brklyn78

I’ve been loving your photos, videos, and periscopes. I actually joined periscope to follow you. (Edit to add: I just realized how creepy that sounded. I’m not a stalker, I swear!). Maybe I be brave enough to do my own periscopes from the Allure next week (2 days!)

Two questions from this picture, if you don’t mind:

1. Is JR-To-Go a Star Class perk or open to others?

2. Is that “hospital band” thing on your arm related to departure?

Anyone else playing their own version of “Where’s Waldo/Wally” with Rick’s photos?? I had to zoom in on the jet ski one...!

Yes, but I couldn't find it in this one:

Some shots from The Boardwalk.

 

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Starbucks

Anyone?

HIc drinks aren't carbonated are they? This is seriously the only thing he's picky about.

May be someone else can speak to the HiC specifically (that particular one was an assumption on my part), but when you start the drink process on the machine, one of the filters is non-carbonated, so you could just start there, then everything that follows will be without bubbles.

I can't do sugar or bubbles in my drinks and I really enjoyed the freestyle machines. I had it as part of the refreshments package and it was a nice compliment to the coffees and bottled water. I was surprised how much I liked it. Of course, I'm not a kid so YMMV. But the machines do seem pretty popular with the kids.

3: the soda package is exactly that; SODA. included drinks in the fare: tap water, iced tea, lemonade, at least one flavored water, hot chocolate, hot tea, plan coffee. Milk( white,choccie, 2%) . juice from concentrate at breakfast( fresh squeezed is extra) the Windjammer dispensers will be available close to 24/7. cartons of milk in buffet and park cafe, glass in MDR. the MIO drops are not a problem at all.

Actually, the soda package includes the freestyle coke machines, which include several noncarbonated items including Powerade (regular and sugar free), Dasani flavored waters (they also have flavored seltzer, so pay attention to which button you push), several favored lemonades (again regular and sugar free), and HiC drinks (the latter I've not tried so I cant speak to them). So if the OP thinks her son would benefit from more variety than the included options offer, the freestyle machines could be helpful. On Granduer, there's two by the cafe and there are some in the Windjammer. Plus the younger child won't be jealous of the older child's special soda package cup! ;)

You could do a JP wedding just prior to the cruise and then do one on the beach somewhere. Also need to look into local laws.

This times 1000! As someone who got married on a ship I can tell you that there is a surprising amount of logistics involved. When the ship can plan it for you, they do make it easier, but it's not something you can do without advance planning. Also, its pretty expensive -- and may feel excessive without wedding guests. In addition to getting married at the local court house before the ship, you can bring a wedding dress and tux on board (or rent the tux through the ship) and get photos taken pretty much anywhere. You can pay for professional photos to be taken around the ship - one of their photographers will literally follow you around the ship if you pay them to do so. You can probably arrange for photos taken at Labadee through the ship. You can probably even "recreate" the ceremony and pay someone to wear a suit and stand as though they are officiating.

If you really want a ceremony, some lines (Royal may be one) will do a vow renewal at sea. It's not a legal ceremony, so you still need to get married ahead of time on land, but you can still have the experience without all the drama. And there is nothing stopping you from considering the vow renewal your "real wedding" that you will celebrate as your anniversary for years to come. Lots of people have private legal weddings before their public weddings for all kinds of reasons.

Good luck! I hope you are able to find a solution that makes you both very happy!

P.S.: My husband wanted me to add that I did the muster drill in my wedding dress. I was quite the spectacle! It makes us laugh to this day. At least I didnt have to wear the life vest over it! The whole week people were coming up to us saying "Oh, you guys are the ones that got married."

I requested a lounge chair once. Since I was being an ignorant American and not realizing the language barrier. I got EXACTLY what I asked for, a chair from one of the lounges (bars). I should have known better especially when he gave me the look like, you really want a lounge chair. Since I took total responsibility for that miss communication, I used that lounge chair the entire week.

Please tell us you have a pic. That's too funny!

When I do non-cruise travel I find myself a little cranky as I have to search for a local source of distilled water on the day of check in. I've been spoiled by the fact that the cruise line takes care of that for us.

I also always forget about an extension cord, but usually there is some nonsense (alarm clock) that I can unplug near the bed to make up for it.

You'll find the cruise line to be very cpap friendly -- and you'll miss it the next time you are in a regular hotel.

The link worked. Was that for the surf and stream or surf only package?

Yes, we have iPhones! So iMessage will work even in airplane mode? I didn't know that! I thought iMessages still used phone data/info!

 

 

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You need to make sure you have iMessages turned "on" - which admittedly doesn't make a whole lot of sense because if you are using the app you'd assume it was on, right? You can tell whether or not it's set up by looking to see if the messages you send each other are blue. If the messages you send each other are green, you need to go into settings on the iPhone and turn the toggle for iMessages to on. When it's off, iMessages just acts like regular old texting (SMS) using cellular.

Texts using Cellular = green

Texts using Wifi = blue

When you text a non-iPhone user, they will always be green.

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How do you get it on and off the ship if it can't be carried in public areas?

I was thinking the same thing!!!

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FYI, you'll probably need the "surf and stream" package (i.e. the faster, more expensive tier) for FaceTime.

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I don't think I've ever enjoyed a review so much. Thank you for all of the food photos! It's really helpful to see how the various dishes look. And your commentary was fantastic. Thank you!

This Tapatalk app is pretty good but it just did something pretty stupid. I just typed out a post with a full set of pics but put my phone down for a second to look something up on my laptop before I posted. When I went back to phone the app refreshed and I lost what I had typed. Now I'm annoyed.

 

 

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I've not used it yet but I'm thinking about downloading. Thanks for the warning. I'll have to remember that.

No Escape Room. Other than the Art Auction when you're trying to get out of there without them trying to get you to bid on something.

This was hilarious 😂.

I look forward to the rest of your review. I hope you come back. ;)

If I've missed any others or anything in general please let me know and I'll post it.

Well, since you are offering, Days 1 and 2 didn't have the evening part (with the dinner info). If you wouldn't mind posting those, that would be great! But what you have posted has been really helpful, so thank you!

I know I'm taking pics of compasses for my review but I've found it very helpful to have the pics on my phone to refer to around the ship instead of carrying them around. I've found it really helpful.

I've taken photos pieces of the compas during my trip but never thought to take pics of the whole thing and REALLY never thought to post them. I'll have to do that next time. Thanks for the tip!

I have an Apple Watch and my iPhone as my only time sources and they adjust automatically to what time zone you're in. So I had to figure out how to adjust my Apple Watch to move up an hour to stay on ship time.

I realize this is too late to help you, but for your next cruise, go into the settings on your iPhone (General -> Date & Time) and swich "Set Automatically" to off before you leave the original port on day 1. This will leave your phone, and by extension your watch, on whatever time zone you were on when you left - which is usually the same as "ship time" I think.

I am really, really enjoying your review. Thank you!

I hope you are having an amazing trip! When you get a chance, could you post the day 3 compass? I think that one got skipped. :D

Your review is amazingly helpful. Thank you! <3 :ship:

On the Grandeur of the Seas Captain's Corner yesterday, the officers said that only emergency announcements are made to the rooms and the other announcements are only sent to the common areas. The discussion was in response to a complaint that the announcements can sometimes be hard to hear, and there was no discussion of a policy change.

I'm just off the Grandeur today. It was a ten day cruise, and they offered a one-time special event at each of the specialty restaurants. Chops had a brunch, Izumi had a sushi-making class, and Giovani's had a lunch buffet that included a small galley tour. All included alcohol -- but I don't drink so I don't remember the specifics.

We did the latter and it was a lot of fun. The tour wasn't widely advertised -- I only knew because I had a conversation with someone from the reservations desk and they told me. In fact, I was told to arrive at 11:30 for the tour, but in the Daily Compass, it simply said that Giovani's was open at noon for brunch. The tour was, of course, space limited, but there were no such limits on the lunch.

I got called down on the Enchantment and there was NOTHING even close to disallowed in my bag. They said they thought I had a knife. The eventually decided one of my cloth headbands must have been folded in such a way that it looked like a knife. I don't buy it, but at least I happened to go down when the line wasn't terribly long.

Security definitely had a "oh well" attitude about it. They don't see it as an inconvenience. They weren't the least bit surprised not to find a knife. I got the sense it happens a lot.

They have Tazo teas. They did a tea misto for me (half steamed milk, half water) so I don't know why they wouldn't do a tea latte. They also did an iced tea for me with using an herbal tea bag.

The Coach store on the Oasis (which is presumably the same) had similar products to what was available at the time in the store back home, but they had colors that were only available internationally. Once I got home, I changed my mind about the color and was able to exchange it at my local store. They said something about processing it as an international return, but otherwise, it was simple. They never questioned whether they could exchange it or anything like that -- even though they didn't have that color in their store.

If you don't get your answer, try the special needs board. However, I believe the first set of screeners you go through with your carry-ons are TSA (or some government agency) so I think you should be OK if you carry it on. For the stuff you check, if ship security is concerned about it, they will bring you to the infamous "naughty room" and may ask you to open it (or they would x-ray it). So, I'd suggest making it a carry-on item.

I believe they also recommend you bring a note from a doctor explaining it, incase you get a less-informed screener.

- ship sails at 4.30pm - what time will they let people on the ship? If they let you on early , can you use the restaurant / facilities?

It depends on when they clear customs, but I am assuming you are talking about the Enchantment, and they start boarding around 10:30. The windjammer will be open, as will at least some of the pools. You won't have access to your room until 1:00, so plan on keeping your carry-ons with you.

- we are thinking of doing an all inclusive day pass as one of the resort in Nassau. Any recommendations? Any other things worth doing / seeing at Nassau outside the day pass option?

The aquarium at Atlantis is a nice experience. As for the passes that give you beach access... you can also go to the beach by taking a ferry and walking or hopping in a cab. Explore options on the boards here before deciding you need a day pass. It all depends on what kind of experience you are looking for.

- Can you book the cabana at Cococay in advance ? Would you recommend booking a cabana?

Suite guests (GS and higher) have priority on the cabanas. If you are not in a suite, and have your heart set on a cabana, you need to get yourself on the waiting list immediately after boarding. Again, assuming you are going on the Enchantment, the shore excursions desk opens at 11:45 and I suggest you be in line by that time. They get sold out very quickly.

I was really happy to see this thread because I was also wondering what was included as premium coffee and tea. My daughter and I drink our coffees with soy milk. Does anyone know if that's included in the beverage packages, or would we just pay the surcharge for soy milk?

I don't recall if soy milk was available at the caffe latte-tudes, but you can get soy milk for free in the Windjammer and the Main Dinning room. It's not obvious -- you have to ask for it. So if you just want regular coffee with soy milk, you can make that for free. :)

If you go down to the medical center (I forget the official cruise ship term for this area) they will give you a ziplock-type bag for ice. As others have said, you can get the actual ice from your room attendant, but the bag makes it a little easier to manage. Of course, they were the cheapest bags I've ever seen (my finger went right through one when I was trying to close it) so since you know you are going to need them, I'd bring a supply of ziplock bags in whatever size you think will be most manageable for icing your knee.