WAAAYTOOO

The rooms that I really like are those new panoramic oceanview rooms with the divider in the middle. Those look very cool ! They are the ones that are on the corners and the front of the front of the ship. They are category PF and P1. I assume that the PF are family rooms and probably require more than 2 to book. The only thing that does NOT look very cool is it looks like the kids' bunks are basically in a closet. I think I would be a little claustrophobic about that....

Hard to say at this point. I wouldn't expect anything to change really. Unfortunate, but a sign of the times, I fear

The email address for Concierge #1 on the Oasis would be [email protected]. When I contacted the concierge for the Allure regarding our blog group cruise in Feb. 16 I was told to email him (Dexter Fraser) 2 weeks prior to the cruise regarding our request for a cabana (we will have 3 cabanas, total) so I assume that the same process is what they use on the Oasis. The concierge on the Freedom was FR_Concierge@rccl so that same naming convention must be the way it works for all of them...it's just that on the big ships apparently they have more than 1 concierge, therefore the 01, 02 after the word "concierge". Anyway it is worth a try to send him/her an email now to make sure that you have the address correct and you will also get a name to go with it...then you will be ready when the time actually comes !!! I completely agree with you (and Matt). The planning is almost as much fun as the cruise itself. It keeps you energized and involved. That is even more important when you have a group going. I publish a monthly newsletter to my group and they all LOVE it.

You must have looked at the same pix I looked at, Doc. There were only pix of 1876 but the room looks fine. The only photo of the balcony looks dark so I guess that's what Doc was referring to. According to cruisedeckplans.com these rooms are 184 sqft with a 47 sqft balcony.

Give me a cabin number and I will see what I can find out for you

The Oasis seems to hold their online bookings until kinda late. I would expect to see it open up between 60-90 days out...so probably around the middle of September.

There really isn't any consistency for online booking availability. Apparently it depends upon the ship. I am sailing on the Grandeur Dec 19 out of Baltimore and I made my dining reservations months ago. Most of the ships open their online dining booking 60-90 days ahead but the last time I sailed on the Oasis (Jan of this year) I had to call RCCL to ask why the online booking wasn't yet open (it was about a month away) and the next day the online booking was available. I really don't there's any rhyme or reason to when they do this. What ship are you on ?

Yes. The ships concierge (the big ships have 2 concierges) will contact you about 2 weeks before your cruise to start helping you prepare for your cruise. Included in that preparation he or she will ask if you want cabana reservations. If you say yes he will ask you which one you want and the cost will be charged to your seapass account. This is the only time that I know of where you don't have to pay up front for a reservation that involves a charge. He will also do any other reservations that you need. What ship are you on and when are you sailing ?

LOL. I was on the Navigator out of Galveston in May 2014 and I don't really recall THAT much C&W music onboard...but it was definitely there to some extent. To be honest, I don't really recall much Caribbean music playing onboard except for the live bands around the pool or occasionally on the Promenade. You're going to really enjoy the river/ruins excursion in Belize. It is really excellent. Never heard of the secret river. That could be interesting !

Liz, I hate to be the only with an alternative view but since you asked, I will give you my opinion about this itinerary. I have been to Belize, Roatan and of course, Cozumel many times. I never tire of Cozumel. I love going there. As for the other 2 stops, let me caution you. I find Belize to be a mixed bag...the cave tubing is fun but it's a LOT of work getting up that hill with those tubes (for an old, fat woman like me, especially !!!) and the water is COLD coming out of the mountains. The cave experience itself is totally awesome. There is an excursion that takes you on a river cruise and has a stop at one of the ruins that is completely and totally awesome ! I happened to be as sick as a dog the last time we went on that river excursion and I had to stay on the bus while the others explored the ruins but even as sick as I was, I totally enjoyed that excursion. Any trip to the ruins is worth it. They are all beautiful. Belize, on an excursion is really wonderful. I do NOT recommend, however, that you decide to just "go downtown and look around". Belize City is a dirty, busy town with little to offer, IMO. There are a couple of churches that are ok to visit but for the most part, you are just stuck in a really ratty place. I will say, however, that some people love the "authentic" atmosphere in Belize City. I guess I'm really just a true American tourist at heart and I was not amused as my husband and my friends drug me, endlessly, through those dirty streets. Roatan is a completely different matter. Those people live in abject poverty and I think it is an absolute disgrace how the government treats them. I swore that I would never, ever go back and I will not. I have now been there 4 times and with each visit, the conditions have gotten worse and worse for the locals. You quite literally cannot drive more than 10 feet and NOT hit a pothole. The roads are treacherous and those poor people get absolutely no help from the government to fix them. They have local volunteers that try to fill the potholes but with only shovels and sand you're not going to get that far. To make the situation even more obvious (corruption), the ONLY streets in the entire place that are driveable are those that lead to the absolutely gorgeous resorts side of the island used by us (tourists in general) ! Amazing how THOSE roads are in perfect condition. On my last trip to the resort side of the island, on the drive coming back from the resort (I can't remember the name of the resort - there are many) there were people along the side of the road making "obscene gestures" (that's all I'll say about that !) to us in the bus and quite frankly, I cannot blame them for resenting the tourists. I have no reason to believe that it is unsafe....but I think it is immoral and I will not be a party to it again. Of course, the reply that I often to get this position is that if you do not go and support the economy then the peoples' plight will just go from bad to worse...but honestly, with the very few exceptions of those people who work at the resorts, I do not think that they realize any of the monetary benefit that the tourists bring. I absolutely believe that the corrupt government pays them pathetic wages and keeps all of the real money for themselves. It certainly has that appearance to me. I hope I have not spoiled your vacation. That was not my intent. I guess if I can make any recommendations it would be that you definitely stick with the ship's excursions, visit the resorts side of the island and stay away from the "local" excursions. The last [local] one I took was supposed to be to a day at the beach but the roads were so bad (we got stuck in the mud at least 3 times on the way there) I was afraid to get out of the van for fear that they would not be able to come and pick me up and take me back to the ship. My husband and I just stayed in the van and went back to the ship as quickly as we could.

Matt I don't see anything new or different. I think they are just trying to push this branding forward and highlight it for the kids for the summer....seems to me, anyway...

You could upgrade to a Suite !

Actually you do get to go to the "suites" line to check in at the port so that's a bit of a perk. I agree with you that it's a bit of a ruse to call it a suite and then deny you any of the real perky perks... But as WhiteSoxFan mentioned, you do get the double cruise points and there is also additional onboard credit for certain C&A categories so I think it's worth it....especially if you get one of the aft balconies with the extended balcony. They are very nice. I wonder if they are going to change anything related to the Jr suites with the new suites program. I haven't heard a peep about that in a while.

Matt does that go for the up charge items as well ? E.g., dry aged steaks and lobster tails ?

My husband almost always wears nice shorts and a Caribbean shirt or some kind of collared shirt to the MDR. The one and only time (in 20+ cruises) where he has been asked to put on long pants was 1 time on a "formal" night. I think we were on either the Radiance or the Jewel...one of the Radiance class ships. Since that time, we have never tried to go to the MDR on formal nights in shorts again. So I think they will NOT turn you away as long as you are not sloppy...no ball caps, T-shirts, etc. As long as you make an attempt to "clean up" I don't think they are likely to say a darned thing.

It's a complete nuisance. Hopefully he will go away soon.

I think you are pushing it. I never schedule a flight before noon when disembarking from PE. Another reason for that (for me) is b/c I use RCCL's valet bags service and they will not allow you to have a flight b4 noon with this program. I LOVE the valets bags program. If it were me, I would schedule a later flight.

Water ("tap"), coffee, tea (hot and cold), milk and several varieties of juices are complementary. Sodas and all alcoholic drinks are for sale. You can purchase a drink package (good thread posted today at http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2015/06/25/royal-caribbean-drink-prices-packages-and-info )...just be aware that the prices quoted in this thread do NOT include the mandatory 15% service charge so you must add 15% to all of these prices to get the actual cost....both individual drinks and drink packages.

Congratulations, Parrotheadtoo !!! That's a LOT of cruisin' ! I doubt I will ever make it to Pinnacle but it is a goal worth seeking, I guess. What is a Stratum ? Hopefully you will get all of the perks that you had anticipated on your cruise in October. What ship will you be on in October ?

Well first of all, welcome to the blog ! You have come to the right place. ...and you've made an excellent choice with Navigator. I am doing a Christmas cruise on Navigator myself...but next Christmas (2016). I am assuming that you meant Christmas 2015...and if that is the case, you will be on a 6 night western Caribbean cruise visiting George Town, Grand Cayman, Falmouth, Jamaica and Labadee, Haiti. IMHO this is an excellent itinerary...and a very good choice for your first RCCL cruise !! This link will take you to the right place on the RCCL website. http://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruises?shipCode_NV=true&vacationTypeCode_CO=true&dates_minDate=12%2F01%2F2015&dates_maxDate=12%2F31%2F2015 Just poke around a little bit on this blog site and you will shortly figure out how to find what you're looking for. There are lots of blog threads regarding drink packages....with discussions about whether they are worth the money or not. From the main "Message Boards" page you can do a search (upper right hand corner) on "drinks" or "drink package" and a number of blog threads will come up. Do the same from the "Home" page and you will see a number of discussions. Drink packages just happen to be one of the hot topics at the moment...we've had lots of recent and ongoing discussions about them. There is not a specific section dedicated to the different ships on this blog (or if there is, I haven't found it yet !)...but there is a section (unfortunately, not utilized much) for cruise reviews. You might find something in that section re: Navigator but I will warn you that it is probably not very current. Anyway, I hope you will stick with us and work your way through using the site. We are a good, friendly bunch and always happy to have someone new !

Nice job, Marc

Wow, I haven't been on one of those ! Not sure I like that...kinda overlord-esque

I'm sure you're right re: the price going up.

Since I figured out how to attach a photo I will now go crazy and post another one ! I hope you got the ones I sent in an email but here it is again since I now know how to post it !

I normally recommend AGAINST booking the boardwalk balconies on deck 14 because of this....