lucywestie

Yup. We are east of Durham so even though the I-81 route is probably 50-100km longer for us we made up time we would have lost if we had to cross Toronto at 430am.

It is very hilly once you get south of Syracuse and into the PA area but traffic wasnt to bad for us apart from the dreaded Washington area. On the way back we came through there at about 11 a.m. and it was a totally different story to the trip down. If we were to drive it again and knew we were going to hit D.C. at rush hour I might go further west and avoid it altogether.

We are the same though. Dont take any long stops while going south. Just gas up and head out again. The drive is long enough without adding restaurant breaks etc.

I had a few questions from Canadians about my drive south from Ontario to Miami last month so I thought I would post it over here as it was on the Royal forums.

We live east of Toronto so took the 401 to the Hill Island crossing east of Gananoque. Took I-81 all the way south around Harrisburg before cutting east towards Washington, south around Washington and then hop on the I-95 all the way south through NC, SC, GA and then Florida.

If you are driving this time of year then be prepared for some nasty lake effect snow north of Syracuse up to the border. We got hit both going north and south. Heading south it delayed us by close 2 hours which meant we hit Washington at rush hour. (the less said about that the better). We were aiming for Fayetteville NC in 14 hours but it took us nearly 19 hours due to the weather delays and traffic.

From there it was straight run down to Fort Lauderdale where we spent two nights prior to the cruise. Port of Miami is only about 30 minutes or less from Lauderdale and we parked at the port rather than off site. Its $20 a day but if you look at the Florida departures forum on CC you will see its highly recommended. Truck was safe and the premises are secure etc.

On the way back we stopped in Fayetteville again (roughly a 10 hour drive or so from POM) and then in Scranton PA, as we wanted to shop in Watertown NY before crossing the border the next day. We had to hole up in a hotel in Watertown the next day though as we got hit with more snow that dumped approximately 36 inches overnight.

If you are driving south there are plenty of hotels along the way. We used Hilton brand all the way north and south and probably paid on average $105 (US) a night.

We probably had an average speed of 75 mph the whole way down. Speed limits didnt vary that much and most of it was 65 to 70 mph on I-95. I-81 tended to hover around 55-65 mph depending on where you were. Didnt see a lot of state troopers either which was strange. Maybe one every 500 km's or so though thats not to say they arent out there.

I think Google puts it at approximately 24 hours to get from Ontario to Miami. Their mapping does try to direct you west from Toronto then down through Buffalo but that made no sense to us living east of the city and not wanting to fight the early morning rush hour. The Hill Island crossing is a much easier crossing point and nowhere near as busy as the Niagara border.

Hope this helps with those thinking of driving down

Pete

Just got off Navigator last week. Had no problems going into the casino and exchanging a $10 for 10 $1's. No refusal and no fee and no worries. They also have bill breaker machines in the casino.

I also went to guest services one day and changed a $100 for 10 $10's but that took a bit longer than the casino. I would just travel with $50 in 1's and leave it at that.

So I was the one who just before cruised posted a thread about "freaking out" about the upcoming cruise. Well I am happy to say there was nothing to worry about! Despite numerous bad reviews this was a good b2b cruise.

We drove down from Canada to Fort Lauderdale where we spent two nights before going on the 5 day cruise on Sunday 18th Dec. Before I go any further I do have to say, "America, get off your phones and stop texting while driving". We drove I81 and I-95 all the way down and it was ridiculous what we saw. Anyway, I digress.

5 night portion was a stop in Nassau and Labadee. Didn't like Nassau but absolutely loved Labadee. Best $45 we spent was on one of the clam shell beach shelters for the day. Total peace and quiet and I think only 2 other couples on our section of the beach. The "public" areas where there was no charge were absolutely jam packed with people and way to noisy for my tastes.

We had a balcony on deck 9. Great room and great cabin attendant. We have never had a balcony before so we are spoilt for life now. Before anybody asks me questions, we did not do a drinks package and we did not do the VOOM thing. This was a 16 day cruise with a total disconnect from the email and texts etc.

The Navigator is in pretty good shape. There were some minor dings and damage around the place but nothing major. While we were in port they had gone around and re-varnished the balcony handrails on our deck so they are obviously trying to keep on top of things.

Food is very subjective and on this cruise we just saw it as fuel to keep us going. Only ate in the main dining room once for Xmas dinner and the rest of the time it was either the specialty restaurants or Windjammer. Loved Sabor and went there a couple of times and we also ate at Chops and Giovanni's which were both also superb.

They were offering lunch time deals at Sabor and Giovannis for $20 per person with a slightly different menu for lunch. Great food and service and a Tiramisu do die for!

The second half of the b2b was an 11 nighter from Miami to Bonaire, Antigua, Aruba, St Kitts, San Juan and Labadee. We did no ship excursions but instead either pre-booked our own or chanced our luck at quay side when we disembarked.

In Bonaire we went with Woodwind for a morning snorkelling cruise. 20 people in the group and they had all the equipment you would ever need. They even had prescription masks for those with glasses which made my wife very happy. It was $55 per person and very well run though the catamaran they use could probably do with an overhaul.

The one let down for the whole trip was Antigua. We disembarked and we used the local taxi company who were on scene organising groups of people into tours. We were excited to go and see Nelsons docksyards but it was not to be. Even though we confirmed it with the dispatcher we ended up being in a group of 10 people crowded in a mini bus really built for 8. Went all over the island but saw one beach, Falmouth harbour and then back. Absolutely terrible. Also, I know there is poverty world wide but at least have some pride in where you live, keep it tidy maybe. From what we saw Antigua is one big dump.

Now, Aruba. Totally different story. Disembarked again and avoided the crowds right at the terminal and walked towards the cruise port gates. Right at the gates there are a row of booths and at the front is one marked as the Aruba Tour Association. Group of older guys all in smart but casual matching shirts and very approachable. Anyway, we did a tour with two other couples and it was fantastic. Cost was $25 per person and Felix was our guide. Went all over the island he obviously has a love of the place and the people. Well worth using them on the day when you arrive. Very clean vehicle and we were in and out of alot of the more popular tourist spots while groups on the bigger busses were still trying to load and unload 40 people. Small tour was the way to go.

In St Kitts we had prebooked a tour with Thenford Grey (recommended on CC) and again we had a great 5 hour tour. There were supposed to be 10 people in the group but only 5 of us turned up so we had a bus built for 20 for the 5 of us. Went up the Batik factory and gardens, to the old fort and then back along to the more touristy side before dropping back into the town. Nice knowledgeable guide who once again was obviously proud of his island.

In San Juan we did our own walking tour and we were pleasantly surprised how close everything seemed to be to the port. It was a scorching hot day though and we ended up not going into the two forts but just looking from the outside. Being originally from the UK I have seen my fair share of old forts and fortifications so I was particularly worried about not going in. We did walk down to the cemetary which was fascinating to see.

Took a stroll back through the cobbled streets and bought a very nice but expensive Panama hat before heading back towards the ship. We did go in a place called Senor Frogs but after being served two glasses of flat diet coke and then being ignored for 30 minutes we walked out letting the manager know. They werent particularly bothered as there was a line up out the door. Obviously a more college crowd type bar if the drinking games were anything to go by, not our cup of tea.

On Christmas day there was a full christmas dinner in both the Windjammer and the main dining restaurant. They also had a visit from Santa for the kids plus some carolling etc. With the heat and the sun though it just didnt feel like Christmas to us!!

We went to two of the ice shows that were put on. One was a christmas themed show and the other was an "ice dancin' spectacular". Not bad considering the amount of space they have to work in. No tickets were required and there was always seating available.

Our only one big concern about the ship was the lack of a quiet space to just sit back and relax without the constant blaring of music. No matter if a room such as the Viking lounge etc. wasnt being used for anything, they still had the music cranked up. I know we had a balcony to retire to but still, there really was no need for all the noise. One day in the Windjammer they had it cranked so loud in one portion we got up and left along with a bunch of other tables. On the way out we saw the supervisor who was not amused and went back into the area to sort it out.

I must admit though that the lack of announcements was refreshing. There was usually one in the morning from the bridge with info about where were going etc. One from the entertainment director in the morning and then maybe one in the afternoon and that was it. On occasion there was also a separate announcement that they just did for the attention of Spanish speaking cruisers.

Being a holiday cruise the 11 day part was packed to the gills. A member of crew told us there were approx 3700 people on board. Lots of big family groups and gatherings. No real issues though the promenade got busy in the late afternoon or on sea days. Lots of chair hogs out and about in the Solarium area though. Very frustrating and nothing seemed to be done about it. We saw the same family in the same seats day in day out for 5 days, pretty amazing how they achieved that!

Final thoughts: I think that now I am fast approaching my 50th birthday we need to change our style of cruising. Royal is obviously catering to a family dynamic which is fine for some and not for others. We dont need Flow riders and climbing walls and belly flop contests to keep us happy. We have cruised on smaller ships before and I think there were just to many people for us to be totally comfortable.

We had problems with the tv in our room for a few days before it got so bad we called guest services. Within 5 minutes our cabin attendant was at our door closely followed by her supervisor, and then 1 minute later by an electrical technician. It was 830pm and they all agreed the tv needed replacing. I could tell that they didnt really want to ask if it would wait till the next day so I just threw it out there. Had a bit of a laugh with them about demanding a free cruise because of the lack of tv, anyway, next day we got a bottle of wine and call from guest services. Great customer service that was prevalent throughout the cruise.

But saying that, none of my fears were realised and a lot of those reviews from people that were either on the Mediterranean cruise or trans Atlantic cruise (prior to Navigator heading south) need to be taken with a big grain of salt. I certainly wasn't expected a luxury style of cruising but we did get pretty good value for our money (even though these holidays cruises are a lot more expensive). Crew were excellent and very friendly. Our cabin on the 11 nighter was close to the bridge and on a couple of mornings I was outside the door in my pj's and being greeted by the captain and senior officers! nobody batted an eyelid.

In future I think we will either look at the smaller RCI ships or even some of the other lines that maybe cater less to families and maybe more towards a slightly more genteel crowd lol. Either way it was still a good cruise.

If you have questions just post them and I will try and reply though once again. I didnt use VOOM (even the crew said it was so slow it was terrible) and I didnt do any form of drink package.

Well I didnt expect the thread to take off like it did. A big thank you for all the positive responses from seasoned cruisers (yes, I am still a novice cruiser).

I am really looking forward to the cruise now as this has seemed to alleviate alot of my concerns.

Long drive from Canada down to Miami starting tomorrow but its the beginning of a long and well deserved break so really looking forward to all that is to come in the coming weeks.

Happy christmas to everybody

Pete

So bit of background. Cruised on Serenade in 2007 and Sapphire Princess in 2011. Thats it for our cruising background.

We leave on Saturday for a b2b on Navigator and between all the ongoing threads (not necessarily the live thread that is up right now) and reviews it seems that the ship is one cruise away from the scrap yard.

We loved our first two cruises (also b2b's, we dont do things by half) and this up coming cruise is a reward to ourselves for a really busy year. So am I just reading a bit of mass hysteria from a few ticked off cruisers. Can I expect major problems when we attempt to embark on Sunday (5 ships in port).

We are pretty low key travellers. Our dining expectations are more Olive Garden and Longhorn than your Michelin starred places!

I have been anxious for about a week and couldnt put my finger on it, but then as if struck by lightening (in the middle of my 12 hour nightshift tonight) I had an epiphany. Its the cruise.

So am I stressing over nothing? Do I need to stay off these boards for the next two days? Am I just over thinking everything...

Hi there,

We are in FL for a whole day on Saturday, looking at doing the Sawgrass recreation airboats

http://evergladestours.com/

Its west of the city and not a far drive. 1200 reviews on Tripadvisor and a huge amount of them seem very positive

So there have been two threads for the last two Navigator cruises that have departed Miami with reports that the line ups to embark have been huge with big delays.

We are boarding on the 18th and wondering if we need to reconsider what time we arrive. Our documents tell us 11am but is there going to be an issue with every cruise from that port?

Navigator cruise on December 18th is showing a Buy one get one for the specialty restaurants priced at $40 Canadian per person. You get your choice of two specialty restaurants on the first two nights of the cruise. Price when factoring in exchange rate is probably very similar to the OP's $15 US price etc.

Apparently they choose or you choose the restaurants.

I know they have overhead signage when you arrive at the port that tell you what terminal your ship should be at. But is it possible to find out a day or even a week ahead of time? I only ask because we are driving to the port and its a whole new area for us so besides trying to navigate around the roads we also have to try and keep an eye on the signage etc.

Thanks for the quick replies. We are driving down from Canada over 2 nights and then spending the night before the cruise in Fort Lauderdale. We have already planned to park at the Port rather than off sight. Have heard nothing good..or rather..solid about off site parking and we have already planned for the cost of POM parking. Going away for 16 days so would rather our vehicle was in a secure and covered lot than somewhere with scant security etc.

I believe its about 45 minutes from where we are staying to the Port so plan on leaving by 10-ish anyway if not earlier. Dont mind if we have to hang around the port or even sit in the truck in the parking lot for a bit before we check in. Its all part of the trip.

(though the really lousy exchange rate between Canada $ and U.S. $ is ridiculous right now)

Thanks for the quick response. If we did the bucket of beers would all the beers arrive opened or would we need to have a bottle opener handy?

Sailing on Navigator in a couple of weeks. Just wondering if you can order say, a bucket of beer (if they still do such a thing) to your room or do you have to go to the bar to pick it up?

So we are definitely going to be parking at the Port. But on the day we depart there are 5 ships leaving. I couldnt find the number of available spaces within the parking lot so will there be any issues when I arrive? Will I have to drive around and around the various lots trying to find a spot?

I plan to arrive before midday as our suggested boarding time is from 1145hrs onwards. I realise that people disembarking will be removing their cars from the lots but still, is there ample parking when you have so many ships arriving on one day.

Been nearly 10 years since we cruised with Royal. Our last cruise was with Princess and with them, for about $25 or so we bought a coffee card that gave us things like Cappucinos etc. from their International Cafe up to a max of 10 drinks I think.

Will such a card be offered on Navigator and if so where would you be able to buy the Latte's etc from.

Many thanks

Just wondering if they have any bank (rather than those private machines) at the terminals?

Thanks

Logged back in today and the thread really took off!

Thanks for all the responses from the "strangers" lol.

Only cruised Alaska and west coast before so this is all great info

Only ever been to the Caribbean once and that was nearly 30 years ago and with the military.

This Xmas we are on the 5 night and 11 night Navigator cruise going to various islands. We have Canadian citizenship so we will require our passports in the various islands when disembarking? (Antigua, Aruba, Bonaire, St. Kitts, Nassau, San Juan)

So if I was to pre-pay mygratuities up here in Canada would it be at par in Canadian dollars or would they tack on the exchange rate. So for example, its its $13 US per day on board, would I pay $13 CDN if I pay now or will it be approx $16 CDN (because of the horrendous exchange rate).

Any Canucks out there that can chime in on this?

I am sure I will be flamed for these comments, but please try to understand that I am making a general comment based on my personal experience.

 

Although I live in the US, I was born and raised in UK, and have been "home" many times, also sailed out of Southampton.

 

When on a UK based cruise I have noticed many passengers dump plates in non-food locations, much more than on a US based cruise. Also I find many American passengers tend to clean up after themselves, or at least pile their dishes ready for pickup on a table. My last fast food visit in England couldn't find a table because of all the garbage. Even my young grandkids know to tidy up - watched a child on the Independence leave banana peel as he walked down pool deck - mother didn't correct him.

 

There seems to be an attitude "of you are here to serve me" whereas I find many Americans tend to make friends with the staff and don't expect to be treated like royalty for a week.

 

Sorry if this sounds harsh but have had this same conversation with friends and family in the UK and they agree, especially those who travel extensively. I do think the heavy drinking is partly to blame.

 

Sorry in advance for offending anyone. To OP sorry you didn't enjoy your cruise. Sailed 30+ times with RC, not always perfect, but have never had a complaint about the cleanliness of the ship.

Funny that you should write this. Im a Brit that has lived in Canada for 20 years and I feel the same way. Having seen how my ex-country has gone downhill over the last few years I couldnt agree with you more. On my last trip back to the UK I was stunned at how dirty and garbage strewn the country has become. From London to Nottingham and all points in between it is like there is no more pride left.

I have seen the same thing when watching Brit's visiting Canada or on my trips down to the U.S. The sense of entitlement was a wonder to behold. We have an upcoming b2b on Navigator and so I have been reading lots of reviews. There are a stunning number of bad reviews from people that cruised from the UK.

I guess I have been "assimilated" into the North American culture which I think is more live and let live, especially in Canada which is quite a melting pot of nationalities and cultures.

We are booked with them in December for the morning snorkel. How easy was it to find them? I heard you walk out of the terminal and turn right but we have never been to Bonaire before so dont really have any idea.

Couple of questions.

Firstly, what time would we have to be out of our cabin at the end of the first cruise?

Do we move our clothes etc. ourselves or can we get assistance.

Considering that all cabins have to be cleaned on the change over date what do we do with our baggage etc. inbetween moving cabins.

Couple of questions.

Firstly, what time would we have to be out of our cabin at the end of the first cruise?

Do we move our clothes etc. ourselves or can we get assistance.

Considering that all cabins have to be cleaned on the change over date what do we do with our baggage etc. inbetween moving cabins.

Aghh..posted on the wrong forum. Ignore this and will post on the RCI forum.

Doing a b2b at Christmas on the Navigator and we will be on board for 16 days. During the 11 day portion would they offer any laundry specials? Its been nearly 10 years since we cruised with Royal and I seem to remember they might have done a special on filling a bag full of clothes for a certain price etc.

The outdoor screen on the Navigator is a waste of time, there is that many obstruction around the pool most deck chairs positions can't see the screen. Good luck on the Navigator, understaffed , dirty and a disgusting set up in the Windjammer

Not sure how relevant your post really is. From reading your previous remarks on other posts I dont see anything that refers to you doing a recent cruise on the Navigator that would support your comments.

Thanks to the other posters for their relevance and remaining on topic