Aldri_CA

Only TA's that are in the same country you are in are allowed to offer any "non-US currency" offers. You mention your TA is in the U.S. unless they have a license to offer Canadian offers they cannot see / offer them. If you had a Canadian TA then they would have seen the offer.

Interesting. This does not explain why RCCL couldn't see it though? I get the TA thing, due to licensing restrictions, but why wouldn't RCCL be able to see what they offer in various currencies/on their international websites? Odd.

It used to be the balcony discount but lately Royal has been offering so much OBC that was not combinable with the balcony discount:( that I will have to say the free drinks win.:)

This. The OBC now beats out the balcony discount more often than not.

The diamond lounge evening drinks and coffee machine are definitely our favourite! Weren't fans of the WJ coffee either.

I prefer whichever makes me better off. So would prefer $300 OBC instead of $200 off the fare.

 

I don't have difficulty spending OBC. :)

Exactly this. OBC gives freedom to try more speciality dining or getting a nicer bottle of wine without worrying about breaking the bank:D.

Ultimately, we prefer whatever results in lower net cost at the end. We never have issues spending OBC (especially since there's a lot of upselling and hidden fees happening now). To each their own though! I can see that if you have minimal on board spending that the lower fare would be more enticing. I'd take a lower fare too if it beat out the OBC.

MDR on X beats out RCCL, but I'd say the speciality dining on RCCL is better than X but not by much. We found MDR and the Oceanview (X's version of Windjammer) to surpass RCCL's by far. It's one of the biggest things X does better over RCCL

I'm 26 and have sailed on ~25 cruises. Was lucky to have parents who took my brother and I on 1-2 cruises a year since I was 7. So, 40 cruises from 6months to 24 years is not impossible.

Having said that, I'm about to go on a cruise with my SO this July... and in no way would I expect to get a prime lounger in the sun after 11am (or even 9am for that matter), nor would I be surprised at the age demographics on a X ship during a non-school-vacation week, that a ship on the ocean can get rocky, that another cruise ship won't let me aboard, or that food that I didn't like one night would be equally unsatisfactory the next night.

Everyone is 100% entitled to their opinions, but as a seasoned cruiser you should not be surprised that many here are confused by your statements and actions after 40 cruises.

All in all, while negative reviews can be helpful for cruise planners (and evaluating changing standards on various cruise lines), this one just doesn't add up. Even the most hand-held children with parents who have done everything and prepped everything for them would, after 40 cruises, be able to figure out the basics of cruising.

I truly hope that you enjoy your next cruises, and would advise you to try Carnival for a more party atmosphere with a very young crowd. I would suggest spring break.

ON the other point re: food -- I've been on Carnival, Princess, Royal, X and would have to say that X has by far the best food overall (IMO, and I never ate of the kids menus). Princess was good as well, though it's been over 10 years since I have sailed with them. Food is, as PP have noted, subjective, and comparisons between mainstream and luxury lines would yield vastly different results as well. I hope to try some of the luxury lines in the future, and really get a sense of "fine dining" at sea!

Not sure if you've already checked -- maybe look into the Oasis? It may be offering an itinerary closer to what you're looking for, in which case you can get the best of both worlds. Not sure about pricing, etc. though ... but perhaps something to consider!

We were lifelong Royal cruisers, but also decided to pull the trigger and try X. Was very concerned about the same things: lack of activities, lack of promenade, stuffy ship, etc.

However, we ended up doing X twice. Its hard to compare the two companies, as they really feel like different cruise lines. While there were things that Royal has that I wish X had, I am now also wishing that my upcoming Royal cruise had some of the things X has (booked on the Oasis for July).

Lots of great wine tasting on X, better art auctions, lots of great little bars that you can try (martini bar is my favourite), etc.

Try seeing if someone on here has a cruise compass on an X cruise similar to yours that you can look through? That may give you a good idea if X offers activities that you like to do.

Either way, I think you'll enjoy it. And if not, at least you'll never wonder what you were missing!

Sorry one more thing: THE above being said, I actually prefer the itinerary of FOS to Allure's... Labadee is great.

But, at the end of the day, I'd still choose Allure just based on ship preference.

Been on both FOS and Allure: I would say Allure, hands down.

RCCL did a great job with the layout of Allure that it doesn't FEEL too big or overwhelming, and the crowds are balanced out in different parts of the ship. I also feel like there's more to do for kids on Allure if they don't like the kids program, especially with exploring the different neighbourhoods.

I think at their age, they won't necessarily notice the difference between FOS or the Allure -- I think they'll enjoy it either way. I just think that the Allure will be a better fit for everyone, parents included. Also, if the kids aren't super fans of the kids program, there are more options for activities for families on Allure than FOS.

Perfect thank you everyone, my travel agent will live to see another day! RCI made it sound like a huge ordeal that could take hours! So fingers crossed it will be a quick and painless process.

 

Is there a place near the port to purchase wine, or should I get it in the airport when we arrive in Orlando? Not much point buying it here (Canada) and hauling it with us.

 

Also is the security to get on the boat similar to airport security where you can't wear metal? Just trying to figure out if I need to leave jewelry in the carry on and not wear it.

We're from Canada too -- you can also check out the duty free section in the airport once you pass customs. You can take it as a carry-on on the airplane.

On the packing note, make sure she packs a couple of nicer options for formal night (if dressing up is your guys thing)!

Book all your shows ahead of time. I think the specialty restaurants are also worth a try (the 3 for $70 is a good deal IMO)... reserve these ahead of time and I would suggest to avoid booking it on formal nights as this is usually the best MDR menu.

Spend the first day exploring and getting to "know" the ship and where things are.

You can also purchase additional "surprise" packages for your stateroom that would make for a nice additional surprise... they can decorate it with a "happy anniversary" banner and have wine/champagne and chocolate for you in your stateroom, etc. You can find info: http://www.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts

We're diamond, and tried X over our last 2 cruises: infinity, then solstice.

X has smaller ships, but whether that is a pro or a con will depend on you. On our trip on Infinity, a 2 week South America, I was definitely one of the youngest on board (and I'm in my late 20s), and my parents would've been in the median. Solstice was a caribbean trip, was a much livelier ship, and a much more spread-out age demographic.

I've found X to have much better food in the buffet and MDR (and Bacio's), but I personally prefer the Oasis class speciality restaurants on RCCL.

X also seems to continue to have the more "refined" ambiance that I've found RCCL to have relaxed in the last few years. People will make an effort to dress up for dinners on X, especially on formal nights, which I found has been the opposite on RCCL.

We're headed back to RCCL this year though... we miss the big ships, daytime activities, and overall "fun" factor of the bigger ships!

Either way, you can't go wrong -- give X a try and see what YOU like! :)

Check out Bernard's Tours In St. Martin. Excellent.

We were looking for a good snorkel tour in St. Martin for July -- thanks for the suggestion!

If you're looking for something a little more refined and classier, RCCL is the way to go over Carnival without sacrificing the fun factor.

However, I would also recommend looking into X. I'm not sure if they have ships from Galveston, but their food is one step-up from RCCL (IMO) and has an more "upscale" feeling overall.

RCCL is still my personal favourite though. Fun atmosphere, luxurious without being stuffy, and without the "pow" crowd that you find on Carnival ships.

... thinking I was going to sea in a rowboat...

LOL that's pretty much where he's at right now -- so YES, can't wait for him to see the size of the ship!

I also never thought about the idea of re-experiencing the ship for the first time through him... makes me that much more excited for the trip! My last couple cruises were with Celebrity, so I'm looking forward to coming back to RCCL.

And, yes: Oasis is definitely too big to see/do everything in just 7 days... my first experience on the Oasis class was a b2b on the Allure and we barely had time to see/do everything. This is also why I just want to make sure we hit the highlights this time without missing anything a first time cruiser would love.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Hi all,

Long time cruiser, but I’ve only recently discovered this forum – so much great info on here!

I took my first cruise when I was a young kid (my parents loved to travel), so I don’t really remember my first few cruises that well. BUT, I’m taking my BF on his first cruise this July (Oasis) and I want to make sure he’s getting the full cruise experience (he’s still a bit skeptical).

Those who recently took their first cruise (or those who still remember their first cruise well) – what is a MUST do for a first time cruiser? I feel like there’s things I skip after having been cruising so long as they’ve lost their dazzle a bit, but that a first time cruiser might love? I know this will depend on the person, age, preferences, etc. but looking for some general ideas.

Granted, it’s the Oasis so there’s never a dull moment. But just curious what you all think is a “must-do” for first time cruisers. Thanks in advance!