June_B

@iahawkfan21 & @LESLIEKURZ thanks for the reply! That's what I was thinking would be the case. I completely forgot about streaming on iPad etc.

Much appreciated.

 

My family is sailing over the Thanksgiving week on Brilliance, I'm curious if the cruise ships (pool tv maybe) will be covering/showing NFL games throughout the day or if the cabins will have Macy's or other parade coverage in the mornings? I don't plan to be glue to a TV, but it would be nice to have a little familiar tradition onboard the morning of or throughout the day to check in on some scores!

Any other fun Thanksgiving things to look out for?

On 10/13/2019 at 11:35 AM, Paulette3028 said:

It is difficult enough to keep this thread with the names of the Activity Managers up to date.....but if YOU want to tackle the idea you have.....GO FOR IT!  Develop it to your hearts content.

I know the tedious nature of keeping threads and lists up to date, your hard work and efforts definitely show! Maybe one day, I'll get the productivity juices moving and start a working excel doc with this type of info. For now it's a dream.

 

Overall was just curious if something like that did exist or if people would even find use/interest in it.

 

 

Thanks @Paulette3028 I appreciate the reply! I'm always very curious about the people. I know that  knowing who will be on the ship as CD, AD, Captain is great - but I think it would be really nice to have a quick cliff notes of who they are. Staff/personal wiki almost. Even a basic excel doc. i.e.

TT
Age: 30-40
Home: AUS
Ship history/resume: rcl INDY 2016-2018, BotS 2019
Personality: loves a themed night, always at karaoke, good comedian will do a great set opening match game,

Might be an idea to develop in the future.

Thanks again for keeping the thread going and up to date!

On 9/27/2019 at 10:40 AM, Paulette3028 said:

Updated  9/27/19  ---

    

****Brilliance OTS – TT  has been reported as onboard on the completed sailing 4/20/19 and still onboard as of mid Sept 2019 by a cruiser.   Based on normal contract periods, it would make sense for TT to be heading to vacation soon….so hoping to hear more from other cruisers on Brilliance.

 

 

*****Navigator OTS –  Mickey Martin has been reported to be onboard.  Mickey has told me directly that he will be handing NV over to Eric Lopez on  10/4.

 

 

 

**** Symphony OTS – Flavio Maeda rejoins the ship on 9/21 for a 4 month contract until mid January.

 

***** Vision OTS – Palo has been identified as onboard, unsure when his contract began.

 

 

This threads/updates are amazing. But, is there a quick link or page that acts as like a 'cheat sheet' of who each person is. I'm heading on Brilliance in November, figuring TT will be on vacation... but where can I find out who TT is in general- the basic 411 etc. Is there a post somewhere earlier in the 68 pages that I could go back to, instead of wading thru them all?

It would be nice to have a quick 1 sheeter with all of them. So we could cross reference either ship and then by person. Basic about Palo, Flavio etc.

Any info on TT would be great! Thanks!

I'll be sailing on Brilliance in November {Rob McNally returns #1478} any reviews or links to information about Rob, his tenure, how people like him, his personality etc?

TIA!

5 minutes ago, gdy0354 said:

I am a fan of cold soups, which most cruise line have stopped serving. 

first night on Allure of the Seas I asked the head waiter

 to ask the chef if he could make them for me. Next nine nights they freshly made different cold soups. Melon,peach,strawberry,blueberry, cucumber, etc.

All were delicious. Just ask politely. Asked for double kids banana split for adult, no problem.

 

 

I've always wanted to venture into the cold soup world, maybe this is a perfect opportunity to taste test a few. When on vacation might as well try new things 😋

On 9/21/2019 at 7:36 PM, Mikew0805 said:

I have ordered off menu a few times in advance. However, it is a menu item from another night. We have had cruises where we had carrot cake every night for dessert. Also, on the first night I ask for savory bites and onion rolls, which used to be in the bread basket, but are not any longer. We had them every night after I asked. The worst that can happen is they say no... Might as well ask. 

 
Can't beat the savory bites. Always our go to order the first night as well, we then get them every night on the table after. I wish they were just always in the bread basket- but this is a great little secret to get the best bread on the ship.

@Host Clarea That's great to hear! Fingers crossed it rolls out quickly to the other ones. I'm not sailing (sadly) until November, we still have some time!

Thanks for the update! They seem to really be pushing the app; using it for tracking what's happening electronically (vs the paper compass), saving where/when you want to go to stuff etc. But, if the app isn't working for chat, which I think is a huge feature, it seems to defeat the purpose and you might as well use post it/pens and the paper compass.

 

Does anyone know if the chat feature works without internet while on ship or is that dependent on purchasing voom?

 

Hopefully, kinks get worked out and it's up and running on other ships soon!
 

@jerseyjill Do you plan on having anything else to drink outside the water- tea/coffee or soft drinks? For $82, that's about $16 per day. If you do the refreshment package it's only $10 more ( $26/per day) & unlimited and includes:

• Fountain soda and refills at any venue
• Coca-Cola Freestyle beverages
• Coca-Cola souvenir cup
• Non-alcoholic cocktails (mocktails)
• Bottled still and sparkling water
• Premium coffees and teas
• Fresh-squeezed juices

 

Something to think about.

I'm pretty outgoing and didn't need much of a nudge to do something solo, but I appreciate the extra push @island lady and @Frick_&_Frack

Loving all the feedback on this on board activity. I have been interested in this class because I LOVE sushi, but wasn't sure if the price point would make it worth it. Sounds like it pays for itself and then some and basically you get a delish specialty meal out of it too!

Thought on how the experience would be as a solo participant? Looks like a lot of people have gone in pairs or group. I'm the only one who likes sushi going on my cruise, so I'm wondering if it would be boring alone.

We have the drink package and we won't be utilizing all of the other facilities or equipment rentals so it will be all inclusive for us.  But yeah... it is a far cry from all inclusive for the majority who will be there. I find that all the cruise line private islands tend to be more expensive than a day in a regular port of call. 

@iamcruizin Thank you for getting to this quicker than I could!

All good points, and I should have clarified. When I cruise I buy the drink package too, so I considered it all inclusive from a food/beverage standpoint. When off the ship there I didn’t need to purchase anything else.

From an activity standpoint, it’s all a la carte. We didn’t choose to do any of that because I figured it was just a relocation of being on boat to shore. Saved spending money on activities for other ports.

We found a great spot near the floating bar, free lounge chairs, easy access to the beautiful water and could people watch. Didn’t necessarily need to buy into other add ons.


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Since Labadee is all-inclusive we didn't see the need to buy any extra activities and just posted up on the beach near the zipline and floating bar. Since we new we weren't buying into anything extra, it was well worth it for us to find this location and settle in for the day. It's great for people viewing and an easy walk from the ship.

I'd love to know what people say about the zip-line, I was tempted to do it but never committed.

I never knew about this hidden gem! Thanks for clarifying about it only being on Oasis class ships. I've traveled 2 times with a Johnny Rockets and only thought they served lunch- probably because I haven't made it into an Oasis class yet. Tucking this info away for later use 🙂

Sailed navigator years ago,  before the reno. Hoping to book back on her to see the updates!

Sailing on Brilliance in Nov 2019, same itinerary but I'm sure menus/compass might change slightly - but this is a fantastic thorough review to get me excited for my trip!

Thanks for posting the 'secret spots', I'll have to go seek them out.