Miamia65

I went back to the lobby at noon to meet with the concierge, who arrived at that hour. I asked to sign up for the cruise transfer shuttle, but was told that was first-come, first served at 9am in the morning… and advised to arrive early to do so (i.e., by 8:30am). The concierge said the shuttles didn’t start until 11am (wrong, I discovered the next day, they started at 10:30am), and he also provided me with a water taxi map, since that’s what I planned to do in the afternoon with my cruise travel friends once they arrived.

 

I stopped by the front desk, and was told my port-view room was ready, 3228, and went up to the room, with the bellman following with my bags. When we arrived, someone else’s bags were in the room… that person realized they were in the wrong room and moved out.

 

I asked the bellman where the ships were, and he informed me it was impossible to see them from this room. I called the front desk, and was told that a port-view room was not ready yet. Sigh.

 

I explained that I needed to shower and change in order to meet my friends, and the front desk said I should use this room, leave my bags, and they would transfer them to the correct room as soon as it was ready. I expressed some concern that it was okay for me to (in effect) use two rooms (this one to change and shower, the other one to stay in overnight) and they reassured me that it was, not to worry. I tipped the bellman, who had waited while I worked all this out with the front desk, and started getting ready for my afternoon in Fort Lauderdale.

 

(Forewarning: for those pollyannas who believe that one should never critique anything on vacation, but only be happy and grateful for being out of their homes, please skip the following section! In it, I actually criticize the poor customer service I received at this hotel, describing the events in detail Nothing was a big deal, but it was annoying, and as a regular Gold Hilton Honors VIP member, it is unlikely I will select this hotel as a destination in the future, despite its wonderful location. Staff competence and good service is important. As a business owner myself, customers are NOT doing me a favor by not bringing problems to my attention; if they simply keep their problems to themselves and say that they are happy no matter what, I have no way to manage quality control, attract new business or retain long-term customers. It is important both to be aware of any issues and communicate these to those in charge… not simply accept what happens. Beware; this is my attitude towards cruising as well!)

 

(Second forewarning: because this is indeed kind of nit-picky, it’s also a bit boring! You really have to enjoy minute-by-minute details to be willing to read through this section. For those who do… enjoy!)

 

So, to return to the tale: I showered and changed, closed up my bags and left them by the door, called my friend Shirley’s sister, Joanie (who lived in Fort Lauderdale and would be joining me for lunch) to tell her I was ready to head out, and that we could meet in the lobby.

 

On the way out, I stopped at the front desk to confirm that my bags would be transferred to the new room – and I was told that I couldn’t use the room (which I had just used) and that my bags would not be moved without me being there!!! I explained that I had called the front desk and been assured this was no problem – and they then said oh yes, we’ll take care of it, fine, and your room is ready, it’s on the 5th floor, here’s the key, we’ll transfer the bags while you’re out. Great! (Or so I thought…)

Hi Denise

I was also on this cruise on 7 December and we stayed at the Hilton Marina in FLL. I have to agree with you it was a very disorganised hotel. My group was 6 people, 4 in one room and 2 in another. I booked and paid for a water view of the inter coastal so I could get up early and watch the ships come into the port. Luckily for us we got the right room the first time but we had a very bad experience with our luggage. The porter walked with us to the elevators and then said he would meet us at the room. After 15 minutes he did not show up - I was getting pretty anxious because some of my jewellery was in one of the bags and I was worried about where the porter was. I rang the front desk they said he was coming, we waited and waited … I went looking for him on the floor that my friend's room was in case he went there first, he wasn't there. Eventually he turned up with all of the bags for 2 rooms, who knows where he was!!! Anyway, all of our possessions were in the bags - thank goodness! Won't being staying at the Hilton again!

I remember meeting your group at the many trivia events in the Schooner Bar. Oasis is an awesome ship, thanks so much for doing the review. It brings back great memories.

I'm going on the cruise. It's radiance of the seas Sydney to Honolulu via NZ and Tahiti. It leaves on 10 April 2014 and gets into Honolulu on 27 April. I Got an inside cabin with gratuities for $2000. That's $117 per day. So it's working out as good value for money.

 

And yes. I can do nothing very easily :)

 

 

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jd07 - hope you have an awesome time… so jealous - we would love to do this cruise. Please report back on your return, especially interested in Tahiti ports?

I thought the oP was going to say it was the toilet or a drain and of course it is the cruise lines fault but I bet it wasn't. Anyway, one less whinger on an RCI ship.

OP, just wondering how did the cabin get flooded?

I also noticed the number of passengers on Oasis pushing their way into the elevator (which was often full) before people can get out. So rude!

Another thing that annoyed me on Oasis is when the 70s or 80s party was on in the promenade and the cruise staff and passengers are dancing and people are just standing in the middle of the walkway doing nothing ... just watching but not getting out of the way. Some even video the staff and passengers having a good time - and then when you accidentally dance on their foot, look out, evil looks all round!

Bon Voyage, have an awesome time.

Date and route wrong in the original post. Pretty important details to get right when planning.

Yes you are right .... it is this year ... and Sydney to Hawaii ..... still a good deal ....

Just noticed a great deal for a balcony cabin on Radiance from Hawaii to Sydney, 18 nights, departing 10 April 2013…… D1 around $5500 (2 passengers), E1 around $5300 (2 passengers) …. I think there was even inside cabins for under $2550 for 2 people.

This equates to $152 per night per person…. or for an inside $71 per night person. I wish I could get leave and book this!!!

This was just my observation on Oasis …. from Deck 15 standing beside the sports deck or the mini golf, you can look straight down into the aft boardwalk cabins … if the curtains are open you can see into all of these cabins. If you are concerned about privacy, then you may not like these cabins, great location BUT …..

What about Rhapsody - can they be opened?

Thanks for all of the input.

 

Just got off the phone (used a Next Cruise Certificate) with RCCL and booked the cruise and the Grand Suite.

 

Now the long, almost year long, wait begins! :eek:

 

 

Dan.

We haven't cruised on Vision, however it is the same configuration as Rhapsody which we have cruised on. We stayed in a RFS starboard side, cabin 8520 for 12 nights. Over the 12 nights there was one late night pool party but you would expect that … and occasionally I heard chairs scraping but it didn't wake us up. WE found the rocking and rolling of the ocean / movement always help with sleeping (like babies). If you are the type of person who likes to be on your balcony when you come into port, then you generally will be up before the staff starting moving furniture around anyway! I'm sure you will enjoy the GS.

Thanks for all of the input.

 

Just got off the phone (used a Next Cruise Certificate) with RCCL and booked the cruise and the Grand Suite.

 

Now the long, almost year long, wait begins! :eek:

 

 

Dan.

good decision … it is worth it especially for $220 pp. You will enjoy the extra perks of a GS.

please add me too.

25 november, rhapsody of the seas, south pacific and fiji

great photos….

If you have a reservation number and have paid your deposit the price won't go up.

We booked a GS on rhapsody in november 2014 during the sale and it is now double the price. In fact the price we secured is less than a balcony, absolute awesome deal.

You can definitely have your kids in the cabin next door even without an interconnecting door. You can also swap family members from one cabin to another once you are on board at either the concierge or guest services. Also, I can't see any reason why the concierge would not let your kids in the lounge especially because you are paying for 2 cabins. The concierge staff that I have met on board RCI ships always want to know the names of the people who come into the lounge and are so helpful. Make sure you make the most of what you have paid for and don't always believe what people say on here. I have seen people bring their friends into the lounge and if its not busy nobody cares.

We also asked for a second seapass/access key for the other cabin we had, so I had a seapass for my cabin and one for the kids and it had "extra key" printed on it, so I could easily get in from the hallway.

You can also ask for the glass divider on the balcony to be opened to make more room between the 2 cabins.

punkybubbles, you will get a flyer about the luggage valet half way through the cruise. Are you still doing a B2B? If so, book the shows for both weeks .... so you can either see them twice or keep your options open for other things that pop up in the daily ship newsletter "Cruise Compass". The oasis class ships have a lot of things to do.

Also, try out the speciality restaurants, Chops Grille is our favourite but we also liked Johnny Rockets which costs $5 (cover charge) plus drinks. Johnny Rockets makes a peanut butter milkshake - try it, it tastes like Reese's peanut butter in a thick shake. I think it cost about $4.50 ... when you go to Johnny Rockets, as soon as you sit down they will deliver fries and deep fried onion rings to the table, then you order your burgers from the menu .... you can also get breakfast for free at JR's.

Make sure you go to the Captains cake making demonstration in the promenade, go 1/2 an hour early to get a good seat, it's really funny. We went both weeks and they made different cakes.

Also, your daughter might like the cake decorating in the Cupcake Cupboard, loved those cupcakes....

Have you started to think about shore excursions at each of the ports?

punkybubbles

You should definitely use the luggage valet …. prior to going to the US I read on cc that if you use this service the airlines don't weigh your bags as you aren't there to pay the extra weight costs (as in you are not at the check-in counter because the ship delivers the luggage to the airline and they get taken out to the baggage handlers for X-ray screening and loading).

After we disembarked from the back to back cruises on Oasis and we had already been in Orlando (Disney and shopping) before the cruises, our bags definitely weighed more than the limit. We flew from Fort lauderdale to Washington at 9.30 pm at night on JetBlue and used the luggage valet - it was worth it at $20 per person. Everything arrived and no problems at all, although the TSA did open a couple of our bags for security purposes and they placed a slip inside them (just 2 out of 6 bags).

When we disembarked from Oasis, we caught a taxi to the airport and I hired a car from one of the car rental companies for around $50 for the day, it was a mid size car. We drove to Miami / South Beach which was only 30 minutes drive - make sure you get a GPS and a SUN Pass (toll pass). Also, don't let them charge you $58 for re-fuelling, there are plenty of service stations near the airport. They will try and tell you that you have to refuel within a 10km radius of the airport but nobody even wanted or checked the fuel docket - just a sales strategy to try to sell me the refuelling by them. It only cost me about $10 for all the driving we did anyway as fuel is cheaper in the USA.

We also visited Sawgrass Mills Outlet shops in Fort Lauderdale, which we massive, not as good as Premium Outlet shops but OK, similar to DFO here.

To be honest Fort Lauderdale and Miami / South BEach are very similar to the Gold Coast … but we live at the Gold Coast so it may interest you.!!!

Hope this helps….

Just an observation here …. when on Oasis last year we wore a lanyard with the sea pass in all the time, however I barely saw people with lanyard and often felt out of place.

And in Australia it's the complete opposite, everyone wears lanyards usually provided to them by the travel agents as they are all branded with different travel agent's logos etc.

Just sayin.

The show is about 40 minutes in duration and if you feel the cold then take a light jumper….

You definitely cannot carry over OBC from one cruise to another, your account will be closed and a new one opened. You will also receive new seapasses for the 2nd cruise.

I'll be interested to hear your impression of Rhapsody post dry dock.

We got off Radiance yesterday and are talking about sailing on her again in October.

 

 

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Sparky74

Rhapsody is a very nice ship, we cruised on Rhapsody in October 2012 (seems like only last year ….) and she had been refurbed in April/May 2012. $53m was spent adding speciality restaurants - Chefs Table, Chops, Izumi and Giovanni's plus Park Cafe, complete re-carpet, beds and stateroom fit out with flat screen TVs etc. The intended to install iPads in each room but I don't think that ever happened (maybe for suites but not in October when we cruised and we stayed in a Royal Family Suite). They also added Concierge and Diamond Lounges and some new bars.

Like I said a really nice ship with a great crew. Here is a link to RCI's refurb brochure …

http://www.creative.rccl.com/Sales/Royal/General_Info/Flyers/12028421_Revit_QuickReference_Guide.pdf

As other posters have said, its rumoured Rhapsody is leaving Australia from 2015, so grab a good deal while you can.

You can catch a cab to maho beach.

Make sure you allow a minimum of 2 hours to experience planes taking off and landing, especially the larger planes, you can try and hold onto the fence if you are game enough.

There is one bar at maho beach and it gets pretty crowded as does the road and beach when the planes take off and land.

Go to youtube and search maho or airport beach, you will see what happens there!!! Definitely worth a visit and a laugh at the crazy people who try to hold onto the fence.....

When the chance came to do a trip onboard QM2 I rushed at it. I'd not be the least interest in the Oasis size ships. They remind me of cattle carriers.

Pushka

So if you think an oasis class ship is a cattle carrier .... what is a freedom class ship, ie. Liberty of the Seas .... have you read your signature lately where it says you went on Liberty of the Seas .. med cruise ... a very happy cruiser ...???????????

Really, you all don't want to go on an Oasis class ship one day if one comes to Australia ..... I think you should think again, Oasis of the Seas was launched in 2009 so is only 5 years old, so even in 10 years will be 15 years old. She is an awesome ship with so much to do and an amazing experience.

I think you all should go back and read the first post here, it says the Chairman of Sydney Ports said they are expanding the terminal for 5000-pax ships ... do you really think someone would just say this. Having been on Oasis for consecutive cruises to the Caribbean in December 2013, we only need the Sydney OPT to be expanded to accommodate this class of ship for the purposes of a home port for a cruise. This would be to facilitate the embarkation on day one and disemarkation on the last day of the cruise. The other ports which an oasis class ship would visit might only need to have some dredging done (if at all) to accommodate the ship docking.

Oasis class ships are just as good at managing crowds getting on and off the ship as the smaller class like Rhapsody. In the caribbean they only use a small building for security purposes when re-boarding the ship with xray screening purpose and RCI have this down pat.

I very much look forward to the day that we see this size ship in Australia and will be one of the first passengers ....... but you can miss out if you want too....

Please go ahead and flame me ....... or maybe just admit that you want to go on this class of ship if it comes to Australia....