nascar junkie

That's the game they play.

Mostly yankee's live down there;)

Thsi tax was intended for all the carpetbaggers that come through here from yankeeland and use up our natural resourses. Texas residents were also charged to be fair to all but they get it back by not having to pay state income tax.:D

Depends on where you are from. If from England or their posessions, then anything less than a tux and gown is considered uncivilized. If you're from Oklahoma, then overalls and halter tops are considered formal. If you're from anywhere else, then a nice shirt/trousers and maybe a sport coat and a dress is fine. All depends on what you feel OK with and how dressy you want to get.;)

I wish they had moonshine in the bars but that isn't likely either.

Was just off Navigator a week ago Sunday and we had been to Belize. Took 2 hours to get through customs WITH A PORTER after getting luggage which is suppossed to be a lot quicker. Person directing lines screwed up the whole thing and was mixing non porter passengers with the porter's lines. Porters were furious as they were supposed to have priority at certain lines. Yes there is a 2.75 per bottle and 15.00 per carton tax station once you get through Federal customs. If you lie and get caught, there is a heavy fine.:mad:

Was on Navigator last week and they had BBQ chicken on day and Jambalyia on another day on pool deck for lunch.

It was on Navigator last week.

I made the mistake of having a very heavy carry-on duffle bage without wheels so that 10 minute walk was not real plesant. My fault and would use this place again but with a wheeled bag. Did drop wife off with porter before parking but kept carry-on with me.

Sorry Lynn...these pools are not made for kids. With a MINIMUM depth of 4.5 ft, that is well over the heads of most kids, 12 and under. Saw a number struggling to try and reach a ladder which was usually partially blocked. Just for info, No lifeguards on these pools so if someone gets into trouble, hopefully someone will notice and help.

Nebraska Cruiser is right. a kid could very easily get lost in the mass of people and never be noticed or even be not able to get to the ladder as people tended to congergate around it. Pools are a minimum of 4 and a half feet deep. Only area shallower is fairly wide ledges around pool which have water on them and kids fenced off area. These are certianly not your backyard pools and lake swiming areas.

Just got off Navigator last week and pools were severely crowed. Last thing you want is some kid swinging a noodle around and whacking someone. Wife almost got kicked in face by some kid trying to swim around and dive down in the pools. These pools are made for "soaking and cooling off", not swimming around. Kids under 16 are not allowed in Solarium pool and they do enforce that. Saw a lot of water wings and water vests which were OK. There is a shallow area fenced off for kids at one end of one of the pools.

On the pool issue, we used the solarium some also when the others got totally packed but it pretty crowded also in the afternoon. Had room to get in without crowding others and not as rowdy with the kids. Hot tub there always had room. My point on the food was MDR was adaquate for us as we are not accustomed to going to upscale/ very expensive places. For those who prefer that level, I'm glad they have it available.

Not sure how to download pics but there are a bunch of reviews on here with pics. Formal nights were Monday and Friday.

We had to wind around a bit to get to 21st. One other thing. We parked at Galveston Park and Cruise. All their enterences and exits face New Strand and they did not have a shuttle to the terminal. It's a bit of a walk all the way to terminal 2 if you don't have a wheeled carryon. On the snorkeling, We saw fish almost immediatly. Snorkeling was included in the tour so we didn't have to rent equipment but our guide was a really good swimmer and took use pretty far out and around from the shore. You can rent equipment there for 15.00 if you are on your own. A couple of folks who couldn't keep up just staying closer in and at their own pace.

First off, let me tell you a little about us. We have cruised twice before on Carnival but 10 years ago so we were a little familiar with the general process. We are pretty down to earth folks. Fast food and buffet eaters with occasional “chain restaurants”. This was our first time on Royal in cabin 7552, a balcony, so we had no perks as far as any type of priority. We did not eat in any of the specialty restaurants nor did we buy high end drinks. We did do the wine and dine package for 7 bottles and all seven were gone by Saturday night. Point here is, a lot of the posts on this board, are by folks who have multiple cruise on Royal status and are in suites so I thought I’d give the average joe perspective. The Navigator is all that folks have raved about. Very clean ship with very friendly and attentive staff overall.

EMBARKATION – Got to terminal a little after 11. Will address Port of Galveston later. There were lines but once they started moving, they never stopped. Very quick process through security, got sea passes, and was on board by 12. Rating 10

PORT OF GALVESTON – Stay off of Harborside. Traffic is still a nightmare and there is only 1 entrance serving both terminals. Royal is at 2. Instead use I-45 which turns into Broadway and turn left off of Broadway around 25th to 21st. 21st goes right into the terminal entrance but you’ve got to go all the way past Carnival to get to Royal. Leaving was also a mess taking over 2 hours to get through customs with a porter. Person directing traffic into customs area mixed porter and non-porter passengers and the porters were furious, supposed to be much quicker process with porters. This person obviously didn’t know her job and the rules. Also, if you go to Belize, customs takes much longer to verify documents, etc. due to drug trafficking - Rating 2

NAVIGATOR OF THE SEAS – Word of advice…there is so much to do on that ship, you could go nonstop from 6AM to 2AM and still not cover everything on a given day. Pace yourself and leave some down time. Wine on the balcony while cruising sure felt good. Crew was exceptional in all areas. Rating 9

POOLS - Only slight negative was pools were VERY crowded and this time of year, hot tubs and pools were crammed with kids who overall were really well behaved but got a little rowdy in the pool and one almost kicked my wife in the face. Rules on no jumping, etc. were not enforced. There was an area called the Solarium that is adult only, was also very crowded, but calmer. There is really not enough capacity for that many passengers and could probably use 1 more pool area. Rating 7

FOOD – Overall good in MDR and our waiters were exceptional. Despite the fact we had my time dining; we were mostly able to get the same staff each night and never had to wait. Yasmin and Kelly were awesome. Windjammer was a little cut above Golden Corral and Furr’s Buffets we have here in Texas. If you go during prime time, finding a seat can be an issue but we were always able to eventually find one. We used this for Breakfast and Lunch and me and the wife would get our seats first then get our food in shifts so as to not lose our seats. It’s all first come, first serve. As I said, we didn’t do any of the extra charge specialty restaurants so I can say if they were worth the extra money. Included food was good enough for us Rating 8.5 on quality, 10 on service.

ENTERTAINMENT – Better than I remember on Carnival. Very good comics and productions. Wasn’t all that impressed with the Ice Show as it started off with performers falling and they just didn’t seem in it. We did the last show so maybe that accounted for it. Lounge bands were fair to good. Parades are a must see. Rating 8.5

STAFF – one word…awesome. Our cabin attendant was right there when we needed her and wasn’t when we didn’t. Kept us supplied with ice and gave us extra buckets. Best we’ve had on 3 cruises. Other staff always smiled and spoke when we passed and jumped right in to help when needed. Rating 10+

ROOM – 7552 three quarters way forward on port side. Very spacious and lots of storage. Bed was firm, which I like, so if you are a soft bed person, it may be an issue. Mini fridge does not cool much at all so don’t expect much from it. Bath area compact but nice. Balcony had a small table and 2 chairs. Little noisy at times but usually quiet at night. Slept great. Rating 9 due to mini fridge.

SHORE EXCURSIONS – Kind of mixed bag here. All booked through Royal as we wanted security of not being late and left by ship. Roatan…Went to Maya Key Resort. Nice beach and animal refuge. Staff there, however, was indifferent and not very friendly. Snorking equipment rental was very expensive so we just chilled at the beach. Nice lunch included. Drinks reasonable. Accessed by 5 minute boat ride. Would go back. Rating 7 due to staff. Belize…Did Airboat tour and it was great. Kind of sad going through Southern Belize City as unbelievable poor living conditions, dumps everywhere and people living in squalor never seen in the US. Apparently is also a major drug hub causing customs delays back into US. Rating 8. Cozumel…. Did the Chankakub National Park which we had done before. Very expensive restaurant and snorkeling part of tour was nice but a swimming marathon. If you are not in decent shape, I’m not sure I’d try this. Beach OK but very small area that is not bordered by rocks. Should have done this on our own as taxis are plentiful and cheap and we could have managed our own time. Did not do the dolphin encounter. My wife hated the marketplaces. Vendors are extremely aggressive and are constantly after you. Also, you have to negotiate prices or you get really ripped off. Bought at great hat for 30.00 and he threw in a shot of Tequila. Wanted 45 in beginning. I don’t have a problem with all this but she just doesn’t handle it well. Rating 6. Overall rating 7

Hope this helps those who don’t have perks, are in lower level cabins and are trying Royal for 1st time. One question that comes up is how much cash to bring. We brought 500.00 and came back with 65.00 Major places to spend cash is in ports, tipping porters, and the cabin/wait staff at the end of the cruise. We were pretty generous with our cabin attendant, waiter and asst. waiter. This was in addition to the pre-paid gratuities already charged. They really made our cruise special with just their service and attitude. Overall, except for the Debarkation, which was not Royals fault, was very relaxing and again just be patient and pace yourself. I would give this cruise an overall rating of 9. It would have been a 10 except for crowded pools and debarkation issues. :)

How bad is construction on I45 between Houston and Galveston? Causing any major delays on Sunday mornings?

Ah jeez....you did have to mention popcorn and they don't have any on these ships and I'm an addict. We're out of space to try and pack any, so I guess I'll go cold turkey.;)

Oh Jeez....you mentioned those 2 cuss words. Dress Code. Now we'll have another 2000 response thread. Shame on you!:eek::D

Just my opinion...It's worth a 2.00 daily tip to have a pot brought to me each morning with some sweet rolls.

I'd rather try to sandpaper a wildcats butt than go that direction. I think she stopped at about 15 pair :D

As usual, thanks guys for great info so I don't have to give her a Valium.:D

Yeah...got me too. Was trying to be funny earlier but didn't work.

We have 2 duffel bags that measure 14 inches wide and 14 inches tall, one for my wife and one for me. Wife is freaking out that they won't fit through scanner because they are over airline restrictions for carry-ons. Has anyone put anything this size or larger through the scanner while boarding? I can't seem to find actual scanner tunnel capacity anywhere,

You guys are absolutly awesome on these alturnative routes. Just reduced my stress level about 80%. As far as the "awful review", everyone needs to take that advise and then I'd have the whole ship to myself.;);) Just kidding, of course, as that would make for a pretty boring cruise without others around.