Floski

Our cruise on Vision last April was the best one, food-wise, that we've had in a very long time.  
 
I was on the same cruise on Adventure as jticarruthers, and while I won't go as far as saying it was unacceptable, the regular menu food definitely wasn't up to snuff (who the heck serves much less orders Chicken Kiev anymore???).  On the first day my wife and I asked for the curries that the staff eats, and they were fantastic, so that made up for the MDR menu for us.  They really should add them back to the menu as an option.
 
I can't comment on the Windjammer as I only ate breakfasts there, and lunch on boarding day.  You can only do so much with bacon and cereal and fruit.
 
My son, who usually orders steak every night, stopped after a couple of days of being served gristle.  The kid eats boogers and worms, so that should tell you something.
 
EDIT: We did do the galley tour/lunch and had the steak, and that one was good. I had forgotten about that.

Drink a couple beers and start booking things that sound good, and then thank myself later.
 
Kidding... mostly.

Probably contacted the concierge as I believe WaaayTooo tend to gravitate towards the sweet suite life. ;)
 
You can request the same from your cabin steward when you meet him/her or leave a note with the request.

I'd settle for a mattress that stops me feeling the supporting "frame" underneath it!

AHH! I have a B2B on Allure booked for my honeymoon ... super excited to see that feedback! 

There are few things more enjoyable than taking a European train.  
 
Dooooon't flyyyyy!

There are few things more enjoyable than taking a European train.  
 
Dooooon't flyyyyy!

I should probably stay out of this but I don't think "grammar shaming" somebody who is angry is anything except treating someone the way they said they've been treated already. If a mistake was made (and don't for a minute suggest that sometimes a large corporation and it's employees don't make mistakes--or are rude) why not just say so.
I like reading this blog because it was so nice to see everyone's positive outlook on cruising. All of you love to tout how much money you saved, and the value of the dollar, and saving up your pennies to go on cruises. It's nice to read--so when someone is upset they've lost a deposit I"m pretty sure all of you would be pissed off if you were out $500 in 24hrs for a clerical error on your part. Anger can get the best of us, as clearly at has gotten the best of you at this person with their vitriolic language. Direct them and help, don't criticize them for their opinion....it's always our behavior in bad times that is a great reflection of who we are, and admitting when we are wrong and moving on....

Today was the first snowfall here in Michigan.  Mention that to your wife... :)

Very happy and relieved that your family are okay, but sorry to hear of the damage.
 
We on the Carolina coast aren't used to these late-season hurricanes, so Matthew was a surprise.  
 
I hope your family can get all of the damage repaired!
 
d

What size group?
 
Many of us have used Leo Brown in St. Maarten, but Bernard's Tours is also very good and less expensive than on the ship.

it does! I just called to check if the new promotion would save us a bit of money, but so far none have been better than the kids sail free we got since we have 3 kids in our  room... Well!! to my surprise I saved an extra 415$ (Canadian) on our cruise! bringing our total down to 3700$ (2800$ US) for a 9 day cruise in a family panoramic room for 5 people!!
 
Beyond happy right now!

No planning/buying for dinner.
 
No driving.
 
No getting up to feed the animals.
 
NO WORK
 
Drink whatever you want (unless there are bananas involved) and if you don't like it, get another.
 
As my esteemed colleague from the great state of Michigan has offered - the ports!
 
The beaches
 
The hot tubs
 
 
 
I don't think I've ever felt as relaxed as I did on my inaugural cruise last year.  It was phenomenal.

No planning/buying for dinner.
 
No driving.
 
No getting up to feed the animals.
 
NO WORK
 
Drink whatever you want (unless there are bananas involved) and if you don't like it, get another.
 
As my esteemed colleague from the great state of Michigan has offered - the ports!
 
The beaches
 
The hot tubs
 
 
 
I don't think I've ever felt as relaxed as I did on my inaugural cruise last year.  It was phenomenal.

I actually really enjoyed JR's for Embarkation day. It was totally empty, and the greasy food felt great after... flying in the day of the cruise DON'T JUDGE ME. 

On top of what they said ..... keep in mind, just because departure time is 4:00 -- they require all passengers be on board, I believe, 90 minutes in advance (please correct me if I'm wrong guys on the deadline to board time) so that the manifest can be turned over to Homeland Security .... which means you'd have to be on in the 2:30 range ...
 
RESCHEDULE TO THE DAY BEFORE --- YOU DON'T NEED THAT KIND OF HEADACHE LEADING INTO A VACATION!!!!

I really enjoyed Marigot for some reason.  It wasn't all that special, but had a nice vibe to me, and we got to eat some macaroons, which I hadn't had since Paris in '05!
 
Phillipsburg is super easy for shopping and convenience.  
 
Have a great time!!

I have reached the age if I have to wait 1/2 hour to occupy and toweled chair the towel gets moved and I sit.

As with all things relating to crowds, my recommendation is to get to the theater early and get the seats you want.  If you wait until the last minute...yes, you are likely to run into crowds and have to wrangle for a seat but arriving early usually alleviates such concerns.
 
The worst time for crowds is immediately after the muster drill, IMO.  If you are not in a hurry to get on an elevator then I suggest finding somewhere to sit and wait out the crowds. IF you ARE in a hurry to get an elevator you had better be ready to run when the drill is concluded.
 
I agree with Matt.  For the most part, the big ships do an excellent job of handling the large volume of cruisers on these ships. 
 
Allure is my favorite ship.  I think you will love the variety of entertainment and activities.  Not sure where your cabin is located but a little secret (this is true for most ships, BTW).  The forward elevators are always less busy than the aft elevators.  If your cabin is in the aft then it wouldn't make sense to go out of your way to go to the forward elevators unless you just love walking...but if your room is located somewhere amidships, oftentimes using the forward elevators can save you significant time and frustration.  I absolutely LOVE walking down the Promenade so going forward to use those elevators is a good excuse for strolling down the Promenade to see what's happenin !
 
Don't let some negative reviews concern you.  Do as much pre-planning as you can stand and then be prepared to go with the flow and everything will be fine.  These O class ships are amazing.

We went to St. Thomas and St. Maarten in April and took one formal tour and one informal.
 
St. Thomas - we were walking around in Charlotte Amelie at the Riise Mall and ended up taking one of the tour buses that parks down at Veterans Dr.  The driver was Timothy (with a nice red bus!) and he was fantastic!  He took us all around the island, even down to Megan's Bay.  I think it was $20 per person.  I highly recommend him.  He'll take you to Mountain Top where the view is phenomenal and there is a huge gift shop and bar where they specialize in that Banana Daiquiri everyone craves!  I might be able to find his card if you would like his phone number.
 
On St. Maarten, I had already booked through Bernard's Tours, and they were great as well.  We went all over that island - Maho Beach, Orient Beach, Marigot (which was a nice surprise).  He even stopped at a couple of other stops - an iguana farm, and another one with a beautiful view of St. Bart (I think) and they had sea creatures too. This tour was $45 per person and you got drinks on the bus and time to eat/sightsee at Marigot and Maho.  We really enjoyed it (I would've had more fun if my back wasn't killing me :angry: ).  They are located very close to the dock so that was nice.

We went to St. Thomas and St. Maarten in April and took one formal tour and one informal.
 
St. Thomas - we were walking around in Charlotte Amelie at the Riise Mall and ended up taking one of the tour buses that parks down at Veterans Dr.  The driver was Timothy (with a nice red bus!) and he was fantastic!  He took us all around the island, even down to Megan's Bay.  I think it was $20 per person.  I highly recommend him.  He'll take you to Mountain Top where the view is phenomenal and there is a huge gift shop and bar where they specialize in that Banana Daiquiri everyone craves!  I might be able to find his card if you would like his phone number.
 
On St. Maarten, I had already booked through Bernard's Tours, and they were great as well.  We went all over that island - Maho Beach, Orient Beach, Marigot (which was a nice surprise).  He even stopped at a couple of other stops - an iguana farm, and another one with a beautiful view of St. Bart (I think) and they had sea creatures too. This tour was $45 per person and you got drinks on the bus and time to eat/sightsee at Marigot and Maho.  We really enjoyed it (I would've had more fun if my back wasn't killing me :angry: ).  They are located very close to the dock so that was nice.

Yes! We Have No Bananas (Daiquiris)
 
Mango Daiquiri? Sure!
Strawberry Daiquiri? Of course!
Raspberry Daiquiri? Coming right up!
Peach Daiquiri? No problem!
Wildberry Daiquiri (whatever that is)? Absolutely!
 
Fantastic!
How about a Banana Daiquiri?!?!
Yes! We Have No Bananas (Daiquiris).
 
First, let me start by stating that this is in no way a serious criticism, complaint or rant about Royal Caribbean.  It is strictly in jest and really only intended for making my wife laugh and for living up to the reputation that I have with her for being completely nuts.  In fact, I have nothing but total admiration and respect for the Royal Caribbean brand as a whole and especially for all of the hardworking crew members aboard her ships - especially Freedom of the Seas, which we have been on four times in the last two years.  Also, I met my wife while on a Royal Caribbean cruise 18 years ago! So, needless to say, we love Royal Caribbean!
 
Okay, that being said; some of you may recall my previous post (Banana Daiquiri/Royal Caribbean Dining - May 16, 2016), asking about the possibility of my wife enjoying a Banana Daiquiri on our upcoming Freedom of the Seas cruise, in light of the fact that on the last voyage, we were told that there was some type of mysterious "Banana Daiquiri Embargo" and that the delicious tropical beverage could not be made.  (It must have struck a chord with a least a few of you out there.  After all, it has garnered 474 views, to date!)
 
Anyway, after some reassuring and optimistic post responses from Floski, WAAAYTOOO, and of course, Matt, I was able to convince my lovely wife that her national nightmare was lost likely over, and that she would be enjoying her favorite frozen cocktail in the Western Caribbean on our next Freedom cruise! (July 3rd, to be exact).  However, I was wrong. So wrong.
 
I asked Lucian, at the Juice Bar, Roberto, at the Pool Bar and even Ross, in the Main Dining Room (all exceptional people and bartenders) - Why no Banana Daiquiris?!?!  Unfortunately, as wonderful as they are, they could not come up with a logical explanation!  Rather, I was once again inundated with vagaries and nonsensical information (totally not their fault) - "There is a worldwide shortage on banana mix," "We just don't buy it anymore," "There is a tax on the mix."  Basically, no one could give me a legitimate reason why I could get any type of Daiquiri in the world on Freedom of the Seas (even Wildberry - whatever that is!) - except for Banana!!!
 
Strange, but true.  I am dying to know why! Well, not actually "dying," but certainly curious to find out why! And since this post is now way too long, I will close by saying - I love Freedom of the Seas, but I would love her even more if my wife could just get a Banana Daiquiri on our next cruise!!! (Which, by the way, can not come soon enough!)

I can tell you what the problem is: BANANA LIVES MATTER !

I'd love to start seeing some Lagunitas IPA now that Heineken is a part owner. Founders All Day IPA would be a good one to see on board, too. 

On Freedom, the best I could find was La Fin du Monde, which I love, but wasn't gonna drink only that.  So this year I got the PP and drank almost solely mixed drinks.
 
I'm a hophead, so was very disappointed last year.  I would've been quite happy had I seen some Dogfish Head 90!