iamcsm

Just got off Panorama 4 days ago, and agree I was disappointed in the buffet.  I usually like Carnival food, but this was an exception.  I'm hoping it's due to COVID supply and the minimal number of passengers.

Omelets were good at breakfast.  Salad bar was good.  Gelato at lunch time was good.  Guys is always good!  Dinner was pretty dismal for me in the buffet.  Way too few selections.  Even snack foods were very very limited.  It even seemed the hours were pretty limited for food too.

Yes, I just debarked on Saturday, and nobody got off ship until 9:45am.  You definitely want a later flight.

I am loving this review - and your pictures are awesome!

Thanks so much for the review!  We will be on the ship on the 21st, and can't wait.  This is so fun to see your review just before leaving!

We went to Quest both times on a B2B.  I'm pretty sure it was Casey Pelter as the CD - the 2nd week was exactly the same as the first week, same jokes, same comments, same section won, etc.  Fortunately the guests were different so still entertaining.

We were also on Explorer with Leigh and Urky and they were by far our favorites.

Went to Quest recently on a smaller ship that did not have Studio B, it was in a lounge - not nearly as much fun.  Probably won't go on a smaller ship again.

Always hoping it is changed up a bit to keep us coming.  And yes, especially the most fun going with friends who have never been!

We sailed from Jersey on the Explorer several years ago and the sea was pretty bad the first 2 days.  Lots of guests and crew were sick.  Fortunately it was a 14 day repo cruise, so we had lots of time to enjoy the cruise after being sick.

Explorer is a lot smaller than Anthem, and the weather can change any time, but just wanted you to know it is possible to have rough sea that time of year.

We had a waiter recognize our group on a recent cuise.  He had served us on a different ship about 3 years prior.  We had not seen him, but he came to our dining table half way through the cruise (the first time we saw him) and he was carrying a plate full of ranger cookies - our group had obsessed over these cookies on the cruise 3 years ago.  We were amazed he remembered us and the cookies.

I have requested a fan 3 or 4 times.  The last 2 times I was told they didn't have any, but it was OK to bring our own.

We have cruised over a dozen times.  We don't mind the decor.  In fact, it makes it easier if you get on a different ship because we still feel at home.

However, the food gets to us.  We used to think that living on a cruise ship would be amazing, but the food gets really old.  It used to not bother us until after 7 days, but now I find it really limiting even after day 4 or 5.  We did a 14 day on Princess to Hawaii several years ago and couldn't wait to just get a normal cheeseburger in port.  It's not just Royal.  I think selection has a lot to do with it for us.  And yes, I understand that feeding as many passengers as they do they cannot allow for a huge selection.  That being said, we keep going back :).

There is a lot of good advice here.  I have done several Caribbean cruises, and Hawaii and Mexico, and finally cruised to Alaska in 2017 on the Explorer.  I also thought I prefer cruising to warm weather locations.  Here's what I found:

-Yes - I definitely like cruising with palm trees and sand more than in cooler weather, but I'm glad I went to Alaska once.

-Yes, the scenery is nice, but it depends where you come from.  I'm from Oregon so it was like here, but more and bigger.  If you aren't used to seeing mountains and greenery, you might really enjoy it.  I did love seeing the icebergs floating around in the bay as the ship sailed past them.

-Don't count on seeing wildlife.  The only wildlife I saw were the same things I see in Oregon, eagles and salmon.  We even did an all day driving tour into the Yukon and still didn't see much wildlife (other than a stop we made to see sled dog puppies!).  It will really depend on being in the right place at the right time.  Didn't see any whales from the ship either, although I looked constantly.  Some in my party were lucky to see some.

-Depending on the weather when you go, you may or may not see much snow.  Yes, the glaciers will be there, but we did not see snow capped mountains, the snow had all melted.  I had pictured majestic snow capped mountains and didn't get to see those.  We went in August.

-Definitely pack clothes to wear layers.  It can rain any day of the year (and did often for us).

-On the ship, they did have AMAZING hot chocolate and warm, hot out of the oven donuts in the entry to the Windjammer one day!

-I was surprised to see the Alaskan port towns had all of the same shopping vendors you see in the Caribbean, with a few local shops mixed in.

-We had a stop at Victoria, BC and it was a beautiful, clean town (without the usual store) and we really enjoyed just walking all around the town.

All this being said, your experience can vary greatly.  Mine was not what I was hoping for, but I know many, many others who love cruising to Alaska and do it over and over again.

We used an Airbnb in the Condado area. We walked to the beach and the store, and took Uber to Old San Juan and to the cruise pier. Will probably do the same in November when we go back.

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I was just there a couple weeks ago on Adventure of the Seas' last cruise from there. From the time we walked in until we got on the ship was probably 15-20 minutes. We stepped onto the ship at 11:30. The ship didn't leave until around 8:30. I will be doing Freedom this November and expect the same thing more or less.

I have never seen a single mosquito on any of the Caribbean islands I've been to. Maybe I've been lucky. We were in Costa Maya and Cozumel in November and didn't see any. We did see some other little bugs in Costa Maya. I was in Nassau a year ago and didn't see any there either. It likely depends on where you go. If you are at a beach, and there is anything of a breeze, you won't see them. If you are further inland where there is standing water and/or no breeze, you may find them.

Thanks all for the answers!

For my upcoming May cruise I got it for $28 and some change per day. For our coming November cruise, I got a great deal a while back that was $22.39 a day.

How is the first day different on a cruise out of San Juan that doesn't leave until 8:30pm?

I have a check-in time that is early, but wasn't sure how other things go, such as:

- When can we get into our rooms? Normally 1:30 but wasn't sure about it for the late departure.

- How late will our luggage arrive? Normally anytime I know!

- When is the life boat drill and how does that work with dinner time?

- Is there a show the first night?

Anything else that's different that I didn't ask about?

I guess I should ask also, do they boot you off just as early when you arrive back in San Juan at the end of the cruise?

Use this link:

 

https://secure.royalcaribbean.com/mycruises/processLogin.do

 

and log in using your old ID/password. Then click on "view reservation" just like you did before they foisted the new pile of dung on everyone.

You are angel - thanks for the link!

I figured out the Set Sail pass checkin and the excursions/drinks (link for Cruise Planner after logging in), etc. but I can't figure out how to get to the Cruise Details - the page that shows what time you arrive and leave, and whether or not you are docked or tendering.

I also chew one tablet every night before going to bed, and start one or two days before the cruise, this helps with my flights too. Since you are allowed 2 a day, I don't take the 2nd one unless it's getting rocky and I start feeling a little off. I have started to use the sea bands in addition to the pills, but only if I start feeling off, and found it to be surprisingly helpful. The pills can make you groggy which is why I prefer bedtime. Green apples have done nothing for me.

I refuse to let the motion keep me from cruising!

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My Time Dining does offer flexibility, but for me the dining experience is all about the service. I want the service of the same waiter and assistant waiter every night. We've experienced the level of service is much greater this way. We've had MTD the last couple of cruises but were still able to get same table, waiter, etc., except the cruise we just finished. They were starting to change the policy, but we just hurried and got there quick to get our table and our waiters.

We booked in Feb for a 2018 cruise. At the time a US$150 OBC was offered. When we booked we entered our CAS member numbers which gave us a $30 discount on the cruise fare but took away the $150 OBC. Didn't notice until recently and now they are saying the only way to get the OBC back is to cancel the original booking (lose the $200 deposit) and re-book at $400.00 more. So $600 out of pocket. Being CAS members is now a penalty rather than a perk

Yep, same thing happened to me. They refused to make a change, it was my fault I didn't notice they took away the obc that was there after changing to the next screen in the reservation process.

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You can get the free 8x10, then ask for an additional copy of it. You can get the additional copy as a digital copy. Cost is $5.

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There are knobs, but they don't work on most ships. Typically, emergency announcements are the only ones you hear in your cabin and your first exposure to that is at muster drill on embarkation day. They will usually hold a crew drill during the cruise and those will come through too. They normally do crew drills late mornings after everyone is awake and while the ship is in port somewhere. I wish that I could turn on the captain's messages when I am in my cabin at noon, but alas, I usually have to open the door to listen.

Yes, these are ones I would really like to hear. I do the same, listen through a slightly opened door. Ugh!

Do we have any control over in room announcements?

Not sure if we have no control, or if I just haven't been smart enough to figure it out. I'm certain some would like all in room announcements off, but there are times that I would like to turn them on. My hearing isn't the greatest and I can't hear most of what is said from the hallway speakers. I think I've only heard certain types of announcements in the room. It even seems like the volume adjuster doesn't work. Just curious if we have any control over this or not.

Just got off the ship a week ago. One package only lets one on at a time, we had to take turns being connected. For what it's worth, the wifi wasn't very good either.