hayley_bopp

It would be great to say 'hi' if we bump into one another.
We should be fairly easy to spot in embarkation day if I can convince tube others to all wear tube t-shirts I bought them 

A rainy day on a cruise is better than a sunny day at the office.
It rained for an hour the first time we were at cococay in August 2018....while everyone else was running out of the water and heading for cover I was like....it isn't a thunderstorm...its a light drizzle....we're already getting wet swimming in the ocean....so we just kept right on swimming and playing around.  Great memories.

Thank you for all the comments! Let me try to answer some of the questions:
-Our sailing was December 8th-15th
-I had looked at the perks for Sea Class here: https://www.royalcaribbean.com/cruise-rooms/royal-suite-class I did not experience priority boarding, coastal kitchen dinners were available but at a late time that didn’t work for us with children, and we had some special shampoo etc but it was not L’Occitane-branded. So I was aware, but I didn’t really think the promises were lived up to
-We ended up at Chill Island. If I’m not mistaken, the whole area including wacky seagull junior bar to south beach was closed. Even the map handed out on the ship, and in the app, was wrong. We wanted to go to the beach next to snack shack, but it was closed. The maps indicated it would be open.
-Did I get what I paid for? Good and difficult question. I think the specialty dining was well worth the price. Had we only been at MDR and Windjammer, I think we would have been disappointed. The drinks package was also worth the money for us (although I do understand the comments about drinks fatigue). I would say we just about got what we paid for, but I do not consider the cruise to be of great value. It was a nice experience, but I think it will be a one-off for us. I checked some pricing for future cruises, and I am not sure I would pay the same or higher prices for a similar experience anymore. 
 
A couple of other comments. The internet package didn’t work as well as I had expected. I found many places where the connection didn’t work. I did seem to notice that this was correlated with the number of people in the area or on the ship. In St.Thomas, we returned quite early to the ship, and then the connection worked very well. Later, when more people boarded, I had severe problems with the connection.
Adventure Ocean wasn’t anything for our kids (6 and 4). The main reason, of course, that my kids don’t speak English apart from a few words. But their main critique was that the rooms looked dull. No toys, no books, not really anything visible to play with. We attended one science event (making a volcano), but they would have liked to understand more why the reaction happened. Now it was only a fun demonstration, without the explanation behind it. 
 
I’d be happy to share more comments or answer more questions.
 

We have now finished our first cruise. It was with the Allure, 7 nights going to St. Thomas, San Juan and Coco Cay. We were a family of four (kids 6 and 4), travelling in a JS. We had the drink package, Chops+1 and the Voom Surf+Stream for 4 devices. We are from Europe, Finland to be more precise. That was a bit of background to the following 3 positives, 3 neutrals and 3 negatives that I want to list below.  
 
3 positives:
1. Entertainment
The quality of the entertainment was high. Mamma Mia and the aquashow were fantastic, and I also listened to the guitar player in the pub, as well as the jazz and guitar in Central Park. The only negative was the piano player in Schooner. He was probably very good, but since he insisted on letting drunk passengers singing (mostly poorly) instead of him, the end result was bad. Overall, entertainment was a clear positive.
2. The cabin
The Junior Suite was definitely the right choice for us. Spacious cabin and nice balcony. Maybe a large balcony room would be the same, but for us the JS was good.
3. The gym
The gym was very good! A few laps around the track in the morning, followed by a 45 minute session in the gym, finished with a great juice was the perfect start to the morning. Free classes were also arranged. I didn’t participate, but following from the side, they seemed of high quality. I was surprised of this, it hasn’t been mentioned much on this forum.
The neutrals are things that are not good nor bad, but general observations I want to raise.
1. Drinks
We had the drink package. I like to drink, so for us it was good value, especially when counting in the juices in the spa, or the freshly squeezed orange juice in the central park cafe. The cocktails were nice, but I would never pay the regular price for them. They weren’t very genearous with the alcohol. Beer selection is bad. Leffe is probably the highlight.
2. Food
This is very mixed. Chops was by far the best experience. The MDR (my time dining) was a disappointment. The food was of fairly low quality but the most annoying part was the ”entertainment”. Loud parades that really ruined the evenings for us. 150 central park was too upscale for us in terms of ambiance, and food was not good. My lamb and my wife’s duck was very overcooked, despite asking for medium rare. On the other hand, windjammer was surprisingly good during lunch and dinner (breakfast not so good). So all in all I have to consider the food being neutral.
3. Service
Overall service was ”ok”. There were some stars (Jorge in Chops) but some really poor experiences (one of the bartenders in Schooner, the maitre d at Sabor) as well. Any special requests (e.g. ordering wine in MDR) seemed to cause a lot of problems. I also didn’t appreciate the ”begging of tips” and the requests to give high ratings in the feedback questionnaire. Both are given based on high standard of service, not based on requests. On average the service was adequate. 
The negatives are things that I know will cause controversy, or be temporary problems that others may or may not face.
1. Royal Suite Class
In a junior suite, we had something called royal suite class. I also know the JS was ”Sea Level” so the lowest level. To me, that meant no perks whatsoever. We were turned away from the suites security line during embarkation, we were given 8.30pm times for coastal kitchen (too late for our kids), and I did not experience any special service at any time from anyone on board although having the sea pass with a different colour. A bit of misleading advertisement, but I didn’t expect much either. But this shouldn’t be the reason to choose a junior suite.
2. Coco Cay
Please note that South Beach and also the beach next to it, on the north side were closed. This meant there was one beach available (plus the lagoon) for all passengers of this ship. It was super crowded and not a nice, relaxing experience at all. Stupid passengers leaving their food on the beach meant that seagulls were everywhere. The lunch experience at the chill grill was disgusting. Nobody seemed to wash their hands before taking food, seagull s*** on the tables. The pool was cold, and the bar had some quite drunk people. If I wanted something like this, I could go to Tenerife for a third of the price! Splashaway bay was the only positive that I saw with Coco Cay, the kids loved it. The situation probably becomes better when the construction is finished and people can spread over a larger area.
3. Crowds and noice
The Allure is a big ship, which means there are a lot of passengers. This also means that pool areas get very crowded, so much that even our kids didn’t want to swim there very much. I didn’t enter the pool once, as the majority again ignored the request to shower before you enter. In addition, there was too much ”spirit-lifting” in terms of loud music etc. The Solarium, where I went two times in the hope for peace and quiet, was packed with adults who clearly over-enjoyed their drink package. Lesson learned, if we ever go on a cruise again, we should choose a smaller ship and perhaps a cruise line with a different clientele.
So those were our observations. Will we cruise again on Royal Caribbean? Never say never, but I doubt it. If we ever cruise again, we will probably save money for longer and choose something smaller, more exclusive, fitting better our European taste.

We'll be on this cruise as well! Can't wait! 
Flamtap 

Have so much fun! We will be on the same cruise as well! Please come say hi if you see us and I may do the same! I always love making friends on the boat!

After a VERY hectic few months, it's almost time for our very first Caribbean cruise sailing on Allure Of The Seas over Christmas.
Itinerary 
22/12 - Embark at Fort Lauderdale 
23/12 - Sea Day
24/12 - Sea Day
25/12 - St Maarten (hopefully ?)
26/12 - San Juan
27/12 - Sea Day
28/12 - Coco Cay 
29/12 - Disembark at Fort Lauderdale 
 
The Crew
Me, husband (both Brits) & our USA-dwelling British & Canadian friends all in our late 30s to mid 40s.
For us, it's our 5th cruise - 3rd on RC having done the Med on Navigator and Independence.  For our friends, it's their very first cruise and we've told them they'll love it. I hope we were right!
We chose this sailing to fit in with my holidays from school (I'm a primary school teacher) and because I really wanted to try an Oasis Class ship.
Pre-Cruise
We've driven down to Heathrow airport from our home in the Midlands this afternoon and are spending the night at the Radisson Edwardian Blu. We stayed here earlier this year and were really impressed so we booked again. They do a deal where you get a hotel stay and parking and it's just a short Uber ride to the terminal in the morning. They have a funky bar with great cocktails and a couple of restaurants. Tonight we're trying the Indian restaurant. 
We're flying into Miami tomorrow (after original direct flights to FLL were cancelled and we had to rebook at extra cost or face going via Chicago or somewhere in Texas!) and staying at Pestana Beach hotel in South Beach. 
Our friends fly in to FLL from Detroit in the morning, are renting a car and picking us up from MIA when we arrive in the afternoon. 
We've got no firm plans ( we've all been REALLY busy, plus we thought we weren't going to be able to go at all when our TA went bust!) but we're hoping to see the Everglades and do an Art Deco architecture tour.
 

Our travel agent, who I've used for years (Thomas Cook, a major UK travel agent) went into administration in mid-October. People who were already on holiday had to be repatriated and lots of people lost their bookings as well as thousands of staff losing their jobs.  We had to wait for 3 weeks to confirm that ours would go ahead and had to submit evidence that we'd made all payments. All while knowing we'd convinced our friends to come with us and that they might have ended up going alone!

After a VERY hectic few months, it's almost time for our very first Caribbean cruise sailing on Allure Of The Seas over Christmas.
Itinerary 
22/12 - Embark at Fort Lauderdale 
23/12 - Sea Day
24/12 - Sea Day
25/12 - St Maarten (hopefully ?)
26/12 - San Juan
27/12 - Sea Day
28/12 - Coco Cay 
29/12 - Disembark at Fort Lauderdale 
 
The Crew
Me, husband (both Brits) & our USA-dwelling British & Canadian friends all in our late 30s to mid 40s.
For us, it's our 5th cruise - 3rd on RC having done the Med on Navigator and Independence.  For our friends, it's their very first cruise and we've told them they'll love it. I hope we were right!
We chose this sailing to fit in with my holidays from school (I'm a primary school teacher) and because I really wanted to try an Oasis Class ship.
Pre-Cruise
We've driven down to Heathrow airport from our home in the Midlands this afternoon and are spending the night at the Radisson Edwardian Blu. We stayed here earlier this year and were really impressed so we booked again. They do a deal where you get a hotel stay and parking and it's just a short Uber ride to the terminal in the morning. They have a funky bar with great cocktails and a couple of restaurants. Tonight we're trying the Indian restaurant. 
We're flying into Miami tomorrow (after original direct flights to FLL were cancelled and we had to rebook at extra cost or face going via Chicago or somewhere in Texas!) and staying at Pestana Beach hotel in South Beach. 
Our friends fly in to FLL from Detroit in the morning, are renting a car and picking us up from MIA when we arrive in the afternoon. 
We've got no firm plans ( we've all been REALLY busy, plus we thought we weren't going to be able to go at all when our TA went bust!) but we're hoping to see the Everglades and do an Art Deco architecture tour.
 

Following.. enjoy your vacation ?

After a VERY hectic few months, it's almost time for our very first Caribbean cruise sailing on Allure Of The Seas over Christmas.
Itinerary 
22/12 - Embark at Fort Lauderdale 
23/12 - Sea Day
24/12 - Sea Day
25/12 - St Maarten (hopefully ?)
26/12 - San Juan
27/12 - Sea Day
28/12 - Coco Cay 
29/12 - Disembark at Fort Lauderdale 
 
The Crew
Me, husband (both Brits) & our USA-dwelling British & Canadian friends all in our late 30s to mid 40s.
For us, it's our 5th cruise - 3rd on RC having done the Med on Navigator and Independence.  For our friends, it's their very first cruise and we've told them they'll love it. I hope we were right!
We chose this sailing to fit in with my holidays from school (I'm a primary school teacher) and because I really wanted to try an Oasis Class ship.
Pre-Cruise
We've driven down to Heathrow airport from our home in the Midlands this afternoon and are spending the night at the Radisson Edwardian Blu. We stayed here earlier this year and were really impressed so we booked again. They do a deal where you get a hotel stay and parking and it's just a short Uber ride to the terminal in the morning. They have a funky bar with great cocktails and a couple of restaurants. Tonight we're trying the Indian restaurant. 
We're flying into Miami tomorrow (after original direct flights to FLL were cancelled and we had to rebook at extra cost or face going via Chicago or somewhere in Texas!) and staying at Pestana Beach hotel in South Beach. 
Our friends fly in to FLL from Detroit in the morning, are renting a car and picking us up from MIA when we arrive in the afternoon. 
We've got no firm plans ( we've all been REALLY busy, plus we thought we weren't going to be able to go at all when our TA went bust!) but we're hoping to see the Everglades and do an Art Deco architecture tour.
 

After a VERY hectic few months, it's almost time for our very first Caribbean cruise sailing on Allure Of The Seas over Christmas.
Itinerary 
22/12 - Embark at Fort Lauderdale 
23/12 - Sea Day
24/12 - Sea Day
25/12 - St Maarten (hopefully ?)
26/12 - San Juan
27/12 - Sea Day
28/12 - Coco Cay 
29/12 - Disembark at Fort Lauderdale 
 
The Crew
Me, husband (both Brits) & our USA-dwelling British & Canadian friends all in our late 30s to mid 40s.
For us, it's our 5th cruise - 3rd on RC having done the Med on Navigator and Independence.  For our friends, it's their very first cruise and we've told them they'll love it. I hope we were right!
We chose this sailing to fit in with my holidays from school (I'm a primary school teacher) and because I really wanted to try an Oasis Class ship.
Pre-Cruise
We've driven down to Heathrow airport from our home in the Midlands this afternoon and are spending the night at the Radisson Edwardian Blu. We stayed here earlier this year and were really impressed so we booked again. They do a deal where you get a hotel stay and parking and it's just a short Uber ride to the terminal in the morning. They have a funky bar with great cocktails and a couple of restaurants. Tonight we're trying the Indian restaurant. 
We're flying into Miami tomorrow (after original direct flights to FLL were cancelled and we had to rebook at extra cost or face going via Chicago or somewhere in Texas!) and staying at Pestana Beach hotel in South Beach. 
Our friends fly in to FLL from Detroit in the morning, are renting a car and picking us up from MIA when we arrive in the afternoon. 
We've got no firm plans ( we've all been REALLY busy, plus we thought we weren't going to be able to go at all when our TA went bust!) but we're hoping to see the Everglades and do an Art Deco architecture tour.
 

After a VERY hectic few months, it's almost time for our very first Caribbean cruise sailing on Allure Of The Seas over Christmas.
Itinerary 
22/12 - Embark at Fort Lauderdale 
23/12 - Sea Day
24/12 - Sea Day
25/12 - St Maarten (hopefully ?)
26/12 - San Juan
27/12 - Sea Day
28/12 - Coco Cay 
29/12 - Disembark at Fort Lauderdale 
 
The Crew
Me, husband (both Brits) & our USA-dwelling British & Canadian friends all in our late 30s to mid 40s.
For us, it's our 5th cruise - 3rd on RC having done the Med on Navigator and Independence.  For our friends, it's their very first cruise and we've told them they'll love it. I hope we were right!
We chose this sailing to fit in with my holidays from school (I'm a primary school teacher) and because I really wanted to try an Oasis Class ship.
Pre-Cruise
We've driven down to Heathrow airport from our home in the Midlands this afternoon and are spending the night at the Radisson Edwardian Blu. We stayed here earlier this year and were really impressed so we booked again. They do a deal where you get a hotel stay and parking and it's just a short Uber ride to the terminal in the morning. They have a funky bar with great cocktails and a couple of restaurants. Tonight we're trying the Indian restaurant. 
We're flying into Miami tomorrow (after original direct flights to FLL were cancelled and we had to rebook at extra cost or face going via Chicago or somewhere in Texas!) and staying at Pestana Beach hotel in South Beach. 
Our friends fly in to FLL from Detroit in the morning, are renting a car and picking us up from MIA when we arrive in the afternoon. 
We've got no firm plans ( we've all been REALLY busy, plus we thought we weren't going to be able to go at all when our TA went bust!) but we're hoping to see the Everglades and do an Art Deco architecture tour.
 

After a VERY hectic few months, it's almost time for our very first Caribbean cruise sailing on Allure Of The Seas over Christmas.
Itinerary 
22/12 - Embark at Fort Lauderdale 
23/12 - Sea Day
24/12 - Sea Day
25/12 - St Maarten (hopefully ?)
26/12 - San Juan
27/12 - Sea Day
28/12 - Coco Cay 
29/12 - Disembark at Fort Lauderdale 
 
The Crew
Me, husband (both Brits) & our USA-dwelling British & Canadian friends all in our late 30s to mid 40s.
For us, it's our 5th cruise - 3rd on RC having done the Med on Navigator and Independence.  For our friends, it's their very first cruise and we've told them they'll love it. I hope we were right!
We chose this sailing to fit in with my holidays from school (I'm a primary school teacher) and because I really wanted to try an Oasis Class ship.
Pre-Cruise
We've driven down to Heathrow airport from our home in the Midlands this afternoon and are spending the night at the Radisson Edwardian Blu. We stayed here earlier this year and were really impressed so we booked again. They do a deal where you get a hotel stay and parking and it's just a short Uber ride to the terminal in the morning. They have a funky bar with great cocktails and a couple of restaurants. Tonight we're trying the Indian restaurant. 
We're flying into Miami tomorrow (after original direct flights to FLL were cancelled and we had to rebook at extra cost or face going via Chicago or somewhere in Texas!) and staying at Pestana Beach hotel in South Beach. 
Our friends fly in to FLL from Detroit in the morning, are renting a car and picking us up from MIA when we arrive in the afternoon. 
We've got no firm plans ( we've all been REALLY busy, plus we thought we weren't going to be able to go at all when our TA went bust!) but we're hoping to see the Everglades and do an Art Deco architecture tour.
 

After a VERY hectic few months, it's almost time for our very first Caribbean cruise sailing on Allure Of The Seas over Christmas.
Itinerary 
22/12 - Embark at Fort Lauderdale 
23/12 - Sea Day
24/12 - Sea Day
25/12 - St Maarten (hopefully ?)
26/12 - San Juan
27/12 - Sea Day
28/12 - Coco Cay 
29/12 - Disembark at Fort Lauderdale 
 
The Crew
Me, husband (both Brits) & our USA-dwelling British & Canadian friends all in our late 30s to mid 40s.
For us, it's our 5th cruise - 3rd on RC having done the Med on Navigator and Independence.  For our friends, it's their very first cruise and we've told them they'll love it. I hope we were right!
We chose this sailing to fit in with my holidays from school (I'm a primary school teacher) and because I really wanted to try an Oasis Class ship.
Pre-Cruise
We've driven down to Heathrow airport from our home in the Midlands this afternoon and are spending the night at the Radisson Edwardian Blu. We stayed here earlier this year and were really impressed so we booked again. They do a deal where you get a hotel stay and parking and it's just a short Uber ride to the terminal in the morning. They have a funky bar with great cocktails and a couple of restaurants. Tonight we're trying the Indian restaurant. 
We're flying into Miami tomorrow (after original direct flights to FLL were cancelled and we had to rebook at extra cost or face going via Chicago or somewhere in Texas!) and staying at Pestana Beach hotel in South Beach. 
Our friends fly in to FLL from Detroit in the morning, are renting a car and picking us up from MIA when we arrive in the afternoon. 
We've got no firm plans ( we've all been REALLY busy, plus we thought we weren't going to be able to go at all when our TA went bust!) but we're hoping to see the Everglades and do an Art Deco architecture tour.
 

Does seeing Solstice / Eclipse / Summit / Millennium / etc. ported next to us count? ?

Sorry for the late reply - I've been sooo busy getting on top of everything ready for my upcoming cruise (c -5 days ?) that I've barely had chance to draw breath let alone get on here ?
Anyhoo, I've never been to any of the countryside listed and I've only been to Belfast once but that was 28 years ago. 
However, I can tell you that all of Ireland is stunning and I'm sure whichever option you pick you will love.
Make sure you eat soda bread, potato cakes and white pudding (all savoury and most likely to be served at breakfast)

Sorry for the late reply - I've been sooo busy getting on top of everything ready for my upcoming cruise (c -5 days ?) that I've barely had chance to draw breath let alone get on here ?
Anyhoo, I've never been to any of the countryside listed and I've only been to Belfast once but that was 28 years ago. 
However, I can tell you that all of Ireland is stunning and I'm sure whichever option you pick you will love.
Make sure you eat soda bread, potato cakes and white pudding (all savoury and most likely to be served at breakfast)

I do plan to blog, but definitely not live. Internet on X is significantly more expensive to begin with, and being so far north I'm guessing that it will be so spotty that a bucket of Tide detergent wouldn't clean it up. Plus, I'm going to be taking something like a hundred bazillion pictures, and I'll need time after I'm home to go through and edit them all (though I plan to do at least some "triage" while on board). So the blog will be another edition of "Not Even REMOTELY Live".

Must admit i have never been to Ireland so i cannot comment on whats best. 
All i know is coming from good Irish catholic gypsy stock, is that my Ancestors left Ireland when the local Waitrose ran out of Potatoes and none of us ever went back ?
 

With four days post-cruise in Ireland next year, we’re trying to figure out what we want to while there. We’re staying in Dublin all four days, in a relatively low-cost but nice-looking / well-reviewed hotel (The Uppercross House). But we do want to see at least some of the natural wonders that Ireland has to offer, and so we’re looking at a couple of day trip options with Paddywagon Tours...
First, a small-group tour to the Cliffs of Moher that includes the following:
King John’s Castle Wild Atlantic Way coastal drive, with stops at the “baby cliffs” and The Burren Lunch in the village of Doolin The Cliffs of Moher Snack stop on the return trip (back in Dublin at 7:30, in time for dinner) Other one we’re looking at is a day tour to the Giant’s Causeway, including:
Glens of Antrim Dark Hedges Causeway Coast Carrick-A-rede Rope Bridge Giant’s Causeway Dunluce Castle (photo stop only) Belfast (short tour, with 1 hour of free time in the city center) Return to Dublin about 8:30, in time for late dinner) I’ll note that there is also a small-group version of the Giant’s Causeway tour offered through their sister company, Elegant Irish Tours, but honestly it didn’t look as interesting.
I’d love to do both, but I think packing two all-day trips like that into an already short time, right after a 2-week cruise with a ton of port days, will be overwhelming. Especially when we want some time to explore Dublin, hopefully see The Book of Kells, visit the Guinness brewery, and maybe go down to Bray to visit my wife’s cousins and maybe explore that area a bit.
So, if you had to choose just one, which one would you choose?
Especially looking for thoughts from the folks who live nearby and maybe have had the chance to visit all of these places. @hayley_bopp, @Joe01, @Ray... I’m sure there are plenty others I know I’m forgetting, feel free to tag them.

Hi everyone! I pride myself on being very social when I meet people in person, but online, I’m a certified lurker ?. I read the message boards, take notes ?, and have learned so much from everyone on this blog (thanks @Matt for this awesome platform) but I rarely make a post or comment.

Maybe it’s because everyone has already said what I was thinking (and y’all don’t need to see my “ditto” response ?)... Maybe it’s because I can’t come up with any interesting new questions or topics that are worth posting ?... Maybe it’s because I’m afraid that my post will be the equivalent of the kid sitting alone at the lunch table in a crowded middle school cafeteria ??...

Soooooooo... This post is dedicated to all of the lurkers out there just like me! Say hi, hit like, or drop a comment of your choosing below! Or don’t. ? You are still loved and welcomed here!
 

Most sailing, if I remember, I'll set a message on my lock screen...

Another thought would be to provide a number to call in the Emergency Contact/Number section. One thing I did notice was if my phone was in Airplane mode it wouldn't let me out of airplane mode with authentication. This would prevent any contacts from being called. Work around could be providing a number as a name of a contact.

Note: Examples given were with a Samsung Galaxy S10. Abilities may vary based on device.
 
 

Thats a really good idea, like that

Though I would say the Number 1 item lost on a ship is my Waist line :P