DAVE(Darkcabbie)

I agree and hopefully sooner than later

I think Tyler80 has a point because with more and more great things being put on board the ships sometimes you just don't want to get off and that's why I hope that RC start to do a regular Transatlantic Cruise from Southampton because you would get 7 great nights non stop , time in New york & 7 nights back non stop. That would be awesome.

 

But I do want to see a lot more places like Alaska , South Pacific , the Panama Canal etc so destination will still come in to it some of the time.

My wife and I have decided that on a couple of evenings it would be nice have dinner in the room on the balcony watching the sun go down.

 

Can anyone tell me if this is a good experience or even though the RC website says you can order anything from the MDR menu at certain times are you actually limited.

Hope you have a great cruise :) .

 

I love cruising the Caribbean , Matt is doing a Southern on the Jewel on Sept 21 which is going to some great places. Where do you visit.

Looks like this rumor is moving closer to being a fact: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2013/09/02/more-proof-anthem-of-the-seas-sail-out-of-southampton

I think Matt is right and she will come to Southampton.

 

I know that there are also rumours she will replace the independence but I wonder if Royal Caribbean plans to keep both there and use one of them to run a permanent Transatlantic Schedule to rival Cunard.

 

This would be a very smart move if they did as there is definitely a need for another Cruise Line to do this as many Brits , US Citizens and Europeans would prefer to have a choice. I would definitely use RC for this as we both want to go to new york and this would be a great way to get there and back.

 

Here's hoping :)

Yes, placing the phone in airplane mode will prevent it from trying to use any cellular data or coverage.  That is exactly what I do on all my cruises to avoid charges.

Matt is spot on and that is definitely the best way to avoid big bills.

 

There are 2 other things you can do , one is if you want to check your mail turn on your wifi ONLY and use the local free wifi while you are ashore.

 

The other thing you can do is take out your sim card and buy a local pay as you go sim for the country or island you visit and put that in your phone this will allow you to make cheap calls and you may even get some data to use also. The only thing that may stop you doing that is if your network provider has locked your phone for their network only.

If you are going on a cruise soon I thought it might be fun to know what you are doing while on board and what places you have visited or even post a restaurant review.

Hi everyone my name is Dave and I have been married to my wife Samantha for 8 years and we have been together for 28 years. When we married in 2005 and as we love Disney we got married at Disneyworld in Orlando at the Magic Kingdom and even had Mickey and Minnie at the ceremony and reception it was the most amazing day of my life.

 

We began cruising in 2001 and have been hooked ever since. Our other favourite things to do are going to the gym and playing golf and going to Disneyworld as much as possible.

 

I own a small Chauffeur company in the UK which offers a personal and reliable service.

I think that most of the time now when we book a cruise the ship is probably first on the list because they all have such great things on board these days BUT if there is a destination we really want to go to then that comes first.

 

Thankfully most of the time the ship has the itinerary we want :)

Chops is great for formal nights.

I was just talking to my wife this evening about possibly going to Chops on one of the formal nights on our forthcoming cruise and I think that you have just made our minds up.

 

Thanks :)

Ran across this and was surprised: http://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2013/08/09/royal-caribbean-must-decide-about-fourth-oasis-class-cruise-ship-december

 

Evidently Royal Caribbean has an option on a fourth Oasis-class ship.  Given that it's on the hook right now for 1 Oasis-class and 3 Quantum class ships, it's kind of surprising to me if they go for a fourth Oasis-class ship. Not that I'll be complaining!

 

Do you think Royal Caribbean ought to order a fourth Oasis-class ship?

Definitely because maybe they would base one in Southampton and that would be awesome. I would love to be able to go on an Oasis class from here to Europe & the Med etc.

 

BRING IT ON

That Im old school fun fair, BRING ON THEM BUMBER CARS

I would like to see maybe something like an IHOP or a Mel's Diner because you seem to always have choices for your evening meal but it would be great to have that choice for breakfast.

 

There's just something about a stack of pancakes with a side of sausage or bacon

Fortunately for us when we sail in October on the Indy we are staying overnight in a hotel which is right opposite the Ciy Cruise Terminal where she docks so we will be there as soon as we are allowed in.

 

I wonder if they would let me fire a zip wire across and board James Bond style :)

Cool , bring on the good times. Just don't blame the rolling on the ship he he :)

You don't NEED passports but it's strongly encouraged that you do.  If you do not bring passports, then you do need to bring birth certificates.  

 

The reason why passports are better is because if you get stuck in another country, for whatever reason, you can easily fly home with passports.  It's a much bigger problem when you don't have them.

I Strongly agree with Matt always take your passport. I hope you don't need it but if you check out you tube and see how many people miss the ship due to different circumstances it's better to be safe than sorry.

 

Not sure when you are cruising but have a geat time.

I'm with you Bryce I don't see why they are not 24hr as most people that will use the gym are going to keep up their normal routine and to shed some of the extra pounds gained on the ship and the majority of them don't need supervision in the gym.

You must be well excited :) . I have just checked out where you are going and it looks like a great cruise. I have been to a few places on your itinerary. I love San Juan and St Maarten.

 

Hope you both have a great time and hopefully you will speak about the trip on your podcast.

Dover is another great port to sail from. They have very friendly staff and the views of the White Cliffs are fantastic especially when leaving port. Also if you are planning an over night stay try the Premier Inn on Marine Parade it's right on the water front opposite the cruise terminals so you get a great view of your ship and others.

I see on Royal Caribbeans UK website that Quantum is going westbound from Southampton to New Jersey in 2014. It looks like a one time cruise so I'm hoping that me and the misses can get on her. Anyone booked for that crossing yet.

 

I am also hoping that she may do an eastbound crossing as well because ideally we would love to fly to New York spend some time there and then cruise home to Southampton.

Here's one for ya. Who does the best shakes on board , Johnny Rockets or Ben & Jerry's ?

Yeeeeeeee Haaaaaaaaa under 50 days till we go on the Independence. I can't wait :) sun , sea , food , fun and all the R&R I can handle.

Thanks Matt, the article was helpful.

 

The comments left by you and Bryce will be useful especially the one about the spa raffle and that if you speak to a member of staff in the gym you should be able to use the showers , saunas and changing rooms in the spa, that's really nice as it's always good be able to shower after training and put on some fresh clothes.

Ships seem to get bigger all the time but when is it time to stop. Personally I love big ships but will there come a time when they are too big. When you consider that one of the biggest ships in the world is the Oasis at 220000 tons and it must take all your cruise to get around her perhaps we have got there now.

 

Will it now be as seems to be happening that the ships will fight it out for the best attractions on board. You only have to look at Quantum , she has got some amazing new features or do you think we may see the ships get smaller and more intimate with much more luxury. In my opinion bigger is best but what do you all think.

I'm a bit of a gym nut , can anyone tell me if the gyms on the ships are open 24hrs.

 

Do they have free weights and Trx frames or Kinesis machines and do they sell protein shakes etc.