Oceansaway17

yes I agree. I did 6 RCI cruises this year and each one ha various small differences and or issues. Overall I do not cruise for the food as on land there are many excellent restaurants. But when on any ship, I feel that there will always be salad options, and veggies as well as usually great bread. Sometimes the main entree can be off in flavor or temp, so just tell the waiter.

the best recent sale was in late Nov on a Monday where all deposits were only a dollar. they do this twice a year. Honestly if you see a room you like, put a deposit down and then if price goes down, call for an adjustment.

yes I have done this and also keep in the box and perhaps put in a large plastic bag as well.

i guess they could blame it on supply chain issues or the fact that folks are stealing. I actually bring my own bright orange and pink towel from home.

it is the details that make a difference between a good ship and a great ship. and yes sometimes the way things are displayed in the buffet have me shaking my head.

I for one am glad they give you an option. I am not an alcoholic drinker nor do I wish to use WIFI internet. Just want the ship, food, shows, and islands.

now if I did not know this was a HAL thread I would swear you are describing a Carnival ship. guessing the image of HAL needs to be spread around more as a lot of folks think it is a quiet older crowd with nothing to do after 10pm. Still I hope HAL tries to separate the noise from the various venues so those who like classical music can enjoy too.

sounds like a nice list to me. Good to expose the 10 year old to a variety of things. really is a lot to do on Oasis class ship including the Merri-go-round too

wow sorry to hear about issues with Ovation. I am due to sail in the region in a year and hoping no issues. these big girl ships do get propulsion issues at times.

i meant to say PEEK a boo bridge. oopsie

curious if the captain is Capt Rob H who was the take out captain when the ship was new? also how was the temperature of the Oasis pool in Dec?

so how did the Wonder go for you in prep for WC on serenade? I was surprised you did not post photos of dedication ceremony. Have you prepared your cute doggie for the WC and whatever leg you are on?

wow this is the most interesting question I have seen lately. perhaps ask for a supervisor on the first day and have a chat. Or bring you own from home.

yes I am well aware of how loudly folks feel embolden in the name of having a good time. yup. I can have a good time stomping and banging around their rooms at 6am when then are trying to sleep in or phone and hang up. But then I would be lowering myself to their level. This thread is about 1am curfew and me thinks it is too late especially if ship docks at 7am and folks have excursions thereby needing good rest and time to fight the breakfast crowd too. One can have fun on a ship but be considerate and quiet.

I think folks who do several 7 days cruises deserve more points than say those who do several 3 day. It should be about NIGHTs. It is what RCI does. Just seems to not make sense and no encouragement to book a longer cruise.

the only good thing is most likely very low chance of any hurricanes in Dec from TX. still I feel bad for folks but every cruise line it seems has delays on early sailings of a new ship.

the only time I do not cruise is Mid-Dec to Late-March because of possible delays with snow as I live in Pa. best time for Alaska is May-June because still now in mountains, best time for East Coast Canada and N Eng is Sept-Oct (pray for no hurricanes) best time for UK and Norway is July-Sept with longer days and a bit warmer Best time for Med is Spring and Fall but not HOT summer. Best time for Caribbean is IMHO April-May or Nov then again, the best time is whatever your lifestyle and budget can handle. And do go to city of departure the day before unless you are within driving distance.

thanks for the chuckle on your very important question. some cruise lines have soft ice cream outside near pool and regular ice cream in buffet area. And on RCI they have ice cream in promenade as well (sorry I know this is CCL) just want to mention.

oh I meant to say first cruise in 2023. but my first cruise was on Oceanic and I got to tour the engine room back in 1977 with my dad. Still wishing you a good 2023

yes I agree with you. I did enjoy Pompeii though, but I have heard that Athen is so full of a lot of ruins than after a while it gets boring. I mean a ruin is a ruin and I quick look and I am done. speaking of Dubrovnik, I just cancelled my NCL trip was they are not going there. I have heard som many folks say that this is a do not miss port. Look for a comprehensive tour that would give you a lot of things with a nice guide.

enjoying your posts with nice photos. You two just have so much fun. May 2024 have nice adventures for you as well. My first cruise will be on the Beyond in April. Can't wait.

one hint I have learned is to do screen prints at the time of booking if you do your own. sometimes the cruise line won't send a receipt with details or pdf. Then take a piece of paper 4 x 6 or so and write down detail of booking, then have section for TO DO like air and hotel. Tack the paper to bulletin board or on refrigerator. I also mark my wall calendar with dates of final payment and I back it up 5-7 days. Also when budgeting for shore excursions and air or hotel, add additional 15% when done. Make sure you take small bills for tips and incidentals too. Lastly have and piece of paper with handwritten or typed of all the sections with reservation numbers as well as phone numbers for airline, hotel, etc. It too create folders on computer for each trip

thanks very much for being a proud Brit who wears a shirt with USA on it. It was in Madeira in 2019 on Celebrity Silhoutte

it is called the pee a boo bridge and it is in front of the spa. Not really advertised a lot but once you find it, it is fun. Have to be outside and take a few steps to get to the lookout. sometimes it can be closed. Was closed a lot on my recent Adventure of the seas. I did enjoy it on Explore though back in 2016

aw but SOS has the best ice show. the show opens with lots of drones hovering over the ice.