joyful1nh

9 hours ago, ashezap said:

So far no refund yet and we have reached the two week point. I emailed RC guest services a few days ago to let them know about some of the issues we had (unrelated to the Norovirus) and that we didn’t use much of our beverage package. I received an email saying someone was assigned to it and working on it and they would get back to me but again, haven’t heard anything.Come Monday I guess I’ll give them a call but I don’t think anyone else has heard anything either. Very interesting! 

I received the full refund today.  I posted more information on our meet and mingle thread about how I reconciled the amount of the credit.  

Ship -  Oasis of the Seas

Deck - 14

Stateroom # - 14260

Stateroom Category –  Grand Suite

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – No.  This stateroom is directly below the path that goes from the aft elevator/stairs to the pools, so it gets a lot of noise from above (mainly the sound of running feet).  

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - Yes

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. –  balcony is shaded most of the time because Deck 14 balconies have a larger overhang, but other than that the view is good.

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? -  Normal for class - one round table with two chairs, plus two chairs with ottomans

Was wind a problem? -  No.  I actually slept on the balcony one night (I was on the norovirus cruise) and wind was definitely not an issue. 

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? -  N/A

Any specific problems with this cabin? -  No

Any other comments? -  We are a party of 3.  After my husband became ill while my daughter and I did not, I switched from sleeping in the bed to sleeping on the pull out couch.  The couch was surprisingly comfortable.  The chair/ottoman on the balcony was also fairly comfortable. 

6 minutes ago, davelinde said:

 

Yes I was in a party of 4, in two cabins on this cruise - my wife got sick and we did not.

I've got a bunch of friends who are med students so I quizzed them on this and they confirmed that Norovirus is highly communicable while the food borne bacteria infections are not.  For my wife with the onset of symptoms (~10 hours assuming food in Haiti was the source) duration of symptoms (~8 hours) and extent of symptoms (vomiting only) our unprofessional opinion was food borne...   However we heard anecdotes of people with symptoms for 48 hours, full range if GI distress and acute enough dehydration to indicate IV fluid replacement...  though age and general health could play a role.  My wife and I are <60 and in excellent health.

 

From looking at the CDC web site, Royal was required to collect samples and there will be some testing done and reported.  It is certainly possible that they were hit with both a virus and a food poisoning event that combined made the numbers large.  I also wonder if Jamaican authorities are more critical of inbound illness from Haiti than if the ship had come direct from another port?
 

For sure Royal knew something after leaving Haiti because we all got letters in the cabin the next morning.  The rumor the day we were booted from Jamaica was that 2% infection was threshold trigger for concern that day though even still the claim was being denied admission at the port was highly unusual.  The next day the captain sounded dismayed to report the number infected was still rising... so my guess was they passed 4% then.   The CDC report for the numbers on returning were over 6%

I was thinking along these lines (food poisoning + virus) as well.  I was in a party of three, and my husband was sick the evening after we left Labadee.  His symptoms were sudden and subsided in less than 12 hours although he was exhausted the next day or so.  My daughter and I were in the cabin with him and we did not get sick.  What is notable is that my daughter is a vegetarian and I am a pescetarian - in Labadee we ate very little and no meat or fish -- her because she didn't see much she liked (I think rice was the extent of her food there) and me because I didn't like many of the choices and I was concerned about the food temperature.  Neither of us ate anything there without utensils (no finger foods), and we did both use the hand sanitizer.  Hubby used hand sanitizer, but ate some items without utensils.  

My husband also mentioned how they had hand sanitizer set up by the buffet on Labadee, but no one was using it. 

I got my first refund today - I had a credit balance on my onboard account after all charges and that amount was refunded - that refund included the one missed day, plus all port charges.  I believe the remaining 6 days (except for the port charges) will be coming in a couple of weeks they said.  They also provided a $200 allowance for those of us who had to book a hotel, we have to file a claim for that as we booked a Disney hotel for the unexpected night on land.

Royal Caribbean did a fabulous job handling this, the only thing I could even possibly fault them for was not being quite aggressive enough with pushing handwashing, etc... early in the cruise, and the food handling in Labadee. I would hate to be an accountant at their home office having to figure out all the refunds.   The crew was wonderful, but obviously stressed.  Our stateroom attendant told me (when I directly asked) they all have to give up their normal time off in Port Canaveral to work on sanitizing the ship - and that is not a simple task.  

Assuming Ovation is the same as Oasis - you don't need reservations, just arrive 25 minutes or so before show time and there is a dedicated area blocked off for suite guests.  

We were on this cruise as well - I'm very sorry I didn't meet you because we certainly seem to have similar opinions on the cruise...   We were in a Grand Suite and I don't think I will ever cruise again without being in a suite.  

We too got turned away the from the ice show performance due to "technical difficulties" on Day 2.  We did see it on Day 6 and the music stopped during the sand artist and they announced technical difficulties.  My daughter is a competitive skater and we've been to a LOT of ice shows - I'm pretty sure at least two of the cast were recovering from being ill - they toughed it out but I felt for them.  There were some impressive moments during the show (back flip and triples on a postage stamp size rink anyone?), but the cast obviously was not in top form.

Cats -- not my favorite but the cast was amazing and there were some good moments.  

I was at the late night Day 1 comedy show as well - and it was strange with the 'tipsy hecklers.'  We went to the comedy show two more times including the final show Day 6 - Joe just kept getting better!  I'm from the Boston area so I will definitely look to go see him when he's in town. 

Kind of looking forward to the rest of your adventures...  We had one person out of three ill.  

Hi!

My family is sailing on Oasis 1/6/19 sailing.  Our last Royal Caribbean cruise was on Explorer a few years ago.  At that time, if you brought your own ice skates you could go to an "advanced skater" session early in the morning.  We enjoyed this because the ice was not crowded at that time.  

Question #1 - Did they offer this on your sailing?  

Question #2 - We are in a Suite.  Do they offer any ice skating sessions that are only for suite guests?  

The main thing we are looking for is less crowded times to skate to get a bit of a workout without having to worry excessively about running into others or being knocked over by others.  

TIA! 

I received an offer on my 1/6/19 Oasis sailing.  We are booked in a GS, but I did bid (the minimum or slightly more) on some of the higher categories - Crown Loft, Owners, 2 bedroom Aquatheater, Star Loft.  Right now only the 1 bedroom Aquatheatre is showing available, and it is actually smaller than my GS so I didn't bid on it - why pay to upgrade to a smaller room just because it has the Aquatheatre view, plus I'm 6' tall and I've heard the ceilings are low in some of those rooms.   

I will report back if any of my bids end up being accepted.  I'm not counting on it, but I'd consider it a bargain price if they did.  To check fair pricing - I went out a year, compared the GS price against the others, and figured that was a good ballpark figure.  In every case if my bid is accepted I'll have saved at least a little money over what I estimate it would have cost me to book those categories originally.  

Ship - Breakaway

Deck - 15

Stateroom # - 15122

Stateroom Category – Haven, Courtyard Penthouse

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Very - this stateroom is near the stairs that go up to the Haven and the 'secret passage' hallway to the spa so we were a bit concerned about noise, but we had no issues at all other than occasionally hearing the neighbors slamming drawers shut the last night while they were packing.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Any specific problems with this cabin? - The door covering the minibar would not properly close so we rigged a fix by putting paper into it to block it closed. This was never fixed during the cruise although the butler did remark on it. We also had problems with the remote for the TV that were never addressed - but overall these were small issues.

Any other comments? - This was a great room location - quieter I think than the rooms on deck 16 right next to the Haven lounge and pool area, but so close to that staircase and spa that we were convenient to everything.

We bought Brita water bottles with a built in filter and this is another option if like me you don't like to 'taste' your water. I also bring along some lemon flavoring (a dietary essential oil version) to make sure I don't run into taste issues. As a bonus, you can replace the filters in the Brita bottles and use them for other trips where you don't want to be stuck overpaying for bottled water. We use ours at the Disney parks and save some serious $$ on water.

Thanks! Married to an Italian and live outside of Boston...I usually don't eat Italian food on cruises...we're too fussy ;p

Have dined in the North End many times, and we don't like Olive Garden, yet still found La Cucina a better fit for us than what others have stated. But we aren't super picky, just mildly so! I should mention our party has one vegetarian and one pescetarian, so that impacts our opinions as well.

The service was so bad at Cagney's (yes, bring a drink in from somewhere else if you want wine with your dinner and forget about a dessert wine option), that definitely impacted our opinion.

We booked out March 4 cruise about 5 weeks prior to sailing. I requested some things based on the concierge letter we received - it was a waste of time. There was a pillow menu (requests weren't filled). I asked for tea in the room (no tea, good thing I travel with tea bags).

I'll echo the advice - book your dining and entertainment online, then adjust it once you are on the ship.

Just got off the BA, in the Haven.

For wine - be aware the Haven restaurant has a much better wine list than anywhere else, and they can bring you food from other restaurants (as long as it isn't sushi). I didn't learn about the wine list until the last night.

For specialty restaurants, we dined at Cagney's, La Cucina, Teppanyaki, and Wasabi; plus the Cirque Dinner Show. The service at Cagney's was poor - getting a glass of wine was difficult - and the food was not very different from what is found in the Haven restaurant. La Cucina was excellent, as were Teppanyaki and Wasabi. We paid Wasabi out of pocket and for three people it was under $30 - so that's a good lunch option. I'm the only sushi eater in the family but my DH and DD loved the other options on that menu.

You don't go to the Cirque show for the food, but the show was great.

We just got back from the Breakaway, where we had the 'free' UBP. I made it my mission to try as many drinks as possible, and I will admit there were some I didn't finish because I did not like them. There were some that I didn't make it to (grass clippings was one of them).

My favorites:

Lavender Patch

French Raspberry

Rum Cake (perfect dessert drink!)

Rebellious Fish (when made well - sometimes they weren't so great)

Inniskillin Ice Wine ($2 upcharge)

North South Red Wine blend

We sailed on the Breakaway 3/4/18 in the Haven. We spent a lot of time in the Haven because the BA is a huge ship, it was spring break, and we enjoyed the more relaxed atmosphere. We did breakfast in the Haven restaurant each morning, they have a small buffet set up along with the menu, so ample variety for us. We did lunch most days in the Haven as well, although DH loves wings so he regularly lunched at O'Sheehan's, which I did not like at all. DD is a vegetarian so she liked the veggie wrap they offer at the less formal table at the Haven poolside.

For dinner, we had the 3 UDP package 'free.' We booked four specialties: Cagney's, Teppanyaki, La Cucina, and the Cirque dinner show. We also visited Shanghai Noodles one evening, and Wasabi sushi bar twice (once at lunch). In retrospect, we should have skipped Cagney's (we paid out of pocket) as service was so much better at the Haven, they have a much better wine list, and the food at the Haven was also better. Teppanyaki was worth it for the fun and the food was okay (too much food though!) - at La Cucina we dined outside on the Waterfront, the service was excellent, as was the food so I would go there again. Cirque, you don't go for the food or the service and I'll leave it at that. There were a LOT of empty seats at that show so you'd probably be safe booking onboard. We liked Shanghai as well (they don't take reservations and there was always a long line there at opening to get in, we only waited about 15-20 minutes but we went on the first night when most people were hitting the MDR's.

We did pre-book the shows - always the latest one. The concierge will have you arrive 30 minutes prior to showtime in the Haven and escort you to the reserved seating area. I wasn't thrilled with the reserved seating on BA - it was off to the side so everyone wanted to sit on the end of the row because the other seats were against the wall and offered a poor view of the stage. About 5 minutes prior to showtime they open those remaining empty seats to standbys. So you have to get up and down to let people get to those seats. For Burn the Floor the people next to us in a large group got up ten - yes ten - times to go in and out. The last time one of them had the grace to apologize and assure us they weren't coming back - and then a new group came in a sat down in those seats. Probably just bad luck for us, but on other cruise lines where I've sailed in suites with reserved theatre seating, they put the reserved seats in the center of the theater so you aren't forced to sit on the end to have a good view (and can avoid having people climbing over you).

The one item they will not bring you from another restaurant to the Haven Restaurant is sushi. We were told it is because it is too hard to make sure the proper temperature is maintained (makes sense).

As of our March 4 sailing - yes!

Hi Joyful....sailing on Breakaway in August. How late does The Haven Restaurant serve dinner? Some of the shore excursions do not get back to the ship until 900 pm. Also, do you know the dinner hours of the specialty restaurants?

 

The Moose

Hello!

The Haven was open until 9:30pm each evening for dinner on our itinerary. I don't know if they adjust the schedule for various itineraries or if it is standard. The Haven Restaurant was one of our favorites. Most of the specialty restaurants served until 10pm.

Hi, I am going on this cruise this Sunday, I was just curious if they had any "theme" nights. I recall a few years back on a cruise i was on, they had 80's night one night. Do you recall any theme nights like that?

I just returned from the March 4 sailing as well. I agree 100% on the OP's review of the shows - we loved Rock of Ages, and found that Burn the Floor was a bit boring. My experience was a bit different as I was in the Haven (and reading this I believe it was worth every extra penny we paid). I'm starting to work on my review now, but hopefully the OP won't mind that I jump in and answer your question on theme nights - on our cruise they had the following parties:

Day 1 - 70's Disco Groove dance Party

Day 2 - Norwegian Night Out Party

Day 3 - Sizzle Latin Party

Day 4 - Awesome 80's Party

Day 5 - GLOW Party

Day 6 - Throw Back 90's Party

Day 7 - Farewell Toga Party

While I had originally planned on attending these - we didn't make it to any of them so I cannot comment on how they were.

March 4, Breakaway

Booked in Haven Courtyard Penthouse

Bidding started at $500 for 2 bedroom - bid $600 - declined

Bidding started at $750 for Deluxe Owners' - bid $850 - declined

Both were listed as poor bids so I'm not really surprised and I already paid enough for my cruise in the Haven anyway - but it was fun to try!

"Excludes purchases onboard, Norwegian gift cards, shore excursions and transportation to and from the ship".. That stinks. my cruise is already paid for in full. Until reading the fine print, I thought I'd get it when I closed out my on board account

Same here - although I wonder if my upgrade bid gets accepted if it would count toward that? Or if I order my spa passes now at ncl.com?

Following this with great interest as we are boarding on the 4th. Wishing you safe travels and hopefully not too rough a ride.

I'll echo Robmac330 - have a contingency plan. The wonderful thing about the Northeast is the number of alternate airports available and the number of ways to get between airports (trains, busses and cars). BDL is a great alternative - but don't overlook MHT (Manchester, NH), BOS, LGA (Laguardia), EWR (Newark) -- anything that gets you out of the storm zone and into south Florida can work since you have some time cushion available.

Remember there will be a lot of other people trying to get out of town as well. In the event of a flight cancellation, be sure you have fully charged your cell phone and while one person waits in line for the gate agent the other should be on the phone trying to reach the airline.

My air travel motto is 'always keep moving in the direction of your final destination.'

I'm sailing on the March 3 Breakaway - first time on this ship.

About the weather. I've sailed twice out of NYC the last week of February. Both times by noon the 2nd day it was warm enough for my New England family to be out on deck. So there is a a 24-36 hour time period where indoors is your best option. On both of those sailings it was rough enough on the return that the outside decks were closed.

Hoping not too many people abusing the UBP our week. Sounds like we will be avoiding the atrium.

On the Breakaway now. I think the Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Red blend, and Cab are all fine and I've been drinking them regularly. I tried the Riesling but it's too sweet for me. The Malbec, Merlot, and Chianti are all ok but not my favorites.

Heading out on the Breakaway in a couple of weeks - what do they have for a Cab? I'm a fan of J. Lohr but assume that's a little above what they have (because it's a $15 bottle at home lol)!

Thanks!

I'm on your cruise, booked a couple of weeks ago, and ran into a similar issue before I paid. Rooms often release first thing in the morning so I had two rooms held for 24-hours, then went back in the next morning and found the room for 3 I really wanted, called my TA and had her handle the booking for me. She spent close to an hour on the phone and had to go to supervisor as well -- and I had not paid any $$ yet toward the cruise.

So I'm glad to hear it worked out for you. Spring break cruises tend to run out of capacity for 3's and 4's so you are definitely lucky! Hop on over to the Roll Calls if you haven't done so already and join in with the rest of us on this sailing!

Thank you! I was going to ask if anyone had done this so I wouldn't have to scroll through all 35 pages!

This thread has been too quiet lately! Preparing for my December cruise, I have done a makeover on Warm-water Diver's spreadsheet (with credit of course) and posted it here

 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bz4nA7xcrIZaSnk2VV9DbnFjM1U/view?usp=sharing

 

And attaching it. I have processed all 31 pages of this thread looking for drinks to add, and added a number of classics too. A couple dozen added overall. Fits on 2 pages front/back with shots spilling to a third page... but see the bottom line of page 2 for help there.

 

Enjoy. I will.