Royal Caribbean Cruisers -- How Are Things Where You Are? (was "Routine" ​ 😁 ​day in lockdown... how was yours?)

[Ocean Boy]

Survivor begins tonight!

[bobmacliberty]

I'm finally getting around to providing a review of our Punta Cana trip.  I'll dump everything into one VERY long post so as not to fill up Dani's thread with a lot of smaller posts.

 

We flew down on Monday, arriving at the hotel around 5pm, and flew back on Friday, leaving mid afternoon and arriving home at almost midnight.  Delta through ATL both ways.  We arranged transportation between PUJ and the hotel (both ways) with a company called DAT.  They got good reviews in TripAdvisor and delivered as promised. We had Monday dinner and evening events, 3 full days Tuesday thru Thursday, and Friday morning/lunch at the resort.  Once we checked in, we didn't leave until we checked out.

 

As I said earlier, we stayed at Secrets Cap Cana.  Cap Cana is a gated area in the southern part of the greater Punta Cana area...about a 15 minute drive from the airport.  It's a 5-star resort but I've learned that hotel star ratings are very much relative to where they're located.  A 5-star hotel in London is different from a 5-star hotel in Punta Cana. For the most part, it lived up to the 5-star rating but overall, I'd probably give it 4.5 stars.  Secrets Cap Cana, like much (all?) of Punta Cana is an all-inclusive hotel.  All food, drinks, entertainment, WiFi, water toys, and gratuities were included, although we brought a bunch of ones to tip additionally.  Many people gave additional tips but it seemed like most did not.  Hard to tell though.  There were a few upcharge opportunities with the spa, some off-site excursions, and some beach cabanas, but we didn't take advantage of any of those.

 

Our room was a Junior Suite Ocean View.  Almost all of the rooms were Junior Suites with a similar layout and either a king or two double beds.  There were a few larger rooms in the preferred section of the hotel, but nothing smaller.  You were essentially paying for the view...tropical, pool, ocean view, ocean front, and swim out.  We had a nice view from our 5th floor balcony.

 

 

 

The resort itself and the rooms were 5-star worthy.  The rooms were large and well appointed with an area that had a love seat and chair, double vanities in the bath room, two rain shower heads in the shower, and plenty of drawer and hanging storage.  The resort grounds were beautiful with lush vegetation.  The pool and beach were fantastic, with plenty of comfortable seating and umbrellas/palapas.  There was a little bit of sargassum, but they had some sort of net out in the ocean to catch much of it and did a good job every day cleaning up what made it through the net.  Never really a problem.  They made a big deal at check in that reserving chairs before noon was not allowed and items on chairs would be removed by security.  Nope.

 

 

We saw many books, hats, and flip flops enjoying the morning son.  Still, we never had a problem finding a good place to sit.  Either the resort was not at full capacity, or it's well spaced out so that it doesn't feel crowded.  Various pictures and videos of the pool and beach:

 

 

 

 

 

Infinity edge pool overlooking the beach and ocean.

 

 

The obligatory OB shot.

 

And the obligatory Miami Vice.

 

Swin out rooms

 

The party area, including the swim up bar.

 

Service was mostly very good to excellent...I'd give it 5 stars.  We were assigned a personal concierge.  I think this is true for all rooms.  Our concierge, Luis, was friendly and walked us to our room at check in, pointing out several things as we went to help get us oriented.  He also helped with a couple of issues that we had and coordinated luggage delivery and pick up.  He found us on the resort somewhere every day to see how things were going and if we needed anything.  We traded mobile phone numbers so that we could reach him whenever needed.  He also greeted us by text every morning and sent us the day's events...sort of their cruise compass.  Here's a sample:

 

Sundial Viernes 23 de febrero INGLES 2024.pdf

 

Restaurant and bar service was also great. I ordered a Miami Vice from the swim up bar and the bartender said with a straight face that they didn't have a Miami Vice.  He was literally standing next to frozen drink machines filled with strawberry daquiri and pina colada.  I pointed at the machines and said, "what about those?".  He said, "those are for a Dominican Vice" and then flashed a huge smile.  Every time that I ordered a Presidente beer, the servers would say, "ah yes...Dominican water".  They made some very tasty drinks of the day.  Although we had a few issues with food (see below), the restaurant staff handled it perfectly.  

 

There was an entertainment team, like the Cruise Director's staff, that led events like volleyball (pool and beach), water aerobics, dancing, a coconut throwing competition, etc.   They'd serve a variety of things throughout the day at the pool...an Aperol Spritz cart, a crepes cart with a lot of fillings to choose from (I had a great banana and chocolate with a sweetened condensed cream topic...yum), and even an old fashioned looking ice cream chest mounted on the front of a bicycle.  The chest was filled with popsicles that they'd put in a margherita glass and top with champagne.  Also yum.

 

 

Beer Kayak.  Help yourself.

 

My only knock on service is probably a cultural thing.  Several times, wait staff would yell to each other across the room.  For example, we had a waitress at breakfast about 10 feet from us who was talking to another waitress about 30 feet away.  They were both talking loudly, and often at the same time, for about 30 seconds.  If it was my resort, I would have trained them to walk to each other and have a quiet conversation face to face, away from the customers.  I know this is kind of communication is common in Latin and Caribbean cultures so their house, their rules.

 

Entertainment was just OK.  I'd give it 4 stars.  They had a lot of live music throughout the day and in the evening.  There was a show every night in their theater.  The talent level of the musicians sometimes was lacking.  It really makes you appreciate the talent of the entertainment on a Royal ship.  To be fair, Royal can get talent from all over the world, while the resort seemed to mostly be choosing from the local region.  The musicians all gave their best effort though and it was usually entertaining enough to watch, or at least listen to as background music.  The first night in the theater was their most popular show, a Queen tribute.  The guy playing the role of Freddie Mercury did a good job of imitating his mannerisms but his voice sometimes left something to be desired.  Again, it was entertaining enough to watch for an hour while enjoying a cocktail or two.  Here's a video with several clips of the Queen show.  

 

 

Food was the biggest disappointment.  I'd give it 4 stars, at most.  We've only been to one other AI (20 years ago) but from what I've read, it was typical for an AI.  The variety was great.  There were restaurants specializing in French, Italian, Mexican, Pan-Asian (including hibachi), seafood, and steaks.  There was a pool side grill, and a large buffet area (their Windjammer) that served breakfast and lunch.  Execution though was often lacking.  We had to return food 3 times because it was either undercooked, cold, or both.  We had a few meals that were good but none that I'd consider to be great.  I've had better meals in Royal's specialty restaurants.  I don't think anything was cooked to order.  It was served quickly so I think everything was pre-cooked or partially cooked and then just finished before delivering to the table.  For perspective, I think we're becoming food snobs and are probably more critical than the average person.

 

One interesting thing (to me a least) was that they had a crew trimming the palm trees.  One guy would climb to the top of the tree, literally with just ropes and a machete, and chop off the lower layer of palm fronds.  This kept me entertained for a few minutes. 

 

 

The finished product.  Seems like they took off a lot of fronds, but the only thing I know about palm trees is that they can be expensive to buy. 

 

Wrapping up...

 

Overall, it was a great getaway for a few days.  I've said here before that we cruise more for port days since we have a pool and live at the beach.  I was worried that I might be bored.  That wasn't the case at all.  We mostly just relaxed and read books, while taking advantage of a few of the entertainment options.  I'm not sure if I could handle more than 3 days without getting itchy to do something, but it was a great way to escape the "cold" Florida weather at home (yes...I've become Florida soft when temps in the 40s/50s are cold).  Would I go here again?  If we were going back to Punta Cana then yes.  I'd try a different island like Aruba or St. Thomas/St. John first though.

Edited February 28 by bobmacliberty

[Ocean Boy]

@bobmacliberty Thanks so much for that write up. I tinker with trying an AI but I still love being out at sea and arriving in different ports.

 

If I took more vacation time I would probably be more open to trying an AI. I just don't want to pull the trigger and then find it to be a disappointing experience as it isn't like I can then just book a cruise to make up for it. Time off is still difficult to come by.

[bobmacliberty]

31 minutes ago, Ocean Boy said:

@bobmacliberty Thanks so much for that write up. I tinker with trying an AI but I still love being out at sea and arriving in different ports.

 

If I took more vacation time I would probably be more open to trying an AI. I just don't want to pull the trigger and then find it to be a disappointing experience as it isn't like I can then just book a cruise to make up for it. Time off is still difficult to come by.

 

I agree.  We normally would not have booked an AI trip but since we're retired and have the time, we can be more flexible.  We want to do more trying short trips for things that we would not normally book, to see if we like them or not.  Best case, we find something new that we like.  Worst case, we waste a little money and learn that something isn't for us.  It's nice to have that flexibility.

[helen haywood]

I too learned one needs to familiarize themselves with hotel ratings.  A land hotel can be a 2.5 star and another a 3 star simply because the latter has an onsite restaurant or conference rooms.  Nothing pertaining to room amenities or age…

[grapau27]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

I'm finally getting around to providing a review of our Punta Cana trip.  I'll dump everything into one VERY long post so as not to fill up Dani's thread with a lot of smaller posts.

 

We flew down on Monday, arriving at the hotel around 5pm, and flew back on Friday, leaving mid afternoon and arriving home at almost midnight.  Delta through ATL both ways.  We arranged transportation between PUJ and the hotel (both ways) with a company called DAT.  They got good reviews in TripAdvisor and delivered as promised. We had Monday dinner and evening events, 3 full days Tuesday thru Thursday, and Friday morning/lunch at the resort.  Once we checked in, we didn't leave until we checked out.

 

As I said earlier, we stayed at Secrets Cap Cana.  Cap Cana is a gated area in the southern part of the greater Punta Cana area...about a 15 minute drive from the airport.  It's a 5-star resort but I've learned that hotel star ratings are very much relative to where they're located.  A 5-star hotel in London is different from a 5-star hotel in Punta Cana. For the most part, it lived up to the 5-star rating but overall, I'd probably give it 4.5 stars.  Secrets Cap Cana, like much (all?) of Punta Cana is an all-inclusive hotel.  All food, drinks, entertainment, WiFi, water toys, and gratuities were included, although we brought a bunch of ones to tip additionally.  Many people gave additional tips but it seemed like most did not.  Hard to tell though.  There were a few upcharge opportunities with the spa, some off-site excursions, and some beach cabanas, but we didn't take advantage of any of those.

 

Our room was a Junior Suite Ocean View.  Almost all of the rooms were Junior Suites with a similar layout and either a king or two double beds.  There were a few larger rooms in the preferred section of the hotel, but nothing smaller.  You were essentially paying for the view...tropical, pool, ocean view, ocean front, and swim out.  We had a nice view from our 5th floor balcony.

 

 

 

The resort itself and the rooms were 5-star worthy.  The rooms were large and well appointed with an area that had a love seat and chair, double vanities in the bath room, two rain shower heads in the shower, and plenty of drawer and hanging storage.  The resort grounds were beautiful with lush vegetation.  The pool and beach were fantastic, with plenty of comfortable seating and umbrellas/palapas.  There was a little bit of sargassum, but they had some sort of net out in the ocean to catch much of it and did a good job every day cleaning up what made it through the net.  Never really a problem.  They made a big deal at check in that reserving chairs before noon was not allowed and items on chairs would be removed by security.  Nope.

 

 

We saw many books, hats, and flip flops enjoying the morning son.  Still, we never had a problem finding a good place to sit.  Either the resort was not at full capacity, or it's well spaced out so that it doesn't feel crowded.  Various pictures and videos of the pool and beach:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Infinity edge pool overlooking the beach and ocean.

 

 

The obligatory OB shot.

 

And the obligatory Miami Vice.

 

Swin out rooms

 

The party area, including the swim up bar.

 

 

Service was mostly very good to excellent...I'd give it 5 stars.  We were assigned a personal concierge.  I think this is true for all rooms.  Our concierge, Luis, was friendly and walked us to our room at check in, pointing out several things as we went to help get us oriented.  He also helped with a couple of issues that we had and coordinated luggage delivery and pick up.  He found us on the resort somewhere every day to see how things were going and if we needed anything.  We traded mobile phone numbers so that we could reach him whenever needed.  He also greeted us by text every morning and sent us the day's events...sort of their cruise compass.  Here's a sample:

 

Sundial Viernes 23 de febrero INGLES 2024.pdf 574.98 kB · 3 downloads

 

Restaurant and bar service was also great. I ordered a Miami Vice from the swim up bar and the bartender said with a straight face that they didn't have a Miami Vice.  He was literally standing next to frozen drink machines filled with strawberry daquiri and pina colada.  I pointed at the machines and said, "what about those?".  He said, "those are for a Dominican Vice" and then flashed a huge smile.  Every time that I ordered a Presidente beer, the servers would say, "ah yes...Dominican water".  They made some very tasty drinks of the day.  Although we had a few issues with food (see below), the restaurant staff handled it perfectly.  

 

There was an entertainment team, like the Cruise Director's staff, that led events like volleyball (pool and beach), water aerobics, dancing, a coconut throwing competition, etc.   They'd serve a variety of things throughout the day at the pool...an Aperol Spritz cart, a crepes cart with a lot of fillings to choose from (I had a great banana and chocolate with a sweetened condensed cream topic...yum), and even an old fashioned looking ice cream chest mounted on the front of a bicycle.  The chest was filled with popsicles that they'd put in a margherita glass and top with champagne.  Also yum.

 

 

Beer Kayak.  Help yourself.

 

My only knock on service is probably a cultural thing.  Several times, wait staff would yell to each other across the room.  For example, we had a waitress at breakfast about 10 feet from us who was talking to another waitress about 30 feet away.  They were both talking loudly, and often at the same time, for about 30 seconds.  If it was my resort, I would have trained them to walk to each other and have a quiet conversation face to face, away from the customers.  I know this is kind of communication is common in Latin and Caribbean cultures so their house, their rules.

 

Entertainment was just OK.  I'd give it 4 stars.  They had a lot of live music throughout the day and in the evening.  There was a show every night in their theater.  The talent level of the musicians sometimes was lacking.  It really makes you appreciate the talent of the entertainment on a Royal ship.  To be fair, Royal can get talent from all over the world, while the resort seemed to mostly be choosing from the local region.  The musicians all gave their best effort though and it was usually entertaining enough to watch, or at least listen to as background music.  The first night in the theater was their most popular show, a Queen tribute.  The guy playing the role of Freddie Mercury did a good job of imitating his mannerisms but his voice sometimes left something to be desired.  Again, it was entertaining enough to watch for an hour while enjoying a cocktail or two.  Here's a video with several clips of the Queen show.  

 

 

 

Food was the biggest disappointment.  I'd give it 4 stars, at most.  We've only been to one other AI (20 years ago) but from what I've read, it was typical for an AI.  The variety was great.  There were restaurants specializing in French, Italian, Mexican, Pan-Asian (including hibachi), seafood, and steaks.  There was a pool side grill, and a large buffet area (their Windjammer) that served breakfast and lunch.  Execution though was often lacking.  We had to return food 3 times because it was either undercooked, cold, or both.  We had a few meals that were good but none that I'd consider to be great.  I've had better meals in Royal's specialty restaurants.  I don't think anything was cooked to order.  It was served quickly so I think everything was pre-cooked or partially cooked and then just finished before delivering to the table.  For perspective, I think we're becoming food snobs and are probably more critical than the average person.

 

One interesting thing (to me a least) was that they had a crew trimming the palm trees.  One guy would climb to the top of the tree, literally with just ropes and a machete, and chop off the lower layer of palm fronds.  This kept me entertained for a few minutes. 

 

 

 

The finished product.  Seems like they took off a lot of fronds, but the only thing I know about palm trees is that they can be expensive to buy. 

 

Wrapping up...

 

Overall, it was a great getaway for a few days.  I've said here before that we cruise more for port days since we have a pool and live at the beach.  I was worried that I might be bored.  That wasn't the case at all.  We mostly just relaxed and read books, while taking advantage of a few of the entertainment options.  I'm not sure if I could handle more than 3 days without getting itchy to do something, but it was a great way to escape the "cold" Florida weather at home (yes...I've become Florida soft when temps in the 40s/50s are cold).  Would I go here again?  If we were going back to Punta Cana then yes.  I'd try a different island like Aruba or St. Thomas/St. John first though.

Amazing.

Thank you for sharing.

[Sea Dog]

3 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

Overall, it was a great getaway for a few days. 

 

Thanks for posting this detailed review. I may need to try this.

[jmh2006]

Let the adventure begin! ✈️🛳️🌴🌞

[Sea Dog]

3 minutes ago, jmh2006 said:

Let the adventure begin! ✈️🛳️🌴🌞

 

Bon Voyage. I wish we were with you!!

[George C]

2 hours ago, bobmacliberty said:

 

I agree.  We normally would not have booked an AI trip but since we're retired and have the time, we can be more flexible.  We want to do more trying short trips for things that we would not normally book, to see if we like them or not.  Best case, we find something new that we like.  Worst case, we waste a little money and learn that something isn't for us.  It's nice to have that flexibility.

Sounds like a very nice resort, we did hard rock in Punta Cana and was really disappointed no live music , beautiful resort . We do like Sandals have done a few in Jamaica, really good food , could use more entertainment at night , like the adults only. 

[dani negreanu]

1 hour ago, grapau27 said:

Amazing.

Thank you for sharing.

 

@bobmacliberty + 1 👍

[lenquixote66]

20 hours ago, Ozark_Kid said:

I recorded it after seeing you mentioned it before but I haven't watched it yet.   I saw that they were playing it again this week but it looks like a replay of the 1st.

It may have been a repeat .How are you feeling ? I have to apologize for not asking you in a while but you are in my thoughts and my prayers always.

[lenquixote66]

2 hours ago, grapau27 said:

Amazing.

Thank you for sharing.

Graham: My OT came to my house this morning.She brought me a bag of chocolates from her vacation in Switzerland .I normally do not eat chocolate because of my migraines but I had a piece ,really delicious.

[lenquixote66]

15 hours ago, Coralc said:

I have lived in this same house since I was 12. I am 65 now. It has been interesting to see what we have come across, but it has been slowing down the process. Some things, have value, because I was very careful with my toys.

 

I remember my mom holding on to her LIFE magazines. While I really wanted to hold on to my comic books, from the early 60's and early 70's. In 1998, a software program came out that allowed me to inventory them, and I bagged, informally graded, and put them on acid free boards. And stored them in a file cabinet. They were worth about (there are about 691 of them) $3000 then. I am curious if I can find a comic store buyer or send them to an auction house (more work) to see what they are worth now. ☺️ Sorry, off topic sort of, but it has been on my mind, as we prepare for a major move.

When I was in college I had a part time job for Life Magazine.Every Friday the employees were given free copies of the magazine .I still have one.I also have a comic book that was autographed by the Cartoonist.

[Ozark_Kid]

17 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

It may have been a repeat .How are you feeling ? I have to apologize for not asking you in a while but you are in my thoughts and my prayers always.

Feeling good today! 

Was woken up last night at 3am by high winds that was banging something outside. Thought I would be tired today but so far good! 

No need to apologize. I highly appreciate yours and others thoughts and prayers! 

 

We watched the show last night.  We plan to watch it a couple more times.  

[grapau27]

57 minutes ago, lenquixote66 said:

Graham: My OT came to my house this morning.She brought me a bag of chocolates from her vacation in Switzerland .I normally do not eat chocolate because of my migraines but I had a piece ,really delicious.

I'm delighted you enjoyed your Swiss chocolate's Lenny and hope your OT enjoyed her holiday and chocolate in Switzerland.

[grapau27]

35 minutes ago, Ozark_Kid said:

Feeling good today! 

Was woken up last night at 3am by high winds that was banging something outside. Thought I would be tired today but so far good! 

No need to apologize. I highly appreciate yours and others thoughts and prayers! 

 

We watched the show last night.  We plan to watch it a couple more times.  

Best wishes John.

[A&L_Ont]

Last night we went to Toronto, for the Leafs VS Vegas game.  Final score Vegas 6, Leafs 2.

 

 

A family divided. 
 

 

Lisa and Owen sat here right beside the Vegas bench. Speaking of division, I sat a few rows away on my own. 
 

Those are TVs in the floor for the coaches to see replays. 

 

 

Behind the seats is where the coaches and trainers walked to the bench.  A few extra gloves and helmet were there. Also a glove dryer, which Lisa said smelled when used. 

 

 

Owen came home with a “gift”.  He also got a practice puck and smelling salts. 

 

 

 

[A&L_Ont]

We woke at 6 to get home before rush hour.  We also went from well above freezing to a flash freeze today. What a long 24 hours. 
 

The last of the game moments.  Their seats are right beside where the visiting team come out to the ice so Owen made the best of it.
 

Still shot from the pregame show last night. 
 

 

Third period fist bumps for the boys. 

 

 

Edited February 28 by A&L_Ont

[CrzLvr2]

On 2/26/2024 at 5:17 PM, dani negreanu said:

 

Speaking of which....

 

Spent a few enjoyable hours with my HS friends.

 

We were supposed to meet a day after the war started... So glad that, after more than 4 months, everyone is OK and younger family members are back from reserve duty. Hoping against hope for even a temporary cease fire in the next week or two.

 

 

 

So happy to see you and your dear friends back together again and enjoying each other’s company.😊

I am also hoping that a cease fire will be accomplished soon. In the meantime and as always, you and your family and friends will remain in my thoughts and prayers. 🙏                               

[CrzLvr2]

On 2/27/2024 at 1:11 PM, Ozark_Kid said:

Not quite the same as an OVB but still nice.  80⁰ now and forcast to be 38⁰ at 8am tomorrow! Guess I will enjoy this while I can!

 

Wow! What a great view from your Lake View Deck! (Or your LVD)

With 80° temps and a view like that, it looks like you’re on vacation!
You even included the obligatory shot of your “vacation feet.” 😎

[aussielozzie18]

Good morning.  It’s the last day of Summer in Australia.  Going out with a hot one in Sydney, expecting 35C/95f with a storm moving through in the the evening to cool things down.

[d9704011]

3 minutes ago, aussielozzie18 said:

Good morning.  It’s the last day of Summer in Australia.  Going out with a hot one in Sydney, expecting 35C/95f with a storm moving through in the the evening to cool things down.

What do you call the period between the end of February and about 21 March?

[mo&fran]

9 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

What do you call the period between the end of February and about 21 March?

Like we in the US consider summer to be over  after Labor Day. 

[aussielozzie18]

19 minutes ago, d9704011 said:

What do you call the period between the end of February and about 21 March?

From the 1st March, it’s autumn