eaglesfaninfl

Other than checking each day to see if MTD opens up, I think your best bet is to take what is offered; then, immediately upon boarding, go to the dining room for MTD. There should be a host or hostess waiting there and make your reservations for the cruise right then.

Thanks to all of you for your comments and especially to Twangster for his blog referrals, they were both informative and enjoyable. Again, thanks to all!

Hi, all! We are considering a cruise this summer out of Bayonne on Empress of the Seas to Bermuda (two nights in Bermuda, porting in both Hamilton and King George, where we have vacationed many times and love being there). However, we are a somewhat leery of such an older and smaller ship. Usually we sail on Brilliance out of Tampa (or larger ships out of Miami or FLL), so we are looking for advice and counsel on a such a (smaller than Vision class) ship, if anyone has sailed on Empress recently (i.e. is there a walk-in shower, etc.).  We would really appreciate your thoughts and comments as we will be celebrating our respective 75^th bdays and over 50 years of married life together!

We are also considering a Celebrity cruise to  Newport and Bermuda on board the Celebrity Summit, any comments on that would also be most appreciated.

Thank you in advance for your comments and suggestions.

6 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

But what's so different about this cruise is it is NOT sold out. Not one single category is sold out.

I stand corrected and agree that the Mon.-Sat. scheduling is the probable cause. If my memory is correct (and it seldom is anymore!), our previous cruises actually left on Thanksgiving and covered the weekend.

3 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

 

Interesting that I never got a Royal Up offer on the first half of my S2S - the Nov. 25 Brilliance Thanksgiving cruise.  That's the only cruise that I have booked that I did not at least get an offer to bid.

Not surprising to me, Waaay...we've done the Tgiving cruise for the last 4 or 5 years and it is always full. Signs in the port and on board "No upgrades available." We always book at least 18 mos. out to make sure we can get what we want!

1 hour ago, KathyC said:

Tampa is my least favorite port to sail out of.  Both times we encountered problems.  First time the port was closed upon our return due to bad weather while we were gone, so we had to be re-routed to Port Canaveral, took a bus across the state to Tampa where our car was in the parking lot.  The second time we spent the night right outside the bridge as it was too foggy to get back.  We then had to sit much of the next day waiting for our turn to go under the bridge to get back.  Not giving it a third try - it's a jinxed port for us! 

Good news for me anyway. Tampa does encounter fog problems occasionally, generally in January and February…I don’t recall one last winter, but they have occurred in the past. Since the height of the Skyway bridge limits RCL cruise ship size to Radiance and Vision classes, it is not surprising that RCL’s Celebrity line is refurbishing older Celebrity ships to service this market (and maybe Baltimore and others) that cannot handle the mega-ships/floating amusement parks RCL seems so bent on turning out. Living so close by (roughly 45-50 mins. condo to cabin), I am looking forward to this addition. Our first Celebrity cruise is next July from Seattle to AK and back, so we should get a taste of what is in store for us then!

On 8/5/2019 at 11:25 AM, Bella said:

Hi, has anyone done the Canada itinerary in July?   We are looking at the Adventure, July 2020.  Is it generally a smooth sailing or really rocky?  Thanks. 

Just got back from Canada cruise on Adventure two weeks ago. Weather was fine for sightseeing...could feel a little motion (just a little rolling) the first night out of Bayonne and the last night back. Nothing to be concerned about, have a great trip!

8 hours ago, monctonguy said:

If you think that's bad..try a bar in Canada for a drink..lol...they prob have that rule to try and make more ppl spend their $ in Canada on our expensive booze....

No thanks! The prices on board are bad enough! Lol!!

5 hours ago, MelissaM said:

I forgot to ask - did you exchange your US dollars for Toonies and Loonies prior to going?  Or did you just use a credit card?  Is there a better exchange rate?

Credit cards were accepted everyplace we were in Canada. The shops at the terminals had prices in both US and Canadian $. Can't speak for the non-RCL tours though

1 hour ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

Very interesting...

The first time we ever sailed out of Bayonne, we had a similar thing happen.  We also had luggage tags with the metal attachments.  There is NO WAY that these just “fell off”.  They had to have been cut.

When we finally located our “missing” bags (no luggage tags at all..mysteriously missing), we were told by one of the staff that the Longshoremen at the Port were having a salary dispute with the Port Authority and, as in your case, many peoples’ bags had “lost” their tags.

I don’t believe for 1 minute that the tags were accidentally lost.  I don’t know if your situation was the same as ours but I find it very interesting that the situation has repeated itself.

When it happened to us last week, I immediately thought of your previous comment which I had read and remembered. My guess it was some ILU job action although I don't know that for a fact. As an aside, right next to the RCL luggage tag was an ID tag with my last name and cell number. That was untouched and remained on the bag.  Gotta love NYC!

My wife and I just returned from a 6 day cruise on Adventure, out of Bayonne to Bar Harbor, ME and St. John and Halifax in Canada. It was only our second summer cruise, the first being on Lady G to Bermuda a few years ago. I mention that because the crew on Adventure reminded us of the Grandeur’s crew; they were genuinely happy, pleasant and went out of their way to make our trip as pleasant as it could be.

As an example, Canada has a regulation that ships in port can only have one bar per deck open until the ship sails away. The second port we visited in Canada (Halifax) had a sailaway time of 6 PM, well into the cocktail hour.  When we arrived at the Champagne Bar for our pre-dinner libation, it was closed as we were still in port. Without batting an eye, our waiter took our order, walked through the Promenade to the Pub, got our drinks and brought them back to where we were sitting in the Champagne Bar! Andrei, Nino and Jorgi were excellent barstaff and very personable and pleasant

The embarkation was as smooth as can be, parking is right next to the Terminal and we were on board very quickly. Unfortunately, only my wife’s bag was delivered to our cabin; when mine finally showed up, the plastic sleeve containing the luggage tag had been removed, Interestingly, the metal ring that holds the sleeve onto the luggage was intact but the sleeve was gone. Later, there were signs around the ship stating there were some delays in luggage handling but no explanation. I noticed several other bags on our deck that also had a hand-written luggage tag as mine did, so it was not an isolated occurrence.

Muster was at 2:30 PM for a 3 PM sailing and it must have set a record for the shortest muster ever! We were back in our cabin at 2:43!! Probably, the 100 degree temps outside were a factor.

We had MTD all week and, except for one evening it went smoothly. The food ranged from very good to excellent, and the wine steward was attentive. Our servers, Joyal and Ying were also very pleasant and efficient and made our dining a pleasure. I should add that John in the WJ at breakfast would always come by our table to get me a glass of fresh OJ each morning and bring my wife her tea.

As for entertainment, a group of four called Company Men put on an entertaining show doing songs from the last six decades. An RCL production “Can’t Stop the Rock” was just OK, the funniest part was the singer imitating Annette Funicello was about five months pregnant!

A couple, Kyle and Mistie Knight, did an illusionist performance that was very entertaining.

Disembarkation was quick and easy, we were scheduled for 7:40 AM, and were off the ship and in our car heading south on the NJ Turnpike by 8:03!

Now, for a (very) few negatives:

The comedian, Basile, wasn’t very funny. I left the show halfway through.

On most other RCL ships, the Schooner Bar is a relaxing piano/solo guitar bar. On Adventure, the pianist was playing either an electronic keyboard or amplified piano at full volume. Now I like rock ‘n roll as much as anybody, but I don’t need to have it blasted at me.

Parts of the exterior need repainting, our balcony floor looked awful. Paint splatters and paintdrops all over the floor and the railings need to be refinished. There were some kind of stains on the overhead bulkhead in our cabin, could have been sticky tape residue or something similar. Neither affected our enjoyment of our trip but it wasn’t something I expected to see on an RCL cruise.

For the first time, we felt crowded on this cruise. Yes, it’s a larger ship on a summer cruise with two sea days and cool, rainy weather on the port days so most everybody was inside instead of being at the pool, but this would fall into a First World Problems category so I’ll say no more and be glad we had such a wonderful experience overall!

The children should have a passport card (cheaper than the book) and a notarized letter from the mother,  allowing them to cruise, naming you, the ship and dates. The letter should also authorize you or another adult to act if the children need medical attention.

On 3/6/2019 at 10:35 PM, Johnny west said:

My wife is very limited to the amount she can drink due to her medication , I explained to the phone agent that her medication  limits her alcohol intake to maybe one drink per day. I advised I would rather buy a deluxe alcohol package for me, and non alcohol refreshment package for my wife. I said if my wife felt she could tolerate a drink or two she would pay cash. The phone agent advised that for medical reasons this would be fine. But, I am reading that if you receive an exemption than you cannot purchase alcohol st all. Has anyone found this to be the case? 

Im concerned there was a disconnect between the agent and I. 

I am in the identical situation and I have NEVER had a problem buying my wife a wine or something else alcoholic using her seapass card or charging the $$ to mine and paying at cruise end. Even with an exemption, she can purchase as much alcohol as she wants ( or can handle!! Lol!)

On 3/7/2019 at 10:38 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

 

I, like Matt, was on a cruise this past Thanksgiving (NAV) and I will say that the Thanksgiving meal that they served in the MDR was the single worst meal I have EVER experienced on a cruise ship. The food was just awful.  Enough said.  I will never ever have a Thanksgiving meal in the MDR again

That's a shame WAAAY, we have thoroughly enjoyed each Thanksgiving dinner in Brilliance MDR every year we've sailed! Different ships, different tastes!!

22 hours ago, coneyraven said:

Wow --- that's nice ..... we're not that close to Baltimore (about 2 1/2 hours west) --- we are literally at the western end of the state (closer to Pittsburgh or Morgantown, WV).

Speaking of Brilliance, we'll be on her in April for Easter.....it'll be our first time on a Radiance Class.  Looking forward to it.

I think you will really enjoy that class of ship, not too big but big enough to keep adults occupied and interested. Aft of the WJ, there is a fairly large open-air seating which is perfect for breakfast or a morning coffee or lunch or just about anything. Lots of glass, you can see water from almost any inside location, and the Schooner Bar is perfectly located for a drink and a view. The crew is really friendly and helpful. We've done Thanksgiving aboard her for the last three years and have a fourth planned for 2019. Enjoy your Trip!

On 2/4/2019 at 4:19 PM, coneyraven said:

Absolutely, been on Grandeur 3 times with a 4th one scheduled ...... We love Lady G --- Although the main contributing factor is her proximity to where we live .... Maryland.   No flying involved.

Same for us, Poo-bah. We sail frequently on Brilliance as we live across the Bay from Tampa. Can't beat the convenience, out of our condo, up the Interstate and on board in an hour!

On 1/23/2019 at 10:52 AM, WAAAYTOOO said:

Interesting.  I didn't realize that the Voyagers came out before the Radiances.  I always thought that the Radiance class was prior to the Voyagers.  

What a concept leap between Vision and Voyager !

Thanks for sharing !

That surprised me also...maybe somebody at RCL discovered the Chesapeake and Tampa Bay bridges around 1998!! 

10 minutes ago, VolFanInGa said:

While I cannot predict the weather, April is a dryer season in the Caribbean.  There have been good recommendations about medication to take to combat motion sickness. Many medicines come with side effects.  We are taking sea bands for our girls this spring.  My brother and sister in law have had great luck with them, and we've already purchased some.  We'll probably take some Bonine as well.

 

 

My wife swears by the sea bands and has never had a problem.

9 minutes ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

5 nights.  Going to Key West and Coz.  Monday - Friday.  I have a feeling that the Monday-Fri itins aren't as popular as those that are over a weekend.  Probably why this one was on "sale" on the casino list !  It worked out perfectly though, for us, since we were already on Oasis on Sunday, Dec. 1.

We are also on this cruise next November. Having cruised over Thanksgiving the last three years on Brilliance, I know you will enjoy the ship. Unfortunately, the Christmas decorations generally don't go up until the Friday after turkey day, so we probably miss out on that.

Also the the Tampa-Miami trip is not too bad until you pass FLL, and that last part down 95 is pretty awful...but, you are headed for another cruise, so you have that workin' for ya!!

Also, the shuttles are right there as you exit the ship and drop you off right at the entrance at the beach. No worries about getting to the bus stop, getting on the right bus, etc. When your day is done and you are all in your wet sandy swimsuits with your wet sandy towels and flip flops, the shuttles are waiting right outside the entrance and drop you off right at your ship! Easy peasy!! Out teen granddaughters asked why every beach wasn't like this!

For our upcoming Thanksgiving cruise, I called and got the deluxe package for myself and the refreshment pkg. for my wife as her meds significantly restrict alcohol. Later, I saw a price reduction special, called back and got the cancellation/repricing with no problem! Seems Royal is responding favorably to customer demand in this case, at least

On Brilliance, November 22!!

Can't speak for Symphony but, last two Thanksgivings, MDR on Brilliance had a special turkey dinner for Thanksgiving. We are on her again this year and looking forward to another!

Just got an email today from Bank of America. The mobile banking app on your cellphone along with the location finder can be used to verify credit cards when traveling. 

"Activate Verify Your Visa® Card Is With You in your Mobile Banking app.1

We’ll match the location of your phone with where your Visa card is used to help us approve transactions when you travel away from home."

Haven't set it up yet but it looks a lot easier than typing in your itinerary every time you travel!

We have sailed multiple ships and classes but prefer the Radiance and Voyager classes the most. Have not sailed above Freedom class so cannot speak to the mega-ships, but the two classes I mentioned seem to be the right combination of size and "fun" for us. We particularly enjoy the outdoor WJ seating and R-Bar/Centrum seating on Radiance class and the Promenade on Voyager. You cannot do wrong on any ship/class, you just have to try them all!!