JC Pats
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Posts posted by JC Pats
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Favorite is a hard thing to pin down for me. Freedom was my 1st, Adventure holds some of the most amazing memories for me, I think Mariner is the perfect ship (although we'll see if Navigator can live up the hype next year) and I've become addicted to the Oasis Class. I guess at the end of the day, They're all my favorites, because I'd rather be on a cruise ship, than at home, and any day at sea (well, almost) is better than a day at work.
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Welcome to the Boards!
6 hours ago, Gabrielbeblo said:Hello everyone! Im Gabriel and me and 7 other friends are all going together on our very first cruise. We chose the Wonder of The Seas in September over the mediterranean.
We are quite excited for the ship itself, because as we are all international flight attendants we have explored all the countries we will visit.
So the thing is: we are as clueless as a 5 yo. Like we do not know what is a must have, nice to have or not necessary. Specially when it comes to the drinks and food packages.For those experts out there, would you say you were satisfied with what is already included on the price? Do you feel the need to buy the refreshment package? Because honestly I don't know if its ok for me to stop at the windjammer mid of the day for some juice. For Beverages, I, at a minimum, get the refreshment package, if anything, just for bottles of water and the occasional soda. Depending on what kind of cruise I am on (with friends, or completely solo) also depends on if I get the deluxe beverage package. I find between the bottles of water, and comradery with friends (well into the night), I more than "make my money" on the alcohol package, even at these higher prices. If the Windjammer is open the afternoon (there are times it is closed for cleaning/prepping for the next meal) you can certainly grab a juice. If you and your group drink alcohol at a regular pace and plan on enjoying the ship, more than getting up early for the ports, the deluxe beverage package may make more sense.
How does the dinner work? It asked for our preference on timing, but is there a separate dinner other than the restaurants mentioned as complimentary? You Have the Main Dining Room with 2 times, 5:30pm and 8pm, and then you have my time dining, which is also in the main dining room, but you can reserve a time to eat between 5 and 830 (some ships have different times, so use caution with this). You have the windjammer marketplace (buffet) open for dinner nightly as well with a wide variety of food to choose from. There are also restaurants which charge for dinner which have limited/specialized menus. For a 1st time cruiser, with a group of people, I would recommend the 3-night package. 1) it's cheaper than the full ultimate dining package 2) you can experience all the dining venues (Main Dining Room, Windjammer and specialty dining to get a feel for what you like best) and 3) group dinners at the specialty dining restaurants can be really magical experiences and are among my favorite cruise memories. And, that's what cruising (and vacations with friends in general) are about, making lasting fun memories.
We got deck 7 ocean view riiiight in the front of the ship. Did we make a poor choice? It is a bit of a hike from the elevators/stairs to the cabin, but alot of cabins can have that issue. The comfort level (pitch/rocking of the ship) is mainly weather dependent. The better the weather, the less pitch/rocking, if it's a storm, you're liable to feel the pitch/rocking of the ship more. It would be more pronounced in the bow (front) and aft (rear) of the ship (I can speak from experience having done both). But you will hear alot of other opinions, so you won't really know until you set sail. But you're on a cruise ship and on vacation, so it could be a lot worse!
Any tips are very welcome! And if you have any aviation questions Id be more than happy to assist you with that! Tips for Wonder - make sure you make reservations for the Aqua 80s show Intense - it's not like any show you've probably ever seen as well as the ice show. Have a specialty alcoholic drink at the Mason Bar - they are AMAZING! Also, don't over pack your schedule to try and see everything - let the events come to you as you feel - that (in my opinion) makes for a fulfilled vacation (besides, you can spend 7 days on board and not experience everything)
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8 hours ago, tonyfsu21 said:
Are you sure this was not famed RCBlog Illuminati “cooking yo”?
Feed him enough Tequila, and there are no limits..
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As said, you can use the app to do anything on board - the use of the app is free. But you can only book shows/entertainment once you're on board. Booking dining, depends. If you're doing a dining package, you have to reserve times on board, but you can go to any specialty restaurant upon boarding or there's usually a station for specialty dining in the promenade you can reserve times at. It is 1st come 1st serve. If you have my time dining, I think you can book that on the cruise planner pre cruise, if not, you can reserve a time w/the Maitre D upon boarding as well.
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2 hours ago, SunnyDays said:
Wait a min, can someone explain “the day of your cruise does not count”? Our ship departure is Sun June 26th so I am thinking the soonest I can do is Friday June 24. Is that right or can I do as early as Thu June 23?
Day of cruise (for you - 6/26) Day 0
Day before cruise (6/25) 1 Day before
Day before that (6/24) 2 days before
Earliest you can test is Friday, 6/24/22
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7 minutes ago, USCG Teacher said:
To say I was surprised is an understatement.
I wasn't doubting you lol - just very shocked they have gone to 10am arrival times!
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8 minutes ago, USCG Teacher said:
I just checked in last night and received at 10 AM boarding time, so I have to assume that porters will be around and at the ready when your family arrives!
10AM? I never saw 10am PRE Covid, say nothing of now.
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7 minutes ago, leesam82 said:
Hello Fellow Cruisers!
I checked in and was assigned a boarding time for all of the family for 10:30 for the upcoming Oasis OTS sailing out of port liberty. I wanted to know is there an earlier boarding time or is 10:30 am the earliest. Also due to logistics some family members will be there about 20 minutes prior to the assigned boarding time. Does anyone know if there will be porters there to take their luggage? Any insight would be helpful thanks!
1030 will be the earliest boarding time, although based on my recent experience (5/29 cruise) you can get to the terminal, through security and checked in by 1000/1015. You'll be directed to a seating area and when it's time to board, they'll call you by the area/row you're seated in.
There will be plenty of porters there to take your luggage.
- leesam82 and CruisingOz
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I was just on Oasis and as she was amplified in 2019, she is not scheduled for dry dock anytime soon. There is also no ongoing refurbishment and I have seen no list of "refurbished" cabins. If you're comparing the cabins to Harmony/Symphony/Wonder - yes, they're not as modern/new, but the cabins are very well maintained. Obviously, decor is subjective, so you may feel different.
The only thing that's "old" and something to be careful about with cabins on Oasis (and possibly Allure) is the master switch as opposed to the card slot. I don't know remember that from my 2019 cruise on her, but some cabins have this. If you turn that off at night, everything is turned off in the cabin, including the air. Yes, the switch is labeled but after a fun filled night, you're not necessarily paying attention to switches when you're going to bed.
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Masks are optional in US Ports and on board (currently). Foreign ports may require masks at some or all times. Everyone has different rules so just be prepared.
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NY Skyline from Oasis - 5/29/22
NYPD Chopper flyby 5/29/22 (they circled the whole ship after we left the dock in Bayonne)
- Pattycruise and WAYNO
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Every ship is going to have issues, metal rusts so there is constant upkeep with the structure. Carpets/Railings & floors in general take a beating from constant use. That being said, I have never experienced a royal ship where it was extremely run down/bad shape. The crew do an amazing job with daily cleaning and routine upkeep.
- WAAAYTOOO, FoxboroCruiser and USFFrank
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Slides.. more than likely, as long as you're not visibly intoxicated (remember, they're sober so they'll be able to tell)
Zipline/Flowrider/Rock Wall, Probably not, although I wouldn't do them buzzed as it's a safety issue.
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52 minutes ago, Ann613 said:
How do I connect to the ship WiFi on my cell phone when I get onboard?
You'll go to settings, wifi, then select the guest option (for example, Oasis-Guest or Guest-Mariner). Then go to the app, tap the person figure on the upper right, scroll down to where it says internet packages and there should be a link that says "access internet" - click that and you'll have to fill out a little info (name, cabin number and something else). You'll have to create a log in ID and pin. once you confirm those, it'll bring you to the payment page. If you've paid for an internet package, it will show there, just click continue. If you haven't, it'll give you options (surf & surf/stream) and the cost. There are not (to my knowledge) single day packages, so once you select/confirm your option, it will charge to your onboard account. But once you do all that, you should be connected.
If you have any issues there is a Wifi podium or desk on the promenade/centrum near guest services, along with staff wearing bright tshirts that say WiFi who can get you connected.
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1 hour ago, Demac said:
Our cruise leaves 4/1/2023, when will the app open open so we can select a boarding time?
Used to be 90 days out, but it's 45 now. If you open the app and tap the person figure at the top right, the app will tell you the date when your cruise's check in opens.
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As an FYI for those that haven't heard - Mariner will be departing from Cruise Terminal 5 (CT5) at Port Canaveral as Harmony will be at CT1 (the one next to Grills) on 7/18. We're also scheduled to return to CT5 on Monday 7/25 as Indy is at CT1. Make sure you plan your parking/transportation accordingly. Address for CT5 is Cruise Terminal #5 - 9245 Charles Rowland Drive
- Jeff Raines and ShannonA453
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14 minutes ago, Va4fam said:
I thought I was using the "right ship" strategy too and thought we were earning our first block on Brilliance last week.
But the actual ship on the block is ......................SYMPHONY!?!?!
We did recently sail her and she is one of my favorite ships so it's not that big of a deal.
Has this happened to anyone else?
This is from the Oasis Loyalty Ambassador (which is what I thought it was... but she confirmed it) - you get a block for the cruise you hit the milestone on. If you were on Brillance and that cruise got you to/above 140 points (1st block), that's the block you should have received. You can call C&A and see if that was correct and/or if they can send you a Brillance block
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12 minutes ago, Bruin Steve said:
Okay...it's a new world. First Royal Caribbean cruise post-pandemic (though I've already done two-B2B, July/Aug 2021-- on Celebrity Apex and two on Majestic Princess--Oct 2021 and April 2022)...
I booked this one REALLY late in the game--like a week ago--and it sails 2 weeks from Monday...
Here's the question: When filling out the check-in, earliedt boarding time I could get was 12:00-12:30... When do they actually start boarding...IOW, what would the earliest boarding slot have been if I had booked a lot earlier? I live over an hour from the port without traffic, so, with LA traffic on a Monday morning, it's really hard to judge when to leave home (probably Uber)...so, I would typically aim to get there a litte early. I know they say not to get there outside your scheduled time...but, will it really be an issue? I am Diamond C&A if that makes a difference...
Thanks...
Earliest check in times have been 1030am.
Boarding times have been about the same, although that's controlled by the CPB, so it's not the same every week.
As for enforcement of allowing ppl in the terminal based on their check in times, it's SUPPOSED to be enforced across the board, but in reality, that's a port decision. I've seen it enforced in Miami/FLL, but not in Canaveral/Bayonne. If you get there ahead of your scheduled check in time, you may have to wait to allow those that have times ahead of yours to be checked in 1st.
Finally, C&A Status would only really matter if you had the 1st boarding times as that's how they would (normally) start the boarding process (Pinnacle/Suites, Key, D+, Diamond and so forth). If boarding has already started, C&A status wouldn't matter as you would just board the ship.
As with all things now a days, YMMV.
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3 hours ago, Suite Snob said:
How large are they? The word "block" makes me think it is shaped like a Ribuk's (Magic) Cube. Anybody have a picture of one?
4"Width x 3" tall x 2" Wide - My 1st one was in my backpack, flagged by the machines - had my 2nd one mailed to my home - I don't mind them, but to each their own.
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7 minutes ago, Scott_gunerman said:
1st time with Royal, Oasis of the Seas July 22 -29. I am working on the check in, just uploaded my vaccination card and it says “validating your record.” Anyone know how long this takes? Also, do we need to bring the actual cards to the port for check in? Might be a good idea to have this as backup if this validation doe not complete itself for some reason. Let me know if you have any experience with this, thanks!
Validating your Vax card can take a few days to a few weeks. I wouldn't worry at all about it as uploading it now, saves time at the port. And yes, you need to bring your ORIGINAL Vax cards with you for the cruise, regardless of if it's validated prior to the cruise or not. The check in agent may want to verify what you brought matches what you uploaded.
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On 6/1/2022 at 7:43 AM, smokeybandit said:
Yes, they had towel stations on the island. This is back in July so maybe they've changed things since then with staffing issues
I was able to get a towel at the coco cay towel station near oasis lagoon last week (6/2) and they had plenty there.
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21 hours ago, Pattycruise said:
I’ve no idea if the seapass card is flagged to show a B2B but on a recent sailing (not a B2B) I purchased alcohol after 3pm on the final full day and they let me walk out of the shop with it. The same thing happened to a friend on a different ship. They said it was too late to set it up for room delivery.
Each cruise is separate - so seapass cards are not flagged for b2b. I've done the "hack" when I've done b2b's
Can you go back again?
in Royal Caribbean Discussion
Posted
I have, and I think it's better the 2nd/3rd time around (after that, port depending, it can get old - see The Bahamas, Nassau) - the 2nd time you go there, you feel more comfortable, not only with the ship, but the ports - and you usually want to see more and more or go back and attempt to relive the previous experience. I say go for it!