cruzinlisa

Once onboard we went straight to check on our First Night Done Right dinner to make sure it was for Chops. When I have her my room number (or what I thought it was!) we weren't listed!! Eek!

 

I then look on my sea pass card and realize that all day I have been giving out the wrong info!

 

We visited the promenade, are some pizza, signed the kids up for kids club and then as soon as cabins were open, we went to check out our rooms and try to find our luggage!

 

Luckily it all worked out pretty quickly!

 

 

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Loving your review so far. WHere did you go to check on the First Night Done Right? Did they have anything in your room or was checking on it the only way you knew what you got? Did you end up with chops and did you have to do anything special to get it or is that what they initially selected?

I have not sailed on RCCL yet. However, Carnival Fascination is one of their older ships. It is definitely not something to base your opinions on. I believe it has upgraded water works areas so that may draw more families. The interior will probably be a little bright- think old vegas style.

Despite what you may hear, I believe the passenger demographics are going to be similar. You should see all age groups, probably a little more emphasis on the mid 20s-50 age range.

Food quality on carnival- generally good. Its cruise ship food. Not anything spectacular but not horrible either. I have been on Carnival, Celebrity and Disney so far and I thought Carnival was better than Disney for MDR and better than Celebrity for buffet. So middle of the road. Very few people lose weight on a Carnival cruise.

Annoying extras- your usual stuff like Tips, shopping, drinks, photos, upgraded dining selections. I do not believe there are any pay restaurants, but the MDR has extra cost selections which would have been featured in the steak house if there was one. I found the MDR selections sufficient. And Room service is included. ;) But they usually only have table clothes on elegant nights. The rest of the time they have uncovered tables- which they bought new for that purpose (but some people have a real issue with it).

On the First Night Done Right promo- for those who have done it, how did you find out what was chosen for you? Did you have to ask? Card in room? We are trying it on our upcoming cruise on liberty. Was it easy to change if you did not like what they picked. I hope we don't end up with Sabor. I like mexican food okay but don't love it and since it is my birthday, I would rather something else. DH would prefer chops, but either Chops or Giovannis are fine.

Galveston has no rental car agencies near the port that are open on Sunday and take one-way rentals. Port Canaveral has at least a half-dozen open on Sunday, that take one-way rentals, and have free shuttles to the cruise terminal. Some people report that the least expensive and most convenient way to use a rental car at Galveston is to rent it for the entire week and park it at the port.

 

 

This may have improved, but shuttles used to be way more expensive at Galveston. Port Canaveral shuttles are available for $20pp between the port and MCO.

 

The nicer Galveston Island hotels many times want a two day minimum stay on the weekend.

This. We haven't sailed out of Galveston yet, but our last one was out of Port Canaveral. We are coming from the Midwest and a family of 3, so I have priced out driving and flying. One of the factors that I looked at if we decided to fly was what it would cost to get from the airport to Galveston. Shuttles seemed expensive and the rental car options were limited. Port Canaveral was much easier for us. There were plenty of shuttle services and car options. The best option for us ended up being a rental car. There were tons of companies to choose from and prices were competitive. No one way drop fee either. And I believe they have a shuttle from their to the port, although we did not end up using that.

Hotel prices were also more reasonable. We wanted to stay in Cocoa beach and we found a hotel on one of those travel sites where they tell you the price, location and class, but not name until after you buy. I think we paid about $100 per tax and got the Hilton, which was an ocean front hotel. We are paying 1 1/2 times that in Galveston.

I do recall reading several DIS posters who thought they were the cat's meow for bringing aboard bags of candy for the crew, but those weren't in place of cash tips, they were in addition to the tips and for crew members like the youth counselors who weren't supposed to accept cash tips. I don't care if someone wants to bring some candy or trinkets onboard for the crew members, just the ones who act like it makes them a better person than the rest of the cruisers who are giving the crew cash tips and only cash tips.

 

I don't recall seeing anybody saying that they donate their used clothing to the crew. I would have remembered that one.

 

DCL gives you a lanyard to wear with your status on it. Of course you don't get much for status on DCL. I wonder if I'm supposed to wear a lower status one on purpose so it won't look like I'm bragging. I don't like lanyards anyway, but I'll lose my key card if I don't use one.

I remember reading about used clothing once. Not sure if it was on Dis or Carnival board. But someone was saying that basically they would bring things on the cruise that they did not want anymore, wear it for the cruise and then leave it for the crew. Hopefully a joke, but I am not so sure.

Don't forget about the people that give a framed photo of themselves. I am sure the crew would trade ALL of their cash tips in for that one. :)

Back to the original post- I work in a customer service type of field. And some people think you will get a different answer because you scream or ask to talk to a supervisor. What they don't get is some things can change no matter how much you stomp your feet (like the law for instance in my job). They get frustrated when they aren't getting anywhere so they get rude. Sometimes that does pay off for people though because they might get what they want (in our case their case done faster) because we want don't want to listen to them. But not always. Sometimes it backfires. This person probably ended up getting what he/she wanted. But if it had been up to me, my vote would have been an all expense visit to the brig before being the first escorted off the ship at the next port.

I don't know why I never considered a potato masher. Of course, the #1 thing that makes it easy to mash is having RIPE avocados.

 

 

Guacamole is one of those recipes that's very flexible and can be altered to your own taste. Personally, hearing other people say what they like, I'm thinking of subbing in red onion in place of my scallions.

I like using onions because they give it some texture. Red ones will give it some color too. I like my guac a little chunkier, otherwise it looks like pureed baby food (or imagine something grosser- I am not going to go there). I agree that ripe avocados are key. I usually mash with a spoon, but again, I don't mind if its chunky.

I have never used real garlic. Maybe I will try one of these days. Garlic is one of those take it or leave it things in guac for me. I also usually leave out the jalapeno all together, as my family is not big on the heat. Sometimes I will put one or two finely sliced picked jalapeno slices in it. IMO, the key is good rice avocado and fresh lime and salt. The other things are complements.

Our experience couldn't be more different from yours. We cruised with our daughter twice (she's 3). Both trips were great. The first time she was too young for kids club. The second time she was able to go. We find cruising very relaxing with her. All food and cleaning etc is taken care of and so we can just focus on family time and having fun. I appreciate not all children are the same but she loves it and it's a very easy holiday for us. That said, we don't drink much and are happy to take it in turns to go and see some of the shows etc.

 

 

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It definitely depends on the kid. My daughter is a little higher maintenance.

As a previous poster mentioned, we bring the take and toss cups. They have lids and a straw if you want or you can use them without. They are disposable so you don't have to carry them around after you eat but we usually head back to the room anyway and just wash it out. They come in a pack. I don't really consider them a sippy cup, more like a kids cup you get from a restaurant.

I will have to look. The ones I have bought in the pass were a sippy cup lid.

Hello all,

My family and I are sailing on Harmony of the Seas on April 8th, which is the Western Caribbean itinerary. I have been to Cozumel twice, having done the Chankanaab excursion with Allure and Playa Mia with Liberty. We had originally booked the Playa Mia excursion again for our upcoming Harmony cruise, only to have it cancelled by Royal. We did enjoy Chankanaab and that is a possible consideration, but we're open to options, so I decided to come to the best resource on cruise advice! That being said, does anybody on here have any recommendations as far as excursions in Cozumel? If possible, could you briefly describe the excursion and how much it cost? This will help us make a decision. Thank you all very much in advance!

If you are looking for beach time, I recommend getting a taxi on your own. I really like paradise beach. It has a nice pool and beach and bathrooms, bar and food service. I think the taxi was $5 PP each way and it was $3 pp to get in. I don't remember if they charged for our DD last time (she was 4). They ask you to spend $10pp on food and drinks but I am not sure how closely they watch that if you buy something. They also have some inflatable stuff that you can buy a wrist band for.

I have heard Mr. Sanchos is nice too, but never been there. From what I have heard paradise beach has a bigger pool and that is what my DD and I like better. (I am one of those people who likes the beach to look at but swims in the pool.)

It wasn't the price that bothered us, it was the fact that we didn't have the comforts of home and were in a much smaller confines in the cabin. That is why we limited our "vacation" travel with our DS until he was almost 5. He did airplane travel to on 3 occasions before he was 4, but the destination was a home.

 

It is the decision that only you yourself can make.

 

This is a great article to read about travelling with children. It really puts it in a good perspective.

 

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/angie-campanelli/travelling-with-chidren_b_14682540.html

 

 

Edit: a direct quote from the article.... "If you're planning a trip with children (primarily under the age of five), the key to maximizing your enjoyment is lowering your expectations. Picture the bottom of the proverbial barrel, then scrape it a little bit, and now we're on track".

I wish I had read this article a couple of years ago. The first cruise we took our DD on was not too bad. She was 15 months old so we knew she was too young for kids programming. We had planned on using the late night baby sitting (after 10 p.m.) a few nights. What we did not realize was that we would be too tired to do it. But the second cruise, she was a little over 2 and let me just say, after that cruise I swore I would never take her on another cruise. We seriously had to decide whether to take her in her stroller around the ship while she was having a tantrum and risk all passengers looking at us, or being in our room and hoping security did not come because of the crying/screaming/carrying on. It was not a fun trip.

I know how you feel OP that it seems crazy to pay for a baby, but that is the way of business. Also, it may not really be full fare. Usually they take the full amount of the far and average among the people so it seems like all are paying the same price, when its really the first 2 paying the bulk and the third paying a reduced rate. Check the total price for 2 and compare it to the price for 3 and you will see what you are paying.

Edit: Nevermind that, looks like you figured that out.

Have a great trip.

Medicines definitely. Kids (mine at least) manages to get sick at the most inopportune times. For example a couple years ago (she was 4), we flew to Orlando for a Disney cruise. Middle of the night Friday night (cruise leaves the next day), she starts screaming bloody murder about her ears. We were in Cocoa beach and no minute clinics or anything except a real urgent care clinic which did not open until 10 or 11. So we ended up using dr. google to find a home remedy of some ear drops and make a trip to CVS for supplies. Found out after we returned that she did have an ear infection. The drops and ibuprofen kept her more comfortable.

I also like to bring a couple of very small toys. Like figurines, small stuffed animals, a barbie or something. We usually pack a backpack with a couple of toys and prepackaged snacks to take on excursions, meds, light blanket (which will also be used in the car) which is her carry on bag.

She will have her tablet because I am not driving 12+ hours to Galveston without something to keep her entertained in the car. I don't think she will be allowed to use it outside of the cabin though- because I am afraid of her losing it.

Sunscreen and life jacket, floaties or puddle jumper are needed for beach excursions.

The key IMO is to try to keep things small. If it can fit in her backpack, she can carry it and then its not a big deal.

Question for those who have sailed Royal- so are the kids cups real glass? Do they at least have smaller glasses- like juice glasses? Or can we bring a plastic one from the buffet (surely those are plastic right). My 6 year old DD would be upset if I gave her a "sippy cup" because she is not a baby. But I am not sure if she can handle a big heavy full size glass.

The prices do seem to fluctuate even during the "sale." I booked during a kids sale free promo. I got a good price, but not as good as it was the day before when I was trying to convince DH to let me book. And that was during the same sale. As soon as that sale was over, there was some other sale and the price went way way up. So it appeared I got a good deal. A month or so later a different sale and viola, the total price (with taxes and fees) is lower than my KSF promo price. But not enough to bother with a price drop for me, since I was booked with a (new to me) TA and not sure if I could make that change without a penalty. It was like a $25 difference or something. And since then I have not seen anything even CLOSE for my sailing. So I am back to believing I got a good deal.

So basically, you just kind of have to watch and see what the prices are. Because they fluctuate a lot.

Let me spell it out clearly for you then as apparently my "personal opinion" qualifier wasn't enough.

 

IMHO:

 

Clients who book cruises, a significant portion do so because of the all inclusive nature of the trip. The more that gets cut out the less inclusive the trip gets, the more likely some clients will say screw it and book a land based Caribbean/Mexico AI or switch to a more inclusive line.

 

 

And while yes they *might* switch RCCL to Celebrity, they are 66.6% more likely to end up on Princess or HAL.

 

 

That's a lose for RCCL.

 

 

And that's if they don't just head to RIU, Iberostar, Palladium, Gran Bahia Principe or any one of the many land based AI's that also include alcohol at comparable, or better, rates than RCCL.

 

 

Another lose for RCCL.

 

 

Food used to be the one thing you could count on with cruises. Far better quality than AI's and all included. They have been slowly chipping away at that. You may be pleased to be nickeled and dimed, but there are definitely some customers who are not myself included.

 

 

I'm sticking to Premium lines for now - and advising my cruise customers to do the same. Many other travel agents are also doing the same.

 

 

That's a lose for RCCL.

 

 

It's not as simple as you are trying to make it out to be, decisions like this do have repercussions particularly in how if effects TA's advising new cruisers on which cruise lines represent a good inclusive value versus those that do not.

 

 

I mean sure if you don't mind a low cabin rate but a zillion fees while on board I guess this is a great move. Yay?

Its hard to really say what will happen. If you check out the board from pretty much any of the mainstream cruise lines you will find people complaining about "cutbacks" or some change they don't like which is making them swear off that line. For example:

Carnival- keeps reducing benefits to their loyalty program making some repeat cruises feel devalued

and they did away with table clothes except on elegant night. I don't see it as a big deal but some people do.

drink packages are not as good as others

NCL- charging for room service and too much emphasis on specialty dining

Disney- prices are sky high and they did away with letting you bring alcohol on board

Royal- room service charges and hard selling/pressuring by staff

I am sure if you look at Celebrity, Princess and HAL you are going to hear complaints there too.

Eventually there is just no where else to go. Except not go.

Move on to AI or land vacation- those are going up in price and if more people jump ship from cruising to AI, I would expect that price to go up more.

Its like a game of chicken between the passengers and cruise line to see who blinks first. At some point they will go to far and alienate the customers. Except the beloved "first time cruisers" (that have not done their research) and don't know any better and spend tons of money. But after one cruise you know better. Eventually they will run out of them and either change their ways or go out of business. At least that is what we can expect.

Until then, we either have to pay their prices and get what we get, go on another type of vacation, or stay home.

We have done maybe 3 or 4 cruise line excursions in our many cruises. Sometimes we arrange for a private tour. Other times we just get off the ship and walk around the port area or take a taxi to the beach. At this point in time, we would only book a cruise line excursion if there was something we really wanted to do or I really felt uncomfortable venturing on our own (Belize and perhaps Jamaica). We always do Caribbean though. However if we were doing a one in a life time type of cruise with exotic ports or Europe or Alaska, I might feel differently.

Can't believe nobody's mentioned the cinematic masterpiece, Chipwrecked.

Lol. That was the first one to come to mind.

Not filmed entirely on a ship but Jack and Jill with Adam Sandler, the last part was filmed on the Allure of the Seas. Not the best movie ever made but pretty funny and cool to see the ship.

Thought about that one too. I was not sure if it was Oasis or Allure, but I knew it was one of them. It made me want to sail on it. Not yet though...

I've been on the Conquest 2 times and will never go back. The lay out of the ship is HORRIBLE...on some decks you have to go up to go down because of bad design. The dining room is in the middle of the ship and the walk ways don't go through in a straight line like the FOS... To walk to other parts of the ship, you have to walk through the casino which is smokey do to bad ventilation.

If you are a person that likes to shop while on board, the Conquest is not for you. Two shops, that's all...there is no promenade area...

Compare the on board entertainment:

FOS-rock climbing, flowrider, QUEST, mini golf,Solarium, sports deck, water slides.

Conquest-IDK if it has waterslides now or not...

Go with the FOS!!!!!

Angela Ramsey

You just have to learn to navigate it. Once you do, its not that hard. You do not have to walk through the casino at all. If you choose to go through on deck 5, then you go through an area which is next to the casino. You are not actually walking through the casino. And the smoking areas are on the other side of the casino. Granted its indoors so the smoke is still captured, but I never noticed it smokey other than in the middle of the casino closer to the smoking areas. We have sat in the chairs in the area outside of the casino with our child and never noticed it being smoky. And we are sensitive to it.

There are other decks that go from end to end besides 5. If we were in an aft cabin and needed to go from our room to somewhere forward, we would walk through the hallways on our floor toward the front. Very easy once you get the hang of it.

I don't think they do have waterslides. The last time I was there I am pretty sure it did not.

OP- Disclaimer- I have never sailed Royal, but have been on Conquest 2x.

Conquest is a nice ship. The décor may not be your style, but it does not have an old ship feel like some of the fantasy class. It has the 2.0 upgrades, which means some more bar and dining options not on all ships. Entertainment is basic stuff, shows, trivia, bingo, comedy shows (which are awesome). Food is pretty good too, even with the buffet because there are different options with the 2.0 upgrades.

But it won't have a flow rider, rock climbing wall, etc.

Which you choose depends on what you are looking for. If you are cruising for the ports, go with Conquest because it has better ports. You will have good food, good service and stuff to do when you are not in port.

If you are cruising for the ship itself, Freedom probably is better (disclaimer, never been on it).

FWIW- This year I was choosing between

Carnival Freedom (a sister ship of Conquest) or Breeze (2nd newest in Carnival's fleet)

and

Royal Liberty of the Seas

Price was within $100-300 difference so not really a factor

I choose Liberty because:

1. Had not been on Royal and have wanted to try it out

2. Flowrider, Rock Climbing and stuff (for my family because I won't do that)

3. Royal had Costa Maya on their itinerary (never been) vs. Belize (been and did not care for)

Good luck in deciding

Just got back from a 3-day cruise on Disney Dream with my family of 4. I wasn't very impressed and by day 2, I was already starting to note all the differences between DCL and RCCL; and in my opinion RCCL came out ahead in most areas including the Kids Club/Adventure Ocean.

 

Truth be told, I am not a huge fan of the Walt Disney Company in general, but I honestly had an open mind after hearing people rave about service and the "Disney Experience". Not saying I had a bad time because -- Cruising. But I left not caring if I sailed with them ever again and really looking forward to my Feb 2018 Liberty cruise. Even my wife, who LOVES Disney felt the same.

 

Loooking for others' opinions on DCL vs RCCL and wondering if I missed something or just had a random chance "off-day" for that cruise?

Yes, I would say you did miss something. If you are not all in on Disney that is what you missed. The big deal is the theming and the character events. And the way that the have separated the family and adult experience, with the adults only areas of the ship where you can go and have a kid free experience.

I have heard that the service level on Disney is a cut above the rest, but that was not my experience and sounds like it was not yours either. The food in the dining rooms was okay. Not as good as Carnival or Celebrity. The buffet was the best though with lots of shrimp, crab legs, carved meats, etc (and this was at LUNCH). The dining service was fairly standard. Definitely not better than other lines. It was not horrible- just equal or worse.

Kids club was decent. The areas are amazing, the hand washing stations very cool and check in/out process was good, but my DD (who was 4 and watches Disney Jr. every single second we will let her) was not that into it. I expected more there.

That said, the shows and character meet opportunities were the main draw. We were able to meet all of the characters except Daisy (which caused a mini meltdown). We got photos and autographs. DH got to see the Avengers movie which had just been released in theaters in 3d for no extra cost. Those things, combined with the adult only areas and Palo, were the best part of the cruise.

If my daughter was not SO Disney, I don't know if it would have been worth it to me. I myself am very into Disney, but meeting someone in a Goofy costume and getting his autograph are not that big of a deal. Seeing my daughter meet him and hug him and getting the photo was a different story.

There will be a $7,95 charge to participate!:D;p

That charge will be up to $9.99 by then.

OP, I think you are right, but I predict them gone by the end of 2018. At the latest. I think they are circling the drain now. I also agree it will be replaced by a semi-formal night like Celebrity.

And to the person knocking Carnival and their "fried chicken and Mac and cheese"-

1. Carnival has "elegant" night and my experience is that most people dress up in at least nice wedding/Church clothes. I have not seen ball caps or tank tops on formal night

2. What exactly is wrong with fried chicken and mac and cheese. In some places people have it for Sunday dinner. My 6 year old could live on Mac and Cheese. And although I would not necessarily choose these options if they did not have anything good that night I might consider the fried chicken. I don't eat it often because its not healthy so it would be a bit of a treat.

And I think Carnival stopped serving it as well. When they did it was part of their every day classics, meaning the alternate menu for those that are too picky to find anything on the regular menu- not one of their main offerings. ;)

I like the idea of formal night, and we dress semi-formal to formal for it, but it is a lot of work. It's more to pack and more time spent getting ready for dinner (often after a day on shore, sometimes with a sunburn), and wearing heels all night. I'd be fine without it because I'm on a cruise to relax, and I don't judge those who forego it, but we go along.

Basically this. At home, I would be all about it. If I were going to a formal banquet at home, I would buy a new dress, matching jewelry, shoes and maybe even have my hair done. But I don't want to try to fit a ball gown into a suitcase. And considering my 6 year old can't carry luggage, I want to avoid taking more than me and my DH (okay mostly my DH) can manage. So it usually ends up being a nicer light weight dress (lengthy does not matter that much for me). It is basically a nicer material sundress.

I don't mind dressing a little nicer every day- similar to what I would wear to work. Usually for dinner I would wear nice capris and blouse, dress pants or a light dress anyway. DH would usually wear khakis or possibly jeans and polo shirt. Formal night we basically wear just a bit nicer than we would on other nights- like DH in dress pants and a tie and me in a dress. DD has formal dresses but she is 6 and those dresses don't take up an entire suitcase.

The cabins are small. Very very small. Bathrooms are really small too. Its not like a hotel where you have a big room. I have been in rooms where you barely have room to walk around the bed. Its plenty big enough to serve its purpose (unless you are practicing your dance routine), but be prepared.

Also, research the ports to figure out what kinds of things there are available to do and decide what you want to do. You can book an excursion or not. Or you can just get off the ship and figure it out. My first cruise my mom and I did that. We just got off the ship, did a little shopping, and hit up Margaritaville. If you have something you really want to do (snorkeling, ruins, zipline), you might want to consider booking an independent tour or cruise line excursion. If you just want to get off the ship, walk around the port, have some drinks and shop or even go to the beach, you can usually do that on your own.

Also, some port specific advice- some ports are cheaper than others for stuff. I have found Cozumel is good for souveniers and trinkets. They also have lots of cheap beach type of bags that you can get for $3-5. We usually will be one to carry our stuff around and then gift it to someone back home. Or use it as a beach bag at ports.

We applied for DD's renewal passport in Mid February and got hers back in about 3 weeks. And there was a Federal holiday in there. Very quick and we did not expedite either.

Where are you leaving from? Are there other cruises? Or perhaps a land vacation. That is assuming you can't cancel the airfare.

I tend to hesitate as well. In fact, I booked my cruise during the last minutes of a kids sail free sale- after looking at it for a couple of days. It had gone up from the quote the day before. I booked it and the next morning it went up hundreds of dollars.

Glad I did not wait any longer.

Ummm .... NO! I don't care how sweet the cheeks are. If they're in the dining room, the only buns I want to see should be in the center of the table with some butter next to them. :cool:

This.

Formal nt we are walking to the dining room. I am wearing a full length bright blue sequence gown and DH a tux. In front of us is a couple from the convention probably in their 60's. He is wearing jeans and the black vest with patches. She is wearing a leather halter top that has only bikini top like ties in the back and a pair of leather chaps. That's it! Nothing under the chaps. Just her bare "cheeks" for all the world to see. I said to DH do you think we are over dressed? He says are you wearing underwear which I of course said yes! Well then yes, you are over dressed!

 

 

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Now this is a valid dress code complaint! LOL. I don't normally care what others are wearing, but bare cheeks in the dining room does impact my experience. LOL

Interesting. Is this Royal or Royal IQ app on all ships? What does it do? Can you use it free even if you do not have ship WIFI or do you have to pay for WIFI for that? Normally I am unplugged on the ship, but we found Disney's app extremely useful for scheduling and keeping track of character meets.