ChessE4
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Posts posted by ChessE4
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On 1/5/2020 at 11:35 AM, Cruisingmia912 said:
Hello
we are going to St.Maarten and St. Thomas.
what did you book as an excursion for the 2 ports? Any recommendations? I was thinking St.John on our own sound good. I need something in St. Maarten
If you like culinary excursions, St. Maarten has something like A Taste of St Maarten which takes you to three locations will also driving around the island. You'll make pasta and have wine/juice at a cheese and wine store near the port; then you'll have a grilled lunch in St. Martin, followed by gelato in St. Maarten. You can be dropped off near the town shopping or return directly to the port for shopping by the ship.
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15 hours ago, Patricia Dusseau said:
Thank you for the suggestions. I will look into them. Hopefully this will get easier the more I start to travel.
At Cozumel there are many excursions that take you to the mainland, but remember that the ferry ride is fast and bumpy. I get a little queasy but don't need meds for the trip. However, seasickness pills are usually provided. Just wanted you forewarned. Cozumel is popular for purchasing jewelry, but remember to cut through the hype. The quoted price is never the real price. Check online in the US before you travel if you are thinking of making a purchase. Then you will know the typical price. (Don't pay $700 for $300 earrings.) Other than that, it can be fun to go from store to store with the shopping guide just to sample the drinks without buying anything substantial. There is supposed to be a good Cozumel Island museum near downtown - a cab could probably take you. I've seen some good online reviews, but I haven't made it there as yet. At Roatan we visited Maya Key for snorkeling, swimming, seeing zoo animals, shopping for artisanal gifts, etc. It is a short boat ride from the ship and reasonably priced. There is a swimming pool plus swimming areas at their beach.
If you want company at dinner, you can ask to share a table in the Main Dining Room rather than sitting alone. (Have your agent arrange this or talk to Royal staff.) When we took your itinerary in September, we dined with a single woman and had delightful conversation.
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On 1/4/2020 at 9:25 AM, mrsjnt083 said:
I did a search and didn’t find any, but does anyone have a good packing list? Things that you thought you’d need but didn’t, things you didn’t even think about but could have come in handy? I was watching a YouTube video and the person mentioned taking euro converter plugs so they can utilize all of the plugs in the room. A little over a year out from my first cruise and totally out of my element here.
One thing I take that I don't see on packing lists is foreign currency (part of cash?). Not that US dollars can't be used, but some excursions go to rural areas, so I try to plan ahead, e.g., euros for Europe or pesos for Mexico. There are so many cruises at each destination that I hold onto the extra currency for a future trip. But really, aside from medicine, BUG Spray, and clothing, we haven't found it necessary to overthink packing. One trip I packed white socks, but not dark socks, and they weren't sold on the ship or in port. So I always think clothing first. Everyone seems to pack sunscreen but not something for flies and mosquitoes. Have a great cruise!
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On 1/3/2020 at 9:55 PM, bobroo said:
If Swimming With Pigs at Coco Cay doesn’t work out, try Eating With Seagulls......it’s free!
And there is also swimming with the occasional octopus. True story, a diver gave a child a Conch shell, and he told his father there was an octopus inside. Of course, Dad didn't believe is 5 year old, but I walked over to check it out. Yep, the octopus was there, but it fell/jumped out of the shell and onto the sand. I grabbed it and took it to the water, where it swam away in a cloud of ink!
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16 hours ago, KTtravels said:
I'm traveling on Allure of the Seas in less than three weeks! At home, I'm a big Starbucks latte drinker. I see on the Cruise Planner that I can purchase a Cafe Select Coffee Card - $31 for 15 beverages. I also see in the fine print that it doesn't include any drinks made "inside licensed Starbucks stores/cafes". If I can't use the card at Starbucks, what other locations on the ship makes premium latte drinks? Are there multiple locations? I'm trying to decide if there are enough locations so I can't have to wait in long lines in the morning to get a latte. Thanks in advance!
Concur with @Biff215 . I am an early riser and don't find a line at Cafe Promenade, but on departure (disembarkation) day, it will be very busy.
When you are at the Diamond level and above, you'll find free cappucinni in the Diamond Lounge of most ships. But I still use the coffee card for its convenience and choice of drinks.
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22 hours ago, CruisySuzi said:
Hi!
I would like to bring my own bottle of wine onto the ship. There is nothing in the rules that I have found that states they will charge a corkage fee. But I believe that sometimes they check your carry on and try to charge a $25 fee. Even with the screw tops. Can anyone tell me what to expect?
Thanks! Susan
I agree with@TXcruzer . You can take a glass of wine virtually anywhere (but no glass on pool deck), so if you bring your own bottle, just ask the Stateroom Attendant for glasses. Take your wine to your restaurant as explained above. Later, when you earn Diamond vouchers, you'll probably do something similar--get a drink at a nearby bar and take it to the restaurant to avoid the "delay" which can often occur in the MDR.
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1 hour ago, Joey Gratton said:
Hi everyone;
Thanks for the great comments on my Cruise Chronicle.
I remember that while the cruise lasted only a week it seemed like I was on that ship for at least a month.
Do you guys often feel that way too?
It seems like a long time when I run out of clean clothes!
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2 hours ago, Quilter620 said:
I will be sailing on the Explorer in March. Can anyone advise me on what would be the sweetest white wine? I normally drink moscato or a reisling, but do not see it on the menu. Thank you.
Ask for a Moscato. That's what my wife drinks, because sometimes the White Zin is a little on the sour side.
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On 1/3/2020 at 12:45 PM, sherdawgg said:
Cruising January 10th on Mariner to Coco Cay. I’ve heard ppl talk about theme nights or dressing up for dinner certain nights. How do I know what nights we are expected to dress up, if any?
The Cruise Compass will indicate the recommended attire for dinner in the Main Dining Room as well as various dance parties. The longer the cruise, the more events. Haven't been on the Mariner, but on other ships there is a dress your best/formal night (or two), but you don't need to go overboard. There will be a night for a tropical/Hawaiian shirt, and maybe a white night late at the pool deck. Other threads discuss clothing in great detail, but as long as men have a collared shirt and long pants, men won't feel out of place anywhere regardless of the recommended attire. I like to pack a sport coat or wear it on the ship, but other men don't. My wife has clothes that are nice but doesn't wear fancy ball gowns. Again, Cruise Compass from the link at the top of the page will get you started. Have a great trip!
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19 hours ago, Jean said:
Is there smoking areas on cococay?
Yes, I snorkeled off of Chill Island in May and September. The fish were buy the rocks at the end of the cove. However, on my next trip, I will try an excursion that goes to a natural reef. Because of hurricane damage (Dorian) and all of the island reconstruction, the snorkeling at the beach isn't as good as it was. We bring our equipment but you can select at your leisure snorkeling in Cruise Planner if you don't want to pack your gear.
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29 minutes ago, Alibou3193 said:
The countdown for my cruise in Feb has begun! I'm so excited! I do have a few questions though.
Our first stop is in Grand Cayman and I think we are going to head to Eden's Rock to sign up for some snorkeling. Does anyone happen to know how far from the port it is? Is it within walking distance? Is there a spot for us to lay out in the sun for a bit after we are done snorkeling?
Next is Cozumel. We won't be doing any excursions, just some exploring and grabbing a bite to eat. I think we want to go downtown to explore. Is that the best area to check out? Is it safe? When we hop in a taxi, do we just ask the driver to "take us downtown" or should we have a specific location? Does anyone have any suggestions on places to eat in that area? All tips and tricks are welcomed!
In Cozumel the red & white taxis are legitimate, and they can just dump you downtown at the jewelry stores, just as you've stated. It's easy to pick up a cab going back. On return, they will drop you off at 5th Avenue next to port shopping. You'll need your SeaPass to get back into port shopping. For us it was $8 to return so I gave the driver $10. If you sign up to go with the shopping guide, your taxi trip into town will be free. There is a little square a couple of blocks in from the main street, and numerous gift shops or cafes border the park. Downtown, expect to haggle on all prices - don't accept the first quote. Diamonds International marks everything up. We paid $399 for earrings (after negotiating down from $700) that were $299 online (from their store site). As always, buyer beware.
There is a Cozumel Island Museum near downtown that is supposed to be good, but we haven't made it there yet. It can be looked up online (map and directions).
Have a great trip!
PS. You can also take a cab to local beaches, but we haven't done that yet.
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10 hours ago, sherdawgg said:
What’s the best way to carry around your seapass card? Lanyard??
Concur with everyone, but I also pack a lanyard with a phone-sized plastic pouch that can be sealed when I go into the water on excursions or in the pool on the ship. When I wear a lanyard that is card-sized, I make sure the fastener is secure, or I place the card end of the lanyard in my shirt pocket. I find that I can go through a lot plastic card holders -- the soft plastic holders found at Walmart tend to tear, so I use hard plastic holders. Have a great trip!
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15 hours ago, rstephen3955 said:
We have a cruise coming up in June to Nassau. Never been there does anyone have any suggestions on what to do?
In addition to walking around, we have tried snorkeling. One tip: don't pick the cheap trip that crams a large crowd together, try an excursion with a smaller number of guests. Equipment is provided. I just skimmed the surface and enjoyed it. Have a great trip!
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On 12/27/2019 at 8:46 PM, bhageerah said:
I am not going to make assumptions, but I will have to say that Labadee was not one of our favorite stops. We did have a good time there but I honestly would appreciate any improvements that they could make there. For me I really would not want another CocoCay experience but a little something else would be nice and greatly appreciated!
We have always found the gift shopping better at Labadee than Coco Cay. We have enjoyed the fixed price shop with many vendors and genuine hand-made gifts. We have also enjoyed the beach precisely because it is less commercial. That said, the snorkeling off the beach isn't as good at Labadee as at Coco Cay. I like the fact that Royal invested in Haiti many years ago when others didn't. I am open to improvements, but I hope it is never a theme-park atmosphere.
- USCG Teacher and DLXLDY
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On 12/29/2019 at 2:08 PM, skemaj said:
My family and I would love to snorkel. There are many options, but I would like to go to a reef and see as much coral and marine life as possible! We will be stopping at CocoCay, San Juan, and St. Marten. Some of the excursions look like they are just off the beach or not at a reef. I don't want to be disappointed. My dh and I have snorkeled before, but kids (aged 9 -16) haven't.
At Coco Cay, we have always snorkeled off the beach, but due to the hurricanes and reconstruction of the island, I would like to try their reef snorkel excursion. It didn't seem expensive. When I did snorkel at Chill Island in May and September, I saw many fish around the rocks that border the cove, and there were also jellyfish. The coral was limited, which is why I'd suggest exploring an excursion that takes you to a natural reef. You can rent gear at Coco Cay, but every snorkel excursion we've been on has provided equipment. We normally pack our own.
I can't comment on San Juan or St. Maarten.
Have a great cruise!
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10 hours ago, NewCruisingFamily said:
We are a family of 4 going on our 1st ever cruise in May (kids will be 10 and 12). Besides Coco Cay, we are stopping at St. Thomas on day 4 and St. Maarten on Day 5. Any excursions you recommend for those two islands for our family? Stay on boat? Just find a beach? Thanks in advance!
At St. Maarten there is an informal foodie tour that is family-friendly (September 2019). I think it is something like A Taste of St. Maarten. You stop at a cheese store near the port and make pasta while sipping wine or juice. Then you travel to St. Martin for lunch, which is an authentic barbecue. Finally, you visit a gelato shop where you make your own flavored gelato. There is also a merry-go-round for the young at heart. Overall, the drive around the island gives you a sense of the island, the food is plenty for "lunch", and you do have time left for shopping at the port, etc. Have a great cruise!
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17 hours ago, Newvoyager said:
Hi, sorry if any of these questions have been asked previously. I'm heading on my first cruise in January and I have a few questions. First off is clothing. Is it ok to dress in jeans (if so is ripped bad?), sweatpants, and hoodies? Like sweatpants and hoodies would be at night if it's cold/windy or early morning.
You are OK for casual venues, but there is night dining for which you will want to dress "smart casual" or "business casual". I'd pack one nice outfit to complement the casual clothes.
In other words, have an outfit that would be suitable if you were at home and wanted to go out to a nice restaurant, lounge, or dancing venue. Have a great cruise!
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On 12/27/2019 at 7:53 AM, baltodave said:
Hi Everyone,
We're going on Rhapsody 1/25/20-2/01/20 and the first stop is Belize (never been there). We are thinking of doing one of the cave tubing excursions and there are 2 similar ones on the RC Planner website. One is "JAGUAR PAW CAVE TUBING & JUNGLE TREK WITH LUNCH" and the other is "EXCLUSIVE CRYSTAL CAVE TUBING AND LAGOON WITH LUNCH". They both include lunch and the Crystal one is $28 more per person. Can anyone explain the difference and is the Crystal Cave Tubing worth the extra$$.
One more thing: I normally never book excursions through RC but it seems these prices seem fair. Also, if we can't stop in Belize (it's a Tender port), there will be no problem getting a refund.
Thanks everyone!
We did one where you carry the rafts through a jungle area before going through the caves. It wasn't bad, but not as exciting as the cave hiking/swimming at Playa Del Carmen (out of Cozumel,, it is the Amazing Secret River excursion). As we took our Belize tubing excursion, we were told the other one involved a slightly different hike into the the cavern that we floated by. It seemed like it was a bit more dramatic, but we didn't actually try that. We didn't see a jaguar, but iId say that was a good thing. The cave tubing does allow seeing the caves, all tubes are tied together, you get a little wet, but it's not particularly arduous (getting in our out of the tubes is the hardest part).
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1 hour ago, stormchaser said:
For our upcoming Harmony sailing in July 2020, we are stopping at this port. The port itself looks amazing and we are considering shortening our shore excursion to have time to explore the port. Has anyone spent extensive time in this port? Is it worth 2-3 hours of exploration?
Concur with @twangster . What we like about Costa Maya was the ability to walk a little and eat in a local restaurant, but it won't take take too long for that. There is a tram that takes you to the nearby village, and you return to the port by taxi. The secure port shopping itself is a bit of a tourist trap, but it can be fun to wander around, try some pan dulce, etc.
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On 12/23/2019 at 4:51 PM, l9dance said:
Hi all,
Just booked a last minute sailing on Navigator in 25 days! What do you recommend doing at Coco Cay for the first time!
Looking through the cruise planner and I am overwhelmed with all of the options!
I would try the free stuff unless you get a really good deal on the other items discussed above. We like Chill Island and generally snorkel by the rocks that surround the cove. Next time I will pay for the snorkel excursion that is supposed to take me to a nearby natural reef. Whatever you choose, have a great cruise.
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On 12/26/2019 at 12:34 PM, Lovelysmile29 said:
Hello,
Due to some unfortunate circumstances the cruise I had planned for April to the Caribbean had to be rescheduled for September. I have never cruised in September before and I an nervous because I know that it is in the middle of hurricane and rain season. Has anyone cruised during this time before and had good weather through the whole cruise? I haven't been on a vacation in YEARS and I do not want to spend this one with rain most of the time. Please let me know if you think I should just try to look for ones in 2021 instead. I am going to St. Thomas, St. Marteen, and Perfect Day.
Thank you,
Concur with @Royal Cruiser . We sailed after Dorian, and the weather was great. My only suggest is to take care in selecting travel insurance for your trip. I was disappointed with the coverage I purchased through Royal--- there was little real hurricane coverage. If my home became uninhabitable, then I was covered. If I had an accident en route, I was covered. There was nothing about flooded roads that prevented me from getting to the port, although I might have gotten something for trip delay. So next time I am going to do a little more due diligence in selecting the insurance policy...
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6 hours ago, twangster said:
I understand that some people like to dress up. The question is why does that require everyone to follow their dress standard?
Why do people who choose to dress more formal get offended when someone doesn’t conform to their level of dress?
What if people dressing better is offensive to people who just wear jeans and a polo shirt? Should the cruise line ban people who wear something too nice? They just want to relax but now they feel like their oppressive boss or parents are present, judging them, stressing them.
What other people are wearing does not change the taste of your food. Food does not taste better if the person at the next table is wearing a tux. Food does not taste worse is the person at the next table is wearing jeans.
Dressing up and taking pictures can be accomplished even if the people in the next cabin don’t. You can choose to make every night a dress up night.
People who don’t dress up aren’t stressed about this. They aren’t being torn. They are enjoying the cruise they paid for.
No mass market cruise line should be forcing guests to conform to a dress code. You can’t market a cruise to the masses and then enforce a dress code for the elite of society on any night.
Stop judging other people. Focus on your family and dress however you choose to and enjoy your dining experience.
If you can’t stop judging other guests and this is ruining your cruise it may be time to look for a boutique cruise line that will satisfy your level of expectations. The mass cruise market isn’t for you.
It's not about following our/their standard, and it's not about judging others. Instead, it is a matter of coordinating a plan that maximizes everyone's enjoyment. So there could be formal places (because that is desired for some vacation moments) and informal places (which are probably desired on the majority of vacation moments), and special times and not so special times. And guess what? Royal Caribbean has already done that. Now given the client population, Royal could survey the guests and modify the distribution of venues and types of celebration, including dining, but that is an empirical question. The fundamental point is that we need to collaborate and accommodate everyone. I don't see why that should be a problem. When we aren't on a ship, we follow all sorts of laws, regulations, protocols, golden rules, or principles of getting along. Just carry that over to the ship. I respect your experience and that of all members/guests. As Matt has said on multiple occasions, it's not what you wear but your consideration of others that counts. That said, consideration does influence attire to some degree as well as behavior, but all of that is a personal decision.
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On 12/22/2019 at 8:49 PM, Pkong said:
I am going on a ship originating from the USA. I know that on the ship the drinking age is 21, but in Mexico it is 18. If I was to go on a excursion through Royal in Mexico, and there was alcohol provided, would I be able to drink if I was 18?
We have found that our son was served at the excursion sites regardless of Royal's policy. So in St. Maarten he had rum punch at 16 (14 was the drinking age there according to the contractor) and in Mexico he had a local spirit when he was 20. Basically, they served anyone who wanted the drink and pointed out non-alcoholic drinks for others. Truthfully, the cups were small, and no one was getting inebriated.
Question regarding printing scheduled on board events
in Royal Caribbean Discussion
Posted
When I make reservations in Cruise Planner, I receive an e-mail confirmation. So that can be printed. Also, in Cruise Planner, you have a calendar that can be printed.