jean87510

13 minutes ago, joyandjerry said:

 

Thanks for the info. We never got our own equipment, as it is rather bulky to pack. Apparently the four of us are atypical cruise ship pax. Jerry and I both exercise daily. I run and lift weights, plus stair walk. Jerry is exceptionally fit at 70 and rides an exercise bike at a high intensity daily, plus lifts weights.  (We have a gym a True bike and treadmill.) I am 64 and many of the cruise ship excursions cap age participation. We did the Mt Pimard  hike in St Lucia several weeks ago, and others much younger than us in another group had to drop out halfway. Booking was through SEG. RCCL capped the age limit at 63, and the hike actually fell on my 64th birthday! On the ships we use the gym regularly and never the elevators. Daily we start at deck one and got to the top deck continuously four or five times. Use it or lose it!

you will have no issues then.

We have 1 checked suitcase devoted to our snorkeling stuff including a weight belt, tent, free diving fins...  It really is not that much extra room if just mask, pipe and fins.  We use dish detergent in a small bottle to defog.  It is so much nicer to have your own.  I gave up nice shoes and nice clothes years ago to make room.

Yes, age thing is started to affect some bookings so we just lie now.

15 hours ago, revjamesl said:

I’ve asked a similar question before regarding different ports, but what are some really nice non-RC excursions/things to do that you’ve booked while in Puerto Costa Maya, Cozumel, and Roatan?

 

Please and thank you in advance.

There are quite a few factors. My suggestion is to research each place and find things you may like.  Then find ways to do them either a tour or on your own.  Your request is really broad as I don't know if you like beaches, party catamarans, snorkeling, diving, tour buses.  We can all give you suggestions but not knowing what you like makes it difficult.

On 4/8/2024 at 7:25 PM, Tigergenesis said:

Anyone planning on, been to or able to answer questions about Pinel Island (St. Maarten)? I'm looking at booking the kayaking excursion to Pinel Island through Caribbean Paddling. I thought that would be a different and fun way to get to the island. You can either ferry, kayak or paddleboard. However, I'd like to have the option to ferry back if we are too tired. Anyone know if you can book the ferry that day/last minute while on Pinel? Anyone done this kayaking adventure? I'm also curious about how long the trip takes via kayak, any tips on where to go on the island, food recommendations, etc. TIA 🙂 https://www.caribbeanpaddling.com/shore-excursions 

Yes, we have done it 2x with Caribbean Paddling.  There is no option to ferry back.  Trip takes about 30 minutes without stopping.  But you may want to stop in a couple of spots to snorkel.  We hiked all around Pinel island.  Food and drink were good.  

1 hour ago, joyandjerry said:

Could you please tell me how you did this, if you remember? Where did you go and was there equipment available for rent? TY.

 

Jerry and I were very disappointed with the snorkeling on Silver Moon. Here is a copy of the review I posted on Trip Advisor:

 

 

Catamaran 5 stars, Snorkeling 1 star

Mar 2024 • Couples

This tour on the Silver Moon 3 is geared towards those that want a relaxed catamaran trip with minimal snorkeling. The captain stated he was taking us a place that would not be as crowded with the cruise ship excursions, but it was crowded with private vessels, so much so we were bumping into others and saw just a few stingray. The stop was very brief, and we had to get back on the boat as it was getting too crowded. Those that took the cruise ship excursion stated they saw a lot of fish. We were told we would go to another stop with a shipwreck, and sat there for a while with our vests still on, waiting. After about 30 minutes, a fellow passenger got back on the boat, stating she had to swim back a distance to get there. Apparently she was dropped off at the shipwreck, which she said was unbelievably crowded. We were incredibly disappointed, as the snorkeling was the main reason we took the trip. The captain said he made an announcement when we were at the shipwreck, but the others did not hear him. No other beach or snorkel stops were made (it did rain a short time), so before 11:00 AM, we were done for the day and had hours to spend sitting around on the boat. We were told there would be two snorkeling stops of about 25 minutes each, and we were very disappointed. So basically, we had an expensive boat ride. Lunch was great, but so is the food on our ship.

On the positive side, it was not crowded, service was impeccable, and the meal was very good. It is a beautiful catamaran, very clean and comfortable. But if you want to do more than lay around, this may not be the trip for you.

We were at the beach club next to the Boatyard.  Someone at the beach club told us where to swim out to.  We have our own equipment.  

We just swam 3/4 mile in Bora Bora against a strong current to snorkel in the Aquarium and Husband is 60 while I'm 59.  The Barbados swim is nothing compared to that.  Really easy.  Just have a buoy!  And make sure if you are not in shape or not a strong swimmer to wear a snorkeling vest or maybe not do it.  Husband is a free diver and a triathlete.  I am a long distance swimmer and run every day and hike.  

3 hours ago, Smiley_Man said:

My experience of The Key:

 

- The Voom internet you can obviously buy for less money, but sometimes the prices are quite close. The caveat is that even if you buy The Key for two people in a cabin, you only get the internet for one device

 

- The reserved seating for shows is nice if you're the sort of person who likes to get to the show with the minimum of time. The caveat here is that the seating is "reserved" not "premium". For Royal Theater it's at the front of the balcony, and for Studio B it's a little section high and to the side of the rink - not very good seats actually. But for the Aqua Theater (on SY at least) the Key seats were fantastic - right in the middle of the action. Sitting in your premium seat relaxing with your cocktail, while the "plebs" (jk!) are stuck queueing behind the chains makes you feel special.

 

- The little plate of fruit in your room is nice, but on our last sailing it was not as fresh as it could be...

 

- The early check in is good, especially for people like me who aren't the sort to hang around on the website hitting refresh on the first day that checkin opens.

 

- Similarly, you get "any time" disembarkation with checked baggage, which is nice if you're not the sort of person who likes to hit refresh and book the first possible slot.

 

- The embarkation lunch and disembarkation breakfast are the best thing about it by far - the lunch is a Chops selection and there's nothing better to kick your holiday off than a luxury meal. Of course, since you pay per day for The Key, the value goes down when you are on a more extended cruise, as you'll only get two meals.

 

- Delivering your carry-ons to your room might be nice if you are keen to hit the pool deck as soon as possible. Personally, I prefer to take mine to the room so we can change out of travel clothes into something nicer.

 

Quite a few of these are similar to suite benefits, so having the Key with a suite booking may be a waste of money.

 

We've had The Key on our two cruises so far (SY and AN) and have been pleased. We're doing the Anthem 2-day without it next week, so I'll be able to provide a compare-and-contrast.

 

If you're first-time cruisers looking to make the trip as special as possible, it's worth it.

 

If you're experienced cruisers who know precisely where, when and how to maximise your value, it's probably not going to give you much that you can't achieve with careful planning and some ninja website refreshing!

We personally could care less when we board now and usually pick later times.  I remember last year prior to sailing on the Vision I happened to be awake at 1130pm and decided to just watch tv until midnight and check in.  I don't remember hitting refresh at all or having problems.  This is definitely something new as I was even able to check in for a Celebrity cruise during a sea day last month somewhere between Fiji and American samoa using NCL wifi.

1 hour ago, varpinater said:

Would you recommend and could you

share the e bike company you used?

We used Klondike electric bicycles in Skagway and yes, highly recommend them.  I have my own and am a little picky and these were well maintained and fat tired ones which were a plus for us.  Here are some pictures from May 2022.

Just now, xyzcruiser said:

I have read about Rose Island but every time I contact them, they say our time in port does not coincide with their tours. Arrival too late, departure too early. I had hoped one day for a ships excursion to go there but no luck so far.

I actually look for vendors going there.  There are a few 4 hr tours that don't do the pigs which I despise.

17 hours ago, Cherful59 said:

@deltahog We get several pool towels, hand wash undergarments and socks, squeeze and roll them in the towels to get additional water out, then hang them dry.  You can also washout many other items, roll in towels and hang dry them. 

It's what we do.  And why I have 20 magnetic hooks all over the ceiling.  Got the roll tip from cruise critic and it works like a charm even in an inside cabin.

8 minutes ago, Smiley_Man said:

Definitely only one device per stateroom.

1 hour ago, RFerrington said:

Is this true ?  I thought everyone who purchases the Key (which is everyone in the cabin) gets a 1 device plan.  I have never used the Key so I don't know, but that's what I thought....

My husband and I both got it the one time we bought the key.

43 minutes ago, Tim Cruise said:

We get one complimentary phone internet access. How do we chose what phone gets it and what do we do to get it on that one phone. Also how to we NOT get it on the other 2 phones. Lol

you just sign in on the device you want.  It doesn't have option to switch around like other cruise lines.

On 4/11/2024 at 7:51 AM, craigtompkins said:

I know St. Croix is not visited as frequently as other islands in the area and as such there are fewer posts here and fewer 3rd party options so I'm starting my search early.  We will be visiting St. Croix for the first time in October.  Normally I like to do an island tour the first time I visit an island, but I honestly don't know if I'll ever visit St. Croix a 2nd time, so I'm looking for what might be considered a must do excursion/activity.  Our trip has plenty of beach days, so unless the beach is better than St. Thomas, St. Maarten, Barbados it does not need to have beach time.  Royal Caribbean does offer an excursion over to Buck Island if that's a better option that staying on St. Croix as I have not been there before either.  If an island tour is the right option, does anyone have recent experience with local tour guides?

Thanks in advance

We like hiking and snorkeling.  We rented a car at the airport and did both.  St. Croix is really easy to navigate.  Probably my favorite of the USVI.  We looked at tours but then just decided to research places of interest and go on our own.  Absolutely beautiful island.

On 1/7/2024 at 4:45 PM, joyandjerry said:

Jerry and I are going March 28, and have done a tour of the island on a previous visit. Does anyone have experience with snorkeling on your own, ship's excursion (RCCL), or other private tours for this? We are interested in the turtles and the shipwreck. TIA.

I know you have gone already but husband and I did this on our own in dec 2021.  We were in our late 50s and are both strong swimmers.  Had zero issues doing this.  We also snorkel with buoys.

On 4/29/2024 at 1:11 PM, xyzcruiser said:

Years ago I bought a beach pass for Melia on Cable beach and the resort was great and the snorkeling from the beach decent. I know Melia is no more but trying to find something similar. I have been to Nassau 25+ times, taken every boat snorkel excursion (only so-so). The only ones I actually found worth it was the Stuarts Cove snuba. But on my next cruise the timing doesn't work for that. I usually do cruiseline excursions since I'm solo but not exclusively. So I'm looking for suggestions of a beach snorkel, that is easy and safe for a solo traveler to get to and from port. I have no interest in just lying on the beach, so none of the 6 hour, lunch included ones will work for me. I really just want to snorkel, maybe take a walk and then snorkel again, then head back to the ship. I am okay with the resort for a day passes but they have gotten expensive, so I want to make sure there is actually decent snorkeling off the beach before I waste my money. Thanks for any info.

We have taken boat tours to Rose Island for 4 hours where I thought snorkeling was pretty good for Bahamas.  We are also booked to do a snorkeling tour with Clifton Heritage which appears to have good snorkeling from the shore but you do need to pay.  Shore snorkeling wise, no, not much and not worth it on your own.

2 hours ago, Best Cat Mom said:

I would disagree with you here. The pool on Divina is mostly in the shade and there are more dining tables in the shade by the bar.

 

We've been on Seaside and think that the YC One Pool deck has way more -- and too much -- sun for us.

 

I guess it depends on your perspective of where you want your shade -- loungers or tables/pool.

I wasn't talking about eating outside.  I was talking about sitting outside.  If you want shade, there are no lounge chairs in the shade.  Only shade is where the food is.  I was on in December and January and could not find a shaded spot to lie down in that area.  Umbrellas would have been nice.

3 hours ago, dedosr said:

I just checked in for a cruise on the Symphony departing June 14, 2024. 
 

How do I access my luggage tags to print and the cruise documents?

 

I need a refresher course since this is my first cruise since Covid. 
 

Thanks 

 

 

As others said, 30 days out you will get an email with docs.

I strongly recommend if you haven't already to get the RCCL app for your phone.  It is really nice to have especially on the bigger ships for booking shows, restaurants if interested, and other areas of interest like the daily activities.

If you like using your phone as many of us do for shopping using apple or google wallet, you can save your boarding pass to your wallet as well.  It's a much nicer option for those of us who prefer as little paper as possible.  Of course if you prefer paper passes, they are still there and will be available to print with the luggage tags.

23 hours ago, looking4info said:

Daughter has an older iPhone and is unable to download the app. so no check in when boarding. I am guessing the "old fashion way" of printed documents is what will need to be done. Am I correct with this? Any other options? Thanks

yes

14 hours ago, PhillyFan33579 said:

Curious why you would print out a copy just in case. I always add our boarding passes to my wallet (IPhone). I understand the possibility of WiFi not working at the port, but passes in your wallet always work, assuming your phone still works/has power. 

I have my passes saved and it has always work even recently in Australia where I was in airplane mode with no wifi.  I don't think people understand the concept of the wallet or the screenshot.  Especially a screenshot.  Its a picture.

21 hours ago, fenton04 said:

We were departing for Baltic sea cruise. Whipped out my trusty Iphone and zip, Nada . So the printed copy came in pretty handy.

Screenshot and apple wallet is what most of us use.

MCO in December?  You didn't say when.

I'm on Camp no problem normally as when my vacation is done, I just want to get home as quickly as possible.  It always has worked for us.

However, if you are in a suite, or have TSA pre check, are very mobile, can skip breakfast, have no issue possibly dragging suitcases down flights of steps, know that you may be required to take elevator at Port Canaveral port with large suitcase (always happens with us), have a car waiting at the port, yes, it can be done.  But in December if during holidays...  I don't know.  I know my husband would book it and he has (Miami dock, FLL for a 945am flight).  But we were in MSC YC and were literally the 1st people off the ship.

I have only been on Divina and soon will be on the Seashore.  If I can make an observation if flying, Miami is usually cheaper to fly into than Port Canaveral *MCO.  If the sea*** are that close, use that to factor.  HOWEVER, the Seashore includes the overnight now on her 4 day sailings at Ocean Cay.  She is out of port canaveral. 

One thing I will note Divina has terrible shade for those of us shade chasers.

We were just choosing sailings for a 3 day in November to balance out a land trip and we actually opted for the Magnifica with no YC but much smaller ship, Aurea, and Key West and Ocean Cay.  Leaves out of Miami.  No specialty dining other than a sushi restaurant I believe.  Probably not what you are looking for though.

4 hours ago, phoenix_dream said:

I hesitate to agree with the whole be honest philosophy.  Why? On more than one occasion I've had wait staff tell me that they get dinged if you say anything bad about the food as it is their responsibility to ensure you are happy with the food.  Doesn't seem fair or even logical for that matter but more than one person has said that to me.  Personally I would express any concerns of that type by an email to corporate.  If you give a lower grade but put notes in a comments area is that enough to mitigate the damage of a bad rating? Honestly I don't know. 

If you want things to change then be honest.  If the staff matters more than the food, give them all 10s but then don't complain about food.  

Edited to add the better solution is to tell them WHEN your food is unacceptable.  And would you say something at home if going out to eat or would you feel sorry for the staff?

17 hours ago, burne318 said:

Long time lurker on this forum and follower of many of your live threads (which are good reads for people to use to prepare for their cruise), but I must set the record straight here.

 

My group of 7 was in the pergola immediately next to you on the cruise last week.  We didn't have a conversation because I am not one to necessarily reach out to strangers to strike up a conversation.  I knew you were to my left, because of your previous post about the way you had your pergola made up, weaving towels in the back slats.  That was a good idea by the way and you probably saw that we copied it.  My wife and 2 kids were on our 3rd YC cruise (Seaside 2020 and Meraviglia 2023).  We were most certainly in the YC.  Cabin 18025 with butler Wayan to be exact.  My sister was solo in 18027 and my two parents were in 18029, both YIN cabins on their first YC experience.  On the first sea day both my dad and I woke up pretty early (6:15am) since our bodies were not on vacation time yet.  We sat in the unoccupied pergola next to yours and had our coffee.  During our coffee, one of the pool attendants (Caran sp?) approached us and asked us "Would you like to sit here everyday?".  We said "Sure, but it's absolutely not a requirement".  Well low and behold, every morning we woke up before breakfast, and Caran showed us to the pergola he made up for us.  He repeated this each day and on the last day we did give him a tip.  So the 7 of us used that pergola and the daybed next to it I would say upwards of 75% of the time from breakfast until dinner.  Did we venture to the waterpark and leave our stuff there?  Sure.  But most of the time someone from our group was hanging out in the pergola.  And we only utilized a single pergola with 3 loungers for 7 people.  I am super conscious about overusing space, so many times there were 4 or 5 of us on the 3 loungers because frankly we didn't need a single lounger for each person, especially small kids.  As a non-OS/RS guest, I certain did not expect to get a pergola each day since they are FCFS, but Caran approached us early in the cruise and definitely earned a tip from our group.

 

As for dinner, we ate exclusively in the YC Restaurant every day at 5:45, with the wonderful Kevin as our waiter.  I was pleased to see that they opened before 6:00.  We are early eaters and were worried that the move from 5:30 to 6:00 was fleetwide.  Like you, I missed the "Deliciously Healthy" section of the menu until day 6, which was a real bummer to realize that was there the whole time.

 

The group of 6 that were in the other two pergolas appeared to be 3 couples.  They sat kitty corner to us at dinner in the YC Restaurant I would say 50% of the time and we saw them plenty of times on the YC Pool Buffet for breakfast.  We didn't really talk to them either until the last sea day when they approached us.  They mentioned they were on their 35+ cruise and their 3rd YC cruise as well.  Now I can't speak for their whole group (since I only chatted with two of the couples), but it did appear they were all staying in YC Cabins.  That said, I didn't talk to all of them so I can't be 100%.

I suppose some of us are not quite the interloper or slacker spotters that we thought we were...🤔

4 hours ago, Toddcan said:

 

Was that $1,000 total, or per person?  Remember, YC comes with the drink package and internet (2 devices per person).   We don't drink, and we were also in a deluxe balcony suite, but we jumped at the chance to upgrade to YC balcony suite for ~$600 per person ($1,200 total ).  The onboarding, and debarkation are wonderful, and the YC lounge, restaurant, and outdoor area are to die for.  

You missed the part where I said I was offered to bid $1000 on an upgrade to a YC deluxe suite.  We are currently in a YC deluxe suite.  

On 4/25/2024 at 8:19 AM, MeganGC1983 said:

I’ve never paid $150 for a golf cart in Bimini. We’ve done this 8 times. I’ve been quoted $80 and talked them down to $60 or $70 at the most. 

And I would not either.  But that was what we were quoted.  Taxi is still cheaper as well as bikes.  

There are quite a few posts on social media, reddit, google reviews, TripAdvisor...etc... about the price gouging and poor maintenance.  It's important to let people know this does happen.  Maybe you were one of the lucky ones but you are probably in the minority.  The cheapest 6 seater rents online for $110.  The cheapest four seater is $90.  We had not reserved but saw a sign.  The one the kid was trying to rent for $150 was pretty dilapidated.