Just back from AOS, any ???

[Adam185]

If it is not too much trouble, I'd greatly appreciate one of you posting copies of the compasses from your recent AOS cruise. I also have a toll free fax number I can give you if that would be easier.

 

We will be cruising on the same itinerary in just 15 LONG weeks.

[sicsinohio]

capecod - We were off the ship by 9:00, and we were probably at the airport in time for a 10:30 AM flight. We would have been there sooner, but it took us awhile to find our luggage. If you use the priority departure AND carry your own bags off the ship, I think you'd be fine with a 10:30 flight, even with the security lines. Last Sunday, when we came home the security alert level was at orange, and the security check was a little slower than usual.

[tribefan]

You can also pay $20 pp to have your luggage taken right to the airport and boarding passes printed. If you are flying AA I would highly recommend this. We were on NWA which was right next to the AA check in and the their line was LONG! We only had to wait about 5 mins to check in at NWA. I didn't do the ship check in since there were 4 in our group and I couldn't see paying $80. We didn't have a flight till 3:30 and it would have been nice to have our luggage taken to the airport and maybe went into town for lunch, but oh well! We waited to get off the ship till 9:30, even with most of the ship cleared, it took a bit of time to find our luggage. Unlike Miami where it comes off on a airport turnstyle, they are just in a huge room with the color tags hanging from the ceiling. You get to hunt for them!:(

 

Also, as for customs, all we did was hand over our card to a lady as we left with our luggage. I guess since we cleared customs in St Thomas the day prior they didn't check it again. I was expecting to have to talk to a customs agent and let them know just what we had purchased.

[Amagamma]

SICSINOHIO:

Did your group go to Coke Beach on Sat in St Thomas?

I think we were on the beach with you ordering from the mailman.

[mgkdk]

Thanks for answering so many questions from us. Can you tell me if there is an outlet in the bathroom?

 

Last ship we were on (Serenade) didn't...and turning that light on in the middle of the night was a shocker....a nightlite would be so nice.

 

Thanks!

[Ocean Boy]

You can also pay $20 pp to have your luggage taken right to the airport and boarding passes printed. If you are flying AA I would highly recommend this. We were on NWA which was right next to the AA check in and the their line was LONG! We only had to wait about 5 mins to check in at NWA. I didn't do the ship check in since there were 4 in our group and I couldn't see paying $80. We didn't have a flight till 3:30 and it would have been nice to have our luggage taken to the airport and maybe went into town for lunch, but oh well! We waited to get off the ship till 9:30, even with most of the ship cleared, it took a bit of time to find our luggage. Unlike Miami where it comes off on a airport turnstyle, they are just in a huge room with the color tags hanging from the ceiling. You get to hunt for them!:(

 

Also, as for customs, all we did was hand over our card to a lady as we left with our luggage. I guess since we cleared customs in St Thomas the day prior they didn't check it again. I was expecting to have to talk to a customs agent and let them know just what we had purchased.

 

This won't work for the OP though as your flight has to be after a certain time. I don't remember exaxtly what the cut off is but I know 10:30 is too early to use the service.

 

Also, it is not customs that we went through in St. Thomas it was immigration. That was why you did not have to show anyone your passport when we left the ship in San Juan.

[mchin]

Thanks for the updates! We leave this Friday for San Juan and will be sailing

on Sunday. We absolutely can't wait!!!

 

Enjoy! Take care of her for us as we are four weeks behind you. :D

[tribefan]

We would just leave the bathroom light on and shut the door almost all the way. It let just enough light in so the room wasn't completely dark.

 

We were on Coke beach!! Just have to love the mailman!! We met him in 2001 when we 1st went there. He just had a small shack for a bar, really has done good for himself. Couldn't help but buy drinks from him, they were $2 cheaper then everyone else!! Where you part of the "Ohio" group that the Mailman named all of us? I know there were some from I think the Cleveland area next to us on the beach

[sicsinohio]

SICSINOHIO:

Did your group go to Coke Beach on Sat in St Thomas?

I think we were on the beach with you ordering from the mailman.

 

Yes, we were at Coki Beach a week ago Saturday....wish I was there again! We were almost in the middle of the beach and there were about about 14 or 16 of us, best as I can recall, including tribefan. Some of us were drinking the Mailman's "Horny Turtles", which are light green and full of booze, although they taste a bit like frozen pistachio pudding. We also got a platter of jerk chicken with rice and beans, and plantains, which was fantastic, and a good buy for $12, compared to many island prices.

 

There are no outlets in the bathrooms on any RCCL ship we've sailed. For our Adventure cruise, we brought an outlet extender for use in the single outlet by the desk and we brought a night light from home. The night light provided just enough light to find my way around in the bathroom in the middle of the night, as long as I didn't shut the bathroom door.

 

Ocean Boy is correct in that the express checkout option for $20 will not work for capecod, as your flight has to be after 12:00 noon in order to utilize this, although for an afternoon flight, it might be worthwhile just to avoid the hassle of trying to find your luggage in that huge room. I still think capecod's best chance of making the flight at 10:30 AM means using the priority departure for diamond/platinum members and hand-carting his luggage off the ship.

[Eileen G]

Bathroom light- I always bring one of those little LED tap lights and place it on the bathroom counter. It's just the right amount of light and pretty easy to find in the dark. Just make sure to turn one of the batteries around the wrong way when you travel so it won't get accidently turned on in your suitcase then make sure it works before you need it.

[emen822]

I have no specific questions right now. But I look forward to reading your review and hearing what you did in port. We are also sailing this weekend.

:D :p :D

[sicsinohio]

Bathroom light- I always bring one of those little LED tap lights and place it on the bathroom counter. It's just the right amount of light and pretty easy to find in the dark. Just make sure to turn one of the batteries around the wrong way when you travel so it won't get accidently turned on in your suitcase then make sure it works before you need it.

 

I didn't think of that...great idea!!

[Clarkk W Griswald]

Ocean Boy is correct in that the express checkout option for $20 will not work for capecod, as your flight has to be after 12:00 noon in order to utilize this, although for an afternoon flight, it might be worthwhile just to avoid the hassle of trying to find your luggage in that huge room. I still think capecod's best chance of making the flight at 10:30 AM means using the priority departure for diamond/platinum members and hand-carting his luggage off the ship.

 

Actually, the flight has to be after 11am. And, you still have to find your own luggage in the huge room. After you find all your luggage, there is a desk with several airlines (American and USAir that I'm sure of, since our party used both) that you leave tour lugggage with. (You will be provided with airline baggage tags that you put on after claiming your luggage in the huge room, and your boarding passes in your stateroom the night before departure)

We just used this service yesterday and our American Airlines flight out of SJU was 11:35. We had the #1 debarkation ticket and we were at the airport by 9:25am. At the airport, we noticed that the lines to check in baggage at American Airlines were very long, and outside, where it was very hot. Since we had already checked our bags at the pier, and had our boarding passes, all we had to to is go to the gate where our flight was leaving from.

We think it's the best $20 pp spent on this cruise, not to have to drag our luggage into a taxi, and through the airport. We didn't spend the $30pp for RCI transportation, because it only cost $21 (total, for 6 people) for a taxi to the airport. Sure beats standing outside in yet another line for the RCI busses to fill up to go to the airport!

[ckrobyn]

Hi all :)

 

I have scanned all of the AOS compasses from the week of March 2/08.

 

If anyone wants copies, please drop me a line ckrobyn@hotmail.com

 

 

Happy Sailing!!!

[mgkdk]

Bathroom light- I always bring one of those little LED tap lights and place it on the bathroom counter. It's just the right amount of light and pretty easy to find in the dark. Just make sure to turn one of the batteries around the wrong way when you travel so it won't get accidently turned on in your suitcase then make sure it works before you need it.

 

GREAT IDEA!!!! That's what I'm going to do.... THANKS!

[seasickinmich]

I was also on the March 2, 2008 sailing. The Windjammer was closed for lunch on Friday when we were docked in St. Martin. I was told by a Guest Relations agent and a greeter at the Windjammer that lunch will not be served on Friday's while we are in a port. They both said it was because not enough people used it. I asked if this was true for other ships and was told they only knew about the Adventure.

[sicsinohio]

Really...I didn't know that the Windjammer was closed for lunch on any day. I suppose if one stays on the ship, they would have to go to Johnny Rockets, the Cafe Promenade, or order room service to eat lunch.

 

I wasn't sure how the $20 express checkout worked, but didn't feel like paying for it. We just checked our luggage at the airport, and as I recall, we didn't wait in line at all to do so, but our flight was on Delta. One mistake we made...we removed our cruise tags before going to the airport. Because we did this, we had to take our luggage to a special room for FDA screening before we could check it in. Keep the tags with your cabin number on them attached to your luggage until you are ready to check it, and then ask if it's OK to remove them. The line for a boarding pass was only about a 10 minute wait.

 

I agree it's much better to take a taxi between the cruise terminal and the airport....cheaper and quicker than the RCI transfers.

[Ocean Boy]

I was also on the March 2, 2008 sailing. The Windjammer was closed for lunch on Friday when we were docked in St. Martin. I was told by a Guest Relations agent and a greeter at the Windjammer that lunch will not be served on Friday's while we are in a port. They both said it was because not enough people used it. I asked if this was true for other ships and was told they only knew about the Adventure.

 

We were told at dinner on Thursday that the ship was undergoing a major inspection on Friday in St. Maarten. I believe that is why the Windjammer was closed for lunch.

[seasickinmich]

We were told at dinner on Thursday that the ship was undergoing a major inspection on Friday in St. Maarten. I believe that is why the Windjammer was closed for lunch.

I also asked our Head Waiter at dinner about it and he told me the Windjammer was closed because they were having a problem with the coffee machines and because people love their coffee they had to close the whole area. I didn't buy that one. Also both people who told me the same reason each said that it was something new they were trying out and this was the 3rd time in a few sailings that they did it.

[emen822]

I was also on the March 2, 2008 sailing. The Windjammer was closed for lunch on Friday when we were docked in St. Martin. I was told by a Guest Relations agent and a greeter at the Windjammer that lunch will not be served on Friday's while we are in a port. They both said it was because not enough people used it. I asked if this was true for other ships and was told they only knew about the Adventure.

Wow - that stinks. My DH was planning to go to the beach for a little while and then go back for lunch.

[capecodrealtor]

Thanks for all your input. With some conflicting discussion relative to the AA bag check, I will try to some more research before I book. Those flights will open up in a few weeks and where it's school vactation week here in MA, the best flights will sell out quickly. The next earliest flight for AA is 3:00 PM. We are concentrating on AA because of free flights for being voluntarily bumped this past February vacation.

[sadie8]

There is usually a dining room available for breakfast and lunch. A really nice menu to order from and nice, personal service. I remember it being an option when we were in port.

[Adam185]

Hi all :)

 

I have scanned all of the AOS compasses from the week of March 2/08.

 

If anyone wants copies, please drop me a line ckrobyn@hotmail.com

 

 

Happy Sailing!!!

 

Thanks so much CK. I just sent you an email.

[Pip810]

Robyn,

 

Could I trouble you to please e-mail me a copy of the compasses also? We will be on our honeymoon cruise on AOS April 27.

 

My e-mail is sig48_guy@yahoo.com

 

Thanks!

[DrSeuss]

Actually, the flight has to be after 11am. And, you still have to find your own luggage in the huge room. After you find all your luggage, there is a desk with several airlines (American and USAir that I'm sure of, since our party used both) that you leave tour lugggage with. (You will be provided with airline baggage tags that you put on after claiming your luggage in the huge room, and your boarding passes in your stateroom the night before departure)

We just used this service yesterday and our American Airlines flight out of SJU was 11:35. We had the #1 debarkation ticket and we were at the airport by 9:25am. At the airport, we noticed that the lines to check in baggage at American Airlines were very long, and outside, where it was very hot. Since we had already checked our bags at the pier, and had our boarding passes, all we had to to is go to the gate where our flight was leaving from.

We think it's the best $20 pp spent on this cruise, not to have to drag our luggage into a taxi, and through the airport. We didn't spend the $30pp for RCI transportation, because it only cost $21 (total, for 6 people) for a taxi to the airport. Sure beats standing outside in yet another line for the RCI busses to fill up to go to the airport!

 

Thank you so much for that info. I had read the cut off was 12 for the flight and I was sad because ours is 11.50am.