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Jeff L

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  1. Like
    Jeff L reacted to WAAAYTOOO in Huge increase to my price after booking?   
    ...excluding the web service, of course...
  2. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Matt in New Features on Royal phone app   
    As far as I know, the chat option is not enabled yet.  Of course, they might turn it on between now and Oct 28, but if/when that happens, we will report on it on the blog.
  3. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Matt in Adventure Ocean registration for teens   
    On day one there is an open house to register kids at Adventure Ocean.  Kids can meet counselors, check out the facility, etc.
    Later that evening (usually 8pm), they open for business.
  4. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Matt in Oasis refurb?   
    No info has been released yet. We just know it will occur after the summer season of 2019 before Oasis returns to North America.
  5. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Carlos A. in Oasis refurb?   
    Someone post this great link in another thread. 
    http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/LTYA_News/18061688_2018_Fleet_Guide-1.pdf
    Oasis will be "Amped" on 2019
  6. Like
    Jeff L reacted to JohnK6404 in Halloween cruise   
    We were on a 10-night cruise on Liberty of the Seas back in 2015 that ran through Halloween.
    They asked for a bunch of volunteers to learn the Thriller dance... looked like fun. They practiced out on the pool deck for a couple of days.
    They also had a big costume parade through the Royal Promenade... lots of fun.
    Have a great time!
  7. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Carlos A. in Oasis refurb?   
    They will probably try to make the other 3 "sisters" more similar to Symphony Of The Seas. They will probably replace Sabor with Playmakers sports bar, add Wonderland and thins like that, not sure if they will be able to add the "Ultimate Abyss".
  8. Like
    Jeff L reacted to twangster in Oasis refurb?   
    Royal is still wearing the cone of silence. 
  9. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Lovetocruise2002 in Oasis refurb?   
    If it's this October (2018) then she will not have undergone revitalizations yet.
  10. Like
    Jeff L reacted to DocLC in KIds club, hours and activities   
    You should receive a schedule of the week's activities in your cabin on the first night. If not, ask at AO for a copy.
    During sea days, the programming runs from 9-12, 2-5, and 7-10 with extra charger hours from 10 p.m. and later. Some nights the kids will have the opportunity to dine with the AO staff and other kids at 6 p.m. where they will take them up to the Windjammer for dinner. You usually need to sign up for this a few hours before. Occasionally, they will have activities around the ship, but it really depends on the ship. On the Oasis class, I don't recall any outdoor activities; however, on some of the smaller ships they did have some activities on the sports deck.
  11. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Matt in KIds club, hours and activities   
    Check out this primer on taking kids on Royal Caribbean: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/01/09/cruising-kids-royal-caribbean
  12. Like
    Jeff L reacted to twangster in Mariner of the Seas Passengers Receive Warning About Pirates !!   
    Guns on any ship (that isn't military) is generally frowned upon and violates the principles of entering a foreign country's port.  Merchant vessels can freely sail the world in a large part because they are in theory unarmed. 
    Ship's are tight lipped about security protocols when they are sailing in known pirate areas such as the Gulf of Aden.  Bad guys use the internet too.
  13. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Lindsay in Tipping on drinks from the bar?   
    By the way, this website is great for a first time cruiser.  And Royal Caribbean is THE BEST cruise line!  Here are some other websites you may want to check out:
    First and foremost, download the ShipMate app!  You can find your cruise on there and it's awesome to talk to others in "Chat" that will be on your same cruise.  There is also a count down.  Plus, there is a feature where you can check out your ship and any other cruise line ships.  It's a very cool app.  Be sure to like them on Facebook too. https://www.cruisecritic.com/ http://royalportfolio.com/  <- AWESOME website showing all the Royal Caribbean ports, etc.  I love this website! http://www.cruisetipstv.com/ https://cruiseradio.net/ https://eatsleepcruise.com/ http://www.cruisehabit.com/ And of course, make sure you go to the Royal Caribbean My Cruise page and enter your reservation #.  You will have a dashboard there too.  Lots more info there too!
    ENJOY!  One of my favorite parts of a cruise vacation is the planning and anticipation leading up to the cruise!
     
  14. Like
    Jeff L got a reaction from twangster in Oasis of the Seas - Recommendations   
    Thanks for the tips and the tons of previous posts on the Forum!
     
    Thank you Matt!
     
    Thank you!!
  15. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Lovetocruise2002 in Oasis of the Seas - Recommendations   
    Welcome to the boards @Jeff L!!
  16. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Matt in Oasis of the Seas - Recommendations   
    Check out this first timer's guide to Oasis of the Seas: https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/01/31/first-time-cruisers-guide-royal-caribbeans-oasis-of-the-seas
  17. Like
    Jeff L reacted to twangster in Oasis of the Seas - Recommendations   
    Coki Beach on St Thomas is great for snorkeling with kids.
    All of the Oasis shows are good for kids except the comedians.  They often will do a family friendly comedian session so watch for that.  I'd make reservation for all of the shows as soon as you can, generally 90 days out but sometimes sooner.  Cats is very personal.  Some love it, some not so much.  It's a Broadway caliber show so ask yourself would you take your kids to see it on Broadway?
    The general consensus is that the kids programs are pretty great.  Get them involved on day one so they become part of the kid's crowd and aren't trying to join a group on subsequent days that has already bonded.  
    Check out this blog on Adventure Ocean:
    https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/09/25/six-things-know-about-royal-caribbeans-adventure-ocean
    and
    https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2018/01/09/cruising-kids-royal-caribbean
    Flowriders will have lines at times but sometimes near dinner time towards the end of an open flowrider session lines are smaller.  If you stay on a ship or return early on a port day sometimes lines are smaller.  Rock climbing usually isn't that busy but this can change sailing to sailing.
    Loungers in prime spots like front row or close to pools will go first but often loungers one deck up are available depending on group size.  Reserving loungers by placing something on them and leaving is against the rules and should be avoided even if you observe others doing so.
    The first two nights can often see cheaper prices on some of the specialty restaurants but I often cruise without going to them.  Food is very personal but I enjoy the MDR food and sometimes do dinner in the Windjammer.
    Check out this blog for first timers on Oasis:
    https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2017/01/31/first-time-cruisers-guide-royal-caribbeans-oasis-of-the-seas
     
  18. Wow
    Jeff L reacted to alamode123 in Royal Cancels Cruises   
    Funny thing is my only other RCL cruise was a charter. A Comic Con like cruise on Brilliance two years ago.

    To me, it's like renting a hall for a wedding. You book over a year ahead, then the hall says eight months before your wedding "We found someone that's willing to pay more, here's your money back."

    I booked this last August, early, like Matt said. I booked m,y airline early, a day before our cruise and two days after. because it was March break, I didn't even risk waiting until the return flights were available and booked two one way tickets for us 11 months out. Now I have to use my flights by mid April 2019 or lose the $2000 US I paid for them (around $2600 Canadian).

    A five day cruise may not seem like a big deal to you, but I'm a widowed father of three teenagers. I saved up almost two years for this trip, and had EVERYTHING set. Room 1864 on the Navigator, the pie shaped Large Panoramic View room. It was a month after the Navigator's refurb. I had a bungalow booked on Labadee, our first time there. I booked the Ultimate Dining package. We watched endless hours of Youtube videos all about the ship, the ports, Miami and now ..... screwed.

    And their offer for the inconvenience? two sailings of THEIR choice that they will give me the price fix from when I booked. I have kids in high school. Ever heard of March break? Otherwise I get $100 on board credit for a new cruise, and rescheduling fees for my flights (but ONLY if I rebook, and it doesn't include increases in flight costs). Screw that. The ONLY way I could see them salvaging this is to say "We'll put you on ANY ship that week out of Miami or Ft lauderdale in an equivalent cabin, no extra cost. $100? Gee thanks but no thanks.
  19. Like
    Jeff L reacted to coneyraven in Independence Cabin #6666   
    That's what I was thinking..... you have an extra "6" --- that can't be good.....Better put out cloves of garlic and wave the incense.
    Or--- buy a Pick 4 Lottery Ticket ..... that would be insane on the payout.
  20. Like
    Jeff L got a reaction from coneyraven in Independence Cabin #6666   
    that room must be haunted for sure!?
  21. Like
    Jeff L reacted to jticarruthers in Any luck with Walkie Talkies on board?   
    Tried them our first couple of cruises, surprisingly we generally were able to get "signals", however, we quickly learned that a lot of other people had the same idea and the channels can get crowded.
     
    I spent about an hour one morning listening to some crazy lady bitching out her husband for not answering her (in between lots of other side conversations) ... turned out the crazy lady was my wife ..... walkie talkies no longer travel with us.
  22. Like
    Jeff L reacted to F1guynz in Nightmare cruising experience from Tianjin   
    I think that is because there are a lot more Australian's cruising from Singapore and Hong Kong. I think Tijian would almost exclusively be Chinese as the crew members I spoke to said to avoid it.
    Enjoy your cruise on Ovation.
     
  23. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Kurtp13 in My review of the Allure of the Seas April 22, 2018 sailing.   
    Hi everyone.  Here is my review of the Allure of the Seas April 22, 2018 sailing. 
    We flew in and out of Orlando to visit friends and then drove back and forth to Fort Lauderdale.   Flights to Orlando were cheaper also.   We stayed north of Fort Lauderdale in Embassy Suites – Deerfield Beach the night before.   Staying in town might have been easier, but the resort was very nice.  We just weren’t there long enough to really enjoy it.  We traveled with another couple, old friends from our old home town.  We met at the port when arriving for Embarkation Day. 
    ·       Coconuts Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale for lunch on the day before
    o   Good – had the popular appetizer Scoobies (crab claws) which were good.  
    o   Expensive lunch including the $10 valet.  We did order more than needed, the meals were larger than expected. 
    o   It felt like a kick off to the trip because of the location.  I could have gone for a cheaper option and been happy.  Traffic in this area was a bit heavy when we were there. 
    ·       Rental Car
    o   Budget Cruise Port Rental car location changed and I didn’t get informed of the change.  It was a confusing series of calls before I talked to a live person that could tell me the new location address.  The person that helped me was from Avis that shares the location.   Budget does not have much ability to link to a live customer service agent.  This would have worked fine if I had been informed of the change prior to arriving.   As it was I was delayed at least an hour circling the area and placing useless calls.  
    ·       Check in
    o   Lines for Diamond and Emerald used for lesser categories which would have made me mad if I wasn’t a lowly Gold member.  They were also lined up about equal to our lines.
    o   Smooth but later than I had planned to check in due to the rental car situation.  It would have been much easier if earlier.  My group waited for me to arrive so we were all delayed.  
    o   The first-time cruiser line was faster than our Gold status line. 
    ·       First impressions – Embarkation Day
    o   Royal Promenade
    §  Wow this is a big space and it’s easy to forget you are on a ship.
    o   Park Café – OK but crowded although we arrived later than I wanted.
    §  I should have tried another buffet (Wipeout?) or a specialty restaurant.
    §  Made the experience more stressful than needed
    §  Chairs were very close together, worse when most people had some kind of luggage.
    §  Kummelweck sandwiches were OK but not worth the hype.   I’ve had a real one somewhat recently in northern NY for the first time, so I’m not an expert but I knew what to expect.   I took two and combined them into one sandwich to increase the meat to bread ratio.  Some of the beef was not trimmed well and was very fatty.
    §  We only picked up to go items after this experience.  But to be fair it was much calmer later.  Never did any breakfast food here. 
    o   Bar in Central park- Slow, couldn’t scan paper seapass cards during the embarkation time.  
    §  Appeared the scanners were not turned on in any location.  Park Café had the same problem.  This caused unnecessary line ups.  I walked away a couple of times because I was waiting so long.    I was concerned that the long wait at bars would continue, but after the scanners worked I had no trouble at bars.
    ·       Boardwalk        
    o   Really a fun unique area.  But very dependent on what is open.  There are times it is really dead and doesn’t have non-stop carnival atmosphere like I expected.   Almost every space is an extra cost venue.  Donuts were dry and no one in our party liked them.  The candy shop was really more limited than I expected.  The hot dogs were good but this space wasn’t open much.  And it tends to impede traffic flow because it’s not clear where to line up and kind of in a choke point.  This location could really use some fries, I sure missed them.  The carousel was not open very often but frankly seemed underused anyway.  We rode it once without any music playing which I thought was odd.  Later I saw it operating and heard some music playing.  It was never lined up when I saw it operating.
    ·       Activiities - Sports deck
    o   Zip line – I rode this 3 times on the first day.  Once suited up you might as well do it multiple times.   It was actually a little more thrilling than I expected.   Make sure you understand what the ride operator is doing.  My last ride I did not have the main attachment clipped before the ride operator asked me to ‘sit in the harness’.   So, he had to attach this out of the normal sequence after I said something is not right.  If I had been released I would have had to support my weight with the hand grips.  The secondary line was attached but it is very slack.  The hand grips are a little fat and frankly not that easy to grip, at least in my opinion. That was my last ride. 
    o   Flow Rider – I didn’t do well and tried this once.  For me it was a constant spray of water in the face.  I didn’t flip immediately off the back, I spent most of my time forward at the bottom.  I will probably try this on a future cruise but didn’t feel the need to conqueror it on this trip.  I was looking for a chill out on this trip.
    o   Putt-Putt Golf – This was fun but there weren’t enough adult golf clubs.    We had to share which wasn’t a big deal.  There was a big group ahead of us and so they had used a lot of the clubs.  Still a fun time and not crowded.
    o   Arcade – I prepaid for this for the $20 amount and received a letter in my stateroom about setting my card at a specific arcade between 5-10pm.   I was busy and thought I would catch up later.   Apparently, this meeting time is to make sure the appropriate card is credited.  Like for a child that doesn’t have charging ability.   I later tried to go into the Boardwalk arcade to complete my registration.  I couldn’t do it on my own.  Tried to call from there and the phone was broken.  Went to Customer service.  They said it will work the following day.  Cut to the next day and my party of 4 go to the arcade to play some skee ball.  Card didn’t work, phone was missing this time.   I asked customer service to remove the charge, I was tired of messing with it and it wasn’t worth more running back and forth to me.  It took a couple more calls to get the credit reflected.   This was an unneeded aggravation so I probably won’t bother next time.  I thought it would just work right away.  Maybe that could be an option when purchasing it in advance.   That is what I was expecting. 
    o   Captain’s talk - Really funny captain.  I enjoyed this more than expected.  Lots of concerns about the life boats but the original question of how people are seated on the boats was never answered.   Someone asking about employee wages (wages to tip ratio) was pretty sharply rebuked which was a little uncomfortable.   But the other discussion items were both interesting and funny at time. 
    ·       Dinner – Grande
    o   We didn’t do any specialty restaurants, except Guacamole in Sabor.
    o   Waiter was good but it took me a while to calibrate to his accent.
    o   Asst Waiter was a nice fellow but seemed to get overwhelmed
    o   Head Waiter was more attentive than any I have had before.
    o   One night the staff was struggling
    §  The next night I saw a Sabor staffer (black shirt and tan shorts) helping out during a busy night.  They could have used him the previous night when they were struggling.  I suspect they asked for reinforcements after that night when they were in the weeds.
    o   I noticed one family coming in at least ½ hour after the assigned time almost every night when they were in the MDR.   No complaints or comments from the staff.   
    o   We enjoyed the MDR and had early seating.  We never felt rushed at all.   I was a little concerned about that with early dining.  But I wouldn’t do it any other way.  I don’t think I would like MTD.  It just seems like more things to schedule and keep track of.   I like that at the start of the day we all knew what time we were getting together.  My wife and I missed one dinner when we returned too late from Falmouth.   So it was dinner in the Windjammer which was fine. 
    o   Food was hit and miss, typical of other sailings I’ve had.   Sometimes it looked good and didn’t taste great.  Other times it was the reverse.  You had to taste some things because they sometimes actually better than the appearance.  Weird.  But generally, it was good.
    o   We asked our waiter for curry dishes which he brought most nights.   I got that tip from Matt.  This was a nice bonus and I really enjoyed the variety. 
    ·       Food
    o   All the food seemed luke-warm.   Rarely was anything hot unless it was cooked to order.
    o   I was prepared for the worst so Sorrento’s wasn’t a huge disappointment.   But I don’t know how freshly made pizza can taste so much like mid-grade frozen pizza.  We did eat it in the evening when at the lounges but only for the lack of any other hot food availability.   The ‘pizza burger’ appeared to be a regular pizza with an additional crust put on top.   That just felt like a way to push the bread even more.     
    o   There should be some kind of casual to go food offering that is more substantial in the evening.   Even if it was ala carte beyond the current offerings.   Near the other bars so isn’t a trek to find.  I went on Mariner of the Seas just before they added a service charge to Johnny Rockets and it was open later (I think it was until 11 or 12).  That was fun and I confess I was there most nights. 
    o   Promenade Café was convenient for evening snacks but I have the same complaint about the bread to filling ratio.   Most sandwiches were not very good.   I did like the flavor of the Muffuletta but again very skimpy with the filling.
    o   We sat in the Solarium much of the time during sea days.  Having the café (buffet) so close by was a huge plus.  We carried items out and back to our chairs which was really nice for a quick bite.  I had a chicken breast that was so much better than my expectation for a buffet item.   Limited menu but so convenient and quick. 
           Breakfast in MDR
    o   We did Breakfast in MDR 4 times and of these only 1 was really relaxing.  The other 3 were way too slow with things arriving at the wrong times.   My wife was not pleased with this experience.   Normally I really like the relaxing pace but this didn’t have the same feel. 
    ·       Breakfast in Johnny Rockets
    o   OK but not great.  As I recall the pancakes were premade and not what I expected. 
    ·       Room service – We did this once after the Cozumel port visit.   Very good quality for burgers and chicken strips.   Quick service. 
    ·       Entertainment
    o   Mama Mia – Cute but kind of a silly story.  Music, dancing and singing ability were top notch.  I’ve seen the movie and enjoyed this much more.   I thought the music was recorded but at the end they showed the band.   I was really impressed at the level of musicians and singers. 
    o   Jazz on 4 – specifically a show with the Mama Mia conductor and some of the actors singing individually.  Excellent.  I was sleepy this evening and considered turning in earlier but was glad I didn’t. 
    o   Ocean Aria Aqua Show – Excellent show. Get there early and get a seat that’s not under an awning.   From way in back you won’t see the high divers. 
    o   Blue Planet – Good.  A little weird but entertaining enough with a good mix of music dancing and acrobatics.
    o   Headliner - Las Vegas Tenors – We all enjoyed this group.   I met a man from Australia that didn’t like it and we kidded each other a bit about our tastes.  He indicated he was not familiar with many of the songs, which was surprising. 
    o   Game Ice show.  Great demonstration of talent but like some shows on cruise ships a little silly.  Overall very enjoyable. 
    o   Dazzles – The band named Centerpiece performed here off and on in the evening.  Excellent band especially the lead guitarist.  I wanted to hear them more. 
    o   Pub – Guitar player.  Friendly guy.  Not a great voice.   A customer sang with him one time and he was better.  The customer sang in English which was not his native language.  Kind of funny.  I love this space.   I would have liked to see some variety in the talent.   Staff was very attentive. 
    o   Schooner Bar – Piano player.  Not my favorite.  Seemed a little at odds with the patrons at times.  ‘I’m not going to play that now’.    Talented but relied on his computer accompaniment too much I thought.  He had a list of songs and that was it.  I tired of him quickly.  I would rather hear a rougher piano only song than just a limited menu.  I like the live experience for interaction and improvisation.  I don’t want a jukebox.  He was good but in the three times I saw him I heard Piano Man each time.   Don’t blame that on the patrons, he said something to the effect that it’s expected so he’s going to do it now.  
    o   Comic show – I saw two shows in the Comedy Live and the family friendly one in the theatre.  Kivi Rogers was better IMO.  I’m not a potty humor fan at all, not a prude, it just seems too easy.  A lot of both shows goes there.  Even the family show goes in this direction more than I would like.   Some families would not be pleased with the content in the family show.   
    ·       Royal App – This was down more than it was up.  
    o   It would have been really nice if it worked.   I went to Customer service and they had IT reset my account after trying very hard to help me on the spot.  It was almost funny watching them struggle like I did.  After IT reset my app it updated.  It worked for awhile but they stopped again.   It doesn’t stop cold, it just doesn’t display any schedule detail, just venue locations.
    ·       Labadee, Haiti port – Stayed on the ship
    o   First time I’ve ever stayed on the ship at a port stop.  It was so relaxing.   The only thing to mention is that there are less towel stations and bars open.  When you see something you need, grab what you want and then go to your favorite location. 
    ·       Falmouth, Jamaica port – Hilton Rose Hall resort (non Royal excursion)
    o   The bus ride over was well organized and the bus driver talked on the way like a mini tour.  
    o   We did have a fellow passenger that seemed a little self-entitled.  She asked for a stop to get a Red Stripe beer.  We had just walked through the port area with bars and we were driving about 20 minutes to an all-inclusive resort.  The bus driver accommodated her and stopped at a local bar.  I don’t really know but it seemed like we took a convoluted route out of town to get there.  The bar stop only took a couple of minutes, but there were some disgusted fellow passengers that couldn’t believe this one passenger was delaying everyone else’s arrival.  Lots of puzzled looks to each other around the bus behind this couple in the front seat.  People – remember you are not the only one that has value.  If you want special treatment, hire a cab to take you. 
    o   Nice place.  Very well kept.  The lawn was perfect and looked like a putting green. 
    o   Food was OK but not great.   The food on the ship was probably a little better.  The jerk shack was a nice touch and that definitely had some flavor.   Ordering was a little like the soup cook episode of the Seinfeld show.  I went with a week-long guest we met on site so I know I was doing it correctly but it wasn’t all smiles like the rest of the resort.   This visit kind of convinced me I wouldn’t like a week at an all inclusive as much as a cruise.   Very similar experiences, cheaper liquor in the drinks at the Hilton than the ship, I expect the entertainment is not nearly as good.   I think more than about 4 days would be boring. 
    ·       Cozumel, Mexico – Turquoise Beach Bar
    o   I wanted to try little bar this after reading a review.   It was accurately described but I had a different idea about what it was.  It was a little more rustic than I expected. And I had the impression it was going to be off the beaten path away from the heavier traffic area.  It had a good view of the ships.   We were the only ones there for awhile so we had good service.  They do serve food but the food comes from the restaurant across the street.   I have a picture of the server coming back across the street with our food which was kind of funny to watch.  A little like Frogger video game.   No chicken dishes were available.   My wife only ate guacamole.  She has a little more confidence in chain locations and wasn’t too happy with my selection. 
    o   This bar had two levels and its open air.  Downstairs we went to the restrooms and down there were a pot belled pig and a dog.   We originally thought the kitchen was downstairs, so it’s probably good this wasn’t the case. 
    ·       Casino
    o   Smoky and a little crowded in some areas of the room.  I only played out a free $5 offered mid-way thought the cruise.  Cashed out at a whopping $7 but that was more than my cruise mates that finished with nothing. 
    o   I didn’t sign up for a group slot pull.  I’ve done these before and enjoyed them but so many other things to do instead. 
    ·       Cabin – # 9607 Cabin was laid out well.  The view over the Central park area would have been perfectly positioned to hear the nightly entertainment if we had a balcony.  I would try to get a balcony above this location next time.  Our cabin steward was good and kept the room in good shape.  
    ·       Disembarkation
    o   Tried to use Lyft for a ride to car rental area at the FLL airport.  My phone data service was terrible and it appeared others were having the same problem.  I set up a ride, hit enter and the signal crashed requiring me to try again.  The cars that were picking people up were not marked and that caused people to step out into the traffic lane and turn around. My brother in law does this on the side and he has stickers on his car so it can be identified easily.  Cost would have been somewhere between $8 -$10.    After some attempts my wife finally said let’s get a cab.   Good call.  The trip was $12 and we just jumped into a readily available cab.   Saving a few bucks wasn’t worth the aggravation we were having for such a short ride.     
    ·       Final thoughts
    o   The ship doesn’t feel crowded except at certain times, like peak times in the Windjammer or leaving the ship in ports.  Elevators were sometimes a wait, like before or after shows but not a big problem.  But the photo setups in the Royal Promenade were overdone.  They seemed to be everywhere and blocked a lot of traffic and most were nearly begging people to participate.  These could be cut by half and still not be crowded.  The exception was the one on the actual staircase which then blocked that staircase for use which was really awkward when trying to get between these floors.  Special events in the Royal Promenade also made things crowded but pulling the photo set ups away could have helped this too.
    o   I continued to have confusion about front and back of the ship which surprised me   I usually get oriented in a few days.  I wished there was some art work in the cabin halls to help get your bearings.  There are some ship diagrams but these don’t really serve as ‘mile markers’ because they all look the same.  We put a post-it note on the door to avoid cruising past our door by mistake which happened once. 
    o   I loved the ship.  So much live entertainment in the evening.   Easy to get meals near where you are located.  But it is so big and doesn’t feel as connected to the water.  It’s easy to forget you’re on a ship.   I wasn’t even sure about how to access the mid-level outside deck at first.   We are going to go with a first time ever cruiser on the next trip, so I suggested a Voyager class to provide more of a ship feel.  
    o   Almost all the staff was excellent and really friendly with rare exceptions.   Even those that weren’t excellent were very good.   Exceeded my expectations many times. 
    o   I didn’t do the Meet and Mingle as I had planned.   Too many other things to do.  
    o   Dry erase wipe boards are probably not a favorite item of the room stewards.  I noticed that black marker smudges transferred to the door from the erasing residue.  I suspect they clean up easily but would add an extra task to their work. 
    o   We traveled with another couple and the gent wasn’t thrilled about the idea of a cruise.  They had cruised before so they had some idea of what to expect but on much smaller ships and other brands (Carnival and Big Red Boat – remember those).  First time on RCCL though. (I did get the $25 OBC for a referral).  He said it definitely exceeded his expectations.    
    After we returned I needed to get another trip lined up.   I did talk to the next cruise office but I was surprised that I could probably do a more tailored search to meet my needs on my own.   They can find specific trips but I was expecting to sit down tell the person all my priorities and be presented several options.   But they are limited in the factors that can be entered.   There isn’t much advantage to using their service. As I recall for a refundable trip the bonus offered on board was $25 OBC.  When I returned I booked a Nov 2019 trip refundable fee trip on Adventure of the Seas with a special incentive from BJs Warehouse that got me a great price and flexibility. 
  24. Like
    Jeff L reacted to Iluv4n6 in Suggestions for Newbies - Oasis Review - E. Caribbean - Feb '18   
    @Matt - Thanks for suggesting on your last podcast that we reproduce this cruise review email in the discussion boards.  Yeah, it's lengthy, but we hope some newbies, or others who have not tried Oasis-class ships, will find some helpful suggestions from our first cruise on this wonderful, ginormous vessel... My wife and I have greatly enjoyed your podcast and the awesome website as we got back into cruising earlier this year.  Your advice and advice from others on the message boards greatly enhanced our cruise experience.  We provide our key takeaways at the end.
    Prior to our eastern Caribbean cruise on Oasis this February-March, we had only experienced Monarch of the Seas as chaperones for a local high school group trip in early 2010.  We were quite impressed with that ship--the biggest/best from 1990--when we sailed her almost a decade ago.  But we could not fully anticipate the staggering hugeness of Oasis when we first walked up to and boarded her.  You can view all the videos and see all the photos you want, but that can't replicate the visceral impact seeing this beautiful behemoth in person. 
    We flew to Orlando the day before embarkation at Port Canaveral and took a van from a travel company from the airport to our hotel in Cocoa Beach--cost was equivalent to Uber and we were the only riders.  Yes, heed the advice of many and arrive in town the day before if you can't drive to the port.  Peace of mind for making your cruise on time without a panic-filled dash is worth much more than a night's hotel stay!   
    Although Royal notified us to arrive at the terminal for boarding between 12:00 and 1:00 p.m., we took your advice and arrived early at the terminal, by 10:00 a.m., and were quickly processed and received our Sea Pass cards.  RC staff want to get passengers processed efficiently and did not ask about our scheduled time-slot for boarding as we thought they might.  We received a Gold C&A member boarding card (labelled "Gold-3" to be exact) and did not have to wait long in the main room for the boarding process to begin, starting with Suite guests and working down the C&A ladder from Pinnacle to Gold.  It took maybe 30 minutes at most to get to gold member boarding.  Being pretty geeked out by now, we got our photo taken while boarding and were on the ship by about 11:15 a.m.  
    Entering the ship on the Deck 5 Royal Promenade--a cool, glitzy three-deck-high space running up the middle of about half of the ship--we noticed the Globe and Atlas Pub, which called to us to baptize our pre-purchased ultimate drink package.  
    Based on RC blog advice, we headed first to a specialty restaurant in Central Park on Deck 8 to make dining reservations for the cruise--this was much quicker than waiting in line at one of the restaurant reservation desks temporarily set up in the Royal Promenade.  We pre-purchased the 3-night specialty dining package and had already scheduled 150 Central Park for dinner on day 2.  We had no line at the desk at Giovanni's and booked a dinner there and at Chop's for times later in the cruise that would work well with our show reservations.
    From there we strolled across Central Park and had lunch at Park Cafe with only a 10 minute wait -- yes, those roast beef sandwiches at Park Cafe are fabulous!   We then went up top and regaled in the views from the solarium, and areas for the main pools and wave runners on Decks 15 & 16.  
    Our stateroom was open around 1:15 p.m.  We had reserved a balcony room (14204) at the start of the bump in the middle of the port side on Deck 14.  On our previous cruise, we stayed on Deck 3 in a small stateroom with a small window.  A balcony 14 decks up provides an awesome vantage point—almost vertigo-inducing!
    My wife's luggage had arrived by then -- not at our stateroom door, but a ways down the corridor with a group of other luggage.  Mine was not yet available.  We met our room steward who told us it might take until 6:00 p.m. for all luggage to be delivered, which seemed odd as our luggage was on the same cart to begin with and I had intentionally avoided bringing in any items I knew were forbidden by RC (more on that later).
    After we checked out our stateroom, we headed to the main dining room on Deck 4 to see if we could switch from My Time dining to traditional dining at the earlier seating (5:30 PM), because this would work better with the shows we had reserved, and from our perception through some podcasts that My Time dining could take a bit longer than traditional. We spoke to a head waiter at the desk near the entrance to the dining room and he had no problem assigning us to fill out an eight-person table for traditional dining, which worked well for us and gave us a good opportunity to meet some other cruisers.
    After a bit more exploring and checking for my luggage – still had not arrived yet – we attended the muster drill and caught some of the sail-away festivities from the Deck 14 forward wing viewing area (another Oasis tip we learned from the RC Blog website). One last check for my luggage before we headed down to traditional dining.  After a nice meal, we headed back to the room before we were to go to our first show of the cruise, Cats in the Opal Theater at 8:30 PM.  When we arrived at our stateroom door, I saw the dreaded notice that I had to go down to the security baggage checking area on Deck 2 before 8 PM to get my luggage and it was already 7:45 PM by this time.  I dashed down to Deck 2 and was instructed to open my bag and learned, to my surprise, that a short three-outlet extension cord was the contraband item. I was well aware that any liquor (besides two bottles of wine) or any appliance that created heat or a power strip were forbidden. RC staff calmly put up with my dumbfounded protestations and showed me the fine print where it did indeed state that extension cords are not allowed. Mental note made and not soon to be forgotten.
    Back to the fun stuff! My wife and I were both intrigued by the entertainment offerings described in Cruise Planner and the large number and types of entertainment venues provided on such a huge ship-- traditional Broadway-type theater, various nightclubs, ice-skating rink, Aqua theater, jazz club, and casino, along with many interesting watering holes.  Being theater buffs, we made reservations for all of the shows available in Cruise Planner.  The first show we saw, Cats, did not disappoint, even though the length of this unabridged show and perhaps its lack of a single main storyline caused quite a few folks to leave the theater at intermission.  We were greatly impressed by the high caliber of the performers at this show, and most other shows on board.  It was rather refreshing to see the show again after about 20 years.  We enjoyed opportunities to talk with actors from Cats after their performances at other venues during the cruise (Dazzles and Jazz on 4). 
    We enjoyed all of the shows, and none of them were, in our view, mediocre or worse. The ice-skating show portrayed the story of Hans Christian Anderson and many of his fictional characters.  Although the ice-skating rink was not large by any means, the skaters still reached high speed and did several spinning leaps (sorry – can't tell my sow-kow from a toe loop).  The divers in the aqua show were great. 
    We spent a few enjoyable evenings in Jazz on 4 and got to know the performers, including at the Prohibition Event, which was fun but a bit blurry in my recollection.  Good turnout for this event with a full venue and everyone decked-out in crazy 20s fashions.  This was my wife's favorite night of the cruise and the photos taken by RC photographers around the Royal Promenade from that evening are the nicest keepsakes from the cruise. 
    Based on recommendations from the podcast, we sampled specialty restaurants by pre-purchasing the 3-night package.  We ate at 150 Central Park, Giovanni’s, and Chops – all very good and worth the upcharge.  But we ended up re-jiggering our dining schedule due to a fortuitous encounter with our main dining room waiter when he was working at Johnny Rockets over lunch the second day of our cruise.  He spotted us as we looking around the Boardwalk and called us over to ask about our dining choices for the cruise – we had mentioned to him at dinner on the first night of the cruise we had purchased a 3-night specialty dining package.  As it turns out, the nights we picked for specialty dining coincided with the two formal nights and the last night of the cruise – in other words, all the dinners when they have the best meal options in the main dining room including lobster night.  At his urging, we went back up to Giovanni’s and were able to reschedule our specialty dining for other nights so we could experience the best the main dining room has to offer on the two formal nights and the last night of the cruise.  
    Couple notes on our ports:    St Maarten For our excursion on St Maarten we also heeded the advice of many and took a cab tour around the island.  Matt, thanks for the tip about your friend Leroy Brown.  We were able to reserve his cab for our tour and enjoyed his island banter and stories about different areas and beaches.  He did focus quite a bit on the devastation from the hurricanes last year, including taking us by some damaged resorts and boats/harbors.  Although Maho Beach at the end of the runway and the bar restaurant next to it were back up and running, the north side of the island was hit pretty bad. Nevertheless, we stopped at a lolo in Grand Case-Cynthia's Talk of the Town--and had a great lunch of chicken and ribs...more food than we bargained for, but we got to sample the grilling style on the French side of the island.   San Juan We honestly were not expecting much for our short stop in San Juan (8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) and were originally thinking we might stay on board.  But we were glad we ventured out -- the old town was a short walk from the pier and we strolled through the old Spanish colonial-style narrow streets with their brightly-painted buildings.  Electrical power was spotty as the power cut out occasionally while we were in some shops, but was on a few doors down on the same block.  We sampled mufungo at Cafe Manolin, a Puerto Rican fried plantain dish that was hearty and tasty.      Labadee As first-timers at Labadee, we threw caution to the wind and road the Dragon's Breath, the huge zip line over Adrenaline Beach.  Some have commented on the uneasy feeling on truck the ride up the hill and while waiting on the platform for the zipline.  We did not have a bad experience in the truck ride up or while waiting on the platform.  The ride itself was very smooth and the spring-cushioned stop at the end was not as jolting as we thought it might be.  Our zip-line ride was scheduled at the beginning of the cook-out lunch buffet, and that was perhaps not ideal.  By the time we returned from the ride, the lines were pretty long at the buffet, so we waited until near the end of lunchtime to go through the buffet line.    Some Key Takeaways:
    Arrive in or near your departure port the day before you cruise. Reserve entertainment before the cruise—no cost for this! Check RC’s current policy on forbidden items--no more innocuous-looking extension cords for us!. Try specialty dining, but check out the main dining room on formal nights to sample some of the best food included in your cruise fare. Take a few minutes to get to know your main dining room waiter and room steward on the first day of your cruise. They helped us optimize our dining and entertainment schedules to get more out of our cruise. Get your picture taken at least a couple times by the RC photographers.      Consider buying a drink package on a cruise that has several sea days plus a day at an RC resort. If we had had a more port-intensive itinerary with no stop at an RC resort where the drink package is included, we probably would not have bought the full package.  But it was fun to sample a broad range of drinks, including several tasty dessert martinis at the Champagne Bar (just not all on the same night!). Use self-disembarkation for a couple or small group.  Although we had to line up early in the morning, once the line started moving we were off the ship in a few minutes and to the rental car counter before the big crowds.   Keep up the great work on the podcast and thanks to all members who contribute to the informative message boards at the RC Blog website!   Roger & Carol   Finally Thawed (And Now Baking) Tundra, WI  
  25. Like
    Jeff L reacted to KelleyN in Oasis of the Seas beds   
    Just completed a 7 day cruise on Oasis of the Seas. This was my 4th or 5th cruise with RC and I have Always had a wonderful experience. HOWEVER, when we arrived and first entered our cabin, I immediately tried the bed out as I had Been traveling all day and was exhausted. I noticed Very quickly that the bed felt different. I had Always slept like a baby on previous cruises, but this bed was very hard and extremely uncomfortable. I called upon our guest steward, and she explained to me that RC had recently removed ALL of their egg shell foam pillow tops. What she had to offer us was a mattress pad. When we returned to the room a few hours later, she had indeed set that up for us and while it was a small improvement, was no where near what I had Been accustomed too on RC Cruises. Needless to say, I was Miserable. I couldnt Sleep at all on this bed. I tossed And turned every night for 7 nights!!!!!! I don’t know why they removed these pillow toppers, but they have. At least on Oasis. We also noticed other things that were different on this cruise. Many corners being cut in different areas. No snacks in fridge, no bottled waters in room, or even upon request. You have to go downstairs and purchase bottled water. They will however provide ice daily. 
    The food was good, as usual. The dining room is probably your best bet for meals. We made a reservation for Chops, and the night before, we realized that the steak and lobster being served in the dining room, is the very same served at Chops. Chops will charge you 55-60.00, where the dining room is only 25-35.00 extra. Makes sense to just go to dining room. The meals were very good. We stayed on the 14th floor which I do Not recommend. 15 is a public deck and all day and night you hear feet up and down the floor. Anyway, my reason for writing this was mainly the bed situation. I highly Recommend you bring your own pillow top if u have a bad back like me. 
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