Magicat

We've stayed in a couple of places and Hollywood Beach is a fabulous place to stay.  To be honest I do not remember the boutique hotel we stayed at but it was just off the boardwalk.   For a shuttle service we us South Florida Shuttles.  They seem reasonably priced however we did have a large (8 pax) group going.  We also rented a car and drove it one way.

I have to agree with @TheHawk1, however, I have found that you will experience a lesser hell if you choose your seats wisely.  When I used to take Rouge to Mexico City from Toronto I used to get row H or K, exit rows which were roomy.  But then again, it is still Rouge.

Has anyone thought that this is intern season.

On 5/21/2023 at 9:45 AM, lx200gps said:

Thanks for the data point. Did you use the regular lanes or NEXUS?

Regular lanes

We book in US as it is impossible for our TA to transfer us into a group rate if we booked in CND.

Sorry for the late update, returned to Canada on Tuesday night (midnight) and declared all four bottles of liquor DW and I were hauling.  Never gave us a second glance, collected our luggage and went home.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/dte-acl/est-cal-eng.html

There are many threads to follow to find the information you are looking for.  This link is for items that you exceed your personal exemption on non food items.

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-3-6-eng.html

The above link refers to a publication detailing alcohol.  Check it out and let us know what you find.  Today we are returning to Canada with 4 bottles of tequila, I will report back tomorrow if and how much duty I had to pay.

On 5/14/2023 at 4:44 PM, 1kaper said:

I‘ve never been able to get a clear answer. Anytime we’ve ever brought extra back (like an extra bottle each) they never made us pay when we declared it. 

https://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/what-you-can-bring-home-to-canada

Here is the official website from the GOC which will detail what you need to declare and your exemption limits. In reality it depends on the CBSA agent whether to send you to secondary or not. I know for sure it is 1.14 litres of alcohol and 20 kgs of cheese. 

https://www.royalcaribbean.com/royalgifts/

Try this link.  You can get wine, and hard liquor gifts

58 minutes ago, RFerrington said:

Really ?  That's a shame.  What did they put in its place ?

It was a storage area with various loungers and even the coat of arms.  Sad.

I've been pulled aside twice over many crossing exceeding my exception limit.  No big deal, never even had to open my bag.  Told them what I had, they had me pay about $6 and off I went.  Can't say it took more than 15 mins.  Always declare! 

Welcome to Cruise Critic.  You might have more luck putting your questions on your Roll Call for this sailing.  Alternately you can check out the ports of call section for answers.

Ok, thanks for the helpful tip.  So note to self:

1. Make sure there is beer on ice on the balcony at all times in the unlikely event one gets locked out. 

2. Wear pants.

3. Bottle opener for #1 

On 5/6/2023 at 7:03 PM, Mum2Mercury said:

Multiple thoughts: 

 

- I don't think they have chicken wings, but they do have chicken tenders. 

- Yes, they'll take a big order, but it won't be fast.  

- Why would you want to transport it to the Windjammer?  You could just go and get those things (or very similar things) from the Windjammer.  

- No, they won't bring it to the Windjammer.  

- You will need to pay the delivery fee AND tip your delivery person.  For a delivery this large, it might be multiple people.  

 

Yes they have wings.  At least on the Adventure last year they did.  Perhaps each ship is different?

21 minutes ago, Williamsburgcruiser said:

And this is my biggest issue right now with RC and the APP.  

 

NO menus at all listed for a 5 nighter leaving Saturday the 13th.  Frustrating.  I can see menus for a 12 nighter in November - but nothing for a May cruise.

 

Don't be surprised if you see the  November menu disappear.  I have to agree that the app does not populate the menu until the day of the cruise.  Very difficult to schedule specialty dinning without knowing what is in the dining room 

There is a restaurant a short walk from the pier right on the ocean.  The food is really good and you can purchase a bucket of fish pieces to feed the sharks.  Pretty cool.

We were on the Radiance in April.  We found the new menu in the MDR quite good.  I am a poor judge on food temperature as you can not make food hot enough for me.  However, I did ask our waiter to ensure my french onion soup was "Dragon hot" and he did his best to accommodate.  It was close and I enjoyed it.  The portions are the right size as we never left hungry and not stuffed to the gills.  We passed on dessert as we normally don't indulge.  

Wait staff were awesome and always trying to get us more food than we wanted.  Passed on the "lobster" tails, and looking over at other tables we were glad we did .  They did not look any bigger than they used to be.  I think it was the halibut the same night and that was very good and twice the size of the "lobster", if size matters to you.

We did have lunch at the Jammer one sea day and it was underwhelming.  I think if I would have just had a burger it might have been better.  Don't remember what I had but it was lackluster.  Doghouse was good.  Anyway this is our view of the food on the new menu.

Steveston has great restaurants and a tour of an old cannery.  Grouse mountain has great views of the city. If you are fit and want to work off some of the food you ate on the cruise you can do the Grouse Grind. Caplilano bridge park is great.  And Granville Island has a great shopping area to poke around with restaurants.  Enjoy your stay but I would suggest to see if it makes sense to go to your hotel by the airport to see if they will hold your luggage while you explore.

32 minutes ago, sjinnj said:

Yep, what I am questioning is the package states "Enjoy a discount of 40%on bottles of wine under $100 in bars and dining rooms", so basically if I buy one, do I get it immediately or sent to my room the last day of the cruise?

If you order a bottle they will give you a bottle.  If you don't finish it at the venue you purchased it at I am sure they will hold it for you or you can take it with you.  Alas, we never have any left over wine so we cannot give an accurate account of this.

We did not have a drink package but get 20% discount on wine.  We ordered it in the MDR and was delivered immediately and finished shortly after. 

Do they still offer tux rentals on Royal?  This would solve some of the issues with luggage space.

Yes, we have 7 cruises book from now to April 2025.  

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/topic/2931795-what-ships-in-port/#comment-65228622

Try this post

We drink caesars in the morning and "teach" the bartender on how we like it.  Don't be afraid to let them know how you like it.

We stayed closer to the port at the Hampton years ago.  Easy walk to the mono rail to take you downtown.