jeh10641
-
Posts
1,521 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by jeh10641
-
-
23 hours ago, Softball20 said:
Thanks. That sounds like a good plan. We are also rethinking shows - except Mamma Mia. While 5:15 seems ridiculously early to eat - even for our little ones - I'm just not sure how to make it all work, LOL. Just too much to do in a short amount of time. Our June cruise can't come soon enough after this one.
On boarding, after your muster, go to the Main Room entrance and talk to a host or hostess there. They will have the right answer for you.
-
I use luggage tag holders from Alaska Airlines. They fit any kind of identifying luggage tags. I always print out several copies of the luggage tags for my cruises. I place the tags in the holders after I arrive in the embarkation port city.
-
11 hours ago, leisuretraveler223 said:
I feel like I'm going to get flamed, but I'll try anyway. What is the RCI policy on pot products? I sometimes enjoy a gummy to relax. I don't really really seeing a lot of drug sniffing dogs working the crowd at boarding on past cruises. Anyone have any experience with this? If I throw a bag in my carry-on should I have any issues?
Do not do it. Nothing good will happen if you get caught and that probability is HIGH (pun intended).
-
I agree with the suggestion to book your boarding FIRST. Then you can fill in the rest. I use the the cruise line app.
Jim
-
1
-
-
Good question. I think that may be why cruise companies might choose to add Nassau if Coco Cay is missed.
-
2
-
-
I always go to my bank (Bank of America) online before I travel to Europe for local currency. Usually I buy about US$100.00 in each of the local currencies: Euros, Pounds, or something else. Once on land, I then use local banks that are affiliated with BOA to avoid extra charges. NEVER use a shop that offers CURRENCY EXCHANGE. They have the worst rates.
-
2
-
-
On 1/28/2024 at 10:52 AM, mare s. said:
I rather liked the duo on Koningsdam at the beginning of January, although their patter was forced at times. But we really enjoyed the Rolling Stones band...made it a point to get there early for seats because by the time they started their sets, it was standing room only. Even saw a couple of the ship's officers bopping along. I would love it if some classical music returned...just for a nice change. I also enjoyed a bit of playing in the casino (their machines did seem a bit "looser" than on other cruise lines) but, boy oh boy, you needed to get there early on sea days to find a seat! Wasn't bothered too much by the smoke, but don't understand why people are allowed to smoke in there at all.
I have heard that ship casinos sailing from US ports are governed by the rules and laws of Las Vegas. Therefore, no looser or tighter. Individual machines may be programmed that way. I have not been able to confirm this.
Jim
-
8 minutes ago, Haljo1935 said:
Small world - my father really wanted me to go to Colby College. Not sure why - he didn't go there and I don't think we had any family that did, but he mentioned it several times. I was born in Caribou and he worked at a few small radio stations throughout Maine in the early 60s. I think had his career not taken him down south, we would have stayed as my parents really liked it there. Brutal winters, yes, but they both loved it.
WTVL from the Golden Heart of Central Maine. Waterville's radio station during my time there.
Jim
-
2
-
-
18 minutes ago, BetsyS. said:
jeh10641 - I'm glad you will be in Maine for your reunion in June. Be sure to have some lobster rolls!
Betsy
Thanks, BetsyS. Not only lobster rolls but an every five year stop at L.L. Bean to refresh my wardrobe! At our Reunion, they always have a lobster bake! I hope that continues.
Jim
-
1
-
-
6 hours ago, DCThunder said:
That's one of the many reasons I hate the Boston Red Sox and their fans. They unleashed the Curse of Sweet Caroline on American sporting venues across the fruited plain.
I dislike the Red Sox despite spending four years in Maine surrounded by their fans. Or maybe it is because I did!
Jim
-
23 hours ago, Niagarawine said:
I was on in November and I just thought some of the songs were cheesy, Itsy Betsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini? I am no spring chicken but that was yuch. Think one piano player playing some good jazz might be better. We were in one of the bars that had a piano but no live music so ai asked and the server said they cut back. Maybe one of the performers could play there.
Itsy Bitsy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini! Wow, that brings back memories of my youth 65 years ago.
Jim
-
On 1/26/2024 at 7:22 AM, Queenvee said:
I'm glad to hear about the return to the one singer; as many other posters have stated, the duos were often not so great and that area became raucous. I missed the daily Lincoln Center on Stage performances on my August 23 NS voyage. Guess you win some, you lose some...
The Lincoln Center music was my favorite venue on a couple of HAL cruises. I will miss them.
Jim
-
4
-
-
On 1/25/2024 at 9:03 PM, iflyrc5 said:
We are currently on the Rotterdam and the Bill Board on Board only has one performer instead of the 2 people playing and singing. According to our Cruise and Travel director HAL is going back to the "Piano Bar" format with just the one person and a crowd sing along style. So far is seems to be very popular on the Rotterdam. I assume at some point they will remove the second piano and reconfigure the area. I just hope at the next drydock they close off the stairway coming down from the casino so we won't keep getting the smoke smell down on the Music walk.
I heartily agree about the Casino smoke, my only complaint from our Rotterdam cruise in December 2021.
Jim
-
1
-
-
9 hours ago, BetsyS. said:
Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. Kennebunk is a wonderful place. Maine is very cold in the winter, but it's beautiful all year round.
In the early 1960s, I spent four years at Colby College in Waterville. I love Maine and will be there in June for my 60th reunion. If it had not been for the winters, I think I might have stayed in Maine forever. Instead I ended up near Seattle, about the same distance north but with much milder winters. Climate change is wreaking havoc with that now.
Jim
-
1
-
-
On 1/25/2024 at 2:23 PM, DCThunder said:
Land line??? What's that? Are you an 80 year old Boomer? Us 'utes don't have no land lines! 😎🍷
Yeah, I am an 80-year-old with a landline as well as a cell. I do not give out my cell number.
-
2
-
-
What a great conversation. As I now approach my mid 80s (age wise), these are great things to think about. We are planning three trips in the next year, two land based and one cruise. Before embarking on those trips, I am going to institute a travel plan that incorporates many of these ideas and circulate them to my family. Thanks for all the great tips. Keep them coming.
Jim
-
3
-
-
On 1/24/2024 at 11:00 AM, kazu said:
I was medically disembarked in Puerto Vallarta, Terri and I had my own insurance as well as HAL’s Platinum. HAL’s Care people were touching base with me on a regular basis. The hospital had a representative to assist travellers and she was excellent and very helpful and on the phone with my primary insurance company.
I was alone - so fellow solos, while it’s scary - you can do it and get through it (although my BP soared LOL).
In that scenario HAL’s Plantinum insurance covered my days lost cruising, and paid me the max on my medical expenses since my primary insurance refused. that decision was appealed and is now under re-consideration. Of course, if they pay then I will have to repay HAL but with the significant expenditure I had, I was very grateful that HAL’s platinum came through. It’s been over a year so I’m grateful for the bird in the hand from HAl’s Platinum insurance.
I always took it for cancellation only and while the medical is not enough for most circumstances, it helps.
Hi, kazu,
Thanks for your always good adice.
Jim
-
1
-
-
Hi, Archipelago,
There are two assigned seating times as well as Any Time (My Time, your choice of seating time, etc.). I can only assume that solos are included since I have never cruised as a solo.
Jim
-
On 1/13/2024 at 7:07 PM, PhillyFan33579 said:
I agree food is not the only part of a cruise, but if I am going to be on a ship for 7-14 days or longer, if I didn’t think the food was above average, I wouldn’t cruise on that ship/cruise line. I think Icon is going to be a great ship for families, especially from what I have heard from a few friends who have been on Icon the last few days. But as I move into my late 50s with adult kids, I don’t think Icon will be one of my favorite RCI ships, although I do have a few cruises booked on her this year. At this point I like Celebrity as much as RCI, but it’s tough to ignore 5 free drinks, free WiFi and free drinks in the casino on RCI.I hear that Celebrity will match some, if not all, Royal perks for Crown/Anchor members.
-
On 1/13/2024 at 5:37 AM, OCSC Mike said:
I appreciate the sentiment and also enjoy our food discussions.
No, my experiences are never perfect (few things is this world are) but I've also never NOT gained a bunch of weight on a cruise, lol, so I'm unlikely to majorly complain about the food.
The closest I've come to a bad experience was on Indy in 2022, but that was more due to the lack of included venues (Fish N Ships charged for everything back then; if I could have gotten included fish n chips and chicken fingers as a snack, I might have loved it) as well as the worst CL snacks I've ever seen, but that part really isn't important. That cruise let us know that while we're perfectly happy to drop down from Oasis class to Freedom/Voyager class, I really missed the extra food venues.
Hi, OCSC Mike,
The reason I prefer the MDR over Windjammer for dinner is not the quality or quantity of the food. I find both very good quality. It is because I prefer a sit down dinner with individual service as opposed to self service.
Jim
-
2
-
-
On 1/12/2024 at 4:54 PM, Engineroom Snipe said:
Patience is a virtue.
...few men possess.
-
1
-
-
Here is my take on Anthem of the Seas food for an October 2023 transatlantic cruise.
The main buffets are always extremely busy on Boarding Day so we had decided in advance to try something different. We went to the Solarium Bistro (also a buffet). It had both hot and cold main courses, salads, and desserts. It was not busy when we sat down. We had our choice of tables. By the time we were done around 1 PM, it was a lot busier but still had tables available. In addition, it was relatively quiet and less hectic. Very civilized. The food selection was varied and delicious. That did not surprise me. On our previous cruise on Royal Caribbean in 2008, the food was always good.
According the Hotel Director, whom we met one night at Jamie’s Italian, since the cruise began in England, there was no unsweetened ice tea mix onboard, a European thing. Fuwei and Hara brewed us fresh tea every night we ate in this dining room and added ice to the pot.
As for the food, it was on a par with any midrange (4+ star) land-based restaurant. I would expect to pay at least $35-$45 US/person in such a restaurant. There were several choices each night for each of the three or four courses. There were vegetarian, gluten free and sugar free options. The food was excellent and well prepared (medium rare was medium rare). We could have been in and out in an hour but preferred a more leisurely experience. Even then, we were rarely there more than 90 minutes. Well done RCCL!
BREAKFASTS: SILK DINING ROOM/WINDJAMMER BUFFET
We ate breakfast at 9 AM most mornings. We split our meals between SILK DINING ROOM (opposite the AMERICAN ICON GRILL) and the WINDJAMMER BUFFET. SILK was much quieter and usually less crowded than the WINDJAMMER BUFFET (the main buffet). It also had seats that were more comfortable with cloth-covered tables, making it feel more elegant.
Although the buffet at SILK was not as extensive as in the main buffet, it was more than adequate. There were hot and cold main courses: various cereals, assorted meats and cheeses, fresh breads and pastries galore, ingredients for a full English style breakfast, lox and bagels (my favorite), premade omelets (no omelet station) and more. The hot dishes were hot and the cold were cold. The servers brought coffee, tea and juices to the table. That was a nice touch. In a land-based restaurant, I would expect to pay between $15-$25 US per person for the variety of food available and the service.
LUNCHES: MANY VENUES TRIED
We varied our lunch venues to a few different places. WINDJAMMER BUFFET, CAFÉ 270, JOHNNY ROCKETS, SOLARIUM BISTRO and SORRENTO’S PIZZA. Except for JOHNNY ROCKETS, they were all included in our cruise fare. They were all buffets or counter service. None had tableside ordering options.
As I mentioned earlier, we tried the Solarium Bistro for our first lunch on boarding day. We ate dinner there once or twice; we had breakfast there once or twice and maybe another lunch or two. It was never crowded; the staff were prompt with drinks and offered any other assistance we might need. The food was always very good and there were ample selections for varied appetites and diets. I would recommend trying it out yourself.
My wife and I, due to diet restrictions (carb intake), do not eat pizza crust but we scraped off the toppings at SORRENTO’S and it was more than adequate for a meal. I did taste the crust a couple of times and it was very much in the New York style (thin, very well made and tasty). The toppings were awesome. I would expect to pay about $10 – 15 US for these pizza slices. As for a star rating, I think 4-stars is about right. We ate here two or three times.
JOHNNY ROCKETS is an a la carte priced burger restaurant and partially outdoors. I say partially because it was enclosed on three side with the fourth being open to the pool deck. It is an extension of a 1950’s themed land-based restaurant chain that we liked long before our first RCCL cruise in 2008. It had a couple of booths but mostly regular table seating options. The burgers were much better than a Burger King or McDonalds but not gourmet. I would say they are a par with the Dive-In on Holland America. The fries were tasty. The best part were the Cookies and Cream milk shakes. A full meal with burger, shake and fries was about $12.50 US in 2023. This pricing is less than what you may pay on land (website pricing $30.95 as of December 27, 2023). We thought the price (reasonable) and the meals (very good) were worth the extra cost. Four stars for value and taste.
CAFÉ 270 is located next to the entertainment venue 270 at the stern (aft) of the ship. Daytime, it had great views of the ship’s wake. That was where the closest seating was if you got lunch in the café. It was buffet style dining with salads, sandwiches and desserts plus beverages. There was more than enough food to satisfy our lunch demands. The view was to die for!
WINDJAMMER BUFFET - This is the main buffet style-dining venue. It is open for long hours for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks. It is divided into many individual stations, each featuring different types of food. Even at the busiest times of day, you could get your food quickly. You have to find your own table; that might take longer than getting the food. Plenty of windows from which to view the world around the ship, whether at sea or in a port.
Whatever food we tried in WINDJAMMER, it was excellent and at the correct temperature. You decide on your portion sizes and you can eat as much as you want.
My only complaint is that beverages were not delivered to the table at lunch or dinner. Breakfast time saw juices, tea and coffee brought to your table (some of the time). I would rate this as 4.95 stars (lack of unsweetened ice tea prevents five).
Before entering the buffet dining area, there are handwashing/sanitizing stations. USE THEM TO HELP PREVENT/CONTROL ANY SHIP BOARD ILLNESSES!
SPECIALTY DINING – tried three counting Johnny Rockets
On our first cruise on a Royal Caribbean ship in 2008 (Navigator OTS), we ate at two specialty restaurants including Chops. At that time, we felt that although the food was excellent, it was not worth the extra fees because the Main Dining Room and Windjammer Buffet food was so good. On this cruise on Anthem OTS, the food in the American Icon Grill/Windjammer was also excellent.
As we were celebrating birthdays this time, we decided to have dinner twice in specialty venues. Our first meal was in CHOPS, the steakhouse, on my wife’s actual birthday. We had the filet steak and it was perfectly cooked (medium for my wife, medium rare for me). It was delicious and tender. The staff made a big production about singing Happy Birthday and had prepared a special dessert for her. Well done RCCL!
A few days later, not wanting to stop celebrating, we dined at JAMIE’S ITALIAN RESTAURANT. We ordered two Chicken Parmigiana. Once again the chef did it right, pounded thin, crusted, with cheese and sauce. Momma mia, it was one of the best ever. More singing and desserts added to the festivities. Kudos RCCL!
Jim
-
1 hour ago, Jacqueet said:
What is “My Time”? That’s a term I haven’t heard before.
Hi, Jacqueet,
"kazu" answered the question before i could. I use the terms "My Time Dining" or "Any Time Dining" interchangeably to signify that my wife and/or I are dining at a time we want rather than what the cruise ship specifies ("Early" or "Late"). It is only used in relationship to any Main Dining Room location, not the Buffet or Specialty Dining venues. i hope that helps.
Jim
-
1
-
1
-
-
I always ask my travel agent to book MDR times before we leave home (most often at time of booking the cruise). Usually My Time. I do not book tables for two as we want to meet new people. We try for a total of 6 or 8 people, tops. On our recent RCL transatlantic, we had met up with another couple precruise so dined with them most nights. Although we had booked My Time, it was the same time (6:45) every night at the same table with the same servers. Of the fifteen nights, we ate there twelve times.
On our Rotterdam cruise, we were traveling with cousins but had My Time dining at a table for 6 so two others joined us. Same table and servers every night we ate in the MDR. Four nights of eleven we ate in specialty spots.
Buy euros on ship?
in Royal Caribbean International
Posted
We were in England in October 2023 with "Pounds" from BOA and had no trouble using them. Is this something new since then?
Jim