How'sBartCruisin'?

Promenade...for people watching.

I don't know if I'd want a virtual balcony at all. I'd rather have a real balcony or ocean view and side on the deck a lot.

No hats either

I received this in an email from JRs "on land".

 

I would break anything, anywhere for that.

That's me too! And I love it. :D

I love it. My wife...she hates it.:D

Speaking of early rising: on any normal, non work day in my life, you cannot pry me from bed before 8:30. I hate, hate, hate mornings. Not cruising: up before 6:00am and up late into the night/early morning. Too much going on and I'm not missing any if it.

Sit on the balcony, walk around the ship, eat.

While an older but extremely well maintained and refurbished ship without some of the whistles and bells that Explorer has, Grandeur is a great ship with an excellent crew which we have been on twice for a Bermuda 7 night since sailing with you on Explorer. Will sail on her again for sure and do like the extra time in Bermuda with that itinerary.

 

Glad to see you back on the boards.

 

Sorry - don't meant to hijack the thread......OK one more thing we've never done is miss the ship in a port of call.

Thanks for the info Mike. I like the idea of an extra day in Bermuda and an extra sea day or hanging out in the Bahamas for 3 days. It's only 2 hours to the Port of Baltimore from my house.

As not to totally hijack the thread, I've also never been to any of the official song and dance shows or ice skated.

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter! Just as a reality check we just were on Grandeur in July with our whole family - which now includes a 15 month old grandson!

 

Check my posts as time goes on - I'll look for yours as well. We'll find a ship and a date sometime!

Thanks Mike. This has been the most amazing summer of my life. And now that I'm around the board more often, we can continue annoying our wives talking to each other...and matching up a cruise.

How was Grandeur?

Doing well - hope you are too. Need to see you on a ship again sometime!

 

A couple more - have avoided the naughty room so far and completely avoid the ship port shopping lectures!

We just had a baby girl on June 20th. We're looking to take Grandeur to the Bahamas or Bermuda with her in 2016. Just waiting to see the summer 2016 schedule to come out. But we're up for anything. I will keep you posted. Please let me know what you are up to for 2016.

Hey stranger!

 

Never been to the art auction - and never will!

Hey Mike!!! How are you?

No spa, no gym, no movie room

Art sale, casino, bought anything from the liquor or jewelry stores...I'll think of more.

I've tipped between $5 and $10. I don't if that is too high, too low or just right, but it's what I've given on our two cruises.

Other, more experienced, cruises...what is the going rate???

Hi...we leave in 4 days !!!!! What is the procedure at the terminal? We are being dropped off. Is there an easy way? I read somewhere we have to take a shuttle at some point. Is that before or after we drop off luggage. Traveling with 2 kids ( 10 & 12 ). Just want it to be as stress free as possible. Thanks in advance.

 

Chris

Tip the luggage takers.

With friends, yes.

With family or in-laws...oh God no!!! They don't know the meaning of boundaries and minding their own business.:D

I totally agree. Y'all are an awesome group of people!!

Royal Caribbean also has their own YouTube channel. I subscribed...great videos.

Hi, Having just sailed Oasis of the Seas I need help finding a program that I had seen maybe a year ago. I cannot find it anywhere on the internet.

 

It was a program maybe on travel or discover channel but it was about what it takes to operate a ship this size. In the beginning they showed how people check in and what they do when one forgets a passport/birth certificate for a kid,etc and how the oasis supervisor goes up to them and gives them the bad news that they cannot sail and also how they bring all the food on board and than they show what it takes to cook all the food in a behind the scene look at how the dishes are prepared for such a massive ship and all other areas like laundry. Basically what it takes to run the ship from beginning to the end.

 

The only program that I can find is Mighty Ships and No it is not that one because I saw that one and it is different. This was more recent maybe a 1yr-2yr I wish for the life in me I knew the name of this particular program. I want to show it to my dad who also accompanied us on the cruise and is just marveled by it and wanted to see the show. I told him I will try to find it for him but no luck so far.

 

Anyone remember the name.

 

Thank you in advance :)

If you have netflix, you can see a few cruise ship documentaries.

Consider this: The nice lady saving the seats may not have known that seat saving is against the rules. Etiquette? Well, that's another question.

 

Either way, I agree with the OP, but I'm suggesting that not everyone who saves a bunch of seats is thumbing their noses at the rules. So, rather than being a donkey about claiming those empty seats, a little tact usually wins the day.

 

At least, that's how I would have handled it. In life, I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. I find my life is a lot more stress free than it otherwise would be. I just don't have that drill-sergeant approach to life's little problems. YMMV :D

She knows now. :D

Well then, that entire family can pick a meeting place outside the theater and all walk in together. One person trying to save an entire row of seats is unacceptable and I have no sympathy for her.

Amen...if they wanted those seats together that badly, they'd be in them together and not rudely inconveniencing everyone else to cater to them. My job on my cruise is not to move aside for someone else who is late or just generally being inconsiderate.

Just the coffee in the dining hall...liquified tire terrible.

We've laid out the rules very plainly for our kids, and we've never had any disagreements. Being clear ahead of time, letting our expectations be known has worked well for us. Our rules have been something like this:

 

Safety first:

 

- You may not enter cabin other than ours, nor may strangers come into our cabin.

- Do not enter any area not meant for passengers. (Note: we always cruise in an aft cabin, so we are located right next to the staff staircases, so this might have been a temptation.)

- If your drink has been out of your sight for even a moment, get a fresh one.

- We board and leave the ship as a family.

- If you happen to lose your ship ID, tell us immediately.

- After X:00 (I'm not suggesting what curfew you should assign your children, but I do think the ship's 1 AM curfew is too late), you must either be with us, in the cabin, or in an organized teen function. If the event is late, one of us will wait for you outside the event and walk you back to the cabin. You may not walk on deck after dark without one of us, even in a group. It only takes a minute for something bad to happen, and it only takes one bad apple to convince other kids to do something bad.

- Never, ever, ever, throw anything off the ship. Families are put off the ship for this.

 

Politeness second:

 

- Use good manners in the buffet. Take only what you can eat, wait your turn.

- Elevators are not for play. Let people exit before you crowd on. Let elderly people and those with small children enter ahead of you.

- if you want to eat breakfast or lunch with new friends, it's fine, but leave us a note so we won't wait for you. Our expectation is that we will eat dinner together every night, but we will say yes to you having dinner with the teen group if there's a special event -- again, we just want to know ahead of time so we won't sit around waiting.

- Thank the staff for taking care of you.

- The adults only pool is for adults. You may come in briefly, if you need to find me, but you may not break the ship's rules.

 

And money matters:

 

- You may not charge things on your sea pass without asking first. We are not spending on video games or Internet.

Love it. Those should be posted in every cabin on every ship.:)

Crying, moping and then planning the next one.

How about Jacinta White?

I am reading reviews about different ships and see a lot of people talk about sunrise pictures and I see many photos of common areas with no people (pool decks, etc). That made me wonder...

 

What time do you get up while on a cruise? I am not a morning person but would love to be able to be up and enjoy some quiet time in "prime" areas.

I am not a morning person, but on a cruise I stay up late and wake up early. Lots of stuff to do and I don't want to miss anything.

My theory of pain in the butt passengers...stare at them, laugh and continue on your way...enjoying your cruise.