tonyfsu21

My vote is to stay on the ship in Nassau. If you must get off, check out resort day pass for the British Colonial Hilton. The hotel is a short walk from the pier and it’s a pleasant beach day. I can’t speak for the two you mentioned but I believe you need to be brave enough to hop in a cab and trust one of those maniac drivers with your life (not for us). Good luck & enjoy.

Same ship IMHO. With that being said, anything in the Oasis Class is a great cruise experience. Each has their own identity (dining venues, lounge location, Abyss, Starbucks location). There’s other ships in the fleet we enjoy like Mariner, Navigator, Indy but we sail Oasis Class at every available opportunity because my kids love it (my wife & I do too!).

I’ve only been witness to a single alcohol fueled event on a cruise. It was a fist fight between family members during a chef’s table dinner. It was very entertaining & security stopped it after a few punches were thrown and the chef watched in horror. After security hauled off the family there was only 4 people left at the table. In a strange twist, RC bought us all multiple rounds of drinks before we ended the dinner.

never heard anything like this. Also, would be hard pressed to ever find a porter that was an RC employee, they all work for the county as bargaining unit employees (at least in South Florida anyway). I believe they are well paid and tips are just icing on the cake.

Anytime you are headed into or out of Miami there is a risk of major traffic congestion. With that being said, at that time in the late am on a Monday you shouldn’t have any major issues via I-95 from FLL to the Port of Miami. If you are in an Uber or Lyft by 11am you should be drinking your first cocktail by the pool at 12:30ish. Enjoy.

Agree with this. The bionic bar is a gimmick and absolute space. I do think wonderland is worthy or real estate just not as much as it currently has occupied on Symphony & Harmony. Hooked is deserving of some prime time space for sure.

I think Carnival has made some really great & strategic moves in the past few years with their ships venues. I think Guys Burger Joint is simply a grand slam! Same with the Blue Iguana Cantina & Alchemy Bar. They are playing catch up with the mega ships though for the most part. I think you will be disappointed overall in the Serenade since it’s an older & smaller ship (especially since you are comparing to Carnivals upgraded ships). You might get a better idea of RC if you sailed the Oasis Class ships. IMHO across the board there is no class of ships currently afloat that surpass the Oasis Class from RC in terms of activity choices, dining options, size, stateroom categories exc.

I can help but need more information. Where are you staying before cruise? You may not need to rent a car.

Embassy Suites on 17th Street offers all of your requests & we are not “in season” so prices are as good as they will get if your cruising before Labor Day.

Are you able to easily handle your luggage? I would get out of Miami via the Brightline train and take it North to Fort Lauderdale. Spend your day in Fort Lauderdale and when your ready to get to FLL it’s just an easy 5-10 min Uber ride away. Tons to do in Fort Lauderdale w/o the hassle of Miami.

Thanks. What’s the travel time from airport > Hotel> Port?

I am guessing there will be shuttle services available but that will be an expensive option. Are you staying 2 hours North for a reason? If Orlando is necessary can you leave 2 days early and stay in Orlando the first night and then head South? This will be a grueling venture the am of your cruise IMHO.

We are a family of 4 (kids 3 & 6) and thinking of taking Freedom Southern Caribbean in Nov 19. I have some questions for those who have sailed out of San Juan: 1. Is there a hotel or area that is preferred (close to port, dining exc)? 2. Best way from airport to hotel and hotel to port? I have Hilton loyalty so that would be preferred but open to all options. *** Not taking any budget into consideration. I am interested in the “nicest” and most convenient options as I don’t like dealing with lines, crowds exc and would rather pay to play. *** Thanks in advance. We are looking forward to an awesome itinerary!

IMHO- the thoughtful gifts are nice but what really makes a difference is cash. These folks work long hours away from their home countries & families so they can earn more money to better their lives back home.

Yes, scrap it. A speciality dining “formal” dining option would be better. Personally I don’t eat in the MDR so your wet thong doesn’t affect me. I do think that the “included” dining options should be free from dress codes since it is vacation and everyone should be able to dress comfortably. It’s just an opinion.