moposh

On 7/15/2022 at 12:25 PM, familycruzinnewbie said:

We are taking our first Royal cruise on serenade next Sunday. I’ve heard service has declined a bit. Just looking for some recent food reviews or recommendations. I am the more adventurous one and will try new things, eat seafood, etc.  Hubby is a meat and potatoes guy - no fish or cheesy things. We do not have an ungraded dining plan and are hoping to mostly just eat what is included - unless there is a specific thing we should not miss. 

Hope you had a good time.  I was on Serenade for an Alaskan cruise several years. ago.

Do they have copies of the ferry schedule on the ship or at the Dockyard?

13 hours ago, mskaufman said:

Kids were collecting them.

What?  Don't they sting?

13 hours ago, Reijo said:

I just found out about this Travel Authorization today.  Our travel agent said that this requirement came out of the blue.  I suppose I understand them wanting a record of vaccination and the health form filled out but really think that requiring a $40 fee per person is a bit ridiculous.  Regardless, we have to do it.  

Our travel agent mentioned this Travel Authorization to us today, does your cruise line (RCCL) notify you that this needs to be done?  Our travel agent sent a link to the form but suggested we not complete it just yet as our cruise isn't until 9/11.  Does this sound right?  Thank goodness she just mentioned it in passing, otherwise we wouldn't have known to expect it.

You need a new travel agent.  When I booked my cruise several months ago I found out about the TA.  It's on Royal Caribbean's Web site.  It's been in place for months.

You can't submit the TA until 30 days before your cruise.

I was going to do emed, but with shipping, it would be $100 (for 2 people). 

I ordered free tests through USPS and will use OnPoint Testing.  It is $15 per person.  They will watch me take the test and email me lab results.  A lot cheaper than emed.

On 7/28/2022 at 9:31 AM, Midway7934 said:

My thoughts exactly, shof515. Bermuda 5 night cruises out of Cape Liberty go through September. You can't get off the ship in Bermuda unless you pay your $40 and have a covid test. RC Was doing the checking before boarding. Now what?

You have to pay the $40 even if you don't get off the ship in Bermuda.  You have to have the TA to get on any ships going to Bermuda.  If Bermuda still requires testing, then cruisers will have to get tested.  

You have to do it.  There should have been info on it.  I saw info about it before I booked my cruise.

@Charles4515 probably.  I don't mind walking a little bit.  I will probably go for a walk anyway to explore.

1 minute ago, Charles4515 said:

Good luck on that! When facing the ocean to the left,  away from the amenities,  the east end the beach will be less crowded. If you up to a little explanation past the rocks are some coves and beach that are pretty and empty. 

I'll try that.  I will only need bathrooms at some point.  Thanks.

Just wondering, do cruise ship employees have to submit a TA application and $40 fee (which hopefully is paid for by cruise line)?

I just checked.  There will be another ship there on the second day.  Hopefully it won't be too bad.

On 7/10/2022 at 4:20 PM, cruiserbear55 said:

 

    RCI  has so many " of the seas" it's hard to keep track of them all. 26 last time I checked. But I should have checked your post again to make sure I had the right ship. My bad!!

That's their thing.  Every ship is "Of the Seas".  

1 hour ago, Laszlo said:

Same as it is the rest of the day, 80F-85F

Awesome.  Now if I can get my daughter in gear to be out there early...

I'm just going to go to Horseshoe.  I'm sure we can find a patch of sand and water and will enjoy ourselves.

23 hours ago, Laszlo said:

Unless you need to rent an umbrella and chairs go here....  https://www.google.com/maps/@32.2535494,-64.8175682,258m/data=!3m1!1e3 or here....  https://www.google.com/maps/@32.2556592,-64.812455,298m/data=!3m1!1e3

 

Here are the chairs we take.....  https://amzn.to/3ze0EjY

 

When my wife and I go to Bermuda we always bring small lightweight folding beach chairs and take a cab to the beach.... Get there EARLY

 

I shot the beach scenes at 9am on our second day in Bermuda June 2019. As you can see it's almost empty and we had two ships in port.

 

 

 

 

 

Nice video.  What's the water temp like at 9/10:00 a.m.?  

On 7/23/2022 at 8:31 AM, Cruising411 said:

I received my approved authorization the next day after I submitted my application. I was so surprised.

I'm still waiting on mine.  I cruise in August.  Maybe they're doing people who cruise sooner.  I have checked spam email, but no approval yet.

When I booked my balcony, I didn't know what room I'd get.  I'm on the deck 7 on Enchantment of the Seas.  I hope it's unobstructed.  It looks like the theatre and centrum is on deck 6.  This will be my first time sailing with a balcony.

On 7/23/2018 at 3:39 PM, comfy_critters276 said:

 

A cute magnet I put on our cabin door "disappeared" on day 2 or day 3 of our cruise last year. Very disappointing! From now on if I put something on the cabin door it will be copies of cute or funny photos or jokes held on with cut-up pieces of free advertising magnets, so no big deal if they are stolen during the cruise.

We had that happen to us too.  Disappointing.

On 5/20/2022 at 9:12 PM, JFontaine said:

I would add another vote for Horseshoe.  I get there early,  before 9 and the crowds don't get there until 11.  I don't think the chair rental opens until 10. If walking is not a problem, the chair guys will set up chairs pretty far down the beach. It will get crowded there too eventually,  but nothing like at the entrance to the beach. 

Is it pretty warm at this time?

Anyone done the glass bottomed boat tours?  I have booked two because why not?  They may give a little different info.  We'll go to beach on our own one day and do snorkeling the last day before the ship leaves.

I also hope to go into St. George or Hamilton, maybe on day we arrive depending on time or after lunch on beach day.

3 hours ago, pisces223 said:

Horseshoe Bay Beach last Wednesday (July 20) $70 for two chairs and a "tent". They called it a tent, but it was just one of those 4-cornered canopies that you see vendors use and at craft shows, etc. The line was incredibly long. The beach was packed. The 6 different lines at the refreshment station had no signs (food/drinks) at all. One person waited in a line for 35 minutes, only to find out that the line was for drinks and she was ordering food. If you were only one person and needed to order both food and drinks, you would have to wait in each separate line, for maybe 30+ minutes each. Then the wait for the food was over 40 minutes. I lost my Maui Jim sunglasses in the breaking surf! 😞 Otherwise, it was a great day!

Yikes.  I'm planning to take some water and snacks and just use towels.  May be there for a few hours and not trying to spend a lot of money.  Will go back to the ship for lunch.

I have the BOA Royal Caribbean CC where I earn points towards free cruises.  I have gotten three, well, two, with one upcoming free cruises for two people.  It's great.  I use the cc for basically all my purchases.  

I thought it was 18.  I was irked a bit one time there were some young kids in Solarium and in hot tubs.  

If it's 16, that's good as my daughter is 16 and I thought she wouldn't be allowed in there.  Either way, we'll check when we go.

Last cruise, the solarium pool was very small and adults were just standing in the pool socializing (which they're allowed to do :)), so I went to the outside pool.

Can you change your check-in time?  If it's not available, you can always check back and see if it opens up.  

When do the cruisers get off the ship?  I would think disembarking cruisers would still be on board at 10:00 a.m.

On 7/2/2022 at 2:18 PM, 1025cruise said:

To me, a day at the beach is equal to pure and utter torture, but in all of my trips, we had never seen the pink sands, so we decided to finally make the trip. We were probably there for under an hour. Unfortunately, I got desperate for a drink....

How were the pink sands??  I'm looking forward to seeing that.