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Hello all, long-time lurker - first time making a big post - just got back from a 4-night cruise on the “new” Mariner of the Seas – I’ve seen some posts on here regarding new features, rooms, dining attire, etc. Hopefully this post can answer some of your questions, or if you have any, feel free to ask and I can possibly answer. Having been on the Allure and most recently the Harmony, Mariner was my first “smaller” class-ship. I was excited to try something new and tried so hard to keep an open mind. Embarkation Day - It was pretty stress free embarkation at Port Miami. You cannot miss the ship, as it’s visible from the main highway leading into the port. We (my fiancé and I) love to take advantage of early boarding, we used Lyft from a Marriot Courtyard near MIA (Lyft trip was under $25) and the driver took us right up front to the Cruise Terminal G – where the ship was located. The porters we right at the curb ready to take our check-in bags (don’t forget to tip). We arrived at 10am, proceeded to walk to the far left of the terminal into the double doors, where you will present your Passports and Set-Sail pass. Keep these out & ready to present, as you will need them a few more times. You will head up to the security checkpoint to scan your carry-on bags and ultimately the cruise check-in desk where you will receive your physical Sea-Pass cards. Since we were early, we were lead into a room full of chairs, waiting for the ship to be cleared to board. First boarding happened at 11am. Once on the ship you are on Deck 4 – Windjammer is on Deck 11. First thing we noticed, the elevators are extremely SLOW. The stairs will be your friend on this ship. We made the trek up from Deck 4 to Deck 11 – only to find out that the Windjammer opens at 11:30a. We didn’t wait too long, there was a drink stand right there to take advantage of our first drinks on board (DX Drink Package purchased x2). The WJ food was typical of any RC WJ offering---American, Asian, Indian food selections. There was a lot of Indian curry dishes offered which were excellent. Coca Cola Freestyle machines were located on either side of the WJ next to a window and a drink station. The WJ seating and tables look to be updated, as well. We loved the WJ offering so much, we only ate at the MDR on Day 1 and elected to eat at the WJ for breakfast, lunches (sans snack at Playmakers), dinners and late-night snacks. Late Night Snacks from 10:30p-12:30p consist mostly of burgers, fries, fried chicken (with bone) and some desserts---American fare. Mariner Re-Vitalize Quick Takes: Skypad – If you tend to get dizzy real fast – elect NOT to wear the VR mask. I wish I knew before hand – I got dizzy in less than 1 min, had to stop and take it off or else it would not have been pretty. You get a decent amount of time on the bungee cords. Kids would probably enjoy this more than adults Playmakers – Pretty cool concept, full bar selection along with sit down tables with separate menu, which costs extra—like a cheaper specialty dining. We ate here once and got the Buffalo wings and loaded nachos. Wings were very tasty and you can’t beat the price for 12 wings for $8. Nachos at $7 were decent, but I liked the wings more. There was also a small pool table and some connect 4 boards. The Bamboo Room – Yet another cool concept, with a full bar and sit down tables + menus. The atmosphere is as expected, Hawaiian themed but dark and much quieter than Playmakers. This is a great place to just relax and chat. Bamboo Room specialty drinks are NOT included in the DX Drink Package (If you have the DX you do get a $12 credit and you can pay the difference) Movies/Sports at the Pool Deck – World Cup soccer was shown, also recent movies like Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Jumanji. Laser Tag: Battle for Planet Z – This is FREE on the Mariner, compared to Harmony—where they charged a fee. We did it once, fun for kids for sure. Not sure if I would ever pay to do this. Line up about 20 min before opening to get-in on the first play of the day. The line does get long. We did not see the ice skating show/do ice skating, Flowride, or watersides. The Flowrider, SkyPad, and Waterslides are all on the Activities Deck – Deck 13. (Main Pool, Solarium, are on Deck 11). We also did not do any specialty dining this time around. Having just got off the Harmony in February - we already had Jamie’s Italian and Chops Grill. The Bridge - Deck 11 Forward, left side – Nice views of the control center. No action happening while docked – come back again when the ship is moving to see “action”. Solarium – Deck 11 Forward –I believe they added new chairs and day beds---first come, first serve. Very quiet and soothing music compared to the main pool deck. New Rooms – Deck 11 Forward – There are new rooms, I believe suites are located here. The rooms are right next to the Vitality Gym. There are actually 2 entrances to these rooms --- you may miss it if you weren’t paying attention 1. Main entrance on Deck 11 Forward-right side, before exiting to Solarium 2. There is an entrance/exit directly inside the gym. After taking a quick peak into 1 of these rooms from the hallway with a window - it looked like an updated room, as you would see in the Harmony. I was able to take some pics, see below. Rooms (not the new rooms on Deck 11) – These were NOT re-vitalized. The rooms still had the outdated green interior with standard bathrooms we are all familiar with. We had an interior stateroom, served its purpose as we just slept in there. Starbucks – Deck 4 – typical Sbux located right next to Casino Royale and across from Boleros. VOOM – I purchased 2-devices VOOM Surf and Stream during the last sale. Speeds were definitely not as fast as Harmony. Per Speedtest – DL: 3.89 mbps/ UP: 1.93. This was not bad for texting, surfing basic websites, and emails. Pulling up a video or sending a picture via text message --- was very slow. For whatever reason, If you had your heart set on watching Netflix or streaming YouTube videos during your cruise-- I wouldn’t get your hopes up. DX Drink Pkg – I purchased this also during one of the sales. $47/day. Worth it if you like to drink (not just alcohol). Stock up on those water bottles to cover your daily costs! Be sure to ask for a shot of Baileys in your coffee at Café Promenade. Suite Lounge and Diamond Lounge - were up in Deck 14 by Ellingtons – wasn’t able to partake in these. Working my way up. Coca-Cola Freestyle – 2 in the WJ and 2 by Café Promenade. “Honey Stung Chicken” / “Chicken Fingers”– Back on the Allure in 2012 I was able to taste these original beauties. In the WJ for dinner they did have “Chicken Fingers” on multiple nights Days 2 and 4 I believe. While it wasn’t exact, this had the same amount of crisp and taste—regardless I filled my plate and went back for seconds. Dog House – Located Deck 11 right corner – AFT. If you weren’t looking for it, you would miss it. I had the bratwurst and the cheese bread dog bun. Not bad at all if looking for an extremely quick snack. Windjammer – “Wash your hands…” station. There is an attendant whose sole job is to get you to wash your hands before entering the WJ. You will catch yourself saying “washy-washy” to yourself or to others before your cruise is over. Journey Cover Band – Day 3 – If you like Journey, this was an excellent cover band. The guy actually sings like Steve Perry and tries to look like him too. If you just want to hear Don’t Stop Believing and Anyway You Want It – come into the show 40 min-in. (1hr show) Random Piano Guy with Piano - in the Elevators – you’ll spot him. Plays pretty good in tight quarters. Takes trips to random areas on the ship throughout the cruise. Shopping – Typical watch sales and $10 item sales are in full effect. Just on a smaller scale compared to Oasis-class ships. The 2 for $20 shirt sale is savage as-ever. They roll the carts out exactly when the sale begins. There is a ship gift shop, fancy watch/jewelry store, make-up shop, liquor shop. All the basics. Port Quick Takes: Nassau, Bahamas – We got tickets to the Aquaventure at Atlantis. We had pre-purchased these during sale, tickets were waiting in the stateroom upon arrival. Waiting around till 9am – walking out of port with a hoard of people to be put on buses to Atlantis – then walking into Atlantis and ultimately to the waterpark and then waiting to get a $17.00 locker ----you weren’t really settled into the park till 11:00am. It was crowded; there were 2 other ships at port (Adventure of the Seas and Disney Dream). It was super hot. We rode The Serpent and the Rapids. I think that’s all we did, it was so crowded and hot, we elected to explore the grounds and hotel and head back to the port by 1:30p. Atlantis campus was beautiful, but if I ever go back, it won’t be on a cruise trip. Cococay – Talk about construction overhaul. The dock looks nowhere completed, it looks like they haven’t put a dent into the construction or they just hide it real well with the tarps and fences. I personally wouldn’t book a “Perfect Day” trip until 2020—just to be on the safe side. I read on here that they are already canceling trips to “Perfect Day” and replacing it with Miami---WHAT?? Overall we went to the beach for a small amount of time – it was low tide – walked around the shops. Having been to Labadee twice, I think I enjoyed the beach and atmosphere there much better. Debarkation Day – We elected to self-service. Had breakfast at the WJ at 7 and was out of our rooms by 9am. There was barely any line at Customs, there was no Global Entry or Mobile Passport apps. We took a Lyft to FLL about $37 before tip. If using ride share – chose to be picked up at Terminal F – you will be away from the chaos at Terminal G. Overall – Not a bad ship at all to get a short cruise fix-in. There are no formal nights, you can wear shorts and t-shirts to the MDR if you want too. The Late Night Snacking was a great option. While I wish the rooms were updated, it served its purpose. The elevators were quite slow, and the A/C in elevators and other some other common areas could’ve worked a lot better. We loved the WJ, it was clean and offerings were excellent for a 4-day cruise---all meals. Bars were plentiful and it was easy to get drinks and never a bottleneck.

I've had 3 people request access to the sheet. Please like this post to confirm if you are one of them, just so I am sure that they are real accounts and connected to the blog.

I went to grad school at U of Miami and lived in South Beach for all my adult life until coming back home to NJ recently, so ask any questions. What types of activities do you enjoy? Miami has a great opera and you can wear one of your outfits from formal night. In that same complex, they have the ballet, symphony and shows. There are some great restaurants and bars, can do happy hour in Brickell. South Beach is full of things to do and see. Walk down Ocean Dr, just to see it, but do not shop or dine there. The prices are even more astronomical than regular South Beach high prices. Do Lincoln Rd which is a pedestrian mall full of boutiques stores and restaurants, art galleries, hooka bars, symphony, lounges, theater and more. Plenty of clubs. Please note that attire does matter for most venues. Have some authentic Cuban cuisine, go to Little Havana, Versailles (in Miami, it is pronounced in Spanish, Ver-sign-yes), the Gables. Visiting the Everglades is cool. You can take a tour bus to Key West for the day or stray overnight.

Nobody wants the crabs. Good riddance. ??

After having a few days for reflection... What bugs me most about this 'substitution' is that they took the unique Royal Caribbean aspect out of this cruise... I was born in Florida and have numerous relatives/friends there... I can drive/fly to Miami... I can fly/drive to Key West... I can fly to Nassau... but I can only visit CocoCay on a RCCL ship and they've taken that away... My free beach day (with free snorkeling - have own gear) and use of my drink package in the sand has been taken away... Now we face... Cab Ride to and from beach $$$ Chairs/Umbrellas $$$ Doubtful any underwater attractions/reef for snorkeling... Drinks $$$ Food $$$

The length of the line varied. We did the whale watching and Mendenhall glacier excursion early. When we got back to the pier we walked aroudn town for a little while and then caught up with my in-laws and then went to Tracy's. The place is not real big but we had not problem getting our own table outside. The turnover is pretty quick since people want to walk around Juneau . While they have a beer, it is not a "bar" so people tend to "eat and run". The tram "terminal" is about a block away so there are people coming and going all over the pier. I guess it will also depend on how many ships are docked that day. We were there with twangster/Explorer and another smaller ship that was using water taxis. If the line is a little long, maybe walk around town and come back.....

This is awesome .... I love the idea of a public/private partnership. It would be great if the State of Maryland could do the same thing .... build a new terminal south of the Bay Bridge so height won't be a factor and you wouldn't lose the proximity of 4 Major Markets (Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh) and beyond. Lord knows with Grandeur selling out on almost every cruise, there's definitely room for growth there.

@Joe01 Thanks for all the work you have done to maintain this thread. People can be quick to criticize but not many want the job, maintaining this list is no easy task. Dreams are meant to be pursued. Wishing you all the best in the pursuit of yours. ?

Hello all! Just back from a great 2 weeks on SY. I think that Michele and Margot are a fantastic CD & AM team. Really enjoyed them. As some of you may know, whilst onboard, I resigned from doing the list on CC. I just decided that it wasn't in my best interests. I was a bit too opinionated, people didn't like the way I ran it, I wasn't enjoying it any more and it took over my life. It was a learning curve for me, but CC is a tough community and I just thought it was time for me to quit it and focus on what I want in life and my goals to be CD. With that said, in the past month, I have began to really recognize that Royal Caribbean Blog is a much friendlier community that I will continue to be part of. I have created a Google Spreadsheet Doc for the blog to find out info. Anyone here can go in and edit it with info that they know/find out. Let's get rid of all the cells saying "Unknown". Please don't tell CC. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Vys5ELSSDd0HISyzUEfOMXzbkPqDYWGEc2xyjDEd_P8/edit#gid=0

Posting my first topic as I finally created a profile. Needed to, as the first thing I do in the morning is check the RCblog. Recently retired and my wife and I are doing a B2B, 11 night, out of Sydney to NZ and then 11 night to South Pacific on Radiance in March/April of 2020. We are Diamond level so we know the basics. We are spending 5 nights precruise in the Rocks area of Sydney. Have a few questions to put out there. 1: we have same balcony cabin, with B2B do we need to disembark ship or are we assigned to a lounge to wait out boarding?, 2: On an 11 night, does menu repeat after 7 days? We will probably do some of the specialty restaurants especially on second cruise but wanting to plan out for possible packages. 3: Should we expect any extra perks from RC other than typical Diamond since we are doing B2B? 4:Any "must do" ideas for Sydney, NZ or South Pacific? 5: Anyone stayed at the Rendezvous Hotel in the Rocks area? I have already gotten lots of ideas online from different sights but wanted some other input. I know, lots of questions. Thanks in advance for any thoughts or ideas. DRLPP (Larry)

@Matt love you site. Thanks so much for doing it.

Great job @Joe01. Thanks for doing this. Glad you loved Symphony. And per your request, mum's the word for CC. @Matt, great idea from @JLMoran if you can do it.

Average water depths of 18' outside of the main channel would mean a lot of dredging. I bet there would be pretty significant opposition and legal challenges not to mention extreme cost to acquire land. Think of the crabs that would be lost. Just so some people can sail on a bigger cruise ship? It's a good thing many locals love Lady G.

It's not a bad plan at all, provided you aren't interested in a tour that gets you close to the glacier by some other means (i.e. kayaking). After going to Mendenhall Glacier Park, I realized it is quite easy to spend the entire day there just walking the many trails available. One note, our taxi driver immediately charged us park admission while in the taxi. When we got to the park, no one checked our tickets that we had paid. A friend took Lyft to the park and was not charged anything by either the driver nor the park. Kind of odd.

Liberty is newer. As to which is better, "better" is a subjective term. Liberty certainly has some features that Jewel does not (water slides, mini golf, Royal Promenade instead of a Centrum, etc). Some might argue the Jewel makes up for in intimacy and connection to the ocean what she lacks in whiz bang features.

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/shoreExcursions/product/detail/view.do?sourcePage=shorexByPort&ProductCode=AK60&DestinationCode=AUSTL

@Matt, any chance you can pin Joe01's specific post with the spreadsheet link, or maybe copy it into a new pinned post on the People Connect board? That will make it easier for folks to find and update it as they get info.

Thanks @Lovetocruise2002. I just wish that more of the folks on CC felt the same way. I'm not necessarily running the list here, but hoping that the Google Doc will allow everyone to add updates as they see fit. I know that you post on CC - please don't mention it to that thread.

I'm not sure about the specialty restaurants. We didn't have a lot of time between the time we boarded and muster. We went to our rooms and unpacked our bags by which time the horn blew for muster. We "mustered" and then went directly to the MDR. There was a pretty long line but we were seated pretty quickly. I don't think they were verifying times at that point - just looking to see if you had a reservation at or before the current time. For a specialty restaurant I think you made the right move....

When you walk over to Tracy's, by the entrance you can look over the half wall and see the HUGE crab legs. I didn't get a picture of the menu. We were only there for crab legs as that is my wife's favorite. You get 1 HUGE crab leg for $20 or you can buy a "bucket" of them. The crab legs were delicious. I also had the chowder which was good and root beer on tap which is a treat for me. I would do it again. There are no reservations. You order as you walk in and then find a place to sit. They bring you your order when it's ready. My brother-in-law heard that Tracy's is actually owned by RC (along with Diamond International?).

Thanks for all the great advice it is highly appreciated! We have decided to go to Key West. We found a glass bottom boat in Key Largo that we might give a shot on our way down. We will also go on an everglades tour. Overall we are sure it is gonna be a fantastic trip, only thing we are not looking forward to is the 10 hour flight from Denmark ?

On Oasis class ships it will be a limited selection of beer, wine, soda, and bottled water. As far as I'm aware on other classes nothing beverage wise is offered outside of the cocktail hour. Coffee/espresso machine is available all the time on any ship.

Yes Galveston Steve is absolutely correct and I should have noted not to eat at the national chains! Eat Local! I’ve driven to Galveston just to eat the shrimp and I’ve bought it right off the boats on occasion. As Steve says, the snapper is a great fresh daily option too (yum) and I’m partial to another local fave - fresh oyster stew made from plump gulf oysters with a shot of hot sauce. It’s thin and milk based and may not be available all year round. Steve can probably tell you when and where it’s best. (I’m an adventuresome eater.)

I've thought about that a bit. Understand Carnival will be buying (deal closes in August) the larger company that also owns the primary pier. That is why the railroad tracks run down right onto the pier - it's owned by the larger White Pass company. Most of the town itself is a national park, not owned by private companies. For some time now the White Pass railroad has established pricing based on what the market would bear. If they (in proxy Carnival) ramps up prices they'll likely not fill the train especially on days with no Carnival ships in port such as the day we shared the pier with Radiance. For days with Carnival ships in port, the train sells out now so why would Carnival lower prices for it's guests and leave money on the table? Charging other cruise lines more is a net zero to the bottom line and risks not selling out the train. I think the purpose of buying the company was more about securing berth space and in doing so the ability to guarantee prime docking in the long term. Contracts have been set for 2019 so it's likely going to be a few years before we see the impact of this acquisition.

Oh heavens! Thank you JLMoran! I completely misunderstood! I was thinking the ultimate beverage package, that would have been a price to jump on quickly!!

OP was asking specifically about Refreshment Package (no alcohol), which is a lot less (at least in the US). The lowest anyone has seen recently in the US for the Refreshment package is 18 USD/day, and that price usually shows up around sales like Fourth of July or Labor Day. A price of 32 USD (43.20 AUD) per day seems pretty high for the non-alcoholic package, but I checked and saw that Australia can charge a VAT; this could be having an effect on the overall price, if VAT has to be paid for all of the beverage packages. I tend to agree with @Neaxan and @Adriana; if your budget lets you buy it now, go ahead and do so as long as you have the option later on to cancel and re-purchase if a better sale price comes along.

That's kind of like asking "how much is a car?". It depends. Pricing per day varies based on traditional economics. During times of high demand, price is higher. During times of lower demand, pricing is lower. For example, when school is out of session and families tend to take vacations, prices are often higher because there is more demand. The 'shoulder season' for any market tends to be cheaper. An itinerary that looks very appealing will be a higher price compared to an itinerary that isn't as appealing. What type of cabin are you considering? A ship like Ovation has more balcony cabins and sometimes balconies are more affordable (on a relative basis). She also has a handful of solo cabins for people cruising alone and everything in between. Then there are suites including some that are two levels. Generally speaking cruises are the least expensive when they are first made available for booking. Waiting to book later can often be more costly. Each port charges fees and taxes which each guest must pay. A port intensive sailing will have higher port fees and taxes. A 12 night cruise with more sea days will likely have lower port fees and taxes. Combine all of these factors and it's very difficult to produce a meaningful 'average' cost per night even just looking at 12 night sailings.

Great advice @cruise-y! My favorites in Galveston are fresh Gulf Shrimp and Red Snapper. So good! My only caution is to ask the restaurants if the dish you are ordering is "fresh local seafood". There are some places on Galveston (Landry's Seafood for example) that are famous for seafood but most of what they serve is frozen or brought in from other areas. The restaurants I recommend in the original post do use fresh local seafood. Blvd Seafood for example serves shrimp and Red Snapper fresh from the docks every day (as @cruise-y points out above). Red Snapper at Blvd Seafood is one of my favorites. It's served with the "Gulf Wild" tag and you can enter the unique number from that tag at www.GulfWild.com to see when, where, and on what boat your fish was caught.

I'd probably go on an airboat everglades tour. If you are willing to drive and possibly not spend every night in Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, you can drive the keys to Key West and spend a night there. Its about a 3-4 hour drive but very pretty. So many options.

In Fort Lauderdale, spend an evening walking down Los Olas Blvd. Great spot there. South Beach in Miami never disappoints.

They actually have two locations in FLL. One is on North Federal Hwy. (I've never been to that one) and the other, the one next to Publix, is on Cordova Rd., even though you can see it off 17th St. Here it is on Google Maps. And yes, love that place. Great food, margaritas, and fried ice cream!!!

In Fort Lauderdale, there is a really good Mexican-style restaurant named La Bamba that both @Lovetocruise2002 and I really enjoyed on our separate trips. It's located in the same mall on 17th Street that has the Publix, right next door to the Embassy Suites. Really good food and awesome margaritas. For some reason Google Maps doesn't show it there, and the restaurant's web site says it's a different location in FLL, so hopefully they haven't moved since I went there in April. That same mall is also a stop on the Beach Line trolley bus, so you could hop on that and for $3 each, ride all day to the nearby beaches, Galleria Mall, and other places along the route, or change trolley lines and see some other parts of Fort Lauderdale. Could be a good way to spend a day in the area.

I knew about the complimentary food. We always embark before lunch. I paid my homage to Matt by having a kummelwick sandwich (or two) and washing it down with a lava flow (or three).

I was on the Oasis for the June 17th sailing in a loft suite so we ate in the coastal kitchen every evening. On formal night a couple in their 30s with young children were dressed in shorts and flip flops, they must have been star class because a genie was talking to them the whole meal. I dont dress up anymore for formal night so i had on slacks and a button up shirt. About 25% were in coats and ties, 50% in slacks and shirts and 25% in shorts. Last year on the Oasis we ate in the MDR and formal night about 50% in coats and ties, 25% in slacks and 25% in shorts. Basically dress how you feel the most comfortable and dont worry what the others are wearing.

Day 3 - Juneau. Arrived in port on time. Weather weas overcast and a bit chilly. We dressed in layers for our excursion for got whale watching and Mendenhall glacier (see initial post for exact excursion). We boarded the bus at the pier for a short ride (15-20 mins) to the dock where the whale watching boat was. Driver provided lots of info about Juneau and had to throw in the Sarah Palin line when we went past the the governor's mansion. (Must have heard that one a dozen times). Many bald eagles in the area and seen from the bus. Once on the boat it was a bit chilly as we stayed outside on the deck. We saw 3 different whales as well as sea lions, a sea otter, the Herbert glacier (my father-in-law's name!). Over all the boat ride was good although we only saw 1 whale "tale" and none jumping. From the pier dock we took the same bus over to Mendenhall glacier. it's about a 10-15 minute walk from the bus to the the viewing point for the glacier. Got some nice pictures and then my wife went to the visitor center while I walked the trail over to a beautiful waterfall. We got back to downtown Juneau around 2:30 and met up with my sister-in-law and her husband for crab legs at Tracy's. I also had the chowder and the root beer on tap, all of which was delicious. After lunch my brother-in-law were going to take the tram up to the top but it wasn't running :-(. Se we walked around Juneau before heading back to the ship and watched all the planes coming in and out between the cruise ships. One in particular looked like he was playing "chicken" with the Explorer of the Seas as it was headed right for it at take off and banked right before reaching the ship. We had dinner at the Windjammer this night - not bad - and then went to the show with the Radiance of the Seas dancers which was good. Whale watching boat from back of upper deck enclosed. There was a 3rd completely open deck. That's not me in the picture Whale fins. I missed the tale. Should have videoed! Herbert Glacier Seal Lions on the bouy that wouldn't let the pup up. Mendhenhall glacier and waterfall Biggest crab legs we've ever seen at Tracy's Explorer of the Seas next to us in Juneau!

Just completed a 7 day cruise on Oasis of the Seas. This was my 4th or 5th cruise with RC and I have Always had a wonderful experience. HOWEVER, when we arrived and first entered our cabin, I immediately tried the bed out as I had Been traveling all day and was exhausted. I noticed Very quickly that the bed felt different. I had Always slept like a baby on previous cruises, but this bed was very hard and extremely uncomfortable. I called upon our guest steward, and she explained to me that RC had recently removed ALL of their egg shell foam pillow tops. What she had to offer us was a mattress pad. When we returned to the room a few hours later, she had indeed set that up for us and while it was a small improvement, was no where near what I had Been accustomed too on RC Cruises. Needless to say, I was Miserable. I couldnt Sleep at all on this bed. I tossed And turned every night for 7 nights!!!!!! I don’t know why they removed these pillow toppers, but they have. At least on Oasis. We also noticed other things that were different on this cruise. Many corners being cut in different areas. No snacks in fridge, no bottled waters in room, or even upon request. You have to go downstairs and purchase bottled water. They will however provide ice daily. The food was good, as usual. The dining room is probably your best bet for meals. We made a reservation for Chops, and the night before, we realized that the steak and lobster being served in the dining room, is the very same served at Chops. Chops will charge you 55-60.00, where the dining room is only 25-35.00 extra. Makes sense to just go to dining room. The meals were very good. We stayed on the 14th floor which I do Not recommend. 15 is a public deck and all day and night you hear feet up and down the floor. Anyway, my reason for writing this was mainly the bed situation. I highly Recommend you bring your own pillow top if u have a bad back like me.

Then, I would suggest CasaBlanca Hotel, Hotel El Convento or La Terraza de San Juan. Always had great experiences in all three.