bobroo

I am often critical of passengers and their irrational fear of missing the boat when they are in port, like somehow they are not adults. They can't tell the sun is setting. They don't say to themselves "Gee, we have been here quite a while". Or, " Ya' know, I'm not seeing any other tourists around"

This post has begun to change my mind that some passengers may in fact not know what time it is.

Every degenerate RC cruiser on these boards needs to have the easy, care-free experience of flying to a Gold Star port; not renting a car, having lots to see and explore within walking distance, bountiful bar and restaurants all close by, some type of shopping for last minute items, a reasonable breakfast place so you don't have to eat the free DIY waffles, classier hotel accommodations the you normally get yourself (for the same reason you upgraded your stateroom), just one cab/Uber/Lift\, and <drumroll> walking yourself and your luggage to the port terminal in the morning! <cymbal crash>

Vancouver, Tampa Bay, Honolulu, Venice, and the ultimate fly to port,  the amazing Double Gold Star port of **New Orleans**

When evaluating a place to stay before a cruise, price is about the 4th thing I look at. I can easily substantiate a somewhat higher price if it makes other higher ranking criteria better, easier, or perhaps free. 

Take it from a person who has flown to every cruise he has been on, Orlando/Port Canaveral is not an easy one. On the surface it sounds like a good idea but in reality I have found it far from ideal. It's not a Gold Star port.

There are some valuable lessons for you in that galley, my fingers are crossed.

For those that want to bitch about the new menus or the food aboard (or, the lack there of) I suggest you rephrase your argument on your post cruise survey.

Tell them the food is not what they are capable of doing. Tell them they they are not utilizing the talents of the kitchen staff. Tell them they are not utilizing the millions of dollars they have spent in every galley. Tell them they have narrowed the serving staff and they are capable of so much more. This is a much more poignant and painful argument than "I want my French Onion Soup every night". And, everyone from the corner offices in Miami to the blue scarf wearing dishwashers knows that this is true. A much more of a direct stab to the heart if you will.

Costco of the Seas is unacceptable.

Wow! Someone put down the RC pom pons and gave an honest review!

I really enjoyed your video and appreciate all the post production work, Thank You For Sharing!!!

It would make much, much more sense if they were to convert Enchantments Adventure Ocean to a specialty restaurant. 

Ya' know @twangster that is just a plain weird photo isn't it? The way the water sits, the hull damage, and the undersized, incorrect color propeller that is missing it's housing. Compared to the other photo, there are so many differences when you zoom in and compare them.

Let's be thankful nobody was hurt and Navigator did not receive so much as a scrape.

Navi will certainly have an additional inflatable lifeboat or two that will enable it to continue sailing. And, submersed watercraft can be made to operate again. But getting this lifeboat seaworthy again is a huge job. The infestation of saltwater in the engine, wiring, and electrical components takes a while to drain and generally replace. It's a big job. 

Maybe an experienced boat owner can chime in.

Because the entire propeller assembly is missing from the lifeboat, I’m thinking the propeller got snagged on the big, heavy cable (blue arrow) upon decent. Apparently the lifeboat was completely clear of the ship as there is no visible damage to Navigator in any of the photos.

Amazing that none of the crew were incidentally hurt by some splintered fiberglass, a flailing cable, or god knows what else.

In Cozumel you go through pier security twice. Once when you get off the ship and are about to enter the shoppings areas. And then again leaving the shopping areas and a much more thorough look see. 

The check entering the port is to make sure you are not bringing food off the ship or illegally importing merchandise (ie: a case of new iPhones).

The second check is an examination for cultural effects. Making sure nobody is taking souvenirs off of Mayan heritage sites. Or, nobody is taking pieces of the Palancar Reef to adorn their bathroom.

These checks have nothing to do with the cruise lines or their regulations. 

If there are still any nonbelievers that a human being is safer in Mexico than in the United States, I'd be happy to provide fatality examples that have happened SINCE last weekend (starting with the school shooting we narrowly avoided last Friday near Phoenix).

Also worth mentioning is Mexicos total ban on smoking in public places. This ban includes all forms of smoking advertisement. Their notion of private property is a bit different so the ban applies to all beaches and resorts. 

Know when I see a lot of RC cups? Days one, two, and three.

Days four though seven??? Rarely see them at all. 

The cartels that operate near and around the cruise port (Compton, Torrance, South Central) are where you might get killed or worse.

Anywhere in Mexico will be a comparative carefree relief of safety.

In Ensenada I recommend going straight to Hussong’s and using a barstool for three or four hours. 

There is one thing Royal Caribbean does worse than IT.......M-E-R-C-H-A-N-D-I-S-I-N-G!!!!

I can recover the $40B we are in arrears effortlessly over a few short years by implementing a merchandising program. 

2 hours ago, CanHardlyWait said:

 

 

I made it to Florida and DH and I have fought non stop for 2 days over this. He is determined to not let his money get wasted. If Royal Caribbean wants Very Unhappy Guests due to there cut backs, here they come.

 

Pro Tip: Security onboard will not tolerate arguing, raised voice couples. ANY passenger that picks up their stateroom phone and calls security to report their concern from what they thought they heard walking down a hallway or from the room next door....I guarantee you are going to see an intervention--in force.

Another Pro Tip: Being in Florida you are in the epicenter of bitterness, anger, frustration, and remorseful feelings. I think you should cut bait on your planned cruise vacation and modify your trip by just hanging out in Florida for the week. You'll meet a lot of sympathetic new friends. In the end I'll think the both of you will call it a win. The cruise will just be another time you were ripped off and taken advantage of.

This blog needs a glossary of RC acronyms. 

Dude seriously!

I'd like to think that the posters on the Blog regard all Royal Caribbean crew as our friends; I certainly do. Talking bad and unjustly punishing our friends is not cool.

When you divide the $16 a day gratuity by the number of crew onboard who receive a portion....I come up with Jack Squat. Jack Squat is in no way an appropriate or adequate tip amount for the services received during a cruise day.

It's 2023 not 1923.

9 hours ago, Jjohnb said:

It's a shame to see James go!  He was very charismatic and had a knack for making bad weather a little more fun and interesting.  I looked forward to his updates as I prepared for my upcoming cruises.  From the sounds of his goodbye message, since he doesn't have any immediate career plans, I'm assuming he fell victim to Jason Liberty's continued cost cutting and dismantling of the amazing company Richard Fain built.  Considering I was on the fateful February 2016 sailing of the Anthem that necessitated the hiring of Mr. Van Fleet, I will feel a little less safe next time I sail with Royal.  Especially as we haven't heard Royal's plans for filling the void they've now created.

It was the amazing Richard Fain and Company that were too busy watching the Super Bowl and not concerned at all about their brand new, billion dollar Anthem of the Seas that February in 2016. I don't fault the Polish weather prediction outfit, they sorta forecasted the potential severity of the storm.  If we had more information, we could make a better judgment of Captian Claus; but I'm fairly certain he was just following orders. And under the bus he went....

I came to like JVF a lot. I was surprised when he was hired at the surprising length of leash he got and the ability to express his personality. He paved the way for this Blog, the dozens of RC-centric YouTubers, and especially crew members like Chris Wong and Jordan Bauth. 

We all owe JVF some gratitude for opening Royal's social media door.

Oooooh! I know that after midnight long hallway disappearing to infinity look… that’s when I jump into my Tie Fighter and blow up the Death Star!

Funny thing about many cruisers..... the walk through the terminal and through the gangway to get onboard? No Problem!  The walk from the MDR to the theater or casino? Not a second thought. The walk from a venue like the Viking Crown to another venue like Boleros or Karaoke or the ice cream machine by the pool?  Not an issue.

The even less of a length of walk from an elevator bank, down a straight hallway, and to their stateroom??? OMG! My legs are going to fall off!

…..and thank you Royal Up for writing the demand schedule, this management job couldn’t be any easier.

<crosses legs and puts feet on desk>

I think this is a case of Royal Up working better than planned.

It very well could be that a Royal Up offer could be so excessive over expectations that it makes good business sense to give that passenger the GTY room they have bid on and have reasonable assurance that some much lower paying passenger will feel happy to take a refund and the FCC/OBC.

If this works as planned it's a win-win-win. 

Royal has never had excursions to Chichen Itza from Costa Maya and its fair to say they never will. Excursions to the  sites of Kohunlich, Chacchoben, and Dzibanche you'll find in your Cruise Planner won't disappoint.

FYI, the one way travel time from Mahahual to Chichen Itza is easily double your two hour drive estimate. 

Ummm...Royal Caribbean having it's main office in Florida and somehow a situation like this is surprising to anyone???

C'mon now!

If you are any type of cigar aficionado then you'd love, love, love a future port stop in Puerto Plata, DR

Jus' say'n