M_BA

I've not had this experience, and we eat in the MDR every night. There's always one night with some singing, but we just continue conversation at our ten top.

The one event I do enjoy is when the toddlers stroll thru dressed as pirates. The kids love it, as they're so adorable all dressed up.

Don't forget to bring a 10-12' extension cord, as outlets are limited. Pack the cord with your CPAP and you'll have no issues.

I just booked a May 6th, 2019 on Enchantment out of Galveston. I enjoy the smaller class ships as much as the larger ones, though the largest I've been on is Liberty.

I just paid off our December 3rd Carnival Triumph cruise from the port of New Orleans. I then re-priced it and found the ocean view to be $100 less for the three of us (we're taking our fifteen Swiss exchange student - she'll turn sixteen on the cruise!).

I called Carnival and the representative was quite cordial. She re-priced it and found the exact room to be $80 less. This was due to room type, location, deck, etc. So, my credit card will be refunded the $80.

I bought two tuxes in 2001. Excellent investment. Simple ones are only $200-300. I have on pair of fitted pants and one pair with the 'eat too much' let out the waist wings. I've taken my tuxedo on every cruise we've taken. Replacement white shirts are inexpensive on Amazon.

The number of tuxedo wearers has diminished. but I wear it for myself and not others. Last cruise I saw around a 100 or so in tuxes for our MDR seating.

Do what makes you happy!

The experience will be different at each locale, based on the ship and the chefs at each restaurant.

My biggest complaint with RCI over the past 17 years has always been that the flat iron steak was similar to leather. The converse is I find the Italian and seafood quite good in the MDR.

I've experienced Chops in a modified way twice on Liberty of the Seas out of Galveston. You can order a filet mignon for around $17 and have it served to your MDR table. IMHO, the filet was on par with Ruth's Chris and Three Forks in North Dallas.

I've yet to try Giovanni's as I find the pasta quality good in the MDR.

Mariner is never in port on Sunday.

What is the time difference from one to the next? Will you be driving or flying? That's another consideration as to cost differences if you have to change your flights.

Let us know how it turns out for you.

Dress the way that makes you comfortable and happy. I've seen a big change in formal wear since 2001. Cruise demographics have a lot to do with the shift to less formal clothing.

I personally love formal nights, and am in a very small minority who brings a tuxedo on board to wear. If the person next to me at a ten top has on slacks and a knit shirt, it has no affect on my evening or our conversation over the ninety minute dinner.

Do what makes you happy!

I have never had an issue using my wife's card on Carnival or RCI to purchase a drink. Granted, I always tuck a $1 bill under my seapass card and am rarely asked to sign the receipt. Developing a bit of rapport with staff goes a long way.

Yes...

 

Of course, if it was loud enough to disturb you you could do the neighborly thing and poke your head over and tell me.

My educated guess is that Cigar King's music is no louder than a normal human conversation. That's how we treat our balcony with a bluetooth speaker.

Thank you all for the input. I'll wait until on-board and ask about the selections. My preference is Swiss/German, sweet but bold flavour, whites.

What? The HGN test *may* show signs of intoxication but cannot be used to determine bac.

 

It’s an eye flutter test. You can’t tell if someone a . 3 with that.

 

Signed former prosecutor who has been trained on SFST (standard field sobriety tests)

Agreed, I was looking for signs of lucidity and then cut her off. I based my estimation from number of drinks, duration of consumption, and her body weight. My estimate came out to BAC of 0.312 g/ml.

Yes, we are related. This was my nanny that I married three months ago after the death of my wife 1/1-2 years ago. Her post was what NOT to do on a cruise.

She's new to CC, I've been posting for a couple years and don't troll. Feel free to look up my previous posts to see my contributions to CC.

I gave her an HGN test late in the evening. She was around .30 BAC. Certainly drunk, but not in any danger. That's what husband's do.

I've had the same varied experience. I've had a wine bottle held one of three times bringing it back on. It re-appeared in my stateroom the last night.

My experience with beer has been quite different. I've never had it taken away (anywhere from 3-6 beers) from on shore. I've even walked on board drinking a Dos Equis with no complaints.

It's a pain for security to document what they take with the volume of passengers embarking. That may explain their tolerance for small amounts.

I haven't noticed this offering before, though I'm sure it's been around awhile. It's quite reasonably priced ($17.70 USD / person), I'm sure to promote additional sales. Includes cheeses and fruit. Thoughts and experiences from those who have participated?

Wifi calling is a simple settings feature available on most phones made over the past five years. But you first have to make sure your carrier supports it for your plan and then it is enabled.

It's a Godsend for me to be able to call and text my kids 24/7 while on ship. Much better than the $7.99/minute ship to shore phone calls a decade ago!

On ship, you can text as normal, or use any of the other apps to connect. RCI Internet disconnects after 1-2 hours on my tablet, but my phone stays connected indefinately, not sure why?

It's all in the details of your travel insurance policy. The procedures vary greatly from one company to another. Most require out of pocket payment locally, with reimbursement later.

I use https://medjetassist.com/ for worldwide evacuation (I ride motorcycles worldwide). I don't currently use secondary insurance outside the US, though I should as I approach 50.

I've used the on-board ship Dr once. I had an ingrown toenail causing me immense pain. the bill was $600 in 2001 for a 10 minute procedure. However, the relief was almost instant!

Thanks for the review. I'm a fan of cruising out of Galveston (it's an 8-9 hour drive from Oklahoma) and Liberty of the Seas.

We've had similar consistent good quality food in the MDR. I usually order a filet once or twice from Chops in the MDR for a reasonable under $20 price.

Familiarity with Galveston helps navigate the roads. It's only going to get worse when a third terminal is added. I certainly don't have an answer as the island is so land locked.

I carry an international travel cube (with usb connections) that covers US, UK, AU, Europe & Asia. I can then utilize the 220v outlet and have the two 110v still available. They are readily available on Amazon and even in Walmart now.

If the device is three prong, then it is surge protected. Only purchase one that has two prongs.

The horseradish tip is a good one! I could use some with beef as well.

Same here, it's a great garnish for many appetizers and entrees. After requesting it the first night, they usually bring me some every night without having to request it. It's a nice touch.

Most definitely. I always order several rounds of shrimp cocktails before my flat iron arrives. :D I'm a growing boy also.

Same here, I usually order two shrimp cocktails each evening, along with fresh horseradish.

My three times to the Caymen Islands have varied. Back in 2001, Rhapsody used its own orange boats to tender us in. It was cumbersome and took about an hour.

Nowadays, RCL uses local tenders that have 100+ passengers capacity per boat. You can usually depart and be on the island within a half hour.

Starting April 2, the passport execution fee will increase to $35 from $25. The fee covers the in-person submission of an application to a passport acceptance agency (the Post Office or a Department of State official) for identity verification and document review

The price boost will not affect those who are applying for a passport renewal.