tonyfsu21

Where do you go to get buckets of beer? Playmakers is a “no go”. Looking to get a few buckets for the room to watch the sail away with the family but I’m having zero luck. And I’m not star class….

I will be there Tuesday on Odyssey. Personally, I don’t care for the port but haven’t really found anything I enjoy there (yet). Labadee, Aruba & Curaçao are amazing though.

I recently received an email that seems to resolve the diamond drink issue by requiring a signature and the receipt details the amount of diamond drinks used for the day so you can now tell right away if the bartender did in fact use a diamond drink.

You should call back on this one, it sounds like you were told a bunch of nonsense. Don’t rely on RoyalUp because win probability is very low for the most part.

This response from RC actually sounds on par with exactly what can be expected lately. You can call back and get a different answer every single time.

It’s relatively safe and people are out and about at all hours of the night. This area has a large Cuban population. As far as being walkable, I would say it’s walkable but there are many very busy streets to contend with and some beyond crazy drivers.

Royal Up is a hot topic and it might be beneficial to post screenshots of past wins/losses to assist others who may be interested in bidding but don’t have a baseline. Obviously this would be data from past cruises so as to not expose any bids on future sailings you may have. I will start with a win and a loss. Oasis 12/26/21 was a holiday sailing where we were booked in a JS. The 4/12/20 was a GS 1br win from a JS.

I would suggest not relying on Royal Up and just pay for the upgrade to secure it. If you roll the dice with Royal Up, you most likely (90% chance) will be disappointed with the outcome.

Does anyone know if Labadee has the taco bar set up like coco cay for lunch? If so, which pavilion is it in? The fresh tortillas made for some legit tacos last time we were in Coco Cay and our next adventures take us to Labadee which I’m hoping has the same set up.

The wow factor is going to be Allure and considering the fact that you can actually use the pool area (possibly unlike the Navi in March), this should be another reason to get on the big ship for your first cruise.

I agree with OP re: Miami sucks, however, I wouldn’t allow a forced stop in Miami to ruin my cruise! I also don’t see how you can pin this on RC? Seems like you need to take this gripe up with the US Customs and Border Patrol!

So if you are in Miami, you must eat Cuban food. We have been going to Versailles for decades and it’s as authentic as Cuban can possibly get: https://www.versaillesrestaurant.com/

I will go against the grain and say amped or not, Oasis class is perfection for a first time RC cruiser. If the cost is not a major factor, I recommend you sail on Allure as there is absolutely nothing like the Oasis class experience.

Since you are local I have another question that maybe you can assist with. We (wife + 2 kids) are planning to Uber from LAX to the Doubletree and then to the terminal on a Friday. When we return on a Wednesday I want to rent a car & drive I-15 through the desert and stay in Las Vegas for the weekend (flying out of Vegas). My questions: 1. Is it easy to rent a car at the cruise terminal after we get off the ship or should I scrap Uber all together and just rent a car from LAX for the entire duration of the trip (will have to pay to park at terminal while on Navigator)? 2. What’s the traffic like in the LA area on a Wednesday mid morning? I would guess we would start driving to Vegas between 8-10am. Thanks for any information you can provide. We are East Coasters so this will be quite a trip for us.

Yeah, both are horrible places and I agree with you. The good news is they are not long for this world. Fort Lauderdale is changing so rapidly that anything old is being sold off, knocked down and rebuilt. I suspect the Roadway & Red Carpet will be bull dozed in the near future (thankfully because I’m sick of looking at them every single day on my commute).

I just booked this hotel, thank you. Was it an easy ride to the cruise terminal?

Can anyone recommend a Hilton in close proximity to the cruise port in LA? Looking to spend the night before we get on Navigator somewhere in walking distance to dining (Hilton resort would be preferred). I don’t know the area well and trying to avoid renting a car until after we finish the cruise utilizing only Uber from LAX>Hotel>Port. Thank you in advance.

I don’t by any means consider RC a step up from Carnival. I would say Carnival, NCL and RC are all budget level cruise lines that provide excellent value for a family vacation in different ways. If you are referring to atmosphere and overall vibe though, I would say NCL and RC are much more laid back then Carnival which tends to be more of a party boat. Also, Guys Burger Joint is the absolute best and the location on the pool deck is prime time after a few beers and a swim. I am loyal to RC but I don’t count out sailing other brands every now & then. Hopefully things work out for you on Voyager.

From FSU fan to FSU fan, you sailed the wrong ship. Next time, try an oasis class ship out of a SoFL port. Also, my young kids have zero patience and when we go to the dining room if you just inform the wait staff that you would like your food courses expedited they make it happen. We are in and out of the dining room in under 1 hour which in my book is perfection. Good luck.

Post Covid workforce. It’s going to get worse before it gets better. It’s difficult to maintain an expectation of a pre Covid level of service when you have a new and mostly untrained crew. Better luck next time.

Not true. This itinerary is one of the best, if not the best! Curaçao is amazing.

Not a chance. This OP is obsessed with the attention positive or negative. They will resurface with a different screen name and more random and controversial posts.

That’s a good point. Another reason the company steers you towards pre booking just about everything. The “savings” actually equate to $$$$$

Booked. Thanksgiving 2024 sailing.

Regardless of the optional drink package, people are going to continue to do what they want (as they should). If that includes excessively drinking there will always be a way. If you do away with the drink package the guests who have the financial ability will continue drinking w/o interruption and the guests that have a tighter budget will just find more inventive ways to smuggle booze on the ship. The drink package is a big win for the company. As you mentioned, there are other options but the grass may not be greener depending on what type of atmosphere you prefer. Personally I would rather watch what I have witnessed as a very small percentage of drunk fools on RC than an entire ship filled with grumpy geriatrics mowing people down in motorized scooters on other cruise lines.