MikeK

Since we like to sign up  for our next cruise on board we always meet up with our TA about 3 weeks before sailing to find the best deals, pricing, etc.  Researching our next cruise usually makes the time go faster

Does anyone else find it strange that we pay for stuff to advertise for corporate America?  They should be at the least giving us the Tshirts with the logos to advertise for them.  Dont get me wrong I've done it and still do it but somewhere somehow these companies have convinced us that it's cool to pay them to advertise for them    Oh well ....keep on cruising ....we all love it!

Miami is roughly 25 miles South of the Port Everglades. You could either take a cab $30-$40, uber or pre-arranged transportation. The better question is why Miami? Fort Lauderdale has great beaches, excellent dining and has a lot less traffic and confusion.

I got to agree with Tony on this.  Miami is way over rated

Because that's what the market dictates.  There's money to be made in them thar waves!

I wonder if the market still dictates it!

On our last cruise we stayed in a GS for the first time and like you we normally stay in the JS.  Your card will be gold colored this time which shows you are a suite guest.  I can only speculate that the same perks hold true on the Brilliance as we had on our last cruise.  You will be able to have breakfast in one of the specialty restaurants so you just need to ck and see which one it is.  You will be admitted in the Concierge Lounge with your card and have free drinks from 5pm to 8 every night.  There also will be someone in the lounge to help you with any problems you might have, like getting reservations to shows etc.  There are also a certain amount of free drinks on your card from 5pm to 8 in certain lounges on the ship.  The shows offer a certain amount of reserved seats for suite guest.  Thats a few of the high points but there will be more perks    Relax and have a good time.....Mike

Thats funny!  I dont understand why they sail out of New Jersey in the winter time in the North Atlantic

I see how the strategy could/might work. As long as a staff member understands that the pre tip isn't all there is and that it's for the good service you know or anticipate you're going to receive, I can see how the strategy could be beneficial.

 

Please don't assume that their was any judgment in my reply. I simply wanted to understand the how's and the whys behind the process. I also wanted to clarify for newbies that this wasn't a requirement above and beyond the daily fees.

 

I'm glad to hear that it has worked well for you and I'm appreciative of the fact that you're rewarding the hard working crew members. :)

Thank you Doc,  I understand now where you are coming from and your correct,  the newbies need to know where the starting point is and if they catch the incurable cruise disease most of us have on here then they can decide what is most comfortable for them on future cruises.  As I have a soft heart for the workers in the service industry I have always been a heavy tipper so you can't go by what I do.  Since I don't plan on taking my money to the grave with me I don't mind sharing it with the hard workers that make cruising what it is......ok....I'll quit now....Good Luck....Mike

With Oasis going to Port Canaveral soon, does the possibility of Oasis 4 going to China increase? Or, will Oasis head over there after a short stay at Port Canaveral?

 

I would love to see more options out of Jacksonville too. I am flying there the day before my next Port Canaveral embarkation and spending a half day in St Augustine.

If you've never been to St Augustine make sure you try the Columbia Restaurant and the Lightner Museum

Deserve it because wages are low or deserve it because they'll earn it? Also, how do they know this isn't their one and only tip? Do you tell them?

 

Obviously, tipping is a personal decision and everyone should do what they're comfortable with. I just want new cruiser to think they need to pre tip or tip in addition to the daily charge to receive exceptional service.

Yes I do this because their pay is low and I'm sure they will earn it!  I have never had bad service from a room steward or waiter so I don't mind tipping early and yes I do tell them this is a little something extra to start with.  So Doc my suggestion if you don"t like this or don't think its right.....then don't do it!

The BEST way to receive great service from your Room Steward is to give them 20 bucks the very first time you meet them.   They will NEVER forget you the rest of your trip.  Works the same with the maître d'....tip on your way out the first night and they will never forget you also.  

I agree with Stoneman....I give $20 or $30 right at the beginning to the room steward, head waiter and asst waiter.  Not only is the service great but they deserve it!

The first thing I do in the mornings (ok...the second thing I do) is order a large pot of coffee.  As I'm an early riser the coffee usually arrives in a few minutes,  then i throw on a robe and stand out on the "oceanview" balcony, drink my coffee and enjoy the view.  That is one of the many things I enjoy about cruising.   Always an oceanview!

I m going on the Navigator in June.   Contact me again closer to the time if you dont have one by then.  Mike

If you are bringing your BC and DL as a backup you will need to bring a certified copy of your marriage certificate to back up a name change on your BC.  You are smart to bring these backups!  There is no such thing as too many IDs when it comes to checking in at the pier.  It will be too late to go home to get the right paperwork on the day of the cruise.  Relax and have a good time .....Mike

We have used the Jr. Suite 3 or 4 times and the Grand Suite once.  The JS perks are nice but most of all more affordable than the upper suites.  One of the features we liked in the JS was the walk in closet which the Grand Suite did not have. In our opinion the JS , with more room and double points, is the way to go compared to the regular balcony cabin.

I know I have said this before on here but it is important if your a first time cruiser to start with two things that could make or break a cruise before you even get started.  #1...make sure you have the correct IDs.  You can almost never go wrong with a passport.  Your IDs must match your name that's on the manifest.  The IDs must be government issued with a seal or stamp, Not copies made from your home computer printer.  If you have a name change (marriage etc) it has to be a certified copy.  #2....Do Not be late!  Plan on  checking in at least 1 1/2 to 2 hours before the sail time.  They will leave you if your not on time.  Same thing for coming back to the ship at your port stops....Be on time!  I am not trying to scare you but it is important.   I have been on about 12 cruises and this site is full of many nice people that have been on a lot more so ask questions if your not sure.  Most of all .....relax and have a great time ....Mike

Be sure to get there early as possible to explore,  there is a lot to see and do.   If you plan on eating lunch as soon as you get on board you might try the Park Cafe in Central Park on Deck 8 or the Solarium Bistro/Samba Grill on Deck 15 they are a good alternative to the Windjammer,  less crowded with excellent food.  The Solarium also serves a great breakfast.   Relax and have fun....Mike

Having been on Oasis class X 2, Freedom class X 2 and Voyager class X 5 I would have to agree with Scotts reasoning.  I believe you would have a wonderful time on the Navigator and would get hooked on RC like the rest of us.  If you do chose the Allure I would get there as soon as possible to explore the ship as there is so much to see and do on the Oasis class ships.  Relax and have to good time!  Mike

I was hoping RC would invest in a Jacksonville port.  Jacksonville has a large airport and would shorten driving time for a number of people.  The current Jax cruise port only uses smaller ships due to a bridge.  A newer port would have to be closer to the naval base so maybe its a security thing.  Has anyone heard any talk about a new Jax cruise port?

On our last cruise last May out of San Juan we went to the NextCruise desk on the first night.to book our next cruise.  As always we had a meeting with our TA just prior to the cruise to research our next cruise to compare pricing and on board credits etc.   We got a rough idea to take on board with us what we would be paying for the Baltic Sea cruise in June 2016.  

Well to our disappointment we found out the only cabins left were Jr Suites and below.  We were hoping to get into the Grand Suite again.  Our TA told us when we returned that on some cruises the higher end cabins and lower end cabins(Price wise) are the first to go.  I have checked back off and on for the last six months and none of the suites are available.  We did book a Jr. Suite but we are hoping in March when its pony up time there will be some cancellations.

Just a little food for thought that a cruise that you are planning to book on board might not be available even like us when its 13 months ahead.

We ate at Mojitos Restaurante which is about two blocks behind the Sheraton Old San Juan where we stayed pre-cruise. It is nothing fancy but the food was great and reasonable.  The address is Calle Recinton Sur.

We have used balcony cabins starting on our first RC cruise on the Voyager in 2000. Many RC cruises later our TA talked us into a Jr. Suite on 12 day Med cruise on the Mariner in 2012. As we really enjoyed the Jr. suite we used them on the Navigator and the Allure.  Our last cruise we jumped it to the Grand Suite.  If your goal is just more  room I would choose the Jr. Suite.  It has the full bath and walk in closets with plenty of space to get around also you get double cruise points in the Jr. Suite.  We turned diamond members on the last cruise out of San Juan and enjoyed the Grand Suite.   In the long run I m not sure it was worth it.   Being a diamond member there wasnt that many advantages having both.  We spent more time in the Diamond Club than the suite club   Just an opinion,  you know what they say about opinions.  

We sailed out of San Juan last May on the AOS and got there a day early to explore Old San Juan.  It was about a  45min taxi ride from hotel to the port and arrived about noon.  The lines seemed long but RC has always done a good job of moving people along.  We tried a Grand Suite this time and we are diamond members so we had no wait time for checking in.  I don't know for sure but I doubt they will let you get on the ship then get off to explore.  There didn't seem much to see around the port area so if you want to go to Old San Juan it will be a taxi ride 45min one way.  If you are a first time cruiser make sure you have your correct paperwork and DON'T BE LATE.   Have fun....Mike

If I remember correctly you can cash one personal check on board.  Since I have never done it I could be wrong or things might have changed.

Thank you for this MikeK; I wasn't aware that there are different ports.

 

May I please have some hotels recommendation that are close to the port where the Adventure will be?

The Sheraton Old San Juan where we stayed is nice.   It would be better to stay in Old San Juan for site seeing and catch a cab to the cruise port where the Adventure is.  Its about a $20 cab ride maybe a little more for the four of you.  Its about the same $ for the cab ride from the airport to the Old San Juan district  One of the luggage handlers at our hotel taught us about the trolley and good places to eat local food.   Its about a 30-40 min drive from Old San Juan to the cruise port so I would leave the hotel about 10am

Thank you WhiteSoxFan and yes, we're planning on getting to San Juan (from Toronto) two days prior so we can also explore San Juan a bit.

We stayed at the Sheraton Old San Juan last May on our Liberty of the Seas cruise and enjoyed exploring San Juan.  The hotel was right in front of one of the cruise ports and had a beautiful view of the water.   There are free trams that take you around the city that you can get on and off at any of the stops.  One of the trams goes around the inter part of the city and the other goes around the perimeter of the city.   We stayed on the tram the whole route several times just for the free tour.  The inter city tram is kinda trolley car and the perimeter one looks like a small bus.  The outer one takes you to both forts.  Remember to get to the port early as it gets crowded.  We got there about 1230 and there were long lines.   It will look confusing but there are RC people in uniform the can help direct you to the correct line.  The cruise port you will be using is NOT in old San Juan.  I believe the cruise port you will be leaving is called the Pan American pier