stephaniekleinn

Have you dropped in to your roll call to meet your cruisemates?:rolleyes: Come on over and chat with us and sign up for your free Meet & Mingle party!!:cool: Go here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2008683&page=43

The link you gave me was for the Allure, I'm on Adventure, now you will get a chuckle because I'm freaking out on that page that I didn't know i had to get my show reservations in early!

We are sailing March 22nd and thought about doing the same thing but decided against it and enjoy our first day on the ship to explore. We decided to spend an extra night after the cruise in Old San Juan to explore plus it's cheaper to fly on Mondays. Someone said why get on the ship then get back off when you're paying for that day on the ship. Makes sense to me.

We're gonna go back into OSJ, I've been on lots of ships once once to OSJ but my husband hasn't. We also fly in and fly out the same day as the embarkation and departure (respectively) so there's not a lot of time for sight seeing.

Again, thanks everyone!

Stephanie

Question about AOS and OSJ.

Our flight arrives at Old San Juan airport on March 8 at 11:30am. We’d like to explore OSJ but I also want to get our bags to the port so we don’t have to lug them around. I’m reading (on cruise critic) you can drop off your bags early and check in. I’m confused by people saying they checked in, got on the ship for lunch and then got back off the ship to go explore. How does this work? I’m presuming you don’t have to get back into the line with all the other people setting up their sign and sail accounts etc again….is there a separate line? Is it similar to what you do at other ports and you just have your seapass card scanned? We’re traveling with kids so I want this to be as easy as possible.

I’m also hearing horror stories about traffic. Has anyone done the on/off thing recently? I figure if we drop off the luggage and check in by 1 we can catch a cab and be in OSJ by 2….does this give us enough time to explore?

I’m full of questions today!

Thanks!

Stephanie

lol Port Canaveral has had cookies before....

here's the review I just posted....What a disappointment. I’m a Diamond member and always tout about RC any chance I get. This ship is no where up to RC’s standards. We had table mates at dinner that talked about how great Carnival was (this was their first RC ship) and I had to explain to them that this was not the norm. This was pathetic.

Here is my recap of all the events that led to our disappointment.

• Embarkation was horrible. I’ve never had to wait two hours to get on a ship. We have a 5 year old, we know to get their early, have our stuff in order, and shuffle through the line.

• There were two lines for embarkation, first time cruisers and past cruisers, no special designation for the tiers of the crown and anchor society. All of the perks of other terminals were non- existent in Tampa, no drinks, no cookies, no chairs to sit while you wait. There were a few rows of chairs but they were for use after you check in. There were a number of older people on this trip, I’m sure standing two hours in line was rough on them.

• When we got on board the staff right at the door told us that our rooms were ready and we could head on down. We went down to floor 2, and we were told to turn around, the rooms wouldn’t be ready until after 2.

• We headed up to the Windjammer, the food was mediocre at best and they were out of a lot of things. We thought maybe they were getting their stock replenished while in port so I didn’t think much of it. As the cruise went on, there was zero variety in the Windjammer (with the exception of a taco bar that was never stocked and created a frenzy because it was “new food”).

• We had to separate cabins, one for my mother and son and one for my husband and I. All Diamond members but one room had a phenomenal room attendant and one had the room attendant from hell. One room had robes, ice, shampoo, conditioner, soap, all requests were met, etc. The other room had no robes, no ice, we had to ask twice for a blanket, there were stickers from the previous passengers (the stickers that say the size so about an inch big) clothes on the side of the cabinet, those remained there until the night before we got off the ship. I finally peeled them off myself. I’m not actually sure who the room steward was but when I needed an extra luggage tag I just went over to the other rooms steward and they got it for us. This was pathetic and RC should be ashamed.

• Also we had rooms 2088 and 2588, which are right across from the closet where the room attendants get their supplies. They get their supplies at ALL hours of the day and night and they don’t just shut a door, they throw it open, walk out, and then let it slam shut. Not only did it slam but the handle would then clang. I didn’t sleep later than 630am every day.

• The kids program had an antiquated sign in program that took forever. We never went to the kids club at peak hours but still had to wait in line for at least 10 minutes when we were dropping off or picking up.

• The tables near the pool were never bussed. The evening we spent at least 45 minutes watching people walk by a table that had dirty dishes on it. There was an RC wait staff person that kept walking by but she wasn’t cleaning up the tables. Finally an officer bussed the table. Sad.

• Our dining room experience was horrible, table 118…..we were always the first people in and the last people to leave. The food was mediocre, and the first night our server blamed the table next to us for his service taking so long. He said they got there late so it threw off his timing. We smiled politely, unfortunately the remainder of the nights that table didn’t show up and the service still suffered. I asked the Maître De the second night about the kids program where the kids club staff come and pick up the kids at dinner. He knew nothing about it, the third night, after I spoke with the kids club and got the procedure, I informed the Maître De how it works and he thanked me. He should have had this down pat. The staff comes to the 4th floor dining room doors and they take all the kids up.

• I tried to spend some time in the Solarium, the adults only area. Unfortunately they have decided to put the Park Café at the back of the Solarium so everyone from moms and dads with babies, to rowdy teenagers (and yes, most were disrespectable and seem to have been raised in barns) kept running through there to get roast beef sandwiches!

• We had rough seas and the weather was chilly but that didn’t affect my thoughts of the ship.

• The Diamond lounge was very small, with a limited buffet, we’ve been on bigger ships where they really go out of their way.

• The Diamond happy hour they do is a nice option but it only covers single liquor drinks. I don’t drink but when I have one I like a mudslide or something with more than one liquor. This is only from 5-8 and we had dinner at 530 and it lasted until 8 so there wasn’t much time to take advantage of this. Minor detail but one more thing.

• We had 6 pieces of luggage, one didn’t arrive until 8 pm, of course it was the one with my sons clothes so that was slightly inconvenient.

• These are minor things but as a whole, there weren’t many bright spots to this cruise. The food was lousy, the services were lacking and the ship was supposed to have gone through a rehaul but deck chairs had straps missing or broken, etc.

• I was in line at the guest services desk the last day to get a copy of my bill and make sure everything looked ok, there were kids in line behind us and one of them knocked down the ropes and then fell down (by kids I mean teenagers) and one of the ladies in line looked at the guest services agent and asked “aren’t you going to do anything about this” to which the GSA replied “Boys please calm down”. Everyone in line talked about how much the staff really didn’t seem to care.

• I thought the Cruise Director was a little old and unrelatable. We’re in our 40’s but my mom in her 60’s also thought he was a little past his prime. Marvelous Marvin was just as unrelatable, it was even mentioned in their “morning show” that he was an accounting, body builder, samba dancer, dance instructor, etc….Everyone got a laugh at dinner about that one night by saying “who cares”.

• As a family we blew off most of the shows, we went to the Beattles night, the other guests seemed to enjoy this, it was a little out of my time but they weren’t horrible. We went to the impersonator one night and he was good but also not for my age demographic. We watched the aerial show once, it was ok at best…..everything seemed more carnival than RCCL.

Hey guys, just posted this on the reviews page but wanted to post it here too. Hope I don't get blasted but if anyone has any questions please feel free to ask.

What a disappointment. I’m a Diamond member and always tout about RC any chance I get. This ship is no where up to RC’s standards. We had table mates at dinner that talked about how great Carnival was (this was their first RC ship) and I had to explain to them that this was not the norm. This was pathetic.

Here is my recap of all the events that led to our disappointment.

• Embarkation was horrible. I’ve never had to wait two hours to get on a ship. We have a 5 year old, we know to get their early, have our stuff in order, and shuffle through the line.

• There were two lines for embarkation, first time cruisers and past cruisers, no special designation for the tiers of the crown and anchor society. All of the perks of other terminals were non- existent in Tampa, no drinks, no cookies, no chairs to sit while you wait. There were a few rows of chairs but they were for use after you check in. There were a number of older people on this trip, I’m sure standing two hours in line was rough on them.

• When we got on board the staff right at the door told us that our rooms were ready and we could head on down. We went down to floor 2, and we were told to turn around, the rooms wouldn’t be ready until after 2.

• We headed up to the Windjammer, the food was mediocre at best and they were out of a lot of things. We thought maybe they were getting their stock replenished while in port so I didn’t think much of it. As the cruise went on, there was zero variety in the Windjammer (with the exception of a taco bar that was never stocked and created a frenzy because it was “new food”).

• We had to separate cabins, one for my mother and son and one for my husband and I. All Diamond members but one room had a phenomenal room attendant and one had the room attendant from hell. One room had robes, ice, shampoo, conditioner, soap, all requests were met, etc. The other room had no robes, no ice, we had to ask twice for a blanket, there were stickers from the previous passengers (the stickers that say the size so about an inch big) clothes on the side of the cabinet, those remained there until the night before we got off the ship. I finally peeled them off myself. I’m not actually sure who the room steward was but when I needed an extra luggage tag I just went over to the other rooms steward and they got it for us. This was pathetic and RC should be ashamed.

• Also we had rooms 2088 and 2588, which are right across from the closet where the room attendants get their supplies. They get their supplies at ALL hours of the day and night and they don’t just shut a door, they throw it open, walk out, and then let it slam shut. Not only did it slam but the handle would then clang. I didn’t sleep later than 630am every day.

• The kids program had an antiquated sign in program that took forever. We never went to the kids club at peak hours but still had to wait in line for at least 10 minutes when we were dropping off or picking up.

• The tables near the pool were never bussed. The evening we spent at least 45 minutes watching people walk by a table that had dirty dishes on it. There was an RC wait staff person that kept walking by but she wasn’t cleaning up the tables. Finally an officer bussed the table. Sad.

• Our dining room experience was horrible, table 118…..we were always the first people in and the last people to leave. The food was mediocre, and the first night our server blamed the table next to us for his service taking so long. He said they got there late so it threw off his timing. We smiled politely, unfortunately the remainder of the nights that table didn’t show up and the service still suffered. I asked the Maître De the second night about the kids program where the kids club staff come and pick up the kids at dinner. He knew nothing about it, the third night, after I spoke with the kids club and got the procedure, I informed the Maître De how it works and he thanked me. He should have had this down pat. The staff comes to the 4th floor dining room doors and they take all the kids up.

• I tried to spend some time in the Solarium, the adults only area. Unfortunately they have decided to put the Park Café at the back of the Solarium so everyone from moms and dads with babies, to rowdy teenagers (and yes, most were disrespectable and seem to have been raised in barns) kept running through there to get roast beef sandwiches!

• We had rough seas and the weather was chilly but that didn’t affect my thoughts of the ship.

• The Diamond lounge was very small, with a limited buffet, we’ve been on bigger ships where they really go out of their way.

• The Diamond happy hour they do is a nice option but it only covers single liquor drinks. I don’t drink but when I have one I like a mudslide or something with more than one liquor. This is only from 5-8 and we had dinner at 530 and it lasted until 8 so there wasn’t much time to take advantage of this. Minor detail but one more thing.

• We had 6 pieces of luggage, one didn’t arrive until 8 pm, of course it was the one with my sons clothes so that was slightly inconvenient.

• These are minor things but as a whole, there weren’t many bright spots to this cruise. The food was lousy, the services were lacking and the ship was supposed to have gone through a rehaul but deck chairs had straps missing or broken, etc.

• I was in line at the guest services desk the last day to get a copy of my bill and make sure everything looked ok, there were kids in line behind us and one of them knocked down the ropes and then fell down (by kids I mean teenagers) and one of the ladies in line looked at the guest services agent and asked “aren’t you going to do anything about this” to which the GSA replied “Boys please calm down”. Everyone in line talked about how much the staff really didn’t seem to care.

• I thought the Cruise Director was a little old and unrelatable. We’re in our 40’s but my mom in her 60’s also thought he was a little past his prime. Marvelous Marvin was just as unrelatable, it was even mentioned in their “morning show” that he was an accounting, body builder, samba dancer, dance instructor, etc….Everyone got a laugh at dinner about that one night by saying “who cares”.

• As a family we blew off most of the shows, we went to the Beattles night, the other guests seemed to enjoy this, it was a little out of my time but they weren’t horrible. We went to the impersonator one night and he was good but also not for my age demographic. We watched the aerial show once, it was ok at best…..everything seemed more carnival than RCCL.

Stephanie, very nice choice of ship for Alaska! Typically on Radiance class ships, the higher the deck, the better- due to the lifeboat covers that prevent seeing directly into the water below. Regarding 9654, it is noted as partially obstructed due to the window-washing ladder. Doesn't appear to be an issue for most, but you may want to consider other options. Stateroom 7212- is that correct? I'm not seeing it. Given your timeframe, I recommend doing a Search for 'Radiance 9654', there are many threads discussing it. I would see if a D1 location (midship, wherever you prefer) is available. And keep checking, other balconies may open up. :)

Thanks. It was 7172. I put a hold on it but I just think we're trying to rush into this. I just checked airfare and the train and the hotels and it looks like it would be another 4k on top of the cruise. It looks like we have some talking to do. Thanks again!

Hi guys,

Seasoned cruiser here but never for Alaska. We're looking at the Radiance on 8/8. Balconies available in our category are 7212 and 9654....which should I choose? Either, neither, or go down to D1 and choose one along the side.

Need to make the decision in a couple of hours. I've done a little research but those were all for tropical settings.

Also, if you are going to site photo pages, please don't send me pics via that webshots link, I can never view those...

Thanks everyone!

Stephanie

We usually try and take whatever route will take us to Key West. There so much goin on but if you want to relax you can do that too. The shops are reasonable, the food is amazing, and there is usually just one other ship there. We also vacation in Key West, we try for once a year, but sometimes its once every two years. Living in FL already helps on the travel front but I woudn't pass up Key West for anything....so serene!

Just booked two single rooms on the Allure for 11/9 through Jerry at RCCL. $849 all in, and I asked about the solo points, he said he didn't know but would get back to me (and I thought ya right). About a half an hour later I got an email from Jerry, confirming that double points is the new policy and I would be diamond after this sailing whoop whoop!

Stephanie

Which rental car agency did you use? We're going to have to pick up a car to drive back to Tampa when we get off the Allure in March. We were planning on taking a taxi to the airport to pick up a car but if theres one at the port that would help! thanks!

I had booked our premium package a few weeks ago but others in our party were waiting. Upon reading another thread where everyone said the price increase took place the others were able to order it online and the price was the same. FYI.

Damn I'm caught up. Has anyone compiled a list of all Sherri's tips and tricks?