mjldvlks

I booked the 5 day cruise on the Independence of the Seas. Was looking for a Quiet inside room for the 5 days and the booking agent from Carnival said the 9th floor should be pretty good. Has anyone stayed in this area of the Independence and have some advice for us ? thanks in advance !! Dale

We spent 2 weeks in 9656 which is a balcony on the same side of the ship but just aft of the hump. We had no trouble with noise, and we were pretty close to the aft elevator lobby. Since you are between the elevator lobbies, you might have slightly more traffic than you would if you were forward or aft of the elevators [i know I made the long trek (and it is long on Independence) from our cabin to the front elevator lobby to access venues in the front of the ship]. But I doubt that will add to the noise to any degree. We loved Independence in general and deck 9 in particular.

I'd have to pay extra to get the enhanced DL (and my son isn't old enough for a DL yet), so I might as well just pay for the passport card that has other uses as well.

Out of curiosity, what other uses are there?

I like having both, and I have both for my 15yo son as well.

 

The passport card is a convenient form of easy-to-carry identification, and given that we live next door to Canada, the card allows for us to travel there by car without having to carry the whole passport book.

 

If I could only afford one, I'd only get the passbook. But the extra cost for the card is minimal, and I like having the additional form of ID.

Doesn't Michigan have enhanced driver's licenses?

I am planning a cruise next year on the Allure that goes to the Caribbean. My passport has just expired. Do I need to get a new passport book or will a passport card be accepted? I read the RCCL site and still not clear. Your help would be appreciated.

According to the State Dept website:

The U.S. Passport Card can be used to enter the United States from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Bermuda at land border crossings or sea ports-of-entry and is more convenient and less expensive than a passport book. The passport card cannot be used for international travel by air.

the cost is $30 for former passport holders -- it says "former" not "current" so I think that applies even though yours is expired.

The bottom line is that, while it may be marginally more convenient [and some points of entry have expedited lanes for card holders] for cruisers it really adds little if any benefit to a birth certificate and photo ID, except it would work for non-closed loop cruises to or from the places listed. And if you need to fly to the port of embarkation or home from one of those places, it doesn't work. Plus, it still does not solve the what do you do if you need to fly home due to emergency question. If you travel to and from Mexico or Canada frequently, it makes sense, if not, I think I would get the book or be content with my BC/photo ID. I got the book because I plan to go to places that the BC/photo ID and/or passport card will not work.

Maybe kind of "run of the mill" but special to us -- our first glimpse of our first cruise ship [splendour] as our shuttle crossed the causeway into Venice.

For what it's worth, here is a picture of 3134 on Jewel. [the coffee table is not missing, we put it in the closet] It should be pretty close to what you find on Serenade since they are essentially identical ships. I understand 3542 has at least one pullman available. I don't think that will change the basic cabin layout, but I don't know. While it is difficult to see in this shot, it is a full sized sofa even though it only has two cushions. Having had the smaller "love seat" in our balcony cabin on Radiance, I am familiar with both. However, even though it is the bigger sofa, I doubt it would be long enough for most adults to sleep comfortably.

Radiance leaving Vancouver with no passengers [en route to dry dock in Victoria B.C.] 2011

Jewel from the top of Cadillac Mountain near Bar Harbor, ME 2010

Independence docked at Funchal, Madeira, 2009

Brilliance and Splendour at anchor off Santorini, 2007

Monarch at anchor off Catalina on last west coast cruise, 2008.

. . . Since your passports have already expired, you will effectively be getting a brand newone, so it can take up to 8 weeks unless you expedite. . .

I don't like to be contentious, but this is totally untrue. From the Dept of State Website you can renew by mail via DS form 82 if:

Your Most Recent U.S. Passport:

Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application;

Was issued when you were age 16 or older;

Was issued within the last 15 years; and

Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change with original or certified copy of your marriage certificate or the government-issued document evidencing your legal name change.

This means that you can renew through the normal process if your passport has been expired less than 5 years -- I just did it with passports expired for about 9 months.

Also for those considering Passport Cards, keep in mind they are NOT valid for international air travel.

Friend of ours just renewed hers and it took 10 days.

In May, our passports were delivered 18 days after I put the apps in the mail. However, as is noted here some recent applicants have experienced much longer waits. I have a passport because I want to take trips I cannot take without it. I think 4 of our cruises have fit in that category. If I were you, given you have a back up option because it is a closed loop cruise, I would apply without the rush fee and take my chances on getting your passport in time. The worst that can happen is you will have to break down and take a copy of your marriage license with you.

Cats is sort of based on a series of T.S. Elliot poems [Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats] set to music. The plot is indeed contrived, but the music is great in my opinion. When my kids were younger, my DD and I would go to the touring companies of the musicals that came through [with DS it was monster trucks and the circus but that's another story]. Cats was one of our favorites. If you like musicals, and don't hate ALW, give it a chance.

I have never understood the charm in doing "Trash the Dress" either. I suppose the people who are doing this to their dress either (a) bought a dress for a price that they don't mind trashing it, (b) have no regard for the fact that someone spent a lot of money on the dress and don't care, or © have obscene amounts of money and resources.

 

I understand that you are not going to wear the dress again, but why destroy it? For the price I paid for mine, I would rather not trash it.

As far as wastefulness is concerned, I don't see much difference between this and paying an additional outrageous sum of money the have the dress professionally preserved and stored under your bed or in a closet for years and then trashed by your kids/executor after you're gone.

OP -- best wishes for your day [and all those that follow] and enjoy the dress disposal how ever you decide to go about it.

. . . Some say being lower / in the middle of the ship is better for seasickness, however, some others say being up higher is good too because you aren't low and watching the waves go past your face, so you don't notice it as much? . . .

As Bob said the general rule is that low center has comparatively less motion. The front and rear of the ship will have more pitch [up and down rotation] and the upper decks will have more roll [sway or side to side rotation]. In this case, "center" means center of gravity. A body like a ship or aircraft moving through a fluid tends to pivot on its center of gravity, so, for example, as the ship goes through the waves, when the bow goes up [pitch], the aft will tend to go down, with the center of gravity remaining the most stable. The center of gravity on these ships is -- I think -- a little aft of dead center so the aft tends to move less that the bow.

For me personally, while these general rules are based on physics and common sense, when the waters are calm the ship is petty stable everywhere, but when it gets rough, you are going to feel it wherever you are. But (a) I have no real technical expertise [ but I did take high school physics and have stayed in a Holiday In express a time or two] and (b) I have never had a problem with motion sickness. So take that with a grain of salt.

Did RCI ask for your DD214 when you were a reservist at the pier or anything?

 

Hubby sailed in 2013 (active duty at the time) with Carnival and they asked for proof and I remember faxing something, I think his current orders with his SSN blacked out. They kept it on file. One thing everyone should be aware of is military IDs are not to be photo copied or scanned and provided to anyone outside of DoD. Some business will want a copy of your ID say to rent a car or hotel room. Use a driver's license instead.

As I have said before, I don't recall being asked. But it is so easy to be prepared, I see no reason not to be -- there ship there rules, why make it hard. To be honest, my whole military career, it seems like I was in a unique category -- not the typical path and confusing to some who got stuck on standard procedures. Since my ID card didn't conform and my DD214 was actually from active duty time prior to 20+ years of reserve duty, I carried my DD 214, my non-conforming ID, my 20 year letter, my orders assigning me to the retired reserve, and a copy of my Airborne School Graduation certificate, I figured there would be something in there somewhere they would accept. The last one was more for conversation starters.

I understand Carnival has a different procedure. It might be easier if RCI would take a record at the time of booking and keep it on file, but they don't.

. . . If you've retired or separated in the last few years (not sure exactly when; the ink isn't dry on my 214!), your documents are signed electronically and are "assumed originals". . .

LOL -- I left active duty in '81 [ultimately retired from the reserve in '02] my "original" DD214 is the 3rd or 4th carbon of the typewriter prepared form that was actually signed. If you order copies [they send 2] from the National Archives at the link I posted above, they will have a raised seal on them [at least they did when I got my copy a couple of years ago].

Hubby is retired with the blue retiree card so using our IDs should be fine . . .

As of my most recent birthday I now have a blue card [so now my fellow reservists know exactly how old I am] so the DD 214 issue is moot for me as well. But, for several years I was a "Gray Area" retired reservist. As such, I did not have the right color ID card under the RCI rules so I obtained a copy of my DD 214 so I would have something that conformed to their requirements [operating under the theory "their ship, their rules, why make it hard"].

We always start in the "Jamma" as our friend from New Bedford calls it. It's one of those official beginning of the cruise moments. It's like getting my favorite locker at the gym -- the workout [or cruise in this case] just doesn't feel right without it.

Here is a picture from our TA on Indy. We haven't always been this early, but we've always found a place:

For me, we have to avoid the buffets this time as husband just recently in remission from cancer. Trying to avoid all of the germs we can so it looks like Pizza for us. How soon can you order room service once cabins are open at 1? Does anyone know? Might be our best bet since we are in a GS.

Congratulations on the remission. If you are not content with pizza and sandwiches, don't discount the Buffet altogether. There are usually some "cook to order" stations or carving stations where you can get things without the risk that your food has been handled by every other passenger. Enjoy your cruise.

I like all the ships.

 

I like variety.

 

I like options.

I knew there was a reason I had such high regard for you.

By the way, Splendour was our first RCI cruise -- the one that set the hook, so to speak -- and I will always have a soft spot for her.

So, if I have table-mates who bring some whine with them, and it doesn't seem like they're going to finish it, I can get the waiter to put a cork in it for them?

I don't think so -- I think the CD's staff is responsible for whine corking.

My first consideration in choosing a cruise is ALWAYS itinerary. Between these two, I would have little difficulty choosing Brilliance. If you find the itineraries comparable, then the main factor is what you want in a ship. If you want to relax between ports of call and not do much else, then Brilliance would be the one. Probably overall less crowded and more sedate. If you want things to do -- Flow Rider for example -- then Indy is the way to go. I have sailed on Indy and two of Brilliance's sisters and think I can say with confidence Indy and Brilliance are both fine ships.

BUT, I think I would probably first consider some other cruises, for example one that begins and ends in Venice where you might combine a few extra days there at the beginning and end instead of an overnight port of call. I realize that probably means Rhapsody which is an older ship that I haveve never sailed, but I find those itineraries much more interesting and the ability to stay a few days before or after in Venice is a great option. I have sailed Splendour from Venice -- our first RCI cruise in fact -- but not sure Splendour and Rhapsody are similar enough to be comparable. Given the port intensity of these cruises, I wouldn't worry about the ship choice a great deal. I agree with others that sail away from Venice is an experience not to be missed.

CVU, good to hear from you [bTW, it's Dennis -- Mary thinks she has to work all day]

Here's a picture from the 2009 TA:

I won't post the picture of our cruise friends "enjoying the music" that night.

. . . I saw them April 2010 on Indy's 1st TA from Ft Lauderdale, If I remember correctly it was their first contract and first cruise.

Maybe not the first. We saw them on Indy's 2009 TA from Ft Lauderdale to Southampton. Lead singer did a spot on cover of Rod Stewart's Maggie May.

Passport was issued as a child and so now would be unacceptable. What other choice is there other than using a BC and DL?

Can you give us a reference?

I looked at the State Dept. website and all I saw in a quick review is that a passport issued to an individual under the age of 16 is only valid for 5 years. One issued to a minor age 16-17 is valid for 10 years just like us older folk.

Depends on how big the bus is. . . .

Exactly. I am not aware of any tour bus that holds more than about 40 people so the concern of having to deal with 100 or more is unfounded. We have done both ships tours and private tours [more private tours] and enjoyed both. My experience is that each bus is more or less a separate tour. We have always had good guides on the few ship's tours we have taken. I have found that for tours with several buses that are stopping at multiple locations, the guides try to vary the order they hit each stop so all the buses won't be there at the same time. Of course some excursions don't lend themselves to this sort of variation and not all tour guides are great -- but we have had good luck.

Depends on the ship:

On the Freedoms:

1. That place where the outside promenade extends out around the MDR.

More generally:

2. My Cabin/Balcony.

3. About anywhere outside.

Splendour was our first RCI ship. We chose that cruise for the itinerary, timing and pricing -- the ship was not even a consideration. We had a great time. Enough so that we were Diamond in about 2 years. Here is a picture of Splendour at anchor with Brilliance at Santorini on that cruise:

What's everyone's opinions of Royal's 7N Greek Isles and Turkey Cruises? (Splendor is doing them in 2016, but I've been scanning the deployment thread and it seems Vision will be doing the itineraries in 2016.)

 

Such as this itinerary...

 

Venice

Dubrovnik 11:30am-6:30pm

At Sea

Kusadasi 9am-7pm

Santorini 7am-5pm

Katakolon 10am-5pm

At Sea

Venice

 

Or this one...

 

Venice

Kotor 2-8pm

Corfu 9-3pm

Athens 12-8:30pm

Mykonos 7-4pm

Argostoli 12-7pm

At Sea

Venice

 

It appears the port times are very short? Are these places really must-sees?

It's hard to beat sailing out of Venice. Our first RCI cruise was very similar to the first itinerary you mention. The only difference is we stopped in Corfu instead of Katakolon. We thought it was great and would highly recommend it. Dubrovnik was one of those ports i never would have visited except that is was on the itinererary -- and we loved it. We spent the day in the old city -- walked the wall, ate pizza outside, had a great day. Kusadasi/Ephasis was one of the reasons we picked the itinerary, we were interested in the Biblical history, others may not be. We were not disappointed. As rookie cruisers, we took the ships tour, an 8 hour excursion that stopped at Ephesus, Didyma, and Miletus. Our guide was knowledgeable and a good speaker. We had friends with us and the other people on the excursion were good company as well. Santorini was not that special to me, but keep in mind we were later in the fall and it was a little cool and breezy. And having been lulled into overconfidence by the warmth in Turkey the day before, I left my jacket on the ship. Anyway, I highly recommend this itinereary.

At the same time, have nothing negative to say about the second itinerary. We enjoyed Corfu [rented a car and drove to Paleokastritsa] but haven't been to the other ports of call. But I repeat, it's hard to beat Venice.

The bottom line for any European cruise [and pretty much any cruise] is pick a few things you absolutely don't want to miss and don't fret over the other things. You can never do it all so enjoy the things you get to do.