justme665

We were on the same cruise as you, and our cabin almost right above yours (13179) - so hopefully our toddler running around wasn't bothersome for you!

 

And our experience aligns with yours, except that I doubt we will book MSC again. The lack of/mis communication was nearly constant, and the food quality was so poor, that we feel we would get much better value on other lines we have tried.

16 minutes ago, APDMOM said:

@justme665

It is just a regular, cheap shower curtain that we bought, so it is standard sized for a shower curtain.  At night, we move the magnets to divide the area between the sleeper couch and the bed.

 

Yes, they had scuba diving at Ocean Cay.  I would venture to guess that it will frequently get cancelled in December, January, February, when the waves tend to be more choppy in that area.

 

Here are some screen shots of what Ocean Cay is offering in June on our upcoming Seaside cruise.  Note that prices often differ by sailing:

Thank you so much, that's super helpful! If only I could get the login to work so that I could explore the options in detail... 🤦‍♀️

On 12/30/2019 at 9:22 PM, APDMOM said:

A few views of the room layout and balcony:

 

I thought the couch turned into bed was pretty strange with that opening - it almost looks more like something you would find on a campground than a cruise ship.

 

 

 

Thanks for the review and the photos! How large of a curtain did you use? Thinking this might be the way to go for our upcoming cruise with our high-energy light-sensitive non-sleeping toddler 🙂 

 

Also, did I read your previous post about Ocean Cay correctly - there was scuba diving but it was cancelled? The excursions don't seem to be loading properly when I log into MSC, so I'm flying a bit blind to figure out what we want to do in each port!

 

Thanks again for all the great info!

Same problems here. My reservation seems to be linked no problem (on the .ca site; can't get it to link properly on the .com), but I can't see or do anything... not even to make my final payment which is due in less than a week! Help!

6 hours ago, KeithJenner said:

Where are you from? The answer depends on this, especially with regard to price drops and deposit refunds.

Ah, I didn't even think of that. I'm from Canada.

We have been on several (NCL and other) cruises, but usually we're booking closer to the sail date that full payment is due almost right away anyway. There's a cruise for Feb 2020 that we are interested in, and the deposit is very cheap. We would most likely book directly through the NCL website as we always do. I'm wondering a few things:

1. What's the benefit of booking this early, generally speaking?
2. What happens if the price drops? Do we get to benefit from that?
3. If we decide to not go on this cruise after all, what happens to our deposit? I tried to find NCL's policy but it still wasn't super clear to me.

 

Thanks so much! Really appreciate any insight.

On 9/29/2018 at 3:24 PM, Cheka093 said:

Hello,

 

Anyone who recently sailed and could share some info about the nursery. Is it possible to drop off my 8 month old daughter? If so what are the hours? What is the cost? Any info will be greatly appreciated. Sailing in Nov.

 

Thanks!!!

How did it go? We're on Freedom soon and I'd love any info you have to share. Our kiddo is 17 months old, but would still be in the nursery.

7 hours ago, Goofyfanatic said:

Hello all,

 

As I am reviewing the recent posts about Noro and  No AC on board ship I realized that I was told I would receive a future cruise discount for being willing to donate blood during a medical emergency on our last cruise in early December but never received it.

 

Any thoughts who I would contact to inquire about his?

Not relevant to your question, but as someone who received blood about 18 months ago, I really truly thank you for your willingness to donate. It means so much!

Thanks everyone. Might try to contact Red Sails and see if they are able to confirm that they're the operator! And if I'm lucky, maybe they'll be able to give me more details about typical length of the excursion.

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know which dive operator Royal uses in Aruba? We're planning to dive there the first week of Feb, and the excursion info says no wet suit is included, so I'm hoping to contact them in advance to rent a wet suit.

 

Also, does anyone know if the timings given by Royal for excursions are accurate? ie, departure/return or total length of excursion time? It says 4.5 hours and we're hoping to catch another excursion in the afternoon.

 

Thanks! 

 

(also posted this in the Scuba/Snorkeling forum, but it doesn't always get a tonne of traffic, so thought I'd try here too)

Hi all,

 

Does anyone know which dive operator Royal Caribbean uses in Aruba? We're planning to dive there the first week of Feb, and the excursion info says no wet suit is included, so I'm hoping to contact them in advance to rent a wet suit (I am always cold!! Even in places where you're not supposed to need a wet suit!)

 

Also, does anyone know if the timings given by Royal are accurate? ie, departure/return or total length of excursion time? It says 4.5 hours and we're hoping to catch another excursion in the afternoon.

 

Thanks! 

Probably not helpful for the OP, but for others who are asking - 

 

We sailed with NCL (Getaway) in Feb with our 6-month old (6 months on the day of embarkation!!) and had requested and pack n play. We had a balcony cabin, and so to save some space, we took the seat cushion on the sofa and stood it up on its long edge at the back of the sofa area, and then there was just enough room to put the pack n play on the sofa wooden platform. it had quite a lip so we weren't afraid of the pack n play slipping off or anything (note - being that kiddo was only 6 months at the time, we also weren't afraid of him tipping the pack n play or anything since he wasn't even pulling to standing yet. Not sure if we'd feel differently now). The backrest cushion we stood up on its short end in the corner by the balcony curtain. Then the remainder of the sofa platform we used as a changing area. It really worked great!!

 

They did not provide a fitted sheet, but folded over some regular sheets. Honestly, it was totally fine for us - I had actually brought our pack n play mattress (seen in the photo, repurposed as a giant changing pad) and a fitted sheet, and I didn't bother with them for him sleeping.

 

As others have said, bring lots of diapers, wipes, clothes, etc. Bring any medications you can possibly imagine needing (pediatric Advil/Tylenol, kid's Claritin, kid's Polysporin) because there's basically a near-zero chance of you finding any of that stuff on the ship or in port, depending on the itinerary. The crew loved him and doted on him and were always happy to go find us a high chair, especially one of the few that actually had a full chair to it rather than one of the wooden restaurant types, which were not great for him at that stage only just learning to sit.

 

We actually found the buffet to be far easier and less stressful than the MDR. But, of course, every kid and every family is different, so do whatever works for you!

 

We also borrowed some Dr Seuss books from the ship library, which was wonderful for bedtime and not having to truck books around with us 🙂

Regarding #4. Did you call RCI? They can make exceptions. You could look at a balcony guarantee instead of the OV, but you don't know where on the ship they will be put...if it's important they are close to you.

We did call them, and a guarantee would have been totally fine! But Royal said they will not sell a cabin that has a capacity of 3 people to a party of only 2 people - and there were no more 2-person balconies available.

Hi all,

 

I've cruised several times with NCL and Princess, but this will be my first time on Royal. I'll be going on the Freedom of the Seas with my husband, our then 1.5 year old, and my 2 parents.

 

Some questions that I haven't been able to find definitive answers for:

1. When we booked (through a third party), we had the option of configuring our room "sofa-double" or "twin-convert." What do these each mean?
   
2. How long does the Murder Mystery dinner go? Would it be wildly inappropriate to bring our toddler? (eg, if needed, could we get up and walk around with him at the back, or would the set-up / ambiance not allow for that?). He's very well-behaved, but he is also a toddler!
   
3. Is it true that we can book day and evening childcare for our toddler at Royal Babies Nursery? How do you do this? Can you book in advance? If we leave him at the nursery over a meal time (eg, from 4-7pm), do they feed him or would we have to arrange that?
   
4. Royal was apparently all sold out of 2-person balcony cabins, and would not allow us to book a 3-person balcony for my 2 parents, so we booked them an oceanview. Is there a way to put them on a waiting list or something for an upgrade, should a 2-person balcony become available?
   

Thanks in advance!

 

 

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This is super helpful, thank you! Is the difference in price (standard vs value) because of being at sea vs in port?

$50 plus tip for a HC last July on the Pearl

Did you find it worthwhile? Like, I assume it included full wash?

 

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Does anyone know the price these days for a men's hair cut on board? And what about a shave? Are there any deals, for example if you do it on embarkation day? We'll be on the Getaway if that makes a difference.

 

Thanks in advance!

Not sure if it's relevant, but I called for the Getaway and was given the choice between a crib or a packnplay

I love this story !!!! thanks for sharing.

 

September 2011 I took my sister on a cruise to get out of NY for the 10th anniversary of September 11th ( she is a survivor thank god......my heart goes out to all those that lost loved ones ) she was also going thru a long divorce so it seemed the best time to go.

We boarded on September 10th and the day of September 11th she meet a nice guy on the ship.Well a week of hanging out with him and seeing him here and there blossomed into a relationship over time.

Three years later we all booked a family cruise together and he proposed in the exact spot he first laid eyes on her on the same ship. It was very romantic.

They are now happily married and yes did the honeymoon on a cruise.

 

Thanks for sharing your story...........sometimes fate has a funny way of getting people together

 

Enjoy your cruise with your family !!!!

This is an excellent story! All the best to your sister (and to you and the rest of your family, of course)!

Hi all,

 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, and because there are so many less positive threads around, I thought I would share our story:

 

Nearly 7 years ago, I went on my first cruise (NCL Gem) with 2 of my girlfriends to celebrate the end of my university degree. On the first night, we went to the singles & solos mixer. A short while later, 3 men (brothers) walked into the bar, around our age. They were on the cruise celebrating their dad's retirement. A drink, a round of pool at Spinnakers, a week of running into each other around the ship, a visit to the rock climbing wall, and some dancing at the White Hot Party... The rest, as they say, is history - one of those men became my husband about 3 years later, despite us having met in the middle of the ocean, and living 500+km apart at the time!

 

Naturally, we did our honeymoon on a cruise (NCL Epic - Mediterranean), and had an amazing time.

 

Now, in a few days, we will board the NCL Getaway, and our son will be the youngest passenger aboard - 6 months exactly on the day of embarkation!

 

I suppose we're one of those bizarre cliches of love happening when/where you least expect it, etc, etc :)

 

Happy Tuesday!

 

(PS, we've been told many times by numerous different people that we should share our story with NCL staff somehow. How would one go about that? Who do you contact with such a thing? And what would be the purpose?)

Cons:

-The weather, we only really had one sunny day, which was in Cozumel.

-Choke points in the ship - depending on where you were at certain times, the Atrium, Casino, and shopping areas were tuff to navigate.

-Miscommunication with the Butler - on our first day I asked him to clear the mini fridge to use for storage of club soda, which is not covered by the UBP (my fault) but yesterday we had a $60 charge for mini bar usage. Not blaming NCL, just wished this was communicated better on their part (and yes I did read the T and C after the fact

Sorry, can you clarify this? I must be misunderstanding - were you charged $60 for having your minibar emptied? We will be sailing soon and I was hoping to use the fridge to store food for our baby. Thanks!

Hi all, just got off and thought I would update - we got on and off in Civitavecchia and received the laundry "special" at least twice, but I'm pretty sure 3 times during the 7 days. You should all be fine for your laundry needs if that's how they typically do this route! :)

 

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Hi Everyone,

 

Does anyone know which day the laundry bag special happens on the 7-night Epic Western Med cruise? We embark in Rome, and I know others have said it's usually mid-week, but I also know that Barcelona is the "bigger" embarkation point. Anyone been on recently that can answer?

 

Thank you!!

Hello all,

Sorry if this is a repeated question or a silly question but:

If you arrive at the airport and take a taxi to the port, do they know where to go? I saw on the port website that there are 3 different entrances and multiple terminal buildings - how will the taxi know where to drop us off?

My fiance and I used Scuba Steve for 3 days of diving when we were staying at a resort in St Lucia in Aug 2012. The service was quite excellent in terms of getting rentals sorted out and so on. The dives themselves were fantastic - I was actually completing my Open Water certification, so I was very novice and had no problems. Supervision was quite minimal for me, which I found surprising considering I was completing my certification, but the guides were good for the group of fully certified divers. Sandwiches and fruit juice were served between dives, and everyone seemed to be having a great time.

 

Our only complaint was that to pay the deposit, we ended up having to email in our credit card number (their fax number didn't work...) and immediately following that, my fiance's credit card racked up all kinds of strange foreign charges. Luckily the bank wiped everything. But, we do think that it was related to Scuba Steve's - not necessarily the management themselves, but their bookkeeping was a bit sketchy (info strewn all over their office in plain sight) and so we wonder if an employee was making a bit of cash on the side selling credit card numbers... Of course, always a possibility that it was just a coincidence in timing...

 

Overall, I would still recommend them! They have a pretty efficient operation going on there. Just be sure to keep your eye on your credit card after, just in case!