JennyB

18 minutes ago, Skid said:

@AshleyDillo, your reply has to be in the running for best post ever!

TRUE!

i have been looking at these...

https://www.amazon.com/Womens-Summer-Barefoot-Exercise-47/dp/B07N5XKJ26/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=water+socks&qid=1559760645&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-5

anyone have any experience with them?  Might be similar to what @twangster uses?

1 minute ago, tiny260 said:

I have a pair of water shoes built like running shoes, might solve your problem.

what kind do you have? we've never used water shoes, but we have looked at some for our upcoming cruises...

52 minutes ago, deany said:

Thanks that's very helpful for me. Makes sense now. I have so many questions. It's hard to understand everything.

 

Welcome @deany!   This is the BEST place to get your answers.  Seriously...don't even think of checking the FB groups (unless it's the RC Blog group)...because well...just don't...but HERE is where you will find nice, non-judgmental, helpful answers for all your questions. 

1 hour ago, AshleyDillo said:

Silks, Grande & American Icon are all considered the Main Dining Room.  They all serve the same menu, just one is on Deck 3, one Deck 4, and one Deck 5.  One of them will be reserved for My Time Dining and the other two are typically for the set dining times.

Eating in any of the main dining rooms is included in the price of the cruise.  They will serve breakfast and lunch in the main dining rooms sometimes as well which is included.

The buffet is included and will be open for breakfast lunch and dinner.  It's called Windjammer and will be on Deck 16.

Park Cafe is included.  It's located in Central Park and will offer breakfast and lunch.

Johnny Rockets is included for breakfast only (you pay for lunch and dinner).  It is located on the Boardwalk.

Doghouse is included and usually open lunch hours til around 6pm on the Boardwalk.

Wipeout Cafe is located up on the pool deck and will have breakfast and lunch available and is included.

Solarium Bistro is in the Solarium area and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner which is included.  Dinner usually requires reservations.

Sorrentos Pizza and Promenade Cafe are on the Promenade and have near 24-hour service and are included.

-- In the cruise planner you should be able to reserve American Icon (I think that's the MTD MDR) and Solarium Bistro for dinner.

somewhere,

sometime,

someone

needs to do a list like this for ALL the ships...this was the most helpful list for me the way it is worded and set up........and i am not even scheduled to be on the Oasis.  lol

11 minutes ago, Baked Alaska said:

Does anyone have any items they forgot to pack specifically for their Alaska cruise? We are 44 days out and am gathering items in the suitcases (sans the clothing). Just wondering what I'm leaving out that I shouldn't.

me.  you forgot me.

This wasn't the exact one we did in December 2017, but we did take one of the Mayan Ruin Excursions through RC.  It was a very nice chartered bus...plush seats, air-con.  It was a nice excursion and something we never would have done any other time. We enjoyed learning the history of the Mayans in general and the specific village we were at.  Enjoy!

I will say that I was motion sick that evening getting back on the ship.  I had packed motion sickness meds and hadn't needed any yet on the ship, and so I didn't take any before the excursion...should have.  But that was the only time I was motion sick. 

So, if you are prone to motion sickness, just remember your meds. 

On 12/20/2018 at 9:27 AM, coneyraven said:

All Mine ....

now THAT would be a recipe i'd like to have...that big ol' dollop of buttery goodness...amen.

On 5/24/2019 at 5:00 PM, JLMoran said:

Fresh squeezed orange juice is something you have to specifically request when in the MDR. If you just ask for OJ they will get the “from concentrate” variety.

In the WJ I was told to go to the bar there, as that's where they had the juicer installed.

When we were on the Indy in December, they were freshly squeezing OJ one morning in the WJ.  There was a little station on one side of the WJ.

On 5/27/2019 at 12:06 PM, Pima1988 said:

It does change daily, and I believe it was in the $8 range. I never paid attention to the price since I always have the DPB.  However, the thing to be careful of is sometimes they sell the drink of the day in "specialty/souvenir" glasses.  Those are more expensive.  I want to say for those ran @13-14 a pop.

You CAN order the drink of the day in a "regular" cup and it doesn't cost extra.  If you have it served in the souvenir cups, there is a cost.

from the Dining Terms & Conditions

Packages cannot be shared and are not transferable.

27 minutes ago, Skid said:

Stirring of the frozen drinks was not the best for sure. I sort of bounced the straw up and down. But it was certainly better than using the paper ones. @spiralqueen's appears to be the best I've seen, but I was too cheap to part with $30 for it.

I might just bring what i have...i don't like the metal ones.  lol Thanks for all the replies. 

13 hours ago, Skid said:

 The straws are somewhat flimsy but they worked out ok.

Do they "stir" your frozen drinks?  like, when I'm sitting by the pool enjoying my special drink and I wanna stir it, do the silicone straws stand up to that?  LOL

6 minutes ago, CGTLH said:

Correct, CocoCay is treated as an extension of the ship when it comes to honoring beverage packages.

I think I knew that, but after looking at these photos, it didn't look like any way to "police" that. 

On 5/30/2019 at 7:28 PM, Skid said:

Wow. I expected that because of how I ordered, but if you got it that way after paying full price or having the DX package,  I truly understand your frustration. What salvaged it for us was that we had brought along our own silicone straws.

@Skid what silicone straws do you have?  I purchased some and they are kinda flimsy...I might just bring our reusable plastic (starbucks) straws and my straw cleaner brush.

On 5/28/2019 at 12:45 PM, JohnK6404 said:

Hi @hsweat22 !

Here are all of the MDR (dinner) menus from my cruise last week on Allure (5/19/19-5/26/19)... Western Caribbean itinerary w/ formal evenings on MON and THU...

 

Day 1 (SUN)...

+

 

Day 2 (MON)... 1st Formal Evening...

 

Day 3 (TUE)...

 

Day 4 (WED)...

 

Day 5 (THU)... Second Formal Evening... Lobster night...

 

Day 6 (FRI)...

 

Day 7 (SAT)... final evening...

 

OHMYGOODNESS.  I am so ready for our cruise!!!  I can almost TASTE some of these things!!!  34 days!

On 6/3/2019 at 12:43 PM, FionaMG said:

On our last two cruises (Serenade, December 2017, and Navigator, November/December 2018) the themes for the WJ dinners were shown in the Compass. Don't know if it's the same on Harmony, though.

that's good to know...I don't remember that, I'll have to check to see if there is any consistency.

On 6/3/2019 at 12:02 PM, monctonguy said:

interested to see if its a set theme on different days as well for my Harmony cruise in Nov

i'll be interested also...for that same cruise...for now at least. 

Hubby is a farmer.  So we MIGHT have to reschedule that cruise for another time...Central Indiana farmers are JUST NOW in the fields because of all the rain this spring...so they will likely still be harvesting at Thanksgiving. 

I assume the drinks, sodas, etc. (not asking about the beer) are included if we have the refreshment package and DBP?

AND...taco bar!!!! TACO BAR!!! I could eat "mexican food" all day, every day.  Any version, mexican, tex-mex, etc.  I am SSSOOOOO looking forward to El Loco on the Navigator NEXT MONTH!!

On 5/29/2019 at 2:11 PM, goblues38 said:

Been to Disney many times.  (like 40+ vacations in last 30 years).  the key is to buy your park tickets early, and make you fast pass + reservations (3) the day the open up, and stack them one after another.  Have everything loaded up into "mydisneyexperience" app.

Simple day will go like this.

9am port

9:30am off ship

10:00am uber to Disney's Contemporary Hotel ($75)

11:30am walk to Magic Kingdom Entrance.  Since you pre bought your park tickets, you can just walk in (after security)

12:00pm use 1st fast pass for splash mountain

12:30pm ride pirates of the caribean stand by

1:00pm use second fast pass for Big Thunder

1:30 ride haunted mansion stand by

2:00pm use 3rd fast pass for space mountain

2:30 ride people mover stand by

3:00pm ride buzz light year stand by

3:30 ride  tea cups stand by

4:00pm ride little mermaid stand by

....these are all if you hit the lines perfect and have normal wait times...if not you will skip a few of the stand by rides

6:00pm worse case....head to main street and shop

6:45pm walk to Contemporary hotel

7:00pm uber back to cruise port ($75)

9:00pm back on ship

 

............

you could get up to 9 rides in, plus shopping and some snacks and be back to the boat in time.  very doable...but you have to know how to do it.  A 1st timer in disney would maybe get half of that accomplished.

That's also how I would "Disney"...actually no...nevermind.  I wouldn't limit myself to that short of a stay...and I would not wait to get to the park at 11:30am.  LOL. 

But someone might.  lol

If it's available to pre-book, check your cruise compass... 

When I look on MY cruise compass (we're sailing Navigator in July) it's listed under the tab "onboard activities" and it's called "The Observatorium".

But it could also be sold out online.  You can always call RC and find out for sure.

31 minutes ago, lauraodonnell86 said:

FYI, for people who don't want to rent kayaks to get to Pinel, you can take the ferry for $12 per person round trip. 

good to know...because I never need to be the person in charge of my own boat.  LOL

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

I would suggest Pinel Island in St. Maarten. 

 

 

I almost cannot fathom that this is a real place.  So beautiful!

THIS is why I have fallen in love with cruising...

16 hours ago, fmlsprtsfn said:

Definitely Pancho's Backyard (http://www.panchosbackyard.com/).  They have a great patio.  We were serenaded by a 3 piece mariachi band.  

We really enjoyed it in December.  The mariachi band was great and it was a nice relaxing, secluded area.  Food was excellent. 

On 5/29/2019 at 3:22 PM, AikenAmy said:

How did you rent them? My cruise planner says not available online...

They were available at one time for our cruise in the cruise planner.  However, I have since cancelled them for our cruise and now I see that they are not offered in my cruise planner...

BTW...I cancelled because, they cost $35 when I booked them.  After watching @Matt's live Facebook videos and seeing all the other photos and videos of the island, I decided to cancel them and book the Water Park which was only $11 more.  My boys are already doing the water park and I was just going to lounge at the beach, but now I can go where they go and not feel like I'm missing anything...even if all I do is walk around and then head back to the beach to the free chairs and/or the Oasis Lagoon pool...