Saturngrl

Great info, thank you! I'm traveling with friends and we're all in our 40's and 50's, two to a room. I am looking into car service from hotel to port and from port to EWR. Dial 7 seems to be a favorite on this blog.

Will keep perusing threads on this site and discuss with my TA. Thank you all!

Our group of four will sail the Celebrity Summit from Cape Liberty in April 2018. We will fly in the day before the cruise and fly out the afternoon after the cruise. Questions for pre-cruise planning:

1. What hotels near the airport/cruise port offer free shuttle from the airport to hotel?

2. Aside from Embassy Suites in Elizabeth ($20 shuttle), are there any hotels that offer free shuttle to the cruise port? Or, should I hire a car?

Thank you for any info you may provide.

In Cozumel, we love Mr. Sancho's Beach Club! It's a 10 minute taxi ride from the cruise terminal. The keys to full enjoyment are:

1. Advance reservations on their website

2. Arrive early in the day to ensure great seating and schedule massages, horseback riding, beachfront lounges....

3. Be ready to tip each wonderful server....the service there is fantastic!

4. Leave at least one hour before your ship is due to sail...the lines at the pier are VERY long.

Can't wait to go back there....have fun!

To help my roommate and me easily find our cabin (and keep others from confusing ours with theirs), I always, tastefully, decorate my cabin door with magnetic signs. It's a great visual cue to us when we've had a few cocktails. :cool:

You hit this one on the button. Not sure about your worst, but the art folks are some of the highest paid on the ship (in many cases they make as much as the captain) and they only work sea days to a great extent, on port days they can pretty much go anyplace they like. They are only responsible to the people they work for who are not on the ship.

 

The fact that they are selling a product which is a huge rip-off is inconsequential. They just have to learn to live with that.

You raise an excellent point! My other favorite job would be Sommelier in Cellar Masters....anyone for a nice Cabernet Sauvignon?

Best job: Park West Art Auctioneer....limited hours with lots of happy interactions.

Worst job: Deckhand/Painter....that's a really tough job!

Fun thread!

In addition to the other mentioned perks, the priority check-in is a plus. The big thing for me is the pre-disembarkation lounge reserved for Concierge passengers. They offer coffee, juice and pastry (if memory serves) for you while you wait for your group number to be called. I loved this perk the last time we sailed the Silhouette...it lessens the pain of disembarkation.

On my last cruise on the Silly, I was at the gym at 6:00 and it got crowded fairly quickly. It's a beautiful facility. My only complaint is the elipticals face starboard, which made for a nauseating ride in rough seas on a sea day. It was great to see the sun rise as I exercised!

Another vote for Mr. Sancho's Beach Club! Make a reservation on their website to ensure space for you. My friends and I went there this past February and LOVE this resort! We reserved a Cabana for two, plus 3 additional all-inclusives. We arrived early in the morning, received two cabanas a large table, upgraded to one-hour massages (the BEST ever!), went horseback riding through the mangrove and on the beach and ate/drank to our please at the swim up bar in the pool. Can't wait to go back there!

The Lawn Club Grill is wonderful! I also love QSine and the Porch. May I suggest you look into purchasing a multi-night specialty dining package? They usually offer them online and will certainly offer packages when you board the ship. The packages will save you money and you will enjoy the best of what the Silhouette offers!

In addition to the above, may I recommend the Sushi pops in QSine, as well as English Bacon and cucumber slices with dill and salmon mousse at breakfast? :cool:

Your post reinforces my decision to apply for Global Traveler status before our cruise out of Port Everglades in November. Thank you for the information!

I'm sure that you will wear resort casual, comfortable clothes when boarding the ship. You may want to refrain from tank tops, short shorts, bathing suites or other revealing clothing for the Concierge lunch.

My friend and I will sail Concierge class this Fall and very much look forward to this luncheon after boarding!

Texted is correct. Please note that you will be welcome in the remaining venues, which are terrific! I love playing Bocce on the Lawn Club, take advantage of the specialty restaurant package and the premium drink package.

I don't know about the movie theatre, but know you will enjoy your cruise!

I also agree with the above posts. Celebrity is a step above the other cruise lines. It's a little more upscale, yet not stuffy or snobby. I've sailed Carnival, Royal Caribbean and Celebrity, and will keep returning to Celebrity as often as possible. Only 236 Days until my next Silly sailing!

The Silhouette is absolutely my favorite cruise ship! Great suggestions from everyone! In addition, may I suggest lunch at The Porch? Fabulous seafood, beautiful view and well-worth the upcharge! Enjoying playing bocce on the Lawn as well!

Great review, I love the Silhouette! As a political conservative, it hurts me to know you experienced rude fellow passengers claiming to be conservatives. I am so sorry for them!

Please know you are loved as a human being by many more people than you will ever know. It's fantastic you enjoyed a wonderful cruise and hope you cruise again soon!

Blessings and light to you....

We were asked to change cabins 4 days before cruising with the promise of $200 on board credit and another Jr. Suite with a larger balcony on the hump. The reason given was they needed Cabin 8626 for a family of 4. My friend and I experienced many headaches with the resulting confusion. Luggage tags had to be re-printed at the port. Sea Passes were provided with no evidence of the pre-paid Deluxe Drink Package. All reservations, dining packages and pre-paid special food and wine did not transfer with our cabin re-assignment. It took multiple trips to Guest Services and the intervention of an anonymous high-ranking RC person to get us our orders.

Until RC changes their process to book items under reservation number and not cabin number....I will not allow a "bump" voluntarily again.

Ship - Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas

Deck - 6

Stateroom # - 6248

Stateroom Category – Jr. Suite

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Very Quiet!

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? -Yes

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Balcony positioned at the start of the hump, but offered great views of the water and horizon.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Somewhat larger than regular Jr. Suite balcony. Room for two lounge chairs, two regular chairs and small round table.

Was wind a problem? -No, it was wonderful!

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? -N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? -None!

Any other comments? -

We loved our Jr. Suite last week on the Oasis! It was roomy enough for my friend and me, and the balcony accommodated 5 of us for get-togethers.

Coastal Kitchen for dinner was okay. They refused to allow my friend and me to bring a guest. We preferred the food in Chops and Giovanni's. Service was good in all restaurants.

Enjoy your cruise!

We were on the Oasis last week, immediately following your cruise. We all had the Deluxe Drink Packages, so we tried to visit every bar on the ship. Your review matches most of our experiences.

We enjoyed Schooner Bar, as it was easy to look down upon the Promenade to spy our friends and wave them up to join us. Leo, in Globe and Atlas, was wonderful! He provided stellar service on our multiple visits, including pouring me a double Maker's Mark when I needed to take it into a stressful meeting (yes, I had to conduct a little business while onboard). Benjamin, in Vintages, was terrific! The Caymus tasting there was awesome! Ask Sampson, in the Solarium Bistro, for a Disrespectful White Russian---decadent!

We enjoyed tequila in the Sabor bar, martinis in the Champagne bar, a drink in the On Air Club and the hospitality of Dazzles in our Cruise Critic Meet n' Mingle.

There's lots of variety on board ship!

Where was #2?

In the Oceanview Cafe' aka buffet. They are awesome in the morning and serve alcohol. By Day 2 of my last cruise on the Silhouette, the head waitress knew to bring me a diet coke and at least one mimosa to start my day. Can't wait until I see her again this November!

I spent seven years in the Satisfaction professional arena. The surveys are designed specifically for the customer of that industry. Your responses should be from the customer perspective, not what the crew asks for.

In my industry, we are prohibited from asking/coaching to a specific score, even though we only receive credit for the highest rating. The intent is to strive for consistent, stellar service. The Kano model states, "What delights the Customer today, the Customer expects tomorrow".

Any time I experience either stellar customer service, or poor customer service, I tell the provider I will mention his/her name on the survey. Then, I do it. I must admit, a little extra cash tip with special crew members has always garnered great service!

mimibecky,

You can upgrade the Classic Beverage Package to Premium for less than $100 (we did that last February when we sailed the Silhouette). The Premium package covers martinis in the Martini Bar, but the Classic does not.

The Lawn Club Grill, The Porch and QSine were my favorite specialty restaurants on board. I can't wait to try Sushi on 5---they've changed it since my last Silly sailing, when it was Bistro on 5. Playing Bocce on the Lawn is awesome fun!

Enjoy your cruise!

I dislike chair hogs as well. My friends and I ensure we have a set number of chairs saved EARLY in the morning, and we rotate in and out of them to keep them filled throughout the day. Everyone gets a little sun time and we're not hogging any chairs.

Someday I will book a suite and get the perk of reserved deck chairs...ahhh.....