denisey

 

We were never told that we were limited on the number of any of our courses, but then again we didnt try and order 2 entrees so take it for what its worth.

We were on the Oasis last week. When at Chops, I paid the extra $21 for the whole Maine lobster (very good!) and the waiter pretty much INSISTED I get a steak also. I'm not much of a meat eater, but I got the small Filet Mignon. It was very good, and the Hubs enjoyed the part of it I didn't eat.

Ship -Oasis of the Seas

Deck - 6

Stateroom # - 6218

Stateroom Category – 4D

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Very Quiet

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Slightly obstructed by lifeboat, if you looked straight down

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Normal

Was wind a problem? - No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - NA

Any specific problems with this cabin? - NA

Any other comments? - This cabin was pretty much dead center between the 2 elevator lobbies. It was a long walk no matter which way you went. It did make it easy to get to either end quickly. It was also convenient to the Boardwalk and Promenade.

Another thought...take only a carryon on the plane and you will save time not having to pick up luggage at the airport. While it is a challenge, we've taken several cruises with only a carryon each.

But there is a hump. Just no cabins

LOL! I'm glad you clarified....I was going to have to actually go and look at a deck plan!

Thanks Ryan! I am heading out for my first RCCL cruise on the Oasis and reading everything I can find on her!

- wife is bringing a shawl to cover shoulders wearing a sun dress?

 

I always take a shawl/pashmina on tour in Europe. It works to cover shoulders or as an impromptu skirt, if the dress length is an issue. It is then also handy if the day is cool, or you need something to sit upon.

 

Have a lovely trip!

Thanks for the information! We are boarding on Sunday and can't wait!

Why are you calling your son #theboy? It makes him sound like the rotten step child you make sleep under the stairs. Or maybe I’ve just watched too much Harry Potter.

 

Your review is entertainingly written and I like it, but I’m on page 12 and finding myself offended for your son at this point, lol. Reminds me of a lady on my roll call who called her son’s wife “his woman,” which always sounded so offensive. Anyway, carry on....

 

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The OP explains it at one point....her son says #(everything) so it's their inside joke. He sounds like a great kid, and as you continue, you'll see they have a good relationship!

Oh, Denise - you made my day! Thank you so much for the kind words - it makes all of the work going into the review worth it! And I cracked up that you still have my gelato cheat sheet!!!

 

I can’t wait to hear how your own cruise on a big ship - and at the last minute - goes!

 

And for the record, I will be starting a NEW review any day now - we just finished an epic 12-night cruise of the British Isles on the Brilliance of the Seas...and Hubby & I will be doing a B2B on the Allure in January - it will be his first time on a mega ship, and I can’t wait to see his reaction!

 

Have fun - and thank you, again, for the nice note! Talk about resurrecting an old thread from the dead - ha ha!

Wait a minute, where's the LIKE button! I can't wait for the Brillance Review, because I AM NOT doing a British Isles cruise!

They made us take anything electronic larger than a cell phone (our eReaders) out of our bags in Santa Rosa recently.

I'm with others, it's always a guessing game what new rules will be in place.

The TSA precheck website still says that liquids and electronics can stay in the bag.

I know in Seattle, they opened a new nifty Precheck area. The problems was there were no clear instructions on what they wanted you to do (EVERYTHING had to go in it's own separate bin) and the agent was rather grumpy!

Okay, this is an older review, and I'm sure some of the events, shows, and I know the prices have changed. But it is still chockfull of good information and very, very entertaining!

I read Sherri’s Europe adventure first, because I had a Caribbeancruise booked on the Serenade. I thoughtI would get good information on the Cruise line and the ship.

Ahem, I liked it so much, I cancelled my cruise and had myown adventures in Europe!!!

So I read this one, because I knew it was going to be fun!

But I was NEVER, EVER going to go on a BIG SHIP. And I certainly would NEVER, EVER book lastminute!

Wrong! In two weeks Iam going on the Oasis of the Seas, just booked. So I remembered this review and have taken many notes to take me on mycruise.

Of course, I was just going to quickly skim it….but wound upreading all 66 pages! Even the ones onSt Martin where: 1) we are not going and2) none of those places probably exist anymore.

Thanks so much for all your hard, Epic, Cruise Reviewerwork!

PS I still have and use your gelato flavor cheat sheet!

Loved the review, thanks so much! I am glad I found it after the pause....

We are doing our first RCCL cruise on something less than the Beast, but I am reading everything I can to get a general "what's this RCCL all about" feel for things.

And then our end of the month vacation plans fell through, and I got to thinking...I wonder if we could book a very last minute cruise, on the Beast...Now I just have to convince DH before the airfare prices get out of hand!

Thanks for the great review. I am going on my first Royal cruise in Sept (on a much smaller ship) and am reading everything to get the general feel of how things work on Royal. Forgive me if I don't do things the same as you, as I'd like to not have a CBW cruise! LOL!

Note to self: Look up Hucifer's reviews......

Hugs to #theboy and #theboysbrother. Thank them for arranging their vacations in such a way you could entertain the rest of us!

back in 2009 we booked a cave tubing tour with Coral Breeze Tours in Belize, and it was wonderful. Cheaper than booking through RCCL, and much more intimate as the group was only about 12 people, as opposed to RCCL's group of 60. After the tour, the guide took us to a local eatery, where my DH and our friend enjoyed a local meal, which they liked very much. The guide (Ivan) was great, and we would totally book though them again if we ever go back to Belize.

Ditto on the recommendation for Coral Breeze. It was the best excursion we never had! The day we were in Belize, the weather was sloppy. I am surprised we didn't miss the port! We watched 50 people from a ship tour get on an open boat and GET COVERED BY A TARP!!!!!! We were pretty sure we didn't want to go to Shark-Ray Alley that day. When we got to the meeting spot, the rep from Coral Breeze apologized for the weather and told us they were canceling the trip. We had our refund check in the mail by the time we got home. We wound up spending a fun day seeing how many Belikins (Belize beers) we could down!

I don't know that I would get off the ship and pick a tour in Belize, but there are several great companies to arrange a tour with in advance.

The other thing that I didn't need was an over-the-door shoe organizer for stuff. Everyone swears by them, and maybe if you have a whole family traveling they are good, but for just the two of us I found that the cabin drawers and shelves were enough. .

And here I thought I was the only person in the world (the CC world that is) that didn't have a use for the over the door organizer!

But loving this thread for the very unexpected Alaska cruise we are planning. I can pack for the Caribbean in my sleep....

Yes I am going to as you say drag a case of beer back with me since I like the beer and they dont import it to the states.

 

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Being a fan of Amstel Bright (only sold on 4 islands in the Caribbean), I hear ya!

It looks like it is the same laws. If the bottles/cans are 12 oz, that equates to 4.25 Litres.

Have a great trip!

hello we would love any guidance as im in an electric wchair.

 

Our ship (EQUINOX) will be parked for 3 days in NO would love to do a cemetery tour and whatever else we can get to. every tour ive checked online does NOT accommodate electric wchairs only folding push chairs my wife cant push me .

what can we see ...do.. wheeling from the ship.

thank you

tzinck@cogeco.ca

Sorry, I don't have any specific advise. The streets and sidewalks are fairly uneven, so New Orleans doesn't strike me as very disabled-friendly. There is a lovely park near the cruise ships that has a lot going on and has nice sidewalks.

The cemeteries are very "crowded" so I can see that it would be difficult with an electric wheelchair. It was tough getting around on two feet. It looks like motorized equipment might not be allowed by the Archdiocese.

There is a board on CC for disabled cruising. I've not looked there, but someone might have some good advice for you.

I'm not seeing any where with your email address. I have mine in my profile, I think. We will be taking a cruise with our adult sons and their wife/fiance', friend. There will be at least 8 of us. We will be flying in two nights before cruise. Can you please send me some not to miss spots? Probably not anything super expensive or fancy and no sea food. I am allergic and we just tend to stay away.

thanks!

sorry, i did not see that so many people already asked (and why wouldn't they!) familyoutdoors@Comcast.net

I'm not sure that the poster ever came back and sent out this information. I know I never received an email....

There are tons of great restaurants all over. Most post menus outside, so you can judge food and prices. For some of the fancier places, you may consider lunch rather than dinner for slightly less money.

But overall, prices are pretty high (and I come from Seattle, where the cost of living is high!)

Some less expensive choices are beignets at Café Du Monde. There is a line, but it moves pretty fast. (it was about $15 for the two of us to have two orders of beignets, a large coffee and a hot chocolate. Sharing the beignets and having a small drink would bring the cost down.

A muffuletta at Central Grocery is a must do! DH and I shared one, and I'll bet it could easily serve 4! They have limited counter space, so you can take your sandwiches and have a picnic in the nearby park on a nice day.

A fair number of the dishes have seafood, but there are plenty of non-seafood choices. As a vegetarian, I had a hard time because a lot of the seafood dishes have sausage or are meat based stocks.

For site seeing, there are 2 National Park sites in town that are free or cheap, both have daily programs. There are a ton of walking tours also, catering to whatever your interests are (voodoo, ghost, history...)

Have a great trip!

 

As for getting around, it's very easy to see the major sites by yourself. Indeed, I've just published my review on how to do the more popular ones. Here's the link...

 

https://solentrichardscruiseblog.com/2017/12/29/one-way-to-do-new-orleans-part-1/

 

Thanks Richard! Quite a thorough review and lots of good suggestions!

I live in NOLA, I'm happy to email you a list of "not to miss" that I send to friends coming here for the first time. Plantations, swamp tours, French quarter, and D-Day museum are definitely top contenders.

Too many great restaurants to list! Happy to send you that email if you'd like.

-Alaina

 

 

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OOOOOH! if you don't mind sending that to me too....denisecyoung@yahoo.com

Google says the business is permanently closed. Hasn't been a Trip Advisor review since March.

Well, that is too bad! They were a great company. We had a hard time finding a place that did small group tours of the city that weren't walking tours.

B-May I hope you find one!

We used Dixie Tours this past March for a tour of the city. It was the highlight of our whole trip. Our Driver, Gene, is a local and loves his city. The van was comfortable and there was a sound system, so everyone can hear. It was a private tour, so just our group. It might be spending for 4 people, but definitely worth it!

Dixie tours neworleans dot com

I wanted to mention my experience, now that my cruise is over.

They did mention the Mobile Passport app a lot on the ship, and my group of 13 downloaded it. I also advised them to fill out the form "just in case."

Well, "just in case" happened. There had been a oil tanker truck accident, and they moved us from Terminal 18 (bright, shiny and new) to Terminal 25 (old and worn out). The app did not work. I don't know if it was because of the change in terminal or because of the old terminal.

The agent who was in charge of herding us around said that it didn't work more often than it did work, so apparently more bugs to work out.

But they were pushing folks through and we got out of the terminal pretty fast, we ran about an hour late due to the oil spill.

We had a lovely Jazz Brunch at the Court of Two Sisters in NOLA on Mardi Gras day last week. It was lovely and the jazz trio were very pleasant to listen to! I'm not a big jazz fan, and found the volume perfect to hear but not overwhelm. The food was incredible with all the New Orleans standards, plus any breakfast item you can thing of, including fresh made eggs, omelets and benedicts.

It's about a mile from your hotel and you can take the street car almost all the way. Well worth the travel!

Have fun!

Denise

Flew through Newark NJ on 12/28/2016. They had signs posted in the Pre-check line stating that a handful of state driver licenses would become not valid for ID starting sometime THIS YEAR 2017 - I do not recall if it was October perhaps? Perhaps they haven't updated the signs either/?????? If so, that's ridiculous. It was the first time I saw those signs and I made at least 6 trips in 2016 - TUS, LAX, EWR, ABE, Tokyo to name a few.

I flew from BWI last weekend (Jan 8th), and they had the list of States with date of 1/22/2018. I live in one of those states, and just got my enhanced DL...I have a passport, but thought a back up plan would be good.

It is the first time I have seen this sign also (and I fly A LOT).