widallas
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Posts posted by widallas
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Since I appreciated the reviews for excursions before our cruise, thought I'd a quick review of Radical. Glad I trusted the great reviews. One of the other families on the trip was going on their third trip with Radical, and not hard to see why. It's a bit of a haul to the boat (40 minutes there and back), but as they even brought up -- getting you back to the port two hours before sail away is a priority.
Spent the day on a beautiful catamaran with maybe 15 people. Even though the port stop was shortened, it was totally worth taking the trip – snorkeling conditions were not ideal, but the Alex gave us a private little guided tour of the sea life. Equipment and gear in good shape and well-maintained. Plus another crew member -- can't remember his name:(, but a young guy -- talked all about the history of the area, from geography to history and even to pirate and ghost lore which was awesome. Awesome food (and they feed you some serious food!), super friendly and engaging people all around…you really feel like the put in the extra effort and it shows. Nothing was more relaxing than the trip back, bumping along the waves on the net, well-fed with a magically refilling glass of "pain-killer."
The Captain, his wife and the entire crew made it more than worth taking a private excursion. And my kids always bring up Paige the Pina-Colada-thieving dog… Would recommend and book again in a heartbeat.
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Just a brief review of our recent Liberty of the Seas holiday sailing. This was our third RCCL cruise, and third on Thanksgiving.
The good:
- Embarkation in Galveston was pretty quick and easy –we got there early, dropped passengers and parked, and were back and boarded by 1130am. We don't hate Galveston...but it's only an 1 1/2 hour drive for us.
- Last year was the first for LOS in Galveston, and it was a chaotic mess with the huge holiday crowds and a crew that seemed flustered and disorganized. HUGE change this year – crew was great, crowd and mealtime management was excellent, and we had no service issues. In fact, service in the main dining room, and at both Chops and Giovanni’s were excellent. Overall, we were happy with the food quality in the Windjammer and MDR.
- In the Air was great – only show we saw on the cruise. The evening parties (including the 70’s dance party) were fun and well-attended.
- We have never gotten an invite to the Meet & Mingle – this year we got a card AND a call. Event had 70 people signed up – maybe 25-30 attended. Nice giveaways, a few refreshments but not much mingling. We also signed up for the Facebook group for our sailing – it was more informal and fun.
The FYI:
- My husband got the drink package, and I just bought drinks and the 10-punch card on day 4. We’d both skip the package next time – unless you like to drink a lot every day, it’s not worth it… and he mentioned several times he felt compelled to drink to make it worthwhile.
- I still brought wine – no corkage fee one night, but a fee the next. Hit or miss.
- First night done right – checked reservations when we boarded, and had a meal at Chops (early seating). BEST meal of the cruise.
- No evening room service, but the continental room service breakfast was still free and came on-time each time we ordered – fruit and coffee on the balcony for breakfast.
The excursions:
Finally convinced the hubby to do all off-ship excursions. SO much better this year!
- Costa Maya: Maya Chan – The reviews are excellent and spot-on for service and food at Maya Chan. The ride there IS long and bumpy, but we had a nice private are with hammock and chairs to welcome us along with a round of rum punch. They checked constantly to see if we needed more drinks, brought yummy chips with salsa and guac, and were all around a lovely staff. I had really wanted a Maya Chan shirt, and they even called over the see if the vendor had their order in and had them brought over for the day. Water is not the crystal clear blue that some want,and several people we talked to just took a taxi to the Mahahual strip for a prettier view and relaxing day. Maya Chan brought a lot of TLC, and I did like that the water toys, paddle boards and kayaks were free for use. They win on service.
- Roatan: Radical Adventures Catamaran – Again glad I trusted the great reviews. One of the other families on the trip was going on their third trip with Radical, and not hard to see why. Spent the day on a beautiful catamaran with maybe 15 people. Even though the port stop was shortened, it was still worth taking the trip – snorkeling conditions were not ideal, but the Captain, his wife and the crew made it more than worth it. Awesome food, super friendly and engaging people all around…you really feel like the put in the extra effort and it shows. And my teens always bring up Paige the Pina-Colada-thieving dog…. Would recommend and book again in a heartbeat.
- Cozumel: Just a quick port stop for shopping. We did try the Chocolateria Isla Bella – not cheap, but delicious and across the street from Crazy King Burrito. Next time though, I want to go back to Nachi Cocum.
The not so good:
- More upselling this time than I have noticed before. It’s true – you just had to say no. BUT the people pushing the packages were more aggressive IMHO, and twice when we said we already had reservations for specialty dining, they kept pushing the multi-meal deals and would just stare at you when you said no. Very awkward.
The bad to awful:
- Weird smell in the cabin that just would not go away all week, and some areas are showing their age.
- Some kids (and adults) were pigs – half eaten food left on the rails, glasses left wherever, room service dishes all over the halls. There were lots of kids, and some inebriated parents hell-bent on using their drink packages that did not monitor their kids. Overall, the kids and families were good – there are just SO MANY people this week that issues are always going to be more apparent... and a few parents should have just left their kids at home.
- Finally, this time we felt the nickel-and-diming that people have complained about recently – extra charges for room service, up-selling for everything, and if there was a way to make an extra penny, Royal seemed to find it. Jade – I looked forward to the sushi at Jade in the Windjammer, but no sushi. Why? Because they put a tiny cart and charged $8-12 for sushi plates in the promenade. AND took out the 1-day sushi buffet that we loved last year in the MDR at lunch. Again – charges for Ben & Jerry’s, charges for room service, charges for cupcakes, increasing charges for specialty dining, RIDICULOUS charge for mediocre internet service quality, corkage fees for the wine you bring on-board…. I know Royal needs to pay for those big boats they are building, but with record profits I think they are starting to miss the mark on customer TLC.
Overall, an OK cruise -- who can complain about sailing for a week with great weather, everything taken care of and a balcony to boot? LOS was markedly better in service and organization this year. I think we enjoyed the excursions, liked many things about the ship, but are ready for a break from holiday cruising and so much up-charging. Liberty overall is a wonderful ship...but we'll likely try another line or at least another ship next time, just for comparison and to move away from family cruising to couple cruising.
- Embarkation in Galveston was pretty quick and easy –we got there early, dropped passengers and parked, and were back and boarded by 1130am. We don't hate Galveston...but it's only an 1 1/2 hour drive for us.
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We had a similar problem with a TA... We looked around to see who had better deals and wound up canceling and go with another for $350 worth of OBC... BUT there was no cancellation fee from the original TA. (I’m glad I asked before I booked.) If you can get a better rate and/or credit then I would jump ship.... I’ve called our big website agent a few times to ask about cheaper rates. Never did get one, but they were always prompt and super nice....I’m not going to pay someone who is irritated with me for asking them to do their job.
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We have been to Nachi Cocum three times and they had problems with sea weed and cloudy water the last time we were there. It really depends on the weather, storms at sea. They raked and tried to keep up with it. We still had an awesome time there. Just a heads up if you are looking for perfection.
Maya Chan was our pick since we like off the beaten path, rustic and casual. But our in-laws decided to come along, and I am trying to prepare them.... :')
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Sound like you have bags but drawstring sacks are great for the beach if you want to throw one in...
Our kids loved goggles for the beach and sand socks when they were little.... this trip we are throwing in ping pong [emoji971] balls because they are always out.... Have fun!
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Just got back from Maya chan and wanted to post a few quick items.. Also answer any questions if I can.
First off - they are very upfront about what to expect (Bumpy roads, sea grass on the beach and cloudier water). Their team could not have worked harder to greet everyone, make everyone feel at home, welcomed and taken care of! Great food - and lots of it, the drinks were flowing and plentiful! Lots of beach toys, paddleboards, kayaks, floaty chairs. The massages were a nice touch - $45 for an hour is super reasonable. I did see a Jellyfish while in the water so beware there but that's not really anything they can control. Snorkeling to the reef we were told wasn't recommended, was hoping to see some sea turtles or fish and that was the only thing we didn't. You didn't feel like you had a crowded area, everything was well managed!
As they said to us - if you're looking for the crystal blue waters, this isn't the place but if you're looking for a relaxing beach break - it was great. Last tip - DO NOT FORGET BUG SPRAY!
Thanks for the review....we are booked in November, and I am afraid the seagrass will freak some people out after our Nachi Cocom stop last year. How bad was it? Like you said they have been nothing but upfront so hoping for the best....
Also, what kind of bugs -- mosquitos, sand gnats, both? Appreciate you taking the time to let everyone know how it was for you!
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Does anyone have a copy of the new menu?
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I think people that have cruised at least once are familiar with the first night deals....seems to be a popular option. (And I was clueless on our first cruise.)
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We are trying to figure this out too. We are from Beaumont Alberta! Do you mind me asking how much the rental and parking cost you . It seems like I can't find anything cheaper than about 200 for the four of us.
Going on LOS in November...enjoy your cruise! Had to say hi since we lived in Leduc for about 6 years....
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I realize that more and more people are doing the BOGOs and FNDR and Ultimate Dining Packages.... what nights do you usually chose for specialty, and why? Is the MDR too crazy the first night? Do you like to end the cruise with a special meal? Or do you save it for a mid-cruise perk? We are trying FNDR, and originally had scheduled for a second night on Saturday but realize we are usually "food-ed out" by then! What's your choice? Just curious....
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Thanks for sharing -- nice review!
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I use the empty packing cube for everything I put in the safe. That way when packing to go home I can't accidentally forget what's in the safe cause I have to have that packing cube to repack CPAP . And I still pat down the safe to make sure nothing slipped out. Read on CC about keeping meds in safe, which I hadn't thought about but will do next time so all our "must-haves" will be in one place. .
What a great idea....
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Well we are planning on just tooling around Cozumel this time and plan to do a stop at TC....I see lots of great photos of giant margaritas;p...but does anyone have a favorite or must try flavor they'd like to share?
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Hope you find someone.... if there’s a Facebook group you could post there as well...
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We also have use Park N Cruise in Galveston -- the cars are squeezed in for the indoor parking, but I agree that an attendant will help you get in and they will save the bigger spots for the larger vehicles. The indoor option is just better for us. We always drop off luggage and then head back to park. The main reason we use them is that we self-disembark and like to be on the road early. Be aware that walking back to the car from the ship is a bit of a haul. (The grandparents last time decided to take one large bag instead of two rolling bags. When one of the wheels fell off, my poor son had to drag a suitcase the size of a small coffin back across the lot...not fun.)
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Enjoy your first cruise! With a family of four in a room, think about taking an over the door shoe organizer -- best pre-cruise tip we ever got when the kids were younger, and avoided a lot of cabin clutter. (Some people hate them -- and you may be one of those! -- but we found it super helpful.)
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Thanks for sharing....we will be with Radical in November!
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You can refill your bottle...they just ask you to fill a cup and use that to refill instead of directly putting your bottle there. There are plastic cups so no problem.
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On the LOS last year both food places on the promenade had a large cooler with iced water.... We had a soda package for free so used the cups but don’t drink a lot of soda....We never went without water
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Thank You. With all of the eating on board we can do with using the stairs to get where we want :) I am just hoping that there is no sea sickness
Same here! We our going on our second liberty cruise in November.... last cruise we literally only used the elevators a few times....first and last day and formal nights. Forced workouts allow us to eat and drink with less guilt!!!
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Did you both post on your roll calls? We got a group to join us from there...
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Snorkeling in Roatan -- Radical Adventures Catamaran Excursions
in Roatan
Posted
Hope it works out for you this time -- we had to work to get people to join our trip from the boards, our roll call and our facebook page. Would love to see these guys get a steadier business -- they were awesome! But seriously -- watch your drink around the dog -- she is adorable, knows how to work it, and apparently REALLY likes pina coladas.... :'):')