Live from the Emerald from Houston

[caribill]

When are the formal nights?

 

Likely to be the first full day which is a sea day and on the first of the two sea days going back to Houston.

 

If you are sailing over Xmas or New Years, they may switch one of the formal evenings to be on Xmas or on New Years' Eve.

Edited December 13, 2014 by caribill

[little miss s]

Given the itinerary below. I'm a little confused. It seems weird to have a formal night on the last sea day. Is it possible this cruise only has 1 formal night?

 

Day 1 - Embark Houston, Texas

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

Day 5 - Belize City, Belize

Day 6 - Island of Cozumel, Mexico

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Debark Houston, Texas

[rdsqrl]

Given the itinerary below. I'm a little confused. It seems weird to have a formal night on the last sea day. Is it possible this cruise only has 1 formal night?

 

Day 1 - Embark Houston, Texas

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

Day 5 - Belize City, Belize

Day 6 - Island of Cozumel, Mexico

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Debark Houston, Texas

No, you'll have two. I'm betting it will be on Cozumel day, since that day is a 4pm departure, versus a 5pm departure from the other two ports.

[iggy's mom]

Given the itinerary below. I'm a little confused. It seems weird to have a formal night on the last sea day. Is it possible this cruise only has 1 formal night?

 

Day 1 - Embark Houston, Texas

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - At Sea

Day 4 - Costa Maya (Mahahual), Mexico

Day 5 - Belize City, Belize

Day 6 - Island of Cozumel, Mexico

Day 7 - At Sea

Day 8 - Debark Houston, Texas

 

 

We were on the Thanksgiving cruise, and the 2nd formal night was the Cozumel day.

 

Clair

[Debe7ing]

So VERY sorry for the late responses, had some "family issues" to care for while onboard but want to let all of you that are destine for the Emerald know you will have a WONDERFUL time.

 

The food was very good! To recap, we eat either at a specialty dining venue or get from the Horizon Court and take back to enjoy in the privacy of our balcony.

 

We found NOTHING lacking from our previous experiences, and the SEAFOOD buffet at sail away is there, so happy campers.

 

The food, temperature, service and EVERYRTHING else was up to par except for 2 different aspects (and I feel the NEED to be honest for those who are reading!):

 

At the Crab Shack, you would think this is the 1st time they have EVER done this!!!!! OMG!!! I have NEVER seen so many staff members walk around and around without doing anything (refilling water, knowing where the entrée went, etc.....we LOVED the food, quality was EXCELLENT and maybe, just MAYBE if we had never experienced the Crab Shack before we would have never noticed....but having experienced the Crab Shack more than 12 times, it was a circus act!!!! Again, FOOD AMAZING, SO MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION IS TO BOOK EARLY, EARLY, EARLY!!!!) They HAVE extended the dining venue, so there were folks that just "walked up and got a table" and those that have experienced Crab Shack before know that is unreal, so do book EARLY for Wed or Thur (or both!) and enjoy some AMAZING seafood!!!!!!

 

My ONLY other complaint at all for the cruise was the disembarkation.....OMG, you would think this was their 1st EVER!!!!! We were down at the sofas outside the Explores lounge at 0600 for the 0715 walkoff. Fog delayed our arrival by about 1 1/2 hour....No biggee, brought the cards, knew to have our luggage out of the path for fire safety issues, not our first rodeo....but you would have thought theirs!!!! 1st we are good, then someone comes and tells us to ENTER the Explorer lounge....then the same person comes and says OK...go to this hallway (where the stairs and porter elevators are)...that is where things became an absolute goat rope. They had us jockeying for position one direction, then the other. OMG were people getting peeved (and rightfully so!)....long story short we were on the ship that sailed from Galveston and then Hurricane Ike washed away our car at the port and caused us to stay out to sea an additional 2 days before we finally ported in New Orleans to figure out our own way home....and THAT was more organized than the Emerald was for debarkation. Sad, SAD, SAD!!!! I can ONLY tell you that either, DO NOT depend on "walk off", or DO plan your flight for later in the day (lots of folks were concerned of missing flights/connections which I do NOT blame the cruise lines for, this is personal stupidity) OR be willing to sit, wait, be in no rush, and experience NONE of the a$$ pain this unorganized departure created.

 

So there you have it, the good, the bad and the UGLY! Would I sail from Houston again....in a NY minute!!!!! Just wanted to give you an honest review to base your travel on!!!! ;)

Edited December 14, 2014 by Debe7ing

[Debe7ing]

To answer questions above, parking is GREAT....Formal nite was Monday and Friday for us.

 

AGAIN, IF you want to book shore excursions, BOOK EARLY!!! BOOK BEFORE YOU LEAVE HOME!!!! So many folks wanted things not available...you can ALWAYS change your mind, but hard to get what is sold out!!!!!

[photokay]

We are aboard the Emerald enjoying ourselves to the max! The cruise is completely sold out, and everyone seems quite happy with the cruise so far. Weather has been wonderful after a chilly departure from Houston (on time, no delays!). One of the most seamless departures/arrivals we have experienced in more than 32 cruises. Plenty of parking, excellent processing with security, straight to boarding cards and onboard within 30 minutes total.

 

No complaints, everyone seems very pleased, weather is totally cooperating and I think everyone I have spoken to is having a wonderful time!!!

 

For those interested in Seafood extravaganza, the Crab Shack is scheduled for Wed/Thur evenings, so get those reservations in ASAP to enjoy this not to be missed special. The ONLY complaint I have heard so far is that many primo shore excursions are sold out, so be sure to book your "must do's" in advance to ensure you get what you want.

 

Food, service and ship have been most accommodating and very smooth. Will keep you posted, but these past two sea days have been VERY relaxing and enjoyable!

 

Enjoy your cruise. We are on the next sailing. Can't wait. Clearing out my SD cards in my camera and got the dog stuff pack (she's going to kennels.) Sounds great. Will check out the Crab Shack. Don't know much about it.

[woohooTOO]

 

My ONLY other complaint at all for the cruise was the disembarkation.....OMG, you would think this was their 1st EVER!!!!! We were down at the sofas outside the Explores lounge at 0600 for the 0715 walkoff. Fog delayed our arrival by about 1 1/2 hour....No biggee, brought the cards, knew to have our luggage out of the path for fire safety issues, not our first rodeo....but you would have thought theirs!!!! 1st we are good, then someone comes and tells us to ENTER the Explorer lounge....then the same person comes and says OK...go to this hallway (where the stairs and porter elevators are)...that is where things became an absolute goat rope. They had us jockeying for position one direction, then the other. OMG were people getting peeved (and rightfully so!)....long story short we were on the ship that sailed from Galveston and then Hurricane Ike washed away our car at the port and caused us to stay out to sea an additional 2 days before we finally ported in New Orleans to figure out our own way home....and THAT was more organized than the Emerald was for debarkation. Sad, SAD, SAD!!!! I can ONLY tell you that either, DO NOT depend on "walk off", or DO plan your flight for later in the day (lots of folks were concerned of missing flights/connections which I do NOT blame the cruise lines for, this is personal stupidity) OR be willing to sit, wait, be in no rush, and experience NONE of the a$$ pain this unorganized departure created.

 

So there you have it, the good, the bad and the UGLY! Would I sail from Houston again....in a NY minute!!!!! Just wanted to give you an honest review to base your travel on!!!! ;)

 

Our experience with disembarkation this morning was a bit different. When the ship was cleared to disembark passengers, we walked to the gangway, walked down the hallways and moving stairs (I couldn't spell eskelators) and right up to immigration. We were greeted warmly by Princess staff in the terminal. Bottom line, from the time we were given the OK to get off the ship to the time we got to our car in the lot was about 15 minutes. Then home in another hour or so. We were aboard for two weeks and had a great time.

[Beermam42]

So VERY sorry for the late responses, had some "family issues" to care for while onboard but want to let all of you that are destine for the Emerald know you will have a WONDERFUL time.

 

The food was very good! To recap, we eat either at a specialty dining venue or get from the Horizon Court and take back to enjoy in the privacy of our balcony.

 

We found NOTHING lacking from our previous experiences, and the SEAFOOD buffet at sail away is there, so happy campers.

 

The food, temperature, service and EVERYRTHING else was up to par except for 2 different aspects (and I feel the NEED to be honest for those who are reading!):

 

At the Crab Shack, you would think this is the 1st time they have EVER done this!!!!! OMG!!! I have NEVER seen so many staff members walk around and around without doing anything (refilling water, knowing where the entrée went, etc.....we LOVED the food, quality was EXCELLENT and maybe, just MAYBE if we had never experienced the Crab Shack before we would have never noticed....but having experienced the Crab Shack more than 12 times, it was a circus act!!!! Again, FOOD AMAZING, SO MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION IS TO BOOK EARLY, EARLY, EARLY!!!!) They HAVE extended the dining venue, so there were folks that just "walked up and got a table" and those that have experienced Crab Shack before know that is unreal, so do book EARLY for Wed or Thur (or both!) and enjoy some AMAZING seafood!!!!!!

 

My ONLY other complaint at all for the cruise was the disembarkation.....OMG, you would think this was their 1st EVER!!!!! We were down at the sofas outside the Explores lounge at 0600 for the 0715 walkoff. Fog delayed our arrival by about 1 1/2 hour....No biggee, brought the cards, knew to have our luggage out of the path for fire safety issues, not our first rodeo....but you would have thought theirs!!!! 1st we are good, then someone comes and tells us to ENTER the Explorer lounge....then the same person comes and says OK...go to this hallway (where the stairs and porter elevators are)...that is where things became an absolute goat rope. They had us jockeying for position one direction, then the other. OMG were people getting peeved (and rightfully so!)....long story short we were on the ship that sailed from Galveston and then Hurricane Ike washed away our car at the port and caused us to stay out to sea an additional 2 days before we finally ported in New Orleans to figure out our own way home....and THAT was more organized than the Emerald was for debarkation. Sad, SAD, SAD!!!! I can ONLY tell you that either, DO NOT depend on "walk off", or DO plan your flight for later in the day (lots of folks were concerned of missing flights/connections which I do NOT blame the cruise lines for, this is personal stupidity) OR be willing to sit, wait, be in no rush, and experience NONE of the a$$ pain this unorganized departure created.

 

So there you have it, the good, the bad and the UGLY! Would I sail from Houston again....in a NY minute!!!!! Just wanted to give you an honest review to base your travel on!!!! ;)

 

I was on cruise, First everything was Great. I am FTPC person. Ship departed on time and was late 1.5 hrs coming back. We were at the outer marker on time. There was no fog anywere, ship stopped for a period of time, either pilot late, or tug they use to help turn ship now was late. But was not fog.

[satxdiver]

Glad to hear about the ontime departure for a change. The disgruntled will post while the happy ones will not so I take disgruntled responses with a grain of salt so to speak. The dis-embarkation sounded like it may have not been organized all that well although there are conflicting reports. We will find out first hand in March. Thanks for the reports.

[Beermam42]

Just off the Dec 7-2014 Cruise. We will be back. Purchased the future cruise credits.

 

Ship was on time Drove right up to terminal dropped luggage got back in car drove around to parking area entrance. Parked car. Had pre paid parking on line, was parked in front row 50 ft from door. 10:00 AM CST.

 

EZ entrance, Security Check, Health Statement, Check In, Boarding Pass, Number 2, Blue FTC. There are places for all the other groups. Waited maybe 30 to 40 mins meet all of our social media friends and roll call friends and on board checked into room and eating lunch by noon. Very EZ.

 

Great cruise, Great People, Great Food, and Lots of Fun.

 

Many thanks to all Emerald personnel, epically Kelvin CD who really made things great. Good entertainment.

 

We made all ports on time, and had great weather, including a day in Cozumel at 73 degrees Will not see that in next trip in June.

 

Crown Grill was outstanding, this was the only specialty dinning we did, have to save something for next trip. Love anytime dinning.

 

We were 1.5 hrs late on return. Were at outer market off Galveston for 4:00AM but sat there for some time. They said fog but no fog to be seen and none in channel so either the pilot was late of the tug they now use to help turn the ship in the two hard turns was late. But was not Fog.

 

But for me home by 3:00PM will not let the little problem in Departure effect what was a great Cruise. Thank You Princess

[Beermam42]

I videoed the whole departure from start to lunch. I will edit it and post on You Tube and place link in this and other threads.

 

I have a lot of other video I will post in separate videos so people can pick and choose what they want to watch.

 

 

Really was a great cruise.

[rdsqrl]

It's possible that the fog was not where you were but where you were headed. You do realize that fog can be quite localized.

[Woobstr112G]

So VERY sorry for the late responses, had some "family issues" to care for while onboard but want to let all of you that are destine for the Emerald know you will have a WONDERFUL time.

 

The food was very good! To recap, we eat either at a specialty dining venue or get from the Horizon Court and take back to enjoy in the privacy of our balcony.

 

We found NOTHING lacking from our previous experiences, and the SEAFOOD buffet at sail away is there, so happy campers.

 

The food, temperature, service and EVERYRTHING else was up to par except for 2 different aspects (and I feel the NEED to be honest for those who are reading!):

 

At the Crab Shack, you would think this is the 1st time they have EVER done this!!!!! OMG!!! I have NEVER seen so many staff members walk around and around without doing anything (refilling water, knowing where the entrée went, etc.....we LOVED the food, quality was EXCELLENT and maybe, just MAYBE if we had never experienced the Crab Shack before we would have never noticed....but having experienced the Crab Shack more than 12 times, it was a circus act!!!! Again, FOOD AMAZING, SO MY ONLY RECOMMENDATION IS TO BOOK EARLY, EARLY, EARLY!!!!) They HAVE extended the dining venue, so there were folks that just "walked up and got a table" and those that have experienced Crab Shack before know that is unreal, so do book EARLY for Wed or Thur (or both!) and enjoy some AMAZING seafood!!!!!!

 

My ONLY other complaint at all for the cruise was the disembarkation.....OMG, you would think this was their 1st EVER!!!!! We were down at the sofas outside the Explores lounge at 0600 for the 0715 walkoff. Fog delayed our arrival by about 1 1/2 hour....No biggee, brought the cards, knew to have our luggage out of the path for fire safety issues, not our first rodeo....but you would have thought theirs!!!! 1st we are good, then someone comes and tells us to ENTER the Explorer lounge....then the same person comes and says OK...go to this hallway (where the stairs and porter elevators are)...that is where things became an absolute goat rope. They had us jockeying for position one direction, then the other. OMG were people getting peeved (and rightfully so!)....long story short we were on the ship that sailed from Galveston and then Hurricane Ike washed away our car at the port and caused us to stay out to sea an additional 2 days before we finally ported in New Orleans to figure out our own way home....and THAT was more organized than the Emerald was for debarkation. Sad, SAD, SAD!!!! I can ONLY tell you that either, DO NOT depend on "walk off", or DO plan your flight for later in the day (lots of folks were concerned of missing flights/connections which I do NOT blame the cruise lines for, this is personal stupidity) OR be willing to sit, wait, be in no rush, and experience NONE of the a$$ pain this unorganized departure created.

 

So there you have it, the good, the bad and the UGLY! Would I sail from Houston again....in a NY minute!!!!! Just wanted to give you an honest review to base your travel on!!!! ;)

 

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts.....:):):)

 

Bob

[caribill]

The dis-embarkation sounded like it may have not been organized all that well although there are conflicting reports. We will find out first hand in March. Thanks for the reports.

 

When a ship is on time, the disembarkation goes well. People report to the assigned location at the assigned time and are soon given the go ahead to leave the ship.

 

The problem is that when the ship is late in arriving, most passengers cannot go to the assigned locations at the assigned times as the areas are full of the first passengers to report there. Thus comes the havoc. No organized place to go, yet all passengers (3100+ people) are out of their cabins with their hand luggage (and the walk-off folk with all their luggage.)

[Debe7ing]

When a ship is on time, the disembarkation goes well. People report to the assigned location at the assigned time and are soon given the go ahead to leave the ship.

 

The problem is that when the ship is late in arriving, most passengers cannot go to the assigned locations at the assigned times as the areas are full of the first passengers to report there. Thus comes the havoc. No organized place to go, yet all passengers (3100+ people) are out of their cabins with their hand luggage (and the walk-off folk with all their luggage.)

 

I think you hit the nail on the head, and we will from now on take the later vs early walk off option to avoid this. However, the arrival, boarding and entire cruise was as awesome as ever...just so frustrating when you are listening to different crew members giving totally different information for arrival home. Having said that, once they got us moving, it was less than 15 minutes to from the ship to the car.

Edited December 15, 2014 by Debe7ing

[Times Prince]

We were on the previous cruise ending Dec 7, and it was marvelous for us.

 

Regarding disembarkation, we scheduled ourselves for a 9:15 am departure, turning in our large luggage the evening prior. Seeing as we drove to the Houston Bayport terminal, we were not being driven by a connection post cruise. So, out of the cabin at 8 am, down to the Botticelli dining room for a relaxed breakfast with great service, leaving by about 9:15.

 

We were told by the hostess in the Elite lounge that the disembarkation process had been held up for about 15 minutes by the port authorities, so we sat on the Promenade Deck for a few minutes of fresh air. Then we were able to walk off with no difficulties.

 

It is really amazing more people don't use the dining room on that final morning.