CruzerDeb

I just booked my first cruise on a RC ship - Rhapsody of the Seas! I’ve sailed in Carnival, Princess and Celebrity. Chose this ship for the itinerary - So Caribbean round trip out of San Juan. I’m pretty excited about it; only 695 days to go! 😂🛳️

What do I need to know? Lol

Such a beautiful day in St. Thomas! Can’t wait to get back there … in 694 days! 😂

29 minutes ago, Jamman54 said:

We had several as you shall see! 

I knew you wouldn’t let me down! 🍹😂

I absolutely love Megan’s Beach! Beautiful pictures of the beach and from the overlook. Hope you had a Bushwacker at Paradise Point!

16 minutes ago, Hatteras51 said:

The food at Giannis is good, but it is a very busy restaurant. Sometimes,  waits can be long,  even with reservations. Giannis is located on a busy, noisy strip in PaIm Beach. I much prefer their other restaurant, Azzurro,  at Playa Linda Resort, also in Palm Beach.  Azzurro is oceanfront,  with beautiful views of the sunset. You will probably need to be back at the ship by 9:30. I'd make the reservation for 6pm, and try to get a table with a sunset view. You can easily get a taxi back to the port at Playa Linda.

Thanks for the info! I’ll look into Azzurro. 

I'm thinking about making a dinner reservation at Gianni's for 6:30p with the ship leaving at 10:00p. If you've been there, is this doable? How was the food? Easy to get a taxi? I definitely don't want to be a pier runner or get left behind. I mean, I think I'll really like Aruba, but don't want to get stuck there. lol

Loving your review and all the great pictures! I’ll be cruising So Caribbean in 79 days! All new ports to me and I’m so excited. 

1 minute ago, mpacker said:

 

 

it is only starting on Horizon

Thanks. 

8 hours ago, csm5986142 said:

 

Where did you find it?  I'm not seeing it as an option for our cruise next week?

I did a search for it when I was  on the Shore Excursions page - IDK if it was actually under SE or not. Someone in my FB group mentioned that it was a “trial” by Carnival, so maybe it’s not available fleet wide ?

Have a great time! I’ve got Vista booked for Thanksgiving 2024. 

I previously started a thread about how to book this tour and the consensus and past experience was that you had to go to the Shore Excursion desk on embarkation day to book the tour. That is no longer the case! You can now book online. I just booked my tour for my 2/3/24 cruise in the Horizon! 

Just an unexpected update on this - the Behind the Fun Ultimate Tour became available to book online today for my 2/3/24 Cruise in the Horizon!

Oh no!  I'm so sorry this happened. So disappointing. 

Thank you @ObstructedView2!!

19 minutes ago, RCmommy said:

I remember last January on the Vista.  Once onboard I made a beeline for the desk to sign up for the tour.  The person helping me looked at me like I was crazy.  Told me they have never done anything like that.  I kept explaining and still nothing.  Turns out he had never heard of it, and the tours hadn't quite started operating on all the ships post covid yet.  He was so adamant he knew it didn't exist that he had me questioning my own sanity! lol  Someone else from behind the counter came to explain that neither of us were wrong or crazy. 

 

I will be signing up for our next cruise.

I'm glad that another, more experienced, worker showed up!

52 minutes ago, five. said:

If it fills up, they will do a waitlist and if enough interest they sometimes do a second tour. Just FYI.

Good to know, thanks!! I’m really excited about it. Wish I didn’t have to spend my first minutes onboard waiting at Shore Excursions, but it’ll make that Funship Special taste even better! 

34 minutes ago, Musicguy said:

Go the excursion desk as soon as you arrive on the ship.  The tour is limited in number and they also have a minimum number before they will charge your sail and sign. I took the Magic tour back in August. If you cruise often, you should take one of these tours.  It really makes you appreciate everything that goes into a cruise. 

I’m going to do my best to get this tour! I know both my husband and I will really love it. 

23 minutes ago, shof515 said:

yes it is available and yes you need to go to the shore excursion desk

Thank you!!

Just wondering if this tour is still available! If so, one would sign up at the Shore Excursion desk?

TIA!

5 minutes ago, retired dude said:

as a former travel consultant, we advised our clients to never sail the caribbean  in sept, oct or early nov. unless necessary....I also would not  sail out of san juan as i have done so too many times and i will tactfully leave it at that.....as a former mt adams couple, just trying to be helpful.

Thanks for your input. 

9 hours ago, VentureMan_2000 said:

I hope not only because of the cost to fly there.

 

No one would make you choose that route, so you wouldn’t have to fly there if you didn’t want to.

Wow, Bonsai Teppanyaki looks AMAZING! Carnival should thank you for your review, because I just booked it for my cruise on the Horizon in February!

51 minutes ago, mahdnc said:

@CruzerDeb @Thascales 

 

Thank you!!

1 hour ago, dhanakorn said:

This is a review from NCL Epic from San Juan a couple years ago. Maybe it can give you a glimpse of what you will experience on NCL ship.

 

 

Thank you for linking this review! I will definitely read it. 

4 hours ago, rodndonna said:

 

Celebrity is dropping San Juan as well (at least for 2025). We had booked with them our of San Juan in 2025, but all the 2025 San Juan itineraries were pulled to Florida embarkations. If you want to do Celebrity - get it in for 2024.

 

NCL is doing San Juan and we have that one booked for January 2024 (7 day cruise with no sea days!).

 

Options from San Juan are becoming more limited, I am guessing it is a result of flight costs 😐

Celebrity said they wanted to make it easier for families and more cruises with the RCL private island when the made the change to Florida.

Yikes! I’m really sorry to hear this about Celebrity dropping San Juan. I can’t make it happen in 2024 - my DH is already regretting the 3 we have booked.