Kris816

1 hour ago, BrianB said:

The Oasis has the open outdoor area forward of, and part of, the Solarium. It's a great space! Especially while in port.

Thanks!! That is exactly what I was thinking of. I wish all Oasis class ships had that space. 

Does the solarium on Symphony have chairs all the way forward that are not under glass cover? I recall I was on an Oasis class ship in the past that had solarium loungers out in open like that. 

Was there an outdoor pool designated as adult only? Usually, in addition to the solarium, there is an outdoor that doesn’t allow kids. Thanks! 

The drink package is the issue since both people need to have it. About 5 years ago, I had another no show and everything was refunded. But, times are different now so I wanted to confirm if anyone has been in this situation more recently. 

I am going to have a no show in my cabin coming up in 3 weeks. We’ve already purchased drink packages, dining packages and Coco Cay excursions. Will the purchases made for the no show be refunded? 

Thanks so much for the review! Were the clocks moved forward on the ship as you sailed East so ship time was the same as the islands or did ship time remain an hour behind? Thanks! 

5 hours ago, theSEAiscalling said:

Day 3 and Day 4 AM-

Yesterday was our first full day at sea! We slept in and had a late breakfast. WJ has been decent, but there doesn't seem to be much variety from day to day particularly for breakfast. 

We spent the afternoon in the Solarium, which was so relaxing. Got an official count of about 1750 guests, which I believe is about 75-80%! So the ship is definitely fuller than the last few capacity reports that I could find. We were able to find 2 pool chairs pretty easily but I think we got lucky with timing because a lot of people came through in the afternoon and didn't have any luck since they were all taken. 

The shows and activities seem to be changing in the calendar day to day. So just stay on your toes if you're planning to do something. They swapped shows a few nights already and added/subtracted activities multiple times. I haven't been able to find a show listing for the entire cruise (I know someone asked) I think that is related to the fact that the shows aren't really set in stone.

Last night was formal night but it looked like semi formal at best (at least for the late dinner seating) We saw plenty of jeans and more casual looks, which is kind of a bummer for us. We like dressing up, but I know some people out there will love the relaxed rules for dressing. 

We sailed into Puerto Rico this morning and were off to the Citadel and for a walk around Old Town San Juan! No booked excursions today, just on our own time and feet! 

Thanks so much for checking for the entertainment schedule. I’ve been trying to follow your cruise in the app and I noticed that the shows (both times and the performers) keep being revised. When I was on the Odyssey in September, I noticed that the buffet didn’t have much variety. I thought it had to do with the reduced capacity (25%) but I appears it may be because the crew is serving us. Was the solarium roof open? I am curious if they are going to open it, now that they are in the Caribbean. Thanks! 

Looking forward to your blog! I’ll be leaving on the Jewel with the same itinerary on December 4th. If possible, could you take a photo of the showtimes flyer that you are usually given when you board? I am curious about the shows and showtimes for the week. Thanks!! 

9 minutes ago, SpeedNoodles said:

Shouldn't Florida be on Standard Time now? Daylight Savings is a summer thing.  It should be an all-of-the-time thing, imo.

Allure stayed on whatever the local time was wherever we went.

I apologize that my terminology is incorrect. I checked this week and Puerto Rico, St Maarten and Antigua are all an hour ahead of Miami time, now. Prior to “falling back” last weekend, the islands were the same time as Miami.  

I will be cruising to the eastern Caribbean in a few weeks. Now, that Florida is on daylight savings time and the islands we will be visiting are an hour ahead, does anyone know if the ship will change to local time or keep ship time? Thanks!

8 hours ago, TXcruzer said:

We have taken this fan on every cruise for about 7-8 years, its awesome, and the clip is very strong, you can mount it anywhere and direct the air in an infinite number of ways.

https://www.amazon.com/10000mAh-Battery-Operated-Portable-Stroller/dp/B08866RDYK/ref=sr_1_7?dchild=1&keywords=rechargeable+clip+fan&qid=1633185029&sr=8-7

Do you bring this in your carry-on or pack it in your suitcase? 

9 minutes ago, BrianB said:

There’s still that 14 day quarantine mandate. I understand that period starts after the ship finishes it’s last UK paying cruise and before entering US waters. Will they cancel the last few UK five day cruises and send her over early…or the first few November cruises out of Bayonne. Still nervous.

The Jewel finishes her last cruise in Greece on October 30th; then, her first cruise out of Miami is set for November 15th. Perhaps, the quarantine period can be while they are crossing the Atlantic without passengers. 

I just booked a cruise on the Jewel on 12/4/21 at a rock bottom price. My question is: since the Jewel is coming over from Europe next month, will it be required to do a CDC test cruise here in the US before it is cleared to sail from Miami? 

2 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

You can call to see if they can do a push to refresh the luggage tags (also check the last page of your eDocs). They will have blank tags at the port too. I absolutely would NOT use the old ones.

Thanks! I called and the rep appeared to never have been asked this before. He put me on hold four different times. His final explanation was that they do not control the platform that generates luggage tags so there isn’t anything he can do. I’m just going to DIY them. I have the plastic covers so I’ll fold blank paper and use a Sharpie marker to put name and cabin number. 

I sail on Saturday and just received an email that my bid was accepted (Thursday afternoon). However, when I log in, my luggage tags have not been updated to reflect the new cabin but my set sail pass has. This is my first time having a Royal Up accepted so I’m not familiar with the process. If the tags don’t update, should I use the ones for the original cabin? 

1 hour ago, AGSLC5 said:

This has nothing to do with this post but.. Would it be possible for you to try and get a picture of the new menu at Jamie's Italian? Matt on his podcast this week noted there is a new menu but he said he forgot to take a picture of it and I am curious what is on this new menu. Thanks 

I believe it’s the same menu from the Mariner. Jamie’s there also offers eggplant parm and has a slightly different menu than Oasis class. Here is a link to all Mariner menus. Of course, no hibachi on Navigator, Hooked instead:

https://eatsleepcruise.com/2018/08/mariner-of-the-seas-restaurant-guide/

We did the Blue Hole with Jaimaica Phil (Jamaicaphil.com) a few years ago when we were on Oasis. It was great and so was he. After the Blue Hole, he took us to a local spot for lunch and we even had time to stop at a beach for about an hour on our way back. I highly recommend his tour!

We booked a last minute cruise on the Empress. We have never opted for a guaranteed room before or had an inside cabin (always go balcony) but the price was right so that's what we booked. Today, I saw that we have been assigned an ocean view cabin; so, it's a bit of an upgrade. My concern though is that are located right next to the elevator. I'm hoping there won't be too much noise but plan to bring my ear plugs just in case.

Thank you. I am familiar with the menus as we have been on multiple RCCL cruises. I had read the Empress menus were not consistent with the rest of the fleet, though; so, I wanted to hear from anyone who has already cruised in her.

For those who have been on the Empress, what are the menus like in the MDR?

I appreciate the response. Thank you.

Hello: we are considering a cruise on the Empress. We followed Michael Poole's live blog this weekend and the ship sounded great. He was on a cruise for social media gurus and bloggers, though; so, I am thinking RCCL really rolled out the red carpet for this group. I am wondering if anyone who sailed on Empress recently would be willing to share their experience. For example, Michael never ate dinner in the dining room only Chops so that is something we are curious about.

Thank you. I had read you could only get it, if it was part of a cocktail like vodka and Red Bull; but, you could not order it as a stand alone

Does anyone know if energy drinks such as Red Bull or Monster are included in either the premium or ultimate drink packages?

Thank you. We decided to move our reservation to a night when we aren't scheduled for a show. We don't want to be rushed and are looking forward to the experience.