Well this is my personal opinion, as an accomplished, experienced milkshake lover……

The milkshakes at JR are glorified chocolate milk.  Always have at least one on a few ships and my opinion has not changed.

So what’s a milkshake lover to do?  
 

Non-alcoholic mud slides.

Pro tip.  Go to the pool bar to get them, they know how to make frozen drinks.  
 

Eddie with a milk mustache.

Five out of four Americans have trouble with fractions.

Eddie

We stayed at the Condado Plaza, which was pricey.  We could see the docks, but it was not walkable due to the roadways.  Taxi was not much at all to get to the pier.

We were a little disappointed with the Condado Plaza, as it is advertised as a deluxe experience, but our room was not.  The room had a desk with one small chair, and other than the bed no place to sit.  It had a sort of open space for I would imagine a small sofa and coffee table, but this room was bare.

On 5/17/2022 at 1:32 PM, fsufancc said:

Port Valet is free.  You still have to pay for the airline baggage fees (where applicable).  I am going to be all over this when we do our cruise from Seattle.

 

https://www.portseattle.org/page/port-valet-enjoy-seattle-luggage-free

Used it last July, worked wonderfully and, it was a free service.  Our flights were around 3pm

7 hours ago, Ferry_Watcher said:

Don't fret OP,  just think of this cruise as your first cruise to Alaska.  You will be back!

Amen to that.  Looking into No 5 for us.  Sailed to Alaska both June and July last year.

We redeemed points for a 7 night Caribbean cruise.  I believe they gave me the same proviso, to check and call them if not seen. If was applied just a few days before final payment without issues.

Almost a year later and grandkids are still talking about their Quantum cruise

I believe a person dove into a shallow area on a beach excursion, not booked thru ship. (Allure). 
 

Saw on a YouTube vid, said it Took 50 minutes for emergency personnel to arrive.  
 

Apparently they feel RCL should have warned them of a medical personnel work slowdown or strike of some kind.. I think they said it was Rostan, not sure

Eddie

We were on Jewel in 2019 and again this month, and it is better shape now than it was.

We also noted the MDR was better than the past couple of cruises on other RCL ships.

Chops was Chops, awesome, but Giovanni’s was better.  
 

The RCL shows were average.  The two headliner shows were great.  They had an English singer who was a Celine Dion impersonator, and wonderful.  When we first walked in I thought, oh no, it’s the CD impersonator we saw a few years ago which was so poor we walked out.  But it was not that person this time, and she put on a show.

The second act was a dance duo from Croatia or Serbia, or well I just don’t remember, but they go by “Gold Art Duo”   YouTube has some or their performances from various Countries Got Talent shows, and they were just incredible.

So we were on the great show side of Headline Shows, which is nicer than some of the previous cruises we sailed.  
 

Eddie

21 hours ago, TeeRick said:

What was the ship?

Jewel 

We cruised early February and the MDR food was definitely better than our last few cruises.  
I believe a few cruises ago we rated MDR food a 4 on the survey, the first time ever so low.

However, for last week we raised that review to 8 I believe.  
 

Our biggest negative in MDR was they are still just understaffed.  Our waiter was good, the asst though was covering too many tables and therefore, rarely there.  I am not sure I said more than a few words to asst waiter all week, as I didn’t see him.

That is too many 1’s for me to carry.  I tipped Vintages and pool bar tenders $5’s and 10’s for Diamond drinks early in cruise, then go back to same person during week, and hit again late in cruise.

We tipped tour guides some $75 in total, luggage handlers $5, 

We were on a week cruise earlier this month, and to do a quick audit, I used less than 50% of what I used to carry in cash for tips, mainly because in the old days I heavily tipped room steward, waiter and asst waiter.  
 

I believe the first scheduled port arrival time is noon.

On our last cruise we were on deck 3 or 4.  I was on the lookout for luggage in the hallways and there was NONE on the entire floor.

Our room steward told us they like to start with the highest floors and work their way down.  She said it was more efficient for the service elevator.  

She suggested to look again around 4 o clock.  The service elevator room was packed with luggage.

2 hours ago, pspercy said:

Any pics of the albatross monument on Cape Horn?

I heard there was water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

1 minute ago, Tree_skier said:

What retail business doesn't have some sort of promotion or sale running almost continuously?  I'm not sure why anyone is surprised Royal does it.

 

Right now...

 

Princess up to 40% off

Carnival $100 OBC + 1/2 deposits + 35%off

NCL 50% off + $250 OBC

 

Dillards up to 40% off

Home Depot up to45% off tools

Camping World up to 40% off

 

I could go on and on and on but I've made my point. Why people seem to want to slag off Royal Caribbean but not other retail establishments is utterly incomprehensible to me.

 

 

And hotels and rental cars offer several discounts, AAA, senior, brand member, you name it, but somehow amazingly I always end at relatively the same price for any combo.

16 hours ago, Mick B said:

Hi,

The best thing I find is this...

 

First talk to the wife about where she would like to go in a couple of years time and for how long (which depends on if its from the UK where we live or the US which involves long flights which means we want a cruise of 12 days or more).

 

 

I certainly don’t want to interrupt the posting, but Mick we sound similar but on different sides of the pond.  DW wants to do first European cruise in 2025, is there one that is a must do for European rookies?

Sorry, back to regularly scheduled programming………

We took boys on Quantum class which has rooms for 5, but I think they go fast.  We decided to use connecting rooms and kept the door between always open.  Allowed for two bathrooms at nearly the same price.
 

These boys were younger and are climbers, so we opted for OV. 

3 minutes ago, Merion_Mom said:

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

I had to look that one up, and agree.

The BEST SALE of the year is that one near that one holiday, the…..Black Cyber Going Wednesday Gone Sale.

Best because I think it was 100% off the second person*

 I have trouble with fractions and decimals, but I don’t worry too much about it as I know 5 out of every 4 of us also struggle with fractions.

* Subject to terms and conditions, first person pays double. 

Midnight Sliders under the Stars!!!

Twice in twelve or so cruises in Florida we have not BEGAN self disembarkation until 7:45 to 8:00.  First was due to 45 minutes of the ship paging 4 cruisers who would not go to GS.  So they held up everyone.  Second we missed a 5 AM Harbor Master pick up due to being a little behind, pushed docking back an hour.

One in Boston we did not begin disembarkation until minutes after 8:00.  
 

Many other cruises they have started at 6:30 and 6:45.  
 

As Harry Callahan said…..”Do you feel lucky?”

Eddie

I tend to eat too much already, so would not stop into WJ after 9.

HOWEVER, in my younger (thirstier, if you get what I mean) years, if they opened a White Castle or Krystal type venue from midnight to 2AM, I would be there most nights.

NOTE TO RCL- Revenue idea…….Pay option White Castle or Krystal open midnight to 2 AM….people will stay at bars later spending on drinks just to pay for sliders at midnight!  Win, win.  No Midnight buffet….its Midnight Sliders!

Sorry about the onion smell.

Eddie

On 12/31/2023 at 4:43 PM, Morecruisesplz said:

Quantity is not important, imho. Lower quality of the ingredients (beef, chicken, vegetables, etc) + preparation so far ahead of serving seems to cause issues. To me, serving lukewarm/coldish food makes it so unappealing. 

What do think?

There are differing qualities of beef, graded as Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial and several lower not used for human consumption.  
Who knows if they lowered the quality of what they order from their vendors, but in my limited experience I have received lower quality cuts over the past years.

I think the chicken and fish entrees are more difficult to see a lowered quality than the obvious beef.

Our first cruise was Nordic Empress, which served 600 passengers per sitting.  Now they serve what, 2 to 3 thousand per sitting, I would doubt the kitchen staff expanded 4 times to match the population served.  So more lead time in prep, a shrinking of the menu, lower quality, fewer per capital staff,  …..I think the real question is when does someone realize they bottomed out and start to look at the issue with improvements.  The ships are projected above 100% capacity for 2024, so I am not sure they notice a poor MDR survey.

Just an opinion

Eddie

A quickie for CC board

  one of our kids just booked a cruise, asked me if the drink package can be used on CocoCay.

Not a big drinker, so I am not sure of the answer.

Thanks in advance

Eddie