Jerel

Thanks everyone bcarney, I think you'll like Belize. If you choose that excursion you will find the guides very knowledgeable and helpful with any questions. If you choose something else im sure you find something cool. DocLC, You will have a great time. For us it was a super fun beach bar day. I feel a little guilty for not exploring the island (first time) but there's always next time. Matt. Thats a good idea staying outside of the core. I wish that would work for us, we depend on cabs or shuttles. When we go away from the core it adds up, but of course they know that. As for 'Once upon a time' when it comes to familiar music it really makes a difference. It reminds me of going to symphony and thinking its alright, then they play something from 'bugs bunny and tweety' and I think its awesome, its just cause I know it. FloatMe. The logo store really bugged me, couldn't even find anything with the ship on it. The thing that gets me is anyone who is a fan of the store is a super fan of Royal, they should realize that. Plus people are taking this stuff home, good advertising really. Jay White. Our room attendant was named Ida from the Philippines I think. Not to make fun but his accent was hilarious, especially his happy voice. It always made me smile whenever he spoke. Not sure the name of our cruise director, he was Jamaican. Good dancer too, we really liked him at the Quest show. Michelle. We did like the room and thought the window was cool. But looking back we only looked out it a few times, for a similar price id do it again but not sure if its worth paying much extra for it. For us that is. We never caught any Dolphins but the Texas couple we hung out with said they were playing in the wake of their tour boat. It happened to me ounce in Hawaii where I looked over side of boat and seen one underwater spin and make eye contact with me, super cool. We really liked 'Once upon a time' too, very very talented singers. They kept selling the fact this was there last show on board after 7 months of being together, they sure did give it their all.

Hello folk, just thought id ramble on about my resent cruise on the Indy. I hesitate to call this a review, 'review' implies judgement of some sort. I like to think of this as 'observations'. This post turned out to be allot longer that expected, oh well. Our cruise was a 5 day trip out of Fort Lauderdale on the Independence of the seas, with stops in Belize and Cozumel. Hotel... Our hotel was decent enough, we stayed at a Quality Inn. Most affordable one we could find at the time. We are not too picky about rooms, just like them cheap. Not the nicest hotel but my only concern is bed bugs, i checked the mattress well and all was good. Lauderdale is a hard place to find cheap rooms, a boat show going on at the time didn't help either. One main thing I was looking forward to about the hotel was a nearby 50's dinner called 'Moonlight Dinner', it was really good, we liked it allot. The hotel also offered a shuttle service that was prompt, except when it came time to go to the ship. It was running late so we split a cab with a couple, a nice couple from Texas we ended up hanging out with here and there. Boarding... Boarding went very smooth. When we entered we passed the lines for suites, pinnacle, diamond and so on (lucky buggers). Then seen a huge line of many hundred people, got a little depressed and then looked past the huge crowd and at the very back was a line for gold with only 10 people in it. Couldn't believe it, I wondered how many of those people didn't even know it existed, they couldn't all be new cruisers. Oh well, we got in super fast. Stateroom... We spend very little time in our rooms so we normally get inside cabins, we did this time too but we got a Promenade view stateroom for a change. We liked it, but given the option again we would probably pass on it unless its a good price. We looked out of it a few times but that was it, the little bench next to the window probably came in handy more than a actual window. During the 70's party you hear quite a bit through the window, it didn't bother us at all but I could see how others would not like that. One thing we found funny about the room was the shelves next to the mirrors. Above the desk next to the main mirror is a couple of smaller mirrors that open up to reveal shelves, on other cruises we ended up putting many things in them. In this room the shelves were 1.5 inches deep, you could put a pencil or pen on them, that's about it. Our room attendant was nice. Not the best conversationalist but was decent, you could tell all of his small chat was pre-programmed questions and sayings he has said a million times. Understandable of course but others made it sound more natural. But more importantly he bent over backwards to make us happy, we were pleased. The ship... We liked the ship, very nice with lots of room. Our last cruise was on the Adventure and found it very similar, there were definitely differences but are very comparable. The kids H2O zone looked very cool, i really wanted to play in it but never got the chance. Their circle pool with the current looked super fun. Really liked the flow rider, never tried it (maybe next time) but watched it allot and took a few videos. Allot of face plants but also allot of very good riders. Many places to explore, definitely never did everything but we did enough to make us happy. We look forward to trying that class again to experience more. I really enjoyed the 'Once upon a time' show, incredibly talented singers, it also helped that there was familiar songs sung. The Quest was awesome, very adult oriented. Iv never herd so few people scream and cheer so loudly. They made men dirty dance with each other, even made men and women strip down to underwear and exchange clothes on the spot. Definitely the best Quest iv seen, many people did things im sure they regret. Love and Marriage was good too. Although this time they didn't separate the couples, just angled their chairs apart and made them wright answers on boards, very easy to cheat. Also they wouldn't announce a winner, everyone got gifts. Logo store... I'm a big sucker for the logo store but was very disappointed with this one. It was incredibly small with very little stock, they shared their space with general store selling liquor and candy. And out of the very little they had there wasn't much good. We love mugs and magnets but theirs were weak in our opinion, they had nothing with the ship on it, just a print collage of ship facts. Had a hard time finding anything I like there, and I am a easy sale. My big issue for me was raising the price of the ship models, now $45. I couldn't believe it, they went up 10 to 15 dollars. I went to the guy working the counter and asked if they would go on sale last day, he said no. I asked why the huge price hike and he quickly responded "Oh that's because we are rip offs", I laughed and he added that he always gets a model of every ship he works on, and when he seen the price on this ship he was furious. Not sure if the price hike was fleet wide or just the Indy. It was a nice detailed model but when I got home I noticed it was allot smaller that my other ships, apparently the Enchantment is allot bigger than the Independence. Food... Food was good, really enjoyed the main dining room, lots of great dishes. I loved the Windjammer for supper, lots of really good options. But wasn't a fan at breakfast, nasty eggs, soggy sausages, and bland french toast. Bacon was good though, I ended up filling my plate with just fruit and bacon. That's what i like about the Jammer, my plate is always a collage of different things. Like sushi, chocolate cake, and macaroni salad all on the same plate. The lunch options were better IMO but still nowhere near as good as supper. It was conflicting for me because I liked the supper food allot but also had to go the MDR, life can be so hard. Really liked the little snacks and sandwiches on the Promenade aswell, filled up on them quite a bit. One thing we weren't happy about was water, having to wait in line for water was a real bother. On our other ships there was always a water station in the Promenade, normally next to coffee machine. On the Indy there was a big empty space where it should be but no water. We drink allot water so getting in line for it wasn't fun, especially when they have many latte's to make. Of course they had it in the Windjammer but that's all the way up on deck 11. Belize... We did the Altun Ha and river excursion. Had a great time. Since we booked threw Royal we got to wait for our tender in the theater. The tender wasn't as bad as we expected, probably because of calm seas. It was quite the distance though, you could just see land on the horizon. They kept saying it was a 45 minute ride but we did it in 20, they were probably accounting for ruff seas or included boarding time. Boarding on and off went quick, having to wait in theater surely helped that. Didn't have to wait in line or get tender tickets. When we arrived they quickly herded us together and put us on boats, with a last chance to use washroom first, conveniently at the very back of a huge souvenir shop. The river ride took a couple of hours, we stopped many times to look at wildlife. Seen howler monkeys, croc's, iguanas, many birds and even sleeping bats. When we got off the boat we waited for a bus with the option of buying local food, as we did. We got the traditional rise and beans with chicken, wasn't bad. The ruins themselves were amazing, really really enjoyed them. We spent so much time on the river though that we had little at the ruins, my only complaint, I wish we had more time there. They brought you back to the ship via bus, seen many sad sites, very poor people with little help from government. Cozumel... We declared this day a beach day, ended up going to Mr. Sanchos for a all inclusive. Caught a cab there for 17 dollars, I believe it is 17 a couple so spiting a cab doesn't help. With tip your looking at $20 dollars each way, the beach itself is $55 a person, 5 down at booking and 50 when you arrive. They do take credit cards, which helped us because we were running low on American cash. You get your own table on the beach for the day, good size tables with a straw roof for shade. When we first entered a waiter escorted us to a table way in the corner. We told him we would like a new table, he said ok and then just took off. I quickly clued in he was just trying to put us in his section. Feel free to pick a table anywhere you want, no need to settle. We got there early so got great choices. Although even if you arrive late its fine, they only let in so many people. The wifi worked great before the main bulk of people showed up, got good again as they started to leave. The drinks were good, must have tried every one. I found a few were way too sweet but with a little experimenting its easy to find something you like. The food was really good too, you can grab something at buffet or order from menu. We stuck to the menu, it came quick anyways. Portions were small but that's fine, we just ordered allot. Ate lots of chips and guacamole, salsa was good. Really liked the coconut shrimp, ordered them many times. Wasn't a fan of their taco's though. Really happy with the food and drink, we ate and drank much, definitely got our moneys worth. The sand around the tables and on the beach was very soft and deep, walking in it was a bit tough but not bad. They had lots of low trees and canopy's too, you constantly had to duck everywhere you do. Not a issue but if you have mobility issue it might be a bother. The wait staff was incredible, very fast and prompt. The deep sand didnt slow them down much (huge cavs). There was one overweight waiter I would always watch full out running through the sand with a drink in his hand, very impressive. They would even take your drinks to the ocean and wave you in to grab it, then you take it back in with you. You only tip once at end of day. We tipped $20 and he seemed very happy and shook our hands, didn't see him do much with anyone else who tipped. So I assume it was enough money, I always second guess that stuff. His name was Jose and was great. Also as a note, there are birds everywhere that will raid you food without hesitation, fun to watch. And you do get approached by many people selling services and such, they arnt pushy though, say no thanks and they keep walking. Disembarking... We werent scheduled to leave till 10:15, which was fine because we had later flights. Super long line up to get out of the port though, it took awhile. Conclusion... All and all we had a great trip, I did spend allot of time exhausted though. I wish I got more rest before we left, I worked many long days at work before leaving. Next time ill make sure to be rested beforehand. Looking forward to our next one in February, first time on Oasis class and we're going to pamper ourselves, getting nice hotel, nicer stateroom, dinning at 150, and drink packages. Not to mention there will be a mega celebrity on board.....Matt. Cant wait. Thanks, Jerel.

I think the excursion we took had Altun Ha in the title. Also Tulum may be better with a cool view but Altun Ha is still worth seeing, their ruin towers look bigger. I have heard great things about Tulum, looking forward to seeing it in February. I like how they work it so the sun hits different things at different times of year, like the snake during the equinox.

Totally agree with WAAAYTOOO, I just did that excursion last week and loved it. The river portion was fun, seen howler monkeys, alligators, iguanas in trees and birds. That said I found we spent too much time on river and not enough at ruins. And aside from the security of not missing the ship another good reason to book through Royal is they put you on the first tender and you get to wait in the theater. And I agree about Belize city, very run down. The drive back to the ship was draw dropping, these people have nothing and get no support. No effort at all to make things look decent. Although I hear some of their islands are very good places to live.

Hey everyone, we're in Lauderdale now waiting to board our ship (Indy). We noticed the Oasis was late coming in and then seen in the local paper a man fell overboard. I don't think they found him either. You can find a video of him falling on YouTube. It's too bad it happened. I'm surprised they never found him, seeing how they had notice, he was hanging for awhile. Just thought I'd share. https://youtu.be/5qvbDIZGgfs

It's a very helpful bunch here. If you don't mind, make sure to tell us how it was when you get back. We love hearing that stuff, good or bad experiences.

I'll be cruising as well during the sale, I'm hoping the next cruise desk will add even more OBC buy re-booking on board, we'll see. It does look like a good sale though, my only worry is my rates are good so I don't know if there will be a advantage to booking again.

Since we're making changes, when you get the time of course. I canceled my majesty cruise on Nov 28 2016. And booked one on the Navigator for Nov 27 2016. I feel bad for backing out of the majesty, just got too good of a deal. Majesty is still on my bucket list though.

Thanks for all the info John, I think I'll try next cruise for my sailing at the end of the week. Iv always found it confusing for some reason. Still do but I'm starting to get it.

What you said makes total sense, it's probably bang on accurate, but it's no fun :(. I'd just like to see a more modern take on small (<voyager), they offer a different and more intimate experience.

I'd like to see some new small ships, do they ever build small? I know bigger is normally better, but they can make cool fancy small ships.

I thought the witch reference might be a hint for the wizard of Oz, but who knows. The last hint post listed on the blog was strange, not sure what's going on.

I'm in!! Took me a while to get around to it, iv been working 12 hour days trying to get work done before I cruise. This better be a good sticker! :), im looking forward to it. As for getting the podcast a day early, not sure if I like that, it makes Wednesdays less special somehow. I may boycott that feature.

Others may know better but I can say iv never seen them in the MDR. Hard to say with Christmas though, it may be worth calling Royal to see. It wouldn't be good if they ever did a balloon drop, there would be nowhere to run. Best of luck.

For what it's worth I thought the snorkeling was pretty fun there. They had a sunken plane, ship and cannons (all placed of course) with buoys to mark the spots so you don't have to search. Also, they had floating docks with ladders to give you a rest if needed. They even placed coloured discs on the sea floor for you to find for a prize. Not necessarily a 'natural' experience but they made it fun.

I'll assume you checked here... http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/cruise-compass There's one for Aug 2014 listed, I know it's a year away but they say very little changes in the compass. Someone might have a more recent one though, best of luck. BTW, I think you picked a great ship to start with. If you have any more questions everyone is very helpful here.

I did a little digging and read a couple reviews saying they cap the crowd at 200 people, not sure if it's true but could be. I also read you can order a meal or eat at the buffet, buffet is easier but they have better food off the menu. One person said they were shown to a table and told that it was their table for the day, not bad. I'll definitely report in after I get back, I just bought a good little video camera so I can make my own youtube vids on this trip, my SLR is to cumbersome for good video taking on the go. I'll be there on the 10th, WOO-HOO! I'll be nice and hung over for Remembrance day, may need more than one minute of silence :).

WHAT! When I hear Freedom that's the first thing to pop in my mind, I think it looks super cool. That's the coolest piece of art that iv seen on a royal ship, I haven't been on Freedom yet but I really want to just for her. Oh well, now you know. I'm sure there's some piece of art iv never noticed that your a fan of. Although I must say, she looks pretty hard to miss :)

With Sabor keep in mind your spoiled with good Mexican food, no one can beat grandma's guacamole. I feel the same way about lobster night, my area is famous for good lobster, huge red ass suckers. When the MDR handed me a miniature 'lobster' tail I was amazed, my dad told me they were a different breed and didn't even grow legs. Tasted nothing like lobster to me, never again.

I like the idea of keeping ads away. I'll definitely give it some thought and run it by the lord of the manor.

Hello all We just booked Mr Sanchos for our sailing in a couple of weeks, just thought I'd check in and see how your experience went. We have read good things about the food, their menu looks decent, wide variety of drinks. The pool bar looks cool but there is something about many people drinking heavily in a pool that gets me worried, makes ya wonder what your swimming in. Also we are kinda worried about crowds, there is over 14,000 cruises in port that day. Did you find it too crowded? Any thoughts or opinions would be appreciated.

Great review, very well put. I haven't experienced most of the things you touched on yet (dinner theater,R-Bar, or sabor) but look forward to trying them. Except the dinner theater, iv seen youtube videos that were embarrassing to watch.

Nice! Looks like you folk had a great time, judging by the smiling faces that is. I see you got along well with the wait staff. I always see people pose for pics with them, I'm going to have to try that. Thanks for sharing. Have your next cruise booked yet?

I sailed out of San Juan in January and loved the old city. Didn't do any exploring beforehand but did so after. Royal had an excursion that picked us up after the sailing. They took us and our luggage to the forts and let us walk around the old city, then brought us to the airport. For us it was perfect, and only about 30 dollars a person.

Me and my wife were planning on going on the 22nd (her birthday). If you folk were going to go that night (day 2) we'd be happy to join in. I guessing it might be a formal night, which would be good because we'd have to dress up anyways. If that night isn't good for whatever reason, that's fine, I could meet up with people another time.