Dawniepoo

This has only happened to us on NCL, not on any other lines that we have purchased packages. NCL does indeed charge state tax for each drink while in a Florida port. I wonder why they do it and Royal does't. (not complaining, lol)

In the morning: Mimosas and bellinis

In the afternoon: Beer and Strongbow

Evening: dirty vodka martini, extra dirt :D

My choices are not very original, but still tasty

I've been on 3 NCL cruises and disliked all but one of them. Not because of the ship design, but because of the service. The one I enjoyed was a long time ago on the Norway. That was at least a century ago :D

Just think, if you do happen to run into a hurricane maybe you can get a fabulous pic taken like this one

Looking for perspective and advice here.

 

Supposed to be heading out Saturday for RC Oasis of the Seas Western Caribbean cruise (Labadee/Jamaica/Cozumel) with my 13-yo son - our first cruise ever! - but I'm dismayed to see the Invest 99L reports.

 

It looks like whether this develops into an actual hurricane or just a tropical storm, they are predicting rough seas and torrential rain for the entire area we are supposed to be cruising. NOT what we wanted for our first cruise.

 

What happens now? I really have no idea what to expect from RC but think I understand that it's up to them to either change the course of the cruise (hard to imagine where else they could sail given the huge area of the predicted

storm) or cancel (unlikely).

 

Given RC's ugly experience with Anthem this February - where they set sail in predicted bad weather intending to "go around" the storm but ended up right in it with ship damage and had to return to port - I'm really concerned about the "we'll go around it" option.

 

We are supposed to fly into Ft Lauderdale Friday and leave port Saturday.

 

And I did buy Travel Insurance but need to check the details of my policy. Not sure if I can choose to cancel myself due to weather if RC doesn't choose to cancel?

 

THANK YOU for any advice or perspective or direction you can give to help me think about this clearly and plan pro-actively.

Don't cancel your cruise. Worst case scenario, your itinerary will change. The captain will do everything possible to avoid bad weather a keep it sunny for you. This storm will not be a major hurricane, so get packing and enjoy your cruise! :D

Gambee's Allure Review. It's one of the best I've read. It's more of a pictorial review.

I am glad this information was posted. We are D members and tend to book within the 6 month timeframe. Frankly I have looked for RCCL cruises exclusively. As a result of this change I will broaden my consideration of cruises. The risk to the company is that people like me will like the experience of another cruise line. Perhaps they are trying to shift their mix to more newer cruisers.... less cost... eg onboard diamond lounge liquor expense. Anyway if I find I like another line once... I might like them even more a second time... then I am tied into their loyalty program.... seems this sort of thing could be short sighted. We will see.

 

Any recommendation on other lines sailing out of Ft Lauderdale, Port Canaveral and anywhere in South East

Try Princess. We love the Regal Princess and it sails out of Ft. Lauderdale part of the year.

Embarkation - you get priority access through the Suites line.

 

Towels - you just show your seapass and they hand you towels, no problem. No pressure to return them either. Regular cabins have to be swiped, one towel, and you return it or get charged $5.

 

Coastal Kitchen for dinner (but no breakfast or lunch for JS).

 

That's really about it.

I have to laugh at the towel policy. Are suite people more trustworthy with their towels as opposed to all the other passengers, LOL :D

Just curious - will this cause anyone posting here to cruise either:

 

1. Less often

2. In inside or outside cabins

3. With other lines

 

If the answer is no, Royal has no reason to change this back...

This was the last straw for me. We are switching to Princess. I'm pretty tired of the way things are going at Royal. We are only Diamond, so we aren't worth much to them anyway.

Wow, people are really into this topic. Is anyone able to identify the % of the common areas designated to Suite guests. The elimination of the VCL was more to do with generating more revenues by building Suites. Sailed the Quantum and Oasis classes in the last 4 years and there so much public area available to enjoy that it really does not bother me. How big is CK and what does the menu look like. I'm happy that I can afford a balcony cabin and enjoy perks certain perks afforded to D+. I guess I'm in the mid-category caste system. LOL

 

Ps. You can have the pool area and all of the humanity, but I'd rather sit and enjoy the Solarium.

What happens if they decide to decrease the "public" area of the solarium and make a section of it for suite guests only? When will it stop? DOH! I should't give them ideas :D

I would subscribe to your vlog. I look forward to it.

This subject has me fired up. The mature side of me thinks, hey, you pay more you get more. But the immature side of me thinks THATS NOT FAIR (in my winiest voice possible). I sometimes get a case of the FOMOs- fear of missing out, and it irks me that we cannot, nor most likely will we ever, be able to afford a suite. My DH and I make a modest living and on a nurse's salary, it's not in the cards for us. Back in the day, it did not matter what room you were in, and everyone got the same level of service and food. Now, since we aren't of the calibre of cruiser that can pay that kind of money, we no longer get "special" service nor do we get high quality food. The all-inclusive aspect of cruising, and the one aspect that kept me coming back, is over. I NEVER thought I would say it because I've been cruising since I was a kid, but I'm wondering how much longer we will be cruising for vacations.

They won't make you wait if the ship is ready to board. We always arrive well before the time given to us. Just realize you may have to wait in the terminal until they are ready.

I can't believe no one has mentioned it, but the cream of garlic soup is my favorite. I practically live for the stuff and I have no shame about it. I usually go to the WJ before dinner and have a bowl there, then have 2 bowls at dinner :D.

We got married on a Carnival ship many moons ago. It was the best wedding ever! This kind of wedding is good for someone who doesn't mind relinquishing control of things. The only real decision I had to make after choosing a package was what color did I want on the cake. Nice and simple and stress free.

Thank goodness the garlic soup is still on the menu! I broke out into a sweat there for a minute.:D

 

 

 

 

Pools- I was up early (7:00 AM) and there were plenty of lounges in the shade. Not as many chairs being "saved" as on past cruises. We could even swim at the beach pool (alone!) before it became crowded a couple of hours later. A great spot to keep cool is on a lounge near the whirlpools on Deck 15 by the doors that open/close near the stairs giving you a nice blast of air conditioning!

 

 

 

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Now, that's a great tip. Thanks!

Ok, maybe I'm the only one wondering (and I know it's none of my business)... why do you want to know about fire sprinkler in the bathroom? Not trying to be snippy or anything, but it's a pretty unusual question unless you're planning to smoke in there, and you said you aren't a smoker. So, just curious.

Ok, I confess. I'm wondering too. :D

I can't resist:

Surely you can't be serious.

I am serious, and don't call me Shirley.

I haven't experienced decent bar service in the DR in years. It seems difficult for our assigned wait staff to be getting our drinks, so I just bring mine in. Everybody is happy!

I'm concerned over special interest groups because I'm worried venues will be closed for "private functions" during the cruise. I hate feeling left out :D

 

Here is my command center for the day in smoking unfortunately.

 

 

 

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I love your "command center" idea. The family knows where to find you and you have all the creature comforts!

My son survived Sandy Hook. Bad stuff can happen anytime and anywhere. Don't let fear grip you. Life is too short. He's going on his first cruise in a little over a week.

I hope your family has a fabulous time!

Just got off the Regal last week. It was one of our top 3 cruises of all time! Have a great cruise!

We just got back from March 20 cruise. Lots of kids onboard and they were very well behaved. No problems at all!