Our First RCI Cruise! HOTS Departs Today. Join Us?

Greetings Cruise critic members, so many of you have been helpful as we planned our first Royal Caribbean adventure! I blogged during our carnival victory cruise just two weeks ago and thought it might be fun to capture the events of this cruise as we experience them as well.

A little about us – we are a family of four myself - mid-50s executive who travels and works way too much. DH who is a wonderful partner and laid back adventurer. DD 21 who is a college volleyball player and not along on this cruises - spring ball! And our baby and HS senior, DD 17 who is cruising with her best friend, also a HS senior.

The oldest DD is the reason for the Carnival Victory cruise just a couple weeks ago. It was just me, DD and her bestie on a spring break adventure. Her friend was only 20 and they couldn't sail alone so mom tagged along. Here's all you need to know about me- we lovingly called the Victory our "rust bucket" cruise because it was the oldest ship we've sailed. It was anything but! The ship was in great shape. Our cabins recently updated as was the entire ship. And, We LOVED IT!!! We had a ball!!! I think a cruise is what you make of it and this family knows how to have a good time!! It was my first carnival cruise since my college days in the 80s and I will share a couple thing they do great. First, Mom is family travel planner. I have to make all the reservations and then keep the clan on schedule. On carnival, I booked nothing!! I loved that!! Also, there were very few announcements trying to sell me things. I found that refreshing too.

Ok, enough about carnival, let's get this party started!!!

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I thought I'd also start with why we gravitate to cruising, which lends itself to what we hope to get out of this cruise experience. We've found this to be something we can share with our girls as they've gotten older. Shared experiences with older teens/young adults seem to have become fewer and fewer and if we say "cruise" our girls say "when!!" And, when on a cruise, our girls don't tend to disappear, they like to get dressed up and got to dinner - we tend to do speciality dining because it feels more like going out to a nice restaurant. They also tend to hang with the folks and hit the piano bar, deck dance parties, shows, etc!! They do tend to spend their days on the ships doing their own thing, but we also spend port days together finding new adventures in new countries. We lived abroad in Shanghai, China for three years and we travel well together. Well, as long as we all have our own space! We're a "two cabin or we're not going" kind of family...

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Here's the oldest lovely and me in Cozumel two weeks ago.

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And the DH and the girls on the Escape

This Howl at the Moon pic is one of my favorites. Family bliss!

And my loves at dinner.

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Sounds like great fun! Thanks for sharing.

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So, we booked this cruise like every cruise we've ever planned inside the 90 day window for payment. We're not long-term planners. My work doesn't really work that way. We booked two VB inside rooms because of the crazy price for OV balconies. We wanted to try RCI for a new adventure but the balcony price was significantly higher than the NCL rate PLUS we had to purchase drink and dining packages. So our compromise was virtual balconies. We'd just make it work. We could not secure side by side cabins because every other cabin on the Harmony of the Seas holds additional guests. And every other interior cabin at 90 days out was completely sold out! So we had to choose cabins with a room between them. That meant we had to put one adult in each cabin for the Booking. That is also the reason I will be spending my afternoon at guest services but more about that later...

I joined my roll call and checked in occasionally. Honestly, I was watching for information about Falmouth Jamaica. Given the state of government affairs there. I was worried about safety in that port. While trolling the rollcall board, I learned that others were upgrading from interior rooms to balconies and someone was graciously reporting on the number of balcony cabins still available. With that information in hand, I contacted my booking agent and asked about upgrading. Believe it or not, I was able to upgrade us from The two interior virtual balcony cabins to an ocean view balcony and a boardwalk balcony on 14 for no additional cost! The girls are in the last cabin on 14 and so should have a view of both the ocean and the aqua theater they are extremely so excited about their boardwalk balcony as are we about our oceanview balcony. More good news, the rooms are directly across the hall from one another which meets Royal Caribbean's rules for placing teens in their own cabin. That means the DH and I could be placed in our own cabin and the teens could be placed in theirs. But now all that planning and purchasing was a mess that could not be untangled...

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Pre-cruise. We flew from dreary, rainy Louisville, KY yesterday to sunny and lovely FT Lauderdale, FL on Southwest. The flight was crazy bumpy for some reason and we were happy to be on the ground! We took an Uber XL for 4 people and 4 big bags for $19. Were staying at the Homewood Suites Airport/Port. The hotel is under renovation. The lobby and common areas are updated and the rooms are not but they aren't bad.

Lobby

Pool

Common areas

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Pre-cruise dinner - here's a public service announcement, I do not recommend this restaurant!!! We went to an old establishment, the Rustic Inn Crab House looking for seafood and a nice evening out. Wow, this was anything but!!! This place is the loudest restaurant I've never frequented. It's a cinder block, concrete floor, old building with paper on tables and each table is armed with wooden mallets for crab cracking. Except these mallets are also used for special event celebrating and entertaining your kids. Because of this, guests have to scream, yes scream to speak to one another. No food would be worth exposing myself to this ambiance again. I realize that's personal preference, but the food was expensive and just not that good. I sent back the greasiest conch fritters I've never encountered. Literally dripping. Wish I had a pic! Shrimp very good but nearly impossible to peel. I don't want to work that hard for

My food... you've been warned!!!

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Pre-cruise read-

This was to be my cruise read but our travel day was just too long and the book just too good! I highly recommend it. Light enough yet entertaining enough for vacay!

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Wow. Port Everglades security is much more stringent than Miami. Uber driver had to show Waybill and we had to show passports to enter. Never encountered that at Port of Miami... almost there!!

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The girls have declared her huge and too white! Missing NCL's hull art...

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The girls have declared her huge and too white! Missing NCL's hull art...

 

 

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Oasis class ships are huge! The hull is actually very pale blue, but I can see where it’s rather plain. I always enjoy NCL’s hull designs.

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Great start! Looking forward to more!

Ok, easiest boarding process yet. About 30 minutes from the curb to the bar. Working on sorting out the drink packages first then off to sort out dining packages. This place rocks!!

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We are on this ship a week from today. Can't wait to hear about your voyage! Be safe and have fun!!

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What a wonderful afternoon. Here's some teen bliss. Just like being at universal without the sun and the lines!!

He kind of looks like the DH in a good way!

Bionic bar fun!!

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Vintages. My new happy place!!

Music and tapas from Jamie's tonight. We will be

Back!!

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Loving the Boots and Bonnet Bar!

Here's an old fashion and a mojito. Here's the menu.

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Lunch today- here's a surprise for me... on NCL, we like to eat in the MDR, Taste or Savor, small more intimate spaces that are open on embarkation day. Love sitting down, having a glass of wine and being waited on for lunch. It feels like vacation kick off. Carnival didn't have that and it surprised me. To my surprise neither did RCI. Lots of choices but nearly all sandwiches. I don't really do sandwiches. The pizza looked terrible. Honestly. I'm not just a complainer but it really looked terrible. All the cafes seemed to serve similar sandwiches. Hmmmm. Not interested. So, I claim to hate buffets but about 2:00 we gave windjammer a try. I found a wonderful haddock that I loved. That with a lovely glass of Chardonnay made for a nice vacay kickoff! Here's to vacation surprises!!

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We are on this ship a week from today. Can't wait to hear about your voyage! Be safe and have fun!!

 

 

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Yay!!! It's just wonderful! Has not seemed crowed yet and isn't embarkation day the worst?! Enjoy!!! We certainly are.

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Oasis class ships are huge! The hull is actually very pale blue, but I can see where it’s rather plain. I always enjoy NCL’s hull designs.

 

 

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I'm going to have to look for the blue. We collectively thought it was all white. Thanks for the tip!!

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Dinner reservations- so excited! We had a bit of a mess due to changing cabins. Thought we'd spend the afternoon at guest services. Stopped by 150 Central Park and a wonderful manager fixed us up! The girls

Had the BOGO and the DH and I have a 5 night package. We have Chops and Wonderland for four - exactly what the girls wanted then the DH and I added two nights at Central Park and one night at Jamie's. The DH loved the 150 CP menu. Got exactly what we wanted and times we wanted with the packages. Looking forward the dinners!!!

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Cabins- were on an OV on 14 and the girls are in a Boardwalk balcony. The cabins are awesome! Roomy and modern. We're quite happy with them. Here's the girls view.

And our cabin

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Sabor is quite popular for those of us who don't want to fight the elevators!! It's quite the respite. And the drinks are awesome.

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Too bad we can't pick up ala carte guacamole or chips and salsa anymore. That would be quite nice with these tequila treats!!

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