Margy23

Is Carlington Berry the concierge?  He's always been a favorite of ours.

Margy

5 hours ago, molly361 said:

The terms say that you have to take what is given.  That said we are on your sailing in a balcony no email sent.  Guess we are blacklisted.  How much was the minimum bid for a GS?  According to their website all suites incl JS's on our sailing have been sold out for quite a while

GS was from $500 per person.

We received the email yesterday with lots of choices coming down to the cheapest, a junior suite listed at $200. 

We are on Oasis on 12/16 in an accessible cabin that we know we like (we've sailed in it before), convenient to elevators and with a large balcony.  If we were to bid on (and get) a junior suite, could we count on it being easy for my husband to navigate with his scooter, easy to use bathroom (I think junior suites have bathtubs) with a balcony equal to the one we have now, and convenient to elevators?

We're tempted to just stay where we are.  The upgrade fairy visited us once and moved us to junior suite, a surprise when we got to the pier.  The only thing I remember was having a coffeemaker, but the package of coffee didn't match the size of the pot.  We made it work, but I sure wouldn't consider paying $400 for it.  

What do you experienced folks think?  Is there something i'm forgetting that would make this worth exploring?

Margy

34 days until our 5th cruise on Oasis - can't wait to ride the carousel again. Our great grandchildren enjoy pictures proving we still enjoy the simple pleasures.

Just once, and I think it was before we became Diamond Plus, the upgrade fairy met us at check-in at Port Canaveral. Our only clue was that we didn't recognize our cabin number. We enjoyed the Junior Suite, especially being able to have coffee in the morning without getting dressed and going out....or guessing what time we'd like Room Service to bring it.

Now my husband uses a mobility scooter so we aren't in the market for upgrades, but we've truly never been disappointed with the accommodations in an accessible balcony. I think RCI plans those cabins for utmost convenience. The only thing we'd like is to have automated doors on Oasis class like they do on Radiance class. It's so much easier to go in and out when I don't have to try to hold the door open for him without being in the way. I recently read on CC that you can ask for a door wedge, so we'll do that in the future.

What we miss most because of needing an accessible cabin is the ability to grab a last-minute bargain, because accessible cabins are usually all booked far in advance. I wish there were some kind of computer program that would notify us if someone cancels an accessible cabin near sailing date, but I know that that sounds harder than other things (that would benefit more people) that their IT Department can't accomplish.

Sorry I strayed a little off subject.

Margy

I remember that they opened the doors early for Gala buffets strictly for picture taking. We were in awe of the ice and fruit carvings.

 

 

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Royal Caribbean ships used to have great midnight buffets with ice carvings, butter carvings, animals fashioned from special breads, etc. Everyone went through the line first to take pictures, then they opened the dining room for eating. The last one I'm pretty sure of was our 50th anniversary cruise from Vancouver to Hawaii in 2003. By then we had learned we didn't need to eat at midnight but still went just to enjoy the visuals - the ice carvings especially were beautiful. I think I also remember that we paid over $3,000 for an inside cabin, so now we're happier with less expensive cruises, a balcony to enjoy, and no midnight buffet to tempt us.

Incidentally that was the year I was diagnosed with diabetes - after we booked the cruise. Now with 15 years experience, I handle eating without even thinking about it and never run into trouble, but this was a new experience and a little scary, and I remember how relieved I was to see the first night's menu with three sugar-free desserts. They were excellent (better than the regular desserts available now), and that made me feel better about the future.

Just a little off subject, while the cruises are less expensive now, I believe the excursion prices are at least three or four times as high and I think the special drink of the day was under $2.

Things have changed through the years - the cruise experience and our physical abilities - but I think cruising will always be our favorite recreation.

Margy

OTH, I use a TA who goes to bat for her customers.

I do too - we can completely trust her to put our interests first. We feel there are advantages to having a TA with knowledge, experience, and a reputation with the cruise line that puts her in a better position to negotiate in case of a problem.

For anyone whose TA proves not to be an asset, of course trying a different TA or booking direct is the way to go.

Margy

THANK YOU SOOOO much for the great info. Yes, I did go to that website and started to fill out the forms. That was the easy part. I just was concerned about the pics and not doing it to their specifications. I don't know how to measure what they want. I know how to take and upload photos to a website, but they seem very strict. Taking your advice and going to have them done at the post office and staple them to the application like you did. THANK YOU again!

If you intend to have pictures taken at the post office, I don't think they do that - at least not everywhere. We had ours taken at AAA - the auto club, but have had them taken at Walgreen's in the past.

Good luck!

Margy

So ironic that you posted this. I have to renew our passports also for our November cruise. I looked at the website and forms. Did you do your own photo and download it to the website? A little confused about "renewing"

I'm not very computer savvy, so there may be a better way to do this. I filled out the Forms DS-82 on line and then printed them. We had our photos taken at AAA, and they stapled them to our applications. We enclosed our expiring passports and checks and mailed them, making sure we had a tracking number in case of a problem.

I recommend using the site "travel.state.gov" and clicking on "Get a U. S. Passport" to get the form (this only works if your passport was issued within the last 15 years). Googling is fine, but a lot of "we'll do it for you for money" sites will pop up, so it's important that you use a site that ends in ".gov".

Sorry if I sound like I'm explaining this to kindergarteners - it's not something within my comfort zone and I would want everything spelled out.....and I did teach kindergarten, so that's how I talk.

Happy Travels!

Margy

I don't believe there's an open thread about the current length of time for getting passports, so I thought I'd share our recent excellent experience.

We mailed our renewal forms, etc., for regular handling on July 26th and received our passports on August 9th. We have seven cruises this year and our old passports expire next April, so we were concerned about the length of time we would be without any passport during the renewal process. If anyone else is in a similar situation, this would seem to be a good time to do the renewal.

Happy Cruising!

Margy

We live about 100 miles from Tampa and 140 miles from Port Canaveral. Since we've been on over 40 cruises, have taken all the excursions and are no longer able to snorkel, destinations are not important to us, so for the past 5 years or so, we have limited our cruising to those two ports (with one exception - to go to Bermuda we had to sail out of Fort Lauderdale).

Tampa was our first choice - valet parking is convenient and we love the Radiance class ships. However, we have noticed that the traffic around the Tampa port has gotten so bad in the last couple of years that we're learning to love the Oasis. We have 3 more cruises booked on her before she leaves Port Canaveral and then our first one booked on Harmony. Because we really love the Brilliance, we have booked one more on her but are thinking of using a limo company to go from Ocala to Tampa.

Although it's annoying, I guess it's progress. We started out in the Ocala - Silver Springs area as snowbirds from Illinois for 10 years. I know it can't really be true, but every fall when we got back to Florida it seemed the traffic had doubled.

Someone else mentioned the possibility of seeing a launch at Cape Canaveral. We were fortunate enough to watch one from front-row seats in the Windjammer, and it is awesome - a definite plus!

Happy Cruising!

Margy

This is the best resource:

 

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/International-Travel-Country-Information-Pages.html

 

Just type in the country and search for their requirements.

 

Regards,

mike

I just followed this link, mostly out of curiosity because we have already applied for new passports for our late October cruise (with passports expiring in early April). This is the paragraph of most interest to me.

"Always bring your passport in case of an emergency, such as an unexpected medical air evacuation or the ship docking at an alternate port in an emergency, even if your cruise says you won’t need it."

None of us ever expects to need to fly home, but our travel agent has always advised us to cruise with a passport instead of other ID in case of emergency.

Happy Cruising!

Margy

This will just be a few thoughts, not a detailed review. I am happy to answer any questions. We were also on Oasis in October of last year and while that cruise was great, this one was even better!

 

I am Ryan and travelling with me as always is my husband Jim. While we are not loyal to any one line we do like Royal an awful lot. This was our second cruise since making Diamond status. Status programs and perks are nice and all but don't really mean much to us.

 

This was our first time in the Caribbean in Summer and while I had concerns of too many kids and crazy weather, it was actually not bad at all. Yes, there were more kids and teens than when we normally cruise in October, November, April or May but by and large they behaved quite well (better than some of the adults for sure). It was hot on the islands but not unbearably so.

 

The Bad

Only negative was the behavior of some of our fellow cruisers. Unfortunately this is becoming worse over time. We saw people treat the crew like garbage, yell and swear like they were at a wrestling match, and well, you get the idea.

 

Star Class? More like "No Class". Twice we found ourselves near a family travelling in Star Class act like buffoons in the Opal Theater. We unfortunately we near them for "Cats" and "Come Fly With Me", both of which were terrific! This family was loud, and I mean LOUD. Talked throughout the shows, played with their dumb phones, and left messes for the crew to clean up. When someone "shushed" the wife during "Cats" she yelled loud enough for all to hear "don't you shush me! I paid a lot for this damn cruise!"

 

Then there was the two couples (all Pinnacles, and believe me, you could not miss that, always had their precious Pinnacle badges on and their cruising life was literally ALL they could talk about. Guess there is nothing else about them that is the least bit interesting). They sat each evening in the Diamond Lounge complaining non-stop about all of the issues they were having, none of which were even remotely a big deal, but you would never know by the dramatic way they spoke. If you are that unhappy with Royal, then what are you doing here??? They were a perfect example of "familiarity breeds contempt". They threw around names of senior officers as if they were all best friends and how as Pinnacles they need to be treated better. I hope you are reading this Captain Black Sweatpants with your cheap Caribbean polyester shirts, your wife with her chunky, tacky jewelry, and you sir who along with your idiot wife could not shut up for five seconds about a simple mix up at Labadee you chose to treat as if the world were coming to an end. You are all just horrible and I am quite sure the crew as well as Beatrice the wonderful Diamond Concierge were laughing at you behind you backs.

 

Aside, from the above, all was great on Oasis!

 

The Ship

Still in wonderful condition. Comfortable and surprisingly easy to navigate considering her size.

 

Our Stateroom

Originally we booked a Boardwalk Balcony. we had one before and really liked it, but a month prior to the cruise we got a call from the Upgrade Fairy (never happened before). We were offered to move up to a junior suite and only had to pay the additional taxes. We ended up in junior suite 6244 on the hump! Loved, loved this room! The extra space was really great to have, the larger balcony was a joy to utilize, the bigger bathroom with tub was great and the walk-in closet fantastic! would book one again if the price is right, but could go back to a standard room no problem.

 

Food

We did pretty much what we did last time for dinners. Bought the five night package and did Sabor,Chops and 150 Central Park once each, and Giovanni's Table twice. Nothing but great things to say about them all. Loved the better service and lack of noise that has become the norm in the main dining room. The other two nights we dined at Solarium Bistro which is a hidden gem. Really lovely and had our favorite waiter twice (Roel, he is the best!). Did most breakfasts also in Solarium Bistro, one breakfast and one lunch at Wipeout Cafe and one lunch in the main dining room (gotta have my Tutti salad!). Absolutely no complaints at all.

 

Shows

All are still very good, in fact we felt this cast of "Cats" was even better than what we saw last year. A whole lot of talent there. So much so we went to a couple of the cabaret shows put on by some of them in Jazz On Four. Last time on Oasis they had to cancel "Come Fly With Me" due to a technical problem, but fortunately that did not happen again. Also a great shows, as is Oasis of Dreams and Frozen In Time. Our headliner was El Gaucho who we had seen on a previous cruise. He is hilarious and a great musician.

 

Ports

we had been to all of them several times so no major excursions this time around. Went over to Marigot on St Martin where they are still recovering from Hurricane Maria but doing better. Had lunch back near the port at a favorite, The Greenhouse. Excellent food and service. In San Juan had breakfast with another couple at Chocbar (if you are a chocoholic, you must go!). Then walked the charming streets and picked up a couple of souvenirs. In Labadee we hung at Nellie's Beach as we always do and partook in the very good beach bbq.

 

Service

While we have never had a serious service issue in any of our 20 plus cruises, this crew on the Oasis really was a step above. From waiters, bartenders, our fantastic stateroom steward, the sports crew, guest services, the guys at Cafe Promenade who made us endless lattes, all were charming, helpful and with a real customer service attitude. Also of note is Beatrice the Diamond Concierge. She was very helpful to us as well as incredible pleasant and professional.

 

All and all a terrific week. Thanks to all who made this a memorable vacation for us. We have a cruise with celebrity booked for January but plan to book Harmony for next Summer.

 

If anyone has questions, please ask away!

We were also on the 7/15 Oasis sailing, and we agree with you wholeheartedly. Although there were lots of kids on the ship, we did not see any bad behavior, and twice kids went out of their way to be helpful to us. We did run into several adults who had left their manners at home.

We also agree about the caliber of the crew - Ryan, our waiter; Jerome, our head waiter who delivered Savory Bites every night; Sugiarto, our cabin steward; Ikadek in the Cafe Promenade (who always made sure I had hot coffee even if it was 5 a.m.); and the bartender in the MTD bar all performed above our expectations. The morale was the best we've seen on a large ship. We've come to expect great morale and special service on Enchantment and Radiance Class ships, but it seems to be harder to accomplish on the huge ships.

We're happy we already have reservations for Oasis again in October, December, and April. We booked the Brilliance 7-day in November of 2019 and Harmony in the spring of 2020 while we were on board.

Happy Cruising!

Margy

Oasis Eastern 10; Oasis Western 108; Oasis Eastern again 164. I guess we're in a rut, but it's a nice rut.

Since we have limited our cruising to ships going out of Port Canaveral or Tampa (and this year we have a total of seven cruises), we do repeat ships a lot. We've been cruising, mostly Royal Caribbean, since 1979, so there aren't many excursions we haven't taken. Now that my husband isn't able to snorkel and I only do it when we're with friends, the ship is a lot more important to us than the ports.

We thoroughly enjoy the ship while most everyone has gone ashore, and it's a lot more comfortable for my husband to use elevators with his mobility scooter when there's not a crowd. In fairness I should explain that that's just personal preference - people have always been helpful to him. I know from reading CC that not everyone has had good experiences with considerate cruisers, but we are thankful that we have. We even met a group of 10-year-olds who stopped to direct him into the elevator and then make sure the area behind him was clear to get off. There are so many good kids, it's too bad the others get most of the publicity.

Happy Cruising Everyone!

Margy

Thanks for posting.

We board Oasis (for the 4th time) two weeks from today. Your pictures have added to our excitement!

Margy

Since we always use a TA, I have little occasion to call RCI direct. However, yesterday I called C & A to confirm my understanding of D+ BOGO specialty dining. I was impressed with the professionalism and friendliness of the rep I reached and would feel comfortable talking with her about more complex issues.

Margy

I hesitate to comment because I think this molehill has become a big enough mountain, but I do want to compliment your son on his level headedness and ability to take care of himself. I hope he hasn't heard how big an issue this has become, but even more I hope you and your husband have made him feel really good about his handling of the situation (and I think you and your husband should feel good about the training you've given him).

Margy

If you're getting the problem I think you are, to be able to check that checkbox, you need to scroll down the text associated with it all the way to the bottom - the checkbox only becomes active after you've viewed all the text.

We recently had the same problem. I assumed it was that I needed to scroll down through all the text before the checkbox would become active, but after several tries I gave up and called.

A very helpful IT tech told me they were having trouble with this on Chrome right now, to try Internet Explorer. Then she stayed with me to be sure it worked. I would certainly like to see them solve the recurring IT problems, but I do want to compliment the very helpful tech I reached.

Margy

Since we live about half way between Port Canaveral and Tampa, we try to cruise on ships out of those ports and avoid going to Miami or Fort Lauderdale.

When Jewel was in Tampa, it was our favorite ship; now Brilliance is. We enjoy the larger ships (have been on one Oasis cruise this year and have three more booked), but there's something special about Radiance class. The Centrum is part of it and the designing the elevators so open to the sea is another part, but I think most of all we are impressed by the quality and morale of the crew.

We did a B2B2B on Brilliance in March, and it was one of our best cruising experiences.

Margy

I have always had 1 seapass per leg. Last b2b. They actually collected the 1st card on turnaround day on independence which was unusual. Not sure if that has gone fleetwide or one of the many things ships do differently

We recently did a B2B2B on Brilliance. At the end of the first two cruises, an RCI rep came to the meeting place for consecutive cruisers and collected all our sea passes, used them to check us off the ship, and returned them to us along with our new sea passes. Then she led us to Immigration as a group (without stopping to individually click out). I think they did this so they could eliminate a group of people while they were working toward zero occupancy, which they needed before we could come back on the ship. The whole process was very easy and smooth.

Margy

I am going to look into purchasing one as well, That is a great idea!

I see that the ones they rent sell for as little as $700

We rented a scooter from Special Needs at Sea for my husband before the time he needed one full time. We were very happy with their scooter and their service.

However, the advantage of having one's own scooter is that now he has it from the time he gets out of the van and doesn't have to worry about getting up to the terminal and perhaps waiting for a wheelchair for boarding.

I'm glad you have an accessible cabin - we didn't the first time we rented a scooter, and making the sharp turn to get it into and out of the cabin was an adventure. With an accessible cabin it's easy peasy.

Margy

Was that through 8 PM or did it go through or into Second Seating dinner?

The time for the three drinks depends upon the time of early and late traditional dining. As I remember, there will be info in your cabin when you board including the times for that sailing.

If I'm not remembering correctly, would one of the experienced cruisers we count on please correct me.

Margy

We do this frequently. There's nothing more peaceful than the solarium on a port day or, depending on the ship's orientation, just sitting on our balcony watching the port activity. We've been on most of the excursions and my husband's not able to snorkel any more, so unless we are with a group of friends I can snorkel with, we just enjoy the ship.

Of course, if we happen to go to a new port, which doesn't happen often anymore, this all changes and we're as eager to explore the town and enjoy at least one excursion as first-time cruisers.

Margy

I use it to check golf stuff. Always something needing a reply.

Handy for checking in flights, but usually stay 1 night when arriving in port.

The free minutes was better. I think D got 30 and D+ got 60. That was better for me.

I have bought a few packages when on offer and doing a Ta. Usually wait until we get out of Europe and hit the sea days

We would also be happy with a set amount of time over the course of the cruise so long as the speed and reliability allow us to spend the time on the Internet, not trying to access it.

We keep an old email for our family to use for anything important when we're on cruises and I check it every two or three days. Unfortunately, when we had the set number of minutes before, I remember having to go to Guest Services to have some time refunded because of problems reaching the Internet with their service. I would not like to go back to that.

Margy

Interesting. One of the onboard reports was from the Brilliance.

We were also on the Brilliance, on a B2B2B from 3/17 to 3/31. I used the Internet as usual on the first cruise and didn't use it on the second cruise, but when I tried to set up an ID Wednesday on the third cruise, there was no option for the free D+ access. I went to Guest Services and, after much waiting for the rep to find out what to tell me, she told me to go ahead and pay it and then she would refund it. She passed it off as an IT error, which we've certainly learned to accept.

When I went back for my refund, another rep waited on me and said the program was changing after the next cruise, that they hadn't announced it yet but the computers were programmed "early."

Definitely Brilliance was involved.

I was feeling better about this after reading Royal's responses (this is the most important perk to us except the balcony discount) until I read the response to Pilot. Now I guess we'll have to wait and see.

One can only hope! I'll be very disappointed if they are taking this away.

Margy