Christie

Private practice sucks in terms of taking time off! Maybe 2017 though!

Hey there!
 
You are not going to be disappointed with Allure!  I was so nervous with booking the RCL cruise.  I agree with you on Palo and Remy.  Chef's table at Oasis lived up to the food with Remy, but not quite the experience.  150 Central Park was close.  I actually like Palo more than Remy and appreciate the views and adult only atmosphere.  Hard to compare it to anything on Oasis/Allure... different experiences but still excellent.  You'll enjoy the variety of food options on RCL.  Even the Windjammer vs Cabanas was a huge difference.
 
I think I might have worded my post wrong.  There was more stuff to do in terms of organized activities on DCL.  Things you would find in the compass.  There was more to do on your own on Oasis (rock climbing wall, zip line, flow rider, carousel, etc.)  I missed the activities on DCL.  I liked watching the belly flop competition (but from my balcony).  I missed having a movie theater on Oasis.  That was always a great way to kill a few hours on Disney ships.  I missed the DVC presentations (haha, not really... but we did go to those a lot).  The shows at night seem like a bigger deal on Disney.  If you go back to my thread I posted while on board, the entertainment on Oasis was more of a revue and less of a play like you would find on Disney.  The diving shows were pretty great though.  Just be prepared for little story line minus your Broadway show (Mama Mia on Allure).  

Guess I should have clarified that, sorry!!  I went to Palmer in Daytona Beach (couldn't handle the snow in Davenport).  That's awesome that you went to Life!  Great school!
 
I'm with you on Disney.  We've been to the World over 50 times, my parents are DVC members with over 1200 points, we got married there (and honeymooned on DCL), etc.  Obviously going to WDW and a cruise are two different experiences, and right now my vote is cruising over a land based vacation.  I know that will change as my daughter gets older.  
 
I can play this game really easily, as my family and I have had many discussions about it over the past few weeks.  In no particular order...
 
Top 5 Ways RCL beats DCL
1) Food- Variety, quality, and temperature.  DCL's food gets a bit repetitive quickly.  And they have always seemed to have a problem serving luke warm food.  We found the food to be piping hot every time we ate on RCL
2) Variety- Ships, itineraries, restaurants, things to do on board, room categories, etc.  If you've cruised DCL for a while, you kind of hit a point where you say "what now?" 
3) Nursery- I can't believe I'm saying the kid's program on RCL beats DCL (I haven't experienced RCL's older children's program), but RCL was far less chaotic and I felt like my daughter got a lot of personal attention.  I loved the open play area on Oasis for 5 and under as well.  
4) Shopping- DCL is pathetic to RCL in this category (especially on Oasis)
5) Price 
 
Top 5 Ways DCL beats RCL
1) Staff is more polished and trained on DCL
2) Outside of the ship is way prettier.  Constantly see people painting on DCL.  Never saw it on RCL
3) Family activities- on DCL I felt like my cruise compass was full of highlights.  Never saw much I wanted to do with organized activities on RCL
4) Spa- Not as big, but the treatment rooms were much much nicer.  So was the rain forest room vs thermal suite
5) Concierge Service- this may change with the new suite benefits program being released in May.  We felt like the concierge staff on RCL was a bit off putting.  On Disney, they practically move in with you and are extremely helpful.  
 
And a bonus one... 5.5... Disney's website/mobile app is way better.  Royal Caribbean really needs to invest some $$ in the website.  Pre booking things was a nightmare.  Disney has the mobile app that can be used on board for free with their wifi.  You can communicate with other guests with it.  The cruise compass is on it and you can set up notifications for things you wanted to do.  
 
I guess it becomes a point of what's more important to you.  The few things that I felt Disney does better, I'm willing to overlook for the cost difference- especially with a Caribbean/Bahamian cruise.  We've cruised Disney in Europe 3 times, and those were spectacular experiences that I'm not sure can be beat. 

Guess I should have clarified that, sorry!!  I went to Palmer in Daytona Beach (couldn't handle the snow in Davenport).  That's awesome that you went to Life!  Great school!
 
I'm with you on Disney.  We've been to the World over 50 times, my parents are DVC members with over 1200 points, we got married there (and honeymooned on DCL), etc.  Obviously going to WDW and a cruise are two different experiences, and right now my vote is cruising over a land based vacation.  I know that will change as my daughter gets older.  
 
I can play this game really easily, as my family and I have had many discussions about it over the past few weeks.  In no particular order...
 
Top 5 Ways RCL beats DCL
1) Food- Variety, quality, and temperature.  DCL's food gets a bit repetitive quickly.  And they have always seemed to have a problem serving luke warm food.  We found the food to be piping hot every time we ate on RCL
2) Variety- Ships, itineraries, restaurants, things to do on board, room categories, etc.  If you've cruised DCL for a while, you kind of hit a point where you say "what now?" 
3) Nursery- I can't believe I'm saying the kid's program on RCL beats DCL (I haven't experienced RCL's older children's program), but RCL was far less chaotic and I felt like my daughter got a lot of personal attention.  I loved the open play area on Oasis for 5 and under as well.  
4) Shopping- DCL is pathetic to RCL in this category (especially on Oasis)
5) Price 
 
Top 5 Ways DCL beats RCL
1) Staff is more polished and trained on DCL
2) Outside of the ship is way prettier.  Constantly see people painting on DCL.  Never saw it on RCL
3) Family activities- on DCL I felt like my cruise compass was full of highlights.  Never saw much I wanted to do with organized activities on RCL
4) Spa- Not as big, but the treatment rooms were much much nicer.  So was the rain forest room vs thermal suite
5) Concierge Service- this may change with the new suite benefits program being released in May.  We felt like the concierge staff on RCL was a bit off putting.  On Disney, they practically move in with you and are extremely helpful.  
 
And a bonus one... 5.5... Disney's website/mobile app is way better.  Royal Caribbean really needs to invest some $$ in the website.  Pre booking things was a nightmare.  Disney has the mobile app that can be used on board for free with their wifi.  You can communicate with other guests with it.  The cruise compass is on it and you can set up notifications for things you wanted to do.  
 
I guess it becomes a point of what's more important to you.  The few things that I felt Disney does better, I'm willing to overlook for the cost difference- especially with a Caribbean/Bahamian cruise.  We've cruised Disney in Europe 3 times, and those were spectacular experiences that I'm not sure can be beat. 

I've somehow missed the community board down here.  So, I've been bumming around the message boards for a few months and never formally introduced myself. 
 
My name is Christie, and my husband and 1 year old daughter and I live in College Station, TX.  I'm a chiropractor and my husband works in information security for Texas A&M.  We are huge Disney fans and used to cruise exclusively with DCL. We were looking for something different for Christmas this year, so we booked a week on Oasis of the Seas.  I learned about RCB podcast from listening to WDW Today, and went back and listened to all the old episodes while preparing for the Christmas cruise.  i honestly went into our cruise with very little expectations... I mean, what could beat Disney, right? I found that I actually thought RC beat Disney with many things.  Now, I'm not sure when we are going back.
 
Currently we have planned an anniversary cruise on Anthem with just my husband and I in Sept 2016.  We are pricing out Allure for Thanksgiving week next year.  And last night my friend in Florida suggested we do a joint cruise in March 2017.  My husband is wondering when we get to go back to Disney World with all the cruises we have planned haha.

Definitely the only way to get between 8 and 5 is to ride the rising tide bar down ðŸ‘

I've somehow missed the community board down here.  So, I've been bumming around the message boards for a few months and never formally introduced myself. 
 
My name is Christie, and my husband and 1 year old daughter and I live in College Station, TX.  I'm a chiropractor and my husband works in information security for Texas A&M.  We are huge Disney fans and used to cruise exclusively with DCL. We were looking for something different for Christmas this year, so we booked a week on Oasis of the Seas.  I learned about RCB podcast from listening to WDW Today, and went back and listened to all the old episodes while preparing for the Christmas cruise.  i honestly went into our cruise with very little expectations... I mean, what could beat Disney, right? I found that I actually thought RC beat Disney with many things.  Now, I'm not sure when we are going back.
 
Currently we have planned an anniversary cruise on Anthem with just my husband and I in Sept 2016.  We are pricing out Allure for Thanksgiving week next year.  And last night my friend in Florida suggested we do a joint cruise in March 2017.  My husband is wondering when we get to go back to Disney World with all the cruises we have planned haha.

I've been on a lot of cruises and found the motion on oasis was pretty minimal so that's good!

The only problem with deck 8 is that you might eat 400 roast beef sandwiches from park cafe during the course of the week

I know Matt does this with his guests on the show, but I thought it would be fun on here.
 
So, what's your favorite drink while on a RCI cruise?
 
Mine would be the cucumber martini from 150 Central Park

We spent at least a grand on specialty dining (never ate in MDR and there were 4-6 of us at each meal). We purchased thermal suite passes for 4 of us, and those are included. We paid for 6 devices of voom. Not sure how many would be included in the new suite benefits, but it would have made a huge difference. Not sure on the drink packages, but I'll just assume that what we drank would have been included (we did a la carter except one member bought the soft drink package). It adds up quick.

So looking at the new suite classes being released in May... We would have saved close to $3,000 with the things included. Time to book another? Maybe Thanksgiving next year?

I know Matt does this with his guests on the show, but I thought it would be fun on here.
 
So, what's your favorite drink while on a RCI cruise?
 
Mine would be the cucumber martini from 150 Central Park

Just got off today. This is going to be an AWESOME room for you guys. You will have the master suite and then the kids can take the interior room which has 2 twins and 2 bunks. Or the 3rd one can sleep in the living room. That bed folds out into at least a full, maybe even a queen. My 20 year old sister slept on it all week. Deck 8 is great because you can get forward by walking through Central Park. Those aft elevators take you right up to the wind jammer and suite lounge/coastal kitchen.
 
The one thing I will say is the living room is loud when there are things going on in the aqua theater.

I didn't think the maintenance stuff was a big deal, but we will take the credit! Nice little Christmas present especially since we already had a cruise plan.
 
Our last sea day was very nice. We went to midnight mass which had over 500 people in the opal theater. Half of the family slept in while the other half of us with a baby were awake at 6:30 lol. Had a really easy morning opening presents and then going to Johnny Rockets for lunch. That's probably the best deal on board. All you can eat soda, fries, onion rings, burgers/patty melts, and dessert for like $7. I don't think shakes are included.
 
My husband and I had to use up our razul room and private jacuzzi that were included in our ultimate suite pass. These were both very nice experiences and I'll write about them when I'm home and can upload some pictures. My parents had met with an accupuncturist earlier in the week and found out that she was also a chiropractor. So we met up and swapped adjustments which was amazing!
 
We had Christmas dinner at 150 Central Park. Everything was on point here. The meal was paced properly and the service was excellent. Food was a 8.5/10. One thing we have noticed all week is that RC serves their food piping hot at all restaurants. Disney struggles with this. Oh and the cucumber martini? Amazing.
 
Then it was time to shove stuff in suitcases, pay a trip to the photo store, and head to bed. Not a terribly exciting day, but perfect way to end the trip.
 
We are considering going to the children's museum via Uber when we get off the boat since our flight doesn't leave to 3:30 and sitting in an airport for 6 hours with a 1 year old doesn't sound like much fun.

I didn't think the maintenance stuff was a big deal, but we will take the credit! Nice little Christmas present especially since we already had a cruise plan.
 
Our last sea day was very nice. We went to midnight mass which had over 500 people in the opal theater. Half of the family slept in while the other half of us with a baby were awake at 6:30 lol. Had a really easy morning opening presents and then going to Johnny Rockets for lunch. That's probably the best deal on board. All you can eat soda, fries, onion rings, burgers/patty melts, and dessert for like $7. I don't think shakes are included.
 
My husband and I had to use up our razul room and private jacuzzi that were included in our ultimate suite pass. These were both very nice experiences and I'll write about them when I'm home and can upload some pictures. My parents had met with an accupuncturist earlier in the week and found out that she was also a chiropractor. So we met up and swapped adjustments which was amazing!
 
We had Christmas dinner at 150 Central Park. Everything was on point here. The meal was paced properly and the service was excellent. Food was a 8.5/10. One thing we have noticed all week is that RC serves their food piping hot at all restaurants. Disney struggles with this. Oh and the cucumber martini? Amazing.
 
Then it was time to shove stuff in suitcases, pay a trip to the photo store, and head to bed. Not a terribly exciting day, but perfect way to end the trip.
 
We are considering going to the children's museum via Uber when we get off the boat since our flight doesn't leave to 3:30 and sitting in an airport for 6 hours with a 1 year old doesn't sound like much fun.

Definitely fee you on the "revue" type experience with the shows, Matt. It's ok though, they are still well done.
 
Today was interesting. When researching Cozumel, I wanted a private luxury boat for the day. Stumbled across captain Ron and booked vamanos. I had done something similar in Fiji and it was one of the best days of my life. Definitely did not get the same experience here. The boat was way older than they let on, was dirty, and my sister got sea sick. So we paid for four hours and after an hour came back. Would be great if you wanted to do some hard core deep sea fishing, but wasn't the experience we were looking for today. Ate lunch at hard rock and then came back on board.
 
We dropped the sleeping baby off at the nursery and then headed to the thermal suite in the spa. Nice area, but the rainforest room on Disney is better. In the future, we will probably just do a day pass instead of the week which we get every time with Disney.
 
Interesting experience at coastal kitchen tonight. We've eaten there numerous times during the week and have never been asked if we had a reservation. Tonight, the manager gave us the how dare you show up without a reservation attitude. It was kinda weird. Maybe because it's Christmas Eve? Also, the only type of Christmas church service they are offering is midnight mass tonight. That sucks. Sorry. We have a baby and it's Christmas. There should definitely be something in the morning as well.
 
In other news, it appears as if our anniversary cruise in September will be free or nearly free due to a credit that they are giving us because of numerous maintenance issues. So that's cool!

On the cruise now. I don't know anything about the upper deck rooms, but the A1 is amazing and the balcony is the biggest balcony you've ever seen. How many people are traveling with you?

Good evening! Had a full sea day today.
 
We started off the morning with the all access tour. Due to knowing certain people with DCL, I've been to parts of Disney's boats that even tour groups don't get access too. So I was slightly worried this would be repetitive. But it wasn't! We had a tour of the aqua theater, galleys, provision rooms, laundry, engine control room, some crew areas, and the bridge. Worth the $$.
 
Afterwards we had lunch in the coastal kitchen. I had a massage at 1. I'll definitely say Disney takes the cake for the spa. We had issues early in the week with the spa so I wanted to think it was just a one time thing. While nothing necessarily went wrong, it just wasn't worth the $$. Yes, the spa is much bigger, but nearly as nice in my opinion.
 
Watched the belly flop competition from our balcony and then bummed around the room until dinner at chops. I felt like chops was alright, but not knock your pants off like I was expecting. I think I was given the tip of the filet. My husbands steak was beautiful but mine looked like it went through a meat grinder first. Didn't have time to order another one. Service was mediocre at best. Timing was off with food and drinks, the people who brought out the food didn't know who ordered what, and the waiter basically forced my mom to order shrimp with her lobster after she clearly stated she didn't want them.
 
After dinner we went and saw Come Fly With Me. Here's my conclusion with entertainment vs Disney. RCI definitely has a greater variety of shows with incredible talent, but the story lines are lacking big time. Of course, Disney is the master of story telling.
 
Early night tonight as we have to get off early in Cozumel tomorrow. We booked a private boating charter through Captain Ron's charters.
 
Have a good night!

On the cruise now. I don't know anything about the upper deck rooms, but the A1 is amazing and the balcony is the biggest balcony you've ever seen. How many people are traveling with you?

Good evening! Had a full sea day today.
 
We started off the morning with the all access tour. Due to knowing certain people with DCL, I've been to parts of Disney's boats that even tour groups don't get access too. So I was slightly worried this would be repetitive. But it wasn't! We had a tour of the aqua theater, galleys, provision rooms, laundry, engine control room, some crew areas, and the bridge. Worth the $$.
 
Afterwards we had lunch in the coastal kitchen. I had a massage at 1. I'll definitely say Disney takes the cake for the spa. We had issues early in the week with the spa so I wanted to think it was just a one time thing. While nothing necessarily went wrong, it just wasn't worth the $$. Yes, the spa is much bigger, but nearly as nice in my opinion.
 
Watched the belly flop competition from our balcony and then bummed around the room until dinner at chops. I felt like chops was alright, but not knock your pants off like I was expecting. I think I was given the tip of the filet. My husbands steak was beautiful but mine looked like it went through a meat grinder first. Didn't have time to order another one. Service was mediocre at best. Timing was off with food and drinks, the people who brought out the food didn't know who ordered what, and the waiter basically forced my mom to order shrimp with her lobster after she clearly stated she didn't want them.
 
After dinner we went and saw Come Fly With Me. Here's my conclusion with entertainment vs Disney. RCI definitely has a greater variety of shows with incredible talent, but the story lines are lacking big time. Of course, Disney is the master of story telling.
 
Early night tonight as we have to get off early in Cozumel tomorrow. We booked a private boating charter through Captain Ron's charters.
 
Have a good night!

The one thing that sucks about this cruise? I was one cruise away from platinum status on Disney and I'm not sure I'm going to hit it now

Falmouth Jamaica today. Was incredibly pleasantly surprised with this port. The shopping center at the port was nice, new, and a ton of different things to look at.
 
Our original plan was to use a private tour company (Patrice Bailey). She would take us to the Martha Brae river raft. I left the baby in the nursery for this part of the day. I was going to run back to the ship to get the baby while the others shopped at the cruise terminal. And then we would head off to Montego Bay at their mercy.
 
A couple of things I didn't account for:
1) how nice the cruise terminal would be and that we would want to spend a decent amount of time there
2) my dad dropping his sea pass card in the river while on the raft
3) traffic on the island. Even though Montego Bay was supposedly close, the drive made it take a while
4) our private van blowing a tire.
 
The rafting adventure was fun and relaxing. You are sitting on bamboo rafts piloted by a man with a long bamboo pole. Think Venice Italy gondolas Jamaican version. I would highly recommend this experience and it's only 15 min from the port.
 
So then we came back to the boat to get the baby, but my dad had to get a new sea pass card and we wound up taking showers and eating lunch on the boat. We got almost to Montego Bay, decided we wanted to just shop at the port, and turned around to head back. This is when we blew the tire. Patrice was good about getting another vehicle out to pick us up. Our driver for the day was Trevor and he was great! Would highly recommend him. The private tour service was $45 per person for the day. You can customize your day and either go to Ocho Rios or Montego Bay.
 
After we finished shopping and got back on board, we cleaned up and then went to dinner on the hibachi side of Izumi. Once again; RCI impressed me. We do hibachi a lot so I feel like I know all the tricks and jokes. Our chef was funny and did a lot of things I've never seen. The food was great (almost excellent, but not quite) and the Mochi ice cream dessert was delicious.
 
Calling it an early night tonight as we have an early morning with the all access your.

Just seconding Matt and saying that Uber is back and readily available. We used them the other day to get from hotel to port and it was great. Going to be using them to get to airport as well

Oasis of dreams show was cool stunt wise, but I had a hard time following a story line. Definitely completely different t than anything Disney offers at sea. Think cirque de soleil meets collegiate diving team.
 
I watched several online versions of the love and marriage game show leading up to the cruise and was really looking forward to this. It was mediocre at best. Not sure if we just had boring couples, but I didn't even find the questions were that funny. And I liked the old format where the women leave and he asks the men questions and them brings them back out to ask the women. Now they just have them facing opposite directions and they use a white board to jot down their answers. The host does 99% of the taking including reading the answers, so you miss the personality of the contestants.
 
We are at Giovanni's table last night. The osso bucco was the best thing on the menu followed by the eggplant Parmesan. My mom said the cannoli was the best one she's ever had.
 
Today we are in Falmouth Jamaica and we booked a private tour through Patrice Bailey who has great reviews online.