TexasTrini

This will be our first time on a Carnival ship and I'm thinking about doing the SkyRide, but I'm curious as to how much effort is required to get around the track.

I'm not in very good shape, but I can jog short distances and speed walk longer. I really want to try this ride. I'd like to hear from anyone who has tried it. How was your experience?

6 minutes ago, Seasick Sailor said:

 

You mean Dec 12?

D'oh! Yes, I meant the 12th. 

How nice! Thank you for sharing this. Alaska is my absolute favorite destination, and I hope that I'll be going back there for the rest of my life.

@Btimmer Thank you for doing this! It's kind of you to give us information on the Rotterdam. We'll be sailing with her December 11 and I'm craving info on the ship. Could you please post a few days worth of the daily activities schedule from "When and Where"?

On 11/4/2021 at 4:35 PM, fusion927 said:

Yes.  It was in the forwardmost station on the starboard side ('Distant Lands' during lunch and dinner).

Thank you! That was my favorite spot in the buffet on other ships. I'm looking forward to it again in December. #SoExcited

11 hours ago, sansterre said:

Someone told me there are crepes in the Lido..........for breakfast!  I'll try to check it out, but sadly running out of days🥲

No worries at all. You're doing much in order to answer everyone. If someone told you about it, then I'm sure it's true. Enjoy your cruise! 

On 10/28/2021 at 6:36 PM, lizmom said:

Hi- we are going to book the Rotterdam in January 2022. We both have mobility issues and it looks like the main pool and spa pool only have ladders into the pools. Tried calling  HAL with no success. Does  anyone on the new Rotterdam know if the pools have steps into them?. No I am not interested in using a lift. JoAnn

Hi, JoAnn!

I don't know the answer, but I know who does. Please check out this thread. It was started by a lady who is on the Rotterdam as we speak. She's offering information and answering questions. I'm sure if you ask her she'll check it out for you.

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2808266-live-from-the-maiden-voyage-of-the-rotterdam-vii-transatlantic/

On 10/28/2021 at 12:17 PM, sansterre said:

Speaking of the Crow's Nest/Explorations Central..................

Thank you for posting this. It's very helpful. 

One more question, do they have the crepe station in the Lido Buffet?

4 hours ago, sansterre said:

Yes, I will start checking out drink menus.

Thank you!

4 hours ago, sansterre said:

Our knitting group has moved to the Dutch Cafe.

I always take my knitting on my cruises, but you have a group! That's terrific!

@sansterre Thank you so much for doing this live reporting on your cruise! Could I ask you to please post a few pictures of the drinks menus in different venues, if its not too much trouble? I'm particularly interested in the price of Disaronno Amaretto. I'm trying to decide which beverage package to buy for the Rotterdam in December and it would be helpful to know what my favorite drink actually costs. Thanks in advance!

I have two, actually, because they were both part of my "I'm going to get over my fear of heights" cruise to Alaska. I've always been a little nervous with heights, but as I get older, it seems to be getting worse. If there's anything I completely hate, it's being afraid. So on this cruise, I decided to do something about it.

In Ketchikan, I went ziplining with a company called Bear Creek. I'll probably never do ziplining again, but I would recommend it to anyone, particularly with this company. My guides were fabulous. I'm not joking when I say that I gave them all the money I had with me as a tip (maybe $150.) because those two young men took such great care of me. They didn't sigh or roll their eyes once at this middle-aged woman who talked too much! At the end, I felt on top of the world and felt like there was nothing I couldn't do. I was exhilarated for weeks afterwards.

In Juneau, taking a helicopter onto Mendenhall Glacier and then hiking on the glacier itself. The guides used a pick to open a vein of fresh water for us to drink. It was the purest, cleanest, best tasting water! When hiking, they took us to a deep crevasse. They wouldn't let us get too close, of course, but the colors ... I never knew that there were so many shades of blue! Standing on that glacier, looking at this pristine landscape, trying my best to memorize all this beauty is probably one of my very favorite memories.

46 days. So 47 days too many. 

On 10/22/2021 at 11:58 AM, mom says said:

The bathroom door usually has a hook on the inside. I've used sturdy twine through the holes at the top of the organizer, then looped over the top of the door, and tied off on the door hook. Doesn't scratch the door finish the way hooks can. Or you can use heavy duty magnets to affix it to a wall.

I love the magnet idea! I hadn't thought about it. Thank you 😀

On 10/22/2021 at 11:26 AM, Shmoo here said:

 

I'll also point out there's at least one cruise line that doesn't allow over the door organizers for just that reason - they can deform the door/frame fit.

 

 

I'm not at all surprised at that. I can see where it could cause damage.

On 10/23/2021 at 10:35 AM, trish99 said:

We got heavy duty magnets hooks from Amazon and just hung it on the wall.

That's a great idea! I think this will probably work best for us. Thank you!

Hello, cruisers!

I love, love, love using a shoe organizer in our cabin to keep up with little things and keep clutter to a minimum. However, the hooks over the door keep the closet/bathroom door from closing properly. Does anyone have a solution for this (admittedly) small annoyance?

13 minutes ago, ATG said:

The one thing I remember is that we had dinner planned on the balcony to watch the aqua show.  It poured down rain and the show was cancelled.  We called her to see what options we had for dinner.  Immediately she said everything was completely booked.  We ended up walking in to the solarium bistro hoping they could fit us in.  They weren’t busy at all.  I felt like she really didn’t care about us or was too busy with the more demanding people. 
 

I'm sorry that happened to you. Thanks for the reply.

Orange white chocolate flan. I'm not at all exaggerating when I say that it was the best dessert I've ever had. It was served at lunch one day in the MDR on Liberty. 

On 1/15/2020 at 4:36 PM, ATG said:

Our genie was good, but not great. 

We're traveling Star Class for the first time, later this year on Symphony, so I'm curious about your comment. What ship were you on? Who was your genie? What did he/she do or not do? 

21 hours ago, LHARTWICK said:

Just returned from LOTS on 8/25.  32nd cruise; 7th on RCCL; 3rd on LOTS.   Embarkation was a nightmare for us as we waited in the security line for one hour, and it was very hot, even inside the terminal. 

Yeah, the cruise terminal in Galveston really isn't very nice at all. If it's any consolation at all, embarkation is usually not that much better for suite passengers.

We're going on LOTS in ten days, so we're pleased to hear that the food has improved. Last time, it was inconsistent at best. Like you, we plan to stay on the ship for port days. It's so relaxing and the crew-to-passenger ratio is SO much better. 🙂 

Hank, so now that you've experienced Star Class, can you tell me about it? We're in Star Class for the first time on Symphony in October 2020, and I just can't read enough about it. I'd be grateful for as much detail as you're willing to share. Of course, I want to know everything, but my specific questions are:

1) How was embarkation? Did you keep luggage with you getting on (and off) the ship? Approximately, what time did you arrive at the port? Once you got to the suite lounge in the terminal, how long were you there? 

2) How was the VOOM internet? Our family (eight of us) plans to use WhatsApp on our phones to keep up with each other, and the success of that depends on how reliable the internet connection is.

3) I've read that the Freestyle Coke machines are often out of many popular choices. Did you find that to be true? 

4) How do you bypass lines for activities (ziplining, for example)? Is there a dedicated line for all suites or for star class? Are we meant to show our seapass to the crew?

5) What was the best part of your cruise? 

6) Will you please share the link to the spreadsheet you mentioned?

Thanks in advance for any guidance,

Paige

3 hours ago, MiMi1960 said:

What excursions has anyone done in San Juan/Puerto Rico? Is there any shopping at the port?

Thank You

We didn't buy a shore excursion, but we did rent an SUV for the day, and took ourselves hiking at El Yunque. There is a Hertz right across the street from the cruise terminal. Driving rules are essentially the same as the rest of the US. Prior to going, I'd read that driving in PR is a nightmare, but I didn't have any trouble.

By the way,  a bit off topic, whatever you choose to do in PR, find a store and get yourself a can of Coco Rico. It's a coconut soft drink, and our family fell in love with it. It's in a green can. Yummy!

We were on Brilliance a couple of years ago. I requested DiSorrano in the CL and they made sure that it was there every evening. It was brilliant. (Pun DEFINITELY intended.)

This one is on Royal Caribbean's cruise planner list. It says that it lasts for 4 hours and 45 minutes. Does anyone know how much of that time is actually spent on a horse?

Thanks!

Hubby and I are new cruisers (only a few cruises in as many years.) Last year, we took our first cruise on Royal Caribbean and were in our first suite. It was a Grand Suite on the Brilliance of the Seas. It was absolutely lovely!

One of the MAJOR highlights was the Concierge Club. We met some of the nicest, most interesting people during the evening cocktail hour. And as an added bonus, they didn't have my favorite brand of liqueur, so I asked and they stocked it every night of the cruise, just for me. :) I felt very special!

I'm interested in finding out about other cruise lines' equivalent suite lounges. So, suite passengers of other lines, will you please tell me about the suite lounges? I know about Michael's Lounge on Celebrity, but I only know that it exists and not much else.

I have a video of the club on the Brilliance. Here it is: