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kennyken14

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Posts posted by kennyken14

    New to 4 day cruise

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Thanks for the feedback. We would be doing the Mon-Fri. That's an excellent point about the through the week versus over the weekend. Also considered a 4 or 5 day on Independence but since they added 100 staterooms my fear is the occupancy will feel a little too crowded. I have personally always felt that after the Muster Drill Rush the ships always seem comfortable as folks settle into their patterns but I could see the potential when adding several hundred more that the balance could tip some on Indy.

     

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    New to 4 day cruise

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Hey all. We started cruising in 2010 for our honeymoon. We have been on 7 since all with RCCL but have only ever done 7 days and one 6 day.

     

    Considering doing a shorter family trip this December with both sets of parents. The desired budget on this makes 4 days seem to be the best bet.

     

    We will be sailing with our 6 year old and 3 year old. Our boys have done 2 cruises both on Allure. My parents 75 and 63 who have sailed royal 4 times and my in laws 62 and 61 who have been on 2 cruises.

     

    Trying to decide between Mariner and Enchantment. They both go to Coco Cay which is a favorite stop. The biggest concern I have is it being just a booze cruise with drinking being the main focus of most on board. Is that a valid concern for a 4 night?

     

    Any feedback on either of those ships for short family cruises ? Especially the amplified Mariner.

     

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    Cruise Snacks

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    I know this question has probably been asked a million times and I should know since we have been on Royal a bunch in the last 7 years. But we leave tomorrow to head to FLL and don't have much time to hunt the answer so here goes. My parents would like to bring pringles or pretzels etc...food is everywhere but not really much in the way of simple snacks. Is it an issue to bring these items on board?

     

     

     

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    Allure Check In Times

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    This will be our 3rd time on Allure but first time using the assigned check in times. We have 11 of us in our group. 7 have 12:00 pm and 4 have 1pm. My question for those who have used this process...is it a hard and fast time or something used to try and break up crowds a bit? We always take the 10am shuttle and then board ASAP and would like to continue that.

     

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    Frictionless Boarding

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Online check in has opened for our January Allure Sailing. I noticed for the first time it asks me to add a photo to the check in process. The rest of the process seems the to be the same as in the past. Is it reasonable to assume that since the goal is to have frictionless begin at Port Everglades by years end that this is the first precursor to using it or is this now standard on all check ins?

     

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    Looking for objective comparison

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    Hard to give an objective opinion about something so subjective, but I'll try. Disclaimer...I've never been on Getaway, but was on the somewhat comparable, Breakaway, three times. Only RCL ship I've been on is Quantum, and in fairness, it was new at the time. That said, there was no comparison for my family. We hated RCL so much I actually wrote the one-and-only complaint letter I've ever written. Got back several thousand to use towards another RCL cruise, but I couldn't convince my husband to give RCL a second chance, so the $ expired. I really wanted to try Oasis. Maybe one day!

     

    Here's my comparison...The lines on RCL were almost unbearable. We literally waited for everything. One night they sat us after 9:15pm for an 8:00pm reservation! on our 4 NCL cruises, lines have never been an issue.

     

    The check-in process on RCL took three hours (I wish that was an exaggeration but I assure you it is not). Typical check-in on NCL (when we don't go in a suite) is maybe 10-15 minutes. Less when we book a suite. Also, the cabins on RCL weren't ready until AFTER dinner the first night,

     

    The service was incomparable. The Guest Service line on RCL took an hour-and-a-half...EVERY TIME! RCL lost my luggage for a day and seriously couldn't have cared less. Despite our having changed the card to charge, RCL managed to charge the wrong card and again, couldn't have cared less. In fairness, when we were on the NCL Star they overcharged for something, so they're not perfect, but their screw-up required me to wait on a five minute line and it was rectified.

     

     

    I find the staff to be much more pleasant, approachable and helpful on NCL.

     

     

    My kids don't like either kids' club, (they are obsessed with DCL's kids' clubs though).

     

     

    I prefer the buffet and food on NCL.

     

     

    Quantum's internet was like being on land! NCL's pales in comparison.

     

     

    Water went out on the Quantum three times during cruise. On RCL had issues with cabin safe and virtual balcony in my daughters' cabin. Literally took two days, and several phone calls before they came to fix it. The virtual balcony was screaching such loud static for two days before they fixed it, that my girls basically didn't sleep and their ears were ringing. Never had technical issues on NCL.

     

     

    Prefer the entertainment options on NCL.

     

     

    My kids love Breakaway's waterslides. Personally I loved Quantum's sky diving and flow rider.

     

     

    Also, if comparing balcony to balcony, I'd give the cabin to Quantum, though the Suite-life on NCL is ahh-mazing!

     

     

    Don't know if that helps. Also, as I said, Quantum was a new ship at the time, so presumably they've worked out some of the issues. (Though to be fair Breakaway was only like two months old the first time we sailed).

     

     

    I have been told that Oasis class ships outshine Quantum, but just can't get my family to try them. They were really turned off by Quantum's staff.

    Thanks for your feedback. Quantum class on Royal seems to be very polarizing even among loyal Royals. Many longtime RCCL fans dislike those ships. It seems as if you are fighting an uphill battle to ever try Royal again but Oasis Class ships out of Fort Lauderdale are finely tuned operations. The terminals they built for those vessels are extremely efficent. We like to get to the port early but for those who arrives after boarding begins generally experience boarding times from arrival to boarding of maybe 15 minutes. Generally it's however long it takes to pick up your seapass, get your boarding photo taken, and walk up the gangway. Also once on board and finished with muster it always amazes me how 6k people seem to vanish. Other than the parade nights there are rarely throngs pf people. And on disembarktion day you can do mobile passport and clear customs in a matter of minutes. Oasis class is definitely one to give a shot.

     

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    Objective Comparison

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We have been exclusively RCCL cruisers. It was our first cruise and since then they have always been so good that we never looked elsewhere. However after many years of only Royal I have a bit of curiosity to see what others have to offer. I am not looking for anyone to tear down NCL and you obviously don't need to sell me on Royal but that said I am interested in some objective comparison for those who may have done both Royal and NCL on what each one may do better or worse than the other in your opinion. We will be traveling with a 5 and 3 year old as well. Looking at Getaway 7 day Western with NCL or sticking with Oasis class for the 4th time. We have done other classes but with boys 4 and 2 and this being only their 2nd cruise Oasis Class seems to fit that need best. Thank you.

     

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    Looking for objective comparison

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    Thanks again for everyone's feedback so far. The promotion that is really catching my attention is 3/4 guests free in a balcony and a choice of Specialty dining, free drinks etc included. Right now a large NCL balcony on getaway is running about $850 less than our preferred Boardwalk Balcony on Allure.

     

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    Looking for objective comparison

    in Norwegian Cruise Line

    Posted

    We have been exclusively RCCL cruisers. It was our first cruise and since then they have always been so good that we never looked elsewhere. However after many years of only Royal I have a bit of curiosity to see what others have to offer. I am not looking for anyone to tear down RCCL because I quite simply won't buy into it. Perception is reality. But mine has always been good. That said I am interested in some objective comparison for those who may have done both Royal and NCL on what each one may do better or worse than the other. We will be traveling with a 5 and 3 year old as well. Looking at Getaway 7 day Western. Thank you.

     

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    Izumi's hibachi

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We did Izumi Hibachi on Allure in February and plan to do it again next week when back on board Allure. Our chef actually came to RC from a Benihana in Arizona I believe. Their routine seems to be largely scripted. No Yum yum sauce which was a bummer and no open flame on board so some of the Hibachi experience was subdued from a mainland restaurant but we enjoyed the food and the experience. Portions were very generous in our opinion.

     

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    90 Day Final Payment Question

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    This is the first time we have waited until 90 (or 75) days out to make a final payment. Here is my question. Tomorrow is 90 days. Does everything need to be finalized by close of business tomorrow or was it today? We have two reservations for the same Allure sailing and I need to finalize one and cancel the other or move funds from that deposit to the other. Are we still going to be able to do that tomorrow since that is 90 days from sailing?

     

    Thanks

     

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