Tylor

Ok Don, this is for you. Here I am with my tiramisu from Portofino on my birthday cruise in 2010 on Freedom of the Seas.

Yes they are. It's not 1945 anymore. Smoking is becoming less and less socially acceptable.

I always book early. It gives me more options and more time to plan. I'm not a "fly by the seat of my pants" type of guy, so booking last minute isn't for me.

Haha that is great! Ok, so that means you have to eat at Giovanni's Table so you can try the tiramisu. I will say, the tiramisu in the main dining room, which is traditionally served on Italian night (don't remember what the name for that night is on the menu - every night's menu has a different name to it) is pretty good too! LOL Sorry Don. I'm just passionate about cruising and dessert! ;) What ship are you going on next?

Royal Caribbean Bans Smoking On Balconies Following a recent surge in smoking bans across many other cruise lines, Royal Caribbean is the latest cruise line to ban smoking from all balconies. Effective January 1, 2014, Royal Caribbean will ban all smoking on balconies throughout the fleet. Smoking was already banned inside all staterooms, but the new ban will designate Royal Caribbean’s accommodations as completely smoke free. Any guest found violating the new ban on smoking will be fined $250 to cover the deep clean the stateroom would have to undergo. Smoking onboard Royal Caribbean ships is also banned in all public areas except for Casino Royale. According to Royal Caribbean, “Cigarette, cigar, e-cigarette and pipe smoking is permitted in designated outdoor areas of the starboard side of all ships; with the exception of Oasis-class ships that will allow smoking on the port side of the ships.†Recently, Disney, Cunard, P&O banned smoking on all balconies throughout their fleets. Windstar Cruises banned smoking on certain balconies on the line’s older ships. As of now, Carnival and Norwegian are the only two remaining major cruise lines who haven’t banned smoking from their fleet’s balconies. Royal Caribbean has stated the change in policy was “made to provide a comfortable cruise for everyone.†http://www.cruisecurrents.com/2013/09/04/royal-caribbean-bans-smoking-on-balconies/

Portofino has the most amazing tiramisu that comes in a edible chocolate cup and a shot of bailey's and something else. It is so good. I did not eat at Giovanni's Table while on Oasis but I did see their dessert cart. OMG! The tiramisu at Giovanni's is in this huge serving dish and they scoop it out on a plate for you. I could have just grabbed it and ran back to my stateroom with the whole serving dish! :ph34r:

Independence will be your first Royal Caribbean cruise? Have you been on any other cruise line? I think you're in for a treat! Enjoy!

Remember, this is your cruise vacation. You most likely won't hear the word "no" very often unless it's an unlawful request. ;)

While I don't know if there is a "take out" option, I'm sure you can take the tray with food on it back to your room. People kart food all over the ship from the Windjammer, so I don't see how there would be any difference. You would just have to let your waiter know your intentions. There might be some restrictions since it is a for fee restaurant.

I would like to cruise Europe someday. I want to see Greece, Italy, Spain. And I would much rather see those places from the comfort of my brand of cruise ships rather than spending nights in tiny European hotel rooms. However, currently I can't justify the high price of flying to Europe to get on a cruise for 5 or 7 days. What I might do it take a repositioning cruise over to Europe and then stay onboard for the next sailing to see the sights then fly home. Still the cost is high but I guess you have to balance out the experience of seeing "the old world".

I agree regular transatlantic trips from Southampton would be AWESOME! I could do a 2 week cruise and have all the down time onboard that I love.

I've only been to an IHOP once and I was less than impressed by the food. The Cheesecake Factory would be an awesome addition. Although I think it is best if Royal Caribbean would continue to use their own designed restaurants rather than farm that stuff out to chains.

1. Be organized, have your boarding documents completely filled out and ready. 2. Get to the port early. 3. Don't pack prohibited items in your carry on or checked luggage (firearms, candles, alcohol, etc.)

Just please get a passport. It is an official document that everyone should really have.

In the beginning it was a mix of both. Now that I've been to a lot of the places in the Caribbean it is more about the ship. Getting away on vacation on a ship I enjoy is more important than where we are actually going.

From my experience you can order anything for dinner to eat on your balcony. Just realize that you need to get your order in early because during peak dining hours all the staff is utilized for all the restaurants onboard, so you'll need to be on the schedule for dinner delivery. I ordered room service once and there as a 2 hour wait.

Not surprising. UK cruising is a big deal. Wouldn't be surprised to see an Oasis class placed there either someday.

I have left on cruises from Cape Liberty, Port Canaveral, Port Everglades, and Port of Miami. Port Everglades was the most organized, and the nicest I've been to. All were easy to get to. From a driving perspective, I drove from Michigan to Florida to get to Port Everglades. That was a breeze. The port is set up very nicely with signs and it is a breeze to get in and out of. Cape Liberty is another story. Hopefully that will change with the port upgrades that will be happening with the debut of Quantum of the Seas.

Bryce, you don't like the Oasis class ships?

I agree. There ARE larger ships afloat besides Oasis/Allure. It is obvious that the larger ships make the company more money. So it seems that the company will be building larger ships from here on out. Also I think the larger ships provide more value and options to the customer, which is what people want. I look forward to all the great things Royal Caribbean is doing for cruising. I constantly think, why would anyone sail with anyone else?

My first cruise was in 2005 on Explorer of the Seas. I didn't know anything about cruising, wasn't a member of cruise critic, had never seen photos of the ship, deck plans or anything. I do a fair amount of planning, now, but when I first sailed I didn't plan anything, we just got on and went with the flow. And I will have to tell you it was an amazing experience, obviously, since I'm still cruising nearly 10 years later. As I said before, I do plan things more now, but I don't over plan. I've been a member of cruise critic since 2005, and have read many posts about people planning every single detail of every minute of the day, and honestly, I think that is silly. It is a vacation after all, and yes some planning is involved, but not required, so just have fun with it. If you do too much it ends of feeling less like a vacation and more like work! My advice for first time cruisers or newly repeat cruisers is to go with no expectations and just know that you're going to have a great time. Otherwise depending on your comfort level you might be disappointed. Treat the staff with respect and they will do the same to you.

I feel like both offer something different. Eastern is certainly the most traveled path. You'll most likely end up at islands with lots of other cruise related traffic. But that is not to say that you won't see another ship while doing the Western route either. Having been to St. Maarten, St. Thomas, and Puerto Rico many times, it was refreshing to do the Western route for something different. I really liked Grand Cayman. It had a totally different feel to it. I could tell there was a lot of money (major Caribbean banking center) there, as there were lots of fancy cars around and most of the locals had jobs and were working during the day. Mexico was typical and what I saw was what I had expected, only the charm Mexico can provide. Although I still feel that parts of Mexico can be very dangerous to go to or travel through. And I will say that danger lurks on all the Caribbean islands (and throughout the world) but some feel safer than others.

I've never been disappointed with my meal at JR's. I've eaten there on every ship I've been on.

For me it is not a holiday if it's not at least 7 nights. The more 7 night cruises I do the longer I want to be onboard. I'm slowly working my way up. I could stay onboard for 35 days, but my wife would miss the cats. *rolls eyes*

Bryce, Check out Texas de Brazil in Detroit on Woodward Ave. That place is amazing, even if you don't eat meat, they have a huge salad bar and the desserts are awesome too!