jenembeckey

We always get the first cabin on the bump on Freedom class ships because there is extra space between the curtain and the balcony door. We put the table there and put extra luggage on top for storage. We also use magnetic clips to hold compass.

You can make reservation when you get on the ship. We always make our reservation shortly after we board on the first day and have had no problem. We have also been able to get a 20% discount for going to Chops on the first night. I don't know if other specialy restaurants do this.

We were on Indy three weeks ago. Posted price was $35 ($39 on formal nights) but if you go on the first night they will discount it 20% so it only cost us $28 pp.

Just got off Indy 2 weeks ago. Bought a case of water at the grocery store in FLL for $4. We transferred items from a carry on bag and put water in it. It was delivered to our cabin with other bags. I had no swelling problems in hands and feet for the first time on a cruise.

Just got off Indy last week. I often saw Euro football matches on tv in Vintages Wine bar on the Promenade as I walked by.

Indy is usually the first ship in so it isn't a problem there. Most likely you will make it but you can never account for issues (like fog in Tampa) that prevent the ship from getting in when expected. Is the lower airfare worth the stress you will be under to be sure you make it on time or the risk that you might have to pay more to get a later flight if you miss the early one?

Sounds like you're on the right path. You will find lots of "critics" and complainers on the boards. Don't let them scare you away. You will have a great time cruising and will find a lot of very helpful people on these boards as well. My best recommendation is to do your research and figure out what you might like to do. Then ask particular questions to get specific answers. Since we don't know you and you might not like what others do it's hard to give suggestions or recommendations.

Hi Baded!!! I don't remember seeing you on our Roll Call thread. There is no official Meet & Mingle on a 6-day cruise so we are planning an informal one on Monday (1st sea day) at 10:30 in the Viking Crown Lounge. Come by and say hi. It's always nice to make some new friends early.

Check out Adventure Beach which is on the back of the ship on deck 12. There is a small waterslide which is great for kids under 7. It is a great part of the ship because no one goes there. There is sun if you want and you can watch the ship's wake but there is also a large area under the deck above so you can sit in shade if you prefer. Best of all it is quiet so it's an ideal place to read or take a nap.

RCCL does not make much if any money on cruise fares; their profits come from liquor, spa, specialty restaurants and photos. It's a business folks. If people will pay, they will charge for it.

Here is a link to a website that will tell you what ships are in port. Select the port and the date. For Coco Cay, look in Bahamas.

http://ports.cruisett.com/

We will be on Indy for the first time in 2 weeks. From all of the great reviews I have seen about the band, we are sorry that we will not be able to see you. Best of luck on the Anthem and enjoy your time off.

Hopefully whoever is on the ship when we are there will be as good as you. It sounds like you've left some big shoes to fill.

I have read on other threads, but cannot confirm, that there are fewer staff so that cabin attendants are now cleaning more rooms than they used to and there are fewer drink servers. So fewer people doing the same job means having less time to get everything done and needing to cut back on some of the niceties. Sure I miss the chocolates on my pillow but that's not going to really affect my enjoyment of the cruise.

In my experience, getting to know your cabin attendant on the first day goes a long way to getting great service. Yes, tipping in advance can help too. But if you ask about where they are from, if they have kids and introduce your kids to them they will go out of their way the entire week. If you like towel animals, tell the attendant and he will make sure that you have them everynight. The same goes for getting drinks in the Windjammer. Talk to your servers and they will continue to make your cruise the best it can be.

Yes, they are busy but they really do enjoy serving you and will be happy to do so. All you need to do is ask. Of course, there are some cabin attendants that just aren't as good as others and it's the luck of the draw who you will get.

We haven't been on Oasis or Allure...yet. But we went from Freedom to Navigator and found the only real noticeable difference in size was the width of the Promenade but it wasn't significant enough to change our enjoyment of the ship. It does make the parades more crowded though.

Bottled water from package is Evian. Windjammer usually has flavored water along with lemonade and plain water. Crystal Lite packets or Mio drops are great alternatives.

Yes, for most people the water is fine. But, even though it goes through a filtration process, it is highly salinated. Along with all the high sodium food, my hands and feet swell up from the salt. I would prefer to drink bottled water but also don't care for Evian or the ridiculous price for the water package.

Paulette, thanks for the update. We will be on Indy in a few weeks and can't wait. Can you address the previously logo shop discussion? Have the shops been changed over or is still handbag & jewelry stores. My family will be disappointed if they can't get an Indy ship model, refrigerator magnet and christmas ornament.

In Key West, I recommend taking a Trolley or Conch Train tour. It is a 90 minute tour that goes all around the island so you will learn its history and see the architecture and many of the places you will want visit afterward. Here is the link to their websites which tell you all about the places to visit while in Key West. Cost is about $30pp, kids 12 & under are free.

http://www.trolleytours.com/key-west/

http://www.conchtourtrain.com/

If you just stroll down Duval street you will find lots of bars with live music, art galleries and some of the most amazing restaurants.

Highlights include Southernmost Point, Hemmingway House (where Ernest Hemmingway lived and wrote some his most famous novels), Audubon House, Harry Truman's Little White House, Shipwreck Musueum, Mel Fishers Maritime Museum, Customs House Museum, Key West Aquarium, Lighthouse, Key West Cemetery and Butterfly Museum.

You won't have enough time or money to do it all but this should give you some good ideas. Do some research and see what interests you.

The Quest game is adults only. It is a late night activity and not kid-appropriate but I strongly recommend that you go. I won't tell you what it is and I suggest you don't find out too much about it as it is more fun the first time when you don't know what to expect. You can just watch or participate as you wish.

Comedians often have an early all ages show and then a late-night adults show where language and content are not for kids.

If your kids make friends early on you won't see them except at meal times. Teens typically hang out at the flowrider, pool, or sports court if not in the teen club. Tweens will probably be in organized kids activities. Otherwise, both are welcome to join you as most activities are all ages.

You shouldn't have to go to GS. You should be able to do so at check-in as you thought.

For my upcoming cruise I plan to bring inflatable mats for Coco Cay. They are unopened in a package and take up little room in the suitcase. They probably cost $.98 ea. as opposed to $14 to rent a floating mat. Once they're used I am not going to bother uninflating, cleaning and bringing home. I don't care if they are thrown out.

On my first cruise, my wife (then fiance) and I shared a table with 4 other couples. It was a blast getting know new people and hearing stories of what everyone did that day.

On the first day, before we had even met any of them at dinner, we went to Chops and made a reservation for later in the week for 4 people figuring we would meet another couple we liked and could invite them to join us. Sure enough, of the 4 couples we really hit it off with one in particular and they joined us for dinner.

Of course, you may want to enjoy a specialty restaurant by yourselves. As a courtesy, just tell your tablemates and wait staff the night before that you will not be joining them so they are not waiting for you when you don't show up.

Formal nights are days 2 and 5. Here is a link to a thread from someone who did a back to back on Indy last month. He posted the cruise compass for each day so you can get an idea of what to expect for activities.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2167325

Our last trip to Grand Cayman we were able to tender in but it was really choppy. All water based excursions were cancelled due to rough seas but land based tours were ok. We just shopped for a bit, went to Margaritaville and went back to the ship.