RCVoyager

Thanks Pete. This is helpful. I'm interested in anyone's else's informed input

Thanks Waaytoo. I hadn't thought about the Ritz. We'll be going 4 days early for our cruise, so it may be a little too spendy. However, I'm going to take a good look at it. I'm interested in opinions on both hotels... particularly my original question about room type.

Has anyone stayed here? Thinking of treating the wife on our trip next year. So, here's the question: Which is better (King Heritage or King Tower City View). Is one newer or more updated than the other? Are the views that much better in one rather than the other? These are the things that impress the lady of my house. Thanks.

I haven't been there for a few years, but we really liked Grenada, and as mentioned is easy and safe to walk around. They are very pro American which is good in my opinion.

Any thought as to why RCCL doesn't visit Grand Turk? Is there any known movement toward stopping there? My wife wants to go, and I want to take her. I would rather book RCCL than Carnvial, but my hand may be forced in this situation.

St. Croix has become one of my favorite places in the Caribbean. It's mostly because there is a fantastic beach right off the ship. If you bring a baggie, you can fill it with sea glass, some of it very old, on that beach and in the water there. Additionally, Fort Frederic, some shopping, and some dining are all right there. No need for any kind of transportation.

Gaelic Storm. Best band on the planet that many have not heard of. Lots of drinking songs. Give em a go. You won't regret it.

Let me first say that I'm glad we have some environmental rules that we didn't have in the early decades of the industrial revolution. We should not have the Cuyahoga River on fire. We should not have industrial sites abandoned with highly contaminated soil left behind. We should not have smog blocking the sun in our cities. We should be able to breathe the air, drink the water, and walk around without having to dodge huge piles of waste and trash. We should have sanitary sewers to separate sewage from runoff. There should be regulation on the use of fertilizers. If, as a society, we want to encourage walking or bike riding rather than driving a car, that would be great. However, things have gone way too far. We have politicians and activists flying from city to city on private jets to tell us to not drive our cars. We have gone from paper to plastic back to paper bags at the store. We have low emission electric cars that plug into a wall to charge a car when there is no reliable source of electricity that is renewable. We have mass transit forced down our throats for hundreds of millions of dollars that no one rides (Cincinnati is an example). The Holy Grail is the Climate Change movement...which is the biggest redistribution of wealth in history, and even if man did have an effect on the climate, it is minuscule. If anyone thinks they will rid the world of plastic straws and then leave us alone they are wrong. It's not just cruises either. It's everything we choose to do (right down to the number of children we have). There is too much money in it for these people. At some point we have to tell them to get bent. This is it. Save the straws. Just make sure you put them in a trash can when you are done with them.

There are paper based straws. Seems that would be the way to go.

Actually, I'm not planning to book the Spirit. I try to keep an eye on the roughly 140+- ships from the major cruise lines (RCCL, Carnival, Celebrity, NCL, HAL, MSC, Costa, & Princess) with an interest on the ships that I've been on. I went onto carnivalaustralia's website. The have multiple brands available on that site. Some are outside of the big 8 brands listed above, and some are ships from the group above. With a quick look, only the Spirit appears to be taken off it's company's website, but still sailing under the same name. Interesting to me... probably not anyone else.

Thanks for all the insight. I was unaware there was a Carnival Australia website. Seems that would not be great for business. It should be available on the main website.

I realize this is a RCCL blog. But most here have experience with Royal's competition. I am interested in what ultimately happens to ships on which I have sailed... including the Spirit. I can no longer find it on Carnival's website. I find vague news stories that she now operates from Australia. However, there is no mention of her on Carnival's website. Anyone here know what has happened to her and what her future holds? Thanks.

If you're leaving from San Juan and you plan to be in your room as your cruise begins, you will want to be on the starboard side. The views of El Morrow as you leave the harbor are awesome.

As a staunch conservative, and a big time supporter of President Trump, I can say without reservation, I don't care about anyone's sex, creed, religion, color or any other subject of division. I think a higher percentage of conservatives think that way than most people realize. Nice people are nice people regardless of the aforementioned categories. Intolerant people are intolerant regardless of the aforementioned categories. Go on the cruise, have fun, hold a door open for little old ladies, say hello, thank you, and you're welcome. You'll be fine. Interestingly, for my 50th birthday, my wife took me on the Adventure of the Seas from San Juan. The morning we boarded, there were two women boarding the ship the same time we were. They were elderly and minority. They were also struggling a bit with the ramps in San Juan that are a little long if you have trouble walking. My wife carried their bags and I had one on each arm as we conquered the ramps. My wife and I had a sense of satisfaction that we helped two fellow human beings who were in need. The ladies loved it so much they had a photo taken with them. We looked for them on board, but never saw them again. That is the human spirit of giving and receiving. Doesn't matter about all the divisive stuff.

If you rely on the MDR for most meals, you will want to skip NCL. It's like going to Bob Evans or Applebees every night.

I know I'm a Geography nerd, but Invest 90L is not in the Caribbean as TMobile suggests. It is in the Gulf of Mexico. It's a lot like advertisments for Caribbean cruises to the Bahamas. The Bahamas are in the Atlantic Ocean.

The 8:30 departure out of San Juan is fantastic. As mentioned, the muster drill is a 4 or 4:15. You can do a 6 or 6:30 dinner and still be on deck or your own balcony for the 8:30 departure. It's best to be somewhere on the starboard side of the ship. There is a great view of El Morro as you leave the harbor. It's so close you feel like you could reach out to touch it.

That is correct. The Royal dock (Panamerican Pier) is within site of Old San Juan and the normal cruise docks (across the channel). It is about a 10 minute cab ride when there is little traffic. Probably a good bit more with ship traffic. I'd still make the investment in time to see Old San Juan if you have time. There isn't really anything near the Royal docks except a Sheraton. It's not called the "Nothing to Do Sheraton" by the locals for nothing.

Speaking of Grand Cayman, a little Barefoot Man never hurts. Check him out.

I know the 70s is not cold. But when you are on vacation and want to go to the beach and other outdoor activities (say a trip to Stingray City), the 70s with clouds and wind are not what you want. I love Cayman, and I am somewhat envious of those who live there, but I've had two vacations (out of about 6) affected by weather there.

No problem jce2. I hope I didn't come on too strong with my reply. If you want to go to the Caribbean and have dependable weather, with the possible exception of September and October, San Juan is the ticket. The Gulf and even Cayman and Jamaica can get the tail end of the fronts that cross the lower 48... especially in winter. It can be cool, cloudy, and windy for days.

Glad you checked them out. Great music. It costs about $20 to see them in most places. They're the only band I know of where every member comes out for a meet and greet after the show. They stay until the last fan leaves. Truly unique. My family had never heard of them. My brothers and I met them on a cruise (Barenaked Ladies in 2007). Now even my parents, in their 80s love them.

Gaelic Storm.. always. If you've never checked them out, do yourself a favor. Wonderful for all ages. An absolute party of a band.

Old San Juan is a treasure trove of history. My suggestion is that any tour of Old San Juan start with a walk around the south side of the wall, up the west side and enter through the city gate, just as the sailors did 400 years ago. Once in the gate it's a 2 block walk up to the Cathedral. It's beautiful and you can see the tomb of Ponce De Leon. Then up the hill to El Morro. There's a million other things too, but that's a great start. I think you can board the ship by 11:00. As mentioned, have lunch a beer and explore.

Gotta disagree with this completely. DFW is a great place to live. Cruising from Galveston is not my first choice, but it's a nice choice. With the DFW airport right there, you can go anywhere in the world for your next cruise. There is tons to do in Dallas, great restaurants... and no state income tax in Texas. It's hot in the summer, but pretty good weather the rest of the year.