Jenglish711

Hahahaha your face on Coco Cay... that's me anytime I'm outside in a NY summer, lol. Loving the dresses and the bikini! I love Anthem; as NYers we've been on her three times out of Bayonne in the winter. You've been on Quantum so you will have a good idea of layout and what to expect with the dining options... I do hope that you'll have much better food luck on the TA! 

Yay another CatLady live! The fashions! The glasses and accessories! The writing that makes me feel like I am there! I'm excited to follow along and I hope this cruise is nice and refreshing for you. I'm still over here thinking of your plaid dress in Alaska, haha. Enjoy! 

We had a Chill Island Cabana last March and got wristbands. The area, while not roped off, is monitored and they don't let people without wristbands enter that part of the beach. So if you are looking at a Chill Island cabana, I'd say that it's for a set group of eight specific people. I can't speak as to how the other cabana areas are run. 

I'd say it depends on what you feel is a value for you and your group. Last March we had one that we scored in a cruise planner black Friday sale. This year's (2/9) rental was over double what we spent last year but the value is still there for us, as a family of four with young children who love the beach. 

Included is (provided you've purchased food and drink packages) all the food and drink you can ask for from the cabana menu, served by your cabana attendant, towels for your party (don't need to bring them off the ship), bottled water in the table/cooler, a safe, an electric outlet for charging devices (DO bring your own plug and cord), 4 chaise lounges, a medium couch with a chaise side, and two hard, sturdy, plastic-y armchairs. Personally I think that's plenty of room for a party of 8; it's not like you'll ALL be in the cabana at the same exact time. 

Some literature states that you can ask the cabana attendant for an included speaker, which we did and was provided, but the attendant, while wonderful, seemed a but confused by the request so just in case you'd like that, recommend to bring your own. Ive attached pictures of our family's visit in March so you can get an idea of the size and seating/etc. 

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It’s not the best editing but it’ll do from a phone app lol. Thank you for taking us on your adventure! 

Hi there! We were on Anthem from NJ to the Bahamas last March with our 7 and 2 year old. All of AO, including the paid-for Royal Babies and Tots, was closed daily from 12-2 and 5-7. We did not have trouble getting a spot for our 2yo but they did close at the standard lunch and dinner times for two hours each time. As we also avoid school breaks, we were on board March 20-27, which was between winter and spring break here on Long Island and in NYC. Hopefully that's helpful to you. 🙂

following along! Have a great trip. 🙂 Can't wait for more! I can't believe chair hogs at 6:30... at least you have to admire their dedication? lol just ridiculous

7 hours ago, Merion_Mom said:

 

Google Images is your friend.  😉 

 

Yes, I'm aware, thank you. I wasn't sure how current or ship-specific the menus in the Google Images search were and figure it wouldn't hurt to ask politely. Your condescension is noted, though. 😉

Radio, if you get a chance, could you please take a picture or make note of the menu/offerings at the Vitality Cafe? If not I totally understand. Enjoy your trip! Thank you! 

Yay another Radio report! The best. Wishing you smooth seas! 

On 8/31/2022 at 9:15 AM, robmtx said:

Most NY and NJ schools starting this week or next. I know parents will easily pull their kids out of school for cruises, but I just feel like they're less likely to do so on the first day, or first week of school. That seems too important lol.

 

We actually had the Oasis cruise for this week (8/27-9/3) booked far in advance thinking my district wouldn't start before labor day... joke's on me! Had to reschedule when the district calendar was released and we started 8/31. 

I'm late to the party but yaaaay another CatLady review! I come for the writing and pictures and stay for the ~~fashion~~! I love your dresses and I LOVE that you wore Buffalo plaid to a lumberjack show lol. 

I'm originally from Seattle though now live on Long Island in NY (talk about a culture clash that took some getting used to) and I love reading about people visiting there and enjoying it so much. Going to AK is on my bucket list and I'm enjoying your touring style as I feel it's very similar to ours. 

I'm so sorry you had that terrible experience in the Solarium. I am not autistic and I feel the same way - 5 minutes late and they pull the food? And then have the audacity to get lippy with YOU?! what the what! I am comforted that MxCatLady took care of all the bs the ship tried to do to "rectify" this. 

In any case, I hope the rest of the cruise will be so fantastic it will make that a distant memory! 

55 minutes ago, death_star said:

 

The crib they have is a small narrow pack and play style,  same we had on freedom in February. Our son is 9 months old and not very high on the length percentile and he might have a couple of inches tops of clearance. I don't know what we would put him in in future cruises. 

 

Our 2.5 year old is in the 97th %ile for height and for travel for the last year and a half we've been using the Baby Bjorn/Lotus style travel crib (a perfectly good knockoff can be found here: https://*****.com/54wt9s8z). Because they are flat on the ground and the legs splay out at the bottom, they are less easy to knock over. Of course, this is if you're willing to bring your own travel crib. But we loved it. He still can't climb out or knock it over from inside if he tried, but he's just so huge when he lays in it that we have no choice to transition him to a Big Boy Bed this summer. 

31 minutes ago, lovescats5 said:

• What is the "other one" forum?  As I said, being 72 makes me a little slow but I really want to join this forum.

It's my understanding that it's against the rules to mention other forums, travel advisors, or social media sites/apps by name here. That is why many are being coy with their responses. 

Let's see - perhaps you could "zuck" it up and "book" it on over to a social media site/app where you can get some "face" time with others who like to talk about all things star class. When you get to that other place, search for a group called Royal Caribbean-Star Class Cruisers. 

Hopefully that is helpful to you. 😉

Oh my goodness I am crying happy tears at seeing you both with the animals! That is totally a bucket list item for me now. I may have missed this but was it an independent excursion or through RC? 

I recall you mentioning the towel - I'm glad it worked for you and I have to tell you it looked super appropriate with your overall style (I'm used to walking around Disney World seeing folks wearing like bright blue or yellow ones that look more utilitarian and less fashionable lol)

Sending you good ~cooling~ thoughts! I am really enjoying following along! You two are super cute; I love your skirt and their shark bowtie form a few days ago is *chef's kiss*!

In our family we do not have any special food or beverage needs/exclusions but I really hope your experiences can be helpful to others that do! 

OKAY STOP - your newest post came in as I typed this and I NEED to know where you got that dress and bikini (please say it's an underwire)! I am LOVING both of your fashion choices!

Edited to say sorry for all the exclamations. I clearly excite easily lol

9 hours ago, Don'tNeedAName said:

 

Awesome, enjoy yours too!

 

I'm not in the group, but my wife is.  Definitely seems to be some really good information available, with some... interesting... posts mixed in.

Yes, I'm particularly enjoying Mr. Beach Club Should Be Free And Always Available For Star Class 

Big OOF energy there lol

12 minutes ago, Don'tNeedAName said:

I'm glad your son enjoyed the nursery too and hope that keeps up!  Our boys have never really taken to Adventure Ocean.  The times that they went, they did enjoy it, but have stated on our latest cruises that they just didn't want to go back.  We're hopeful that as they get older, they may feel more inclined to try those activities in the future.

 

Also, your last comment is so on point--our family is now in the same position.  We thought that Star Class would be a worthy one-time experience, but not something we'd really justify the value in the long term.  Of course, now July this year we will be doing one on Oasis (Aqua 2bdr) out of NJ and then again on Oasis (excited to try out the Ultimate Panoramic, even if a bit hesitant about not having a balcony) out of Miami in March 2023.  It's addicting!

So funny; our 7yo went a few times but she's way more into crafting and they just weren't doing much of that (they were doing more organized physical games and thats just not her bag) so she stayed mostly with us. But that's a cool age for the most part - lots of pool time and she's becoming quite the trivia maven. 

And we ALSO have an Oasis trip planned in an A2! Ours isn't until next June though so the Feb one will have to tide me over, haha. We like sailing from NJ since we don't have to fly (husband is a nervous flyer). Enjoy your future cruises! are you in the [insert social media app name here] Star class group? 

Excellent write up! We were on the week before you in 10324. Raj and Agnel were our attendants as well and we ADORED them. Also loved Jacob and all CK staff. Our genie was Simona and we loved her so much that I can only hope the stars align and we get her on another cruise down the line. We felt the same way about the pools as we have a 2.5 year old in diapers, so his pool time (when you account for a midday nap he's still holding on to) was basically non existent. We ended up taking him to the nursery which he had waaaay more fun at than having to watch his older sister in the "wave" pool, haha. 

I'm glad you had a great time. It was our first Star cruise too but not our last. We just booked the Anthem Feb 4, 2023 sailing out of NJ because the KSF price couldn't be beat. We're hooked! 

Love reading about more of your adventures! Our family appreciated the outfits. My 7yo wanted your flamingo dress so I found a similar one on Amazon! lol 

We were on last week (and are in the other group) too and had a great time! We saw you a handful of times in CK; We had our two kids so tended to try to eat earlier. Love the review bc with two under 10 we didn't do much nightlife or shows haha. 

Welp here I am crying on a Sunday afternoon. LOVED the surprise! This is just about the most heartwarming thing in the world right now. Enjoy the cruise! Looking forward to updates! 

Oh I'm so excited to hear how the surprise went! Happy Cruise Day! 

Oh I'm in love with this surprise! I'm super excited to see how Sunday goes! Additionally we will be boarding as you leave so I'll be following along for that added level of excitement too! 

16 hours ago, patrioticgirl said:

Not the Jersey Shore.... this gangster bunch lived on Long Island, I believe! 😉 

 

STAAAAAHP... initials VG? Ugh how embarrassing; I swear we are not all like that! Normal Long Islanders and LI families do exist, hahaha