resjes

7 minutes ago, WisconsinFan said:

One other thought, you maybe able to alert them to you dietary needs by filling out this form- go the bottom for the open response where you can list your dietary needs: https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/allaboutcruising/guestSpecialNeeds.do

Already did this form 🙂 that is how they marked me as disabled, as I have a few other medical needs unrelated to dietary issues...

2 minutes ago, WisconsinFan said:

I agree with nelblu. If you eat in the MDR you should have better luck getting what you need. The Windjammer is a buffet, with the food prepared for the masses. Although the MDR is similar, they will work with you to make sure you have what you need. Last year we traveled with my parents and my father's gout acted up, that meant going low sodium. It wasn't part of the original plan. They had him order the night before and made what he wanted low sodium. By the end of the cruise he was back eating normally.

So the "my time dining" that I signed up for on my cruise planner is in the MDR, according to the description. I did not know that had wait staff. So the Windjammer and Two70 are buffet? The MDR is NOT buffet, only wait staffed tables?

I just saw your other post..can't delete!

1 minute ago, nelblu said:

 

Why limit yourself to the WJ.  My recommendation is traditional dining in the MDR.  My wife who is diabetic spoke with the Head Waiter each night and went over the following night's menu and discussed which foods or special order that could me made either low salt or no salt at all.  One night she planned French Onion Soup and she said even though it lacked salt, it was very good.  I have the same symptoms, but not as bad as you and was able to manage by being careful as to volume and type of foods.  Had occasions where I had to run to the bathroom.

It says on my cruise planner that "my time dining" is in the main dining room. Is that the Windjammer? I thought the Windjammer was another area to eat that wasn't on the cruise planner? Or am I confused with Two70?

How easy is it to flag down the Head Waiter? I don't want to be that obnoxious person but as you said, running to the bathroom is no fun either. I have difficulty with holding it in if I eat trigger foods. In your experience, are certain restaurants more flexible with adjusting for your/your wife's diet?

Hello All - you are probably tired of seeing me post on this forum..sorry, as a first time cruiser (since I was 5 anyway), I have so many questions. Going on Anthem of the Seas for a 9 day cruise.

I have booked the "my time dining" at the buffets. **** Except one night at Solarium because it was complimentary. I have been reading through posts/reviews and a lot of people say the food in the buffets is not that good/have gotten food poisoning. I have IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), lactose-intolerance, and have allergies to things like foods with preservatives  (e.g. powdered eggs). I have already emailed special needs and they have marked me as "disabled with allergies", per the invoice I received. I'm wondering if I should fork up the extra cash for the specialty restaurants, hoping that the chance for an issue will be lower at the expensive restaurant than at the buffet? I read one review that said they had a companion with allergies, who alerted staff, but was ignored and became ill from the food. I've looked at a few menus and the restaurants seem exotic for my stomach, to be honest. So I don't want to pay to go to a nice restaurant and then get plain pasta or something for $50. Also, to add a kicker to this, I cannot eat RAW vegetables, so that reduces my options. Thanks for the tips!

****sorry to be confusing. Apparently, the my time dining is NOT a buffet, which I did not know. I thought my time dining was a buffet and that was why it was complimentary.

I have an appointment with a travel medicine/infectious disease doctor a month before the cruise embarks. Her office says I will most likely have to get a typhoid vaccination, and since I had a HEP A vaccination, I don't have to do it again. I'm hoping to avoid the cholera/malaria drugs as those are expensive (they are not vaccinations apparently). Also, from what I've read, they are not great for those who are already on a lot of medications. I guess I'm worrying because I was hospitalized a year ago for a bad stomach infection, and I already have "pre-exisiting" conditions. I don't know if I'm considered "immuno-compromised" or not but it feels like it sometimes. I'm erring on the side of caution I suppose. Thanks all for your feedback. I have enough information now.

16 minutes ago, wheezedr said:

Then your Tetanus is current as 2011 is less than 10 years ago.  Speak to your internist but practically speaking, no one I know would consider either cholera vaccine or malarial prophylaxis for the brief window you will be off the ship in Labadee.   If you have such great concerns you can always just stay aboard and avail yourself of the empty facilities.

That is what I am thinking .. It is such a brief window. I have an appointment with a travel medicine doctor to go over what she thinks I should get or not get.

5 minutes ago, wheezedr said:

If it has been over 10 years since your last vaccination then you are by definition out of date since the Tetanus vaccine is recommended every 10 years. 

According to my list..I had the tetanus shot in 2001 (it says td adult) but the tetanus/pertussis shot (says Tdap) in 2011..don't know the differences. Waiting for internist.

Does anyone actually take medication/get vaccinated for malaria and cholera? Or am I just being super worried for nothing? I don't have the best immune system. I also just emailed the doctor about getting the malaria and cholera stuff straightened out.

Someone told me that Labadee Haiti could have contaminated water but another poster said the food comes off the cruise ship. According to the CDC...

Also, this is what the CDC says regarding yellow fever..since I am from the USA, I suppose this won't be an issue.

1 minute ago, wheezedr said:

As a physician I would suggest you contact your own physician to determine whether you are current on the routine vaccinations that one should maintain.  This is true whether or not you are planning to travel.  As others have noted only very specific itineraries require vaccines above and beyond the ordinary.  

I am emailing my internist now - as she has all of my vaccinations on record. I have a list of them and it includes vaccinations such as Hep A and B..tdap/tetanus. Meningococcal/pneumococcal and then polio as  baby. I apparently even had the measles vaccine. I'm also doing as one person suggested and checking each port's recommended vaccinations..so far, I have what they recommend.

Also, again, I haven't been vaccinated for over 10 years and only get a flu shot once a year. I am not well versed on vaccinations and I would imagine most people I know personally don't know what is required each year for vaccinations.

Thanks everyone for your input!! Super useful!

My apologies for not being clear. What I meant to say is, what if something serious (e.g. meningitis) does break out on board or someone has it? Will they evac the person or? I don't believe quarantining everyone would be enough, is what I mean.

And yes, I was also asking about the Norovirus, which does not have the vaccination. The only option the cruise has is to quarantine everyone to their rooms?

FYI - I am vaccinated but got most of these vaccinations as a teenager/child. I have no knowledge if these vaccinations "expired" or if I need to get them redone. I get a flu shot every year. Also, thank you for the CDC website information, I didn't know they had recommended vaccinations listed for other countries than the USA. So my next question would be - since the cruise cannot force you to obtain a vaccination, will customs just not allow you to get off the port if you don't have the documentation showing proof of vaccination?

13 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

The Senegal government required everyone to have a valid Yellow Fever Vaccination because of that visit to Devil's Island.  So over 3000 passengers (and crew) had to go through the trouble (and expense) of getting that vaccination.  We were unable to stop at Devil's Island because of high seas!

I have never heard of this vaccination. Will the cruise line alert everyone months in advance if certain vaccinations will be required? I can easily get proof of vaccinations I had 10+ years ago but like I said above..I don't know if I need to get them redone?

Sorry if this is not in the right area..I presume the moderator will move it if not..

So an interesting topic was brought up on my cruise's Facebook page. What vaccinations are required?

I know that the cruise line can't force anyone to get a vaccination. However, with all these anti-vaxxer parents out there, should we be worried about them bringing children who are not vaccinated?? Does the cruise have contingencies in place for such breakouts? I've read horror stories about people being quarantined to their cabins (for stomach viruses, etc). It is not as simple as bringing flu shots on board when it comes to things like meningitis, etc. Does anyone have any statistics on how frequently the cruises get plagued with viruses/etc? I'm going to take a wild guess and say that ships that embark from a USA port probably have fewer occurrences?

If this is too political, please feel free to delete.

Ok so I have the Key. 🔑 Anthem of the Seas.

It says I can drop off 2 carry on bags to a designated area, according to the cruise planner. The RCI FAQ for the Key says the maximum weight for each one is 25 lbs (RCI cruise planner says nothing about weight limits?). Checked baggage is different, correct? Where does checked luggage get dropped off? I know at least one of my suitcases will be at least 40+ lbs. I want to be sure they don't flip out over luggage and carry on bags??

So far I have cancelled the ride to San Juan Mall of Americas and Amiga Island.

I'm interested in the forts of San Juan. How far of a walk are they from the port?

As of now, the only excursions I am doing are the St. Maarten Beach Rendezvous as it includes the beach chair cost and a lunch (I've noticed most excursions charge extra for a beach chair!), Bermuda's zoo/aquarium sightseeing tour, and finally the Labadee parasail.

You have all pointed out that it is cheaper to do excursions not with the cruise line. However, as one person pointed out, this is my first cruise so I'm not comfortable going off the beaten path...do the excursions NOT available thru the cruise have tour guides/etc standing there when you come to port so you can sign up? I'd prefer not to sign up now as I don't know what I will feel like doing until I actually arrive at the port.

Thanks for everyone's input!!

15 minutes ago, Iamcruzin said:

How much are they charging for this glorified bus ride to the mall?  

$38 .. So i picked it cause i thought hey a narrated tour to avoid the hilly terrain lol. I think I will cancel this one. I heard the forts are better anyway.

It is called "San Juan City and the Mall of San Juan" . it is supposed to give you a narrated tour on your way to the mall. The activity ends about 12 pm..I think they give you 1.5 hours of shopping. Should I cancel?? I didn't see very many excursions that I was interested in...but just saw sale tax is very high there so I don't know if I want to do the mall anymore.

Thanks everyone. I forgot to ask..in the details for the excursion to the mall, it is a guided driving tour..but it says at the bottom "shopping before you make your way back to the pier." Am I expected to get a taxi back to port from the mall?

1 hour ago, resjes said:

Finally, for Labadee...doing Amiga Island then parasailing. Parasailing ends at 4 and departure is at 5 pm. The parasailing activity takes 45 minutes to "arrive at destination" so I'm concerned I won't make it back to the ship?? It is planned thru the cruise planner so I assume it is ok?

I CANCELLED THE AMIGA ISLAND..saw some of the warnings on the "more information" that I didn't pay attention to...also, I tried to edit my first post but it wouldn't allow me. 😞

If that was a title of a book, what would you input to the book?

I am going a cruise for the first time since a Disney cruise when I was 5 years old...long time ago. I will be alone..as is why I am posting here.

I've been reading through the posts about horrid experiences as a solo traveler when dining...I never even thought about that when booking. I am pretty flexible with most people..the cruise has me marked down as "disabled" for calling Special Needs about my food allergies..don't know if that will impact anything.

I want my most bang for my buck..not just with activities but costs..for example, I didn't buy the beverage package because I'm not going to drink $50 worth of booze a day! So I bought wine through the Royal Gifts section to be delivered to my room...

I am going on a Royal Caribbean cruise in May due to the convenience with scheduling/location/etc...I've been reading that Princess or Norwegian cruises are better for solo travelers?  Can anyone can tell me about their experiences on Royal's cruises as a solo traveler?

Thanks in advance!

I am going on a Royal cruise too. However, when I selected "my dining" times for the free buffets, it did not give me any table options. Also a solo traveler...I didn't even think about dining and how the seating was arranged...following this topic for more info!

I am on the May 23-June 1 Anthem of the Seas cruise! Yay! I am a first time cruiser..so I am totally new to the cruise planner and excursions etc...

In Bermuda, I am doing the sightseeing cruise that takes you to the aquarium/zoo...but I have some free time afterwards so any recommendations appreciated.

St. Maarten - doing the beach rendezvous...will this get cancelled if the weather is bad? Also, I want to go to the shops but they close at 5! My beach thing ends at 5:30 but I'm wondering if I should do a beach thing at another island?? I don't want to use up all the time at the beach at St. Maarten if it is not the best one on the list of ports..you know what I mean? I want to buy some jewelry on this trip so I thought St. Maarten would be the best place to do it? Any thoughts? They close before I get back from the beach trip??

In San Juan - doing a tour then going to the Mall of San Juan. This is USD so not expecting much savings but I'm more interested in the socio-political stuff here so I'm more inclined to do tour things..if I am wrong, let me know...

Finally, for Labadee...doing Amiga Island then parasailing. Parasailing ends at 4 and departure is at 5 pm. The parasailing activity takes 45 minutes to "arrive at destination" so I'm concerned I won't make it back to the ship?? It is planned thru the cruise planner so I assume it is ok?

Any tips or tricks appreciated. I read somewhere that the excursions aren't worth the money but the ones I picked seemed to be reasonably priced...anyone with ideas please let me know. I want to get the best/most affordable experience out of this at the ports. I have never been to any of these ports so I don't know a thing about them!! Thank you!!

9 minutes ago, sfaaa said:

Besides AIDS, cholera still exists in Haiti and it can be spread by black flies, unclean water or unsanitary environment, something Labadee has. Watch what you are eating at beach BBQ.

Good to know. No salads! And bring bug spray

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/situation-in-haiti.html

This was just posted 2/20/19. "Due to widespread, violent, and unpredictable demonstrations throughout Haiti, the Department of State advises U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Haiti due to crime and civil unrest. "

I understand Labadee is owned by RCI - but it's still Haiti! I hope it stays safe!

30 minutes ago, Susan in Maine said:

If you primarily drink wine at dinner, you can buy the whole bottle, drink a glass or two, and your waiter will store your bottle for the next night.

 

Cheaper than buying it by the glass every night!

Good to know thanks !