New to Royal Caribbean and Port Canaveral

We have been on 11 cruises but this is our first on Royal Caribbean and our first out of Port Canaveral!!

Booked and paid for Oasis of the Seas in Oct!! So excited :) We wanted to go sooner but if when found a cruise we liked then they had no HC rooms..argh.

I am trying to find out where I buy the water package and how much it is?

I am in a HC room #6149 anyone have any experience with this room?

I am a wheelchair user , are all the decks accessible to me? (you would be amazed at how many decks I cannot get too)

Smoking? (im a non smoker but I try to avoid smoking areas)

Any advice to make this a fabulous cruise?? (its going to be fabulous regardless but advice is always welcome)

CHeck your Cruise Planner on Royal's website for the water package, prices for your sailing will be there.

Smoking inside in the casino and outside on one side of decks 15 and 16.

Good place to eat is Fish Lips!! We love love Port Canaveral!!

Have not been on oasis yet. However my father who is in a wheelchair has cruised on ships a few years older. We have found it to be very accessible. The only two times we had problems were when dinning. These were on freedom class ships so it may not be set up the same but just incase.

1) issue was where they placed our table for dinner. Many would be jealous becuase we were given window seats. The problem was we could not get to the table without taking a step up. After trying to explain thr problem several times we were given a permanent table in the my time dinning. Of course that meant that nightly were had to pass guests waiting for a table that thought we were getting prefferential treatment because of the chair. (We heard guests say that as we passed) Advice check your table the 1st afternoon. If it is not accessible they can move it.

2) similar issue went the character meal and the characters were a step up. The employee that was passing out tickets asked my parents if they wanted to go up. My parent responded that they could not get up there. The ticketing employee said okay and left. Later my parents ended up talking to someone else to arrange the pictures.

Despite those 2 minor issues my dad has said that he has found the guests and employees better than disney cruise for wheelchair users.

Like you we find it a bit frustrating how far in advanced we have to book these cruises. My parents are going on oasis next december and it is already sold out for wheelchair rooms except for a suite.

Good place to eat is Fish Lips!! We love love Port Canaveral!!

Grills is another good place to eat on the channel.

Water Package is available on line. It comes as 12 liters per order. You can pre-purchase it and have them in your cabin before you board. Don't remember the price, but around $40 including tip.

Reserve the shows. You can standby for all, however better to reserve.

If you booked through a travel agent make sure they have told RC about the wheelchair, otherwise you'll need to contact the special needs dept yourself. I mean since you booked HC room, you would assume everybody knows, but it pays to be sure.

From helping book cruises with my mother, I know the crew is very good about accommodating special needs *as long as they are aware of it*.

You have your reasons for getting the water package, but keep in mind that ship's water is pretty much the same as bottled water. Rather than rehash it, you'll find lots of discussion about that if you search the board.

Are you bringing your own wheelchair? If not, you will need to arrange to rent one. They always tell us they will provide wheelchair from check in to ship but then we are not allowed to use their wheelchairs.

We have sailed Oasis and Allure and did not find any areas/decks which were not accessable. We too avoid smoking areas thus no casino for us on Royal.

Enjoy your cruise.

Are you bringing your own wheelchair? If not, you will need to arrange to rent one. They always tell us they will provide wheelchair from check in to ship but then we are not allowed to use their wheelchairs.

 

We have sailed Oasis and Allure and did not find any areas/decks which were not accessable. We too avoid smoking areas thus no casino for us on Royal.

 

Enjoy your cruise.

It's been a few years since we were on Allure, but I remember their casino was split. 1/2 was smoking and 1/2 was non smoking. And they had each table game on each side. All slots were not necessarily the same on both.

Erika

You'll need transportation from Orlando to the port. We used GoCapeCanaveral.com and were very pleased with it: prompt, pleasant driver, clean bus--much less expensive than Royal's transfer. If you book with them, you can also book the hotel and do it as a package; we found it less expensive to book hotel and transportation separately.

If you are in a suite you might not be able to get to the suite sun deck. We were on Oasis in October and I looked around but couldn't find an elevator door on the suite sun deck. There might be one in the service area behind closed doors.

Will second the suggestion of Fishlips for dinner. Go the night before, sit outside on the deck and watch sail aways of other lines!

Rusty's is also right there and a great place for food.

Port Canaveral is my favorite port to cruise from, great choice. Enjoy!

Oasis is HC friendly and there is a HC area in the theater so you don't have to go down the steps. Also ramps in the Windjammer. Port Canaveral is HC friendly too. Notify RC that you will need a wheelchair at Port Canaveral from terminal to ship. At the other ports outside the USA it can be iffy getting assistance. I suggest bringing a portable wheelchair just in case. Shows on Oasis are spectacular. Book ahead. Don't miss the Ice Show in Studio B. Also the diving show. A big ship but it doesn't feel crowded. Have a good time.

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It is generally accessible and the crew are helpful. WJ can get a little crowded but if you avoid peak periods, there is wheelchair accessible seating.

With the dinning room, I would recommend booking ahead if you have flexible dinning and let them know that you have a wheelchair.

All the entertainment venues have designated areas for wheelchair users and their companions.

Central Park is a really pleasant and not so crowded route for getting from one end of the ship to the other.

oomg thank you for all the help! I have been reading and reading about this ship andddddddddddddd we went and booked another cruise for May of 2019 Canada/New England! Think that one is Grandeur of the Seas. For now I am focusing on this one :)

I do have my own wheelchair and I was told about the reserving of seats for the entertainment .

So excitedddddd

Do they have hot chocolate? Free of fee?

I am trying to figure out what is free and what is not. Like Pizza and Hotdogs

And water..carnivals water taste funny and due to a neurogenic bladder I have to drink ALOT of water is RC water like Carnivals? I did log in and see it is 40 bucks sheesh expensive!

You'll need transportation from Orlando to the port. We used GoCapeCanaveral.com and were very pleased with it: prompt, pleasant driver, clean bus--much less expensive than Royal's transfer. If you book with them, you can also book the hotel and do it as a package; we found it less expensive to book hotel and transportation separately.

The OP's profile say they're from FL, so they may be driving/being driven to Port Canaveral.

If not, I would encourage anyone and especially someone who needs assistance to look at flights into MLB.

It's the same time from the Port, but about 2/3 the distance, and has the advantage of being a one-fligth-at-a-time airport and being all on one level. It's also, for what it's worth, a much more scenic drive.

Every flight where I arrive (30+/year) has wheelchair assistance folks already on the jet bridge and ready, which seems to be problem in MCO from the number of pages I hear on the occasions I fly to/from there. Also it's a short trip from gate to transport, no trains, and no elevators so far simpler to maneuver than MCO.

It may not work for everyone, but it's a simpler experience and it seems from my observation a less stressful one for someone in a wheelchair. So probably worth taking a look at Delta though ATL (AA through CLT too but those are small regional jets and may pose a different set of challenges).