RoperDK

3 hours ago, loman said:

I cruise in the fall so i can watch a little  NFL football to break up the activities .

I like the Allure as i can watch the game in the On Air Club or just outside it at the Starbucks seating in the promenade .

Roll Tide !

I enjoy NFL games, too.  My husband is pretty much just a college ball fan.  I have tried to tell him he can watch and follow our favorite college players once they get to the NFL.  He is slowly turning around.  I agree that watching a game on a cruise is a nice change of pace. Actually, the fall is my favorite time to cruise. Such a conundrum. Roll Tide!   

23 hours ago, constantcruiser said:

Several years ago our family did a Thanksgiving cruise leaving out of Galveston, TX.  It happened to be the last time Texas A&M and the Univ. of Texas played each other, and everyone aboard the ship seemed to be wearing maroon or burnt orange.  The day before Thanksgiving, the CD announced the game would be shown in the theatre AND in the largest bar.  It was a very close game; and on that one day, the ship sold more beer than it ever had before!  So don't give up if you REALLY want  a specific game.

I don't understand why they think that college ball isn't important to folks.  We are Bama fans and won't cruise over Thanksgiving because that is the Iron Bowl weekend.  I would love to cruise more in the fall, but big college games aren't shown like NFL games.  I can't always count on streaming so we try to cruise on off weeks or cupcake games.  That can make scheduling a cruise a bit challenging!    

I have several fall cruises booked.  Harmony doesn't have Playmakers.  Where are places to watch football, preferably college ball. 

I really want to thank everyone for offering me advice and suggestions.  I did find a surgeon in the area that does the anterior procedure with robotic arm assist.  I had to have my doctor fax him my records for him to review before I can even get an appt. Lol.  I also made an appt with my knee ortho that I have known for many years and who has done multiple surgeries on me.  I know he can clear up my confusion and help me sort things out.  It now doesn't look like my surgery can take place for another few weeks.  My cruise is past final payment, but covered under cruise with confidence, so I have options.  I can also postpone my surgery until after the cruise and use my cane.  I just cruised on Mariner two weeks ago and survived.  It wasn't easy, but at least I was cruising!

22 hours ago, Ky Bill said:

My late wife had a problem getting in and out of the tub in our GS.  If you ask the ship will supply you with a stool which makes getting in and out of the tub much easier.  If you could upgrade to an Owner's Suite they have a bath tub and separate flat on the floor shower.  

Bill

I am sorry for your loss.  Asking for a stool is a good idea.  Thanks.  I did look at upgrading to an Owner's suite and it is soooo much more money.  We got a great deal on the GS and current pricing for the upgrade is too much for us.  

7 minutes ago, cured said:

The 90 degree rule is for posterior approach. Anterior does not have that restriction. I have had both my hips replaced (anterior and robotic arm assisted.) I was driving in 1 week on my left and 2 weeks on my right, got rid of walker and cane within a week. If you can find a surgeon who does the stryker robot assisted, it is supposedly way more precise and your recovery is much faster. I can't say for sure that I wouldn't have recovered as quickly having it done the old fashioned way, but anecdotally when comparing with friends who have had it done, my recovery was much quicker and far less painful than theirs.

Thanks.  My highly regarded orthopedic that I really like, does the surgery the "old fashioned" way.  I talked to him about the anterior approach and he prefers a hybrid.  I guess it would be a good idea to search for a surgeon that does the anterior approach and compare.  I know it will take time to do this and frankly I'm fed up with the pain.  Better to do the homework, I guess.  Thanks for your input.       

25 minutes ago, Lane Hog said:

If you're mostly concerned about the tub, consider asking for an accessible room.  These have a flat floor shower and grab rails everywhere in the bathroom.

I checked on an accessible room and none are available.  That would have made me much more comfortable with committing to the cruise.  

10 minutes ago, fweegy said:

I've had both of my hips replaced and I was walking normally and upto at least a mile a day after a month. It shouldn't be a problem if all goes normal for you. Hips are a breeze compared to knees.

That is encouraging!  What about not bending more than 90 degrees for 6 to 12 weeks?  I can't even imagine getting dressed without help or maneuvering in and out of a variety chairs or booths, much less a lounger.    

It looks like I'll have 8 weeks to recover before our Harmony cruise.  Am I crazy to think that I can actually enjoy the cruise?  We are in a GS and that tub is a bear to negotiate under normal circumstances.  Does Harmony have a public shower I can use if I can't get in and out of the tub?  I've had knee replacement before so I know healing can take a while, but everyone says that hip replacement has a much easier recovery.  My surgeon is of course vague because everyone takes different paths to recovery.  Does anyone have any words of wisdom for me?  This was booked under cruise with confidence so I can easily move the sailing out a few months.  Thanks.  

2 minutes ago, rudeney said:

So this is RCI's insurance?  You might want to buy your own policy from a 3rd party travel insurance specialist.  You won't be able to insure the "equivalent" cruise fare when you are getting it for free or discounted, but you can get all the other benefits of insurance, like the medical coverage, etc.

Yes, it is the standard RCCL policy (or so I've been told).  I feel 3rd party insurance coverage will be costlier, as we are older.  Also, if you cancel before final payment, RCCL insurance is refundable, 3rd party is not. Cruise with confidence cruises are easy, things are more complicated now that things are returning to normal. 

I have several casino cruises booked.  Some free, some with upgrade fees, some with cash off.  The charge for the travel protection is all over the place.  The coverage varies from $29 for an inside cabin upgraded to a grand suite that cost me $3000.  Today, I added travel protection for a free inside and it was $109. 😯 Can someone shed some light on this for me?  I searched the travel insurance and casino forums and found nothing.  Whenever I question the casino royale reps (after waiting for a loooong time on hold), I get some vague, hesitant answer about different ships, and itineraries.  The $29 grand suite coverage is on the same ship and itinerary as the $109 inside.  The only difference is the date.  What gives?  Thanks for the help!     

We were on the same cruise.  A shorter cruise than we usually do, but really enjoyed it!  We've only been on Oasis or Quantum class before.  Mariner's style was a bit dated, but it was in great shape and we had great service throughout.  It was a fun itinerary.  I am getting hip replacement in June, so I just relaxed and enjoyed the views and perfect weather.  We were in a suite and the suite lounge was lovely with wonderful views.  Well stocked with snacks and great happy hour drink service. We enjoyed the dining room.  Windjammer was okay.  Playmakers had great food with large portions. The casino slots were tight, but I still gave it my best try to get ahead.  The only real negative was the voom surf and stream, which was totally down a good portion of the cruise and was only usable for email at best.                 

Full disclosure, I have never participated in a slot pull.  I do gamble and spend a lot of time in the casino.  I do enjoy meeting people, but don't like to comit to anything onboard.  Once onboard, I tend to get involved with our family's activities and all pre-planned events go unattended.  This is just my 2 cents worth FWIW.  The organizer of the slot pull puts in a lot of time and effort to organize the event and keep track of all the details.  To me, their card should be in the slot as a bonus for all of the work involved.  The reason for the slot pull is to share any winnings from the machine.  The extra points each person would get is very small.  If points are that important to you, then just don't participate.     

4 hours ago, compman9 said:

 

Celebrity, Oceania, MSC Yacht Club (around 100 cruises)

 

They have been on one short cruise out of Southampton on Royal with us, and it was a bit basic

 

 

Perhaps they should sail in a Grand Suite or above to get the full suite class experience.  

We were on Odyssey in March in a JS.  We went to Coastal Kitchen as soon as we boarded and were greeted by someone at the podium outside of CK.  On Odyssey, CK is located near the outside of the Windjammer.  We were offered a standing reservation for the entire week at either 5:30 or 7:30. We chose 7:30 and ate there every night.  We didn't expect to eat there each night, but we really enjoyed the service and venue.  We actually canceled reservations at Chops.  It was during spring break, so the ship was fairly full.  The key to success is to get there as soon as CK opens on boarding day.     

I have so enjoyed reading about your cruise experience.  Thank you for taking the time to post here.  I know it was very time consuming and it is much appreciated! 

4 hours ago, BennyBrun said:

Day 5

 

I am walking to the end of Bay St if turning left to DD to use the WI-FI… if you keep going you will walk into Margaritaville and then Junkanoo beach!

Athena Cafe is one of our favorite restaurants.  It is upstairs with a great view.  Classic Greek dishes. Very tasty and at least before covid, a very friendly owner who would enthusiastically greet each table with Opa!

. 

22 hours ago, BennyBrun said:

Day 4 Carousel 

 

Yes I took a ride 😂 

 

I love carousels, but this old lady can't climb up on those horses anymore. 🤣 Is there a boring bench for me to sit on and still enjoy the ride?

Well, I guess I'm not alone in stressing and getting anxious!  I over think about packing.  Am I missing something, do I need extra, what if a shoelace breaks? Lol, I try to cover all of the bases.  My medicine bag has something for all known ailments to man.  I check our passport and now vaccine cards multiple times before we leave the driveway. We get our covid test while on the road.  I always have a backup location in case something goes wrong.  We never drive in on the day of a cruise, even if the port is only a couple of hours away.  I don't want to chance being stuck in traffic or having a flat tire.  I always have this feeling that something wrong is going to happen.  Truth be told, I have had most of these things happen to me at one time or another and I am just trying to prevent it from happening again. You would think that cruising wouldn't be worth it, but oh what a wonderful feeling when you are all checked in and waiting to board!

.     

I forgot to add...we ate in CK every night.  Went up to the CK podium after boarding and they had availability for either 5:30 or 7:30 every night.  We chose 7:30 as we are late eaters.  We didn't plan on eating there every night, but loved the staff and venue and ended up there all 8 nights.     

We had a JS on the hump on Odyssey in March.  It was the cheapest of the JS categories.  It had a split bath.  Toilet and sink on one side.  Tub, nice large separate shower and sink on the other side.  We really enjoyed it and the location by the elevators.  This was a cabin for 2 people as the sofa was more of a loveseat size. Here is a Youtube video.

3 hours ago, nvance724 said:

WS in JS on Wonder April 8. No real perks except for space. There is a hot water kettle, no used, and  coffee pot ,also not used. Was on deck 8 so I felt coffee on deck 5 or 8 was preferable. Soon hot on deck 5 I had to wrap to go cups with napkins! Not able te eat at CKitchen or use suite lounge. Plenty of other areas to enjoy. 

Did you try for dinner at CK during the week?  I was wondering if the size of CK on Wonder would keep JS people out.  We've been pretty lucky with CK for dinner in a JS on other Oasis class ships.

5 hours ago, RFerrington said:

The whole setting was poisoned for me as the smell of those dreadful smoky eggs was nauseating and I could not get past that....it just got worse from there.  What they called "liquid lobster" looked like little snot balls to me. 

Lol, this made me giggle!  I am pretty adventurous with trying different foods, but oh my.  I can just imagine the strong egg smell partnered with the unusual visual presentations.  Our group isn't into what Wonderland offers, but I will forever remember your description. 😁

We just received our prime free cruise certificate.  It is our first time as prime.  The offer code is 22Tier3. There are no restrictions listed. I had figured that Wonder would be off the table and 8 day cruises would be a no no.  It just states free interior room.  I know you all are more experienced, so where do I find out about the fine print?  I would hate to call Club Royale and wait on hold and waste their time just to find out any restrictions. TIA

Following along.  Safe travels.  Would love to do a TA, but DH not so much.