RoperDK

Could you add some variety to itineraries in the Caribbean?  A different port stop here or there would be a welcomed change. Would love to do a partial Panama Canal voyage roundtrip from a Florida port.  

10 hours ago, sgmn said:

16 hours ago, sheryltx said:

Are there any plans to up RC's poolside dining game? We love RC, but I must say Carnival has you beat in this area. They have BlueIguana, Guy's Burgers, Guy's Pig & Anchor BBQ, Big Chicken, Street Eats, Seaside Shack just to name a few. They have even more, but you get my point. The sheer number of options is superior to what is offered on RC. And the food is great too! 

 

10 hours ago, sgmn said:

Is all this free or for a extra charge ? I agree it would be nice to a have a free venue on all ships on the pool deck. Even Celebrity has the Mast Grill

 

All of these venues are free except for the Seafood Shack.  These are mainly lunch venues.  Some are open until 5 or 6.  

We just got off a Carnival cruise with our first once a day service.  I thought I would miss turndown, but nope no problem.  We are in a JS on Wonder in two weeks.  Don't know if that qualifies for twice a day or not, but don't really know if it is required.  I still like the paper copy of the activities.  We've received that in our GS suites for the last few cruises.  Don't know if that is still available.  It's a brave new world!  Although, if I had the sofa made into a bed for the entirety of the cruise, that would be a big problem for me.  We only have two people so not a big deal.  I would have to learn how to make up the bed so that I could have the sofa during the day.  

Is the seating at normal height or high tops?  We have someone in our group confined to a motorized wheelchair. Asking about Mariner in particular.

1 hour ago, firefly333 said:

More than you get on carnival.  They do bacon every other day in WJ. 

Lol, Carnival has really tightened up on the bacon distribution. Just got off Mardi Gras a couple of weeks ago.  There was bacon a total of TWO mornings in the buffet on a 7 day cruise.   Typical breakfast sausage links were hard to come by also. They did have cut up brats every morning.  I believe they were yesterday's lunch left overs from Seadogs.  

You MAY be able to use the $250 cash value.  I have applied my cash value to already booked cruises in the past.  YMMV because Club Royale seems to be changing their rules lately.  I believe the days of great offers for low points is disappearing.  With ships sailing full, they don't need casino players as much.  You really do need to reach 2500 points between April 1st and March 31st to get the good stuff (your free interior for a 7 day and free drinks in the casino).   

Has anyone used the cancel for any reason part of Royal's travel insurance?  It says it is a Royal provided option and provides 90% of trip cost as FCC.  Do you file with AON or does Royal handle it? It sounds like a good flexible option if something comes up pre-cruise.  Take a small loss and rebook for a later cruise with FCC.  Just wondered how it actually worked and whether there were hidden issues.  

1 minute ago, PORT ROYAL said:

Holland House Hotel….. Upstairs Restaurant….Overlooking the beach, sea and ships.

They have a fabulous (Chef Special) Seafood Platter for two to share.

Also their wine list is extensive…. They have a Montrachet to go perfectly with the platter.

Book in advance….. Give them a call.

Thanks! We will do that.

2 minutes ago, PORT ROYAL said:

If seeking a special or rare bottle of spirts, then browse Gulmorhars on Front Street

We are actually seeking fresh seafood!

Philipsburg boardwalk area takes US dollars correct?

53 minutes ago, HicksRA said:

The ocean is full of hats without a strap….

This is so true! Full disclosure...I hate hats of any kind.  My dermatologist has convinced me after several skin cancers to finally get serious and cover up.  I have one of those floppy fishing hats (Columbia) with a strap.  My husband affectionately (I hope) refers to it as my "goobie" hat.  It works. It doesn't fly away and protects me from the sun.  I attach a carabiner clip to it and rip it off and attach it to my bag once indoors.  I wouldn't attempt a hat without a strap.  Seriously, I have had earrings blow out of my ears that weren't attached with a secure clip.   

1 hour ago, molly361 said:

Have you dined in Coastal Kitchen for dinner?  I just booked a suite on the Allure for my sister and she is a t shirt and jeans person.  

You are requested to wear cruise casual, whatever that actually means nowadays.  We have seen and have worn jeans, nice golf shorts, and more casual attire to Coastal Kitchen even to dinner.  Those were usually on embarkation or late port nights.  We usually do slacks and golf shirt or blouse.  I've seen everything in CK recently.    

Lol, who knew.  Thanks. Fixed. 🤣

13 hours ago, Ocean Boy said:

You don't think there will be mass panic if a ship is going down no matter what kind of muster was done? If Lady O started going down you really think people are going to head to the Comedy Club? 

Unfortunately, I've always thought a mass panic would happen.  Thank goodness we don't have to go back to our cabins anymore for life jackets.  I'm sure the cruise lines know this is just human nature.  The best thing to know is what deck the lifeboats are boarded on and follow crew directions.  I've cruised for many years and hopfully for many more without ever having an emergency onboard.  

1 hour ago, John&LaLa said:

 

No knocking on Odyssey 😉

It is nice not to have to knock and beg for entry. We were in a JS on Odyssey and loved the layout.  Went to Coastal Kitchen upon boarding and got our preferred time for dinner each night.  Easy as could be!  

We TRY to sail in a GS.  Wonder has usually been sold out for suites and when the occasional one comes open they are unbelievably expensive.  We booked a JS with our Prime free cruise offer last spring.  Got a great price.  We are sailing next month on Wonder.  Hoping for CK for a few nights.  Especially on our favorite nights.  We have had great luck getting CK in a JS in the past.  We will see on Wonder.  On Wonder, it is hard to find any suites (including JS) available.  Who pays those prices?????  We are moving to GS on Mariner for a while.  I can eat in specialty restaurants each day and never come close to the prices on Wonder.         

I think there is a tram at the port to cut down on walking?  Where are the taxis located to take you to Front Street?  I want to cut down on my steps and save them for the boardwalk.  Also, if I get worn out on the boardwalk are taxis available along Front Street to take us back to the port?  Suggestions?  Thanks. 

If you have some mobility issues is the water taxi okay?  I've had knee replacement and not as spry as I used to be.

11 minutes ago, neverbeenhere said:

R-E-L-A-X

 

Sometimes it's better just to attend and ask questions at the time of you meal. Things change all the time.

Yes, I used to be this way.  Now I can only eat limited quantities.  I am just looking to maximize trying new dishes.  I was just asking for everyone's favorites. 

We will be on Wonder next month and have 150 reserved.  We've never eaten there before.  What are the current rules?  Can you have two appetizers anymore?  Both the scallops and pumpkin soup has caught my eye.  Can you get the tenderloin for just one?  We would like to split an entree to try a couple of things. We love halibut, but I worry it won't be as good as fresh.  Is the cucumber martini good? We won't have the drink package and don't want to waste a diamond coupon on an unknown. Looking for suggestions. Thanks! 

16 hours ago, PaulMedik said:

 

You steward has few assigned rooms and more to detail.

Our cabin steward had the standard number of rooms assigned.  Our Ocean Suite had no extra servicing at all.  Our OS was one of those OT rounded balcony staterooms so there were really no other suites in that area.  

I have to admit that I have only scanned the last few pages, but here is my 2 cents worth.  We are basically done with Carnival for a while.  We haven't cruised on Celebrity yet but have one booked.  We have moved over to Royal any enjoy them, especially in sky suite class. We did one NCL years ago and just haven't returned (no particular reason). We have done a couple on Princess and did cruise to Alaska on them.  In general, we wouldn't go back to Princess because we are a bit more casual and fun loving than their target group. HOWEVER, we would sail Princess to Alaska again in a heartbeat.  You need to choose an itinerary that goes to Glacier Bay.  Only Carnival Corporation ships go there to the best of my knowledge.  It is an entire day of multiple glacier views.  They bring on a National Park Service person to narrate for the day. Princess has a lot of nature and history programs during the week.  We learned so much. We would choose Royal Princess over the older ships.  It is beautiful and has extra bells and whistles.  We did the Southbound out of Whittier.  We spent a couple of days in Anchorage and then took the train to Whittier and spent a couple of nights at the Inn at Whittier.  We took the 26 glacier tour out of Whittier and saw Hubbard Glacier from the multi-story high speed catamaran. Boarded our Princess ship and spent a week ending up at Vancouver.  We transferred to Seattle and spent a couple of days touring there.  We all thoroughly enjoyed our trip and would do it again in a heartbeat.           

1 hour ago, Houst said:

Why do your tips more when staying in a suite if they don't do anything different? Like twice a day? Just wondering.

Good question.  We were also on MG in an Ocean Suite.  Just a bit larger than a balcony cabin.  No extra services at all.  If you are staying in one of the larger Excel Suites perhaps the extra cleaning required could be considered a reason for a larger tip.   

I've been on different Oasis class ships 5 times and 2 times on MG.  We just disembarked MG this past Saturday. My oh my, it sure seemed crowded.  Much more that our cruise on MG last year.  We were at full capacity.  You were fine if you went to eating places after the opening rush or went to shows very early to find a seat.  Service was hit or miss and food quality was just okay for us.  The ship is beautiful and I love the neighborhood themes.  The casino is huge!  I really want to like MG, but I feel it just isn't for us.  We will be on Wonder of the Seas next month.  We really like Oasis class.  You have to really plan your trip though.  You need to make reservations for shows and dining which makes you plan out your cruise too much for us.  It does get crowded at times, but traffic flow is pretty good unless you happen to want an elevator when dining or a show get out.  I have felt that Royal has better food, but recently there have been cutbacks.  I will know more once we get off of Wonder next month.  I prefer Oasis class, but MG isn't too far behind if food isn't too important to you.      

33 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

Good heavens the uproar that someone might have to go without alcohol for a few hours during the day or heaven forbid walk to a particular bar to get your fix. Makes me wonder what kind of crowd is sailing Celebrity these days. 😁😁

Geez.  🤔🙄  It really isn't about the alcohol.  It's about continued cutback surprises.