was the service. We expected to wait for a table, that was alright. However, once we were seated, we didn't see a waitress for 15 minutes. We were pretty much forgotten about! The alcoholic drinks were $7 each. Our meals were $20 each. The whole tab came...


Huntsville: Best Western Rocket City Inn & Suites: "Overcharged"
Jul 22, 2007 suzyq6315, Florida
I was charged an additional $545.72. They charged me for another room. They did credit my card, but as you know these things do not show up for days and because of this my account was overdrawn and I had to sleep in my car for 3 nights and was unable to get to work until my boss put money...




Mobile: Cuisine of India: "Favorite Indian Restaurant in Florida Panhandle"
Jul 22, 2007 PensacolaRider, Pensacola
Modest little Indian restaurant in shopping center; minimial atmosphere, place could be cleaner, but very tasty Indian cuisine. We routinely travel 50+ miles from Pensacola to enjoy Sunday lunch here. Buffet for two, with nan, dessert and chai tea for about $20, excluding tip - it's well worth the trip. Food even better with recent new cook.


Birmingham: TownePlace Suites Birmingham Homewood: "Worst service ever!!!!!!"
Jul 22, 2007 rboz82, rboz82
Picture on Website is not fitting of this establishment. As soon as I walked in to the loobby to check-in I was unimpressed. The table and the floor were dirty, nobody was at the front desk to check me in( I waited 10 mins b4 anyone came) and there were no rooms ready(which wasnt a problem because I was early)....


Orange Beach: Tacky Jack's Tavern & Grill: "tacky jacks"
Jul 22, 2007 BigEdBirmingham, Birmingham,Alabama
Tacky Jacks is tacky,what else would you expect.But the breakfast is great and I've always had good,friendly service.The farmers omelet and a bloody mary are a great start to the day.


Gulf Shores: "family vacation"
Jul 22, 2007 GeorgiaNanabug, georgia
just got back from GS yesterday,had a very good time. we stayed at crystal shores west, very nice condo, very clean but had a very small pool much too small for a condo of this size.the beach was verry clean. the food was not as good as we usually have on vacation. please do not eat at shrimp basket it...


Orange Beach: Perdido Beach Resort: "Nice Stay"
Jul 22, 2007 brit_travel_fan, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
I attended a conference at the PBR last week (the 10th time I've stayed at the hotel in the past 15 years). The staff was friendly, as always. The food was generally outstanding, both at the catered conference events and in the cafes and Voyagers restaurant, and the prices weren't bad, especially for a beachside resort ($7 for a huge...


Decatur: Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Decatur: "Good Hotel"
Jul 21, 2007 Andrew73, Tennessee
Stayed here two separate nights last week, I just walked in and they had a room, and even gave me a gift bag for being a priority club member the first night.I was surprised at how clean the rooms were, good water pressure in the shower and I received my wake up call on time, and they had a...


Huntsville: Hampton Inn Huntsville: "ood hotel good rates"
Jul 21, 2007 Andrew73, Tennessee
Me and a co-worker just walked in on a Sat night, 21:30 covered in coal dust from working on the RR all day and they had rooms for us. And it was only 80 per room. They

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