OCSC Mike

31 minutes ago, Traveling Mike said:

This seems to help figure out what room you are in before they release it.  Someone on my September cruise pointed it out to us and it worked for everyone on the thread.  In the RCL App take your boarding pass and save it in the iPhone wallet.  Then look down in the barcode and you will see a long number with a dash then a 4- or 5-digit number.  That number is your room cabin.  

That's the bar code trick described above.

9 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

I finally gave this a shot (not a guarantee cabin) so I can see what you describe.  Awesome!  
I have a GTY suite next year. Can’t wait to use this hack

Just be aware that you can occasionally get the dreaded "GTY" instead of your cabin number although that has never happened to me (yet).

13 minutes ago, twangster said:

There is a barcode trick that can reveal your cabin number from the set sail pass barcode.  Varies iPhone vs. Android.

If you use an iPhone, simply add the set sail pass to your Apple wallet. Numbers will appear below the bar code. The numbers to the right of the dash represent your cabin.

If Android, simply scan the bar code with a QR scanner. (This works for iPhone too, the Apple wallet is just easier.)

NOTE: You have to wait to get your official assignment to ask to switch as twangster mentioned above, don't bother trying after using the bar code trick.

I like the chicken sandwich how it comes but one hack is to order it plain with mozzarella sticks on the side... then put the mozz sticks and marinara on top for a chicken parm sandwich.

Desserts...

1. As much funnel cake as you can eat.

2. Another hack... Get 2 cookies from one of the buffets and take them to the ice cream machine to make an ice cream sandwich.

13 minutes ago, Matt said:

it is not unheard of for the temperature to drop into 70s at times

Sending native Floridians to put on jeans and coats, lol.

Cococay in the 70's sounds beautiful to me... hell, going there in the summer is a nice break from the mid-90's here, especially with the ocean breeze.

Depends what you care about... view, motion, being closer to areas you frequent, etc.

This is personal preference. We stopped getting balconies b/c we hardly ever use them and our location preference is to be closest to the areas we utilize the most.

51 minutes ago, dmattinson said:

Have you tried Daniel's on E Plant St in Winter Garden?

Heard that from everyone for many years and yet somehow never made it there... that's obviously on me, especially since I live very close to Winter Garden.

On 8/17/2022 at 8:58 PM, RCIfan1912 said:

We want to come back in like January or February. It was a little too hot for my wife. She burns very, very beyond easily and bad. We sunscreened up and she is still burnt up a crisp. Sunscreen twice.

I don't tan, I burn. Can't stand being super hot either. UPF protective rash guard, lots of sunscreen, always under an umbrella... and the underwater pool benches that are in the shade b/c of the trees in the middle island make it very enjoyable for me as someone who avoids the sun.

I lived in MontCo, Abington/Jenkintown area. Wife grew up in Bucks, Richboro area, not far from Newtown. Went to Sesame Place in Langhorne as a kid of course. All our parents grew up in the Northeast.

The bar for cheesesteaks here is understandably low, lol, but not Cococay low. Can find passable ones but nothing any of us would consider "good." I've found places that actually import Amoroso rolls... then their meat is awful. Found a deli owned by a family from Pittsburgh whose kids when to PSU, great meats... roll was as soft as a hot dog bun though.

I get hoagies from Wawa. When Wawa first came to FL, we went to one grand opening and it was wall to wall Eagles/Sixers/Phillies shirts/jerseys, lol. Orlando is full of transplants of course.

7 hours ago, Crazycruiser50 said:

 I will definitely try out CK for breakfast and maybe a few light lunches.

If you see ribs for lunch, highly recommended. They had so much meat on them I thought of the brontosaurus ribs from the opening to The Flintstones.

Can (should?) easily be eaten with a knife and fork.

8 hours ago, Ampurp85 said:

Last time I was at PDCC I had cute baby chicks pecking at my toes as I read a book on my kindle. For a solo traveler that was everything I wanted and more from PDCC......well and a funnel cake with ice cream. My Nov Odyssey cruise hits up PDCC, the fifth time this year, and Labadee. You would think you would get tired of it but each time you do something different, eat something amazing and see something crazy. 

Our animal encounter last trip was when we were sitting in the Oasis pool on the underwater benches by the trees (love the combo of shade and the pool when it's so hot out)... a large iguana decided to wander out from the trees/bushes and hang out by the edge of the pool for hours, lol.

10 minutes ago, Pooch said:

See and I missed all the best food I think.  We walked to the left, parked our butts at the first likely looking loungers & were opposite a pretty tame buffet area (although the steak sandwiches were darn good).  Pretty sure there was better or at least more choices if I had the energy to look around.

I grew up outside Philly, so no comment on the "steak sandwiches", lol, but glad you enjoyed them. I've never actually tried one to be fair.

I don't get to eat Mexican much at home as my wife is picky so any all you can eat taco set up tastes good to me. Freshly making the tortillas is a nice touch though.

That said, what you missed were the "snack shacks." One is between the pool and Chill Island. There are also snack shacks in the water park and on South Beach.

They're really just small counter service places but they have great fried chicken sandwiches, mozzarella sticks, and the aforementioned funnel cakes.

I like the chicken sandwiches how they come but one hack is to get a plain one and put the mozz sticks and marinara on top for a chicken parm sandwich.

56 minutes ago, Pattycruise said:

Here's to hoping people will leave their speakers home or on the ship.  My last 2 visits to CocoCay people felt the need to blast their speaker.  It takes away from the relaxation at  the beach.  The last time the person turned on their speaker, it was connected to a source, and  they all left their seating and left the music blasting.  After an hour I stood up and turned off the speaker. 
  I am greatful that I did not have 2 competing speakers with different music.  Changing seats when the beach is crowded is not an option. 
Staff did not care when I asked if they could address it they said no. 
Soon enough the beach will be like public beaches on Long Island.  Competing loud music.  Geez, I'm getting old! LOL

Don't even know what to say. Some people are just that self-centered. So sorry you had to deal with that... twice no less!

And don't forget you get 4 more on disembarkation morning.

13 minutes ago, teddy said:

I originally sold it to my wife by saying flights Maine were a big part of the cost of cruising, and since we were already on the ship, we should stay onboard and make it a full week.

To be honest, we previously did one of the cruises on Adventure from Nassau that had two stops there, and I think CocoCay's funnel cake is the reason she agreed to the b2b so readily.

Factoring in the flight cost is very logical... but I agree the funnel cake should be a bigger factor.

14 minutes ago, teddy said:

We did this in November 2021 and enjoyed the two days there so much that we booked another 3N/4N with CocoCay stops for next February. 

I thought I was being creative when I suggested the idea to my wife... and then learned lots of people do it, especially locals who can drive to the port like us.

I'm not fully equipped to answer since I normally cruise on the cheap, but I did stay in my first Grand Suite on Harmony on late May/early June. Some meals in CK were excellent (night one filet for example) while others were better than the MDR but definitely not specialty level.

If you're used to eating every meal in a specialty restaurant, I'm not sure CK will fit your expectations. I'd utilize it for breakfast, however.

NOTE: Just one man's opinion based on an insignificant sample size.

57 minutes ago, Pooch said:

I’m glad our next visit to Coco Cay occurs at the beginning of the cruise.  In March it was our last day & frankly I was too vacationed out to really explore & enjoy.  On our May Harmony cruise, it’s day 2

That's funny. It was day 2 for us on Harmony 5/29. While looking at future cruises we saw some Harmony itineraries where it was day 7 and thought that was less than optimal. Part of our reasoning was how much we eat on Cococay. I weigh about 10 lbs less on day 2 than day 7, lol. Then again, on the B2B we were there on days 2 and 6 and I don't remember having any issues on the 2nd stop.

Couldn't agree more and I have no kids. The beauty of it for me is that it can appeal to so many people in so many different ways.

Kids, no kids, young, old, beach lover or not, pool lover or not, snorkeler or not, loud music lover or not, food over-indulger or not, water park enthusiast or not, spend money on a cabana or spend nothing extra... you get the idea.

We went on a B2B 3 and 4-nighter last month and the double Cococay stop was one of the reasons. It wasn't the only reason but we may do the exact same thing in October.

If there were any staffing issues on Indy last month, I certainly didn't notice them.

17 minutes ago, Jkaczano said:

Suite guests get suite lounge.  Diamond and above have diamond lounge.

The switch to vouchers only for Diamond and above has made these very different. 3-hour open bar in the suite lounge plus 11-11 free beer, wine, seltzer, soda, bottled water on Oasis class.

I'm happy with my Diamond vouchers, and have no issue with the suite perks vs. loyalty perks in general, but there's much more of a difference than just CK, IMO.

4 hours ago, Mathmoo said:

For those who have booked guaranteed balcony, how happy were you with the assigned room?

Any answer you get will be anecdotal. If there's a cabin in the category you book that would make you unhappy, you might get it. Same goes for the opposite.

If you're not aware, and booking from the US, once your cabin is officially assigned you can switch it to another in the same category if any are available.

It can be anytime from far in advance to the day of your sailing. It will just appear.

That said, there is something called the "bar code trick" that often allows you to find out your cabin before it is officially assigned. Once you check-in, you can add your set sail pass from the app to your Apple wallet (if an Apple user) and numbers will appear under the bar code. The numbers to the right of the dash are your cabin. If an Android user, simply scan the bar code to see those numbers. Occasionally you will still see "GTY" instead of the cabin number and then you just have to wait.

Once officially assigned (i.e. your cabin actually appears on your documents), you can request to be moved to any available cabin in the same exact category at no charge.  *NOTE: This applies to US citizens. I believe i have read that you cannot move when booking from the UK. Not sure about other countries.

Hope this helps.

I saw a server in the DL on Harmony get almond milk for someone using the coffee machine.

My guess is any venue that might serve milk should be able to get you an available substitute.

10 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

Yup..makes the lower prices on a weekender out of Miami negligible over a PC sailing. I can make up the difference in gas and toll costs and parking alone, not to mention coming from N. Florida means a hotel stay for a south Florida sailing.

Seems like even more of a no-brainer for you than me. I've never even bothered looking at the exact costs associated with Ft. Lauderdale or Miami. The hour drive to PC for me is just too damn convenient.