F27TW

We were on Mariner this past April out of Port Canaveral.   As far as MDR food, it was  hit or miss for us on this one (party of 12).  The MDR was beautiful and our server team was amazing.  Quick service, even drinks and wine came quickly to the table (which was always an issue on past cruises), they were super generous with the bread basket (left it on the table instead of just serving one piece at a time; refilled when asked) ..and they couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating.

We were about 60/40 on the food, though.  60-good, 40-not good.   They were very quick to replace anything we didn't like with something else.   I ordered the Indian option several nights and loved it each time.   The appetizers were either very good or just Meh .. portion size decent to a bit on the small side for certain things, but they were quick to bring additionals of anything we asked for. 

One thing we found peculiar was the steaks.  They had the NY Strip on the menu each night and the first night, they were decent enough.   But each night after, they got smaller and more gristly.   Couldn't figure that out .. it was strange .. and by the last night they were the dregs and not edible. 

But we all just rolled with it, got substitutions when something wasn't good and still really enjoyed the MDR service and cruise!    Again, though .. this was in April.    I'm sad to hear it seems to have gone downhill everywhere since. 

It s*cks that cruise prices keep climbing and climbing, but the cruise lines keep cutting and dumbing down their product.  

Nice looking ship!  Glad to see this line expanding. 

On 6/26/2023 at 9:33 AM, smokeybandit said:

3 ways to fall overboard.

1) Homicide

2) Suicide

3) Being stupid (and yes, typically alcohol involved)

THIS!   ^^^^

Mods ... please delete ... sorry, i didn't see this was already posted.

https://www.cruisehive.com/successful-rescue-for-passenger-overboard-royal-caribbean-ship/104852?fbclid=IwAR3mokNUv9jfuMqm45gOOiv7DvQWJHvHAafzkBthelr-1rG_8yfWuvHT4rI

They absolutely are delicious .. and i ate more of them on my last Mariner cruise than I wanna admit.     I'd love to be able to bake something similar.    I know these have to be mass produced by some major Sysco-type distributor ...  i gotta try this recipe above !

Curious if anyone's done this RC excursion before.   There are 6 of us booked on this tour.   Its a combo of a cigar rolling/tasting class and a day at the Playa Mia Beach Park.   3 of us aren't interested in the cigar part; just our spouses are.   Are you obligated to sit through the cigar portion of the tour  .. or would the 3 of us not interested in that be allowed to just head right out to the beach & pool area while the other 3 are learnin, rollin & smokin?

Thanks for any answers!

38 minutes ago, monorail81 said:

Per her cruise director’s Facebook account, she is back in the water and having her lifeboats loaded. They are floating out on Saturday morning. Should be back from Spain shortly. 

Actually he said they leave for trials tomorrow (presumably because of the new propellors that were added).    I've heard everything from 9 to 10 days for the trip back across to Port Canaveral.   So as long as they're out of Spain by Monday or Tuesday coming up, she should make it back in time for the 4/6 sailing .. which I'm booked on ... so kk my fingers & toes are crossed!!!

We're on 4/6 sailing .. getting nervous now.   😞

This is also called "gouging".    This is really  no different whatsoever than after a disaster of some kind, businesses raising the prices on water, lumber, baby formula, general supplies, etc. "because demand increases".  That's looked at as being a heinous practice.. yet its OK when RC does it?     Why?

SO gimmicky and silly anyway ... why would anyone go to something like this?   Who wants precisely measured out drinks anyway?!!

47 minutes ago, alfaeric said:

All of a sudden one of them asks to squeeze in with us. While it’s a comfortable seat, we still think it’s just for two unless you are your own group. So we say no, and they get upset telling us they are seats for free and start to argue.  
 

That ends and we get up to dance for a while and another of their group goes and sits in our couch. We have left stuff there to return to after the song so it was clear it was taken. When we come back to sit, they tell us that it’s a seat for three and argue about it. For your group, fine, but I really don’t see that you should impose on us. Then they get mad at us. Seriously?  We get glares from them the rest of the time. 
 

Even before the pandemic, they are love seats for 2 nominally. 3 if you all know each other- not to force you way to sit with people you don’t know. Geez. 

I can't imagine anyone in their right MIND paying over $8000 per person to sail on any RC ship.   Thats nuts. 

On 2/12/2023 at 6:21 PM, nimbex1970 said:

Funny thing is, the cruise that had everything bad happen to us was my favorite!  It became such a running joke with all the people we met... "what will happen, next", and sure enough stuff did!  Our positive attitude really made the difference.

 

We had a medical emergency with an emergency landing, missed our connection and all 12 of us had to buy tickets to get to port of NO.  Daughter 12, left her purse on the cab with her passport as the taxi pulled away and we ran to the pier check in.. (there were 20 of us total on that first plane) so the ship waited a few minutes. Daughter allowed on board (found her birth cert in a stack of purse papers).

 

Three days no luggage, missed formal night, they wouldn't let us in with our free ship shape Tshirts. Went to Windjammer and I had an allergic seafood reaction, had to get epi and benadryl in the medical center. Got seasick and threw up on my only shirt and shorts and sneakers.

 

Aruba our rented minivan got a flat tire.. the spare was FLAT too, took 4 hours for them to bring us a new tire. Meanwhile, under the shade of a tree, three of the kids were attacked by bees.  One swells up, and I overdosed him with the Benadryl I had. So we missed Aruba.

 

On sea day, no one is allowed in the pools with their shorts and T shirts on- random good folks went everywhere looking for bathing suits for us to borrow and we got them! I never knew who to return them to. Later that night the 14-year-old got lost for hours and was too embarrassed to ask for help, We had to report her as missing to security, and our evening was cut short.

 

Cozumel, We see our luggage sitting out on the port with the other 8 peoples' and cheer! We sent everyone to the excursion but husband and myself to gather luggage.. hours later nothing.. we get a call to go to the naughty room, my luggage with snuck on alcohol on board was found.  They said we could keep it!  Noticed a bag dripping back to the cabin.. three bottles of carefully packed wine broke and ruined my clothes, lol. We missed cozumel, everyone else had fun. yet one person's bags never made it. 

 

by now hundreds of people on the ship knew us, would buy us drinks and listen to our tales, offer clothes to me and the teen and we even had borrowed formal wear for the second night. 

 

Young adult friend of my daughter was pregnant and started spotting in San Juan, we were on a dang walking tour and had to get her to the hospital, she ended up ok, just needed hydration.

 

So not to hijack the thread, but even just typing this I am still smiling.  What an adventure into making lemonade with the lemons.

Omg i LOL'd at this but also cringed for you as well ... why did "The Out of Towners" pop into my head when i read all that?    What a trip ... but u sure kept ur sense of humor!  

On 11/9/2022 at 3:48 PM, Breezie68 said:

I just got back yesterday from this cruise.  Think Carnival Ecxtasy circa 1990. It was fun, and the energy was great. I just got off the Oasis before I boarded Margaritaville, and honestly, the food on Margaritaville was Better! My husband loved it! Rooms were cute. Just an old old ship with no stabilizers, so you def feel it moving.

It definitely does have stabilizers, but my understanding is that in general with most cruise lines, they're used only in heavy seas .. not moderately choppy ones.     The reason being that they add to the fuel consumption.   

So what is the reason for closing all but one bar while docked there?    If they can serve liquor at one bar, why not the others? 

Nahhh . .. just go comfy!   Here's me.  😄

2 hours ago, orville99 said:

And is scheduled to return to service on 4/1

hopefully no delays .. we're on the 4/6 sailing!

2 hours ago, mared1 said:

Probably Holland America. Also most of our Carnival cruises were better.

Ohhhh, now THAT one's gonna get the RC loyalist daggers flyin up in here!!  😆

On 1/15/2023 at 3:46 PM, matj2000 said:

 

The best ship names are all the old ones.

 

At least the  "Of The Seas" names.

 

Sovereign, Majesty, Monarch, Legend.

 

The newer names get worse at each new ship.

 

HA has been reusing old ship names.

 

Carnival started doing it also,

 

 

I agree with you .. I think Quantum and Icon are 2 of the most ridiculous ones.   

On 1/9/2023 at 7:49 AM, LEMJMcC said:

On past cruises I would awaken much earlier than the lovely wife and go out to catch the sunrise.  On my way back to the cabin I would stop by Cafe Promenade to pick up a hot breakfast tea for me, coffee for the wife, and some breakfast pastries for us both.  Also there were many evenings that we would want to enjoy a late night snack and I would again run down to Sorrentos to pick up some pizza and grab some beverages as well.  In either case, I had my hands full!

 

The problem for me has always been trying to carry all this from the promenade deck back up to the cabin, especially when I had to take the elevators - imagine a guy with two drinks and a bunch of food in his hands trying to hit the elevator button with his elbow or big toe of one foot while balancing on the other!  Anyway, it occurred to me that others have likely solved this dilemma and what better place to find possible solutions than the CC Forum?!

 

So what tactics have you successfully employed to carry a bunch of drinks and food up to your cabins?

Bring wifey with you and have her help you!!  

When I was in that age range, I know what activities I was lookin .. oh, neva mind. 🤭

SO is an evasive manoeuver like this really worth all the injury (or potentially worse) and damage on board it could cause?  To say nothing of people potentially getting knocked or swept off their balconies ... or getting knocked off an upper deck by flying furniture or other people?

This seemed pretty irresponsible and stupid of whoever ordered it ... regardless what they thought was in the water.    There's gonna be a lotta 'splaining to do, i'd think. 

Just now, dada2199cc said:

It was worth $2.50 because it got rid of the long lines of freebie seeking vultures.

 

I hope cruise ships charge for everything a la carte in the future, including boarding times.

 

10:30 am boarding? $100 more per person.

 

I AM SO THERE.

... You must be an airline executive.