LIVE from Explorer with a bad propellor 2/1/09

[vmacchirol]

Meg my partner is on that sailing ship. they disembark today. thats for the updates we board friday. thanks again its like my vacation started a week early

[The Big Booper]

thanks BigBooper, its good to see how big they are. my dd is in a wheelchair so it looks like we have plenty of room.

 

BTW, what is extra cc?

 

This is in regards to cruise credits in the loyalty program. You get 1 point for a completed cruise, another point if the cruise is a longer cruise and another point if you had a suite. So a week in a suite is 1+1 or 2 points, a 14 nighter in a regular cabin is also 1 + 1 or 2 points, and I believe a longer trip in a suite is 1 +1 +1 or 3 points. 5 points completed is Platinum level, 10 points completed is Diamond level and 25 points completed is Diamond Plus.

 

In shooting the pictures I tried to show the extras the handicapped cabins have. The shower bathroom is enormous and there is space to park the wheelchair next to the shower and slide onto the fold down seat. There is no lip on the floor going from the cabin to the bathroom and getting into the shower stall. You should request extra bathroom towels from your cabin attendent for the duration of the trip and build a towel wall around the floor grills (which don't stop the water from running across the bathroom floor and out into the cabin itself) every time someone uses the shower.

 

There is an extra phone in the bathroom and panic buttons scattered around the cabin. The bathroom sink has no bottom ledge to allow a wheelchair to get close. There is a vertical flexible rod attached to the horizontal closet rod allowing the rod to be pulled down to where a person in a chair can reach the hanging clothes. Lots of little touches like that.

[Cheeky Monkey]

Hi everyone, I am sure there is most likely a thread here somewhere about this but here goes: Has anyone had any issues in getting their "Guest Vacation Documents?" When I received my email a while ago it indicated they were ready and provided a link to them which did nothing other than say I selected to receive them by snail mail which to me is bizaar since if I did everything else on-line why would I not also have the documents emailed to me?! Perhaps I did make a mistake but clearly I did not receive anything in the mail. I called today and the rep said I should have received it from my travel agent, only problem being I booked it directly through RC myself. Now I am being told the department I need to speak with is not open on weekends.

 

I guess my question(s) are as follows: Is there anything I need within this package that I will need to board? It was my belief that the package was basically a summary of everything we selected to date. I am assuming what I need are our passports and the Set Sail Pass which I have completed already.

 

If anyone could give me some guidance or point me to a thread I would appreciate it. I have been on one cruise previously but that feels like a lifetime ago.

 

Again, look forward to meeting a bunch of you on the voyage ( well hopefully anyways!!)

[megr1125]

Hi everyone, I am sure there is most likely a thread here somewhere about this but here goes: Has anyone had any issues in getting their "Guest Vacation Documents?" When I received my email a while ago it indicated they were ready and provided a link to them which did nothing other than say I selected to receive them by snail mail which to me is bizaar since if I did everything else on-line why would I not also have the documents emailed to me?! Perhaps I did make a mistake but clearly I did not receive anything in the mail. I called today and the rep said I should have received it from my travel agent, only problem being I booked it directly through RC myself. Now I am being told the department I need to speak with is not open on weekends.

 

I guess my question(s) are as follows: Is there anything I need within this package that I will need to board? It was my belief that the package was basically a summary of everything we selected to date. I am assuming what I need are our passports and the Set Sail Pass which I have completed already.

 

If anyone could give me some guidance or point me to a thread I would appreciate it. I have been on one cruise previously but that feels like a lifetime ago.

 

Again, look forward to meeting a bunch of you on the voyage ( well hopefully anyways!!)

 

Don't worry...if you did your on line check in, just take the sea pass and your gov't ID and go!! You can get luggage tags from the porters at the pier....

 

(as usual I made mine, and, as usual the porters in Jersey sid they are better than the ones from the ship!!):D

[megr1125]

Sooooooo......we left Barbados on time...the divers got off, one or 2 of the entertainers did as well...

 

Our "substitute Captain" will eave us tomorrow in Antigua and Capt Ryan will take us back to Bayonne..(hmm...wonder if we can convince him to take us someplace else....I mean, on our Turkey day cruise in Nov, we skipped Labadee and Samana and he took us to Grand Turk.....San Juan or the Bahamas would work!!! :p;)

 

Other than that.....not much else to say at the moment.....no joke today!:(

 

We should be cooking along at 19 Knots on the way to Antigua...so that sounds good!

 

Well...off to run amok on the ship and see what's going on!

[stimpydekat]

We sailed out of Bayonne on 1/23 and we didn't receive any information, documents or luggage tags in the mail, unlike our previous cruises on other lines. We e-mailed and called RCI and they told us that it was the travel agent's responsibility to get us the package. So we went to the terminal with just the Seapass and our passports. They have blank luggage tags at the terminal to fill out. We had no problems.

[beachbuzzard]

Hi everyone, I am sure there is most likely a thread here somewhere about this but here goes: Has anyone had any issues in getting their "Guest Vacation Documents?" When I received my email a while ago it indicated they were ready and provided a link to them which did nothing other than say I selected to receive them by snail mail which to me is bizaar since if I did everything else on-line why would I not also have the documents emailed to me?! Perhaps I did make a mistake but clearly I did not receive anything in the mail. I called today and the rep said I should have received it from my travel agent, only problem being I booked it directly through RC myself. Now I am being told the department I need to speak with is not open on weekends.

 

I guess my question(s) are as follows: Is there anything I need within this package that I will need to board? It was my belief that the package was basically a summary of everything we selected to date. I am assuming what I need are our passports and the Set Sail Pass which I have completed already.

 

If anyone could give me some guidance or point me to a thread I would appreciate it. I have been on one cruise previously but that feels like a lifetime ago.

 

Again, look forward to meeting a bunch of you on the voyage ( well hopefully anyways!!)

 

Hi Cheeky... this subject probably doesn't belong in this thread, but I'll go ahead and answer for you. If the admins select they can/might create a separate thread for this subject.

 

Online I get my documents the following way:

Click on the reservation

Click the "Cruise Documentation" tab

Click the "Check Status" button

If they are there you'll see a "Download PDF" button

 

Hope that helps.

[MAZCruiser]

Sooooooo......we left Barbados on time...the divers got off, one or 2 of the entertainers did as well...

 

Our "substitute Captain" will eave us tomorrow in Antigua and Capt Ryan will take us back to Bayonne..(hmm...wonder if we can convince him to take us someplace else....I mean, on our Turkey day cruise in Nov, we skipped Labadee and Samana and he took us to Grand Turk.....San Juan or the Bahamas would work!!! :p;)

 

Other than that.....not much else to say at the moment.....no joke today!:(

 

We should be cooking along at 19 Knots on the way to Antigua...so that sounds good!

 

Well...off to run amok on the ship and see what's going on!

 

Meg, Thanks for keeping us informed about the status of the ship. Have you received any "official" report that the prop is indeed fixed?

 

Hope the rest of you cruise is going great!:):cool:

[cruz4evr]

Hey Meg.............how is Antigua?

[jumbo1]

How was Antiguia?

Thanks for posting again soon! ?

Long trip home from there , saw the ship on port cam .

Tortola would have been next !

Hope you post soon for an update .

 

Jim

[MaryZ]

So is the ship turning for home at regular speed?

Are you having a great time?

[mrdrdoso]

Hi Meg

well it looks like you finally got the chance to relax and enjoy the rest of your cruise. thanks again for taking the time out for all of us, we all really appreciate it:), don't forget to post your email, so we can all send you a lil something for being so generous with your time. maybe you will see me in line friday, i'll be standing there with a huge grin on my face:D:D that vacation is finally here, and this is the first vacation in 5 years both my girls will be there. thanks again and safe travels home.

mary

[megr1125]

Antigua was nice.....a couple issues with our tour...the ship arranged something private for us....more in the review...it was 1/2 hour shorter than it should have been, and not narrated...but the driver was nice....interesting political climate here too......

 

We are churning along at eh, 18 or 19 knots....no real need to go faster since today was supposed to be tortola anyway!

 

Capt Ryan is back....and we have discussed bribing him to take us to the bahamas or bermuda or something on the way home....but 1) no one has come up with any cash and 2) we can't find anyone actually WILLING to go ask him:rolleyes::mad::p

 

So.....no official word on the prop, but the grapevine seems to say that it is fixed.....

 

I will probably drop in a few more times....we are off for our polar explorers mini putt putt tournament provided the wind doesn't blow us off!

 

Seems there was to be a poolside buffet last evening...it was SUPER windy and the pools looked like wanna-be Flowriders!!

 

see ya!

[RaMar]

Thanks for the update Meg. Keep us posted!

[mom2NnB]

Hey Meg, thanks for the update. Someone (Bob Breen) just came to our Roll Call and told us the prop wasn't fixed. :confused:

 

I guess they haven't said anything official then?

[Beachcombers]

Hey Meg....glad you're still enjoying yourselves in spite of the few little problems:)...can't wait to hear all about the Mini Putt Putt....it's so hard reading all your posts knowing we should be there with you....but you're doing a great job keeping all the future cruisers Friday up to speed....have fun tonight....can't wait to hear from all the Polar Explorers upon your return.....

Loie & Peter

[megr1125]

current location (ish)

30 04.19'N

068 20.01' W

 

about 17 knots no need to go faster! someplace between FLA and GA i guess

 

OK...the lastest grapeviney stuff...

 

the prop is semi fixed...(allegedly)

 

the bridge crew that was aboard during the "bump" is apparently all in Miami and may all be in a ton of trouble...(Allegedly)

 

Ex MAY head to drydock early....(allegedly)

 

someone got removed from the ship in handcuffs in STT due to fighting...(THIS is true!!!!)

 

the next cruise may or may not skip a port.....don't shoot me i am only the messenger! (allegedly)

 

again, all but the pax in cuffs is what the grapevine said...thus...it may or may NOT be accurate....

 

No bridge tours this cruise....(not that i would get one anyway..)

 

it WILL be very windy and bumpy tonight....an email was sent to crew saying, basically, put all the glasses away!

 

Hmmm...our mini putt putt was fun but it was so windy we just played! i won a trophy! (thanks diane)....not saying for what though!

 

the wake looked a little weird yesterday...the middle wake was one big line of white foam.,....the starboard wake was kind of broken up...hard to explain.....

 

what else can i say......i packed some....havent gotten to the gym to find out about spinning yet....

 

thats all for now.......

[RaMar]

Thanks for the update Meg. Hope that it's not too rough. It's supposed to be super windy here tomorrow.

[stimpydekat]

"the prop is semi fixed...(allegedly)." Wow! I wonder what that means? Very mysterious. Thanks for the info! Hope you had a great time on the cruise!

[esbie11]

Am I the only one who is incredibly annoyed that we are unable to get accurate info from RCCL regarding this? It is totally unacceptable that their customer service folks have no idea what the status is, or worse yet, are telling people inaccurate info like the ship was fixed in NJ, when we know that is NOT the case. Meg is doing a great job of updating everyone, but it certainly isn't her responsibility to let all of us future Explorer passengers know what is going on. I know alot of this has to be played by ear because they can't know for sure if/when they are able to fix it, but for goodness sake RCCL, give us something!!! I am becoming increasingly nervous as we are to get married during the April 17th sailing. I realize that things happen and this is the down-side of planning a cruise wedding, but the lack of updates and info on RCCL's part is disturbing. If I need to come up with an alternate plan I will have no choice but to do so, but please don't tell me at the last minute!! There is no excuse for why we can't get some accurate info from RCCL about this!:mad:

Thanks for listening:D

[RaMar]

esbie11: You are not the only one. I feel the same way and if you call RCI, any rep. will give you a different story. I'm annoyed at this as well. My travel agent called and she was told that it was fixed in St. Thomas. I don't believe that it was and all we can do is wait.

[vacation 24/7]

I am on the 4-26 sailing and just posted this info on our roll call. I just got off the phone with RCCL and spoke to a young man who seemed to know what was going on and he said that it is semi fixed (as much as poss without dry dock) but they will need 3 days down and back. We lost San Juan already so looks like we are going to miss Tortola also. That would only leave 2 ports on a 9 night.:eek:

[sprite]

I don't mean to start any trouble but I have a question for those frustrated by RCI's lack of response on this.

 

What would we be doing right now if there were no internet/Cruise Critic and we had no idea of this problem?

[BroadwayGirl]

Exactly. I've got two weeks, give or take, til my final payment date for Explorer. If they are going to severly cut my itinerary due to this "temporary fix"...I'm not sure I still want to cruise. Taking three days down and three days back does not sound ideal or promising for anyone on an 8 or 9 night intinerary this spring..

[geegee1]

...Taking three days down and three days back does not sound ideal or promising for anyone on an 8 or 9 night intinerary this spring..

 

and it's less appealing for people who are leaving in 2 days from now. if this is true, this is going to blow