My review of the BoS 12 day Med cruise

[ksrgatorfn]

Well, I finally have time to sit down to reminisce about my vacation. All I can say is, WOW.

For anyone who kept up with my updates here, you know how pleased I was with just about every aspect of the vacation. Other than the fact that Austrian Airlines lost my luggage...which was found the day of the cruise and was not the only airline to lose luggage for passengers on the ship...everything went off without a hitch.

I flew into Barcelona from Washington DC on June 26th, arriving in the morning. I took the advice posted here and found La Villa restaurant, which was worth the visit even if it was a little warm and crowded due to World Cup fans. We also ate at two cafes next to the Cathedral, both of which were very good. We stayed at the Hotel Regencie Cologne...a very good hotel right next to the Cathedral, with good sized rooms and amenities. La Rambla was only a few blocks away, and we caught the Barcelona Bus Touristic a block away, spending the 18 Euro each for the day long access and tours.

The morning of the 28th we made arrangements for mini-van taxi to come pick us up at 2:30 p.m. to take us to the port to board the Brilliance. A note for anyone who might not have the need to board right away...wait. We showed up at the ticket counters just before 3 p.m. and there were NO lines. At all. Plus, we got another half day of playing tourist in before we boarded. Our hotel was more than happy to store the luggage after we checked out.

We got on the BoS just after 3 and after finding out cabins (3218 and 3132), we headed on our tour of the ship...keeping in mind that Lifeboat drills were scheduled for 5 p.m.

The ship is beautiful. I can't tell you how nice compared to anything I had been on before. There was already live music in the Centrum on 4, and people milling about getting excursions booked, teenagers and folks like me getting their Coke stamps for their cards, folks running around to play the trivia game and hitting all the ships displays set up on 4, 5, and 6.

My sister, Jennifer, and I got internet access set up in the room (thanks again for the heads up...we wouldn't have known about the unlimited use for $230 if it hadn't been mentioned here!), bought out Coke stickers, and she and I split up. She headed for the Spa to book mani's and Pedi's while I signed up for make up for the formal nights. (Make up is done in the perfume shop, not the spa...and Allison, the nice Canadian gal doing the make up application, was great!)

We mustered for drill at 5...and it took until about 5:30 for the all clear...just enough time for us to head back to the room, put the life jackets away, get freshened up, and head to dinner.

Our dining staff was great. Our waiter, who was from the Philippines, was good, but our assistant waiter, Puhmza from South Africa, was a dynamo. She was always on hand to offer bread, clear the table, top off our wine, to check on our status and if we needed anything. She was a doll. The head waiter, Eugen from Romania, was great fun. He swung by frequently, always with a great story about his cruising experience (from when he started on a "rustbucket Princess Ship that used to be a ferry 20 years ago" to present day.) If you ever cross paths with Eugen, ask him to tell you about his first experience with a Doggie Bag. It is a hoot.

Unfortunately, as we left port, it was very hazy, so we couldn't see the coastline of Spain, but the water was calm, the ship comfortable, and we were thrilled to be under way.

Day one meant port one...Nice. We took the tour that took us to Eze. Monaco and the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo. I am not sure why we went to Eze...I think this was the only stop we made the entire cruise I didn't like. It was a long hike up for not a lot of reward. Apparently Eze used to be a walled village fortress...one way in, one way out. There is a little church at the top that is very cute, but not worth the hike. Everything else was little shops trying to sell us something. I would have preferred to take the time we spent in Eze and apply it to time in Monaco. We didn't have nearly enough...couldn't even tour the Palace. We did have a very good lunch at the Cafe du Paris. And even though the guide stated we couldn't wear shorts in the Grand Casino, a lot of folks did. So, you weren't banned if you weren't attired properly. We did see the Church that Grace and Renier were married in, and are now buried in. Someone leaves flowers on her grave every week.

Pisa and Florence. My dad and I decided to take two tours, doing Pisa in the morning and wine tasting in the afternoon. Both were great, but be ware of pick pockets and hucksters in Pisa. The wine tasting was very nice. Only 40 of us, and we were the only tour there. The estate is owned by the family who owns Vespa, Ferrari, and Renault, so you might guess the wine thing is on the side. LOL. But the wine was very good and they fed us cold cuts, bread, and olive oil along with four kinds of wine. My mom and sister said they had a wonderful time in Florence, so either would be a worthwhile endeavor.

Rome was HOT. Very hot. I took the Vatican tour and free time, while the rest of my family took the more extensive tour of Rome, the Coliseum, and other sites. The free time was great, however I got all turned around and spent an hour of it trying to get back on track. (Note, make sure you map out where you want to go ahead of time…it will save you time and frustration!). The subway in Rome is very nice and clean, and only 1 euro. You can buy subway tickets at several places before getting to the subway station. You can also catch a cab, of which there are many. I hit the Trevi Fountain (tossed the coin in the fountain using my right hand and tossing over the left shoulder….that is what we were told to do to make the wish more effective...LOL) I caught a cab back to St Peters Square (approximately 5 euros) for the rest of the official tour. (Note, if you go into the Basilica, make sure your shoulders and legs are covered. They have no problem blocking people from entering that are not dressed properly.) Being Catholic (even if I’m not the best Catholic…LOL), going to the Basilica was wonderful. The artwork is amazing, and seeing where all of Catholicism is based was an experience. After touring the Basilica, it was back on the bus and over to the Coliseum, with some sightseeing as we went. By this time, I was pretty beat from the heat. I’d suggest dressing very comfortably but respectably. It is hot, and there is a lot of walking involved. If you dress only for the church, you will find that you will have issues for the rest of the day.

Day four was a day of rest…than heavens. They days at sea were spaced perfectly for recovery purposes.

Mykonos and Delos. This was the choppiest water we ran across, and those with a weak stomach were probably having a bad day. We arrived early so we got off the ship and headed into the village to shop. Mykonos is beautiful, and the shopping is great. Go to a place called Opal…they gave my sister and I 35% off of our jewelry purchases, and my mom actually got closer to 40% off (she spent more than $1000) just for being on the BoS. The jewelry is wonderful, and I have received comments about my simple white gold Greek Key charm and chain and matching earrings from several people since I returned home. The boat trip over to Delos was definitely not for the weak of stomach…very roily and windy, but the ruins on the island were wonderful.

Santorini. Jen and I struck out on our own, taking the tour and wine tasting tour. Greece is so beautiful. The wine is very salty…so if you do the wine tasting, keep that in mind. Not sure what makes it that way, but it was very different from the wine I had outside of Pisa. A note here…you tender in and out of Santorini…tendering in one area and out another. You end up on top of a cliff, and have 2 ways down…to walk over 600 winding steps, or take the cable car down. You share the steps with Donkeys and all they leave behind. You share the cable car with hundreds of fellow tourists….in our case there were 2 other ships in port at the same time we were. Leave at least an hour in line for the Cable car…half an hour for the walk.

Ephisus. Jen and I were once again on our own for this one. Turkey actually reminded me a bit of Greece, except the buildings were not all white. We did only the tour of Ephisus, and it was amazing. The ruins could easily take all day to tour, however we decided to only do half a day. After touring the ruins, we headed back into town, where we were dropped off at a shop and given a brief history of the making of Turkish rugs. Getting into the port where the ship is made me feel very secure, having to shop my Ship Pass five times before getting back on board. There are shops past the first check, and there is one place that sells olive oil and soap that was great. I can’t remember the name, but if you find the Haribro candy shop, stand in the doorway and look straight ahead down the hallway of shops and it will be down on your right. (I also stopped and got some gummies to snack on for the rest of the trip…LOL).

Athens. Following the trend, my sister and I were abandoned by our parents for the day. LOL. The Parthenon was amazing. We took the Parthenon, driving tour, and free time. We loved having the free time to walk down to the Parliament building and watch the honor guard at the War dead memorial, and then strolled the Plaka to shop. There is an Olympic store on the Plaka where they have Athens 2004 gear half off, so I bought all kinds of golf shirts and such as Xmas gifts. J There are plenty of nice little cafes along the Plaka, so you have the chance to sit down and have some good Greek food and relax.

Again, a day of rest as we headed back to Italy was perfectly timed.

Last but not least was Naples, Amalfi drive, and Pompeii. We took the Amalfi Drive and Pompeii tour, and man, what a beautiful but somewhat nerve wracking trip. Amalfi Drive makes Lombardi Street in San Fran look straight. And it is 50km of twisting and turning. Our driver was phenomenal. We stopped at a Best Western for lunch…this is no American Best Western…LOL. The food was to die for. SO good. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We were served sparkling wine, white wine, spinach and cheese pasta, and chicken with tomato sauce and mozzarella. I could have just stayed and eaten all day long. Pompeii was wonderful, however we were racing the weather. There is a cameo shop right outside the main gate, so we stopped there and they showed us how they make Cameos. We then stopped at a small vendor outside who offered us free samples of lemon liquer…whoa nelly! Strong…but good. J We then went in the walls of the ancient city, and it was interesting to try and imagine what it was like nearly 2000 years ago when Vesuvius erupted, burying everyone alive.

A few notes on the ship. They were replacing carpeting, back in Chops Grill and Portofinos, so it was nice to see them sprucing the ship up even more than it was. (Apparently they had stripped and varnished the railings the voyage before ours). The Windjammer was great, the food wonderful, and we spent every morning but one camped out at the very back looking over the stern of the BoS. Absolutely the best place to dine if you just want to kick back and relax and enjoy the wonderful view. We topped every dinner off with Soft Serve ice cream. Nummy. The Sports bar was packed with soccer fans each night that the World Cup was on, and the casino was OK, but never packed. (We were in there every night…LOL). A really neat touch was the fact that the glass elevators had the day of the week in the floor…so every day you knew if it was Monday, Tuesday, etc, even if you really weren’t sure in your head. We had one issue with the Spa. The last day my mom and I were booked for pedicures, which had been made by my sister on day 1. Well, they lost the appointments, so when we showed up on Sunday, we weren’t in the book. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones, because by the end of my manicure, the Spa manager was on hand at the desk, and he found a place for me to have my pedicure at the end of the day. (I had Robyn from South Africa….she only has 4 more cruises left, but she was wonderful!). If you had a problem on board, if you let someone know about it, it was resolved. The staff were always friendly, and there to help you.

We are already looking ahead to our next cruise, but it will be very hard to top this one. I have been on 3 other cruises in my life…2 with Celebrity and one with Carnival, and this was by far the best cruise, the best VACATION, I have ever had.

[gambler]

Great review, thanks. Did you have 2 or 3 formal nights?? and how many smart casual nights?? Thanks

[ksrgatorfn]

We had 2 formal nights...1st and 2nd days at sea...and 2 smart casual nights. However, I was amazed at what some folks thought of as formal. Some parents even let their teenagers attend dinner in T-shirts. My thought was, if you don't want to dress for dinner that is fine, but eat in the Windjammer, not the dining room.

[Sue L]

I loved reading your review as friends are going on the BOS for the Med in August.

 

I do note that you mention in Rome that shoulders and legs need to be covered when going to the Basilica what exactly does the legs thing mean? I know shorts are a 'NO-NO" but what about skirts/skorts or capris or should should I tell her it must be pants. Also is this for the Basilica only or all chuches in Italy. Please give me any reccommendations so that I pass it on.

 

Sue

[ksrgatorfn]

Shoulders are a no-no at every church. Need at least capped sleeves. If it is too hot and a tank is more comfortable, they should bring a shawl (wish I had thought of this BEFORE I went...LOL). No shorts, and no short skirts. General theory is knee and below.

 

This is the sign outside of the Basillica. As you can see...everyone has on pants in the photo. I wore an ankle length linen skirt. At less "formal" churches, shorts were allowed, but no tank tops at any of the Catholic churches.

[ksrgatorfn]

Since I can, just posting a few pics of the ship...she was a beaut!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Solarium...

 

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The view off the bow as we passed between Sicily and Corsica...

[Sue L]

thanks for the beautiful pictures, I will be on the BOS in March for the 11 day Panama.

[onevacationlover]

Thanks for posting your review. I enjoyed it very much.:) I'm so ready to go back to Europe. So far Naples, Sorrento and Capri have always been my fav but I've not traveled to Greece yet. We hope to cruise there very soon....:D

 

PS - Love Michael Waldrap too

[Sue L]

Thanks for posting your review. I enjoyed it very much.:) I'm so ready to go back to Europe. So far Naples, Sorrento and Capri have always been my fav but I've not traveled to Greece yet. We hope to cruise there very soon....:D

 

PS - Love Michael Waldrip too

 

 

If you get a chance to go to Greece definitely take it. It is one of my favorite places in the world. I keep telling DH if you win the lottery I want my vacation home on Mykonos.

[CulverCityCruisers]

What a treat following your adventures! Wanted to know what seating you had for dinner, late VS early? Still not sure. Don't want to rush back to the ship in the PM, nor sleep thru dinner, and not be able to get up the next morning! Please give your input.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I finally have time to sit down to reminisce about my vacation. All I can say is, WOW.

 

For anyone who kept up with my updates here, you know how pleased I was with just about every aspect of the vacation. Other than the fact that Austrian Airlines lost my luggage...which was found the day of the cruise and was not the only airline to lose luggage for passengers on the ship...everything went off without a hitch.

 

I flew into Barcelona from Washington DC on June 26th, arriving in the morning. I took the advice posted here and found La Villa restaurant, which was worth the visit even if it was a little warm and crowded due to World Cup fans. We also ate at two cafes next to the Cathedral, both of which were very good. We stayed at the Hotel Regencie Cologne...a very good hotel right next to the Cathedral, with good sized rooms and amenities. La Rambla was only a few blocks away, and we caught the Barcelona Bus Touristic a block away, spending the 18 Euro each for the day long access and tours.

 

The morning of the 28th we made arrangements for mini-van taxi to come pick us up at 2:30 p.m. to take us to the port to board the Brilliance. A note for anyone who might not have the need to board right away...wait. We showed up at the ticket counters just before 3 p.m. and there were NO lines. At all. Plus, we got another half day of playing tourist in before we boarded. Our hotel was more than happy to store the luggage after we checked out.

 

We got on the BoS just after 3 and after finding out cabins (3218 and 3132), we headed on our tour of the ship...keeping in mind that Lifeboat drills were scheduled for 5 p.m.

 

The ship is beautiful. I can't tell you how nice compared to anything I had been on before. There was already live music in the Centrum on 4, and people milling about getting excursions booked, teenagers and folks like me getting their Coke stamps for their cards, folks running around to play the trivia game and hitting all the ships displays set up on 4, 5, and 6.

 

My sister, Jennifer, and I got internet access set up in the room (thanks again for the heads up...we wouldn't have known about the unlimited use for $230 if it hadn't been mentioned here!), bought out Coke stickers, and she and I split up. She headed for the Spa to book mani's and Pedi's while I signed up for make up for the formal nights. (Make up is done in the perfume shop, not the spa...and Allison, the nice Canadian gal doing the make up application, was great!)

 

We mustered for drill at 5...and it took until about 5:30 for the all clear...just enough time for us to head back to the room, put the life jackets away, get freshened up, and head to dinner.

 

Our dining staff was great. Our waiter, who was from the Philippines, was good, but our assistant waiter, Puhmza from South Africa, was a dynamo. She was always on hand to offer bread, clear the table, top off our wine, to check on our status and if we needed anything. She was a doll. The head waiter, Eugen from Romania, was great fun. He swung by frequently, always with a great story about his cruising experience (from when he started on a "rustbucket Princess Ship that used to be a ferry 20 years ago" to present day.) If you ever cross paths with Eugen, ask him to tell you about his first experience with a Doggie Bag. It is a hoot.

 

Unfortunately, as we left port, it was very hazy, so we couldn't see the coastline of Spain, but the water was calm, the ship comfortable, and we were thrilled to be under way.

 

Day one meant port one...Nice. We took the tour that took us to Eze. Monaco and the Grand Casino in Monte Carlo. I am not sure why we went to Eze...I think this was the only stop we made the entire cruise I didn't like. It was a long hike up for not a lot of reward. Apparently Eze used to be a walled village fortress...one way in, one way out. There is a little church at the top that is very cute, but not worth the hike. Everything else was little shops trying to sell us something. I would have preferred to take the time we spent in Eze and apply it to time in Monaco. We didn't have nearly enough...couldn't even tour the Palace. We did have a very good lunch at the Cafe du Paris. And even though the guide stated we couldn't wear shorts in the Grand Casino, a lot of folks did. So, you weren't banned if you weren't attired properly. We did see the Church that Grace and Renier were married in, and are now buried in. Someone leaves flowers on her grave every week.

 

Pisa and Florence. My dad and I decided to take two tours, doing Pisa in the morning and wine tasting in the afternoon. Both were great, but be ware of pick pockets and hucksters in Pisa. The wine tasting was very nice. Only 40 of us, and we were the only tour there. The estate is owned by the family who owns Vespa, Ferrari, and Renault, so you might guess the wine thing is on the side. LOL. But the wine was very good and they fed us cold cuts, bread, and olive oil along with four kinds of wine. My mom and sister said they had a wonderful time in Florence, so either would be a worthwhile endeavor.

 

Rome was HOT. Very hot. I took the Vatican tour and free time, while the rest of my family took the more extensive tour of Rome, the Coliseum, and other sites. The free time was great, however I got all turned around and spent an hour of it trying to get back on track. (Note, make sure you map out where you want to go ahead of time…it will save you time and frustration!). The subway in Rome is very nice and clean, and only 1 euro. You can buy subway tickets at several places before getting to the subway station. You can also catch a cab, of which there are many. I hit the Trevi Fountain (tossed the coin in the fountain using my right hand and tossing over the left shoulder….that is what we were told to do to make the wish more effective...LOL) I caught a cab back to St Peters Square (approximately 5 euros) for the rest of the official tour. (Note, if you go into the Basilica, make sure your shoulders and legs are covered. They have no problem blocking people from entering that are not dressed properly.) Being Catholic (even if I’m not the best Catholic…LOL), going to the Basilica was wonderful. The artwork is amazing, and seeing where all of Catholicism is based was an experience. After touring the Basilica, it was back on the bus and over to the Coliseum, with some sightseeing as we went. By this time, I was pretty beat from the heat. I’d suggest dressing very comfortably but respectably. It is hot, and there is a lot of walking involved. If you dress only for the church, you will find that you will have issues for the rest of the day.

 

Day four was a day of rest…than heavens. They days at sea were spaced perfectly for recovery purposes.

 

Mykonos and Delos. This was the choppiest water we ran across, and those with a weak stomach were probably having a bad day. We arrived early so we got off the ship and headed into the village to shop. Mykonos is beautiful, and the shopping is great. Go to a place called Opal…they gave my sister and I 35% off of our jewelry purchases, and my mom actually got closer to 40% off (she spent more than $1000) just for being on the BoS. The jewelry is wonderful, and I have received comments about my simple white gold Greek Key charm and chain and matching earrings from several people since I returned home. The boat trip over to Delos was definitely not for the weak of stomach…very roily and windy, but the ruins on the island were wonderful.

 

Santorini. Jen and I struck out on our own, taking the tour and wine tasting tour. Greece is so beautiful. The wine is very salty…so if you do the wine tasting, keep that in mind. Not sure what makes it that way, but it was very different from the wine I had outside of Pisa. A note here…you tender in and out of Santorini…tendering in one area and out another. You end up on top of a cliff, and have 2 ways down…to walk over 600 winding steps, or take the cable car down. You share the steps with Donkeys and all they leave behind. You share the cable car with hundreds of fellow tourists….in our case there were 2 other ships in port at the same time we were. Leave at least an hour in line for the Cable car…half an hour for the walk.

 

Ephisus. Jen and I were once again on our own for this one. Turkey actually reminded me a bit of Greece, except the buildings were not all white. We did only the tour of Ephisus, and it was amazing. The ruins could easily take all day to tour, however we decided to only do half a day. After touring the ruins, we headed back into town, where we were dropped off at a shop and given a brief history of the making of Turkish rugs. Getting into the port where the ship is made me feel very secure, having to shop my Ship Pass five times before getting back on board. There are shops past the first check, and there is one place that sells olive oil and soap that was great. I can’t remember the name, but if you find the Haribro candy shop, stand in the doorway and look straight ahead down the hallway of shops and it will be down on your right. (I also stopped and got some gummies to snack on for the rest of the trip…LOL).

 

Athens. Following the trend, my sister and I were abandoned by our parents for the day. LOL. The Parthenon was amazing. We took the Parthenon, driving tour, and free time. We loved having the free time to walk down to the Parliament building and watch the honor guard at the War dead memorial, and then strolled the Plaka to shop. There is an Olympic store on the Plaka where they have Athens 2004 gear half off, so I bought all kinds of golf shirts and such as Xmas gifts. J There are plenty of nice little cafes along the Plaka, so you have the chance to sit down and have some good Greek food and relax.

 

Again, a day of rest as we headed back to Italy was perfectly timed.

 

Last but not least was Naples, Amalfi drive, and Pompeii. We took the Amalfi Drive and Pompeii tour, and man, what a beautiful but somewhat nerve wracking trip. Amalfi Drive makes Lombardi Street in San Fran look straight. And it is 50km of twisting and turning. Our driver was phenomenal. We stopped at a Best Western for lunch…this is no American Best Western…LOL. The food was to die for. SO good. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. We were served sparkling wine, white wine, spinach and cheese pasta, and chicken with tomato sauce and mozzarella. I could have just stayed and eaten all day long. Pompeii was wonderful, however we were racing the weather. There is a cameo shop right outside the main gate, so we stopped there and they showed us how they make Cameos. We then stopped at a small vendor outside who offered us free samples of lemon liquer…whoa nelly! Strong…but good. J We then went in the walls of the ancient city, and it was interesting to try and imagine what it was like nearly 2000 years ago when Vesuvius erupted, burying everyone alive.

 

A few notes on the ship. They were replacing carpeting, back in Chops Grill and Portofinos, so it was nice to see them sprucing the ship up even more than it was. (Apparently they had stripped and varnished the railings the voyage before ours). The Windjammer was great, the food wonderful, and we spent every morning but one camped out at the very back looking over the stern of the BoS. Absolutely the best place to dine if you just want to kick back and relax and enjoy the wonderful view. We topped every dinner off with Soft Serve ice cream. Nummy. The Sports bar was packed with soccer fans each night that the World Cup was on, and the casino was OK, but never packed. (We were in there every night…LOL). A really neat touch was the fact that the glass elevators had the day of the week in the floor…so every day you knew if it was Monday, Tuesday, etc, even if you really weren’t sure in your head. We had one issue with the Spa. The last day my mom and I were booked for pedicures, which had been made by my sister on day 1. Well, they lost the appointments, so when we showed up on Sunday, we weren’t in the book. Apparently, we weren’t the only ones, because by the end of my manicure, the Spa manager was on hand at the desk, and he found a place for me to have my pedicure at the end of the day. (I had Robyn from South Africa….she only has 4 more cruises left, but she was wonderful!). If you had a problem on board, if you let someone know about it, it was resolved. The staff were always friendly, and there to help you.

 

We are already looking ahead to our next cruise, but it will be very hard to top this one. I have been on 3 other cruises in my life…2 with Celebrity and one with Carnival, and this was by far the best cruise, the best VACATION, I have ever had.

[Host Karen]

We took this cruise in June last year and it's our favorite so far. Glad to hear you enjoyed the ports and the ship.

 

What shocked me is the internet access cost. Last year it was $125 for unlimited access via CyberCabin. Looks like Royal Caribbean has taken a page from Celebrity's book on how to overcharge for dial-up internet access. At least it's still unlimited and not sold in blocks of minutes like X sells it.

 

Thanks for sharing your memories!

[Sacstephen]

Thanks for your review. I am doing a variation of this cruise on BOS at the beginning of September (Atlantis charter). I would like to know if your internet access worked the entire trip. I have not decided whether to bring the laptop or not.

[ssatterly]

I can only dream of going to Eruope one day

[DawnSfromNJ]

Sounds heavenly....maybe someday :)

[Janice M]

Thankyou so much for the great review and wonderful pics. We will be going on the Brilliance in Oct. The itinerary is a little different. We start in Istanbul and end up in Barcelona. Your review made the trip more exciting.

Jan

[RDeagazio]

Host Karen- I think Kim made a typo or totaled the cost of 2 for the Cyber Cabin. I was on the BOS the week before she took this cruise and the Cyber Cabin only cost me $125 for the 12 night cruise.

[CulverCityCruisers]

Great time! We are going on a 12 day on BOS next year. Did you have early or late seating? What did you hear about either one? We are trying to decide if early would better better due to long days in port and early AM wake ups.

Thank you for any assistance you can provide.

We have been on 14 cruises and ususlly do late seating but have never been on such a port intensive cruise before!

[SkiCruiser44]

What times were early & late seating??? What did you think of your cabin on deck 3. We're booked for next Sept sailing same itinerary in 3072 (forward of mid ship). Is it close to the water? Our first time without a balcony in a long time.

[RDeagazio]

I got off the BOS the day Kim boarded and there are 4 dinner times-- Main seating is at 6p and 630p and Second seating is at 830p or 9p. On our cruise we had 830p and really could have used the extra half hour. Our waiters told us most of the early seatings were empty. We typically didn't get to dinner until 9pm (30 mins late) and were accommodated without problem. I suggest you take the later times as you'll be rushed to get back to the ship in time to get ready

[SkiCruiser44]

We're booked with late dining but how do we get the specific time can we book a preference and should I let my TA know that now?

Thanks for your response - I enjoyed reading your adventures on the ship sounds like you had a good time.

 

Kathy

[RDeagazio]

Kathy- funny thing is RCI will tell you there's only the traditional 2 times for dinner. I spoke directly to the Dining Coordinator for the ship and was told there aren't 4 times even though I knew this to be correct.

 

This is how they decide who goes where.. if you are non-European you will be assigned the earlier times (6p or 830p) if you're European they will assign you to the later times (630p or 9p) as Europeans typically eat later than us. If you prefer one time over another, have your TA send a request thru RCI, however speaking from experience there isn't always a guarantee of them taking notice. Have no fear, you can easily get the time you prefer onboard if necessary.

[SkiCruiser44]

Good we should get 8:30 which will be fine - don't really want to wait until 9pm. I guess I'll have my TA put it on our record.

 

Thanks again.

 

Kathy