cravingthis

16 minutes ago, agnesd said:

It is older but definitely not shabby. Cute little restaurant. 

 

Thank you!

26 minutes ago, JohninDC said:

Uber x or standard Lyft from FLL airport and nearby hotels will run about $35+ for the car, or there are several shared shuttles for about $15 per person - check with SAS, QLS, Go Airport and others.

$35 from FLL hotels to Miami cruise port?  Wow John, that's amazing. 

Just wondering, if we decide to stay in FLL, is there an area of FLL that we should focus on to be closer to Miami?  I took a look on Google maps ... we stayed in FLL once before (Plantation), but that was 10 years ago.
 

Thank you for helping with our budget!

33 minutes ago, JohninDC said:

Lyft or UberX will be about $15+ to downtown, depending upon where you want to go.

Thank you so much John.  Staying near the airport might not work out for us then.  We've never been to Miami and would like to stay close to restaurants, shopping, stores to grab last minute items ...

26 minutes ago, JohninDC said:

Holiday Inn is an older hotel, but some rooms offer a view of the port and it is across the street from Bayside Marketplace.

 

If staying downtown or in South Beach you do not need a rental car - either walk or use Uber/Lyft.

 

Your 2/2021 dates may be to far out for many hotels.

Ah, that explains things.  Thanks again.  
I was trying to determine a Western Caribbean cruise on Allure in late January or Symphony in early December. 
Itineraries and pricing are similar.  I like that Allure will be refurbished, but I've never been on either ship.  I've only been on Oasis and Harmony (next week!!!).
Also, not sure if there will be more/less kids/college students during that time .. and the weather/rough seas, which I know is unpredictable.

22 minutes ago, JohninDC said:

Many choose to fly into FLL to save $ and then make the 30-45+ minute ride to Miami the morning of their cruise.  www.sunny.org has lots of FLL area hotel and tourist info.  Flying into West Palm Beach is another option.

Oh wow, I didn't know that. You meant Fort Lauderdale right?  Thank you John!

On 1/23/2020 at 1:41 PM, saharaga said:

 

We usually stay at the Residence Inn Miami Airport. A Lyft to the port from there is around $10 to $15, depending on the ride option you choose. 

I just checked their rates, very affordable.  Thank you

I just started my research, just wondering if it's best to stay at airport for 2 days pre-cruise, hotels seem cheaper, or downtown near the action.  If staying near the airport, how much is a ride to downtown?  

On 8/23/2019 at 9:51 AM, LHT28 said:

lots of  good info on the Florida  forum

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/386-florida-departures/

 

We usually stay at the Hampton Inn Brickell  

just depends on your budget

I just checked this hotel for a possible cruise in December 2020 or February 2021 and they are sold out 😞.  I wonder if perhaps the dates are too far in advance?

On 8/23/2019 at 10:07 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Near the port: Intercontinental is the standard bearer. Absolutely terrific hotel and so convenient. Want something a little different- Art Deco? Try the Blue Moon in South Beach (Marriott autograph collection).

Is there a need to rent a car if we are staying two nights in downtown area?

On 1/7/2020 at 10:09 PM, agnesd said:

Stayed at the Holiday Inn Port of Miami,  This will be our third visit.  Just fine and and close to the port.  Nothing fancy but more than adequate.  

Hi, is this an older hotel?  I can't tell from the pictures?  Thanks!

On 1/11/2020 at 5:52 PM, Clutj said:

If you want to partake of walking the beach and other walking/shopping/people watching benefits of Miami Beach, we stayed at the Kimpton, which we found reasonably priced.  It was a little worn down, art deco building, but still up to Kimpton standards.  Jose Andres restaurant right next door was great.  

I was looking at downtown for our first time in Miami.  If we stay in Miami Beach, or South Beach, would we need a rental car?

2 minutes ago, Noxequifans said:

Pricey depending on the time of the year and events. Perhaps 2 days first time would be best as you can always revisit.

We normally fly in two days pre-cruise, but just looked at Miami hotels ... $$$
I just started my research, thank you!

13 hours ago, BlueHerons said:

Pros; It's a massive port and can handle the people and the cruise ships.  It's also a world class city with tons of art, culture, shopping, dining, sunshine, beaches, and attractions.

 

Cons; It's Miami.  It can be a $hitshow for sure.

2 hours ago, Noxequifans said:

Miami pros; much to do, great hotel choices, near the port. Cons; it’s a big city.

 

Thank you both!
Hotels are very pricey, wondering if 3 days would be sufficient to see Miami for the first time?

We've cruised Eastern and would like try Western for the first time.

Allure will be refurbished and has a sailing the last week of January 2021.
 

Symphony has a sailing the first week of December 2020.

Both itineraries and price are similar.
 

Let me know the pros/cons, and if there will be less kids?
 

Thanks so much for your insight and experiences!

I've only cruised out of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.  What are some pros/cons if I consider cruising out of Miami? 

Thanks!

1 minute ago, taglovestocruise said:

Cabin configuration remains the same, small closet with double slider backs up to bathroom wall.  It make a good place to store that worthless coffee table, coffee table then becomes a extra shelf in the closet. Wife much prefers mirror and desk on Allure. 

Thanks ... lol
 

4 hours ago, taglovestocruise said:

Allure will be coming out of a 100 million dollar dry dock and looks amazing. , Harmony is going into a major dry dock next year after 5 hard years of sailing.  We were on Symphony last year, hump balcony, and actually preferred the cabin layout on Allure. 

We're considering Allure, but I don't like sailing out of Miami.

When she comes out of dry dock, do they change anything drastically, for example the layout of the staterooms?  Harmony & Symphony have the closets that are beside each bed, whereas Oasis had sliding door closets (not sure if they changed that when she was in dry dock)?  Also not sure what the closet configuration is on Allure?

15 hours ago, norhel said:

Send a pm to Royal on their official Facebook page. They reply within minutes there. 

https://www.facebook.com/royalcaribbean/

Oh wow, thank you!  I'll try it

Searched for this info to no avail.

Does anyone know the current executive chef for Harmony, and can you meet him on a galley tour? 
Thanks!

On 1/23/2020 at 1:13 AM, bonsai3s said:

I'm visually impaired.  I use a bright neon magnet on our cabin door.

Easier for me to identify our cabin.

We inform our cabin steward. Once in a while we've had our magnet "disappear".

Cabin steward tells us to place it a bit higher so kids won't take it. 

No worries, we bring a few with us.

I think that's awful that people would take your magnet!  We plan to put something on our door so we can spot our cabin easily.  Good idea about placing it higher!

16 hours ago, LittleMissMagic said:

 

I guess I didn't really touch on why I didn't like the desserts at Jamie's. It may have been a matter of preference. I found them too sweet or not a good texture. I'm not a big fan of the artificial fruit taste in the cream. Also, on all cruise lines I find the desserts to be super rich and decadent and just not something that I would eat a lot of personally.

 

I used the Tamron 17-50 mm lens for almost every shot you see here (exceptions are the super wide photos taken from my balcony in Costa Maya - I pulled out the Tokina 11-16mm for those). If you're curious about what equipment was used for each photo, you can click the link to my Flickr, and it actually shows what camera body, lenses, and whether or not I used an external flash. I love the Tamron lens. It is my go-to. It has a fixed f/2.8 aperture, so you can open the aperture really wide, even when it's at 50 mm. It also comes at a very affordable price point. I've had the lens since 2013 - it's been through a lot, and it's still going strong!

Thank you so much for the detailed response!

I"m going to check out that lens!  Much appreciated!

On 1/14/2020 at 10:49 AM, LittleMissMagic said:

Okay, now the presentation of the desserts was beautiful, but as far as taste, very disappointing.

 

Thank you for a fantastic review!

Oh no, the desserts really "looked" good.  We were thinking of going to Jamie's vs. Chops for our one night specialty dining. What was wrong with the desserts?

I have a Nikon camera too, but looking for a superior lens rather than the standard one that came in the box.  Can you tell me if you used the Tamron 17-50 mm for most of your pictures?  Budget wise, I only want to purchase one, with a zoom lens for our ports of call.

Thanks!

44 minutes ago, Diver2014 said:

 

no, I don't  keep notes anymore but I will answer specific questions.  Seems every time I post a review, I get someone coming back at me saying they were on the same cruise and I didn't know what I was talking about.  Everyone's experience is different and people on Cruise Critic are just too critical for me. Sorry.

No worries!

On 10/5/2019 at 5:44 PM, lizbeth said:

We went to Metropol restaurant in San Juan (7 locations). I still remember the cornish game hen - it was amazing!

Are all 7 locations similar?  We'll be doing a self-guided walking tour, and I'm not sure how easy they are to find?  What were some stand out, must try dishes?  Thanks!

On 10/26/2019 at 2:11 AM, Ashland said:

Easy answer...no reservations necessary...just walk to the Hotel Milano...go through the lobby and up to the rooftop restaurant "Punto de Vista"....just amazing food & drinks...Our favorite go to spot in old San Juan ....Enjoy !!!!

On 10/26/2019 at 12:10 PM, LittleYiaYia said:

I agree with Ashland.  Punto de Vista is our favorite in OSJ.  When you arrive, put your name in and you can walk around and they will text you when your table is ready.  Enjoy the best mofongo in Puerto Rico. 

We were going to walk around for a few hours and go back to the ship to eat since I have a sensitive stomach, but this place sounds very interesting!  Is it easy to find?  If we do stay to eat, I'd like to try the local cuisine. The reviews are great btw!

21 hours ago, Diver2014 said:

as Villager70 said, go to the back of the Windjammer to get your hand scooped ice cream.  We got off Harmony today and it was so nice having a dish of real ice cream every day at lunch.  Yesterday,, they had coffee ice cream  plus vanilla, strawberry and chocolate.  Day before, it was pistacho with the other 3.  Plus, there are a couple of small bins of chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, M&M's, nuts and a few other 'toppers' next to the bins of  spoons.

Ooh, coffee, that's good to know, and pistachio too!  Wow!
Don't want to go off topic, will you be posting a review here shortly?

1 hour ago, wolfcathorse said:

The HD is part of the Executive team. The captain is head of the marine dept (and the ship overall) and the HD is the head of the hotel dept. The captain's right hand man is the staff captain (2nd in command, he also has his master mariners license)

Thank you for explaining!

On 8/11/2019 at 2:05 PM, CruisingJoe09 said:

Johann Petuschnig was onboard in July. I believe that he is still there.

Thanks @CruisingJoe09

How long do HD's stay?  Not sure if Johann is still on Harmony?

How closely do they work with the captain, and are they considered the captain's right hand man (on the ship and not the helm ...lol)?

Thanks!

5 hours ago, MalteseMama2 said:

We just asked what they liked while talking to them about themselves. They were very surprised to get the goodies! The couple who gave us the idea knew where there were grocery stores where we stopped. 
in March we are going to islands we’ve never visited. Since most of the staff liked unsalted peanuts we are going to bring some with us. A lot also commented on our powdered flavored creamer so we are going to bring some of that as well.

 

That's so sweet, thanks!

On 12/6/2019 at 9:58 AM, MalteseMama2 said:

We got a great tip from another couple, Ed and Debbie from Fredericksburg, Va. They ask their suite attendant and SL servers what snacks they like. Then they buy those snacks when I port. We did this and it was so nice to see faces light up when we handed them a bag of peanuts or some snickers bars. I always want to do something extra for the people who make my vacation special. We tip well because we know that’s most important. But this is more personal and yet not bits of clutter that the staff probably doesn’t have room for or even want. 

That's a great idea.  Did they tell you where to go to get their favorites thoughs, like a map/directions?