Oasis LIVE (one month later!) Review

[aussiegecko]

We go down to Fort Lauderdale around mid march every year and the weather is really nice. It can get to around 80 in the morning and I think at night goes down between 65 - 70.

 

Thanks, that's good to hear.

[RWMike]

Even though we sailed on Oasis in October, I have to subscribe so I can re-live my cruise through your review. We were on deck 8, cabin 198 also on the hump. Great location and great view. Can't wait to read your next entry (and I love your details!)

Soccer Mom,

Just wondering how you liked Deck 8 Cabin on the Oasis.

Was the proximity to Central Park a positive?

 

Mike

[Familygoboston]

Reading this at work....burst out with a laugh regarding the flow rider. Hope to share a laugh or two on the Allure with you!

 

Yes! Im looking forward to it But this time we can just watch;)

 

Soccer Mom,

Just wondering how you liked Deck 8 Cabin on the Oasis.

Was the proximity to Central Park a positive?

 

Mike

Mike- I'm sure Soccer Mom can confirm this, but my DCs were on 8 and loved it!! It is very handy to Central Park and the Park Cafe which was one of our favorites. We decided on Allure to book deck 8 for that reason!

[cocoabeana]

I have a question regarding booking another cruise to get obc. How long after you get home do you have to decide which cruise to book? Do you have to book it right away? I know I will sail again next year also just not sure when or on what.

Thanks!

[SoccerMom#3]

Soccer Mom,

Just wondering how you liked Deck 8 Cabin on the Oasis.

Was the proximity to Central Park a positive?

 

Mike

 

It was a perfect location. Loved being close to the Park Cafe and loved being able to walk down to the dining room (we did my time dining) and to the Promenade. Also it was just a quick elevator ride to the pool deck. Absolutely would recommend Deck 8.

[Familygoboston]

I have a question regarding booking another cruise to get obc. How long after you get home do you have to decide which cruise to book? Do you have to book it right away? I know I will sail again next year also just not sure when or on what.

Thanks!

 

I have to be the worst possible person to ask, but... No, the form we filled out said we could use the Next Cruise certificate at any time, no expiration date. It only "costs" $100, which is applied to your booking when you make it. And you'll pay the deposits for any additional pax at the time you choose an actual cruise.

When you get the NC certificate, you get a booking # and that is applied to whatever cruise you book. We decided to book right away because we knew our vacation week and our experience with Oasis was that the rates only go up, so we wanted to book Allure as soon as possible, but I wanted the benefit of booking on board ( we will get the $100 OBC for using the NC, or booking on board for our upcoming Allure cruise).

 

If that is wrong I know someone will set me straight! Usually my go to gal is Crusinfever, Patti, for any of these sorts of questions- she always gets it right!

[cocoabeana]

Great! Thanks for your help! I will make sure I go early in the week!

[Familygoboston]

Day 8 Sat, Dec 10 Disembarking: and the Sand Chairs Retire to Hollywood Permanently

 

Our group is scheduled to depart at 8:45, meeting first in Studio B at 8:30, so we get up early and get ready for the day, and head back to the Solarium. We have an idea that it will be far less crowded and more enjoyable than any of the other venues that are open for breakfast, and we are right. We walk right in and find a table with a view of Port Everglades and the sea. After a relaxing breakfast, we sit in the one of the sala beds in the solarium for about 20- minutes and just relax before we have to go back to our cabin and get our hand luggage. It's the only day we have every seen these beds empty, and we are glad we got a chance to finally try one! We also decide they are not that comfortable, really, and we probably wouldn't have lasted several hours in one with our bad backs!

 

We grab our hand luggage and documents and head to Studio B, where the Explorations staff checks us in and lets us know our tour will leave shortly. The group is called and we head out all together. As we insert our Sea Passes into the machine, an awful buzzer sounds and a huge red screen comes up; we cannot leave the ship! We ask what is wrong and they tell us it is a random customs check. We learn this isn't true- it's not "random". We are escorted by a crew member to the Cup Cake Factory where another crew member checks a list and then escorts us out past every line and barrier to pick up our luggage, and go straight to customs, where we pay our small duty for a large purchase we made on board.

 

To this day I cannot understand why RCI deviated from their stated debarkation procedures...exit the ship, collect your luggage, then declare you purchases at customs. It was stressful being separated from our "Explorations!" group without being able to inform them because the leader was already off the ship with the first part of the group. It was stressful feeling not knowing why we were being detained, and then learning we were singled out for having made a large purchase. Instead of being treated like a good customer who could be expected to pay their duty (and maybe being offered expedited "customs service", and informed before hand) we felt upset about debarkation.

 

I added to a thread not long ago about this, where another person reported the same treatment, and I was shocked at how people (who obviously didn't bother to read the thread) berated us for trying to smuggle. (huh?) We had every intention of paying our duty (which was a tiny fraction of the savings we realized by buying the item onboard instead of the same item at home) but the ship instituted some kind of change to their procedures and they never informed of us of the possibility. So I am reluctant report this and subject myself to the CC bullies again, but I want to make people aware of the fact that, if you decide to make onboard purchases over the customs limit...they had a list of every passenger who had spent on board beyond the customs limits, and there is a chance this could happen to you too. I have no idea how many others were pulled out of the standard debarkation procedure for this expedited procedure, but for us it was an upsetting end to an otherwise delightful cruise. (and a cynic would say, another example of less than "excellent" treatment after the comment cards are turned in)

 

Fortunately, after paying our duty, we went quickly out to the curb to find our bus. Luckily, there are many RCI representatives there, so we were able to be repatriated with our tour group on the bus. I'm sorry I can't report how debarkation works when you don't get the "special treatment" but everyone seemed to be moving right along. It's very crowded on the sidewalk and you could easily lose track of a group or children, so my advice is stay close together!

 

Onto more fun! RCI Excursion Hollywood City Pass Extended Stay (ending at Miami Airport). We find the correct bus and store our luggage underneath. If you take this excursion, be sure your luggage gets under the bus going to the airport where your flight leaves. (FLL or MIA) There are also 2 departure times...some people will need to leave at 2PM (for FLL domestic flights after 4 PM or International after 5 PM) and some will need to leave at 4PM (FLL domestic flights after 6 PM and International flights after 7PM, add an hour to each limit for flights leaving MIA) So when you book, make sure you pick the right excursion, only because otherwise you luggage can get mixed up. For FLL, you will get a claim check and have to pick up your bags at the baggage holding area at FLL; they give you very specific instructions about this! For MIA, we had our luggage on the bus with us, and just carried it into the terminal. (or you could get a skycap at that point). All the tours go to the same place and get all the same benefits, which is why there is not a price difference.

The FLL airport version is $35 and the MIA version is $40 per person.

 

For a quick comparison: the cab to MIA for 2 was about $ 85-90. I forget the cost of the RCI transfer, but when we took it from MIA one year it was at least $29 for each person. Some people claim you can rent a car on a blind booking site for about $30, but I have never experienced renting a car that cheaply in S Florida during the high season, but I won't argue with them. Renting a car would require you 1- have proper licensing (if you are from overseas) 2-take a cab or shuttle to the airport or rental car office 3- line up and do the paperwork before you drive off. And of course you will be managing your luggage during each of these steps. We chose this excursion because for similar money to a cab, (which is how we got to the ship), we would get a hospitality center, trolley pass around the Hollywood area and transportation and luggage storage. We found it was well worth it if you have a long wait, as opposed to waiting around the airport. There is a reason it is reasonable, that's coming!

 

Once on the bus we wait for a few other stragglers (other detainees?) so we check our emails for the first time in a week, ughh!, back to reality! At about 9:30 AM we are on our way to Hollywood FL, there was little traffic and we arrived there just before 10 AM. The bus driver gave a narration, pointing out every variety of palm tree, but more importantly, pointing out the bus stops for the free trolley system, so you can see where you can go on the trolley that is included in your City Pass. DH and I notice a UPS store is along the route of the trolley and consider using the trolley to ship our chairs back home. Once we arrive we are greeted outside a parking garage by an employee of the City of Hollywood.

 

The Hospitality Center is located in a Community Center, the hosts are paid for by the City, with the purpose of attracting cruisers to their lovely city for tourism. They don't give you any kind of sell, but that's why they offer the excursion. You are welcomed in a community meeting room; you can use the restroom, have some snacks and check your hand luggage. You are given the trolley pass (which is hop on, hop off) and a very good map of the area. The community center is literally on the city's "Broadwalk". Yup, that's not a typo, they call it the Broadwalk (we saw a few, tee hee!). I have no idea why it's called this rather than a Board Walk but allow me one last speculation! I think they got all the marketing materials back form the printer when some lackey in the Chamber or Commerce realized they had spelled it wrong...but that's just speculation on my part!

 

The beach is really lovely, and there is a very mid century old style Florida Broadwalk, with a large concrete walking path lined with mostly independent (vs chain) shops, hotels and restaurants on one side and the public beach on the other side. There are foot showers along the beach, so you can clean up a bit if you swim, but there are no proper showers that we saw. There are few vendors renting cabanas, but most folks are local and there with their own chairs.

 

We should have taken more photos, because this area looks like a restoration of 1960 Florida, it's really very charming! One of the few chain lodging options is a Marriott along this beach and this is where the hosts recommend you go for free wireless internet. They also recommended the Anne Kolb Nature Center a County run nature area just a mile or so up the road, along the Intercoastal Waterway. The hosts will help you plan whatever you'd like to do and point you in the right direction to do it. If you are from a foreign county, and dont read or speak much English, this extra attention is very nice!

 

(photo at the Broadwalk)

 

 

It was a little overcast and windy on the day we were there, so we once again changed our plans from sitting in the best sand chairs ever on the beach and decided instead to rent bikes. We wanted to check out the Nature Center. The bike rental was on the block next to the Community Center and they were open to negotiation, because it was pretty quiet for a Saturday. Looked like mostly locals and snowbirds using the walk for exercise.

 

We got two bikes and followed the map to a road across from the beach to the Anne Kolb Nature Center. I'm always impressed by places like this in Florida; as you can imagine Florida has had a lot of development, and in places it is difficult to even imagine what the natural state must have looked like before the development took hold. But every so often there is a little jewel set in the middle of all that development where someone (probably in this case, Anne Kolb) held on tenaciously to the idea that somewhere the people and the wildlife of Florida need a place where they can find things untouched, and quiet. This is one of those places... and I thank people (like Anne Kolb) for their activism, because I find it delightful to find wild Florida thriving within a stones throw of development.

 

We were able to bike through here at no charge; had we decided to go into the Center, we would have had to pay a nominal fee (but we didn't want to leave the bikes outside unlocked) so we just biked and walked the nature trails (several boardwalks prohibited riding so we walked them) around the paths. It was very peaceful and we encountered lots of little wildlife because we were all by ourselves (on a Saturday) on nearly every trail! You could also take the Trolley here and hop back on to get back. But it wasn't more than a mile from the Community Center. Here are some photos from the Nature Center.

 

(photo of Anne Kolb Nature Center)

 

 

 

 

 

 

After our ride around the area, we rode up the Broadwalk to scout out lunch locations. We settled on the Broadwalk Pizza, with it's al fresco dining. The pizza was some of the best we've had anywhere, and the service was quick and friendly. The waitress told us that they hand toss the crusts out back, and they cost a little bit more than frozen pizza elsewhere, but it was yummy! After the pizza, we left enough room to stop at one of the only other chains on the Broadwalk- Ben and Jerry's!

 

We enjoyed a nice big coffee shake and then prepared to turn in our bikes and get cleaned up at the community center to catch the bus at 2 PM. We were directed back to the bus with our luggage, dropped the folks at FLL within 15-20 minutes and about 15-20 minutes after that we were at MIA and ready to go check in for our 5:50 PM flight. Everyone was dropped off at their proper terminal.

 

SO I found this excursion to be well worth the expense. It allowed us to enjoy one last day of our cruise, rather than hang around an airport. We never used the Trolley Pass, but we also would have paid about the same just for the cab ride, so we felt we got a great value! It was nice being able to leave the hand luggage safely locked while we went off to do some fun things. And again, we dragged the Best Sand Chairs Ever to another place where we never used the chairs...that's right...the chairs...you want to know what happened to the Best Sand Chairs Ever!

 

We had left them in the hand luggage storage area while we toured around. After we learned that this Community Center was owned by the City of Hollywood, we asked the hosts if it would be useful for them to keep them in case future guests wanted to use them on the beach. The host was thrilled and said they would write "Property of the Community Center" on them and keep them for loan to future cruise passengers. SO if you ever get to Hollywood Beach or take this excursion you may see those bright green, Best Sand Chairs Ever in the Community Center or on the beach, enjoying their retirement in Hollywood forever! If you do go, tell them we say hello and we miss them very much!

 

Still to come the before and after schedules and a wrap up!

[gcuecruise]

I have to be the worst possible person to ask, but... No, the form we filled out said we could use the Next Cruise certificate at any time, no expiration date. It only "costs" $100, which is applied to your booking when you make it. And you'll pay the deposits for any additional pax at the time you choose an actual cruise.

When you get the NC certificate, you get a booking # and that is applied to whatever cruise you book. We decided to book right away because we knew our vacation week and our experience with Oasis was that the rates only go up, so we wanted to book Allure as soon as possible, but I wanted the benefit of booking on board ( we will get the $100 OBC for using the NC, or booking on board for our upcoming Allure cruise).

 

If that is wrong I know someone will set me straight! Usually my go to gal is Crusinfever, Patti, for any of these sorts of questions- she always gets it right!

 

 

Sounds like you have it correct as I understand it. When a NC certificate is used one has to tell them the booking number before making the booking. In other words I think you have to go through RC directly on the phone. At least that is the safest way. I believe once the booking is made it can be transferred to a TA. What I am unsure o fis if you can make your booking using the NC and then some time later add to that booking another room or two, or have them linked, to get OBC for the two additional rooms you are entitled to. Haven't heard anybody discuss it that way.

 

Regarding expiration, they state there is none. So I interpret that as when I retire in 25 years I can use it. We bought one knowing we cruise every three years. Of course we all know that rules change (e.g. Crown and Anchor benefits) so RC could all of a sudden pull the rug out from under us. But since they have our money I doubt they would do that.

 

I have the brochure they provide onboard that describes the program. If anybody wants to see the details I can send some pics of it. Just let me know. gcuemail at gmail dot com

[BugsyCruiser]

Excellent review. I am really looking forward to Allure now :D Don't worry about the CC bullies... you'll have those kind of people no matter what site you are on. I posted my review of my first ever cruise on here and had a couple of very minor complaints and one person accused me of being a constant complainer and that I'll never be happy. Seriously? So I take it with a grain of salt. I do feel for the people on here though who post that they didn't have a good experience and are absolutely berated up one side and down the other by people with the "my favorite cruise line can do no wrong" attitude. To me it's uncalled for and unnecessary

[Familygoboston]

Excellent review. I am really looking forward to Allure now :D Don't worry about the CC bullies... you'll have those kind of people no matter what site you are on. I posted my review of my first ever cruise on here and had a couple of very minor complaints and one person accused me of being a constant complainer and that I'll never be happy. Seriously? So I take it with a grain of salt. I do feel for the people on here though who post that they didn't have a good experience and are absolutely berated up one side and down the other by people with the "my favorite cruise line can do no wrong" attitude. To me it's uncalled for and unnecessary

 

I hear ya! I wrote this because so many people wrote reviews that were so helpful to me! I may not have agreed with every one of their opinions, but I definitely appreciated them! So far everyone has been very polite on this thread and very encouraging. I've had a lot if fun remembering all the details!:D

[Familygoboston]

Wrap up

 

Sailing Oasis is an amazing experience. As an experienced cruiser, it's not like other cruise ships. As I mentioned in my other thread ( the mini review) this ship really is designed differently in so many ways. It seems Royal Caribbean has a real hit on it's hands. Outside of CC, in my circle of real world friends, I find people have heard of it and want to sail because of all the fun options. And these are people who really still hold onto the old attitudes about cruising, that it's boring, crowded, or all about the food. Well, Oasis is none of those things, and people seem to be responding to that! The demand for Oasis and Allure seems to be high based on the pricing scheme. We all know that a cruise will get cheaper if the ship is not filling, and that is not what's has been happening on Oasis. SO here are my recommendations about Oasis, based on our experiences.

 

1- This is a ship that will best enjoyed if you do some advance planning. I think it's important to know what shows you want to see and where and when you'd like to eat before you go. Once those things are booked, then you can really start to fill in the rest of the week with other things you'd like to do. ( or leave those times open and do what you like!) If you really chafe at planning and schedules, you might want to take a hard look at whether this one is for you! Every day a 6 page list of activities (in teeeny tiny print) shows up in your cabin...for some that is just too much!

 

So here is my planning spreadsheet. I do one of these for every trip I take...but really needed it for Oasis!

 

(Schedule "before"- look how pristine!)

 

(Schedule "after"- I think it's pretty funny...not that much changed actually other than show cancellations, but we added in a lot of extra things!)

 

 

2- You can't do it all, so it's best to prioritize what is important to you. When I read reviews I notice that the people who have the most favorable reviews are the ones who have a good sense of what they like to do and do it! Some reviews have loads of photos of excursions, for others every meal and drink special is noted. I just read one recently where the entire review was mostly from Concierge Lounge! But each of these folks was reporting that they did what they enjoyed best. It's your vacation, so rather than running yourself ragged, I think it's useful to really think about what will make it fun for you. Then let the other stuff go, and don't look back!

 

For us, we let go of parades, characters, shopping, specialty dining, gambling and flash mobs. (actually, we rarely gamble or shop anyway) These things held little appeal to us, so we just didn't participate in them. And because of that, we found we actually spent very little time on the Promenade! Shore excursions, sports activities, shows, relaxing in the Solarium and live entertainment- those are the things that we enjoyed. For all my jokes, usually, we like to work out on a cruise, and we found that we even let that go because we wanted more time to enjoy the other options on Oasis. That means there was a whole world of this cruise we didn't experience. Another person could write a review and not mention one thing in common with my review. It would be pretty overwhelming to try to do it all!

 

3- Book early! If you are considering a trip on one of these ships, I think it makes sense to book early, a year ahead, even 18months. It seems prices only go up (maybe there are exceptions, but I haven't seen them). My cousin booked 6 months after us and paid the same for her interior cabin as we did for a D1 balcony, and that was before any C & A discounts. This ship seems to attract families, so if you are wanting cabins that connect or hold 4, early booking is the way to go. My cousin wanted Allure during the Thanksgiving week. One week shy of a year, she could not find two cabins that would hold 3 or more on the same deck, never mind connecting! Another reason to book early; if you follow the first piece of advice to do some planning, it takes time to research all the options. To bring up my cousin again; ( I'm not picking on her...I'm so glad she decided to join us!! Just that it illustrates the differences in experiences 6 or 7 months later!) she booked about 5 months before sailing, and she was scrambling a little bit to get the information she wanted to plan her excursions and shows. We had a little trouble getting her dining reservations at the same "prime" times I had booked. I also felt I "knew" where things were a little more because I had time to read reviews before we sailed, so I had a good sense of the neighborhoods and where things are located.

 

4- Cabin selection. There are so many cabin categories on Oasis and there are just about as many opinions about where to stay. With the exception of the suites, really, every cabin is nearly exactly the same and all of the exact same activities are offered to every passenger in every cabin from Q interior to Junior Suite. So the best cabin is the one you can afford. If the maxim in real estate is location, location, location...remember that every cabin on the ship is located on the same ship! The only thing that varies are very small differences in location on the ship. This is where it really helps to have thought about #2 above! If you think you will enjoy having a quiet place to relax by yourself, then an ocean view balcony cabin might be a good choice. If you like the hustle bustle and to see "what's happening" you might enjoy a Boardwalk or Central Park balcony. If you have a sense of what you might like to do, you will know what part of the ship you would enjoy. For instance, if you think you will spend lots of time in the Solarium, you might like a cabin more forward. If you think you and your kids will be spending lots of time on the sports and pool decks, you might prefer to be further aft. Some people love decks 7 or 8 as it is midship for most activities and on the same deck as the Promenade or Park Cafe for a quick walk to breakfast in the morning. Some folks prefer deck 11,12, or 14 to be closer to the pool and sports decks. Folks with mobility issues will often prefer a cabin near the elevators. Its rare you read a review where someone says, my cabin was in a terrible location! So they are really all pretty good, it's just a matter of finding a place where you will be near the things you enjoy!

 

5- Do try to learn the ships layout before you go. I also mentioned earlier that I felt it really helped to have a sense of what was where before we left. Both DH and I spent less time trying to figure out where to go and were able to get around with out getting overwhelmed. The ship really does make it easy by having so many ways to "see" the ship. (as I detailed in my review)

 

 

This cruise was very different from the usual Caribbean cruises we have taken. Our family likes to travel and we have taken quite a few land trips all over the world. I love planning them, I love seeing all the natural wonders and cultural attractions and meeting the people in new places. We keep a very vigorous pace on these trips because we are not retired, so our trips are usually shorter and we want to maximize our time in a place. We pay for excellent guiding, so that we can have access to places and spend less time getting lost and missing out on the amazing experiences a place has to offer. Occasionally our land trips include a cruise portion, such as Alaska or our upcoming Ecuador/Galapagos trip.

 

I share this to explain that usually DH and I take a Caribbean cruise once a year and the purpose for us is to have one trip where we don't fill every minute trying see, and do and meet; and just enjoy each other and relax by the sea! We still do a lot, because neither of us "sits" very well for very long, but it's supposed to be a low key trip! As much as I loved Oasis, and I really did enjoy planning our cruise, both my DH and I don't feel that this type of cruise met our needs for a "relaxing" Caribbean cruise. DH especially didn't like having a schedule (and he's perfectly ok with it on our other trips!), and would have enjoyed more downtime for this type of trip. In other words, he's looking for a vacation that doesn't require a "vacation after the vacation" to recover. Certainly, you could cruise Oasis, and do nothing but sit and enjoy the sea, but it would be squandering the premium you spend to cruise on a ship like Oasis, where you have paid for some pretty amazing activities and entertainment! So because most of our trips are the " need a vacation after the vacation" type, I think we would be more likely to cruise on a different ship for our annual Caribbean getaway. We particularly love the Voyager Class (wish they would keep at least one in FL!)

 

Of course, we have already booked Allure because after being on Oasis, we want to take our kids. And much like when we take them to WDW or the Harry Potter park at IOA- it will be fun, busy and there will be something for everyone! I will enjoy planning my Allure cruise and probably, it will feel more relaxing because we will know the ship better!

 

Thanks for reading...if you are still awake at this point! I wish you many happy sailings and I hope one day we will all have a chance to sail together and have some laughs!

[Cruiseoholic000]

Thank you for an excellent review. I really appreciate it. I leave in one month for the Oasis and can hardly wait.

 

After reading your statement ( "if you decide to make onboard purchases over the customs limit...they had a list of every passenger who had spent on board beyond the customs limits, and there is a chance this could happen to you too") I was wondering what is the amount for over the customs limit?

[farmgirl63]

I have enjoyed every bit of your review. Honest, to the point with humor and no ranting about how someone else ruined your vacation. Thanks and I will miss your daily updates. Enjoy the Allure with your kids where you will no doubt have a different cruise experience.

 

In regards to the duty, in the past would you have simply paid the duty when you reached the customs agent? Is there now a option to pay at guest services ahead of time so there is no one thinking everyone is trying to smuggle something? Or do you simply have to wait for the "personal invitation" to express yourself to customs?

 

Thanks again and I hope to catch your Allure review!

[BugsyCruiser]

Thank you for an excellent review. I really appreciate it. I leave in one month for the Oasis and can hardly wait.

 

After reading your statement ( "if you decide to make onboard purchases over the customs limit...they had a list of every passenger who had spent on board beyond the customs limits, and there is a chance this could happen to you too") I was wondering what is the amount for over the customs limit?

 

I believe the limit is 800, unless you purchase items in the USVI or San Juan and then you're allowed up to 1600 before any duty is levied

[jakesmom04]

Excellant review and pictures.

[Shooraq]

Wonderful job on this review, Kathy... you have saved me the effort of doing one for this cruise! Majority of the things you've mentioned, I agreed with. (Althought I didn't care for Solarium Bistro for breakfast or lunch, just their amazing dinners!)

 

The photos your husband took were wonderful. And I understand the Flowrider... I did it back on the Liberty a year ago and made sure to wear a comfortable one piece to ensure not to flash anyone (had a bad experience with that at the water park in Six Flags New England, learned my lesson well!). And you look so lovely in your photos!

 

I regret not being able to meet up, but I'm glad we got to discuss and share our opinions and pasttimes together - always lovely connecting to another awesome Cruise Critic memeber! :D

[Familygoboston]

Thank you for an excellent review. I really appreciate it. I leave in one month for the Oasis and can hardly wait.

 

After reading your statement ( "if you decide to make onboard purchases over the customs limit...they had a list of every passenger who had spent on board beyond the customs limits, and there is a chance this could happen to you too") I was wondering what is the amount for over the customs limit?

You will have a great time! It was $800 ( though you could have $1600, with 2 of us, for the ship board purchase) per person. We knew that and expected to pay a small duty for being a little over that #

I have enjoyed every bit of your review. Honest, to the point with humor and no ranting about how someone else ruined your vacation. Thanks and I will miss your daily updates. Enjoy the Allure with your kids where you will no doubt have a different cruise experience.

 

In regards to the duty, in the past would you have simply paid the duty when you reached the customs agent? Is there now a option to pay at guest services ahead of time so there is no one thinking everyone is trying to smuggle something? Or do you simply have to wait for the "personal invitation" to express yourself to customs?

 

Thanks again and I hope to catch your Allure review!

 

Thanks for the kind words!

That's what was so weird about it! The customs form was all filled out and we were ready to do exactly as we have on any other ship - leave, get your bags, declare ( or not if youre not over the limit) and pay any duty that's owed. In this case RCI had flagged our account to make sure we were taken by their crew member directly to customs. It was not treated like we were getting some special treatment - rather like being turned in before we even had a chance to do the " right " thing. Had they mentioned, either upon purchase or through a message that we should " pre pay " before leaving we would have (though not sure to whom we would pay; I don't believe the cruise line can collect duty for the US government)

 

I believe the limit is 800, unless you purchase items in the USVI or San Juan and then you're allowed up to 1600 before any duty is levied

 

right...what he said!;)

[Familygoboston]

Excellant review and pictures.

 

Thanks! See you on Allure!

 

Wonderful job on this review, Kathy... you have saved me the effort of doing one for this cruise! Majority of the things you've mentioned, I agreed with. (Althought I didn't care for Solarium Bistro for breakfast or lunch, just their amazing dinners!)

 

The photos your husband took were wonderful. And I understand the Flowrider... I did it back on the Liberty a year ago and made sure to wear a comfortable one piece to ensure not to flash anyone (had a bad experience with that at the water park in Six Flags New England, learned my lesson well!). And you look so lovely in your photos!

 

I regret not being able to meet up, but I'm glad we got to discuss and share our opinions and pasttimes together - always lovely connecting to another awesome Cruise Critic memeber! :D

 

Thanks! I will pass that along to DH. You can see some more of his stuff on his website. The expressive moment dot com ( all run together) These cruise photos are not really in his wheelhouse, but he was a trooper helping me with this review!

That you didnt like the SC must explain how we missed you; we seemed to be there a lot! I was tempted to try dinner, but we had decided not to do specialties on this cruise, other than the first day.

Next cruise, we will meet up, especially now that I know your DH is a fellow alum!:D

[iupalum]

i so enjoyed your review and pictures. i'm kind of sad that it comes to an end...but it has increased my excitement for my cruise by tenfold!! a few questions/favors...could you please send me a copy of your spreadsheet (cherylopel@hotmail.com)? i think it will help me to plan accordingly...i like to plan/organize the major things (i.e. things i like/enjoy) but still have room for spontaneous events. also, i love your shoes/sandals...the brown ones that are closed toe but open/have a strap around the heel. what are they and where might i find a pair? also, were those shoes okay/permitted to do the zip line on the ship? once again thanks for a wonderful review!!

[BugsyCruiser]

Again, you did a great review. I am really looking forward to sailing on Allure in October. Maybe we'll run into each other some day on a cruise. In the meantime, GO PACKERS! :D

 

Couldn't resist ;)

[rlpolobear9]

Great review soon glad you shared your experience so flawlessly, shame about losing your pants but hey now I know :)

[ferrsure]

HI Kathy!!

 

Thank you so much for this review! I've been checking in every day you post, we leave for the Eastern Oasis cruise this Saturday and its been a delight tuning into a fellow Bostonian's review! Did you guys make your MTD reservation on the ship or online before you left??

 

Thank you!!:)

Kat

[gelo7]

Ask your husband how he likes the AW100, I am about to buy one for beach use for our up coming cruise. I shoot with a Canon 1d Mark IV, and would like to know what he thinks of the AW100 IQ.

[Familygoboston]

i so enjoyed your review and pictures. i'm kind of sad that it comes to an end...but it has increased my excitement for my cruise by tenfold!! a few questions/favors...could you please send me a copy of your spreadsheet (cherylopel@hotmail.com)? i think it will help me to plan accordingly...i like to plan/organize the major things (i.e. things i like/enjoy) but still have room for spontaneous events. also, i love your shoes/sandals...the brown ones that are closed toe but open/have a strap around the heel. what are they and where might i find a pair? also, were those shoes okay/permitted to do the zip line on the ship? once again thanks for a wonderful review!!

 

Sent the spreadsheet for you! Those shoes are are called Keens, you can find them online or at a store like REI. They are great...amphibious, which is why I travel with them, sometimes the only shoes I bring! They are mostly enclosed with a decent sole for light hiking, have good support for a long day on your feet and they drain and dry pretty quickly if they get wet. Unfortunately, they are on the list of X'ed out shoes on the photo at the zipline:( Which surprised me, I think of them as closed toe, but they are on that list. Don't know what would happen if you tried?:confused:

 

Again, you did a great review. I am really looking forward to sailing on Allure in October. Maybe we'll run into each other some day on a cruise. In the meantime, GO PACKERS!

 

Couldn't resist

 

Peter King said this week that the SUper Bowl will be NEvs Packers (Packers will win). But I recently looked at his preseason predictions and he was dead wrong:p Anyway...football is always fun and only a couple of weeks left:( Have a great cruise! BTW, if the Pack are playing a prime time game in Oct it will probably be on TV...watching in the cantilevered hot tubs is fun!

 

Great review soon glad you shared your experience so flawlessly, shame about losing your pants but hey now I know :)

 

Thanks!