rjrpar

Scheduled for Bermuda in September but have no confidence in Gov. Murphy  letting the port reopen for cruising.  Hope I’m wrong

On 1/25/2021 at 6:27 AM, pe4all said:

We are tired of not being able to travel without the fear of covid infection.  We will get the vaccine when offered so we can open up our lives again doing what we love.   If needing a proof of vaccine/antibodies certificate is what they require, that is what we will do.  No certificate, no boarding.  We are in a new situation, and may need a new set of "rules" to get life back the way it was before.  

Good post!

Casa deCampo in the Dominican Republic 

Can anyone tell me if balconies on deck 7 of the Harmony OTS are obstructed? 

Thanks in advance

We have used Calabaza 3 times and love them.  Never been on SM so I can't compare

Going on this cruise in May '19.  Would appreciate hotel recommendations in Paris for a 3 night pre cruise stay - location is key.  Also, what hotel does Avalon use for their extensions?

Thanks in advance.

We cruise every winter to the Caribbean and my observation of people dressed formally is lower than some of the previous comments. Very few people dress formally, under 5%. About one third wear suits and nice dresses, another third with sport coats and dresses/nice slacks, and the rest in casual attire. Just remember, almost anything is acceptable

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Again, the simple solution that RCL will never implement, nor enforce. A sign that reads:

The MDR is a formal dress dining area.

We would be pleased to offer you dinner at the Windjammer should you wish to dine in a more "relaxed" setting.

What is wrong with you?

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2 at least.

You need to see at least Hermitage, Peterhof, Catherine's palace and have a city tour.

I wouldn’t bother for just 1 day, you’d miss too much.

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So, for a long time, I was a 'specialty restaurant every night' guy. But after our Oasis cruise in August, I think I am now an MDR convert. We did MDR six of the seven nights and it absolutely exceeded our expectations. One night, when our group shrunk from twelve to six due to teens getting into other activities, I decided to head to Chops. I was SO DISAPPOINTED! The steaks were okay, but nothing great. I would have expected better from the most basic local joint at home. The sides? Well, they brought small dished of EVERY side and totally filled the table. All it did was underscore the fact that they're all premade and sitting under heat lamps in the kitchen.

 

 

 

I used to really like Chops, but now, at least in my experience, it was a pale reflection of what it once was. If it was free, I honestly would still have chosen the MDR.

 

 

 

Did I have an uncharacteristically poor experience? What have others experienced lately?

Totally agree. We don’t bother to go there anymore

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Oh........One other thing you may find helpful....... unlike NCL the Royal Caribbean cruise line has a VERY FORMAL DINNING EXPERIENCE. Yes evening gowns, full suits, and tuxedos are not out of the norm. The first night they are a little relaxed because of the luggage situation and the muster drill etc etc etc. I always dress smart casual for boarding and that's usually good enough to enter the first night:)

Why would you post this? This is not true and almost everyone knows it. The dress code is never enforced, except possibly swimwear and tank tops.

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We went to the cab stand and asked the dispatcher for a “private cab for 4 hours this past February. No problem, he hooked us us with a driver almost immediately and charged us $160+tip. She drove us anywhere we wanted. Nice day, saw the effects of the storm.

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Agree, lack of a decent burger is mystifying. They should learn from Carnival

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San Francisco is not what it was 15 years ago; homelessness and filth everywhere.

I can’t see your image - it’s showing as a broken link for me. But, yes, the $1,600 is for 2 people. And of course it’s all subjective to what one defines as a “deal,” ha.

 

 

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$230 per day for a balcony is a good deal. May not be the deal everyone is looking for but good nevertheless

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My first cruise will be on the Oasis August 19th and I’m already being nickel and dimed before setting foot onboard. Here is the situation...I have a medical letter so I can waive the drink package well 2 phone reps have tried to convince me to get the regular drink package and I’ve had to explain yet again no soft drinks and I have to avoid sugar so I wouldn’t get my monies worth. They then press on telling me I really need to purchase it even though my balcony cabin comes with a soda package that I won’t use. I’m just so annoyed that I’ve spent all this money on this vacation and they are relentless before I even step on the ship. Is there anyone to voice these concerns to at Royal? I’m getting a bad feeling about how it’s going to be once we’re on the ship. Am I being set up for a week long sales pitch?!?:confused:

I would stop looking for problems and enjoy your cruise.

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The reason I started the thread is the constant bashing of the MDR food. The specialty restaurants sound good but I don’t know if they are worth the upcharge. I’ve always enjoyed having the same servers for the week and reading some posts, it’s almost like you’re better off in the Windjammer for dinner.

Could have fooled me.

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True, but I think the demographic is changing. Younger top tier travelers are not going to find a crowded lounge and well drinks to be a reason to maintain any sort of brand loyalty. I certainly don't feel any brand loyalty for that. I just wonder if it's a missed opportunity.

I generally agree with your point but don’t fool yourself that many young top tier travelers take cruises.

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Sillouete was the last ship we sailed on and it is a beautiful ship. I am not brand loyal to any line, but I have to say the food and service is awesome. Thy are a cut above other lines in those areas. They honored my Platinum status from RCCl.

Not our experience, have been on the Eclipse twice and never had a meal that we would consider better than standard mass market cruise quality. Service and the overall experience are a little better but not the food.

I really wish people would stop spreading false info. This is not true in any way for the refreshment package that the op is talking about.

And you have never been wrong?

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Best thing is what we do , do not travel in summer or spring breaks or holidays,also take longer cruises, last cruise was a music charter on celebrity adults only, I think celebrity or Hal would be better since they do not have all the features kids might like .

Great response, cuising during the school sessions reduces the number of kids by 80-90%, its a no brainer. Longer cruises also help. This applies to every cruise line. We have been on about 15 cruises and never had a problem with kids, very low numbers and well behaved.

On our last night on Adventure, need to top out.. . We did already prepay our gratuities.

 

 

 

We are a party of 6 and have had tremendous service from these two gentlemen.. What is an acceptable amount to give? Someone in my party wants to give a hundred to each of them. Is that over the top? I'm just trying to justify spending more on tips than the prepaid grats.....

 

 

 

Thanks!

Do what you think is right. Tipping is a personal decision.

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Okay, this is probably going to open a can of worms, but I'd love to see if I could just get an answer. For the past four or five years, I've pretty much only dined in specialty restaurants on Royal, which have GENERALLY been resort casual every night. I no longer bring a coat, dress shirt or tie. My evening attire is khakis and a golf shirt or a Tommy Bahama shirt.

 

Next cruise, there are twelve of us, so we're sticking to the MDR. Am I going to have a problem any night in that attire?

There really is no dress code on Royal any longer. Some pretend there is but it’s wishful thinking

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Is Europe less formal than the Caribbean?

 

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The Caribbean is not formal, so the answer is no

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Had a blast on the sailing to Bermuda with DW and the kids, though her and I reminisced a bit on our past trips with formal night dinners, specialty restaurants, and being able to float as we pleased without the kids (trying not to make it sound horrible!).

 

 

 

Anniversary is coming up in September and I wanted to surprise her with a quick trip - just the two of us.

 

 

 

In Laws have no problem watching our boys for an extended weekend (Friday - Monday).

 

 

 

I'm sure we can find some cheap airfare, and I'm having our TA look into it.

 

 

 

The question I have is - has anyone that lived in the Midwest (or far enough away from a port) found it worth a quick 3 night cruise just to get away? (I know that a lot of it is subjective, and it's all on what you want to spend... but I'm still curious about others' input!)

Never would do it

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