BigMikefromTexas

Of course you can dress nicer, but casual is fine for no cost dining, smart casual is accepted at premium/specialty dining. Suits and tuxes are mostly gone unless you are dining with the captain or other officers.

shorts, flip flops and swim suits are not allowed in most restaurants for dinner. Buffet and casual eateries on pool deck, promenade, and boardwalk are exceptions.

my wife is a slacks and top person every night. I take a suit, tie, and in colder climates a sports coat. Slack and dress shirts is the normal dress for dinners. Suit and Tie is for captains/ officers table and chefs dinner.

On 3/8/2020 at 2:39 PM, FNSIII said:

Yep...but we booked in January. Not gonna budge for us. Will keep trying though.

 Americans new policy on website today.

You don't pay a change fee, for changes within class, but no refund. Decide on your new destination and you are good to go.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/travel-alerts.jsp

FYI

It is for reasons like this, and sickness/injury while traveling, that I strongly recommend trip insurance to cover your cruise and flight. So if you have to make alternative plans, like take a train to/from Seville or another transportation center, your costs, missed flights, cruise ships, hotels etc. are covered. You can purchase this through your travel agent or cruise line. In this case you probably have had your tickets for awhile, so insurance is not available.

Also if you purchase your airfare through the cruise line, which I also recommend since they have some of the best deals, it is their problem. Call them. they will have a plan and more updated information than you can obtain.

On our most recent RCL Cruise (Anthem) we purchased a Classic Drink and Internet package for almost the same as the the drinks alone. I was able to upgrade it on ship. Online pricing was a 35% discount from items purchased separately. Those packages were not available on the ship. The Celebrity Packages are a little different but the best price is always online before the cruise.

Sales typically start about 60 days out, and discounts vary based on ship. Buy now and if a better deal comes along, cancel and rebook the amenity. Simple price protection.

BTW, Dining Packages are good to book ahead of time.

Thanks for the reminder I am going to go out and purchase drink packages for our upcoming Celebrity TransAtlantic. While we are in a Suite for that voyage and get all 4 perks, other family members are not, so I will fix them up. Never want to have price conscious relatives subduing the festivities, plus the pictures afterwards are priceless.

However, regardless of brand, we have decided to purchase the packages from a convenience standpoint and stay on our own schedule during the cruise.

We do end up getting a couple more Bloody Mary's and other poolside libations and trying some concoctions that we have never tried before. Other than the tendency to order wine by the glass, (you can order bottles at a discount) it makes for a better vacation experience.

We cruise out of Cape Liberty (Bayonne) on the Anthem semi frequently.

When we arrive the day of we have taken a taxi and an executive car (I normally like to get there the day before when coming from Texas). As far as executive cars go, I use Dial 7 when traveling from area hotels and the airport to Cape Liberty. I have used Dial 7 for business in the city of years. They have a large fleet. They have on occasion been booked and I have used other services. These have always been from Hotels to the Port.

At the AIrport you can take a Taxi, cab fare is just over $30.00 - most have large backends, are of the mini-van category. The pricing is generally a little better than Executive Cars. If you opt for an Executive Car. I would request a SUV if your suitcases are oversize or you exceed 3 people.

From the information provided, you should be fine in a cab.

There is also bus transportation, but they pickup at the Hotel Pickup Terminal and that is a long way from the airline terminals. I do NOT suggest it for the trip from the airport to the cruise terminal.

I would imagine that CC has an East Coast Departures forum. That should cover EWR to BAYONNE.

Trip Advisor has a thread on Transportation at Cape Liberty.

When getting off the cruise ship, there are taxi's and executive cars and SUV's. Tip your porter to get the best selection.

Finally,

Your Cruise thread will have people with experience with transfers at EWR.

The solariums on the Vision and other Vision Class ships are enclosed and weather controlled, typically Air Conditioned. The Retractable Roof Enclosure allows them to be opened, but they rarely do so. Still the sun creates a natural warming affect through the two story solarium canopy.

I am not sure if they heat the water, i.e. no documentation stating it is, but I have been on several of this class of ships and the water in the Solarium is never too cold, so being an environmentally closed structure I would say yes, the water is heated otherwise it would be 74 degrees the same as the air.

Despite some literature to the contrary on this class the Solarium is located aft of the Central Elevators on deck 9.

All of the RCL Oasis class ship departures will be from the SouthEastern Florida Coast. The weather will only get warmer as you go south.

As for the time of year, you and thousands of other parents are taking their children, and other family members, on cruises starting just before Christmas and continuing until College returns to session (mid January). This means slightly higher prices during that period and larger crowds. Do not fret, as popular as the Oasis class ships they are still very large and can easily handle the extra passengers. As a rule the newest ships command the highest prices during vacation breaks and the Harmony is very new. But the new slides and other features make certain that your son will not be disappointed with one of the slightly older ships of the class.

Be sure and book your travel early, get trip insurance, and start packing.

TIP #1. If you are flying, consider arriving to Florida the day before. Booking air and hotel with RCL will help make your trip stress free and make bad weather elsewhere in the USA a non-factor. RCL ChoiceAir is a life saver and usually a $ saver. Plus you get to sleep late before getting on the ship.

TIP #2. Book with a travel agent if this is your first cruise. they will keep you from overlooking travel items. have them take care of all transfers ahead of time.

TIP #3. Make your dinner and entertainment reservations online. They open up for online booking about 3 months before sail date. Different ships have different lead times.

Tip #4. Enroll your child in the Adventure Ocean Youth Program. He will be a Voyager. That is a really great program. In fact it is Award Winning.

TIP #5. Take advantage of the Dreamworks Picture shoots, parades and breakfasts. Even I, of advancing age, like to see Shrek and Fiona and my favorite: the Penguin Commander.

There are lots of other New to Cruising tips on this website.

Welcome to Cruise Critic and RCL.

We would have no reservations in eating and leaving. It's my vacation and if people are late and/or want to gorge that is their prerogative as is mine in leaving. Also, if you need a quick meal, talk to the waiter and he/she will be very accommodating.

While we normally dine in the late seating, and love to have a long meal. We have when traveling with others been on the slow early schedule as I call it. 6:00 Dinner and well over 2 hours of it.

Talk to your waiter to get your meal service timed as is fitting for your schedule. This is especially important if you are running to a C&A Event that they used to sandwich between early and late dining. (I think that they are stopping this on most ships because of My Time Dining.)

Also table service for 4 or 6 might be a nice pace for you. And it would give you options.

I was on Allure last December and received my shareholder OBC for owning 100 shares of RCL stock. I applied for the credit for my next cruise in Jan of 2017 (no cruise in 2016 for me :( ) and just received this response:

 

 

Is this a new development? I assume she is referring to the 60% off a second passenger sale they've been having for a while, but I could be wrong.

 

Is it worth trying again or calling someone about it?

Several years back the limited the offers that you could use to 2. So C&A and BOGO or WOW (which have become standard pricing) and you are SOL.

BTW, I have a couple thousand shares and I get the same response. Guess I need to have about a million in holdings to get their attention.

We were on one of the 11 night sailings in February. We are D+, my sister is a brand new Diamond. This was her

honeymoon cruise, so she booked into a GS, while we had a D1 balcony. She was able to use both the CL and the

DL, which was nice....since the DL was so very crowded, we enjoyed the quieter CL.

 

She was also able to order the full menu MDR for room service, as they enjoyed a romantic evening in their cabin one

night. They also loved being able to go to Chops for a nice sit down breakfast every morning. They enjoyed a nice

welcome aboard party for suites guests/Pinnacles.

 

One big advantage: She was escorted off the ship at disembarkation and right to the front of the line at customs as a suite perk. She was able to get to her vehicle early, as they were having mechanical problems, then still had to wait for us to get through the awful long lines to join up with them.

Suites (larger than JS) really are a matter of convenience. Done them several times. The extra room is nice, especially when visiting with friends and family. DW likes the larger bathrooms.

Thanks TeeChi.

Yes thank you a bunch. Lots of helpful information.

What is the best meal you have had so far?

Once you clear US customs no need to clear it again if you next port is your final. We sailed the Majesty 4 day out of Miami about 9 years ago and we cleared in Key West and were in Miami the next day and walked right off the ship.

Happened to us once on a Barcelona to Galveston. Stopped in Miami and cleared immigration. Nobody at Customs when we arrived in Galveston. Oops.

Alot has happened since 2011:

WOW Bands

VROOM High Speed Internet on the ships

Deluxe Drink Programs

Freestyle machines for soda-holics

Puzzle Rooms

8 story slides

Dynamic Dining has come and gone. YES!

Classic Dining is making a comeback.

Premium dining packages on the ships.

More premium restaurants

and so much more....

Does the WOW band work for everything except getting on/off ship (including knowing if you have soda package)? Trying to decide if I should buy one for kids. Thanks!

On most ships that have the Freestyle Soda Machines, the ability to pour your own soda is controlled via an RFID chip in your ship provided cups. Generally if you have the cup, the current cup, they will pour soda at most outlets.

What shows are playing and what time are the shows?

 

Other than the character breakfast what other character experiences are there?

 

I had read about a mixology class. How does one go about signing up for it?

 

Has anyone done the Galley brunch? If so is it recommended? (We are more interested in the food vs the tour) :D

 

Thanks! We are heading out 5/28 and just trying to get an idea of what to expect.

Saturday Night Fever is the play/musical. Early showings (for those that eat late) always have plenty of seats. You do not need reservations for the evening shows or the ice performances. The ice performance on this ship is incredible and not to be missed.

Some classes are available online.

The characters do a parade, are sometimes part of the musical entertainment and Promenade parties and frequent the Promedade during the afternoons and evening for photos shoots.

As a very experienced traveler, I can tell you that with few exceptions prices tend to increase over time. I find the best rule of thumb with hotels is to book early and monitor. They make it easy to re-book your reservation.

Airlines, work differently. They have a much more limited product. Pricing depends on the city pairs and demand. Weddings, conventions (business and leisure), business meetings and sporting events can sell out a days of flights in minutes. If you do not have options like driving to a port, or can travel flexibly over a period several days wide, be sure that you book before fares rise dramatically. You downside risk rises the longer than you wait.

I've been watching these prices for the last month and a half for a last minute July cruise. They package the sales many different ways but somehow the base price hasent changed. Funny isn't it?

Yes it seems that the WOW is the new standard price. All the packages seem to be about the same. Best way to save is to book while aboard.

Few kids on board

No problem with getting a second reservation for iFly later in the week

Solarium Bistro is getting popular and have turned people away last night and tonight due to no reservations although there were empty tables

Plenty of empty chairs in the Solarium

No sign of drink cards available

Highest Pinnacle member on board has over 2200 points (157 cruises)

No sign of Indian dishes at the buffet:(

Purchased bogo dining and was assigned Wonderland for first night-Yippee

Internet is working great

Staff has been wonderful

Great room steward

Pizza appears under cooked. No issues with the staff placing a few slices back in the oven for crispier crust

Food has been yummy although this is subjective

Line for bumper cars was efficient

Bon Jovi band was popular but too loud for me to stay

The Gift is only shown the first 2 nights

Bad rocking last night and this morning

I don't have the drink package

Made to order crepes were available one day for lunch in the windjammer

 

This is now my favorite ship!

 

Hope this info helps someone

We are on the next Thursday Cruise, along with several of the other followers.

Thanks for doing this.

Wife is excited about a Bon Jovi tribute band. (Why are they always so loud?)

Kellie,

The performances do change their schedule little based on the itinerary. RCL used to cruise to Falmouth or Belize first and then work their way back. Now they catch Cozumel on the way out and the sea days shift. As a general rule at least one of the ice performance days will be a sea day afternoon. The Ice Performers help with stage handling for main theatre performances and vice versa. So there is no overlap.

Performances on the stage vary in quality across the fleet but are in the process of being upgraded. It takes time to retool the productions for this many ships (and don't forget the same department is also doing Celebrities ships.) Navigator has one good production number and one average. IMO both the Production and the Play are above average on the Liberty. Ice Performances on both are excellent.

We are on the Anthem next month, out of Bayonne, and the shows there are much improved but still need polish and careful cast selection. Headliner shows tend to be very good.

You received a good tip in getting there early for the Ice Performance. If you are staying in a GS or higher there are special areas set aside for Gold Card Members at all events.

My family will be sailing on the Oasis on August 13th. My MIL will be traveling with us. Does anyone know if they have activities for senior citizens?

Well there is a card room. I have seen a very mean game of Gin break out in the Solarium. There are talks about the ship, ports, shopping, movies, cooking classes, spa, napkin folding, etc.

I would look at a recent Cruise Compass for details about your specific itinerary. These can be found in the Roll Call Area and throughout the RCCL forum.

In addition to my tux, sometimes I bring my dinner jacket. :eek:

 

I can't recall last time I brought jeans. I typically take two pair of khakis and wear them 5 nights.

I agree completely. A Suit, Tux or a Dinner Jacket makes a meal or evening special for me. It elevates the vacation experience for us both. But I do wear jeans in cooler weather environment to board ships. I.e. TransAtlantic boardings in late November in Barcelona or Rome, that rare cool day in Seattle in September! Never hurts to have them available even if only for the cold airports and planes.

But I do find that two pairs of informal dress pants is usually a lighter weight and smaller bulk than some good 505's. A weight consideration for longer outings. So when packing I go for the Haggar Cool 18's for my standard evening attire. A golf or island shirt on Casual Nights.

Here is some information that I have rounded up for out of town cruiser's that need help with transportation to the Cruise Port.

Some of these options are cheap enough that you don't need to worry about which airport you fly into. Also note that people have told me that they have flown into HOUSTON the night before and then used these services on the day of the cruise to save over often high Galveston Hotel rates.

AIRPORT TRANSFER INFO for GALVESTON

________________________________________

Thought that I would help out those that are traveling from out of the area. Next week I will do the Parking Options.

Port of Galveston Transportation

So you are flying into Houston Hobby or Bush Intercontinental and you want to get from there to either the ship or a hotel. You will also probably need a return trip as well. Your options are:

• Limo (Private Car Service, various levels)

• Shared Car or Shuttle Service (various levels)

• Cruise Line Transfers

• Taxi

• Car Rental

Houston Hobby-HOU is on the South Side of Houston (42.1 m), normally a 50-55 minute drive from the cruise terminals.

Houston Intercontinental (Bush)-IAH is on the North Side of Houston (70.1 m), normally an 80 minute ride from the cruise terminals, but this varies substantially on time and day. Plan your time accordingly.

Taxi fare round-trip from the airport to the Galveston cruise terminal can cost upwards of $250-300 from Bush Intercontinental Airport and $150-200 from Hobby Airport. (Rates vary depending on traffic.) That’s on the expensive side, but remember that usually up to four or five passengers can ride for that price. That makes the cost cheaper per person than the cruise line shuttles. Plus, with a taxi you don’t have to reserve ahead and you can leave whenever you are ready, instead of waiting on a shuttle to fill up.

Savings are usually available if you purchase round trips, are a senior, etc. be sure to ask what you qualify for.

Below are some transfer operators and services:

*****************************************

Cool Tours, LLC - Standard Limo Service (Private Rides). Galveston based. Also provide other Tours in Galveston.

409.539.5374

https://cooltoursgalveston.com/shuttle-cruise-package-from-hobby-airport-hou/

TRANSFERS TO/FROM LOCATIONS IN GALVESTON

Hobby Airport (HOU) One-Way Round-Trip

First Passenger $90 $180

Addtl Adults $15 $30

Addtl Seniors (55+) $13 $26

Addtl Children (3-12) $13 $26

Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) – Spring Special for bookings made between April 1 and June 1

One-Way Round-Trip

First Passenger $140 $280

Addtl Adults Reg $25 / Sale $15 Reg $50 / Sale $30

Addtl Seniors (55+) Reg $22 / Sale $13 Reg $44 / Sale $26

Addtl Children (3-12) Reg $22 / Sale $13 Reg $44 / Sale $26

*****************************************

Super Shuttle

Super Shuttle serves both Hobby and Intercontinental Airports. Known for their shuttle service, they have also added SUV and Private Car Service. (I have been using their private sedan service in some locations around the country with great satisfaction. Note: Sedan service trunk sizes vary, so I recommend SUV service for more than 3 large suitcases or more than 2 people.)

HOBBY: http://www.supershuttle.com/Locations/HoustonHOU

BUSH IC: http://www.supershuttle.com/Locations/HoustonIAH

Galveston Limousine

SHARED Shuttle Service 409-744-5466,

Note that they offer both services, shared and private.

They have a schedule for their shared service and posted rates.

http://www.galvestonlimousineservice.com/

From Bush:

New Online Specials $25.00/pp One way, $50.00/pp Roundtrip

Age One Way Round Trip

Adult $55.00 $100.00

Sr. Citizen (65+) $45.00 $90.00

Departs Time Time Time Time

Galveston 8:00AM 10:00AM 1:30PM 3:30PM

IAH Bush 10:30AM 12:30PM 4:00PM 6:00PM

From Hobby:

New Online Specials $20.00/pp One way, $45.00/pp Roundtrip

Age One Way Round Trip

Adult $45.00 $80.00

Sr. Citizen (65+) $35.00 $70.00

Departs Time Time Time Time

Galveston 8:00AM 10:00AM 1:30PM 3:30PM

Hobby 11:30AM 1:30PM 5:00PM 7:00PM

*****************************************

Galveston Express Shuttle

Galveston Express is becoming a favorite among cruisers for their excellent service and punctuality.

http://galvestonexpress.com/

(409)762-GEXP (4397)

One Way:

From Hobby $30.00

From IAH : $35.00

Roundtrip:

From Hobby $60.00

From IAH : $70.00

With an additional $5 discount for Seniors (55+) and Children (10 & Under) when purchasing a round-trip ticket.

Book Now

*****************************************

This is the Galveston dot com page for airport transfers and a great source of Information.

http://www.galveston.com/airporttransfers/

Others:

*****************************************

Galveston Shuttle,

http://galveston-shuttle.com/index.html

*****************************************

Galveston Express Shuttle

http://galvestonexpress.com/

*****************************************

Karr Limousine,

http://www.karrlimousine.com/ - My antivirus detected a threat from this website

*****************************************

Action Limousine,

http://www.actionlimo.com/

*****************************************

Elite Limousines,

http://www.elitelimohouston.com/GalvestonCruiseShuttle.htm

*****************************************

Aim Limousine,

http://aimlimo.com/

*****************************************

Lady Bird Limousine

http://www.ladybirdlimousine.com/galvestonfreeport-rates/

Need Additional Information -> Good Website:

http://www.galvestoncruisetips.com/how-to-get-to-the-galveston-port-without-a-car/

__________________

Clarea,

We just got off this ship last week and I can confirm that. Or rather I should say my wife can.

Still talk of possible conversion to traditional dining on this ship. Mostly a problem with restaurant reservations, as in people not making them before they get on the ship. I have to add that service was hit and miss, and some food arrive at the table not cooked correctly, some due to staff ordering and some cooking related, but when they are informed it isn't like you ordered it, they will go overboard to correct it.

We started on Carnival and our 2nd cruise was RCL and we found a home. Carnival was not a good fit. Too much of a party cruise. But things change over time.

Since then we have cruised RCL well over 20 times and with the innovation on the ships and the itinerary options, we find this is a good home. We have jumped from Junior Suites to Grand Suites and that gives us access to the Suites Lounges (formerly Concierge Lounges) and since we have been Diamonds for about a decade, there have been many memorable evening sessions in the Diamond Lounge.

During this period we also have used Celebrity for our Luxury Cruises. The cuisine is consistently better than Carnival, Holland, Princess and Most RCL ships. However the Chefs dinners on both Celebrity and RCL remain among the best dinners afloat with the only possible exception (IMO) being Private Chef Dinners at Celebrity's Murano Specialty Restaurant.

Since RCL Status transfers to Celebrity we have taken advantage so this to the point that we are Elite and well on our way to higher levels.

I anticipate using Celebrity extensively upon my retirement and some RCL too, but until then we look at this as a natural upgrade path that makes sense. Celebrity also has a nightly cocktail party for it's Elite members.

I hope this helps.

Feedback I have gotten from friends indicated that they did not like it as much as traditional dining. They are avid cruisers and I trust their opinion as accurate.

We started with the Traditional Dining on a ship with no alternative venues (other than the buffet and the pool cafe). Now all the ships have restaurants and we have slowly migrated to the specialty restaurants. Our experience has been better as time goes on.

However, that being said, we miss the tablemates for a cruise. Whether Traditional or Dynamic, or both, we are still cruising! And we have more options as time goes on.