Mrs. RoyalMoyal

Bring socks for your own skates... and ask your genie for ice time! A crowded rink full of rental skates and board huggers is... frustrating. 

Uggh. I will switch to Freedom... if possible. We shall see. I am booked for week 3... maybe the no single supplement rate was too good to be true... 

Checked Freedom, just suites avalable. I am not freaking out...

We did this one when our boys were young... about 5 and 7. We brought their own snorkel gear and life jackets. To get to shore, you must either walk down swim steps or jump right in off the boat... then swim. 

It was a great excursion. It was a bit choppy that day out in the open water, but the snorkelling was breathtaking. 

Go to the excursion desk on boarding day, request the child be added. If not, then request a refund if you have already booked it for the adults. Have a backup plan! 

On Anthem out of Bayonne, Molson Canadien is offered.. but on Freedom out of San Juan it is not. The beer offered varies ftom ship to ship.... the Molson was in a large can, only in the Solarium, it was $8.00 plus gratuities.

It was American Molson... distributed in the USA. 

Uno. Apples to Apples is on the ship. We go find it, then take it to the Diamond Lounge. It is hilarious with drinks!

Boston, I have been there twice with my son, once as a port form Anthem and the other on an overnight 6th grade school field trip. 

The port day was better. We went to see the USS Constitution https://www.nps.gov/bost/learn/historyculture/ussconst.htm Caleb loves this type of historic thing. It was an adventure in public transportation. We took a taxi there, arrived at opening, went to the museum and into the ships at the site. It's on the OTHER side of town..  We water taxi'd back to the Boston Aquarium area, met an old friend who lives in Boston, and went to the children's museum with her 3 year old. It was a good day; August, not to hot, not too cold. 

On the school field trip, on our own we went to the Aquarium, had lunch at the Boston Sail Loft (it was very good), walked the Freedom Trail, toured Paul Revere's house, went to Quincy Market, then ate as a group at the Hard Rock Cafe. Day 2, we went as a group to the Museum of Science, ate lunch there (awful lunch.. neat museum), then went on a Duck Boat Tour https://bostonducktours.com/  It was a very different perspective of Boston! 

Halifax: We opted to take a taxi ($5.00 CAD) up to the Citadel, toured that, then wandered downhill to the Boardwalk, and went to Tim Horton's!! (It's better in Canada than the US), enjoyed a snack of coffee and donuts and cocoa ( AND free WIFI ), then wandered back to the ship along the boardwalk. We stopped at the Maritime Museum (more historic boats for Caleb).. 

St. John: We left the boys in Adventure Ocean.... My husband and I walked from the pier to the left, along the waterfront all the way to the reversing rapids and back. It was concrete or pavement the entire way. It was a nice walk, and we watched harbor seals, which I hear is an uncommon sight (we were lucky). 

Ahh.. Bar Harbor.  Acadia National Park is NOT flat. We rented bikes from Acadia Bike Rentals. We took the bike shuttle into the park, then proceeded to ride around a lake. Eagle Lake?  (not sure)My youngest's bike would not shift gears for him, I had to fiddle with it to get it into the lowest gear, and we left it in that gear. So I have a lovely family photo of the 4 of us BEFORE the bike ride. But not one AFTER. There were tears. There was frustration. We walked. fter all this, I would love to do it again, with my own bike and breakdown gear. Alone.

Then we received a full refund for Josh's bike rental. MORAL: if you ever rent a bike, put it on the stand in the shop, and try all gears and the brakes. We ate at the gloriously fun tourist trap Route 66 Restaurant, then entire family was back into happy cruising mode. 

Portland: We just walked around the port and shopped. It seems there is a port on each trip where we are wiped out and need a day "off". Portland is a port town, I do want to give it a second chance. Perhaps whale watching?

Have a great New England trip. It is by far, my favorite cruise ever. We went in late August, the temperatures were mild, the seas calm. That is remarkable out of Bayonne. 

I agree, with 4 in one room, separate is the way to set ut up. And no, you are not strange to have the beds separated in the tiny inside room! 

Two luggage tags, one in a plastic sleeve, the other taped and stapled.  My name is inside the bag, too. I also tip porters!   

The flowrider will be open if its about 55 degrees F, and NOT rough. Day 2 or 3. I've cruised out of Bayonne in December, January, and February... I do not pack lightly for those trips! Look at the forecasts for your ports as well, last year the flowrider was open in Port Canaveral, but it was 65 degrees out.  The line was short! 

Twagster, thank you photos and info, I think I am on the same trip as Laura in December. Its has been many years since I've been to Labadee.. I tendered! I will wear socks with tevas (the fashion police are groaning), and go for this walk as well. Boots are not needed! 

I will bring water shoes, that has been recommended by several people.

I agree with Jill, we flew to SJU last Easter week for 370 pp from Elmira, NY.... changed planes twice, beginning in a Barbie Jet (SRJ 700)... changing to bigger planes at each airport. 

I found this price using choice air. We picked our seats. Economy...

Price would have been $825 pp directly through Delta. I did not see this price difference between choice air and booking direct with other nearby airports. I booked the flights the week they came out... 

I'm also going on Dec 8th! I snagged a "no solo supplement special", via Sharla at MEI travel.  I also booked the Key (again), VOOM, extra ice time, seating at shows, swift carry on luggage delivery and breakfast on debarkation day... YOLO!

I am looking forward to trying the barbecue restaurant, going to the dive and ice shows, and skipping the main dining room. I must have dinner in Old San Juan! I'll try all the slides, because they are there.. but just once. Same with the zip-line!  It will be my first time on Oasis class, and my first time solo. I usually cruise jam-packed-full-ship on holiday sailings with my husband and sons. 

The Diamond Lounge being moved to deck 4... meh. But it's on Deck 4 on Anthem, and I like that lounge, it has pool tables nearby (for my teenage boys to be occupied during happy hour), and it's an easy walk to the dining rooms..  So I promise to hold my opinion of it's new placement until AFTER the experience, instead of dreading something beforehand! I see myself ordering room service coffee in the morning though, instead of trekking to the Diamond Lounge for it.

I'm looking forward to viewing @Matt 's compass from his Thanksgiving Trip! It's great to see what they will do on Day 1 before I board, and if they have "night riding" on the flowrider.  Some items are posted on the app already like daily flowrider times; but not the open skating times.

Our family favorite is: Hotel CasaBlanca https://hotelcasablancapr.com/  It is NOT new, there is no pool. It's old, cute, eclectic.. and the family suites have one main entrance door, one bathroom, a king size bed in bedroom 1 and two twin beds in bedroom 2. (So teenage boys can each have their own bed). Two tv's, WIFI, windows that open, and air conditioning. It's in the middle of Old San Juan. About $25.00 for a taxi from the airport to the hotel, then $12.00 Uber or $20.00 taxi to the cruise pier. There is NO 2 night minimum. Many restaurants nearby, the fort is close, and the sunset walk along the fort wall is fabulous. If you really want a pool, this is not the place for you! They do have neat rooftop stone tubs. Hotel Casa Blanca will hold your luggage if you are staying there, so it is also a nice place to stay post-cruise; just drop off your luggage, and they will text you when your room is ready (or return after 3:00 PM). It is really nice to be able to fly home early on  Monday, and not go through having to get off a ship AND fly 3 flights home all in one day.

It is nothing like the Sheraton or the Caribe Hilton. So set your expectations accordingly! I did not sleep well at the Sheraton. I slept well at CasaBlanca. 

There are also beachfront hotels in the Condado district, we stayed near the beach once at La Verdanza, it was good for a late arriving flight, we ate breakfast at the hotel, walked the beach, then headed to the ship. 

Water shoes are nice to have at Labadee.  Check the cruise planner frequently, or call around 90 days prior to check for cancellations.  Good luck

I'm on that sailing.. I booked at https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/rentals/kayak-rental-pinel-island  I sent them an email about the itinerary change, and they adjusted my reservation, no problem. It's a small world! Good luck with your refund.

I hope you just emailed the incorrect vendor! I reserved the taxi/solo kayak/Frenchie Lunch combo. 

I have both been allowed to trade wow bands in, and refused. Anthem.

The rinks are small, and during open skate there are many, many beginners, so if you know how to skate, then going during "the key" time or during advanced means less people on the ice, which I feel is safer and more fun. Open skate will have people hugging the wall, and some that can zoom right by - the same can be said for roller skating on Quantum class ships. Falling is part of ice skating. If you have neck, back, or balance issues don't wreck your trip. If you are OK with falling, then go skating on the high seas, it's fun.

We did 12 nights on the Explorer, out of Bayonne,  in January when my boys were 2 and 4, no nursery,  no children's program for my 2 year old. All 4 in an inside room with Pullman beds on deck 10, under the Solarium hot tub. It was GREAT! Do it! The Baltic will be like nothing else. If you have the time to take to go on this journey, take it. 

Probably... They just changed my Oasis order of itineraries in December, because of the changes to Allure's itineraries.  Same ports, different order, and 1 extra hour in St. Maarten. So it's likely Allure's itineraries will continue to be adjusted until she can go fast again.

December 8 2019 Oasis of the Seas

I used the RCCL shuttle on Christmas eve with my son, it worked out well, we were on the first shuttle at the pier and arrived about 10 minutes before the gates opened, and he enjoyed the free WIFI while we waited for the park to open. It included admission.  I thought about doing it all on my own, either renting a car or getting an uber ride there and back, but the total cost would have been about the same, and I had OBC to spend.  I am glad I took water and snacks in a small backpack, and the lunch was pretty good for a museum lunch, budget at least $10.00 per person for lunch. 

The only time I notice, and can be bothered by crowding is right after the Muster Drill. It really depends on the ship, but if you are outside, under your lifeboat, and if crowds get to you, wait for everyone to disperse then head back into the ship. If you are inside in a public venue, wait comfortably in your seat! This is a nice time to walk all the way aft or all the way forward (if you can get to the helicopter pad) on your ship, deck 4 is a nice, quiet getaway on sea days - one side will be smoking, one side will be non-smoking.

Pack good, tall socks. You will need them. You will be fitted with a helmet and given wrist protectors to wear while you skate.

On 5/30/2019 at 11:10 AM, lauraodonnell86 said:

I would suggest Pinel Island in St. Maarten. It is very secluded and you can snorkel, kayak, walk around the island and see a lot of wildlife, or just sit on the beach. We used Caribbean Paddling to get over there. Rented a double kayak from them and only took about 10-15 mins to kayak to Pinel Island. Here is the link for the website: https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/rentals/kayak-rental-pinel-island  If you do not wish to kayak, they have a water ferry that can take you over there. I have attached some pictures so you can see our experience. We will be going back at the end of this year! 

I booked this for my upcoming solo trip, I am so glad you shared your experience! I ordered the "frenchy" lunch, and will take a small backpack and utilize the dry bag they provide, which is so nice because I won't have to pack mine!  Thanks

 

 

 

 

When I took my son on an excursion on Christmas eve 2018, the cost to rent a car, then pay to get in, was similar to the non-guided excursion, so we went with the ship for simplicity. But if I wanted to do something else the same day in the area, I would rent a car. In our case we made it onto the first bus over, and the first bus back, so we did not spend a lot of time waiting. We were gone for about 7 hours.