billylen

I received the email for an up sell on my upcoming cruise. About 2 weeks later I received a call. The cost to move from OV to Balcony was an additional $700. I cruise solo (usually) and almost always in a balcony. Thought about it for a min and declined....(hard to do) .

About a week later I received another email stating I may get a call for a true upgrade. A couple of weeks later and so far no call.

But I’m hoping lol :)

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Thank you for sharing your experience! I too will be on the Rhapsody in December and am glad to hear she is in great shape. Loved your photos...so vivid and well presented!

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I agree with a previous poster. Whenever I have researches fares through a host of travel sites, Choice has always beat them hands down. However, that only works (for me) if I book one way. For some reason if you book the round trip the price is through the roof. So I have learned either one way only or book two separate trips.

My .02

Over the years I have read how the quality of the cruising experience has diminished. I'm just not so sure about that. Also, the extra charges for various activities, I don't get that either. There are trade offs. For examples the amenities in the rooms are different. In most instances the rooms are larger; beds are softer; TV screens are flat. I remember my first two cruises (Monarch and Empress), those rooms were pretty small when compared to the accommodations available today.

Admittedly, the food offerings are very similar to what was available way back in the 90's but in most instances the quality has been pretty good. There was no Chops or Giovanni's table or whatever name of the day is being used. The stage shows can be hit or miss but that has been true over the years.

On my last cruise the price per day was about 190 (including tips and fees) and I was cruising solo (24 nights). On a recent conference I attended the hotel alone was 260 per night and heaven help you if you parked a car (another 35 a night!) That price did not include food. And don't get me started on Disney! Have stayed there may times and enjoyed each moment but it was costly...

There is one other thing...I always try to remember what it was like the first time I cruised. I remember how I was fearful of the ship sinking. How I marveled at the construction and the ports. The excitement I had of experiencing whatever would happen...looking up at the Perseid meteor shower in night sky....sailing through schools of flying fish...rocking and rolling on the waves. That has not changed for me... It's a relationship (sailing) that renews each time...

The Windjammer is only very busy on embarkation day when everyone heads there as soon as they board the ship.

I agree, it is also pretty busy when its time to get off the ship. It's actually pretty funny to watch. It's as if folks believe they will run out of food. Personally I like the WJ. Yes, the offerings can be different from ship to ship, but overall my experience has been pretty great. If I had one complaint it would be when the french toast gets dried out because of the heat lamps. But if that is my major complaint, then I can live with that! :)

Anyway -- I do hope more people will visit Izumi and try their fabulous selection of signature rolls. They really are delicious and, again, nearly all of them are served without anything raw, so there's nothing to be worried about! Enjoy!!

Thanks for more suggestions! Although when I started this post I admitted that I'm not much of a sushi guy, I do appreciate the addition of Izumi on RC Ships, it has really helped me expand my taste pallet 'cause at the end of the day I am an nondiscriminatory foodie! :D

Spicy Crispy Shrimp

Lovely fresh tempura-fried shrimp that has a tangy teriyaki-style sauce (unagi -- it's actually tonkatsu but it's close to teriyaki). You can ask for less spicy-ness as each roll is made to order.

 

Dragon Eel

Freshwater eel is actually cooked, and has a lovely flavour. There's nothing raw in this roll. Again, the unagi sauce is close to teriyaki. Eel tastes lovely, one of my favourites and a popular roll that you'll see around the world.

 

Crispy Spicy Tuna

I can't remember anything specific about this but again, it's been 'flash fried in panko crumbs' which means this isn't served raw, but rather cooked.

 

Crispy Philly

This is lovely and deep fried with panko crumbs so it's not only cooked but is served warm. Really delicious. One of my absolute favourites -- the creaminess of the cream cheese along with the salmon is a perfect combination. Again, nothing raw in this sushi roll.

 

Izumi Spider Roll

Always one of our favourites -- a teeny tiny soft-shell crab is tempura fried and makes up this lovely dish. You'll get both claws and the yummy middle. Masago roe is going to be fish eggs -- it sounds gross but it has very little flavour and just adds to the texture. You'll mainly taste the lovely deep fried crab, the crisp asparagus, and the lovely unagi sauce.

 

Surf and Turf

This one really stood out as the yuzu kosho chimichurri has a very strong yet fresh taste. Hard to describe (it's been a while) but this was a striking roll, the steak was just really delicious and a real stand out.

 

Chef's Signature Rolls:

Baked Snow Crab and Eel Dynamite

Like the Dragon Roll but taken to the next level. Really lovely use of snow crab. If you aren't used to chilli oil, it's a good idea to ask for LESS on this dish as it can be very overwhelming, and they are VERY liberal with adding it.

 

Truffle Creamy Lobster Tempura

This is absolutely one of my favourite dishes and one of the reasons I love to cruise on board ships with Izumi! This is super indulgent and decadent -- huge pieces of lovely tempura-fried lobster with a creamy sauce with a hint of truffle. It is just the best.

 

Izumi Ryu Futomaki

We tried this for the first time last cruise. Ours was a selection of different rolls served over a platter of deep-fried 'shredded crab meat sticks'. I have only ever had it once on one ship so I can't say if others do it, but let me just say, deep-fried shredded crab meat sticks taste AMAZING.

Wow, what a comprehensive response! You have my curiosity running wild! Thanks for these suggestions...in fact thanks to everyone! :)

I have had the hot rock (Brilliance) and that was great... However I really like the idea of "chef's choice". I am open to trying almost anything once. My son is in Japan and when I visited him he ordered most items and I always enjoyed...why not do it on the ship...Thanks! (but I really did enjoy the hot rock lol)

I have dined at Izumi a few times and am always at a loss as to what to order (not much of a sushi guy.) Seems there used to be a sampler selection but that appears to have changed. What I usually do is just pick something. Btw, it has always been a good experience, but would like to be a bit more deliberate. Just reaching out to see if anyone has a suggestion(s) of what to try on my cruise next month. Open to eating just about anything as long as it's not moving :)

The Mexican cooking class was terrific!

I agree...it was a blast!

On my last TA (and most cruises) I try to time it by combining free wifi at ports and using my free usage (I'm diamond+). I would usually wind up paying for a day or two with a few days going "cold turkey". On my upcoming 24 day cruise I purchased the full package at the discounted rate. Not so much for streaming but I need to check in with my office. (I find the 10 minutes I spend responding to issues while I'm away saves me days of hassle when I return home. Like another poster said the speeds are waaaay better than they used to be!

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I appreciated all the work that went into this report. You answered all my questions and then some! Thanks a million!

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I happen to agree with the previous poster. My local travel agent is great, but I felt that I was really eating away at her time (and profits) if I called her to make a change when I noticed a price drop. Plus, it was still up to me to pay attention for any price drops. (This is true if you use the special department within RCCL for booking too). Lastly, I notice that all those so called perks are not necessarily the deal they're cracked up to be...

Don’t know if this will help but I and a buddy were on the Brilliance a few months back. We were in a family suite. (it did not have a balcony). The room was good sized for 2 adults. The way is worked out for us is we switched rooms mid-cruise so one would have the smaller room part cruise and the larger room the second half of the 14 day cruise. This is what I remember…the living room had a sofa that converted into a bed and two chairs. The flat screen was on a swivel that could face the living room or the larger bedroom. The larger bedroom was similar to most cabins with vanity mirror and a mini closet. The smaller bedroom had a twin bed with one twin in the ceiling that could be pulled down and a ladder (stored out of the way) for use when the ceiling bed was pulled down). The bathroom was the usual size.

I would guess that 5 to 6 people could make it work the only problem would be bathroom usage and maybe moving around during times of getting ready to go somewhere…but that depends on how your brood work together 

Thanks to everyone for this discussion. I had no idea about this issue and the suggested options are a bonus. Greatly appreciated.

I have traveled with this model on several trips (cruises included); it has never been confiscated, but I do not recall actually using it on-board...never was asked about it either.

In Giovanni, was it breakfast served or just a place to sit

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It was breakfast served with options from a menu and an area where you could select fruit and assorted items.:)

I enjoyed reading your review. I too have sailed Princess and on one cruise it was beyond perfection and on another (same ship) the experience was less than stellar (go figure). I have probably sailed on Royal more than any other (by far) and admittedly there have been some cruises where it was memorable and others where things could have improved a bit, but all in all, regardless of the cruise line, I just enjoy the heck out of cruising...may it be so for you also... Thanks for posting

I sailed the Brilliance a few months ago. We had breakfast in Giovanni's many mornings for Diamond+ members. I believe Chops was used for the suite guests.

Give them another 250, your gonna eventually give it to them anyway, you may as well use it as long as you can. Never had any problems with them asking for any money for further deposit. And I have never had an increase in fare within that time frame. You lock in your fare and any promotional perks too.

Have done this more than once and never any problem. The only increase would be port charges for the additional person.

 

Before I gave you a time, I Google mapped it. It listed as 3 hours, 4 minutes. I have also mapped the toll free route, that comes to almost 4 hours. Of course Google maps is real time, traffic included. I did the mapping at about 4pm Florida time today- a Monday.

 

Thanks for the work!

You realize that is a 3 plus hour drive?

 

Common recommendation is renting a car. QUOTE]

 

I think it is a little less than 3 hours, but yes I realize it is some distance. Thanks for the tip of renting a car... :)

Will be arriving in Fort Lauderdale on Oct 31st. Was wondering if there are shuttles (inexpensive) from the FLL port to MCO.

Any suggestions are welcomed!

(and thanks!) :)

There are also 4 and 5 night cruises from Fort Lauderdale; all cruises are in January and the deal is legit...good deal if you have the time :)

Thanks all for the responses; I'm always amazed at how folks will step up when you put it out there...

You're all great! :)