Cruisin Around

On 9/21/2022 at 11:56 AM, Radio said:

I had lunch at Giovanni's last week on Oasis of the Seas. Here is a photo of the lunch menu.

 

 

 

Thanks so much!

Hope that you have a “perfect day” today! I’ve been loving your posts. We will hopefully be on this cruise on October 2. If you happen to see it and it’s not too much trouble, would you mind snapping a photo of the lunch menu at Giovanni’s t

Table? We bought the unlimited dining package and for the longest time it seemed like Chops was Restaurant that was open for lunch on embarkation day. But now it seems like it’s Giovanni’s. It’s not on the website that I can see or in the cruise planner. They only show the dinner menu. Trying to do a nice rotation of all of the restaurants for the whole week ha ha!  Don’t go to any trouble. Just figured I’d ask. Thank you and have a wonderful and safe trip!

Definitely not saying that you should (or shouldn't), but I'm just curious about those testing positive - is anyone wearing masks or is it pretty much no precautionary protocols?  Again, not saying anyone is right or wrong.  We plan on masking next month and most likely staying out of crowded shows.  Wondering if this might keep us pretty safe (definitely not without risk) or if people are getting covid even with masking.  Thanks!  

I can't believe it myself, but a few months back we purchased the UDP for $163.99/pp.  Before that it was $189 I think.  Now it's $209.99 but I've seen it as high as $219.99 for our 10/2 sailing on Oasis.

Hi All!

Does anyone know which specialty restaurants on Oasis have outdoor seating options?  I didn't know any of them did but I've seen it mentioned here and there that some have that option.  Does "outdoor" mean out of the restaurant but inside the ship - like in front of the restaurant?  Or is it actually water views?  Thank you!

On 6/1/2022 at 1:56 PM, alexgtp said:

Yes. We  had UDP on Oasis and needed a reservation for lunch to get Sushi. So we opted to get take out and eat on our balcony. 

If you just want takeout sushi, you don't need a reservation, correct? Just a reservation to eat inside Izumi? For takeout, do you just walk up, order and wait?  Is it usually a long wait?  Thanks in advance!

I love reading all of your tips.  We have the UDP for the first time on our upcoming October Oasis cruise.  Does anyone know if we'd like to have lobster on the second formal night (i'm guessing that's when it will be), do we have to go sit in the MDR or can we get a few tails to go?  I also read once that someone said you could eat in a specialty restaurant but ask them for the MDR lobster tail (on the specific night MDR is serving it) and they'd bring it to you at the specialty restaurant so you could have it there in addition to what you were eating at the restaurant.  I'm not saying that person was lying but maybe that's more of a fluke and not something that usually happens?  Thanks!

I actually got it on a sale (which was 4/1) for $164/pp and it's $220 now.  We sail in October.  So if you have a lot of time, you might want to just book it and then watch.  This way, if it goes up you at least have this price.

On 6/15/2022 at 5:04 PM, megr1125 said:

 

The Springhill was the last hotel of the Marriott flavors up there to reopen after Covid.  It's not near ANYTHING to eat so you're stuck with take out or walking to the adjacent Courtyard for their bistro.

Try the Residence Inn and/or Courtyard Elizabeth (adjacent to the Embassy Suites) and you've at least got the outlet mall across to eat, as well as iHop and Ruby Tuesday though neither of those are great examples of their respective restaurant chains.

 

You can try those hotels direct for cruise packages too.  Yes, Trinity may be cheaper but you'll have more choices if you expand your horizons. If you're driving and are not familiar with the area, the Elizabeth ones (Embassy, CY and RI) are all next to each other, off exit 13A and are 100x easier to get to.  The ones on routes 1 and 9?  If you are not paying attention and are not in the proper lane and don't haul your butt to make the quick turn into the side street to get to the SHS (or the other Courtyard or Fairfield inn  or Home2 Suites) you're going to have to go out of the way to come back and you're gonna be mad.

I am up there all the time and know where I am going and it's still nuts!

Thanks so much!  This helps a lot.  I appreciate all your knowledge.  I booked through Trinity for the Embassy.  I called the hotel and for us to do it separately would have been about $70 more!  Thanks again!

Hi All!

Was looking at cruise packages for Bayonne on Trinity Reservations.  Has anyone had experience with either the Newark Springhill Suites or the Newark Embassy Suites?  Both are the same price for what we need.  Springhill is in Newark and Embassy is in Elizabeth, NJ.  We will be coming from Pittsburgh, PA.  Is one easier to get to over another or a better hotel?  I'm leaning towards the Springhill because we are Marriott members but doesn't have to be.  Thanks for any help!

On 3/19/2022 at 10:57 AM, gfkcruiser said:

So I went to cruise planner and all the times for all days are taken after 6:30 or after 8:30 for chops and Wonderland.   Will there be spots available when I board or am I shut out - in which case I will cancel the package.  

Where do you look in the cruise planner to see this?  Thank you!

2 hours ago, pcur said:

Well, there's always making each.and.every.day's.dining.reservation to keep you occupied while waiting for the entertainment.

 

I just about went to sleep on my mouse doing that for 4 cruises today.

Hi!  You can make dining reservations online for each day of the cruise?  How do you do this?  Thanks!

Hi All!

Just a few questions for Oasis Unlimited Dining.  

If you are going for lunch, do you need to make reservations?  Can you get food (appetizers, entrees, dessert) to go?  If you can get to-go options, how does that work?

Thank you!

Thanks again!

Thank you!!

Hi All!

I’ve done some searching but haven’t really been able to turn up too much information on the room that we booked for our October Oasis cruise. We are in an interior room with a promenade view. At first I thought promenade view would mean a view of the Royal Promenade but when I looked on the deck plan it’s actually a boardwalk balcony view which is fine. It’s all the way in the back. We booked it as we definitely liked the price and it was the last one in that category. Some rooms seem to have just a round window while others have a little seating area in this type of room. Also trying to figure out what the view might be. Anyone been in this room lately? Will be happy with anything but just a little curious. Thanks all!

The one I'm looking at on Explorer (one of our favorite ships and being "amplified" in May) is nine nights.  Our son will be 13 and actually aged out of Adventure Ocean last year and was in the "teen" club this year.  It was spotty at best - not because of Royal but because lack of participation on the few teens who were there.  Our son still had fun with a few kids who would meet in the "Living Room" and play games for short periods.  My niece who will be five would be with us as well so she'd be interested in the kids' club.  I think my husband would like saving a few vacation days by combining with a holiday.  Not sure how everyone will feel about it yet.  I'm not convinced myself yet lol.  We are fine with kids on board though.  Thanks!

Hi All!

I never considered going on a cruise for Thanksgiving but we usually cruise sometime in October and haven't been overly thrilled with the choices for next year.  We just got back from Symphony and it was fantastic but the seven days can feel really rushed.  Even one extra day can help.  We LOVED Coco Cay.  Didn't have time to do everything even though we didn't pay for any extras like the waterpark.  It was a little hectic with getting back on the ship Friday evening and having to have our bags outside our door by 10:00 PM that night.  Our dinners in the MDR weren't over until after 10:00 because we had late seating so that meant at 5:00 PM when we got back onboard, we had about three hours to shower and totally pack up the room.  Anything that went to dinner with us that night had to go into our carryon as well.  Really enjoy the last day being a sea day much more.  All that being said, I'd repeat the cruise that we just came back on in a heartbeat and would be totally happy.  As I look for next year, I expanded the search into November and an 11/20/20 on Explorer looks kind of nice.  Haven't approached the family about it yet to see what they think, but just trying to gather info first.  I did a search and saw a few things on here like they serve turkey (I'd hope so!) and Christmas decorations go up the next day which I hadn't thought about but would be awesome.  Doing a Google search about Thanksgiving cruises took me to a list on Carnival's page that said they put the big Thanksgiving Day parade on their big screen.  That's been a tradition in our house since my sister and I were kids and we still do it now.  Has anyone seen that option on Royal?  Any extra info that you know or if you've been on one, please give a few details.  Thank you!!

6 hours ago, A&L_Ont said:

Ourusualbeach is 100% correct as the tables do change. I’d love to help, but in reality it will change.  That being said enjoy your cruise. 

 

the afternoon, 102. 

Thank you to both you and Ourusualbeach for the information.  Bon Voyage!

Love reading your review!  We will be sailing on Symphony as well on Oct. 12th!  IF you have time and it's not to much of an imposition, if you could take a shot of Table #300 in the MDR, I'd really appreciate it.  I've been in contact with RCL Dining with a request and they just emailed me with that as our assigned table number.  I'm just curious about where it is.  No problem if you can't find the time.  Have a great trip and I look forward to reading more! Thanks!

Is Boleros the only place to purchase them on Symphony?

Thanks!

Thank you!

Thanks everyone! Looks like most of you said it was made up but one of had the experience of it staying. I think I’ll just tip extra and make sure they put it up every day because it sounds crowded with it being down. Thank you!!

Hi All!

I've been reading some posts from people who like us, have a third person in the room.  We have a Boardwalk Balcony on Symphony.  It seems like everyone says that they turn the couch into a bed the first night and leave it that way.  Is it in the way that way?  Do you miss having the couch (I'm more worried about space than not having the couch)?  Do they do this for the comfort of the third person thinking that they might want to take a nap during the day or is it to save time for the stateroom attendant.  I know that my son won't be napping during the day so we wouldn't need it made up but is it a big pain for them to remake it into a bed every night?  I don't want to cause a lot more work for anyone.  I just want to make sure that we will have room.  Thanks for any feedback from those who have experienced this.

16 hours ago, zdad59 said:

 

Red up your room, bring gum bands, and don't let the jagoffs make you mad.    And before you leave the cabin for dinner, check to see if "Kennywood's open".

 

Haha!!  Love it.  Do they have Isaly's chipped/chopped ham in the Windjammer?  I'm putting a folding chair in my favorite spot so no one takes it!

Seriously though, I'm enjoying your review!