richardb

I'm very interested in seeing how this plays out, as I have a guarantee booked for September. I was encouraged to do so by the RCI Rep. She said "it is the way to go! Oceanview is the lowest category they will put you in...and perhaps they will assign you a higher one....but it will not go lower". I already have my cabin assignment...I am assuming the OP had theirs also, as it is so close to sail date. This means they took the OP's cabin and gave it to someone else.....WHY? What justifies bumping someone from their cabin for another passenger? I would be demanding an answer for that, along with their reason for refusing to let them cancel & rebook or offering them much better compensation for not honoring the guarantee.

I got the impression, and its nothing more than a hunch, that the OP booked last minute for a great rate. I also have the impression that they didn't have a cabin assignment and that Royal called them to advise there were none available.

I sure hope the OP returns to give us the correct story and the final outcome. He has not been back for over a day now to give an update.

.......... However, in this case giving the OP an Ocean-view would have meant taking an Ocean-view from another passenger. What is the right thing?

The right thing would have been to a full refund, which the OP was willing to accept, because Royal couldn't deliver on it's end. We ALL understand that mistakes happen......over booking. But you admit your mistake and make it right and move on.

We've only done MTD twice, once a family cruise (group of 8) and once with the in-laws (group of 4). Both times, the first night, we reserved the same time every night and we had the same table/wait staff through out.

It's a drag switching ships, but you have plenty of time. You'll miss out on some of the "stay on the ship" benefits like the lunch, not having to pack if you don't switch rooms, and time on the ship when other's haven't boarded yet.

 

Still, two cruises in a row is still a pretty sweet deal (or if you can afford it a suite deal).

 

Tom

The last several B2B we've done, there was no lunch or any other special event. The Monarch in 2012, they escorted us to the terminal and then promptly forgot about us until someone complained that they needed their medication. :cool:

Can't speak to every bar or every ship, but our most recent was in May. Never had to wait for more than a couple minutes (1 or 2 customers ahead of me) at any bar. Pool bar and sky bar always had at least 2 bartenders each when the pool deck was crowded. We have noticed over the years fewer waiters roaming the pool deck.

Since the cruise lines (all of them) depend heavily on bar revenue, I can't imagine why they would not try to sell as much alcohol as they possibly can.

Would I get any sympathy if I say the worse thing that has happened to us is running out of drummets and/or blue cheese in the diamond lounge? :eek:

Hmmmm, didn't think so.

Don't flame me, I really can't think of a seriously bad experience.

St Thomas, we preferred Emerald to Magens Bay. Magens was pretty trashy/dirty (at least at that visit). Megans is in a park, so there was an entrance fee at that time. You can get a van for your whole group to either one.

St Maartin, we (almost) always go to Orient Beach. We went to Maho once with our kids because they wanted to watch the planes landing. The surf was very rough and the water dropped off very fast. But the beaches in St Maartin are always changing; washing away and then rebuilding, depending on time of year. Again, you can get a van at the pier for your whole group.

P.S. If you go to Maho, be sure to beat the afternoon drawbridge (ask your driver) when returning to the ship or risk missing it.

We always made it a habit of finding our table early to avoid the crush at dinner time. A couple cruises ago, we had asked for a large table and were disappointed to see it was a table for two.

Oh well, we decided to give it a try. We were quite surprised at dinner that night to find the tables had all been renumbered and we were at a large table.

Lesson learned= don't look for the table until dinner time.

Agree with others; a taxi to Palm Beach, it's about 15 minutes or less. You can rent chairs and umbrellas, if you want, or just relax on a towel.

 

1. How many times have you cruised Royal Caribbean out of Norfolk?

Once

 

2. Did you cruise Royal Caribbean out of other departure ports while Norfolk was still serving RCCL?

yes

 

3. If you answered yes to question 2, pls give a brief explanation why.

We sail whatever itinerary meets our needs regardless of price or port. Dropped our DIL and GS in Baltimore to spend a week with their husband/father, while we (Mimi and Pop pop) cruised. :D

 

4. Did you have any concerns or were you dissatisfied with any element about cruising out of Norfolk?

Thought the drop off and pickup point was awfully small and crowded for a ship that size. However, we utilized a cruise & park motel, so didn't have to drive downtown Norfolk or pay to park.

 

5. Under what circumstances would you cruise Royal Caribbean out of Norfolk again?

 

Itinerary and price.

 

We aren't concerned about "older ships" as Royal does a great job of maintaining them. We actually prefer the smaller ships to the newest/biggest/bestest. If I want to do bumper cars, I'll take the family to an amusement park, not on a cruise.

We've done a number of b2b; some in U.S. ports, some overseas. Every one was different; sometimes major differences, sometimes minor. Only once, maybe twice, did we get our new seapass the night before. Last time, no customs form; i.e., no doubling of duty free allowance :D

They have been sending this same B.S. on other ships including the Allure on Oct 27th sailing. Get there at 11AM as planned. You should have no problems. We got there at 10:30AM and it was fine.

They started that B.S. during the government sequester months back and nobody is smart enough to put a stop to it. (or doesn't want to)

We arrived 11/9/13 on the Liberty after a TA from Barcelona. I can assure you, no BS, that nobody embarked before 1:00. Walk off didn't start until about 8:00. We didn't get off the ship until 10:45 (estimated time was 9:15) and there were still hundreds of pax waiting in the lounges to disembark. Finally cleared customs about 11:30. With people starting to arrive at 11:00, the traffic was chaotic and the port police were trying to sort it all out.

This is under discussion on another thread. A guy who seems to be a marine engineer says that strips and extension cords are not a problem, but surge suppressors can play havoc with the ships electrical system and gave a seemingly plausible explanation.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1940481&page=3 #51

As for those who say they take them aboard all the time; just like alcohol, the screeners don't catch everything. There are many posts from people who have had their suppressors confiscated.

If they add a new level between D+ and Pinnacle, I could easily see them limiting the CL to the new level and Pinnacle only, and send both D and D+ to the DL.

On the ships we've been on recently, the Diamond lounge is much better then the CL; roomier, better view, same amenities, etc. Never get any service from the concierge anyway.

When I first started visiting this forum, I was carrying all kinds of items...alarm clock, power strip, duct tape, highlighters, post it notes, magnets, over-the-door hangers, bungee cords, laundry baskets, mesh bags, my own coffee and flavored creamer, laundry detergent..the list was endless. I now carry a plug in that converts one plug into 3 (no cord and small), OTC meds in travel size. If I need duct tape, I can go to Guest Services. I use zip lock bags for the clothes. They start off carrying the clean clothes and end up carrying the damp and dirty clothes. I use an ink pen to circle anything on the Compass. They have plenty of storage in the cabin, especially for only two people, so I don't need the pop up laundry or the mesh bags or the mesh bags. Never on 15 cruises used or needed the bungee cord. I carry a few plastic clothes pins to hang and dry a few things and I use the generic stuff in the shower to wash out my swimsuit. I use the wash and fold. I don't carry copies of my passport, credit cards or DL around. I scan them (back and front) and e-mail them to myself in case they get lost or stolen. I've found that Guest Services can provide anything you need and the other stuff is just stuff you have to pack and unpack and drag around in a suitcase. Just me, and I'm sure you'll hear many different opinions.

You forgot the over the door shoe organizer......LOL. But like you, we carry none of that stuff nor do we miss it. Now my wife's shoes and flip flops; that's a whole separate suitcase :eek:

I emailed them and asked if they would be open for our upcoming cruise in late November and they said they would still be closed. I would look for a backup plan.

We've used the parking/shuttle from the Radisson twice now. It's right on 528/Astronaut Blvd just south of the port. Just pull into the motel lot and follow the signs toward the cruise parking. Always seem to be plenty of shuttles to the ship. As you can imagine, there is a line to get back when you get off the ship. That can't be helped, what with everyone trying to get off at the same time. But we've been very happy with the service.

Hi

I am wondering if my flight home is too tight.

I am taking the Freedom of the Sea on December 1st and the cruise ends

on Sunday 8th. On papers it says the ship arrives back to Port Canaveral at 6AM

and my flight at MCO is at 11h24 am.

 

It's my first time on Royal Caribbean and i am unsure how long till i can get off the ship. is there any advice you can give to catch my flight?

 

thanks!

That's pretty optimistic. You're counting on no glitches in debarking, no accidents on the toll road, no problems at MCO.

To maintain that schedule, you'll need to do walk off where you carry off your own luggage instead of putting it out the night before. And security at MCO is sometimes pretty slow, due to Disney being there and lots of foreign travelers who aren't used to American security rules.

I'd suggest changing to an early or mid afternoon flight.

Which hotel would you recommend for pre-cruise stay. It will be for 2 nights.

We won't need the parking since we are flying in but would need the shuttle service. Do any have shuttles from MCO? We plan on renting cars but 1/2 of the group gets in very late (11:30pm) on the 10th so just wondering if shuttling to hotel and getting rental in the am would be an option. While the first 6 could get there car at noon and spend the day sight seeing.

Would like something close to the beach.

What is your take on Cocoa Beach Pier for dinner and a little night life?

We are a group of 12 (6 couples in 40s)

Thanks for any info you can give me!!!

Can't make a hotel recommendation; we have a condo down the road, so have never stayed in CoCoa. I'll leave that to others.

But I can tell you that no local hotel has a shuttle to/from MCO. There is private shuttle service, just google MCO transportation. The major car rental companies are all located between the beach and the port, with free local shuttle service.

As for restaurants on the Pier, there are a couple. But if I were to make a recommendation, I'd say either Fish Lips or Grills over at the port area. If you don't mind driving a little, Squid Lips in Melborne is one of our favorites.

Thrifty has a location at the Port

Thanks. I checked out the Thrifty site and it requires the car to be returned to the port rental location ONLY. I'm looking for one way rental.

Looking for a rental car near the port, but not on the airport proper so as to avoid the additional charges. Any suggestions?

Google Orlando transportation for dozens of choices.

A group that size, if you want a bus, try Mears Transportation Group.

Personally, I have no experience with which to make a recommendation; I've only rented cars.

A group of is (16) will be cruising on the Dream in Oct. and we're trying to decide where we'd like to stay and hoping to find somewhere with roundtrip shuttle service included (airport and port).

 

Looking at Comfort Inn Cocoa Beach. My question is are we better off just hiring a shuttle and/or taxi service to bring us to a hotel and hire a shuttle and/or taxi take us to the port? We really don't want to be stuck in a hotel shuttle dropping off other passengers at other ships?

We've not stayed at a PC hotel, we live about 25 minutes from the port. However, we do park at the Radisson and ride their shuttle. They have several that hold about 16 pax, so I'm sure they would accommodate a "special" run for your group, if you ask.

They don't normally go to MCO, but again, for a group of 16 (8 rooms?), they might accommodate you.

Otherwise, google MCO transportation services; there are dozens to choose from.

Well...I have a two one-way rentals with Budget. I have a couple questions.

 

1. I read that we can drop luggage and family off then return the car. But can you just drop off luggage? It is only my DH and myself traveling and we would like to stay together without the hassel of waiting/loading a Budget shuttle to the port. So I would like to drop off the bags and then DH and I both go to return the rental. I think we could get on a shuttle faster without luggage (except carryons).

 

2. I made my second rental reservation for 8 am (opening). What would be the best way to get there in order to pick up a car at as close to 8 as possible. We have a date with Disney's Magical Express from MCO and would like to get there asap. We still have a week of vacation to get started on. :)

 

I didn't know the shuttle woud be such a mad house. I thought we could just call a cab, but now that seems complicated as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is a great thread and I will be subscribing starting now.

1. Yes, you can drop your luggage, leave, and come back later via shuttle. Been there, done that.

2. I suggest you plan to walk off and carry your own luggage, if not too much, though this can be a mad house also with pushing, shoving, line cutting. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until your number is called. You can arrange a cab or other shuttle service before hand and be assured a seat. Google Port Canaveral transportation services. Otherwise, you'll have to take your chances with the budget shuttle.

Six people plus luggage.....you'd need to rent a van or SUV. When I looked into a van rental two years ago, it was very expensive and I was only looking for a one day rental. I'd guess the shuttle would be cheaper. Google "Orlando shuttles" for lots of choices.

How convenient is it for a relative to drop off and pick you up from a Royal Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral? I have a cousin that lives right there in Cocoa Beach and has offered us a ride but I remember from several yrs ago it was real slow going getting in and chaotic after a cruise when we cruised out of there several yrs ago. It would be the Monarch. Thanks

Drop off is no problem, done it for the FOS. I hesitate to comment on pick up, but I don't think it will be a problem for the Monarch. Being a smaller ship, it also has a smaller crowd. Sure it is hectic, but if you wait for the crowd to thin out (you don't have a flight to catch, do you), it won't be a problem.