LadyLion_AP

After....

-talking it over with my family (youngest son, especially, seemed heartbroken)

- reading more reviews (on other sites as well)

- following LouTheGlue's live report (found in the Quantum section of CC)

- remembering the negatives I read about Indy & Oasis (which I LOVED my experience on those ships)...

I've decided to give Quantum a try. I've booked dining and iFly thus far. I'm fine with the DD idea, as I generally book dining in advance & spend a lot of my cruise in specialty restaurants. I HATE the idea of being connected via technology, as I LOVE that I can't check-in at work (& no one can get in touch with me 😊) considering the level of responsibility I have on a day-to-day basis! That being said... I can care less about internet speed!

I will report on my experience upon my return. Thanks again for your input & taking the time to give me advice. I am looking forward to cruising with Princess in the future. It appears Princess doesn't cruise to the Caribbean in August, as I considered switching my August Navigator cruise to a Princess cruise. 😕

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Thanks all. I think we'll make the switch. I need to get my cousin on board as I convinced her & her hubby to travel with us on the Quantum. We'll make the decision tomorrow & let you guys know. Of course I'll feel inclined to come back and share our experience.

I thought about posting on the Princess boards but feel I've gotten good, honest, feedback here. Plus I really wanted to hear from people who I figure really enjoy Royal but has also tried Princess. (As opposed to those who really enjoy Princess but have tried Royal. If that makes sense.)

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Just confirmed my love/hate relationship with reviews.

We all know about Quantum reviews...now this is what I just read about Regal...

Some good reviews & others that say:

- soot problems on some balconies

- small balcony rooms

- hard beds

- not easy to navigate due to stairways that end in inconvenient places.

- too many ships at port on the March 29th sail date.

- Lost some of the luster that previous ships offer.

Maybe we'll just do Oasis since I know what to expect. 😒 Frustrating!!!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

 

 

We love Princesses Afternoon tea (even the kids) and the food in general has been great. I don't recall every being bored on a sea day, and often having to decide between several activities.

 

 

 

Maybe see if anyone has the Patters from a recent Regal sailing and check through to see what the sea days look like? That may give you a sense of what to expect and if it's for your family.

Good to hear & great idea. I'll start looking as I'll want to book ASAP if I decide to change ships. Thanks.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Regarding the post above...I meant to say this is "THE OP"

Thanks again for your insight.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

This is to OP...

Thanks everyone. I did actually consider switching to Allure but it will cost us even more than Quantum after airfare. I thought Princess might be my next best choice.

Here is what is critical for me, as my hubby says he's ok with the switch....

I love to be entertained by people so...I people watch (usually from the promenade), love theater, movies, parades & other shows. Loved the variety of shows on RCCL. I also enjoy lectures and Art. I usually participate in activities with the boys (my kids) but will not partake in the surf simulator! What I love about Royal is that I was NEVER bored, even with back-to-back sea days. I do not take advantage of the pools, contests, or most trivia games. My hubby works like crazy so he sleeps a lot during our cruises. Eating, sleeping & the casino is all he cares about. I like to get up & go! Activities that I can do on my own or with the boys during days at sea are SUPER important to me.

The kids...love shows as well & are very active with ALL that is offered.

With this being said, my only worry is that I may get bored if I switch. I am definitely willing to pay more to ensure I won't be bored but I don't want to pay more than I already have.

With that being said...Although Princess is more laid back, do you think they offer enough activities on sea days to keep me active & entertained?

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

I cruised on the Caribbean Princess after several Royal cruises. Did not enjoy it as much, but we got to visit new ports, so it made up for it.

 

 

 

I personally would probably not sail on Princess again unless they had a great itinerary to ports I've never been to that Royal doesn't do. We found the atmosphere quieter and the clientele older on princess. We also found the service to be not as personal, I don't remember any staff that actually 'stuck out', like we usually find on Royal.

Thanks for replying. Good information, as I've sailed the itinerary before with the exception of their private island (Princess Cays).

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Hi all. I would like to hear your thoughts/opinions about switching my Spring Break cruise. Our family of 4 (2 teens) are booked on the Quantum for March 29. We really want to experience the ship. Reviews, the amount of money we're spending, & the not-so-great ports have me considering switching ships. I am looking at Regal Princess as a possibility. I've never cruised with Princess but did enjoy Carnival (1st 2 cruise experiences). My family LOVES Royal Caribbean and have cruised both the Indy & Oasis of the Seas during peak seasons. We are accustomed to a lot of passengers & kids. (Constraints of school!) Regal is a new ship which is why I'm considering it. To know....Entertainment/Activities are very important to me on sea days. If I switch, the following will change....

1) We live in the DC area so we will have to fly as opposed to drive but will still save money, as the Regal cruise is half the price. FYI...We always book two staterooms.

2) We'll visit better ports.

3) We'll probably never experience Quantum but would potentially cruise on Anthem in the future.

Please tell me your thoughts.

Thanks in advance.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Do you REALLY do shore excursions, or do you RARELY do shore excursions?

 

 

 

How do you know the level of your "good time" vs the "good time" of others?

 

 

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

Thinking the exact same thing.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Please keep us posted. I board the Oasis next Saturday! 😬

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My family sailed Indy over Xmas and LOVED everything about it. Our kids are teenagers & they were plenty entertained. The ship was full of younger kids as well due to Xmas break & I didn't see any disappointed children...No characters needed for a great time. There were plenty other activities (Ice skating, rock climbing, the surf simulator, pool, arcade (fee), outdoor movies, kids clubs, golf simulator (fee), & miniature golf, etc.) I'm sure you'll enjoy either ship...& if u never had the characters, you won't miss them.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Sorry I'm late everyone. We have had a family tragedy. Earlier this week my Jim's Mother fell at her Assisted Living Apartment and shattered her knee. She got her new knee Tuesday. While she was in surgery, his Dad fell down a flight of stairs en-route to the hospital and broke both hips and an arm. His surgery was Thursday. He died earlier today. I'm packing for a drive to New York tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

 

Now, for the Grandeur........

 

 

 

I would be hard pressed to find ANYTHING nice my neighbor said about her trip. Much Royal Caribbean had no control over. She REALLY never got over leaving late. Shore excursion was not what she expected (but she didn't read about it before boarding), was not a completely all inclusive experience, that is a Travel Agent issue.

 

 

 

They did have frequent flier Grandeur cruisers at their dinner table who apparently kept telling them how unusual this cruise was. Now can you imagine loving the Grandeur and dining with the Grumpy's every night.

 

 

 

She said the crew didnt care but later said after 2 weeks fighting Noro they had "nothing left in the tank". She did say they cleaned all the time.

 

 

 

Too many children unsupervised by their parents and she was upset the CREW did not handle it. Kids running through the dancing area (they love to dance) and parents just watched and laughed. She is a school teacher so she is restricted when she can cruise.

 

 

 

Food forgettable. Bread not warm-dry-2 days old, would not leave a basket on the table. Ok, I'm addicted to their little round rolls. We liberate a few daily from the Jammer for our cabin!

 

 

 

Much of it was she never bothered to learn about cruising. If she had read info on Royal Caribbean's website or came here (I gave her links to both) she would have had a good overview.

 

 

 

She didn't like the lectures. She hated Cocoa Cay----too hot, too far to walk out for deep water, no place to sit, lines too long for lunch, BBQ awful.

 

 

 

Wait! Wait! She DID say the ship was clean!!!!!!! :-)

 

 

 

After 40 minutes I fussed with the ringtone on my cell phone so it would ring so I would have an excuse to escape.

Sorry to hear both stories. Many blessings to you and your family. I subscribed to your post earlier, as it was so intriguing I read it to my sister. Both of us were looking forward to a follow-up.

Hugs from a fellow CC member.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Cruised this past Xmas on Indy. There were a few services: Xmas Eve & Xmas day. (Catholic Mass & a couple of other denominations)

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

We have been on three Carnival cruises and in a few months going on our fourth. We just booked a cruise on the Allure of the Seas, while it is a long way off we are wondering the difference between Carnival and Royal Caribbean.

My family completed our 1st RCCL cruise this past Xmas on Independence of the Seas. We cruised with Carnival twice: Liberty & Freedom (enjoyed them both). Here is part of an email I sent to my cousins when we returned, as we started cruising together a few years ago. We will all be on the Oasis this June!!!!

"The cruise was absolutely fabulous! The ship was soooo beautiful. NONE of us wanted to leave, even after 8 days. Overall, I must admit we find Royal to be better. The quality of food and service was about the same to me. Hubby thought the food and service was a bit better on Royal. I enjoyed the Chef's table on Carnival a lot more than Royal's All Access Tour so we will try Royal's Chef Table on our next cruise for a fair comparison. The ship, shows, daily activities, etc. on Royal is what makes it much better to me. You really want to spend a lot of time on the ship. I was worried about the first 2 1/2 days being at sea, but it did not matter at all. NONE of us were bored...EVER! I think Carnival organizes excursions a bit better. Maybe because there are fewer people overall. Another difference... I know we will have to reserve shows on Oasis in advance, so I will let you know when we are able to do that so you can do it as well. We only had to get tickets in advance for one show (the ice show) on the cruise we were just on. Labadee, their private island, is gorgeous! Carnival's private island (Half Moon Cay) doesn't compare in my opinion. I'm actually excited we are going back to Labadee for our cruise. It is the first stop."

I hope this is helpful as well since you've already received really good feedback.

Sent from my iPhone

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Had to give up my RCCL onboard credit (from the booking I made on the ship) in order to get my TA perks!

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

Yes. I did at Xmas with a family of 4. PLENTY of time to spare (about 3 hours) after self-disembarkation. Then again...nothing went wrong. I'd say better chance of making it than not.

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

My comment to this post gave the impression that I care what others do. The truth is, if it doesn't impact my life at all...I really don't. So to all... Do what works for you. I am really on this site to learn about ships I haven't sailed, get ideas about excursion, get the inside scoop from seasoned cruisers, and join a few meet & greets. So, since I can not delete this from my feed I may need to reiterate this again at some point. (My plan is to remain a CC member, as I don't engage in any other social media & I like being able to hear from others about my new found joy...cruising!!!) My regret is having engaged in this conversation originally...thus having to engage when people quote my post (especially when he/she feels judged, called cheap although I never used that terminology, or any other negative emotion he/she has felt after reading my post). That was not my intention so I feel inclined to clarify. I get it. People's lives are different, experiences are different, priorities are impacted by circumstance, etc. Got it!

Independence- Dec. 21, 2013: 18 more days!

Oasis- June 21, 2014

29!!! Sweet!

The fact that you did not read all of the posts is sad because your posts demonstrated a very simplistic "solution" to the situation the OP described and many of the posts attempted to help you understand that it is not always as easy as you believe.

The OP clearly suggests that the school calendar is important enough for her to cancel if necessary. When others suggested the simple solution of "pulling the kids out of school" I chimed in, which I now regret. It is not a matter of being "cheap", etc. It is about priorities and/or wanting to follow the rules. It did not seem to me that she was looking for the "cheapest" time to travel, but a way to save money and NOT have to CANCEL later. I've realized that some people have chosen to take her question in another direction & boy have I learned my lesson here! Next time I won't comment unless it directly answers a poster's question. I would really like to login without people looking for an argument and/or misinterpreting my words! So, again, lesson learned! I'm moving on now.

Can anyone tell me how to login to my account without this post showing up once someone has commented? Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

I haven't read all of the posts...intentionally. As I said before I didn't mean to come off as snarky, snooty, or anything else offensive. Just stated my opinion and did not intend to make people feel I think anything about them in particular. That's the problem with email, texts, etc. For those who took offense...I apologize. To the OP...I apologize my comment to your post turned into this. Can we please move on & agree that we have a difference in opinion. I am NOT judging anyone.

How do those of you with kiddos book so far in advance without the school calendar being published? Or is it just my district that doesnt do it that far in advance?

I see a 2015 spring break cruise for a decent price. Usually our spring break is the 2nd wk of march, but every blue moon it will be the 3rd. I am afraid if i wait for next years calendar to be published the price will go up.

In a situation like this, whats the best way to book to make sure we get our money back if we have to cancel?

OP...I want to apologize if my original post came off as snarky. That was not my intention. You've received some good advice here regarding contacting your school and, again, I respect this is a consideration for you when choosing your travel dates.

I think your math is a little off. I mean I know that it is 180 days mandated in school and therefor 185 not but you cannot use most of those days to cruise. First and foremost (perfect example) one of those 185 days off for students is tomorrow for our district, but teachers are still working. Also most of those days off are on weekends and odd holidays. I myself have found it hard to book 3 day cruise that doesn't cause him to miss school (and I live rather close to two ports 15 minutes from one and maybe an hour and 15 from the other plus traffic). It would logistically be almost impossible if not risky to try and wait until school is out on Friday to get to the port and wait home by Sunday and woops that is a 2 night cruise. Now if I could have found a 3 night leaving today and back on Sunday maybe just maybe with early release today and no school tomorrow, but I find most 4 nights run M - F and 3 nights run F - M. So yeah shave 100 days off that number for actual real potential cruising days and then another 7 off for teachers because they usually return to work a week earlier.

 

Try to see if you can find out if your school board has released the proposed draft versions of next years calendar. Ours just got release. Best to go to your schools principal, assistant principal, or SAC/SAF (if that is what they are in every state) committee for that information or link. It pays to volunteer on committees. :)

I knew I'd get a comment such as this. Predictable! There are several consecutive weeks in the summer for most schools, a break in Spring, & a break over the winter holidays. Some districts also get a break in late Fall or Winter. My point is...There are plenty of opportunities for families and educators to take cruises of various lengths.

Oy - thank you for sharing. I live in FL and wasn't sure about those rules. Not sure if there is some variety about implementation by district, but your experience sounds awful. So sorry to hear it! :(

 

Hmmmm….private school is looking more appealing… Of course, if we did that we probably wouldn't have any money to cruise with, so there you go.

I'm a school administrator so I thought I'd share a little information. The compulsory attendance law applies to all schools, public and private. How it is implemented and age of implementation is determined by the State. Different Districts, even within the same state, may handle enforcement of the law differently. You may have the option to home school but the requirements for the parents/teachers varies by state as well. I appreciate the OP's concern for pulling a child out of school because there is much more accountability for student achievement. Just save up a little more money and cruise during the 180+ days children are not mandated to be in school. (Especially early readers & students in grades 6-12)

I also get numerous complaints when teachers are absent more than a few days. Parents wouldn't take so kindly to them missing a week of school to cruise when they have 180+ other days they could have chosen to take a vacation without disrupting the desired level of instruction for the children they teach.