Scootch

On 3/30/2020 at 9:55 AM, orville99 said:

Hypothetical math, but:

Presuming the current "stay-at-home" directive actually expires on 4/30, I expect it will take another 20-30 days for the cruise lines to re-crew, re-clean, re-provision, and re-position to their respective home ports (if they are even open). Even if the cruise lines and ports can come back on line faster, it will take 2-3 weeks for the airlines to come back up to full flight capability presuming passenger capacity begins to book flights again.

 

My best guess is that we won't see cruising returning to anything approaching normal prior to mid-June.

Sounds accurate, but hoping your math is wrong and that RC will be ready to rock and roll soon after they get an all clear.  I thought they had skeleton crews on the skips now.  Who knows what truths we are getting.  Better to be safe for all.  We were supposed to embark last Sun, Mar 29. 😫   Now hoping to rebook Mid May for our 30th wedding anniversary.

Well wishes to all.  Stay distant, stay safe and happy sailing.

We sail AOS 5/12/19 and got it week of black Friday for $49.  I'll keep watching as time gets closer. Thank you for the heads up. 

Call customer service they will accommodate your needs. Also let your waiter know...he/she can also make a few recommendations for you in there is nothing on the menu you like. I do believe they may have a special menu for non meat eaters.

I was actually super excited about the menu - it was the place I was looking forward to most. But most of the food was just .... meh. The meat plank was FANTASTIC. We also got the arancini and crab/avocado bruschetta, and both were pretty bland. I had the lamb chops on the waiter’s recommendation and they were good, but not as good as what we had at Chops or 150 CP. And DH and my 2 DS definitely preferred those two restaurants to Jamie’s. So overall I’d say that it’s not that Jamie’s was bad - it just wasn’t as good as the other two.

Thank you!!

Can you share why Jamie's was your 3rd fave? It hasn't been getting very good reviews. Was it the menu or the flavor of the food?

This will be our 6th sailing on an Oasis class ship and with approx. 8000 people on the ships there will always be a few moments of feeling crowded. Be it a cruise, be it a trip to Disney, or be it a trip to a resort, there will always be areas of crowds. Respect and understanding is key. The only time I really feel crowded is in the promenade during formal night when folks are getting pics taken and on 70s night, but it's fun to people watch and talk to others.

Hello, DH is 54 and I am 53 and our fave evening bar is the Schooner Bar. Reason - music trivia, piano player. Also a great view to people watch the promenade and the bartenders seem to be more seasoned. This is our evening spot to wind down after a long day day in the sun, dinner, and casino.

As others have said, both cards have to be presented. Another good thing is that bar staff walk around and take orders. We tip a few dollars and that take good care of us!!!

They are low watt hair dryers...the same as or worse than in hotels. If you are looking to use for straightening your hair, I'd pack your own.

MDR, theater and casino are always chilly to me....especially after being in the sun all day.

When I redeemed points for OBC for my March 2017 the OBC didn't show up until day 2 on the ship (along with my TA's).

That happened to me as well last cruise..didn't post till on board 2 days. I have 150 OBC I would like to see post to my acct. before our sailing next month. I redeemed the in January.

Good viewpoints from all. I think the downside for me...or possibly more for those across from us, is that I would forget to close the curtains. We love the privacy that the ocean view allows. The poor fish probably want to poke their eyes out. :-)

We love our ocean view balcony stateroom, but I am curious to try the boardwalk view balcony...one closest to the back/aft. I think there is 5 or 6 that may get more sunshine. (B1) Who has tried these staterooms and will you please share pros and cons. i.e. Noise level from boardwalk? Obstructed view not worth it? Rooms booked years in advance. Higher or lower floor is better.

Thank you in advance.

Happy sailing.

Having fun following. We sail in approx. 40 days. We've sailed a few times w/ Capt. Johnny and this is the 1st I've learned that he plays a horn. Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!!!

Its in an alley (pedestrians only) just north of the main street. Seem to remember an old car or sculpture out front. Usually the line is out the door.

http://www.thebelgianchocolatebox.com/

Thank you. I read that they will deliver to the ship....very nice. We'll visit the store then head over to the beach. Nice gift to take home to friends and family.

As of two weeks ago, Phillipsburg is in decent shape. You can see damage, but there's far more open than there is closed. Most of the restaurants & bars along the beach were open.

 

We talked to a few people, and it sounds like the French side is recovering slower. We go back in May, but since it's a Sunday, won't head over to Marigot since it will be more closed than open on that day.

 

And it sounds like all of the beaches suffered some sand loss- but it looked really nice in front of Phillipsburg.

 

As for the chocolate- the shop is only open in the port area, not in town.

 

One thing for cruiser to note- get off the ship and spend money someplace. Right now, way over 90% of the hotels are closed, so their only major source of income is from cruise ship passengers. And it's not helping that the airport terminal is still very closed (they are using tents for flights).

Chocolate???? Is there a well known chocolate shop in St. Maarten that we have never heard of and haven't discovered previously???? :D

Our last 5 cruises have been on Allure and Oasis, on deck 14. We have heard an occasional chair skid on floor above, but nothing else. I think you will like being that close to the pool deck and Windjammer.

We sail HOS in April and are so excited. We have sailed Oasis 3 times and Allure twice and can't imagine going back to a smaller ship, Other than when events are happening in the Promenade, we never feel crowded. The Aqua shows are amazing. One of our favorite things....that may be weird to others is the walking track on deck 5, we love to walk at night. The water is right there. It's tranquil, and freaky all at the same time.

Enjoy and happy sailing.

My husband also uses a CPAP and we have found there is a plug on the wall behind the bed. (you wouldn't know it is there unless you look, or ask)

I too am persnickety about my coffee. Their coffee in isn't horrible. When I sailed Allure and Oasis there was Seattle Best in the Café Promenade.

We have sailed Freedom, but our last 5 cruises have been on Oasis and Allure. Although we are tempted by the itineraries on Freedom, especially Grand Cayman, there are some features of the Oasis class that we don't want to give up such as... the Aqua Theater, Boardwalk, and silly as it may seem, the walking track on deck 5......we like that the track is covered if walking during the day or if it is raining and we feel that it is very calming in the evening to be that close to the water....tranquil. If the things I mentioned don't matter to you then you should have no concerns with booking Freedom.

Happy sailing.

We have stayed on deck 14 for our last 5 cruises on Oasis and Allure and have never experienced any 'problems.' We have occasionally heard a chair above but otherwise have had no issues. We go to be 11:00'ish and wake early and are so tired that we sleep peacefully....and I'm a very light sleeper.

I called during the last WOW sale and it was very beneficial....a few hundred off.

The Schooner Bar is our fave evening hangout. Trivia, piano music/singer, great view of the promenade so we can people watch. By the end of the week we have made a new friend in one of the bartenders. It's a relaxing wind down place from a wonderful day. Menu: DH is a Miller Lite kinda guy. Depending on my mood I go for either a glass of Merlot or an old fashion

After a long, cold winter in Pittsburgh, we are looking forward to our April 18' Harmony sailing.

Safe travels all!

Royal has not enforced suggested check-in times for US embarkations. You can arrive whenever you want.

Good to know. We fly down from Pittsburgh the day prior, and check out time is of course 11:00AM. We always head straight over to the port, because we have nowhere else to go. :cool:

We do get an email stating not to report to Port Everglades till a later time, but again, we have nowhere else to go and they have never questioned our arrival time.

Unless processes have recently changed, the Sea Pass card has always been issued at check in, because they take your photo ID and you need the card to board the ship.