mikefromny

I think you're comparing apples to oranges and the answer lies in which fruit you're in the mood for. I've never been to Portside BBQ, but I am looking forward to it. It seems you like the food options at both, so it's more of what you're looking for in the atmosphere. Playmakers is more of a sports bar. My understanding is that Portside has live music. If it were me, I'd eat dinner at Portside and enjoy some music and bbq (that I've heard is pretty good) and then hit Playmakers for their campfire cookie for dessert. Either way, I don't think there's a bad decision here. Enjoy!

If you go to the beach club they may have free snorkeling equipment, I know the cabanas have masks and snorkels, but I don't think flippers. I think there is a stand near the snorkeling area that rents the equipment. We got our sets on Amazon pretty cheaply. Enjoy!

We're going on the June 9 sailing of Oasis and I was wondering if anyone knows who the current musical acts are? We're especially interested in who is performing in the Music Hall. TIA

We were on Symphony in January, another Oasis-class ship. Our last RCI cruise before that was 2005. Kids, am I right!?! lol We loved the Oasis-class ship. So much to do and the ability to do nothing. We loved the solarium, the adults-only area. We loved it so much that we booked three more cruises on them (one more on Symphony and two on Oasis). We did one night of specialty dining, otherwise, we loved the MDR. There were also plenty of free places to grab snacks and a bite. We especially loved Park Cafe for breakfast or lunch. Cafe Promenade was very good for a snack. Playmakers also had good wings and my wife is dying for another one of their campfire cookies. You do have to pay at Playmakers, but it's reasonable. We absolutely LOVED Coco Cay. But to be fair, we splurged on a beachfront cabana at the beach club. However, the island is beautiful and there is plenty of free things to do. If you enjoy snorkeling at all then I highly recommend it. We say schools of beautiful fish. Later in the day, we came within 5 feet of a barracuda - scary but amazing. The snorkeling was so good that I bought an underwater digital camera for our next cruise. In St. Thomas, we took the ferry over to Water Island and went to the beach there. We had a great time. I found out about it from royalcaribbeanblog.com (https://www.royalcaribbeanblog.com/2023/01/12/i-went-stunning-caribbean-island-my-cruise-youve-probably-never-heard-of?fbclid=IwAR2fo5JrD2sBwDrQ-aDkswBx1M0w5trcVZ3MbMGd_Naucz2G5h5mY_GKKJw). The only warning is that the bathrooms are not nice. Other than that, we had a great day, and was easy to do on our own. We don't drink enough to get the DBP. I think the break-even point is 5-6 alcoholic drinks. If you're a soda drinker that comes down a little. We found the wifi was fine. Was always able to stream music, get emails and use our kindle or tablet. The only problem we had is that with T-Mobile we could not get MMS messages. We used whatsapp to send and receive texts to avoid the problem. The free messaging in the app was very spotty. I hope you love your return to cruising. We certainly did.

Too many variables to give a one size fits all couples answer. Do you like the wow of an Oasis ship with a lot to do? Do you like a quieter ship or more of a party atmosphere? Do you want a lot of specialty dining options or do you enjoy the MDR? Are you looking for an indoor pool or only enjoy outdoor pools? As I said, there are so many variables. We loved Symphony as a couple, but we like a lot going on, even if we spend most of the sea days in the Solarium.

This is why I love CC! Just snagged it for so much less than the internet and ship tour I already booked. Wish it was available for my other 2 cruises also. Looks too good to be true, but I'll take it.

They posted the bungalows. A little over $500. Snagged one!

We're going to Labadee next January and some of the cabanas are now available. We are interested in the Columbus Cove Beach Bungalows but they are not available yet. The beach cabanas currently on the planner range from $1,209 to $1,649. I'm wondering if anyone knows if the CC Bungalows are usually cheaper or more expensive than the cabanas. TYIA

I second your positive thoughts on Symphony and the new menu. We were on the ship in January and ate at the MDR six out of seven nights and enjoyed every night! While not everything was great, we were definitely not lacking for plenty of very good food. Most nights there were at least two or three items from each course that we had problems choosing from. Many nights we didn't bother choosing and just got multiples. And were too were asked if we wanted them at the same time or in succession. I agree with you - great service, mostly interesting menus and mostly very good food! After that great experience we decided on three more RCI cruises - two on Oasis and another on Symphony.

Sorry to hear about your woes. Your health stress is enough, you should never have any additional stress because people are too narrow-minded to allow people to live and be happy living a life that does nothing to harm them. Just remember, you're going on a cruise. Enjoy the wonderful vacation you're about to have. As to your food issues, I will say that we sailed on Symphony in January. My wife has many eating issues that she started sorting out too late to contact RCI before the trip. The first night she mentioned her dietary issues to our waiter and by the end of dinner that night the head waiter was over making a plan. Yes, the plan included her getting the next day's menu and her going over her order with him, but they were so nice and generally concerned that she never felt like a burden. I agree with the person that suggested you go the MDR once you get on the ship and come up with a plan. I'd be amazed if they weren't generally happy to make sure you have the meals and the cruise you deserve. Feel better and have a wonderful time!

One thing that came to my mind. If it's just you and your teenage son when you're getting ready to go out one of you can sit out on the balcony and give the other some more room and privacy to dress. You can't do that with an interior. One of you would have to leave the cabin.

Are you implying that the cruise staff is "paid to work for" you? If that's what you think, you are setting yourself up to be disappointed. The staff on the ship work for RCI, that's who pays them and that's who they work for. RCI employs them to provide you with services based upon RCI's direction. I've always found the staff to go above and beyond to make my cruise enjoyable. However, if what a passenger wants goes against what RCI wants them do to that passenger will lose almost every time!

That was my comment on one out of four steaks. I was asked almost every time whether I'd like them served together or wait until I'm done with one. I often had two entrees at the same time. I'm sorry your experience was so different from mine.

I'm reading this and wondering if I was on a different cruise line. I was just on Symphony in January and loved the MDR. Was everything great, no. But almost everything was at least very good. Granted, I never asked for something off menu, but I never felt the need. Most nights my problem was narrowing down my options so I didn't go so overboard (cruise pun). As for the quality of the meat, I had meat several nights and the only night I didn't think the meat excellent was on Mediterranean night. That night the steak tasted good, but was a thin cut steak.

Just visited Coco Cay in January and had a beachfront cabana in Coco Beach Club. It comes with 8 passes (you can include an additional 2 for extra money). We were four and it was plenty comfortable. This was a big splurge, but definitely worth it. Was the best day of a GREAT cruise.

Was on Symphony last month and the RC text notifications were very unreliable. And yes, I had all notifications on in the app settings.

Just returned from Symphony, ground zero for the new menu. I haven't cruised in over a decade and feared I would be disappointed based on my memories. I have to say my expectations were exceeded. My biggest problem on several nights was too many entrees that sounded good. The staff was fantastic and the food was, with FEW exceptions, excellent. We ate at two specialty restaurants, Hooked for lunch and Jaime's for dinner, and both were excellent with amazing service. The only venue we were disappointed in was the Windjammer for lunch. Otherwise, we enjoyed everywhere else we ate.

Ship - Symphony of the Seas Deck - 9 Stateroom # - 9220 Stateroom Category – 2D Starboard or Port Side - Port Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Yes Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Great, unobstructed view Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal Was wind a problem? - No If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - n/a Any specific problems with this cabin? - none Any other comments? - Bed was closer to the cabin entrance with the sofa near the balcony. Excellent cabin almost exactly mid-ship.

I'm thinking this might suit my needs?

I think your plan sounds great. The advantage of being on the ship is that you won't have a manager upset that you're taking a table away from others that will spend more. If you are tipping the servers they will be very happy, no matter what you order. JMHO

When our kids were little my parents were kind enough to babysit the kids at home. If that's an option I definitely recommend it. The alone time for the two and the respite from caring for a young child will have you coming home much more ready to keep being a happy parent.

Thank you! We'll be on SOS next Saturday and appreciate you posting these. Every night there is at least one entrée I would really enjoy. Most nights a few. Can't wait.

Received this on 1/3 for my 1/14 cruise: Dear Guest, We're excited to welcome you onboard soon! Before you set sail, we wanted to remind you of the benefits that come with The Key program. Here's what you can expect on your upcoming sailing: Early access at the terminal.* Drop off your carry-on luggage in the Main Dining Room on Deck 4 by 1:30 PM - your carry-on luggage will be hand delivered to your stateroom. Exclusive welcome lunch in the Main Dining Room featuring the Chops Grille® menu (open from 12:00pm - 1:30pm). We recommend arriving to the terminal no later than 11:30 AM for you to have enough time to enjoy lunch with us! Private time at some of our onboard activities such as rock climbing, FlowRider, etc. Priority departure from ship-to-shore at tender ports. Seats in the exclusive VIP seating section at shows in the Main Theatre, Aqua Theater, Studio B and Two70, however a reservation is needed so don't forget to book once you're onboard! VOOM Surf & Stream package, now including high speed internet, for one device (1 package per guest). On debarkation day, enjoy a private á la carte breakfast and choice departure. *Please arrive at the terminal between 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM. If you are not able to make the early access window, you should arrive within your appointment time and will receive priority access into the terminal. Lastly, when you arrive to the port for your sailing, please locate The Key signage for priority access into the terminal and make your way onto the ship. We look forward to welcoming you aboard Symphony of the Seas in the coming days! Sincerely, Royal Caribbean International

Must be Biden's fault. 😉

Thank you! I didn't think there would be anything to fantastic, but a few cheaper drinks is always nice. I'm sure my wife will like the free Jackpot card. Have a great 2023!