adjoankora

On 4/16/2020 at 12:19 PM, barjoe said:

We hope we can still cruise again

Both over 70 and some health issues that need a dr's ok

Have  3 cruise to do this year, local one out of Boston, and the a B2B on Explorer.

and 3 next year. 

Had to cancel the Brilliance TA took a FFC hope not going to be a loss.

Barb

 

What if a 45 year old with one or more underlying conditions sails on RCI and while on the cruise suffers some medical emergency due his underlying condition?  RCI would not have a "safe to travel" document since it would not be required because of his age.  There are plenty of us 70+ years of age in better physical shape then much younger cruisers.  If RCI keeps this age/health restriction, they might as well stop sailings that are10+ nights or more in length.  Most younger and still working cruisers won't be able to take 10 days (or more time) off.

We have an annual plan with United Health Care Safe Trip (uhcsafetrip.com).

We did a TJ tour from the Zuiderdam in July of 2018 and we had 15 in our group. The group worked well together, mix of families with older children and couples. SPB is sooooooo crowded that everyone was dealing with a level of crowds no matter if you were with a private tour or a small group. Now I could have done without a 2 hour walk through St. Catherine's gardens in the high heat. We had a nice lunch the first day "in the countryside" and a terrible lunch the second day in the city. Both we paid for ourselves. The Mercedes van had AC but European AC is not American AC. I was glad we didn't do the hydrofoil. It seems great when reading about it, but I bet it was a hot ride.

We will be doing the Baltics next May on Brilliance of the Seas. Hoping it won't be very hot at that time. Crossing my fingers.

We did their 2 day comfort tour and loved it. We saw pretty much everything over the two days including a canal boat ride and a subway ride. There is so much to see in this beautiful city it can get overwhelming but well worth it. Pace was fine, guide was excellent and we would definitely use them again.

We are booked with Alla for the Baltic cruise out of Amsterdam next May on Brilliance of the Seas. So glad all the reviews here are positive. Looking forward to exploring SPB. Thanks for the info.

Same vroom price on Vision October 5 and 18! Cancelled and repurchased and saved about $100 total! I also posted on the Roll Calls. Hope others can take advantage of this sale.

Same here. We are on Vision October 18th and cancelled and repurchased VOOM surf and stream today. Saved $105 exactly!! Just looked again for two additional cruises we booked today. Sale is now down to 20% off rather than 35% off earlier today.:(

Which terminal does Vision use out of Barcelona? I understand the cruise port is one of the largest in the world and has several terminals. Thanks much for info.

We found a lovely condo in Eixample on Placa del Doctor Letemendi. It is a secure building with an elevator and close to Metro and HoHo stops. Almost forgot to mention that we found it on Airbnb.

We are also staying in the Eixample area beginning Oct 15th. It has an elevator and is close to metro and HOHO stops. We found the 1 bedroom on AirBnB. The apartment has 302 reviews, all 5 stars.

You might consider checking out Hotel Jazz...great hotel and location.

You might also consider Airbnb. We are renting a one bedroom, living room, kitchen, dining area, private bath apartment that has a 100% five-star rating from 302 guests. Just off Las Ramblas. Pictures are fabulous and guests have stated apartment looks even better than pictures.

This happens on some non-US sailings, e.g., European, Asian, South American.

 

They keep your passport to expedite the clearance of the entire ship at certain ports. The alternative would be EVERYONE lining up and seeing the immigration officials one by one.

 

Our passports were kept on a trip embarking and disembarking in Singapore. No big deal.

How many cruises do you typically take a year and are you working or retired?

Thanks

I am retired, but DH is self-employed and still working. We average 3-4 cruises per year, but have taken as many as 6 in a year.

I'm wondering if that's a sample menu and all choices may not be available.

Not a sample menu on Grandeur in February, March, and April sailings. Ate there on embarkation day in February and March. Delicious! All selections offered.

Please be mindful of what you post on this subject...it was a neighbor of ours that passed, and I assure you he and his wife were not in bad health. There are a lot of people from our community that were sailing together, so there are people on the ship that you are sailing with that are hurting because they were friends and neighbors of this gentleman. Can you IMAGINE how they are feeling now? Sometimes people THINK that because the ship turned around and dropped off the patient and the immediate family members, it is a done deal. But you are sailing with several friends and neighbors of this dear gentleman who are morning his passing and I can not even imagine how sad they are feeling on what was suppose to be a very joyous time for neighbors and cruise lovers who happen to live in the same community and cruise together often. Please realize they remain onboard and overhearing "gossip" or even venting about having the casino and ships stores closed and anyone's "great time" vacation being delayed because of this untimely passing of a dear friend could be very painful. Thanks!

Prayers are going up for the lost of your neighbor and all of his friends and family. May peace be with all of you. Be blessed.

My cruise planner shows a lunch menu for Chops.

 

Apps:

 

Wild Mushroom Soup

Colossal Shrimp Cocktail

Charred beef Carpaccio

The Wedge

 

Entrees:

 

Angus Filet Mignon 8oz

Roasted Organic Half Chicken

Scottish Salmon Steak

Dry Aged Steak Burger

NY Steak Salad

Caesar Salad

 

Sides:

 

Gruyere Tater Tots

Grilled Jumbo Asparagus

Fries

Mashed Potatoes Mac n' Cheese

 

Hope this helps!

We attended Chops Lunch on embarkation day on February and March sailings aboard Grandeur. Try to avoid Windjammer due to very large crowds on first day. The menu was exactly stated here; all items were available.

Tried to log on throughout the day. This evening, I called and was told the system will be down for 24-48 hours.

We usually do 4 cruises a year, but last year we did 8. We have booked 4 for this year and eyeing 2 more. I am retired and DH is self-employed.

Go for it... Dinner and the poolside are always great places to meet new people. Ask to be seated with others at dinner. Lot's of great conversations start there. We have made so many great friends on cruises. My wife, granddaughter and myself will be on the April 5th voyage. Odd itinerary but plenty to do. I like the fact that I won't need a internet plan and can make calls several days during the cruise.

Curious to know why you don't need an internet plan. Thanks.

So does RCCL give free slots play as noted above on all ships?

We got free slots on Allure in Oct 2017.

WillWe have 4 more booked on Grandeur in the future. Will keep slipping the big girls in from time-to-time but love the convenience of Baltimore.

Based on reviews we have read and those from friends who have sailed on her, we have booked Grandeur for February, March, and April 2018 sailings. We loved sailing Legend, a small ship also, in Asia a couple of years ago and are looking very much forward to our upcoming adventures on Grandeur. :cool:

Living and going to school in the wealthy neighbourhood of Notre Dame is quite different than the O'Donnell Height neighborhood.

I have seen the deterioration of this area as I have worked and traveled in this area for over 40 plus years

We each have our own opinion and I respect that. But I will continue to offer what I see on a daily basis not something from distant memiries.

 

Sent from my SM-G930V using Forums mobile app

I will not say more about your comments nor assumptions after this. But for clarification, as I stated, I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I grew up in a neighborhood similar to O'Donnell Heights and still visit that east Baltimore neighborhood often as family and friends remain.

Somewhat true - You're there for 1 night, never had heard a single issue with crime at the hotel and nearby areas are perfectly fine. Still doesn't rule it out for an option for many people cruising out of Baltimore.

I respectfully disagree with you, Tony O. The O'Donnell Street Best Western is perfectly fine. After all, it is only a one night stay and I have not heard of a single issue with crime at the hotel or nearby. Although my husband and I would be considered upper middle class by most socio-economic indicators, we were not born with silver spoons in our mouths. Just because people live in a lower socio-economic area, that does not mean they are criminals or prone to criminal activities. As for the drugs, you may be surprised as to how many of those drug deals are from folk who live outside the area in middle class neighborhoods (or better). Those cameras you see on poles are meant to record those not from the neighborhood as well. As for the truck stop across the street, I have found in my many road trips around our country that one can find some of the best food at truck stops for a very reasonable price. However, if folk staying at the Best Western would prefer some place else, that is up to them as there are plenty of options to do so whether they plan to drive their car or take public transportation or a taxi or Uber or Lyft. Please, do not be so judgmental about anything you may observe from afar. And yes, I am very familiar with Baltimore. I lived and worked there for many years and attended undergraduate school at Notre Dame on Charles Street and Morgan on Cold Spring Lane for graduate studies. Sorry to go on and on, but several times on this and other forums here, you have been less than kind when offering your opinion nor have you been fair. Cheers!

If the creek don't rise and the sun does shine, we will already be on Allure this time in 8 days!!! -- sailing Western Caribbean, Oct 22nd.

I'm a little confused on the BOGO Dining that is advertised in the planner. Do they just stick you in any restaurant at any time on the first two nights or can you pick the restaurant and times you want? If so, when can you do this? Is it as much of a hassle as it sounds? We have six on the Freedom in September. Is there a chance we could get in Chops or will we just be stuck in Giovanni's and Sabor. Not much of a savings if that is the case, especially if we have to stress about getting good times. Who has done this recently on the Freedom?

Please advise as to where I can find BOGO Dining in the planner. Is this just for Freedom? We will be sailing Allure in October. Thanks.

Yes! Booked two "firsts": My first B2B - Liberty of the Seas in May 2018. My first time on Royal Caribbean -- I've been a NCL cruiser for quite a while. Really looking forward to this new experience!

We usually book at least a year in advance, preferably 18-24 months. We prefer aft cabins and they book fast!

Booked on Navigator (Western Caribbean) April 8, 2018 and Vision (Transatlantic) October 22, 2018.

Hey all,

 

I'm headed to the Southern Caribbean on the Fascination on March 5th but will be arriving there on the 2nd. How often do you give yourselves time to explore the city of the port before setting sail? Leaving this Friday a day early for a cruise on Caribbean Princess with B2B on Regal Princess followed by 2 nights in FLL.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

Always at least a day before (sometimes two days) and a day or two afterwards. When we sailed in Europe and Asia, we went a week before our cruises.