bobroo

I think it would be an appropriate time for Royal to rename that other Royal Caribbean Blog so nobody confuses the two.

For the hands down best veggie burger, head over to Playmakers and order a Impossible burger!

To exemplify the the tension between Royal and the San Juan Port Authority, Voyager of the Seas does not have a Boleros. Yeah…….

Won’t she be surprised at the Tiffany blue Vespa you get her for the holidays???

I think the complaint here very likely lies with the Longshoremen Union but good luck getting accountability out of them. 

Yes, Royal does confiscate passports during embarkation on certain sailings. You really have no choice but to surrender it at that time.

I have a lot of problems when this situation pops up. I understand it is an upcoming port that requires this ( is it Ephesus???) and Royal is just doing their job. But on the other hand....Fellas, it's 2023. Passports are no longer about the source document anymore, it's really all about the digital file. 

@Rackham I think you are brilliant!

Can we request your skilled storytelling in the future? 

How are we going to have a super spectacular 40% off sale if we don't jack up the prices first???

< an audible soft voice from a sea of cubicles deep within in the RC marketing department>

Pro Tip: the D+ side of the luncheon is definitely the better party. Of course it all depends on your tablemates, but the Diamonds have more fun. I always eat on that side.

Wow! MSCs zero emission voyage is really exciting news! This needs to be talked about more.

Since we are paying for the Nassau port renovations, do we passengers get a say that the spaceship idea is stupid and has no architectural relevance to the Bahamas?

Ahhh....no other ships that do Quick n' Dirty sailings have broadway shows, why would Allure when it begins them?

11 minutes ago, smokeybandit said:

That isn't as much the case as it used to be. In the past when they opened their schedule for the next 5 months or so, rates were dirt cheap, but not anymore. Their prices do go down though. I've got a flight next month that has dropped $95 since I booked.

You mean the old  “fly anywhere is the continental US for $35”?

Gee, what could possibly be wrong with that???

I have never ever understood the appeal of Southwest Airlines.(After they took away the liberal free booze policy of course)

37 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

There is absolutely no part of Royal Caribbean that is “5 star” from the interior cabins to the star class suites. 

Bing! Bing! Bing! WINNER!!!

Absolute truth and agree 100%

Royal Caribbean is very much an elementary school for aspiring future 5 star patrons.

I think there are two problems here. One is an adult that does not have a birth certificate. The other is that there is a lost passport that needs to be reported and replaced. 

Myself, I would start with the passport issues. 

There are all kinds of reasons to desire a bigger room besides what is written on the Crown and Anchor benefits page. It could be the location of the room, it could be the itinerary of the sailing, it could be the celebration of a special occasion, or if you are like me; I want a place to dry my scuba gear-- all valid or justifiable reasons. But you still have to know that out-the-door/per person/ per night number. 

Even if it is a Grand Suite or above, Would I spend $500 pp/pn on a quick n' dirty Freedom 3 nighter to Nassau? No!  Would I spend $500 pp/pn on a 9 nighter to Hawaii? HELL YES!!!

Boy Oh! Boy, can you imagine a delicious lunch on a sea day of Thai food swallowed down with a Bubble Tea?

Someday Royal Caribbean, someday.........

I am happy to hear that you finally chose to tip the crew. Not tipping is really upsetting to us diehards.

How I evaluate the price of a cruise is how much per person/ per night is this going to cost? What is my price out the door divided by the number of nights and then divided by the amount of people in the cabin.
 

I find this number to be very important. It keeps me grounded when I might be seduced into buying all the various extras for an already good vacation.

14 hours ago, Delorelei said:

I love sailing out of Baltimore. The port is very easy to get to. It is just off the highway. The check in process is also very smooth.

We returned from a cruise in December to find our car battery dead. Security was there in moments to give us a jump and send us on our way.The staff at the port are very friendly. I also enjoy sailing down the Chesapeake under the bridges. 

We will be sailing out of Baltimore later this week and can update you if there are any changes. 

Excellent point @Delorelei !  All those other ports of Vancouver, Bayonne, and Tampa and their complaints about only getting smaller ships because they must go under a bridge....Pfft!

Baltimore you go under TWO bridges and passengers couldn't be any happier

You'll find the port of Baltimore so friendly and easy going you'll scratch your head and ask yourself Why aren't they all like this?

Parking? Baltimore is the only port that you'll be able to check if you left your headlights on by standing on your balcony. It's just like a strip shopping mall.

Security? Thankfully there is only one Ft Lauderdale. Baltimore is the anti-Ft Lauderdale. The few cops at the Port of Baltimore are polite, kind, and happy to be what they are doing. The private security inside has a lot of patience for folks who are not mobile or are taken by surprise that they have to go through a metal detector or put their possessions through an x-ray machine. 

Condition of the port? The terminal is an old pole barn. It serves it purpose well. I have never understood the reason to spend $125M on Galveston or $225M on Miami thinking that passengers value a sparkly terminal. I don't think they do. Little known fact about the Baltimore terminal: they have had solar panels supplementing there energy needs for many years now. 

Once onboard you see that your fellow passengers have the Baltimore Chill attitude too. You'll be scarce to find a chair hog. You won't see the line cutting, Me First people. I've seen Balto passengers bus their own tables in the Windjammer--several times. In general Baltimore passengers are genuinely just happy to be aboard.

Baltimore is very similar to Tampa if you have ever had the good fortune to sail from there.

Coco Cay would be a better vacation choice.

I have not dove with Mar Adentro but I have dove with Doctor Dive once and Gypsea Divers probably about a half dozen times. From my experience, all the dive shops are going to the same stretch of reef. It's not spectacular like you get in Cozumel but as a diver, I'm just happy to be in the water. All the shops use the same style of fishing boat, It's just what they do there. They are not a dive boats by any stretch. Getting back onboard is the worst part.

Mahahual taxis have two fares. One for touristas at $9 a head each way to and from Mahahual and the port. The other fare is for locals at a much, much lower rate (like 1/3) to wherever they would like to go, in pesos only. The taxis are a syndicate and unless you are a local, slim chance of negotiation.

Reminder to self: Ask during the "It's a ship, not a boat" argument; I've been on a lot of boats in my life and it is common knowledge that anything can get wet at anytime, including interior spaces. Guess that's not true for ships???