ajtaylor29

When our kids were teenagers, we always booked them in an interior room near our (balcony) room. They never complained and i was paying for it!!! Usually it was 2 big teenage boys (once it was 3 or them) so it worked fine for us, and they didn't know any better. A lot of people like interior cabins, i just have always cruised with a balcony and don't imagine i would like an interior room.

For an upcoming family cruise, we've splurged to get 3 balcony rooms. Our sons are now adults, and married. This will be the first cruise for our dil's....and we decided to treat them! 

We've been there 2 times now, both times 2 ships in port, and it was not overcrowded at all. It's such a big place with multiple beaches, pools, water park, etc. that people spread out! 

We had a great time there and look forward to another visit!

14 hours ago, jc522 said:

Maybe someone else can advise on this, but I don't know that you will see much of interest from the water. Tripadvisor.com lists a couple of on-water sites that don't look much different than things you can see in the Caribbean. The interior of Diocletian's Palace and the waterfront are the main attractions. You can easily spend most of a day exploring the shops and relaxing at cafes on the palace's side streets and on the waterfront.

Thanks for the feedback, good thoughts.

Here's part of my dilemma - My DH and i are 60-something couple who cruise a lot and usually know exactly what we like to do in each port. This cruise is a family affair - we are taking our 2 adult sons (who both cruised with us when they were teenagers) and our 2 DIL's who have never been on a cruise and one's never been to Europe!

I am the cruise director for this family cruise so i'm feeling some stress in trying to figure out what they each may want to do!! (It's going to be a great time i know, but i'll admit it's easier when it's just the 2 of us!) I've tried to encourage them all to do some research and go off on their own if they want to, however they all seem content to leave it up to me and DH to make all the plans and they'll go along with whatever we come up with!!

I'm trying to mix in historical and local walking tours with some fun (read - water) activities, so I thought Split might be a good place to see some of those beautiful beaches.

This is exactly why i've asked here for feedback, and truly appreciate everyone's comments. I'll figure it out (and try to remember to come back here and update this thread for the next cruise planners to access!)

Asking for a friend!!

We're considering a Grandeur cruise for NYE, and taking friends with us. She plays mainly 3-card poker, so if anyone has been on Grandeur recently and can confirm that they have it i would appreciate it! I feel like all the RC ships have it but want to confirm if i can.

thank you!

We're cruising out of Ravenna this September, and only discovered after we booked the cruise that we were 2 hours away from the port when in Venice?!?

After researching myself and asking lots of questions, we figured out that RCCL DOES offer a shuttle service (via bus) from either Venice airport, Venice town center area (near train station) or Bologna airport. You cannot book this online tho - you have to call RC to reserve your seats OR let your TA do it if you're using a travel agent. I believe it's about $60 per person each way.

We decided to fly in to Venice and spend 2 days pre-cruise there, then fly home out of Bologna (it's only an hour away from the port).

Hope this helps!

3 hours ago, edinburgher said:

I don't see many threads about these 2 Croatian ports

 

Unsure  what your definition of "many" is, nor how you searched for them, because I quickly searched both ports and Split returned 68 results and Dubrovnik 84

 

On first visits to both, there is really no need for a tour out of town as both offer a number of sights and experiences within the towns themselves and both are super easy to DIY especially on foot as both are mostly pedestrianised, but of course, if you prefer to tour and miss some sights, that is entirely your decision...

 

Agree that Dubrovnik is an early start, but the historic centre will be open as it always is, although you will likely have to wait for museums and the walls walk to open. Check opening hours. And shops are unlikely to be open either but unless you planned a serious shopping trip, they should be opening up before you return to your ship so there should still be shopping opportunities.  And that early in the day, it should not matter that restaurants will not be open, although some cafes should be. Lots of walking, lots to explore.

 

Both Dubrovnik and Split are an easy walk around to explore even early morning and that may be preferable as it can become very hot and very crowded in both as the day progresses, so early is actually a positive rather than a negative.  At least IMHO. although others may disagree.

 

To find all the threads mentioned above, use the quick and easy SEARCH TOOL.  Go to the general Other Mediterranean Ports forum, (not a specific thread) and input either Dubrovnik or Split into the empty search box under your username, and hit the little spyglass, after which all threads containing that name will appear ready for you to read..  Repeat the process with the other name.

 

Split is equally easy to DIY, even easier as it is only a 10 or 15 minute level walk to the area around the palace and The Riva promenade.and there is plenty to see there too.

 

Lovely that you have both on your itinerary.

Thanks for your reply, all very good info!

Yes, i've searched and see a lot of older posts.... i was looking for more recent experiences. Also, a lot of the posts cover DIY experiences and not many that talk about taking private excursions which is what i'm specifically looking for in Split. I think in Dubrovnik we will probably DIY in town, walk and explore.

What i'm also looking for is whether my idea in Split will work - to spend the first part of the day on the water (sounds like several hour tours) then return to town and have plenty of time to walk around and see some of the city sights.

We're very excited for our introductory visit to both Greece and Croatia on this cruise!

We usually leave an additional $20 tip for our waiter in all specialty dining spots. Once or twice we've left more when we had a great experience, and once or twice we've left less when we had a disappointing meal or service (luckily that hasn't happened often).

We are sailing this September so i'm starting to research and book excursions. I don't see many threads about these 2 Croatian ports, so any feedback would be helpful!

We have a party of 6 adults. We usually book private tours and rarely use the ship excursions.

Our day in Split is longer (9 hours) than Dubrovnik (7.5 hours but starting at 6:30 am?!).

In Split, i was thinking about a private boat guide to go to some of the surrounding islands and beaches, then hopefully back in town to walk around and explore the city.

Dubrovnik, since we dock so early and leave at 2:30 pm, i'm not sure what to do. To walk around town when it seems like everything will be closed, just doesnt seem very interesting.

I appreciate any comments or suggestions! Thanks-

We sailed on Allure last week. I thought everything looked pretty good, considering it was totally dead 6 weeks ago?!? A lot of greenery already planted and growing, and signs of more being planted every day. There are hundreds (thousands?) of plants on the ship so they couldn't do it all overnight. Be patient, people and they will eventually get it all replanted. It was still a beautiful space last week and the dead trees absolutely did NOT ruin my cruise!!! 🙂

42 minutes ago, buddyjones said:

@ajtaylor29 thanks for your post. Which beach bars or specific locations do you recommend at Orient Beach? I appreciate your help! 

We've gone to Le String (String Beach) the last 2 stops in St. Maarten and loved it there. Got beach chairs w/ umbrella and spent the day sunning and swimming. I think maybe the chair rental came with a couple of drinks but i'm not certain about that....We had lunch there and the food is really good! you can have them bring it to you on the beach or go up and sit in the restaurant which is what we did. The owners are very nice.

But i will also add - there are numerous beach clubs and restaurants all along the beach, so if you get a taxi over there you will see many places to choose from!

We reserved one recently on our Odyssey cruise. We had one right next to the main pool and bar area. imo, i didn't really love it and would have maybe preferred one on upper deck, away from the crowds and noise. i felt like we were in a fishbowl....and kind of had to keep people from encroaching on our area. Not trying to be the queen of sheba, but we did PAY for that space?!?

I don't think i'd do it again unless traveling with kids maybe.

Thanks for the report! We'll be boarding on the 16th, can't wait!!!

Did you dine at any specialty restaurants and if so - your opinion?

thanks!

We always do either private tours or DIY days in port....20 cruises in and never missed a ship! The tour operators do NOT want you to miss your ship, it's bad for their business....so they'll make sure to get you back in time. When you read horror stories about people missing their ship, it's either a rare, unpreventable delay (due to traffic accidents, etc.) or an alcohol related "i forgot to get back on the ship" event!!!

Anyway - as for St Marten, we've done several private excursions and had a great time exploring the island. We've also just grabbed a cab at port and gone to Orient Beach for the day.

52 minutes ago, silentbob007 said:

Costa Maya

 

I have never booked a tour in Costa Maya. I’ve been on Cruise Critic long enough that in the old days I’d go to town and beach at the Cat’s Meow. This time I figured I’d give Maya Chan a shot based on CC and vloggers. 
 

Double whammy. I received an email from Mark yesterday they were canceling because they had too much sea grass and couldn’t get it cleaned and offer the service they wanted to provide. This morning it became moot anyway … The captain announced the port was canceled due to winds and unsafe docking conditions.

Oh no!!! We'll be on Allure in 10 days so i'm anxiously watching for your updates....but this is not good news?!?

The first time we were supposed to go to Costa Maya (4 years ago) and try out Maya Chan....the ship cancelled due to weather and took us to Progresso instead.

So, now we're hoping to get there in 2 weeks....but i'm going to try and keep an open mind that it might not happen....again....

Enjoy the rest of your cruise, and keep us updated!

Thanks for the review and your observations on both cruise lines. We started out on Carnival ships when we started cruising then migrated over to Royal where we mostly cruise now!

But, we took a Carnival cruise last year and i wouldn't hesitate to do it again for the right itinerary.

I agree with your comment about the longer cruises. Since we always book at least 7 day cruises (longer if we can get them!) we haven't experienced the drunken, kid-crazy cruises that some people talk about. On Carnival last year (which was a 12 day Europe cruise) we had a great time and found the passengers to be "normal" law-abiding citizens just like us?!? On a recent 7 day RCCL cruise, we witnessed a fight break out in the main pool. NOT kids, or drunken college kids, but ADULTS who of course were probably overserved and should definitely have known better than to behave like that.

All that to say - it can and does happen on every cruiseline from time to time, but other passengers behavior has yet to ruin any cruise for us. Just like seeing someone in shorts enjoying their vacation, in the MDR on elegant night has ZERO affect on my cruise experience!!!

i'm curious about this too, hopefully someone will respond who's been recently. I don't smoke anymore but i do vape, so it will matter to me as well....

1 hour ago, sargemrs said:

Thanks for that!  I had looked at the parking lots and definitely need to book that closer one.  If it’s not too nosy, what category of cabin are you in.  And also if you you can review the conditions of the ship!  We don’t do most shows, etc. but play games and hang out mostly with our families!  Thanks again!

We don't usually do most shows, either, but i will say on our last 2 cruises we have gone to the main shows and enjoyed them! The aqua theater on Symphony was amazing, and Allure has one too so we'll definitely go see that. I've made reservations for the broadway show (my hubby isn't too excited but we'll see....?!?!) A word of advise - if you DO decide to book shows, try to do it early in the week, especially the aqua and skating shows. On our December Symphony cruise we had wind all week, which caused a lot of show cancellations. If you book early, you have a chance to either see the show OR rebook for later if it gets cancelled.

We are gamblers, so we spend a lot of time in the casino, especially when we're sailing without family like this upcoming Allure cruise! 

We had originally booked a junior suite but we bid on several suites via  Royal Up, and we "won" the bid for the Crown Loft Suite! We're excited about it, we've sailed in Crown Loft Suites before and really love them (especially the 2 bathrooms).

I will definitely report back to you about the condition of the ship once we return. From everything i'm reading, Allure is a fan-favorite of many RC cruisers so i'm excited to try it out!

On 3/22/2023 at 9:30 AM, sargemrs said:

A group of 18 just booked Allure of the Seas last night. We’re veteran cruisers on NCL but schedules didn’t work.  We all got GS.  Our research sounds like we can eat at the designated suite restaurant.  We’re leaving from Galveston and need some parking tips.  Sounds like there are many activities for kids.  We have ages 2-15, total 8.  6 seniors and  4 young marrieds.  We’re on the August 27 cruise.  Any help would be appreciated as we’re not familiar with RCI.

We will be on Allure in 3 weeks, first time on that ship so i'm looking forward to it! We booked parking right across the street (port of galveston), this is our first time at the new RCCL terminal. In the past, we've parked further away and shuttled over, it's always been easy.

You're correct - you will be able to eat all your meals at Coastal Kitchen, including lunch on embarkation day. We've had access to CK on other RC ships, and I think the food is very good (definitely a step up from the MDR). We usually will eat here instead of MDR or Windjammer (buffet), then sprinkle in a couple of specialty restaurants as well.

There is a lot to do on this ship so the kids should have a blast!

You should be able to book shows a few weeks before sailing (on the royal app). 

If you have any specific questions, i can find out while i'm onboard April 16th!

In January, disembarking from our Odyssey cruise, we had a 3 pm flight booked. But, we arrived at the airport before 8 and were able to change our flight and get on the earlier one at 9! Much better!!!

I see this is an old thread, i'm not sure what the current policy states. But, i will say i'm a big fan of adults only, especially in a bar, casino or HH setting. There are plenty of areas around the ship for kids, but imo they shouldn't be allowed in adult venues. I realize many kids are very well behaved....but many are not. The problem with these policies is that they're not really enforced, people bring kids in anyway, then the burden falls on the staff to say something and often they'd rather not. So, the other guests just smile and grit our teeth while someones unruly child runs around doing cartwheels.

So far i'd have to say Symphony. But, we're on Allure in 3 weeks and i love seeing that it's the favorite for many of you!!

We sailed Odyssey in January and it was our first experience with a star-class suite. SO, we definitely had some different experiences than our normal cruising since we had such great service, all specialty dining included (so we never ate in WJ or MDR). Even tho we loved our cruise, and considering the star-class experience which we loved of course, here were some reasons that this wasn't our favorite ship:

All Star class suites are at the back of the ship. We had a royal loft suite, which was amazing with an amazing balcony, BUT there are no elevators or stairs on the back third of the ship, so we had a long walk back and forth to our cabin all week. It was good getting the exercise but at times I wished it were more convenient to pop in to our cabin for something.

I agree about the elevator buttons. It wasn't THAT bad, but it took some practice to master and we also had a few accidentally pressed buttons.

We didn't love the location of Coastal Kitchen on this ship (right outside the WJ). We only ate in there twice since we had all the other specialty restaurants available but both times we ate there it was empty. Totally different experience on Symphony, where CK is always busy and is in a great location. I think having it down a hall on the way to WJ and feeling very closed off just made it not that appealing.

The casino did seem small for such a big ship. I didn't find a lot of VP machines that i like, so that could have been better.

On the positive side - we loved Playmakers on this ship! We did North Star, I-Fly and the VR experience (all thanks to our genie who walked us in to these things - i probably wouldn't have tried I-Fly or VR on my own, but he encouraged me to try them and i actually had a blast!) We liked the shows. I liked the solarium, we enjoyed sail-away from there since it was a little chilly leaving Ft Lauderdale, and the panoramic view was great!

We've been on Symphony twice and I much preferred it to Odyssey. The layout on Odyssey just seemed a little odd. We're about to try Allure and looking forward to it. For reference, we've also sailed on smaller ships and loved them too....We basically love all of our cruises!! If the right itinerary at the right time pops up, would i sail Odyssey again? Absolutely!!!

Absolutely nothing to worry about! We were there in January, had a great day. The area is secure and well maintained. You won't even know that there's a country in turmoil just over the horizon. Many of the staff on the island are locals, and super nice people. Enjoy!

On 3/14/2023 at 4:50 PM, sandc4e said:

We always leave an additional $20 for the 2 of us.'

That's what we do too.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience.

We've done almost 20 cruises now and have loved every one of them! Some better than others of course.....But we don't cruise for the food, or for the chairs by the pool. We cruise for the ports, and for watching the ocean go by wherever we're sitting on the ship. We relax, we have fun, we drink too much sometimes (?!?), we have some great food and some not so great food, we love interacting with the staff (who are almost always super friendly and helpful), we love hanging in the casino.

We've been lucky to never get sick on a cruise, but it can happen to anyone, anywhere, we're aware of the risks with so many people on board. 

We go into each cruise with excitement and expectations for a great trip. A few disappointments or oops moments on a cruise do not ruin our week.

There are definitely people who just do not like cruising, and that's ok. Maybe that leaves a little more room on board for those of us who love it!