bigboffs

I have always had a great experience with Gustavo!:)

We find him to be warm and friendly. Always look forward to being with him.

Ours are displayed on the shelves of the wall unit in our great room so we can enjoy looking at them as well as framed pictures from our cruises.

Yes , we too, want to trade: Liberty Navigator Oasis Vision

Need: Brilliance Quantum Rhapsody

The Radiance class and Vision class of ships have all had the centrum area turned into an entertainment venue. Since a large number of these shows involve very loud sounds, cabins near the centrum will be adversely affected. From experience, suggest these cabins be avoided. Also, when the shows are on and the sounds are loud as they tend to be, conversation at the guest relations desk is seriously negatively affected so go there only when centrum is not being used for entertainment.

Topi is still on the Serenade for the crossing. I have not seen Carly -- maybe she will board in Canada since she lives there.

Captain Krzysztof started on August 30.

Made the corrections. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hKBiGZ9Gqcp2G2owtX3RyQy7yQ0ijgxCL0nPjQKK8j4/edit?pli=1#gid=0

Concierge on Serenade is Gamaliel [Gamy] Sanchez. He is on until October 7.

Mario is in the DL, he started on August 30

Boarded Serenade yesterday, Captain Anders is still the master.

With the exception of the water slide on Harmony, Deck 15 is the same on all Oasis class ships. Having had the misfortune to be in a cabin on deck 14 directly under the pool/whirlpools, never again. The noise and pool aromas (chlorine) made our cruise experience much less satisfying than any other of the dozens we have taken. If these do not bother you, the overhang is a nice sun shade.

We have used guarantees on several sailings and to us, there is no simple answer. Assignments have been made as short as 5 days after booking and as long as 40 days before sailing. One hint, after you receive a cabin assignment is a particular category, if you find a cabin you prefer in that very same category, RCCL usually will make the change if you request it

We cruise on both, but give RCCL a slight edge. Our observations may/may not sit well with "cheerleaders." Here are some. RCCL ships are far more family oriented with an emphasis of kids activities. Most Royal ships have more large open areas, and the rooms seem a bit larger. Although food itself is VERY subjective, the layouts are not. Buffet choices on Princes are more extensive and it is served until midnight (or later on some ships). The Buffet layout is much better on Royal as is the placement of food. Although "headliners" entertainment quality on Royal has gone down in recent years, it is still better than Princess. Internet on Princess is extremely fast compared to most Royal ships, and ii is cheaper. The RCCL loyalty benefits, especially if you enjoy alcohol beverages is far better on Royal. On Princess, there are self use laundry facilities that for many cruisers are a blessing. During summer months, Princess does not do Caribbean cruises.

Having heard/read literally hundreds of passionate pros and cons about auto grats, we believe it boils down to one's personal opinion. Each one of us is blessed with the ability to fully consider facts and act on their own conclusion.

for years,to varying degrees, the RCCL It has been a mess.BE patient

It is often referred to as the BOGOHOAX

viator.com offers both a day and (to us an even better) night tour with an english speaking guide.

Agree with mr fidetpants. Although a holiday ,assume 95 will have a back up somewhere . Its very accident prone

On the Royal Promenade deck 5 you will find Cafe Promenade with sandwiches etc on the left past Guest Services and further down on the right towards the front is Sorrento's Pizza with salads and antipasti etc

Is there a board for Hotel Directors?

This is an article written by Jim Walker, an attorney who specializes in cruise law issues

> Crime > 8th Violent Crime Warning for the Bahamas in 16 Months

8th Violent Crime Warning for the Bahamas in 16 Months

Posted on May 15, 2015 by Jim Walker jwalker@cruiselaw.com

Comments

Nassau Bahamas The U.K.'s Foreign and Commonwealth Office has issued "foreign travel advice" for travelers to the Bahamas. The U.K. crime warning says:

"There have been incidents of violent crime including robbery, which is often armed and sometimes fatal, in residential and tourist areas of New Providence, Grand Bahamas and Freeport. The number of break-ins and robbery incidents reported to the High Commission has increased. There are police patrols in the main tourist areas.

Be vigilant at all times and don’t walk alone away from the main hotels, tourist areas, beaches and downtown Nassau, particularly after dark. Take care if travelling on local bus services after dusk on routes away from the main tourist areas. Do not carry large amounts of cash or jewellery. Robbers may be armed."

I [Jim Walker] first learned of the crime warning from Travel Weekly.

Incredibly, this is the eighth crime warning for the Bahamas in the last 16 months.

In 2014, Bahamas was the subject of four critical crime warnings to U.S. citizens (one from the U.S. State Department and three from the U.S. Embassy) and one warning from Canada. There have been 2 prior crime warnings from the U.S. for the Bahamas this year. With this latest U.K. warning, that's a total of 8 warnings.

I [Jim Walker] have never heard any country being the recipient of 8 crime warnings in such a short time period. The U.S. warnings are much more specific, mentioning that U.S. tourists have been raped and robbed at gunpoint.

We [Jim Walker] last wrote about the sorry state of affairs in the Bahamas earlier this month. We [Jim Walker] received a number of interesting comments to the article. Many people avoid a cruise itinerary which includes the Bahamas, or they stay on the cruise ship when it reaches Nassau.

I [Jim Walker] picked Nassau as the most dangerous cruise destination in the world last year.

Photo Credit: Bahamas B2B

When reading this RCCL board keep in mind that there are a few ROYAL Cheerleaders who quickly defend the cruise line. Some of the responders are also quite nasty in their comments hiding behind screen names.

The RCCL web site was recently "updated" and it still has things that need to be corrected. We are patient that this will happen.

We have learned that when calling any call center late in the evening, week ends and holidays we at times get customer no service

We have found that onboard the crew are always in the hospitality business but on shore it sometimes seems those people are in the hostility business.

Enjoy your cruise!!!

There is no where that is immune to the actions of orthodox believers who are convinced that the eradication of non believers is their sacred duty. We can all point to an event or events and justify why a belief that travel to those places should be avoided. For us, the US State Dept issues a list of places where the possibility of danger is present and a risk level is ascribed. Cruise lines are aware of these places where warnings are elevated ( such as New Providence Bahamas, Rotan Honduras and almost all of the middle eastern Countries). One "incident" will not result in a place being put on the warning list.

TO us the improved rccl site is simply frustrating with repeated incorrect search results.

Having been "Loyal to Royal" and a "frequent floater" for many years, we have cruise pricing records going back many years. Comparing prices for the 2012-2013 and 2013 to 2014 seasons, with current 2014 to 2015 "Special" deals, it is very clear that for the most part sales prices are actually considerably more expensive than non sales prices. To compensate and stay within budget, we are now sailing less and in lower cost categories. To those of you that find current prices to your liking, we are sure RCCL thanks you and will continue the "sales."

For many years, being loyal to Royal, we used the Royal branded Visa Card. With the changes in redemption, the value of the points have been negatively affected to the extent that we have found using other cards have been much more beneficial to us.

To be safe, it is suggested that the notarized letter be signed by both parents whose names are on the birth certificate. The letter should also spell out you have the authority to approve emergency medical care if it becomes needed.

For a long time, using our BOGO, we ate in Chops the first night and on longer cruises additional nights. After the menu was changed, we found after visits on 2 different ships, that the quality of much of the food to be significantly less. We will use Chops only reluctantly when friends with whom we are dining want to go there. Then, we have the shrimp cocktail, onion soup, salad and veal chop parmesan; which are usually good.

We believe Giovanni's to offer a better experience.