StarSong

Thanks for the info, Bob. I thought I was missing a link on the site, but apparently not. :(

Hi all...

Haven't been on the RCI website in a while. I was considering doing a couple of back-to-backs in early winter 2018, but the website doesn't seem to have a calendar by ship - at least not one that I can find. Gotta admit that I'm not enthralled by their revamped website.

Also, am I seeing this wrong, or are each of their ships doing the same itineraries over and over? Many previously did two different itineraries that they'd alternate. Maybe Western Caribbean then Southern, then Western.

Thanks!

It's ok to need Internet access for whatever reason. But it seems petty to me to be upset that every member of the op party couldn't be on at the same time. They all had access but had to share. This is not a big deal.

 

And it always amuses me when people get upset because they don't read the terms. If you chose to not read what you signed and agreed to then it's your fault. Never accept anything that is not in writing because even if was correct at the time you were told, if it isn't part of your written agreement it can be changed at any time.

Agreed. Four corners of the contract and all that...

On an aside to the OP, DH and I easily share one package using the same laptop while aboard. Most days he doesn't even bother to check in because within our business I am responsible for the lion's share of internet communication and ordering.

I think they misled you into thinking everyone would be covered, but in reality only one per cabin. So sorry for that, but I still don't understand why cruisers don't put their phones in the suitcase until departure day. Cruising is to relax and have fun not using your phones and the internet. I hate cell phones and do not own a smart phone. My life

is complete without, but my wife did buy me a cell phone that takes photos, so I accepted graciously. Bon Voyage everyone!

Not everyone can manage that so easily. My friends with an autistic child can leave him with his grandparents but must still call home daily to reassure their son (and themselves).

As a small business owner, the miracle of the internet allowed me to go on a TA a few years ago and to have an extended European vacation - cruise included - this year. Half an hour on line to sort things out at home is a very small price to pay.

More of us than you might imagine are checking in on elderly parents, family or friends in crisis, business matters, etc. In today's world there is an assumption that one can be reached within 24 hours nearly anywhere in the world. I'm good with that. (For the record, I manage my business and then put the laptop away for the day.)

Just as not all who wander are lost, not all who stay in electronic touch are merely updating Facebook and Instagram with photos of the Windjammer breakfast buffet.

Just sayin.... ;)

This is very useful information. Thank you for sharing your experience and tips.

Parking Info: There are two lots with the same owner, both $5.00 per 24 hours. 110 W. Ocean Blvd and 150 W. Ocean Blvd. We used the one at 150. It's a fairly large lot that goes all the way to the next block where there is a second driveway. Address of that entrance is 150 W. Seaside Way.

Occasionally there are large events held in Long Beach (the Long Beach Grand Prix springs immediately to mind), in which case the lots may either be closed or priced differently. The owner (or maybe he's the manager) is named Alex, phone number is 562.951.3868. Double check with him before making your plans if that makes you more comfortable.

After parking and locking your vehicle, go out the Ocean Blvd. driveway. At the top of the driveway look about 25 feet to your left and you'll see a well marked bus stop for the Passport Bus, AKA the Long Beach free shuttle. The steps onto the bus are roughly curb height, so hoisting a bag on is relatively easy to manage.

The second or third stop is right in front of the Queen Mary, which is docked next to the Carnival ship. Since it's all paved, it's very easy to walk luggage over to the ship or the luggage collection area.

Since the shuttle bus is used by many employees of the LB Aquarium, Port of Long Beach, and Queen Mary, nearly anybody who works nearby can direct you back to the shuttle when your cruise is over (if your brain is a bit turned around).

Like I said, it's a 7 day a week free service that Long Beach offers that runs every 10-15 minutes. From the time we cleared customs until we boarded the waiting shuttle, I'd say it was a ten minute walk maximum.

I use an elevator about three times a year. (My life doesn't often take me to places where elevators are the primary means of changing floors. I generally climb stairs or take an escalator.)

Elevator etiquette is no longer second nature to me. When on a cruise I'll opt for the elevator once every few days and I'm embarrassed to admit that the first time per cruise I may have to stop and think: "Oh yes, now I remember how this works. I wait. Somebody may want to get off and then we get on." Ditto for those incredibly rare times when I board a subway, train or bus. (Public transportation in the Los Angeles suburbs is hardly comparable to NYC.)

RCI would serve everyone well if they added little signs on the elevator doors to jog people's memories - or instruct them - about appropriate elevator etiquette.

People who are disabled or have other need to use elevators regularly may want to bear in mind that not everyone uses elevators with great frequency. We don't intend to be ill-mannered, we are simply out of practice.

A gentle reminder will suffice for most culprits, I promise you. There's no need to take offense or swat at a fly with a sledge hammer.

It may seem a log shot but how about renting a car when you get back from the cruise and drive back down to Key West. Rent a car and make the 130 mile trip driving along the keys then you can stay right in Key West. Rent bikes, take a sailboat ride, have dinner in one of the great restaurants avoiding all of them along Duval St and see the sunset at Mallory Square.

This is a very good recommendation, Ken. Thanks for sending it my way.

As it happens, DH & I decided to go very light on Christmas gifts for each other this year (we are blessed enough to not need much) and to spend the money on another cruise instead.

So booking a cruise from Fort Lauderdale would probably be best, I'm thinking. I'll be hunting down a good itinerary. :)

These boards are always a source of great ideas.

Most interesting cruise: Started in Egypt with 2-day stay in Cairo hotel, then transfer to Luxor for sightseeing and an overnight there. Boarded the ship at Safaga, sailed up the Red Sea (with a stop at St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai), and through the Suez Canal. Then the REAL highlights: Beirut Lebanon (to see Baalbek), an overnight at the Tartus port in Syria to visit Palmyra (beautiful desert ruins) and Krak des Chevaliers (the most outstanding Crusader castle), then a day in Aleppo to visit sites now destroyed in the ongoing civil war. :( Finished up with visits to Cyprus, Antalya Turkey, and then Athens.

 

This cruise was amazing and would not be possible today.... One reason it was such a highlight were the pre-cruise days in Egypt (included) and several overnight stays in the ports.

 

 

To answer your question about time in port -- yes, in some cases it is not ideal on a cruise ship. But with smart planning, the impact is minimal. Pick two interesting cities for embarking and disembarking and plan to spend several days there before and after your cruise. Also, there are certainly some port stops in Europe where a full day is enough to give you a pretty good idea of the place -- some of the Greek islands, for example.

CruiseMom42: I copied and pasted your referred link.

Choosing cruise itineraries based on spending additional time in interesting starting and ending points is an inspired idea! :D

I'm a little surprised - happily so - that Haiti, the DR and cruise line owned resorts have so many fans. We've sailed the Caribbean several times but not yet hit any of those destinations. Will have to make sure they get on our ever-growing list of places to cruise.

Ditto Hawaiian cruises. Like most CA residents we've been to Hawaii, but on traditional vacations involving hotels with land underneath. :eek:! Maybe it's time to revisit the 50th state, this time with a floating home base.

Another common theme seems to be very l-o-n-g cruises, which would be lovely if only our pesky work (and our equally pesky budget) would cooperate. Perhaps one day cruises lengthier than about 14 days will be in the cards, but we're not there yet.

A place to feel small by the bigness of nature.

 

Absolutely nothing has topped it. No bands, no vendors, no fake experiences. Wildlife gets up close, the water is a spectacular blue and the Zodiac rides from ship to land are cold, drenching and thrilling.

Ooooo! Antarctica does sound majestic. What cruise line took you there?

I'm also a big fan of lots of sea days. We did a TA from Barcelona in November 2013. Loved Barcelona and found the days of endless ocean spectacularly relaxing.

Bonus: a westbound TA means that every couple of days the clocks move back an hour so there are several 25 hour days. I would think to be a big advantage over an eastbound TA from FL to Europe.

We're trying to figure out where to cruise next, which was part of my motivation for starting this thread. Keep 'em coming!

Around The Horn, Florida to California.

Were some of the ports especially spectacular or interesting?

In 200 words or less, what was your best cruise itinerary?

And why?

The reason for my question is that by all reports Key West is a complete hoot at night, but cruise itineraries show the ships departing fairly early - before dusk.

Seems odd, no?

Question - Does Royal Caribbean (or any other major cruise line) have an itinerary that includes staying in Key West overnight?

Thanks in advance. :D

When are travelers going to realize they are travelling with humans, not God. Humans make mistakes and have bad days just like you or I do. Do you think all the staff from the Phillipines did everything perfectly when their thoughts were with family back home during the recent tragedy? Do you ever consider that maybe that staffer has a son or daughter back home who just had a birthday they missed? For goodness sake, give people a break. I often think during my cruises that there are few passengers who could survive one day of the work schedule the cruise staff endures. Why not be grateful that we have the opportunity to relax and let the little hiccups just roll off our backs. My philosophy is the more I can praise a staffer, especially when they have a bad day, the happier I will be, and maybe it will give the staffer a little umph to go a step further.

 

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Agreed. I try to never complain about a particular individual, even one that has more than a few bad days in a row. My feeling is that the person will eventually trip himself up without any assistance from me. Better still, maybe, just maybe he will straighten out his act before coming to a bad end.

The idea of contributing to someone's downfall, even if deserved, is greatly abhorrent to me. Praising someone for a job well done, however, is an absolute pleasure.

I'm not up for sainthood, but rather am appreciative of all the breaks, second chances and benefits of the doubts others have bestowed me. Am also trying to keep my karma good. ;)

They will ask you if you want to sit with others, just tell them "no". It's not a problem at all. I would imagine most groups larger than two prefer not to share a table.

We were definitely not asked if we wanted to sit with others. Trust me.

Can you elaborate on this? :confused: So if my family went to a Sea Day Brunch in the MDR, we would have to sit at a long table with a bunch of other people? No private tables?

I'm not sure if we were at sea day brunches or lunches. We were in the MDR at roughly lunchtime and were indeed seated that way. Someone remarked on this thread that we could have requested a table for two, which I didn't know during the cruise.

As we were led by the maitre d' from the entry to the long table, I noticed only long tables being used during those serving times. We weren't asked if we wanted a private table nor were we aware that it might have been an option. We don't tend to request special consideration, so without seeing others at private tables we wouldn't ask for that seating ourselves.

Thanks to those who wrote supportive or neutral comments. Being a member of Cruise Critic for a number of years and having seen many negative responses to reviewers remarks, I initiated this thread with some trepidation.

I stand by my assessment of the food. Having sailed a little over 100 days all told (on four different lines), my husband and I are far from newbies. We know what to expect when it comes to MDR and buffet offerings. This cruise the selections were subpar, overly repetitive and of mediocre quality. Whether it was a fluke or part of a trend is an open question.

While far from an interior designer myself, I do generally enjoy the decor of the ships I've lived on for a week or so at at time. Stopping for a couple of minutes to admire and learn a bit about an interesting painting, sculpture, weaving, poster, diorama or collage, as well as the person who created it, is an enjoyable part of my cruising experience and one that I look forward to.

As Tapi said, all of my senses go along with me on vacations so I appreciate being surrounded by appointments that are beautiful, appealing and interesting.

There was much to enjoy and praise about this cruise, but in my opinion Carnival also has room for improvement.

REALLY... DH and I were on the Miracle last year for 15 days and didn't even notice the decor ............ WHO CARES????

The bigger question is why in the world would you care that I care?

I agree 100% about the ugly, gaudy, repetitive decorationg of the Farcas decorated ships. I honestly think that 3rd graders could have done a better job. Farcas never changed with the times. I would compare the Farcas design to a 1970's kitchen with harvest gold or avocado green appliances, big ass flowery wallpaper and all the jim-cracks and thinga-ma-bobs that you can find to match that wallpaper, fake brick back-splashes and plaid indoor-outdoor carpeting.. Just too much and over the top.....way over the top.

 

That being said, on the Farcas desiged ships that I have sailed, it has not kept me from having a good time. I did find myself commenting about the awful decor though. On the other hand the decor of the Breeze is so fresh and upbeat that it made for a more upbeat atmosphere. After cruising on other lines that do not have that dark, dreary, old Victorian look, I probably won't cruise on another of Carnivals older ships.

I also wouldn't completely eliminate booking a Farcas ship because of the decor, but it did sometimes put me in mind of having a paper cut... not serious enough to ruin my day or even a particular moment, but the annoyance of it periodically had my full attention. Love the way you describe the overabundance of tacky details. :D

Parking Info: There are two lots with the same owner, both $5.00 per 24 hours. 110 W. Ocean Blvd and 150 W. Ocean Blvd. We used the one at 150. It's a fairly large lot that goes all the way to the next block where there is a second driveway. Address of that entrance is 150 W. Seaside Way.

Occasionally there are large events held in Long Beach (the Long Beach Grand Prix springs immediately to mind), in which case the lots may either be closed or priced differently. The owner (or maybe he's the manager) is named Alex, phone number is 562.951.3868. Double check with him before making your plans if that makes you more comfortable.

After parking and locking your vehicle, go out the Ocean Blvd. driveway. At the top of the driveway look about 25 feet to your left and you'll see a well marked bus stop for the Passport Bus, AKA the Long Beach free shuttle. The steps onto the bus are roughly curb height, so hoisting a bag on is relatively easy to manage.

The second or third stop is right in front of the Queen Mary, which is docked next to the Carnival ship. Since it's all paved, it's very easy to walk luggage over to the ship or the luggage collection area.

Since the shuttle bus is used by many employees of the LB Aquarium, Port of Long Beach, and Queen Mary, nearly anybody who works nearby can direct you back to the shuttle when your cruise is over (if your brain is a bit turned around).

Like I said, it's a 7 day a week free service that Long Beach offers that runs every 10-15 minutes. From the time we cleared customs until we boarded the waiting shuttle, I'd say it was a ten minute walk maximum.

One more thing.... if you're driving to the port of Long Beach, we researched and used a parking lot that's $5.00 per day. Yeah, you read that right. It's $17.00 or more per day to park at the port itself, but about 3 miles away and a five minute ride on the free Long Beach City sponsored shuttle (that runs every ten minutes) there is a well lit parking lot priced at $5.00 per 24 hour period.

I can look up the info and post it if anyone is interested.

The comedy show in the Mad Hatter Theater (if I'm remembering the name of the venue correctly) was quite funny. The comedian's name was "Big Daddy" and probably the most amusing part of his show was his handling of drunken hecklers. He's quick witted and laugh out loud funny. We very much enjoyed his adult rated show.

There was also a Mexican juggler/comedian that performed one night. Again, very funny - and his act was PG rather than adult. A talented juggler and a gently funny comedian rolled into one.

Speaking of entertainment, there was a very good solo artist named Andy on board. He performed a wide range of covers as well as his own music. We spoke with him for a bit and he's contracted to be on Miracle for several months. He's extremely pleasant in addition to being quite talented. Sometimes he paired up with a saxophone player, but solo or with the sax he was well worth finding when he was scheduled to perform. Since he's the kind of guy who's always smiling the crowd stayed very engaged with him.

Hope this helps.

I was on the same trip... and it seems some people will just want to find a reason to complain when they are trying to compare with something they are used to.

 

I thought the food in the MDR was better for Dinner and that is why I decided to dine there in the evenings. As far as breakfast is concerened... Well, maybe you did not take part in the seaday brunch in the MDR. We should have had 3, but due to the late change in itinerary, we only got 2 seaday brunch days.

 

Either way, I had a great time. I don't go on a vacation to critic the decor so I really paid no attention to all that you feel is "bad". Just remember what you felt was bad was just a personal preferance. Maybe some people like the decor. I didn't have any feelings towards it either way.

 

Anyhow, I hope you have yourself a great trip on whatever line you chose as your next sailing.

I DID have a good time and said that toward the end of my posting. Cruise Critic asks for reviews of recent cruises, I have benefited enormously over the years by other posters' evaluations, so I decided to review this cruise in the hopes that someone else may find it helpful.

I wasn't looking for a reason to complain, but rather to give my opinion of what was good and what wasn't on this ship and stated in the second sentence that this would be a comparative analysis.

That's what a review is about, correct? Personal opinion from one's own perspective. Decor may not be important to you. It is to me. Personal preference.