LEMJMcC

While not visiting St. Thomas the same day, our times are the same. We'd like to do a bit of snorkeling and shopping while on the island. Any suggestions that would work in our timeframe? Thanks.

Well, it was really kind of simple. We found an access door on the same level that was not locked or barricaded and used it to access the deck. Here are a couple of pics showing how much the water in pool moved while we were in it.

They did that on Freedom, but we found a way around it...

Thanks. Both my wife and I are very active, though not marathoners by any means. We've hiked Chimney Tops and Mount LeConte (up and back in one day) recently and run a few 5Ks each year. We will use the time ahead of us to train a bit more for the hike. The only thing that concerns me at all is the temperature...hopefully in February it won't be brutally hot!

I just booked this excursion for February, 2023 with Royal Caribbean. Has anyone taken this excursion? How'd you enjoy it? Any suggestions to make it more enjoyable? Thanks.

Cruising through a storm can be a lot of fun, if you're one of the lucky ones not prone to seasickness! We were on Freedom some years ago and sailed from Cozumel back to Port Canaveral in a storm. Boy was that ship rocking and rolling...we had the pool to ourselves! We had a blast watching the waves break on the bow of the ship and send showers all the way up over it. Enjoy the ride!

Um, yes I would. I am paying A LOT for this service in the cruise fare; it's an integral part of the cruise. I most certainly want to penalize for bad (I'm talking lousy attitude kind of bad) service. Just as I would reward good service. That's what tipping is all about. No participating trophies, you have to earn your gratuity, not just show up and expect it. I recently saw a "now hiring" sign at a local eatery advertising $13/hour and tips for waiters/waitresses...horse hockey! If you're making $13/hr in the food service industry you shouldn't expect or receive tips. When I served tables, my hourly wage was reduced because it was expected that I would make up for it with tips, which I did. And don't even get me started on counter service folks asking for tips!

Thanks for responses...they help.

In general, on other days during the voyage, are reservations required for lunch as the specialty restaurants with the UDP? Thanks.

Good question. I am wondering about that myself.

Put on what works and don't advertise it.

"Since port and starboard never change, they are unambiguous references that are independent of a mariner’s orientation, and, thus, mariners use these nautical terms instead of left and right to avoid confusion. When looking forward, toward the bow of a ship, port and starboard refer to the left and right sides, respectively. In the early days of boating, before ships had rudders on their centerlines, boats were controlled using a steering oar. Most sailors were right handed, so the steering oar was placed over or through the right side of the stern. Sailors began calling the right side the steering side, which soon became "starboard" by combining two Old English words: stéor (meaning "steer") and bord (meaning "the side of a boat"). As the size of boats grew, so did the steering oar, making it much easier to tie a boat up to a dock on the side opposite the oar. This side became known as larboard, or "the loading side." Over time, larboard—too easily confused with starboard—was replaced with port. After all, this was the side that faced the port, allowing supplies to be ported aboard by porters." -NOAA Article

What happens if you're not able to book all the restaurants you wish or if all the slots fill up? Do you get a refund on the UDP?

Kind of like "gratuities" are in name only when they are automatically included.

We liked 150 Central Park on Oasis. Chops on Freedom was okay, but not too memorable.

To jump in, is CK included in the UDP?

My Garmin Fenix wrist watch gives me the sunrise time for each day. I can set its alarm based on that time so I awake before sunrise...works pretty slick, but it's probably not the cheapest solution...I wonder, do cruise ships offer wake-up calls?

Me too.

I am thrilled, the wife not so much. She tends to be more of a worrywart though.

We caught the episode on the MSC Seaside, I think it was. Yes, it is amazing what they accomplish in one day. I kind of wish they would spread the turnaround out over two days, unload one day then take a bit more time to clean, do maintenance, and restock before boarding again the next. But I understand that that would be costly for the lines. Cool show though.

It's Friday afternoon and I need a little diversion so I'll add to this thread. I prepaid the so-called gratuities, which is a gross misnomer, just so I wouldn't have to "tip" anyone while on board; I hate having to carry around a bunch of nickels and dimes. With that stated, if our cabin steward or stewardess does an exceptional job, I will likely make small emoluments to supplement the aforementioned "gratuities" in the form of eloquent and quaint sayings handwritten on the back of a paper coasters and left on the pillow or bathroom floor. Don't you judge me...

We booked a private van with Courtney Taylor tours back in 2016. He took us to Blue Hole and Dunn's River Falls. If you're at all adventurous, I'd highly recommend both. DRF is a developed park, while Blue Hole is undeveloped, at least it was when we were there. My wife and I both thoroughly enjoyed both. I would recommend Courtney Taylor Tours, if he's still in business. Be prepared to travel a ways from Falmouth to get to both of these destinations. Even after stopping at a locals' favorite restaurant for some legit Jamaican food, we still had some time back at port to do a bit of shopping... First pic is Blue Hole, second is DRF, third is a late late lunch...

You make a good point about the Coastal Kitchen, and that also reminded me that WOTS has the Solarium Bistro, I think. Those two dining options were good on Oasis. Still, I'm thinking this one time to try the UDP.

We're booked on WOTS for February 2023 and have purchased the unlimited dining plan. For those who've been on the ship and have experienced both the included dining and specialty dining, would you recommend sticking with the UDP or save some money and purchase the 3-night package? Part of me wants to try the other venues, but the Scottish half of me wants to save some cash... Thanks for your opinions and suggestions...

I've never experienced the midnight dessert buffet, only heard of its legend...that would be really nice!