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Riff Sniff

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    Royal Caribbean Cabin Information Compilation -NO CABIN QUESTIONS POSTED HERE PLEASE!

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Ship - Freedom of the Seas

    Deck - 10

    Stateroom # - 1706

    Stateroom Category - Junior Suite

    Starboard or Port side - Center aft facing cabin

     

    Quiet stateroom? Very quiet. No noise from the Windjammer above.

     

    Connecting stateroom? Yes, connected with the standard balcony cabin next door. Solid barrier between the balconies, though.

     

    Balcony view - nice view of the wake, but the view was obstructed by the superstructure on the back of the ship.

     

    Balcony size - huge balcony for a JS, enough room for two loungers, two chairs and a table

     

    Was wind a problem? - No. Actually, not much air moving back there at all unless you stood at the rail.

     

    If an any cabin, was spot a problem? - No.

     

    Any specific problems with this cabin? - There was a musty smell in the hallway outside the cabin on embarkation night. Within two days it was bad in our cabin, and we asked to be moved. We had another room for one night while they worked on the problem, and then we went back. RC staff was very accommodating in making this happen and offered us 20% future cruise credit due to the inconvenience.

     

    Any other comments? - The bed was the most comfortable we’ve ever had on a cruise. Stateroom attendant Olga was fabulous!

     

     

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    Black pearl vs Octopus and dinner suggestion (50th birthday celebration)

    in Aruba

    Posted

    Thank you for getting back with a trip report! So glad I booked the Black Pearl!! Good to know that we will have enough time to shower and change. I am not sure if we will have time to eat because we are going in on the New Years Eve cruise this year so Sunset will be earlier ....I think I read where departure for Black Pearl is at 5:30 Oct-Mar. Do you think we will have time to shower and change with that earlier departure? Did the Black Pearl serve sandwiches and drinks? Any recommendations on the other island. We are doing a B2B...first time to every visit the Southern Caribbean so any tips or advice is greatly appreciated.

     

     

     

    We didn’t feel rushed between excursions, so I would think you would still have enough time, especially if you don’t take time to eat. (Also, there is a food truck type of place to eat during the ABC tour if you want. We were being cheap, so we didn’t eat here. Most of the others on the tour did.) The Black Pearl does serve food and drinks. Drinks are served the entire time! There are cheese sandwiches, fantastic grilled cheese sandwiches, and watermelon served after the snorkeling.

     

    Which other islands are you visiting? When we are in St. Thomas, we like going to Trunk Bay in St. John for snorkeling. We also love spending time in San Juan. We have a guy here who takes us SUP, or we visit the forts, or just walk around Old San Juan. La Cueva Del Mar is a a great casual restaurant for lunch and margaritas in Old San Juan. We have never done a back to back! You will have so much fun!!!

     

     

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    Snorkeling: St. Thomas or St Kitts

    in St. Kitts & Nevis

    Posted

    On port stops in St. Thomas we love going to St. John to snorkel. :)

     

     

     

    Ditto on St. John (from St. Thomas)!!!! We snorkeled at Trunk Bay in St. John last week. This was our second time snorkeling here, and I would happily go back again. It was great! The beach is BEAUTIFUL (no shade though). We saw a sea turtle hanging out and a barracuda, along with a ton of other fish and a pretty good reef. No food or snacks available yet. But they have beach chairs and snorkel gear rentals, bathrooms and showers.

     

    We’ve also snorkeled at Nevis. I don’t remember it being great, but it has been a few years.

     

     

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    Black pearl vs Octopus and dinner suggestion (50th birthday celebration)

    in Aruba

    Posted

    We’re back:( We did both tours (ABC UTV in the morning & Black Pearl in the late afternoon/early evening). This was absolutely one of the best days we have ever had on a cruise!!! Two completely different but awesome excursions. We had enough time to do the morning excursion, return to the ship to get some pizza and a quick shower, then catch a taxi to the sunset sail. We still got to the beach about 20 minutes early. We literally caught a taxi as soon as we walked out of the cruise terminal. We didn’t have to wait at all. I don’t know if that is normal. But we didn’t eat during the UTV tour. If you use that option, you won’t need to eat on the ship in between excursions. That would save you even more time if you feel like you need it. I would be happy to answer questions, if you have any. It was a tiring day, but it was AWESOME!!!

     

     

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    Condado vs. Isla Verde

    in San Juan, PR

    Posted

    We will be spending a couple days in San Juan prior to our cruise in June, and we are considering staying at an Airbnb rather than in a hotel. We’ve found great locations in both Condado and Isla Verde and we are trying to decide between the two areas. We would like a nice beach, but we would also like to go to old San Juan and spend some time. Would you recommend one over the other, and why? Thanks for your help!

     

     

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    Anyone Used Hat-Trick Charters to Snorkel?

    in Bermuda

    Posted

    Thank you for the update! I'm seriously considering this tour, although hopefully it's still available since they take a small group. I emailed last week and they were available.

     

     

     

    We thought it was very enjoyable - well worth the money. Keith and Gwen are a great couple and they will make sure you have a good time!

     

     

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    Anyone Used Hat-Trick Charters to Snorkel?

    in Bermuda

    Posted

    Can you elaborate? Where was your pick up point? How long was the excursion and where did you snorkel? We've been to Bermuda several times and we are thinking of maybe snorkeling in deeper water this time rather than off-shore

     

     

     

    It’s been a couple years since our Bermuda cruise, so I don’t remember exactly where the pick up point was. I emailed with Gwen to set everything up, and she gave very detailed instructions on how to get to their pier. We took a cab, and I don’t remember it being a long ride.

     

    Once we were on the boat, the excursion took 3-4 hours - about an hour sailing out to the Blue Hole in the outer reef, and hour or so in the water, and then another hour back in. Captain Keith is a native of Bermuda, and he will give you a great geological and historical background of the island. His wife Gwen is so friendly and helpful, providing a light lunch and great rum swizzle drinks on the way back. I really enjoyed relaxing in the cargo nets, watching the sky and listening to Keith’s entertaining stories. We will definitely sail with them again the next time we’re in Bermuda!

     

     

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    Anthem - specialty restaurant deal

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We did the three night package last summer. In order to have some control over when/where we ate, we booked and paid for two specialty restaurants prior to the cruise, then converted to the 3 night package and added another once we boarded. The price difference was refunded as onboard credit. They honored our initial reservations, and it was very easy to add the third. Chops was fabulous, but I agree with the post above - definitely try Jamie's and Wonderland!

     

     

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    RCCL website issue, payment tab not showing on reservation

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    I've been wondering if they just don't give you that option any more. I currently have two cruises booked. On the older booking, the payment tab is there. On the more recent booking, the payment tab is gone. My theory is that they don't want to make it so easy to compare the price you paid with the current pricing and ask for an adjustment.

     

     

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    Spa Junior Balcony Suite?

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    Those above that stayed in the SJS...what side of the cabin when entering was your bed on? Not sure why but this is important to me...I like my bed on the left when I'm on the port side.

     

     

    7242 is on the port side, bed is to the right as you enter the room. The bed is closer to the door, not by the balcony.

     

     

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    Spa Junior Balcony Suite?

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted · Edited by Riff Sniff

    Great pix SNIFF!! I think we will go this route!! Any thoughts on deck choice? Dan

     

     

    We were in 7242 (deck 7), which meant we always had to go up several decks for the pool/WindJammer and activities, or down several decks to get to the dining rooms and the Royal Promenade. Our cabin had easy access to the elevators, but we tried to use the stairs as much a possible to burn off some calories from all of the food! At the time, we wish we had been higher to be closer to the pool deck and Windjammer. Looking back on it now, it didn't affect our overall impression of the cruise. I hope this helps!

     

    Mike

     

     

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    Spa Junior Balcony Suite?

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted · Edited by Riff Sniff

    We stayed in a Spa Jr. Suite on the Anthem last summer and loved it! There is not a walk-in closet, but there was plenty of closet space. The split bathroom as described above was very nice. Large balcony as well. We tried Coastal Kitchen for dinner one night and ended up dining there for four nights! I am including a link to some pictures from our cabin.

    http://www.shipcabins.com/popup_cabin.php?ship=Anthem%20of%20the%20Seas&cabin=7242

     

     

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    Anthem - food and drink secrets/recommendations

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    We had a great experience at Wonderland. I was hesitant to go, but really enjoyed myself and the variety of different foods presented. The burgers at Michael's are fabulous - we caught a good lunch special there on the day were were in Labadee. We also tried Chops and Jamie's. Overall, we had great food and service in all dining venues. If you eat in the Windjammer, you can go all the way to the back and eat outside along the aft rail and watch the wake.

     

     

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    C&A Points Question

    in Royal Caribbean International

    Posted

    My wife and I recently sailed on the Anthem for 9 nights. Prior to this cruise we were Platinum at 54 points. We originally booked a D1 balcony, and then got upgraded to a Spa Jr. Suite 3-4 weeks before sailing for an additional $200.

     

    Our C&A level and points were recently updated: Emerald at 63 points (awarded 9 pts). Shouldn't this be 72? I was under the impression that Jr. Suites and above earned double points. I understand that might not be the case if we were upgraded for free, but we paid additional money to move up. Is 63 pts. correct, or do I need to contact C&A? Thanks!

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