Desertbelle

I am 5 foot tall and I swear the balconies on the Oasis (our first time last fall on the Oasis) are even higher than any other ship we have been on. I have to raise my arms to put them on the railing! It makes me feel both safe and like I have somehow reverted to being 5 years old.

For me, even standing on a chair on the balcony would make it only slightly easier to "climb" over, I still wouldn't be able to fall.

Yes. But, be aware that if a showtime approaches about 30 minutes before the show starts they will ask everyone lounging around in the stadium to leave so people with reservations can get their seats, EVEN if you have reservations for that show you will be required to leave and get in line until they "open."

It is a great place to sit around and relax.

We have been on ships that have had medical emergencies and we have never gone all the way back to a port, usually just close enough to meet a boat or helicopter.

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Go to the charming little outside bar in Central Park and have a drink. It will be beautiful and quiet, a perfect start to a cruise!

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The cruise after a dry dock is a crap shoot at best. Our one and only cruise immediately following a dry dock didn't have full use of the pool until half way into the cruise, no internet the whole cruise, we missed half our ports and the three we got to (10 day cruise) we got there late because the new engines needed a "breaking in period" and couldn't go to top speeds. The dry dock was 3 weeks so the crew were in various states of just coming on duty or just returning from long vacations....they got their acts together after about 5 days. Carpeting was still be laid throughout the ship, along with that burning chemical and glue smells. They replaced the underside of all the decking around the pool so covered pool seating was unavailable the whole cruise. There were other issues to boot! Oh yeah, they gave us $100 per cabin for our inconvenience! I would never cruise after a dry dock again.

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Apparently they don't let you book certain times on line before the cruise. I would suggest that you go to the dining room as soon as you board the ship and make your reservations for whatever time works for your group.

We had MTD on the Oasis just a few months ago and it worked like a charm with almost no waiting.

Too much, worth every penny!

Each class of ship has it's own charm. The Radiance Class of ships are older but Royal Caribbean are great at keeping their ships looking great, I can't say I have ever seen one that looked "dated". We haven't been on the Jewel for a few years, but she was a beauty when we last sailed her.

The Jewel won't have all the bells and whistles of say, the Oasis or the Freedom, but she will offer you nooks to stare out at the ocean while you read a book and she has more glass looking out than you are probably used to on a ship. We are planning a month on her sister the Brilliance in May and our last cruise was on the Oasis, and we are very excited and not at all nervous about her being tired.

Couldn't they have just put him in a kennel?

 

 

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Unnecessary. Why be cruel?

I love the Coconut Ranger cookies....I can't help but take a few back to the cabin to nibble on when they have them out. Yummy!

This is why I am never fully relaxed until I am onboard!! Thank goodness they made it!

I realize I am a little late to the discussion but I wanted to say that we have also seen a lapse in steward attention. On our last two cruises they stewards were kind and sweet but we would leave at 9 am and return around lunchtime and sometimes the room hadn't been touched yet and also him coming back hours later with ice or towels or something that wasn't completed.

This doesn't anger us but it is a little disappointing and there were days when we told him to forget making up the room, just bring fresh towels and ice.

I understand the stewards are busier than before but we do miss that "magically up cabin" we used to experience.

That is not true. You can bring water, wine (2 bottles), sodas.

I think they are sorely underutilized. It's like they decided to get the because they are popular but forgot to hire anyone who could make them really fun and exciting.

1. You know it was a mistake, they happen.

2. You know your account will be corrected. No way will you be expected to pay for $4000 worth of charges you didn't charge.

3. Things like this are frustrating but no permanent damage will be done.

4. Your cruise was great, why let this taint it? Our very worst cruise was still a great vacation with family and a lot of good memories. (It's a very long story but the short version is: it was a 10 day cruise on a Princess ship, we missed 4 of our 7 ports and the other three were shortened because of previously known engine problems of which the ship was in emergency dry dock before our cruise, so internet was down, pool was unusable for half the cruise, and other areas weren't available and we received $100 compensation!! So things can get bad on a cruise!)

I am sorry you are having to deal with such crap, but don't let it wear on you.

The Oasis has 3 electronic poker machines....no live dealers, no cards, no chips. On our cruise a few months ago we generally got live games going every night around 9:30-10:00 pm. Always 1-3 no limit Texas Hold'em.

There were the normal Royal Caribbean tournaments going, a cruise was given away, but the nightly sit and go's never materialized...people preferred cash games over a tournament.

From my point of view, Chops seems more upscale and formal than Giovanni's.

I agree

All of these answers are correct, but this is cruise critic, right? So while the facts are straight, I gotta throw my opinion out there on this subject.

 

If purchasing a dining package and committing X amount of time to pay them for a meal in the future, does it still seem a bit tacky to subtract the "walk in" fee from the credit offered? It just strikes me as odd to offer a per person credit for dining and then still pull that fee out out of the credit. Or why not say "$15 per person credit; dining fee waived". It's the same in the end $$ wise but doesn't seem as tacky. I do admit I am really looking forward to Izumi and I don't mind paying the overage, I just think RCI is being a tiny bit sleazy with how they advertise the credit amount.

 

I'm not sure I can think of another dining venue on the ship where you can pre-pay as part of a package and still have to "pay" to walk in to that venue. Anyone? Bueller?

Does Izumi's do take out? (I'm kidding...sort of:D)

You pay the "cover charge" for all the restaurants, it's just how Izumi is set up that makes it look different. The cover charge includes the server tip.

Yes that is true. And from traveling extensively through Asia and Europe I know people live differently then us. Little villages in rural Thailand have probably the same economic hardships as some of these areas. However the difference with Roatan or Belize is they are dirty. In Roatan we hired a private driver for the day. The minivan that we rode in has a cracked windshield and stained ripped interior. I'm sorry but that's not my style of vacation. And yes I know that's my fault for hiring the private driver and trying to see more of Roatan and how it really is. I could have probably done a ship sponsored tour and maybe had a different perception, it would have taken me from the port compound right to an attraction and I wouldn't have seen the real Roatan, nor would I have walked the street right outside the compound after my driver was done for the day.

When we were in Roatan we were the first ship to dock at their just opened new dock and they were so proud of it. It was the smallest dock/port we had ever seen. There were young boys in little row boats selling conch shells in the water next to the ship, children everywhere selling junk....there were people selling stuff up and down the main street. The poverty was overwhelming....and humbling. I bought shells, and other "souvenirs" because it made me feel like I was doing something to help these people. We spent the day at a small resort and we were treated like royalty. We ate fresh lobster the owner caught while we were snorkeling. We drank smoothies made from fruit they picked that morning. We had a wonderful time!

Have your ever wondered why a car in Roatan might be beaten up? Have you ever thought how much it would cost to get a car to an island from the mainland? Do you wonder what industry there is in a small island off the coast of a very poor country? Have you wondered how lucky and privileged you are?

These people are POOR. They have NOTHING. They are opening up their island for your VACATION so that you might get to see some beautiful beaches and some spectacular ocean life. And you call them DIRTY???? How sad for you.

What we had on the Oasis in October and what my sister got on the Brilliance in November sounded very similar, several dishes exactly the same. So, I think they are more alike then different....or maybe it might be seasonal.

Putting that aside, Chef's Table was one of the most remarkable dining experiences I have ever had. The food was delicious and company was great! We are doing a B2B on the Brilliance in May and will do it again, on both cruises! Can't wait!

BTW, ordering the Chef's Table dining package is very frugal, it's like buying 3 specialty restaurant dinners and getting one specialty restaurant dinner free. Way worth it!

Hands down the first one! These are three great ports. We love Cozumel and Roatan is absolutely lovely. Belize is very nice and lots of things to choose from to do.

The problem with the second itinerary is that there is really nothing to do in Falmouth and Grand Caymen gets canceled about 1 in 4 times due to weather conditions.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm jealous of your B2B. I just can't take that much vacation at once!

Maybe a little bit! :D

I don't care if I look like a "rookie tourist" carrying my cup of soda around with me. Astonishing as it might seem I don't dress, act or accessorize to suit other people on my vacations. I cruise/vacation to please myself, and so far it's worked perfect! :D

I was going to get my 140 cruise block on the Brilliance TA along with you :), but I slid a 7 day cruise on the Serenade in at the end of January. I'm actually happy not to have to carry it back from London, plus the Serenade cruise is a family reunion of sorts, so I think it will carry greater memories for me.

 

I have to admit, it's my 1st one and I'm excited to hit that milestone as well. I can actually see Diamond + in my future, assuming they don't change the rules on me!

Cheater!! :D:D

Bruce and I are the same, we never thought we would ever get to D+ but suddenly it's just a year or two away!!

I am glad to have come across this thread as I wasn't aware of the ship blocks and on our next cruise on the Brilliance we will hit 140 days...on the last day. But, it's a B2B with another 12 days after that, so if we don't get the block on the first leg of the cruise I have the second leg to get it. :)

They do look nice, I can't wait to get ours!