DrHfuhruhurr

10 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

Yeah, Buger King, Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut....👍

Sounds like someone has never actually visited the U.S. Or, visited the U.S. and didn't go anywhere. I would put the food culture in New Orleans, New York, Houston,  Los Angeles, Chicago, etc. up against any location worldwide. 

26 minutes ago, Thorben-Hendrik said:

I think specialty dining is a very US thing as there is hardly any developed food culture where people live on land.....

 

 

Pfft. This is just silly talk.  Plenty of food culture in the U.S. 

44 minutes ago, mreiter1963 said:

Hmm, OK.  Any other lines like Norwegian or others offer something like that?  The all inclusive aspect coming at no additional charge is very appealing.

Well, "no additional charge" is a bit misleading. I really like Celebrity, but the base cruise fare is definitely higher than RCI. With respect to the drink package, it's probably a wash, in the end. 

I agree, but we weren't discussing true cocktails. Discussion had centered around frozen blender drinks and I think those are often tasteless as far as alcohol is concerned. They are usually more sugary concoctions with fruit, syrups, etc. You don't really taste the booze the way you would in a gin and tonic, screwdriver, etc.

I suppose palates vary, but I would disagree. Unless your bartender is poor, you should still taste the alcohol in a frozen drink. Even on a cruise ship. As sweet as they are on RC, that bitter component is crucial.

I'm surprised by the posts suggesting bartenders are bending the rules, not swiping cards, giving multiple drinks, etc. On our cruise last month on the LotS, the bartenders were very strict. They required a card from every person, every time, even if we were in the bar all night. They also wouldn't give out more than one drink at a time.

Exactly. It wouldn’t be a waste of money if you buy the refreshment instead of the deluxe, and there’s no need to take just a few sips of alcohol, because that does nothing...

But some people like the taste of alcohol (i.e., those people who are not just drinking to get drunk). A virgin cocktail most definitely tastes different than a cocktail with alcohol.

As previously stated, not all ships have interactive menus. :halo:

And in some cases, not all *rooms* have interactive menus. We recently cruised on the Liberty of the Seas and were unable to access the interactive menu on our television. I asked about it at guest services and was advised not all rooms have been upgraded with TVs that can handle the interactive menu. Not a big deal, but I'm glad I asked--I later received a letter in our cabin apologizing and offering a 15% discount on a future cruise due to the issue. :)

Based on my two experiences at Chops (food quality was average at best...think Saltgrass chain quality) and the service was abysmal in a mostly empty restaurant I would have been tempted to tell them "Good, because based on the food and service nobody here deserves a tip."

 

Sometime tacky should go both ways...

Hmm. We just cruised the LOS last week, and I wish Chops had been up to the quality of Saltgrass. It was pretty bad, although the desserts were great.

This worked for me: From the main RCC webpage, click on "Already Booked" and then select check-in from the options that appear. The trick is to avoid logging in, which will take you to the new, broken portal. Good luck!

OK - but the system will have to live with our door being open - that is just too important for us!:cool:

We seldom sail in hot weather anyway!:halo:

Eureka! It took four pages and 64 posts to get there, but the truth comes out. Nothing like watching someone argue and try to justify his position for hours and then cave to the facts and admit it's really just intentionally selfish behavior.

"I leave my balcony door open because I like it."

"What's that? It negatively impacts other people? I don't believe you."

"Well, you can't *prove* there is a negative impact. This is too important to me to change without proof."

"What's that, you say? There *is* proof? Please explain."

"You have not explained well enough."

"Nope. Still not getting it."

"..."

"Oh, I see. Looks like I was wrong."

"Never mind, then. I never intended to change, regardless."

"I am all about me, no one else."

Love the exploitive click bait press. "Horror Facial Injuries." Couple of scrapes and a minor shiner. Get over it.

 

But, check out my next post for the most amazing diet tips ever!

To be fair, he allegedly suffered multiple fractures and a broken nose. That's horrific enough, even if the title is complete click-bait.

Given that he threw the first punch, I doubt he will have much luck in his proposed lawsuits. "But, he told me he had a knife and was going to kill me!" Well, that's when I turn to the nearest RCL staff and say, "This guy says he has a knife and is going to kill me." Punching the guy threatening to kill you with a knife seems like a bad idea all the way around.

Where in Galveston do you suggest to book a before and after cruise hotel stay?

I would recommend Hotel Galvez, hands-down. Wonderful hotel, though pricey. Also, while you're in Galveston, go eat at Gaido's Seafood Restaurant. Crazy-good food. :)

Hi all,

We are headed to Cozumel next week on the RCL Liberty of the Seas (will be in port on March 16). We canceled our planned excursion to the Rio Secreto underground caverns due to the messy situation with ferries to the mainland right now, and we're not having a lot of luck finding alternatives. The rest of our family is headed to Mr. Sanchos, but that venue is sold out. We also tried Nacho Cocom, which is also sold out. At this point, we are considering just staying on the ship and relaxing, but does anyone have a favorite thing to do in Cozumel they'd like to recommend?

We already sort of struck out in the prior port (Puerto Costa Maya) because we hemmed and hawed until what we wanted to do sold out, so I would like to do *something* in Cozumel if there is a good option.

Thanks for any advice!!

Both of these drinks would be available based on the current Diamond drinks list, though I think they might have cognac rather than brandy, depending on the ship. I wouldn't turn that down in any event.

 

At the risk of being pedantic, cognac is brandy.

I would be supportive of my wife and join her in sobriety rather than make her bust her butt to ensure that I can get drunk. :evilsmile:

That is a wonderful gesture, if your wife finds it supportive. I’m nearly positive my wife would think it’s just stupid.

We will be sailing on the Liberty of the Seas on March 11, and I am curious which bar is considered best for standard or craft cocktails. I am not a fan of frozen drinks, at all, and I'd really love to discover there is a craft cocktail bar or something similar on LotS. Thanks for any advice!

rum, pineapple juice, blue Curaçao, sweet and sour mix, and sometimes vodka too

 

 

 

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Hmm. Not if it's made properly. A traditional Blue Hawaiian is rum, blue curacao, creme de coconut, and pineapple juice. No vodka, and definitely no sweet and sour mix.

Edit: Actually, I just noticed the question was regarding a "Blue Hawaii," for which you're correct. The original picture was a Blue Hawaiian, which confused me. Mea culpa. I will leave my reply, however, for posterity's sake. ;)

With that being said, for our up coming trip he purchased the drink package & I got the refreshment. but my issue was why am I paying for a refreshments package when the water, lemonade, iced tea, coffee & tea are included. I don't see how purchasing this package is going to deter anybody from sharing.

Perhaps because, if you are interested in drinking, buying a single package and sharing is less attractive if you also have to purchase an expensive, non-alcoholic package to go along with it. Might as well just buy two alcohol packages and be done with it.

The drink package works for us. It's not really even a question of breaking even (though I am positive we do, between bottled water, coffee, and cocktails). The best part about it, for me, is the extra breathing room the package gives me, financially. We have plenty of money to buy alcohol either way (a la carte or via a package), but when I'm on a cruise I like the feeling of knowing I purchased all of my drinks over a year ago. It may not be 100% rational, but it makes the current trip seem just a little bit less indulgent. No giant bill to pay at the end of the cruise, after I've already spent heavy on activities on shore or trinkets on the ship.

Even in pricey restaurants, a mixed drink isn't $12, unless you're going "top shelf".

This must be regional. $12 is pretty standard for restaurant cocktails in my area. In a "pricey" restaurant, $15 is more the norm.

Agree they are getting too pricey; also if not free Sabor should be a minimal up charge similar to Johnny Rockets - there is no simpler/cheaper food on the planet than Mexican.

I think you mean Tex-Mex.

Somehow I manage to do this every time! Meticulously plan out my entire vacation and then drop the ball by overestimating availability of something I really want to do. :(

So, we will be in Costa Maya on March 15th, and we had planned to spend the day at Maya Chan. Unfortunately, just tried to book reservations, and they are oversold. Really at a loss as to what to do now. We had multiple options we were interested in at our other ports of call, but Maya Chan was our only pick for Costa Maya.

What would you recommend?

Edit: We would love a good snorkeling option, as an alternative.

That alone probably isn't a showstopper for most people, but when combined with the other problems, I can see why some choose to avoid Galveston.

It's a shame. I've lived near Galveston most of my life, and we still take weekend trips there sometimes for a getaway. It is a wonderful little island.

Wow. A lot of hateful and judgmental comments here. Does anyone here even know anyone that is Jamaican?? I know many Jamaicans quit well. I’ve had several stay in my home. We spend our summers on Mackinac Island at the same Resort for the last 20 years. The majority of the employees are from Jamaica. They spend the summer here working. Many have become part of our family. I have never met such beautiful, caring, unselfish, loving people in all my life. And yes, we know them quite well. My children were attached to them and would cry when we left the island. Our son had his wedding on the island and they were all there. My daughter was badly injured one night and we had our son take her bike back to the Resort while she was getting stitches in her forehead. He told a Jamaican friend what had happened. Several hours later after midnight we came back and there they all were waiting to make sure she was ok. They had all brought gifts to her. She got an oversized Jamaica t-shirt, a Jamaican flag, a stuffed animal..... and oh how they doted on her.

I’m disgusted that people on here call them ugly. If we have tourists in the USA do we warn them not to go to the South side of Chicago?? Or downtown Detroit? Seriously! Our country has crime too! But to make a general statement about all Jamaican people saying they are ugly is completely judgmental and hateful. Those who make these generalized statements are truly the ugly ones. My Jamaican family is far far better then many people on here.

STOP THE HATE!!

 

 

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This is silly. No one is making any generalized statements about the entirety of the Jamaican population. The comments about people being "ugly" in Jamaica were about specific experiences cruisers had in Jamaica with people being ugly and making them feel unsafe/harassed. It can happen in any port, but it seems to happen to a lot more often in particular ports (Jamaica being one of them).

Regardless of the quality of people you personally know in Jamaica, it is a fact that it is a more dangerous port than others. Right now, in particular. It is historically not a very stable environment, and (as others have pointed out) the violence and crime rates are ridiculously high. Doesn't mean there aren't good people living there, but the facts are the facts. When considering the safety of the port, and whether some segments of the population have made it an "ugly" place to travel, acknowledging these facts isn't "HATE."

And yes, there are definitely places in the U.S. where tourists are advised not to go. Plenty of dangerous places, as well as places where the chances or running into people being "ugly" is high.

BBC (Bailey's Banana Collada) and caipirinha are my two new favorites from our sailing in December.

I'm shocked (and pleased) to hear they stock cachaça on-ship. :)