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Showing content with the highest reputation on 03/28/2019 in all areas

  1. mom2mybugs

    Lesson learned VOOM

    Lesson learned... Do not try to live blog on voom with one device and a 16 year old child. You might find that you type for a half hour, insert pics and then said 16 year old child will boot you off for the 90th time!!!!! We will be getting 2 devices when we go to Europe this summer on vision!!! Jane
    9 points
  2. In Labadee, my 19 yo, 15 yo and I participated in the Dragon Fire Flight Line. We have done Dragon's Breath Flight Line in the past and we were eager to try something new. The biggest difference between the two zip lines is the position going down. The Fire has one in a Superman prone position and in a seated position on the Breath line. While both were fun, we all agreed that the Dragon's Fire Flight Line was superior to the Dragon's Breath. We pre-booked this excursion in October for our March spring break on sale at $79 each. You can pay as much as $129 each. I find that the earlier booked, the more choices of times. The weight for this excursion if 75-275 lbs. If you are close to either end, I suggest you book earlier in the day as the wind may pick up in the afternoon and weight changes could occur. I also like booking early as we have time to spend the rest of the day at the beach. Minimum height is 48 inches and all participants need to wear strap sandals or shoes, shirt and shorts. I booked an 8:30 time and our ticket had a meeting time of 8:00. After signing a waiver, each of us was weighed and given a wristband. At 8:20, we boarded the truck to go up to the mountain. This is different than Dragon's Breath where you get your gear and head to the practice center. No practice on Fire! Up top, you notice the two different platforms. In a typical RC move, Fire is slightly longer than Breath however Fire only has 2 lines whereas Breath has 5. The line on the left is the Fire, on the right is the bridge to the Breath and you can see the fence for the uphill section of Dragon's Tail Coaster. Now we put on helmets and the gear. You are essentially hooked up to a mat (for a lack of better words) that starts at your upper chest and ends at your feet. Your arms are out and can move freely up, sideways or to your hips. The guide explains the 2 positions: Rocket with your arms at your hips or Superman arms out like at T. Landing position is to tuck your chin to your chest and cross arms. The guide will tell you which position based on your weight and break people into groups. Climb to the top of the platforms and here is the hardest part of the excursion: the trust fall! Logically, you know you are hooked up to the safety line as well as the back line but it is still scary to allow yourself to fall forward into position. Now your feet end are hooked up and you are actually quite comfortable. There is something about stepping off a platform that freaks me out and in this respect I prefer the Fire and Breath compared to land based zip lines as someone else starts you. No backing out once you are hooked up. All clear! 3-2-1 and I'm off flying like Superman over the trees and beautiful ocean. The landing was very smooth and smoother than the Breath line. There is a ladder to help get you down by unhooking your feet first and then your back. I was the last one down and done by 8:52. Overall it was an amazing ride! If you have done the Dragon's Breath before, try this as well! If you only choose one zipline, then I highly suggest the Fire!
    6 points
  3. First of all thank goodness everyone is fine. That’s part of what we should focus on. Unfortunate as it was for those who went through it, but at the end of the day everyone’s safety prevailed. What could have happened is irrelevant. Again and again I read about crew who responded and took care of passengers. To that end, SOLAS training and preparation worked. The positive side of this unfortunate incident is that all cruise lines will have an opportunity to learn from this. My understanding is that low oil warnings played a role. Now marine engine manufacturers and the crews maintaining ships can add this to their playbooks, learn and prepare. The most ideal outcome would have been to avoid it to begin with. Royal Caribbean has a full time Chief Meteorologist working for them, watching for potential events like this. His insight provides Royal bridge crews with invaluable data to make informed decisions. Im surprised more cruise lines don’t follow Royal’s lead to have a similar resource in house and available to all the ships in the fleet.
    6 points
  4. BethSD

    When is your next cruise?

    Jewel of the Seas June 18, 2020 - Ultimate Scandinavia & Russia - to celebrate my daughter's high school graduation! We are super excited!
    3 points
  5. Thank you!, I'm pretty sure it will wrap around me then.... at least at the beginning of the cruise before all that food:)
    3 points
  6. Matt

    The Key. Worth it?

    Exactly. As far as I can tell, there are certain veteran cruisers who feel the benefits of The Key should be given to them for their loyalty. Nevermind the fact they get some of The Key benefits already, plus a dedicated lounge, complimentary alcoholic beverages, discounts galore, etc.
    3 points
  7. Andrew72681

    The Key. Worth it?

    That’s the part I don’t get, even though I fly for business every week, I don’t get upset with the person who paid for the first class upgrade and then I don’t get a free upgrade. Would a diamond member get upset with a first time cruiser who books a star class suite and gets seating held at shows?
    3 points
  8. Oh man.....id typed out a lengthy post yesterday but for some reason, it's not here. Gggrrrrr... ok.....the short strokes......Noumea was not our best port of call. We got off the boat with the intent of taxi'ing to the aquarium. Taxis hard to come by, it's hot, kids are whining to go back to the ship, so back we go, after spending money to exchange currency twice (from and then back to Australian dollars). Returned to find happy anniversary decorations and chocolate cake and a couple of small gifts from Luciano. Not our anniversary, but hubby thought it would be fun to celebrate a few months early. sailing out of Harbour was gorgeous. chefs table with a group of fellow star class cruisers, then to the Freddie Mercury impersonator show which was pretty decent. Children from another family joined up with ours for a pizza party in suite. Silly amounts of food provided by Luciano and their genie, Lisa (pronounced leeza). this am, we did the Escape Room, and solved the puzzle with a whopping 46 seconds left! This was celebrated with a round of bumper cars (sore neck now) and we have our fourth skydive this afternoon at 2. 4:30 is a cocktail party which we received a printed invitation for, in the royal loft suite.....think we are scheduled for the mdr for dinner tonight, tho we probably won't be hungry for it after the party. sitting in Jamie's right now, enjoyed the red pepper soup......the restaurant also has patio dining out on the deck (see photo).
    3 points
  9. jce2

    Glacier Bay

    The National Parks Department awarded the next set of 10-year licenses for Glacier bay.....And RC got one! It is believed the leases take effect this October. It will be interesting how RC uses this. I am on Radiance next June and won't be surprised if our itinerary changes to include it (probably at the cost of losing Icy Strait Point ;( ) https://www.nps.gov/glba/learn/news/glacier-bay-issues-new-contracts-for-cruise-ship-services.htm
    2 points
  10. I got hubby's credit card again. He saw the food on @Lovetocruise2002 blog, and said YES!!!!.
    2 points
  11. A "cruise" already offers theme park experience....it's called DISNEY WORLD & DISNEY CRUISES!!
    2 points
  12. I don't think this is something that would really take off considering that in Florida you have all the theme parks. What could RCCL offer in a theme park that Universal, Seaworld or Disney can't?
    2 points
  13. I forwarded email to my TA as well letting her know that I did send directly to Club Royale who handles the MyVegas vouchers. In your case, forward the email with the vouceher code to the TA and they can contact Club Royale. The key is that you need to use the voucher code within 14 days of receiving it and apply it to a cruise within 30 days of booking. You do not need to have the voucher before or at the time you book. Like I mentioned - I booked the cruise, then cashed the points for the voucher and then sent the email to Club Royale (not ROyal). In your case you send the voucher to the TA and they send it or call Club Royale. To be honest, there is no reason to have the TA do it - they don't gain anything nor do you from involving them IF you use it for OBC. If you are suing it for upgrades or something else then definitely consult with the TA before you book the cruise and let them know what you are thinking about. I've only used it for OBC so far....
    2 points
  14. SLJ

    The Key. Worth it?

    Thank you @Matt ! By the way, I JUST came across your Youtube channel. (Yes, I know, a little late to the party). So I binge watched a lot of your videos and now I'm all prepared for my first cruise on Allure in May. So thank you thank you!!!
    2 points
  15. I always dread the tendering - my patience could fit into a thimble so waiting for the mass of people to board is past tedious (especially if I am on a tight schedule). I had been dreading the possibility of that for Coco Cay in May so I hope this will lead to a happier morning that day for me!
    2 points
  16. By the way , That is why , or I write the content on another file and just copy paste it or before pushing the save button I do copy to the content so if I lose the internet I can still submit it once its back . but yes , heaving two device is always better ?
    2 points
  17. No. The Wowbands can not be used to get on or off the ship. There’s no where to scan them, and the traditional sea pass cards need to be scanned. Also, you’ll find it cumbersome to use the Wowband at some of the bars as you have to take it off and hand it to the bartender so they can scan it on their end. Think of it more as being in addition to a seapass card instead of replacing it.
    2 points
  18. I always figure I can sit in a boring hotel room or sit right next to the ship. I’ll always pick the ship.
    2 points
  19. Great. Thank you. Think we're going to give Brilliance a try.
    2 points
  20. coneyraven

    Freedom Amp'd

    Actually, you're seeing the bottom of a photo on my screen saver ..... I just have Cruise photos rotating .... keeps me focused on the next one. The one you're referring to was by far the BEST Costume last Halloween on Grandeur.
    2 points
  21. Most boring blog ever... Days 2 and 3 lol So my life these days was get up early, grab chairs in the protected solarium, cry over the rain and clouds and cheer when the sun finally peeked out. We went to Giovanni's for dinner and it was excellent! My daughter's vegetarian gnocchi was great and they made her an extra dish of pasta and vegetables. My husband and I split the risotto and fillet... The fillet was cooled perfectly and I loved the risotto... Though it was pretty salty. Night 2 we had no theater plans so after Giovanni's the teen split and Jeff and I wandered the ship. We are loving vintages and the singer in the pub, but the guy in the schooner isn't our favorite. The best thing ever was the 80s dance party at dazzles! No pics because I was too busy dancing! So much fun in there. Night 3 we saw mamma Mia and it was great! Loved it. We headed to the main dining room after that for mtd. Our service was the best we have had in a long time. My food was great and I tried the lamb for the first time... @WAAAYTOOO I thought of you because I thought I remembered your husband likes it. It was the best cut off meat I've had in the mdr in a very long time. My steak Diane was also great, but Jeff's cut off meat (the regular steak) wasn't great. After that we roamed the ship and were surprised how many bars closed at 12. That catches me sorta up...on to day 4 lol Jane
    2 points
  22. I reached out to the head of RC Food and Beverage. There is no change in the policy and milk shakes are still included, provided you pay the cover charge to dine there. Unfortunately, some crew members are misinformed. Best you can do is speak to a manager at JR about it.
    2 points
  23. michelle

    Azamara to Cuba

    Absolutely loved Cuba and Azamara. I think what surprised me the most was the ease of the VISA process. When we got to the Pier in Miami, FL we had to fill out a form indicating if we had a tour booked with the cruise line, private tour operator, or independent guide. Once we filled this out, they gave us a blank VISA to fill out with our room key> If you have never been on Azamara, the check in process is a breeze and the port itself is so quiet and calm, Bonus of a smaller ship> Anyway - your account is charged, $75 for the Visa and be careful filling it out because if you mess it up, they charge you to get a new one. The morning we got to Cuba, we disembarked at leisure, right into the terminal and They good our VISA and stamped the passport, and let us go on our way> There is a money exchange right there, so I changed about $100 for ease to buy things. I did right outside of the ship in old town see some places taking US$ in smaller gift stores but they do not offer change, and most do not take $$> Getting back to the ship we just had to do a security screen, as usual. ON Day 2, I walked right off the ship, and right through security to Cuba without having a tour booked an was able to just walk around old town. NOT sure if this is just Azamara that allows this but it was nice just to walk around for 4-5 hours and see places in the downtown area.
    1 point
  24. Sabrina Put Me In For This One. My Last Time On Enchantment Before She Leaves Port Canaveral .My Sailing Leaves April The 15.
    1 point
  25. Could this potentially be the second "Perfect Day" location? Not sure if there is an airport near there but could it potentially be a "home port" with cruises leaving from there but including pre or post cruise stays?
    1 point
  26. Exactly my point. I'm curious to see what RCCL has up their sleeves that will really make me go "WOW"!!
    1 point
  27. It's not what they can offer that those you mentioned already offer...it's the fact that a "Cruise" can offer a theme park experience, with smaller, limited crowds, as part of its itinerary.
    1 point
  28. Even though I mentioned earlier that I had my TA do it, I wholeheartedly agree with this having seen how easy it was. I genuinely felt silly asking her to do such a simple task once I realized that I would have been able to do it myself in literally 30 seconds. For future OBC uses I will definitely just handle this myself by forwarded the redemption code to Club Royale along with my reservation information.
    1 point
  29. Thanks again @AshleyDillo!!
    1 point
  30. bcarney

    Port of Tampa

    In regards to driving, I've found the port at Tampa one of the easiest to get to while driving, even better than Baltimore. I'll be down there for a Rhapsody sailing on Saturday. ?
    1 point
  31. CGTLH

    Coffee Machines

    Coffee maker is a single serving Mr. Coffee brand. Uses a filter style pad (think a round disk that is a filter pouch). Isn't anything fancy that uses K-Cups, Nespresso pods, or Lilly pods.
    1 point
  32. Matt

    The Key. Worth it?

    Yes. I have two kids, 8 and 4. Did not pay for the 4 year old but she was included with benefits.
    1 point
  33. I sent a message to Royal Caribbean’s Facebook account and they said that milkshakes are included with the beverage package on Navigator. I’m not sure that matters because I am not going to spend my cruise arguing on the ship over a milkshake if they tell us no.
    1 point
  34. I hope this doesn't make me sound like a jerk and I'm not jinxing my cruise next week, but I sort of breathe a sigh of relief when I hear about problems on another ship. I feel like it cuts down on the possibility something will go wrong on mine too, statistically speaking. ?
    1 point
  35. I am following your advice next week. I might be able to go STAR Class. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
    1 point
  36. twangster

    The Key. Worth it?

    Check out this recent blog post from @Matt who runs this site: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2019/03/26/royal-caribbeans-the-key-worth-it
    1 point
  37. Thanks, Matt. You are AWESOME !!
    1 point
  38. When we on Ovation sailing to Australia from Singapore we usually had the same wait staff for breakfast as they normally sat you in the same area. They knew exactly what to bring each day and there was always time for a chat. We gave those guys a tip at the end of the cruise. I don't remember whether they were the same people at night, but we didn't tip them at night. I don't think you even get a docket where you could add a tip so would need cash to do so.
    1 point
  39. suna

    Boarding Time Confusion

    I received the same email about my serenade cruise earlier this month and I arrived at the terminal at 10h30am. I was onboard at 10h55.
    1 point
  40. Matt

    Introduce yourself!

    Welcome Ellen!
    1 point
  41. Welcome Ellen
    1 point
  42. As long as you have the cruise line reservation number, you should be able to access your cruise planner to book all your dining etc.
    1 point
  43. I looked it up and it was basically a party group. It was called the Dream Weekend Cruise - I went to their webpage on my work computer and now wish I had not. There was a lot of skin showing in the photos from their events. Curious parties have been warned!
    1 point
  44. It's the first time it's been this significant. I'm not a lightweight but my husband is and he and I both weren't buzzed until we drank a glass of wine. Which ok, I'm not trying to be a spring breaker but.... Jane
    1 point
  45. Cruise day 1 on board! We were on the ship by 11ish! First MAJOR complaint is that when I immediately went to do the BOGO, they said 3 restaurants only... Giovanni's, samba grill or sabor. They flat out refused to give us Central Park 150. I was furious as I had gone over every bit of fine print. There was availability... It wasn't that. They just wouldn't include the restaurant. I will not buy the BOGO again... If I'd known that I would have bought the ultimate dining when it was hugely discounted. It didn't start off the cruise well, and I will slam it in the review, but nothing we could do. He did give us a 20 percent off for 150 later but that really doesn't help that much... We didn't want that many specialities or wed have done the pkg. Anyway on to better... Lunch at Park Cafe was wonderful! Lava flow and kummelwick Our bags were in the hall waiting when we went to our room at 115. The room has a ton of shelving space and we have no trouble at all fitting 3 people's stuff. The room will be a bit snug when we are all in it but it won't be bad. Here are pics: We unpacked, Jeff took a nap and then we did muster and sailaway. We watched from the boardwalk behind the aqua theater Dinner was at sabor and it was all over the place. Parts of dinner were amazing... The beef empanadas for example were incredible and my daughter's vegetarian tacos were quite good. But the cobia tacos were meh (and I loved them on freedom) and the bacon/chicken peppers were easy overcooked. Unfortunately our service was awful... The server was new, didn't know the menu and had no idea how to pace the meal. It was really disappointing. This also leads me to the drinks and the drink pkg. I had 3 margaritas at sabor because I wanted to try them. Each one I couldn't taste any tequila at all... And since I'm not a huge tequila fan I was very aware. I watched the blue Hawaiian sailaway drink made and he didn't even put a whole shot of kracken in. It's irrelevant because we have the drink pkg but it was really noticable that the drinks were weak. I've never ever noticed that on my 4 other Royal sailings. So just an observation...we will see how the rest of the cruise goes. We are freezing in the solarium! We have a 1015 aqua theater show but I'm not sure if it will happen since it is very windy. And, lol, I will see if we manage to stay awake that long! Looking forward to Sunshine tomorrow and just a day of laying in the sun! Jane
    1 point
  46. Thank you for this!
    1 point
  47. Day 5 (I think?) Bonaire! Such a beautiful day today. We docked about 8:30, and the captain gave us the all clear right at 9am We were the second ship in port today, the first was the old Monarch We decided to rent a couple scooters for the day and just tour the island on our own. Turned out to be a fantastic idea! The guy we rented from was awesome, picked us up at the port and took us to two brand new (in November) Yamaha scooters. These are the bigger models that you actually have to have a motorcycle endorsement on your license to ride. My wife and I are both endorsed, and decided to get our own, instead of riding tandem. We set off to see the sights! The beauty in these islands just amazes me the shape of the corals that have washed onshore and now line the shore are just incredible Saw some incredible kite surfing down at the south end We rode the whole south end of the island, and stopped back in Kralendijk to grab some lunch, and then headed north We stopped at 1000 steps and went down and got in the water with our snorkels. Wow! After the snorkeling, we were beat and decided to head back. After stopping for fuel (and putting in a whopping $2.48 between the two bikes) We got back to the rental shop about 3:30 and he took us back to the port where we walked around for a little bit and then headed back on the ship. We hadn’t had a chance to catch the Iskate show yet, so we headed down to studio B to take it in. I was a bit skeptical walking in, but then the show started and I was hooked! Tonight’s dinner was the Windjammer, and then up to the room. We are beat and want to get some good sleep before we hit Curaçao tomorrow!
    1 point
  48. MarvinS

    MEI Travel

    Another +1 for @michelle. Absolutely great to work with!!!
    1 point
  49. Todd W

    MEI Travel

    I second @michelle, she's had my first reservation with MEI for almost two years now (leaving in 41 days) and has my second which i booked with her about a year ago, leaving April 2020. I've in the works on a few more which she will definitely handle for me as well. Very personable and has been able to rebook my reservations to save me money and/or get me more OBC. Many folks here on the blog us her along with others at MEI. While I'm biased since she's the only one i've used, I would venture to say you can't go wrong with anyone at MEI
    1 point
  50. Deck 7 corner aft on Voyager and Freedom class are also outstanding cabins. The room is standard size but the balcony is about as large as the room. Great view out the side.
    1 point
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