Bellyflopchamp

Great review. Sounds like you had a great time.

 

Thanks for the tip about checking show resevations. I have gone in but didn't check the times carefully. Will do so, especially as we get closer to our cruise.

 

I do wonder about those showers...how hard it'll be to help my little one shower without soaking up the whole washroom. :D

We were on this cruise as well and have pretty much the same opinion. I was also going to suggest that next time you put a washcloth over the soap holder. It worked great for us. I am 6/2 and weigh over 300 lbs so I know just how tight the bathroom is.

We also brought our toddler and she loved the shower. She would just go in there and hide for a while. My wife had trouble showering with her in there, but we were able to give her a shower by herself just fine. We also brought a small inflatable tub and used that on a couple of the nights.

So I promised to report back. We ended up doing the private sail through Independance44. I have absolutely no complaints. Both Pat and Andy were great. In fact, Pat and her husband built the sailboat years ago lived on it with their 2 children for over 20 years. She is fully aware of what dangers there are and how to avoid them. She did give us a safety briefing befoehand as well.

Our daughter did great on the boat. We did not let her run around, but Andy made sure that she had whatever she needed.

Now I am not saying that all toddlers would be great on this. Ours was content sitting on our laps for most of it. We also let her stand by the side of the boat to look at the water and "bubbles" going by while we held on to her life vest.

They also took us to snorkel and they had a floaty thing that she could sit on and we were able to drag her along with us. Again, this might not be true for another toddler. Our daughter loves the water. Completely loves it and she was fine with being passed up down into the water to me.

On the way back from snorkeling they gave us some good snacks then we went up front and our daughter passed out for the hour long sail back. It was actually one of the more relaxing parts of our entire cruise and I would recommend it to anyone that thinks their toddler would be ok doing it. Also since the boat is yours for the day you can do whatever it is you like. So if you wanted to swim more they could do that, or if you just want to sail they would do that as well.

If anyone has any questions I'd be glad to answer them all.

On top of what LuCruise stated I believe that there is also a play area on the boardwalk for kids to run around in and climb in. I am actually going to be on her in a few days. If you have anything you want me to look up for you let me know and I'll post back here when I return.

Yeah. We plan on going to the nursery as soon as we board. As for the shows we are only bringing her to the ice show. All of the others are too late at night. We might try to bring her to the diving show but it depends on if we can get into the 7:30 show. Also we will probably bring her to most of the dream works stuff as she is now obsessed with Kung Fu Panda.

We are going to Nassau, St. Thomas, and St. Maarten. We are doing my time dining but I made reservations for 5:45 most nights. I will let you know about the shows nursery and toy lending program.

Hey everyone. I figured since I have found a lot of good advice on these boards figured I'd pay it forward a bit. We are going to be traveling on the Allure next week and we will have our 20 month old daughter with us. I wanted to reach out to you all here to see if there are any questions that you would like me to find the answer for when we are on board, or doing any excursions.

I am onboard the following week (11/15).

I have a request. If someone on the 11/6 or 11/8 cruise could post what the menu(s) is/are at 150 Central Park at your earliest convenience, I would greatly appreciate it.

there are two live reviews of the trans atlantic crossing going on right now. You are better off asking on there. You will be boarding when the folks on the 11/8 sailing are leaving so unless they have internet on the ship they wont be of much help.

As per your recommendation I started search for Organic Valley and Horizon milk in Fort Lauderdale grocery stores and they don’t have it. I am specifically looking for the milk that doesn’t need to be stored in the fridge, so called shelf milk and I was told that brands above sell them in 8 fl cartons, it basically looks like a juice box with a straw but it’s milk. I need it to take on a cruise with me for my baby to have on the islands and I was told that it’s widely available in Fort Lauderdale. I checked Walmart and it’s out of stock in all stores within the areas. I called Publix and they sell it only in half a gallon size which is very inconvenient for me. Does anybody know where to buy this size of a milk in Fort Lauderdale?? Thanks a lot.

If you cant find it anywhere in FLL you could always either order through Amazon and have it shipped to your hotel, or you could alternatively buy a small cooler (think lunch box sized) and put regular milk in there with a bunch of ice. That will keep the milk cold enough and you could always get more ice from any bar/restaurant that you go to on the island.

Hey all,

 

Since you were all so helpful for my last cruise on the Adventure, thought I'd start a thread for my next cruise in 20 days on Allure.

 

OK here we go:

 

1. What shore excursions would you guys recommend for St. Thomas?

2. Does RCCL have any excursions on the Dutch side of St. Maarten? If so, what is recommended? (Don't want to do the French side, did that last year. No Maho beach, did that last year too.)

3. Does Atlantis Paradise Island charge a fee to walk around the resort? (Don't want to do any excursions there.)

4. Is the Straw Market close to the ship in Nassau?

5. How soon does the elusive "upgrade fairy" come? Does Royal only upgrade within a category (i.e. Central Park to Boardwalk)?

6. If Mamma Mia is booked as a late show (9:30) and our dinner is at 8:30, can we still be admitted into the show if we have tickets and are a few minutes late?

7. Is a 10:58 AM flight too early to leave from FLL?

8. How much are transfers from FLL to the port via RCCL? How much is a cab ride?

9. Can you use OBC in Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Coach?

10. Are selfie-sticks banned? (I can't believe I just caved and asked a question about a selfie-stick :))

 

There's probably more questions coming.

 

Thanks again everyone!!

Many have already answered these questions, but I wanted to invite you over to our roll call. we have been pretty active and there are some seasoned cruisers on there that could probably also answer most of your questions.

Thank you!

I read your other thread that got locked in the other forum and you can tell not many had experience with small children. Our girls are 4,3 and the newest 1. Cruising with the older girls when they were 1 and 2, we've done the back to back graco, the double city mini side by side, 2 single umbrellas then umbrellas attached to each other. I have to tell you that look out for the best interest of yourself, not other cruisers. The umbrellas were the worst of the options because the children can't get comfortable in them and wouldn't fall asleep in them as they do not lay back. Plus the impact of hitting someone's foot is makes your child bounce more than a larger stroller. The double umbrella is even worse. The tandem wasn't bad. Yes it is large, yes it takes up a lot of space and no it didn' fit through the door so you have to unload the kids and put them in the cabin, then fold it up in the hallway and bring it into your room. This also goes for the double city mini which I think is your best option. lays back, full cover to make it darker and provide a barrier from lighting and loud music, also easy to navigate. yes takes up room, but people see it coming and also provides storage space for things you need to take with you. We've been on 5 cruises with our big girls and next week will be the first with all 3.

 

leave the car seats behind! not needed at all

Yeah, that other thread escalated quickly. I love the opinions of some people, especially those who have obviously never traveled with kids. I love the ones that just say you should always leave the kids at home.

Anyway since you do obviously have experience, how did you get your kiddos from the airport to the hotel/port, or did you drive to port in your own car? We are planning on getting a cheaper one or borrowing from a family member. We were figuring we would need one to get from the airport to the hotel then from the hotel to the port and port to airport. I know thats a lot of ports in there. Unfortunately our hotel doesnt have a shuttle.

I know that the website says that it is 2.5 hours but when we scheduled it we are seeing that it runs from 6-9:15. We have also seen that it is 2 hours 20 minutes with a 15 minute intermission. Anyone that has seen it recently can you let me know? Thanks.

We went a few years ago. It was a good time. They had 3 different drinks all in the style of speakeasy drinks. I think one was similar to a Long Island iced tea but without a lot of alcohol. I didn't find the drinks very strong which if you think about it it is in style for the era.

The party itself was fun. They had some jazz. Had some staff walking around getting you up and moving. There are a few surprises in it too. I would recommend it especially if you don't have the beverage package. Most everyone dressed up which was easy as it was on the second formal night.

Yes, definitely a good one. I will take cream against the rush. Humidity and all that will definitely affect it. I am from Alberta and will definitely visit Walmart for disposable bottles.

 

What else from medicine I need to take. Like something against stomach bug, or fever?

Bring Benadryl. It will help with sea sickness. We are going on the Allure in a month with our 20 month old. We plan to bring just about all meds for her. Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Benadryl, Butt Paste, Gas X, and potentially Gripe Water. The gripe water has ginger in it which will also help with sea sickness.

You might want to bring some beach toys as well. You could probably find those easily near the port before departure.

I also didnt see you list a bathing suit and swim diapers. You will want at least 2 bathing suits. We plan on bringing 2 and they both have long sleeved rash guards.

I would say that if you need to remove items that you have packed because you need them, it is too early. However, if you dont need it, then why not pack it.

Thanks for the replies. Always very helpful when you've never been on the ship before. :)

 

The Amber theatre one is for Blue Planet. Normally for a show I like to sit up close, but I've heard that one is better in the balcony so you are not straining your neck. Good tip...so we'll just walk to the other end first and then down to the dinner level (I guess at Blue Planet we'll be deck 4 or 5).

 

We booked a 5pm show for Mamma Mia (instead of Chicago). Not sure yet if we'll have dinner in the MDR that night or grab a snack before and something small afterwards. We're coming with kids (10.5 and 6.5 years), so eating a full dinner at 8pm may not work so well.

 

Anyone know about the sail away parade?

I will be on the Allure in a month. I can report back as to when it was it you want. I am on an Eastern route so not sure if it is the same as yours or not. I assume that they would be the same either way.

I haven't gone on the Allure with my toddler yet, but she will also be 20 months old when we go in November. She is not potty trained yet.

From the info that I have found online it sounds very similar to what the previous poster said about the Disney ship.

There is a nursery that is open until about midnight. It is for a fee, which is $6/hr until like 5pm I think and then it is $8/hr.

They also do a toy exchange where you can grab a bag of toys for your toddler and change them up throughout the cruise. In addition they also have an area that you can go into and let them run around. I believe they might also have play date type things where you can stay with them and do certain activities.

There is a baby splash area for non-potty trained kids. Kids without swim diapers that are potty trained also have a splash area that next to the baby area.

If you can afford a Junior Suite there will be a tub as well as a curtain I believe to separate the spaces. Some of the other rooms also have a curtain already. I am not sure if those are just the rooms that are made for more than 2 people or not. You can probably ask that over on the RCI boards.

The Allure also does the Dreamworks stuff. There will be characters from Shrek, Madagascar, How to Train Your Dragon, and Kung Fu Panda around frequently. They also will have 2 parades (First night and last night I believe) with all the characters.

To me it sounds pretty similar. We opted for the Allure because it was a lot cheaper. We are also taking my mother with us so we got 2 balcony rooms and we will have a sitter when we need it.

We are going to be on the Allure in a few weeks with my daughter. She will be 20 months old and is walking already so it is a little bit of a different situation. I would say you should bring your tandom stroller. We are bringing our regular stroller instead of an umbrella one mainly because I really can't use our umbrella one as it is too short for me. I am sure that you could use it to bring the kids to the dining room and then just "check" it with the hostess when you get there. I am sure that they have some place they can store it for you.

We also plan on bringing a car seat, but mostly for the trip to the hotel and then the port prior to embarkation. We probably wont really use it much on the cruise itself as we have also planned family friendly excursions.

Also if you have any questions let me know. I am sailing in November so I'll be on shortly before you. I will gladly look into anything you want me to. I'll also let you know about the stroller storage if you want.

We felt comfortable booking after the CEO (then Fain)made this statement to the media

 

The cruise line usually offers discounted fares on trips booked anywhere from a week to a month ahead of the ship setting sail. The program was enacted to help fill ships that are under capacity but reportedly upset customers who booked travel early and were unable to qualify to for the discounted rates. Fain also said the deals “confuse travel agents” and “undermine the company’s brand image.”

 

"As a result in March we adopted a new policy that we would not do any last minute discounts on bookings in North America. Depending on the type of cruise, that last minute may be 10, 20 or 30 days out, but from that point on we will hold our price at the prior level,” Fain continued.

I had missed the part i put in red when i first read his statement. When you really read it he never said they will not drop prices at all after final payment. They just were not going to offer the last minute deals that they used to in the days/weeks leading up to a sailing.

While I understand your frustration, at this point I would not even bother looking at the pricing of your cruise unless you are looking to maybe upgrade to a higher class cabin. I do hope that you were comfortable with what you paid originally. I know the extra money off would be great, but I am sure that you will still have an awesome vacation.

Some lines have family staterooms. Those might be able to hold 5 people. I know with RCI they do not list these online, you need to call for pricing. I assume they are a bit more expensive than a normal size cabin, but they do have them in most categories so you could see what the price is for an Family Interior cabin. The nice thing about these from what I have seen is they are much larger than the normal cabin in the same category.

I am not familiar with the kids sail free promotions, but I always was under the impression that those are more for 3rd/4th passengers in the same cabin rather than you can give the kids their own free cabin. I could be wrong on that one.

I'm not sure your math is correct. $350pp or $50 per day is about 4.5 drinks at the $11/drink price. I have never cruised with NCL and haven't looked into their packages so i am not familiar with them, but i would think that if they include most alcohol along with bottled water and soda you would easily go over the $50pp/day. Also not sure on how much the thrid person rate is, but if it is less than $700 you probably made the right choice.

Another "benefit" of the package is you wont have sticker shock at the end of the cruise after realizing that those pre/after dinner drinks add up quick. It helps with budgeting. It will also allow you to be a little more adventurous in your drinking, meaning you will probably be more apt to try something new because if you dont like it, at least you didnt "pay" for it.

We have just booked our first cruise 2 weeks ago but now the price has gone down and they are offering on board spends. Just wondered if there was anything we can do. Wishful thinking :)

It varies by line and also where you book. The US bookings allow you to switch to a lower price without losing your deposit. I hear that the EU books are a little more strict. Plus a lot of times the better deals will also only apply to new bookings. Your best bet it to either call your TA up or call the line directly and speak to them.

Now for a few more general questions for our time on board: :D

Are sandals for men acceptable in MDR? (with long trousers and shirt of course) I never know what shoes to wear with linen trousers lol

You can probably wear sandals. If you are worried about it I think a pair of boat shoes would look fine with linen trousers.

Is just a shirt ok for smart casual nights, or do I need a tie and/ or jacket?

On my last cruise (Allure of the Seas) there was only casual and Formal dress sugggested. Never any smart casual. You will be fine wearing jeans and a polo or button down shirt. If you didnt want to you could eat in the buffet too and wear shorts and a t-shirt.

Do the speciality restaurants tend to get booked up early, or can we wait until we are on board?

You should be able to book these on board, but as someone else stated if you have a special night you might want to book that before to guarantee that you get the night you want.

How close to the cruise would I expect to be able to view the entertainment schedule?

For Royal Caribbean it is right around the 90 day mark. My upcoming one released a show here and a show there but they were all available around 85 days out. You could also see what shows there are on the ship by going to the website. You just won't see the times.

Are extension leads allowed on board? (saves having to bring lots of travel plugs over with us:D)

I haven't tried but have heard people having good luck bring an extension cord. I have also heard them confiscating surge protectors.

I have read in other posts that on the morning you arrive back in home port (Ft Lauderdale for us) they like to get the ship cleared ASAP (which I can appreciate). We plan to spend two nights in South Beach, Miami, just to round off our holiday (this will be my first time in the US, so am looking forward to this part as much as the cruise). My concern is that we would be off the ship by mid morning at the latest and we won't be able to check into our Miami hotel until 2pm at the earliest, potentially 5 hours to kill. I am aware that Royal Caribbean do some excursions, to the Everglades for instance, but they all seem to end at either MIA or Ft Lauderdale airport.

I have visions of us all wandering around Miami with our case waiting to be allowed into the hotel :eek:

You could go to the hotel to drop you bags off with the bel hop or concierge. They will give you a tag and you can have them bring it to your room after you check in. I wouldnt worry too much about it.

Most of all have fun on your cruise. The Southern Caribbean is one that I really want to do. A lot of islands that all look awesome.

Thanks Clarea. Someone on our roll call has suggested it but we didn't know how to organise one. Does it start or finish in a bar? Are drinks involved in each cabin?

I am organizing ours. We plan on starting after the Meet and Mingle. We have a good amount of people so we will be breaking into groups with the first group being those who will be showing cabins. Once they get to theirs they stay until I pick them up in the last group to continue with the rest of the cabins.

Sometimes if you have someone who is willing to show their suite they might have drinks and some small things to eat, but that is by no means a guarantee. It would be up to the people showing their rooms if they want to have anything special to give out.

You could easily start and end at a bar if you wanted to. We chose the meet and mingle as all of us are signed up for it so it is a good central place to meet.

I just checked to see what the price would be for 2 of us and it actually went down from what it was a few weeks ago when I added it in my cart. Was $808 for the 7 nights now $798.