KWong

7 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Oh....that seafood looks delicious.  Even at 0100 hours.  Enjoying your blog very much.  

Thanks! One year, we did a road trip out to Maine/Boston. Did a side trip out to Cape Cod and had some amazing fried clam bellies. I'm kind of surprised that places stick with clam strips instead of the whole clam, but maybe Sysco doesn't supply breaded whole clams?

40 minutes ago, NerdDad said:

Have a great cruise! Glad it all worked out after all the charterizing. Excited to read along!

All the chartering was funny in a way. And realistically, I can't complain about effectively having my gratuities covered by the cruise line.

 An HK-Brit. Nice!

I'm HK-Canadian myself. My wife is actually Chinese-Vietnamese who was raised in Birmingham, so her accent is similar, albeit more Brummy than Scouse.

Also, I've subscribed.

2 hours ago, Va4fam said:

Perhaps we should have been more proactive with the issue.   Had hoped between the father interaction, guest services, and common courtesy, the situation would have been resolved.  Lesson learned.

Unfortunately it was the only real blemish on our Holiday cruise (and the 2 other cabins that were also subject to noise).     I wonder if RCI will take our guest survey comments and reach out to us or if they use it strictly for feedback.

What you did really should've been the end of it. Unfortunately you got saddled with some unsavory types.

Day 0 - Travel Day

As many people do, we tend to get to the port city the day before the cruise. There have been a couple of exceptions, but overall we’d rather pay for a night at a hotel than be concerned over potential delays flying in the day of.

Being Canadians with fairly frequent travel to the US, we’ve invested in the NEXUS pass, which grants us expedited entry between Canada and the US as well as Global Entry and TSA precheck. And flying out of Toronto Pearson, it’s well worth the cost - I’d estimate that on a busy day it saves at least 45 minutes, and maybe 15 minutes on a light day. Bottom line, if you’re Canadian and fly out of an airport with US pre-clearance, it might be the best $50USD you’ll spend on an airplane-related item.

Back on topic, flying the day before meant that we were flying on New Year’s Day. No big deal for us, as we simply haven’t been big New Year’s Eve partygoers after having kids. There is the nice bonus of not having to deal with any sort of traffic.

Bag drop, customs and the flight were all uneventful. We did notice a bit of a line for folks looking to preclear customs (several Canadian airports have a US departures area complete with CBP officials, so that we don’t have to go through customs when we arrive) but with the NEXUS cards, we were through in about 10 minutes.

After arrival and baggage claim, we took a taxi over to our hotel, the Hyatt Place 17th Street. We’ve stayed at this hotel a few times now, not necessarily out of brand loyalty but because the prices are usually quite good, via a dodgy-looking third party website. It’s also close to a variety of restaurants and shops, in case you forgot something or need to buy wine.

Speaking of which, we effectively checked in, dropped our stuff off in the room, and went to eat a late lunch/early dinner. Based on our experience a couple of years ago, we headed to Kelly’s Landing, which specializes in New England-style seafood. And considering that it was New Year’s Day, with no Boston-related games on, at 3 in the afternoon, the place was quite busy. We ate quite a bit of fried stuff – calamari (my younger one is a sucker for this. Every time, every place), Ipswich clams, crab cakes and clam chowder (or is that chowdah?). The clams for me were the highlight, as they were full bodied clams that were fried very nicely.

After that bit of gluttony, we shopped at Ross and TJ Maxx because my girls didn’t bring any fancy(ish) shoes. And in fairness, Hannah, my older one, had outgrown all of hers so this was not an unexpected occurrence. We managed to find some nice shoes, bought some water and some ibuprofen from Publix and it was back to the hotel for a nap.

 After the nap, the kids were a bit peckish so I went to a nearby takeaway to grab some American-style lo mein. And also to get some wine for the trip.

 After this, the kids went to bed, and I did a little reorganizing to get ourselves ready for embarkation day.

Had something similar happen to us on a previous cruise. Neighbours were nice but LOUD around 11pm when the (then) little ones were trying to sleep (I think they were video chatting with someone). I asked nicely once to please keep it down and when it didn't stop I went to guest services. They sent a team to listen and confirm the noise. I could still hear them afterwards but it was noticeably toned down. So that was fine for us  

In your scenario I think your options are basically talk to the hotel director or keep going to guest services. Not sure what else you could peacefully do with noisy kid neighbours on-board. 

Thanks!

So long as the gratuities go to the crew and not to the cruise lines I'm ok with an increase.

On 1/1/2020 at 6:38 PM, ChrisK2793 said:

I’d honestly prefer if they just charged a few hundred dollars more per person for the cruise and PAID THE CREW BETTER  ....... then you could tip the people you wanted to tip what you felt they deserved ............ i already just treat the “prepaid gratuities” as part of the cruise fare and then also generously tip the people who I come in contact with that deserve it.

 

I've often wondered about how the crew salary is broken down. Do they pay the crew a normal salary but then garnish room, board and meals? Or is it low like a restaurant server but with room, board and meals included?

At the end of the day, it doesn't and won't affect how I tip (I budget for a little "over and above" the going rate anyway) but it is a genuine curiousity on my part.

This is why I've never played the craps table on board. With 1x odds on my $5/10 bets it's not worth my time. 

On 1/3/2020 at 12:15 PM, JLMoran said:

Interesting. I thought I saw most / all of the adapted anime from that time period when I was growing up, but I clearly missed one.  The big ones from the 70s/early 80s for me as a kid were Battle of the Planets (originally Gatchaman), Star Blazers (orig Space Battleship Yamato), Robotech Macross Saga, and Speed Racer.

I was only active on Usenet for a couple of years in college as I recall, and then only for a few of the alt.rec forums around RPG groups and such. By the time I was using the internet regularly, Usenet was kind of on the way out and AOL was fast becoming the place to go. 

Definitely Battle of the Planets and Robotech for me, although as a kid I was confused when Rick and Minmei disappeared and they switched to the Masters and New Generation episodes.

Was also a big fan of Transformers. Probably makes sense, right?

It's actually from an anime from the late 70's/early 80's. It was called Getter Robo G in Japan but adapted over here as Starvengers. 

I started using the handle on Usenet, if you can believe it. 

They might be entirely booked, yeah. Those spots go pretty quickly it seems.

16 hours ago, diana melendrez said:

Hello everyone, I will be sailing the 2nd of January on the Independence of the Seas. Im pretty excited but have a couple questions! also, if any of you has any type of advice/tip ill be more than happy to read you. 

so 1. I have been reading about the dress codes and I wanted to know if for dinner (My time dining), is it really not allowed to wear shorts or unsleeved shirts? if so, are skirts allowed? 

and 2. what do you recommend to do while at the stops ( in Cozumel and George Town)

3. What restaurants are included (on the ships initial fare)? 

4. Can I order drinks like lemonades, water, etc at bars? or just alcoholic drinks can be found?

thanks. As said before, even if you don't have the answer to these questions id be happy to receive any suggestion in regard to the cruising experience!! 

 

 

I'm on this cruise!

1. Skirts, summer dresses, sleeveless blouses should all be fine. I'm not sure about shorts, but as mentioned above it does get a little chilly in the MDR for dinners, so I wear long pants.

2. Grand Cayman I'm doing a Stingray excursion and Cozumel I'm planning on going to Paradise Beach, since most of the day resorts will be closed. If you have zero plans for Grand Cayman you can take a taxi to Seven Mile Beach and just relax there.

3. MDR, Windjammer, Sorrentos (Pizza), Cafe Promenade (snacks)... Solarium? Not sure about the last one

4. I'm not sure if the bars have complimentary drinks outside of water. You can certainly order a Coke if you'd like.

On 4/13/2019 at 8:28 AM, tiny260 said:

The point is that it can't be checked in with the porters.

Having seen the care with which the porters outside the terminal treat the bags, I'm not sure you want to leave it in checked baggage anyway.

I liked Nachi Cocum in Cozumel. Very quiet, very few kids - my girls were disappointed about that.

Trying out Paradise Beach (probably) on my Indy cruise. If I go, I'll report back.

Costa Maya, we took a taxi to Tropicante bar/restaurant on the main beach strip. Zero complaints about the service. Owner Steve is from Arizona and seems like a nice guy. Water was a pleasant temperature, but seaweed was everywhere. They try to minimize the amount around but it's a bit of a losing battle. I feel bad for the owners along the strip - the stuff is coming from somewhere else and they do what they can.

Roatan is beautiful. We did one of Royal's sightseeing tours which did not result in as much sights as I wanted, but we got some great views on the hilltops and in the West End.

I've done a few posts already, but figured I'd formally introduce myself.

I'm Kevin, and I also go by "starvenger" or "starvenger88" on other boards. I am a Hong Kong Canadian currently living in the Toronto area with my wife and 2 girls, and we love to travel! Not just cruises, but resorts and various places across North America and Europe. 

Hopefully I can provide some entertaining and informative posts for you.

I haven't had Jamie's on a ship, but they have a couple locations in Toronto, and I've eaten there. It's fine, but a little more casual than Giovanni's. Nothing wrong with the food in either, but I'd say Giovanni's is better because they're trying to make their food a little more upscale, whereas Jamie's is a little simpler, a little more accessible. Which is on brand for a Jamie Oliver property, but perhaps not great for something you're paying a bit extra for (unless you've got the dining package).

I've definitely experienced hangover regret in my lifetime. Thankfully never on a boat.

12 hours ago, Newvoyager said:

Secondly is there a place to watch the stars on the boat (symphony specifically)? Like I figure if we're out in the middle of the ocean, there would be less noise pollution, so it could make pretty nice to do if there are clear skies, or at least somewhere quiet to relax at night?

If you've got an Oceanview balcony, that's perfect. If not, the pool deck would be good. If the Boardwalk isn't lit up, then the Deck 7 area by the climbing walls might offer a nice view as well.

12 hours ago, Newvoyager said:

Are there generally young adults(18-25) on the cruise( symphony departure in January)? My perception is that, usually cruises are meant for an older age group, but I could be ill-informed.

I think you'll find a wide age range of people on board Symphony. If you do a Facebook search you might find a group doing meetups.

Theme nights - I'd probably email guest services and see if they know.

Other tips:

- Bring cash for tipping at the ports.

- If you have purchased the drink package, TAKE IT EASY on Day 1. You don't want to spend Day 2 and maybe 3 with a hangover. 

- Also, don't purchase the drink package on board, unless you can finagle a much better price than what they're listing.

- Don't try to do everything. You won't be able to. 

I think any one of the hotels in that 17th street cluster will suit your needs. I prefer the Hyatt Place myself - rooms are for 4, but could easily fit 8 - and like Embassy Suites and Holiday Inn Express it's close to a large cluster of restaurants, plus a Publix, Total Wine, Ross and Dollar Store for those "I forgot to pack" options. And wine. Price is $130/night in the late spring/summer if you go through a 3rd party site (don't know what board policy is on mentioning other sites, so not naming it here).

All of these places are a short taxi/Uber ride away from port. No shortage of those going around the area on cruise mornings.

23 hours ago, 1978bucketlist said:

We start trip at 2 o’clock after work on 12/31. Will met daughter and granddaughter on January 1 and fly from Baltimore on January 2. As you can see I’m beyond excited. YOLO has special meaning to me. I have been in remission for 2 years.

Great to hear you are in remission. We had a scare back in 2016 with my MiL but like you she made it through.

Enjoy your cruise! I'm sure it will be a great one!

Nice!

I've done 3 trips on Allure, 1 on Harmony and an upcoming cruise on Symphony. Only 1 DCL trip but it was fun. Also 1 trip on the old Regal Princess (now Pacific Dawn).

Oasis class is quite different from DCL's Dream class but once you adjust to the different style of ship you'll enjoy it.

So a while back I started posting my cruise reports on the DISboards. And I figured that since I'm trying to be more active here that I might try and to a little cross posting. Hope you enjoy!

(Note: When I do these things I write. A lot. I try to inject humour (and pics/gifs) into what amounts to a very long essay, and that seems to break up the monotony.)

Usually, my go-to cruise time is in the summer. Given that I have kids, this makes sense, as I don’t have to deal with any issues associated with missing class during the semester. And yet, here I am, doing a pre-cruise post about a cruise in January. Why? Well, there’s a long story associated with taking this cruise.

On my last cruise, part of a restroom ended up on top of my wife’s foot. While not serious (my wife might disagree), Royal did express concern - consistently - for the rest of the trip. They offered a few incentives to my wife, who decided not to accept any of them. But, at the end of our cruise, they gave us future cruise certificate of roughly $450 CDN to apply to another cruise. So after some clarification as to how the application worked (they agreed that we simply needed to apply the certificate to a cruise prior to the 1 year expiry date), we booked a 4 night Navigator of the Seas cruise out of Miami for January 2020.

Now, you’ll notice that the title of this report says Independence, not Navigator. And that is because in early January 2019 we received the bad news that our cruise had been chartered. For the “Friendship Festival Cruise”, which appears to be an EDM (Electronic Dance Music) festival. We were given the option of moving to the cruise immediately following, but being a bit wary of boarding after a charter cruise, we decided to book Independence for a 5 night out of Fort Lauderdale instead. For rebooking, we received $200 OBC + $75 based on the booking offers at the time.

Ordinarily, you’d think that this would be the end of it, but in March my TA sent me an email saying that my Independence cruise had been chartered - this time for “70,000 Tons of Metal”. Which is an amazing name for a theme cruise, so kudos to them.

This time, the offer allowed us to rebook to a 5 night preceding the metal cruise, and given that this fit our schedule better (kids only miss a couple of school days), we decided to take it. As with the previous cancellation, we received an additional $200 OBC. $475 in OBC is a lot, even after you subtract gratuities from that amount.

Hopefully nothing else delays or cancels this trip. Like, say, 12 inches of snow.

Ahem. Moving on.

Flights
As per usual, I start looking at flights once I get my cruise booked or they become available, whichever comes last. So I suppose it’s fortunate that I hadn’t booked a flight at the time of cancellations, although I would’ve gotten a change fee credit from Royal if I had booked flights. But the less paperwork the better.

The interesting part about the flights to FLL from Toronto was that departures were cheaper on New Year’s Eve (would be a 2 night stay in Florida) than New Year’s Day (1 night stay). Conversely, hotels were more expensive on New Year’s Eve. Go figure. So it was a bit of a dilemma, but this was resolved in part by my starting a new job, and not having any vacation for the end of year. And thus, we are leaving New Year’s Day, and just staying the one night before the cruise.

Hotels
I’m currently booked at one of the more popular cruise hotels, Hyatt Place 17th Street. As usual, I booked via Valuetrips, although the discount at this time of year is not as large as it is in the summer. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a better deal, but the proximity to various restaurants, shops, grocery stores and Port Everglades made it an appealing place to stay.

Excursions
The cruise has two stops - Grand Cayman and Cozumel.

We’ve been to Grand Cayman once, off Disney Fantasy, and it was a fun beach day along seven mile. Well except for the part where my brother went into the water with his phone in his pocket. Good times.

This time around, we are doing something we wouldn’t normally do - swimming with stingrays. After doing my research, I decided to sign up with the well regarded Stingray Sailing and their sister company, Cayman Eco Adventures. Both appear to be focused on small tours (max 25 people) and being kind to the rays, which seems quite appealing to me.

For Cozumel, we currently have no plans. With only one other boat docked with us, We will probably try out Paradise Beach, since they have a low entry fee and a $10pp minimum food charge.

Onboard
Neither my wife nor I are big drinkers, and as a result the drink package isn’t something that provides a lot of value for us. The argument could be made that one could also find value by purchasing coffees, juices and bottled water in addition to alcoholic beverages. And you’d be right, but here’s the thing - without the package there isn’t much incentive to buy bottled water or fresh squeezed juices. Coffee… well, maybe, and to that end I’ve purchased the coffee card, as we can take that with us onto Symphony in the summer if there are still unused credits. 

We did purchase the photo package (Black Friday discount). Hopefully I’ll be able to include some of the shots, but time will tell.

Boarding will be a different experience. I checked in via the app, and thus have Expedited Arrival privileges. It will be my first time with this, and I’m excited to try this out.

Our room is a 1D Oceanview Balcony. We will be right by the “bump” on the ship so I expect some of our peripheral view to be a bit obstructed but we shall see. I did put in a RoyalUp bid for a Suite, at the minimum cost, and we’ll see if that’s accepted. It be nice if it was, but I'm not counting on it.

For now, it’s less than one week until we get on that plane. Can't wait.

I noticed that at Cozumel most of the beach clubs are closed on Sundays. Is there anything besides Paradise Beach that is available for "walk-ins"?

It would only be 12 - my parents are past the point of hooting and hollering. 

Thanks for the info. I'll likely stick with my original plan then. Probably get the water for the girls and drag some loungers under a tree or something.

When you make the purchase you'll have the option of using OBC or a credit card.