CruisinCadie

Thanks.  That's good to know, especially that they do offer tours.  I'm going to email our TA today and see what he knows.

Kathy

DH and I are former AQV cruisers who are looking into ACL Mississippi River cruises. We are in our late 70's and both are mobility challenged.  (He has a decided limp and I use a cane.) I've gotten answers to most of my questions from the ACL website but am unclear about a couple things.

1.  Do they use a specific hotel in New Orleans?  Does it have a restaurant or are there restaurants nearby?  Is breakfast the morning of the cruise included?

2.  Do they provide any sort of city tour in NOLA, such as on the way to the ship?  It sounds like we're mostly on our own and I'm not sure how much walking we can take.

3.  General information--Coke or Pepsi products?  Can we get iced/flavored coffee, such as mocha lattes, in the afternoon?

I'm sure I'll have more questions later, but thanks for any info you can give me.

Kathy

Thank you for posting this report.  We will be on Vision in June to Bermuda.  

BTW, cute, cute, cute sign.

Kathy

Good to hear.  We'll be on her in June.

Kathy

On 1/19/2024 at 8:50 AM, BillOh said:

I do have friends on Jewel that left from there this week, I'm stuck in snowy Ohio. 

Also stuck in snowy NE Ohio.  This photo gives me hope that our June cruise will arrive, sooner or later.

Kathy

Good to know.  Thanks for all the important information.

Kathy

Thanks for your speedy replies.  We will be sure to check out the tram.

Kathy

Is Coco Cay a tender port?  Or is there a dock to disembark?  We are both seniors and mobility challenged, so would like to be prepared.

Thanks,

Kathy

Just off the Ruby.  Everything looked nice and clean.  New carpeting everywhere I noticed.  I think you will be pleased with with the condition of the ship.

Kathy

One more question--the last time we were on the Ruby, many years ago, it took us until the last day to find the waffle station.  It was outside by the ice cream station.  Is it still there, or in the buffet somewhere?

Thanks,

Kathy

On 11/11/2023 at 1:27 PM, aring75 said:

They are both located in the same area (deck 15 aft), but Horizon Court is slightly larger and usually a little busier. Café Caribe is further aft but still connected to Horizon Court buffet. CC is a bit smaller and opens up to the aft deck terrace. 
 

Thanks for the information.  I know DD and SIL like to dine on the "back porch" so we may be trying the Caribe Cafe.

Thanks so much for your interesting and informative posts.  Our itinerary is different than yours, 10-day Western with partial transit of the Panama Canal, but your information about the ship is relevant.  Hope they get the dining situation straightened out by next Sunday.

Question--you mentioned the Caribe buffet as opposed to the Horizon Court.  What is the difference and where is the Caribe buffet?

Thanks,

Kathy

On 11/6/2023 at 3:34 PM, aring75 said:

 

 

As I recall, the Ruby Princess has the biggest closets and smallest bathrooms for a standard balcony stateroom.

Thanks for posting.  We'll be boarding the Ruby immediately after you disembark.  We sailed on her a few years ago and I'm anxious to see what changes they've made.  

Kathy

In Vancouver, when we dropped off our luggage, the porter saw my cane and asked if I'd like a wheelchair.  I only had to wait a few minutes before one arrived.  The attendant took me all the way through customs and check-in, and up to the ship.  A ship's attendant took me over from there.  He dropped me off by the main elevator.

Very simple and painless.  BTW, I am a very generous tipper.  These people perform a much-needed service.

Kathy

Thanks for doing this thread.  We'll be on the Ruby in November.  I have one question about the Ocean Now charge.  If we have NO intention of ordering from the app or going to the for charge restaurants, do we have to pay for it?  I might feel differently if they had Gigi's/Alfredo's, but you say they don't.  Therefore, we're perfectly happy with grabbing a slice of pizza at the pool deck restaurant.  And we eat most of our meals at the MDR or buffet. But if we have to buy it, I guess we'll find a way to use it.

Thanks,

Kathy

You have to get your own luggage and take it through customs.  Then you take it to the bus and the driver will load it onto the bus.  He will also unload it at the airport.  So to answer your question, it depends on how much and how heavy your luggage is. You'll also have your carry-on which you kept the night before for your nightclothes and necessities.

Enjoying your review.  We just, like this morning, the same cruise for next year.

Kathy

Thanks to all.  We will definitely look into taking the tram around the island just to see what there is to see and maybe grab some lunch.

Kathy

Our cruise next summer includes a "Perfect Day in Coco Cay."  We (mid-70's) are not big beach people because our meds make us sun sensitive.  I've seen the videos on Royal's website, but what exact options do we have besides sunning ourselves and water sports?  And I doubt I'll get my husband to go up in a hot air balloon.

Thanks,

Kathy

Just got back from a family cruise on Royal--Brilliance of the Seas.  We chose it for the options for the grandkids, ages 8, 10, and 12.  They liked the mini golf and arcade but did few of the other kids' activities.  The water slide was only open for 1 hour daily, weather permitting.  Of course, the larger ships will have more offerings.

Food in general is better on Princess.  Royal's food was pretty bland and didn't always match the menu description.  This may be a positive for your kids.  Pizza is always better on Princess.  Our kids often ordered from the adult menus, which was a definite plus, since the kids' menu is the same every night.

In general, I would say Royal is more casual and Princess is more elegant.  

Kathy

P.S. Plan ahead and bring your own supplies if you want to participate in the egg drop.

Just off the Brilliance.  I kept my cell phone and sea pass card in my over-the-shoulder bag the entire trip and never had a problem.  It was a barcode reader card, not the strip.  

14 hours ago, Beyond the Sea said:

The juggler was the only show we saw and we are so glad that we didn’t miss him.  Very funny guy!

 

How was the rest of the weather for the week? Wasn’t Tracy Arm beautiful?

After decent weather in Tracy Arm in the morning, it rained that afternoon in Juneau.  It was also very foggy for Hubbard Glacier.  The rest of the trip was cool but clear.

I was disappointed that the juggler somehow missed the ship in Skagway (some sort of scheduling conflict) so he performed Saturday afternoon instead of the Neil Diamond tribute show I was looking forward too.  Still, the juggler was good family fun.

Kathy

21 hours ago, latebuyer said:

How early are menus supposed to show up? My cruise is in a week and i don’t see it under dining/main dining room. I am on a 7 night cruise and i am disappointed it looks like 7 night brilliance of the seas cruises are having asian night instead of caribbean night.

Hi, Latebuyer,

We're on the same cruise.  I found the menus in the app by clicking on the person icon, then choose a different cruise, then browse all ships.  Select the date of the now-current sailing, then check my time dining. That should give you the menus.  Our cruise menus should also be showing up.  Haven't checked today.

See you soon.

Kathy

Thanks, Cayman Turtle, and everyone else who replied.  Menus for our cruise showed up yesterday so I was able to see them on my phone.

Now I just have to decide between spring rolls and dumplings.  And this is a rhetorical question, no replies needed.

Kathy