sparklies70

Drew is great. Very funny. His "Quest" is a lot of fun. Also he's super hot, so....

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No food in the pub. Vintages offers Spanish-style tapas: paella, olives, tortilla espana, anchovies, I think some sandwiches, cheeses, croquettes, crab cakes, etc. IMO, some of the food is very good, and some is just so-so. Still, worth a try, especially on a sea day, as it's almost never crowded.

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This is a heartbreaking story that is now getting media attention. Please avoid Royal Caribbean. I have sailed with them several times and usually loved them. But, when our friend Derek Kinner was diagnosed with lung and brain cancer, we chipped in to send him on his dream trip. He is not well-traveled and wasn't told to bring more than his driver's license, so he was not allowed to board. His health has quickly declined. Royal will not refund his money an only offered him 50% off on a future cruise, which he is too ill to do. His doctor verifies everything. Here is a television and news story on him. Please share. http://www.firstcoastnews.com/%E2%80%A6/man-dying-of-cance%E2%80%A6/57618972

 

 

 

#royalcaribbean #royalcaribbeaninternational

Exploitation at its finest. This isn't Royal's responsibility, as their documentation requirements are clearly outlined, well, everywhere. As his friends who are, by your own admission, better-traveled than he, YOU should have made sure your friend knew what would be required to board. Royal went above and beyond by offering 50% off a future cruise for a mistake that was not theirs.

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I have gotten 3 emails in the last 2 weeks to sign up for specialty dining on our upcoming cruise on the Explorer of the seas

 

As soon as I try it says have to do it on the ship

 

Then why are they sending the emails ??????? I have called them and they are clueless

 

 

 

Cruise is in about 55 days

 

 

 

Helaine

Lol. They did this to me for my recent Oasis sailing. I got emails nearly every day with "Book your specialty dining!" I did that, and then I got "Book your drink package!" So I did that, and then received "Book your excursions!" Did that, and then finally "Book your VOOM wifi!!!" Sigh.

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Hotel prices and land based trips is irrelevant for comparison to a cruise price. Time of year, popularity, cruise line and ship is what matters.

It's not at all irrelevant. If I'd pay less to see all of those places on a cruise versus on a land-based trip with all other thing being equal and still derive the same enjoyment, it's very much relevant.

Also, notice I began my original post with "I say," meaning it's MY opinion. Doesn't need to concur with yours.

Lol. I really think it's just because people wait UNTIL their dinner time to complain and want to make changes. I fell asleep at the table on night 1 this year. That taught me a lesson: seriously no more than 15 minutes in the whirlpool.

Nice review. I have fond memories of Indy. When I sailed her in 2010, we had the two most awesome bartenders in the pub and the musical entertainment looked JUST LIKE Richard Attenborough. I can only remember that one bartender was named Ricardo. But I digress... Glad you had a nice time!

I say as long as it's less than you'd pay to spend that many nights in hotels in the various ports you're visiting, it's a good deal. Time of year, popularity, and ship also matter.

I just booked 10 nights on Serenade OTS for January 2017, cabin 1024, for $130 pp/pd INCLUDING taxes & gratuities. I feel like that's an incredible price for the Southern Caribbean.

Compromise is what makes life good....for everyone! Don't force him to do something that makes him ill!

Oh no....I hope I haven't been forcing him :( For what it's worth, HE picked the 10-night Serenade we just booked last week. He wanted to do either that or a 9-night Navigator.

My husband doesn't like to cruise or travel beyond a day's automobile drive from where we live. He accompanied me on several cruises before saying "never again". So now I cruise with my sister and/or mother, or even by myself. My husband is a wonderful person; he and I do virtually everything else together; cruising is the one area where I diverge and gratify myself:D

I could totaalllyyyy cruise by myself and have a splendid time. Doesn't sound like a bad setup at all! Thank you for the suggestion :)

Don't give up!!! Keep him!

 

 

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Ohhh okay, I suppose ;);) I'll make a sea lover out of him yet!

Sorry to hear this.

 

We do things that we are both happy with.

 

Thankfully we both love to travel and love to cruise.

 

Keith

Ahhhh, to be able to do only what you both enjoy. Unfortunately with 4 families in 4 different corners of 2 different states, 8 hours apart, wildly different careers, and some unshared interests, doing just the things we both love is not really an option. Concede we must.

Book the ANTHEM out of NJ ........ASAP....LOL

Truly though, Bonine is the ONLY thing that has ever worked for my son who violently gets ill on a ship. As stated before, start taking it two days before the cruise....AT NIGHT....as it can make you tired....so you don't want to take it during the day (especially if you are drinking).

:):):):)

Hahaha! I would totally do Anthem if not for the fact that I see no reason to be cold for two day while getting away from this state.

Will definitely try the Bonine. Thank you so much for the suggestion.

Yep if it's just the sickness, give something else a try. I can make myself car sick while I'm driving, but do just fine on cruises with the patch. If it didn't work I wouldn't want to do on them either.

Good point. He's very prone to car sickness as well. I guess it's just difficult for me to grasp because no amount of movement makes me feel sick in the least.

If normal remedies fail him, then perhaps his body isn't meant to cruise.

 

Eventually, if you two stay together, someone will have to capitulate to the other. You give up cruising or he sucks it up...but the vacation will become a pain with him being sick....I imagine by year 5 that you'll give up the fight because it isn't worth it.

 

Otherwise, why don't you go with another friend and he can do a guys trip. Sometimes, it's nice to have interests outside of your relationship. My wife and I love each other immensely, but we also do occasional trips without each other. Why force someone to do something when it causes them such grief?

 

Good luck, however it works out.

I agree, to an extent. I suppose he is choosing to suck it up since we booked a 10-night Southern Caribbean for January and it was totally his idea.

We take plenty of trips without each other throughout the year; usually they are long weekends. Then we do a week with his family, which is quite like nails on a chalkboard for me. So I'd really like to have my own week of vacationing with him...on an actual vacation.

Maybe look at some cruises that have extended port time and have him meet you at a destination?

Interesting solution; I had not thought of that. Rob, are you currently in radio? DB has been in VA, TN, and PA markets.

Find a new partner! :D

Lol! Pulling no punches!!

Have you tried Bonine? This is the ONLY thing that works for my (grown) kids. You start taking it a night or two before the cruise starts to get it in your system. Is this the only reason he does not like to cruise or are there other reasons?

Bonine! We'll have to try that!

I think it's a little from Column A and a little from Column B. Minus the seasickness, he definitely enjoyed the Oasis. However, I don't think he'd continue to do them if we weren't together. Me, on the other hand, I'm not happy unless I've got one booked. He just doesn't have the love for it, you know?

Also--hello from Southeast New Jersey!! Your part of the state is quite beautiful.

I am wistfully looking at everyone's historical and future cruises. DB does not enjoy cruising nearly as much as I do. He goes, I suppose, to oblige me, but he ends up being sick and miserable for about 3 days of a 7 night cruise. He's tried the bands and Dramamine but neither helped much, so I guess next up is the patch. After this last cruise, I suggested maybe we could do 2 a year instead of 1, and that was met with a hard no. He was rather petulant, actually: "I don't WANT to go on two cruises a year!!!!"

SO- is anybody here partnered with someone who just doesn't care very much for the ship life? How do you make it work? Should I just end the relationship now? (Only half serious.)

PS- We do "his" vacations too: music festivals, his family's lake house, etc etc.

I think it was only created to mollify folks who were going from Platinum to Diamond when they changed the rules. Tht's when they moved the goal posts on Diamond and made it harder to get to.

This seems reasonable, I suppose. I'll still hit D by the time I'm 32. This excites me, perhaps more than it reasonably should.

A couple who was supposed to travel with us last week broke up the DAY AFTER final pay in November. Like get it together guys...Anyway, as of January, the male half of that couple was still waiting for his refund, sans deposit.

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Very minimal. Emerald is so pointless. All it serves to do is keep me from D!!!!!

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MCO can be such a nightmare. As Bob said, take yourself and your luggage off the ship as soon as humanly possible and arrange for private transportation. Also, see if you can't get online for a few minutes the day before and check-in for your flight in advance.

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On Oasis in April, it was our least favorite meal. Will give Freedom a chance next month. Maybe for lunch

I was just on last week, and they were ridiccccuuulouuusssllyyy slow and understaffed. Like busy to the point that one of the JR servers came over in full JR uniform and was running food. It definitely affected the quality of our meal, plus they forgot to bring out one dish entirely and tried to charge us for it.

I do not share the same affinity for their guac that other posters do. It was just OK for me.

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Oh man. If you can handle a little spice, get the chicken & roasted corn empanadas. I went back twice this past week specifically for that.

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