bobroo

Get a hotel for the night in Hamilton??

Royal having a simple, universally approved USB adapter that they sell and make $10 a piece on would go a long way. Unlike their pens, please just make it so that if it falls off a table it doesn't break.

Dear Jason Liberty, Want to make a million dollars a year and keep the tiki torches and pitchforks at bay? Please find a USB adapter that YOU would use yourself, one that your gang of security goombahs will find acceptable on all of your vessels, silkscreen a Royal Caribbean logo on it, and then sell it to us! Make them a pre-cruise purchase, like a drink cup that awaits you when the cabins open up. Sell them at the shops onboard. Throw them out with the flashing rings during 70's night or make them a prize for trivia or bingo. Maybe even bellyflop guy gets one? Just promise me they won't be made by the same manufacturer that makes the crappy Royal Caribbean pens. Want a billion dollar idea? Find the manufacturer of the GoalZero 10 Nomad solar panel and have them contract manufacture a 15 watt model also with the Royal Caribbean logo on it. Call it The Big, Fat Dupaa-- because there is absolutely no reason why a passenger shouldn't be charging there phone, vape pen, or other small electronic device while they are sitting poolside or in a hot tub on their big, fat dupaa. I understand that the solar panel idea will get a lot of pushback from your best customers who live in the Pinnacle filled homes of The Villages and elsewhere in conservative Florida. But Jason, guess what? The next hurricane or tropical rainstorm that knocks out electricity statewide; guess who is gonna drag out their Big Fat Dupaa and charge their phones on their veranda??? Yea, it's better we keep that part quiet and between us girls. Your favorite 100+ shareholder, Bobroo

Until we hear that the per passenger tax has dramatically increased for stops to Labadee and therefore booked passengers gotta cough up more money; that's when I will know that travel to Labadee will resume. Until then, I just have my fingers crossed that Royal somehow/someway retains the property.

Excellent point!!! Related; exactly what a Folio # is (and is not) would be a good question for the next time I chat with a purser onboard.

Quick pool towel question: Royal does not want you to bring the white towels from your cabin to the pool, hot tubs, or solarium? And certainly not take them to the beach at some port stop, correct?

Interesting thing about RC confirmation numbers: They are recycled. And, are not nearly as unique as you might think. From my bad experience with C & A a couple weeks ago, I'm now believing that each ships has one set of confirmation numbers and those confirmation numbers are used on every voyage. So for Ralphs example above, the week before his voyage; somebody else had the confirmation number on Vision. The week following; another Vision booking will have that same number.

I got dinged $25 for a pool towel a couple weeks ago on Navigator. Less than happy about this, I’ve been thinking of ways let my displeasure be seen on my next 8 whatever upcoming voyages. I’ll be bringing my own towel from home from here on out.

Todays Icon announcement is likely much more about Royal supporting a vendor that is hard on its luck by signing some documents signaling intent. Helping a brother out so they look better to the German government who looks to be taking a 80% stake in the company. On the other hand, just what Royal would do with 6 operating Icon class ships and how would they not cannibalize one another.....that's a future upper level discussion in some Diamond Lounge over many, many drinks. 'Cause I don't know how just two Icon class ships are going to survive and not compete for the same passengers, in the same market.

Brilliance out of NOLA on Jan 11! Same ol’ crumby ports and same ol’ one of the oldest ships in the fleet but you’ll get a night in NOLA and all the good things that come with it. A interior will only set you back about $1200.

@twangster is exactly correct about those overnights in Lahaina back in the day. If you were at all like me and closed down Fleetwoods, you’d get rewarded with your own personal tender back to the ship. I am looking forward to doing the Cabo Wabo on my Sept ‘25 Ovation sailing. As a matter of fact, I’m going to play that old Van Halen song now for guidance on how to spend quality time in Cabo San Lucas.

The management of this blog in no way endorses, recommends, or even will give a whiff of a hint that cruise ship passengers should rent motorized vehicles at any port stop; particularly ones that can drive in the surf or be made to jump stuff. Their reasons for this are valid. It's hard to ignore that cruise ship passengers on motor vehicles in excess of 100 cc's tend to get drunk, cause property damage, and risk life and limb. I have rented a moped a time or two and explored New Providence and Paradise Island for about $125 just outside of the cruise ship terminal. A rented moped, ATV, or side by side is definitely enabling you to a passport of adventure. In one afternoon you'll see parts of Nassau that other passengers have never even heard about. The Primeval Forest, Jaws Beach, Bonefish, Pirates Staircase, and a hundred other beaches of crystal clear, Tiffany blue water-- all to yourself, not another human in sight. James Bond Fan? With research, put together your own excursion of filming locations is easy. Anna Nicole Smith has many ties to Nassau including her gravesite but in particular the beachfront house she wrangled about with her lawyer boyfriend; 'cause it sure doesn't look like a million dollar estate to me. I absolutely recommend having lunch at Nesbitt's. This is the real Nassau, not that fakey Fish Fry row of restaurants. Notes of caution: Don't drive too far into the surf, the sand becomes soft really fast and you will get stuck. Being a part of the British Empire, you drive on the left hand side of the road in The Bahamas. They also like roundabouts! So....driving on the wrong side of the road, there is other intimidating traffic on the road who know what they are doing, and here comes a roundabout that you are going to drive through maintaining highway speed while going the wrong way around the circle, and maybe it's unclear where you are going to turn off. Yeah, it's mind bending and you can easily be a danger to everyone else on the road. Putting it lightly....it's a trip. But other than that, your cell phone will work fine and whatever Maps program you prefer will set you straight. Unfortunately I don't really recommend going to Paradise Island. Everything is pretty much closed off with security. Meaning: you can't ride the beach and go to the light house at the point of the island anymore. And going the other direction where there are all those homes of the rich and famous, that country club is all gated entry and cordoned off these days. <these are best seen from the water during a sunset sail excursion BTW, they can be very impressive at twilight> Atlantis??? To a small extent you can sorta wonder around and see certain parts and if you are a frequent cruiser you should see it once. But I'll tell 'ya; it is an ugly building and is not worth anywhere near the prices they charge. Margaritaville just outside the tollbooth for the bridge has redeeming value! They have a small lot where you can park and who doesn't wanna drink beers with the wealthy yacht owners who park their vessels just outside? Save a couple conch fritters to feed the tarpon who live right underneath the dock attached to the restaurant. So in summary, everyone here will tell you not to do this. You'll miss the boat! Nassau is full of bad neighborhoods! You don't speak a lick of Creole! You'll get lost and never return! But between us girls, if you can summon the courage and ignore every red flag in your head as you go into a roundabout every wrong way possible; there is A LOT to Nassau and the cost of what ever you rent really, really cheap for the experience you receive. And, there are always future Schooner Bar conversations with others you've just met who purport that they have been to Nassau soooo many times before, they have seen it all, they don't even need to get off the boat---just be polite and nod your head and agree with them. Your stories of Nassau will be too long for them to want to hear.

Unfortunately no. When talking Nassau and scuba, there is only one game in town and that is Stuart Coves. They are no longer a excursion provider for Royal Caribbean. However, that does not mean that you can not dive with them on your own. They do offer transfers to/from the cruise ship terminal. The tricky part is timing. You have to be real cognizant of time when you make your reservation. What time you expect the ship to arrive and clear customs, what time will it take you to disembark and walk to the end of the terminal, what time the Stuart Cove bus picks up, and what time does your ship leave. My experience? These days it's hard to find a ship with an arrival time that will get you to the pick up spot in time to make Stuarts morning boat. Afternoon boat? Well you should expect to be dropped off about 5:30-6:00pm and your ship leaving later than that is tricky too, just the opposite reasons. On the other hand, Stuart Coves is great dive operator, amongst the best of the best. The dive sites you'll go to as a cruise ship diver are really, really good. 1000% chance you are going to see sharks on every dive.

I’m sure things will all work out for you@smokeybandit. Who this will not work out for is future Royal management bragging about the 20+million Crown & Anchor members— and we all know to reduce that figure by 50% due to redundancy.

Just the voices in my head, but it would make perfect sense that Star of the Seas is home ported in Asia. The move of Ovation reflects this. Spectrum remains in Asia permanently.

I think you misheard and he actually said “A new ship with eight waterslides, each slide weighing 130,000 tons” That’s much more on point for Royal.

I completely understand why your friends do not want to change plans and that is because it is going to cost money. They have a valid argument. On the other hand, you are selling the great city of Barcelona short. You are missing out on tapas bars, bicycle rides, drinking red wine well into the morning, Las Ramblas, Picasso, prosciutto, Catalonia v. Spain, the best street art in the world, but above all else.....Antoni Gaudi. IMO, it's not the cruise you are chancing to miss or your bags that don't arrive because Lufthansa screws you; it's the missed opportunity of spending time in Barcelona.

WOW! SAN and the cruise port are as close as FLL is to Port Everglades. Only 3 miles! San Diego is a great town! It would make a really good port stop for future Navigator and Quantum sailings out of San Pedro if anyone at Royal Caribbean Way is reading this.

I believe we are going to be seeing the exploits of Captain Viz, Pixel, and the the rest of The Effectors for more sequels than there are Spiderman or Star Trek movies. I think this is part of the reason why Nick Weir left.

Allow me to clear some misconceptions about the Port of Seward and paint a better picture for those who might be going there in the future. For reference, most here have probably have been to Miami, Ft Lauderdale, or Galveston........well, Seward is 180 degrees from those. As opposite as you can get. For example, the Miami terminal is a $225m dollar building, Seward is a pole barn. Miami has a large glorious propeller sculpture as you ascend the escalator, Seward has a mural painted by local students done in poster paint. I'd say these artists were 8-10 years old (they would be about 25 or 30 today if my math is correct). Miami has banners and splashy video screens, Seward has posters announcing the upcoming community craft fair next weekend. (yeah, I think that weekend it will be both craft fair and cruise terminal at the same time). Miami has cops, and security, and squad cars with flashing lights, and whistles, and loading zones, and designated areas for pedestrians, busses, and Uber drivers. And don't you dare unload in an undefined area! No double parking! You'll use the crosswalk when I signal you! Seward.....There are no cops. There is no security. There are no traffic cones. There is no Border Patrol. No TSA, No Customs Agents. (in a very strange quirk, if you boarded in Vancouver-- you already went through US customs in Vancouver just before you boarded the ship--yeah, it's really weird! As if US Customs needed one more bizarre, weird, or down right WTH? head scratching procedure. There are some folks to help you with what ever you might need, they are real Alaskans. Perhaps the first real year round Alaskan residents you'll meet on your vacation. Some might be wearing a safety vest, some not; but they still stand out. They'll be the ones wearing about three layers of flannel, some really big boots, a lot of facial hair, and at least one thing that has Carhart on it. Feel free to interrupt them; they are the nicest, most genuine people you'll have come across in a long time. They like to talk. So if you are wondering How am I supposed to find my 3rd party excursion? What about my bags? I need to make my flight! I'm concerned about being late to my fishing charter! I want to get there before it turns into a zoo! I want to get a GOOD rental car. Take three deep breaths and I promise everything will turn out just fine. Nobody is going to be left behind. You'll find your bus no problem, you'll have only had 3 or 4 possible choices. Car service to a hotel or resort? You'll find your guy. There are about 8 or 10 booths for the biggest 3rd party tour operators, their signs are easy to see. Concerned it will be mayhem or a sea of humanity??? No, what you'll find in Seward is passengers who get off the boat, make their way across the loading area, get into the terminal and retrieve their bags. Some will congregate in the terminal by the coffee concession and some will wait outside getting another look at the surrounding mountains. But nobody behaves anyway they shouldn't. People aren't rude. They are not anxious to get someplace. They won't put themselves above others. Everyone just gets along. One final thing. Be sure to check out the free lending library! It's on a book cart over by the bathrooms. 'Cause if there is one thing that symbolizes Seward, it's the generosity and honor system of the free book exchange. You'll never see that in Bayonne.

It is only in Port Canaveral where you'll have this required cab/Uber/Lift issue to do a S2S. There is no way in hell you are going to walk it between terminals, BTW. For this reason I would be looking to do a S2S at any other port. Something else: if you go through with this at Port Canaveral, please be aware of the disappointment on your drivers face when they find out you only want a $10 ride and not a profitable long haul to Orlando. Personally I would be very apologetic and tip at least $20-$30 on top of the fare for wasting their time.

Geez, I guess they didn't care for my zipline idea.

It really depends on what port you are sailing from. Some are very strict, some are a free-for-all.

I hope you and your family have a great trip Jane! I'm not sure which I want to give you a hug more for, this sailing out of San Juan or the way you you spent extra time exploring Ft Lauderdale on your last one. IMO, you are approaching Royal Caribbean and cruising in general--exactly correct.

Try: San Juan Cruise Port Terminal I got this to work on a mock Uber booking on my PC. I have to admit this was difficult!