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Navigator of the seas June 10-14. 50th birthday+traveling with mobility impaired person

Whizbank

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Whizbank Emerald

Whizbank

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So, final day and observations

I woke up at 4 and couldn't get back to sleep so read and waited for 6 when I could get Dave up. Eventually we made it to Windjammer for breakfast which was quite good. Took final pictures, hugged and kissed friends goodbye then went to Boleros to wait for wheelchair disembark

1. Boleros is right outside of the casino. Even though everything was closed we couldn't stand the smoke smell from the casino. It was Bad  if you are sensitive I would stay away from the 4th floor. We had to get as far away as possible

Wheelchair disembark is not well organized. You show up in boleros, and a staff person is there writing down names in some random order. I told her we had the rented wheelchair and it needed to stay on board. She really didn't know anything about it. Eventually a nice man in dress whites told us they would bring a wheelchair and we could leave this one in boleros and special needs would pick it up. After waiting for a while a pusher came and the crew member asked if they had a large wheelchair for someone else  there was some discussion and then she told him to push us out. I told him again about the rental and he said it was fine he'd push us to terminal and then bring chair back to ship. So he took us past scan out, up gangway to terminal, and then we exchanged wheelchairs with a pushed in port building.  He took us down to get our luggage, then asked what id we had. Dave and I had only our birth certificates license, and he said that the incredibly long line was for those people, passports could walk right out.  So, if you were wondering, THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD HAVE A PASSPORT!  However, he told us to be quiet and then he took us around the line and right to customs who looked at our stuff and waived us through.  While I usually try not to place the disabled card, in this case Dave would have really suffered so I was ok with it. Then we went out to get picked up by our private car

The port building and pickup really harshes your mellow. It's a beautiful building but the pickup area was designed by idiots. The area reminds me of a cage match between Chicago, New York, and LA cab drivers. It's disorganized, cars randomly stop, block, cut each other off. There are obviously "special" people who are allowed to sit at curb longer while everyone else gets threatened with tickets. The fumes are causing premature death. Our wheelchair pusher was nice but we basically were in everyone's way until our driver came and he had to drive around 3 times before he could stop and get us.  I really was shocked at how badly it was designed, and he said Saturdays are twice as bad. So, plan for plenty of time and craziness. 

Eventually we made it out and went to FLL. there was a terrible accident going south on 95 and traffic was backed up for miles. So, anyone driving down to ship was going to get there much later than they planned, so, I agree you should try to get to terminal as early as possible so you don't have problems. That said, don't get there until the boat is unloaded and all of those people are out of the way 

FLL airport was crowded. The wheelchair pusher was very nice but security worked a little differently than Cincinnati and it was more crazy. But she nicely took us to family restroom and waited while we went. Dave was really not feeling well so we took forever and I ended up having to give her a really big tip for waiting. FLL gate seating is tight and not setup like Cincinnati so it was crowded and you couldn't sit near counter. In Cincinnati Ms Ginger took our boarding passes to gate and made sure they knew we were there to help us. FLL didn't and when I went yo talk to gate people they really didn't much care. Basically said to figure it out and when they were ready to board a pusher would get us. Eventually he did, they called for us to go forward, he said we had to wait, and basically the other passengers pushed him to take us up front. It was confusing and I feel bad because I didn't tip him. Eventually though we made it and first class was still worth it. A more turbulent flight but went OK. A nice young guy from San Diego cane to push us off plane and to baggage. We asked for family bathroom again and he said they are locked and pushers don't get keys. So, we ended up waiting at baggage. I called for shuttle and they told me pickup spot but it was hidden and we went to wrong place. Finally asked safety guy and he gave me better directions. Shuttle guy was great, took us right to the car, helped Dave in. Got luggage loaded and headed for home, where I was looking "forward" to the loads of laundry awiting me.  Which would have been much smaller had I not overpacked so much!! 

So, observations

Dave and I would cruise again, but I would prefer a port I could drive to

I'd bring a lot less stuff

I'd try for an itinerary that started with a sea day so I could rest up and then enjoy Port days on ship while everyone else is gone

I'd take the time and effort to get passports even if they aren't necessary 

I'd skimp in other areas to be able to spring for 1st class if flying

I'd have just arranged a private car to take us from home to airport and pick us and take us home

I'd take a closer look at wheelchair options, because larger front wheels would have made pushing around ship easier. If Dave wasn't blind I would definitely recommend a scooter instead for getting around the ship

I'd make sure I knew exactly what I needed to bring to use the oxygen with the cpap and I wouldn't have been so slow to realize I didn't have tubing

I used my friend Denise to arrange everything since she is a travel agent and I would definitely do that again. In fact, I recommend using a travel agent no matter what. It's free and they are the experts so take advantage of what they can tell you

I'd use Robert at Prestige as private car in Florida and let him get gray hair from Miami traffic

I wouldn't get the drink package again, mostly because I didn't get out enough to use it

I would eat in MDR as long as I was meeting friends or not in hurry. The food in MDR was better than the buffet as was service but it's not a quick meal. I would have ordered more desserts too. 

I'd eat at cafe promenade more because that was actually the best food I had. I actually ate a lot less than I thought I would the whole cruise which is good for my waist but not as much fun. El Loco fresh was good too. 

I'd hang out in viking lounge during the day more, where it's quiet but a nice view

I'd get a virtual balcony if offered, that really made the room feel bigger

While I don't like heights I never found that to be a problem on ship even standing at balcony

I was incredibly disappointed with the coffee. You better like your coffee really strong/burnt. You cannot put enough cream and sugar in to make it palatable. 

I'd take a longer cruise. Since the travel to and from is the hardest part, a longer cruise would have allowed for more relaxation and we would have eventually done more stuff. When we planned this a year and a half ago, I had just started my own company and I couldn't see being away 5 days much less longer. Now I know I can make a longer vacation work and/or take a computer if necessary

I'd make a bigger effort to learn and remember people's names. I was discombobulated and always keeping an eye on Dave and making sure I didn't lose anything and it interfered with my natural desire to be gracious and friendly

I wouldnt try to travel with just Dave alone. That was hard and I either need to have really good friends along or bring a companion to help me keep track of Dave and everything else. 

That's about it for now but I may add some comments later as I think of things

 

Whizbank Emerald

Whizbank

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On 6/14/2019 at 2:03 PM, DDaley said:

Yes! Planning on bringing my black Rothy's and a pair of sandals and that's it for footwear! Thanks for this insight. I gotta have the flips for beach days but if my Rothy's can get me by on formal night I am all for it. 

The rothys were great everywhere. Nice for dining, not slippery on wet decks. They dry easy and stay looking nice no matter what. Best pair of shoes I've ever bought. 

KathyC Pinnacle

KathyC

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I'm totally on TeampackLight!  We can do a seven night cruise in a carry-on size suitcase. It's amazing how little you actually need. I know folks who change outfits just cause they can, and feel they want choices from the closet like at home, but most of them are Floridians and don't have to fly to cruise.  I admit to packing more when I'm cruising out of NJ than when we fly. With all the luggage charges and such, it's easier to wear those shorts you only wore for an hour or two a second time, than it is to pay to stow a suitcase.  But...disadvantage to that is you can't buy liquor in port as there is no checked bag to bring it home in.  Or it can be a good thing for the budget.  ? 

Looks like you had a fun and well-deserved vacation.  I work for a CPA myself...

Thanks for blogging! 

Whizbank Emerald

Whizbank

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So, I realized I really didn't talk much about room even though I had pictures. 1305 is on deck 10 right by the elevators and right under Windjammer. I was worried about noise but actually we were never bothered by any. I never heard the elevators at all. Once or twice there was a loud thump on ceiling like someone dropped a piece of machinery, but it was so rare and cryptic that it really wasn't an issue. The virtual balcony really helped with the feeling of being closed in, it really did feel like a window. The only thing that gave it away was that the superimposed balcony railing would flicker off occasionally. While I think it's cute they have it, really they should take it out and just give you the camera view. I wouldn't have any problem recommending it to a friend as a nice room. Obviously since it's an accessible room and those are hard to get I would want it to be saved for wheelchair and scooter users who really need the room, but if you ended up with it as a guarantee cabin you would be happy. 

mom2mybugs Pinnacle

mom2mybugs

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Loved your blog... You included so much detail and info.  Thank you for taking the time.

I just finished up my majesty cruise and vacation.  It is truly amazing how much stuff the rooms can fit!!!!  I definitely need to work on my overpacking though lol!!!    Jane

Whizbank Emerald

Whizbank

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Epic fail update. My TA contacted special needs at sea for me. They said the o2 tubing should have been in a bag with the concentrator. They also said I should have gone to guest services by 2pm and they would have had the SNAS representative fix any problems.  Since I didn't notice a problem until that night didn't really work for me.  Plus, I didn't know that I could have done that. I suggested they give a better explanation letter so you would know to do that. Now I know for next time, as does everyone who reads the blog. 

KristenM Platinum

KristenM

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@Whizbank I’m so glad you enjoyed your cruise!! I totally agree with longer sailings when you have to fly, it’s a lot of work for just a couple of days and we are only a family of 3 traveling (9 year old) so I can only begin to imagine how tired the two of you must have been! Navigator was my first ship back in 2004 and Viking Crown was one of my favorite spots for the exact reasons you mentioned!! Thanks again for the write up, I really enjoyed your recaps even though I didn’t catch it live. You both sound like amazing people and I wish more people in this world shared your same positive outlook. Happy belated birthday also!! ?

Whizbank Emerald

Whizbank

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So, in conclusion (maybe), I decided that I do like cruising and that it does work well for my husband. However, I hate airports and being tied to a schedule, since Dave often has bad days that result in things taking significantly longer than usual. So, I will cruise again, but out of Baltimore so that I can drive to the port. That's about 8 hrs from Cincinnati which is doable, especially since we need to be in town the day before the cruise anyway. And I will definitely do a longer sailing. That said, I doubt I can get on a ship before next May at the earliest, between work and taxes and rebuilding the vacation fund. So, I'll keep lurking around here but won't have anything exciting to add. 

And the 50th birthday cruise was for all 4 of us, but only 3 of us actually hit 50 before the cruise. I still have until September until I hit the big 50. 

Also, as an FYI, I don't remember if I said that I had applied for a Royal Caribbean credit card while it was being pushed in Cruise Planner. There were 10,000 points with 1 purchase, which translates to $100 OBC. Alas, I did not read the fine print, (which I think actually doesn't show up until you are all the way through the transaction) which said that I wouldn't get my points until about 6 weeks after purchase, and I paid for the cruise planner items about 3 weeks before sailing. So, I have the points but did not get to take advantage of them on this sailing. They are good for 24 months so it's not tragic, but having the extra $100 OBC would have been nice.

@KristenM thanks for your kind words. 

 

JLMoran Pinnacle

JLMoran

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14 hours ago, Whizbank said:

So, I will cruise again, but out of Baltimore so that I can drive to the port. That's about 8 hrs from Cincinnati which is doable, especially since we need to be in town the day before the cruise anyway.

Would Cape Liberty port in NJ also be an option for you? My family and I live about 40 minutes from there, and we drove to southern Ohio at a leisurely pace in about the same time. It would increase your ship options from just Grandeur to Grandeur, Adventure, and Anthem, as well as expand your itinerary options. I know a lot of folks here love "Lady G", but figured I'd throw out the extra option if it works with your desired travel time in the car.

AGSLC5 Pinnacle

AGSLC5

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22 hours ago, Whizbank said:

@JLMoran thank you for the suggestion. Google says that's about 10 hrs away so it might be an option and I wouldn't have thought of it. When I'm ready to cruise I'll definitely check them both out. 

I would definitely pick New Jersey over Baltimore.. The ship that sails out of Baltimore is old and New Jersey has better options.. In the winter they often even have 10-12 night sailings you can do so you could really be on the ship for awhile.. Just my thoughts.. Whatever you decide happy cruising. 

JohnK6404 Pinnacle

JohnK6404

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22 hours ago, Whizbank said:

@JLMoran thank you for the suggestion. Google says that's about 10 hrs away so it might be an option and I wouldn't have thought of it. When I'm ready to cruise I'll definitely check them both out. 

... and a newly refurbished (aka Amped) Oasis will be in Cape Liberty/NJ for most of 2020 from May through November (temporarily replacing Anthem)!

We so badly want to cruise through NY harbor and sail under the Verrazano Bridge on Oasis!

Skid Pinnacle

Skid

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2 hours ago, JohnK6404 said:

Oasis will be very interesting! ?

Yup, I really wanted to sail her from Cape Liberty next year (we loved Oasis class last month just like you guys did) but the 12 night Adventure repo from Ft Lauderdale to Cape Liberty was a total of only $150 per person more than Oasis for 7 nights and doing the southern Caribbean (ABCs, St Thomas and Antigua). Could not pass that up. But I have Oasis on my mind a LOT.

@Whizbank, sorry for the thread hijack, but since you are already back, hopefully you are not offended.

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