Sushitex

So even though you know full well that this is the rule that your waiter needs to follow so as to not get in trouble, you are going to basically threaten him to do things your way? Perhaps asking to speak with the maitre'd or head waiter would be a better route to go? Please don't put the pressure on the lowest guy on the chain by holding his tips and ratings hostage to him breaking rules. You could probably ask to speak to the restaurant manager before your first meal to try and get this sorted out without involving the wait staff. 

It's been several months since I discovered that the pork carnitas tacos served in the taco bar at Coco Cay are (were?) the same ones being  served at El Loco Fresh on the Freedom. It was an unexpected bonus to see a crewmember behind said taco bar, digilently hand-rolling and cooking fresh, warm flour tortillas (I don't recall those at El Loco Fresh.) 
So, I have to give those tacos a boost over the yummy chicken sandwich (with lettuce, tomato, and basil mayonnaise) served at the Snack Shack. I don't have the urge to add mozarella cheese sticks, however, but to each his own.

An alternative to Daniel Johnson’s excursion in Roatan are the those by Victor Bodden (independent shore excursions.) We have booked with him 3 times - the first 2, we had our then-teenage son with us, and he did the Zip & Dip tour, which included zip lining in a cool jungle environment, seeing the monkeys and macaws, and a ride to and from Bananarama, a beach and restaurant complex on the West End. Son was 16 the first time, then 17 the second time. The Zip happened at Bodden’s own Monkey Business complex. Hubby and I skipped the Zip, but we did everything else. 
 
Our third visit was last December. Our son is working in another state now, so it was just hubby and myself. We returned to Victor Bodden’s, and now we were also able to be hugged by a sloth, besides seeing the monkeys and birds. We were supposed to go to Bananarama and everyone else on the bus did go, but the driver kindly dropped us off near the cruise terminal (we just didn’t want to go to  the beach and it had been raining steadily anyway.)
 
Looking at his current website, it appears that he is still in business. Although we reserved online all 3 times  (and paid cash upon arrival) I am not sure if things have changed since last December. I recall that one could also book by simply walking up to their kiosk at the cruise terminal. 

I read that earlier, and thought, "Hey, I hope this is enough incentive for the cruise lines to discontinue the mandate of  COVID-19 testing."  I'm not against it inherently, BUT it's so darn expensive if you have to pay for it, and fewer and fewer places are offering it for free. 

I read that earlier, and thought, "Hey, I hope this is enough incentive for the cruise lines to discontinue the mandate of  COVID-19 testing."  I'm not against it inherently, BUT it's so darn expensive if you have to pay for it, and fewer and fewer places are offering it for free. 

I read that earlier, and thought, "Hey, I hope this is enough incentive for the cruise lines to discontinue the mandate of  COVID-19 testing."  I'm not against it inherently, BUT it's so darn expensive if you have to pay for it, and fewer and fewer places are offering it for free. 

Ok, I get it, gas prices are high and we decided, at the last moment,  to fly from the Gulf Coast of Texas to Seattle. I don’t understand why you chose this forum to complain about that issue - the high price of gas has nothing to do with cruise ships or cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean. Not only that, you or someone you know chose to go on an Alaskan cruise- no one twisted your arm.  You could have switched to a cruise that sails from a port on the East Coast. Everyone not living on the West Coast has to decide whether the ability  to visit Alaska is  worth the extra travel expenses - just a thorn to go along with the roses. 

I am not sure what you were trying to accomplish by submitting your original post. You stated that you enjoyed the cruise but pretty much complained about the food, the itinerary being changed (due to a medical emergency), having to stop in B.C., the fact that someone caught Covid, and so on and so  on. What part of the cruise or Alaska did you enjoy? I’m sure some of us would appreciate more details about the positive experiences.  
 
Or were  you merely venting and expecting sympathy? 
 
 

Ok, I get it, gas prices are high and we decided, at the last moment,  to fly from the Gulf Coast of Texas to Seattle. I don’t understand why you chose this forum to complain about that issue - the high price of gas has nothing to do with cruise ships or cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean. Not only that, you or someone you know chose to go on an Alaskan cruise- no one twisted your arm.  You could have switched to a cruise that sails from a port on the East Coast. Everyone not living on the West Coast has to decide whether the ability  to visit Alaska is  worth the extra travel expenses - just a thorn to go along with the roses. 

I am not sure what you were trying to accomplish by submitting your original post. You stated that you enjoyed the cruise but pretty much complained about the food, the itinerary being changed (due to a medical emergency), having to stop in B.C., the fact that someone caught Covid, and so on and so  on. What part of the cruise or Alaska did you enjoy? I’m sure some of us would appreciate more details about the positive experiences.  
 
Or were  you merely venting and expecting sympathy? 
 
 

Ok, I get it, gas prices are high and we decided, at the last moment,  to fly from the Gulf Coast of Texas to Seattle. I don’t understand why you chose this forum to complain about that issue - the high price of gas has nothing to do with cruise ships or cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean. Not only that, you or someone you know chose to go on an Alaskan cruise- no one twisted your arm.  You could have switched to a cruise that sails from a port on the East Coast. Everyone not living on the West Coast has to decide whether the ability  to visit Alaska is  worth the extra travel expenses - just a thorn to go along with the roses. 

I am not sure what you were trying to accomplish by submitting your original post. You stated that you enjoyed the cruise but pretty much complained about the food, the itinerary being changed (due to a medical emergency), having to stop in B.C., the fact that someone caught Covid, and so on and so  on. What part of the cruise or Alaska did you enjoy? I’m sure some of us would appreciate more details about the positive experiences.  
 
Or were  you merely venting and expecting sympathy? 
 
 

This blog is absolutely biased and rightfully so. It was created and patronized by royal fans. Most people in here are realistic about any royal shortcomings generally speaking however. We view royal like a family member, we can talk smack about when appropriate but will defend it to others when appropriate as well.  

Ok, I get it, gas prices are high and we decided, at the last moment,  to fly from the Gulf Coast of Texas to Seattle. I don’t understand why you chose this forum to complain about that issue - the high price of gas has nothing to do with cruise ships or cruise lines, including Royal Caribbean. Not only that, you or someone you know chose to go on an Alaskan cruise- no one twisted your arm.  You could have switched to a cruise that sails from a port on the East Coast. Everyone not living on the West Coast has to decide whether the ability  to visit Alaska is  worth the extra travel expenses - just a thorn to go along with the roses. 

I am not sure what you were trying to accomplish by submitting your original post. You stated that you enjoyed the cruise but pretty much complained about the food, the itinerary being changed (due to a medical emergency), having to stop in B.C., the fact that someone caught Covid, and so on and so  on. What part of the cruise or Alaska did you enjoy? I’m sure some of us would appreciate more details about the positive experiences.  
 
Or were  you merely venting and expecting sympathy? 
 
 

While we were on the Oasis last November for a short 4-night cruise, I made a point of going to the Park Cafe for an embarkation lunch. From what I recall, they had the famous Kummelwick (roast beef) sandwich, a salad bar, maybe soup, and some desserts. Oh, and bags of chips if you asked for them, lol. It is located on deck 8 (Central Park) which was convenient for us - our cabin was on the same deck. Central Park seemed to be quieter in general than other decks, and definitely less hectic than the Windjammer. 

htmlWe were on the Quantum from May 23-30, and we did not feel that it was our worst Royal cruise ever.
I'm a research fiend, so I knew way ahead of time that most of the shore excursions were sold out by the time we booked. I had to make the best of what was available. In fact, our Skagway excursion was canceled by Royal and I found a good walking tour guide online, downloaded it,  and we ended up walking around the historical buildings and shopping for a bit during our day there.  Relaxing, cheap and enjoyable.  I also asked other cruisers beforehand what a good excursion in Victoria might be  and one lady mentioned Butchart Gardens, so that is what we did (plus the Butterfly Museum.) Hubby and I are certainly not gardeners (we live in a condo) but we still were amazed by the gardens' beauty. Yes, we arrived in Victoria about 5 p.m., but the tour operators (great guys, btw) said that they received permission to stay in the gardens after closing hours. Same thing for the Butterfly Museum - they re-opened their doors for our tour buses. 
Elevators weren't too bad on the ship, from what I remember. We usually ate before 8 a.m. in the Windjammer (we tried Cafe 270 for breakfast once, we preferred the Windjammer.) I honestly don't see what was wrong with Quantum's Windjammer; the food was tastier than several other Windjammers that we've been to, and it was very decent at lunchtime as well.  We were able to sail through part of Endicott Arms, but had to stop and turn around before we caught sight of Dawson Glacier because there were multiple ice floes in the water and it was not safe for a large cruise ship.  It was absolutely true - we observed the Endicott Arms through our large window in our cabin at the very front of the ship, and yes, there were many, many ice floes. The OP neglected to mention - or maybe didn't know about this - that in the SeaPlex, FREE bumper cars are available for anyone willing to wait in line to enjoy them. Hubby and I went twice, I guess we are kids at heart! We are in our early 60's, lol. 
I believe that the most disappointing event that happened during this cruise was that when returned from our Victoria excursion, there was only 1 bar open (we wanted sodas) and only Cafe Promenade was available for a late-evening meal (around 9:15 or so.) So naturally, the line for pizza was long, and the line for getting 2 cans of soda at a nearby bar was even worse. Hubby grumbled about it, complained to guest services and of course, nothing could be done. It turns out that we should have read that morning's Cruise Compass - on the front page was a disclaimer stating that due to Canadian regulations, they were forced to have only 1 bar and 1 eating establishment available on each deck while they were in port. So I didn't do my research for that one item. 
Another disappointment was the musical performance held in 270. While it was incredible as far as techonology goes, there was no plot or cohesion between each musical number, and like several of the musical performances in the regular theater, the sound was so loud that it became distorted and hard to understand. Honestly we are much happier in smaller theaters/venues such as on the Adventure or the Liberty. Not as fancy, but they make sense, lol. 
We also flew into Seattle to board the ship, but I guess we were lucky and it wasn't that bad. As far as Covid goes, we wore KN-94 masks on that ship whenever we walked around in crowded areas (the Esplanade)  and certainly in the elevators, and we did not come home with Covid. We were not the only folks wearing masks btw. 
All in all, not a bad cruise. At least we experienced a Quantum-class ship for the first time. Next time, we may sail on a smaller ship to Alaska, simply because it's becoming evident to us that we prefer the Freedom and Voyager class ships with every new ship we sail. But, to each his own - that's the beauty in being able to choose from 26 ships. 
See photo below for a view of just one of the gardens at Butchart. All of the gardens there are simply spectacular! So, yes, a visit to British Columbia is NOT a waste of time, IMHO.
 

While we were on the Oasis last November for a short 4-night cruise, I made a point of going to the Park Cafe for an embarkation lunch. From what I recall, they had the famous Kummelwick (roast beef) sandwich, a salad bar, maybe soup, and some desserts. Oh, and bags of chips if you asked for them, lol. It is located on deck 8 (Central Park) which was convenient for us - our cabin was on the same deck. Central Park seemed to be quieter in general than other decks, and definitely less hectic than the Windjammer. 

Or, if your smart phone is working while in port, the ship's time should still be displayed on the home page of the Royal app. 

Or, if your smart phone is working while in port, the ship's time should still be displayed on the home page of the Royal app. 

There is a lot that goes into the casino program to wrap your head around but when you play on a cruise you earn points that accumulate. You can cash in those points for free play in the slot machine or if you have enough you can have the casino host apply them towards your onboard cruise account.  
The points that you accumulate during a cruise can also make you eligible to hit certain casino offers/free cruises on that sailing.  The points also accumulate over the casino year (April 1 - March 30) which will indicate what Casino Royale tier that you fall in.  If you cash in your points for free play or OBC, it doesn't affect your overall casino program year accumulation.

Ha! I never thought about insect repellent, and it was recommended for Gumbalimba Park (in Roatan) by a fellow cruiser. We did not check the ship's store, but did look at the little stores at the pier area in Roatan. Only the small pharmacy stocked Off, at $12 for a small can! I ended up trying a bit from an "all-natural" insect repellent pump at a nearby kiosk. It must have worked, because no bugs "bugged" me at Gumbalimba. Hubby also tried a bit of the stuff on his arms, but had to quickly wash it off once the attendant pointed out that it contained aloe (he's sensitive to aloe.) 
Next cruise, I will try to pack our pump bottle of Deep Woods Off. 

You can get little towelette packets of deep woods Off. They’re great to pack bc they take up no space, can’t leak, and even years later still work. I keep some in my “cruise box”

All Omicron cases on ships are reportedly asymptomatic or mild symptoms.  A sore throat for example.   
No hospitalizations have been reported from a ship case of Omicron.
If anything needs to change, governments around the world need to view a positive Omicron case very differently than other variants.  
There may be more variants in our future.  Communities and societies around the world need to do better understanding when to freak out and when to stay the course.  

During one of our last pre-pandemic cruises,  hubby was trying to download funds from our credit card for the second time on a slot machine, and noticed that it would no longer do so. He had planned to use the money that he cashed out in other slot machines and at table games.  A staff member in the casino told him that so many people try to use the slot machines as a free ATM that they allow people to use it only once and then they lock them out. After verifying that hubby was a Prime member and that he was truly trying to gamble on the slot machines, etc., they did something to unlock him and he was able to continue the process. 
 
Now we just charge the money we  will use to our room - it’s tied to our credit card, there are no extra fees, and we earn double points with the credit card.  
 
If we do want actual cash, we both are currently Prime, and they will waive the transaction fee for Prime and higher-level members. However, we no longer see any point  in carrying around large amounts of cash. 
 
 

During one of our last pre-pandemic cruises,  hubby was trying to download funds from our credit card for the second time on a slot machine, and noticed that it would no longer do so. He had planned to use the money that he cashed out in other slot machines and at table games.  A staff member in the casino told him that so many people try to use the slot machines as a free ATM that they allow people to use it only once and then they lock them out. After verifying that hubby was a Prime member and that he was truly trying to gamble on the slot machines, etc., they did something to unlock him and he was able to continue the process. 
 
Now we just charge the money we  will use to our room - it’s tied to our credit card, there are no extra fees, and we earn double points with the credit card.  
 
If we do want actual cash, we both are currently Prime, and they will waive the transaction fee for Prime and higher-level members. However, we no longer see any point  in carrying around large amounts of cash. 
 
 

During one of our last pre-pandemic cruises,  hubby was trying to download funds from our credit card for the second time on a slot machine, and noticed that it would no longer do so. He had planned to use the money that he cashed out in other slot machines and at table games.  A staff member in the casino told him that so many people try to use the slot machines as a free ATM that they allow people to use it only once and then they lock them out. After verifying that hubby was a Prime member and that he was truly trying to gamble on the slot machines, etc., they did something to unlock him and he was able to continue the process. 
 
Now we just charge the money we  will use to our room - it’s tied to our credit card, there are no extra fees, and we earn double points with the credit card.  
 
If we do want actual cash, we both are currently Prime, and they will waive the transaction fee for Prime and higher-level members. However, we no longer see any point  in carrying around large amounts of cash. 
 
 

During one of our last pre-pandemic cruises,  hubby was trying to download funds from our credit card for the second time on a slot machine, and noticed that it would no longer do so. He had planned to use the money that he cashed out in other slot machines and at table games.  A staff member in the casino told him that so many people try to use the slot machines as a free ATM that they allow people to use it only once and then they lock them out. After verifying that hubby was a Prime member and that he was truly trying to gamble on the slot machines, etc., they did something to unlock him and he was able to continue the process. 
 
Now we just charge the money we  will use to our room - it’s tied to our credit card, there are no extra fees, and we earn double points with the credit card.  
 
If we do want actual cash, we both are currently Prime, and they will waive the transaction fee for Prime and higher-level members. However, we no longer see any point  in carrying around large amounts of cash. 
 
 

During one of our last pre-pandemic cruises,  hubby was trying to download funds from our credit card for the second time on a slot machine, and noticed that it would no longer do so. He had planned to use the money that he cashed out in other slot machines and at table games.  A staff member in the casino told him that so many people try to use the slot machines as a free ATM that they allow people to use it only once and then they lock them out. After verifying that hubby was a Prime member and that he was truly trying to gamble on the slot machines, etc., they did something to unlock him and he was able to continue the process. 
 
Now we just charge the money we  will use to our room - it’s tied to our credit card, there are no extra fees, and we earn double points with the credit card.  
 
If we do want actual cash, we both are currently Prime, and they will waive the transaction fee for Prime and higher-level members. However, we no longer see any point  in carrying around large amounts of cash.