Donut23

Very good review. 83 days from now we will be napping on Delta on our way to Alaska to celebrate our Anniversary (married on the Radiance). Now I want to go pack!

I'm having cheesy tater tots and a full rack of ribs today (a Sunday special) at the Quarterdeck in Ft Lauderdale for a whopping $10.95. Tater tots with a questionable steak, I think not. Looks like Chops is off the dining time on our next cruise. Too bad. BTW, on the Oasis in Oct, old menu, but tables so close you couldn't move. It's not the same dining experience.

Yea, me again. Just want to say I'm

Not Hot for Tots!

I really don't mean to beat a dead horse. Those stupid Tots represent, to me at least, how little respect the Grownups at Royal have for their guests. Do they think we are just too stupid to notice the dramatic cost changes which coincide with a reduction in quality.

Do they really have to hit us from both sides at the same time?

Perhaps Royal should adopt a new slogan......

Give 'em less. Charge 'em more. At least that would be honest.

We were on the Explorer a few years ago. There were two threads about awful sewage smells on OUR deck aft. Sounded like it was in our cabin. I bought all sorts of things to stop "rude" gasses from creeping into our cabin via plumbing, Lysol sprays, gloves, cleaners. I was ready for battle. (Helped that we drove and could carry all that JUNK.)

Well, you guessed it. No smell for 13 days.

We talked with some of the crew and they mentioned the curious things retrieved from the plumbing. Face cloths, teddy bears. Apparently some children are absolutely fascinated with the noisy toilets and flush all sorts of things....just to watch them disappear.

Anyway, don't jump off a bridge or loose too much sleep over it.

Spoken from experience.

My next door neighbor and new beau will be taking their first ever cruise on the Grandeur over Spring Break. Neighbor is a teacher.

I have come to question a few of the travel agents policies including booking this very healthy couple into a handicapped cabin (booked about a year in advance). It's not something I would have done in my days as an agent, especially with fewer of these rooms available.

Having said that, if you manage to snag one I think you will be comfortable. Doorway adequate and room size generous.

Little Grandeur is a lovely ship. A little more quiet than some of royals' bigger ladies but I think you will have a ........ Grand time.

I don't usually pack snacks like granola bars with me, since I can do as you do and take cereal boxes from the buffet for port excursions. I often take bananas, or fruit as well (you won't be able to bring anything back on board the ship). I only take with me what I expect to eat. I need a banana or apple with the boxed cereal if I am going on a water excursion that doesn't include any snacks (for instance).

Cereal boxes. What a good idea!

I bring Ginger Snaps in case someone gets woozy. Funny thing. Sailing with Hubby is the lucky charm. He has never seen anything but flat calm pond water. I was sure our December transit to and from Bayonne to the tropics would be miserable. It was like a lake.

Hubs is my lucky cruising charm! No snaps needed!

May I take a moment?

T A T E R. T O T S. Really?

Thanks for the info. You just saved me $70+ by not eating at Chops on our cruise in May! More money to spend on drinks!

Same here.

Chops, and they charge for steaks? They replace baked potatoes with......tater tots?

PLEASE say it isn't so.

Hubs says no to Chops. It was one of our favorites.

Tater tots?????????

That's exactly what I said without spelling out the name.... :D

My favorite?

When "Fellow Castmember Bob" (CEO for those who don't know) finally blew a gasket in November because of the complaints, massive cost overruns and delays. He flew to Florida to see, first hand, what wasn't working right. He was issued his own Magic Band.......it didn't work! Meltdown at the cashier at Mousegear was epic!

You think the IT folks could have made ONE magicband foolproof that day!

Yea, Royal has it's problems but there will be books written about how to NOT manage an IT rollout using Disney's magic bands/Fastpass system as an example.

I guess we have just been lucky. We have always enjoyed our table companions. Well, we did have 2 very quiet ladies last cruise but it was a very large table and everyone was so animated, we just didn't notice them.

We always seem to be the United Nations table with multiple countries represented.

I have never seen a company the size of RCI that cannot keep their web site up and functional. The CEO needs to walk into that department and fire someone...then tell the others he wants the problems fixed immediately. Normally it only takes one, maybe two, "public executions" in a department to motivate the others.

 

They can't be concerned about losing talent...because the people that have apparently are not talented enough to get the job accomplised.

Hubby works for Disney by way of ABC in NYC.

I know Royal's system can be frustrating, we have recently run into a problem which took 3 calls to Revenue Management to resolve.

Having said that, nobody, absolutely nobody has worse IT than Disney. In their case they just refuse to invest the $$$ to do it the right way. Take a look at the DISboards and read about the Magic Band/Fastpass mess over there. $1.5 billion and they still cannot make it run smoothly.

I'm not a big Royal defender. They have made some recent changes which do not make my Jim and I so happy, but they haven't fallen on the "stupid stick" like Disney.........yet.

OMG!

Just laughing!

At first read I thought you were talking about my adorable hubby. HE is the unlikely cloths horse in the family. When we cruise he brings his 2 favorite bags......Bumba and Big Blue. And the poor ship when we DRIVE to the port! He FILLS the car.

Now, add our friend, Lou who will join us in Alaska this summer. He brings a bag called.....The Motherload.

We are renting a car to drive around and it has to be BIG....because of their luggage!

When they put our bags in our aft-facing cabin, the bow of the ship lifts out of the water....hahaha.

Sorry to hijack your notes. I now return control of the thread.

Thanks for the laugh!

OMG!

Just laughing!

At first read I thought you were talking about my adorable hubby. HE is the unlikely cloths horse in the family. When we cruise he brings his 2 favorite bags......Bumba and Big Blue. And the poor ship when we DRIVE to the port! He FILLS the car.

Now, add our friend, Lou who will join us in Alaska this summer. He brings a bag called.....The Motherload.

We are renting a car to drive around and it has to be BIG....because of their luggage!

When they put our bags in our aft-facing cabin, the bow of the ship lifts out of the water....hahaha.

Sorry to hijack your notes. I now return control of the thread.

Thanks for the laugh!

Don't dis my Crystal Blue (Sonata).

First new car I could afford in decades, very safe, reliable and paid for in 2 years!

.....and a great back seat for my terrier copilot!

Hubby nearly fell off his chair!

He called and removed the land tour for our upcoming Alaska trip. We have cabin 1100 on the Radiance since day one of reservations.

He did not touch the cabin but Royal's system repriced the cabin at the current rate that day. Two calls later to Revenue Management it was resolved.

Yikes!

The reservation was more AFTER he removed the tour!

Go with 1388, you will love it. We had 1388 on Mariner OTS and its the size of a JS and has a large, partially covered balcony. Your DD will like the sofa bed much better than a pullman.

Agreed 1,000%.

Sugar Free Cheesecake.

They made one for our wedding cake when we were married on the Radiance in Juneau.

Yummo!

I would love to meet you on a cruise someday. Especially in an elevator area. I would gladly publicly humiliate anyone that jumps in front of a chair. I have been known to block the paths of other to let a polite chair user into an elevator. I did it for one lady who was so visibly upset. After chasing a group of teens out of an elevator for her, she gave me the sweetest hug, and said thank you after telling me she had been trying to get onto an elevator for about 15 minutes, but nobody would give her the room to do so.

Thank you!

My Jim has always been so helpful but now even more understanding. He had a minor triple axel, double toe loop on the ice and onto crutches for about 6 weeks. Imagine navigating the NYC subway at rush hour on crutches. He now totally understands the frustrations of being overlooked when you have a handicap.

Well.......if you are cruising and ever hear a bike bell ringing, it could be ME!

Oh yes, we always head down to our Mustar station well ahead of the crowds.

I find the rudest behavior is when I see scooters and wheelchairs waiting patiently for an elevator and able bodied individuals rush ahead of them when the elevator door opens. The reason this irritates me so much, is because these people often have to wait a long time any way and they don't have the option of taking the stairs. :(

THANK YOU!

I am stuck in a scooter now since an accident years ago. Happily, these scooter rentals give me the freedom to enjoy my travels again.

It's surprising how we can suddenly become invisible in these big, heavy machines. People will dart in front of me, I even had someone physically push me so hard out of the way, I nearly flew off my scooter.

After a few years of this.....and a Disney trip or two, Hubby and I have a routine now. He plows the road for me....opening a hole I drive through so everyone is happy.

We haven't solved the elevator jumpers. Seems heading down for dinner can be the worst time to try to get a scooter on an elevator. When especially bad, we just take the elevator UP, then ride it back down.

Trust me. If there was any way I could walk long distances, the scooter would be a memory.

I DO bring a little bike bell to jingle. It always makes people smile....happy little sound. If I'm stuck in that bloody chair, I'm going to enjoy the smiles!

Oops, sorry. Duplicate. :-(

Send me on that cruise to.......Siberia!

How would the Baltic cruises be affected by economic sanctions? Assuming the worse and Putin continues forward, if UN, Europe, or US imposed economic sanctions against Russia, would that have any affect on cruises to Russian ports? I am just curious.

 

 

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Ethnic Russians in the Crimea (descendants of Stalins Russians) said Ukrainians fired on them. That's all the Big P needed to get the Russian Parliment to authorize military force in The Crimea. How convenient Putin's Olympics are over so he can be a bully with fewer people watching.

Rumors are some could boycott the G8 summit in Sochi this summer. Somehow I just don't see Putin crying over this threat.

So sad.

Wonderful and informative post. Thank you.

Thank you !

Hubby and I are rabid history nuts. Some not so pretty.

Great post. Booked on the repo cruise Dubai to Istanbul next year via Suez Canal & Israel cannot wait! Shame though that there is no stop in Egypt.

It's terrible for the local people who were taking care of the tourist trade. Their business is basically gone........along with Egypt's most recent government.

Few will risk their pretty cruise ships filled with guests right now.

So sad. Those beautiful treasures should be shared and admired with the World.

I'm not sure I would be excited about a stop in an Ukrainian port this summer, but as fast as things are moving over there, who really knows!

Russia must have Ukraine ports as they are the only Russian warm water ports to ship their oil. Pipelines must be preserved especially now that Syria is no longer an option. They will not allow these ports to not be Under Russian control.

Mini history lesson.

Stalin had a vision, very sick vision of control and Eastern Ukraine to it's southern ports were ground zero. Stalin just had the local population removed never to be heard from again. He replaced much of the population with Russians and supported them well for their support of Mother Russia.

The last 48 hours these Russian/Ukranians have stormed airports and public buildings in Eastern Ukraine and raised the Russian flag over Eastern Ukrain. Putin is also sabor rattling with military excercises on the boarder with Ukraine.

EU and US are calling for calm.

Things are far from quiet over there but who knows what will be happening in a few months.

Sadly. My $$$$$ is on Rootin Tootin Putin throwing everything he has to keep possession of his Ukrainian ports. He needs his oil $$$$ to pay off his Olympics debt.

Others may have a different opinion, but if it was me I would NOT do a prepackage tour from the cruise line. Fly into Anchorage, rent a car and put together a trip with what you want to do.

Just four days for that part though isn't much. If you can squeeze out anymore time, it'll be worth it.

What are you interests? Scenery? Hiking? Wildlife? Adventure?

Who is "we"? A couple of 20 year olds? An over 60's ladies group? Mom, Dad and 3 kids?

I'm going to agree as long as you are comfortable heading out alone.

DH and I are heading back with friends this summer. I am a former TA and booked plenty of Alaska in my day. It will be my 6th trip there.

One thing we DO try to accommodate is a Princess land tour. They truly have the most beautiful lodges ashore. Because it's our friends first time, we will be taking a few days, hopping on the train and off to Denali.

Actually, let me backup.

At the beginning we all tossed out what we would like to accomplish on land....then they tossed it in my lap. We changed ideas twice...but the last go around months ago was magic.

Princess Lodges, 2 days near Denali National National Park, Anchorage weekend Market, Alyeska Resort, Feeding the Puffins at the Sealife Center (ME!) and last night in Seward next to the Radiance. Whew!

It takes some planning but really worth it.

Rent a car, take the train, rent a mini bus. Pitch a tent or stay in a Resort and be pampered. It's all there for you.

There are guidebooks available and MANY people here to help guide you. Go to your Roll Call for your specific cruise. Many ideas from old timers there as well.

Good luck. Happy touring. Happy Cruising.

Alaska is amazing. God's cathedrals. It changes you forever.