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Just visited Brandon's Beach on 9/20 it was so peaceful and amazing. We got several dirty looks from the cab drivers in the port. They kept trying to talk us into going to one of the beach clubs on Carlisle bay. They finally moved us to a cab without AC. Finally after 20 minutes they took us to Brandon's Beach. Walk outside of the port and catch a cab. Our cab driver on the way back confirmed that the taxis in port get kick backs from the Carlisle Bay resorts.

On 8/27/2019 at 8:51 PM, sandebeach said:

Key West would definitely be a great port!

Can you imagine trying to get Symphony into Key West.

The kids will be bored with 10 nights on Vision. My kids after 4 nights, told us that they would much rather sail on a bigger ship. Comparing the two ships is like comparing an apple to an armadillo.

On 7/26/2019 at 10:01 PM, papaflamingo said:

I'm curious, what profession are you in? 

Probably not in a field that requires proper grammar.

Take all of the negative reviews in stride. I remember Adventure having many similar negative reviews while she was sailing out of Puerto Rico. It may just be a different experience for some so they look for the negative.

They announced that the money they were spending on the licensing with DreamWorks would be allocated to AMP refurbishments. So there won't be anything new in the short term.

He pulled up a chair by our family in the Windjammer for breakfast. He was totally interested in how our cruise was going. The Bon Jovi cover songs were awesome. I don't think I can tell you another captains name. But I will always remember Marek Slaby.

The OP should be off the ship now. I am curious about the compensation she received. Hopefully a few more days of relaxation and she realized how trivial this was compared to her reaction.

1. I sense bitterness in the OP's post from have the original cruise on Oasis being cancelled and being put in a boardwalk room.

2. I bet it was a fantastic cruise if the crew received 99% on their evaluation.

3. How hard would it have been to find another quiet location on the ship for a few hours?

4. I hope I never reach a point in life where I am as bitter as the OP.

Raise your hand if you also checked for replies everyday for 2 months and then finally lost hope. I am so happy that you came back and finished the review.

Depending on the ship you can get a really large balcony on an aft facing cabin for little or no extra cost. It is well worth a little extra vibration.

Vision has mostly been doing 4 or 5 while in the US lately. We enjoyed having the option between 630 & 830 shows while we sailed on her. We did my time dining so it was easy to be flexible.

I bet you could get to Mr. Sanchos by 1 if you are docking at one of the two piers on the South. The crowds from the other ships will likely start to leave by 2. It could be a really relaxing four hours. I would probably make the decision once docked and I knew I could get there by around 1PM.

Thanks so much. We are considering going there in May and were going to hesitantly do the beach pass plus buffet. Did you happen to have a picture of the menu for a la carte? I'd much rather that.

Sorry I didn't think of that. Maybe try a google search for it.

Thanks for the detailed information!

 

We are thinking about going with our kids when were in Cozumel later this year. I read somewhere that Playa Mia was requiring everyone to wear lifejackets. Was that the case for you?

 

I ask because my 13 & 15 year olds are competitive swimmers with lots of open water swimming experience and I know they will be super frustrated if they are forced to wear lifejackets.

 

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I am pretty sure the life jackets are part of their liability insurance for the inflatables. That is the only place the life jackets are required. The fake mayan ruin snorkeling area is further into the ocean than the inflatables and you are not required to wear life jackets while snorkeling. It really wasn't a big deal for my teenagers. They are also avid swimmers.

We recently returned from a great experience at Playa Mia. I have read some reviews from disappointed guests. So I looked for common things in the reviews and the most prevalent things I read was about the quality of the food from the buffet and watered down drinks.

The cost from the cruise line was $80 per person for the inclusive package that includes the buffet and drinks. It also includes towel and umbrella service and bus transportation to Playa Mia.

Tip #1 Make Sure Playa Mia is a Good Fit for Your Group

Playa Mia is a good fit for those who have children or teens. Or for couples that want a mix of relaxation and fun physical activities. If you are a couple that wants a peaceful beach experience with food and drink I would recommend Nachi Cocum or Mr. Sanchos instead.

Tip #2 Take a Taxi

The taxi line was about a 5 - 10 minute walk from the International Pier. The taxi rates are set depending on where you are going and the type of vehicle you need. We were a group of 7 so we were placed in a 12 passenger van. The rate each way for the 12 passenger van was $34 each way. Our ship was the first to dock that day. So by taking a taxi we were one of the first groups to arrive at Playa Mia. This meant first choice of loungers. The second row of loungers gets some great shade from the palm trees. Once the buses from the cruise ships arrived, the loungers filled rather quickly. The cruise buses started boarding an hour before we left the resort. You get about 1 - 2 extra hours of beach time by taking the taxi. The main draw back with taking the taxi is that we were dropped off at the shopping plaza behind the Hard Rock Cafe even though we asked to go to the Pier. It was an additional 5 minute walk to the Pier through a complex of pushy sales people. Total Taxi Cost: $68

Tip #3 Buy Food and Drink Ala Carte

When you arrive at Playa Mia you will notice some of the bars are open bars and some are cash bars. The open bars are for those with the all-inclusive wrist bands. You will notice that the liquor quality is much better at the cash bars and there was never a wait at the cash bar. At the bar, I asked for a food menu and they sent a server to my table immediately. The lunch items were around $10-$12 each. The portions were huge and it included traditional Mexican food. The items were served hot and only took about 15 minutes from the time of ordering. Most of the buffet items were American like hot dogs and chicken strips. The food was great and service was friendly. The cash bar on the beach has it's own taco menu. The octopus tacos were uniquely awesome. Total Cost for Food & Drink: $160

Tip #4 Plan Activities based on Crowds and Energy Level

We purchased the day pass for $30 per person. This allowed us to use the all of the pools, water slides, inflatables and water bikes/kayaks. The line for the water bikes and kayaks was pretty long most of the day. I would recommend doing this activity first if you arrive early. I would recommend doing the inflatables while you have lots of energy. The swim out to the inflatable course is MUCH further than it looks. There are a few resting buoys on your way out there. I recommend using them. Climbing on the inflatables expends lots of energy. Remember that you have a long swim on the way back. There is divider ropes on each side of the inflatable area that you can pull yourself along, but it has lots of nasty stuff growing on it. The inflatables are fun but they are a work out. The fake Mayan ruin snorkel area is even further out than the inflatable zone. To me it wasn't worth the swim to see a few fish. The snorkel gear rental is an extra expense, but we brought our own. The water slides were fun and our 8 year old loved the kid pirate area. The pool next to the kid area was closed half way through the day to a kid pooping the pool. We felt like there was so much to do at Playa Mia and it was a good value for the price. Total Cost of Beach Park Passes: $210

Towel and umbrella rentals are $8 but you get half of your money back when you return the towels and umbrellas. Total Towel and Umbrella Cost: $36

Cost if we would have booked through the Cruise Excursions: $560

Cost of doing it ourselves: $474

Conclusion

We saved $86 by doing it ourselves. But, we are not huge drinkers so someone that orders more than a few drinks will spend more. I feel like the food quality is better when you don't order the buffet. The biggest savings to us was the extra time we had to spend at the park by taking the taxi. We still made it to the ship 90 minutes before the all aboard time. I feel like Cozumel and Playa Mia are a safe bet to plan an excursion on your own. If we return to Cozumel with our children we will go to Playa Mia again. Next time we are in Cozumel as a couple we will choose Nachi or Sanchos.

524 till we sail on Freedom.

The seas have been fairly calm on this sailing. My wife has had no issues at all with sea sickness. She is taking motion sickness medicine and it is working well. She has had such a good time that we just booked that Southern Itinerary on Freedom next year at the next cruise desk. When booking at the next cruise desk, pull up the same cabin on your phone to make sure it is in fact the lowest price. I found the same cruise and cabin for $100 cheaper. So she adjusted the price and we booked on the spot. So thanks for the positive wishes.

Captian Marek lives up to the hype!

Anytime you see a favorite captians thread, you see multiple people raving about captian Marek. Add us to the list. On day two he came he pulled up a small table next to my family and had breakfast with us. He talked about how much he has loved Texas and the people here and how much he was going to miss Texas. You see him all over the ship intetacting with guests. He genuinely cares about the guest experience and it shows. Last night he performed a couple of Bon Jovi songs and came out wearing cowboy boots that a guest had given him, jeans and a ball cap.

So the drive from DFW to Galveston was not one I would recommend unless you are really saving some money.

We got Galveston about 6 PM. The Homewood Suites was new, beautiful and right across from the beach. The front desk was a little disorganized. Probably from it being so new. I wanted go somewhere with good local seafood. A few locals recommended Bennos. The crawfish were amazing and tasted fresh. The gumbo was also good. The fried food was a little over cooked.

Embarkation was fast and very efficient. There was not much waiting in line. Just after 11 we were on the ship and ready for some fun.

The food has been much better than I expected. Last night my wife and I ate in the MDR while the kids went to the Windjammer. They messaged me and said that the Jammer had lots of seafood. Sure enough there was a nice spread of shrimp, scallops, mussells and salmon. Plus they were serving the same lamb shanks and roast turkey that were being served in the MDR.

The teens had a pretty good time doing the get to know you games. The 8 year old had a blast at adventure ocean and begged to stay for an extra hour at the late night rate of $7. There is over 400 kids on this sailing. Spring breakers from Michigan, Minnesota and a bunch from Louisiana. There is very few college aged spring breakers.

Today we scheduled to do the sushi making class and hopefully lots of fun at sea. The ship is in great condition for being 20 years old. I just ran a speed test from our stateroom on deck 4. We are getting 2.7 download and 1.7 up. I have had no problem with the VOOM internet so far.

Yes $3500 for the entire trip for 5 people. I was able to get round trip airfare to DFW for $230.

After many years of trying, I am finally getting my family on a cruise. I grew up with a travel agent father and cruised frequently growing up. I talked my wife into going on a Carnival cruise (Paradise if I remember right) in late November 2004. It was the first time we had left our 1 year old daughter. It was cold with rough seas and I had an extremely sea sick wife that was missing her baby.

We are Dave Ramsey followers so we stick to our vacation budget pretty tightly. I probably belong in the same group as cheapo dad and Mr Thin wallet. Usually the Spring break budget is $3000 max and it usually means driving to Las Vegas or Southern California to get a little sun.

About six months ago I found a 4 night cruise on Vision that would cost $75 per person per day with the kids sail free for our 8 year old. I asked my wife if we could bump the budget to $3500 and she agreed. Then she found out it was a cruise. Not as excited now and wishing she didnt give me that extra 500. But the kids were super excited when I told them it was on Royal Caribbean. They told me about how their friends have sailed Royal and loved the flowrider and waterslides etc..... Then I had to tell them it was one of the older ships without the bells and whistles. They still are excited.

So airfare to either Houston airport was going to be $700 per person. That alone would chew up the entire budget. We are flying into DFW, renting a car with points and driving the nearly 5 hours to Galveston. We are staying at the new Homewood Suites and boarding Vision of the Seas Monday April 2nd.

I am hoping the teens stay busy and have fun. I am hoping for calm seas and a non sea sick wife. We are bringing just about every motion sickness remedy that exists. We are going to try Izumi and possibly Chops for lunch. Looking forward to experiencing the legend of Captain Marek.

I am trying to get a 2019 Southern Caribbean itinerary booked for my wife and I for our 20th aniversary. So pwish us luck and 4 nights of cruising bliss over Spring break. I will follow up and let you know how it goes.

Anyone else think that is interesting that it is very hard to find this letter on their FB page, but every five posts I get a sponsored post announcing how they plan to turn Cocoa Cay into a theme park?

We are beginning our last 5 days on the Vision of the Seas

 

 

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Are any others that have been B2B2B as well?

Interested to know what menu in the MDR is not included in the 4 night that is included in the 5 night. Also interested to know what other things are cut from the 4 night. Thanks for doing this, pretty lively for almost dead.