packercruising

4 hours ago, Luly said:

It depends on the day. Windjammer would typically be open about 7-11 but if it was an early port day or disembarkation day then it would open at 6am. MDR breakfast was usually 8-9:30, sometimes not open on port days for breakfast. On one of the sea days MDR had brunch which I believe was 9-1?

Thank you. That helps, because we like later breakfasts.

We are wondering what the breakfast hours are at the various venues. Thanks!

1 hour ago, Luly said:

My kids almost always order Lime daiquiris. I have tried the pina colada and like it. I rarely get the frozen drinks because I prefer carbonated drinks, so I go with virgin mojitos, virgin blueberry nojito, Shirley ginger, strawberry limeade, and tropical crush with extra Red Bull. We just discovered yesterday that the Crown and Kettle on deck 5 has totally different options that no other bar offers so I’m making my way through those. The Citrus Tonic was too sour, the passion starlight is delicious, the berry press tasted good but didn’t have enough club soda so wasn’t bubbly enough for me. I haven’t tried two of the drinks there. My kids and DH also like to use their diamond drinks for shakes at Johnny Rockets.  

I can’t speak to the mobility scooter charging, but I have seen a few people with them so I know there must be a solution on board.

How many outlets do you have in you cabin? Thanks for all the frozen drink ideas!

3 hours ago, c0w60y said:

I have friend who wants to cruise with us. His son is a 40 yr old mentally handicapped adult. Are there any restrictions for bringing him with us?

Check out post #2 by Reiger. There is a link for the special needs form. They were very quick to answer my question. Not sure what you mean by restrictions, but it is better to deal with them directly.

1 hour ago, Baked Alaska said:

There might be a service that would send the chucks pads direct to the ship. There are similar services for diapers and other infant care items (at least for DCL). Seems like there should be a similar offering for adults.

Thanks, but the disposable pads should be all that is needed. That is good information to have, though, in case the situation changes.

Thank you for these posts. Look forward to the rest of the cruise. We will be on this same itinerary next month. I will be trying virgin frozen drinks too, so I will be interested in your recommendations. Also, DW uses a mobility scooter and we are wondering how she will be able to charge the battery with the new regulations. Have fun!

1 hour ago, MaryCS62 said:

My older DD had epilepsy, and nighttime seizures could cause incontinence that could exceed the capacity of her disposable underwear. We just packed the disposable pads, AND brought a plastic, zip on mattress cover - stripped the bed, put it on, told our room steward why it was there, and to leave it on when they changed the sheets. Made it much more pleasant for everyone.

Thank you. I ordered some disposable pads.

54 minutes ago, Pooch said:

If this is something you NEED, I would not leave it to Royal to provide it.  I would suggest bringing your own.  I believe there are disposables you could pack.

Probably the best idea. We wanted to get by without the extra weight and space in the luggage. We have 2 indoor dogs, so we have piddle pads for them. Our sitters have the disposable ones. It is a rare occurance, but I plan to be drinking more on the cruise and want to be prepared.

12 hours ago, Reigert2008 said:

I do not see it on the special needs form, but you can always call the special needs department to clarify.  There is also a section on the form for "other accommodations" where you could put it in.  If I were you, I would complete the form and and then reach out to the department.  Good luck.

 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/resources/guest-special-needs

Thanks for the response and the link!

Strange question, but will the ship provide an incontinence pad for the bed?

On 8/21/2024 at 11:26 AM, Zacharius said:

This is a common sentiment, but it's actually not accurate. In the US, in 2023, about 78.4% of flights were on time. Looking back historically, the 2010s as a decade averaged about 79% on time, the 2000s about 75% on time, the 1990s about 77% on time. So, almost 80% of flights are on-time these days, and that's the same as, if not slightly above, what it has been for the last few decades. It's still very reliable considering there are tens of thousands of flights with millions of passengers each and every day.  

I guess that "a lot" of flights still do get delayed, because 20% out of 13,000 flights is still a decent number, but your odds of being on an on-time flight are several times higher than being on a delayed flight. 

Still, fly in a day in advance or more. I agree with that 100%. 

Depends on perspective. We live in Wisconsin and generally cruise in Jan/Feb. Our chances of delays are undoubtedly higher. Two years ago the three days we were planning to spend in Miami was spent in our motel room in Green Bay. Even if they re always on time, there is stress related to flying and who wants to be stressed out embarking a cruise? Still, I understand that there are a variety of reasons people can't fly in early. 

We always fly in a few days early. Flights get delayed. A lot.

19 hours ago, ScottB said:

Perhaps you may already know, if you purchased the Refreshment package the shakes are included

This will be the 1st time we don't get a drink package in years. I have been a big beer drinker, but have had to basically quit, due to health issues. Hopefully those can get resolved. I have had after effects of having Covid and pneumonia. So we are thinking the drink package won't be worth it. Subject to change if I can learn to like wine.  

This will be our 1st time to use our Diamond status. It sound like they have really improved that over the years. One of those coupons will go for a Johnny Rockets shake.

We will definitely have to meet up

Explorer Of The Seas, B2B- Jan 26&Feb 6. First time on Explorer, but we really like AOS. This will be more of a ship cruise than an itinerary cruise.

We are thinking March 2 and 9, because 7 days is never enough.

Was everybody fully vaccinated? Also, can you describe your embarkation process? Thanks for posting!

Congrats on the Not doing Carnival again.  We are Diamond on RCI and Platinum on NCL. We prefer RCI overall. You can always count on the Windjammer and Schooners, not matter the ship.  Someone did a YouTube video comparing them and RCI came out ahead on that one too. They did give kudos to NCL for the Waterfront concept.

Following. I was wondering if the Orlando hotels would be cheaper, or more expensive.

It has probably already been covered, but my advice is to never fly in the day of the cruise. Delays are frequent. Who needs the aggravation? I always recommend 2 days before so you have a chance to relax, take in the port city and be refreshed when you get on the ship.

The rules are different here, because the wait staff get paid different. They depend on tips for their living. If the employers paid the full wages, they would have to charge more and there is no incentive to do a better job. At least pre-pay the gratuities.

Being from N. WI, I consider it hot. Probably somewhere in between all these response as the opinions are largely based on where they live.  

Yup. You can use it on as many devices as you want, but only one at a time. Don't forget to log out each time.

Wrong forum, and what kind of headline is that?