jules71

Maybe a few questions will help get more discussion...

What are some of the “not to be missed” activities, areas, etc.?

What tips would you give a friend that is sailing Oosterdam for the first time?

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If you like RC, you’ll also like HAL. I would equate HAL with Celebrity. So I agree, HAL has more interesting itineraries so if that’s what you’re looking for, give HAL a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

 

 

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Thanks for your feedback!

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I am interested in learning more about this ship as well. Still considering, but if we book it would be our first on Holland America after many, many Royal Caribbean cruises and one Celebrity. HA just seems to have so much more of the itineraries that I am looking for...

May I ask for my own curiosity, if you're putting the time and money into a cruise including flying to Florida, why the Bahamas? Why not the Caribbean, which is much nicer?

Exactly what I was thinking! I am reluctant to even do an Eastern Caribbean cruise that stops in Nassau. I do like Coco Cay, though.

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I believe there is an advantage to going downstream rather than upstream, as you may spend more hours in each port. Others have reported this at least, I am not an expert with river sailing speeds.

Probably a dumb question, but which way is downstream?!! (Just starting my research on this itinerary.)

We are doing the Bermuda one! Any suggestions for excursions or things you loved at the ports?

In Bermuda, the first afternoon we walked from the ship to the Sea Glass Beach. Interesting place—we swam and hung out for a while. Uncrowded, beautiful. Someone posted very detailed directions on how to get there. It wasn’t hard.

On our second day we took the ferry to St. George, explored there, then took the bus back stopping at places along the way including the Swizzle Inn and the pink sand beach.

Our last morning we did a ship’s tour because we had to be onboard by 11:30am. I believe it was called Bermuda Triangle Shipwreck Tour. We enjoyed it.

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We have sailed the Grandeur twice, 6 day Bermuda and 8 day NE/Canada. I like so many things about this ship especially the staff. I like that the Centrum is such a happening place. There is always something going on. There is just a good vibe to the ship. Of all our cruises, these are two of my favorites. I have reviews posted and/or I’ll try to answer any questions. Have a wonderful cruise!

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On Independence last year after dinner on the first night i ordered 2 glasses of wine on the D+ bogo and they tried to charge me for two and after i told them it was the bogo they had to cancel the receipt and bring another one to sign.

This has happened a few times since they did away with the paper voucher book so i Always now make a point of letting them know whenever a Diamond+ benefit is being used.

I always let them know if I want to use a benefit (or not!). Not a biggie but ordered a drink at the Pool Bar and they brought me two since I had a bogo on my card even though I wasn’t planning on drinking two. Another time was charged for a drink instead of automatically using the voucher. GS took it off no problem, but easy enough to let them know up front.

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So I have been trying to follow this conversation and would appreciate a confirmation to what I took in. There is talk or rumor that RCCL may take away the Diamond Lounge privileges to "just" Diamonds because there are so many folks. There have been some lounges so crowded that they have not been the quiet oasis of the past and required the use of an over flow area. Has RCCL made any clear statements that they will be doing this? If indeed this is the future perhaps grandfathering the current " just" Diamonds will avoid a massive uprising. Since the" just" Diamond are most likely going to continue to cruise based on the loyalty status they will be Diamond plus in the near future.

 

 

 

We became "just" Diamond two years ago and have enjoyed the Diamond Lounges. Our bartenders became very apt at making my husbands drink which was not always the case outside the lounge. We met some very funny and delightful folks in the lounge that were always willing to share their stories and advise. We were on the Jewell in December and it was rare that the lounge was too busy for one bartender but it did happen now and then. Guests were mindful of this challenge and flowed with it. The attached bar on the other side (Viking Lounge?) was usually empty and underutilized so they did open the door and added a few more tables The area was roped of by a sign saying private party. We were there two weeks and the consignor did ask in the beginning of the first week for our sea pass cards to confirm our status which was done quietly

 

 

 

The consignor was fabulous. Always a friendly greeting and filled with great advise when asked . Folks in the suite lounge felt the same way about their lounge. The lounge provides an intimacy of fun not found on our cruise ship bars.. So it is not just the free drinks that would be missed if the lounge disappeared for" just" Diamonds. We will be back on the Jewell in March and hope the same staff will be assigned to the lounge. I am hopeful that they open the over flow area so we can enjoy our drinks with my sister who is on her first RCCL cruise. They have the beverage package.

Totally agree with you — we made Diamond 5 or 6 cruises ago and have really enjoyed the experience. We have met so many wonderful people including staff and crew. The Captain introduced himself to us in the DL on the Grandeur! Of course, we enjoy the free drinks as well. And I love getting a latte in the morning. Would not be happy if we are kicked out of the Diamond Lounge! I think your idea about grandfathering current Diamonds is brilliant.

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Honestly, we have never had an issue with either of the Lounges being crowded. I guess we just cruise at the low C&A number times.

 

 

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We have been in the Diamond Lounge when it was very busy, but we could still get a seat and service has almost always been excellent. We have felt that it is the one opportunity to really get to know some of the staff and crew. We used to enjoy getting to know our MDR staff and cabin stewards, but I believe their duties have increased to point they no longer have the time to chitchat with passengers.

I sincerely hope Diamond members are not pushed out of the "Diamond" lounge.

I haven’t sailed Carnival, but have to agree with others who cite the staff on Royal. Recently cruised the Empress to Cuba and have nothing but praise, good food, good service, etc. Really loved our Grandeur cruises as well. Not crazy about the Enchantment... But back to the OP’s question, we mostly haven’t tried other cruise lines because of the C&A perks. If they are, as some say, becoming less valuable, we may try other lines.

If Carnival would bring a decent ship to Charleston, I would probably try them.

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I’ve cruised both lines and prefer Royal. Our preference is based on service. I think customer service will make or break your experience. Royal has exceeded over Carnival in this area, in my opinion.

 

There isn’t much about Royal I don’t like but if I had to pick something it would be enrichment opportunities. I would love to see history and astronomy lectures.

 

 

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When we cruised on the Grandeur out of Baltimore, they had a great lecturer from Maryland. We attended two lectures. In one he spoke about the Chesapeake Bay and the other, the Bermuda Triangle. Very interesting guy. I too would love to see more of this kind of offering. Celebrity had an astronomy lecturer which we enjoyed as well.

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Smoking in the casino saves me money. Think about that statement. More people do not smoke, than do smoke. I think maybe I read only 17% of adults now smoke. If it keeps smokers in the casino, than it also keeps non-smokers out of the casino. This argument was made with restaurants. After 6 months of people crying over new laws, at making restaurants smoke free, the restaurants discovered they are making more money. They lost some customers but gained many more. They also discovered the tables turned more often, because smokers needed to get out to do their habit, freeing up space. Casino's are the same. Less smoke, others will stay longer, and gamble more. The majority of people are non-smokers, therefore, they should cater to the majority, and not the minority. It's not going to be long now before you see some changes. Hopefully soon, because I have a wad of money, that I would like to donate to the ship.

I think you are right! We didn’t go to bars and nightclubs for years because of the smoke. It’s so nice now to be able to go out now and not come home smelling like a cigarette. And it sure hasn’t hurt business in the places we go. Wish Royal would wake up and go with what’s best for the majority of their passengers.

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Same as on other ships, smoky.

 

You need to sail on Celebrity to have smoke free casinos.

Our cruise on Celebrity was the first time we have spent time in the casino in many cruises. The last time we spent an evening in a Royal Caribbean casino I was sick for a couple days afterward from inhaling all the smoke. I really wish Royal would go smoke free.

We cruised with a group of 20 on Celebrity -- several smokers -- they all said they didn't mind at all going out for a smoke.

In 15 cruises, we have only purchased it once and that is when we went without our teenagers. Wanted to make sure we could get home quickly if needed. The times we didn’t buy it, we had some cancellation protection on our credit card and depending on where we are going our health insurance covered us. Since every card and policy is a little different, the first step is checking out what coverage you already have. At one point, we have even had work health insurance that included a Travel Med policy — that was great!

No longer have that and reading the horror stories about medical evacuation is making me consider it for our next trip.???

Insuremytrip.com is a good site to get info —explains different areas of coverage and will also give you a quote from several different companies.

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Thanks!

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Sailing out of Amsterdam on the Brilliance of the Seas this spring. Are the rules regarding bringing on two bottles of wine the same in Europe? Is wine easily found in the supermarket? Any suggestions or concerns? Thanks!

Thank you, Tom. Really appreciate the information as we prepare for our Cuban cruise in November,

I don't get the drink package, but do want a decent cup of coffee each morning. We are sailing at Thanksgiving, and found the coffee card at the RCCL site. When we sailed earlier this year, our card was waiting for us in the cabin since we had ordered in advance on the website.

 

You can also purchase on board. On Freedom earlier this year, we could have purchased another one at the coffee shop if we needed it. Enjoy your cruise!

 

 

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Thank you!

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As a coffee drinker I highly suggest buying a coffee card or the Replenishment drink package which will give you unlimited "Starbucks" TYPE coffee in any shape or form along with fresh squeezed OJ, bottled water, sodas, virgin drinks etc.

Welcome to Royal:D:D

Can you tell me more about the coffee card? Where do you buy it? Cost?

This is amazing feedback. Thank you everyone for taking the time to reply. And PapaFlamingo, thank you so much for all your suggestions. And Sue, I will definitely be reading your review. I am so excited now. I have been looking at this itinerary for 5 or 6 years and you all have solidified my decision not to wait any longer. Thank you again! (I love CruiseCritic.)

Planning a cruise to the Baltic next year and have a few questions for those who have sailed this itinerary. The route is Amsterdam, Skagen, Denmark, Tallinn, St. Petersburg, Finland, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Amsterdam.

Is there a bad time to go? The date I am planning is second week in June, but wondering why the price is a bit cheaper than other dates.

Does it matter which side of the ship? Currently booked port, but right now there are plenty of cabins.

If you had a balcony for this itinerary, did you use it a lot? We book ocean view or balcony depending on itinerary, price, etc. Thinking balcony since it is a longer cruise, but it is port intensive and expect we will be off the ship for long days.

Relative to ports, what would be your "not to miss" sights? And on the other hand, are there any sights that you wondered what was all the fuss was about?

This is at the top of my bucket list and I am interested in any suggestions from those who have been there!

Lots of good advice here, but just to stress a few points.

1) Take some form of ID along with your cruise card. Although we are fairly experienced cruisers, we got off the ship in Nassau without our ID's thinking cruise ID would be enough. According to the Nassau customs agent we could have be detained. Luckily, he let us through! Seemed like a close call though. (We always leave passports in the safe.)

2) I have to have water shoes! Beaches can be hot and you may have to walk across a rocky area. I have a good pair of Land's End that tie, but I really prefer my Teva sandals that strap on.

3) We have our own masks and snorkels that are easy to get in the suitcase. Bought many years ago for one of our first cruises. After several trips, we decided flippers are just way too much trouble to carry. If we are on an excursion, we use the provided ones. Sometimes we just go without. We also have the vests which I always wear. Probably depends where you are if they are really needed. Many beaches have equipment rentals --probably can google and find out where.

4) Don't leave any valuables on a beach. Have a waterproof wallet that fits around my waist. Was on Labadee a couple years ago when a young lady near us left her cell phone on the chair for 5 minutes to get another chair and it was gone.

5) We take one small backpack for the two of us and usually carry ships towels, water, map, sunscreen including lip sunscreen, and take or wear hats.

Have a great cruise!

On Nonrefundable Deposit if you change the ship or sail date you will be charged a $100 fee per person. If you cancel the cruise you will be charged $100 per person and the remainder of your deposit will be issued as a future cruise certificate that must be used on a future cruise and booked within a year, but does not have to be taken within the year.

 

Carla

Thank you, Carla. Very helpful. Still don't think I will switch my current booking to nonrefundable, but good to know.

Enjoying your review. A Baltic cruise is at the top of my bucket list and I Iove hearing about the ports.