Oradellian

Hello My Brother (the Dicenator),

Yes the food was an overall disappointment, but I must compliment RCCL on offering the Ultimate Drink Package, and especially the 20% discount pre-cruise.

We would have been very, very disappointed without the package, because as you mentioned, the wine prices pretty much begin at $10 a glass and go straight up. The package discounts each glass of wine by $14 maximum; at this price point there were enough decent wines to keep us satisfied, so our additional cost was zero.

Martinis, Cosmos, and like drinks were prepared quite well, particularly in the Vintages bar, which we enjoyed almost every evening at cocktail hour. The Ultimate package also includes freshly squeezed juices (a definite plus), bottled water and full access to everything at the on-board Starbucks.

Here is my estimate (per person) on a per diem basis:

Breakfast:

Starbucks $5, fresh orange juice $5, Bloody Mary $8

Pool Time:

Water $3, beer $7

Lunch:

Wine $14

After Lunch:

OK just water, please. $3.

Cocktail Hour:

(2) Martinis (G Goose, Hendricks, etc.) $12 x 2 = $24

Dinner:

(2) Wine $14 x 2 = $28

Starbucks espresso/cappuccino $5

After Dinner / Shows

At least 3-4 Baileys, Kahlua, others. Say $40 total.

Total Per Day: approx. $140 per person.

As mentioned, the package price including the mandatory gratuity was just about $500 after the discount. So, for a 9 day cruise, we certainly got our money's worth.

Would I drink this much without the package? No.

Do I drink this much at home? No, because vacation is vacation, which means party.

Do you know if the fitness center had any weights or did it only have cardio machines?

 

Thanks

It definitely had weights. The Fitness Center is not huge for a ship with 4,000 pax. :eek:

:confused:

Do you recall if there were lobster tails at the buffet on night 2?

We never had a chance to enjoy dinner at the buffet, but the 2nd night is the formal night, so I'll bet that's when they would serve lobster.

Hi - did you check out the spa? any idea on the price of a pass now?

Also: was Slam Allen still performing?

We had a Haven Spa Suite so the cost was "included". . . IMHO, I wouldn't run back to the Spa, the air was humid and stale.

I haven't seen Slam Allen, but Les Getrex and his band Creole Cookin' were playing all week in the Kitty Kat and my wife and I thought that they were terrific.

Oradellian, were you a CAS guest? If so, was wondering if you remember what time they had the CAS guest cocktail party on the first night, (usually it is 5PM/5:30PM) since I booked the Cirque show for 5:45 was hoping I could do both?

We were not CAS, but we did go to the Cirque show the first night as it was "included" for free in the UDP. The show is magnificent but the food is not. All the seats were filled (this was the 9:00 show time).

I'm sorry that I can't help any further.

how were the balconies in your Spa Suites? Was it windy out there while sailing to/from Bermuda? Did you like the location of these cabins?

I like the forward, port side because it feels natural, like driving a giant car. 14132 is close to the stairs and elevators, a big plus. Deck 15 is the Mandara Spa, 16 is the Haven restaurant / pool, and 17 is the Haven private deck, very much appreciated.

The balconies are narrow, only about 36 inches. There are 2 standard chairs and a small table suitable for cocktails.

Wind can be a problem if the ship is sailing into rather than with the wind. Hard to predict in advance. We tended to use the balcony when in port.

We just returned from Breakaway Bermuda Haven Spa Suite 14132.

You will have a great time :):):)

Is this part of Elbow Beach Resort?

Elbow Beach Resort / Lido / Mickey's

All have the same address. . . I would say "yes" they are part of the complex.

That sounds great, which hotel offers this, thanks.

The Lido. The beach restaurant is Mickey's. Caveats: it was the first week in May and already busy. We used the public beach entrance just south of the Lido as signs warn against visitors on the private property. See website...

http://lido.bm

Can you tell me how much a chair and an umbrella was at Elbow beach?

2 lounge chairs, a cocktail table and large umbrella are $50. for the day. Towels are an extra $10.

Sandwich and a Corona will run $35 including service charge, but it was good. . .

Did they have any "formal" or "dress up" nights? My wife loves dressing up for dinner and wanted to know if the Breakaway had any formal nights.

Yes Monday night was the "Formal" night, per se.

The Captain comes out and is introduced in the Haven, and then is available for photos in the Atrium.

I did not see any truly formal clothes; many men had suit coats or blazers and many women had cocktail dresses or nice skirts/outfits.

Definitely not as formal as some other ships. I did not see any tuxedo rental availability.

Did you go to the Harbor Nights in Hamilton on Wednesday night?

Sorry, we did not, and we never met anyone else aboard who had gone.

did you do any sightseeing tours?

We bought public transportation tickets for 2-days, which were $25 per person.

We did not do any guided tours. The ferry brought us to Hamilton on day-1 and we enjoyed walking, shopping, eating lunch on the waterfront and visiting some of the landmarks.

On day-2, we took the #7 bus to Elbow Beach, which is just past Horseshoe Bay. There is a beautiful hotel on the beach, and we were able to rent chaises, umbrellas and purchase drinks and lunch.

The sun, sand and water were just excellent.

Was there a Comedian onboard, besides Second City?

Yes, there was a comedian / magician show in addition to Second City. However we did not attend any of the shows.

We did attend the 11:15pm "late night" edition of Second City, which is an X-rated show, obviously children are not allowed but also don't bring Mom, Dad, or your grandparents unless you like answering questions about your taste in humor.

Did you happen to do any water excursions?

How is the nightlife on land?

Well we went swimming at Elbow Beach and the water was just perfect! Maybe a bit brisk, but we are used to the Jersey shore so it felt great.

We stayed aboard the ship for dinner, shows and gaming in the evenings. I did not see any hotspots for nightlife while we were walking through Hamilton.

Very nice cruise to Bermuda!

I can try to answer any questions, while I unpack and get ready to return to the office.

1505 Equinox

Deck 11

Port Side

AQUA Class

Bed Near Bath

Quiet? Usually. The aerobics floor at the fitness center is directly overhead. Once, two people doing high-impact aerobics at 10pm annoyed us, but we were on our way to a late show anyway and let them continue. BTW, they appeared to be Celebrity people and should know better.

Balcony: Nice. Small overhang allows some sunlight which we found welcome. View of port bridge. Made the captains laugh by leaning over the rail and trying to help them park the boat.

Balcony size: Standard.

Wind: Normal.

Soot: No. Cabin is port forward.

Problems/Comments: Don't overpack: not a surplus of space. Beautiful large bath, best we've had in a standard room. Close to AquaSpa facilities. Close to theatres. Far away from dining, which is good otherwise I'd have gained another 10 lbs.

:):):)