Moby Dick
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Posts posted by Moby Dick
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It's that Flux Capacitor thingy again!
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Maybe if you fully explain the options to the kids and ask them what they'd like to do. Majority wins!
One thing that really made me feel awful after a vacation, was a vacation that I didn't ask the kids about or ask them for their opinion, it was supposed to be a big surprise, was when I asked them afterwards if they had a good time and the answer was that it was boring. It's supposed to be their vacation, too. Fortunately, I only had two kids and if there was a tie, when I did ask for their opinion, my wife and I made the decision.
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15 minutes ago, JasonOasis said:
You are correct it is hard to sit down and talk to a representative at NextCruise Desk if you are a walk-in. What I do is make an appointment there is always an appointment book and representatives will always go with those who have an appointment first. If there are no-shows then they will go with walk-ins but the wait for walk-in tends to be long especially during the middle of the cruise.
I know about the appointment availability. On one cruise, I think my first Royal cruise, I walked by the Next Cruise Desk, I actually had no idea what a "Next Cruise Desk" was until then, and noticed a few people sitting around looking a little frustrated. This is a cruise before I actually got on a cruise where I wanted to go to the Next Cruise Desk. Anyway, I asked, because I though I was missing something, what they were waiting for and one lady said that they had an appointment time for over a half hour earlier and It didn't look like anyone sitting at the desks was going to be leaving soon. So, I made up my mind, right then and there, that I wouldn't be bothered with making an appointment because one thing that really really frustrates me is having an appointment and the establishment can't/won't honor it and I don't need that frustration. So, on the cruise that I was interested in talking to the Next Cruise desk, I constantly looked in as I was on my way to somewhere else. I just happened to be going by late in the cruise (don't remember if it was in the AM or evening) and noticed that there was one open desk, I walked in and a guy came out from behind something and asked if he could help. He did and it was a good experience. Not only did I get a $300 OBC. Also, I opened a BOA/Royal C.C. account and got 10,000 reward points just for opening the account, each, my wife and I, that's equal to $200.00 of additional OBC or can be used to help pay for the cruise. Then, well, I won't rehash what I've already stated earlier about the Big Box TA.
Nope, I won't make an appointment at the Next Cruise Desk. I'll take my chances doing a walk-by. Far less frustration, for me, and I go out of my way to avoid frustration. Elevators, I go up to get down, left turns in my car, I'll go right to go left.............. YMMV
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20 minutes ago, derbscruises said:
We're looking to plan our Summer 2023 Cruise and we've been going back and forth, over and over trying to decide between a 7-Day Alaskan Cruise or a 7-Day Caribbean (St. Thomas and St. Kitts). My biggest fear is we fly across the U.S. from Florida and set sail from Seattle and they don't enjoy it. They love the beach, but we also want to make sure they're exposed to other experiences, just at the right age.
I'm looking for any feedback from anyone who has gone on an Alaskan cruise with their kids under 10. Did they enjoy it and/or appreciate it?
Thanks ahead of time!
It all really depends on what your kids like/appreciate. Some kids will like the educational, cultural, and nature of an Alaskan cruise. While others would prefer the experience and fun of Coco Cay (PDCC). Being that they are 10 or younger, I'd bet on the Coco Cay experience.
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We have, in the past, booked at the Next Cruise Desk then transferred the booking, within 30 days, to a TA. Combined with the reduced deposit, which in the grand scheme of things isn't really a savings, the OBC, $300.00 at the Next Cruise Desk and the OBC, $1,800.00 the TA gave us, we had over $2,000.00 in OBC. So, it was well worth the Next Cruise Desk utilization. Here's a couple of things you need to know about that kind of strategy. 1. You have to know what the "big box" (Cruises.com, CruisesOnly.com, et al) TAs are offering before you go the the Next Cruise Desk. 2. You have to be willing to work with a "big box" TA. That's not always a great experience and I find that they either have an integrity issue or just not well trained and give answers to questions they really don't know anything about (which to me is also an integrity issue). You really need to be an educated consumer. I must say, being an educated consumer is a must when dealing with any TA and Royal.
Having said all that, I find it hard to get to sit down and talk to a representative at the Next Cruise Desk. On the few ships that I really wanted to talk to them, they were always busy, people waiting for a long time to be seen and the hours are not convenient. YMMV. I'm thinking the sooner you board the ship and go to the Next Cruise Desk, the better, before the newbies fall in love with cruising, the less busy the desk will be. But, I haven't put that to practice yet.
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12 minutes ago, Stelkp said:
My cruise is coming up on Friday and I’m so excited. It’s a little bitter sweet at the same time. It’s fun planning and reading on the blog, watching videos. I feel that I got to know some people here and soon I won’t be on as much since the cruise will be over. Until next year I guess lol. But I just wanted to say this was a great find and I appreciate everyone’s input and ideas. Thank you to Matt and all the members!
Looking forward to a good positive review when you get back.
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25 minutes ago, Sushitex said:
We went to a Dick's Last Resort at the Excalibur in Las Vegas last year - I was curious about the hubbub. Our waiter took one look at us, treated us very respectfully, and didn't offer to make us those tall hats that other people were wearing. Either he thought we looked too old to belittle, or that we had no sense of humor?! The food was okay, but it was comped by MGM Rewards (or whatever it's called) and I had no desire to return.
The best Tex-Mex food around here is found often at local taquerias, with the exception of Chuy's. We're 2 hours south of San Antonio.
Yep, too bad you didn't get to experience the full experience of Dicks. Yes, the food is average. But, I go for the entertainment/bantering/experience. There used to be a restaurant in Chicago that was about the same as Dicks, it was called Ed Debevics, or something like that, I think it closed now. Even it is still open, there's no way in the world I'd ever take my wife, kids, grandkids to Chicago anymore.
I guess I'll just have to accept the well mannered servers in Chops.
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I'm not sure if this has been clarified yet - Is the policy geared only toward purchasing a Cabana on BB? Or are they also eliminating the exclusivity of the entire BB. If I'm in a Balcony stateroom, can I now just walk into BB? If I'm in a Balcony stateroom but purchase a cabana in BB, do they check at the entrance to BB to verify the purchase before entering BB?
I just now found this:
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54 minutes ago, Neesa said:
Well, I may have over done it! I just finished my 30th duck for our 30th anniversary cruise. 30, wow I was having so much fun where will I hide them all? I was going to leave in the cabin also, do I tell my steward & ask him/her to leave for the next guests? Should I place it in the room safe? The icebox? Dear fellow bloggers, where else can I hide 30 ducks? It's the Harmony & Central Park is always crawling with ducks as well as the boardwalk area, any and all suggestions appreciated. I know no stores & pools, I really want to hide them all for a fun surprise! HELP??
Good luck. I can only think of the various potted plants and picture frames.
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2 hours ago, Thorntor said:
Hello from up the street in Jacksonville.
Got any good Mexican Restaurants up there in the North Lands?
Go Gamecocks
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16 hours ago, KevinJ said:
My cruises prior to COVID when the cups were waiting for you in the cabin, I never even unwrapped one. My first four cruises post COVID when you needed to ask for a cup I never did. My last cruise on Ovation I actually decided to try the soda machine, I don't know why, but got the new style plastic cup. I happened to be sitting in the pub, for some reason, mid-afternoon the first day any couldn't believe the jam of people coming in to get their cups. I had to relocate to a seat furthest from the entrance by Sorrento's. The RFID chip was a sticker that they placed on the bottom of the cup. During the cruise I saw numerous people come by to get a replacement sticker because they fell off. I also saw several people getting replacement cups because they had dropped theirs and it cracked. Not sure where they are going with this, guess I'll find out on my Sept Oasis cruise, booked four hours ago
Hummmmm, first I've heard of a RFID Sticker. Not a bad idea for those that don't want the tumbler.
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9 minutes ago, Sea Squirrel said:
Lol, the Riverwalk is for suckers, just kidding. We loved terrace brunch at La Canarias on the river before covid. They haven’t reopened.
Oh, I'm sure there are a lot of local or I should say, Ma & Pa restaurants that may have as good or maybe even better than the two mentioned. But, I like the whole package of those two. Great food, great ambiance, not to mention being good friends with the General Manager of both. Yes, they are both owned by the same family. Not sure if you intended to mention the Riverwalk with those two restaurants. They are in the City Market place, not the Riverwalk. However, I'm a sucker, I love walking the Riverwalk and riding the tour boats. Not sure if it's still there but I/we liked Dicks Last Resort on the Riverwalk. I guess I like to be abused.
When we go to the San Antonio area, we stay with an old Army buddy and his wife who lives in Seguin. There is a Mexican restaurant there that is very good, too. I wish we had a good Mexican Restaurant here in Oxford/Anniston, AL.
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11 minutes ago, Sea Squirrel said:
Hi Moby. Here in ole San Antonio, all Broadway shows play at the Majestic Theatre. It is a beautiful theater from the turn of the century that is very small and intimate. Much smaller than the main theater on most ships. These shows even forgo the much larger and modern theater here in town. If you build it, they will come, lol
Hummmmmmm, I must have missed the Majestic Theatre. I guess I like to spend my time in La Margarita's or Mi Tierra's restaurant.
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10 minutes ago, Pooch said:
A dancer’s dream show. This and A Chorus Line.
On Broadway or other established theatrical venues of note, sure!
I'm sure all feel that way about the actual, original show ON Broadway. But, on the Oasis Cruise Ship, very limited stage size, shortened version, Theatrical supervisors/directors not being the same caliber as actually on Broadway, limited props and their capabilities, and who knows what else, who knows. But again, I don't doubt the cast's abilities and their dedication to their craft. I'd bet if you ask them, they'd rather be performing CATS (or just about any other show) on a real Broadway stage, in NYC, 100% would say, "hell yes".
I have talked to cast members on a cruise ship, not a CATS cast member though, and while they seem to be happy, they always say one of two things: 1. They are building a resume in hope of getting a job on Broadway, et al or 2. They are between gigs. Yes, some, maybe even many do have experience on Broadway.
One of a very few things I liked about Brand X theater was that if you go to the theater early, they put the cast members abbreviated resume on the monitors next to the stage. I was actually surprised at how many of them did have Broadway experience, some with a few theatrical awards. It would be great if Royal did the same.
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9 minutes ago, AlmondFarmer said:
The fact that Cat’s is still alive on Oasis proves the theory of cats having nine lives.
Well put!
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How about doing "HAIR" without the nudity! The music is great. I saw the Broadway version of it in Coral Gables, FL and I was really surprised how good it was. At the time I though there was no way that it could be good if it wasn't on a drive-in theater. Of course, I was a teenager at the time. But, I remember the experience very well, not necessarily the details.
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34 minutes ago, The Fox said:
I agree, 100%. If you studied the poetry by T. S. Eliot, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, it gives you a better understanding. But aside from that, the costumes, make up, and dancing are incredible.
And what a better way to expose our children to theatre.
In my several posts about CATS in the forum, I have only criticized the show. I want it known that I do not criticize the cast. Afterall, they are just earning a paycheck. I'm sure some of them love doing CATS and others, not so much, but it's a paycheck.
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52 minutes ago, YOLO said:
Chris - and I got to me you! I guess I should have asked for a selfie...
My wife and I met him on our May 13th cruise. It didn't do any good, we still lost money. I though my handlebar would bring me luck, no such luck. Hey Chris, I want my money back!
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What's really funny, I really like beer a lot, all kinds of beer. EXCEPT, I just can't wrap my arms around IPA. I've lived in Germany for 6 years, 3 years twice. The first three years was in Bavaria where beer is great. The picture I posted above is from a local brewery in Vilseck, Germany that I lived just a few miles from. At first, I really didn't care for Hefe Weisse Beir. But, man did it grow on me. There are only a few thing I miss about Germany, the Beer, the Pork, and the partying. Germans make up events just to drink beer. I think it's a full time job for some Germans. Hell, they'd deliver beer to your front door like we, in the U.S., used to have milk delivered to our front doors. The bier fests and wine fests were plentiful.
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24 minutes ago, YOLO said:
BUT, they do not like extension cords even for ligit reasons like a CPAP. They always offer to replace mine with their ugly ones...
LOL, that was our experience on the Symphony a couple year ago. I/we no longer take our CPAPs while traveling, not because of anything Royal did, just a preference not to lug around so much crap. Anyway, when we got into our bedroom there was this 50 or a 100 foot yellow/orange extension cord and it looked like one of the crew ran over to a construction site and stole the cord. It had grease, all kinds of discolorings, and just a bunch of crap on it. As it turned out, we didn't really need it because there was 120 plugs on both sides of the bed. Interesting to note, only one cord though(but two one gallon jugs of distilled water) and it only had one plug on it. There was two of us, both using CPAPs and we were both registered in the special needs part of their site. We just threw the cord under the bed. Yes, we did call to have someone come and get it but they never did. As far as I know, it's still there LOL.
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49 minutes ago, CYCO1631 said:
When I was growing up, I got to see many Broadway productions. A few on Broadway (Les Mis, Lion King, Beauty & the Beast), most at Proctors Theater (Albany NY's 'Off Broadway' stage), where I saw most of Loyd Webber's work, including Cats. Webber is all over the map with his shows and is mostly fantastic, especially the historically based shows... Miss Saigon, Evita, even Phantom of the Opera. Cats... suffers from coherence, and the plot is lost on all but the most dedicated to understanding it. Why I think it should stay, is it's appeal to the kids the Oasis draws. Excluding Disney and Loyd Webber's Christian shows (Joseph & TATDC or JC Superstar... & not even that fits), what other Broadway shows would even be appropriate for a demographic under the age of 12? Not many I remember.
Old Yeller
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Knowing how much I disliked CATS, I'm surprised that I just now saw this thread.
Someone said that they can't believe people just don't walk out. Well, for me, it was kinda like watching the movie Michael. My father and I watched it together and he did get up and go to his room leaving me to suffer along with the movie. I couldn't believe it was sooooooooo bad that I just kept watching it thinking/hoping that it had to get better. Nope, then the "The End" came up. Same thing with CATS. You just can't believe how bad it is until the "The End" comes up and you realize that that's it, nothing left to get better. That was about 2 - 3 hours of my life I'll never get back. But, I can say that about a lot of things I've experienced in my life.
- Vancity Cruiser and 4ensic
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2
Solarium Bridge Wings Closed During Sail Away- Wonder of the Seas
in Royal Caribbean Discussion
Posted
Do you know how long they had the wings closed off? Just for sail away, a little while after, or entire cruise?