eaglesfaninfl

If true, that is such a shame. Really liked the service when we sailed out of Canaveral last year. People were nice and facility was well-run. Thank God the family stayed safe. Also feel badly for the people on the cruises, who dodge a hurricane to arrive back and find there is no car!

Thanks, I'll be looking forward to it as we have a Canada/NE sailing out of Bayonne next August on her.

I agree, we always get the books for that very reason and almost all of our vacations are cruises. Also if you are a AAA or CAA member, you can get your photos at the local office and they know EXACTLY what the State Dept. requires!

On our very first cruise (on the Brilliance), our muster station was also in the Schooner Bar. Every time since, we've been outside which can be OK on the shady side of the ship. On the sunny side in FL, not so much (even in winter)!

Don't know why their crack IT department can't come up with a solution!

We renewed our passports this past June and had them in less than two weeks without requesting expediting, just normal processing.

Me also!!

When you check in, tell them you want to use a different card and they will do the switch for you. I've done this twice after Bank of America changed my account numbers due to "security breaches" at vendors. Will not be a problem as long as you have your set sail pass.

We've been to Bermuda 7 or 8 times and truly love it. We have been going since the ONLY traffic light on the island was in Hamilton and the cruise ships literally docked on Front Street. All of the places named are wonderful attractions, especially the Caves and Horseshoe Beach but I strongly recommend using the buses or taxis to get around. Not only are the roads narrow and twisty, many have limestone walls that abut the driving lanes, so a miscalculation can result in a severe case of "road rash" as the locals call it! In addition, since Bermuda is left hand drive, right-hand driver's (i.e. US and Canadian citizens) collision avoidance instinct is "backwards" and turns you into potential problems rather than away from it. Stick with the buses and taxis and enjoy your vacation!

Couldn't get on RC website using Firefox..second KLA's comment!

Agree completely, that's a whole 'nother cruise!! We did a 10 day on Serenade this past February out of FLL and thoroughly enjoyed the ship and the ports.

These are all very valid questions and concerns, similar to what my wife and I experienced deciding on out first cruise. We sat down with an experienced travel agent and went through everything with her. A good TA with a reputable company can guide you through all the ins and outs so you can enjoy, rather than fear, the experience!

Saw this earlier this week on CC, I believe. and have been following it here. All I can add to this discussion is I set up our MTD reservations on Brilliance for Thanksgiving, 2017 last weekend (5/13) for the entire cruise, got my confirming email(s) immediately, and, after just checking a few moments ago, they are still all there for the two of us. It could be any number of things; an RCL error (yeh, like that never happens!), a test of something, a decision to limit advance reservations to groups below a certain size (say a group of 10-12 makes a weeks worth of MTD reservations and never shows up for dinner, RCL is forced to hold two or three tables out of service each evening for however long, causing longer waits for those who walk up or have reservations). I find it hard to envision RCL cancelling MTD, when it has shown to be so popular on every cruise we have take.

I always make MTD reservations as soon as they are available to make (which varies by ship, it appears). In fact, I just made our reservations for our Thanksgiving cruise on Brilliance last weekend. Knowing that we have a time means we don't have to wait on board. Also, if our plans change when on board, I just call beforehand and have never had a problem switching to another time, even for the same day. One of RCL's systems that seems to work well.

"...or like the example booking a cabin on a cruise that you have no intention of taking at all, just so you can move it to a future cruise and reap the OBC benefit at the Next Cruise desk. " I agree that there are abuses of the system; however, what was written above was EXACTLY the advice we were given in February by the gentleman at the Next Cruise desk on board Serenade, since we were looking at 2018/2019 cruises and they had not been rolled out yet! We were not trying to game the system but had no room for an earlier cruise. It would appear that RCL may have contributed to creating their own problem...by the way, we booked a "phantom" cruise that we had absolutely no intention of taking, waited until the newer cruises came out and booked the cruise we wanted in 2019. If RCL is going to restrict that practice, then coneyraven's comment comes true and Next Cruise is much less attractive

We have the same itinerary problem cruising out of Tampa. Luckily,we can drive to Ft. Lauderdale or Miami in 4+ hours, so we are able to get away from the Cozumel, Grand Cayman, Belize, etc. rotation, if we want. In fact, we did just that last February and have two more booked in 2018/2019. But as others have already said, there's no requirement to get off the ship just because you're there!

Like Coneyraven above, we cruised to Bermuda last August out of Baltimore and had smooth sailing both ways

I have never had a luggage problem with Southwest (don't bring up American, tho!). What you and your hubby can do is each pack half a suitcase with a complete complement (shoes, underwear, shorts, tops, etc.) then switch suitcases and pack the remainder of what you are taking on the cruise in the other suitcase. If one gets lost, you still have a reasonable wardrobe of clothing to wear!

It is not uncommon to see men dressed as you describe (no tie). As for myself, I forgo a suit and wear a sport coat and slax, dress shirt and tie (except for the cruise where I packed the ties and forgot the dress shirts :) Duh !!)

I have never had that happen to me (I drink martinis before dinner, so the glass would be empty!) but I did experience something similar. On our recent cruise on Serenade having purchased the deluxe drink package as I always do, we were dining in the MDR and I requested two different red wines from the list. Coincidentally, they were both under the $12 maximum and were the only ones of that varietal that were. I was informed that neither wine was available! Now this was a ten-day cruise so that is possible....BUT, this was on the first night of the cruise and we had just left port! The headwaiter gave me a song and dance when I questioned him about this and never did get any logical explanation. Also, on the same cruise, a glass of Kim Crawford SB, which for years on various ships/cruises, was priced around $8-9/glass was $16 in the MDR. The next day at lunch in the WJ, I glanced at the wine listing on the table and it was $12! Don't know if it was a printing error or what but it seems RCL is doing some strange things with drinks/drink packages.

Ordered room service breakfast once and never again. Showed up 1 1/2 hours after the requested time (we had given up waiting, gone to and gotten back from the WJ) and I sent it back. No tip, no nothing. Another indication of the continuing, ongoing deterioration of RCL's quality and commitment to customer service

Just booked my beverage package for Thanksgiving, so that is available at least eight months out. Dining times generally 60-90 days before sailing

I enjoy taking my Kindle on board as someone else has said, it is a WHOLE lot lighter and easier to tote around than books, especially hardbacks. I also like using the Schooner bar tables near windows as a relaxing place to read (assuming Trivia, etc. is not going on) plus libations are easy to get to!

Thanks to all of you for your help and suggestions!

We will be sailing on Serenade in February out of Ft. Lauderdale and driving down that morning to embark. Where is the closest/most economical place to park for a 10 day cruise? My wife has mobility problems and will most likely need a wheelchair once we get into the terminal. Thanks in advance for any assistance!