fonemanbob

And how do the pumps pump fuel on board with no electricity. And where do the provisions come from? Mother nature has sure struck a cruel blow . I feel really bad for those who have lost everything. And it is sad and unfortunate for those who are vacationing.

Thanks for the tip going to Cozumel in February. So very true about not depending on a cell phone. I hate to admit it but the only time I wear a watch is on a cruise. Otherwise its the cell phone.

When you get on board they will have spa representatives with all kinds of specials. I.E. : First night, and port days usually have some great specials. Also the more services you get the bigger the discount. Another reason to get to the pier nice and early.

Hendricks gin and tonic with a slice of cucumber. Or a highland park scotch on the rocks. I have had some incredible drinks while cruising. I will say to the bartender make me your favorite drink OR make me something unusual. What works great is I will go to the bar and slip a gratuity to the bartender and then ask one of those questions. The wife and I will sit at the bar and engage in conversation with the bartender and guests. The bartenders have a great memory. Having a good rapport works wonders. That is also why we like to get to the dock very early.

St. Martin is definitely out of the question. I would bring my own cigars as who knows how fresh the cigars are on board. Nothing worse than buying a bad cigar. Especially on a transatlantic cruise no less. As far as the weather that will depend on mother nature. The way these hurricanes are forming up over and over who knows what the weather will be like. Just keep checking the forecasts. And in all honesty a good travel agent will get answers to almost any kind of question. Ours is really terrific.

Get to the cruise port by 11 a.m. and you will breeze thru. Want matter what status you have. That is why I have stated a few times to get to the port early. You get a good parking space if driving to the port. You are on board early and you avoid long wait lines.

He (Those) who hesitate are lost. Been there done that. You have to constantly check. It is worth the effort. It does not matter if its : drink packages , cruise price, airfare, hotels, spa, etc. The effort has paid off for us on many occasions .

Worse yet I can:t imagine as to when or if your luggage would even catch up with you. Those are all tiny towns and you are at sea for a day or so before your first port of call. You are truly proof as to why you need to arrive a day before departure. I am glad your luggage arrived before you set sail.

Its best to ignore all the negative comments on cruise critic. Those kind of comments are from people who are negative about most everything. Trip Adviser has given us some great things to do over the years i.e. excursions, dining, lodging, etc. Our travel agent has also been valuable to us. We used to do it on our own. Not any more. And yes we check and see if we got the best rate, room ,etc. In all honesty the best site that you can go to is this site hands down. If you can"t get an answer here then I doubt you will find it elsewhere. Welcome to the blog. Their is no such thing as a dumb question. Just ask away.

In all honesty I think I would run with it. I would not be concerned about the numbers. In fact it is really kind of awesome in a sense that you cant" forget your deck or room number this cruise. I would be even willing to go out on a limb and state that your main dining room table number will have a 6 in it. If it does I would surely hit the casino at some point on the cruise as well as play bingo at least once. Most importantly enjoy the cruise.

There are just too many intangibles that could happen. Too many what is. I.E. late docking, a hold on dis embarking, traffic, weather ,customs and so on. All of the previously mentioned facts are spot on. It is certainly not worth the stress or aggravation that could arise. You very well could make it by the smallest of margins. Booking a later flight is a much better piece of mind. Missing the flight and re booking is just not worth the headache, stress, arguments, etc.

Any ship that has been refurbished is going to look like new. As far as shore excursions look at cruise critic and trip adviser for ideas. The specialty restaurants are excellent and worth the money. There are all kinds of things to do on board. Just check the cruise compass daily. In fact you can google the ships name and cruise compass and you can see what goes on day to day. Also google the ships name and reviews. As you are a first timer on RC WELCOME aboard. It won"t be your last time either. Also on board they hold seminars for what to do in each port.. These are all beautiful islands. And last use this site and ask questions. You will get get excellent answers. Enjoy the cruise.

Their is nothing better than having a premium bacon dipped in rich dark chocolate. And if you want an ultimate treat. Dip the bacon in caramel and then dark chocolate. We bought the BOGO package for our cruise in Feb. on Rhapsody. Like I have stated earlier we check in early and hit the MDR and see what we were assigned. Worst case scenario we apply the $ to the restaurants where we want dine. And last but not least it is so true that it is all in the wording of the ad. Kind of like its what you say not how you say it.

Ditto to the previous post. We have done Sept. cruises knowing all too well that the tropics can be a mess in September. And worse is the fact that hurricane Jose is right behind Irma. I don"t want to think how many more cruises will be affected. Let alone all of the passengers wondering about their plans. As well as where landfalls will happen. Mother nature can truly be be a beast.

There is always a sturdy W.W. 2 army cot. It folds up for easy storage and gives you more room space. In lay mans terms don"t sweat the small stuff. Beds can be re arranged in a heart beat. And as far as the BOGO dinners go straight to the main dining room and get that squared away upon arriving. And arrive early so as to be one of the first to see your BOGO reservation and make any changes. And check out your main dining room table if your not happy with size or location. In fact upon checking in make sure your bed preference is correct. Lastly enjoy the cruise and I hate this line but don"t worry be happy. Don"t stress the small stuff. Life is to short.

Maybe RC will have a black Friday sale and discount the drink package at that time. One can only hope.

Hark another sale. And yes no deluxe drink discount either. And of course different wording. L.O.L. Have a lovely Labor Day everyone.

T.S.A. pre check is the best $85 you can spend. It lasts 5 years and if you travel a lot it is truly worth every penny. You by pass all the long lines and don"t need to remove shoes belt etc. You can carry your laptop as well. I personally have 3 joint replacements and light up the metal detectors. Now I breeze thru. It speeds up customs times as well.

ALWAYS fly or drive in the day before. Our flight to Barcelona last year cancelled due to bad weather in Chicago. We are at Knoxville airport. Had business class seats for flight over the ocean. Got a refund for them. Got put on a different airline with a different route and no business class seats. Did not get seat next wife either. Didn"t care. Just wanted to get to Barcelona. Point is we got to Barcelona a day before cruise. Also after arriving in Barcelona I had a crown come off. Fortunately our Hotel hooked us up with a dentist so I got my crown re cemented. Could not have done that the same day of arriving into port city. Too many intangibles will cause you to miss a boat any time of year. Choice air is way inflated. And yes RC will get you to the ship. They just don"t say when.

Our first cruise was on Enchantment before she was stretched and refurbished and it was a family cruise as well. The kids enjoyed themselves as did mom and dad . From that first cruise mom and dad were hooked on cruising. Looking back we thought Enchantment was a big ship. L.O.L. Then seeing other classes of ships and sailing on them. It"s quite the experience. Royal has an excellent kids program. There is plenty to do for everyone on board. In other words.. Don"t worry be happy. Enjoy the cruise.

Nothing like a glass of Hendricks gin and tonic with a slice of cucumber if available. Oh yes it gets very heavy lugging around all that liquor. We did a family cruise years years ago and both kids each carried off a box for us. The policy states per person and did not state that they had to be of legal age. Should you meet some folks on the cruise they might assist you carrying off extra liquor. Been there done that. Also you can bring 2 bottles of wine on board to enjoy in your cabin upon embarkation. Enjoy the cruise and welcome to cruising on Royal Caribbean.

I used to pack a suit. Now I only pack a blazer with a couple of shirts and ties. Don"t be disappointed as there will be those who don"t dress up at all for formal dinners. I enjoy getting dressed up as society has gotten so lax that now at church and funerals and date night at a nice restaurant you see less folks dressing up. Also we try to hit most of the photographers so as to have a variety of pictures to choose from. We have gotten some great pictures over the years cruising.

On the bright side Majesty is going into dry dock in February. Very curious to see what type of updates and refurbishment will be done to her.

Do the Harv and Marv whale watching tour. You are not on a big boat like the ones you book thru RC. If memory serves me its like 10 people on the boat. it is breathtaking to look straight at a whale and not down at one from twenty feet up. Also it is worth every penny doing a helicopter tour and landing and hiking on a glacier. The helicopter pilots are former military pilots. We stayed at the Pan Pacific hotel in Vancouver . It is located at the cruise port terminal. It may seem pricey but everything in Vancouver is expensive. We disembarked in Vancouver and stayed at the Pan Pacific for 3 nights. We walked off the ship and right into the hotel. Worth the cost of not doing taxis etc. Definitely book the tours way in advance as they are small and can fill up fast.

We loved the ocean view room on Oasis. Like others have stated it beats looking at balcony"s. Its very hypnotic and relaxing. Also you are allowed to bring 2 bottles of wine on board per room to consume in your room or drink a glass at the pool. Oasis has lots to do on board. Definitely book your shows as soon as possible. Take advantage of the BOGO special for 2 specialty restaurants for $20. It ends today. You cant beat getting 2 dinners at Giovanni"s for less than the price of one dinner.. Only draw back with that special is you have dine there the first 2 nights. Get on board early and go straight to the main dining room and check on your specialty restaurant reservations and where your table is located as well. In Jamaica I would do Dunn"s River Falls. In Cozumel I would highly recommend Mr. Sancho"s all inclusive beach club. Check out the reviews on trip adviser and cruise critic. It is $55 per person for all you can eat and beverages and beach amenities. Check out there web page mrsanchos.com.