SeaTeach

Just did a burial at sea on the 11/13/15 sailing on the Serenade of the Seas. Absolutely no problems. As stated before, purchase a biodegradable vessel. You will also need to present death and cremation certificates. Was pleasantly surprised who asked how many copies of the "burial stats" I wanted. They supplied enough for family and friends that were present, plus those who were not able to make the trip.

To back up a little, Rcl was made aware of our request pre cruise. Was told via email contact Guest Relations once on board with response letter as well as the other 2 docs. Did so. Was asked desired, date which I stated. Environmental Officer met with me (wind velocity and distance from land mass discussed), and the time was solidified. We went to GS at the appointed time, was met by 2 Officers who escorted us to the lowest spot available. We took music (on a portable player), but sound was carried away.

Afterwards, we gathered in our suite for a "Celebration of Life", with each person telling humorous antidotes, laughing, rejoicing, and giving thanks for being allowed the years in which we shared with my birth mom.

Rose petals were also scattered, which went up into the air. That along, with the variegation of "turquoise water" after the launching will always be with us. We videoed the ceremony to share with others.

Thanks so very much for the wonderful "Live From the Oasis" report. We cruised on her for 2 weeks in April and May. Now I'm really ready for a couple of do- overs. Again, thanks.

That's real pretty...but how long till "Bubba" from the farm reaches in with his fingers & fishes out a few of them bad boys...just sayin...:eek:

Now that's funny, and I can picture "Bubba/Bubbette" doing just that. Gross :eek::eek::eek:.

My vote was for baggage claim: I'd like to have baggage to claim upon arrival (not MIA); I'd like to claim dry bags on the ship (not those that went into the drink); and I'd like to claim bags in the cavernous port building when luggage valet isn't offered (others have claimed our heavily decorated bag). We've only experienced 2 out of 3, so I guess we're ahead of the game.

I'd love, love, love to go to Cuba. Growing up in Tampa and listening to neighbors speak of the beauty and the culture of their country piqued my curiosity. I'm still wishing and hoping!!

I must say Royal loves repetition, I do not. So that's why I have to disregard loyalty every now and then. Guatemala is next door to Belize which is across from Honduras, Venezuela is very close to Curacao, and Grenada is in the neighborhood. These are places that have/are servicing cruise ships. Those are just a few possibilities, but heck, who's listening. Helloooo RCL. All jokes aside, I realize change takes time and I truly hope RCL has some in the works.

Not sure how much time you have but 2 favorites are: a self guided walking tour; and a museum stop across the street from El Morro.

The museum is Museo de las Americas (Museum of the Americas) which is located across the street from the fort on the left hand side if your back is to the fort.The building is the El Cuartel Ballaja, which is 3 or 4 stories but the museum is on the second floor. Great way to get out of the sun and heat, and learn some great history. This museum displays many exhibits, some permanent and some temporary. There are exhibits of clothing, household items, tools, musical instruments, religious objects, etc. denoting life during the conception of the Americas.There is a room dedicated to Indians in the Americas, one for Santos de Puerto Rico, and another on African Heritage. I believe the museum is closed on Mondays and the charge was $3.00 pp.

The walking tour is called the "Old San Juan Self Guided Walking Tour Part 1" which will lead you to Parts 2 and 3. Download each. Do check out the blue cobblestone streets in Old San Juan.

Have a great time!!

Unless things have changed since spring, RCL does not change your status until the end of the cruise. On a B2B on the Oasis in April/May we Had to informed the Loyalty rep of our change in status at the beginning of the 2nd leg (even though change occurred during the 1st leg.) With that ...a small sticker was attached to our sea pass cards designating us as Diamond. If we hadn't spoken up we would not have been recognized as such. When asked why... Corp office has to catch up.

Thanks for taking the time to do this review. Waiting for more!!

WOW!! What a fantastic bag. Will be ordering one for me and a few more for gifts.

Thanks for sharing the info.

I spent two years working in Belize and it is perfectly safe if you take the normal precautions that apply in any city in USA or UK. Stay away from the seedy areas during the hours of darkness and don't carry wads of money.

Totally agree. Have been there several times with relatives that are from the country. Being sensible is the main ingredient.

No one asked me , but I'm not liking this.

Yes

Wow!! That whole incident must have been very unnerving. I can't imagine being in the water, having a massive ship come close enough to have cruisers hear you and not know if you'd be plowed over, turned over, pulled under, or rescued. I feel very blessed not being in a situation which would cause me to put myself in harms way.

Back to the main... Hats off to Captain Johnny and to the honeymooning couple.

A $120 would not entice me to change staterooms. I really move in when on a cruise and I hate to move. Once is enough, however this is your call!!

Never had things stolen while at the beach. We always have a revolving designated watcher.

Oasis is my favorite class. I love the dining options, varied entertainment and the beauty of the ship. I love options and this class of ship offers the most.

Did a full PC transit on the Coral in November of 2010. Loved the suite though the largest was on the small side. There is a list of suite amenities listed on Princess website if you go to "search".

There were some favorites that stood out.

Breakfast in Sabatini's was great. If you'd like something that's not on the menu, it needs to be ordered the day before i.e. I ordered brown rice and scrambled eggs. The staff worked as a unit. Some mornings the Maitre d' would serve us instead of the waitstaff if the food was ready and waitstaff was tied up. The quiet, unhurried atmosphere was a great way to start the day. Loved talking to staff about their homeland and family, and looking at photos. We ate breakfast there on sea days.

Loved using the thermal suite without an additional charge.

The balcony was a nice size with upgraded furniture. Upon arrival we noticed many stains on the cushions, asked for them to be cleaned and they were readily changed. After the 1st night the cushions were in the same shape plus wet. Lesson learned --- being on the 8th deck on a Panamax ship in November means wet cushions in the A.M. Another lesson learned ---flip the cushions, and cover with a few beach towels on a daily bases. Just remember to bring them in if not sitting on them to anchor.

Mini bar items (one time free set-up) can be switched. We switched for all water.

The all time favorite was getting refreshments for the cabin crawl. True, I asked for items that are free but the presentation exceeded my expectations. Pitchers of cold apple juice, ice, assorted cookies on platters, decaf and regular coffee along with cream, etc. and linen napkins were delivered and set up while we were doing the crawl. All I had to do was speak to the hotel manager. Maybe other nibs can be procured but that's what I requested.

In order to get a full prospective of the PC, one needs to move around the ship. When it was still dark (about 5 A.M. or a wee bit earlier) we made our way to the rear of the ship through "a secret door". Folks were already there but it was not too crowded, plus they where moving around. After a while we moved to the front to watch the mechanics of the locks and the scurrying of the "mules". Then we moved to the balcony and had breakfast while watching life on the canal banks. We repeated the process a few times throughout the day. Staying in one spot is a disadvantage. At the end of traversing the canal there were hundreds of people waving, shouting, and holding banners at the visitors center on the Pacific side. You can make or take a sign as a response.

More could be said, but I don't want to write a novella.

Enjoy your cruise!!

Ditto for all that's above.

There's also the cost factor for a single cruiser and the impatient person who wants to "get there already".

Flavorful, higher quality food cooked with less salt and fat would really be a plus.

More variety of fish/shellfish dishes and veggie/fruit salads would put a smile on my face.

A hot meal that's and not lukewarm would have me cleaning my plate.

Top the above off with some decent decafe coffee and better desserts and all of my pearlie whites would be showing before reaching the dining room.

Enjoyed my tour with Lawrence, but really really loved segwaying provided by Segway Antigua Tours. There isn't a recent thread on CC but check them out on TripAdvisor. Very organized, instructions via video and practice, met at pier, transportation provided, and felt very safe. Groups are small.

Looking forward to a do over!!

Welcome to CC, and enjoy your cruise which will hopefully be the 1st of many!!

Always remain in "dinner attire", however on the last cruise, I switched from stiletos to sandals during my sojourn to Jazz on 4.

The dots are long gone!

I'm here to testify that the orange dots are MIA. We were on the Oasis in April and May 2014 for a B2B and in an OS to boot. No orange dots... Oh well!! We had a great time anyway!!

Back on topic...we got an invitation to dine at the Captain's table a few years back. We were invited by the Concierge, whom we'd met and befriended during a previous cruise. The group was diverse, yet a great mix. We ended up hanging out a bit afterwards (minus the Captain of course).

It's been a few years, so we're ready to do it again. RCL are you reading!! :)

We've never come close. DH is very good with stuff like that. However, my BIL and nephew got their names announced a few times in STT. They arrived at the pier on time but decided to go back on the island somewhere to buy liquor in a painted liquor bottle. They did some running, but I'm not sure if they feared missing the ship or the wrath of my SIL. She was HOT. If she'd taken a dip in the pool it would have been transformed to a hot tub!!