Currently onboard HOTS

[Norwich Cruiser]

If any questions please ask?

But FYI.

New menus.

Great crew.

Fabulous shows especially A Fine Line.

[Clarea]

Do you know if the new menus are the same as are currently offered on Oasis?

 

The Oasis menus are here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2375673

[DP]

Does Mini Bites serve made to order omelets at breakfast and frozen yogurt and burgers for lunch.

[nivek82]

Was it easy to book things once onboard? There are some restaurants that only have real late times and I'm hoping they will have earlier times once onboard.

[Norwich Cruiser]

The menus are very similar except no lobster but they have fish and chips probably a British thing it's fine by us.

The first formal night was filet mignon and second formal is beef tenderloin obviously amongst other entrees.

I know Bob likes his braised lamb shank and that is on day seven along with fish and chips and prime rib.

The food for the whole cruise has been truly exceptional.

Mini bites is very good has omelets to order at breakfast open 07.30 until 10.00 along with hot dogs burgers nachos chilli and excellent deserts including frozen yoghurt at lunch.

We pre booked all our shows but really there was no need to plenty of avaibility and walk ins ten minutes before shows start everybody has always got in although it was standing room only for the ice show.

A Fine Line in our opinion is the best show it was cancelled on the first night when sailing from Barcelona but everyone who missed out were then pre booked another night for an extra show they put on.

We actually did a walk up one afternoon and got in with no problem and went back again for an evening preformance which was spectacular.

So a good tip book the show early in your cruise in case it gets cancelled when you want to go it will give you more chances so far this sailing it has been cancelled three times due to technical difficulties or bad weather.

The ice shows are very good preferred iskate no reservations required although 1887 an ice spectacular is very good not sure about the story behind it but skaters first classHeadliner is Hector is Magic a Spanish magician was the headliner showtime and was pretty good.

Haven't seen Columbus the musical as yet it is being performed on Friday and Saturday.

We are in Citivecchia today pouring with rain and the first new passengers were on board by 10.00am for breakfast.

Everything is first class and very very well organised.

No complaints at all an amazing ship am pretty sure you will all will love it when it comes over to the Caribbean.

[swoopy2110]

This post has made me so excited to be getting onboard on Sunday :)

[Norwich Cruiser]

On the interactive television screen in our cabin for day six it doesn't list lobster as a choice.

But on the tv screens outside the dining room it says broiled lobster tail.

Guess we will have to wait until tomorrow to find out.

FYI it is possible to view all the menus for the week from the stateroom screen and it has been correct so far.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Have you tried the puzzle room--Escape the Rubicon? [or the name is something like that]

[39august]

All I can see on my planner are shows at 10 and 10:30 PM. Are there earlier evening shows and/or some afternoon shows, please? I hope so!!

[Mierin828]

I was just on HOTS last week- I can happily confirm that the menus outside the dining room confirming the Fishermans' Platter turned out to be the correct ones, and not the ones on the room TVs that showed no lobster. I was glad we checked those, as we'd looked in the room and made a specialty restaurant reservation for that night instead- nearly missed the free lobster!

 

Columbus was the only show we were disappointed in, esp seeing it at the end of the cruise after seeing so many other great shows. It's really really really ridiculously cheesy- imagine a pop music medley, singing sharks, women dressed as cheeseburgers, bad RCCL jokes, that kind of thing. It's not even so bad it's good- it's just dire.

[Ken at the beach]

I was just on HOTS last week- I can happily confirm that the menus outside the dining room confirming the Fishermans' Platter turned out to be the correct ones, and not the ones on the room TVs that showed no lobster. I was glad we checked those, as we'd looked in the room and made a specialty restaurant reservation for that night instead- nearly missed the free lobster!

 

Columbus was the only show we were disappointed in, esp seeing it at the end of the cruise after seeing so many other great shows. It's really really really ridiculously cheesy- imagine a pop music medley, singing sharks, women dressed as cheeseburgers, bad RCCL jokes, that kind of thing. It's not even so bad it's good- it's just dire.

 

Interesting. Thus is the first report that I have seen of the free lobster being served for a ship not sailing from a North American port.

[nivek82]

Thanks for the replies and glad to see there are more show times. As others posted all I can see to book are things at 10pm and later.

[Norwich Cruiser]

Hope this helps but please remember A Fine Line does get cancelled fairly frequently especially at this time of the year.

I would book it but also go in the stand by line at the first opportunity.

Sunday Grease 8.30 pm

Fine Line 7.00pm and 9.00pm (both were cancelled)

iSkate10.15pm

 

Monday Grease 8.00pm

Fine Line 5.00pm and 7.00pm

1887 ice show 8.30pm and 10.45pm

 

Tuesday Grease 7.30pm

Fine Line 5.00pm and 7.00pm (7.00pm cancelled)

50's and 60's Street Party 10.45 pm

 

Wednesday Headliner 9.00 pm and 11.15 pm

1887 ice show 10.00pm

90's Street Part 10.45pm

 

Thursday Headliner 9.00pm

Fine Line 7.15pm ( Not heard yet if it is cancelled but at the moment it is pouring

With rain so very doubtful)

Royal Dance Party 10.00pm

Quest 10.45pm

 

Friday Columbus 8.30pm and 11.00pm

iSkate10.00pm

 

Saturday Columbus 9.00pm

1887 ice show 8.00pm and 10.15 pm

 

Grease 90 minutes Headliner 45 minutes Columbus 50 minutes Fine Line 45 minutes 1887 ice show 45 minutes iSkate 36 minutes

 

No bookings required for Headliner.

 

They have the escape room but have not done it and haven't spoken to anybody who has sorry cannot help with that.

 

Trust you find this helpful but do not get banged up worrying about reservations it seems you always get in the shows.

[DragonOfTheSeas]

Thanks for the replies and glad to see there are more show times. As others posted all I can see to book are things at 10pm and later.

 

I have booked the late times and then I plan to see once I am onboard if there are earlier times I can change to--or try the stand by line.

[39august]

What is iSkate, please? And is there a comedy show?

[Norwich Cruiser]

iSkate is an excellent ice skating show and in our humble opinion is far better than 1887 ice show no reservations are required.

The comedy show is no more no reason given and it was mentioned by a member of staff that it may make a return in the future but nothing definite.

We were emailed by RCI about three weeks before our present sailing informing us that the comedy show had been cancelled.

[Merion_Mom]

I know Bob likes his braised lamb shank and that is on day seven along with fish and chips and prime rib.

 

Fish & chips instead of turkey???

 

Yes, please! :)

[Norwich Cruiser]

Is on the menu one night

[MamaTene]

How many pools are on HOTS? I surmise one is adults only/solarium. Is that enforced as in no children under 18 permitted? On the main pool deck, do they have barbecue set up to have hamburgers/hot dogs without having to go get in the Horizon court area? How about ice cream and soft serve? Are they available any time up on deck?

[ARCruisinNana]

How many pools are on HOTS? I surmise one is adults only/solarium. Is that enforced as in no children under 18 permitted? On the main pool deck, do they have barbecue set up to have hamburgers/hot dogs without having to go get in the Horizon court area? How about ice cream and soft serve? Are they available any time up on deck?

 

 

No pool in the HM solarium.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Forums

[Norwich Cruiser]

There are two self service frozen yogurt (ice cream) machines serving vanilla strawberry and chocolate one on port and one on starboard side at the rear of deck 15 one is just by mini bites.It operates from 10.00am to 9.00pm

No pool in the adult solarium area and the no children rule is enforced.

There has been no barbecue set up on deck but tomorrow is the only sea day so you never know.If there is one I will report back.

[Norwich Cruiser]

They had an Oktoberfest set up on the boardwalk with the traditional German sausages and sauces plus cakes.

All very nice.

[asctony]

How is the new Diamond Lounge on Deck 4? Any pictures?

Thank you!

[Norwich Cruiser]

The diamond lounge on deck four is adjacent to the jazz club ( that I can highly recommend).

It seats about seventy people and was never full most nights between twenty and forty people in there.

Service by the two bar tenders was excellent never did you have an empty glass and the food/nibbles ranged from the usual hot and cold food cheeses fruit and the chocolate covered strawberries.

One night two chefs who prepare the food for the diamond lounge came round the tables and asked how we were enjoying the food and if there was anything different to what was being offered we would like a nice touch never had that before.

Another night the hotel director did the rounds and again asked how we were enjoying the food and cruise and if there was anything we would like different to what was being offered in the lounge.

Sorry I think I took pictures of everything else except the diamond lounge.