hales1284

in addition to the new blue paint job the underwater portions have been painted red and were previously blue.  
 

It’s one of those things that will take some getting used to.  The blue paint looks good from a distance but up close it doesn’t mesh well with all the green glass on Freedom and Voyager class ships. 

Freedom is baby blue!

Empress and Majesty will be making their way to other operators.  There is simply no way Royal Caribbean is going to recoup operating costs on these old ships with standard itineraries.  

In the interim I suspect these ships will frequent CocoCay making short 3 or 4 day Bahamas cruises at a deep discount.  

Cuba was the last market where Royal could charge a higher fare on these old

ships and make a profit doing so.  They’re not going to get that same return on Bahamas trips. 

Most newer Verizon phones will work and by newer I mean 2-3 years old. These are the bands which are available in Haiti:

GSM 850

GSM 900

GSM1800

3G 2100 (data service)

If you go to phonescoop.com and click phones on the left and input your model phone it will list what bands your device is compatible with.

Saw this pop up yesterday, but was travelling, and couldn't respond till now.

 

 

hales1284: While you are quite correct that a fixipod is less of an issue than an azipod, even if one azipod is down, they may not send her for docking right away, even if they could schedule the dock (the Freeport docks are usually booked solid nearly a year in advance). Loss of one azipod is no different in terms of speed than a fixipod, but because one of the redundant steering methods is out of commission, it will generally require tugs for docking, and the USCG will require a tug escort from the sea buoy to the dock in case of failure of the remaining steering (azipod).

 

From what I see, the 4 night to Cozumel is likely doable, maybe loss of an hour in port, as is the 5 night Cozumel and Belize. The Labadee and Ocho Rios 5 night might require a bit more rescheduling, or a change in routing.

Right the loss of one azipod in terms of speed loss is similar to the fixipod however it becomes a safety issue considering a primary steering method is down. Hopefully this is not the case so the folks scheduled on her next voyage can enjoy their cruise. Otherwise Liberty will be headed to dry dock for emergency repairs.

Liberty has six engines which put out 17,000HP each. They could have an engine issue however it's unlikely multiple failures occurred at once unless it's electrical. It's more likely another pod issue has come up forcing them to shut one down. If it's the center fixed pod and they determine a dry dock is necessary to fix the issue more than likely the propeller will be removed to reduce drag and liberty will continue on at reduced speed. Explorer sailed out of NJ without its fixed pod for months and I was just on the southern nine day run without any issues. For those of you sailing on Liberty soon just hope it's not of the azipods (rotating ones) because if one of those has an issue they likely will send it to dry dock for a repair.

According to Marine traffic dot com Freedom is currently docked in St. Maarten. But, it also shows two other ships (Regal Princess and Celebrity Eclipse) there and normally by now, they'd all be gone. According to cruisett they should all be gone by now, so not sure what the issue is, unless marine traffic is having issues.

I would suspect it's marine traffic because over at vessel finder Freedom is Online and showing 20.4 kn quite a ways from St Maarten.

I read that as well about Barcelona being Harmony OTS home port for the summer. That's not unusual considering the ship will be on that side of the world anyway. Too bad it likely will be sailing those same two boring Eastern and Western itineraries out of FL... yawn

I agree with you. We were on the same sailing. We had My timedinning around 6:30 and no wait and food service was fast. You have to be a really picky diner not to find something you like in the Windjammer. What a great variety. I never care for RC dessers as much as Carnival but Explorer usually had something I liked.

Ditto I was on the Same sailing 2.12 and the MDR food was excellent with even better service. The Windjammer was pretty good as well and seemed to have a good mix of different choices every day. I wish though people would learn not to leave the food tongs under the heat lamps!! :mad:

I highly doubt Harmony will go to Asia. Waterslides just scream Florida and the Caribbean. Plus, the competition have been pumping new ships into the Florida market recently, but Royal hasn't had a new build in Florida since 2010.

 

My personal opinion is that you won't see an Oasis Class ship in Asia until Oasis 4 comes, but we'll see. If one does go over there, my guess is that it will be the original Oasis. Royal already pissed off everyone in the US when they sent Quantum to Asia. They won't send another new build over there.

I tend to agree with you that Harmony of the Seas will remain in the United States, and in the Florida market. I highly doubt though at any point in time Royal will have 3 Oasis class ships operating in the US. I think it's more likely once Harmony comes out either Oasis or Allure heads over to Europe and/or Asian markets. Eventually you'll likely have two U.S. based Oasis Class ships and one in Asia and one in Europe.

Ship - Explorer of the Seas

Deck - 10

Stateroom # - 1668

Stateroom Category – D1

Starboard or Port Side - Port

Quiet Stateroom? (With comments on problems) – Very quiet, almost no noise herd the entire cruise.

Was stateroom a connecting stateroom? - No

Balcony View - Give comments on view, noting if location of any obstructions was an issue. – Standard superior ocean view cabin, no obstructions

Balcony Size? Normal or oversized for class? - Standard Sized Balcony

Was wind a problem? - No

If an aft cabin, was soot a problem? - Cabin was aft, soot wasn't an issue however the adjacent cabin had an exhaust vent above which occasionally splashed some water on the balcony ledge.

Any specific problems with this cabin? - Minor cosmetic wear and tear

Any other comments? - Air conditioning in this cabin responded well to adjustments made to thermostat. When set to full cool, stateroom was very cold.

If you are using a travel agent, you won't see any amounts owed. The TA owns the reservation, so only they can see the $$ amounts. However, since you can still go in and make reservations for things like shore excursions and restaurant reservations, you probably are not immune from RCL's repricing glitches in their booking systems. Hopefully you have a good TA that will go to bat for you.

My first Royal Caribbean cruise was last winter and I used a travel agent to book the reservation. We were invited by a group of about 20 people to join them on the cruise and opted to use the same agent. I never used a travel agent before however after my experience last year I don't know if I'd ever book another tour without one!

I had a fantastic cruise on Oasis and our TA provided us with some nice surprises like extra (unannounced) onboard credit, a welcome bottle of wine, and she made everything very easy. Like orville99 mentioned if you have a good TA they will go to bat for you and get you the pricing and promotions you agreed to. Whether you're in a large group of just a couple a good travel agent will help make everything easy. If you decide to look into one a word of advice though is stay away from the chains and find a reputable local agent.

Interesting -- was that in your Cruise Documents? We don't sail until Feb. 22.

It's listed on the documents towards the bottom. I'm on Explorer which sails on Feb. 12th and my documents also say Terminal 10. I checked the schedule for Port Canaveral and Explorer is the only ship scheduled for that day. I'm sure they will update the information soon now that T1 is operational.

If two Royal ships are scheduled to depart from Port Canaveral on the same day, I'm sure the vessel with the larger passenger manifest will be assigned to T1.

Did they mention what repair was done? Just wondering if they put the prop back on the center motor and all three motors are operational now.

Somebody mentioned above it was a bearing seal issue with one of the azipods. The fixed pod won't be addressed until the ship is pulled out of the water in March.

A person on our roll call heard from a passenger on Explorer now, that the problem was fixed this week, during their over night in Nassau. Hopefully, we will have smooth sailing! ;)

I noticed last night she was making 17.5 knots on her way to Freeport which is about normal for her without the fixed pod operating. I'll bet everyone was happy to get out of Nassau!

Maybe 5 years between DD's is to long for ships with azipods.

When first introduced there was a considerable failure rate of the bearings with ships using azipods. The issues were so bad (especially with the Rolls-Royce Mermaid) that some cruise lines actually forced litigation against that particular manufacturer. Though reliability has improved considerably in the past decade, it certainly hasn't been smooth sailing for many cruise lines.

It's hard to say whether or not pulling the ships out of the water sooner than 5 years would make any significant difference. You would think though the cruise lines would prioritize their dry-dock schedule for ships which already suffered a failure like Explorer has with it's fixed pod.

Does anybody know what the minimum is on the table games on the Explorer? Specifically roulette, black jack and craps?

The lowest I saw on Oasis last year was $5 on all of the above mentioned table games.

The 9 day ones or the 5 day or both?

On the 5 day trips she makes the long trek across the Gulf of Mexico to Cozumel. I highly doubt she would venture far from FL if they can't correct the issue this week in Nassau.

Based on available tracking data, Explorer traveled between 15-20 knots on her way to Stirrup Cay, and she's underway to Nassau at 15 knots. I suspect Royal is confident the work will be routine and Explorer will continue on her current itineraries until the scheduled March drydock.

If they can't fix the problem in Nassau it will be interesting to see what they do with her. She has two short trips after the current 5 day voyage and then an 8 night New Years cruise. If she's hampered in any way that trip would surely need to be modified. This is a worst case but who knows now a days. If need be I could see Royal babying her along through December and pulling her out of the water in early January to fix the issue.

I wouldn't worry too much about your scheduled itinerary for the back to back cruise. Explorer is currently sailing on her 9 day Southern Caribbean route and based on the vessel tracking data she is on schedule. I highly doubt if there was a serious issue with the ship Royal Caribbean would have the gall to send her so far away from US Shores.

Now the million dollar question is what is forcing the itinerary change? I suspect it's a maintenance issue as well but we may never know. Why Nassau? I'd imagine it's based on scheduling as Nassau is a rather large port with the ability to easily accommodate six large cruise ships at once.

For those of you worried about Explorer's engines, pay close attention to the tracking data on Thursday, December 11th to see whether or not she leaves Labadi early. She's currently scheduled to depart at 4PM EST.

There was a comment made earlier regarding several Royal ships "limping form port to port" which is simply untrue. Explorer, Allure, and Freedom all routinely make 18+ knots which hardly is limping. I'm confident Royal Caribbean would have the foresight to take any one of it's ships out of service should they pose a serious risk as they did with Allure earlier this year.

This is the notice on the RCCL website..

Explorer of the Seas – October 18, 2014

 

4:30 p.m. E.S.T

 

Due to Hurricane Gonzalo, the local authority in Bermuda has asked that tourists not attempt to visit the island over the next few days while recovery efforts are underway. Because of this, Explorer of the Seas next sailing that departs Cape Liberty, New Jersey, on Saturday, October 18, will not be able to call to Bermuda.

 

Explorer of the Seas will now call to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Monday, October 20, from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and St. John, New Brunswick, on Tuesday, October 21, from 09:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. We recommend that guests pack accordingly for the weather in the new ports of call, which differs greatly from that in Bermuda.

 

We appreciate that this is a significant change to the original itinerary and we appreciate our guests' understanding and cooperation. As a gesture of goodwill, and to thank our guests their understanding, Royal Caribbean will provide each stateroom with an onboard credit. A letter with the credit amount will be delivered to guests' stateroom.

 

Should a guest decide not to sail, we will provide them with a future cruise certificate for 25% of the cruise fare paid for their sailing. This certificate may be used for a future cruise on any Royal Caribbean ship.

 

However, we hope that guests will choose to sail with us. We have a wonderful program of entertainment, food and activities to offer, as well as two beautiful ports of call.

Hey Matt I have used the cellular at sea plenty of times and it generally works pretty well. Since the phone calls, texts, and data are being transmitted via satellite on a moving vessel you can expect some dropped calls but they are very minor. What really didn't work great was the data speeds (if at all). I had more luck using the wifi on the ship which seemed a lot more stable.

If you decide you need to add a plan you can stop by a local AT&T shop or call the customer service line and they can add it for you. Otherwise your phone will work but be subject to the pricey per minute rates on the ship.

Thank you all for your help and suggestions. I am now looking forward to this cruise even more! I'll be sure to follow up with my experience.

Hey guys and gals I'm a Carnival guy and I just couldn't resist the spectacular looking Oasis of the Seas. I've had the pleasure of seeing her several times while on tours with Carnival and each time I've found myself in awe. I've always desired to book a tour on her however I'm somewhat a creature of habit and making the switch proved difficult. My experience with Carnival has been positive and I've become very loyal to the company during the course of the past ten years. Lately however cruising with Carnival has become stale, the same old same old.

Now even after all that I still originally booked another tour with Carnival. Then one day while sitting on the couch watching television a Royal Caribbean commercial came on highlighting the WOW factors of their ships. My girlfriend and I looked at each other and said that looks like fun. That's when the research began and I kept saying to myself maybe next year. But I couldn't stop looking at all the videos and photos of Oasis and finally I decided to call my travel agent and cancel the Carnival sailing and book with Royal.

I'm sailing on Feb. 8th, 2014 on an Eastern Caribbean tour. I've been to all of the islands with Carnival. Quite frankly I'm not wild about the stops (especially Nassau) however it was the week I had off and I couldn't change it. I have some questions about how Royal Caribbean operates and if any of you veterans could answer them I'd be grateful.

I'm flying in the day before my cruise and I either will catch a cab to the pier or utilize my hotel's shuttle. Generally when I sail with Carnival they recommend getting to the pier at 1pm however I've always gone around 10:30AM and got on the ship rather quickly. My last cruise in fact I was on the ship in about 20 minutes.

Are the suggested arrival times posted by Royal Caribbean concrete or will the line begin boarding once the ship is readied from the previous tour?

Now since I have become an elite member with Carnival my room was ready upon arrival and my luggage delivered within 2 hours. I obviously don't expect this treatment being a first time cruiser with Royal.

Generally what time are the rooms on Oasis ready by and how long should I expect to wait for my luggage? I would like to plan accordingly if I won't receive my luggage by dinner service and pack extra clothes in my carry on.

Oasis is a grand ship with more passengers than any other vessel and what concerns me is debarkation from the ship during ports of call. I have always been able to disembark Carnival ships fairly quickly and I'm wondering if Oasis' size causes bottlenecks or lengthily lines. Should I allow for additional time if I plan on making shore excursion arrangements?

Additionally I've booked a return flight home from FLL which departs at 1:57PM and I'm assuming that should leave me more than enough to disembark the ship. My question is on the last morning of the cruise will breakfast services be available on the ship or should I plan on making other arrangements?

Also what is debarkation like on Oasis? Is it called by deck, by zone, another system entirely?

Finally I plan on exploring the ship thoroughly however any additional incite that can be provided on can't miss items I'd truly appreciate it. With a ship as large as Oasis I'm sure things can easily be missed on the first go around.

Any other tips or recommendations are greatly appreciated.

Thank you all in advance!

-James