USCG Teacher

3 hours ago, Linda216 said:

Great info everyone, thanks! 

@Matt does dropping off the family first at the port help the check in process along? Or is that just convenient if we have lots of luggage?  We’ll only have one large suitcase, so I was thinking we’d return car and all (two adults, two kids and 1 bag) take the shuttle to the port.  But total newbie here!  Any tips are appreciated. 

Where it can really help is with the shuttle.  As you can imagine, the rental location will be pretty busy with customers dropping off the morning of a cruise departure, and all of those people are looking to back to the port ASAP.  Moving solo and luggage free makes getting on a shuttle much quicker and easier than having luggage in tow and needing four seats.

The other piece of the equation, even under ideal circumstances with highly trained and experienced crews, medical evacuations at sea via helicopter are always inherently risky operations.  It is not worth risking the patient, the aircrew, or those in the immediate vicinity's health and well being to keep a few retail locations open a few hours more.  RCI absolutely made the right call to forgo additional profits to protect everyone involved.

10 hours ago, SteveinSC said:

I usually hear back within 24 hours. Have emailed multiple times, as that is my preferred method of doing ALL business so that every communication is in writing.  

While not that fast, I've never had to wait longer than 72 hours.  And same as @SteveinSC, this is my preferred method of communication for the same reason.

3 hours ago, DDaley said:

Another thank you for the great blog, @WAAAYTOOO! Your writing style is so, so funny. 

Agree whole-heartedly.  Getting solid info with a dose of funny makes it twice as nice!   

2 hours ago, Va4fam said:

Which secret sandwich does @Matt always refer to on the podcast (and where do you get it)?

If I'm recalling properly, it's the "Chicken Parmesan."  A crispy chicken sandwich topped with Mozzarella cheese sticks and tomato sauce.  They're not on the serving line, but rumor has it that if you ask nicely and get the right person, they can make it happen for you.

I don't have any advice for you @tchampion as I've never been to Nassau myself, but I do want to say congrats on 4 years.  That's a big deal, live it up!  

In all seriousness, I've flown through a quite a few airports in my day (including two in Russia in the 90s!), and LGA is far and away my least favorite airport I've ever had the misfortune of being routed through.  Constant delays, poor service, limited transportation options, inconvenient to nearly everything and subpar facilities.  I live in the area and absolutely refuse to go through LGA.

23 minutes ago, Sweety said:

What is wrong with LGA?

4 hours ago, twangster said:

The lockers by the Oasis Lagoon are on the side of building a short walk away.

Related question, does anyone know if there are there also lockers over by the excursions pier?

41 minutes ago, DanielB said:

All are weak bids and I have no expectation of receiving any upgrade but wanted to share.

Good luck!!!

3 minutes ago, 12thman said:

330 days out. According to my TA. Due to most airlines not making reservations available until then.

2 minutes ago, DanielB said:

you can't book until schedules released by airlines.

This is what I figured, and makes perfect sense.  Just making sure I wasn't missing something.  As an aside, under 5 minutes from post to answer is beyond impressive turnaround.  

Not to hijack this thread, but related question.  How far out can you book Air2Sea rates?  If I'm booking a 2022 cruise, can I do Air2Sea now despite the fact that air itineraries & costs aren't out yet?  I should think not, but with the airfare being such a major chunk of the overall price, I have to take it into consideration when planning future cruises.  Being able to secure a price now would certainly help me make some choices moving forward, but I don't see how the logistics of that could possibly work out.  Hoping I'm wrong here!

2 hours ago, Lovestotravel said:

Follow-up question:  how does this work?  You get a special cup and can only use that cup to get your soda?  Are the sinks in the room big enough to wash them each day?  Also, do you take that to the MDR if you want soda for dinner?  Thanks!

It is my understanding that the cups just let you use the Freestyle Machines. At bars, the MDR, etc. you can still utilize the soda package by presenting your Sea Pass/WOW Band.

31 minutes ago, bhageerah said:

The training that we are going through is long and hard but still NOTHING compared to the training that a certified service animal has to go through.  While I do love my dog and it would be MUCH easier come vacation time to throw a vest on him and let him come with us, it is morally wrong and an insult to the people and animals that have put in the time for the training.

This is the whole crux of it right here.  Spot on, @bhageerah.

6 minutes ago, twangster said:

However the dog was allowed to wander on it's own off leash. 

  

Hmmm. 

Ah, yes.  The famous "long-range seizure detection canine."  They're all the rage.  Very high-tech.

20 minutes ago, chris25 said:

so, i still cant log in on my home computer however a computer at work logs in every time without issue.  

Have you tried clearing your browser cache?  Most of the time this seems to work for me. 

3 hours ago, twangster said:

Another one of those ... it depends.  My record time in MTD was under 30 minutes but that isn't the norm and being solo it's easier for them to handle my table.  With each additional guest comes more service, and time.  

I tend to know exactly what I want.  No uncertainty, no "does this have that?" questions.  

If you're section in the MTD is slammed they will be slower.  Maybe that's why they love seeing me alone, they know I'll be quick to service.  

Waiters can lose 5 minutes talking with guests who are indecisive.  That's okay, it's their job.   If a party of four consumes 10 minutes of "What's in this chicken?" questions they will gladly walk you through it but there goes 10 minutes.   In that time I'm already halfway through by appetizer, unless I'm in your section and my waiter is at your table. 

So it depends.  One night in MTD might go quickly, the next night might pause waiting what seems like forever for dessert to appear, because table 113 over there has a million questions.

 

PS - not a dumb question at all.  No dumb questions, only dumb answers.  

2 hours ago, WAAAYTOOO said:

I have found that the very earliest time slots for MTD have, generally, very few people.  That, combined with the fact that they have just started the service and haven’t had a chance to get “behind” yet is why, when we did MTD, we always went very early. If you’re going to be in a hurry, I recommend going first thing after MTD opens.

All of this makes sense, thank you.  As an allergy-free and fairly decisive family, at least we have that in our favor.  Seems like factoring in 90 minutes ought to leave us plenty of time, with a worst-case scenario of skipping dessert if we have to run.  Thank you both!   

12 minutes ago, alwayscruzin said:

Just realized this was just posted prior with an answer given... oh well I am new to this

No worries!  Welcome aboard!

So, this is certainly an odd question, but I wanted to throw it out there to this community of experts.  How long does dinner in the MDR with My Time Dining last?  Cruise Planner lists it as two hours, is that accurate?  Is the meal paced more by the kitchen like traditional dining or by how quickly the table eats each course?  Do they try to push tables with kids through faster?  A combination of all of the above?  TIA for any feedback, trying to wrap my brain around scheduling dinners with shows & activities with two kids!

5 minutes ago, Sally B said:

I am cruising on the VIsion of the Seas in February and the drinks package is coming out at £34.86pp plus gratuities which works out about $45 plus gratuities.  I was wondering if this is a fair price or would this probably be discounted on Black Friday?  I think the UK  RCCL site hasn't caught up with Black Friday yet!!  I have seen prices on here but not sure if they include the gratuity.

The published price in the US does not include the 18% gratuity, not sure if the same holds true in the UK.  If recent trends are any indicator, you're not going to beat $45 pp. for the Deluxe Beverage Package unless a certain nameless intern returns from his or her suspension in the near future.  I'd jump on that price if you're even considering getting it, you can always cancel or reprice later.

38 minutes ago, RCVoyager said:

I don't think they are talking about ships home ported in San Juan (Freedom), just those stopping by for the day.  Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

From the translated article posted by @Okgladgal:

10 hours ago, Okgladgal said:

"In addition to the canceled transit visits, 30 base departures (home porting) are being canceled, which decreases the options for Puerto Rican families who do nautical tourism and affect the profitability of rooms before and after the crossing of tourists traveling to the country. One of the ships affected by this decision is the Freedom of the Seas, which is so popular on the island, "he said.

Other cruises that announce the cancellation of visits to the island are the Allure of the Seas and Symphony or the Seas, both with a capacity of over 6,000 passengers.

Just saved $30 on the All Access Tour I'm taking my son on, but noticed The Key actually went UP in price since yesterday, which is curious...

10 minutes ago, tonyfsu21 said:

Chris Wong is most likely putting out fires from guests that apparently were not getting points last night on the machines. Multiple hours of play and 0.00 points...

Oof.  That's a rough first night.

Loving the live blog!   

Safe travels!  Looking forward to following along!   

1 hour ago, Melodyjn said:

So our friends treated us to our first Royal Caribbean cruise back in Sept on the Navigator, we all had such a great time.

Are your friends taking applications for additional friends?