Cruzn Fool

Welcome.

I too have tried some different lines and for my money RCCL suite me the best. My opinion is once you go on Oasis you won't go back. I enjoy the Freedom class ships and obviously the Oasis class too. I have been spoiled and now I won't just go on any cruise ship......so consider yourself warned :D.

Have a great cruise and remember that the actual cruise is only 7 days but part of the fun of the trip is the months of planning in advance, including many trips to Cruise Critic and then the months afterward re-living the trip on Cruise Critic until it is time to start the cycle all over again.

I'm sailing on a different RCCL ship around the same time that you are talkig about and prices have also just about doubled on a balcony since I booked in late October.

I attribute the increase more to the time of the year, Spring Break, and also the available inventory of the specific sailings/stateroom category. That usually seems to be what drives the price increases/decreases. But it is an interesting idea you have on RCCL making up money for a lost cruise, I am sure that is something they definately need to do.

On the 3 Royal cruises I took my now 13 year old daughter I needed nothing.

Providing same surname no issues was what I was told prior to my Oasis cruise in December 2012.

Thanks for the input. It looks like I should have a letter just in case they ask and it appears it is not an RCCL thing but a US Customs rule. So maybe there is some lack in enforcement of it or you were not asked because your cruises were not originating in the US? Or maybe they were, it is hard to tell which three you were talking about from the cruises you have listed. In any case, I appreciate the input.

You will need a notarized letter from your spouse granting you permission to leave the United States with your child.

 

Other people say you do not need this letter. That is not true. They have just not been asked for this type of documentation. They are telling you the truth as far as their experience. If you do not have a notarized letter as stated above and they ask you for it, which is a fair shot honestly if they would ask you, you will not board the ship. Period.

Thank you for your assessment of the situation. I figured I would have to get a letter together and probably would have done so regardless but it is still good to hear some reinforcement of this decision. And it is true that some people have different experiences and I would hate to go off of theirs only to be denied boarding because I wasn't in legal compliance and I was chosen by somebody that day who wanted to enforce the policy.

https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/268/related/1/session/L2F2LzEvdGltZS8xMzg5MDQ5ODcxL3NpZC8xT1A0VkpKbA%3D%3D

 

This is the officialCustoms and Border Department ruling

This is great information. Thank you. Now I know exactly what the letter needs to say and there is some good background not only on what is needed but also why it is needed. Thanks for posting this link.

All's I know is that we show up with our passports and luggage and money. Around 12.

And the ship leaves New Orleans at

4.

What do we expect to happen after we get to the dock?

Hope there are signs. Lol.

If you are taking a taxi, they will know where to go and most likely will drop you off right where you need to be. THe first thing you will do if hand over your luggage to the porters so that is the spot you should be dropped off at. Feel free to tip the porters a little something, usually an amount of your choosing per piece of luggage- we usually do about $5 per piece but others say less is just fine- just depends on your personal preference.

If you are driving, there will be directions to the pier and parking in the packet you print out with your set sail pass. If need be, you may also be able to pull up to the porters with your car, drop off bags and any other passengers then proceed to the parking garage. Not sure if you need to do that or not but the cruises I have been on have had that option and it comes in handy, especially for the elderly, young children or those that can't walk a longer distance.

I don't have any specific experience with that particular age so I can't say for sure what the cut off age is on the organized teen activities.

And, of course, everyone is different. Does she meet people easily or is she too shy? If she is good about meeting people then no doubt she will find somebody to hang out with that has similiar enough interests. Or, does she mind spending time alone? She can always find something that interests her and begin them alone but will ultimately find others with the same interests.

Does she enjoy hanging out with you? If so, then there will be plenty of time to enjoy things together like Dinner, Ports, shows, etc.

Does she like to swim, play basketball, miniature golf, ping pong, video games, hang out with other teens in the teen room, rock climb, work out, ice skate? There is plenty to do to keep a teen busy if they like even any of these things.

How about just sitting by the pool to sunbathe or read a book or listen to music?

I am sure I am forgetting many things but the bottom line is I have read a lot of reviews and have many of my own experiences and can't recall one time when I heard of a teenager being bored to death on a cruise.....although I am sure it has happened but is not the norm. It really just depends on her and you know her better than any of us on Cruise Critic.

I ask you the questions about being shy and how she interacts with you because my son (15) is very shy and likes to hang out with us most of the time rather than meeting new people. We went on Oais a few months ago and I was worried he would be bored hagning out with 5 adults but to my surprise he had a nice mix of doing his own thing, finding others to do things with, sleeping in and still hanging with us a lot (but not too much). It worked out great for everyone and he really enjoyed the trip.

Have a great cruise.

What if only one parent is traveling with a 15 year old? I am taking my son in March but my wife (his mom) can't go. What else would I need besides the passport? Is a letter required in this instance? Anything else?

I keep forgetting to research this and still have plenty of time until we board but another post reminded me of it and thought I would just ask Cruise Critic for some direction.

Thanks in advance for the help.

I also would like "on demand" shows like cable TV does, with the feed being directly from the ship rather than from satellite -- that would eliminate "poor signal", plus we could start the show when we wanted.

So there you have it. This could be the new RCCL package that you can purchase- on demand TV. Even though most people don't spend a lot of time in their room, I bet quite a few would purchase a TV package that included some Sports, Movies, TV shows, cartoons for the kids, etc so they could have something to watch while they are in the rooms.

I would only hope this wouldn't take away the few sporting events they do play live in the bars and I assume it wouldn't since they do want you in the bars spending money on drinks.

There are a few people in the picture watching so somebody will come back from the cruise and let us know.....hopefully. Let's keep this near the top so those on the ship now will come back and see this thread to provide an answer.

The odds of cash getting back to its owner are slim and none and Slim just left town. Tucker in Texas

The OP didn't specifically state this but I understood it was just a money clip not a money clip with cash in it.

Obviously, I may have read between the lines and could be incorrect but the way the OP was describing how it might be important to somebody I took that as sentimental value for the clip itself. If it did contain cash, the Room Steward may have taken it to lost and found or had some sort of protocal to follow...not sure.

From what I can gather, the Oasis and Allure messages seem to be just a way to filter out the arrivals. However, Liberty has been delayed a little the last to sailings out of Port Everglades and that has been attributed to customs and clearance upon arrival. If you have nothing else to do anyway, why not just show up and wait in the terminal vs. waiting in a hotel room or something.

Also, not sure if it matters to you but it did to us since we had to fly to/from the West Coast, Oasis is Saturday to Saturday and Allure is Sunday to Sunday.

If its Junkaroo, then forget it. I read many recent posts about the broken glass and all around crappy condition of that beach.

Yes, that was the one. I read some of the same reivews and frankly that is why we didn't go when we there last month.

However look at this review..post #37 I believe..that at least says they put some money into it and cleaned it up a little.

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1942611&page=2

You could always ask this poster about the glass if you were interested.

Exactly. As much as I'd like to be able to do my Nassau excursion (which now I can't), the bottom line is, and I'm quite sure we can all agree on this, that any port stop of 6 hours (which this is going to be) is completely useless. By the time you disembark, get off the pier, get to where you're going, and then get back with plenty of time to spare before the all-aboard, you really won't be able to do much at all. The wife and I are now going to be stuck spending about $120 for 3 hours of beach time at one of the local resorts near the pier.

You know there is a beach within walking distance of the ship? Granted it is not resort quality but for a couple hours and free, it may fit your needs for that stop. They also have a stand that offers 3 beers and 3 shots for $10 if my memory serves me correctly. Anyway, you may already know about it and just chose a more upscale excursion but thought I would bring it up in case you weren't aware. I don't remember the name but there was an Oasis review this week that had pictures of it and it looked fairly decent.

Speaking ONLY for myself of course, I wish they did offer such a cruise. I cruise to be on a ship and the ports are of the very least importance of my cruise. Honestly, I mainly just get off the ship and stick close by for an hour or so just to say ive been there.

 

The time spent in most any port is so little there is no way to get a true experience of where you are. If the destination was that important, Id be looking into week long all inclusives.

 

Again, Im speaking ONLY for myself. Id be perfectly fine on a 7 day cruise to nowhere. Especially on Allure or Oasis from what Ive seen in pictures and videos so far where truly "the ship is the destination" :D

I agree with exactly everything that you said with one exception. I wouldn't do the cruise to nowhere, not because of wanting to do any of the ports, but because people wouldn't get off the ship and one of the things I like most is having the ship to myself on port days...when everyone else gets off. So I would prefer a cruise to everywhere or more specifically, ports every day :D

We should get a credit $ for the shorter time in the ports because of the problem with the ship ' date=' It is not a weather issue ..[/quote']

 

Normally I just skip posts like this but this line of thinking really gets to me and had to add my two cents before moving on.

 

You should cancel the cruise and pick another one that meets your requirements for length of time in ports if it is such a big deal for you.

 

This is just part of cruising and with all of the days you have spent at sea, I would think you of all people would get that.

 

With this type of thinking, cruise lines will be out of business. We left a port early...give me some $, that drink wasn't to my satisfaction...give me some $, no towel animal tonight....you owe me $, that performer fell during the ice show...I need to be compensated, I felt the ship moving....that is not acceptable- pay me some $, the pool is closed due to safety reasons today- now what am I going to do- I think I will go to guest services and ask for some OBC..etc.

 

I long ago stopped letting little things on cruises bother me. I admit that at first I did but then I realized I was ruining my and my families hard earned vacation...now I just enjoy them as they are. In fact, last month on Oasis we had to return to Nassau when we were about two hours out for a medical emergecny and ended up getting to the next port a little late. My thought wasn't, I need to be compensated for this, it was I hope the poor person is okay because that is no way to spend a vacation.

 

Now, anything major happens then I would be onboard with asking for compensation but little things like leaving port a couple hours early....nah.

 

Sorry for the rant.

We were on Allure last year and I must say I thought Liberty was my favorite ship going into this cruise(this was our 2nd time on her, we've also been on the Voyager class).....during the cruise, there were things I missed about Allure but I still love the size of Liberty. Also on Allure, the activities seemed to be non-stop, this cruise I noticed the down time.

 

I also thought the food was lacking a little in comparison to our past cruises.

 

When we first boarded the ship, we stopped in at Vintages to order the premium package and ended up making great friends w/ the bartender Lucille. She had warned us the staff may be a little tired and blah due to the TA but the staff was incredible as always! I did find our cruise director to be not as visible as on past sailings. I saw him twice and if we passed each other in passing, I didn't notice him. We loved our stateroom attendant as well.

 

This was our 1st 5 day trip and miss the 7 days. The passengers seemed more of party go'ers on this ship than any other we've been on, which we enjoyed. I attribute that to the 5 days and the school year...hardly any kids this time around.

 

We enjoyed ourselves for sure and would sail her again but on a 7 day(only b/c we missed the 7 days).

Thanks for the info. My teenage son and I are going on Liberty for Spring Break. DW can't go this time so it will be a different cruise for me without her and spending all the time with DS. Definately looking forward to it though and 5 days will probably be enough since it is just the two of us.

We have been on Freedom so we know what to expect on Liberty. Freedom was our favorite ship until we went on Oasis last month but when we stepped away and thought about what the differences were and which of those things we really use, there really wasn't any difference.

I am a little worried that it will be more of a party cruise because of it being Spring Break and a shorter cruise but can't decide if that is a good thing or a bad thing ;)

We were on this sailing, just got back home last night. We were afraid we were going to miss our flight...they kept saying the delay was immigration. Luckily, we got off in time...it was around 12pm when we got off...we were the last group.

I'm sure everyone would love to hear your thoughts on the cruise since Liberty is back in FLL now.

We also ate there once on the Oasis and weren't asked for our Seapass card.

But to answer your original question, yes, the service is included as part of the regular gratuities. However, just like anywhere else on the ship, you are welcome to leave extra gratuties when you feel it is appropriate.

OP: the tier thing was just joke! I always have a good cruise time

I understood the joke. It was a reference to how they herd people through lines getting on and off the ship. On our cruise last month I think I even made a similiar comment when we disembarked.

I can't answer as far as deck 6 vs deck 8 but I would definately switch to a promenade cabin from an inside cabin. We have been in both and really enjoyed the Promenade view vs no view of an inside cabin. Inside cabins can also get really dark and it is hard to tell what time it is. The Promenade room won't give you a view of the outside but it will at least allow a little light and some perspective of time. Plus, if they have any parades on the promenade during your cruise, you or maybe mom and grandma can watch them from there if you don't want to fight the crowds on the promenade directly.

Also, it sounds like it is important for you to have cabins closer together and if you can do it by switching then it seems like a no brainer. You didn't say how far apart you were on deck 8 but I know from experience that being right next door to others in your party, especially if it is parents/grandparents or younger children, definately is an advantage.

If you haven't been in a Promenade room before, why not experience it and see for yourself if it meets your need.

On Oasis Coors Lite and Miller Lite came in the 16oz aluminum bottles that have a screw cap on them. Yes, they open them up but, at least all the ones I noticed, left the lids on them. Obviously they wouldn't last a real long time once opened but if you like those brands it would at least be an option. You can drink other brands when out of the room. And, you really only need two or three each and can then make the trek back to the bars for two or three more. I know we go to the room a few times per day so would just make sure we had a full one each time we went up to add to the stockpile.

I also agree with the collapsable cooler/ice idea because it is easy enough to pack in your luggage without taking up a lot of room and a good one will do the trick of keeping the beer cold for you. We usually just tip the stateroom attendant a little extra the first couple of days and ask they keep the cooler full of ice. Never had a problem getting good service that way.

Delays such as this are the reason I never book early flights home. We either book late afternoon flights, or stay in a hotel until the next day.

A lot of times this is not an option for us because we have to be back for work the next day and have to fly all the way accross the country but it sure would be nice to take our time getting off and stay around town for another day.

Our upcoming Liberty cruise will be the first one in quite some time that we won't have to rush because we are extedning the vacation to do some spring training baseball and we will be very happy to be the last ones off the ship :)

Bon Voayage. Enjoy the trip!

Not allowed to bring any water/soda.

However, you will see many post where people have sent it through the porter with their luggage in many different variety of ways.

You may or may not choose to do the same but do some searches on the boards for this topic and you will see what I am talking about.

And, you may also choose to purchase a bottled water package, an unlimited soda package, an all you can drink alcohol package or a combination of these. Just check out this link on RCI's website for further information:

http://www.royalcaribbean.com/beforeyouboard/cruiseEnhancements.do?componentTypeCategoryId=15