BermudaDice

Hi - It's not too long before I head on my first RCL cruise.  My girlfriend and I will be on Allure of the Seas departing September 16 from Ft. Lauderdale. 

I am hoping that some of the veteran cruisers would be able to share some of their tips/advice.  I have tried to find and read as many blog posts as possible including things like the first time cruisers tips etc.  so I am more looking for tips from personal experience such as things that you later found out that you wished you knew at the time.  Either about the ship or the ports of call.

Some background:

• It is a 7 night cruise.  Itinerary: 2 days at sea, St Maarten, Puerto Rico, Labadee, day at sea.
• No excursions booked so far.  We have thought about doing a local excursion in St Marteen.  Probably self-explore San Juan.  Thought about a snorkelling trip in Labadee just to mix it up from just a beach day.
• We are in a Deck 12 balcony room.
• No kids.
• We both have the drinks package as it was included in the deal we got.
• We do not have any specialty dining package and I doubt we will do any.
• We are on My Time Dining.
• We fly in from the UK the day before and are staying the night before in the downtown Ft. Lauderdale Hampton Inn.  I think we plan on heading to the port as early as recommended on embarkation day.

Thanks in advance!

Not long to go now.  Heading to the Eastern Caribbean (St Maarten, Puerto Rico, Labadee) on Allure of the Seas leaving Sept 16.  This will be my first RCL cruise.

Hi - I'm Al from Scotland.  I have been following the blog for a few months since I booked my first RCCL cruise but this is my first post.  In the last few months while I have silently followed the blog I have mostly enjoyed the live blogs, whether current ones on the main page or retrospective ones in the forum.  As a result, I am now fully familiar with the concept of WJ recon and of the much heralded Twangster live blog.

First cruise will be in September this year with my gf on Allure visiting the East Caribbean.  I have only been on two other cruises before which were both Silversea thanks to very generous parents - one was for my father's birthday and the other was to celebrate his retirement.  I am fully aware that sailing with RCCL will be a very different experience - and I am looking forward to that.

I am a man of few words both on and offline so I can't guarantee that I will be a regular contributor but at least I can now say I have posted and am no longer lurking in the shadows!