DBeas0106

I’m booked on Symphony this Summer. And was wondering if you can pop-in to get drinks at specialty restaurant bars without a reservation to eat at the restaurant itself? Do any of them have “lounges”? Our group likes to get a pre-dinner or pre-show cocktail or just take a night on our sailing to “bar hop” in the evening, it gives us a casual way to explore the ship! We have the deluxe bev package, we will be happy either way, as this is our first Oasis class ship with a lot to explore!

I’m with @KenCP being a creature of habit myself, I know the bars I will be frequenting and always treat the bartenders in those location(s) well earlier in the cruise and have a conversation with them. Afteralll, they are humans - not to hijack the topic, or get on a soapbox - it’s good to remember. I would also say not to forget the non-alcoholic perks of the unlimited package the fresh juice in the morning, the premium coffees, and always add a water to your drink order. I extras can be taken back to the room or on excursions

When Oasis comes to 'the Big Apple' this year, we've booked a cruise on her. There were many reasons to book this one: check another ship of the bucket list, seeing all the amplifications, not port intensive itinerary (to be able to get to more enjoyment of/on the ship) but still goes to Perfect Day @ CoCo Cay (see those upgrades) , & most of all it's drive-able (from Western PA). This is our first cruise out of the Cape Liberty/Bayonne port area. So any help & direction would be greatly appreciated. We are considering: Where to stay the night before? Outside of going into NYC, things to do in the area? If we were to rent a car what companies are close to port? (thinking of two-one way rentals: get car @ home to get to port, and then port to home) Thanks as always to this great community of Cruisers, and hope to perhaps meet some of you aboard RC in the future.

Instead of doing gifts this year, we thought a cruise would be a great way to get out of the hustle and bustle (and the cold) of our city just in time for Christmas. As a couple in our mid-30s, we are eyeing up a last-minute - at least by RCBlog suggested standards - Holiday sailing from Baltimore on Grandeur (8 nights w stops in Nassau, Perfect Day, Port Canaveral, and Charleston SC) We’ve never sailed on Grandeur, and we’re aware that she is a Vision Class ship that hasn’t been amplified or refurbished in quite some time. While we do understand that we aren’t getting the best in modern amenities as other classes of ships, that’s not to say there aren’t things to love about her. So.....What are your favorite things about Grandeur? Any tips you can provide to help us have an enjoyable Christmas Holiday sailing are greatly appreciated. Thanks! -Doug Previous sailings on: Enchantment, Majesty, Freedom

Looking forward to our cruise out of San Juan on Freedom of the Seas later this summer. A friend and I were looking for something to do while our wives take advantage of the Spa (thank you Cruise Planner Sales). I've read varying reports about a Cigar Bar on RC ships. I know they were labeled as Connoisseur Clubs, but I hear the familiar mantra (in Matt's voice) telling me "These vary ship to ship and sailing to sailing". So I ask in this forum, does Freedom have a Connoisseur Club? Thanks and Happy Sailing to all,

I've noted various people on forums/discussions mention that some ships have a keycard lighting system for staterooms. Meaning (I assume) that a card must be inserted into a slot in the room for the lights to be operational. A few questions on that: What ships in the RC fleet use this technology? What kind of card are we talking about? (will an expired SeaPass Card suffice?) Does this also include power to electrical outlets? (or are those always 'on'?)

First time with an Embarkation Day that has a Late Evening Departure (8:30PM). Just a general question about luggage, where/how to be luggage free during the day. What to do with luggage if we wanted to explore San Juan during the day, before Embarkation? We do plan to travel into San Juan the day before & have a hotel, but: Curious if the hotel would hold the luggage for the day, even after check-out time (assuming a fee perhaps)? Could we drop it at the ship porters earlier in the day? Thanks All!