mac66

The ambiance and music on X is more suited to baby boomers. It is more intimate and mature.  You can find that on some of the smaller RC ships but X does it better.  Just got off a 7 nighter on the RC Serenade, older crowd and it reminded me a lot of X.

The benefit is one free upgrade "THROUGH" Aquaclass not TO AquaClass.  That means you might get a one category upgrade from the category you booked at if you ask, that category is available and you meet the restrictions. 

To be upgraded to Aquaclass you would have to have booked one class below Aqua and then meet the availability/restrictions caveat.

We just did the Explorer for the third time in Dec of '22.  Just got off the Serenade. Now that's small ship (Radiance class)  in comparison.  There is more than enough to do on the Explorer for families. I would choose that for my first family cruise.

We took our kids on the zip lines at Rainforrest Adventures in St. Maarten.  It was awesome and easily the best ziplines we've ever done. There is 4 ziplines and a slide .  Or you can just ride the chairlift to the top of the mountain for the spectacular view.

Been to Maya Chan, food was excellent but only served at a certain time. The beech wasn't very good and it's kind of a long bumpy ride.

Did Jamie's Blue Reef this time. It's an all inclusive.  It's on the beach front in Mahahaul just down the street  from Krazy Lobster. The beach is open to vendors but you can eat and drink all day and walk up and down the street. 

On 2/14/2023 at 8:39 PM, melski94 said:

We’ve been to Roatan twice.  I’ve been snorkeling in roatan and last year we did a sloth/snorkeling tour.  We really enjoyed both but this year probably just snorkeling.  Looking for a tour now.  We won’t do a RC one as we like a small group or even private tour.

Just an FYI... just got back from Roatan.  We went with West End Divers. My brothers and I dived, my wife and SILs snorkeled.  We were all on the same boat. Lots of room.  My wife has been snorkeling for 40+ years and said it was the best.

WED picks you up and drops you off at the port. 

Well...if I'd bought 200 shares at the same price I bought 100 last summer and sold 100 I'd of gotten all my money back plus a profit and would still own 100 shares and get OBC.  Oh well.

Nnm

Just an FYI....RCI stock closed @ 73.99 today.

Carnival is at 11.64.

A 10 year will not care what ship you take them on.  You're on an awesome cruise after all.  Plenty for everyone to do on the Explorer.  

If you do Oasis first you'll get spoiled and never will want to do the smaller ships.  Do Explorer first and then you can always move up later. I think the Oasis class is too overwhelming at first.

I would do Explorer first then work my way up to Oasis class. Gives you someone look forward to.

We did Explorer for our kid's first cruise. Then a couple other ships then a couple Oasis class ships. The kids, all now grown up still talk about their first cruise as their favorite. 

5 hours ago, Xaa said:

Gotcha, you don't feel they were harsh enough in the complaints about the weed based on past experience of cigarette smokers being trashed.  Smoking is one of those things that makes people passionate, that's for sure.  I'm guessing if there was a weed smoking section in the casino, the complaints would be more pronounced as the volume of smoke also more pronounced.

I don't smoke either, but live and let live I say.  If an environment is unpleasant for me, I go someplace else.

Except you shouldn't have to "go somewhere else". You have the right to not have to smell something, or not put up with something that is encroaching on those rights. Weed is banned, make the ship enforce their rules.

Just so you're aware that buy one, get the second half off is just a marketing term for a 25% discount off the most expensive on board price.  You could still save money but....

On my next cruise using the Diamond BOGO on board will save $10.50 if eating at Chops.

On 1/22/2023 at 8:39 PM, tjcruisers said:

Ok, I didn't do mine on a cruise but just the local pool. On a few cruises I walked by and watched a few times, seemed to be far more relaxed than when I did it. Not sure if if our instructor was doing just the PADI course or if he was introducing navy diving stuff as well.

Tinfoil thing (or anything to block out your mask would do) is we'd line the inside of the mask with tinfoil so you couldn't see. The instructors would put your equipment in the pool (which was 15 feet deep). We had to put the mask on, go down, feel around to find your equipment and then get dressed underwater. Another one was dive to the bottom with your equipment on, take it all off, including your mask and then surface. Take a few breaths, go back down and put it all back on. Some other crazy ass crap we had to do was swim the length of the pool and back underwater on one breath.

Don't remember how many dives I did on my OW. Did it in a quarry in a place called Innerkip Ontario around early May. A little chilly   Did a handful of dives on first day and I think they signed us off that night at dinner. I wasn't old even to drink at the time, but the adults had party they night for passing. Next day was an optional dive, there was cave/mineshaft they took you in.

 

Uh....no they don't do the tin foil thing in PADI. They do make you take off and put on your mask under water. They also make you take off and put back on your tank underwater. But they don't do the blind touchy feely thing. If I remember correctly you are supposed to be able to swim 100 yards (4 lengths of the pool) but nothing underwater.

If you wanted to go diving again you could probably get by with just your PADI cert card if you still have one.  They recommend you take a refresher if you haven't dived in 2 years but you probably could get by without it if you still have your card.  unless it's been a very long time and you've forgot everything.   Also it's my understanding that PADI certification cards is or has gone entirely online. Which means they don't give you a card anymore.

22 hours ago, tjcruisers said:

How are the diving courses on the ship?  I got my PADI cert back I the mid 80’s but remember it being like a 10 week course. Instructor was a navy diver. Do they do the tinfoil in the mask?

Since we've not heard back from OP I can only speculate what she ended up doing.

However, when I looked into the Open Water dive class on Oasis back in 2018 it was set up to get your OW certification within/during the week long cruise.

PADI now does most of the book work online before the class starts so you show up on board having done most of the book stuff and pass the tests.  Next step is the confined water where you learn the equipment and do the underwater stuff in the pool. This takes place early in the mornings before the pools get crowded i.e, 7 am.  If I recall correctly you do 4 hours in the pool or on the islands over course of several days. Then you do the open water part on the next two islands. The OW part is 2 dives a day over 2 days.

I ended up doing my confined water part in Nov of '18 in a pool back home and then did my open water dives on a cruise in Feb '19. That's known as a "referral". That's where you do part of the course with one dive instructor and OW dives with a different instructor(s). I did my first 2 OW dives in Curacao and my second 2 and got certified in Aruba.   The pool part, if I recall correctly was 2/4 hour sessions two weekends apart.

Don't know about any tinfoil.

I don't do cell phones very much and certainly not when I'm on a cruise. I lock it in the safe when I get on board, unlock it when I leave the ship at the end of the cruise.  I ask the room attendant for a paper copy and if I misplace or ruin the one  i have (go swimming with it) I stop by the desk and get another one.

You can have a very good cruise without paying anything extra.  We been on RCI many, many times and still don't pay anything more (except for shore excursions) than the cruise fare and gratuities.

When I said "we're done with X for awhile"  I apparently meant at least a year. My wife booked an 11 nighter on the Beyond for Jan '24.  Just will have to suffer through another X cruise...poor us. 

At dinner they provide anything you can get in the Windjammer at b'fast and lunch. Including ice tea, tea, coffee, juice, milk etc, etc plus chocolate milk usually. If you want something else just ask and they'll tell you if there is an extra charge for it.

If you have a favorite soft drink/juice/water you can carry on up to a 12 pack.

Or....you can bring at least a 12 pack of your favorite soda or non alcoholic soft drink or water.

Coffee, tea, ice tea , orange juice and some other juices are available in the Windjammer just about all day.  

We usually take an insulated mug to carry around for both hot and cold beverages.

They don't really have time or the inclination to scan checked luggage for bottles. They are mostly interested in weapons and prohibited electrical appliances.  A guy we cruise with always brings a full bottle of Crown Royal in his luggage. Never been tagged, caught. YMMV as every cruise line, ship, port is different.  Having said that my wife makes sure we carry on our 2 bottles of wine.

Ah...Dragon's Breath/Fire....World's most expensive 40 seconds.

There are about 100 dive shops in Coz. I've used Dive w/Martin back in 2019 before covid. They were good. Going back to Coz in February and diving with Blue Reef Divers this time but only because it is the in house dive shop for the all inclusive resort my family is going to the day we are there.

I had originally booked  with Sand Dollar Sports which is what RCI uses for their ship excursions. The ship dive was sold out.  SDS is a 3 or 4 block walk from the pier.

Dive paradise was also highly recommended.

RCI won't provide much of anything though you can sometimes leave stuff on the bus. Buy a waterproof bag, lanyard, phone case etc.  Take a backpack with you for towels, clothes etc.

To be honest I don't even take a phone ashore anymore, Just use a small backpack and a lanyard to carry my sea pass card, ID, credit card and some folded up money for tips if needed.

Passport OR  birth certificate will get the OP on the ship. Most of the ships we've been on used face recognition (Customs) to get off the boat once back in the US.