CactusGirly
-
Posts
331 -
Joined
Content Type
Forums
Store
Blogs
Downloads
Events
Gallery
Posts posted by CactusGirly
-
-
I forgot to mention that we also ate at Samba Grill... probably because it was so forgettable. The meat was tough, not much flavor, and the salad bar was just meh. It compared so poorly to other Brazilian steakhouses, like Fogo de Chao. It didn't help that this was on formal night, and our view was overlooking the hot tub in the adults only Solarium, where we got to watch a large swimsuit clad group get progressively sauced. We originally had 3 specialty dining reservations booked, and after Samba ended up nixing the other two in favor of the gratis Coastal Kitchen.
-
Thanks for the comments. Sounded good overall and suite benefits sound great. We're coming with kids too with our older one 10 . Can I ask what activities your kids enjoyed outside of kids club?
We didn't do too many activities on the ship, we were in port almost every day for most of the day, except the sea day, so the kids were mostly exhausted. ;)
When we were on the ship, they loved the cupcake shop, which has different flavored cupcakes, cake pops, and Ben & Jerry's ice cream. There was usually never anyone in there, so easy to get a quick treat after dinner. We tried to go swimming on a couple of days - but it was a little chilly when the ship was underway. The kids didn't mind too much, and would jump in a hot tub to warm up every once in a while. (On the sea day the pool area was nuts.) There is a "Build a Bear" type store on the ship, not sure how much it costs, but the animals looked really cute and it was never busy. There were a couple of dance classes in the Promenade that looked like they were open to all ages that looked fun and that one of my daughters wanted to watch for a while.
-
Some background: My husband and I and our 3 kids, ages 9, 10, and 12 were on this cruise. We stayed in one of the Royal Family Suites on deck 9 (9644). This was our 4th cruise, but our first on Royal Caribbean. Previously we've sailed on Disney and Celebrity. We travel fairly often in addition to cruising. We go out of our way to not just have well-traveled, but well-mannered children who immerse themselves in local cultures, and who are respectful and polite to anyone they interact with. We all love and appreciate good food and service.
I will break this down into categories: Service, Activities, Excursions, Cabin, Dining, Kids Clubs, Entertainment, Embarkation/Disembarkation, and Summary.
Service: Most employees we encountered were genuinely friendly, helpful and enthusiastic about their duties. In particular our room attendant, Hendra, and one of the servers at Coastal Kitchen, Ricki, knocked it out of the park. The one that holds me back from complete satisfaction was a manager from Bulgaria in the suite-only restaurant (Coastal Kitchen) who clearly did not care for Americans.
Activities: We only participated in one activity as a family, which was Bingo. Crazily overpriced, and was a total rip-off, but fun for the kids to pass some time.
Excursions/Ports: We did not use RCI for any excursions. In Rome and Naples we used RomeInLimo and were extremely happy with that decision, and in La Spezia we got the train to Pisa for the day on our own, which was fairly easy. In the other ports (Marseilles, Palma) we just got off the ship and wondered around to explore. We enjoyed all the ports except Marseilles, which seemed dirty and hard to manage for transportation.
Cabin: This was the shining light of the cruise. Being a family of 5, you either book adjoining standard cabins or you get a suite. We went the suite route and it cost us less money and was a fabulous decision. The best part was getting the suite perks that came along with it, which I will mention in upcoming sections. Kudos to RCI for having a family suite at this price point. Similar cabins on Disney would be exorbitantly/prohibitively expensive.
Dining: This is a big one for me. The food in most areas of the ship was disappointing. Disney and Celebrity have apparently spoiled us for what to expect when cruising.
One of the suite perks was the ability to order food from the MDR for room service, which we did on 2 occasions. Both times, none of our meals were good. We tried the Windjammer Buffet for lunch. Trying to find a table for 5 people is nearly impossible, and then once you do the food is just not good. Imagine a low-cost buffet restaurant, packed to capacity, where you look to your left and there is a woman in a "I don't get drunk, I get awesome!" t-shirt, and you look to your right and there is a man who you assume is drunk and homeless, until you remember you are on a cruise... nope, just another passenger.
We tried Johnny Rockets for lunch once and dinner once. It's an abbreviated menu from their normal restaurants, and again - the food was just not that good.
We ate at Central Park Cafe on embarkation day - it was a good choice that day, in a very calm and peaceful setting. The food was decent, but not great.
On our 2nd day on the cruise we discovered that the suite lounge had a happy hour. :D Every day at 5pm there is a lovely buffet set out of delicious appetizers, and the drinks are free. The attached restaurant, Coastal Kitchen, serves a very nice menu for dinner, where we ate most evenings on the cruise. We also had breakfast there on several mornings. Room service breakfast was good too - in the suites you are able to order from an expanded menu, which is very nice.
Kids Clubs: Our kids only went to their clubs once, due to the port intensive itinerary. For the girls (9, 10) the club was fantastic. They had a blast and didn't want us to pick them up. For our son (12) he was the youngest in a room full of teenagers, and it was a little awkward. I think he would have fared better with the girls. There were never many kids in the club when we went by.
Entertainment: We saw two shows on the ship, (3 if you count the belly flop contest). We saw Oceanaria, and How To Train Your Dragon on Ice. Wow - two different ends of the spectrum here. I'll start with Oceanaria. Another suite perk is reserved, prime seating for shows. You don't have to make a reservation, you just show up 15-20 minutes before the show starts and show your seapass card. That was fantastic. We had great seats. The show was amazing, and that's not hyperbole. Truly talented athletes, very well choreographed, nice music. Excellent! Then there was HTTYD on Ice. Ugh. No reserved seats, they were completely unorganized. It was ok though, we still got decent seats. The show itself was good for the preschool or very early elementary set. The ice rink is tiny, so not much room for great skating to occur, although you could tell they were good at what they did. The "dragon" was a blow-up creature on sticks that actually made us laugh. The best part of the show was when one of the characters snuck into the audience to wake up a woman who had fallen asleep, and scared the heck out of her.
Embarkation/Disembarkation: This was a breeze - both counts. We were on the ship within minutes of arriving at the terminal (suite perk?), and because we only had carry-on luggage we were off the ship just as fast.
Summary: The Allure is a huge ship that carries an astonishing number of passengers. I was worried before we sailed that it would feel like a giant, crowded shopping mall. It only felt crowded to me a couple of times - in the buffet, and near the pool. I think it lacks some charm that Disney and Celebrity have in the interior spaces. I did love Central Park, but it's such a small part of the ship. The promenade felt like an indoor casino-type mall to me. The kids liked the boardwalk area.
Would we sail RCI, and the Allure, again? Only if we had the benefits that came along with the suite - it was such a value add, and so cost effective for our family.
-
Thank you all for the great advice! Lots to consider, but seems like Florence is out. We'll have to hope we make it back again one day for another visit.
-
We are docking in La Spezia, and travelling with 3 kiddos, (ages 9,10,12), so Pisa is a must do. We will not be climbing the tower, just taking the train there to look around, take some photos and allow the kids their glorious moment of "I was here!"
What to do with the rest of our time in port?
1. Start the day in Florence and stop in Pisa on the way back? If so, where should we go / what is a manageable itinerary with kids while there?
2. Start the day in Pisa and spend the rest of the time in Cinque Terre? If so, which village would be most appealing for kids? Best place for a great lunch with a view?
-
So darned handy for hauling dirty clothes home too. Thank you.
Lorie
Yes! They are great for that!
The other nice thing is when you are travelling with kiddos, get different colored cubes for them and then all the clothes are easily separated.
-
We are having the same issue. We are on the May 31 sailing out of Barcelona and have not been able to book dining, although shore excursions and entertainment are available. I called RCI and got 3 different answers from 3 different reps. One said I hadn't paid in full, and that was why (I had paid in full, so that was baloney). That rep transferred me to a "group booking" rep, because we are a party of 5... ugh... and they said we couldn't book dining because there was a technical "glitch" that should be fixed "any day now", that was 3 weeks ago. :confused: I called back a week ago and got a rep who said that dining would open on April 1st. Guess that was an April Fools joke, because it still has not opened. GRRRRR:(
I have to say, this is our first time sailing on Royal Caribbean and they are not making a good impression so far.
-
This was my post on another thread, but it's how I use them for a 2 week trip that had both a cold and a hot weather destination:
I used the eBags packing cubes inside. In a 21" carry-on suitcase a large, medium and two smalls worked perfectly.
Here's what I stuffed into them:
In one small cube I packed my lingerie, and in another I packed 5 swimsuits. Not just flimsy bikinis either. I am... how shall I say it... blessed in the chest, so my suits need HARDWARE in them.
In the medium size, (my cold weather cube), I packed 2 long sleeve shirts, 2 sweaters, 2 tank tops, one pair of leggings, 2 pair of socks and a scarf. I could have easily fit more in here.
In the large, (my hot weather cube), I packed a pair of sandals, a maxi dress, 3 short dresses, a swimsuit cover-up, 2 pair of shorts, 2 tank tops, a T-shirt, and a cardigan. Again - there was room left for more.
And here's what it looked like all packed: (the additional small cube fits in the top)
I found that they were perfect for multiple destinations especially, so I only had to pull out the cube I needed. Also, they make unpacking very nice, just pull out the cubes and place in the drawers. Anything that needs to be hung is typically in one cube - so deal with that one separately. It also made our security check easier - we got the honor of having our suitcase rifled through, since we went to Turkey.
-
Seems like this would be easy enough info to find, but I am having a heck of a time locating it. We will be on a 7 night Med cruise on the Allure in early June. Could someone tell me which nights I should plan on formal attire?
Thank you!
~clueless:o
-
Another vote for Havaianas. If you want cute, rubber flippies that you can wear to the pool/beach and not worry about getting wet, and that are comfy too, these are great. They come in lots of great styles/colors - but these are my faves:
-
Hi the hams - I hear ya on a separate bag - LOL! :) I signed up for emails from eBags and also searched Retailmenot.com. I think that got me at least 25% off on top of a sale they had.
-
I just returned from a 2 week trip to Istanbul and the Maldives, and we did carry-on only. Here is what I took in my liquid bag, and what I found non-liquids of:
Liquids
- Hairspray
- Toothpaste
- Styling (hair) cream
- 2 packets Woolite
- 2 packets deep conditioner
- Travel safe bottle filled with coconut oil (good for a variety of uses)
What I used solids of:
- Lush perfume
- Tarte concealer
- Neutrogena Beach Defense SPF sticks
- Lush massage bar (body lotion)
- Shiseido SPF foundation stick
- Anti-bac wipes
- Makeup remover wipes
- Hairspray
-
We are doing a Med cruise in June. I pick a color pallet - this time it will be black/tan/coral - and try to pack light.
- 2 pr Cotton pants with a bit of stretch in them that I can roll at the ankle a little
- 5 short-sleeve or sleeveless blouses in wrinkle-resistant fabrics
- 1 light cardigan
- 2 skirts
- 1-2 T-shirts
- 1 pr leggings
- 1 pair of comfortable/cute sandals (haven't narrowed these down yet)
- 1 pair Supergas (Italian sneakers)
- 1 pair flip-flops
- 1 dress
- Simple jewelry
- 2 pr Cotton pants with a bit of stretch in them that I can roll at the ankle a little
-
I just got back from a 2 week trip to Istanbul and the Maldives. I only took an international size carry-on and a tote bag (as my personal item). I consider myself "medium maintenance" - so this took quite a lot of planning. What really helped were the packing cubes I used in my carry-on.
This is my carry-on: The eBags Motherlode Mini Wheeled Duffel
I won't go into all the fancy features, but there are many. The ones that were important to me were the international travel compliant size, the nicely designed zippers and wheels, the lifetime warranty, and the really long handle (for my freakishly tall spouse). It fits tons more stuff in it than it looks like it would. This is normally $240, but with rebates, sales and coupons you can get this for close to $100.
I used the eBags packing cubes inside. A large, medium and two smalls worked perfectly.
Here's what I stuffed into them:
In one small cube I packed my lingerie, and in another I packed 5 swimsuits. Not just flimsy bikinis either. I am... how shall I say it... blessed in the chest, so my suits need HARDWARE in them. ;)
In the medium size, (my cold weather cube), I packed 2 long sleeve shirts, 2 sweaters, 2 tank tops, one pair of leggings, 2 pair of socks and a scarf. I could have easily fit more in here.
In the large, (my hot weather cube), I packed a pair of sandals, a maxi dress, 3 short dresses, a swimsuit cover-up, 2 pair of shorts, 2 tank tops, a T-shirt, and a cardigan. Again - there was room left for more. And here's what it looked like all packed: (the additional small cube fits in the top)
And this is my tote: The baggalini Kindred Tote
Besides being the exact size I needed for the international restrictions, and made of a fabric that is lightweight, water & stain resistant, the main factors that sold me were these:
The shoulder straps are the perfect length to pull onto my shoulder with one arm... you know what I mean ladies. It's a thing.
There is a sleeve on one side that allows you to slip it over the handle of your carry-on to roll through the airport so you don't have to carry it on your shoulder.
There is a padded pocket on the front that is large enough to hold my iPad and Kindle.
There is a pocket on the top between the zipper and binding that is big enough for my passport and iPhone 6 Plus.
This is normally $65, but with rebates and coupons you can get it for close to $40.
In this bag I had a zip-top container with my liquids, one with my makeup, one with my medications/first-aid, one with panty-liners, antibac wipes & hair stuff (small brush, hair ties, bobby pins, clips), and in the pockets I had gum & mints, my journal, pens, ear plugs & an eye mask.
Now, all that being said, for our upcoming Med cruise I will likely check a bag - our 3 kiddos are going, and I can't imagine managing 5 carry-on suitcases. :o
-
We will be doing an RC cruise in early June to the following ports:
Palma De Mallorca
Marsaeilles
La Spezia
Citavecchia
Naples
Our kids ages are in the subject line. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We would like to avoid the crush of large tours and do something more private, while still seeing some great sites.
Thank you!:)
-
I second the Coach wristlet idea. They have great prices at their outlet stores if you have one near you. Here are a couple cute ones...
-
Our next cruise (next year, we have LOTS of time to plan ;)) is a 7 day Med cruise. We will have to take a cross-country flight, and then a trans-Atlantic flight to get to Barcelona before getting on the cruise. After the cruise we plan on staying a few more days in Europe, perhaps in Paris. We have 3 kiddos who will be 9/10/12 at the time we travel.
Here's my question - am I nuts for thinking we can get by without checking bags? The kids each have small roller bags (international size) and backpacks. DH and I do as well. We would pack everything in those. Downside is managing 5 roller bags/backpacks with 3 kids in the airports/ship, etc.
-
Well, I do own a couple pairs of Tevas, a flat sandal and wedge heel, and agree that they are comfortable... but they are not really my style. My mom wears Keens all the time, and while I understand some love them, again - not my style.
I love Sofft and Born, but many of their shoes are more for an office environment, vs. street-wear.
I appreciate all the opinions, (except perhaps the "pole dancing" comment:rolleyes:), and will check out all your suggestions.
Thank you all!
-
Med cruises are port intensive and exhausting. I would stay with the MTD you already have booked; I feel this is an excellent option if you are hungry early one night and not the next, or have a late day in port, or whatever. There is every chance you will have the same wait team each night in MTD, but even if not, it's not really a big deal. You will be well taken care of, regardless.
You are also free to eat in the Windjammer buffet for dinner, which is really wonderful in the evening - much less frenzied and hectic than at breakfast and lunch - or a specialty restaurant. If you have MTD, you don't need to tell the wait staff you may not show up the next night.
Enjoy your cruise. :)
Thank you - great advice!
-
Know what you mean about the sandals. I was looking for a pair that didn't scream 'Mountain Climbing'.
Finally found a pair of Eccos and a pair of Merrells.
LOL - yes! No mountain climbing! :) I will check out those brands.
Slidergirl - I will also check out the Jambus.
-
Just discussed in a long thread last month: http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2000385
(if search option is working, this topic comes up, oh, every month or so:D)
Oops, should have checked first. Thanks!
-
We will be doing a 7 day Med cruise in June next year with our 3 kiddos (ages 9/10/12). We are trying to figure out which dining option would be best taking into consideration that every day but one is a port day where we will have activities planned, and that we will want to see a few of the evening shows.
This will be our first time on RCCL. We have only previously sailed on Disney with our kids, and really enjoyed the early dining option where we got to know our servers, and had time to see shows after dinner or unwind for a while before bed.
We currently have the MyTime Dining booked. Should we switch to a main dining time? If so, which one?
-
I am a young(ish) and hip(ish) mama. We are doing a June Med cruise next year and I would like to start looking for some comfortable walking shoes that do not make me look like my mama. (No offense)
Any suggestions on a truly comfortable sandal that will go with many things, and not look frumpy?
-
Our kids will be 9, 10 and 12 when we sail on the Allure next year. They are very close, and the one who will be 12 is concerned about having to be split up from the other two in the kids clubs since the cutoff age is 11. Does anyone know if they will let him stay with his sisters in the younger group?
Norwegian vs. RCCL or Celebrity?
in Norwegian Cruise Line
Posted
We are looking at a late fall cruise on the Getaway, but have never sailed on Norwegian before. We have cruised with Royal Caribbean and Celebrity in the past. Wondering if anyone has experience on these could compare and contrast for us?
This will be an adults only trip and what is important to us is great food, nice cabin, places to relax, and plenty of smoke-free areas.
Thanks in advance!!