DonnaK

Pier 91

Just an FYI:  It's the port that had this requirement during high COVID times, not the cruiseline.

Yes I have trouble all the time.  I was told that my provider screened PDF files and sometimes blocked those emails. 

I finally had to change my contact email from my optonline acct to a gmail account.  

I am also waiting for a cabin assignment for my upcoming cruise.  It is my understanding that we may not find out until boarding day.

I am a bit concerned because I've been reading here on CC about people who were bumped or given a roll over offer because the ship oversold and the guarantee bookings could not all be fulfilled.  So I can't rest easy until I have a cabin assignment.

Liberty of the Seas has a few 8-day sailings for summer '23 that leave from Bayonne and go to Bermuda, Labadee and 2 ports in the Dominican Republic

Thank you for sharing your thoughts.  WE will be on Harmony doing the same itinerary in February.

Regarding Symphony:  Who is Dennis James?  Should this be Dennis Charles, also known as Dennis Sciortino?  Or, is there a new Dennis?

On 9/10/2022 at 3:07 PM, Yorkvillain said:

Sitting there right now. This has been a great spot all week - even on sea days. 

Is Oasis the only ship with this feature, or do other ships in the class also have this sun area in front of the solarium?

The problem I am having with booking in advance is that they are only offering 8am on the website and our ship doesn't arrive in port until 11am.  The cruise line is offering 12noon and 4pm, but at a cost of $30 more per person.  

Has anyone else experienced this? 

Do you have to book through the railway in advance, or can you do it at the port?  

Follow-up question:  Do the other ships in this class have similar figures?  

(I was on Odyssey, and don't remember...)

12 minutes ago, the_dylaness said:

I am "new" (sailed Legend OTS once in January 2002) to RCCL... are there real pandas!? What?! Surely not. Please explain!

No, it's artwork.  

Felicia is the name of the polar bear on Quantum of the Seas.  Gigi is the name of the giraffe on Anthem of the Seas.  

What are the Giant Panda bears on Ovation called?

thank you.  will book Mayflower.

Which would you recommend for one night pre-cruise stay, and why?   Pros and Cons of each?

Location to the pier is not a concern, as we will take a shuttle or uber.  We would take the light rail from the airport to Mayflower, and a car service to the Mediterranean, so that is not a concern either.  Just was a clean, safe hotel and to be able to see some of Seattle in the short time we will be there.

Thank you for all the suggestions!  I will be looking at them all and making a choice tomorrow!

Just now, John&LaLa said:

 

No indoor family pool on Quantum Ultra

I didn't know that.  Which ships are considered Quantum ultra?  

40 minutes ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

@runner2013, looks like the OP will be sailing from Pier 91 on the Ovation in August.

@DonnaK, hotels around Westlake Center would include, the Mayflower, The Westin, and the Sheridan.  All these hotels are in a great location for walking.   These hotels would be on the pricier side, but you didn't mention if cost was an issue.

For one night, cost isn't the main consideration - we just want a nice hotel in a good location for seeing the city in a short amount of time.

I am not as concerned about being near the pier, as we will take a shuttle there.

We are staying in Seattle for one night pre-cruise.  I was considering staying near the Space Needle.  Homewood Suites is sold out, and Mediterranean Inn only has rooms with one full or one queen bed, and we need at least a king or two double beds, so those are out.   Hyatt House reviews run from wonderful to horrible, so it's hard to commit to it.    Any other ideas?  Is Hyatt Place good?

We are also considering hotels near the Westlake monorail station in downtown.  Any suggestions???

Please help relieve my stress and help me sort through all the options and information. I would like to book something soon. The longer I wait, the fewer options are available.  We want something clean, safe, and not too much walking.

I prefer the Quantum class.  I like the boutique hotel feeling onboard, as well as the entertainment options and the beautiful solarium.  I also like that there is an indoor family pool, which keeps the little ones out of the solarium.

Very informative and entertaining.  We are going on Ovation in August.

Do you recommend Hyatt Place Downtown?

When Embassy was sold out, we tried Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale Cruise Port, which diagonally across from Embassy connected to the same shopping plaza.  It was equally as good an experience!

I want to add that we have been on cruises where the weather was bad.  All the outdoor venues were closed, which resulted in an influx of people crowding the indoor areas.  A dynamic CD would scramble to add activities to positively occupy the people and spread them throughout the ship, alleviating some of the crowding, so even those who don't partake in the activities reap the benefit.  Under less effective CDs, a bunch of bored people wander about the ship aimlessly when the weather is too cold, rainy, windy, etc, for the pool, flowrider and other outdoor venues to be available.

We've had some dynamic CDs.  On our last cruise, Mike Whitte seemed to be everywhere, warming up the crowd, and even joined the Classic Rock tribute band on a few tracks!   Dru Pavlov would host special activities, such as Seinfeld, Friends and Sports trivia, complete with fun re-enactments of classic scenes.  Dynamic CDs also schedule extra live music, such as having the headline musical act perform a bonus show in a smaller venue, or have the featured singers of the production shows perform their own acts.  We enjoy participating in activities such as trivia and live music, and really appreciated having these additional special activities to attend.     There was always something going on that we wanted to do, and we would move from venue to venue throughout the evening.

On the other hand, we've been on cruises where their seemed to be nothing to do, lounges empty for long periods of time in the evening, activities felt "old" and lackluster.  Boring and ineffective cruise directing, for sure.  

Thanks to all who replied.  I was able to successfully have my sister's 4 FCCs applied to my next cruise by following all the advice given here!