HangryGrl

Comparison is the the thief of joy. If you are happy with your cabin don't worry about what anyone else paid and enjoy your cruise!

I finally received the dress and have come back with an update! :)

Pros: The color of the dress is just as pictured and is stunning. It was the main reason I was drawn to the dress and I was somewhat concerned it wouldn't live up to expectations but it has!

The length of the slip dress underneath is plenty long on me. I know a few voiced concerns that it would be too short but since I am also short (5'4") I wasn't too worried. The slip dress underneath comes down to about 1-1.5 inches above my knees which I think is fine.

The dress was not at all wrinkled when I received it so I think it would pack well.

Cons: The dress is pretty but doesn't have as much shape as I was hoping. I am in the process of deciding whether I just need a

smaller size or if it just isn't suited for my body type. I have seen it referred to as athletic, banana or rectangle body type which basically means I am a straight line don't have a lot of definition anywhere (chest, waist or hips).

The dress does drop a lot of glitter wherever it goes. Another consideration to sending it back since it would need to be

packed in with other clothes.

In all it is a very pretty dress and I am on the fence at the moment whether to just return it or to try a smaller size. :)

I know someone asked where I got it so I will post the link below and hope that is not against any rules! ;)

https://www.venus.com/viewproduct.aspx?BRANCH=7~72~5825~&ProductDisplayID=37698

Thanks for the great information on the water taxis! We will be there in January and it is good to know about the differences in schedule based on what ships are in port. Can I ask if the return trips from Klein Bonaire followed the same schedule?

There is a slip liner underneath. You can see it comes to just above mid thigh on the model. Thankfully I am probably at least 4 inches shorter than she is so it should come down a few inches above my knees according to the description(measurement) on the web site.

Thanks for the responses! As someone had asked, I will be on a 9 night Southern Caribbean itinerary. We have been on Royal before but skipped formal nights. I think I will take the chance and get it. :) I agree that it is better to be over dressed than under dressed in most situations.

Hi! I am wondering if this dress will be appropriate for a formal night on Royal Caribbean or if I am going to feel way overdressed?

My husband and I actually had a great experience as vegans on Royal (Navigator). The main dining room was extremely accommodating. We picked our meals the previous evening as has been mentioned. All of the meals we had were great and they also always sent us a huge plate of steamed veggies and an few nights an additional side from the chef. We had way more food than we probably needed! I can't speak for desert as neither of us is a big sweet eater (we were always too full anyways!) but they did offer at least fruit every night. We also found plenty to eat in the windjammer for breakfasts and lunches. All of the staff went out of their way to help and asked multiple times if there was anything else they could bring us. On the flip side I would not recommend Carnival as we took a cruise with them last year and pretty much ate salad and potatoes (every preparation you can think of) for the entire cruise. I love potatoes but I couldn't stand the sight of them by the time I got home! We are back on the Navigator in January and super excited!

We cruised on Navigator 2 years ago and had a similar experience to what eeyore81 had on Explorer. The headwaiter came over each night in the MDR and went over the next night's menu with us. They always gave us a huge bowl of steamed veggies on the side as well! We had more food than we could finish most nights. Some nights we had a version of something on the regular menu and a few nights we had Indian dishes (which were delicious!). We cruised on Carnival last year and our experience was definitely different. We are back on Navigator in January and looking forward to eating something aside from salad and potatoes!

From what I have found there are no facilities (food, water, bathrooms, rentals, etc) on Klein Bonaire at all. Youl would either need to find someplace in port to rent equipment or bring your own.

This site has good information and would be worth a read before you commit.

http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/snorkeling-klein-bonaire.html

What I have found researching is that Woodwind is a guided snorkel from a boat whereas the ferry will drop you off at Klein Bonaire but then the snorkeling is a beach entry and self guided drift snorkel. There is really only 1 area to get in the water from the island (break in the reef) and then out of the water at the beach. If you do not want to walk down the beach to the entry point (1/4-1/2 mile I think someone said?) and then be in the water until you get back to the beach it is probably best to do one of the boat excursions. There are also no facilities on the island (food, water, bathrooms, shade, equipment rental) so if this is an issue the excursion again would probably be a better fit. If you are looking at Woodwind I would contact them now. Our cruise is in January 2018 and they were already completely booked when I contacted them a month ago. We have decided to try the ferry. We do have our own equipment and are experienced snorkelers so are willing to give it a go.

I would second Spring Hill Suites in Dania Beach. On our cruise 2 years ago we stayed at the Red Carpet Inn on the night before the cruise and it was a little terrifying. We had the same hotel booked for 1 night post cruise as well and cancelled it immediately! Jumped on Cruise Critic and used very trustworthy Bob's suggestion for Spring Hill Suites as an alternative.

Thanks for the replies everyone! I found that there are a couple of other options for water taxi to Klein Bonaire so I think we will take advantage of one of those! :)

Thanks for the replies everyone! I did find that there are a couple other water taxi options so I think we will take advantage of one of those. :)

There's a ferryboat to Klein Bonaire located next door to the pier. If all you need is reef to snorkel on, it's a good way to go.

Thanks! I looked into Good Returns Water Taxi that has been mentioned on these boards but their website says they are "closed until further notice". Do you remember the name of the ferry/water taxi company you used? I'd like to check their time tables and rates before going.

Thanks! I will look into those. :)

We are looking to snorkel in Bonaire and our cruise is not until January 2018 but we are already having issues finding an excursion. Woodwind is completely booked for the day we are in Bonaire, SeaCow only offers trips through the cruise line ($44/person direct through them but $75 through Royal) :rolleyes: and Good Returns Water Taxi's site says they are "closed until further notice". I have emails into Compass and Windows to the Sea for their availabliity. I am wondering if anyone has any other suggestions? We are fine doing DIY things (like taking the water taxi). We are both expereinced snorkelers, good swimmers and have our own equipment. I would also welcome any details/opinions on Compass or Windows to the Sea. I have not been able to find any specifics how long you are able to actually snorkel on either excursion. TIA!! :)

We are looking to snorkel in Bonaire and our cruise is not until January 2018 but we are already having issues finding an excursion. Woodwind is completely booked for the day we are in Bonaire, SeaCow only offers trips through the cruise line ($44/person direct through them but $75 through Royal) :rolleyes: and Good Returns Water Taxi's site says they are "closed until further notice". I have emails into Compass and Windows to the Sea for their availabliity. I am wondering if anyone has any other suggestions? We are fine doing DIY things (like taking the water taxi). We are both expereinced snorkelers, good swimmers and have our own equipment. I would also welcome any details/opinions on Compass or Windows to the Sea. I have not been able to find any specifics how long you are able to actually snorkel on either excursion. TIA!! :)

We were on Navigator last December and you had to go to guest services to pick them up. No need to rush unless you are looking for a certain day or time as they still had plenty on Day 3 and the lines were much shorter.

Shameful? To draw a parallel, the only music that I enjoy is old acoustic blues. Son House, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Blake, Tampa Red, etcetera. I understand that that I am one of a very few people who have this taste in music. I have NEVER heard the type of music that I enjoy on a cruise. My choices are (a) accept that not enough people enjoy what I enjoy and that RCI would go broke trying to make me happy (b) I could book and promote an acoustic blues cruise and hope that it would sell enough rooms to break even. Or © I could go on an internet forum complaining that RCI won't accommodate my obviously superior tastes in music. Your choices are just that, your choices. Stop expecting others to accommodate you.

Um, I'm pretty sure that you don't have to listen to music on a daily basis in order to survive but you do need to eat. Being vegan is a "life choice" but being a meat eater is as well. I'm pretty sure that if a cruise line ran out of steak on a cruise we would see all kinds of angry posts here. The OP is not asking for anything difficult or more complicated than someone who is allergic/intolerant to dairy.

OP as a fellow vegan I am sorry to hear about your struggle.

We put our applications in at the local post office (first passports) on March 13th and just received an e-mail today that they will be here Monday. :)