Vision: Our family sees a different side of Royal

[Arzeena]

On 3/24/2019 at 12:29 PM, ONECRUISER said:

Wow! Talk about Cruise Stress, glad got cabin back. Cute kids...

I agree! I thought only MSC was in the business of loosing cabins!

[BecciBoo]

On 3/29/2019 at 1:49 PM, dizgal64 said:

 

Me too!! That's why I couldn't get a mojito the two times I asked on Oasis?! Kind of crazy. lol

That's why I carry my own with me in a baggie.  They will put it in the mixer!  I grow all kinds of mint in my garden.

[erby2283]

Enjoying your review. Taking the Vision on my first ever Mediterranean cruise in August. This cruise I am sailing more for the itinerary than the ship so I know what I'm getting into with the older ship. But love to hear about the wonderful staff and food!  Since we'll be in the Mediterranean, I wasn't planning on seeing many shows (since we'll be tired from the daily excursions) and I believe our dinner is around 7/8 each night, so I think that may be smack dab in the middle of most of the entertainment each night.  May have to wait and see those compasses after she heads back over there.  Also, thanks for the tip on motion of the ship - I usually don't have issues but will plan ahead just to be safe! 

[ShillyShally]

On 3/31/2019 at 12:12 PM, RCCL Fan said:

When I made a reservation with the owner of Tropicante I asked if they served lobster and he said no, he just didn't feel comfortable with the way it was handled locally, and didn't want to risk anyone getting sick. So he didn't sell it. But there was lobster on the menu.

This was not Tropicante. I stood up, started to pack the stuff up and told my wife what I realized.

She asked if she should stay anyway, and I said no way, not with someone who lies to this extent to get business.

So the family walks over to the Tropicante sign and we find staff and explain what happened. They walked with me into the neighboring restaurant and confront the manager.

A lot of words were exchanged in Spanish. The other restaurant worker claimed I came to Tropicante and didn't like the looks of it, and chose their restaurant instead.

Another total lie.

I was handed a bill for the drinks (2 mojitos and 2 kids lemonades) and an order of nachos and fries we hadn't received yet and told them we didn't want at all.
The bill was $87!!!!

I was like oh no! No way.

Tropicante fought on my behalf, they were trying to call the police and I said no. I just wanted to enjoy my day and go sit down.

We compromised on $43 which again was way too much but I wanted out of there.

We finally got to the real Tropicante and sat down and I rarely lose my cool but I did this day, I was livid. The staff insisted I have a shot to calm me down.
 

Sorry about the birthday blunders and the chaos with Tropicante - I know what you mean about trying to ignore the feeling in your gut but thank goodness the lobster clued you in!  So happy you finally found the right place and it looks gorgeous!

[MandyMooToo]

On 3/27/2019 at 11:59 PM, RCCL Fan said:

One complaint on our ride down to Roatan on Vision. As I mentioned earlier I'm not a big drinker but love mojitos. Day 1 on Vision I ordered one, they said they didn't have it. I thought that was odd, but said maybe it had to do with TX alcohol law.

Day 2 I ordered one Nope.

Bartender told me "We're out of mint, maybe we'll get some more tomorrow"

I was like from where?? We're out in the Ocean! We're at Sea tomorrow, and you didn't have any yesterday. How do you run out of mint on the first and second day?

Sure enough day 3, I'm by the pool and I try again and the bartender says, "
YES! I got a shipment overnight!"

I looked at him like he was crazy and laughed and said, from where?? the fridge on deck 1? or did Fed Ex drop some off? He just laughed and smiled and I did the same and enjoyed my mojito.

Oddly enough when we sailed Serenade a few years ago the exact same thing happened. No mint the first two days and magically it appears day 3.

 

I am so glad to read this explanation!  I too am a mojito drinker (rocks, not frozen usually but still...) and this happens to me on almost every ship.  First day they are out and then miraculously on day 2 or 3 we have mint!

[Arzeena]

Love your review!

More please!😁

[RCCL Fan]

Day 6.... Cozumel



For most of my career I’ve worked nights, so waking up early has never
been my strong suit.

Today it happened. I was wide awake predawn and wouldn’t get back to sleep.

I hopped up and went upstairs to the pool deck and have a look around.




As I hit the open air, I saw independence of the Seas was sailing
right next to us as everyone was sailing in to start the day.



I always love seeing Indy in port, as my wife and I invited our family
and friends onboard as we were married.

She’s a little different these days with the new trampoline Orange
ball thing on back.




I watched as the sun rose and all the different ships began to appear
and head for their spot at the pier.

This cruise was all about seeing a new side of RCI we also saw a new
pier in Cozumel.

I’ve been to this little island 20+ times on RCI ships. But this time
for the first time we didn’t dock at the international pier but
instead at the downtown pier.

Indy and brilliance had the international pier locked up, so we were
bumped and sent down the shore.




I Loved it!

There were no crowds. Easy off and back on. Not the maze of shops you
have to walk through at the international pier.... still had to go
through some but much more open and easy.




Not trying to be political but had to laugh as we got to senior frogs
and got their take on the border wall.

Senor Frogs/Carlos n Charlie’s has a many memories in my head from my
single days. But today we’re going to reflect on one with my wife from
several years ago.

We had been hanging out downtown and were headed back to the ship when
she says she needed to use the restroom and wanted to pop in Senor
Frogs (which may have been cnc back then)

I’m waiting outside holding the bags from shopping but after about 15
or 20 minutes of waiting I was worried about her. Did she get sick
from lunch??

I go in to hope I can send someone in the ladies room to check on her,
but as I went inside and found my wife in a Conga line doing shots.

All while I sat outside holding the bags. So she had to snap an photo
outside to remember that day.




We’re embracing new today by also not going to the national park like
we do every single visit to Cozumel.

We always sit in the same area and always somehow have the same waiter
and my daughter swears she seems the exact same blue fish when she
snorkels.

Instead we want to Nachi Cocum this time as we’ve heard such good things.

The drive was the usual route just much further down the beach.

Despite our reservations, upon arrival we were told there were no more
chairs under the shaded canopies.




We were offered some chairs under a few trees but the shade they
provided was pretty minimal.

I will say it was super quiet... and unlike the national park where
the water is mainly for diving, this had a very nice beach that was
perfect for the kids.

No mojitos here.... which instantly had me disappointed in the all
inclusive pkg, but I ordered a margarita and made best of it.

Didn’t like the drink.

And my food was ho hum. Not the rave reviews I read.

Don’t get me wrong everything was was fine, just not great.

The Mrs. loved her drinks and food.

So to each his own.




Service we both agreed was slow. It was hard to order your moneys
worth as he just wasn’t around much. Specifically ordered grilled
fresh, got fried... never got dessert, it just didn't leave me on a
good note.

We spent a lot of time in the pool and talking to other guests, oddly
enough we found two sets of families from not just our city but our
little suburb.



I spent a lot of time with the girls, and catching back up with the
world on the free wifi.

Overall it was a nice relaxing day.


We hopped a taxi back downtown and made our way through the shops. I
was convinced both kids NEEDED ukuleles, and we stopped for some
photos before heading back to the ship.




This is always the hardest walk --- knowing the next time you step on
land it will be because you're leaving the ship for good.



Back on board the ship, we watched the pilot hop off and hit up the nightly party...


Remember the story from earlier in the review of my oldest daughter going to
kindergarten and talking about going to the bar on a cruise ship?
Well apparently it runs in the family.



My 5 year old became obsessed with going to the bar and ordering drinks, (mainly because she was
getting soda she's not allowed to have at home) but the bartenders
loved her and hooked het up with sprite with cherries in them until
Mom cut off all the fun. lol




My oldest and I wound up sitting in the park cafe wanna be, bar in the
solarium late night having one on one time talking about school, her
wishes for a bigger allowance, and her desire to be more organized.




That one night in the solarium over nachos, pizza, and a chef salad is
one of my favorite moments of the week. I always seem to have a moment
like this on our cruises, just quiet, one on one time doing something
we would never do at home... midnight meals. But sharing laughs,
talking about life and making pledges to help each other grow when we
got back home.

Time to head into the Gulf of Mexico and make our way toward home.

Up Next --- Another storm, an action packed holiday, and Dad's mistake. leads to a win.

[RCCL Fan]

Love your review!
More please![emoji16]

So sorry for the delay. It’s been a busy work week!

Almost done!

[Plumbjim]

3 hours ago, RCCL Fan said:

She’s a little different these days with the new trampoline Orange
ball thing on back.

Was that the wife or the ship?????😁

 

Always enjoy your reviews. Nice family. You said you grew up in New Orleans, what part? I'm from Metairie. Leave Saturday for San Juan pre cruise, sunday on the Freedom. Can't wait!!

[RCCL Fan]

1 hour ago, Plumbjim said:

Was that the wife or the ship?????😁

 

Always enjoy your reviews. Nice family. You said you grew up in New Orleans, what part? I'm from Metairie. Leave Saturday for San Juan pre cruise, sunday on the Freedom. Can't wait!!

 

Uptown --- Riverbend area.    Enjoy Freedom, she's a great ship

[tinkr2]

On 3/25/2019 at 11:11 PM, RCCL Fan said:

 

I'll have to find the note she sent home.   It went something like,  "I asked your daughter if she meant a bar, like a balance beam, and she corrected me quickly and said, no, a bar where you get daiquiris, on a cruise!"

LOL kids are the best.A teacher asked our son to draw what their parents did. He drew a whole bunch of martinis . At the time I worked part time as bartender at a martini bar at Walt Disney World.. I am sure the teacher thought I drank all day. 

[BrandFam4]

15 hours ago, RCCL Fan said:

 

You have one of the most adorable families! I agree about those special moments from each trip. So glad you had a wonderful trip and made some more memories. 

[ONECRUISER]

15 hours ago, RCCL Fan said:

 

So sorry for the delay. It’s been a busy work week!

Almost done!

 

No problem. Beautiful pictures and Family. Brings back memories when my kids were that young, we did 5 cruises on Vision Class from 1997-2002...

[RCCL Fan]

Happy St. Patrick's Day!




We always sail during Spring Break week and always wind up on a ship for St. Paddy's day. So part of packing including bringing along a lot of green for this day on board.

Of course after three days in a row of getting up early and being out in the sun all day, this is the day when you start to realize you need a vacation from your vacation.





So once again I was up --- and the little ones slept in.

Once we got moving the formal dining room was closed --- which means for the past 7 days I have tried to get to the formal dining room for breakfast and for 7 days in a row it didn't happen.




So off to the windjammer where yet again my youngest insists on sitting at the table at the very front over looking the bow of the ship... which is just lovely on this ship where you feel the waves so much.

There were quite a few breakfasts where I was worried I would make it and keep my meals down, and I'm sure being at the very front doesn't help, but I'm a sucker for that little face.

This morning was a busy one, we had an invitation for a tour of the bridge from the captain.

However, it was 30 minutes before the Egg Drop challenge, where you have to design a contraption that will safely hold an egg dropped from the top of the Centrum to the bottom.




My 10 year old science nerd was all over this. My science kid also cares immensely about the ship and how it works.

There was a huge panic here about which to do.

She finally settled on the bridge tour. We go to the area to meet for the tour and turns out I got the time wrong, and we missed it!

Egg Drop was starting and because she had chosen the bridge tour she had finished her contraption and she couldn't enter.

Oh was she disappointed and I felt responsible I didn't know what to do.

I reached out to the concierge and asked if there was anyway we could join the bridge tour in progress --- no luck.

Then thankfully I ran into cruise director CC by the elevators and asked her for a lifeline. She took one look at my teary kid sulking in a chair in the centrum and offered to help.

She took the girls on a backstage tour of the theater.




We got to watch a few minutes of rehearsal and then go backstage very briefly and see the props and meet the singers & dancers. My daughter's other love besides science is performing this was right up her alley.



Not only had I made the day for her --- but the youngest was about to pee her pants. You see she had become totally and completely obsessed with CC. We don't know what it is.

She watched her on TV whenever she was on TV. Eyes glued frozen on the screen, she always stopped and listened when she announced an act at the theater, and she would proudly announce, "Guys it's CC!"

As some of you know I'm a TV News reporter so it's normal for her to see me and my friends on TV, it wasn't that. But for whatever reason, CC was the bomb.




So she was thrilled to be hand and hand with CC, and life was good again.


We did catch some of the Egg Drop Challenge --- my wife was like wow did people bring stuff from home for this? It was elaborate!

My older daughter goes, "Dad I would have embarrassed myself, I wasn't prepared, I'm glad you messed up the times" Whew!




After the Egg Drop was a cookie decorating contest and a huge Mickey Mouse cake in the Centrum.

I wouldn’t let the girls do the cookie decorating because the crew set out a ton of bowls with sprinkles and candies and what not and gloves for the kids to use to grab the candies

Not a single kid used gloves

So it was a million grubby kid hands reaching in the bowls I was like... uh no.

We’ll just have cake.


A couple of us were wondering if Disney Cruises would approve of this.... but I tell you what our kids sure did.






We had planned a pool day today --- but we hit yet another storm. Sailed right through rain and winds and we were rocking and rolling again.

We had great weather on the islands but getting down there and now going back was no picnic.

So.... we hit up the windjammer for a late lunch --- and as the kids proclaimed, OUR LAST WINDJAMMER MEAL!!!


We marked the moment with no a no rules meal. Get whatever you want and enjoy.




French fries dipped in chocolate cake, with an apple and some bread and butter was the most unusual.




We did our usual last day routine. Buy photographer pictures, hit up the shops, and check the bill for mistakes, all done with total ease.




NO long lines, not even at guest relations!

I was even able to get packed and have the bags out on time for the first time ever on a cruise.




Also have to mention the passenger talent show --- wow there was some talent sailing on this ship.

One thing that was so cool was one of the dance teams from one of the colleges was on-board and performed.




We headed to our last dinner and the staff all sang, and they spoke about the unity on their ship.


They talked about how they're all from different parts of the world and how their crew was even more diverse than your typical cruise ship. They said they all get along, and love working together and really encouraged everyone to love one another despite their differences.






It was a nice message to take home with and was received well by the guests in the dining room.

All the head waiters made their way to the table to talk tonight. I told my wife, they always seem to come on the last night, but this was the first time ever that when they came, we already knew each of them from earlier in the cruise and they knew us.

It was a super nice change.




There was one supervisor who came and gave the kids a connect the dots activity to do, he would pop by all the time with little activities for the kids, and they ate it up.

Since I packed earlier, we were all set to enjoy a late night on the ship.




We had to go see the production show the girls had a sneak peek of earlier in the day.




They loved seeing it with all the costumes.... and the youngest was so happy to see CC in her fancy green dress.




My darling wife had to use our free casino pull, so we passed through the casino --- where the girls were fascinated by one of those old 80's plasma static electricity balls.




We stayed up late because we had some friends going on their first cruise ever. They left earlier in the day on Liberty and we were going to pass each other in the night and had to do a big wave... they were off to Roatan, starting the week we were ending.

Off to bed and back to reality.


I'll skip ahead to Day 8




We finally got up early enough to make breakfast in the formal dining room --- lol

we had our last meal and then headed off the ship.

Friends warned us the Galveston terminal can be hectic --- but nope. Super simple .

Walked off, grabbed our bags,and then right through customs.

I think the smaller ship made it very easy.

I will share this --- it really makes my blood boil just thinking about it.

We were in line for customs and their was a family in the line next to us. Their boy was about 10 years old and he was helping slide the bags forward. He lost his grip on one of the bags and it fell backwards.

The handle landed right on the woman behind him, square only her toe as she wore open toed shoes.

She yelled out a huge expletive, followed by , "You stupid kid!"

She then fell to the floor and began to grab her toe and yell out in pain.

She then repeated her insult to the boy, who welled up in tears.

She says, "Is no one going to help me? Your son just broke my toe, and you're not even going to say you're sorry or offer to help."

The mom replied, "No we're not, you called our son stupid, it was clearly an accident and he was a child."

Meanwhile two kids with her are standing their with noses running that they are wiping on the pants of someone else.

What a mess.

Everyone in line just walked on and left her sitting there, because she was being so dramatic and screaming at this child.

My wife goes, "I don't even see any blood."




After that drama, we caught the shuttle back to the hotel, hopped in the minivan to head home.



Up Next.... final thoughts on our voyage on the small ship!

[brillohead]

Even a BROKEN toe doesn't warrant falling on the ground... I cannot STAND drama queens!!!  😡

[Crism]

Unfortunately, I totally agree about Nachi even after hearing the rave reviews.  We've been twice, and the service has been pretty slow.  The last time we were in Cozumel we went to Mr. Sanchos.  Service was night and day lightning speed, and we had a blast!

[ONECRUISER]

Thank you for sharing...

[kochleffel]

I may never cruise from Galveston - I live closer to Cape Liberty - but I enjoyed this. Thank you.

[RCCL Fan]

1 hour ago, brillohead said:

Even a BROKEN toe doesn't warrant falling on the ground... I cannot STAND drama queens!!!  😡

 

Calling a 10 year old "stupid" is what sent me over the top.  And when the boys mom called her out on it, she said,

"Well he did a stupid thing"

 

Even my kid got teary over the way she was speaking to this kid.

 

[brillohead]

12 minutes ago, RCCL Fan said:

 

Calling a 10 year old "stupid" is what sent me over the top.  And when the boys mom called her out on it, she said,

"Well he did a stupid thing"

 

Even my kid got teary over the way she was speaking to this kid.

 

It's bad enough to have said it the first time, but you could almost excuse that as just a reactionary event in the heat of the moment.  It's not the best behavior, but it is the default for many people.

But then to REPEAT it, there just is no excusing that.   And then pulling the Life-Alert-worthy drama act.... puh-leez!!!!

And it's not even like the kid was just goofing around and doing something stupid, like throwing rocks or swinging on a railing -- it was just a friggin' accident, for crying out loud!  

[LBumb]

Great job

[vacationlover_mn]

Loved your review!  However, just reading it made me a little sea-sick 😉. Almost needed my little ear patch to get through it 🙂

[jimbri]

Great review.  Beautiful family!

[RCCL Fan]

17 hours ago, Crism said:

Unfortunately, I totally agree about Nachi even after hearing the rave reviews.  We've been twice, and the service has been pretty slow.  The last time we were in Cozumel we went to Mr. Sanchos.  Service was night and day lightning speed, and we had a blast!

 

I mean I have to say , I was really looking forward to this place, but was so underwhelmed.   

 

Made me wonder about the reviews, there was one that talked about "cheese sticks not being anything like normal cheese sticks, you have to try them"  

 

Well, I did they were typical frozen cheese sticks.

 

sigh.

 

Mr. Sanchos it's always visited by so many, but it looks super crowded, and that's not me at all.

 

Maybe it's worth a shot, next time.   Either that or Paradise Beach.   

 

As many times as I've been to Cozumel, you'd think I'd have this figured out by now.

[MandyMooToo]

4 minutes ago, RCCL Fan said:

 

I mean I have to say , I was really looking forward to this place, but was so underwhelmed.   

 

Made me wonder about the reviews, there was one that talked about "cheese sticks not being anything like normal cheese sticks, you have to try them"  

 

Well, I did they were typical frozen cheese sticks.

 

sigh.

 

Mr. Sanchos it's always visited by so many, but it looks super crowded, and that's not me at all.

 

Maybe it's worth a shot, next time.   Either that or Paradise Beach.   

 

As many times as I've been to Cozumel, you'd think I'd have this figured out by now.

 

Last cruise we went with our friends  to Sancho´s and really enjoyed it. Our friends then went to Nachi on their second leg of their back to back and raves about it. We just had lunch together this past week and they both talked about how great it was again!  The reviews seem to be so split that I don’t know that I even want to try it.