wstephensi

Feel free to chime in and correct me if I'm wrong.

2 hours ago, jbaymond said:

I saw that in 2020 there was one Oasis 6 night itinerary to Canada/New England from Cape Liberty.  I see that even that itinerary has recently changed.  I was hoping to see the Oasis have a few trips to Canada in 2021 but there are none.  Does anyone know a reason the reason why?

I'm not sure many if any of the ports of call can handle an Oasis Class ship.  Also the Canadian/North East cruises are an older crowd.  Much of the Oasis Deck Activities would be wasted as it is a colder weather cruise.

Deck 6 JS is great.  Quick access to Boardwalk and Grand Promenade.  I avoid connecting rooms if possible, but I would not worry to much about it. 

1 hour ago, JennG1209 said:

I do not know if it is the same.. but I was in a grand suite last march... and there was a little section for suite guests. It was nothing spectacular. It was a little roped off section, with lounge chairs and umbrellas, and you had access to a private little bar and food buffet.. .. again, this was March 2019-so I do not know if they changed it or not.
It was nice to not have to fight over chairs and to have an umbrella for shade. Im a red head- so I burn LOL

That area was replaced with more cabanas and I did not see a like area in June of 2019. 

I missed the old cabana area.  It was cheaper and came with a upgraded lunch.

The new South Beach Club will included an upgraded lunch menu.  I think the current fee is reasonable for admittance to the area.  The cabanas are still pricey.

If you have a late departure time I would recommend checking out the Atlantis site.  They have many different encounters and things to do at less cost than RC.  Just take a cab over from the port and back again.  The biggest risk, as I see it, is if the ship changes its itinerary and you lose your ticket price.

Love the tour.  Consider bringing a bathing suit and towel.  You can go down to the beach and swim if you like.

Booked one for Day 2 at Coco Cay on Mariner, Aug 2020.  $1499.  Doing the cabanas at the Thrill Water Park on Day 1 at CoCo Cay.

Waiting to read and see what the floating cabanas are like.

22 minutes ago, twangster said:

All itineraries require a stop in a foreign country so at some point the ship will stop in a foreign country.  Upon its first return to a U.S. port after stopping in a another country it will be cleared by CBP.

The same happens in Key West.  If you stop in Key West at the beginning of the cruise you don't have to be processed by CBP in Key West.  If Key West is at the end of your cruise after you have visited another country then you do have to be processed by CBP in Key West. 

That what I thought I remembered.  Thanks.

If the ship has not visited a foreign port yet is CBP required or is this a newer requirement?

I'd consider the Spacious Ocean View Balcony if the current price is more than $300 than your current cabin.

As for a JS, it is not much larger on most ships than a Spacious Ocean View Balcony.  A GS is very nice upgrade and if you want the extra space I'd do it.  I love the room layout of a GS.

The title says it all. 

Looking forward to a New England and Canada Cruise in 2022.

In June got there about 10.  By 10:15 they were calling for suites and Diamonds to board.  Did not even get a chance to sit and eat a cookie.

It seems to get easier and faster every time in Port Canaveral. 

As Enchantment was our first she holds a special place.  The magic of boarding, the great dinner partners, the great shows, the great itinerary, and the great food, made our first cruise very special back in 1999.

As of today I would say Harmony.  Our last cruise was great.  

I have had many an adjoining room and don't recall the sofa being lost.  The last two cruises the sofa I know was there, HOS and Radiance.  

I hope there is a a price drop.  $69 a day is about what my next cruise cost is as well.

Was on HOS in June.  DD 17 did attend adult karaoke a couple of nights with us and no problem. 

We were asked to leave an evening adult (18+) dance party in Dazzles.

I  have never found a need for the hooks with just two in the room.  If you had more than I can see the need.

We cruise over and over  again due to my anxiety of new things.  And like many on this site I plan everything to relieve my pre-cruise/vacation anxiety.

I would recommend spending some time reviewing the deck plans before boarding.  It helps me to know where things are before I board. 

They may not be able to drink, but they can go to the late night night clubs, adult karaoke, adult comedy and use the solarium.

I take my breakfast every morning on the balcony.  I read and nap there too from time to time.  

Did HOS this past June never found it too hot or windy on our eastern caribbean cruise. 

Check to see how many persons each room can sleep.  I have noticed if your room is a 3 or 4 person room there is an up charge for that room if you only book two persons.  So if the rooms as connecting and each can sleep up to 4 persons you may see an up charge.  Price each room separably with two and then 4 persons.

Or RCI has figured out what many of us figured out years ago.  Booking connecting rooms is like a two room suite at a fraction of the cost of a two room suite.

54 minutes ago, AshleyDillo said:

First trip?  Once in a lifetime trip?  Starter trip to explore with the intent to come back?

Serenade is a smaller ship that does the RT from Vancouver.  RT tends to make flight logistics easier.  As it is smaller it can visit smaller ports such at Sitka that you won't see on the Ovation itineraries.

Radiance does the one-way trips.  Same smaller ship, but being one-way it can visit more ports in a 7-day span than the RT cruises.  These are also the cruises that link with the optional land tour components (which I highly recommend if you have the time/$ and it's the bucket list/once in a lifetime trip).

Ovation is the newer ship with much more to do onboard (bumper cars, flowrider, iFly, NorthStar).  It does the RT itineraries from Seattle, so it's only a couple of Alaska port stops plus Victoria to comply with the necessity for a foreign port stop.  Again being RT from Seattle, that means flights are usually easier to figure out.

Took Radiance in 2017 plus 3 day land tour.  I agree with the above.

56 minutes ago, SteveinSC said:

Ill be down there for a wedding, staying over at Patriots Point, the weekend before Thanksgiving. Then, back down for camping on the Yorktown with my boys Scout pack on Dec. 7th. Looking forward to that one! Charleston really is a great town. Thanks for sharing it with us.  

The BSoA have been camping on the USS Yorktown for decades.  In college I'd sneak on the ship after hours with dates knowing that the security would think I was with the BSoA.  

If you come to Charleston walk down town and take a tour.  See a plantation or three .  Middleton, Boone Hall and Magnolia are all great.  Take in a museum.  Walk along the Battery and rest in the shade of White Point Gardens.  Do a house tour or two.  Tour the Old Customs House and Dungeon.  Learn about pirates.  Visit Fort Sumter and Moultrie.  If it is Friday afternoon get over to The Citadel and watch a dress parade.  Get out of the City and hike the Francis Marion Forest.  See ancient oyster mounds, wolves, raptors.  Lots to do.

Try fried green tomatoes, red rice, shrimp and grits, okra, she crab soup, seafood of all kinds.

I hope you enjoy your stay.

More Trivia:  Charleston is home to the oldest museum in the USA and the oldest municipal college in the US and oldest college in SC, The College of Charleston.  

The City was the sight of the first major defeat of the British in 1776.

The first shots of the Civil War were fired on the Federal supply ship Star of the West, then later Fort Sumter.  

On a more positive note, here is some Charleston trivia:  Charles Towne was first settled in 1670 by the British on the west bank of the Ashley River.  Currently the location is known as Charlestowne Landing State Park.  It includes a replica of the original settlement and 17th century sailing vessel, a zoo of native animals, and the plantation that was owned by Dr. and Mrs. Waring.  Mrs. Waring deeded the land to the state upon her death.  Dr. Warring was famous for his painless injections and the MUSC historical library is named after him.  He was also brother to Federal Judge J. W. Waring famous for beginning school desegregation cases that would lead to Brown vs Board of Education.  The Waring House would become known as the Governor's House after the plantation was deeded to the state.

If you are in Charleston, Charlestowne  Landing is a great place to start your tour.  It is not down town but only 10 minutes by car or taxi, Uber, Lyft, etc.

24 minutes ago, SteveinSC said:

So you're telling me: they thought digging a "deep hole" would displace enough water....OCEAN WATER? lol

As far as the New Orleans comparison, we've seen that doesn't always work, though it's probably the most effective method. Probably even more effective than N'awlins since Chucktown isn't BELOW sea level (I think)? 

Charleston is much smaller than New Orleans and much of it is at or above mean high tide.  Road flooding is the real issue with little damage to homes or business.  Lower Market Street (eastern most market) shops flood from time to time and I have seen the water there knee deep and deeper in spots.  Wife got a nasty infection in her toe back in the summer of 1990, when we were dating, walking through the water on Market Street on her way to work.  I forgot to mention that the storm sewers still have some household and business waste/sewage that leaks in from pipes dating back to the late 1800's.  Please don't walk or play in Charleston's flooded streets.  It is not just rain water.

Medical side note: if the brackish water is warm (80+F) it can grow Vibrio vulnificus, which can cause a nasty infection if you have an open wound, scrape or scratch and wade in the water.  This organism killed many folks who waded in the waters following Katrina in New Orleans.  Originally their deaths were reported as caused by Vibrio cholerae or cholera. 

I grew up being told not to play or wade  in the flood waters.  My wife who grew up in Rock Hill (did you catch that) was attending the College of Charleston in 1990 and did not know better.

Just now, SteveinSC said:

Something ive discussed with a friend of mine from the low country : The flooding in Charleston when heavy rains come.....more frequent than it used to be, or more media coverage than there used to be? 

Oh. boy!!!  The flooding at high tide and with rain storms has always been a problem.  And when both happens it is a real problem.  I do not believe it is any more so than 30 years ago.

1st find a map from say 1780 of the peninsula of Charleston.  Then compare to a map from today.  You discover two things:  1. Much of the current city is constructed on waist fill dirt. 2. Many of the current streets and roads sit on tidal creeks as mapped in 1780.

Walk around some of the newer buildings in MUSC area and you will notice 2-3 feet of subsidence of the parking lots around the buildings and you can see under the buildings (large buildings like hotels and hospitals).  Those buildings are build on pilings to a minimum depth of 33 feet some more.  The buildings stay but the parking lots sink under the weight of the asphalt.

Some of the streets are build on fill as well and many are built on colvert that contains the tidal creek under the street and acts as the storm sewer.  Thus heavy rain and high tide means storm sewer flows in reverse.

In approx 1992 or 1994 Mayor Riley enacted a flood control fee of $4 per month to pay to solve the flooding.  The fee is much higher now.  His plan was to pump the excess water underground during flooding and pump back into the ocean at low tide.  A deep hole was constructed over 20 years and no improvement.  (Currently a new bigger deeper hole is being constructed).  Why no improvement?  Because there is not a hole big enough or deep enough to pump the entire ocean into and that is what has to happen.  Remember the tidal creeks flood the city and are fed by the ocean.

I had this discussion with an engineer for the third firm hired by the city to solve the problem in 2005.  He agreed with me.  

The only thing that would have a chance of working is to construct a dike/levee around the city.  Then you could pump storm water out of the bowl.  Like in New Orleans.