bcarney

Ambulances? Holy smokes!  
 
On our 10+ day cruises we definitely noticed it age difference, skewing towards the older set.  I chalked it up to kids and schooling, etc.  
 
A while back I watched an English TV program called "The Cruise: A LIfe At Sea" where they followed several people on a round the world cruise.  I can't imagine 100+ days at sea.  Where would I store all my new T-shirts from each port?!? :)  nearly all the cruisers were 60+ including some folks that probably shouldn't have gone on a cruise.

My wife and I canceled reservations for specialty restaurants on next weeks cruise after the Quantum announcement of the elimination of the MDR.  We figure it's a last hurrah for us of this grand old tradition, and will definitely be spending our meals in the MDR.

I watched the Google+ hangout video, and it's clear that they thought this change out well; I get it, I understand where they're coming from, but for this one last cruise we will do the old-fashioned way for old times sake. 

On our first RC cruise I thought about tipping my head waiter, but I had no idea who he was so I was unable to…couldn't have picked him up out of a lineup.  After that, none of the other cruises had head waiters that I would consider extraordinary until our Nov 2011 Enchantment cruise.  Our head waiter there rocked - expediting, picking up the slack when necessary, serving when the meals were hot, interacting frequently with all his tables, etc. We wound up giving him one of those "Wow" cards along with a big tip.

It's funny how there's always a staffer or two on each cruise that winds up being a favorited person from that trip, a real memory maker.

Exactly one week from … exactly right now, I'll be wandering up to deck 14 forward, left side door (thanks Tylor!) to scope out a good location for sail-away on Oasis!  

My next cruise is in October on Allure of the Seas. I'm traveling with a bunch of friends from an online forum. This is the second official group cruise from our forum. We've been planning this cruise since April last year (when it was 17 months out).

Most people didn't wake up one morning and exclaim "hey, I want to take a cruise!".  How did you first become interested in taking a cruise?
 
My then fiancee and I were doing wedding planning and I was thinking of a week in Tahiti for a honeymoon.  But damn.. that was expensive...did I want to go into that much debt for a honeymoon?  Memorable, yes, each time the credit card bill would come it would be a reminder...
 
A local franchisee of a major cruise chain would scour the local paper's wedding license announcements and sent people a brochure about cruising.  She sent us a copy, and since she was just a few blocks from my place we made an appointment and met with her.  She talked about cruising and we priced out a few cruises and decided to book one right then and there.  It was 1/3rd the cost of the Tahiti trip (which appealed to me, being as frugal as I am), and actually sounded more interesting than going to a single resort in Tahiti.  What really hooked me was a photo that showed the size of of some Princess ship behind the US Capitol Building - and the ship was larger!  (this was 1999, well before the Oasis class ships!).
 
We took the cruise (Carnival Fascination)...and I was hooked.  I think the pivotal moment was our last port day, when on an excursion on a Tiami catamaran cruise in Barbados a very drunk man from Arkansas came up to me and said "you're newlyweds?  Well, let me give you some advice, because I've been married FIVE times...."  
 
We came back from the honeymoon, and my mind immediately went to trying to figure out how to take another cruise... and here I am, 13 years later and just a few days from our 11th cruise.  And apparently my love of cruising has rubbed off on my siblings.  We came from very humble beginnings (where a vacation out of state might as well have been a trip to the moon), and we are all now avid cruisers.
 

When isn't that the case with everything on CC? :P

I'll keep an eye out for that shirt and say hello!
-Fellow April 5 Oasis cruiser 

I'm in the process of going through my online check-in for my April 5 cruise. When I got to the form where I had to select my date of birth, the oldest year that was possible to select was 1900.  Why is Royal Caribbean discriminating against 114 year olds?  I certainly plan on cruising when I'm that age.  Looks like I'll have to find another cruise line when I'm a centenerarian-plus.  Holland America (aka "God's waiting room") perhaps?
 
:)
 

I'm in the process of going through my online check-in for my April 5 cruise. When I got to the form where I had to select my date of birth, the oldest year that was possible to select was 1900.  Why is Royal Caribbean discriminating against 114 year olds?  I certainly plan on cruising when I'm that age.  Looks like I'll have to find another cruise line when I'm a centenerarian-plus.  Holland America (aka "God's waiting room") perhaps?
 
:)
 

I'm in the process of going through my online check-in for my April 5 cruise. When I got to the form where I had to select my date of birth, the oldest year that was possible to select was 1900.  Why is Royal Caribbean discriminating against 114 year olds?  I certainly plan on cruising when I'm that age.  Looks like I'll have to find another cruise line when I'm a centenerarian-plus.  Holland America (aka "God's waiting room") perhaps?
 
:)
 

I'm in the process of going through my online check-in for my April 5 cruise. When I got to the form where I had to select my date of birth, the oldest year that was possible to select was 1900.  Why is Royal Caribbean discriminating against 114 year olds?  I certainly plan on cruising when I'm that age.  Looks like I'll have to find another cruise line when I'm a centenerarian-plus.  Holland America (aka "God's waiting room") perhaps?
 
:)
 

I was planning on picking up an open booking NextCruise certificate on my April 5th cruise.  I'm not able to book a certain date this far out.  For a $100 OBC it would have been worthwhile…for $25?  I'm not going to bother.

I'm in the process of going through my online check-in for my April 5 cruise. When I got to the form where I had to select my date of birth, the oldest year that was possible to select was 1900.  Why is Royal Caribbean discriminating against 114 year olds?  I certainly plan on cruising when I'm that age.  Looks like I'll have to find another cruise line when I'm a centenerarian-plus.  Holland America (aka "God's waiting room") perhaps?
 
:)
 

I'm in the process of going through my online check-in for my April 5 cruise. When I got to the form where I had to select my date of birth, the oldest year that was possible to select was 1900.  Why is Royal Caribbean discriminating against 114 year olds?  I certainly plan on cruising when I'm that age.  Looks like I'll have to find another cruise line when I'm a centenerarian-plus.  Holland America (aka "God's waiting room") perhaps?
 
:)
 

When we first started cruising it was itinerary.  I like "collecting" ports.
 
After that it was co-ordinating flights and trying to minimize costs and travel stress.
 
On our first two cruises with kids, finding the right staterooms was a concern.  On one we booked a rear corner on Adventure that was a wider but shallower room, which worked out well for having space for the crib.  On another we had a Family Suite like your recent Navigator cruise; it rocked, and we were lucky as they usually don't let those out for families of 4.  On our April 5 cruise we're going to "wing it" in a standard balcony room w/pull out sofa bed on Oasis and see how it goes.
 
Now on the Oasis cruise, the difficulty is here is excursions.  Partially finding ones that appeal to both myself and the kids, and partially finding one in Bahamas that fits that weird 7am-2pm on a Sunday stop.
 
All this said, if this is "difficulty" to suffer through, I guess I am truly blessed. :)
 
"The Real" Bill Carney

Hi Nikki,
 
Congratulations on your recent engagement! My wife and I were married on Liberty of the Seas in 2008 in Miami, Florida (the port Liberty was home ported at the time). We had a group of 10 sail with us and the over all experience was wonderful. I do know the process has changed a bit though. Back in 2008 only a marriage officiant could marry, but now I believe that a captain can marry. Also legal ceremonies had to take place either in a US port or while docked at an island. But I believe this has changed too. Now you can have a ceremony at sea in international water. I could be wrong, but I have read this on Cruise Critic. 
 
Royal Romance (now called Royal Weddings) did all of the leg work, which made things very easy. Since we got married in Miami, Royal Caribbean obtained our State of Florida wedding license on our behalf. This is something some states allow, some don't. Most you have to show up in person to get a marriage license. With island ceremonies, you are at the mercy of whatever their rules are for obtaining a marriage license. The first thing to do is to contact Royal Weddings and go over what you want and check on dates, when sailings become available.
 
And if you get marriage on Oasis or Allure you'll get some amazing photographs that you'll be able to take home with you at the end of your cruise. Ship photographers took us all over the ship for photos!
 
Good luck and feel free to ask any questions. 
 

Posing with our wedding officiant Marty. She was amazing!
 

Taken in the wedding chapel on Liberty of the Seas.
 

 

 

We have a photo of us sitting in the Morgan with the sign switched to Just Married.

Tylor response wins prize for most pertinent & helpful of the year.

Take a bunch of people at the mall, lock the doors, and keep them in there for a week.  A similar number of people are going to get sick, only they'll call it "the flu" and just go home.
 
Do the same on a cruise ship, and (gasp!) it's NOROVIRUS!!! (gasp again) and it's all over the news for a week or more.
 
I think RCL did what they had to do in this bad situation.  There's not really a lot of options.
 
At least it's not a self-inflicted issue like mechanical problems due to lack of upkeep, etc...

Wow, I wish I would have investigated this more back in the past… I could have saved some serious coin.  I've looked at other cruise lines and have been tempted (particularly NCL with their considerably-lower 3/4 pax rates, which would help keep costs down re: my kids), but I keep coming back to Royal.  I should probably just "put a ring on her finger" and purchase the NCC on day 1 on Oasis, LOL!

I only discovered this over the weekend, but there is a dining package on Oasis.  We're just going to do the main dining room this cruise ($$ reasons), but there is the "Oasis Choice Dining Package" - from the website:
 
Enhance your vacation and save money with Royal Caribbean's Specialty Dining packages. These packages offer the opportunity to visit several of the most exciting restaurants onboard more economically than booking them individually. The Oasis Choice Dining package includes dinner at four of the ship's most spectacular venues: Solarium Bistro, Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table and Izumi.      How to Reserve To reserve the Oasis Choice Dining Package in advance and save up to 20% off the normal cost of dining at these outstanding restaurants just:    • Purchase the Oasis Choice Dining Package online through our Pre-Cruise Planner(RoyalCaribbean.com/PreCruisePlanner). • As part of your dining package purchase, you will select your dining time and dine in Solarium Bistro on day 1 or day 2. Once onboard you will reserve Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table and Izumi once onboard the ship. If you reserve additional restaurants online you will be charged for this package and also for additional restaurant reservations. • Once onboard you'll be able to add your reservations at Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table and Izumi on evenings you choose. • You may also purchase the Oasis Choice Dining Package onboard by visiting Solarium Bistro, Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table or Izumi before 5 pm on boarding day.   About the Restaurants Solarium Bistro: Let the starlit ocean sky set the mood after dark, when the Solarium pool transforms into a fine dining destination. Explore a menu of inspired, sumptuous dishes that embrace healthful living through healthy eating.  Chops Grille: Royal Caribbean's popular signature steakhouse, featuring grade-A premium cuts of steak cooked to your specifications, plus fresh seafood, hearty side dishes and signature desserts in an upscale, contemporary setting. Giovanni's Table: A casual Italian trattoria with indoor and al fresco seating, Giovanni's Table offers rustic dishes with a contemporary flair, including toasted herb foccacia, pastas, braised meat dishes and stews, served family-style. Izumi: The traditional Asian dishes at Izumi will impress you with their pure, delicate flavors, freshness of ingredients and impeccable presentation. Diners can choose from popular sushi rolls, sashimi, our Hot Rock (Ishiyaki) Plates, sukiyaki and more.     Where You’ll Find It The Oasis Choice Dining Package is available on Oasis of the Seas.     Dress Suggestion We suggest smart casual attire in all three restaurants – jackets for men, dresses or pantsuits for women. On formal evenings onboard, formal attire is also appropriate in the restaurants, including suits and ties or tuxedos for men and cocktail dresses for women.     Serving Hours Giovanni's Table: 5.30 pm to 9.30 pm Chops Grille: 6.00 pm to 9.30 pm Solarium Bistro: 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm Izumi: 6.00 pm to 10.00 pm     Other Information Guests under the age of 18 should be accompanied by a parent or guardian.   IMPORTANT: In order to reserve the Oasis Choice Dining Package online you should book ONLY Solarium Bistro on the first night of the cruise. Reservations for Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table and Izumi will be made onboard. If you reserve Chops Grille, Giovanni's Table or Izumi online you will be charged for those restaurants in addition to the Oasis Choice Dining Package.   Cancellation: Cancellations made within 24 hours of the dinner reservation will incur a charge of $10.   [send us all your money button]

Credit card points cashed in, Final payment made, switched from MTD to 6PM Traditional, and booked some excursions. Except for figuring out what to do in Nassau, cruise planning for Oasis on April 5 is done. Now the daily countdown begins!  :D

Credit card points cashed in, Final payment made, switched from MTD to 6PM Traditional, and booked some excursions. Except for figuring out what to do in Nassau, cruise planning for Oasis on April 5 is done. Now the daily countdown begins!  :D

Found it - on your front page (blush…).  By 'last minute' I was thinking/hoping this month (next three weeks) when I have some unscheduled time off and could drive to FL...

Ditto here.  On one of our first cruises we purchased a beautiful light blue opal necklace for my wife at Effy in St. Maarten, and it was some sort of stone that they had as an exclusive.  I usually find the jewelry buying process fairly traumatic (especially the bit where you hand them your credit card), but the staff there were businesslike-but-friendly and frankly I felt like I got a good value for the transaction.  The next time we were in SXM we stopped in again, and before we even hit the door they noticed her necklace and sold us matching earrings.
 
Now each time we take a cruise and there is island with an Effy store there we try to go and purchase something as a momento.  And each time she wears the light blue opals I think of the Caribbean and give her a hug.